19 Results and Review

Opening Segment

Monday Night RAW started with Sasha Banks coming to the ring. We were given a video package which reminded us of Banks’ return, attacking Natalya despite her emotional reminiscing about her late father, and beating up Becky Lynch who came in to save Natalya. The package made it obvious that Natalya is a stepping stone to get to Lynch. Back to the live feed, Banks said while she was gone and off TV all she heard was people talk about her. She talked about how she was frustrated over being in a Wrestlemania tag match while Lynch was in the main event. It’s interesting how she said Lynch main evented against Ronda Rousey, ignoring the fact that Charlotte Flair was also in the match. Banks said her return was the perfect timing. She took another cheap shot, mentioning Natalya’s father. Mid-promo, she was interrupted. Natalya came running down the ramp, brawling with her. They fought until they were pulled apart. The broadcast went to break after this. This was fine I guess. I still don’t like the digs Natalya’s father, and I don’t see myself coming around to liking it soon.

After the commercial break, The Street Profits were backstage hyping this episode of RAW. They talked about the King of the Ring matches and explained the tag team turmoil match which is happening later.

Match 1: Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre (King of the Ring First Round Match)

The first match of the evening was Ricochet versus Drew McIntyre in a King of the Ring first round match. McIntyre was in control at the start, tossing Ricochet across the ring with a belly to belly german suplex. McIntyre was thrown outside the ring. Ricochet tried for a moonsault to the outside off the turnbuckles but McIntrye avoided it. McIntyre avoided a hurricanrana, throwing Ricochet onto the ringside barricade and then the ring apron before we went to commercials. When we came back, McIntyre had Ricochet in a submission hold in the ring. Ricochet started to make a comeback. After a few moves, Ricochet did a missile dropkick, sending McIntyre outside the out. He did a dive over all three ropes to McIntyre. Back in the ring, Ricochet tried to lift up McIntyre but couldn’t. He tried for an inverted huricanrana but couldn’t make McIntyre fly. McIntyre reversed by throwing Ricochet stomach first onto the mat for a two count. Ricochet was picked up and slapped. McIntyre dove into a corner but was caught by Ricochet. Ricochet did a northern lights suplex, but then his next move was reversed, getting tossed by McIntyre. Ricochet landed a kick and then an elbow off the top rope. He hit a standing shooting star press for a two count. Ricochet was on the ring apron and tried for a kick but it was caught, getting hit with a forearm that sent him out of the ring. Ricochet gave McIntyre a kick, then when Ricochet came flying at him, McIntyre countered by headbutting him. They went back in the ring where McIntyre had a Claymore Kick reversed by a superkick. Ricochet landed a few kicks but then was given a clothesline and a powerbomb for a close kickout. McIntyre went to the second rope, with Ricochet on his shoulders. Ricochet got out of the position, then landed a Recoil. Ricochet went to the top rope for a 630 to get the win. Fun match, and it was cool how they played up the size differential. He moves on and will face Samoa Joe next week.

Interview with Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman

In the next segment, we had an interview with Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins, who are the new RAW Tag Team Champions. The interview was recorded last week. Strowman, who is fixated on winning Rollins’ Universal Championship asked who he will face at Clash of Champions in a singles match. He challenged him for his Universal Championship at the PPV, to which Rollins accepted.

Match 2: The Miz vs. Baron Corbin (King of the Ring First Round Match)

The second match of the night was also a King of the Ring first round match. Before The Miz faced Baron Corbin, he cut a promo. The match started with Corbin distracting The Miz by throwing his button-up shirt at him, then punching and kicking him. The Miz gave Corbin a clothesline to outside the ring, then tried for a kick but Corbin avoided it, then landed a punch. So really, the same spot we saw at the start of the Ricochet and Drew McIntyre match too. Corbin ran Miz into a barricade then threw him back in the ring. Corbin did his run around the ringpost and then a clothesline before we went to break. Back from the break, Miz was starting to make a comeback. Miz did double knees in the corner to Corbin. Corbin hit a Deep Six for a two count. After a ton of counters, Miz tried for a roll-up but wasn’t successful. Miz got out of a Deep Six and landed a DDT for a close pin attempt. Miz did Yes Kicks, but Corbin dodged the final one, landing a roll-up. Corbin did his thing around the ring posts, but was hit with a Skull Crushing Finale when getting back in the ring. He kicked out at two. Miz threw Corbin into the barricade outside the ring and then put him back in the ring. Miz went off the top rope but Corbin avoided the move. Corbin hit an End of Days to win the match. This wasn’t an amazing match, but it was still pretty good. Corbin will face Cedric Alexander in the second round. After the match, Corbin put on the crown and sat on the throne on the stage. He cut a decent promo.

Match 3: Bayley vs. Nikki Cross

Before the next match, we were reminded that NXT is moving to USA on September 18th. We were also told that Rey Mysterio will return next week. Bayley faced Nikki Cross, since Bayley crashed Alexa Bliss’ show last week on Smackdown. I can’t say I completely understand this match, because while Bayley crashed the show, she was targeting Charlotte Flair, not Bliss or Cross. Plus people have crashed the show before and it didn’t really matter. Oh well. After a few minutes, Bayley did a sidewalk slam and then an elbow drop to win the match. Unintentional, but the referee sorta did Cross dirty with a quick count at the end.

Match 4: Ivar and Erik (The Viking Raiders) vs. Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas (The B Team) vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (The OC) vs. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler vs. Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik w/ Kalisto (Lucha House Party) vs. Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder (The Revival) vs. Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder vs. Tucker and Otis (Heavy Machinery) (Tag Team Turmoil Match) (RAW Tag Team Championships #1 Contender Match)

The next match was a “tag team turmoil” to decide the #1 contenders for the RAW tag team championship match. To explain the match, two teams face each other, and when one loses another comes out until all eight have come out and the final team has been pinned. The match started with The Viking Raiders and The B Team. The team hit the Viking Experience powerslam to eliminate The B Team. Next came out Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. One of the Viking Raiders did a dive to the outside, which took out his partner and Karl Anderson. After they all brawled in the ring, both teams got disqualified. Well, that’s a way to speed it up. The next two teams were Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler and Lucha House Party. Ziggler gave Metalik a kick to the back of the head to score a pinfall. The Revival were next. The Revival had a near fall, doing a leg drop double team move on Ziggler. They kept Ziggler isolated in their corner of the ring. Roode gave Dawson the Glorious DDT to eliminate The Revival. After a break, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder were eliminated. The final team was Heavy Machinery. Roode called a timeout, but Tucker didn’t respect it. Otis got his hot tag and did his caterpillar elbow drop. Roode tried for a roll-up on Otis but it didn’t work. Tucker was tagged in, and they were going to do a double team move but Ziggler disrupted it. He took out Tucket, then gate Otis, who was holding Roode, a ZigZag, onto Tucker. That was a really good move. Roode gave Tucker a Glorious DDT to win the match. Obviously, the crowd had no reaction to a newly made tag team beating Heavy Machinery.

Match 5: Sasha Banks vs. Natalya

In the next match, Sasha Banks faced Natalya. This was the in-ring return for Banks. Natalya gave Banks a good german suplex for a two count. Outside the ring, Natalya was thrown into an office chair and a ringpost. Banks put in a Banks Statement which Natalya tried to fight out of but eventually tapped out of. After the match, Banks left but came back to put in the Banks Statement yet again. What a heel.

Cedric Alexander vs. Cesaro

The next match was between Cedric Alexander and Cesaro. Early on in the fight Alexander tried for a dive but was hit with an uppercut. Cool spot, but that’s the third time tonight that the first dive of the night was reversed. Later on, Alexander landed a dive over the top rope, then did an elbow off the top rope back into the ring. Cesaro did a superplex off of the second rope a few minutes later. After Alexander kicked out, Cesaro transitioned into a half crab. Cesaro tried for an ankle lock, which Alexander got out of, launching Cesaro out of the ring. Cesaro got back in and was given a lumbar check to finish the match. This was a real good match, which should come as no shock to anyone.

AJ Styles vs. Braun Strowman (United States Championship Match)

The main event of the night was AJ Styles facing Braun Strowman in a match for Styles’ United States Championship. Right off the bat, Stowman threw Styles over the top rope and then rap through him with two shoulder tackles. Styles went off the top but was hit with a chokeslam. Styles avoided a pinfall, putting a leg on the bottom rope. Strowman gave Styles a big boot to knock him off the apron. After a break, Styles put in a calf crusher which Strowman escaped. He headbutted Styles for a two count. Stroman tried for a running powerslam, but Styles avoided and went into a ringpost. The referee dodged it by getting onto the ring apron, and then stayed there for a few moments, talking to Strowman for some reason. No surprise, he was knocked off the apron. Styles gave Strowman a low blow and then used a steel chair. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson came out and attacked Strowman. He fought back, and then used a steel chair on them. The referee turned around as Strowman was holding the steel chair, making him ring the bell, thinking he hit Styles with it. After losing, Strowman used the chair against all three members of The OC. The show ended with Strowman standing over everyone else.

WWE RAW 8/26/19 Preview

On this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, we will see the in-ring return of Sasha Banks, the continuation of The King of the Ring tournament and much more. Set to take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, let’s preview RAW for this week. The official preview written by WWE.com can be found here.

Last week, Samoa Joe and Cedric Alexander moved on to the second round of the King of the Ring tournament. Completing the first round of the RAW side on the bracket, this week we’ll have Ricochet versus Drew McIntyre and The Miz versus Baron Corbin. On the Smackdown side of the bracket, Andrade and Elias have already moved on, with the final two first-round matches taking place tomorrow. In a preview matchup last week, Ricochet and The Miz prevailed over their opponents this week.

