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: Reclaiming Her House - A Paige Turner Production (11-20-2017)

By: Keila Cash 

·     Monday Night Raw kicked off with a twisted WWE dramatization of Family Ties as Stephane McMahon, Triple H, Kurt Angle, and Jason Jordan argued about who was going to kick HHH’s ass first. Stephanie claimed that her husband wasn’t afraid of anyone. Cue Braun Strowman as he made his way to the ring to confront The Game.

·        Strowman got in Hunter’s face as Steph quickly got out of the ring. Triple H followed suit as fans chanted “You’re a Coward.” Stephanie acknowledged the crowd’s bloodthirst and booked Strowman in a match against Jason Jordan as the opening segment came to an end.

·        Revenge by Proxy is the perfect way to sum up the opener. Stephanie McMahon is using Jordan as a human punching bag so he can take the hit that Triple H is afraid to take against Strowman. Plus, Angle has to watch his son suffer the worst beating of his professional career which screams Shakespearian Drama. Outside of that, this was a pretty uneventful way to start the show.

·        Samoa Joe defeated Finn Bálor when he made Bálor pass out to the Coquina Clutch in a good match. Joe dominated the action throughout, but Bálor overcame the onslaught when he rolled out of the Coquina Clutch and delivered a double foot stomp to Joe followed by a dropkick in the corner.

·        Bálor went for the Coup De Grace, but Joe pulled him off the top rope and locked in his submission hold for the win moments later. This was a nice showcase for both men, but this was all about getting Joe over as a monster heel. Bálor’s time will come soon enough.

·        Asuka defeated Dana Brooke with a stiff kick to the face in a quick match. After a rocky start, Asuka is finally being presented as an unstoppable monster who should be feared and revered. My concerns about WWE fucking things up has been quelled. For now…

·        The latest edition of Miz TV was highly entertaining as The Shield invited themselves on the show. Miz wanted a thank you for facilitating The Shield reunion. The fans shockingly agreed as they chanted “Thank You Miz” followed by “Miz Is Awesome” which took The Shield aback. The Miz refused to thank the Houston crowd as he made fun of The Shield for not having any championships while he had one despite losing to Baron Corbin last night.

·        Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins told Miz that they planned to win back the Raw Tag Team Titles from Sheamus and Cesaro. Roman Reigns felt left out, but Rollins reassured him that he could challenge Miz for the Intercontinental Championship.

·        Bo Dallas stood up to The Hounds of Justice and claimed that they had to go through him and Curtis Axel before going after Miz. Ambrose was more than happy to oblige as The Shield attacked the Miztourage.

·        Ambrose and Rollins double teamed Axel before joining Reigns to deliver a Triple Powerbomb as Miz looked on in horror.

·        All in all, this was a fun segment that made me laugh from start to finish. The Miz outdid Dr. Shelby by reuniting The Shield in the most unorthodox way possible. He deserves a cut of their residual checks, but I doubt that’s going happen. It’s the thought that counts, though.

·        Dean Ambrose defeated Sheamus with Dirty Deeds in a good match. The action was hard-hitting and physical throughout as Sheamus targeted Ambrose’s right arm early on. Cesaro tried to interfere on his partner’s behalf which led to a couple of near falls down the stretch.

·        Rollins came through in the clutch when he laid out Cesaro with a tope which led to the finish moments later. One can assume that Ambrose’s win will lead to a future Tag Title rematch against The Bar in the very near future.

·        The Fatal Four Way match featuring Mickie James, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Alicia Fox came to a halt when PAIGE made her triumphant return to Monday Night Raw.

·        The fans gave her a great ovation as she announced to the world that she was back. However, The Scream Queen didn’t come alone as Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville attacked Sasha Banks and Mickie James from behind as Paige led the charge.

·        Alicia Fox made the right business decision by running away while the NXT upstarts pounced on the babyfaces.

·        Paige capped things off when she hit Bayley with the Ram Paige as the segment came to an end with the NXT upstarts and Paige standing tall in the ring.

