By: Keila Cash
Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The biannual European Tour is in full swing as the march towards Survivor Series continues. Did Brand Wars 2017 resonate overseas or is it a passing fad that only works stateside? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.
· The Miz kicked off Raw by throwing shade at Baron Corbin as he prepares to go one-on-one with the Lone Wolf at Survivor Series in a couple of weeks. Kurt Angle was eventually introduced as Miz’s guest as the overwrought segment kicked into middle gear.
· The promo exchange between Miz and Angle was tedious to watch. Both men were going through the motions as a series of video packages recapped what has transpired on the show over of the past couple of weeks ranging from Stephanie McMahon chewing out Angle to Kane attacking Daniel Bryan while Bryan was locked in Angle’s office.
· Angle claimed that he didn’t have anything to do with Bryan getting beat up, but Miz didn’t believe him. Instead, Miz blamed Angle for putting him and his Miztourage in harm’s way by siccing Braun Strowman on them last week.
· Miz noted that Strowman was added to Team Raw because he was doing Angle’s bidding. Angle denied the allegation and told Miz that Strowman would only join his team under one condition: He wanted a match against Miz. Angle was more than happy to honor his request and booked the bout for later tonight as the opening segment came to an end with Miz begging his boss to call off the match.
· This was an okay way to start the show. I thought the opening segment overstayed its welcome with Miz and Angle trading verbal barbs without any rhyme or reason. Throw in the needless video packages that recapped recent events and we have the perfect recipe for how to bore an audience to tears. At least the Manchester crowd popped for Miz vs. Strowman to end things on a positive note.
· The Guitar on a Pole Match between Jason Jordan and Elias came to an anticlimactic end when Jordan grabbed the guitar and smashed Elias in the back with it for the win. The match was fine, but it was clear that the live crowd was rooting for The Drifter despite the noise being turned down in post-production.
· Asuka made quick work of Stacy Coates when she made Coates tap out to the Asuka Lock. The crowd was absolutely dead for the match which was sad to see.
· Samoa Joe vs. Titus O’Neil never got underway because Joe attacked Apollo Crews from behind before choking out O’Neil with the Coquina Clutch on the entrance ramp.
· Joe dismissed Crews and O’Neil for not being on his level and called out anyone in the back to prove him wrong. Finn Bàlor made his way to the ring to accept Joe’s challenge as the announcers tossed to a commercial break.
· Finn Bàlor vs. Samoa Joe ended via double count-out when both men took their fight to the outside and failed to get back in the ring before the count of ten.
· Before the unsatisfying finish, Bàlor and Joe had a good match. The crowd heat was fine, but I felt that the noise was still being messed with in post-production which hampered the broadcast from an excitement standpoint.
· After the match was over, Bàlor and Joe continued to brawl on the ramp until WWE officials broke things up. Kurt Angle came out and announced that both men would be on Team Raw at Survivor Series based on their passion and competitive spirit.
· Instead of singing Kumbaya, Bàlor laid out took out Joe with a sick dive off the stage as the segment came to an end. So much for teamwork…
· In a clear sign of nepotism, Kurt Angle awarded Jason Jordan the final spot on Team Raw at Survivor Series. Nothing brings a family together like a fake brand war with potential unemployment implications.
· Sasha Banks and Bayley defeated Nia Jax and Alicia Fox when Banks made Fox tap out to the Bank Statement in a decent match. The Manchester crowd serenaded Bayley which was nice to see. At least she still has some value as a babyface overseas. For now…
· After the match was over, Fox admitted that she needed Banks on her team at Survivor Series and made it so by adding The Boss to the mix. Bayley’s name was left out which might cause tension between the BFFs.
· Braun Strowman vs. The Miz ended in a No Contest when Kane made his way down to the ring to fight Strowman. Strowman laid out the Big Red Machine with a Running Powerslam, but Kane sat up moments later. Strowman clotheslined him out of the ring, but the OG monster landed on his feet. Strowman looked on in shock as Kane survived the brunt of his offense which allowed Miz and Bo Dallas to attack Strowman from behind.
· Their rally was short-lived as Strowman took out Dallas with a running charge in the corner before doing the same to Miz. He finished the A-Lister off with a Running Powerslam as the segment came to an end.
· This was a smart way to protect Strowman and Miz from eating a loss heading into Survivor Series in a couple of weeks. I have a sneaking suspicion that Kane will get involved in the Men’s Traditional Interbrand 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match by screwing over Strowman in order to help SmackDown Live score a crucial pinfall. Brand loyalty be damned!
· This Enzo Amore promo is draining me to no end.
· Pete Dunne to the rescue! Thank goodness!
· Pete Dunne defeated Enzo Amore with the Bitter End in a serviceable match. Dunne woke the crowd up and it was a treat to watch him in action for the first time since his excellent United Kingdom Championship match against Tyler Bate at NXT Takeover: Chicago earlier this year. Here’s hoping we see more of the Bruiserweight on WWE television because he has what it takes to be a true star if he’s showcased properly.
· Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to become the NEW Raw Tag Team Champions when Sheamus nailed Rollins with a Brogue Kick for the win. The match was very good as the action was fast paced and hard hitting throughout. The near falls hooked the live crowd down the stretch, but a surprise appearance from a certain trio stopped the Tag Title Bout in its tracks.
· The New Day made their way through the crowd to taunt Raw for being a boring three-hour B Show. They announced that the red brand was under siege once again which caused Kurt Angle to round up the troops and take the fight to SD Live.
· Team Raw made their way down to the ring and was about to confront The New Day when the four-time World Tag Team Champs bid adieu which led to the aforementioned finish moments later.
· The dream match of The Usos vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins is off as The Bar will represent Raw at Survivor Series instead. Minor downgrade aside, both teams are still capable of having a show-stealing match if they are given enough time to do so.
· Meanwhile, Raw got punked by SD Live once again which is not a good sign heading into the PPV next weekend. Here’s hoping the red brand strikes back in a big way because Brand Wars 2017 needs a shot of adrenaline to push this faux rivalry over the top.
· It appears that The Shield will be facing off against The New Day to prove which faction reigns supreme in WWE (pun somewhat intended). Roman Reigns is scheduled to reunite with his Shield brothers next week which should be a big moment, to say the least. Throw in Ambrose and Rollins being pissed off at The New Day for costing them the Raw Tag Team Titles and we have another show-stealing match on our hands.
· Most importantly, this is a smart way to ease Reigns back in the swing of things after being out of action with an undisclosed illness. He doesn’t have to be the workhorse, but he can come through in the clutch to secure a win for Team Raw at Survivor Series. Therefore, the title switch makes sense in the grand scheme of things despite the tag belts being tossed around like a game of hot potato as of late.
· Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The in-ring action was so-so with the exception of the main event. There were several matches that either didn’t start at all or ended via double count. Finn Bàlor, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and The Miz should not be eating pins this close to Survivor Series. However, the booking left a lot to be desired because seeing the same finish in multiple matches can kill the crowd’s enthusiasm unless the heels get their comeuppance. Fortunately, Joe and Miz got theirs which prevented the Manchester crowd from going into business for themselves for the rest of the show.
· Next week is the next to last show before Survivor Series. The Raw go-home show happens to take place in my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. With Brock Lesnar and The Shield set to appear, will my fellow ATLiens ball out or sit on their hands instead? The answer to that question can be found in next week’s blog. Stay tuned!
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!
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