This week’s RAW kicked off Kurt Angle coming down to the ring. Angle stated that his son, Jason Jordan, will have first match tonight on the RAW roster. Angle was about to reveal who Brock Lesnar would be facing at SummerSlam when Braun Strowman interrupted. Strowman told Angle that he better be the one that faces Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Samoa Joe interrupted and made his way down to the ring. The crowd chanted “Joe!” as he walked down the entrance ramp. Joe got right in front in Strowman’s face and said that he was the man that does not fear Lesnar. Joe then claimed that he definitely doesn’t fear Braun Strowman. Roman Reigns then came down to the ring.
Reigns started talking the crowd started to boo. Reigns claimed that neither Joe or Strowman have done anything in WWE. Reigns listed off his accomplished and brought up how he won the Royal Rumble in Philadelphia. Roman said that the crowd was certainly loud that night, making light of the fact that the crowd was basically silent last night at WWE Battleground at the Wells Fargo Center. Kurt Angle announced that it will be a Fatal 4-Way at SummerSlam. Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman.
RAW GM Kurt Angle then went to leave the ring and Samoa Joe started yelling at him. Joe stated that he is the only Superstar that deserves to face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Braun stated that he doesn’t care about anything else besides stacking bodies. An epic brawl then broke out. Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns teamed up for a moment to beatdown Strowman. Joe had the Coquina Clutch locked in on Strowman and Reigns connected with a Spear onto both Joe and Strowman. Several WWE Superstars then came down to the ring to try to break up the brawl. Strowman beat them all down and then started whipping security guards out of the ring. Strowman then planted Reigns with the Running Powerslam.
Reaction: I never thought Braun Strowman could be this entertaining. His promos are great and the crowd is completely behind him. The crowd was loudly cheering when Strowman was beating the hell out of everyone. As for the Fatal 4-Way at SummerSlam, I absolutely cannot wait to see it. This is the best storyline going on in WWE right now.
Elias Samson was shown in the ring before his match with Finn Balor. Samson had a new guitar and the crowd started chanting “we want Balor!” and Samson decided to dedicate the song to Balor. Samson proceeded to perform a song that insulted Balor and the fans in D.C. before Finn Balor interrupted.
No DQ Match: Finn Balor vs Elias Samson
Balor had his shoulder taped up during the match. Balor controlled the match early and knocked down Samson outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Balor was still in control and was bouncing Samson’s head off the barricade outside the ring. The action returned to the ring and Samson connected with a Clothesline that knocked Balor to the mat. Samson then focused his attack on Balor’s taped shoulder and slammed it off the ring apron. The crowd came to life and started chanting “lets go Balor!” but Samson continued to attack Balor’s shoulder. Samson slammed Balor’s shoulder into the ring post and then grabbed a chair.
Samson brought the chair into the ring but Balor attacked him and connected with a Dropkick. Finn connected with another Dropkick that sent Samson to the corner. Finn knocked Samson to the mat and stomped on Samson’s ribs several times. Balor grabbed the chair from outside the ring but Samson was ready for it and booted Balor in the chest. Samson then struck Balor across the back with the chair and Finn rolled out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Samson was still in control and was again focusing on Balor’s shoulder. Samson set up the chair in between the top two turnbuckles. Samson tries to throw Balor into the chair but Finn reversed it and Elias went flying into the chair.
Both Superstars traded punches but Balor dropped Samson with an overhead kick. Balor sent Samson to the corner and charged at him but Samson booted him in the face. Balor then trapped Samson in the ring apron and proceeded to beat the hell out of him with several stomps until Samson fell to the floor. Finn then punted Samson’s head from the ring apron and followed it up with a running Dropkick that knocked Samson into the barricade. The action then returned to the ring and Balor once again had the chair in his hands. Finn then hit Samson several times across the back with the chair. Balor connected with two Dropkicks and the second one knocked Samson into the turnbuckle and then Elias fell to the mat. Balor climbed to the top rope and connected with the Coupe de Grace.
