By: Keila Cash
Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Royal Farms Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. After SmackDown Live invaded Raw last week, how did Kurt Angle respond to Shane McMahon’s ambush attack? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s episode in no particular order.
· Stephanie McMahon made a surprise appearance and blasted Kurt Angle for allowing Raw to get ambushed by Shane McMahon and the SD Live roster last week. Stephanie claimed that the flagship show was reduced to a mockery of its former self and blamed Kurt for allowing Shane to exploit their friendship to his advantage.
· Stephanie praised Kurt for holding down the fort while dealing with several crises at once ranging from Braun Strowman getting compacted in a garbage truck to the entire Raw roster battling a viral infection in recent weeks.
· Backhanded compliment aside, Stephanie put Kurt notice that she wanted results at Survivor Series and named him the team captain who will lead Raw to victory. If he doesn’t, she would have to find a new General Manager as the opening segment came to an end.
· This was a strong way to start the show. Stephanie McMahon actually saved the segment as she shut down the annoying “What?” that was directed at Kurt Angle early on. Stephanie was willing to give Angle a chance to redeem himself instead of firing him on the spot. Angle lacing up his wrestling boots for the second time in less than a month should be an absolute treat. Seeing him in the ring opposite the likes of AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Roode will make any fan salivate with excitement. Despite the corniness of Brand Wars 2017, the Men’s Traditional Interbrand 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination match should be awesome.
· Alicia Fox decided that it was in her best interest not to face Bayley due to her team captain responsibilities at Survivor Series and named Nia Jax as her replacement.
· Jax defeated Bayley with a Running Leg Drop in a decent match. Bayley put up a good fight, but the outcome was never in doubt. Based on her dominating performance, Fox added Jax to Team Raw which should give the red brand the power and size advantage heading into Survivor Series.
· Welcome back, Samoa Joe! The fans might’ve missed Joe, but he didn’t miss them. At least he’s being honest…
· Samoa Joe defeated Apollo Crews with the Coquina Clutch in a solid match. Crews had a nice showing, but he was chopped liver from the get-go.
· Titus O’Neil stood up to Joe, but it was too no avail as the Black Sheep of the Samoan Dynasty put him to sleep with the Coquina Clutch as well. One can only assume that Joe will be added to the Team Raw at Survivor Series based on his badassery alone.
· The Miz retained the Intercontinental Championship when pinned Matt Hardy with the Skull Crushing Finale in a good match. The Miz dominated the action early on, but Hardy made a nice comeback towards the end. Hardy scored a close near fall when he hit Miz with a Moonsault from the top rope. He followed things up with the Twist of Fate, but Miz had the wherewithal to roll out of the ring before Hardy could make the cover.
· Hardy tried to pull Miz back in the ring, but Miz slammed Matt’s head into the ring ropes which disoriented The Woken One long enough for Miz to hit his finisher moments later. The match was a bit uneven in spots, but the crowd came alive when Matt was on the brink of winning the Intercontinental Title for the first time in his career.
· In any event, Miz has beaten both Hardy Boyz over the past couple of months which is an impressive feat, to say the least.
· Kurt Angle booked Alexa Bliss in a match against Mickie James for the Raw Women’s Championship which will take place during the main event. Based on the positioning, one can assume that a title change is possible.
· Asuka destroyed a local wrestler named Stacie Cullen when she made Cullen tap out the Asuka Lock in about 90 seconds. This is the type of match Asuka should’ve had against Emma last week, but WWE decided to go the Even Steven route instead. The company paid the price as the Empress of Tomorrow was greeted with a lukewarm reaction during her entrance and her absolute domination of Ms. Cullen. It’s too early to say that they’ve screwed up Asuka’s transition to the main roster, but she’s on shaky ground at the moment.
· Daniel Bryan tried to reason with Kurt Angle, but Angle didn’t believe a word out of coming out of Bryan’s mouth. He wanted Bryan to tell Shane McMahon that he was going to bring his Olympic Gold Medal and the Raw roster to SD Live to raise all kinds of hell. It’s doubtful that the ambush takes place tomorrow night since the red brand is heading to Europe for the overseas tour which kicks off on Wednesday. The next available date for Raw to strike is the final episode of SD Live before Survivor Series in a couple of weeks. We shall see how it all plays out soon enough.
· Team Hell No reunited in the worst possible way when Kane delivered a chokeslam to Daniel Bryan. WWE was smart to turn the lights off in Kurt Angle’s office to ensure that fans couldn’t see Bryan take a bump due to his retirement from in-ring competition. The cell phone lighting reminded me of The Blair Witch Project, but that’s beside the point…
· Finn Bálor defeated Cesaro with a double stomp to the back of Cesaro’s neck in a good match. The action was technically sound, but the crowd was lukewarm early on. They came alive towards the end when Bálor got back on offense when he laid out Cesaro and Sheamus with a Flip Dive onto the outside which set up the finish moments later. The highlight of the match was Cesaro delivering a beautiful Superplex to Bálor from outside the ring while changing direction midflight. It was a sweet spot that should’ve popped the crowd, but they sat on their hands instead. Baltimore is giving me Green Bay vibes in the worst possible way.
