Tonight is the last episode of Monday Night Raw before Payback, the Raw-exclusive Pay-Per-View that features a few SmackDown Live Superstars. The only match advertised for tonight is a Dumpster Match between Kalisto and Braun Strowman, but the rest of the show is sure to be filled with important segments.
Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel
Things kick off in a big way, with Chris Jericho’s potential last appearance on Monday Night Raw. If Y2J defeats Kevin Owens for the United States Championship, he will become a member of the SmackDown Live roster. He has himself as the guest and starts to insult Owens when he is interrupted by The Miz and Maryse.
MizTV (w/Maryse) feat. Chris Jericho
Somehow, The Miz has the power cancel the Highlight Reel and changes the ring for MizTV. Before he can do his own show’s introduction, however, he is interrupted by Dean Ambrose.
The Ambrose Asylum feat. Chris Jericho, The Miz, & Maryse
Not only does The Miz have the power to change which talk show is set up, so does Dean Ambrose. Ambrose gives Chris Jericho a new light-up jacket to make up for the one he destroyed last year and gives The Miz a gift in the form of Dirty Deeds. After Ambrose walks off, Jericho puts Miz and Maryse on The List of Jericho.
Matt Hardy (w/Jeff Hardy) vs. Sheamus (w/Cesaro)
At Payback, The Hardy Boyz will defend their Raw Tag Team Championships against Sheamus and Cesaro. Jeff Hardy defeated Cesaro in a dream match last week, and Matt Hardy returns to singles action to face Sheamus.
Sheamus and Matt Hardy fight outside the ring, and the Celtic Warrior pushes Jeff Hardy while he checks on his brother. Jeff Hardy then confronts Sheamus at the ring apron, unintentionally setting Sheamus of for a Twist of Fate. After the match, Cesaro yells at the Tag Team Champions, while Sheamus apologetically shakes Matt Hardy’s hand. Winner: Matt Hardy
Neville & TJ Perkins vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher & Austin Aries
These four Cruiserweights have been intertwined in some way over the past couple weeks. Jack Gallagher and TJ Perkins have been in singles competition a couple times, Austin Aries is the #1 Contender for Neville’s Cruiserweight Championship, and Aries also defeated Perkins in singles action on last week’s episode of 205 Live.
Jack Gallagher knocks Neville to the outside of the ring and he sends TJ Perkins right into Austin Aries to get hit by the Discus Five-Arm. Aries heads to Payback, while Gallagher challenges Tyler Bate for the WWE United Kingdom Championship on this week’s episode of NXT. Winners: Gentleman Jack Gallagher & Austin Aries
Braun Strowman vs. Kalisto – Dumpster Match
Last week during Braun Strowman’s rampage, the big man threw Kalisto into a big garbage bin. Kalisto decided to stand up for himself and challenged Strowman to this match, where the objective is to put your opponent inside a dumpster. This is Kalisto’s first match since being “shaken up” to Raw, and also the first-ever Dumpster Match on Monday Night Raw.
Strowman toys with Kalisto a little too much, and while Strowman is on the ring apron, Kalisto hits his legs with a dropkick, forcing the monster among men into the dumpster. Winner: Kalisto
After the match, Strowman assaults Kalisto all around the ring. After putting the former Lucha Dragon in the dumpster, he pushes it up the ramp and officials try to stop him, but obviously, fail. Strowman locks Kalisto inside the dumpster and pushes it off of the stage onto the floor before walking to the back.
Dana Brooke vs. Alicia Fox
It’s about time that Alicia Fox is back to being in the ring instead of somebody’s boyfriend. This all started from Emma convincing Fox that Brooke was making fun of her, which Emma and Brooke know isn’t true.
A very quick match ends when Brooke hits a kind of Michinoku Driver for the win. Winner: Dana Brooke
Enzo Amore Finn Balor, Big Cass, & Seth Rollins vs. Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, & Samoa Joe
Before Enzo and Cass even make it to the ring, they are attacked by their opponents. Samoa Joe attacks Cass into the crowd, while Gallows and Anderson hit Amore with the Magic Killer at ringside. Seth Rollins and a rejuvenated Big Cass send Joe and company reeling for a second before checking on Amore, who seems to be injured. When the show returns from commercial break, Kurt Angle replaces Amore with Finn Balor.
Rollins starts to go for the Pedigree on Anderson, but instead, he whips Anderson into a jumping knee (the same one that broke John Cena’s nose) and picks up the win. Winners: Finn Balor, Big Cass, & Seth Rollins
In-ring Segment
Alexa Bliss competed in her first-ever Monday Night Raw match last week, and she became the new #1 Contender for the Raw Women’s Championship. Bliss cuts a short and sweet promo, saying that she didn’t come to Raw to talk, but she is here to win. She says she is going to win at Payback and makes fun of Bayley, then the champion comes to the ring to confront her. Bayley stands up for herself, but Bliss continues to verbally beat her down until Sasha Banks joins them to make the save.
Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks
After saving Bayley from Alexa Bliss’ insults, The Boss challenges Bliss to a match. Bliss tries to weasel out of it, but Sasha Banks gets in a cheap shot to anger Bliss into competing. In the #1 Contender’s Match last week, Bliss pinned Banks to win the match, but it was Nia Jax who served her up on a silver platter. While watching her best friend compete, Bayley joins the commentary team.
Banks knocks Bliss out of the ring, and the former two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion decides to take the count-out loss to rest before her championship match this Sunday. Winner (via count-out): Sasha Banks
Curt Hawkins vs. Apollo Crews
Over the past two weeks, Curt Hawkins lost squash matches to Big Show and Finn Balor. Hawkins has dubbed his matches the “Curt Hawkins Star Factory,” since he tends to “make” big stars out of his opponents. At this rate, this is the only way Apollo Crews is going to get some direction.
Hawkins actually gets some offense in, but Crews gets ahead quickly and puts the former Tag Team Champion away with a seated spin-out powerbomb. Titus O’Neil enters the ring to celebrate with Crews, but Crews is nothing but confused. Winner: Apollo Crews
Dean Ambrose & Chris Jericho vs. The Miz (w/Maryse)
The Miz has all night to find a tag team partner, and he thought he was all set for his match after receiving a note earlier on. When his partner doesn’t show up, it seems like the Miz has to compete in a handicap match.
The Miz looks to retreat, but Dean Ambrose catches him near the announce table and starts brawling. The lights go out, and Bray Wyatt appears for the first time since the Superstar Shake-up. Wyatt helps Miz assault Jericho and Ambrose, then lays Jericho out in the middle of the ring with the Sister Abigail. The Miz stands next to Wyatt as he stands tall, but Wyatt doesn’t care for the Miz and hits him with Sister Abigail as well to close the show.