·        What a crazy turn of events! I’m concerned that Deville and Rose are not quite ready for primetime, but we shall see how they fair on the main roster before making any snap judgments.

·        Alexa Bliss was also on the receiving end of an ass whopping as Paige, Deville, and Rose triple teamed her backstage. It appears that no one is safe which raises the stakes in the Women’s Division for the first time in months. Asuka’s debut was a game changer, but Paige and Company just flipped the script in the best possible way. Most importantly, there are fresh feuds to look forward to instead of the same three or four women vying for Bliss’ championship. Three cheers for parity!

·        Braun Strowman vs. Jordan Jason ended abruptly when Kane attacked Strowman from behind. Jordan ran backstage as The Big Red Machine hit Strowman with a steel chair as he continued his attack outside the ring. Kane slammed Strowman against the steel steps before smashing his throat against the chair as The Monster Among Men gasped for air.

·        Strowman did a great sell job as he did everything in his power to breathe as he refused medical attention from WWE officials.

·        Last week’s brawl between Kane and Strowman was a dud, but they made up for it this week as weapons were used to up the ante in terms of heat. Here’s hoping both men continue to develop in-ring chemistry because their previous encounters have left a lot to be desired thus far.

·        Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa, and Mustafa Ali defeated Drew Gulak, Noam Dar, Tony Nese, and Ariya Daivari when Ali pinned Gulak with the Inverted 450 Splash in a decent match. Talent and work rate aside, the Cruiserweight Division is spinning in its wheels at the moment. There is no sense of momentum as Enzo’s reign as Cruiserweight Champion has turned the beleaguered purple brand into a parody of its former self. It’s sad to watch.

·        Roman Reigns defeated The Miz with the Spear to become the NEW Intercontinental Champion in a very good main event match. Miz had one of the better matches of his career as he went toe-to-toe with Reigns from start to finish.

·        Miz did a great job countering Reigns’ Superman Punch as he avoided it every turn down the stretch. However, he made a costly mistake by going up to the top rope as Reigns finally hit his target.

·        Reigns was about to hit the Spear when Sheamus and Cesaro came out to interfere. Reigns knocked them off the ring apron, but the distraction gave Miz enough time to hit the Skull Crushing Finale for a near fall.

·        Reigns had backup of his own as Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins made their way to ringside to attack Sheamus and Cesaro. Ambrose back dropped Cesaro on the floor while Rollins helped Ambrose clothesline Sheamus over the barricade which led to the aforementioned finish moments later. Raw went off the air with The Shield standing tall as the announcers noted that Reigns completed the grand slam by winning the Intercontinental Title. Congrats to the Big Dog for a job well done.

·        This was a strong way to end the show. Reigns winning the IC Title should help elevate the belt to new heights. His reign (no pun intended) should be a short one because he has a presumed date with Lesnar at WrestleMania next year. Once Miz invokes his rematch clause, things should be clearer when it comes to future contenders. Based on his performance tonight, Samoa Joe could be next in line for a title shot. The Battle of Badass Samoans sounds good to me. Will WWE pull the trigger? We shall find out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was decent at best. This didn’t feel like a hot post-PPV show considering everything that went down at Survivor Series last night. Things got better during the second hour with Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus and Paige’s return with Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose in tow.

·        The third hour was nondescript until the main event which saw Miz and Reigns deliver one the better television matches of the year. Therefore, the positives outweighed the fluff which made the show enjoyable to watch for the most.

·        Raw has plenty of downtime on their hands between now and the Royal Rumble. With the exception of the 25^th Anniversary special taking place January 22^nd, there is no major event on the docket. The creative team can try new things as the holiday season approaches. If they give fans a reason to tune in, everything should be fine. If not, bah humbug! Winter is coming, ladies and gentleman. Prepare accordingly.

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The Raw Exposé. I hope you enjoyed it and I will back tomorrow night with a brand new installment of The SmackDown Files. See you later, boys and girls! 

