The stars are all in Georgia tonight, but it won't be long before they're packed in planes and headed to the UK for the upcoming WWE event Money In The Bank. With that in mind, expect to hear a lot of jawing-off between competitors about who will win the big briefcase and that coveted contract and maybe even a tease or two about surprising entrants who may be in attendance.
CinemaBlend will be here throughout the night to keep tabs on the major matches, promos, backstage segments, and other surprises the evening might hold. With the Premium Live Event on Saturday, I definitely think there will be a surprise or two planned ahead of the big matches, so stick around as we break the night down.
How To Watch Monday Night Raw (6/26/2023)
Dominik Mysterio opens up Monday Night Raw with his "Mami" and the fictional mother of his children, Women's Universal Champion Rhea Ripley. The stadium is rocking with boos from the crowd. Rhea attempts to step in and start talking but is interrupted by Cody Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes enters the ring and gives a proper introduction to Monday Night Raw. Rhea and Dom take offense, and tell Cody he'll regret it at Money In The Bank. Cody disses Dom by quoting The Cat In The Hat, and calls the young Mysterio a "scared little boy." Dom and Rhea exit the ring to boos from the crowd. Cody says he hopes to see at Money In The Bank if Dom is "half the man his father is" or "Mami's little boy." Segment ends.
Shinsuke Nakamura makes his way to the ring in preparation for a singles match versus Ricochet when Monday Night Raw returns.
Raw returns, and Bronson Reed is ringside alongside the commentary team for the match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Ricochet. Both men are competing in the Money In The Bank match, but this obsession with Reed could hurt their chances of winning. This might be why CinemaBlend's Mack Rawden didn't list them as his favorites to hold the briefcase. Reed briefly tries to interfere but is thrown out by the referee.
Ricochet defeats Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall.
Matt Riddle's interview backstage is interrupted by Ludwig Kaiser. Words are exchanged between them, and Riddle attacks Ludwig. Gunther intervenes and drops Riddle with a boot. Gunther accepts a challenge against Riddle and stomps his injured ankle while he's down.
Adam Pearce is interrupted by Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley. Dominik wants a match to show Cody Rhodes what's in store for him at Money In The Bank. He has an opponent in mind, but we don't know for sure who it is.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler make their way to the ring. Rousey will take on Raquel Rodriguez with Liv Morgan ringside when Monday Night Raw returns.
Ronda Rousey and Raquel Rodriguez get underway with Shayna Baszler and Liv Morgan at ringside. Ronda's usual submission moves are faltering under Rodriguez's superior strength for a time, but she's able to pull a fast one and pin Rodriguez.
Ronda Rousey defeats Raquel Rodriguez via pinfall.
Raw cuts to a promo of Finn Bálor talking about Seth Rollins screwing him out of title runs. We then see Seth strutting through the halls in a bright red sequin tracksuit. Monday Night Rollins is on the way.
Seth Rollins is in the ring, and welcomes NXT champion Carmello Hayes, who is seated in the front row, to Monday Night Raw. Rollins pays Finn Bálor compliments for how ruthless he's been with attacks the past week, and that he's not 100% for Money In The Bank. He isn't worried, however, because the best version of himself is better than the best version of Bálor. Finn attempts another sneak attack, but is ultimately unsuccessful.
Backstage interview with Ciampa. He's mad at The Miz because he never checked in on him when he was out with injury. Ciampa explained the moment gave him clarity, and helped him realize he had no business teaming with him to begin with. The two will face off again when Raw returns.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Finn Bálor is announced as a surprise match for tonight.
Ciampa makes his way out to the ring for the match, but is ambushed by Miz. Ciampa is ultimately unable to compete, and Miz leaves the ramp while calling him a joke.
Ludwig Kaiser confirms backstage that Gunther vs. Riddle will happen at Money In The Bank. They are interrupted by Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, who want to challenge Gunther and Kaiser to a match. It's ultimately decided that Gunther and Sami Zayn will compete one on one later tonight.
Dominik Mysterio makes his way to the ring with Rhea Ripley for his match.
Dominic Mysterio's opponent comes to the ring, and it's Akira Tozawa. Tozawa lost a match to Rhea Ripley last year, so the implication is that Dom picked the easiest opponent on the roster to compete against. It's no wonder he's booed by grandmas. Dom struggles initially, but is ultimately able to score a victory.
Dominik Mysterio defeats Akira Tozawa via pinfall.
The Viking Raiders cut a taped promo against the Alpha Academy.
Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark make their way to the ring for the Women's Summit for Money In The Bank. Raw will return.
Corey Graves greets women competitor in the ring. Bayley cuts him off and says he doesn't have to explain anything to her. Zelina Vega starts talking trash with a sandal in her hand. There's a lot more chatter before fists start flying and the segment devolves into chaos. Becky ultimately climbs the ladder and grabs the briefcase to perhaps signal she's winning.
Carmelo Hayes has a backstage interview at Monday Night Raw. Hayes is asked if he's prepared to take on Finn Bálor, and he responds by saying he's going to handle this problem for Seth Rollins.
Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser make their way to the ring for the Intercontinental champion's match with Sami Zayn, which will start when Monday Night Raw returns.
Becky Lynch is threatened by Rhea Ripley backstage, and tells her not to cash in on her if she wins.
Gunther versus Sami Zayn gets underway. Sami and Gunther are neck and neck when it comes to competing, which doesn't bode well for Gunther's match against Matt Riddle. Frankly, he's not looking like the guy CinemaBlend once thought could defeat Roman Reigns. Gunther is ultimately able to score a victory with the help of a returning Giovanni Vinci. Riddle makes his way to the ring and attacks Imperium
Gunther defeats Sami Zayn via pinfall.
Finn Bálor makes his way to the ring for his match with NXT champion Carmelo Hayes.
Alpha Academy cuts a quick promo to call out the Viking Raiders. They're planning for pure carnage at Money In The Bank.
Finn Bálor and Carmelo Hayes' match gets underway. Hayes had a great debut match, but was ultimately unable to defeat Bálor.
Finn Bálor defeats Carmelo Hayes via pinfall.
Cody Rhodes is backstage with his dog, and gets up for an interview. Cody is tired of talking about Dom in interviews, and just can't wait to shut him up at Money In The Bank.
We get a long promo promoting the Bloodline match at Money In The Bank. Admittedly, an odd way to close out Monday Night Raw, but I'm assuming there's at least one more segment to come after this.
With a little over 20 minutes to spare, Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring for a match against Damian Priest. I can't imagine there will be a lot of time left for a match once his entrance is over.
Cody Rhodes versus Damian Priest kicks off. The match proceeds as normal for a bit, but Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio inevitably make their way out to the ring. The match is able to proceed largely uninterrupted, and Cody is able to win to close out Monday Night Raw.
Cody Rhodes defeats Damian Priest via. pinfall.
Dom scores on final cheapshot on Cody before the show ends, and retreats behind Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest for protection.
