Extreme Rules is now over (you can read our review here), Samoa Joe will try to defeat the Beast Incarnate at Great Balls of Fire, RAW’s next PPV (who created this title ?) on July 9. Two titles changed hands, The Miz is ready to celebrate his 7th Intercontinental title but for sure Dean Ambrose will not be too far away. Let’s see…
I’m Steph, your (beloved) Doctor Frenchy, and I watched RAW for you last night.
The show is set to start with a match between Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns. But The Eater of Worlds has a few things to say before. Wyatt says he had a chance to slay The Beast and save us all from damnation. But his opponents took his sword and turned it right in his eye. But he’s still here and still alive. The God he has always been is ready to cast Judgement on all those who are guilty. Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, they’re all guilty. Wyatt makes the vow to punish them one by one and he’s starting right here, right now with Roman Reigns. Reigns interrupts him to explain him this is his Yard and here is what happens when you run your mouth in his Yard, a big punch in the face. Wyatt is ready to escape but the bell rings.
HERE IS SOME OTHER SHIT THAT HAPPENED:
– Roman Reigns defeated Bray Wyatt in a very contested match. Wyatt was dominating the match, blocking every Reigns attempt to counter. But after commercials, Reigns was in full force, charged Wyatt with headbutts, a sitdown powerbomb, a Spear and the Superman Punch for the pin. Good match, even if the recipe may be a little too classic…
– Backstage Enzo Amore and Big Cass still don’t know who attacked Amore last weeks but are ready to take on Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson tonight. They’re also ready to take care of Corey Graves’ hair style…
– Announcers told us Bayley is not there tonight thanks to the marks on her back from the Kendo Stick on a Pole match.
– Still backstage, Alexa Bliss was expecting congratulations from General Manager Kurt Angle and a celebration of her entire life. He gave Nia Jax in a title match for tonight.
– After a song of his own, Elias Samson was supposed to fight Dean Ambrose, the expected match didn’t happen. Ambrose tossed Samson over the barrier and then grabbed the mic to ask for a rematch right now. The Miz on screen told him the rematch will not be for tonight as he’s about to celebrate his win with the “Intercontinental Title Comeback Tour Celebration”. Samson then attacked Ambrose, hit the swinging neckbreaker and walked off.
– Backstage, Ambrose asked where the Miz was. Angle confirmed him he would get his rematch but not tonight and told him to leave the building and let The Miz celebrate.
– Samoa Joe is now in the ring. He’s here standing in front of the crowd to make it simple, he doesn’t fear Lesnar, he’s incapable of because he’s far too envious of him. He wants everything Lesnar has and takes it away from him. His schedule, his advocate Paul Heyman, and more than anything his WWE Universal Title. Paul Heyman comes to the ring, claiming Lesnar doesn’t fear Joe either. He calls Joe a worst case scenario for Lesnar (for Heyman, Balor was the best case scenario… really ?!) because Joe doesn’t give a damn and just wants to fight Lesnar. Joe wants the war. But whatever the result of their match will be, Heyman knows Joe is going to take a piece of Lesnar with him. Heyman claims it’s his job to make sure at Great Balls of Fire (this PPV name makes me inevitably laugh…) Lesnar is Joe’s worst case scenario. If Joe wants Brock Lesnar, he’s going to have Brock Lesnar. The two shake hands, Joe has a man-to-man conversation with Heyman in the corner. Heyman seems terrified as Joe is narrating, moment-by-moment, what is happening when he’s applying the Coquina Clutch and asking Heyman to describe those feelings to Lesnar. But as action is better than words, he grabs Heyman and applies the Coquina Clutch. Referees rush to the ring to stop Joe.
– Backstage, Angle confronts Joe. He says he will take out anyone who gets in his way on the road to Brock Lesnar, Joe then asks Angle if he’s in his way. Seth Rollins arrives to say if Angle isn’t in Joe’s way, he is. The match is set for the main-event of the night.
– RAW Tag Team Champions Cesaro and Sheamus defeated Rhyno and Heath Slater (who has finally appeared on the show since the Superstars Shake-up). Cesaro distracted Rhyno to allow Sheamus to beat down Slater. Easy win for the champs who claimed that’s how an intelligent team wins and that’s why they beat The Hardys last night.
