WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 7

Doc-Chris Mueller@@BR_DoctorX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVNovember 8, 2022

WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 7

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    Roman Reigns and Logan Paul.
    WWE

    Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage and recap of WWE Raw on November 7.

    Crown Jewel featured some exciting action and a few standout performances, but the only major title change saw Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai regain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships from Asuka and Alexa Bliss.

    We also saw Logan Paul put on his best performance yet against Roman Reigns, Bayley and Bianca Belair took each other to the limit, Brock Lesnar scored a lucky win over Bobby Lashley, and Bray Wyatt gave another promo that was as cryptic as it was long.

    The men and women of WWE are back in the United States after their trip to Saudi Arabia, so now the buildup begins for Survivor Series: WarGames on November 26.

    Let's take a look at this week's Raw to see the fallout from Crown Jewel and the beginning of the buildup for the next big show.

The New Day and Riddle vs. The Usos and Solo Sikoa

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    The Usos came out with Solo Sikoa by their side to kick off Raw, but the crowd was chanting for Sami Zayn as soon as their music ended. They bragged about their win at Crown Jewel before The New Day confronted them.

    They talked about their upcoming tag title match on Friday and how The New Day plan to keep their record for the longest title reign by winning the belts back. Their exchange was good, but it may have lasted longer than it needed to. Matt Riddle eventually joined them to make some jokes about being a stoner before a six-man tag match was made.

    Riddle, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston controlled the pace for the first couple of minutes with quick tags and double-team moves. The Bloodline took control as the show went to a break, so The Original Bro was on defense when we returned.

    Sikoa was the difference-maker for his team. Every time it seemed like the babyfaces would take over again, the enforcer of The Bloodline would assert his dominance.

    Between the promo and the match, WWE gave them the first 40 minutes of the show. All six men put in a great effort, but in the end, Sikoa scored the pin on Riddle.

    The New Day-The Usos is one of those combinations that will never let us down.

    Winners: The Bloodline

    Grade: B


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • The Usos vs. The New Day is one of the best tag team feuds in WWE history. No matter how many times WWE goes back to it, it's still fun. 
    • This promo exchange was not a shoot, but a lot of people will label it that way because so many things they said are true. The New Day had to go through a lot before the group found success. Same with The Usos. 
    • Stoner jokes work under the right circumstances...and with the right people telling them. Riddle is hit or miss. 
    • Riddle could barely get Jey up for a suplex at one point, but the way he popped his hips allowed him to hit the move in the end. It was actually an impressive show of power because it looked like he had no leverage when he began the move. 

Cedric Alexander vs. Baron Corbin

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    JBL was out once again to introduce Baron Corbin before his match against Cedric Alexander.

    The Lone Wolf took control almost immediately by using his significant power advantage to push Alexander around.

    While Alexander did manage to get in some offense, Corbin caught him with The End of Days as a counter to pick up the win.

    This match was quick and made Corbin look decent, but if they had a few more minutes, it could have been much better.

    Winner: Baron Corbin

    Grade: C


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • While Alexander has started incorporating color into his gear again, he is still using the black-and-gold color scheme from The Hurt Business. 
    • The way Corbin caught his opponent to hit his finisher was awesome. It's one of the few ways he can deliver it without the usual setup. 

Mia Yim Joins The OC

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    Seth Rollins came out to the ring with a huge smile on his face.

    The Judgment Day then showed up and Finn Bálor said he still held a grudge over what happened a few years ago when Rollins injured him during the first-ever universal title bout, so he wanted a shot at the United States Championship

    Before The Visionary could accept, The O.C. arrived. Rollins backed his way out of the ring and allowed the rival factions to have a standoff.

    Styles said their feud is not over and The O.C. had finally found someone to handle their Rhea Ripley problem. Mia Yim attacked The Nightmare at ringside before a brawl broke out at ringside.

    The O.C. ended up standing tall at the end of the segment. This was a decent way to keep the feud going and bring Yim into the fold, but the way the crowd reacted was slightly disappointing.