The SmackDown Files: The Raw Empire Strikes Back Edition (11-14-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. With this being the final live show before Survivor Series, one can only assume that Raw will carry out a counterattack on the blue brand after Shane McMahon put them under siege a few weeks ago. Did Kurt Angle and company unleash the fury of a thousand burning suns or did they make peace with their blue counterpart over a warm glass of milk 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.

·        SD Live opened with the corniest pep rally in history. It was cheesier than a bowl of mac and cheese drenched with Velveeta on top.  

·        Fortunately, Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles salvaged things as Bryan did his best Paul Heyman impersonation as he hyped Styles vs. Brock Lesnar to the hilt. Bryan accused Lesnar of being a quitter when things got tough. He quit WWE in 2004 and left UFC when a weak ass knee bar forced him into retirement in 2011.

·        Lesnar was big and strong, but he was afraid to swim in the deep end. His thick head would keep him afloat for about ten minutes before he mentally checked out. Styles’ speed and athleticism would wear Lesnar down because he had the stamina to withstand The Beast’s onslaught.

·        Bryan stated that Lesnar will be beaten, victimized, and conquered mentally by Styles at Survivor Series because he is the best wrestler of this generation.

·        Styles thanked Bryan for speaking on his behalf, but he could speak for himself, unlike Lesnar who is nothing more than a puppet that Heyman props up time and time again.

·        Styles put Heyman on notice that Lesnar was about to star in an AJ Styles Production that will see the WWE Champion come out on top as the opening segment came to an end.

·        Bullshit pep rally aside, this was a good way to start the show. Bryan cut a passionate promo as he put over Styles’ unparalleled talent and tenacity while shading Lesnar’s tendency to quit under pressure. Here’s hoping the bout lives up to expectations because both men are capable of delivering a classic if they’re given enough time to do so.

·        Baron Corbin retained the United States Championship when he defeated Sin Cara with End of Days in a solid match. Sin Cara dictated the pace, but Corbin outsmarted him when he avoided Sin Cara’s Senton from the top rope which led to the finish moments later.

·        Corbin will face The Miz at Survivor Series in a United States Champion vs. Intercontinental Champion match that looks absolutely bland on paper. Heel vs. Heel matchups are usually a fail and I expect Miz to be the de facto babyface because he has more credibility in terms of experience and tenure. Try reading that with a straight face five years ago.

·        Despite Daniel Bryan bleeding blue through and through, he still has a bone to pick when it comes to Shane McMahon abusing his power. I guess Shane-O-Mac is heading to the principal’s office despite being the head honcho in charge…

·        Charlotte became a five-time Women’s Champion when she made Natalya tap out to the Figure Eight in a good match. Charlotte’s Drive for Five has come to an end as she will represent SD Live when she faces Alexa Bliss at Survivor Series on Sunday.

·        Charlotte and Natalya had one of their better matches since their epic battle at the first NXT Takeover in May 2014. It was hard-hitting and physical throughout. When both ladies are given time to put in that work, they always over deliver and tonight was no exception.

·        After the match was over, Renee Young interviewed Charlotte in the ring about her win. Charlotte thanked the hometown crowd and noted that she’s been gunning for the SmackDown Women’s Title since the Superstar Shakeup earlier this year. She looked forward to her match against Little Miss Bliss because The Queen wanted to put the Goddess in her place while representing Team Blue to the fullest.

·        Finally, Charlotte dedicated her win to Ric Flair. Her father couldn’t be there tonight, but she knew that he was watching from home which made the moment even sweeter.

·        As she was heading up the ramp, Flair’s music hit which meant only one thing…The Nature Boy appeared on WWE television for the first time since his health scare as he received a big pop in Flair Country.

·        Charlotte ran into her father’s arms as tears were shed by all. That was a nice moment to push her victory over the top.

·        Jimmy Uso defeated Chad Gable with a Superkick in a solid match. Gable has developed a mean streak in recent weeks which suits him perfectly. He is such a dynamic performer that he can get over as a heel or a babyface. If WWE commits to Gable and Shelton Benjamin long-term, they could be an elite tag team in 2018.

