Home News 8 Takeaways From WWE RAW (8/13)

8 Takeaways From WWE RAW (8/13)

Robert Lentini
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8 Takeaways From WWE RAW (8/13)
Photo Credit: WWE.com

The August 13th, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. It was the final episode of RAW before WWE SummerSlam this weekend.

Here are 8 takeaways from this week’s episode of RAW:

Alexa Bliss Hired A Security Team & They Failed Miserably 

Ronda Rousey kicked off this week’s episode of RAW and made her way down to the ring. Rousey spoke about Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart’s passing away. She stated that our fathers have been raising us to be the pillars of strength when they are gone. She told Natalya to stay strong and that everyone loves her. The crowd chanted “Nattie!” as Rousey said that Natalya was the first person to welcome her into WWE and she will be the first person to defend her while she is gone.

Rousey noted that Bliss cheated time and time again to defeat Natalya and vowed to take the RAW Women’s Championship away from her at WWE SummerSlam. Rousey then welcomed Ember Moon down to the ring. Alexa Bliss’ music hit and said that she is sick of Ronda kissing up to all these people. Bliss then called Rousey a spoiled brat and an overrated rookie. Alexa claimed that SummerSlam is going to be humiliating for Rousey and then poked fun at the angry face she makes every week on RAW.

Alexa blasted RAW GM Kurt Angle for protecting everyone besides her. Alexa added that she spoke to Constable Corbin and he suggested that she hire her own personal security to protect her from Rousey. A security team then surrounded Bliss as she warned Rousey to not even think about trying anything tonight.

Bliss shoved Ember Moon into the turnbuckle and then Rousey hopped into the ring but the security team got in her way. Ronda started taking out the security team with Arm Drags and then the remaining member of the team took off running. Ronda then launched Alicia Fox out of the ring as Bliss retreated up the entrance ramp.

Ronda Rousey Picked Up Some Momentum Before SummerSlam

Alexa Bliss then battled Ember Moon as Alicia Fox and Ronda Rousey were ringside for the match. Ember started off in control of the match but Alexa quickly battled back and applied a Headlock as a promo for WWE SummerSlam aired. Moon broke free and slammed Alexa face-first into the canvas for a two count.

Bliss rolled out of the ring to try and regroup but Ember connected with a Dropkick through the ropes and brought her back into the ring. Ember applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Bliss escaped and connected with a Dropkick to Moon’s midsection. Moon battled back with an Enziguri that sent Alexa Bliss out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.

When RAW returned, Bliss was back in control and connected with Double Knees to Ember’s midsection for a two count. Bliss went back to the Headlock and wrestled Moon down to the canvas. Ember battled to her feet and broke the hold with a Jawbreaker. Alexa shrugged it off and hit Moon with a Clothesline for a near fall.

Alexa went right back to the Headlock and brought Ember back to the canvas. Alexa started cackling and taunting Rousey who was pacing around ringside. Moon got fired up and broke the hold. Moon rolled Bliss up but Alexa kicked out at two and then hit a Dropkick of her own for another two count.

Bliss bashed Moon in the face with a right hand and then started to taunt her. Moon shrieked and leveled Bliss with an Enziguri. Moon followed it up with a Splash in the corner and then made her way to the top rope. Ember grabbed Bliss and planted her with a Suplex. Alicia Fox hopped on the ring apron but Rousey grabbed her and launched Alicia into the barricade. Bliss capitalized on the distraction and snuck up behind Rousey and threw her into the barricade.

Bliss got into the ring and Moon greeted her with a Backbreaker. Moon then climbed to the top rope and hit the Eclipse on Bliss. Ember went for the cover but Alicia Fox got back into the ring to break it up. Fox then attacked Moon and the match ended in a DQ. Rousey got back into the ring and launched Bliss & Fox out of the ring to end the segment. Alexa Bliss will defend her RAW Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey this Sunday at WWE SummerSlam.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029163421781159936

Strowman & Balor Defeated Owens & Mahal

Constable Corbin arranged for both himself and Finn Balor to be in matches tonight on RAW. Corbin picked Tyler Breeze as his opponent and beat the hell out of him to start off the match.

