The August 21st edition of WWE RAW was the first episode after SummerSlam 2017 and took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
– Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman come out to the ring to open up RAW. The Universal Champion and Heyman step into the ring and Heyman gloats about his client’s victory last night. Heyman says Lesnar’s opponents last night were pretenders who couldn’t put away The Beast, as he declined medical attention and walked back down the aisle to retain the Championship. Heyman mentions that Lesnar pinned Roman Reigns, which gets the a pop from the crowd. Heyman sys there is nobody in the WWE or UFC who can conquer Lesnar, and this brings out Braun Strowman to interrupt. Strowman comes nose to nose with Lesnar and goes for a chokeslam but Lesnar breaks free. Lesnar runs off the ropes and Strowman drops him with a big boot, then follows up with a running powerslam. Lesnar gets up to his feet, so Strowman plants him with another running powerslam. Strowman picks up the Universal Title and holds it up then yells at Heyman. Strowman drops the title in the belt and heads backstage while Lesnar recovers.
– Enzo Amore def. Big Cass: This one is under Street Fight rules. Enzo cuts a promo on the stage before the match where he says he graduated from the school of hard knocks si a street fight is appropriate tonight. Enzo talks about becoming friends with Cass 15 years ago and Cass turning his back on him. Enzo says how their story begins is how it will end, and he’s going to show Cass how it will end in just a minute, then he heads backstage. Enzo comes back out to the stage with a shopping cart full of weapons. Cass steps out of the ring and charges up the ramp at Enzo. Cass clotheslines Enzo down, then pushes the shopping cart into Enzo on the ramp. Cass throws Enzo into the fan barricade, then takes him into the ring. Cass hands a steel chair to Enzo and dares him to come at him. Enzo grabs the chair and gets up, but Cass immediately drops him with a big boot to the face. The fight spills out to ringside where Cass powerslams Enzo on the floor, then takes him back in the ring for more punishment. Enzo stuns Cass with a jawbreaker, but Cass gets right back in control and hits a splash on Enzo in the corner. Cass goes for a running big boot, but Enzo ducks and pulls down to the top rope, and Cass crashes down to the floor at ringside. Enzo goes for the steel chair, but Cass gets back in the ring and puts the boots to Enzo. Cass goes for the elbow drop, but his knee gives out and he falls down. Cass rolls out of the ring and the referee calls off the match. It’s declared that Cass can’t finish the match due to injury, so Enzo is declared the winner. Enzo celebrates his win and dances while Cass is helped backstage.
– Emma is backstage complaining to Dana Brooke about how Nia Jax is getting a better push than she is. Emma trash-talks Nia while Nia secretly walks up behind Emma. Emma turns around to see that Nia has been standing there, and they’ve got a match up next.
– Nia Jax def. Emma: Emma starts off with a flurry of punches and elbows, but Nia shuts her down with a clothesline and takes control. Emma briefly comes back with a dropkick, but Nia shuts her down with a Samoan Drop. Nia pins and scores the win after a very short squash match.
– Elias comes down to the ring for a song. He says he would sing another song about Brooklyn, but since he knows everyone is ashamed to live there anyways he’s going to sing a song about R-Truth. Truth comes out to interrupt and we have a match.
– Elias vs. R-Truth: Truth starts off fired up and lays into Elias with strikes. Truth throws Elias in the corner and hits a splash. Elias comes back with an elbow but R-Truth drops him with a spinning heel kick. After some back and forth brawling, Elias hits a snap suplex for the win.
– RAW GM Kurt Angle is heading out next.