    The 33-year-old had a good run in NXT and had a lot of fans, so it was surprising that she did not get a bigger pop. It's possible many did not realize who it was, though. She was wearing a hoodie at first and it's not like she got the full titantron and entrance to let people know who it was.

    Grade: C+


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • It's like Rollins told the hair stylist: "Can you make it look like I dyed my hair six months ago so the roots are showing?"
    • Having Yim back is awesome. She is a unique talent who can add more depth to the women's division. 

Elias vs. Otis

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    After scoring a win over Chad Gable two weeks ago, Elias had a chance to take on his partner this week when he battled Otis.

    The Dozer shoved the crooner to the corner after their initial lockup and then knocked him down with a shoulder block. Elias tried to lift the big man for a body slam, but he didn't even get him an inch off the mat.

    His second attempt saw him get Otis up, but he was too much to hold. Elias fell back and almost took the pin as a result.

    Gable helped with a minor distraction and cleared the way for Otis to hit a World's Strongest Slam for the pin.

    This was actually kind of a surprising loss for Elias. WWE clearly wants to push him and often uses Alpha Academy to put other people over, so most people probably would have predicted the musician to win.

    The match was fine. They didn't do anything special, but they didn't make any mistakes, either. It was what it needed to be.

    Winner: Otis

    Grade: C


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • It's shocking that WWE doesn't have Elias smash more guitars over people's heads and backs. 
    • It's wild to think that WWE pushed Otis as a Money in the Bank winner and then abandoned those plans. He had great potential as a singles star, especially with Mandy Rose by his side. It would be nice if he got another shot at solo success. 
    • The jumping knee Elias hit and the way Otis sold it was perfect. 

Austin Theory vs. Shelton Benjamin

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    We got a segment with Damage CTRL, Bianca Belair, Asuka, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross to set up the women's WarGames match at Survivor Series.

    It looks like Cross will be aligned with Damage CTRL, so the babyfaces will have to find a fourth member for their team.

    Austin Theory was out next for a match against Shelton Benjamin that was booked after they had a confrontation backstage earlier in the day.

    The Gold Standard was looking to teach the 25-year-old a lesson about respect, so he dominated the first minute by using his technical expertise to stay a step ahead. Theory tripped him into the middle turnbuckle to take control, but that doesn't mean Benjamin went down without a fight.

    Theory was able to get the win by raking his opponent's eyes before hitting A-Town Down for the win.

    This was a short but solid match that showed off the skills of both men. It was also a great reminder of how good Benjamin is at working with anybody. If WWE isn't going to give him a real push, using him to put other people over will still get him on TV.

    Winner: Austin Theory

    Grade: C+


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Candice LeRae might be the one who joins Belair, Bliss and Asuka since she has history with Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky. 
    • It's hard not to miss Benjamin's old entrance music. His newer theme is very generic. 
    • The former Hurt Business member's step-up knee in the corner was great. 
    • It's so easy to forget Benjamin is 47 years old because he moves as well as guys half his age. 

The Miz vs. Johnny Gargano

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    The Miz gave a promo claiming Johnny Gargano lied last week during his big tell-all interview last week. He was furious that his own father believes Johnny Wrestling over him.

    Gargano said he did do something deceitful, but not what The A-Lister thought. He says a Hollywood producer The Miz had dinner with recently was actually a private investigator with a hidden camera. He played the footage for everyone to see.

    The clip showed The A-Lister admitting that everything Gargano said in his video last week was true. After a commercial break, the two finally had their big showdown in the ring.

    The match started with Gargano dodging several strikes before hitting a few of his own to send Miz out of the ring to recover.

    A lot of what we saw was Gargano trying to prove he is the better wrestler, and most of the time, he succeeded. He had The Miz on the ropes both literally and figuratively before one big kick stopped the former NXT champion in his tracks.

