Welcome one and all to Monday Night Raw! Here to save your Raw results and show you the way for the greater good is your Monday Night Mikessiah, Mike Hogan. For the next three hours, we’ll have live results coverage with updates as frequently as this concussed writer can manage–so, roughly, every ten minutes! For the best WWE Rumors and updates, make sure to visit Rajah.
Tonight’s my debut here on eWrestling so if you’re new to me, yay–welcome! You’ll hate me soon enough. And if you’re one of our Rajahmanaics, well, then you know what you’re in for!
Also on tap is a continuation of the Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament with a first-round match between Alexa Bliss & Asuka and this writer’s spoiler-pick team, Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop. We’ll also hear from Riddle regarding his future after Rollins whooped him somethin’ fierce a few times recently.
Expect more build towards WWE Clash at the Castle, the ramifications of the surprise return last week of Dexter Lumis, more back-and-forth in the telenovela that is the drama of the Mysterios & the Judgment Day and more tonight on Raw!
So with all that said, let’s get things started! For those of you who want just the results and not the novella, click HERE for the Quick Recap!
Welcome to Monday Night Raw!
Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves and the affable Byron Saxton welcome us back to Monday Night Raw! We waste no time and hear the familiar tunes of the Judgment Day and out come the trio, decked in black suits and makeup with purple accents!
In the Ring Promo: the Judgment Day; Rey Mysterio Attacks
Finn Bálor leads Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest down to the ring as commentary sends us to videos recapping the vicious beatdown Dominik Mysterio suffered at the hands of Ripley last week, followed by Bálor’s destruction of Rey Mysterio later in the match.
Rhea starts us off on the mic, mocking Dom and stating she really is hi spapi. Bálor takes a turn on the mic to insult the Mysterios, then asks Damian Priest what he’s going to do to Edge next week.
Priest works the crowd, hyping them up and asking if they want to see the Rated-R Superstar Edge. The crowd gets worked up until he reminds them that, like the Mysterios, Edge isn’t here tonight, either. He’ll be around next week–in Toronto–and will have his first match “at home” in a decade.
Priest then addresses Edge’s words last week, claiming that Priest needed the Judgment Day to back him up. Priest takes exception at this and states that next weekend, it’s one-on-one, man to man, no Judgment Day.
“Edge, Toronto will no longer be known as your hometown. It’ll be the place where Damian Priest sent you back into retirement.” Loud digital boos from the digital crowd; mostly “what” treatment from the fans.
Priest then states retirement for Edge won’t be “filming whack movies” and TV shows this time around, but instead it’ll be Beth Phoenix feeding him through a feeding tube and pushing him around in a wheelchair the rest of his life.
Rey Mysterio attacks the Judgement Day from behind outta nowhere! The Rey sends Bálor and Priest outside and confronts Ripley, who attempts to distract him. Rey Mysterio catches Bálor, who has a steel chair, and takes him and Priest both down with the steel equalizer! Rey then threatens to whack Finn again and Rhea puts herself between Finn and Rey.
This time the distraction works and the Judgment Day’s number games give them the advantage over Rey. Rhea Ripley hits a DDT onto the steel step, dropping Rey on top of his skull as the crowd loudly chants for Edge.
Sorry, folks, he’s no Goldberg. Bálor has Priest and Ripley hold down Rey and position a steel chair on top of his chest. Bálor hits the Coup de Grace on Rey, breaking the chair! The crowd loudly boos, the refs check on Rey, and Graves speculates that the Mysterios really are finished as we go to break!
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament, Round One Match: Alexa Bliss & Asuka vs Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop
Our first-round action continues tonight as we get our first match underway! The established duo of Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. are out first and the hands-down favorite per commentary team, compared to the newly-formed duo of Bliss & Asuka.
The latter get a great pop and we get ready for our bell–when Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair makes her way out to observe this match! The two teams go right at it, with Nikki & Doudrop working quick to isolate Alexa Bliss as we head to our second break of the night. Throughout the break, the heels maintain control.
We return with Nikki working Bliss’ neck, only to lose control. Asuka comes in off the hot tag and takes down both Doudrop on the apron and Nikki all over the ring.
Asuka with a hip attack in the corner; an Asuka strike combination, followed by a key-lock strike nearly sees Asuka pick up the win. Doudrop attempts to distract Asuka from ringside and does just that, allowing Nikki A.S.H. to almost pick up the win after a quick slam.
Doudrop and Nikki attempt to double-team Asuka but the Empress of Tomorrow fights them off, briefly, until A.S.H. hits her Cross-Body finisher. Bliss with a mule dropkick to make the save! We see Tamina & Dana Brooke watching from the back as all four women are wiped out after Doudrop uses a running cross-body of her own to wipe out Bliss!
Doudrop tags herself in and looks to put away Asuka but fails. Asuka rallies and uses a hip attack to drop Nikki off the apron, but runs right into a Michinoku Driver from Doudrop! Dou gets a two but no joy!
Bliss is finally up on the apron after having been down for several moments. Doudrop drags Asuka into the corner and sets up a banzai Drop or Vader Bomb but Asuka moves! Asuka uses the ropes to drag herself to a vertical base and fires of a right to the side of Doudrop’s head! Asuka tags in Doudrop, this a a running dropkick and sets up a Bliss DDT. Bliss tags in Asuka who hits another kick and slaps on an arm bar!
Bliss stops Nikki from making the save and Doudrop taps! They’ll face Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai in the finals. After the match, Bayley, Kai & Sky are shown–with Sky in a rare casual wear outfit that, looks great–behind the retreating victors and Bianca Belair. The six women exchange words ahead of their six-woman tag match at Clash at the Castle. If you want WWE News on the tip of your finger, just visit the Ewrestling.