Breeze battled back with a Dropkick that sent Corbin out of the ring. Breeze went for a Splash off the ring apron but Corbin caught him and threw Breeze into the barricade. Baron then brought Breeze back into the ring and continued the beatdown.

Corbin took a break to shout at the crowd for chanting that he sucks and then returned to stomping on Breeze in the middle of the ring. Corbin applied a Headlock and shouted at Breeze to just give up.

Breeze battled to his feet but Corbin threw him back to the canvas. Tyler connected with a Clothesline that sent Corbin out of the ring. Breeze followed it up with an Enziguri and Corbin retreated back into the ring. Breeze charged at Corbin but Baron was ready and connected with the Deep Six for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Constable Corbin boasted about his victory and that was just a small taste of what he is going to do to Finn Balor at SummerSlam. Corbin then announced that Finn Balor will face Jinder Mahal next on RAW. Mahal came down to the ring and Corbin said that he is not finished, he was just catching his breath. Baron suggested that Balor will actually be in a Handicap Match and announced Kevin Owens as Mahal’s tag partner.

RAW GM Kurt Angle came down to the entrance ramp before the match started and announced that the match will now be a Tag Team Match. Angle then announced that Braun Strowman was Finn Balor’s partner. The crowd erupted as Strowman made his way down to the ring.

Balor and Mahal started off the match and Jinder threw Finn to the corner of the ring. Mahal followed it up with a shoulder tackle but Balor quickly battled back with a Dropkick. Mahal drove Balor back to the corner of the ring and Kevin Owens tagged into the match.

Owens beatdown Balor in the corner of the ring and then applied an Arm Bar. Owens threw Finn back into the corner and Mahal tagged in. Owens and Mahal spent the next couple of minutes taking turns beating the hell out of Balor as Braun pleaded for a tag from the apron.

Strowman finally was able to tag in and Owens immediately tagged out of the match. Owens hopped over the barricade and hid in the crowd as Braun leveled Mahal with a palm strike to the chest.

The crowd chanted “get these hands!” as Braun bounced off the ropes and delivered a Splash onto Jinder in the corner. Braun then planted Mahal with a shoulder tackle as Owens slowly made his way back to the ring apron.

Finn tagged in and Braun slammed him onto Mahal for a two count. Balor then hit Mahal with a Dropkick that sent him out of the ring. Balor was going to try and flip onto Mahal but Owens tripped him up. Strowman started walking towards Owens and KO retreated towards the entrance ramp. Balor then flipped onto Mahal and Owens as RAW went to a commercial break.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029172009866022912

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029172689087414272

When RAW returned, Jinder Mahal and Finn Balor were in the ring. Jinder had Balor in a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Finn battled to his feet but Mahal booted him in the chest and tagged Owens back into the match. Kevin Owens taunted Strowman as he dropped an elbow on Balor’s chest.

Jinder tagged back in and applied a Headlock once again. Finn broke free and threw Jinder out of the ring. Finn slowly made his way across the ring but Owens tagged in and prevented the tag to Strowman. Balor planted Owens with a Slingblade and then dove across the ring to tag in Braun Strowman.

Braun knocked Owens out of the ring and then decked Mahal with a Clothesline. Strowman got out of the ring and threw Sunil Singh into Kevin Owens. Braun got back into the ring and hit Mahal with the Running Powerslam for the pinfall victory. Braun then chased Owens backstage after the match.

Constable Corbin then snuck up behind Balor after the match and hit him with End of Days. Corbin taunted Balor as the crowd chanted “you still suck!”. Corbin will battle Finn Balor this Sunday night. Braun Strowman will also face Kevin Owens with the MITB contract on the line at WWE SummerSlam.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029174884734316545

Ricky Roberts Hit Lashley With A Guitar

“Ricky Roberts” came down to the ring with a guitar and said that Elias was his favorite musician in the entire world. Ricky claimed that one day he will find himself in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Elias interrupted by strumming his guitar.

Elias told Ricky that there is only one Elias in this world and he is looking at him. Elias promoted his merch on WWE Shop and told Ricky that he could impress him tonight if he somehow defeated Bobby Lashley.

