Tonight, Monday Night Raw hosts No Mercy, it’s first Pay-Per-View since Great Balls of Fire. Every title on the show is being defended with the main event of Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman. Also, John Cena goes one-on-one with Roman Reigns for the first time ever.
Apollo Crews (w/Titus O’Neil) vs. Elias Samson
In the only Kickoff Show match of the night, there are two midcard talents looking to build some momentum for themselves. Most recently, Apollo Crews picked up a victory over Curt Hawkins while Elias Samson failed to become the new #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship.
Even with a distraction from Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews couldn’t put Elias Samson away. Samson finishes Crews off with Drift Away and after picking up the pinfall, he stomps on Crews for good measure. Winner: Elias Samson
Predicted Winner: Elias Samson (1/1)
Announcement
At the TLC Pay-Per-View (Raw’s next event, taking place on October 22), Asuka will make her long-awaited main roster debut.
The Miz (c) (w/The Miztourage) vs. Jason Jordan – Intercontinental Championship
For weeks, The Miz has been complaining to Raw General Manager Kurt Angle about how the Intercontinental Championship has been an afterthought. The title wasn’t even defended at SummerSlam and instead, Miz competed in a multi-man tag team match in front of fifty people. In the main event of Raw last week, Jason Jordan defeated The Hardy Boyz, The Miztourage, and Elias Samson to become the new #1 Contender and earn his spot in his first one-on-one Pay-Per-View match ever.
While Jordan sets Miz up for his finisher, Bo Dallas climbs to the top rope. Jordan has to turn his attention to the Miztourage and after some interference from Curtis Axel, The Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale to retain his 7th Intercontinental Championship. Winner, and STILL Intercontinental Champion: The Miz
Predicted Winner: The Miz (2/2)
Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt – Man to Man
At SummerSlam, Demon King Finn Balor defeated Bray Wyatt. Wyatt showed that he was not done with Balor by eliminating him from a #1 Contender’s Intercontinental Championship Battle Royal (which Wyatt wasn’t a part of). Wyatt claims that it was only the Demon that defeated him and that Balor is nothing without his alter ego. Wyatt proved this point with Goldust and now he has a chance to prove that a second time.
While Balor is making his entrance and posing for the crowd, Wyatt attacks him from behind and slams him onto the announce table with the Uranage. Balor seems to have a rib injury and referees start to take him to the back, but when Wyatt calls him a coward, Balor decides to compete in the match anyway.
Even though Balor got attacked before the match, he manages to withstand Wyatt’s assault throughout the match. Wyatt takes a little too long going to the top rope and Balor capitalizes to hit the Coup de Grace and get the win. Winner: Finn Balor
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt (2/3)
Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Sheamus & Cesaro – Raw Tag Team Championships
Sheamus and Cesaro were dominant two-time Raw Tag Team Champions until Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins did the unthinkable and regrouped as a team. Rollins and Ambrose would capture the titles at SummerSlam while Sheamus and Cesaro, also known as The Bar, cash in their rematch clause tonight.
Ambrose suckers Sheamus in for an easy pinfall, but he counters into a pin of his own. Ambrose and Rollins take advantage of the confusion to double team the Celtic Warrior (who accidentally Brogue Kicks Cesaro) to retain the tag titles. Cesaro competed for most of this match after losing a few of his front teeth. Winners, and STILL Raw Tag Team Champions: Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
Predicted Winners: Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose (3/4)
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Emma vs. Nia Jax – Raw Women’s Championship
Originally, this match was supposed to just be Sasha Banks’ one-on-one rematch against Alexa Bliss after losing the title a few weeks ago on Raw. Then, Emma and Nia Jax earned spots in the match by defeating Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss in an unusual tag team match. Last week, the fifth member was added to the match when Bayley made a surprise return from injury and apparently Kurt Angle felt generous.
Most of the women in the match spill to the outside and Bliss takes advantage of a distracted Bayley to hit the snap DDT, continuing to use her wits to keep her championship. Winner, and STILL Raw Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss
Predicted Winner: Nia Jax (3/5)
John Cena vs. Roman Reigns
In the brand split last year, John Cena was drafted as the face of SmackDown Live. His last match as a member of the blue brand was a win against Baron Corbin at SummerSlam, then the next night, he showed up on Monday Night Raw to specifically call out Roman Reigns. In the following weeks, Cena and Reigns tore into each other with personal deep cuts. Now, the talk is over and they have to back it up in the ring.
Reigns kicks out of about four Attitude Adjustments before landing a Superman Punch on Cena. In his last chance of offense, Reigns lands a spear on the former 16-time World Champion, pinning him clean in the center of the ring. After the match, Cena raises Reigns’ hand to honor the man who gave him more than he could handle. Winner: Roman Reigns
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns (4/6)
Neville (c) vs. Enzo Amore – WWE Cruiserweight Championship
About a month ago, Enzo Amore shocked the WWE Universe by showing up on 205 Live in pursuit of the Cruiserweight Championship. Amore would go on to win every match he competed in since then, but most of it was due to cheating. He won a #1 Contender’s Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match by letting Cedric Alexander do all the work before rolling him up with the tights for leverage. What matters here is that no cheating can help him here, Neville has the champion’s advantage and Amore needs to win legitimately to capture the gold.
Neville toys with Amore throughout the whole match and while Amore is outside the ring, he grabs the Cruiserweight Title. The ref takes it from him while inside the ring and while he puts it away, Amore kicks Neville with a low blow. One pinfall later and Muscles Marinara steals another victory but this time, he earned his first championship in his entire WWE career. Winner, and NEW WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Enzo Amore
Predicted Winner: Neville (4/7)
Brock Lesnar (c) (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Braun Strowman – WWE Universal Championship
The main event tonight features the second “WrestleMania worthy” match of the night. At SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar defended the Universal Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match against Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, and Roman Reigns. Throughout that entire match and in the following weeks since, Strowman has dominated the Beast Incarnate at every opportunity. For possibly the first time in his career, Lesnar is the underdog.
Strowman is on the offensive for most of the match, but Lesnar kicks out from a powerslam. Lesnar then gets up and finally manages to F5 Strowman, picking up the (anticlimactic) victory. Winner, and STILL WWE Universal Champion: Brock Lesnar
Winner: Braun Strowman (4/8)
