WWE RAW Results, Highlights and Grades – August 21, 2023, Kevin Owens Returns

WWE RAW popularly known as Monday Night RAW for August 21, 2023, is scheduled to air live from Videotron Centre (Centre Vidéotron) in Quebec City, Canada. Let us have a RAW Recap of WWE RAW Results, Highlights, and Grades.

WWE RAW Results, Highlights and Grades : Match Card

WWE RAW Results, Highlights, and Grades: Opening Segment

North American citizens gave Sami Zayn a standing ovation when he first took the stage. For the first ten minutes of the performance, he didn’t utter a thing since the audience was shouting nonstop. He finally welcomed us to the performance, but then Judgment Day played for the whole duration. 

They got close to the ring and were about to attack, but Kevin Owens came back to aid Zayn escape the ring and make the save. A tag match challenge from KO and Sami was accepted by Judgment Day later on in the program. Even though this was a relatively straightforward section, the enthusiasm of the audience made it work.

Grades – B+

WWE RAW Results, Highlights, and Grades: The New Day vs. Matt Riddle and Drew Mcintyre

Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston faced Riddle and McIntyre in the opening match of this week’s show, marking their return to action after a few weeks off, with the goal of winning the tag belts. The match began with Woods and Riddle. Aiming for a double-team position, the KOTR winner and Kingston teased The Bor about not being a true tag team.

Erik from The Viking Raiders moved Riddle off the apron; thus, he was never able to tag in McIntyre. Immediately after, Erik and Ivar launched an attack on the team, which gave New Day the advantage. In all honesty, this match was passable but not particularly strong.

It seemed like a mistake to prevent Drew McIntyre from being physical until after the bout, and the way it all came to a finish seemed a little cheesy. It would have been good to see more action and a clean finish, but this might spark a new feud between Riddle, McIntyre, and The Viking Raiders.

Winner – The New Day

Grades – C+

Also read: Kevin Owens Reveals The Real Reason Why He Decided to Re-Sign With WWE

WWE RAW Results, Highlights, and Grades: Gunther vs. Chad Gable for Intercontinental Championship

Before Gable and Gunther entered the ring for their bout for the Intercontinental Championship, WWE aired a few of their promotional videos. Since both guys entered the arena by themselves, the combat was fair. Gunther backed Gable into a corner while the audience cheered for him as they locked up. In a countermove, the Olympian chopped quickly to let Gunther know he was not afraid.

The Ring General slapped him with one arm, making him regret it. He was still under the champion’s control for the intermission and the following round. Even though Gunther repeatedly applied severe punches and suplexes to Gable, he continued to show signs of life. 

There was no denying that Gunther and Gable were a fantastic match, as everyone had anticipated. They told a fantastic David against. Goliath story by collaborating amazingly effectively. Gable defeated Gunther by the count back into the ring but he did not win the title since it was a countout.

At the ring, Gunther broke down in tears as Chad Gable triumphed over him in the first-ever main roster singles match. In addition to providing Gable the victory and positioning him to be the one who eventually defeats Gunther for the belt, this was the ideal strategy to keep the belt on Gunther.

Winner – Chad Gable by countout

Grades – A

Backstage

Judgement Day is debating who ought to go on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Due to his timid nature, Dominik Mysterio is adamant about Damian Priest and Finn Balor, or him and Finn. Because she’s had enough, Rhea Ripley urges them to make up their minds before she returns, or else she’ll make it for them. 

We watch Cody Rhodes and Byron Saxton converse backstage.

Inquiring as to JD McDonagh’s condition, he remarks that his head is so large that he resembles a Funco Pop. He also states that their current location is unusable and that he would like to take a walk to visit some acquaintances. 

Asking in French what they would want to discuss, he leads Saxton out of Gorilla and into the corridors to the stage where Quebec is being worshipped. He speaks about the game of numbers. He adds that the neighborhood where Kev and Sami grew up is one where the numbers on Judgment Day mean nothing.

He wonders if they’ll be in Zayn and Owens’ corner tonight and wants Judgment Day to hear them. He claims they won’t be alone because he and Judgment Day are still in love.

Also read: Is Roman Reigns in a position to face Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40?