· Bálor was heading backstage when Kane appeared on the main stage to confront him. Bálor charged after the Big Red Machine, but he got his ass kicked when Kane dropped him with the Tombstone Piledriver on the main stage. Why is it WWE’s mission to make Bálor look like a punk over the past couple of weeks? It’s destroying his credibility as a top-tier star which is beyond asinine.
· Kane notched another win under his belt when he defeated Seth Rollins with a Chokeslam in a decent match. Rollins had the match won, but Cesaro and Sheamus attacked Dean Ambrose at ringside which distracted Rollins long enough for Kane to pick up the win moments later.
· Kane tried to chokeslam Rollins again, but Ambrose made the save by dropping Kane with Dirty Deeds. However, the Big Red Machine sat up which allowed Cesaro and Sheamus to attack Ambrose from behind. Kane dropped Ambrose and Rollins with a pair of Tombstone Piledrivers as the segment came to an end.
· Kane destroying Finn Bálor and The Shield in one fell swoop is nauseating to watch. I understand that he’s getting built up for Braun Strowman, but sacrificing the biggest babyfaces on Raw is not the way to go. The Baltimore crowd’s apathy towards tonight’s show is becoming more understandable at this point.
· The second annual Trick or Street Fight took place as Heath Slater and Rhyno defeated Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows when Rhyno put Anderson through a table for the win. Anderson and Gallows competed in the same gimmick match last year when they faced off against Enzo Amore and Big Cass in a losing effort. At least the creative team is consistent when it comes to the Good Brothers eating the obligatory pin during Halloween season.
· Jason Jordan destroyed Elias’ guitar. It’s a sad day for stringed instruments everywhere.
· Miz trying to avoid a trip to the Upside Down courtesy of Braun Strowman is a super cute reference to Stranger Things. Strowman > Demogorgon. That is all.
· I love Drew Gulak and his propensity to speak the English language while Enzo Amore stares at him like a crazy person.
· Kalisto defeated Drew Gulak with the Salina Del Sol in a quick match. However, he didn’t get a chance to celebrate because Enzo attacked him from behind before hitting his variation of Eat Defeat.
· Alexa Bliss retained the Raw Women’s Championship when she nailed Mickie James with a wicked right hand for the win. The match was solid, but a small portion of the audience decided to go into business for themselves by starting up a “CM Punk” chant. Fortunately, the rest of the crowd booed them down which was nice to see.
· Mickie James losing so decisively was a little surprising considering how she’s been booked as a legit threat in recent weeks. With her officially pushed out of the title picture, Bliss will face SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya at Survivor Series. The match should be fine, but it would’ve been nice to see Natalya vs. Mickie James because they’re more compatible due to their in-ring experience and technical prowess.
· The Miz, Curtis Axel, and Bo Dallas was about to make a clean getaway when a red garbage truck stopped them in their tracks. The compactor unfurled as Braun Strowman stared down the men (Minus Dallas) that screwed him over at TLC last Sunday.
· The Miz and his Miztourage got out of the limo and ran for the hills as Strowman climbed on top of the limo and sprinted down the roof with the greatest of ease.
· He tossed Dallas on the main stage as Miz and Axel tried to fend off Strowman. It was to no avail as Strowman slammed Miz into the LED screen before taking apart the announce table. Axel and Dallas bailed Miz out of trouble, but Strowman chucked both men down the ramp as he set his sights on Miz. Miz avoided certain doom thanks to an assist from Axel, but the Ax Man paid a heavy price for his gallantry.
· Strowman dropped Axel with six Running Powerslams as the fans begged for more. Strowman hoisted Axel over his shoulder and carried him up the ramp before powerslamming him through the announce table as Miz looked on in horror as Raw went off the air with Strowman standing tall.
· Outside of The Shield’s ring entrance, Braun Strowman received the biggest pop of the night. Strowman got the full-on babyface treatment as he gave the people what they wanted by destroying everything in his path.
· My only criticism regarding the final segment is that I wished Strowman saved Finn Bálor, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins from Kane earlier in the show. The destruction would’ve been just as impactful if he smashed Kane, Cesaro, and Sheamus to bits. Perhaps he’s saving his revenge for next week as Raw emanates from Manchester, England. Minor quibble aside, this was a great way to end the show.
· Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw was middling at best. This was a heel-heavy show in terms of the bad guys coming out on top in every match. Seeing Bayley, Matt Hardy, Finn Bálor, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Kalisto, and Mickie James get their asses handed to them was sad to watch. Even when Bálor and Kalisto got their hands raised in victory, it didn’t last long because the heels had to get their heat back. It was a hard pill to swallow until Braun Strowman saved the day. Strowman destroying Curtis Axel ended the night on a high note. Here’s hoping the Monster Among Men brings his unique brand of chaos over the pond next week.
· In Survivor Series news, Shane McMahon will have something to say about Daniel Bryan getting choke-slammed by Kane at the request of Kurt Angle tomorrow night on SmackDown Live. How will Shane-O-Mac respond to Angle’s not so subtle message heading into the November Classic? We shall find out soon enough.
On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls!
Great article, describing a rather lackluster overall show.
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