Bray Wyatt kicked off this week’s episode of RAW and told the people in the crowd to stand up. Wyatt claimed that he was going to win the Fatal 5-Way match at Extreme Rules to become #1 contender for the Universal Championship. Wyatt also said that he would then conquer the beast Brock Lesnar and become Universal Champion. Bray claimed that their are no friends in his world, only followers. Wyatt said that he sacrificed Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins. Bray also claimed that Finn Balor couldn’t defeat Brock Lesnar.
Wyatt then said that Roman Reigns claims that this is his yard, but that Wyatt owns the world. Roman Reigns interrupted and still had bandages on his arm and shoulder. Reigns got in the ring and dared Wyatt to say it to his face. Wyatt laughed and said that he was the only one on RAW that can beat Brock Lesnar. Reigns disagreed and stated that he is going to win at Extreme Rules and go on to defeat Brock Lesnar. Reigns said that he wasn’t worried about Extreme Rules right now. Instead, Reigns was worried about how is going to get Bray Wyatt out of his yard.
RAW GM Kurt Angle came down to the entrance ramp and made a match between Reigns and Wyatt.
Reaction: Wyatt cut a solid promo here. I like Reigns’ new attitude. His promos are short and he gets right to the point. I couldn’t stand Reigns when he was cutting goofy promos. There really isn’t that much to complain about with Roman Reigns now.
Roman Reigns vs Bray Wyatt
Wyatt tried to hit Sister Abigail right away but Reigns blocked it and booted him out of the ring. Wyatt got back into the ring and slammed Reigns to the mat. Bray then bit the bottom rope and laughed. Wyatt charged at Reigns in the corner but Reigns was ready and knocked him down with a Clothesline. Reigns beatdown Wyatt in the corner as dueling “lets go Roman!” and “Roman sucks!” chants broke out in the arena. Wyatt knocked Reigns to the mat with a shoulder tackle and Samoa Joe came down to the ring.
Joe applied the Coquina Clutch to Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt was disqualified. Bray Wyatt then attacked Reigns but Joe locked him in the Coquina Clutch. Seth Rollins sprinted to the ring and attacked Joe. Rollins connected with a kick that sent Joe out of the ring. Wyatt went to attack Rollins but Reigns planted him with a Superman Punch. The theme song for Extreme Rules then started blaring as everyone awkwardly stared at each other. Rollins and Reigns didn’t attack each other. Finn Balor didn’t come down to the ring either.
Winner via DQ: Roman Reigns
Reaction: The match itself was a few minutes of basic moves. The “brawl” at the end was anticlimactic and silly. It just ended so abruptly with “Hellfire” blaring and everyone staring at each other.
Rollins and Reigns were shown backstage. Reigns told Rollins that he didn’t need his help. Rollins said that he wasn’t out there to help him, he was out there to fight Samoa Joe. RAW GM Kurt Angle then joined the party and made a tag match for the main event of tonight’s RAW. Samoa Joe & Bray Wyatt will face Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns later tonight. The Drifter Elias Samson then walked by strumming his guitar. Angle informed The Drifter that he has a match tonight against Dean Ambrose.
Akira Tozawa vs Ariya Daivari
Tozawa won this match quickly with a Senton off the top rope. Brian Kendrick was shown backstage watching the match. Kendrick said that he will destroy Tozawa tomorrow night in their Street Fight on 205 Live.
Winner: Akira Tozawa
Sasha Banks was interviewed backstage about her match tonight against Alicia Fox. Noam Dar and Alicia Fox interrupted and made fun of Sasha for not having anyone by her side. Noam Dar went to say something else to Sasha but Banks got right in his face and Dar backed down. Sasha Banks then walked away.
Elias Samson performed a song in the middle of the ring. During the song, Samson said that the crowd should say goodbye to Dean Ambrose. Ambrose cut the performance short by interrupting and coming down to the ring.