We have seen Sasha Banks on TV twice since her return, both times targeting Natalya. Tonight, Banks will make her in-ring return by facing Natalya. The news of the match was originally broken on Monday morning by Tony Maglio at The Wrap. Worth noting that Banks also brawled with Becky Lynch in her return appearance.

Last week on Smackdown, Bayley interrupted “A Moment of Bliss,” pushing Charlotte Flair off of her chair during the segment. This week, the tag partner of Bliss, Nikki Cross will face Bayley one on one.

In the main event of RAW last week, Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman were crowned the new RAW Tag Team Champions, dethroning Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. While nothing, in particular, is announced for them, they are booked for the show. Also scheduled to appear is AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt.

WWE RAW 8/19/19 Results and Review

Monday Night RAW was live from St. Paul, Minnesota this week. On the stage was a throne because King of the Ring starts this week. Jerry Lawler replaced Corey Graves on commentary for this show.

Roman Reigns vs. Dolph Ziggler

The program started with Roman Reigns coming to the ring. As a refresher, we were shown a video package about his struggles lately. Reigns has been targeted by someone recently, and he doesn’t know who it is. Buddy Murphy was pressured into telling Reigns that Rowan was the attacker, but on Smackdown last week we found that Murphy lied. Smackdown ended last week with Daniel Bryan saying he knows who did it, and that he’ll reveal who it is next week. When Dolph Ziggler’s music hit, we found out a singles match was going to start off the show. Ziggler called out Reigns earlier in the week on Twitter. Before the match, Ziggler got on the mic and said he doesn’t understand why Reigns gets attention while he doesn’t. Ziggler said “I know you almost got hit by a car, but do you know how it feels to be speared by Goldberg?” That line made me chuckle.

Ziggler continued to talk about his recent troubles. While talking to Reigns, Ziggler landed a superkick which caught him off guard. When the fight officially started, Reigns gave Ziggler a punch which knocked him out of the ring. Reigns jumped off the steel staircase, but Ziggler dodged him. Ziggler landed a ZigZag on the floor before we went to break. Back from the break, Ziggler had Reigns in a headlock. Reigns threw Ziggler outside the ring. Reigns hit a Drive By then put Ziggler back in the ring. Reigns started to gain momentum. After a few moves, Reigns tried for a Superman Punch but Ziggler reversed it into a roll-up. Reigns kicked out, and then was hit with a DDT for another two-count. Ziggler tried for a ZigZag but couldn’t get it. He tried for another roll-up but Reigns kicked out. Ziggler jumped up but was caught. He escaped, then threw Reigns into a cornerpost. He hit another ZigZag for a two count. Wow, the ZigZag must be a really weak move. Ziggler called for a Sweet Chin Music Superkick. He tried for one, but was caught and then hit with a Superman Punch. Ziggler kicked out at two. Reigns tried for a Spear, but Ziggler hit his Famouser move instead. Reigns kicked out at two. Ziggler tried for something after taunting for a long time, but was hit with a Spear for the win.

This match was really good, but should Ziggler really be giving Reigns a run for his money like this? Ziggler has been completely jobbing himself out recently, so kicking out of finishers of Reigns and nearly winning either makes it seem like he’s gotten way better in a week, or Reigns isn’t as good as we thought. But besides that, it was a fun match to watch.

The King’s Court featuring Sasha Banks

After Sasha Banks returned last week, in a segment where she attacked Natalya (don’t forget Natalya was at the time talking about her father who died a year ago) and Becky Lynch, she got interviewed by Jerry Lawler this week on The King’s Court. Before the segment, we saw a recap of last week, and then a promo from Becky Lynch.

Jerry Lawler was in the ring with two thrones. Before he brought out Banks, he talked about the King of the Ring tournament. The bracket was shown on the screen. Lawler kept talking, but was interrupted by ominous noises. He knew it was what introduced The Fiend (F.K.A Bray Wyatt), so he left the ring. He went to the stage, where The Fiend was behind him. When he turned around, The Fiend put a hand in his mouth and choked him out. Lawler’s speech about the King of the Ring was amazingly boring, so it was sort of nice that this happened. Cool that they’re keeping the appearances of The Fiend to a minimum while keeping him on TV. The commentary did a sad little update after the break, with Vic Joseph replacing Lawler for the rest of the night, and I don’t know. Is it possibly too picky to complain about how this felt similar to when Lawler was actually taken off TV due to a heart attack? It could totally be an unintentional move, but it very much reminded me of that.

Ricochet & The Miz vs. Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin

In the next match, the four RAW wrestlers that are a part of the King of the Ring match who aren’t fighting tonight competed in a tag team match. The Miz did a baseball slide to the outside onto their opponents, and Ricochet did a moonsault off the top rope to the outside before the break. After the break, McIntyre gave Miz a belly-to-belly german suplex. While these two battled, the crowd became focused on something happening in the crowd. They were booing something that was happening. Miz hit a DDT to escape the long-lasting pressure from McIntyre. Ricochet got the hot tag against Corbin. Ricochet landed a standing moonsault for a two-count. McIntyre came in the ring and tossed Ricochet across the ring. He was setting up for a Claymore Kick, but was hit with a kick himself. The Miz gave McIUntyre a Skull Crushing Finale. It was just Ricochet and Corbin in the ring again. Corbin hit a Deep Six for a two count. Ricochet did a dropkick off the second rope and then jumped into a corner where Corbin dodged. Corbin charged into the corner but The Miz moved Ricochet out of the way. Ricochet hit the Recoil to end the match. Fun and quick matchup.

Braun Strowman vs. AJ Styles w/ Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (WWE United States Championship Match)

After the break we saw Sasha Banks backstage. She was setting up for an interview which will happen later this week. Before the next match, Booker T Skyped in to the show to talk about King of the Ring. The next match was a US Title match, which AJ Styles challenged Braun Strowman to last week. Styles slapped Strowman. He was hit with a shoulder tackle then went outside the ring. Strowman chased Styles around the ring. With Strowman in-between the ropes, Styles threw some kicks. Strowman tried for a choke slam but Styles go out. Strowman did a back body drop where Styles fell somewhat awkward. Styles kicked Strowman when the big man charged into a corner. Styles went off the ropes but was hit with a slap. Strowman tried for a running powerslam, but Gallows and Anderson came in to intervene, and of course end the match via DQ. Seth Rollins did a run-in to save Strowman. He took out Gallows and Anderson. Rollins shook hands with Strowman in the ring. After the break, Rollins asked Strowman if they want to team up to face Gallows and Anderson for their titles later tonight. I was waiting for that, because I knew the biggest program on the show wouldn’t be just five or so minutes on the show.

Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro (King of the Ring First Round Match)

The first of eight first round King of the Ring matches was Samoa Joe versus Cesaro. At the very start of the match, Cesaro landed an uppercut which caught Joe off guard. Joe kicked out. Joe hit a few moves, and then Cesaro did a corkscrew off the ropes. Cesaro was thrown over the guardrail into the front row as we went to break. After the break, Cesaro was back in the ring and trading blows with Joe. Later on, Cesaro dodged a Senton and then landed uppercuts in the corner. He got a big boot for a two count. Cesaro did a crossbody off the top for a two count. Joe reversed with a uranage and then a senton. Cesaro did his famous Cesaro Swing, but did it for a very small amount of time before putting in a Sharpshooter. He transitioned into a crossface but couldn’t get it. Cesaro jumped off the ropes but was put in a Cohena Clutch to end the bout. These guys put on a fun one to be honest.

Elias’ Defends The US Championship

Elias did a performance in the ring. He had microphone issues throughout the performance. He said this was his last performance because he can’t risk being on the show live due to being the WWE 24/7 Champion. When he started playing the guitar, it was out of tune. He was thrown a new guitar. Elias asked the person to hand him the guitar. The lights went up, and it was R-Truth. He went for a roll-up, but couldn’t get it. He tried again, and Elias kicked out. He landed a move and failed with another pin attempt. R-Truth grabbed a guitar and swung it, but Elias got out of the ring. A funny touch to this segment was while R-Truth took off his outfit, a referee got in the ring and took off the same outfit.

Rey Mysterio Gets Interviewed

In a backstage segment, Rey Mysterio was interviewed by Charly Caruso. Mysterio talked about the issues he’s struggling with recently. He mentioned how Andrade ripped off his mask. He also talked about how his injuries have caught up to him. He started to choke up as he was teasing his retirement. Just as he was about to unmask himself, his son came into the shot and said he wants to partner with him and pleaded him not to retire. Mysterio seemed persuaded by this. While Mysterio had some pretty good acting in this scene, his son didn’t.

New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) vs. The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)

The next match on the show was The New Day versus The Revival. We were told by commentary that The New Day have never beat their opponents. The Revival were wearing snake boots which were gifted to them by Orton. At first I was confused, because it sounded like a knock on Orton. After a break, Big E had a hot tag, giving both Revival members belly-to-belly suplexes. He did a standing frogsplash onto Dawson. He tried for a double team ove with Woods, although Dawson threw Woods off the top. As Big E was about to hit a move, Randy Orton came in the ring and gave Big E and RKO. Orton is seemingly forming a new trio where he has two henchmen. Kofi Kingston did a run-in and took out The Revival but was hit with an RKO for his troubles. Woods was given a triple team RKO. Orton made Kingston watch as The Revival did a double team move to Woods. Woods sold the move like a leg was torn off.

Sasha Banks Interview

Sasha Banks was interviewed next. She was backstage while the commentators were at their desk. Michael Cole asked her to explain her actions last week. While we expected her to talk about attacking Natalya and Becky Lynch, she talked about her hair colour change. Cole asked more specifically. but Banks walked off set. Okay, cool. It felt like this killed the momentum from last week, although I didn’t like the segment last week either.

Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville

In the next match, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Cross got the win for her team with the Cross Neckbreaker.

Cedric Alexander vs. Sami Zayn (King of the Ring First Round Match)

In the final King of the Ring match of the night, Cedric Alexander fought Sami Zayn. Zayn started fast in the match, but couldn’t get a pinfall. Alexander did a dive to the outside later. He followed it up with a kick off the ropes and lumbar check to win the match. Zayn got pretty squashed in this match. Backstage we had the Street Profits comparing their brackets for King of the Ring. They hyped up some of the upcoming matches in the tournament.

Backstage we saw Natalya cutting a promo about Sasha Banks. She had an arm in a brace. While she was talking, she was jumped by Banks. After the beatdown she said “Go to hell Nattie, and tell your daddy I said hi.” Ew. Just like last week, I don’t like the references to her actual deceased father. Just makes the show look trashy.

Braun Strowman & Seth Rollins vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson w/ AJ Styles (RAW Tag Team Championship Match)

In the main event of the evening, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins challenged for the RAW Tag team Championships. Gallows and Strowman started off the match. Strowman got a shoulder tackle, and then did a double team move, tagging in Rollins. Rollins was isolated in his opposite corner, where Anderson was tagged in. Rollins gave Gallows a knee right after he tagged in which sent him outside the ring. Rollins also sent Anderson outside the ring. In not so wise of a move, Rollins tried beating up both of them outside of the ring, and because of the numbers game, got beat up. After the break, it was Anderson and Rollins in the ring. Rollins was given a spinebuster, stopping the momentum he was building up. Anderson put Rollins on the top rope. Rollins reversed a Superplex, knocking Anderson off the ropes. He hit a blockbuster but couldn’t get a hot tag as Gallows got tagged in and stopped it. Outside the ring, Strowman got distracted by Styles. Gallows threw Strowman into a ringpost, then got back in the ring where he was hit with a Superkick by Rollins. Anderson got tagged in, and was hit with a Swingblade. Rollins got Gallows out of the ring and did a dive. Back in the ring, Rollins gave Anderson a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Weird how Strowman getting hurt almost won Rollins the match. Rollins went to the top, but when the referee wasn’t looking, Styles knocked him off the top rope. Gallows and Anderson hit a double team move which Rollins kicked out of. They tried for another double team move, but Rollins fought out of this one. Anderson threw Rollins outside of the ring, where Styles was going to hurt Rollins. Strowman finally reappeared, taking out Styles and Gallows. Strowman got a hot tag against Anderson, hitting tons of shoulder tackles and other moves. Stroman gave Anderson a Running Powerslam while Rollins fended off Styles with a Curbstomp. Strowman got the pin, winning the belts for him and Rollins.

While this match was very good, man it made Gallows and Anderson look like idiots. They threw everything at the trio, but none of it worked. Strowman gave Rollins subtle stares throughout this show, obviously teasing that he’s gonna turn on him eventually. I mean, that’s obvious.

This was a good RAW. To be honest, this show pointed out the issues that WWE has. While this show produced many great matches, the logic and reasoning behind a lot of storytelling is odd or just doesn’t make sense. The best part of the show was probably the King of the Ring matches, which were both pretty good matchups.

WWE RAW 8/19/19 Preview

Tonight on RAW, the beginning of the King of the Ring tournament will make it’s return. Along with the tournament’s kick-off will be a championship match, the first official return of Sasha Banks and more. Taking place from the XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, let’s preview this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.

The King of the Ring tournament will start on Monday with two matches. The tournament has usually operated in the past as a one-night event, but this year will take place over a longer amount of time. The tournament matches which will happen on Monday are Cedric Alexander versus Sami Zayn and Cesaro versus Samoa Joe. The 16-man tournament consists of eight RAW brand and eight Smackdown brand fighters, with the finals being RAW versus Smackdown. The two other RAW brand matches are Ricochet versus Drew McIntyre and The Miz versus Baron Corbin. On the Smackdown side is Kevin Owens versus Elias, Ali versus Buddy Murphy, Chad Gable versus Shelton Benjamin and Apollo Crews vs. Andrade.

While WWE searches for a new King, an old King in Jerry “The King” Lawler will return to programming. In an episode of “The King’s Court,” Lawler will interview Sasha Banks. Banks made her return to WWE television last week on RAW, attacking Natalya and then Becky Lynch, who came to aid Natalya. The last televised appearance of Banks prior to this was on an April 1st episode of RAW.

In the final segment of RAW last week, a match between AJ Styles and Seth Rollins was interrupted by Braun Strowman. Shortly after the confrontation, Styles challenged Stroman to a United States Championship match on the next episode in a WWE.com interview. The match has since been confirmed to take place on RAW this week.

Also billed for the show is Seth Rollins, Baron Corbin, Becky Lynch, Lacey Evans, Bray Wyatt, Ricochet, Natalya and Alexa Bliss. Some of their appearances may take place off-screen.

WWE RAW 3/11/19 Results and Review

RAW was from Pittsburgh, PA this week. The show opened with The Shield coming to the ring via the crowd. Michael Cole told us that they are here to give their “farewell address.” Roman Reigns talked about the situation with all three Shield members. Reigns said that if last night was their last night, he has no regrets. He encouraged Seth about his upcoming Wrestlemania match against Brock Lesnar, saying he will “slay the beast.” All three Sheild members put their fists together, and then Reigns and Ambrose left the ring. It’s hard to tell if that was their split because it felt so nonchalant. Rollins was talking in the ring by himself before Paul Heyman came out. Rollins said he is suited to beat Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Rollins pointed out how Lesnar has lost to Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles and Finn Balor in the past, who are all smaller guys. Heyman made the excuse that all those fights were short notice changes of opponents.

Heyman pointed at the video screen and played a video about Lesnar. This felt lame because the way Heyman talked made it seem like Lesnar was actually coming out. Who wants to see a video package? After the video, Heyman was talking to Rollins, which distracted him from Shelton Benjamin who came from the crowd to attack him. There was no real explanation for this other than maybe Benjamin is friends with Lesnar. Also, just because The Shield split doesn’t mean they can’t run out and help Rollins? Like, did Reigns and Ambrose just turn a blind eye to Rollins getting jumped?

Seth Rollins vs. Shelton Benjamin

We saw after a commercial break that Benjamin and Rollins started fighting. Paul Heyman was on commentary during this. Rollins won the match with a Curbstomp. A huge chunk of this match happened under commercials. I don’t really know why Benjamin is involved.

Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley (Intercontinental Championship Match)

The next match was Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley in a championship battle. When Balor did his entrance we saw this weird camera shot of Lashley staring at Balor via the big screen. Balor was ahead in this match and was heading to the top rope for a Coup de Grace, but was then distracted by Lio Rush, who rang the ringside bell. Rush got taken out by Balor, but when he went off the top rope he was given a Spear by Lashley to end the match.

Ronda Rousey In The Ring

Before the next segment, we got a slideshow recap of last night where Ronda Rousey interfered in the match between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. Rousey was in the ring to talk. Right off the bat, she was very aggressive, being very mad at the crowd. After she cut her promo, which didn’t make a ton of sense, Dana Brooke came out. Yes, Dana Brooke. As Brooke was talking you could hear one person in the crowd very audibly shouting “who are you?” Brooke challenged Rousey to a fight and got beat up. I don’t think beating up Brooke will make Rousey look any more cool or bad or whatever they want her to be.

Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable

The next match was Aleister Black and Ricochet versus Roode and Gable. Of course the new guys got the win. They were impressive as usual. The Revival attacked Ricochet and Black on the stage after the match.

A Moment of Bliss With A Big Wrestlemania Announcement

On Alexa Bliss’ talk show, she unveiled who will be hosting Wrestlemania. After tons of build up, she announced that she is actually hosting.

Braun Stroman Hates Colin Jost

Last week, Colin Jost was attacked by Braun Stroman for questioning if wrestling was real or not. This week, Colin had a car delivered to RAW as an apology to Braun. He got in the car with a smile on his face and drove away. Just kidding, of course he destroyed the car. Stroman said Jost will “get these hands” in New York.

Elias Has A Hometown Concert

Elias played in front of the crowd next. This was his hometown, so he had very positive support. Elias made the crowd turn against him by saying that not many people from Pittsburgh aren’t a “waste of life.” No Way Jose came out with his conga line and interrupted the concert. Jose was rocking a new neon green haircut. Elias attacked Jose and that was the end of the segment. Wow, boring, but I guess they wanted to find a way to put Elias on this show.

Nia Jax w/ Tamina vs. Natalya w/ Beth Phoenix

Before the next match, we had Beth Phoenix come out with Natalya to support her in this match. Right as the match started, Phoenix did a run-in to end the match via DQ. We saw backstage that Sasha Banks and Bayley got into a brawl with Jax and Tamina. I don’t know why Phoenix attacked so quickly in the match. This felt very rushed.

Triple H Calls Out Batista

Triple H came to call out Batista. Batista came out in a button up and shiny blazer. Batista had eight security guards with him. Batista stayed on the apron and refused to come into the ring. Batista kept saying that he wants to be given what he wants. After saying “give me what I want” a dozen times, he unveiled that what he wanted was a match with HHH at Wrestlemania. Alright, well he got the match, and HHH made it a No Holds Barred match. While the repeated line from Batista was odd, I thought the last thing he said was a good line, saying that he will have his final match on his own terms, and that it will be HHH’s final match.

Kurt Angle vs. Apollo Crews

Kurt Angle came out to address his future. He announced that at Wrestlemania he will have his farewell match. He also said that he should give Philadelphia one last match. He faced Apollo Crews and got the win. He thanked the crowd and hugged Crews.