WWE RAW Results, Highlights, and Grades: Rhea Ripley vs. Candice LeRae

Following her match against Indi Hartwell the previous week, Rhea Ripley was positioned across the ring from Candice LeRae, Indi’s adopted wrestling mother. This match proceeded just as one might anticipate.

LeRae would sometimes manage to get in a little offensive work, but Ripley exploited her size to dominate her smaller opponent. It was a brief fight, and The Eradicator secured the victory by locking her in a submission. Before declaring that she had been cleared and would receive a title opportunity at Payback, Raquel Rodriguez came out and assaulted Ripley. Using a crutch, Raquel Rodriguez cautiously makes her way to the ramp. Raquel pitches the crutch towards Rhea while she laughs and gestures, at which time she attacks, ready to go!

With a kick, Ripley breaks her off, but Rodriguez catches her with a lariat of his left arm and a flying slam that sends her flying into Dominik Mysterio’s arms! Entertainer Rodriguez takes the mic, stating clearly that she has been cleared and that the WWE Women’s World Championship match has been set up for payback.

Winner – Rhea Ripley

Grades – C-

Post Match

The Undertaker’s solo performance is being hyped. A promo for Tommaso Ciampa’s time off allows him to reflect. He talks about how Chad Gable and Shinsuke Nakamura have gone from him being a wrestler to him challenging for titles. He claims he came back here to be the guy, and that it feels like oxygen that he is dying to breathe. His goal is to dominate this game.

Akira Tozawa vs. the Miz

On the mic and in the ring is The Miz. He claims that because LA Knight lost a match on SmackDown, everyone is blaming him. However, Knight is unaware that there are no space for excuses on the main program. Even after the Rock tampered with his match during WrestleMania’s main event, he prevailed! In twenty years, we’ll look back on him as a game changer. But LA will only be a minor event remembered as the WWE’s Hoobastank. Making his appearance is Akira Tozawa. 

When Miz asks if this is the biggest match of his career, Tozawa responds, “Yeah,” and then continues to respond in that way to cut off the A-Lister! We leave after Miz blows him up out of control!

When the bell rings and Miz gets sidetracked, Tozawa pushes him out of the ring! The A-Lister gets sent out the far side of the ring by Low Bridge, and Akira hits him with a suicide dive to send us into the break! As we learn that LA Knight has joined the commentary desk, Awesome Clothesline connects after returning from the commercial. Laying starts, Tozawa gets back up, dodges a lariat, big tijeras, dropkick, and he’s pumped!

Miz launches Stamina Monster off the turnbuckles and then delivers a devastating ball dropkick! Moving from the announce desk, Akira dives senton and enzuigiri off the apron for another tijeras. UP ARE THE KNEES! In the aftermath, struggling, Tozawa is prepared.

Winner – Azira Tozawa

Grades – C+

Post Match

LA Knight runs in after the game and hits the BFT on the Miz! 

When New Day shows up to encourage them not to give up too quickly. That they have something going, Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle are depressed about the future of their team. They’ll be glad to play again after their battle against the Viking Raiders, and Xavier Woods has given them the team name McRiddle.

We get another media hype reel covering John Cena’s return next week.

Becky Lynch is in the Ring

There has been much discussion over who is the greatest. But in the end, she claims that legacy matters most, highlighting her matchup with Trish Stratus at Payback. How would you like to be remembered? It has dawned on her that survival will establish her legacy more than titles or victories and defeats. 

You see, even if you hurt her, she will always return. She claims to have spoken with Adam Pearce, to whom she still owes the business.

Trish Stratus interrupts

Zoey Stark and Trish Stratus enter. Saying hello in French to Quebec, Stratus expresses her gratitude to be back in Canada and how difficult it is to deal with all these USA holes. She turns around and addresses the crowd, stating that Quebec is neither Montreal nor Toronto and that if it weren’t for this sourpuss with a bad mouth, she wouldn’t even be here.

The bad news is that she will be fighting in a steel cage, where she has never battled before, but the good news is that she will prove she is the greatest fighter of all time when she defeats Becky. She seems afraid. Indeed, she is. But when she was 23, it was her first match; when she was among the first female main eventers in Raw; and so on, she was afraid.

She has proven throughout her career that she can stand tall in a cage and shine when thrown into the fire. Is Becky interested in discussing survival? Twenty-five years after meeting one of the greatest in the industry, she is fed up with having to prove herself all the time. 

