This week’s episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX.
– Seth Rollins comes out to the ring to open up RAW, and Rollins immediately calls out Triple H. Rollins says he knows Triple H isn’t the kind of person to come out and face him tonight, so he ponders how he can get to Triple H. He decides that to get to Triple H, he needs to beat Kevin Owens for the Universal Title first. He says before he can beat Owens, he needs to completely remove Chris Jericho from the picture, because Owens can’t beat him on his own. This brings out the Universal Champion Kevin Owens to interrupt. Rollins says that if Owens is such a fighter, he should put the Universal Title on the line against him tonight. Owens declines because he already beat Rollins two weeks ago, and adds that he already has a match against Sami Zayn tonight. Owens says he has three gifts for Jericho tonight to cheer him up after last week. The first, Jericho is getting a U.S. Title shot against Roman Reigns. Another gift, is Jericho will have a chance to get his revenge on Rollins at WWE’s Roadblock PPV. His third present is another match, right now, between Rollins and The Big Show.
– Seth Rollins def. The Big Show via count out: Kevin Owens is at ringside for this one, and The Big Show starts off in control. Show hits Rollins with some slaps to the chest, then tosses him across the ring. Rollins hits a dropkick to Big Show’s knee that sends Show rolling to the outside. Rollins goes to follow up with a suicide dive, but Big Show grabs him by the head and throws him into the fan barricade. Owens starts yelling instructions at Big Show at ringside. Back in the ring, Rollins continues working on Big Show’s knee then hits a DDT. Rollins hits a series of three flying knee strikes off the top rope to knock Show down again. Rollins goes for a Pedigree, but Show back body drops him. Owens gets on the apron and starts yelling instructions at Show again, and Show isn’t impressed. Big Show grabs Owens by the throat and chokeslams him into the ring. The Big Show leaves the ring and walks to the back, and motions for Rollins to take care of business with Owens. Rollins hits a Pedigree on Owens in the ring before heading to the back.
– Jack Gallagher def. Ariya Daivari: After some back and forth action in the opening minutes, Daivari drops Gallagher across the top rope and starts pummeling on him on the mat. Gallagher comes back with a series of dropkicks and a headbutt. He follows up with a running dropkick for the win. After the match, Daivari beats down Gallagher and appears to injure his knee.
– Kevin Owens complains to Mick Foley backstage that he shouldn’t have to wrestle tonight since Big Show and Rollins attacked him. Foley tells him tough luck, and that he still has to wrestle Sami Zayn later. Owens sees Jericho entering the arena, and he rushes over to tell Jericho about the matches he set up with Stephanie for Jericho as gifts.
– Elsewhere backstage, we see Enzo and Cass interrupt an argument between Rusev and Lana. Lana takes off her wedding ring and throws it at Rusev, and Rusev walks away. Enzo tries to spark up a conversation with Lana and asks her how she’s doing. Lana says she thinks Rusev takes her for granted, and then invites Enzo to her hotel room later.
– Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn: Owens and Zayn start off trading right hands in the middle of the ring, and the brawling quickly moves out to ringside. Zayn throws Owens into the fan barricade a few times before rolling him back in the ring. Owens dropkicks Zayn back to the outside, then follows up with somersault suicide dive. Owens throws Zayn back in the ring, and this time Zayn dropkicks Owens to the outside and hits a suicide dive of his own. After a couple more minutes of back and forth action in the ring, Zayn drops Owens with a tornado DDT onto the corner of the ring apron. Zayn follows up with another tornado DDT, then a half-nelson suplex for a two count. Zayn takes Owens to the top turnbuckle for a superplex but Owens reverses it into a superplex of his own for a two count. Owens follows up with two cannonballs in the corner, then goes for a Pop Up Powerbomb but Zayn escapes. Zayn hits another half-nelson suplex, a t-bone suplex in the corner, then a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Owens rolls outside, where Zayn hits another t-bone suplex on Owens into the fan barricade. Zayn rolls Owens back in the ring, where Owens immediately hits a Pop Up Powerbomb for the win.
– Backstage, Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns get in each others’ faces. Jericho tells Reigns that tonight, Reigns’ luck is going to run out. Reigns tells Jericho that he’s just doing Owens’ dirty work again tonight.
– Sasha Banks does an interview backstage where she calls out Charlotte for an Ironman Match at Roadblock.
– Rich Swann def. TJ Perkins: We got some very fast paced and competitive action in the opening minutes, until Swann hits a vertical suplex for a two count and takes control of the match. Swann hits a rolling thunder frogsplash for another two count on Perkins. The finish comes when Perkins goes for a springboard move but Swann knocks him out of mid-air with a spinning heel kick, after a short but competitive match.
– Bayley def. Alicia Fox: Alicia starts off with a flurry of offense on Bayley as soon as the bell rings. Bayley comes back with a belly to belly suplex out of nowhere, then pins for the victory after a very short match.