Roman Reigns Attacked Before Match

The next match was scheduled to be Roman Reigns versus Baron Corbin. When Reigns got into the ring he was attacked by Drew McIntyre. Reigns was given a Claymore Kick at ringside. If The Shield decided to break up in the final segment of RAW then none of this would have been an issue. Seth Rollins did run out to see if he was okay though. There was some weird skit that they did where Roman convinced the doctors that he wasn’t injured or something. Backstage we saw Dean Ambrose say to HHH he wants to fight Drew McIntyre tonight. HHH granted the wish, with the match happening next.

Dean Ambrose vs. Drew McIntyre (Falls Count Anywhere Match)

Ambrose charged at McIntyre, attacking him on the ramp and then brawling into the crowd. They went up the stairs and into a standing area when Ambrose threw a table. During the break, McIntyre threw Ambrose over a concessions stand table. Back around the ring, McIntyre did an very painful looking vertical suplex onto the floor. They brawled over to the commentary table and were both on top of it. McIntyre did a low blow and then raked the eyes of Ambrose. Off the table now, McIntyre threw Ambrose head first like a dart into the LED entrance screen. Ambrose was wedged in between a barricade and then given a Claymore Kick to end the match. While the final spot was pretty good, I thought the match, in general, was pretty lame. They brawled around the arena but it was just the same thing after a while. Renee Young was being over the top during this segment about Dean being beaten up.

This show had a lot of either boring or just bad wrestling. I can’t figure out one whole segment that I would consider good on this show. I’m not being harsher than usual, I genuinely think this was a lame episode.

WWE RAW 2/11/19 Results and Review

Let’s look at the go-home show for Monday Night RAW before the Elimination Chamber PPV.

Last Week’s RAW Review

Last Week’s Smackdown Live Review

2019 Royal Rumble PPV Review

Monday Night RAW started this week with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in the ring. They hyped Sunday’s PPV. They reminded us that Becky Lynch was suspended last week after refusing to see a doctor. They tell us that Lynch saw a doctor recently, and before they finished speaking, she was coming down the ramp. HHH issued an apology to Lynch, and lifted her suspension. They shook hands, but then there was a catch. Becky could get her Wrestlemania match if Becky apologized to Stephanie. Becky was on board with this at all, saying she would fight anyone but wouldn’t apologize. As Becky tried leaving the ring Stephanie got in her face. HHH and Stephanie left the ring after telling her that she needs to apologize to get her match.

Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan w/ Ruby Riott vs. Nia Jax & Tamina

To preview the Women’s Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber Match, the three RAW teams faced each other in a tag team triple threat match. Before the commercial break there was a spot outside where Ruby Riott, who wasn’t in the match, ran Sasha Banks into a ringside barricade. Banks walked to the back after the break. This is to continue their story that Bayley has been doing all the work for their tag team. Tamina is seemingly in a position in her team where she took all the bumps. She was attacked by the Riott Squad for minutes on end, while Nia Jax might have not been slammed once in this match. When Nia was run into a ringpost, Tamina tagged herself in. She tried for a Frogsplash off the top, but Sarah Logan put her knees up to counter it. Liv Morgan and Bayley tagged in. After a big combo of moves, Bayley gave Morgan an Elbow Drop off the top for a pin that Logan broke up. She landed a Bayley-to-Belly, and then Tamina came in and kicked Bayley in the head. Jax was tagged in and hit a Samoan Drop to win the match. I would guess that Banks will do another antics thing during the Elimination Chamber match. Because of a stipulation of this match, Bayley and Sasha Banks will start first in their match on Sunday. So, not the most fan-friendly start to the show so far as a heel team won clean and a segment with Becky Lynch sort of ended boring

Elias Performs

Elias was in the ring. Before he began performing we saw on the big screen Becky Lynch and Finn Balor backstage. Balor implied that Lynch should apologize. We got re-introduced to Elias after. Did they mean to introduce him the first time? We saw a Seth Rollins video package, which cut off Elias this time. After the video package, Elias was introduced a third time. This time he was cut off by the Lucha House Party. Oh, I was duped. This was a comedy bit. Well, I guess you know it’s a good joke when it catches you like that. At this point, I realized that there were two guitars in the ring, so I’m going to predict that one or maybe two would be used as a weapon. Elias mentioned how his album wasn’t nominated for the Grammys. Kalisto says that the Lucha House Party wants to “walk with Elias.” He then performed a song about how he hates Grand Rapids. The Lucha House Party all gave his performance a thumbs down. Kalisto offered to perform. He was given the guitar, played something simple which made people cheer him on. Elias offered to do a duet, and then, of course, grabbed his second guitar and smashed it on Kalisto’s back.

Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre

Before Finn Balor’s title match this weekend, he faced Drew McIntyre on this show. His opponents on Sunday, Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush, were at ringside. When Balor went to the top rope during the match, Lashley pushed Balor off the top, making the match end via DQ. Lashley and McIntyre teamed up on Balor until Kurt Angle made the save. Angle cleaned house, putting Lio Rush in an Angle Lock. Baron Corbin came from the back to take down Angle. Braun Stroman came out to join the chaos. The heels stood on the ramp while we went to commercials.

Finn Balor, Braun Stroman & Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin

Hmm, I wonder what they are going to do with this even number of guys all in ring gear. Of course an impromptu tag match was made. Lashley gave Balor a move to end the match (or so we thought) after Lio Rush played as a distraction. Balor put his leg up to end a pinfall, but the referee did not see it. Another ref came out to correct this, making the match restart. At some point Stroman was thrown over the barricade and stayed there for a long time. He eventually got up and went on a roll against all of his opponents. Angle gave Corbin a German Suplex on the floor. Lashley and Stroman were the legal competitors, with Stroman landing a Running Powerslam and then tagging in Finn Balor for a Coup de Grace that ended the match. It was fun to see how much the crowd loved this ending. But other than that, this felt boring. I’m so over the Kurt Angle thing.

Nikki Cross vs. Ruby Riott

After the next match we saw a promo from Kevin Owens. He was in a bowling alley. He talked about how he doesn’t know what brand he will be on, but will be back in a month. During the match we saw Ronda Rousey tell Becky Lynch to apologize. Riott won the match with a kick of some sort. I don’t understand why Riott had to face Cross. Like, I get that she should win a match since she’s facing Rousey on Sunday, but why against Cross, who just debuted?

Seth Rollins Reflects and Looks Forward

Seth Rollins came out to talk about his recent success and his upcoming match with Brock Lesnar. He was cut off by Paul Heyman, who introduced Brock Lesnar. Well, Lesnar actually didn’t show up despite being called out by his mouthpiece. Heyman cut a promo, and then Seth told him that he will do anything to win. After Heyman left, Dean Ambrose came to the ring and gave Rollins words of encouragement. Ambrose part was weird, but the rest was fine.

Dean Ambrose vs. EC3

EC3 faced Dean Ambrose in the next match. This match was presumably set up because of EC3 being roasted by Ambrose on Alexa’s talk show last week. Ambrose won via roll-up, to no reaction from the audience. Alexa Bliss played the devil on Becky Lynch’s shoulder backstage, telling her to not say sorry. Lynch didn’t buy Bliss’ advice, thinking that only encouraged her to not apologize so that her Wrestlemania spot would be available.

Bobby Roode & Chad Gable vs. The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) (WWE RAW Tag Team Championship Match)

The next match was Bobby Roode and Chad Gable versus The Revival. Gable and Roode are the champions but it doesn’t feel like anyone knows them. It was sad to hear Roode’s music hit but seemingly not have a single person in the audience singing it. Before we went to a break, Gable did a Moonsault off the ropes to the outside onto The Revival. Much later into the match, Roode hit a Spinebuster on Scott Dawson for a two count. Gable went off the ropes but was hit with a Shatter Machine to end the match. The finish was great, and the match was great, but why are The Revival champs? It felt like this was just done so people don’t think that this go-home show was pointless.

Becky Apolgizes

The final segment of the show was Becky Lynch meeting with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Just like before, they wanted Lynch to apologize. Lynch eventually apologized, solving the issue between her and the duo. But this didn’t solve her apparent issue with Vince McMahon, who came out and said he wasn’t satisfied by the apology. He suspended her for 60 days, which takes her off the Wrestlemania show. Vince announced Charlotte Flair as her replacement. Okay, I understand that they want to build to a triple threat match, but I don’t get the story behind this. It’s like they started the script for this show today and said “Okay, we need Charlotte in the picture immediately.”

WWE RAW 1/28/19 Results and Review

After a hectic Royal Rumble last night, we had an episode of Monday Night RAW to follow it.

Opening Segment

The show started by showing the Wrestlemania sign in the building, which was a physical one like they do every year. I don’t know where it was last night. Seth Rollins came to the ring to talk about his Royal Rumble Match victory last night. Rollins pointed at the sign because it’s all he’s ever wanted to do. He said that he will have to think about which champion he wants to challenge at Wrestlemania. After he said this, Triple H came out. The crowd started an NXT chant when his theme cut. It became obvious that this would be a more rowdy crowd than usual for RAW. HHH talked about how he is happy for Seth. HHH said that Seth needs to make the decision tonight. He said that Brock Lesnar and Daniel Bryan are both going to be here tonight. Dean Ambrose came out after that, with Dean saying that HHH didn’t believe in Seth when he did. HHH mentioned that Dean backstabbed Seth, and of course mentioned that was the was same night that Roman Reigns announced that he has leukemia, which they can’t ever stop wedging into a storyline. Ambrose asks HHH to book a match tonight between Seth and Dean. Without comment, HHH was in the process of leaving the ring. Ambrose annoyed HHH by asking if he has to ask his father in law for permission before booking the match. He then books the match. First of all, when did HHH become a good guy again? I must have missed when that happened. Also, I don’t know what made Ambrose want the match.

Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

After the second break in this match, Rollins hit a Crossbody off the top rope. He did a Tope Suicida a minute or so later, twice. Rollins hit a Curbstomp to win the match. He lost clean and then we went to a break. After the break, Dean was sitting in the ring. Before he got out whatever he was saying, Nia Jax and Tamina came out. Dean was hit in the head from behind, and then left after a while. Dean losing a match clean, allowing himself to get hit and then just leaving made him look very weak. I can’t imagine that they will have him on TV for a week or so.

Nia Jax & Tamina vs. Alexa Bliss & Mickie James (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Qualifier Match)

The next match was a qualifying match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship match at Elimination Chamber. After Alexa Bliss was beat up on for a long time, Mickie James was given the hot tag. James beat up Tamina which made her tag in Jax. Jax picked up James for a Samoan Drop, but picked up Bliss as well because she was on the top rope for no reason. I thought Bliss should have won this match since she returned last night, and because what most people will remember about Jax at the Rumble is getting beat up by the men in the men’s Rumble.

Baron Corbin vs. Kurt Angle

Kurt Angle is returning for this match after his return at the Royal Rumble last night. Corbin taunted Angle on the mic before the match, which earned him a punch in the face. Angle hit a three amigos of a German Suplex. Angle hit an Angle Slam for a two count. Fast forward a little, Corbin hit a Deep Six to win the match. This is kind of hilarious. Angle’s last RAW match was one where he was absolutely destroyed, and here we are again.

Finn Balor came out to talk about his match with Brock Lesnar. He was interrupted by Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush. Rush says that Lashley would beat Lesnar. Balor said that he lasted longer with Brock Lesnar than Lashley lasted in the Rumble. This made Lashley beat up Balor. We knew this wouldn’t lead to an immediate match because Balor was in dress clothing.

Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder (The Revival) vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder

The Revival face Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, for some reason. Hawkins took a Shatter Machine to end the match, extending his multi-year losing streak.

Elias Segment

Elias was in the ring for a performance. He seemed more heelish again. He said his songs are for him, not the crowd. He then tried performing a song but got interrupted by Jeff Jarrett once again. Jarrett was a little more clothed compared to last night. As Jarrett was talking, Road Dogg came out. Dogg and Jarrett did a duet. Elias eventually didn’t like this and hit Road Dogg with a guitar. During a brawl Jarrett got a guitar and almost hit Elias with it, but Elias ended up using the guitar.

Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan vs. Dana Brooke & Natalya (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Qualifier Match)

We got another Championship qualifier match next. Morgan won the match with a roll-up after Ruby Riott distracted Brooke, giving the team a three-on-one advantage. Just to clarify, the title match will be an Elimination Chamber match as well.

Ronda Rousey vs. Bayley (RAW Women’s Championship Match)

Ronda Rousey came out to cut a promo on her Royal Rumble victory. The crowd was booing immensely, with Becky Lynch signs everywhere. After Ronda cut her promo, Bayley came out and challenged her to a match. Bayley was actually getting some moves in this match but lost to an Armbar eventually. They shook hands after the match. After this Becky Lynch unexpectedly came out, which got a big reaction from the crowd. She limped out to the ring and then grabbed a mic. She said “unlike Seth Rollins, I don’t need much time to think. I choose you.” Lynch cut a good promo which sounded even better with an electric crowd. When Ronda started talking she got heavy boos. Ronda also had a decent promo, talking about how Becky has only been “the man” for a little amount of time.

Braun Stroman vs. Drew McIntyre

Backstage Braun Stroman shook Seth’s hand and told him to make the right choice later. The next match was Braun Stroman versus Drew McIntyre. This match went on until Baron Corbin attacked Stroman. Michael Cole was working overtime tonight to explain every single little plot point. Stroman gained control of the brawl but then got hit with a Claymore Kick from McIntyre.

Seth Rollins Picks Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman came out since tonight was Seth’s time to pick who he wants to face. Seth Rollins interrupted them and then started a brawl with Brock. Rollins got absolutely steamrolled, hit with five F5’s. Felt a little excessive, but alright. I didn’t find this as a surprise at all that he would choose Lesnar. I don’t think anybody did.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t like this episode of RAW. There was dumb, pointless segments, there was boring segments, with the only good segment being Rousey and Lynch.

WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Results and Review

It’s time to review what is easily my favourite show every year. Of course I am talking about the Royal Rumble. Along with the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, the third biggest match on the show was Brock Lesnar versus Finn Balor, who is replacing Braun Stroman after Stroman angered Vince McMahon on RAW three weeks ago. On the Smackdown brand, AJ Styles was challenging for the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan. Also, Asuka faced Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Let’s start with the pre-show matches.

Bobby Roode & Chad Gable vs. Rezar w/ Drake Maverick & Scott Dawson

At the analyst desk for the Royal Rumble Kickoff was Johnathan Coachman, Beth Phoenix, Booker T and Jerry Lawler. After 45 minutes of the pre-show, we had our first match. The match that kicked off the show was an odd one. Since Akam, one-half of The Authors of Pain is injured, he teams with Scott Dawson from The Revival for a tag match. I can only assume this is to remind people that AoP exists. There was some sort of stipulation announced that if Rezar and Dawson won they would both get title shots for their teams or something. Early on there seemed to be issues with the team of Rezar and Dawson as Rezar gave a shocked expression when he was involuntarily tagged out. Roode was on a roll late in the match, hitting a Blockbuster. Dawson pulled the tights during a roll-up but it didn’t help him. Rezar got hit with Dawson’s move by accident and then was taken out of the ring by both Roode and Gable. With the help of Roode, Gable hit a Moonsault on Dawson to end the match. This was a dumb match. Why bring back Rezar while his partner is injured just to lose? The finish didn’t feel like it was proper, and the bad chemistry between Rezar and Dawson existed but wasn’t really shown enough, especially at the end.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev (WWE United States Championship Match)

The first championship match of the show was Nakamura versus current champion, Rusev. During this match Nakamura wore a very red outfit. Rusev was dominant early on, clotheslining Nakamura out of the ring after a couple of suplexes. He then threw Nakamura towards the steel stairs, but Nakamura dodged it and came back with a kick. He threw Rusev into a barricade and then kneed him in the chest. Back in the ring, Rusev got hit with a knee in the corner for a two count. Rusev got himself back together and got on a roll. He landed a Spin Kick off the ropes for a two count after a combo of moves. They must have cut to Lana 20 times during this match. Nakamura escaped an Accolade attempt and landed some kicks. Was there a “kicks only” stipulation for this match that I missed? Rusev landed a Matchka Kick and than a slam move which got turned into an Armbar by Nakamura. Shinsuke turned the Armbar into a Triangle Choke, and then a Guillotine when Rusev tried escaping. Rusev landed a Suplex to finally escape. The pin attempt following it got a very close count. Nakamura went to the turnbuckle after a near fall and took off a pad. Lana got on the apron and tried to let the ref know. Nakamura got in her face, and Rusev tried to attack him during this. Shinsuke dodged Rusev, and hit Lana instead. This distracted Rusev, letting Nakamura hit a Kinshasa to win the match. This match could have cooled down on the kicks. It’s hard to tell if the crowd is quiet or they are just hard to hear.

Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami vs. Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match)

The final pre-show match was a fatal-four-way for the Cruiserweight Championship. Early in the match there was a nice move where Tozawa dove to the outside and hit Kalisto, who Huricanrana’d Murphy. Later on Murphy did a dive onto all three opponents. Hanging off the second rope Murphy was hit with a Huricanrana and seemingly planted his head in the canvas. Murphy landed a Powerbomb onto Kalisto but Tozawa broke up the pin. Kalisto gave Itami a Salida del Sol for a two count. Murphy gave a good knee to Kalisto as he was coming off the ropes. After a combo of moves against Itami he hit Murphy’s Law for the win. This match had some good stuff in it, with a lot of impressive spots.

Becky Lynch vs. Asuka (WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Match)

Opening the PPV was Becky Lynch versus Asuka. Early on in the match Asuka was kicked off the apron, landing flat on the floor. Outside the ring Lynch did a Beckslpoder onto the barricade. Lynch went off the second rope and was hit with a knee. Asuka landed a close count after a hit attack. Asuka went off the top rope but Lynch avoided her, and then hit a Rock Bottom for a two count. Lynch fell into an Armbar and almost escaped but then got put in an Asuka Lock. Lynch rolled to the ropes to get out. Back on the apron, Asuka gave Becky some sort of Suplex onto the floor. Becky made it back into the ring before the ten count. They traded slaps in the ring until Asuka landed a spinning kick for a two count. The fight found its way onto the top rope, where Lynch landed a Super-Becksploder for a two count. Asuka dodged a Leg Drop off the top rope into an Asuka Lock. Lynch did a Disarmer and then turned it into an Asuka Lock of her own. Asuka got out and then did a kick. After a chain of moves Asuka did a Chokehold to retain. I thought Lynch would win, but she didn’t. This match had good moments but felt like it wasn’t always entertaining. Like I mentioned before the crowd sounded dead, which didn’t help this match.

