Raw recap & reactions: Helluva heel turn (2024)

Blood Pressure

They say every person has their own Popeye moment. That instance where that’s all they can stands and they can’t stand no more. Chad Gable reached his point this week once again coming up short for the Intercontinental championship. That he did it in front of Sami Zayn’s friends and family only makes it more foul.

Sami entered the arena in what is already one of my favorite entrances of all time. He stood outside looking to the night sky when Jey Uso almost bumped into him on his way out. Sami told his dog that he saw his first wrestling match at this arena. Fittingly, he wanted to enter now the same way he did then: through the front door.

Seemingly all of Montreal greeted him at that point. They rejoiced at the hometown hero’s presence to levels that I’m sure made a few Apple Watches send decibel level warning notifications. Chad, who entered the match with validation on his mind, didn’t quite get the same welcome for obvious reasons.

Then the match started and Sami almost immediately hurt his lower leg after getting hung out to dry on the top ring rope. Chad continued working that leg the rest of the match for the Ankle Lock, setting up a win of the “gutsy” type for Sami. I figured he wasn’t losing his first title defense, especially one in his hometown no less. So what was the rub? What’s the thing that either finishes this story or takes it to another level?

That answer came later, hence that Popeye moment I mentioned. The mach itself was okay but it seemed over the minute they really got it started. We got several good moments before that, including Sami going for a Sharpshooter but failing because his leg gave out on him. That move in that building is such a big deal, and I love that Sami’s homage to Bret Hart didn’t work because Chad pummeled his leg during most of the match. Chad was the villain during the match through no fault of his own, but that alone probably earned him even more passionate boos from a few in the crowd.

But nothing earned him the crowd’s distaste like that ending. After Sami withstood the Ankle Lock through sheer will, he finished Chad off with a Helluva Kick. Sami was so spent he barely covered the man. They shook hands and an emotional Chad seemingly left the ring while Sami greeted his people ringside. Chad ran back to Sami while the champ embraced his wife, and German Suplexed him on the mat!

And then, well, the rest speaks for itself:

This is why the match felt slight. They didn’t empty the gas tanks because it wasn’t even the final chapter.

Chad turning heel makes sense given the pressure he put on himself. He failed against GUNTHER, then trained the man who ultimately defeated GUNTHER. Then he lost to the guy he trained! That’s a lot. The frustration on his face, mixed with the anguish and disappointment told the tale.

I’m looking forward to how this unfolds given all that context. A heel Chad chasing Sami’s title with Bronson Reed in the mix sounds intriguing.

B-Sides

Ryde or Die Chick

Well, this sucks. Rhea Ripley forfeited her championship thanks to injury. That word spread around the internets early, so it didn’t come as a shock. Still sucks though.

However, and this is a pretty big however, I like that they used her injury to get heat on Liv Morgan. The story goes that Liv injured Rhea’s shoulder last week, which put Rhea in her current predicament. The crowd hated Liv for that and I don’t think that’s just a Canada thing. Especially after this:

And this:

Usually, the person wondering why they’re the bad guy is the bad guy. And that’s such a bad guy tactic. I’ve never been that high on Liv’s persona but this, combined with last week’s attack might swing me in her direction.

Rhea’s exit certainly makes Judgment Day feel less than. No diss to anyone in the crew but she brings a spark that the rest don’t. Without them, they’re just four guys in a weird clubhouse scheming against everyone else. When you think about it, they’re the adult version of the Little Rascals. And who wants to see that?

Return of the B-Boy

Eight months is a long time. Think of everything that happens during that time. Think of everything that happened in the world during that time. August 2023 feels like a lifetime ago for most of us but imagine being Sheamus. His stable is not only no more but he missed WrestleMania XL! Now the fella is back and figuring out where he rests in the new WWE hierarchy. He started with Ivar, which gave the Irishman plenty of meat to beat in the middle of the ring.

And beat he did. While Ivar certainly gave him some go, this was a Sheamus showcase. He did bis big moves, unveiled a new move (the Kneecap!) and got the W over a man next in line for Oba Femi’s North American championship. While I still take umbrage with Ivar losing do decisively before his title match, Geno reminded me that WWE really doesn’t care about NXT as much as they claim. Plus, Ivar is consistent so there’s that.