Your Winners and ADVANCING in the Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament, Alexa Bliss & Asuka!
Backstage: “Mr. Money in the Bank” Theory and Dolph Ziggler
Theory’s cutting a promo backstage about his failed attempt to cash-in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Ziggler comes up and the two exchange heated words, with ultimately Theory calling Ziggler and “old, washed up has-been.” Ziggler snapped and attacked Theory, sending us to break! When we return, we find that the two Superstars brawled throughout the break and throughout the back, setting up a match later tonight.
Tag Team Match: Mustafa Ali & Cedric Alexander vs the Miz & Ciampa
We start with the Miz & Ciampa taking an early, dominant lead over the newly-formed duo of Ali & Alexander–and new tag teams, we’re told, seem to be the theme of tonight’s episode per Jimmy Smith.
The Miz and Ciampa completely dominate as we go into our first break, with Ciampa and the Miz borrowing from the Blackheart’s NXT playbook, clapping himself on the back as the Miz enthusiastically claps Ciampa’s back, too.
Don’t forget–prior to the match, the Miz gave a gift of a framed Instagram/social media image of the two from last week, in a blinged-out frame. When we return from break, Ciampa is still in control over Cedric Alexander, who sports a slightly tweaked look in addition to going face.
Ciampa shuts down an attempt by Cedric Benjamin to rally, but Benjamin makes the hot tag to Ali. Ali takes it to Ciampa and the Miz, battling the now-legal Miz and dropping him with an inverted rolling neckbreaker for a close two. Ali is sent into the ropes by the Miz, leading to Cedric’s tagging in.
The Miz avoids a back suplex and looks for a Skull-Crushing Finale but Benjamin counters with a scoop slam. Benjamin would have had the wing if not for Ciampa placing the Miz’s foot on the bottom rope, forcing the ref to stop his count.
Alia wipes out Ciampa with a suicide dive that sends Ciampa across the commentary desk and crashing into Corey Graves! The Miz falls victim to a roll-up attempt and dropkick combo from Cedric Benjamin and a rallying Mustafa Ali!
The pace picks up and some confusion ensues as Ali fails to notice the Miz tag in Ciampa, setting up Ciampa intercepting Ali mid-450 splash attack with a big sliding knee strike. Ali never rallies and Ciampa picks up the win for his team with the Fairy Tale Ending finisher.
Your Winners, the Miz & Ciampa!
In the Ring Promo: Drew McIntyre; Kevin Owens Responds
Coming up after these words from their sponsors! After much ado about nothing, McIntyre makes his way out. He then gives a fiery promo about going to Cardiff, kicking Roman’s arse, and bringing the titles back.
And He states that the titles deserve a fighting champion. He addresses the recent reports that he’s suffering from a back injury. “I have to be honest, it’s true.
I do it with a smile on my face because this is a privilege, this isn’t a job! This is my dream.” He gauges the crowd about possible challengers for his titles, naming Ciampa, AJ Styles, “the new” Seth Rollins, Karrion Kross–with Kross and Styles getting the better pops.
He’s interrupted by Kevin Owens, who wasn’t name-dropped, and comes out on a mic, visibly in a pouty mood. Rut roh. Owens lays into McIntyre, calling him comical and asking him if he thinks this is Medieval Times.
He states McIntyre’s delusional if he thinks he’s been carrying others weight, and calls Drew “a real dumbass. I think you don’t know who the hell you are but me? I’ve been the same person my entire 22 year career…
I am Kevin Owens and I am as real as it gets int his business!” The crowd pops for that. So now I am coming after everything, every single champion is a target!
The US champion, the Intercontinental Champion, the tag team champion! And Drew, I don’t give a damn (who’s the champ after Cardiff)…because I’m coming after the biggest prize of them all!” Drew takes exception to this, angrily yelling that he, too, was the “chosen one” fifteen years ago–but then he got fired and had to go work his ass off. Drew warns Owens not to dare look him in the eye and “pull that BS again.”
He’s angry, and fiercely points out the path he’s taken back to the spotlight.
Singles Match: Drew McIntyre vs Kevin Owens
After a break, we return and find this match is, indeed, official. Commentary criticize McIntyre’s decision to fight such an aggressive competitor this close to his upcoming title match with Roman Reigns.
The crowd is soft, but shows both superstars some love throughout. McIntyre attempts to rally twice, failing to string any offense together.
We head to a second break with Owens still completely dominating the number one contender.
Owens again shuts down the Scottish Psychopath, this time with a spike DDT for a close cover. McIntyre starts his comeback, finally, as we try to build towards our end. A Glasgow Kiss opens up Owens, and McIntyre gets his knees up to block a Senton!
McIntyre looks for a Future Shock but settles for a snap slam, covering for two. Jimmy Smith’s crowd is apparently more livelier than we realize based on his praise for them. The Owens and McIntyre jockey for control in the corner as McIntyre hints at a Superplex off the top turnbuckle.
Then Owens smacks McIntyre’s thigh, knocking his legs out from under him and crotching him on the ropes.
Owens looks to dig deep and climbs the ropes once more, all the way to the top turnbuckle. Owens is too slow, however, allowing McIntyre to kip-up and battle Owens in the corner! Both men are up again and slug it out, the crowd cheering them on.
Owens look for the Pop-up Sit-Out Powerbomb but McIntyre counters with a botched Future Shock DDT! McIntyre posts up for a Claymore but the Usos attack!
Your Winner by Disqualification, Drew McIntyre!
