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!

Spoiler Review of Thor:Ragnarok

By: Jim Scroggs

            November 8, 2017
            JHScroggs on Twitter/Instagam

Edited by Katie Westbrooks

 This franchise hasn’t been the best in the MCU and we all know how kind of lackluster Thor: The Dark World was. In fact, Chris Hemsworth wasn’t all that happy with the direction of the movies but Thor: Ragnarok featured some amazing cast additions along with an out of left field director. So, let’s get into what Thor: Ragnarok and all of it’s metalness has to offer.

What I liked

Chris Hemsworth/Thor

He took so well to Taika Waititi's direction and humor that I’m convinced a fairly sizable portion of his lines/quips were ad libbed. When Hela destroyed Mjolnir, I was wondering how this would affect him going forward and it turns out, not very much. He wasn’t even in a position to use/need his hammer until the final battle with Hela when, through a vision with Odin, it was revealed that the hammer was merely a means to help channel being the God of Thunder. We saw a glimpse of what power he truly possessed early on when some lightning was on his fingers but I didn’t expect that moment to turn into a similar plot point to Wonder Woman – being that the true power was really in him the whole time. In the last 2 films, he’s wavered back and forth about wanting to be king but I feel like he’s really grown up as a character. When the people of Asgard were in imminent danger from Hela, that’s when I felt Thor became the leader we’ve been waiting for. And in that very battle with her, he loses his right eye. He and the rest of the team end up trying to figure out where to go after the destruction of Asgard but abruptly getting confronted by a giant ship, which could be a connection to Thanos as a tease for Infinity War.

Cate Blanchett/Hela

I was already ecstatic when she was cast but I’m glad that a new villain isn’t being treated as a throw away character. Her portrayal of Hela was great although, she wasn’t given a whole lot to do. I wish we spent more time with her but I really hope the speculation of her being the representation of death for Thanos to court keeps her in the MCU and in Infinity War. When Odin died, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Hela was the first born of Odin and when she started to take control of Asgard there was a painting that showed the true story of how Asgard rose to power and shows Hela holding Mjolnir. She was powerful, completely in control of her character, very formidable foe for Thor and even went toe to toe with Surter when he turned into a mountain and destroyed Asgard. I seriously don’t know if I can hate her as a villain.

 

The supporting cast

Mark Ruffalo’s appearance as Bruce Banner proves that as much as we love to see Science Bro’s with him and Tony, the real friendship, in my opinion, is with him and Thor. We get a little hint of what happened to him between the end of Age of Ultron and now. There’s a cameo from Black Widow and that video that he turned off before the jet took off into space. One of my favorite moments from him is when he gave a suplex to Hela’s giant wolf that she resurrected – the WWE fan in me perked up.  This is probably the best performance from Bruce in the entire MCU and I’m glad we get to see this version of Hulk and Bruce before Infinity War. Also, I can’t forget to mention, we saw Hulk butt.

Tessa Thompson gave a great performance of Valkyrie. She not only showed how much of an amazing warrior she is but she showed how strong she could be on a planet that wasn’t her home and was still able to connect with Thor through their shared history on Asgard. Seeing her history as a warrior in that battle, which looked like a painting, was an amazing sequence and I’m glad that kind of technology was used so well. I really hope we get more of her in Infinity War and in future films since she is such a strong character.

Jeff Goldblum in a Marvel movie is the dream we’ve all had but I hate to say this, I was expecting a tad more from him. This is probably since I was hyping the idea in my head of how awesome this is but I would have loved to see more of his eclectic nature. He still had a sense of humor mixed into the Grandmaster's dictatorship but the most important thing is he didn’t die and we get more of him in the post credit scene.

Heimdall was going to be my most intriguing character because of how little he has been used in the past. I’m glad that Idris Elba was given more to do and actually have a purpose in this film. He became the man on the ground for Thor – as he was taking care of the remaining Asgard citizens since Hela was taking over everything. Heimdall even helped fight in the last battle on the Rainbow Bridge to help rescue his fellow Asgardians. He showed how powerful of an asset and friend that he could be and I hope this will give more confidence in Marvel Studios from Idris Elba.

Karl Urban’s Skurge was a very solid addition to the cast, including his stash of things that he’s collected since he took over for Heimdall. In one scene, he uses a shake-weight (insert joke here) but he was very quick to join Hela as her executioner. But once he went to actually perform the job, he was saved by someone speaking up. Later on, he knew he made a mistake by joining her and tried to make up for that by helping fight the zombie army that she resurrected. He ended up dying but he certainly didn't die in vain.

