The Raw Exposé: WWE Presents - Monster Mash III Starring Kane, Braun Strowman, and Brock Lesnar (AKA The Threequel From Hell)

By: Keila Cash

Location: Quicken Loans Arena (The Q)

State and City: Cleveland, Ohio (AKA: LeBron James Country)

·        Samoa Joe kicked off Raw by calling out Roman Reigns. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose were watching Joe’s promo from backstage as Ambrose ran off to find Reigns.

·        Joe continued to goad Reigns into a fight as he bragged about costing Ambrose and Rollins the Raw Tag Team Championship last week. He ruined The Shield’s chance of becoming a dominant force that holds all the gold in WWE. Reigns joined his Shield brothers backstage and told them that he would handle Joe on his own.

·        Reigns came down to the ring to fight Joe as the crowd popped for the confrontation. Reigns had things under control until Cesaro and Sheamus jumped him from behind. The ambush allowed Joe to lock Reigns in the Coquina Clutch as Rollins and Ambrose ran down to make the save.

·        The numbers game got the best of them as Sheamus and Cesaro laid Rollins out with the White Noise/Diving Neckbreaker before Joe dropped Ambrose with an Urnage as the opening segment came to an end with the heels standing tall in the ring.

·        This was a hot way to start the show. Samoa Joe cut a great promo explaining why he wasn’t intimidated by The Shield. Joe’s confidence was valid because he injured Seth Rollins’ knee the night after the Royal Rumble while Dean Ambrose was too scared to fight him like a man.

·        Joe put Roman Reigns to sleep more times than he could count which demonstrated his dominance on the main roster this year.

·        Therefore. The Black Sheep didn’t need backup in order get ahead. *cough* Bullshit… *cough*

·        Heels lie, but Joe still looked strong as he laid out The Shield thanks to an assist from The Bar. This was a nice way to set up the trio of matches set for later tonight featuring Joe vs. Ambrose, Rollins vs. Sheamus, and Reigns vs. Cesaro for the Intercontinental Championship.

·        Paige and Mandy Rose defeated Mickie James and Bayley when Rose pinned James after Paige kicked her in the head behind the referee’s back. The match was solid as Paige’s offense was crisper versus her so-so outing against Sasha Banks last week.

·        Absolution continues to dominate the women’s division, but the scripting of Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville needs to be overhauled ASAP. Paige needs to be the spokeswoman for the group. She has the charisma and presence to pull off WWE Speak than the NXT upstarts who have little experience in that department outside of their various promo classes at the Performance Center. They will get better in time, but they should stick to kicking ass instead of talking trash because it leaves the audience cold.

·        WOKEN Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt are raging a war that will see Woken Matt face off against the pilot embodying the spirit of Sister Abigail. Hardy mooing like a cow while cackling at the same time made me laugh to no end. Week two of the WOKEN Experiment is a success!

·        Finn Bàlor defeated Curtis Axel with the Coup De Grace in a quick match. Axel and Bo Dallas double teamed Bàlor before the bell rang, but Bàlor overcame the odds and pulled out the win. Who knew beating The Miztourage was such hard work? *Insert Sarcasm Here*

·        Seth Rollins defeated Sheamus with the King’s Landing/Ripcord Knee in a gritty match. Sheamus targeted Rollins left knee which caused Rollins to work with one leg midway through the bout.

·        Rollins sold the knee beautifully as he dropped Sheamus with a Superplex from the top rope followed by the Falcon’s Arrow while favoring the left knee at the same time. He tried to make the cover, but he couldn’t get the three-count because he was clutching his knee to numb the pain.

·        Sheamus got back on offense and was about to win the match with the Brogue Kick when Rollins countered with a Superkick followed by the Running Knee Strike for the win.

·        This was a strong match that the fans got into towards the end. Kudos to both men for a job well done.

·        The Second Chance Fatal Four Way match featuring Cedric Alexander, Tony Nese, Mustafa Ali, and Ariya Daivari ended with Alexander pinning Daivari with the Lumbar Check in a good match. Alexander will face Drew Gulak next week to determine the number one contender for Enzo Amore’s Cruiserweight Championship.