·        The New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn came to an abrupt end when The Shield put SD Live under siege. I think the trio jumped the gun because the crowd sensed something was about to happen as they focused their attention on the middle aisle instead of the action unfolding in the ring. Sure enough, The Hounds of Justice were on the prowl and all hell was about to break loose.

·        Owens and Zayn stood side by side with The New Day, but they had no sense of brand loyalty as they left them high and dry in the ring. The Shield pounced which led to a full-on brawl.

·        The Usos ran out to make the save which led to an interesting standoff with their cousin Roman Reigns. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins quickly went on the attack as Reigns looked on remorsefully. His sense of family was short-lived as the ass-kicking commenced.

·        The camera cut backstage to the women from Team Raw barging inside the SD Live Women’s Locker Room as they kicked their asses from pillar to post. Even Lana wasn’t spared from the onslaught. Charlotte tried to stand up for her team, but she got decked by Alexa Bliss instead.

·        Back in the ring, Shane led his team into battle as they traded blows with The Shield. Cesaro, Sheamus, Finn Bálor, Samoa Joe, Apollo Crews, and Titus O’Neil joined the fight as they hit everything that moved.

·        Kurt Angle appeared on the main stage and brought out Braun Strowman to finish the job. From there, Shane was a sitting duck as The Shield made him watch the carnage unfold at ringside. Angle got in Shane’s face and vowed that he will finish him off at Survivor Series before giving The Shield the Thumbs Down to drop Shane-O-Mac with the Triple Powerbomb. Angle followed things up by laying him out with the Angle Slam for good measure.

·        The Shield dropped Shane with another Triple Powerbomb as SD Live went off the air with Team Raw standing tall while the blue brand was in retreat mode.

·        It should be noted that AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal were protected from the ass whopping. I guess they left the building early which was very smart on their part.

·        In all seriousness, this was a great way to end the show. Unlike Under Siege: Part I, the sequel was better in terms of execution and crowd heat. Shane McMahon fired the first shot and Kurt Angle delivered the final salvo five days before Survivor Series. Angle didn’t flash a smile or show compassion for his adversary because his job is on the line Sunday. Will both men harken back to their classic match at King of the Ring 16 years ago minus the Plexiglas from Hell spot? We shall find out soon enough.

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was decent at best. The in-ring action was so-so with the exception of the SmackDown Women’s Championship Match between Charlotte and Natalya. The main event was nothing more than a segue to Under Siege II which has been teased on television over the past few weeks. It was worth the wait as Team Raw fed SD Live a big slice of humble pie with a side order of crow.

·        However, the red brand can’t claim victory just yet. The matches will tell the true story of Survivor Series as AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar and The Men’s Traditional 5-on-5 Elimination Match will determine which show reigns supreme. It’s like Bragging Rights 2009-2010 minus the fake ass Stanley Cup Trophy.

·        Raw vs. SmackDown is a tried and tired concept, but I commend WWE for making the November Classic feel special for the first time in years. It should be a great show if everything goes accordingly to plan. With NXT Takeover: War Games taking center stage the night before, the main roster better step their game up or they will be left in the dust by Triple H’s brainchild. Here’s hoping the E’s four-night stand in Houston is unforgettable for all the right reasons. Fingers crossed!

On that note, this wraps up another edition of The SmackDown Files. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be back next week with a brand new installment of The Raw Exposé. See you later, boys and girls! 

The Raw Exposé: WWE Presents - Who's Your Daddy (A Triple H Story)

By: Keila Cash 

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The Raw Exposé. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the first of two go-home shows for Survivor Series which takes place this Sunday. With another European Tour in the books, did the red brand crew feel refreshed or jetlagged once they returned to the States? Most importantly, did my hometown stay awake for all three hours? The answers can be found throughout this blog. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        The Shield saved Kurt Angle from losing his job six days before Survivor Series by preventing Stephanie McMahon from saying her father’s favorite catchphrase.

·        No one was fired tonight as Roman Reigns put Stephanie in her place by challenging The New Day to a match at Survivor Series. If the trio had the balls to say yes, The Shield was going to kick their ass come Sunday. And with that, the opening segment came to an end with The Hounds of Justice riling up the live crowd.