The Miz & Shane McMahon vs. Sheamus & Cesaro (The Bar) (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match)

The next match was for the Smackdown tag titles. Right off the bat Sheamus was caught off guard was Shane speared him. Outside the ring Cesaro was put on a commentary table for an Elbow drop but got out of it. Instead, Shane did an elbow drop to Sheamus, who was standing. Late in the match Shane got a hot tag and did a ton of moves, including his horrible punches. Shane was going to give both members of The Bar a Coast-To-Coast, but Cesaro caught him and did his spinning move. Shane put in a Triangle Choke which Sheamus broke up by going off the ropes. The Miz went after Sheamus but was given a Clothesline outside the ring. Sheamus got tagged in, and then the team did a Double Team move for a two count. Sheamus tried for a Brouge Kick but The Miz shoved Cesaro, letting him get hit with it. The Miz gave Sheamus a Skull Crushing Finale, and then Shane surprisingly hit a Shooting Star Press to win the match.

Sasha Banks vs. Ronda Rousey (WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match)

After the Smackdown Women’s Championship match started off the show, the RAW women’s title match was two matches later. Near the start the fight went to the outside where Ronda punched a ringpost because Sasha dodged a strike. Sasha landed a dive and then put Ronda back in the ring. After a Double Knees in the corner Sasha got a two count. After Ronda dodged another Double Knees she tried for a Pipers Pit which was turned into an Armbar. She turned it into a Banks Statement, which Rousey eventually got out of. Rousey landed a Pipers Pit. Rousey was really selling her injured arm from the ringpost spot. Rousey went to the top rope, and Banks went up to it as well. Banks landed a Superplex for a two count and then went right back into another arm move. Ronda did Judo Throws and then got thrown outside of the ring. Rousey put Banks in a move outside the ring after catching a dive. Banks tapped out of this but that didn’t matter since they were outside of the ring. Banks put Rousey in a Banks Statement and used part of her attire to choke Rousey. This was transitioned into an Armbar which Rousey escaped and turned into a Gutwrench Powerbomb. She then landed a Pipers Pit to win the match. This was a good match in my opinion. It’s wild to think that Rousey debuted at the Rumble a year ago and put on a match like this only a year after.

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

The first Royal Rumble match of the evening was the women’s one. Beth Phoenix was a guet commentator for this match. #1 Lacey Evans was the first entrant, starting against #2 Natalya. Evans did a promo before the match started. #3 Mandy Rose was the next entrant. Evans missed a Moonsault while Mandy was coming out. Natalya gave both of them a Sharpshooter. #4 Liv Morgan. Morgan charged at Natalya and was thrown out. Evans gave both Mandy and Natalya a Bronco Buster. #5 Mickie James. #6 Ember Moon. #7 Billie Kay. Kay refused to get in the ring once arriving. She told the English announcing team that she was waiting for Peyton Royce. #8 Nikki Cross. Cross attacked Kay at ringside and then did a Crossbody off the top onto everyone in the ring. #9 Peyton Royce. Royce went in and tried to aid Kay. They teamed up on Nikki Cross. #10 Tamina. Tamina gave Nikki Cross a Frogsplash.

#11 Xia Li. Mickie James was kicked off the apron and eliminated by Tamina. #12 Sarah Logan. Ember Moon resisted elimination by having her feet hung on the bottom ropes. Nikki Cross was taken out by The Iiconics. Cross came off as very weak in this match. #13 Charlotte Flair. Xia Li was taken out with a kick from Charlotte. #14 Kairi Sane. Sane gave Logan an InSane Elbow Drop. #15 Maria Kanellis. Kanellis was hit with a Spear from Charlotte after doing a dance or something. #16 Naomi. Naomi and Mandy fought early on since they are currently in that homewrecker story. On the apron Naomi kicked Rose and then shoved her to the floor. Naomi was almost taken out by Rose but got onto the barricade, and then jumped to the steel steps. Rose shoved her eventually, eliminating her anyways. Charlotte eliminated Lacey Evans. #17 Candice LeRae. #18 Alicia Fox. After Fox gave a few people dropkicks Maria Kanellis tried forming an alliance. This worked, as they both worked on Sane. Maria stomped on Alicia’s hat, which made her freak out. This was a comedy spot that fell flat. Maria was eliminated shortly after #19 Kacy Catanzaro. #20 Zelina Vega.

#21 Ruby Riott. Ruby Riott came out with Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan, who were eliminated previously. They pulled Charlotte out of the ring (still in the match) and then teamed up on her. They did the same thing to Fox. Vega went under the ring on the other side. Fox was thrown out of the ring by Ruby. Candice was Powerbombed into a barricade, brought back into the ring and then eliminated. #22 Dana Brooke. Kairi Sane was eliminated by Ruby Riott. They kept cutting to Vega who was smugly hiding under the ring. #23 Io Shirai. Shirai went after The Riott Squad immediately, who were beating up Sane at ringside. Shirai landed a Moonsault off the top rope to the trio. #24 Rhea Ripley. Catanzaro was given a Baseball Slide to the outside but did a Handstand to the corner and got back in the ring. This match felt like a Best of John Morrison and Kofi Kingston with all of these close call eliminations. She was eliminated only moments later. #25 Sonya Deville. Ripley kicked Brooke out of the ring. Vega poked her head out of the ring again but this time Hornswoggle came out as well. Hornswoggle chased Vega, making her get into the ring and get thrown out by Ripley. #26 Alexa Bliss. Up to until this point Charlotte felt like the only person who had a realistic chance of winning. Deville was eliminated after getting hit with a punch from Bliss. #27 Bayley. Bayley took out Ruby Riott and Rhea Ripley. Not sure where the rest of the Riott Squad went. #28 Lana. Lana was playing up her injury from Rusev’s match. She had to get checked by medical staff halfway down the walkway. #29 Nia Jax. On the way to the ring Nia Jax attacked Lana and her leg. Jax caught a Moonsault from Io Shirai and threw her out of the ring. Shirai sort of folded when hitting the floor. Natalya was thrown out shortly after. #30 Carmella.

Carmella earned her #30 sport because she won the second season of the Mixed Match Challenge. Becky Lynch came out and negotiated with Fitt Finlay, and replaced Lana in the match. Bliss and Ember battled on the apron for some time. Bliss did a leg sweep to take out Moon. Bayley and Carmella teamed up to eliminated Bliss, but got clotheslined by Nia Jax right after. Charlotte kicked Carmella off the apron, making it only four left. Jax picked up Bayley and the got kicked, making her drop Bayley out of the ring. The final three were Jax, Lynch and Charlotte. Charlotte lifted Nia Jax and then dropped her. Charlotte put Jax on the apron, and then Lynch pushed her off the apron since she was outside the ring. Lynch was pushed by Jax which made her fall and get hurt. Just before Charlotte’s hand was raised, Lynch came in and the match continued. Charlotte targeted the injured leg frequently. Charlotte went over the ropes after charging Lynch, and then was hit, making her fall the floor. Becky Lynch won the Women’s Royal Rumble.

I enjoyed this Rumble. I thought it was good that they laid off the legends since they were a big focus of the women’s Rumble last year. Instead they gave many spots to NXT wrestlers. I thought the stars or potential contenders for the Rumble were a little too stacked at the end of the list. In the first ⅔ of the Rumble, Charlotte was the only real big name that came out. Lynch was the right one to win, as she will most likely challenge Asuka.

Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship Match)

The WWE Championship was in the unfortunate position of cool-down. In this match Styles started bleeding through his nose. Bryan got a close pin attempt after a good looking Dragon Suplex. Later on, Bryan stopped a Springboard 450 by putting his knees up, and then put on the Lebell Lock. During the match Erick Rowan came to the ring. The ref was taken out, which gave Rowan the opportunity to give Styles a Chokeslam. Bryan pinned Styles to win. This was very disappointing. For one, the match placement was horrible. Also, the match was way too long and the crowd didn’t like it.

Finn Balor vs. Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (WWE Universal Championship Match)

Right off the bat Balor jumped Lesnar as he had his back to him. Balor eventually lost control of the match, with Lesnar throwing him around. Lesnar took apart a commentary table, but then was rammed into it by Balor. Balor did two dives to the outside at one point, with the second one looking really good. Back in the ring Finn tried for a Coup de Grace, landing it, but Lesnar kicked out. Lesnar put in a Kimura right after, with Balor tapping. After the match he beat up Balor further. This match also felt like it didn’t have a ton of hype behind it, but didn’t have the cold reaction that Bryan versus Styles got. This was okay, I guess. Lesnar won, which is predictable. They kept it short, which was nice.

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

The main event of the evening was the men’s Royal Rumble match. #1 Elias was the first entrant. He was going to perform for the crowd, but was interrupted by #2 Jeff Jarrett. Elias asked Jeff if he wanted to do a duet with him. Before it start Elias attacked Jeff, making the match start. Elias smashed his guitar on Jarrett’s back and then threw him over the ropes. #3 Shinsuke Nakamura. #4 Kurt Angle. Angle came out to a good reaction. #5 Big E. Nakamura kicked Angle on the ropes and took him out. #6 Johnny Gargano. #7 Jinder Mahal. Mahal was accompanied by the Singh Brothers. Mahal was eliminated very quickly by Gargano via kicks. #8 Samoa Joe. Big E was thrown out by Joe. #9 Curt Hawkins Hawkins came in and out of the ring making weak attacks. He got caught in a Cohena Clutch from Joe, but escaped it because of Elias. Hawkins went under the ring. #10 Seth Rollins. Elias was eliminated by Rollins because he was holding onto a corner post but then got his hands hit.

