The Raw Exposé: Prelude To A Shield Reunion - The Big Dog Goes Down (Chapter One)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. No Mercy lived it up to its namesake as Roman Reigns proved that he was The Guy by defeating John Cena in the most important match of his career thus far while Brock Lesnar schooled Braun Strowman that bigger doesn’t always mean better by successfully defending the Universal Championship. Word on the internet street suggests that Lesnar vs. Reigns II is set in stone for next year’s WrestleMania. Did WWE start planting the seeds or did they throw fans a curveball instead? 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 invited Roman Reigns to Miz TV so they could shoot the breeze about Reigns defeating John Cena at No Mercy last night. Reigns respected Cena and thanked him for holding down the fort for the past 15 years. It was time for the Big Dog to focus his attention on winning the Universal Championship from Brock Lesnar instead of wasting his time talking to Miz.

·        Miz felt disrespected by Reigns’ comment because he was the only one in the ring with a title draped over his shoulder. Reigns noted that Miz needed help in order to retain the Intercontinental Championship and asked The Miztourage to fetch him a beer.

·        Miz shot back by saying Reigns rode the coattails of The Shield and claimed that he and his crew could beat them if they were around five years ago.

·        Reigns laughed at Miz’s assertion and stated that The Shield would kick their asses in quick fashion. Miz scolded Reigns for choking in big matches against Brock Lesnar, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman in recent months. Miz wanted the spotlight on him since he held the most important title on Raw.

·        Reigns agreed and challenged him to a match. Miz declined and made a hasty exit when Kurt Angle stopped him in his tracks.

·        Angle announced that Miz will face Reigns later tonight while Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel teamed up against Matt Hardy and Jason Jordan which took place after the commercial break.

·        This was a fine way to start the show. Reigns held his own on the mic while Miz heeled it up for maximum effect by teasing a Shield reunion. It’s a surefire way for Reigns to get unanimously cheered by the crowd. It might do him a world of good heading into his presumed Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania next year.

·        Matt Hardy and Jason Jordan defeated Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel when Hardy pinned Dallas with the Twist of Fate in a decent match. The crowd was lukewarm throughout, but they popped for the finish. Kurt Angle announcing Jordan as Hardy’s tag team partner during the opening segment killed the fans’ enthusiasm which carried over into the match. The Jason Jordan Experiment is hanging on by a thread. Let’s hope he gets a character revamp because his in-ring work is not enough to overcompensate for a storyline that has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese.

·        Elias defeated Apollo Crews with the Drift Away in an okay match. Crews dominated the action and was over with the crowd until Elias kicked Titus O’Neil in the leg at ringside which led to the distraction finish moments later.

·        Elias continued to attack O’Neil until the founder of Titus Worldwide fought back which sent The Drifter into retreat. An Elias-O’Neil feud is not going to set the world on fire, but it gives both men something to do. Something is better than nothing I suppose.

·        Finn Bálor is done with Bray Wyatt and plans to reclaim the Universal Title that he never lost in the first place. Interesting development…

·        Curt Hawkins provided the perfect pick me up for Braun Strowman as he got destroyed in epic fashion. Strowman chased Hawkins down and chokeslammed him through a table near the production area. He followed things up by powerslamming Hawkins through the LED screen. It was a sick spot that popped the crowd something fierce.

·        Strowman got back in the ring and demanded a fight against anyone in the locker room. Living up to his Lunatic Fringe moniker, Dean Ambrose was more than willing to accept the challenged. Does Ambrose have a death wish? We shall find out soon enough.

·        Braun Strowman returned to max power by defeating Dean Ambrose with a Powerslam in a good match. Ambrose was scrappy and had Strowman down for a ten count, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Monster Among Men. Dare I say Strowman had a better match against Ambrose than he did against Brock Lesnar last night? I dare.

·        Alexa Bliss and Mickie James had quite the exchange in the ring. James delivered her best mic work since returning to WWE earlier this year as she schooled Bliss on respecting those that paved the way for her. Bliss made fun of James being an old lady who was clinging on to her glory years. In return, James slapped her before kicking Little Miss Bliss in the face for good measure.

·        The segment started a little rough with the crowd chanting “What?” at Bliss, but things got better once James made her way to the ring. Their previous matches haven’t been great, but I expect both ladies to deliver the goods if they are given the chance to do so. Most importantly, it’s a different feud that fans might care about on an emotional level for a change. How refreshing!

·        Seth Rollins defeated Sheamus with a knee to the face in a solid match. Cesaro played the role of cheerleader at ringside, but the outcome was never in doubt.

·        I guess Goldust’s babyface turn lasted for a week because he attacked Finn Bálor backstage. Goldust claimed that Bálor viewed him as a victim who needed to be saved from Bray Wyatt a few weeks ago. Bálor apologized, but Goldust responded by kicking his ass.

·        If this is leading to a Goldust vs. Bálor match, I am all for it. Goldust is a very good wrestler who can show up and show out when the lights are on bright. This could be a sleeper hit if everything goes according to plan. Hollywood pun intended.