– Backstage, Cass is trying to talk Enzo out of meeting up with Lana, but he goes for it anywway. After Enzo leaves, Rusev gets in Cass’ face, then says he’s going to try to set up a match with Foley so they can settle it in the ring.
– Mark Henry def. Titus O’Neil: This one is labeled “The Tussle in Texas.” Henry scores the pinfall victory with the World’s Strongest Slam in a squash match. After the match, Henry celebrates with fans and takes pictures.
– Enzo is backstage waiting for his ride to Lana’s hotel, when Ric Flair arrives. Flair tells Enzo he can use his limo, and then Flair enters the arena.
– Roman Reigns def. Chris Jericho: Roman Reigns’ U.S. Title is on the line in this one. Before the match, Owens approaches Jericho backstage and says he’s still here to make sure there are no injustices. Jericho tells him he doesn’t want or need Owens in his corner, and yells at Owens to stay out of his business and stay away from him. The bell rings and Jericho starts off on the offensive, but Reigns dodges and splash in the corner and comes back with a series of clotheslines. Reigns hits a back suplex and goes for a superman punch, but Jericho blocks it with a dropkick to the face. Jericho clotheslines Reigns to the outside, then comes off the top rope with a cross body onto Reigns down on the floor. Back in the ring, Jericho continues the offense and hits a springboard dropkick that sends Reigns back outside. Reigns dodges a sliding dropkick from Jericho to the outside, and hits Jericho with a dropkick of his own. Back in the ring, Jericho dodges another superman punch and hits Reigns with an elbow to the face. Jericho follows up with a Lionsault for a two count. Reigns comes back with a Samoan drop and a superman punch for a two count of his own. Jericho blocks a Superman punch with a kick, but Reigns comes back with a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. Jericho comes back with a kick to the head, then locks Reigns in the Walls of Jericho. Reigns reaches the ropes, and Jericho starts arguing with the referee. Behind Jericho and the ref’s backs, Owens hits Reigns with a superkick. Jericho hits the Codebreaker and pins Reigns but Reigns kicks out at two. Owens gets on the apron and starts yelling at the ref, which infuriates Jericho since he told Owens to stay backstage. Jericho hits Owens and yells at him to go backstage, and Owens walks to the back. Jericho turns around and leap-frogs one spear from Reigns, but Reigns comes back off the ropes with another spear, and this time it connects. Reigns pins for the victory to retain the U.S. Title.
– Big Cass vs. Rusev – No contest: Rusev’s music hits but he doesn’t come out to the ring. Cass calls Enzo from a cell phone at ringside, then the screen cuts to Enzo arriving at Lana’s hotel room. Lana opens the door, but Enzo starts having second thoughts saying this isn’t a good idea. Lana brings Enzo into her room and hugs him, and Enzo says he’s uncomfortable. Lana convinces Enzo to stay and rips his shirt off. Lana tells Enzo to take his pants off and he does, then Lana tells Enzo he’s a fool and brings in Rusev. Rusev beats down Enzo in the hotel room and breaks a vase over the back of his head. Rusev drags Enzo into the hotel hallway and leaves him there.
– Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Gallows & Anderson – No Contest: The New Day is at ringside to watch this one, as the winner will receive a shot at their Tag Team Championships. The two teams go back and forth with offense pretty evenly in the opening minutes. Gallows and Anderson attempt a Magic Killer on Cesaro, but Sheamus makes the save and Cesaro hits a DDT on Gallows. Sheamus and Anderson get the tags, and Sheamus goes to work on Anderson with a series of clubbing blows. Cesaro tags in and hits a flying cross body off the top on Anderson for a two count, then a springboard spinning uppercut. The action goes out to ringside right in front of The New Day, where Sheamus hits a flying double clothesline off the ring steps and he takes everyone out. The New Day gets involved and all Hell breaks look at ringside. Kofi gets in the ring and goes for a suicide dive on Sheamus and Cesaro, but they catch Kofi in mid-air and powerbomb him into the other New Day members. This one is ruled a no contest, and we don’t know who will be the #1 contenders for the Tag Titles.
– Charlotte is out to the ring next to address her father, The Nature Boy, Ric Flair. Charlotte cuts an emotional promo about Ric raising Sasha Banks’ hand at TLC, and with that, Flair comes out to the ring. Charlotte tells Ric she’s sorry and hugs him, and the crowd boos. Charlotte goes to hug Ric again, but this time slaps him in the face and starts yelling at Flair turning his back on her at TLC. Sasha Banks comes out and starts fighting with Charlotte in the ring, but Charlotte gets the upper hand. Charlotte beats down Sasha all around ringside as referees try to stop her. Sasha is down, and Charlotte taunts Ric as RAW goes off the air.