Bray Wyatt kicked off this week’s episode of WWE RAW. Wyatt cut a promo in the ring and talked about last night’s Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules. Bray Wyatt claimed to be every bit of the god he has always been. Wyatt stated that Balor, Joe, Rollins and Reigns are guilty of preventing him from slaying “The Beast” Brock Lesnar. Wyatt said that he has made a vow that those four Superstars must be punished. Roman Reigns then interrupted Wyatt’s promo and made his way to the ring.
Wyatt held the microphone in the air as the crowd booed Roman Regins. Bray then laughed into the microphone and walked towards Reigns. Roman grabbed the microphone out of Bray’s hands and smirked. Dueling “lets go Roman!” and “Roman sucks!” chants broke out in the crowd. Reigns acknowledged the crowd and said that this reaction was why he is “the guy”. Reigns then punched Wyatt in the face and Bray rolled out of the ring.
Roman Reigns vs Bray Wyatt
Wyatt went for a Sister Abigail right away but Reigns avoided it and knocked Wyatt out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, both Superstars were on the mat. Wyatt got up to his knees and punched Reigns in the face several times. Wyatt went for a pinfall but Reigns kicked out at two. Wyatt applied a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Reigns battled to his feet but Wyatt planted him with a DDT for a two count.
Bray once again applied a Chin Lock to Reigns. Roman powered to his feet and broke the hold. Reigns connected with a right hand and hit Wyatt with a Samoan Drop for a two count. Roman connected with three Clotheslines in a row. Wyatt responded by driving Reigns’ shoulder into the ring post and Roman fell out of the ring. Wyatt followed Roman out of the ring and connected with a Senton outside the ring as RAW went to another commercial break.
When RAW returned, the action had returned to the ring and Wyatt once again had Reigns in a Chin Lock. You guessed it, Reigns got back to his feet and connected with a right hand. Wyatt charged at Roman but Reigns dodged him and launched Bray out of the ring. Wyatt got back in the ring and was immediately leveled with a Clothesline by Reigns. Roman connected with 10 punches in the corner and hit Wyatt with a big boot for a two count.
Reigns geared up for the Superman Punch but Wyatt freaked out Reigns with a spider walk and then slammed Roman to the mat. Wyatt connected with a Splash in the corner and then perched Reigns up on the top rope. Wyatt joined him up there and connected with a few right hands. Reigns heatbutted Wyatt several times and then Powerbombed him off the turnbuckle for a two count.
Reigns once again geared up for the Superman Punch and missed. Reigns then went for another Superman Punch and connected for a two count. Reigns went for a Spear but Wyatt rolled out of the ring. Roman followed him out there and hit the Drive By but Wyatt responded by leveling Roman with a Clothesline. Both Superstars were on the floor outside the ring as the referee started counting.
Wyatt was the first Superstar in the ring and Reigns barely was able to return to the ring before the 10 count. Wyatt went for the Sister Abigail but Reigns countered it into a roll-up for a two count. Reigns then hit another Superman Punch and followed it up with a Spear for the victory.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Reaction: Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt put on a solid match to kick off RAW. I still have the same issue with Bray Wyatt that I’ve pretty much had his entire run in the WWE. He consistently refers to himself as a god, yet always seems to lose matches. While this match was solid, absolutely nothing was accomplished and nothing changed. Reigns is still dominant and Wyatt is still cutting hollow promos. Next week, I’m sure Wyatt will cut another ominous promo and then promptly lose a match. Rinse and repeat.
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Charly Caruso interviewed Enzo and Cass backstage. Charly asked Enzo about the attacks on him in the past few weeks. Enzo said that he has no idea who attacked him. Cass stated that he is insulted that some people think it was him that attacked Enzo. Cass said he will be watching Enzo’s back all night, including in their match against Gallows and Anderson. Enzo also poked fun at Corey Graves and flirted with Caruso during this backstage promo.
RAW GM Kurt Angle backstage staring at his cell phone. Alexa Bliss showed up and claimed that she was done with Bayley and moving on. Bliss pitched an idea for promo about her life tonight. Angle said that was a terrible idea because her “This Is Your Life” promo about Bayley was one of the worst segments of all time. Angle then said that Alexa Bliss will be defending her RAW Women’s Championship against Nia Jax tonight.
Reaction: Well, at least WWE is poking fun at that horrific Alexa Bliss and Bayley segment last week on RAW. WWE announced on Twitter that Bayley will not be on RAW tonight. I guess they really want the WWE Universe to think that Bayley is exceptionally weak. Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns were involved in a very physical Fatal 5-Way match last night at Extreme Rules. Bray Wyatt was on the receiving end of a Frog Splash through the announce table and was still on RAW. Bayley gets hit with a kendo stick a couple of times and isn’t on the show.