#11 Titus O’Neil. When running out to the ring Titus was cautious to avoid falling. O’Neil went under the ring because he saw Hawkins, and then chased Hawkins into the ring and then went over the ropes. Hawkins celebrated, but was thrown out right after. #12 Kofi Kingston. #13 Mustafa Ali. Ali dropkicked Nakamura off the top rope and to the outside. Ali was thrown into a corner by Joe brutally. #14 Dean Ambrose. Kofi got thrown to the outside but avoided elimination by keeping his feet on the apron and rolling to the stairs. Ambrose eliminated Johnny Gargano. #15 No Way Jose. No Way Jose came out with his big conga line. When coming in the ring he was eliminated immediately, possibly breaking the Santino record. He barely missed a beat, partying with the conga line to the back. #16 Drew McIntyre. McIntyre headbutted No Way Jose and threw around a few conga line members on the way to the ring. He took out everybody when entering the ring. #17 Xavier Woods. Kofi avoided elimination by giving Xavier a Sunset Flip but keeping one foot in the air. Xavier held on to Kofi, putting him on the stairs. Once entering the ring they were both taken out by Drew McIntyre. #18 Pete Dunne. Dunne had a good combo of moves on many guys when coming in. #19 Andrade. #20 Apollo Crews.

#21 Aleister Black. Black eliminated Ambrose with a kick. #22 Shelton Benjamin. Joe was thrown out by Ali after being hit with a very nice kick from Benjamin. #23 Baron Corbin. Crews was eliminated by Corbin. #24 Jeff Hardy. Corbin threw out Black, catching him off guard. Dunne almost did a finger breaking spot on Corbin but was hit with a kick from McIntyre. Drew threw out Dunne after. #25 Rey Mysterio. Corey Graves talked about how Rey has had a “career resurgence” as of late, as if Rey was in a slump recently. #26 Bobby Lashley. Bobby Lashley was accompanied by Lio Rush. Lashley was thrown out the match very quickly, and the took Seth out of the ring from the bottom rope. Rush and him took apart commentary tables. Seth was Chokeslammed through the English table. #27 Braun Stroman. Stroman took out Corbin since he costed him the title shot that he was supposed to have. He took out Benjamin shortly after. #28 Dolph Ziggler. Jeff Hardy was eliminated at Ziggler came out. Ziggler immediately eliminated McIntyre. #29 Randy Orton. There was a four man Superplex spot involving Rollins, Andrade, Stroman and Mysterio. #30 R-Truth.

While coming out Nia Jax attacked R-Truth. Nia Jax took R-Truth’s spot. Jax took out Mustafa Ali. She turned around and had a face off with Randy Orton. He tried for an RKO, but was shoved against the ropes by Jax. Jax told Rey to do a 619 but then caught him when running. When Rey was held by Jax she was Superkicked. She then was hit with a 619 and then an RKO. She was taken out shortly after. Orton gave Rey and RKO and then eliminated him. Andrade took out Orton right after. Ziggler and Andrade were duking it out until Stroman came back in the ring. Rollins gave Stroman a Frogsplash. Stroman took out Andrade, making the final three Stroman, Ziggler and Rollins. Stroman threw Rollins and Ziggler over the ropes but they hung on. Stroman charged at them, which eliminated Ziggler. Rollins tried flipping Stroman over but he escaped the perdicament after Chokeslamming Rollins. Both guy went over the top rope and fought on the apron. Stroman was shoved into the post, kicked him and then did a Curbstomp to eliminated Braun Stroman. Seth Rollins won the 2019 Men’s Royal Rumble Match.

This match was okay. I was hoping that there would maybe be one or two more surprise entrants that weren’t NXT wrestlers. One small production thing that ticked me off was how they never showed the entrance stage when someone’s music hit. They would only ever show the stage after someone appeared, like it was a WWE video game.

In general the Royal Rumble had a lot of good stuff. There were some matches that didn’t do as well as they could, with only some of that being their fault (match placement, etc). I know it most likely won’t change so there’s no point in complaining about it, but the show was just too long. Even if it’s great wrestling, more than five hours of it is asking for a lot of viewers.

WWE RAW 1/21/19 Results and Review

Monday Night RAW began this week with a tribute to Martin Luther King since today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States. MLK was given a 10 bell salute. After this, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman came to the ring. Heyman talked about how Finn Balor pinned John Cena last week. Heyman said that Lesnar trained for Braun Stroman but will be fighting Balor, who is a completely different style. He said that Balor will be a martyr when he faces Lesnar. This was a good promo from Heyman. After Heyman finished his promo, Vince McMahon came out. Vince told Heyman that he should promote the fight as more of a David vs. Goliath story, but doesn’t believe that Finn can actually defeat Brock. Braun Stroman came out shortly after as well.

Of course, McMahon and Stroman are still on bad terms because Stroman flipped his limousine last week. Stroman says that once Brock defends his belt he will be ready to rip him apart like one of Vince’s limos. The talk of the town, Finn Balor, finally came out after this. Finn reminded us that he earned his title match by beating three people last week. After Finn says he will beat Brock Lesnar, Brock left to the ramp. To finally end the segment, Vince booked Braun Stroman vs. Finn Balor for after the break.

This was one of those straining 25-minute openings for RAW. This felt like a step backwards after what was a pretty good opening last week. It’s good that Stroman is still involved in these segments since he is most likely the Wrestlemania program against Lesnar.

Braun Stroman vs. Finn Balor

Brock Lesnar was sitting at ringside for this match. The match was nearing its end when Balor headed to the top rope for the Coup de Grace. Instead, Stroman shoved him off the ropes and sent him to the outside where he was caught and thrown down by Lensar. For some reason, the match didn’t end via DQ, with Balor diving to the outside onto Lesnar on two different occasions, and then reversing Stroman’s momentum for a Coup de Grace. Lesnar came in the ring and landed an F5. The match ended via DQ this time. So, I’m sorry, is Balor so good that he nearly beat Stroman, the original #1 contender, while fighting off the champion Brock Lesnar?

Bobby Lashley’s Championship Celebration

The next segment on RAW was Bobby Lashley’s Intercontinental Championship celebration. Lio Rush wore the title and talked for Lashley. Lashley got on a pedestal and got the championship put on him. His posing session was interrupted by Apollo Crews. Crews was challenged to a pose-off. He took the challenge. Both guys took turns posing, with Apollo’s last pause being broken up by Lashley jumping him. Lashley got taken out of the ring, and then caught Rush, who was thrown.

Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush vs. Apollo Crews

After a commercial break, we came back to Lashley versus Crews, which was already underway. As Crews was ahead in the match, Lio Rush got on the apron. Rush was brought into the ring and picked up by Crews. While still holding Rush, Crews got speared by Lashley to end the match. After the match commentator Michael Cole said: “a lot of leeway given by the referee” as if the first match didn’t let a DQ slide.

Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre

Before the next match, it was announced that the Bella Twins will be on Jimmy Fallon on Friday. Seth Rollins was in the ring and talked about how we could learn a lot from Martin Luther King. He someone tied MLK into his own situation. Seth says that the Rumble this weekend will be a longshot, but his whole life has been a longshot. He cut a pretty good promo. I don’t know if comparing himself to Martin Luther King was the best thing to do though. Drew McIntyre came out and cut a promo of his own after. These two fought an already scheduled match after a commercial break. Late in the match, Rollins tried for a Draping Double Stomp but was thrown off the ropes. McIntyre was hit with a Superkick for a two count. Both wrestlers traded chops, with McIntyre winning the exchange because of a headbutt. McIntyre gave Rollins a Samoan Drop off the second rope but Rollins kicked out. He was given a Powerbomb and kicked out again. Wow, McIntyre must be weak. McIntyre picked up Rollins for a Clothesline but Rollins reversed it into a roll-up for the win. Felt odd to finish a move-heavy match like that with a roll-up.

Backstage we saw Vince McMahon talking The Revival and Curt Hawkins. The Revival was asking for a guest referee for a match. Vince decides to make Hawkins the guest referee for The Revival’s match.

Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers vs. Lucha House Party

After the break, we saw a promo from Dean Ambrose, who also quoted MLK and then compared the quote to his situation. Our next match was a six-man tag match with The Singh Brothers and Jinder Mahal facing Lucha House Party. I don’t know the last time I saw the brothers compete, but it was a nice surprise. During this match Corey Graves was in full banter mode, telling people that Kalisto’s mask is fused to his head. Gran Metalik pinned a Singh Brother after a Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker. Someone was coming in for a pin but seemingly didn’t get there in time, and that was the finish. I think this was a genuine mistake. You could hear a sense of shock in the commentators after this happened. After this, we saw a video package for EC3 and then saw him talking to Dana Brooke backstage.

Elias vs. Baron Corbin

In the next segment, Elias performed in the ring. Before Elias got to perform a song he was cut off by Baron Corbin. Corbin is no longer in a position of power, but this was yet another week where he came out in formal clothing. Elias got Corbin’s mic cut, and then made a song about him. Corbin eventually charged the ring and dodged a swing of a guitar. Corbin put away Elias with an End of Days.

“A Moment of Bliss” Women’s Royal Rumble Edition

We had another “Moment of Bliss” segment this week. Alexa Bliss announced a list of women’s wrestlers who will be in the Rumble. Her guest this week was Nia Jax. Before Nia got a sentence in, Ember Moon came out to say that she would win the rumble. Then came Alicia Fox, Mickie James, The Riott Squad, Nikki Cross and Tamina. Bliss got fed up with all of the run-ins and stood on her chair and listed reasons as to why they shouldn’t brawl. Of course, they all brawled to the backstage. This left just Bliss, who said that the women in the Rumble are passionate. She then announces that she will also be performing in the Royal Rumble match. Lacey Evans came out, took Bliss’ mic and said that she will win the match. “A Moment of Bliss’ goes 0 for 3.

The Ascension vs. Heavy Machinery

The next match was a quick squash match for Heavy Machinery. The team did a pretty cool finishing move. Otis Doszovic did the worm during the match as well.

