WWE Raw Results
October 3, 2022
St. Paul, Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center)
Commentary: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“Then. Now. Forever. Together.” The WWE video leads us into the show.
The Raw video plays, and we go into the Xcel Energy Center to see a big pyrotechnics display.
Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Matt Riddle will compete in a Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier will be the guest referee for the match. Rollins and Riddle will come face-to-face tonight with a no-contact clause instituted.
The Judgment Day, consisting of Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Dominik Mysterio, make their way to the ring. Footage is shown of Edge returning last week on Raw to challenge Finn Bálor to an “I Quit” Match at Extreme Rules.
Bálor says 11 years ago, Edge was medically forced to quit. Against all the odds, he fought back with strength and determination. Edge overcame and returned to doing what he loves most, which is performing in the ring for everyone. Damian Priest derisively asks the crowd to give it up for Edge. Bálor says, as with most things in life, you can only outrun fate for so long. Judgment catches up with all of us. At Extreme Rules, he will act as the cruel hand of faith to remind Edge that he doesn’t belong near any ring he’s standing in. Bálor is doing Edge a favor because he’s a nice guy. Bálor is going to beat Edge so badly that he’ll be down and out, and he’ll force him to utter the words, “I quit.”
Priest says he’s so excited to witness Bálor giving Edge a beating so bad that he has to quit. Priest says this can serve as a notice to anyone that wants to step up to the Judgment Day. The Judgment Day will always rise. This especially goes for their opponents tonight, AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio. Ripley puts an arm around Dominik Mysterio and whispers into his ear. A loud, “Who’s your daddy” chant picks up. Dominik says he’ll tell them who his daddy is. It isn’t Rey Mysterio. Dominik says he hates Rey Mysterio so much. Rey lied to him his entire life. Dominik has a new family now, thanks to the Judgment Day.
Bálor says since they’re talking about families, he wants to talk about AJ Styles. Bálor could have ended him last night… not last night. He’s so mad, he meant to say last week. Bálor could have ended Styles, but he didn’t. Bálor doesn’t want to do bad things, but he will if he’s forced to.
AJ Styles’ music cuts him off.
Tag Team Match
The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) w/ Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio vs. AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio
Styles and Mysterio charge the ring and brawl with Bálor and Priest. Mysterio knocks Bálor out of the ring and slides out to hit a head-scissor takeover. Styles clotheslines Priest out of the ring and hits a forearm plancha. This match starts next.
-Commercial Break-
We join this match in progress. Mysterio hits Bálor with a head-scissor takeover before kicking him back. Mysterio comes off the top rope with a seated senton before hitting another head-scissor takeover. Bálor quickly scrambles to his corner and tags Priest in. Mysterio attacks Priest getting in the ring, but Priest shoves him off. Mysterio ducks a clothesline and goes for a springboard cross-body block, but Priest steps out of the way. Priest takes Mysterio down for a two-count. Dominik claps at ringside. Priest whips Mysterio hard into the corner and hits a leaping elbow. Bálor tags in and punches Mysterio. Bálor starts up the Three Amigos to some boos from the very quiet crowd. Bálor completes the move for a near fall. Bálor gets Mysterio to his feet and slides him out of the ring onto his chest. Dominik and Rhea Ripley stand over Rey. Priest tags in and teases snake eyes on the commentary table before dropping him on the apron. Bálor tags back into the match and waits for Mysterio to pull himself into the ring. Bálor stomps away at Mysterio and hits a snapmare. Bálor applies a chin lock. Mysterio fights up and hits a wheelbarrow bulldog.
Styles and Priest tag in. Styles punches away at Priest and hits a lariat followed by a sliding forearm. Priest stumbles to the corner, and Styles hits a leaping corner clothesline. Styles lifts Priest, but he slides off. Styles quickly attacks Bálor and hits Priest with a Pele Kick. Styles sets up for a Styles Clash, but Priest shoves Styles out of the ring.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Bálor hit Styles with a backbreaker while Priest hits a leg drop for a near fall. Priest takes Styles down and applies a leg crucifix. Styles fights out and covers Priest for a two-count. Styles goes for a Calf Crusher, but Priest rolls through and forearms him. Styles quickly comes back with an inverted atomic drop and a bit kick to the head. Styles goes to tag Rey Mysterio in, but Rhea Ripley pulls him off the apron. Priest pulls Styles back and floors him with a vicious lariat. Bálor tags in, but Styles sends Priest into him. Styles hits Bálor and Priest with a double DDT!