Elias Samson was in the ring with his guitar. Samson instructed the audience to hold their applause until after he is finished performing. Samson performed a song that insulted the crowd and Dean Ambrose. Dean interrupted the song and attacked Samson. Ambrose launched Samson into the barricade outside the ring and then grabbed a microphone. Ambrose demanded a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship right now.
The Miz appeared on the titantron and said that there will not be a rematch tonight. The Miz stated that tonight was the beginning of The Miz’s Intercontinental Championship comeback tour. Samson then snuck up behind Ambrose and planted him with a Neckbreaker.
Ambrose approached Kurt Angle backstage and asked for his Intercontinental Championship rematch. Angle said that Ambrose will get his rematch but not tonight. Angle told Ambrose to take the night off and leave the building.
Reaction: I honestly was hoping that the Intercontinental Championship rematch would happen tonight just so we could get it over with. I’m tired of The Miz and Ambrose feud and I’m just tired of Dean Ambrose in general. I’d like to see him turn heel or just go away for a bit. Ambrose is a particular frustrating Superstar because I think he is very talented, but I feel like his character has been running in place for a long time.
When he was Intercontinental Champion, it didn’t feel important at all. The Miz provides some entertainment as Intercontinental Champion because he is such a hatable character. I’m guessing that Elias Samson will eventually cost Ambrose his rematch. I would have preferred to see that happen tonight because I’m incredibly bored with this feud. I’m sure Ambrose will interrupt The Miz’s celebration later tonight and I couldn’t be any less excited about it.
Samoa Joe came down to the ring to cut a promo. Joe stated that he doesn’t fear Brock Lesnar. Joe claimed that he was envious of Brock Lesnar because he wants everything that he has. Joe said that he wants Brock Lesnar’s easy schedule so he doesn’t have to come out here in front of the ungrateful masses. Samoa Joe stated that he wants Paul Heyman to be his advocate and run his errands. Joe said that he wants Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship and that he will take it from him at Great Balls of Fire.
Paul Heyman interrupted and made his way to the entrance ramp. Heyman complimented Samoa Joe and called him a badass for earning a title shot by winning the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules. Heyman continued to compliment Joe as got into the ring. Heyman said that Brock Lesnar doesn’t fear Joe either. Heyman said that he worries for a living and is always concerned about who Lesnar’s opponent is.
Heyman called Samoa Joe the worst case scenario because he doesn’t give a damn. Heyman said that it is his job to make sure that at Great Balls of Fire, Brock Lesnar is Samoa Joe’s worst case scenario. Heyman shook Joe’s hand and went to walk away but Joe grabbed him. Joe then told Heyman then he is going to wrap his hand around Heyman’s throat and choke him out. Joe told Heyman to tell Lesnar how it feels and to tell Lesnar what his future holds. Lesnar then applied the Coquina Clutch to Heyman in the middle of the ring until he passed out. The crowd chanted “we want Brock!” and Joe grabbed a microphone and said “so do I”. Joe then exited as Heyman laid in the ring.
Reaction: I absolutely loved this promo. Heyman is awesome at selling matches and is just awesome in general. Samoa Joe is very believable when cutting promos and came off like a complete badass here. Unfortunately, Lesnar was not at RAW tonight. It would have been perfect if Lesnar came out and had a quick brawl with Joe. Samoa Joe needs to be built up as a monster heading into Great Balls of Fire and this was a huge step in that direction. I love the intensity that this feud already has and it has just started. I hope the match delivers because even if Joe doesn’t win at Great Balls of Fire, this feud could make him into a star on the main roster.
Kurt Angle confronted Samoa Joe backstage. Joe asked Angle if he was in his way and Seth Rollins interrupted. Rollins challenged Joe to match tonight and Kurt Angle made it official. Rollins referred to Bray Wyatt as a “false prophet” in this backstage promo.
Sheamus & Cesaro vs Heath Slater & Rhyno
Sheamus and Cesaro attacked Rhyno and Slater right away. Sheamus slammed Slater into the ring post. The match started with Sheamus and Slater in the ring. Sheamus knocked him to the mat and then tagged in Cesaro. Slater launched Cesaro out of the ring and then connected with a kick to Sheamus’ face. Slater tried to tag in Rhyno but Cesaro dragged him off the ring apron. Sheamus then leveled Slater with a Brogue Kick for the victory.
Sheamus and Cesaro cut a promo after the match and boasted about defeating The Hardys last night at Extreme Rules.