Good to have the big man back, and with his original theme.

Triple Double

First things first: The new tag team championships are pretty. Triple H, along with Adam Pearce, presented Awesome Truth with new gold, which led to some fun R-Truth shenanigans. The man deserves this moment and I’m truly happy for him. Calling Trips not only a magician but also Tommaso Ciampa was the icing on the cake.

Funny he mentioned Tommaso since DIY, The New Day, and the Brothers Creed competed in a very fun and wild triple threat match for a shot at that new tag team gold. And in typical DIY fashion, they outlasted everyone and pulled victory from defeat’s grisly jaws.

DIY against Awesome Truth makes sense. It’s two teams who consider themselves friends and war buddies. Making them fight for a championship will show just how strong those bonds truly are, while possibly turning DIY heel. Possibly. It’s not like one or two members of The Way aren’t already on that side...

Sister

It looks like Indi Hartwell is finally on the same page with Candice LeRae. During their tag match against Maxxine Dupri & Ivy Nile, Candice pulled a few dirty tactics to distract the ref. First, she stopped the ref from seeing Maxxine tag Ivy. Then, she blindsided Maxxine while the ref dealt with Ivy.

And to top it off, Indi dragged Ivy off the apron, which stopped her from breaking up a pin attempt.

Has Indi joined the darkside? Sure looks like it.

Message

Rhea’s absence leaves a gaping hole in The Judgment Day. The World Heavyweight champ issued marching orders in her wake. First up? Dirty Dom & JD McDonagh have business to handle: Andrade.

This was a very solid match that showcased Dom’s continued growth. Dude gets better every week and remains a heat magnet no matter the country. He pulled off a hell of a Canadian Destroyer (in Canada) on the ring apron. He was never winning the match but he succeeded giving Andrade just enough challenge and made him work for the W. Dom is a weasel heel so that’s the most one can ask for from that type of character. He’s not going to win cleanly but he’s a big roadblock for anyone.

After Andrade defeated Dom, the post match beatdown started. JD and Dom went to town on the man who dresses like Black Mask. That set up the next chapter of this feud as Ricochet came to the rescue. We're getting tag match between these four but I wonder how Damian feels about all this. Judgment Day is less than solid, Finn wants the tag championships but he’s handling Damian’s number one contender, and they’re no closer to silencing Andrade as they were last week.

If this was ever the time for a breakup or a reshuffling, this is it.

Why

And right on cue, more Judgment Day drama. Jey Uso got the W over Finn Balor in another solid match on a night filled with them. Finn tried slowing Jey down and keeping the crowd out of it through precise work. Finn also set the match off with a sneak attack which put Jey on his heels for the first half. Heels doing heel things always makes me smile.

But Jey mounted his comeback and got the W. The drama, which is what this whole thing is built on, came at the end. Damian watched the match from the locker room and made his way to the ring before it ended. Once the bell rang, he approached Jey but didn’t attack. Instead he stood his ground, looked his challenger in his eyes, and raised that championship belt. Dirty Dom and JD jumped Jey, prompting Damian to ask what are they doing. This wasn’t part of the plan and he wasn’t with anything happening. Finn screamed at Damian, seemingly telling him this is what they do. Jey escaped but as I said, there’s something brewing with the Judgment Day. I think it’s necessary given Rhea’s situation and Damian’s championship. Finn wanted that championship too and now it belongs to the man who says they have bigger things to worry about than tag team gold. That’s a recipe for backstabbing.

Singles

• Piper Niven & Chelsea Green defeated Kayden Carter & Katana Chance in a very quick match.
• We’re crowning a new Women’s World Heavyweight champ next week. How? I have no clue, But it’s happening.
• Cody Rhodes cut a quick promo giving Seth Rollins props, taunting The Rock, and hyping AJ Styles vs. L.A. Knight. The Rock stuff is cool but I’m not excited about it yet since it’s so far away. I do appreciate them sowing more seeds, even if it’s just trash talk.

Solid show with a hot finish. Here’s hoping for Rhea’s speedy recovery, but her absence provides a lot of possibilities for her crew and the women’s roster. Montreal was a hot crowd and this Raw kept up a pace that kept them involved. Nothing spectacular but a solid wrestling show on a Monday night.

What say you, Cagesiders?