At ringside, Rey Mysterio approaches Rhea Ripley, but Dominik Mysterio steps between them. Dominik gets on his knees and begs Rey to hit him. Rey won’t lay hands on his son. Ripley then clotheslines Rey down on the floor. In the ring, Bálor takes Styles down and hits the Coup de Grâce for the win.
Winners by Pinfall: The Judgment Day
Styles is furious that Rey Mysterio wasn’t there for him. Rey gets in the ring to apologize to him, but Styles shoves him down. Rey sadly leaves the ring. The Judgment Day viciously attacks Styles. Bálor punches away at him and talks some trash. Priest then hits Styles with the South of Heaven. The Judgment Day stands tall over Styles.
Daniel Cormier will be the guest referee in the Fight Pit Match featuring Matt Riddle against Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
United States Champion Bobby Lashley was shown walking into the arena earlier today. Kevin Patrick congratulates him on being United States Champion for three months. Lashley says he wants to keep fighting and find that person that has the same drive as he had to get here. Mustafa Ali (with a new hairdo) comes up and says he’s done being in the back of the line. Ali wants to step to the front. Lashley says he’ll give him a shot if he keeps fighting. Ali turns him around and pokes him a few times, furiously saying he’s demanding a title match. Lashley is going to give him one.
-Commercial Break-
We go backstage to see “The Honorary Uce” Sami Zayn laughing it up with Jimmy Uso. Solo Sikoa is standing nearby. Jey Uso walks up and says they need to get serious. They’re supposed to be letting everyone know that The Tribal Chief is pulling up to Raw for the Season Premiere next week. The Bloodline starts to walk when they see the Street Profits. Zayn says they need to be prepared to acknowledge Roman Reigns next week. Montez Ford says they don’t own the arena. The Bloodline needs to acknowledge two things… deez… Angelo Dawkins stops him. Jey Uso warns him not to disrespect the Bloodline, or he’ll get another boot. Ford is revealed to be wearing a walking boot. Sikoa gets in Dawkins’ face and challenges him.
Non-Title Match
United States Champion Bobby Lashley vs. Mustafa Ali
The bell rings, and Lashley quickly sidesteps a running dropkick. Lashley sends Ali flying with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Lashley hits a running shoulder in the corner and a neckbreaker. Lashley hits a delayed vertical suplex and signals for the end. Lashley goes for a Spear, but Ali kicks him in the face before chopping the chest. Lashley sends him to the corner and catches him trying a slingshot. Ali slides off and dazes Lashley with a superkick. Ali springboards off the second turnbuckle with a tornado DDT. Lashley stumbles out of the ring, so Ali connects with a suicide dive. Lashley quickly fights back and sends him into the ring. Ali kicks him getting into the ring, so Lashley pulls him to the floor and crushes him with a clothesline on the floor.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Lashley taking it to Ali, crushing him with a vicious whip to the corner. Lashley whips him hard to the corner again and hits a flatliner for a near fall. Lashley puts Ali on the top rope and sets up for a superplex. Ali punches Lashley down. Lashley puts his arm on the bottom rope to pull himself up, so Ali hits a 450 splash to the arm! Ali grabs Lashley, who is clutching his arm in pain. Lashley pushes him off, but Ali fights back. Lashley quickly comes back with a one-armed spinebuster for a near fall. Lashley is shocked he kicked out. Lashley hits a Dominator for another near fall. Lashley looks surprised by the moxie of Ali.