Dean Ambrose vs Elias Samson
The Miz and Maryse joined commentary for this match. Ambrose controlled the match early and applied an Arm Bar. Samson battled out of the hold and knocked Ambrose to the mat. Samson then beatdown Ambrose in the corner and smashed his head off the ring apron. Samson followed it up with a knee to Ambrose’s head as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Samson was still in control and had Ambrose in a Chin Lock. Ambrose battled out of the hold but Samson knocked him to the mat with a Clothesline. Samson went for another Clothesline but Ambrose reversed it into a Neckbreaker. Ambrose climbed to the top rope and went to leap onto Samson but Samson hit Ambrose with a knee to the face while Ambrose was in midair.
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Ambrose hit the Lunatic Lariat and The Miz sprinted down to the ring. The Miz then punched Elias Samson in order to disqualify Ambrose. Dean then chased Ambrose around the ring and finally caught him. Ambrose went for a Dirty Deeds on Miz but Samson attacked Ambrose from behind. Samson then planted Ambrose with a Swinging Neckbreaker. The Miz and Maryse clapped for Samson on the entrance ramp.
Winner via DQ: Elias Samson
Reaction: The musical performance before the match was painful. However, Samson looked good in his in-ring debut on RAW. While it is entertaining, I hope Extreme Rules marks the end of the feud between Ambrose and Miz. I’m just tired of it and want to see someone new vying for the Intercontinental Championship.
Big Cass was shown trying to wake up Enzo Amore. Enzo was apparently attacked backstage and knocked out. RAW GM Kurt Angle showed up and assured Enzo that he would get to the bottom of this. Enzo was then taken away by the medical staff. Big Cass got in Angle’s face and stated that Angle better hope he finds out who did this before he does.
Finn Balor came down to the ring to cut a promo. Balor was quickly interrupted by Paul Heyman. Heyman ran down the list of Superstars in the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules and said that Brock Lesnar will make whoever wins a victim. Heyman came down to the ring and said that Balor wasn’t an underdog. Heyman said that he believed in his heart that Balor is the most talented in-ring performer in WWE today. Heyman then extended his hand and wished Balor good luck at Extreme Rules. Balor and Heyman then shook hands.
Balor stated that he was glad that Heyman was here and that it was no surprise that Lesnar wasn’t there. Balor told Heyman to give Brock Lesnar a message. The message was simply “Finn Balor will beat Brock Lesnar”. Karl Anderson interrupted and came down to the ring with Luke Gallows.
Finn Balor vs Karl Anderson
RAW went to a commercial break as Anderson and Gallows were making their way down to the ring. When RAW returned, Anderson was in control but Balor quickly fought back. Balor knocked Anderson to the mat and stomped on him several times. Anderson battled back and connected with a series of punches. Anderson had a Chin Lock applied for a moment but Balor battled out of it with elbows to Anderson’s chest. Anderson then planted Balor with a Backbreaker and applied the Chin Lock again.
Balor once again battled out of the hold and connected with a kick to Anderson’s head. Balor connected with another kick while Anderson was perched up on the top turnbuckle. Anderson fell to the floor outside the ring. Balor then hit a Dropkick on Gallows outside the ring. Back in the ring, Balors went for the Coupe De Grace but Anderson got out of the way. Anderson then hit a Spinebuster for a two count.
Finn stomped on Anderson’s midsection and Anderson rolled out of the ring. Balor then Moonsaulted onto Gallows and Anderson outside the ring. Balor hit a Slingblade and followed it up with a Dropkick that knocked Anderson to the mat. Balor then hit the Coupe De Grace for the victory.
Winner: Finn Balor
Reaction: Balor humorously messed up during his promo and accidentally said “Vital 5-Way” instead of Fatal 5-Way. Paul Heyman came down to the ring and worked his magic. I actually want to see a match between Brock Lesnar and Finn Balor. I wanted Balor to attack Lesnar right when he returned simply because he never lost the Universal Championship. Balor and Anderson put on a solid match as well. Thankfully, this match didn’t end in a DQ because we have already seen two of those tonight.
Alicia Fox vs Sasha Banks
Banks launched Fox across the ring to start off the match. Sasha quickly went for the Bank Statement but Fox grabbed the ropes. Alicia then rolled out of the ring but Sasha hit her with a Dropkick through the ropes. Sasha then threw Fox back in the ring but was distracted by Noam Dar. Fox kicked Banks in the head and went for a roll-up but Sasha kicked out at two. Sasha connected with Double Knees in the corner. Banks then hung Alicia up in between the ropes and hit Double Knees again for the victory.
