This is the last episode of Monday Night Raw before No Mercy, and there is a pretty good show lined up. Alexa Bliss takes on Nia Jax for the first time, there is a Triple Threat tag team match, and the main event determines the future of the Intercontinental Championship. This is also the last chance Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar can build for their Universal Championship match and Roman Reigns gets the last word against John Cena.
Opening Segment
To kick off the show, Monday Night Raw General Manager Kurt Angle makes his way to the ring to show his excitement for No Mercy. He talks about the two “WrestleMania worthy” matches with John Cena vs. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship. Before he can continue, he is interrupted by The Miz and the Miztourage.
The Miz demands to defend the Intercontinental Championship at No Mercy and Angle has a match planned to determine the #1 Contender. Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Elias Samson, and Jason Jordan will compete in the Fatal Four-Way match with the winner challenging Miz for the gold this Sunday.
After The Miz insults Angle repeatedly, Jason Jordan comes to the ring to defend his father. Jordan suggests that Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel are also put in the match to make sure that The Miz can’t “make any excuses when” Jordan wins.
Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax
Before Alexa Bliss defends her Raw Women’s Championship against Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, and Emma at No Mercy, she takes on Jax for the first time in a singles match. It is unclear whether they are friends or “frenemies,” and this match might answer that question.
Bliss looks to flee from the match, but Banks appears on the entrance ramp to prevent Bliss from going anywhere. Unsurprisingly, Jax uses her size and strength advantage to hit the champ with a Samoan Drop for the win. After the match, Banks attacks Nia Jax and while Jax assaults The Boss, Bayley makes a surprise return from injury to save her best friend. Banks and Bayley then lay out Bliss before the segment ends. Winner: Nia Jax
Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
For some reason, Monday Night Raw’s strategy with the tag team division is just to throw most of the teams together in just about every segment (sorry, Heath Slater and Rhyno). Instead of saving a match between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose against Sheamus and Cesaro for Sunday, they fight tonight, just like they did last week.
Ambrose doesn’t realize that Sheamus tags himself in so after the Lunatic Fringe hits Dirty Deeds on Karl Anderson, Sheamus picks up the pieces to gain the pinfall. Winners: Sheamus & Cesaro
Curt Hawkins vs. Apollo Crews (w/Titus O’Neil)
Before this match begins, Curt Hawkins reveals that he is currently suffering from a 114 match losing streak. He says that whoever ends this streak could make history and he hopes to do that against Apollo Crews. This is a good chance for both men to revitalize their current runs, especially with Titus Worldwide disappearing after helping Akira Tozawa capture the Cruiserweight Championship.
Hawkins puts on the best match of his career since his return, but he still couldn’t get the job done against Crews, who puts another notch in the win column for Titus Worldwide. Winner: Apollo Crews
Announcement
Now that Bayley has returned, she is entered in the Raw Women’s Championship match to make it a Fatal Five-Way. Bayley was supposed to face Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, but she suffered a shoulder injury and Banks took her place, winning the title for a couple weeks. Bayley uses her #1 Contender’s status here instead, shaking things up a bit for No Mercy.
Bray Wyatt vs. Dustin Rhodes
Yes, Bray Wyatt is not facing Goldust, but he is against Dustin Rhodes, the man behind the black and yellow paint. Wyatt lost to Demon Finn Balor at SummerSlam and he wants to prove that without the paint, Balor is nothing. Last week, Wyatt defeated Goldust and claimed the same thing, so Dustin Rhodes appears without the paint on to prove otherwise.
Unfortunately for Rhodes, he still suffers the same fate. Wyatt catches him in the middle of the ring for Sister Abigail, getting the win and proving his point. Winner: Bray Wyatt
In-ring Segment
Enzo Amore shows up and cuts his usual entrance monologue and just as he starts talking about his Cruiserweight Championship match against Neville at No Mercy, he is attacked by Braun Strowman. Strowman attacks Amore all the way to the ring before laying him out with a powerslam. Neville then comes to the ring, putting an exclamation point on the whole attack with the Red Arrow.
Neville vs. Gran Metalik
Good thing that’s when Amore got attacked because Neville has a match anyway. He takes on Gran Metalik, who is known as the King of the Ropes, a moniker he lived up to during the Cruiserweight Classic all the way until the final round when he faced TJP.
In the middle of the match, Neville rips Metalik’s mask, giving the luchador a distraction for the rest of the match. The King of the Cruiserweights then counters a moonsault, following it up with the Rings of Saturn submission maneuver. Winner: Neville
Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Jason Jordan vs. Elias Samson vs. Bo Dallas vs. Curtis Axel – #1 Contender’s Match (Intercontinental Championship)
Tonight’s main event has huge implications. Whoever wins this match will take on The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship at No Mercy. Everything going into this match points at Jason Jordan walking out the victor, but Jeff Hardy did face Miz for the IC Title just a couple weeks ago.
Miz breaks up a pin with Jeff Hardy covering Curtis Axel and by the time Miz is thrown out of the ring, Jason Jordan hits Axel with his finisher to get the win, overcoming insurmountable odds. After the match, The Miztourage assaults the new challenger. Winner, and NEW #1 Contender: Jason Jordan