Before Balor could go for the pinfall, the lights went out in the arena. When the lights came back on, Bray Wyatt immediately planted Balor with the Sister Abigail. Bray then watched Samson slowly make his way to Balor and pin him for the victory. After the match, Wyatt spider-walked to Balor and then started whispering to Finn while he was laid out in the ring. Wyatt then posed in the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
Winner: Elias Samson
Reaction: This match was much better than I thought it would be. It is looking like Balor and Wyatt will wind up having a match at SummerSlam. We still have no idea why Bray is targeting Balor. That will obviously be explained over the next few weeks, I just hope it turns out to be a much more interesting feud that the one Wyatt just had with Seth Rollins.
Bayley and the Hardys had a commercial for Sonic backstage. They discussed the return of Sonic’s pretzel hot dogs.
Renee Young interviewed Kurt Angle backstage before Jason Jordan’s RAW debut. Angle believes that Jordan will be a successful singe’s competitor on RAW. Emma interrupted and said that she was the one that started the women’s revolution in WWE. Emma asked what she has to do to get noticed and then suggested that maybe she will start dating Angle’s son Jason Jordan. Angle then put Emma in a match against Nia Jax tonight as Michael Cole said “congratulations Emma, your mouth just got you in trouble”.
Enzo and Big Show had a discussion backstage about Enzo’s match against Big Cass. Enzo said that he needed to prove to Cass that turning his back on him was the biggest mistake of his life. Enzo walked away and Big Show looked concerned.
Enzo vs Big Cass
Enzo cut a promo before the match about Big Cass. Enzo stated that he was fueled by passion and said that the WWE Universe is “the key that starts his engine”. Enzo danced around the ring as the crowd cheered. Enzo quoted Drake and said Cass was “like the finish line and he can’t wait to run into him”. Enzo connected with a Dropkick to Cass’ leg and then went for another one and Cass swatted him away like a fly. Cass then grabbed Enzo by the head and launched him across the ring. Enzo was able to lock in a Sleeper Hold but Cass slammed him into the turnbuckle. Enzo tried to jump onto Cass from the second rope but Cass caught him and slammed him to the mat. Cass then dropped an Elbow across Enzo’s chest as the crowd chanted “a**hole!”.
Cass draped Enzo across the top rope and clubbed him across the back several times. Enzo tried to fight back but failed miserable and Cass bashed Amore’s head against the turnbuckle several times. Cass then connected with a big boot for the victory. After the match, Cass continued to beatdown Enzo. Big Show then started to make his way towards the ring. Cass said that he will snap Enzo’s neck if Big Show comes in the ring. Big Show entered the ring anyway and Cass shoved Enzo into Big Show. Cass connected with a boot to Big Show and then hit him with three Empire Elbows. Big Show slapped Cass in the chest and then Cass hit two more Empire Elbows. Cass then stomped on Big Show and taunted him. Cass then raised his fist in the air and the crowd booed.
Winner: Big Cass
Renee Young interviewed Alexa Bliss backstage. Bliss stated that she is not worried about who she has to face at SummerSlam. Bliss said that tonight the WWE Universe gets to witness the end of the friendship between Bayley and Sasha Banks.
Emma vs Nia Jax
Emma connected with a right hand but it didn’t phase Nia at all. Nia then knocked Emma to the mat with ease. Emma connected with a Dropkick that sent Nia to the corner. Nia powered out of the corner and knocked Emma to the mat. Nia then launched Nia across the ring and connected with a Splash in the corner. Nia then dropped and elbow on Emma in the ring. Nia then bounced off the ropes and flipped onto Emma for the victory.
Winner: Nia Jax
Reaction: I guess it is back to watching RAW from catering for Emma.
Akira Tozawa was interviewed backstage. Tozawa’s shoulder was taped up and he discussed requesting yet another match with Ariya Daivari tonight on RAW. Tozawa defeated Daivari on 205 Live but Daivari attacked him after the match. Titus O’Neil interrupted and said that Tozawa’s shoulder is a liability right now. Titus revealed that he got tonight’s match against Daivari canceled. Tozawa got pissed off and said that he was going to the ring right now. Titus followed Tozawa towards the ring. Tozawa made it to the ring and Titus was still pleading with him to not fight. Tozawa then shoved Titus and RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Tozawa had a microphone and demanded that Daivari come down to the ring and face him like a man. Neville then came out and took credit for shattering Tozawa’s confidence. Tozawa challenged Neville to come down to the ring for a fight. Neville came down to the ring and called Tozawa pathetic for trusting Titus O’Neil. Tozawa punched Neville in the face and then knocked to him to the mat with a spinning kick. Tozawa hit a Senton off the top rope and then grabbed his shoulder in agony. Daivari then came down to the ring and attacked Tozawa. Daivari leveled Tozawa with a Clothesline and then slammed Neville to the mat. Daivari then celebrated in the ring.