Ali gets to his feet, but Lashley tells him to stay down. Ali slaps Lashley in the face, absolutely infuriating him! Lashley throws Ali out of the ring before lifting him and driving his head into the ring post. Lashley picks Ali up and does it a second time. Lashley gets in the ring to think about it a few times before going outside and grabbing Ali. Lashley presses him up and throws him into the timekeeper’s area. The referee starts counting Ali out, but he somehow makes it back in. Lashley looks surprised by how much heart Ali has. Ali starts to pull himself up on Lashley, but Lashley backs up. Lashley sizes him up and splits him in half with a vicious Spear! Lashley signals for the end and applies the Hurt Lock. Ali refuses to tap out. Ali passes out, so the referee stops the match.
Winner by Referee’s Decision: Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley celebrates before looking down at Mustafa Ali. Lashley nods his head and goes to get Ali to his feet to put him over… until Seth “Freakin” Rollins attacks him from behind! Rollins hits Lashley with a Stomp and celebrates. Rollins then hits Lashley with a Stomp onto the United States Championship! Rollins laughs and leaves the ring before noticing Ali down at ringside. Rollins then hits Ali with a Stomp on the floor!
Rollins goes face-to-face with Matt Riddle next.
-Commercial Break-
Seth “Freakin” Rollins is in the ring. Footage is shown from after Raw went off the air last week of Rollins and Matt Riddle getting into another massive brawl.
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier will be the Special Guest Referee in the Fight Pit Match to keep order between Rollins and Riddle.
Rollins says now that he has cleared “Bobby Trash-ley” from the ring, they can continue with the festivities. Rollins welcomes the crowd to “Monday Night Rollins.” He is a visionary and a revolutionary. He is Seth “Freakin” Rollins. This Saturday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he goes one-on-one with the “Original Bro” Matt Riddle in a match that will soon be synonymous with his name.
Video Package: The Fight Pit
Rollins is salivating about the things he’ll do to Matt Riddle in the Fight Pit. He’ll show him what Bobby Lashley and Cody Rhodes have found out that he’s the most dangerous man in this industry. That’s Saturday, but he’s in St. Paul tonight. He’s supposed to face off against Matt Riddle. Time for him to come to the ring.
Matt Riddle makes his way to the ring. Riddle says Rollins has never been in a Fight Pit. Rollins reminds Riddle that there is a no-contact clause for tonight. If Riddle touches him, there is no match on Saturday. Riddle says Rollins will not only be getting more stitches in his forehead. This Saturday, he’s going to kill Rollins. Daniel Cormier will have to pull him off Rollins. Then the crowd won’t be singing Rollins’ song. They’ll be singing, “Bro.”
The crowd starts to sing “Bro” to Rollins’ theme song. Rollins shushes them. Rollins says Riddle has a good singing voice before asking if he sings his kids to bed. Oh wait, he’s not allowed to see his kids. Rollins cackles and says child support is expensive these days. Riddle sneers, but he cannot touch Rollins if he wants to have the match on Saturday. Riddle says Rollins talks about being so great, but he hasn’t held a championship in a long time. The last time he challenged for the title, Roman Reigns choked him out. He’s never main evented WrestleMania, but his wife has. Rollins is always coming up second-best. Rollins gets in his face.
Daniel Cormier appears on the titantron. Cormier says we’ve heard enough talking. He wants to see them go at it. The Fight Pit is just his style. He may go back with Riddle and rooted for Rollins, but he’ll be a strong referee in this. Rollins knocks Riddle’s hat off before walking off.
Candice LeRae is walking backstage when she comes up to Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss. The White Bunny QR code appears. They wish her luck against Dakota Kai.
-Commercial Break-
The Miz is talking to Maryse on his cell phone backstage. Miz says he wants assurances that he who must not be named (Dexter Lumis) will not make an appearance. Lumis appears to be sneaking into the locker room, but he soon disappears. Miz says she’ll be hosting his birthday celebration next week.
