It’s time for a little Superstar Shake-up, well another way to say a draft… Raw is going to reveal its Smackdown picks, the blue brand will do on Tuesday with its Raw picks.
I’m Steph and I watched Monday Night Raw for you last night. And if you don’t want to be lost when watching next week’s Raw episode, with new faces and new feuds to come, you’d better read what’s following…
We already learn, as the show has not begun yet, that Apollo Crews is already heading to Raw. He seems to be very happy with it. A set of former WWE Tag Team Champions is also announced to come to RAW from SmackDown tonight, without announcing their names.
The show begins with John Cena and Nikki Bella coming, well their amusing cosplays The Miz and Maryse. They announced last week they were going to Hollywood but Hollywood didn’t want them. So they decided to take advantage of the Superstars Shake-Up to come back to Raw. Here comes the Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose who’s doing a surrealistic promo, acting as if he was talking to the real Cena and Nikki and congratulating them for their engagement. When The Miz tries to explain to Ambrose he’s not Cena and Maryse is not Nikki, his answer is simple, Dirty Deeds. Michael Cole then announces that Ambrose is now a Raw Superstar.
HERE IS SOME OTHER SHIT THAT HAPPENED:
– Backstage, Sami Zayn is explaining to General Manager Kurt Angle people wants him to go to SmackDown and he wants to know more about his future. Angle confirms SmackDown has “a lot” of interest in him. Miz and Maryse come to complain about what has just happened. Zayn and Miz have words, the match is set for tonight.
– The Revival again defeated The New Day, without Kofi Kingston who’s suffering from an ankle injury, thanks to Dash and Dawson. Woods made a pretty impressive match but he was the one this week to suffer from the anger of The Revival.
– Backstage, Neville is asked about the new Cruiserweight title shot Austin Aries earned last week on 205 Live. For him, Aries isn’t on the Neville level. Perkins comes mess with the champion and words flow. You’re the worst, I’m the best, you will never have a chance for the title ever again… the classic boring promo. The match is set for tonight.
– Curt Hawkins, Raw’s new acquisition, didn’t have the time to tell any facts we didn’t already know as The Big Show KO-punched him. Welcome back to Raw, Kurt!
– TJ Perkins defeated Austin Aries thanks to a distraction from Neville who was at the announcer’s table. Aries was not happy, Perkins was not happy anymore when he understood he won thanks to Neville, and Neville enjoyed. Good match with a quick pace and interesting moves.
– Seth Rollins is in the middle of the ring, talking about his fate. How good he feels. How he was feeling the day after Wrestlemania. That he did it, he beat Triple H. But he wants more and has new goals, Samoa Joe is one of them. But because Stephanie McMahon went through a table during Wrestlemania, he’s not sure he will be allowed to settle the scores on Raw. When Commissioner Stephanie is going to come back, he will be reminded of what he did. Rollins says if she wants to send him to SmackDown she better have an army backstage because he’s not leaving RAW without a fight.
General Manager Kurt Angle comes and tells him the truth. Yes, Stephanie wants him to go to SmackDown. But as a man who won matches with a broken neck, he respects a man who did it with one leg. So no, Seth Rollins isn’t going to SmackDown, whatever Stephanie thinks. And it’s true, it’s damn true. Here comes Samoa Joe out of nowhere. Rollins takes advantage this time, compelling Joe to back up.
– Backstage United States Champion Kevin Owens is doing his classic “I don’t give a damn” promo about the Shake-Up, Ambrose’s arrival and Jericho not being there tonight. And because he’s the number 1 champion on Raw, he will show Ambrose who’s the best later tonight in the ring.
-Nia Jax defeated Charlotte Flair in a real strong match. Nia botched Charlotte twice, during a shoulder breaker and a moonsault, moves that could have seriously injured the Queen.
– A video at the glory of Finn Balor is shown before his match against Jinder Mahal. A bad ever kick from Mahal nearly knocked Balor out but, a few of his classic moves later, Balor prevailed. After the match, the lights went out as Bray Wyatt appeared on screen. He announced Raw is his new home and Balor had to watch himself as Wyatt would certainly do.