Lynch will reveal a side of herself that she has never had to reveal before. She won’t make it through this one, b**ch. Next week, Becky has a fall count anywhere bout versus Zoey. She mockingly admits that she’s afraid.

Chelsea Green & Piper Niven vs. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter

A recap of Piper Niven’s adamant declaration that she was Chelsea Green’s new tag partner is given. They are in Gorilla so that Byron Saxton can interview the two of them. Chelsea bemoans the fact that they must persuade the WWE administration to acknowledge them as tag team champions and asserts that their incredible chemistry will allow them to act as tag partners. She is shoved out the door by Piper, who informs her that the interview is done.

Start with Green and Chance; dropkick Chelsea into the ropes; Carter is tagged; and double teaming comes next. When Green retaliates, Kayden avoids a pump kick, clears the apron, and tags Katana. Carter is brought out of the ring by an assisted splash, yet she was previously declared legal due to a blind tag! Back inside, Piper.

Winner – Chelsea Green & Piper Niven

Grades – C

Interview with Seth Rollins

Once he gives them a moment, the audience starts singing. In response to a question concerning his back, he states that Shinsuke Nakamura caught him off guard last week because he doesn’t like to discuss his back ailment in public. However, he does acknowledge that he has two lumbar spine fractures and has carried them with him for four years.

 He doesn’t know how much longer he will be able to persist at this level; things don’t get better on their own; they only get worse. Targeting his wounds, accepting ill-gotten shots, and engaging in mind games are all part of the job; Nakamura is even allowed to question his own morality.

However, Shinsuke needs to be ready to take on him man-to-man if he intends to involve his family. But is he really not? Is he not even present tonight? Too scared to confront him, he’s a thousand miles away in a TV studio. So Seth is going to do this: he is going to give him another chance to play his games and show everyone that he is a brave warrior next week.

Tag Team Championship Match: Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

It’s time for Damian Priest and Zayn to start fighting before the bell rings! When Balor intervenes, Zayn also launches herself at him. While Damian clubs him in the corner and Sami uses a lariat to blow him over the ropes! Sami successfully tags Priest with a straight suplex after Priest cracks his right hand out and then comes back inside!

 Owens charges around to run over them both with lariats, hot with punches, and revved up! Let’s get up on the apron, senton atomico, right-hand cannonball! Sling Blade connects, back inside, stunner blocked! Finn receives a throw from JD McDonagh, but KO catches it and uses it to hit Finn Balor in the head.

Winners – Judgment Day by disqualification

Grades – B

Priest yells at JD to keep out of Judgment Day matters; Dominik assists in battering Sami; Kev attempts to save his friend but is simply overcome. To clear the ring, Cody Rhodes makes the save by whipping them with his weight belt! Cody says it’s three on three, and he’s ready to go! Made official by Adam Pearce!

WWE RAW Results, Highlights, and Grades: Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, & Sami Zayn vs. Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, & Finn Balor)

The match had already begun, with the babyfaces dominating Mysterio, but Kevin Owens was quickly put on the ground and even slammed by Ripley for his smart thinking! Priest is knocked down again inside, and we split up. 

Returning from the commercial, Rhodes gave Balor the finger, Kevin and Finn were eliminated, and Rhodes dropped the apron! Tags were exchanged, with Zayn punishing Priest with punches, Sami landing a back elbow and then an overhead elbow off the second, and Zayn springboarding up and over and lariating before clearing the apron!

Step-up tornado DDT lucha… SO CLOSE! KO BRAKES IT UP in South of Heaven! Priest puts Owens down with a lariat. Passing Finn to the ground, and Cody is raring to go for the tag! Mysterious gets out, Beautiful Disaster pulls a lariat, doubles Cody Cutter on him and Damian, and then.

MYSTERIO KICKS OUT! Finn runs in while inverted, waiting for Dom to rise, but he eats Cross Rhodes instead! Inverted facelock: Cross Rhodes connected with Mysterio and a schoolboy for two! Once Dominik is in his corner, Rhodes tags Zayn, tags Kev, and sets him up with a Helluva Kick.

Winner- Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, and Kevin Owens prevail by pinfall after Owens’ incredible move on Dominik Mysterio

Grades – A+

After the game, Sami takes the mic and wishes Judgment Day luck for the future while also providing another parting remark in French.