After several weeks of declining ratings, Monday Night Raw has the potential to turn that around tonight. We follow up on the return of Braun Strowman, while Universal Champion Brock Lesnar returns to continue his feud with Samoa Joe. On top of that, Lavar Ball and his sons are special guests on MizTV and there is a huge main event to determine the new #1 Contender for Alexa Bliss’ Raw Women’s Championship.
Opening Segment
Monday Night Raw kicks off in a big way with the Big Dog, Roman Reigns. Last week, Roman Reigns was assaulted by the returning Braun Strowman, and he addresses the attack and their Ambulance Match in a couple weeks at the Great Balls of Fire Pay-Per-View. As he is speaking, an ambulance backs up into the arena. Reigns looks in the back in hopes of finding Strowman, but Strowman sneak attacks him from around the side.
The fight makes its way to the entrance stage where Strowman throws Reigns into the side of the ambulance. Reigns is thrown into the back of the ambulance before it drives away.
Finn Balor & The Hardy Boyz vs. Sheamus, Cesaro, & Elias Samson
This match is a typical WWE move: take two stories and throw them together for a six-man tag team. The Hardy Boyz are still in the Raw Tag Team title picture since the 2 out of 3 Falls Match ended in a double count-out. Last week, Elias Samson had a song interrupted by Finn Balor, and in an interview later on in the night, Samson attacked Balor from behind.
The Hardy Boyz take out Sheamus and Elias Samson at ringside, and Finn Balor takes out Cesaro in the middle of the ring with the Coup de Grace. Winners: Finn Balor & The Hardy Boyz
Goldust vs. R-Truth
Several weeks ago, Goldust turned on R-Truth and attacked his former tag team partner after the pair never managed to find success. For weeks, Goldust created vignettes promoting his latest motion picture, “The Shattered Truth.” Goldust brings a “film operator” with him to the ring, and he attacks R-Truth before the match ever begins while filming the entire thing. It seems like the feud between R-Truth and Goldust is far from over.
Interview w/Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar’s advocate, starts telling Charlie Caruso about Lesnar’s appearance when Samoa Joe approached from behind. Joe starts locking him in the Coquina Clutch, but he stops and tells Heyman that this is the fate of Lesnar later tonight.
MizTV feat. The Ball Family
Since Raw is in Los Angeles, they decided to get some celebrity guests. The Ball Family are some of the most talked about people in the NBA scene today and they brought their Baller Brand to Raw. The Miz and Lamar Ball talk smack for a few minutes before Dean Ambrose shows up and the entire segment is weird and awkward.
Dean Ambrose, Heath Slater, & Rhyno vs. The Miz, Bo Dallas, & Curtis Axel
Here is our second six-man tag match of the night. The Miz tried to get Heath Slater and Rhyno to join his entourage, but after they refused, he managed to convince Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. In Miz’s big apology to Maryse, Dean Ambrose ruined everything and the Miz-tourage helped take care of him.
While the referee is distracted at ringside, Curtis Axel (not the legal man) clocks Rhyno with a forearm. Bo Dallas (the legal man) rolls up the Man-Beast to pick up the victory. Winners: The Miz, Bo Dallas, & Curtis Axel
In-ring Segment
Big Cass shocked the world last week when he revealed himself as Enzo Amore’s attacker. After being betrayed by his best friend, he calls Cass out to the ring. Amore calls them brothers and refuses to let him break their family bond. Cass apologizes and they hug it out in the ring before doing the “SAWFT” chant. On the way out, Cass attacks Amore again and throws him down the entrance ramp. After the attack, Cass goes to the commentary booth and demands that Corey Graves stays out of his business. Graves was the one who revealed the security footage that eventually caused Cass to admit his actions.
Seth Rollins vs. Curt Hawkins
Before the match starts, Curt Hawkins asks the crowd if they think he is going to win and the match gets underway.
Hawkins gets thirty seconds of offense in before it is all in Rollins’ favor. Rollins finishes Hawkins off with the jumping knee for the win. Right after his victory, Bray Wyatt appears on the Titantron saying that he is going to “save” and “cleanse” the Kingslayer. In his cryptic ways, he challenges Rollins to a match at Great Balls of Fire. Winner: Seth Rollins
In-ring Segment
Paul Heyman stands in the middle of the ring to hype the collision between Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar. Lesnar comes down to the ring to call out Joe, but when he gets to the entrance ramp, Joe attacks him from behind and locks him in the Coquina Clutch. Lesnar tries to fight out of it, but Joe only lets go when The Revival and Karl Anderson rush out from the back to pull him away.
Lince Dorado vs. Neville
Poor Lince Dorado. The Puerto Rican luchador has put on incredible performances ever since the Cruiserweight Classic, but he has not found much success. It doesn’t help that his opponent tonight is perhaps the most dominant current champion outside of Asuka, Neville. Akira Tozawa is at ringside in a VIP seat, thanks to the Titus Brand.
Lince Dorado kicks out after getting kicked in the head, but Neville picks up the pieces and locks in the Rings of Saturn. Neville and Tozawa look like they are about to fight, but Titus O’Neil interrupts. O’Neil says that they shouldn’t fight for free, since “Titus Worldwide” finalized a title match between them at Great Balls of Fire. Winner (via submission): Neville
Bayley vs. Emma vs. Nia Jax vs. Sasha Banks vs. Mickie James vs. Dana Brooke – #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match (Raw Women’s Championship)
Whoever wins this match will go onto to face Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at Great Balls of Fire. In a Gauntlet Match, two women start. When one woman loses by pinfall or submission, a new woman enters the match until only two are left. Whoever scores the last fall is the new #1 Contender. This match starts big with Bayley and Nia Jax.
Bayley attempts a move from the top rope, but Nia Jax sweeps her feet out from under her. After hitting a Samoan Drop, the first pinfall occurs and out comes Mickie James. Eliminated: Bayley
James nails Jax with the Mick Kick, but Jax doesn’t get knocked down. Jax steamrolls James and pins her immediately. Dana Brooke tries her best, but she doesn’t last more than a minute. Emma has a smart strategy and actually pins Jax, but Jax kicks out. Jax catches Emma off of a cross body and hits her with a Samoan Drop as well. After Jax eliminated four women, it’s down to Jax and Sasha Banks. Eliminated: Mickie James, Dana Brooke, & Emma
Nia Jax spends almost too much time toying with Sasha Banks, and her repeated attempts at trying to get a count-out victory got the best of her. After Jax defeated four women over the course of a half hour, Banks is able to counter the Samoan Drop into a very unique Bank Statement, forcing an exhausted Jax to tap out. Winner, and NEW #1 Contender (via submission): Sasha Banks
After the match, Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss holds up the title in front of the new #1 Contender, but Banks hits her with a dropkick. The show closes with Banks holding the Raw Women’s Championship up high.