After the match, Sasha slapped Noam Dar in the face. Fox then hit Sasha with a scissors kick.
Winner: Sasha Banks
Kalisto was backstage talking with Apollo Crews. Kalisto told Crews that he was fighting Titus O’Neil’s battles. Kalisto asked Crews if he was the one that attacked Enzo Amore backstage. Crews denied it and Titus O’Neil. Titus asked Kalisto if he wanted to be a part of the “Titus Brand”. Kalisto said no and O’Neil said that Crews is going to teach Kalisto a lesson in respect tonight.
A Goldust video promo was shown. Goldust is back to his original character and stated that the “Golden Age” is back.
Alexa Bliss was interviewed backstage about her Kendo Stick on a Pole match against Bayley at Extreme Rules. Alexa Bliss hit Bayley with a kendo stick last week on RAW and showed no remorse tonight. Bliss said that she is going to make sure Bayley’s entire body is covered with welts after Extreme Rules. Bliss stated that Bayley is not capable of being extreme. Bliss claimed that she was going to turn Mickie James’ dreams into nightmares tonight.
Apollo Crews vs Kalisto
Crews controlled the majority of this match. O’Neil started shouting at Crews and Apollo became distracted. Kalisto then hit the Salida del Sol for the victory. After the match, O’Neil screamed at Crews in the ring.
Winner: Kalisto
Reaction: This quick match wrapped up a pretty boring second hour of RAW. I thought O’Neil managing Crews was a decent idea. However, it won’t help Crews at all if he continues to lose short matches.
Matt Hardy vs Sheamus (Winner Picks Stipulation At Extreme Rules)
Matt Hardy controlled the beginning of the match and Clotheslined Sheamus out of the ring. Cesaro and Sheamus had a discussion outside the ring and Matt Hardy attacked Sheamus. Sheamus got the upper-hand and slammed Matt into the ring apron. Sheamus hung up Hardy on the top rope and ran into him and Matt went flying into the barricade outside the ring.
Back in the ring, Sheamus climbed up to the top rope and hit a Clothesline for a two count. Matt went for a roll-up and Sheamus kicked out at two. Matt slammed Sheamus’ head into all three turnbuckles several times and the crowd broke out in a “delete!” chant. Sheamus responded and slammed Hardy to the mat and RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Sheamus was still in control and had Matt in a Chin Lock in the middle of the ring. Matt got back to his feet as Jeff cheered him on ringside. Sheamus planted Matt Hardy with White Noise for a two count. Sheamus perched Matt Hardy up on the top turnbuckle and Jeff Hardy hopped up on the ring apron. Sheamus got distracted and Matt Hardy planted him with a Tornado DDT.
Hardy connected with a Side Effect for a two count. Sheamus blocked the Twist of Fate and hit Matt with a knee to the face. Sheamus went for the pinfall but Hardy grabbed the bottom rope to break the count. Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick but Matt Hardy rolled out of the ring. Jeff Hardy then leaped onto Cesaro outside the ring. Sheamus then kicked Jeff in the back through the ropes. Matt Hardy then connected with the Twist of Fate for the victory.
After the match, Matt Hardy announced that the RAW Tag Team Championship match will take place in a steel cage.
Winner: Matt Hardy
Reaction: A Steel Cage match works for me. I have enjoyed this feud and am looking forward to their match at Extreme Rules.
Austin Aries vs Tony Nese
Neville was ringside for this match. Aries controlled the match early and connected with an elbow off the second rope for a two count. Aries launched himself over the top rope and landed on Nese outside the ring. The action returned to the ring and Aries got distracted with Neville. Nese took advantage of that and attacked Aries’ knee as Neville clapped in an office chair ringside.
Aries battled back and connected with a couple of chops to Nese’s chest. Aries leaped off the second rope but Nese hit him an elbow while he was in midair. Aries applied a Guillotine submission hold. Nese fought out of it but Aries immediately locked in the Last Chancery for the victory.