Lashley interrupted Elias once again and made his way down to the ring to face Ricky Roberts. Bobby grabbed the microphone that WWE already has a “no talent clown that plays the guitar in Elias”.

Ricky Roberts bashed Lashley with a guitar and Bobby responded by planting Ricky with a Spinebuster. Lashley then posed in the ring as Elias made his way backstage.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029178498584387585

The B-Team Are Still RAW Tag Team Champions

The B-Team defended their RAW Tag Team Championships against The Revival and Deleters of Worlds in a Triple Threat Match tonight on RAW.

The Revival started out the match in control and isolated Bo Dallas in their corner of the ring. Dawson connected with a Suplex for a two count and then tagged Wilder in. Dash threw Bo into the ropes but Matt Hardy tagged himself in. Matt beatdown Dash Wilder in the corner of the ring and then planted him with a Side Effect for a two count. The Revival took back control of the match as RAW went to a commercial break.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029181906183757825

When RAW returned, Matt Hardy made his way up to the top rope but Dawson greeted him with a right hand. Matt Hardy then Superplexed Dawson onto everyone outside the ring in an awesome spot. Back in the ring, Axel tagged in as Bray tried to deliver a Sister Abigail to Dash and Dawson. The Revival countered into a Shatter Machine and then Curtis Axel threw them both out of the ring. Axel then pinned Bray Wyatt and the B-Team retained the RAW Tag Team Championships.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029183746036121601

It was announced later on RAW that The B-Team will defend the titles against The Revival during SummerSlam’s Kickoff Show.

Heyman & Lesnar Tricked Roman Reigns

WWE showed a clip that wasn’t aired last week on RAW. Last week, Renee Young interviewed Paul Heyman. In the new clip from the interview, Heyman hinted that there was a way for Reigns to defeat Brock Lesnar but declined to elaborate.

Roman Reigns came down to the ring to cut a promo before his Universal Championship match against Brock Lesnar this Sunday at WWE SummerSlam. Reigns said “leave this place better than I found it” and stated that is something that he says to himself every day.

Reigns noted that he will never be able to accomplish that goal with Brock Lesnar here and said that it was time for him to go. Roman added that he is tired of it and will put an end to Lesnar this Sunday night at WWE SummerSlam.

Roman then vowed to take back his Universal Championship Sunday night and send Lesnar so far back into UFC he is going to find his head stuck up Dana White’s ass.

Paul Heyman interrupted and said, “it is a New Day, yes it is!”. Heyman then brought up The Usos and stated that they are the future of SmackDown’s tag division. Heyman added that Reigns is the future of RAW and joined Reigns in the ring.

Heyman claimed that Roman Reigns can start making history tonight on RAW and referenced his comments during the Renee Young interview that was aired earlier tonight. Paul Heyman said that he would be willing to tell Reigns of Brock Lesnar’s secrets and added that Roman will beat Lesnar if Heyman was in his corner.

Reigns claimed that he beat Lesnar at Greatest Royal Rumble and it would have ended quicker than that but Heyman got involved. Paul stated that he was not out here to talk about the past, he was here to talk about the future. Heyman then went through his advocate speech and pointed to Roman Reigns as the reigning, defending Universal Champion.

Heyman extended his hand as the crowd chanted “yes!”. Reigns said that wasn’t good enough and that he was groomed at a very young age for this position. Roman noted that his father taught him to recognize the sharks that were drowning and to stay away from them. Roman added that Heyman was not worth saving and wished him luck in his future endeavors.

Paul said that he learned a lot while traveling with Roman’s uncle and father. Heyman said that Roman’s father taught him something and spoke Samoan to Reigns and Roman looked confused. Heyman handed Roman an agreement in principle and told Roman to look it over. Heyman told Reigns to give him his answer at SummerSlam and Roman started reading the paper.

Heyman then sprayed something in Reigns face and left the ring. Brock Lesnar’s music then hit and the Universal Champion made his way down to the ring. Lesnar handed Heyman the title and entered the ring with a giant smile on his face. Brock attacked Reigns in the corner of the ring and knocked him to the canvas. Lesnar then choked out Reigns in the middle of the ring as Heyman looked on in the background. Brock then exited the ring and left with Paul Heyman.