Reaction: The crowd got behind Tozawa a bit during this segment and that was good to see. The Cruiserweight Division still has a long way to go, but hopefully this is a storyline that captures some interest from the WWE Universe. Having said that, the crowd didn’t respond to Daivari’s attack at all. I haven’t felt the need to tune into 205 Live as it airs in a long time. It is easy to keep up with it by reading the highlights or watching clips on YouTube. There needs to be a great storyline for people to get invested in on the program and it needs to be shown weekly on RAW. At this point, it might still be too late because 205 Live has become a total non-factor. It is the least interesting product WWE offers and that is a shame given how entertaining the Cruiserweight Classic was.
https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/889659589167386624
Bayley was shown lacing up her boots backstage. Sasha Banks showed up and Bayley warned Sasha to not fall into Alexa’s trap. Banks said that she wouldn’t and that she cannot wait to get her hands on Alexa at SummerSlam. Bayley said that Sasha needs to focus on tonight’s match because Bayley wants to be RAW Women’s Champion just as much as Sasha does. Bayley then said “may the best woman win” in their match tonight and Sasha responded that the best woman will win and walked away.
Renee Young interviewed Jason Jordan backstage. Jordan spoke about his match later tonight against Curt Hawkins. Jordan said that he was nervous about his first match after being revealed as Kurt Angle’s biological son. Jordan said that his hero was his father. Jordan stated that he was focused and determined to win his first match on RAW.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose had a conversation backstage. Rollins said that they needed to come up with a plan for their match against the Miztourage and Ambrose said that he is not interested in any of Rollins’ plans. Rollins said that they have three guys that they have to worry about, The Miz, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. Ambrose responded that he has to worry about four guys tonight and stared down Rollins before walking away.
Bayley vs Sasha Banks (Winner Faces Alexa Bliss At SummerSlam For The RAW Women’s Championship)
Alexa Bliss joined commentary for this match. Bayley knocked Sasha to the mat to start out the match and went for a cover but Sasha kicked out at one. Bayley tried a couple of roll-ups but Sasha kicked out every time. Banks then slapped Bayley and booted her in the face. Bayley connected with a Back Body Drop for a two count. Sasha knocked Bayley out of the ring and RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Sasha was in control of the match and slammed Bayley into the turnbuckle. Bayley then bounced Banks’ head off the turnbuckle and slammed her to the mat for a two count.
Sasha connected with a knee the face and then hit Double Knees onto Bayley’s back. Sasha locked in the Bank Statement in the middle of the ring. Bayley was close to the ropes but Sasha dragged her back to the middle of the ring. Bayley reversed it into a pinfall and Sasha kicked out. Sasha and Bayley traded slaps and then it escalated into punches. Sasha got the upper-hand and bashed Bayley’s head into the second turnbuckle. Sasha climbed to the top rope and went for Double Knees but Bayley got out of the way. Bayley connected with a running knee but Sasha responded with a Shining Wizard and both Superstars fell to the mat.
Bayley and Banks got back to their feet and traded punches. Bayley connected with an elbow and Sasha fell to the mat. Bayley picked her up and Sasha knocked Bayley to the mat and went back up to the top rope. Bayley joined Sasha on the top rope and the two traded punches again. Sasha knocked Bayley off the turnbuckle and connected with a Splash for a two count. Bayley then quickly covered Banks for the victory.
After the match, Alexa Bliss came down to the ring and raised the RAW Women’s Championship in front of Bayley.
Winner & #1 Contender For The RAW Women’s Championship: Bayley
Reaction: The last feud between Alexa Bliss and Bayley was a disaster. Hopefully, WWE doesn’t make Bayley look like the weakest Superstar in existence this time. Bliss and Bayley can put on one hell of a match, but it all depends on how WWE books the feud. I haven’t forgotten the horrific promos leading into their Kendo Stick on a Pole Match at Extreme Rules last month. I thought Sasha Banks and Bliss had a solid match at Great Balls of Fire and thought that it would make more sense for them to face again at SummerSlam.