The Revival vs. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (WWE RAW Tag Team Championship Match) (Curt Hawkins Guest Referee Match)

The next tag team match was for the tag championship. Roode was on a roll late into this match but got a move reversed into a Crossbody by Hawkins. During a pin attempt, Dawson was pinning down Roode’s feet. Hawkins caught this. During another pin attempt later, Hawkins had his feet on the ropes. Hawkins saw this as well. Dawson reversed a Crossbody into a roll-up but the pinfall was stopped due to Dawson pulling the tights. Gable won off of a roll-up after Hawkins broke up another cheating attempt from The Revival. It looks like Curt Hawkins is the best referee in WWE history. Hawkins was attacked after the match, which made Zack Ryder come out to help out Hawkins.

Ronda Rousey & Natalya vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley

The main event was a four-woman tag match to promote the women’s tag match. Before this match, Ronda cut a promo backstage where it was hard to understand what kind of tone she was trying to convey. The rivalry between Banks and Ronda is the big story in this. Ronda put Banks in an Armbar but Banks rolled to the ropes. Natalya was tagged in and did a Sharpshooter, but Bayley broke it up. Bayley took Ronda off the apron and then got hit with a Clothesline by Natalya. Banks put Natty into a Banks Statement to end the match. This match was lame for the most part but had a pretty good ending sequence.

WWE RAW 1/14/19 Results and Review

At the start of RAW, we saw a limousine. The door of the limo opened, and Vince McMahon got out. We saw him walking backstage and then went to the live crowd who got greeted by Braun Stroman. Stroman says that he knows that Lesnar is afraid of him. Lesnar can no longer be saved by Baron Corbin because he doesn’t run RAW anymore. He says that at the Royal Rumble, Lesnar will “get these hands.” Corbin then came out and says he is focusing on winning the Rumble so that he will be “somewhere you (Braun) will never be, the main event of Wrestlemania.” This seemingly hit a nerve for Stroman, as he chased Corbin backstage. Once he went backstage he couldn’t find Corbin. Stroman glanced at the same limo that Vince McMahon was near. Elias was playing his guitar backstage and said told Stroman that Corbin was in the limo. Stroman went to absolutely vandalize the limo, ripping out a door. Corbin was in fact in the limo but got away as Stroman was caught by Vince McMahon. Vince was in absolute disgust of what happened as we went to the break.

After the break, we saw Stroman try to put back together the car door that he took apart. Vince was nice enough to wait until after the commercial break to shout at Stroman. He says that the repairs will cost Stroman 100,000 dollars. Wow, pretty solid estimation on the fly from Vince. After Stroman complained, Vince also called off Stroman’s Royal Rumble match. This enraged Stroman even more, making him flip the limousine. You’d think that at this point Stroman would learn that his temper is detrimental to his career, but I guess not.

It felt like an unusual way to end it, but whatever. There was some great camerawork for this opening segment, which felt out of the ordinary for the program. Once Stroman stormed away from the limo, the camera turned to a corner where Elias was hidden away with his guitar. It seemed odd that Stroman would get this offended over Corbin thinking that he will main event Wrestlemania.

Ronda Rousey & Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax & Tamina

The first match of the evening was Ronda Rousey and Sasha Banks fighting the duo of Nia Jax and Tamina. Before the match began we saw Braun Stroman being escorted out of the building by security. When Rousey first got tagged into the match the crowd cheered. Tamina fell into an Armbar but escaped it because Nia Jax dragged her out of the ring. The finish came after 10 minutes of the match, with Sasha Banks giving Tamina the Banks Statement after Tamina ran into Nia. After the match Ronda complimented Banks, saying that it would be an accomplishment to defeat Banks at the Rumble. While Ronda wasn’t being rude, Banks took offence to this, saying that she will teach Rousey how to lose with class. Both of them had a good exchange, although it made Ronda seem very passive.

Backstage we saw a line outside Vince McMahon’s office. Jerry Lawler left the room before we went to the break. After the break, we saw Bayley and Natalya breaking up another argument between Banks and Ronda. After they got split up, Bayley and Natalya themselves got in an argument. The Riott Squad then came in to make fun of the two. They offer the two to a six-man match if they can find a third member for their team. Natalya accepts the challenge before consulting Bayley, who seemed reluctant.

Kalisto & Gran Metalik w/ Lince Dorado (Lucha House Party) vs. Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder (The Revival)

Because of The Revival’s unfortunate loss last week due to the ref not seeing a foot on the rope, they are taking out their anger on the Lucha House Party. They didn’t lose to the Lucha House Party, but they were ringside as Lumberjacks for the match, so that makes them guilty in The Revival’s eyes. During the match, we headed backstage where Dasha Fuentes was reporting from outside Vince McMahon’s office. Apollo Crews, Curt Hawkins, EC3, The B-Team, Health Slater & Rhyno were outside the office in hopes of a match. EC3 didn’t say anything and just smiled when on camera. The wrestling was okay, but the whole point of this match relied on the finish, where Gran Metalik’s foot was taken off of the rope during a pinfall. After the match, we went back to the office where Vince McMahon said he will announce Brock’s new opponent.

Vince McMahon Makes An Announcement

Vince McMahon came out to make his announcement. Before he could finish a sentence, John Cena came out. Cena gives his pitch and says he is stepping up for the match. After he gave his speech, Drew McIntyre came out. And then came out Baron Corbin, and then Finn Balor. The first person that Vince turned down was Finn Balor. Balor says that Vince never believed in him. To change Vince’s mind, he starts a brawl. McIntyre comes out above everyone in the brawl, giving Cena a Claymore Kick. After this, Vince books a fatal-four-way match.

Backstage after the break, Jinder Mahal approached Vince McMahon backstage. Jinder doesn’t understand why he didn’t get considered for the match. Because of this, Vince gives him an odd stipulation where he can choose anyone from the fatal-four-way, and if he beats them, he gets their Rumble spot. Can we just have a show where everyone only fights once? Why does somebody have to appear twice? We saw this last week and will see it this week now as well.

Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan & Ruby Riott (Riott Squad) vs. Natalya, Bayley & Nikki Cross

For the previously announced 6-woman tag match, Natalya and Bayley got Nikki Cross as their partner. Michael Cole explained before the match that Cross will, like the other debuting talent, appear on both RAW and Smackdown before landing a home. As the match started, Nikki was acting crazy, doing the Ultimate Warrior rope shake at one point. Cross did a spot that I’ve always liked, where someone puts their opponent in-between the ring and the apron and then beat her. Bayley got the finish with an Elbow off the top rope to end the match. Lacey Evans was seen chatting backstage before the break.

Jinder Mahal w/ Sunil Singh vs. Finn Balor

Jinder Mahal got his wish, facing Finn Balor in the next match. Before the match, we saw Dean Ambrose backstage. He cut a promo on his Intercontinental Championship match which is later on. As Balor was making his entrance, he got jumped by Mahal. Balor did a dive to Mahal and Sunil Singh and then brought Mahal back into the ring for a Coup de Grace to end the match. What a busy few days it’s been for Balor, as he was just fighting on the NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool show this weekend.

Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose (Intercontinental Championship Match)

Before the match, we saw an interview with Seth Rollins. Rollins says that this might be his last chance at an IC title shot. He referenced Roman Reigns and his leukemia announcement, which feels very exploitive since it’s been months now. Early on in this match Lashley and Ambrose formed an alliance. After Rollins did a Suicide Dive to Ambrose and Lashley, Lio Rush got involved in the match. Rush got chased around by Rollins, making him get hit with a Spinebuster by Lashley. Ambrose got a Belly-to-Belly Suplex right after. After the break, Rollins was closing in on a victory. He pinned Ambrose but then got his pinfall broken up by Lio Rush. Since it’s a triple threat match, it was totally allowed. Rollins hit a Frogsplash on Lashley, and then Ambrose got rid of Rollins so he could pin Lashley. Rollins got hit with a Doomsday Device from both Lashley and Ambrose. Rollins, I think, was supposed to land on his feet but didn’t. He went off the ropes but fell out of the ring because of Lio Rush pulling down a rope. Lashley gave Ambrose a Spear to become the new champion.

While Ambrose and Rollins are in the middle of a rivalry, I think it’s a good time to give Lashley a push. Lio Rush is a big part of the Lashley gimmick right now, and he’s doing an amazing job. Rollins and Ambrose can survive as a rivalry without the need for a championship incentive. Backstage we see an employee giving Alexa Bliss a latte. Since she didn’t answer her door, he walked in uninvited and accidentally walks in on her changing. And that was it, that was the segment. Not sure why that was there.

“A Moment of Bliss” With Paul Heyman

Alexa Bliss hosted her second episode of “A Moment of Bliss” next. Before her interview with Paul Heyman, she unveiled the new Women’s Tag Team Championships. During the interview, Otis Dozovic from Heavy Machinery crashed the interview. He was brought backstage by his apologetic tag partner and other employees. This interview felt somewhat short, just like the first Alexa Bliss talk show episode.

Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre vs. John Cena

The main event of the evening is the fatal-four-way to decide Brock Lesnar’s new Royal Rumble opponent. In the storyline, Balor came in at a disadvantage because he already fought tonight. Cena hit an AA late into this match onto McIntyre, but Corbin broke up the pinfall. Cena did another AA later into the match onto Balor, this time off the second rope. Corbin started to use a steel chair. McIntrye gave Cena a Claymore kick, and then Balor came in to take out McIntrye. Balor gave Cena a Coup de Grace to win the match. Balor will face Lesnar at the Rumble. After the match, Cena said he believes Balor. Balor felt like the favourite for this match since he was considered the underdog by Vince McMahon, and because he had already fought a match. This was a good match to end the show with.

In general, this wasn’t a bad episode of RAW. Lashley winning the championship was a nice surprise, and we got some enjoyable matches on top of that. This episode tops last week’s by a longshot.