·        The match was fast-paced and hard-hitting throughout, but it lacked crowd heat. The audience has no reason to care about Alexander and Ali going at it unless they watch 205 Live on a regular basis. The standing Spanish Fly into a Lumber Check was the hottest spot of the match, but it still didn’t get the crowd on its feet. Until the wrestlers develop fleshed out personalities that grabs the audience’s on an emotional level, the apathy towards the Cruiserweight Division will continue which sucks considering the world-class talent involved.

·        However, an honorary mention goes to Drew Gulak for deflecting Michael Cole’s questions about beating Enzo for the Cruiserweight Title. Gulak dodged the issue like Neo from The Matrix. His sharp wit is refreshing which makes him stand out from the pack. He is a star on the rise who can get over if he’s given the chance to do so.

·        The burgeoning romance between Nia Jax and Enzo Amore continues. Drew Gulak being a part of the zaniness is the cherry on top.

·        Roman Reigns defeated Cesaro with the Spear to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a very good match. This was another bout where the heel targeted a body part as Cesaro went after Reigns’ right arm. Cesaro locked him in various armbars in order to gain the advantage.

·        Reigns powered through and got back on offense when he dropped Cesaro with a Powerbomb. He went for the Superman Punch, but Cesaro blocked him by targeting his arm. He nailed him with a sick European Uppercut for a near fall, but it wasn’t enough to put away Reigns.

·        Cesaro let his emotions get the best of him when he drilled Reigns with a series of uppercuts in the corner. The referee had to break things up which led to the finish moments later.

·        The Roman Reigns Intercontinental Championship Invitational rolls on with The Big Dog still holding the gold. For now…

·        Here’s my match tracker ranking Reigns’ IC Title defenses so far:

·        Reigns vs. Jordan > Reigns vs. Elias < Reigns vs. Cesaro.

·        Asuka’s match against Alicia Fox never took place because Absolution attacked Fox backstage.

·        After giving Asuka a pass over the past couple of weeks, Paige gave Asuka the chance to step aside or get pushed aside by Absolution. The Empress of Tomorrow stood her ground and was kicking Absolution’s ass until the numbers game caught up with her.

·        Paige was about to drop Asuka with the Ram Paige when Sasha Banks, Bayley, Mickie James, Alicia Fox, Dana Brooke, Nia Jax, and Alexa Bliss ran out to make the save.

·        Paige & Company are formidable as a trio, but they couldn’t withstand a seven-on-three beat down. For one night, the women’s locker room joined forces for the greater good. Don’t expect the warm and fuzzies to last long because egos will inevitably get in the way of keeping the peace long-term.

·        Samoa Joe made Dean Ambrose pass out to the Coquina Clutch thanks to an unlikely assist from Jason Jordan. Jordan was watching the match from ringside and decided to get an up-close look at the action as he made his way down ringside.

·        The action spilled to the outside as Jordan tossed Ambrose back in the ring to help him pick up the win via count out.

·        Joe put Jordan in the Coquina Clutch, but Ambrose broke things up with a dive through the ropes which took out both men.

·        Ambrose tossed Joe back in the ring and laid him out with an elbow from the top rope. Ambrose had the match won, but Jordan distracted the referee which gave Joe enough time to kick out at two (or seven).

·        Ambrose rolled out of the ring to confront Jordan. Jordan was about to drop the Lunatic Fringe with a Suplex until Joe laid out both men with a dive of his own before putting Ambrose to sleep for the win.

·        Samoa Joe’s plan wasn’t a total fail as he managed to save the night by taking care of Ambrose. Jordan continues to straddle the fence when it comes to his good intentions, but his true motive remains suspect as he cost Ambrose the match by “accident.”

·        After last week’s shaky performance, Jordan is starting to click as a quasi-heel that gets under the crowd’s skin for all the right reasons while Kurt Angle remains oblivious to his son’s less than noble actions as of late.

·        Braun Strowman vs. Kane ended via double count-out after both men failed to get back in the ring before the count of ten. Strowman and Kane were having a decent match that spilled into the crowd while the referee was counting.

·        Strowman slammed Kane through the barricade which led to the disappointing finish. The fans booed, but both monsters won them over when they continued the fight at ringside.

·        There was a steel steeps duel which saw Kane suffer the brunt of the hit. Strowman introduced a table to the proceedings as the crowd popped something fierce.

·        He set up the table, but Kane nailed him with a chair shot to the knee before nailing him several chair shots to the back.

·        Strowman fought back which resulted in both men taking a breather. Kane sat up first, but Strowman channeled his inner Undertaker by sitting up moments later as the Big Red Machine looked on in shock.