Curt Hawkins was interviewed backstage. Hawkins said that he was sick of hearing about Jason Jordan. Hawkins stated that he was going to ruin Jordan’s RAW debut and that everyone is going to be talking about Curt Hawkins from now on.
Jason Jordan vs Curt Hawkins
Jordan came down to the ring to American Alpha’s entrance music. RAW GM Kurt Angle was shown backstage watching the match with a ridiculous grin on his face. Hawkins controlled the match for a moment but Jordan picked him up and slammed him into the turnbuckle. Jordan then hit a Back Suplex into a Neckbreaker for the easy victory. Angle was shown backstage after the match, once again with a giant smile on his face.
Winner: Jason Jordan
Reaction: I’m guessing that Angle is going to start helping out his son on RAW and that will lead to an issue when Stephanie McMahon returns. I can’t imagine that this storyline will simply be Jordan is Angle’s son and is a talented wrestler. I thought last week’s reveal on RAW was underwhelming and I felt the same way about Jason Jordan’s backstage promo tonight. There are only three RAWs left after tonight’s episode before SummerSlam, so this storyline better start getting more interesting real quick.
The Revival were interviewed in the ring by Charly Caruso. Dawson told Caruso to get out of the ring and that they will handle the interview. Dawson asked Dash to enlighten the WWE Universe as to why The Revival is so special. Dash said that they dominated in NXT and that they are the future of the tag team division on RAW. Dawson then proceeded to say that The Revival are the best tag team on the planet and Gallows & Anderson interrupted. Gallows & Anderson called The Revival nerds and entered the ring.
The Revival vs Gallows & Anderson
Anderson and Dawson started off the match. Anderson slapped Dawson in the face and Dash tagged himself in. The Revival beatdown Anderson in the corner and then Dash continued the attack before tagging Dawson back in. Dawson chopped Anderson across the chest a few times and Anderson responded by knocking Dawson to the mat. Gallows entered the match and Dawson retreated to the corner. Sheamus & Cesaro were shown backstage watching the match. Dawson attacked Gallows and then tagged in Dash. Gallows launched both members of The Revival across the ring. Anderson & Gallows then Clotheslined The Revival out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Anderson and Dawson were battling in the ring. Dawson connected with an uppercut and tagged in Dash Wilder. Anderson planted Dash with a Dropkick and then Gallows was tagged in. Dawson was also tagged in and Gallows leveled him with a Clothesline. Gallows connected with a big boot and followed it up with another one before tagging in Anderson. Dash kneed Anderson on the ring apron and Dawson chop-blocked Gallows’ knee. The Hardy Boyz then showed up on the entrance ramp and Gallows & Anderson threw The Revival out of the ring. The Revival then got back into the ring and threw Gallows out of the ring. Dash and Dawson then planted Anderson with the Shatter Machine for the victory.
After the match, The Revival brawled with Matt and Jeff Hardy. Jeff hit Poetry in Motion onto Dash. Matt followed it up with a Twist of Fate and Jeff Hardy climbed to the top rope for a Swanton Bomb. Dawson dragged Wilder out of the ring and the Hardys stood tall in the ring.
Winners: The Revival
Reaction: I thought that this was a solid match. The crowd reaction for The Revival is concerning, but if anyone can get the crowd to hate them it is The Hardy Boyz.
Miz TV w/ Jason Jordan and a Triple Threat Match with Braun Strowman vs Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns were announced for next week’s episode of RAW.
Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose vs The Miztourage
The Miz and Dean Ambrose started out the match but Miz immediately tagged in Curtis Axel. Ambrose connected with a Crossbody and then punched Axel in the head several times. Rollins then tagged himself in and slammed Axel to the mat. RAW Tag Team Champions Sheamus & Cesaro were once again shown backstage watching this match. Bo Dallas was tagged in and Rollins beat the hell out of him. Bo Dallas knocked Rollins to the mat and The Miz tagged himself in and continued the attack on Rollins. The Miz applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Rollins powered to his feet and knocked Miz to the mat with a Slingblade.
