RAW kicks off with Kurt Angle presenting the RAW Women’s Championship to Alexa Bliss, because she wanted a special coronation tonight. She does deserve it. However, things take an abrupt turn when Angle informs her Nia Jax wants a rematch. Someone else wants a match, and out comes Ronda Rousey. She is irate and wants a fight. Shoving Angle aside, she attacks Bliss, takes out some refs, and then powerbombs the new champion through a table.
Wow. Rousey losing her mind to open RAW? Didn’t expect that to escalate so fast. Backstage, Angle suspends her for 30-days. Well, at least we know when this former UFC fighter will be back on TV. Unlike some other former UFC champion…
The opening bout features Seth Rollins defending the Intercontinental Championship in an open-challenge, and Dolph Ziggler answers. He cuts what seems like his standard promo against the “internet fans” and tries to be anti-whatever we feel is good wrestling. He’s always right when he says he and McIntyre are the best at what they do, because, they are. Tonight was certainly no different as Rollins and Ziggler put one hell of a main event caliber match and in a shock, thanks to some interference, Dolph Ziggler pins Seth Rollins to become the new Intercontinental Champion.
Damn. Did not see that coming. Wow.
Bobby Roode defeats Curt Hawkins
Okay, this one is nothing new. Moving on.
Braun Strowman wants to CASH IN RIGHT NOW.
Except he can’t. Brock doesn’t show up. It’s pretty funny because it’s true. Guess we will never see Brock anytime soon, since Braun stated he will cash in the next time Brock decides to show up on RAW. Kevin Owens comes out to offer a truce. It seems Braun is willing to let bygones be bygones… for all of thirty seconds. As they shake hands, Braun doesn’t let go, and Owens looks down in inevitable sadness, but manages to escape before being powerslammed through the mat.
The Deleters of Worlds defeat Rhyno and Heath Slater
The match was nothing of note, but the titan tron promo by The B Team, dressed up at Hardy and Wyatt. Funnier, Bo Dallas is dressed up as Bray Wyatt. You know, because they are brothers? I see the B Team lasting a bit longer than I thought.
Backstage: Kurt Angle is upset, and Constable Bacon Rorbin has Stephanie McMahon on speed dial. There will be another huge announcement tonight. Angle looks embarrassed.
I do not like Constable Corbin.
Jinder Mahal defeats Chad Gable
Odd pre-match promo, Mahal embracing some sort of tranquil mantra. Except the bell rings and that is all over. Gable has some awesome offense with some awesome looking suplexes. Except he loses. Again.
Perfect example of great talent being flushed.
The Riott Squad destroys the backstage area. It’s what they do. Then they defeat Bayley and Sasha Banks. The more entertaining part is when the overdrawn out drama finally comes to an end, where “the best friends” are no more. Banks and Bayley blow up and brawl all over the place.
Kurt Angle is losing his mind. With Corbin beside him, he appears unable to take any more of this. He goes to the ring to make the announcement of a special match to take place at Extreme Rules to determine a new #1 contender to face Brock Lesnar. Roman Reigns is first to interrupt, and once again plays the “anti-corporate angle” which the announce team hype up, even going along with the fact Brock has “corporate” backing and is able to go long periods of time without defending the title. Guess WWE has to face reality, no one considers Lesnar a real champ anymore. Bobby Lashley arrives and refutes Reigns claim. Before they come to a fight The Revival arrive.
This is a ballet of horrible promos. Reigns is a broken record. Lashley flubs lines, and the Revival is there as fodder. Reigns and Lashley defeat The Revival. Sigh. It worries me the crowd actually started to cheer for Reigns.
Backstage: Corbin continues to ridicule Angle. Finn Balor shows up to ask how he can get into the contender’s match. Corbin starts to berate the first Universal Champion, until Kevin Owens shows up, only to find “danger is right behind you…” in the form of Braun Strowman. Owens freaks. Strowman is here to back up his little buddy Balor. Angle snaps and darts off-camera.
We find out after commercial tonight’s main event will be Strowman & Balor vs. Owens and Corbin.
In another display of NXT burials, No Way Jose loses to Mojo Rawley. Post match promo, Rawley isn’t hyed anymore, now he’s focused. Ooooooooh.
Sasha Banks leaves the arena and Bayley chases her like a lost puppy.
Is it just me, or does every promo for Total Bellas always feature “WHoooooOOOOOoooooOO!” Followed byy some sort of glass clinking drinking and reckless shouting?
THANK PRIMUS FOR ELIAS!!!!
What a song. He foregoes his usual opening promo shtick and goes right to signing. He makes fun of Seth Rollins for cheating to win last night, and then losing his IC title tonight. However, he then turns his tune towards Brock Lesnar. Guess he wants into the contender’s match. His chorus line “There’s no one in the world like me, there’s nothing I can’t do. When times get tough, ask yourself, what would Elias do?”
This… was the best promo ever. He had a chorus line. It was awesome. He called out Lesnar in song-form.
Backstage: Renee Young with Seth Rollins, recap of earlier tonight where Dolph Ziggler won the Intercontinental Championship. He plans on getting his rematch next week and will figure out how to deal with “The Problem” Drew McIntyre.
Main Event: Finn Balor & Mr. Monster in the Bank Braun Strowman vs. Constable Corbin & Kevin Owens
Really wished he changed his gimmick to Bacon Rorbin. Call him Bacon Bits for all I care. I’m just not feeling the gimmick, which means this will last for a while. Corbin dominated Balor for the majority of the match. Funny how Owens runs for the hills when Strowman gets close. Funny spot when Balor needs to make a hot tag, Strowman gets in and tosses his own partner across the ring to make the hot tag. Strowman runs over Corbin, until Owens tries to break up a pin, but Strowman spooks him away until Corbin dives off the ring apron. Constable Baron Corbin gets the pinfall victory over Balor, right after Strowman and Owens go crashing through the crowd barrier.
Despite the loss Finn Balor easily is the MVP for the match.
Good show for RAW. Did what they had to do to get storylines going for SummerSlam. Seth Rollins, Ziggler, Strowman, and Elias are my highlights of the night.
