No Mercy is still a few weeks away, but Monday Night Raw is still putting out action packed episodes week after week. This week, we find out the state of the Women’s Title picture, The Miz defends the Intercontinental Championship against Jeff Hardy, and Braun Strowman battles Big Show in a Steel Cage Match.
John Cena vs. Jason Jordan
It is rare for Raw to immediately kick off with a match, but here we are. Before this match starts, there is a clip from 15 years ago that shows John Cena’s debut on SmackDown where he answered an open challenge issued by Kurt Angle. While Cena never issued an open challenge, Jason Jordan (Kurt Angle’s son) is now in that same position.
Cena and Jordan put on a match that is better than it has any right to be, and Jordan comes close to putting the former 16-time World Champion away. However, Cena hits Jordan with the Attitude Adjustment to pick up the victory. Even though Jordan lost, he actually gains credibility for stepping toe-to-toe with perhaps the greatest WWE Superstar of all time. Winner: John Cena
Right after Cena’s win, the celebration is cut short as Roman Reigns makes his way to the ring. Reigns asks why it took 20 minutes to defeat a rookie, claiming that either Cena is lying about how good he is or that he was taking it easy on Jordan. They continue their trash talk that started from last week, and it seems like this will continue until they clash at No Mercy.
Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno
At No Mercy, Sheamus and Cesaro are cashing in their rematch clause to try and regain the Raw Tag Team Championships. While this is supposed to be kind of a warm-up match for the former titleholders, their opponents are no pushovers. Heath Slater and Rhyno were the first-ever SmackDown Tag Team Champions and capturing the gold gave Heath Slater a new WWE contract after failing to get drafted in the brand split.
Right after Rhyno knocks Cesaro out of the ring, the Man-Beast turns around and immediately eats a Brogue Kick from the Celtic Warrior. Winners: Sheamus & Cesaro
The Miz (c) (w/Maryse & The Miztourage) vs. Jeff Hardy (w/Matt Hardy) – Intercontinental Championship
For weeks, The Miz has been demanding that the Intercontinental Championship gets the recognition it deserves, and Raw General Manager Kurt Angle gave him just that. Angle scheduled a #1 Contender’s Batte Royal, which Jeff Hardy obviously won. Hardy is already a four-time Intercontinental Champion but even with his brother on his side, The Miz has the numbers game in his favor with Maryse, Curtis Axel, and Bo Dallas all at ringside. Ten years and one day ago, Jeff Hardy captured his most recent Intercontinental Championship.
Hardy tries to hit the Twist of Fate, but The Miz counters into the Skull Crushing Finale, picking up the victory to continue his title reign that keeps breaking records. Winner, and STILL Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, & Noam Dar vs. Cedric Alexander, Gran Metalik, & Enzo Amore
Last week, Enzo Amore made his in-ring debut in a six-man tag team match alongside Cedric Alexander and Gran Metalik to defeat Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, and Noam Dar. Amore would surprisingly pick up the winning pinfall in the match, but what wasn’t surprising what that he cheated by using the middle rope as leverage to win. To follow up on a not so clean win, these two teams are going to go at it again.
While Alexander and Metalik both dive to the outside, Amore tags himself in. While the referee gets Alexander out of the ring, Amore pokes Gulak in the eyes before finishing him off with Eat Defeat. Winners: Cedric Alexander, Gran Metalik, & Enzo Amore
Sasha Banks & Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax & Emma
While Nia Jax was complaining to Kurt Angle about not receiving a title opportunity, Emma joined them and did the same thing. Angle said that both women can earn their opportunities in an unusual way. Emma and Jax don’t like each other, but Angle decided to make them a team tonight against two other women who hate each other, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss. Bliss defends the Raw Women’s Championship against Sasha Banks at No Mercy, but if Jax and Emma can work well enough together to win, they will be added to make it a Fatal Four-Way Match. If they lose, it stays as a singles match.
While Jax goes for the running leg drop, Emma tags herself in. Emma then rushes the ring and covers Sasha Banks to get the credit for her team’s victory, and they are both now added to the Raw Women’s Championship Match at No Mercy. While the victors celebrate, Jax attacks her partner and remains the only woman standing. Winners: Nia Jax & Emma
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
Earlier tonight, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose watches Sheamus and Cesaro take on Heath Slater and Rhyno from the commentary table. Now, Sheamus and Cesaro scout their No Mercy opponents from ringside.
Sheamus and Cesaro try to cost the Raw Tag Team Champions the match, but it ends up doing the opposite. Rollins rolls up Anderson for the win, sneaking away with the victory. Winners: Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
Announcement
Tomorrow night on 205 Live, Cedric Alexander, Enzo Amore, and Gran Metalik will compete against Tony Nese and The Brian Kendrick in a Fatal Five-Way Elimination Match with the winner facing Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship at No Mercy.
Braun Strowman vs. Big Show – Steel Cage Match
A few days ago, WWE announced this match online to gain some interest for Raw. Braun Strowman was noticeably absent from Raw last week and he returns to face one of his best opponents in 2017. The last confrontation between Strowman and Big Show was in April when a superplex broke the ring. WWE has prepared for chaos this time, “doubly reinforcing” the ring.
Big Show gets in a ton of offense during the match, including a diving elbow drop, but after going to the top rope one too many times, Strowman capitalizes with a superplex. Strowman then scoops the World’s Largest Athlete up for a powerslam to pick up the win in his first-ever Steel Cage Match. Strowman sends a message to Brock Lesnar, saying that this is the Beast Incarnate’s future. Winner: Braun Strowman
For good measure, Strowman then picks up Big Show to “put him out to pasture,” powerslamming him into the steel cage, breaking a panel of steel and sending the seven-footer crashing to the floor.