– Backstage, TJP asked Neville for a title shot. Perkins is not patient as he helped Neville over the last two months and now it’s time for Neville to hold up his end of the bargain. Neville answered if TJP is doing well against Mustafa Ali, he will talk to Kurt Angle about the title shot.
– TJ Perkins defetead Mustafa Ali in less than 3 minutes with his Detonation Kick. Neville appeared after the match and claimed if he is the King of Cruiserweights, he’s not a miracle maker. Neville attacked Perkins before announcing they will have a title match at 205 Live this Tuesday.
– Goldust is still stuck in 1995 at The Golden Age era while Dana Brooke and Mickie James confirms Bliss they will be at ringside later when the Raw Women’s Champion will take car of the Nia Jax problem. The Corey Graves- Kurt Angle cell phone issue is taking a weird side (this story smells like summer of 2000… and a certain love triangle… I bank on it)
– Kalisto defeated Titus O’Neil in front of a quite happy Apollo Crews. Titus couldn’t stop yelling at Crews which allowed Kalisto to go for Salida del Sol and get the pin. Akira Tozawa was watching backstage as Titus tried to recruit Tozawa into The Titus Brand earlier.
– Big Cass was attacked, he has Enzo’s chain in his hands. Enzo had to find a new partner as Cass is not able to stand on his feet (here is a team that will soon be deleted…)
– It’s time for The Miz celebration. Fans chant “you deserve it” to him but that doesn’t mean anything to him. Miz says the Intercontinental Title Comeback Tour kicks off tonight as he continues to try and restore the IC Title to the heights and the glory it once knew. Miz is intrigued by the congratulations dancing bear Maryse claimed to never have asked to be there. Miz gets paranoid and attacks the bear. But the bear is not Ambrose…
A huge box is brought at ringside. Miz destroys it thinking Ambrose was in it. But it was a timeless grandfather clock. Maryse tried to stop him and is now crying because her husband ruined her gift. She goes backstage as the Miz is yelling “Je t’aime”.
Miz goes back to the ring and blames Ambrose for ruining his celebration. He wants to know where he is, if he bought a ticket to come back in the arena, if he’s wearing a Sin Cara or Kalisto mask. Miz rants Ambrose is afraid of him. At the same time, a camera man enters the ring. When Miz turns around, he finds out the camera man is Ambrose who offers himself his own celebration with Dirty Deeds and a glass of champagne.
– Enzo Amore finally found a partner in another 7-foot tall guy, The Big Show. Luke Gallows and karl Anderson had absolutely no chance, Show pressed Enzo and launched him on Anderson for the pin. Backstage Cass insinuated that Show may be the guy who attacked him
– R-Truth answered Shattered Dreams Productions message with a What’s Up Productions message, definitely turning his back on Goldust.
– Alexa Bliss defeated Nia Jax by disqualification for RAW Women’s Title. Bliss slapped Jax right in the match, driving her mad. Nia dominated the whole match until Bliss attacked both Mickie and Dana at ringside to earn the disqualification and keep her title. After the match, Bliss was attacked by both Mickie and Dana. Nia saved Alexa, allowing her to flee with the belt while Jax was destroying Brooke and James in the ring.
– Backstage, Paul Heyman is answering a phone call from Brock Lesnar and asks him to show up on RAW next week to instill fear into Joe and unleash the Beast.
In the main event, Samoa Joe started the match by sending his towel straight into Rollins’ head. Joe dominated the match, countering every attack of Rollins, sending him through the barrier, unloading a wide arsenal of strikes, blows and drops. When Rollins was finally in control, Bray Wyatt lights went out, but no Wyatt in the ring. Joe trapped a distracted Rollins in the Coquina Clutch for the win. Good match, which proved Joe earned his spot at the title.
TO SUM UP:
Welcome to Bla-Bla-Land ! Only 6 matches (2 really valuable) in 3 hours of show. Too any talks and backstage moments drowned the action. New feuds are on the way, Ambrose vs. Samson, Bliss vs. Jax. No Balor, no Bayley on the horizon (Balor appeared after the show went off air to learn Rollins how to pose like him…). Hopefully, Samoa Joe is saving the show from absolute numbness by shutting up Paul Heyman and making a statement in defeating Rollins.
All images courtesy of WWE