– Angle comes out to the stage and says he has a big Superstar announcement for the fans at RAW tonight. He introduces John Cena, who is appearing on RAW for the first time in over a year. Cena comes out and hits the ring with a microphone. Cena says he’s here because he saw Kurt Angle at SummerSlam, and Angle invited him to the show. Cena says he immediately said yes, because he wants to be in the ring on RAW face to face with a certain WWE star. On that note, Roman Reigns’ music hits and Reigns heads down to the ring. Reigns steps in the ring, and Cena says he’s exactly the guy he was looking for. Reigns complains about Cena running his mouth about him on Twitter, and challenges him to run his mouth to his face now that he’s in Reigns’ yard. Cena says he didn’t come here to talk and he drops the mic and takes his shirt off. Before anything happens, The Miz’s music hits and he comes out with the rest of the Miztourage. Miz gets in the ring and cuts a promo complaining about how many opportunities Reigns and Cena get compared to him. Miz complains that Angle wants to add Cena to the show, then asks the fans if they think RAW needs Cena and the crowd mostly seems to chant “No!” Cena says he’s a man of the people so he’ll show himself out, but Miz stops him and says he’s not done talking to him yet. Miz says RAW is his show, and he complains that he deserves the opportunities Cena and Reigns have been getting. Miz says he’s been earning respect for 12 years and wants his moment to shine. Cena says he’ll give The Miz his moment tonight in a tag match: Cena & Reigns vs. Miz and a member of the Miztourage. The Miz says no, but before he can continue he’s interrupted by Samoa Joe. Joe steps in the ring and stands right in front of Cena. Joe gets on the mic and says if anyone is going to Miz’s partner tonight, it’s going to be him, because he’s sick of Reigns. Joe says one on one he owns Reigns, and he’s sick of Reigns saying this is his yard. Joe turns back to Cena and decks him with a right hand, then delivers elbows, knees and headbutts to Cena. Reigns fights off The Miz, while Cena goes for an AA on Joe but Joe fights out. Joe locks Cena in the Coquina clutch, but Reigns breaks it up with a Superman punch on Joe. Reigns and Cena come face to face in the ring while the crowd chants “you both suck.” Joe and the Miztourage head up the ramp while Cena and Reigns stare at them from the ring.
– Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, Rich Swann & Gran Metalik def. Drew Dulak, Daivari, Tony Nese, & Noam Dar: After some back and forth brawling in the opening moments, Ali hits a moonsault off the top onto Daivari for a two count early on. Swann tags in and continues the offense on Ali until Ali goes for the tag. Dar declines to tag in which starts an argument between him and Ali. Nese tags in and Swann levels him with a dropkick. Nese comes back with an elbow to the face to take control of the match. Gulak tags in and continues working on Swann until Swann drops him with a flying kick to the head. Alexander and Nese get the tags and Alexander cleans house. Cedric tees off on Nese with kicks then hits a flying clothesline off the top. Dar runs in but Metalik throws him to the outside, then Metalik walks the top rope and moonsaults off onto Dar at ringside. Back in the ring, Cedric boots Nese in the head and hits the Lumbar Check for the win.
– We go backstage for an interview with Cruiserweight Champ Neville who cuts a promo on Tozawa and Titus. Titus and Tozawa interrupt and tell him that words don’t hurt them, but they do have one word for Neville that will hurt him: rematch. Tozawa wants a rematch for the title tomorrow night on 205 Live.
– Jason Jordan heads in to Kurt Angle’s office and they hug. Jordan says he wants a match tonight. Jordan says he’ll come back to The Miz, because he wants Finn Balor tonight. Angle asks Jordan if he’s ready for that level of competition, and Jordan nods yes. Angle tells him the match is booked, and they hug again and Jordan leaves.
– RAW Tag Team Champs Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins come out to the ring next. They grab mics and Rollins says it feels good to be back together and have those RAW Tag Title belts. Rollins says tonight is a party and all of Brooklyn is invited — except Cesaro and Sheamus. Ambrose says they know those guys will want their rematch soon, and they’ll fight anyone any time. They look towards the ramp, but instead of Cesaro and Sheamus, the Hardy Boyz come out. Matt and Jeff hop in the ring with mics and they congratulate them on winning the Tag Titles. Matt says they know that brothers can fight, but when they set aside those differences and work together it’s a beautiful thing. Matt says that’s why they came out tonight to challenge them to a match. Rollins says they grew up idolizing the Hardy Boyz while the crowd chants “obsolete.” Matt says the reason the fans chant for him is because they’ve be revolutionizing tag wrestling for the last quarter of a century, and they want to revolutionize it again tonight in Brooklyn. Rollins and Ambrose accepts, and it’s on.
– Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose def. Matt & Jeff Hardy: Sheamus and Cesaro are backstage watching on a monitor. The Hardy Boyz use frequent tags in the opening moments to get in some double team attacks on both Rollins and Ambrose. Rollins comes back with a facebuster on Matt into the turnbuckle, then Ambrose tags in and the Champions double team Matt. Jeff gets the blind tag and hits a spinning heel kick. The aprons clear and the two teams stare each other down then start brawling. The fight spills outside and Jeff hits a suicide dive onto Rollins. Back in the ring, the champions mount a comeback, but the Hardys dump them to the outside then hit a Poetry In Motion on both from the ring down to the floor. Back in the ring Jeff goes for the Whisper In the Wind but Rollins evades it. Ambrose tags in and beats down Jeff before tagging Rollins back in for a double team attack. Ambrose tags back in quickly for another double team, but Jeff escapes and hits the Whisper In The Wind on both of them. Matt gets the tag and cleans house. Matt repeatedly slams Rollins into the turnbuckles then hits a clothesline and a running bulldog. Matt hits an elbow off the middle rope on Rollins then goes for a Side Effect, but Rollins fights out. Ambrose tags in blind and breaks up a Twist of Fate attempt by Matt, then the Champions hit a double team sling blade. The Champions throw the Hardy Boyz outside and follow up with suicide dives onto both of them. Back in the ring, Matt comes back with a Side Effect on Ambrose then heads up top. Ambrose trips up Matt on the top rope then follows him up. Ambrose pushes Matt down to the ring and Ambrose follows. Matt hits the Twist of Fate then Jeff tags in for the Swanton Bomb, but Ambrose blocks it by putting his knees up. Rollins tags in and knees Jeff in the face, then Rollins hits the Dirty Deeds on Jeff. Rollins pins Jeff for the win.
– Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman in a Universal title match is announced for WWE’s upcoming No Mercy pay-per-view.
– The Miztourage is backstage in Samoa Joe’s locker room, where The Miz says he’s glad to have Samoa Joe as a part of the Miztourage. Joe eventually tells Miz to shut up, and gives them their instructions for tonight. Joe says the game plan is Axel and Dallas will stay at ringside for the whole match, and Miz will be annoying in the ring. They agree with Joe and Joe storms off.
– RAW Womens Champion Sasha Banks comes out to the ring next. Sasha sends her best wishes to Ric Flair, and then starts cutting a promo on former champion Alexa Bliss. Bliss comes out to interrupt and trashes Sasha. Sasha asks why Bliss doesn’t use her rematch clause right now, but Bliss declines and says she’ll do her match next week. Bliss says after next week Banks will no longer be known as the legit boss, and will instead be known as the legit loser.
– Finn Balor def. Jason Jordan: Jordan controls the opening moments of this one until Balor comes back with a dropkick that levels Jordan. Jordan hits a powerslam but Balor gets up and fires back with a clothesline. Balor starts working over Jordan’s knee with leg kicks until Jordan comes back with suplexes. Jordan hits a butterfly suplex for a two count on Balor. Jordan goes for another one but Balor fights out and dropkicks Jordan in the face. Balor fires up with a series of kicks then hits some chops to the chcest. Balor throws Jordan outside and hits a baseball slide dropkick. Balor kicks Jordan in the face from the apron then throws him back in the ring. Jordan comes back with a spear then goes for his finish but Balor escapes. Balor hits the Pele kick. Jordan backs Balor into the corner, but Balor comes back with a knee to the face and the Sling Blade. Balor dropkicks Jordan into the corner, then he goes up for the Coup De Grace. He hits it and pins for the win.
– John Cena & Roman Reigns def. The Miz & Samoa Joe: Axel and Dallas are at ringside for this one. The camera cuts to a beach ball being passed around the crowd, and Cena gets distracted by it. Joe takes advantage of the distraction to drop Cena then he stomps a mud hole on him in the corner. Joe tags in Miz who continues the offense on Cena. Cena briefly comes back but gets distracted interacting with the crowd and Miz comes back with a kick and a DDT for a two count. Joe tags back in and works on Cena with kicks and headbutts. Miz tags in and misses a splash in the corner. Reigns and Joe get the tags and Reigns tees off on Joe with strikes. Reigns knocks Miz off the apron then hits a series of clotheslines on Joe. Reigns follows up with a big boot to Joe then attempts a Superman punch, but Joe side-steps it and hits a version of the Rock Bottom on Reigns. Miz tags in and continues working on Reigns with a series of kicks. Joe comes back in and keeps Reigns grounded with a head lock. Reigns starts to fire up but Joe shuts him down with a splash in the corner and a Pele kick for a two count. Miz tags in and dumbs Reigns outside, and Reigns takes the opportunity to drop both Dallas and Axel. Back in the ring, Reigns tags in Cena who tees off on The Miz and hits a back suplex. Cena goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle but Joe runs in and stops him with a Coquina Clutch. Reigns charges at Joe and goes for a Superman punch, but he accidentally punches Cena instead. Joe dumps Reigns outside and goes for a suicide dive, but Reigns blocks it with a punch of Joe’s face. Miz and Cena are alone in the ring and Miz gears up for a Skull Crushing Finale. Cena escapes and hits Miz with an AA for the win. Cena and Reigns stare each other down in the ring as Joe and the Miztourage head backstage and RAW goes off the air.