RAW kicks off with a number of wrestlers atop ladders. It’s just funny to see Braun Strowman up there with Kevin Owens suggesting the briefcase should be higher since Strowman is taller than everyone else. Alexa Bliss is hitting on Strowman too? Geez. Maybe it’s a continuation of the Mixed Match Challenge.
Kurt Angle with Constable Corbin come out. Bacon Boy has a shaved head now. If he comes out with a billy club and starts shouting “Wots all this?” I’m done.
First match tonight features a four-woman match where Natalya picks up the submission victory over Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, and Ember Moon. Match went about 20 minutes? Is it just me, or does women’s wrestling outclass men’s these days? This could have main evented a pay-per-view.
Backstage, Kevin Owens attempts to sway Finn Balor into ganging up on Strowman tonight.
It does make sense. Everyone always went after Big Show…
Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler squashed Breezango. Man, this was an episode of WWF Challenge. You remember? Where the name stars come out and beat up on enhancement talent, and the enhancement talent were two guys who used to be top tier mid-carders.
Roman Reigns defeats Sunil Singh – I would not have been shocked if WWE gave us a PPV match before a PPV. Wouldn’t be the first time. I guess WWE is going back to the drawing board, and doing the rinse and repeat routine. Send Reigns back to mid-card to get him away from main events to keep fans happy. Step two, occasional tag team with Seth Rollins to get the whole Shield nostalgia thing so it at least appears the crowd is cheering for Reigns. I doubt it will work. No one cares for Reigns/Mahal.
The B-Team defeats Rhyno and Heath Slater. Despite having kids, Slater and the Mayor of the Gore wind up on the losing end. B-Team is pushed ahead to face off against the Deleters of Worlds. This is amusing. If they win the titles on Sunday. I will laugh a lot, and then realize the promo work from both teams will escalate.
Elias is funny. He’s so good. He sings, he brings out a custom guitar, then mocks Rollins. This brings out Rollins who inevitably demolishes the guitar. Great mic work for both. They could main even every week. Rollins is at the top his game.
Ruby Riott defeated Bayley. An early botch from Bayley slowed the pace down, and a double-team distraction allowed Riott to win. Announce team predict Riott will be a future Women’s Champion. It is possible. Bayley gets inked after it’s over. I’m having a hard time getting into this.
Face-to-Face, Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax – I’m glad it’s Nia Jax getting the big push to face Rousey, but it still worries me Nia is going heel so quickly after turning face, and worries that this is WWE’s way of tossing the belt to Rousey. Speaking of whom, Rousey smiles too much. Jax tries hard to be a friendly intimidator. Rousey has a horrible line of “I’ll improvise your arm off.” Oy gevalt. Inevitably Jax has to play a heel and play the tough champion where Rousey has to look like the underdog. Sigh. Did they do this with Brock Lesnar? Was Lesnar ever the underdog? Oh hell. Rousey loses her mind during the promo and manages to turn the crowd to her favor and then they fight. After the tussle, Jax taps and THEY RING THE BELL? The hell was that all about?
The hype was good, but I have a bad feeling Jax is going to get burned from this encounter.
No Way Jose defeats Curt Hawkins. This is embarrassing for all involved. Jose is the new Adam Rose with the Rosebuds. It’s awful. He doesn’t even get to wrestle anymore. Hawkins doesn’t come down the aisle, despite actually having his own music played for once. Instead, he sneaks up from behind, but Jose kicks out, and hits a signature move for the win. Barely a match. Hawkins goes to 201 losses, surpassing Barry Horowitz, and Jose just dances his way to a paycheck. This is what happens when people form NXT are brought up into an overcrowded roster.
Very nice promo package featuring The Big Show with a member of this year’s Special Olympics.
Listening to Michael Cole do a promo for Gold Bond is pretty funny.
Not funny, is the feud between Sami Zayn and Bobby Lashley. None of this makes sense. At all. I don’t get it. Tonight is an obstacle course, when Zayn acknowledges the tasteless promo from last week where he questioned Lashley’s involvement in the military. There is a jab of the three sisters. Sigh. Does WWE really have nothing for Zayn and Lashley to do? NOTHING ELSE? At least the kids in the crowd are entertained.
Lashley has a great line… “I’m going to beat your butt this weekend.” That just sounds dirty.
Main event fatal-four way: Bobby Roode vs. Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman
Well, listening to Kevin Owens will pay off. The fight begins with the three smaller guys beating up Strowman, winds up taking the match all the way up to the stage, where things take a crazy turn. Owens sets up a ladder while Roode and Balor place Strowman on the announce table. Yep you guessed right! Owens frog splashes off the top of the ladder and crashes Strowman through the announce table. The match then continues with Balor and Roode in the ring. The show goes overtime and we get an awesome main event as a reward for sticking it out. Owens comes back into the match, but the fun continues when Strowman wakes up and returns to the ring, scaring the hell out of everyone. Owens doesn’t know what to do, even pleading “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Before succumbing to a chokeslam. At one point everyone manages to hit finishers on Strowman, but no one can pick up the win. In the end Strowman gets his revenge on Owens with a powerslam on a ladder for the victory.
Great match.
Good go-home show for RAW. Nothing spectacular, but the opening and closing matches stole it. Wasn’t impressed by Rousey. Reigns has become forgettable. SmackDown will be interesting to watch. Curious how they manage their go-home show before Money in the Bank.