Candice LeRae vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Dakota Kai w/ Damage CTRL
Kai quickly runs to the ropes to keep LeRae back. LeRae takes her down a few times for some two-counts before applying an armbar. Kai fights up, but LeRae takes her down for a two-count. LeRae dropkicks her back. Kai walks toward Bayley and IYO SKY. LeRae hits a baseball slide and a springboard cross-body to the floor.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Kai beating down LeRae. Kai hits a Scorpion Kick, but LeRae quickly floors her with a kick to the face. LeRae fights back and punches away at Kai before hitting a running back elbow. LeRae hits a snapmare and steps on her for a senton splash for a near fall. LeRae applies an octopus stretch, but Kai powers her to the corner. Kai boots her in the head and goes for a superplex. LeRae fights out and goes for a powerbomb, but Kai holds onto the ropes. LeRae pulls her face into the turnbuckle and hits a German Suplex off the top rope. They both take a few moments to recover. Sky distracts the referee, and Bayley snaps LeRae off the top rope. Kai rolls LeRae up for the victory.
Winner by Pinfall: Dakota Kai
Johnny Gargano is walking backstage when he passes The Miz passed out on a road case. Gargano wakes him up, and Miz notices a drawing of himself and Dexter Lumis on his chest. Miz runs away in fear. Gargano smirks and says, “Oh, Dexter…” Gargano battles Otis next.
-Commercial Break-
Damage CTRL is backstage. Bayley says she’ll be leaving the rest of Damage CTRL in the back when she confronts Bianca Belair tonight.
In memory of Antonio Inoki: 1943- 2022.
Video Package: Chad Gable vs. Braun Strowman
Austin Theory will be on commentary for the next match.
Otis w/ Chad Gable vs. Johnny Gargano
The bell rings, and Gargano sidesteps Otis before punching him. Gargano wrenches the arm and goes for a drop-toe-hold, but Otis doesn’t go down. Gargano turns Otis in the corner and punches him, but Otis powers him hard into the opposite turnbuckle. Gargano fights back and hits the ropes. Gargano ducks two clotheslines and hits a shoulder tackle. Otis stumbles into the ropes and rocks Gargano with a back elbow. Otis puts Gargano in the corner and clubs him before talking some trash. Otis continues to take it to Gargano and applies a stretch. Gargano fights out and sidesteps him. Otis hits the ring post shoulder-first. Gargano hits some clotheslines, but Otis doesn’t go down. Otis grabs him, but Gargano fights out and hits an enzuigiri. Gargano hits a running back elbow before charging, but Otis crushes Gargano with an exploder. Otis sets up for a Vader Bomb, but Gargano moves. Gargano kicks Otis in the head a few times, but Otis annihilates him with a clothesline. Otis presses Gargano above his head, but Gargano counters into a big DDT. Gargano superkicks Otis in the face for a near fall.
Otis rolls out of the ring to recover, so Gargano hits him with a suicide dive. Gargano then dives over the table to attack Theory. Gargano gets on the apron and hits Otis with a diving DDT on the floor! Otis somehow gets to his feet shortly after. Gable is distracting the referee. Theory hits Gargano with the briefcase. Otis hits a World’s Strongest Slam for the victory.
Winner by Pinfall: Otis
Theory and Alpha Academy triple-team Gargano until Braun Strowman runs down. Strowman shoulder tackles Otis down and chases Gable and Theory out of the ring. Strowman catches Gable and throws him into the ring. The referee calls for the bell to start their match!
Chad Gable vs. Braun Strowman
Strowman grabs Gable and throws him out of the ring onto Otis at ringside. That was wild!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Strowman down behind the commentary table. Strowman gets up, so Gable knocks him into the ring post. During the commercial, Otis threw Strowman over the commentary table! The referee would then eject Otis from the ringside area.
Strowman stumbles back into the ring, and Gable viciously attacks him before taunting the fans. Gable hits the ropes, but Strowman scoops him up. Gable slides off and hits a bridging German Suplex for a near fall! Gable nearly lost him but powered him back. Gable talks trash and punches him in the face. Gable then slaps him in the face.
Backstage, we see Omos and MVP watching this match.
Strowman grabs Gable by the throat as he continues to talk trash. Strowman puts Gable on the top rope, but Gable counters into an armbar over the top rope. Strowman powers Gable up, but Gable thumbs him in the eye. Gable hits a dropkick to the knee and goes to the top rope for a missile dropkick. Gable quickly goes back to the top rope for a moonsault, but he lands on his feet when Strowman moves. Strowman then crushes him with a big boot before tearing his shirt off. Strowman sets up for the end. Strowman decimates Gable with a powerbomb for the victory.