After the match, Neville attacked Nese and applied the Rings of Saturn. Aries mockingly gave Neville two thumbs up from the entrance ramp.
Winner: Austin Aries
Reaction: The crowd was painfully silent for this match and were also quiet for the match between Tozawa and Daivari earlier in the night. The feud between Austin Aries and Neville was interesting at first but now it feels like it has been going on forever. I’m not sure if putting the Cruiserweight Championship on Austin Aries at Extreme Rules will garner any more interest in 205 Live. It might be worth a shot because I can’t imagine too many people are watching 205 Live every week. Neville and Aries will battle in a Submission Match at Extreme Rules.
Mickie James vs Alexa Bliss
Mickie controlled the beginning of the match and taunted Alexa. Mickie kicked Bliss in the face and followed it up with an elbow to the jaw. Bliss connected with a right hand and hit a DDT for the victory. After the match, Alexa Bliss grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. Bliss struck Mickie James in the back with the kendo stick. Bayley came down to the ring and grabbed the kendo stick. Alexa Bliss rolled out of the ring and retreated backstage.
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Reaction: Alexa Bliss hit Mickie with a vicious kendo stick shot. The “I’d rather be at SmackDown” sign directly behind her was even more vicious.
Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt & Samoa Joe
Seth Rollins’ music played after Bray Wyatt entered the ring for some reason. Corey Graves chalked it up to mind games from Bray Wyatt. Samoa Joe then came down to the ring.
Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt started off the match. Rollins hit Joe off the ring apron and then threw Bray Wyatt out of the ring. Rollins then beatdown both Wyatt and Joe outside the ring and brought Wyatt back into the ring. Rollins got distracted by Joe while on the ring apron and Wyatt shoved him off and Rollins smashed into the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Rollins connected with a Dropkick and knocked Bray to the mat. Rollins tagged in Reigns and Roman leveled Wyatt with a couple of Clotheslines. Reigns planted Bray with a Samoan Drop and then geared up for the Superman Punch. Bray then did his spider walk and Joe attacked Reigns from behind. Joe continued the attack on Reigns and slammed Roman into the barricade outside the ring.
Joe continued to beatdown Roman Reigns in the ring for the next few minutes. Bray Wyatt was tagged in and he continued to beat the hell out of Reigns. Reigns hit a Drive By on Samoa Joe outside the ring. Bray Wyatt knocked Seth Rolins off the ring apron and then Reigns threw Wyatt out of the ring. Samoa Joe rolled Bray Wyatt back in the ring and Wyatt tagged Joe in the match. Reigns finally was able to tag in Seth Rollins.
Rollins connected with a Slingblade on Joe and then threw him out of the ring. Rollins then hit a Suicide Dive onto Joe and Wyatt outside the ring. Back in the ring, Rollins hit a Crossbody onto both Joe and Wyatt. Bray went for a Sister Abigail onto Rollins but Reigns broke it up. Reigns then knocked Wyatt out of the ring and went for a Superman Punch on Samoa Joe. Joe got out of the way and Reigns accidentally leaped onto Rollins.
Seth and Reigns then argued in the ring. Bray Wyatt dragged Reigns out of the ring. Bray Wyatt hit the Sister Abigail on Reigns outside the ring and Samoa Joe applied the Coquina Clutch to Seth Rollins in the middle of the ring. Rollins didn’t submit but passed out due to the hold.
Finn Balor had a conversation with RAW GM Kurt Angle backstage. Balor asked for a match next week against one of the four Superstars he will be competing against in the Fatal 5-Way at Extreme Rules. Angle informed Balor that he will face Samoa Joe and Bray Wyatt in a Triple Threat match next week. Angle also announced that Roman Reigns will face Seth Rollins next week on RAW. Angle then referred to himself as a great GM and RAW went off the air.
Winners: Bray Wyatt & Samoa Joe
Reaction: I found RAW to be remarkably boring tonight. The main-event was decent, but there was just zero energy in the crowd the entire night. I’m looking forward to the Fatal 5-Way match at Extreme Rules, but this build has been very uneventful. The injury to Braun Strowman is really hurting RAW right now because Strowman was becoming a star.
What did you think of this week’s episode of RAW? Let us know in the comments below.