Loki wasn’t selfish as much in this film but I fully attribute that to the popularity of Tom Hiddleston in this role. I know this is short but come on, it’s Loki. Who hates Loki?

Humor/Easter Eggs

I knew going in that this would have that special type of humor that some people might not get but I’m glad to see how special Taika Waititi is. There’s almost too many to pick from without giving this movie a second watch, but my favorite 3rd tier character in this movie is Korg. He’s voiced by Watiti and when you see this monstrous rock creature with a high pitched New Zealand accent, it’s almost too spot on. I really think he stole the movie for me.  When you watch it or even re-watch it, New Doug is probably my favorite running joke in the movie. A moment when Thor is captured and pretty down on his situation, Loki comes to talk to him in his own little way. The whole time Thor is sitting there throwing rocks at this image of Loki and they are going straight through him. He tries it later for a nice payoff of that joke. Even off the bat, there was a great scene when Thor is captured and talking to Surtur but since he was spinning, the humor was definitely there get the film to a great start.

There are a number of surprise cameos in this film that I didn’t expect – or just forgot about. I remember Sam Neill being cast but was surprised to see he was cast as Odin in a fake performance of the end of The Dark World that’s being lead by Loki (disguised as Odin). But that’s not the most surprising, Luke Hemsworth was cast as Thor in that performance and who played Loki you ask? Matt Damon. Yep, THAT Matt Damon. When Thor and Banner are trying to get the Quinjet off the ground, Bruce’s name in the jet is Strongest Avenger – the name Thor tried for himself among many names including Point Break. During the gladiatorial battle with Thor and Hulk, Thor tries to calm down Hulk by using Natasha’s AOU technique by saying “The sun's getting real low”. I almost thought that would work… until Hulk grabs Thor and tosses him like a rag doll like he did Loki in Avengers. And of course, Loki had a great reaction to that as he’s watching with The Grandmaster. I can’t leave out when Thor is about to be introduced to The Grandmaster and he’s in this chair going through a tunnel ala Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. If I forgot your favorite moment, please forgive me.

Not so much

The CG backdrops weren’t great looking all the time and that kind of took me out of it at some points. I fully understand that this is a space/cosmic movie and those kinds of effects are necessary but that’s just a little thing for me.

The Doctor Strange cameo was something that I was really looking forward to but I felt like it was a tad forced into the story line. I understand that Strange can see what others can’t but I’m glad it didn’t go longer than it did. There was a nice comedic moment with Stephen, Thor and Loki but overall, I’d say it was fan service but it didn’t help or hurt the plot.

Oden’s death early on wasn’t as much of an event as I would have expected. Thor finds him on a cliff in Norway reflecting on his life and what legacy he’ll leave. Loki is there with him as well so I’m glad he passed away – or in this case dissolved away – into the wind in front of his sons.

Final Verdict

I’m glad that Thor finally got his Jack Kirby-like cosmic movie that finally took advantage of the casts strengths but I don’t necessarily agree with the score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s easily one of the most enjoyable movies in the MCU, probably the funniest of the group. It was course correcting for the franchise and was the best move on how to end this series. They took plenty of risks going in this direction with this director and while some of the jokes didn’t land and some of the emotional moments were a tad lackluster, I’d put it in my top 8 of the MCU.

Thor: Ragnarok is in theaters now.

The SmackDown Files: How AJ Styles Became The Honorary King of England (11-7-2017)

By: Keila Cash

Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of The SmackDown Files. Tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live emanated from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Due to WWE breaking major news earlier in the day, I am not doing my weekly teaser for this week’s blog. The headline pretty much says it all. Without further ado, let’s dissect tonight’s show in no particular order.

·        The opening segment of SD Live was a mirror image of what happened last night on Raw with one major exception. The crowd was hyped from start to finish. Shane McMahon, The New Day, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn were entertaining on the mic which prevented the opener from being a total bore to watch.

·        Owens and Zayn playing the dual role of Debbie Downer provided laughs while The New Day threw a few zingers that popped the crowd as well. In order to teach Zayn a lesson in respect, McMahon booked him in a match against Kofi Kingston which took place after the commercial break.

·        Kofi Kingston defeated Sami Zayn with a cross body in a solid match. The bout featured a nice blend of mat wrestling and high flying action which complimented both men’s respective in-ring style.

·        Kingston didn’t get a chance to celebrate the win because Owens went on the attack until Big E and Xavier Woods made the save. Something tells me that The New Day, Owens, and Zayn have some unfinished business that will be resolved during the go-home show next week. Just a hunch.