·        Kane tried to chokeslam Strowman, but the Monster Among Men countered as he put Kane through the table with a Running Powerslam.

·        Raw went off the air with Strowman standing tall while Corey Graves wondered who will face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble next month.

·        Based on the finish, I expect Kurt Angle to book a Triple Threat Match between Kane, Strowman, and Lesnar for the Universal Title. It makes sense despite Strowman and Lesnar having a less than stellar match at the No Mercy PPV a few months ago. Kane is a wild card, but I don’t expect this match to set the world on fire outside of a few power spots.

·        Finn Bàlor was sacrificed at the altar for this smorgasbord of ridiculata. Considering Joe’s dominating performance at Great Balls of Fire earlier this year, he’s more deserving of a rematch than the two resident monsters of WWE. Unless an 11th-hour decision is made next week, Monster Mash III is going down at the Royal Rumble next month. Oh, joy! *Insert Sarcasm Here*

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. The in-ring action was strong throughout the night which had a better flow from start to finish versus last week’s show. Every segment had a purpose which forwarded several storylines heading into the end of the year.

·        WWE is delaying Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe for the Intercontinental Championship which is smart since they have a lot of time between now and the Royal Rumble. Jason Jordan continues to stick his nose in their business which adds an extra wrinkle to their feud.

·        Meanwhile, Woken Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt continue to entertain which should lead to the Great War of 2018 if everything goes according to plan.

·        Sheamus and Cesaro & Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins will eventually settle their score while a certain duo waits in the wings to strike. No Flips, Just Fists…

·        Absolution got a dose of their own medicine when the numbers game caught up to them, but don’t expect the rest of the women’s locker room to play nice for long because the heel to face ratio is still unbalanced.

·        These moving parts are keeping Raw afloat as the march towards the 25^th Anniversary special rolls on. I’m not a huge fan of Brock Lesnar defending the Universal Championship against Kane or Braun Strowman at the Royal Rumble, but it shouldn’t be too bad if it makes sense from a booking standpoint. Finn Bàlor deserves the shot more, but that ship has sailed because he’s not OVER enough. Le sigh!

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! 

The Raw Exposé: The Woken Brilliance of Matt Hardy Edition (12-4-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. This is WWE’s fourth televised event in LA this year. Considering the fact that the company tends to go all out every time they run a show in La La Land, this should be an above average night in terms of in-ring action and storyline progression.

However, running the same market multiple times can ruin a good thing. Did the E avoid this doomsday scenario by delivering the goods in Tinsel Town? The answer to that question can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        Raw kicked off with Kurt Angle announcing Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose for the Raw Tag Team Championship and Roman Reigns defending the Intercontinental Title against {Insert Wrestle Here}, but Jason Jordan came out to interrupt.

·        Jordan wanted a shot at Reigns’ IC Title. The crowd booed him before adding a “Delete” chant for good measure.

·        Roman Reigns made his way to the ring and turned down Jordan’s challenge because he wanted to defend his title against Samoa Joe. Reigns offered Jordan a piece of advice by suggesting that he step up like a man instead of whining to his dad in order to get ahead.

·        Jordan scoffed at Reigns’ comment and claimed that Reigns hasn’t earned anything in his career because upper management anointed him as their designated poster boy.

·        Reigns checked Jordan by going over his resume over the past seven years. He earned his spot and implored Jordan to do the same as both men went face-to-face with Angle playing the role of mediator.

·        Samoa Joe appeared on the main stage and gave Reigns five seconds to cancel their IC Title match or suffer the consequences.

·        Jordan tried to cut a tough guy promo on Joe, but it was more yelp the bite. Reigns told Jordan to stay in his lane as he focused his attention on Joe.

·        Feeling disrespected, Jordan dropped Reigns with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex as Angle looked on in shock.

·        Reigns gathered his bearings and accepted Jordan’s challenge which took place after the commercial break.

·        This was a good way to start the show. Jason Jordan trying to be a badass on the mic was a total fail. The delivery was bad and his acting was even worse. Jordan’s turning heel, he needs to get a firm grasp on his character in order to pull it off.