·        Roman Reigns defeated The Miz when he nailed Miz with a Spear for the win. Reigns didn’t get a chance to celebrate as The Miztourage jumped him from behind. Reigns fought back and nailed Miz with a Superman Punch and was about to finish him off with a powerbomb when Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel hit him with a chair shot to the back.

·        The chair attack continued until Miz dropped Reigns with the Skull Crushing Finale. Miz and his crew headed up the ramp when Miz noticed that Reigns was starting to get up.

·        They ran back in the ring and continued to kick Reigns’ ass. Miz hit Reigns with another SCF on the chair before striking him in the back once more. The heels stood over Reigns as they did The Shield fist bump which added insult to injury.

·        This was a great way for Miz and his Miztourage to get heat while setting up a presumed Shield reunion in the process. It would be fitting for the gang to get back together at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs because their in-ring debut took place at this very PPV almost five years ago. Miz is a proxy when it comes to former friends reconciling in recent months. Did he receive his group therapy certification from Dr. Shelby?

·        Finn Bálor defeated Goldust with the Coup De Grace in a decent match. Goldust put up a good fight, but the outcome was academic. I wished the match was more competitive, but Goldust’s job is to enhance talent at this stage of his career. It’s sad but true.

·        After the match was over, Bray Wyatt spooked Bálor by having a little girl sing “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands.” I thought this feud was over. Bálor beat Wyatt clean with and without face paint. It’s time for both men to move the hell on at this point.

·        Sasha Banks and Bayley defeated Nia Jax and Emma when Bayley pinned Emma with the Bayley-to-Belly in a decent match. Jax targeted Bayley’s arm throughout, but the Hugger Extraordinaire gutted it out and made the hot tag to Banks. Banks cleaned house and helped Bayley take out Jax at ringside which led to the aforementioned finish. Unfortunately, the match took place during the 10:30 Lull Period of Death which left the crowd listless for the most part.

·        The main event segment shined a spotlight on the Cruiserweight Division as Enzo Amore embraced being an arrogant asshole who wasn’t ashamed to admit that he cheated his way to victory by defeating Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship at the No Mercy PPV last night.

·        Enzo was so proud of himself that he decided to retire his Certified G Jersey. The rest of the Cruiserweights came out and Enzo threw shade at Rich Swann for being irrelevant, accused Cedric Alexander of having no personality, and claimed that Gran Metalik was too big for 205 Live.

·        Neville came out to confront Enzo, but Enzo took potshots at Neville’s ears looking like a pair of satellite dishes. Neville laid into him for being a slug who was dumped at the doorstep of 205 Live because no one else wanted him. The wrestlers vouched for him, but he’s bought a toxicity to the division that must be removed. Neville was the man for the job as he made his way to the ring.

·        Enzo warned Neville that he couldn’t touch him if wanted another shot at the Cruiserweight Title. Enzo continued to run his mouth about Neville not sniffing the main event scene until now. He bragged about his merchandise sales and told Neville to get the hell out of his ring.

·        Neville responded by attacking Enzo and slamming him head first into the framed Certified G Jersey.

·        He tossed Enzo into the barricade as the fans cheered him on. Enzo tried to run away, but rest of the Cruiserweights forced him to get back in the ring. Neville finished him off with the Red Arrow as Raw went off the air with Neville standing tall while Enzo was laid out in the ring.

·        This was a very interesting way to end the show. One has to assume that Enzo Amore is a full-blown heel at this point. He was totally unlikeable which plays into his real-life persona behind the scenes. If WWE wants to make him the most hated man in the company, they are doing a very good job at the moment. However, the Cruiserweight Division needs to be elevated in the process.

·        Neville gave up a title shot in order to stand up for a division he has carried on his back for over nine months. He’s a great heel, but his offense and high-flying prowess scream lovable babyface. Enzo being the pest heel who gets on everyone nerves is Neville’s way to get back in the fans’ good graces. The Ontario crowd wasn’t super hot for the final segment, but there are signs that Neville can be a strong face that could put Enzo in his place if or when he gets another shot at the Cruiserweight Championship.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was middling at best. The in-ring action was nothing to write home about, but WWE did a nice job foreshadowing The Shield reuniting after Roman Reigns got ambushed by The Miz and his Miztourage. It should be quite the moment when the Hounds of Justice bump fists once more. *Sniff*

·        The Ontario crowd was pretty lukewarm throughout the broadcast. The company didn’t give them a lot to get excited about as the show started to drag after the second hour. My guilty pleasure of the night goes to the entertaining exchange between Mickie James and Alexa Bliss and Enzo Amore being the world’s biggest asshole during the main event segment. Everything else was sort of there without the star power of John Cena and Brock Lesnar.

·        Here’s hoping the creative team has something up their sleeve because now is not the time to shrink away from Monday Night Football. There are moving pieces navigating across the chess board, but there needs to be a level of consistency and excitement to keep fans hooked as the fall television season gets underway. The Shield reunion is a nice start, but more needs to be done to make up for Brock Lesnar chilling on his farm for the foreseeable future.

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!