Winners: Sheamus & Cesaro
TJP confronted Neville backstage and said that he wants the title shot that Neville promised him. Neville said that if TJP takes care of Mustafa Ali, he will speak to Kurt Angle about giving him a shot at the Cruiserweight Championship.
TJP vs Mustafa Ali
TJP started out the match in control and shoved his boot in Ali’s face in the corner. Ali flipped off the top turnbuckle and landed on TJP for a two count. Ali locked in Arm Bar but TJP quickly got out of it. TJP dragged Ali to the mat by his hair and then connected with a Senton for a two count. TJP then dabbed in the ring and applied a Chin Lock. Ali battled out of the hold and connected with a Tornado DDT. Ali then climbed up to the top rope but TJP kicked his legs out from under him. TJP then connected with the Detonation Kick for the victory.
After the match, Neville came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone and TJP joined him there. Neville said that he spoke to Kurt Angle and had some unfortunate news. TJP interrupted and demanded that they both go backstage and talk to RAW GM Kurt Angle together. Neville then attacked TJP from behind and informed him that he has his title shot tomorrow night on 205 Live.
Winner: TJP
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Another Goldust vignette was aired. Goldust quoted Gone with the Wind and cut a promo on R-Truth.
Sasha Banks was backstage with Dana Brooke and Mickie James. Alexa Bliss showed up and Sasha Banks walked away. Bliss told Mickie James and Dana Brooke that they should be insulted that Nia Jax is getting a shot at the RAW Women’s Championship before them. Bliss stated that the division has a Nia Jax problem. Dana Brooke and Mickie James stated that Alexa Bliss was the only one that has a Nia Jax. Mickie James and Dana Brooke then informed Alexa Bliss that they will be ringside to watch her match against Nia later tonight.
Kurt Angle came up to Corey Graves at the announce table with his phone. Angle and Graves had a discussion and then Graves returned to the announce table. Michael Cole asked Graves about the discussion but Graves ignored him.
Kurt Angle was shown walking backstage and still on his phone. Mike Rome approached him and asked where Angle was heading. Angle refused to answer and said it was a private matter. Angle left the building and Dean Ambrose snuck back in.
Kalisto vs Titus O’Neil
Kalisto defeated O’Neil quickly by rolling him up and grabbing his tights.
Winner: Kalisto
Reaction: I don’t understand how this feud is helping anyone involved.
The Miz was shown walking backstage. He stumbled upon Big Cass who was laying on the ground. Enzo then arrived and asked if anyone saw who attacked him. Cass then handed Enzo a chain that he apparently grabbed from the attacker.
Maryse was in the ring with someone in a bear costume holding a sign that read “congratulations”. The Miz came down to the ring and the crowd chanted “you deserve it!”. The Miz scolded the fans and said that they chant that for every Superstar who wins a title. The Miz raised a champagne glass and proposed a toast to himself and Maryse. The Miz thanked Maryse for bringing a dancing bear to the ring. Maryse informed Miz that she didn’t get the dancing bear.
The Miz then attacked the bear and delivered a Skull Crushing Finale. The Miz then removed the bear head and it was revealed to be a random person. The Miz then threw him out of the ring and a gigantic present was wheeled down to the ring. The Miz then hit the giant gift with a chair and delivered several Elbow Drops to it. Maryse shouted Miz that it was a gift from her but he continued attacking the present. It turned out that the gift was a grandfather clock because The Miz is timeless. Maryse then hit The Miz and ran backstage as Miz pleaded with her to stay. Ambrose then appeared behind Miz disguised as a cameraman. Ambrose then hit Miz with the Dirty Deeds and took the bottle of champagne backstage.
Reaction: While I’m bored with this feud, this promo was entertaining. I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of The Miz delivering Elbow Drops to a gigantic present.
Gallows & Anderson vs Enzo & Big Show
Big Show played the role of Cass during the promo and it was was absolutely ridiculous. The promo went on way too long and Enzo rattled off about 9,000 jokes. Big Show dominated the match and connected with a Chokeslam on Karl Anderson. Big Show then tagged in Enzo and threw him onto Anderson for the victory.
Winners: Enzo & Big Show
Reaction: WWE buried Gallows and Anderson a long time ago. It was nice of them to dig them out for a bit only to bury them again. I hated this segment. It was done for cheap laughs and we probably won’t see Big Show for a long time again. Why are Gallows and Anderson booked like this? They are a solid tag team. It is not as if RAW and SmackDown are overflowing with talent in their tag team divisions. It just doesn’t make sense to have Gallows and Anderson be jobbers. They were badasses in NJPW and are now putting over Enzo and the ghost of Big Show on RAW. It just seems like a colossal waste of talent.