·        Being a whiner suits him perfectly, but he needs to balance out the anger in a believable way in order to be taken seriously instead of getting laughed out of the building. Jordan’s presumed turn is in its early stages which gives the creative team time to work out the kinks until they are ready to pull the trigger. Here’s hoping Jordan and the Powers That Be comes up with a persona that generates heat for all the right reasons because he has potential to get over based on his in-ring skills alone.

·        Roman Reigns successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship when he pinned Jason Jordan with the Spear in a very good match. This was the epitome of a match having a strong beginning, middle, and end as Reigns dominated the action early on only for Jordan to turn the tables after the commercial break.

·        The highlight of the match was Jordan catching Reigns in midair and slamming him against the steel steps. Following another commercial break, Reigns was back on offense as he locked Jordan in a Half Boston Crab which targeted his injured left knee.

·        Jordan tried to grab the bottom rope, but Reigns kept pulling him to the center of the ring. Jordan countered out of the hold and pinned Reigns for a near fall. Reigns recovered and nailed Jordan with the Superman Punch. He tried to finish Jordan with the Spear, but Jordan countered with a knee to the face followed by a pair of Northern Lights Suplexes. There was a great piece of storytelling with Jordan pinning Reigns with his injured leg hanging off the canvas because it hurt too much to plant it for the three count.

·        Jordan went on the attack but ate a Spear for his efforts as Reigns retained the IC Title.

·        After the match was over, Samoa Joe made his way to the ring to pick the bones as he and Reigns got into a small scuffle before Joe locked in the Coquina Clutch. Jordan broke the hold by suplexing Joe but got rewarded with a Superman Punch from Reigns despite his good deed.

·        Backstage, Jordan confronted Kurt Angle and demanded a match against Samoa Joe. Angle checked his son and told him to chill out because he doesn’t want to give people the impression that he’s playing favorites. He told Jordan that his request was under consideration and ordered him to get out of his office.

·        Joe barged into Angle’s office and slammed Jordan against the wall to accept his challenge as Angle checked on his son.

·        Jordan playing on Angle’s emotions gives him deniable plausibility because he keeps getting his ass kicked on a regular basis. Jordan’s presumed heel turn is working in that respect.

·        Paige defeated Sasha Banks with the Ram-Paige in a decent match. Paige and Sasha worked hard, but their match lacked crowd heat until the last three minutes. It just didn’t click for some reason. Paige is still knocking off the ring rust and it showed because her offense was sloppy in spots.

·        Her attempt to powerbomb Sasha from the second rope almost ended in disaster because the execution was botched which caused Sasha to hit the canvas in a sick way.

·        Fortunately, The Boss was okay as she got up and traded right hands with Paige before locking her in the Bank Statement. Paige pulled herself near the ropes and broke the hold as Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose checked on her at ringside.

·        Mickie James and Bayley intervened on Sasha’s behalf but got their asses kicked by Deville and Rose which led to the finish moments later.

·        After the match was over, Absolution triple teamed Sasha as the segment ended with the heels standing tall on the main stage.

·        Absolution continues to impress, but they have to click as a unit between the ropes in order to get over. The fact that Paige’s first match in a year didn’t click with the LA crowd is a not an encouraging sign, to say the least. Let’s hoping this is a blip on the radar because Paige is a well-rounded performer who should have no problem getting over if she’s booked properly.

·        Does Nia Jax have a thing for Enzo Amore? That came out of nowhere…

·        Fatal Four Way #2 featuring Cedric Alexander, Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, and Mustafa Ali ended with Gulak pinning Ali after Alexander did the grunt work when he nailed his friend with the Lumbar Check. Gulak will face Rich Swann next week to determine the number one contender for Enzo Amore’s Cruiserweight Championship.

·        The match was fine, but it was nothing more than a glorified spot fest that generated minimal cheers at best. That’s the general rule of thumb when it comes to cruiserweight matches unless the layout bucks the trend. It happens on occasion, but it doesn’t matter when the wrestlers lack well-developed personalities which prevent the crowd from connecting with them on an emotional level.

·        Elias got destroyed by Braun Strowman in quick and decisive fashion. Here endeth the recap.

·        Kane appeared on the titantron and announced that he will face Strowman in a match next week. Their physical confrontations have been hit or miss, but we shall see how WWE plans to accentuate their strengths while hiding their weaknesses at the same time.

·        Asuka defeated Alicia Fox with an armbar in a quick match, but Fox suffered a bigger loss when Paige kissed their friendship goodbye as Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose left her lying in the ring.