·        The final spot on Team SD Live on the men’s side is still up for grabs as Randy Orton defeated Rusev with an RKO in a decent match. Rusev dominated the action for the most part, but The Viper hit his finisher out of nowhere for the win. It should be noted that the Bulgarian Brute had his fair share of fans as they cheered him on during the match.

·        In a Battle of the Sexes, Becky Lynch made James Ellsworth tap out to the Dis-Arm-Her in a serviceable match. You read that right, ladies and gentleman. I am usually not a fan of intergender matches, but this worked in terms of Lynch schooling Ellsworth in the ring. The in-ring action was clean and inoffensive for the most part.  WWE shouldn’t do this on a regular basis, but this was a fun way to make Ellsworth look like a fool in the best possible way.

·        After the match was over, Carmella nailed the Chinless One with a Superkick in a surprising moment that popped the crowd. I guess she overheard Ellsworth’s comments about women having no place in the ring. Famous last words…

·        Natalya’s hopes of representing Team Blue at Survivor Series as SmackDown Women’s Champion is in jeopardy because Shane McMahon booked her in a title match against Charlotte next week. One championship has already changed hands in the past 24 hours with Sheamus and Cesaro winning the Raw Tag Team Titles from Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. Will there be another switch leading up to Brand Wars 2017? We shall find out soon enough.

·        The SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match featuring Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin vs. The Usos ended via count-out after Jey Uso failed to get back in the ring before the count of ten thanks to a nasty chop block from Chad Gable. The announcers reminded viewers that The Usos did the same thing to Gable last year which prevented American Alpha from competing in the Tag Team Title match at the Backlash PPV last year. Karma bit The Usos in the ass at the wrong time heading into the Survivor Series next Sunday.

·        Here’s hoping the copout finish was just for show because there have been unconfirmed reports that Jey Uso suffered a legit injury which caused the match to end abruptly.

·        In a shocker, AJ Styles defeated Jinder Mahal with the Phenomenal Forearm to become the NEW WWE Champion. This is not a typo or misprint. Styles has earned the right to face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series in a Champion vs. Champion match that should be great if Lesnar wrestles longer than five minutes.

·        As for the match itself, this was Mahal’s best showing to date. Styles tend to bring out the best in his opponents and tonight was no exception. Mahal’s power was on full display as he asserted his dominance early on. Styles did a great job selling the impact of Mahal’s offense which gave the title bout an extra touch of physicality.

·        The Singh Brothers got involved down the stretch when they pulled Mahal out of the ring after Styles hit him with the 450 Splash. Styles neutralized Singh One and Singh Two and was about to nail Mahal with the Phenomenal Forearm until The Modern Day Maharaja caught him in midair and hit the Khallas for a near fall. Mahal tried to hit a Super Khallas from the top rope, but Styles countered by slamming Mahal’s face against the ropes which led to the aforementioned finish moments later.

·        The fans lost their shit as they witnessed the WWE Championship change hands outside of North America for the first time in history. Mahal went ballistic at ringside as he laid out The Singh Brothers while the fans continued to celebrate with Styles as SD Live went off the air.

·        This was a great way to end the show. Styles is a much better opponent for Lesnar at Survivor Series, but I am tempering expectations because The Beast has let me down in recent years when it comes to showing up big on PPV. With the exception of his matches against The Undertaker and Goldberg, his singles matches have been short and repetitive in nature over the past couple of years unless he’s involved in a multi-person match.  Styles is an elite performer who deserves better than eating a bunch of German Suplexes and an F5 in five minutes or less. Here’s hoping the booking team gives Lesnar and Styles some leeway when it comes to delivering an entertaining match despite the outcome being damn near academic.

·        However, nothing is set in stone until the go home show next week. Mahal could regain the WWE Title which puts him back in The Beast’s Lair. Here’s hoping the Powers That Be shows restraint and give the people what they want instead of reverting back to the status quo. Fingers crossed!

·        Overall, I thought tonight’s episode of SmackDown Live was solid. The show was light on in-ring action, but the main event over-delivered in terms of shock and awe as AJ Styles became a two-time WWE Champion.

·        Next week’s go-home show is equally stacked as two more titles are up for grabs as Charlotte challenges Natalya for the SmackDown Women’s Championship while Sin Cara goes one-on-one against Baron Corbin for the United States Title. The entire complexion of Survivor Series might change once again which will add a whole new dimension to Brand Wars 2017.

·        Most importantly, will Raw lead an ambush on SD Live as a final parting shot heading into Survivor Series? The red brand has been made to look like a bunch of punks over the past couple of weeks and one can only assume that they want their pound of flesh with five days to spare before the PPV. Expect pandemonium as the show emanates from Charlotte, North Carolina next week.

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 - 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!