Big Cass confronted Big Show and Enzo backstage. Big Cass said maybe it was Big Show sneaking around backstage and attacking them. Enzo said that Big Show creaks on cement and Big Show stated that if he was going to attack someone, they would see it coming.
R-Truth responded to Goldust with a vignette.
Mike Rome interviewed Alexa Bliss backstage. Bliss referred to herself as a goddess and stated that she deserved to be treated better by the RAW women’s division.
RAW Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs Nia JAx
Mickie James and Dana Brooke were ringside for this match. Alexa slapped Nia in the face and Jax got pissed off. Nia launched Alexa across the ring a couple times as Mickie and Dana laughed. Nia then hit a Splash on Alexa in the corner. Alexa leaped onto Nia’s back but Nia threw her off and delivered a couple of elbows to Bliss while she was on the mat. Nia knocked Alexa out of the ring and Alexa attacked both Mickie and Dana. Mickie and Dana then punched Alexa and Nia Jax was disqualified.
Nia Jax then beatdown both Mickie and Dana for costing her the match.
Winner & Still RAW Women’s Champion: Alexa Bliss
Reaction: It was predictable that something like this was going to happen once Mickie and Dana announced that they would be ringside for this match. The match itself was a throwaway, but I’m not going to complain about the Alexa Bliss and Bayley feud being over.
Paul Heyman was shown backstage being attended to my the medical staff. Heyman’s phone rang and it was Brock Lesnar. Heyman stated that Lesnar needs to show up next week on RAW to confront Samoa Joe.
Seth Rollins vs Samoa Joe
Rollins took down Joe early and connected with a series of punches. Joe connected with a headbutt and threw Rollins out of the ring. Rollins got right back in the ring and was knocked to the mat by an elbow from Joe. Rollins then got up and threw Joe out of the ring. Rollins went for a Suicide Dive but Joe was ready and kicked Seth in the knee. Joe then launched Rollins into the barricade outside the ring and kicked him in the chest.
Joe brought Rollins back in the ring and connected with a series of jabs in the corner. Rollins fought back but Joe connected with a kick to Rollins’ head that sent him to the mat as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Samoa Joe was still in control of the match. Joe connected with an Atomic Drop and followed it up with a Senton for a two count.
Joe hit Rollins with a Powerslam for a two count. Joe continued the assault by hitting a series of chops. Rollins fought back and knocked Joe to the mat with a kick to his head. Joe rolled out of the ring and Rollins connected with a Suicide Dive. Rollins rolled Joe back in the ring and connected with another Slingblade. Joe once again rolled out of the ring and Rollins hit another Suicide Dive.
The action returned to the ring and Rollins connected with a Blockbuster off the second rope. Joe once again rolled out of the ring and Rollins connected with a third Suicide Dive. Back in the ring, Rollins connected with a Clothesline off the top rope for a two count. Rollins then planted Joe with an impressive Falcon Arrow for a two count.
Rollins knocked Joe to the mat with a kick to the face and climbed to the top rope. The lights in the arena went out and when the lights came on Rollins was looking for Bray Wyatt. Bray wasn’t there and Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch for the victory. Wyatt got his revenge on Rollins for insulting him early tonight and cost him the match.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Reaction: The main-event was an okay match. The best part of tonight’s RAW was the promo between Paul Heyman and Samoa Joe. The rest of the show just felt like a standard episode of RAW. At the very least, I am looking forward to see the build for the match between Samoa Joe and Brock Lesnar at Great Balls of Fire. I really liked what happened tonight and next week it will be interesting to see Lesnar and Joe face to face on RAW.
I’m honestly not all that interested in who is attacking Big Cass and Enzo. I guess it is possible that Cass didn’t get attacked tonight and just made it seem like he did in order to trick Enzo. I hope it turns out to be someone that actually catches me off guard and surprises me. I’m looking for anything here to breath some life into the show. The Kurt Angle storyline is moving at a soap opera pace. All that happened tonight is that Angle showed something to Graves on his phone. I am just assuming that this will somehow tie into Stephanie McMahon returning to. RAW.
Overall, RAW wasn’t good tonight in my opinion. It just felt like more of the same. It appears that Rollins and Wyatt are now going to have a feud. I just figured that Balor and Wyatt would have a feud, given the fact that they teased that a lot earlier this year. Instead, Finn Balor wasn’t even on the show for some reason. The RAW Women’s division is very boring right now and the tag division is essentially The Hardys and Sheamus & Cesaro. There is just far too many storylines and feuds on RAW that I don’t care about simply because I haven’t been given a reason to care. SmackDown has the same exact problem right now, but at least RAW has the Lesnar and Joe storyline.
What did you think of this week’s episode of RAW? Share your thoughts below.
Follow Robert Lentini: @MankyMedia