·        They had the opportunity to do the same thing to Asuka, but Paige gave her a pass for the second week in a row. Is Absolution biding their time to strike or are they afraid that Asuka will destroy them without breaking a sweat? Hmm…

·        Finn Bàlor defeated Bo Dallas with the Coup De Grace in a decent match. Seeing Dallas dominate the action tested my suspension of disbelief, but Bàlor pulled out the win which was refreshing to see. However, the haphazard booking is doing him no favors when it comes to getting OVER. I wonder who should take the blame for that. Vince *cough* McMahon *cough”.

·        The official debut of “Woken” Matt Hardy was splendid. Hardy using the Seven Deities to interrupt Bray Wyatt’s promo was great. His cackling laugh at the end had me rolling in the best possible way. This was by far the hottest thing on the show so far and it’s not even close.

·        Sheamus and Cesaro retained the Raw Tag Team Titles when Sheamus nailed Dean Ambrose with the Brogue Kick and pulled Cesaro on top of Ambrose for the pin. The match was restarted after Sheamus intentionally got disqualified for beating up Seth Rollins mercilessly which caused the referee to end the match.

·        Kurt Angle came out and restarted the match under No DQ rules which allowed Samoa Joe to interfere as he attacked Rollins and Ambrose in the ring.

·        Roman Reigns ran down to the ring to make the save, but the distraction gave The Bar enough time to take advantage which led to the aforementioned finish.

·        Raw went off the air with The Shield recovering in the ring while Sheamus, Cesaro, and Joe escaped through the crowd.

·        This was a great match, but the overbooked finish was a bit much. This was the best thing on the show outside of the Woken Brilliance of Matt Hardy. The action was on point as Rollins and Ambrose played the babyfaces in peril until they made their respective comebacks. Cesaro and Sheamus did a great job isolating the faces from making the hot tag as they laid them out with their smash mouth offense.

·        The near falls had the crowd on their edge of their seats as the match hit its crescendo prior to the bullshit finish. Angle made things right, but the BS ending couldn’t be avoided. Despite the outcome, it makes sense from a storyline standpoint.

·        Samoa Joe stuck his nose in Roman Reigns’ business which should lead to a six-man tag featuring The Shield vs. The Bar and Joe next week in Cleveland, Ohio. WWE has put on some of their best shows at The Quicken Loans Arena over the past couple of years. Here’s hoping that hot streak remains intact as the company takes over the USA Network primetime lineup next week.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw was middling at best until the main event. The show started off strong with Roman Reigns defending the Intercontinental Championship against Jason Jordan. Things took a nosedive during the second hour with the surprisingly lackluster match between Paige and Sasha Banks. The Fatal Four Way featuring the Cruiserweights was fine, but it didn’t set the world on fire.

·        The third hour was a snooze fest until “Woken” Matt Hardy woke up the crowd. Outside of the final segment, this was a so-so show which shouldn’t be the case because WWE goes out of their way to put on a big show in Los Angeles.

·        As I mentioned last week, the company has run the LA market FOUR times this year which can lead to an oversaturation of their product. It appears that lull hit the crowd tonight because they were sleepy for most of the show. The show ended on a strong note despite the screwy finish, but it would behoove the E to limit their dates on the west coast next year.

·        The Staples Center is set to host NXT Takeover, Survivor Series, Raw, and SmackDown Live next November. Outside of a live broadcast during WrestleMania season, WWE should stay out of LA until then. It will make their live shows feel more special and prevent further burnout and low attendance from their Cali fan base.

·        On a more positive note, WWE has two matches announced for next week with Rich Swann facing Drew Gulak to determine the number one contender for the Cruiserweight Championship while Kane and Braun Strowman finally settle their score in the ring. For real this time. I think…

·        Meanwhile, The Shield will probably challenge Sheamus, Cesaro, and Samoa Joe to a match in order to exact revenge for what happened during the Raw Tag Team Championship match. Jason Jordan is the wild card because he has a bone to pick with Reigns and Joe after both men punked him out earlier tonight. Will Kurt Angle’s long lost son continue to manipulate his father in order to get what he wants? I guess we shall find out next week as Raw emanates from The Q in Cleveland. It should be a hot show. Fingers crossed!

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!

The Raw Exposé: WWE Presents - Under Siege 1.5 (A Survivor Series Story Part II)

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!