Winner by Pinfall: Braun Strowman
Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair is walking backstage. She’ll have a contract signing with Bayley next.
-Commercial Break-
United States Champion Bobby Lashley is in the trainer’s room getting treated. Kevin Patrick asks how he is doing. Lashley says he’s going to crush Seth Rollins’ throat so he never has to hear that cackle. After Matt Riddle beats Rollins in the Fight Pit, he’ll put his title on the line against Rollins on Raw. Lashley will end him.
Corey Graves is in the ring. There are two ladders inside. Graves says this is the first Ladder Match for a Women’s Title in WWE history. Graves first introduces Bayley, who comes out to the ring without the rest of Damage CTRL. Bayley takes a seat at the table. Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair is out next.
Bayley says she’s out here by herself, just like Belair wanted. Bayley feels good even without her girls with her. Bayley says everything has been going according to plan. Bayley did this favor for Belair since she was dumb enough to accept the Ladder Match. Bayley signs the contract. Bayley says Belair needs to look at what her ego got herself into. Belair probably thinks she chose the Ladder Match since Belair gave her a KOD on the ladder at Hell in a Cell. It’s bigger than all that. The ladder is symbolic of her entire WWE career since the day she walked in. Unlike Belair, she had to literally climb and climb. She used to be Belair with the colors and smile. The little girl she walked by that has a Belair sign used to have a Bayley sign. Then the cheers got less and less. Her career was spiraling and she had to change.
Belair tells her to shut up and signs the contract. There’s a QR code on the back of the contract. Belair says Bayley continues to run her mouth over and over again. The chip on Bayley’s shoulder has nothing to do with her. It might be hard to see someone having everything she wants. Comparison is the thief of joy. Bayley can never be her. The reason Bayley didn’t work in the past is that she was pretending to be something she was not. Belair is her authentic self. That’s why they connect with her. Bayley didn’t evolve. She just became her real self. It took Bayley a year to come up with a plan. Belair doesn’t need one because she stays ready so she doesn’t have to get ready. Since Bayley likes planning, she can plan on calling Belair the Raw Women’s Champion after Extreme Rules.
Bayley says her girls would disagree with that since they’ll be right by her side. Speaking of her girls, we go backstage to see Dakota Kai and IYO SKY attacking Alexa Bliss and Asuka. All of a sudden, Bayley attacks Belair in the ring. Belair tries to run off to her friends, but Bayley catches her. Belair shoves Bayley into the LED apron and runs to the back. Belair gets to Asuka and Bliss. Asuka’s leg is wrapped in a steel chair. Asuka is crying from pain. Bliss says this isn’t over. She wants IYO SKY tonight.
-Commercial Break-
The commentators promote the Extreme Rules card.
Solo Sikoa w/ The Usos and Sami Zayn vs. Angel Dawkins w/ Montez Ford
They lock up, and Sikoa powers Dawkins to the corner. Dawkins fights out, but Sikoa uppercuts him back. Sikoa whips him, but Dawkins slingshots over him before dropkicking Sikoa out of the ring. Sikoa is furious at ringside. Sikoa gets on the apron, but Dawkins punches him off. Sikoa grabs a steel chair, but Zayn talks some sense into him. Jey Uso then interrupts and says he can talk to his brother.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Sikoa beating down Dawkins. Dawkins fights back, but Sikoa quickly comes back with a Samoan Drop. Sikoa continues to take it to Dawkins, hitting him with a vicious belly-to-belly side suplex and a hip attack in the corner. Sikoa backs up and charges, but Dawkins flattens him with an enzuigiri.