·        This was a fine way to start the show. Stephanie McMahon calling out Kurt Angle for picking Jason Jordan as the final member of Team Raw instead of John Cena almost made her the smartest person in the room as the fans booed Angle’s decision. Angle had no answer for his blatant nepotism as Stephanie shamed him a like disobedient puppy for his incompetence over the past couple of weeks.

·        From letting The New Day in the building last week without safeguards to Shane McMahon playing him for a fool, Stephanie was in full emasculation mode as she read Angle for filth. Kurt tried to stand up for himself by vowing to break Shane’s ankle at Survivor Series, but Steph wanted her brother’s head on a silver platter instead. I don’t think decapitation is supposed to be a part of the end game, but I digress.

·        Fortunately, The Shield vouched for Kurt which kept his job and manhood intact. For now…

·        Bayley earned the final spot on Team Raw at Survivor Series when she pinned Mickie James with the Bayley-to-Belly in a decent match. Dana Brooke was a part of the Triple Threat Match as well, but she made the costly mistake of punching Asuka which led to her getting kicked in the face for her efforts. At least the Atlanta crowd appreciated the badassery of Asuka as she received the biggest pop since her debut. Thanks, hometown peeps for recognizing greatness when you see it. Smooches!

·        Drew Gulak and Enzo Amore defeated Akira Tozawa and Kalisto when Enzo pinned Tozawa with the JawdonZo in a solid match. Tozawa and Kalisto were super crisp as the crowd was surprisingly into the action for the most part. Enzo was okay while Gulak is always a solid hand in the ring. Gulak might be at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of positioning, but his heel character is on point as he tries to be prim and proper when speaking on Enzo’s behalf. If Gulak starts to get over organically, he could become a star if he’s treated as such.

·        Miz TV featuring Sheamus and Cesaro as The Miz’s special guests was nothing more than a Mutual Admiration Society Schmooze Fest as they bragged about how they were going to defeat The Shield later tonight. The segment was fine, but it didn’t set the world on fire in terms of excitement.

·        Jason Jordan defeated Bray Wyatt with a roll-up, but Jordan didn’t get a chance to celebrate the win as Wyatt attacked him from behind. Wyatt clotheslined Jordan before slamming his left leg against the ring post as the fans showered him with cheers. The savagery from my hometown was pretty sick as they chanted “Thank You Wyatt” for injuring Jordan. Jordan needs to turn heel. Stat!

·        Paul Heyman offered five selling points as to why fans should watch Survivor Series to see Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles.

1)  It’s happening for the first time ever.

2)  Heyman selfishly wants to see the match.

3)  Styles is stylistically better than every other wrestler in the world today.

4)  It’s a Rocky movie come to life with Styles playing the role of the ultimate underdog who will be eaten alive by Brock Lesnar.

5)  This is not a movie because Styles will be beaten, conquered, and victimized by The Beast as Heyman congratulates The Phenomenal One for having the match of his life only to fall short in the end.

·        However, the five-point preview took a hilarious turn when a surprise proposal took place in the crowd during Heyman’s promo which led to a raucous “She Said Yes!” chant. Ever the improviser, Heyman clapped back by saying that the only reason she said yes was that she wasn’t standing in the presence of Lesnar. It was an awesome zinger that popped the crowd something fierce. Heyman continued to call out the fan for interrupting his promo which pushed things over the top.

·        All in all, this was a great way to promote Styles vs. Lesnar at Survivor Series. It’s a special match that should be hyped to the fullest. Here’s hoping both men show up and show out because I don’t want to see Lesnar take Styles to Suplex City before hitting him with the F5 in five minutes or less.

·        The Shield defeated The Miz, Cesaro, and Sheamus when Roman Reigns nailed Miz with a Spear followed by the Triple Powerbomb thanks to an assist from Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. This was a fast-paced match that featured hard-hitting action throughout. The finishing sequence between Cesaro and Reigns was especially strong as they traded counters before Miz made the blind tag.