Raw, Bray Wyatt is here, and a monsters ball is ready to open (I blow off the lantern for you…)
– Sami Zayn defeated the Miz thanks to Maryse’s distraction. She tried to save her husband a few times, but in the end not to Miz’s advantage. As rock’n roll philosopher Mick Jagger said, you can’t always get what you want…
– Backstage, Michael Cole is doing a sit-down interview with Roman Reigns. As the crowd is booing him, he said he felt a lot of pain in what is the greatest victory of his career and how bittersweet it was to retire a Legend he respects. But he’s the Big Dog here and this is his yard now. Braun Strowman jumps out of nowhere and literally destroyed Reigns. Slamming him in and on everything possible. Throwing the stretcher Reigns was put on by paramedics off the dock. Beating him on in the ambulance he was loaded into. And finally overturning the vehicle bare hands as Reigns was still inside. Reigns was loaded into another ambulance and rushed to the hospital. The crowd was chanting “Thank you Strowman”, “You deserve it” and “Goodbye” to Reigns all along the segment. Honestly, I enjoyed every second of this long and brutal beating…
– Cesaro, Sheamus and The Hardy Boys defeated The Club and The Shining Stars. Huge pop for the Hardys and great job from Cesaro & Sheamus who proved they deserved their title shot at Payback. The two teams shook hands. (In Raw Fallout, they revealed they would send the Hardys where they belong, the WWE encyclopaedia…)
Elias Samson made an appearance on stage with his guitar as the Hardys were coming to the ring. A newcomer to Raw?
– After an Emma and Dana identity crisis backstage moment, Sasha Banks appeared in the ring to present her best friend Bayley. Sasha quickly reveals her real motive, a title match. But here comes Raw newest addition, Alexa Bliss, under a good pop from the crowd. As a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, she wants the red belt too. And here comes another new Raw addition, Mickie James, who’s happy to be back where she belongs. Nia Jax appears, is pushed into Sasha by Bliss who quickly retreated. Nia says the title is hers and beats up Bayley, as Bliss retreats and laughs at Bayley’s fate. Girls can be so mean…
The Champion vs. Champion match between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens quickly took the shape of a brutal and vicious beating. Ambrose didn’t want to lose time and tried to hit the Dirty Deeds on Owens, unsuccessfully. Ambrose then sent Owens into the barrier twice. Not enough to make Owens surrender. Owens then launched Ambrose into the ring post, injuring his ribs. He tried to hit the Dirty Deeds again but Owens blocked again. The fight continued in and outside the ring. Ambrose countered the pop-up powerbomb and Owens the Dirty Deeds. Owens nails a massive superkick to Ambrose. Not enough to beat the Intercontinental Champion who finally hits the Dirty Deeds for the win. Very impressive match.
As Ambrose was celebrating in the ring, Chris Jericho came out and hits Owens with the Codebreaker. Bad night for Owens…
TO SUM UP
Very good surprises tonight in a dense, rich and really strong episode, with unexpected arrivals and interesting feuds up to come for the next weeks…
The new Raw Superstars are: Apollo Crews, The Miz and Maryse, Dean Ambrose, Curt Hawkins, Bray Wyatt, Kalisto, Heath Slater & Rhyno, Alexa Bliss and Mickie James.
Announcers side, Byron Saxton is switching place with David Otunga.
The SmackDown roster as of after Raw: AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, John Cena, Kane, Aiden English, James Ellsworth, Mojo Rawley, Zack Ryder, Tye Dillinger, Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Dolph Ziggler, Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Natalya, Nikki Bella, The American Alpha, Fandango & Tyler Breeze, The Usos, The Ascension (hope I forgot nobody…)
Those who obviously won’t move to SmackDown, due to feuds or Payback PPV matches: Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, The Hardy Boys, Cesaro & Sheamus, Bayley, Sasha Banks.