    As the match progressed, it became more competitive. What started as a lighthearted exchange of counters turned into a personal battle between two men who have grown to hate each other.

    The former world champion ended up using a tool he found under the ring as a weapon while the referee was distracted, so he was able to pick up the win.

    This was a fun performance from both men. And while the finish was a little screwy, it protected Gargano and allows them to continue this feud.

    Dexter Lumis attacked The Miz with a chair while he was celebrating and then ran away from security through the crowd.

    Winner: The Miz

    Grade: B


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • It's probably a good thing that WWE never tried to make The Miz's dad a character on Raw more often. There is enough of him on Miz and Mrs. 
    • Gargano is underrated as a comedic personality. He was great when he was with The Way in NXT, and he is bringing a lot of that energy to the main roster now. 
    • Something The Miz doesn't get enough credit for is being a safe worker. He always does his best to make sure his opponents land safely. 
    • Gargano is great at a lot of things, but hiding the thigh slap when he hits a superkick is not one of them. 
    • The Miz countering the slingshot spear with a running knee was a great spot. It didn't fully connect, but it was quick, so it was hard to tell. 

Dana Brooke vs. Nikki Cross

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    Nikki Cross had a backstage segment with Damage CTRL that indicated they were finally on the same page before she went to the ring for a match against Dana Brooke for the 24/7 Championship.

    This title has been all but forgotten since Triple H took over the creative reins in WWE, so it will be interesting to see how it gets used moving forward.

    This was only the second match for Cross since she returned, and her first against Belair ended in a loss, so she needed a win here to get herself back on track.

    Not only did the Scot win, but she also left with the 24/7 title. Bayley, Sky and Kai seemed almost scared to walk up the ramp alongside her.

    This was short, but that was probably for the best. It made Cross look like a beast, but she appeared to throw the title away after a commercial break, so we will see if it ever makes another appearance.

    Winner: Nikki Cross

    Grade: C-


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • Cross' laugh during the backstage segment sounded too fake. She was going for manic, but she missed the mark a bit. 
    • The Scot has a good finisher, and Brooke did a great job selling the move. 

Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley

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    Rollins was back out for the main event, which was an open challenge for his United States title. He gave a promo that all but confirms his status as a babyface now, and the crowd was fully on board.

    It looked like we might get Finn Bálor challenging him earlier in the night, but Bobby Lashley ended up taking out Mustafa Ali backstage so he could accept the challenge himself.

    When he got to the ring, he immediately attacked Rollins before he was ready. He beat him all around the ringside area, slamming him into the barricade several times. The Visionary was able to get in a few shots, but The All Mighty beat him down while several officials tried to stop him.

    Lashley was told to leave by WWE official Adam Pearce after he put Rollins through a table. That is when Austin Theory came out with the Money in the Bank briefcase. After a commercial, he officially cashed in and the match began, and Rollins kicked out of his first couple of attempts at a pin.

    The Visionary almost hit the Pedigree, but Theory countered and hit his own for a near-fall. The champ began to make a comeback and hit a few big moves. Theory hit his finisher, but Lashley pulled the ref out of the ring before he could count to three. He attacked Theory and destroyed him at ringside before leaving through the crowd.

    Theory was almost counted out before Rollins nailed him with the Stomp for the win.

    It's difficult to decide if this was good or not. It was certainly entertaining, but this might be proof that the new regime does not see Theory as the star Vince McMahon thought he was.

    The feud between Lashley and Rollins is going to be great, so at least we have that to look forward to.

    Winner: Seth Rollins

    Grade: B-


    Notable Moments and Observations

    • WWE was smart to allow Rollins to be a good guy again. He is super over with the crowd, and sometimes you have to give the people what they want. 
    • Lashley was giving off more heel vibes during his attack on Ali and his challenge. It looks like he might be playing a villain moving forward.
    • Theory's Pedigree looked weird. He almost released it as he was trying to hit it. 
    • The All Mighty should have been booked this way from the start. Watching him dominate everyone is awesome. 
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