Going into Monday Night Raw tonight, two big name Superstars are out due to injury. Sasha Banks suffered a minor back injury in her Women’s Championship loss last night, and Finn Balor injured his shoulder in his WWE Universal Championship victory. With the first Raw-specific Pay-Per-View coming up, how will Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon make up for the gaps in their roster?
Opening Segment
Last night at SummerSlam, Finn Balor was launched by Seth Rollins into the barricade. During that collision, Balor dislocated his shoulder and wrestled for the rest of the match to become the first-ever WWE Universal Champion. Today, Balor was feeling more pain in his shoulder and it turned out that he has a torn labrum. Balor will have to undergo surgery which will put him out of action for at least 6 months (or 3 if he is anything like John Cena). Because of the injury, he will have to relinquish the WWE Universal Championship.
Balor comes down to the ring to give the belt to Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon. He thanks the audience, Seth Rollins, WWE, and everybody in the back. He assured that when he comes back, the first thing he will come after will be the WWE Universal Championship.
As expected, Seth Rollins makes his way to the ring to claim the title. Before any celebration gets underway, Sami Zayn, Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Enzo & Cass, and Roman Reigns all have the same idea. Mick Foley says that there will be a series of matches involving everyone in the ring, that will culminate with the crowning of the Universal Champion next week.
Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins
To add to the list of people injured during a Seth Rollins match, Sami Zayn seems to have hurt his ankle during this match (none of this was actually Rollins’s fault). This gives Rollins the advantage throughout the whole match, especially considering it limits Zayn’s aerial attack.
Rollins counters the Michinoku Driver to pick up the win and advance to the Universal Championship match next week. Winner: Seth Rollins
Kevin Owens vs. Neville
With how the night started, Neville being involved in the Universal Championship match series is quite the surprise. Towards the beginning of the match, Chris Jericho walks down to the ring to support his partner.
Jericho being at ringside distracts Neville and gives Owens time to recuperate in the ring. Owens takes advantage of the distraction and hits a torture rack neckbreaker on Neville for the victory. Owens will advance to the Universal Championship match, where he will take on Seth Rollins and two other Superstars in a fatal four way match. Winner: Kevin Owens
Big E (w/Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Karl Anderson (w/Luke Gallows)
Tonight is Big E’s first night back in action since the whole ringpostitis incident. The muscle of the New Day returned last night at SummerSlam to get revenge on The Club and to save Jon Stewart from a groin injury of his own.
Kingston and Woods take out Gallows at ringside, and Big E counters a lariat attempt from Anderson to hit the Big Ending for the win. Winner: Big E
In-ring Segment
Titus O’Neil tries his very best to cut a promo, but stumbles pretty badly. Eventually he gets to calling out Darren Young, and his life coach Bob Backlund comes out and attempts to slap the Crossface Chicken Wing on O’Neil. O’Neil slips out, starts beating on Backlund, and then hits Darren Young with the Clash of the Titus after Young failed to make the save.
Rusev (w/Lana) vs. Big Cass (w/Enzo Amore)
Last night, Rusev was scheduled to defend the United States Championship against Roman Reigns, but the two brawled before the match ever got underway. Reigns would end the brawl by hitting Rusev with a vicious spear, bruising his ribs in the process. During his match tonight against Big Cass, Rusev has medical tape over his minor injury.
Big Cass keeps taking advantage of the rib injury, and Rusev decides to look out for himself and take the count-out lost. Big Cass will meet Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, and either Roman Reigns or Chris Jericho in the Universal Championship match next week. Winner (via count-out): Big Cass
In-ring Segment
The New WWE Women’s Champion, Charlotte congratulates herself on defeating Sasha Banks last night. Since Banks is out with a back injury, Charlotte claims that there is no one left worthy of challenging her for the title. Mick Foley comes out to stop Charlotte, and announces the signing of the hottest free agent that isn’t Heath Slater: Bayley.
Bayley challenges Charlotte for the Women’s Championship, but Charlotte is not ready for a fight. Instead, Charlotte volunteers that Dana Brooke fights Bayley instead. Mick Foley thinks that’s a fair compromise, and the match, and Bayley’s Monday Night Raw debut, is up next.
Bayley vs. Dana Brooke (w/Charlotte)
This has been a long time coming for Bayley, who is the last of the Four Horsewomen to get called up from NXT. Bayley just finished up an NXT Women’s Championship program with Asuka on Saturday at TakeOver, and it was almost guaranteed that we would see her tonight.
Bayley hits the Bayley to Belly on Dana Brooke to pick up the victory in her second main roster match, and her Raw debut. Winner: Bayley
Video Package
We have been teased for weeks regarding the cruiserweight division coming to Monday Night Raw. Tonight, there was a video package including Noam Dar, Rich Swann, Brian Kendrick, and TJ Perkins with a date confirming the start of the new division: September 19th.
Braun Strowman vs. Johnny Knockout (Local Talent)
Johnny Knockout is in this match because he likes big, sweaty men (his words, not mine). Barely after the match starts, Strowman hits the reverse chokeslam on Johnny Knockout for the very quick victory. Winner: Braun Strowman
In-ring Segment
On Twitter earlier today, The Dudley Boyz have been teasing a “goodbye” on Raw tonight. They address the crowd that they can go out on their terms, and they get interrupted by The Shining Stars. The Dudleys beat up Primo and Epico, and just as they set up a table, they get attacked from behin by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Bubba Ray Dudley gets hit with a Magic Killer outside the ring, and D-Von gets hit with one through a table.
Roman Reigns vs. Chris Jericho
The winner of this match will fill the final spot in the WWE Universal Championship fatal four way match next week.
Kevin Owens rushes the ring to help Jericho, but Reigns is able to overcome the numbers game. After hitting Owens with a Superman Punch, Reigns hits Jericho with a spear to fill the last spot in next week’s main event. Winner: Roman Reigns