Ambrose tagged himself in and Miz rolled out of the ring. Ambrose chased Miz around the ring and Miz tagged in Axel. Ambrose kneed Axel in the chest and tagged in Rollins. Ambrose hit Axel with a Dropkick and then Rollins followed it up with a running kick of his own. Rollins and Ambrose then sent Bo Dallas out of the ring. The Miz tried to sneak attack Rollins and Ambrose from behind but Rollins and Ambrose turned around. The Miz then cowardly scurried out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Rollins was trapped in the ring. The Miz planted Rollins with a Suplex and then got up to taunt Dean Ambrose on the ring apron. Bo booted Rollins in the face while the referee was distracted. The crowd got behind Rollins as he tried to tag in Ambrose but Miz prevented him with a Neckbreaker for a two count. Curtis Axel was tagged in and he went for another quick cover on Rollins but Seth kicked out at two. Axel planted Rollins with a Dropkick and then got to his feet and screamed “oh my god how good was that?”. Bo Dallas was tagged in and he continued to beat the hell out of Rollins.
Bo shouted at the crowd “you like that?” as he punched Rollins in the face. The Miz was then tagged and he took his sweet time getting into the ring. Miz stomped on Rollins a couple of times and trash-talked him while doing so. Rollins was then isolated in the corner and Seth fought back and connected with a couple of right hands to Dallas and Axel to knock them off the ring apron. However, the numbers game caught up to him and Miz planted him with a DDT for a two count. Miz connected with a series of Yes Kicks and then taunted Ambrose on the apron. Rollins and Miz then connected with a Clothesline at the same time and both Superstars fell to the mat.
Axel was tagged in and Rollins slammed him into the turnbuckle. Rollins was tagged in and Bo entered the match at the same time. Ambrose leveled Bo with a Clothesline and then planted Axel with a Neckbreaker. Ambrose then hit Bo with a Bulldog and connected with a Clothesline at the same time. Ambrose leveled Bo with the Lunatic Lariat and then climbed up to the top rope. Dean connected with a flying elbow for a two count as Miz broke up the pinfall. Rollins Clotheslined Miz out of the ring and then Axel slammed Rollins into the barricade. Ambrose launched Axel out of the ring but didn’t notice that Miz tagged himself in.
Miz planted Ambrose with the Skull Crushing Finale but Rollins broke up the pinfall. Bo Dallas was launched out of the ring and his face hit the bottom rope hard. Rollins and Ambrose then hit dueling Suicide Dives onto Axel and Dallas in the ring. Back in the ring, Miz went for another Skull Crushing Finale but Rollins came flying in off the top rope with a knee. Ambrose then planted The Miz with Dirty Deeds for the victory.
After the match, Ambrose was very pumped up and celebrated with Rollins in the ring. Rollins extended his fist like The Shield used to do but Ambrose left him hanging in the ring.
Winners: Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose
Reaction: I didn’t have too much interest in this match going into it but I wound up really enjoying it. I’m not sure if this is leading to a feud between Rollins and Ambrose or if they are going to reunite as a tag team. I thought it was interesting that WWE showed Sheamus & Cesaro watching this match from backstage. When this storyline originally started, I thought it was going to lead to a Triple Threat for the IC Title between The Miz, Rollins and Ambrose. Now, I’m not so sure what is going on and am enjoying this storyline. I’m getting annoyed at how The Miz stated that he was going to bring “prestige” back to the Intercontinental Championship, but the title is barely featured on RAW.
I thought this week’s episode started out with a terrific segment between Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman. Finn Balor and Elias Samson had a very solid match and the main-event was entertaining. Sasha Banks and Bayley had a good match, but I’m not ready for another Bliss and Bayley feud already. Overall, I thought RAW was decent tonight. There was much more energy in the crowd tonight as compared to last night’s WWE Battleground PPV. The build towards SummerSlam is underway and hopefully SmackDown can rebound after their terrible PPV tomorrow night. The storylines on RAW are much more interesting right now than the ones we are seeing on Tuesday nights.
What did you think of this week’s episode of RAW? Let us know in the comments below.