Dawkins and Sikoa get to their feet. Dawkins hits a pair of clotheslines. Sikoa quickly head-butts him and sends him into the ropes, but Dawkins hits a big flying back elbow. Dawkins avalanches him in the corner and hits a kick. Dawkins hits a neckbreaker for a two-count. Sami Zayn argues with the referee until Jey Uso gets in his face. Sikoa superkicks Dawkins, but the referee is distracted by Jey and Zayn. The referee finally sees, but Dawkins kicks out. Sikoa shouts at them. Dawkins rolls Sikoa up for a near fall. Dawkins quickly shoulder tackles Sikoa out of the ring. Zayn checks on Sikoa until Jey gets in his face. Dawkins hits The Usos with a somersault senton. Zayn gets in Dawkins’ face, so he punches him. Dawkins gets in the ring, and Sikoa attacks him. Sikoa hits a Spinning Solo for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Solo Sikoa
Austin Theory is talking about how Otis got the job done. A broken Chad Gable is pulled over and says he almost had Braun Strowman. Theory says they still aren’t done with Johnny Gargano. Next week on the Season Premiere of Raw, he’ll take Gargano down… A-Town Down.
Alexa Bliss battles IYO SKY later tonight.
-Commercial Break-
Edge is shown in a pretaped promo. Edge talks about being forced to retire and not having a choice until he made it a choice. Edge says he didn’t have a family the last time he was an active wrestler. Now, he’s got a family that has to sacrifice and see him beat up. It’s getting harder and harder to come back, but he keeps doing it because he loves this. The Judgment Day is his responsibility, so he knows what must be done.
Next week on the Season Premiere of WWE Raw, Roman Reigns and the Bloodline will be in the building. Bobby Lashley will also defend the United States Championship against Seth “Freakin” Rollins. Johnny Gargano will battle Austin Theory. Finally, there will be a celebration of 25 years of DX.
Alexa Bliss heads to the ring alongside Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. She doesn’t have the Lilly doll.
-Commercial Break-
Alexa Bliss w/ Bianca Belair vs. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion IYO SKY w/ Damage CTRL
The bell rings, and Sky immediately takes it to Bliss. Bliss fights back, but Sky knocks her to ringside and dropkicks her down.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Bliss clotheslining Sky and kicking her for a two-count. Sky fights back and hits a double underhook backbreaker. Bliss crawls to the corner and hits running double knees. Sky steps on her and goes to the top rope for the Over the Moonsault, but Bliss moves. Bliss connects with a big DDT and sets her up. Bliss goes to the top rope and hits Twisted Bliss. Bayley distracts the referee, so Bianca Belair pulls her out of the ring. Dakota Kai quickly attacks Belair. Bayley and Kai double-team Belair and send her into the ring steps. Bliss then takes them out with a cannonball off the apron.
Bliss goes to the top rope, but Sky cuts her off. Sky hits an Air Raid Crash on Bliss. Sky goes to the top rope and hits a beautiful Over the Moonsault for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: IYO SKY
Damage CTRL triple-teams Bliss. Belair tries to help, but they overwhelm her. Asuka limps down to ringside with a kendo stick and smashes it on Kai. Sky dropkicks a ladder into Asuka. They slam the ladder onto Asuka before sandwiching Bliss in it. They set the ladder up, and Bayley talks trash to Belair. Bayley mugs around the ring a bit before hitting Belair with a Rose Plant. Bayley then hits Bliss with a Rose Plant as well. They put the ladder over Belair. Bayley grabs the Raw Women’s Championship and climbs the ladder with it. Kai and Sky pose on the ladder as well with their titles. The crowd loudly boos.
The commentators talk about the big matches at Extreme Rules, as well as the Season Premiere of WWE Raw next week.
Quick Match Results
— The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) def. AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio
— United States Champion Bobby Lashley def. Mustafa Ali via Referee’s Decision (non-title)
— WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Dakota Kai def. Candice LeRae
— Otis def. Johnny Gargano
— Braun Strowman def. Chad Gable
— Solo Sikoa def. Angelo Dawkins
— WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion IYO SKY def. Alexa Bliss
E-Mail – mike@wrestleview.com
Twitter – @MikeTedescoWV
The Post-Raw show returns next week. Catch Mike and Victoria Tedesco on the Extreme Rules post-show this Saturday!
Thanks for reading!