·        Miz tried to steal the win with a roll-up, but Reigns kicked out at two. Miz followed up with the Skull Crushing Finale, but Rollins nailed him with a flying knee to break the hold. Ambrose dropped Sheamus with Dirty Deeds which led to the finish moments later.

·        It should be noted that Reigns received a mixed reaction when he was on offense. He wasn’t booed out of the building, but it was still noticeable. Even when he’s back with his Shield brothers, he still takes one for the team on the jeers front. Oh well...

·        In a shocking turn of events, Jason Jordan has been replaced as the fifth on Team Raw. His replacement: None other than Triple H! The Game! The Cerebral Assassin! The King of Kings! The Godfather of NXT!

·        Jason Jordan was whining like a little baby as he begged Kurt Angle not to put him off the team. Stephanie McMahon forced his hand as HHH came out to make the announcement that Angle was afraid to deliver. To make matters even worse, he pedigreed Jordan as the fans cheered him on. It was a crazy segment as Jordan’s babyface run disintegrates before our very eyes.

·        Team Raw is absolutely stacked with Triple H joining Kurt Angle, Finn Bàlor, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman. Talk about an all-star team. Throw in the in-law element of Triple H facing off against Shane McMahon and we have ourselves one the craziest matches of the decade in terms of star power and storytelling. Survivor Series is going to be insane if WWE doesn’t screw the pooch in epic fashion.

·        Samoa Joe and Finn Bàlor defeated Karl Anderson and Gallows when Bàlor pinned Anderson with the Coup De Grace in a solid match. Bàlor and Joe put their differences aside and worked as a cohesive unit. Joe didn’t stick around to celebrate the win, but at least they’re getting along. For now…

·        Kane vs. Braun Strowman never got underway because both men began to brawl before the referee called for the bell. My hometown crowd decided to take a nap during the main event as they were absolutely dead for this segment which is weird because they were excited about the match earlier in the show.

·        The physical confrontation was fine, but Strowman and Kane lack chemistry for some reason. This isn’t an encouraging sign as they are bound to wrestle each other in an official capacity sooner or later. Here’s hoping both men work out the kinks on the house show circuit because their brawl left a lot to be desired until the end.

·        Strowman dropped Kane with a Running Powerslam which sent them crashing through the ring. You read that right. The referee freaked out as Raw went off the air with Strowman taking Kane to Parts Unknown in the literal sense.

·        This was a bizarre way to end the show. It did nothing to promote Survivor Series on Sunday and it killed an otherwise hot crowd that was alert for the first three hours. The last ten minutes put them to sleep which is a shame because the ATL was making me proud until WWE doused them with Nyquil. Sigh…

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of Raw was solid for the most part. This was a surprisingly easy to show to watch until the last ten minutes. The 10:30 Lull Period of Death usually washes over fans until the main event. On this night, the opposite happened as the 11^th Hour From Hell made its long-awaited debut. An otherwise hot broadcast ended on a sour note, but my enthusiasm for Survivor Series is pretty high.

·        Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles is worth the price of admission alone, but the Men’s Traditional Interbrand 5-on-5 Survivor Series Elimination Match is stacked with star power from top to bottom. Team Raw (Kurt Angle, Triple H, Finn Bàlor, Samoa Joe, and Braun Strowman) vs. Team SmackDown (Shane McMahon, John Cena, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, and Shinsuke Nakamura) is going to be a monster matchup.

·        The matter of age should be taken under consideration because everyone in the match is over the age of thirty while half of the field is 40+ (Angle, HHH, McMahon, Cena, and Roode).

·        This is not a youth movement by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a star-studded match that will bring the down the house come Sunday. WWE deserves credit for making Brand Wars 2017 feel special. It’s still faker than a set of breast implants, but the company made Survivor Series a must-see show. Can the E build on this momentum heading towards the end of the year? We shall see, but’s been a fun ride with a lot of twists and turns along the way despite my initial disdain for SmackDown Live taking Raw under siege a few weeks ago.

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!