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Lesnar decided that he wasn’t done and made his way back to the ring as Roman Reigns slowly tried to get up. Brock then delivered an F5 to Reigns and flexed over him as the crowd chanted “one more time!”. Heyman and Lesnar then left the ring and went backstage as RAW went to a break.

Ruby Riott Defeated Sasha Banks

Sasha Banks faced Ruby Riott tonight on RAW. Bayley, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan were ringside for the match.

Riott started off the match by punching Banks in the face and knocking her to the mat. Banks battled back with an Arm Drag and then tried to roll her up but Ruby kicked out at two.

Ruby went for roll-up but Sasha countered and attempted to apply the Bank Statement. Ruby quickly grabbed the ropes and then rolled out of the ring. Sasha followed her out there but became distracted by the Riott Squad. Ruby threw Sasha into the steel steps and then the action returned the ring.  Sasha’s hand got caught in the steps and Riott stomped on it a couple of times as RAW went to a commercial break.

Ruby was still targetting Sasha’s hand when RAW returned from the commercial break. Sasha battled back with an Arm Drag and then an elbow to the face. Sasha sprinted across the ring and took out Sarah Logan with a Suicide Dive. Liv Morgan tripped up Banks on the apron while the referee wasn’t looking.  Bayley then took out Liv Morgan with a Clothesline outside the ring. Ruby Riott capitalized on the distraction and rolled up Banks for the pinfall victory.

Dean Ambrose Returned & Will Be In Rollins’ Corner At SummerSlam

Throughout the entire episode of RAW, IC Champion Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre were having conversations with RAW GM Kurt Angle in regards to Seth Rollins. Seth was running late due to “travel issues” and Angle kept pushing back the Intercontinental Championship contract signing until he had no choice but to head to the ring at the end of the show.

Angle addressed the attack by Heyman and Lesnar on Roman Reigns earlier tonight. Angle said that Reigns will still be able to compete at SummerSlam and added that he wants Roman to kick Brock’s ass at SummerSlam. Kurt said that he wants Roman to bring the Universal Championship back to RAW every week where it belongs and called Brock Lesnar the worst Universal Champion of all time.

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre interrupted and joined Angle in the ring. Angle asked Rollins to come down to the ring but nobody showed up. Angle introduced Seth again and Rollins didn’t come down to the ring. Ziggler claimed that he wasn’t surprised because Seth cannot beat them and he quit. McIntyre added that he respects Rollins because he fought to prove that he is the best, which made them prove that they are even better.

Ziggler said that Rollins busted his ass for the WWE Universe and that is a one-way street. Dolph brought up the audience forgetting about him in the past and how they used to love when he stole the show. He claimed that means nothing because the audience turned their back on him and they will do the same to everyone else.

Dolph noted that for the first time in his life, someone truly has his back. Ziggler claimed that McIntyre pushes him to be better every single night and that he doesn’t care about the crowd or any of the Superstars in the back. Dolph added that they do whatever they want and they took the whole damn show over. Ziggler asked Angle to give him the contract so they can officially make it a “Seth Rollins forfeit”.

Ziggler signed the contract and Rollins finally showed up. Seth apologized for being late and that he is usually right on time. Rollins admitted that he hasn’t been completely honest with everyone because he had been here for a while. Seth claimed that he was dealing with some travel but they weren’t exactly his. Rollins stated that he ought to have a lunatic in his corner at SummerSlam and Dean Ambrose came down to the entrance ramp.

Dean and Rollins made their way down to the ring and brawled with Ziggler and McIntyre. Ambrose knocked Ziggler out of the ring as Rollins delivered a Superkick to McIntyre. Dean then planted McIntyre with Dirty Deeds and celebrated with Rollins as RAW went off the air.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/1029203820436434944

Opinion: I really enjoyed this week’s episode of RAW and thought it did a solid job of hyping up SummerSlam this weekend. The segment with Reigns, Heyman, and Lesnar was completely predictable but I still thought the promo was well done. I also enjoyed Renee Young on commentary. It was refreshing to not have to listen to Corey Graves and Jonathan Coachman argue about nothing for three hours.

What did you think of this week’s RAW? Let us know in the comments below.

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