Greats Balls of Fire (sorry, I can’t help laughing…) is in less than 2 weeks and the card is not very full for the moment. Betrayals and comebacks were on the menu last week. The Miz built a new faction around him (not as sexy as Maryse, but…). Just before the show, it was announced that for the first time in WWE history, the #1 contender for the RAW Women’s Championship will be determined in a Women’s Gauntlet Match.

Well, RAW looked like a huge mess last week and a little bird is telling me mess is still on this week’s menu…  I’m Steph, Miss Doctor Frenchy, and I watched RAW for you last night.

The show opens with Roman coming to the ring while fans chant for Braun Strowman (like last week..). Three minutes later, Reigns talks about how last week Samoa Joe finally put him in the Coquina Clutch and brought him to sleep. When Joe was done, Braun Strowman returned and like a coward came to picked the bones. Strowman challenged him for an Ambulance Match at Great Balls of Fire and because Reigns has never been involved in this kind of match, he accepts his challenge. He says he’s going to put Strowman in the ambulance and drive him straight to hell because this is his yard. Sirens from an ambulance coming to the arena are heard. Reigns comes to see what happens, no one is in it. Braun Strowman arrived from aside, pickes up Reigns to launch him on the stage. He then counters a Superman punch to send Reigns onto the side of the ambulance. After putting Reigns inside it, Strowman stands tall in the ramp as the ambulance is leaving the building.

HERE IS SOME OTHER SHIT THAT HAPPENED:

– An attempt of trio song from Elias Samson and RAW Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro was (hopefully) cut by The Hardys’ music, coming to the ring followed by Finn Balor.

– The Hardys and Finn Balor defeated Elias Samson, Cesaro and Sheamus. Actor Josh Duhamel of Transformers movie franchise was on commentary. Good team work from Hardyz and Balor who hit the Coup de Grâce on Cesaro for the win (they later told on WWE Exclusive they would do it again whenever possible).

– Goldust is still stuck in 1995 at The Golden Age era (send him Marty McFly please…). He came to the ring with a cameraman dressed in gold like him. R-Truth arrived ready to fight but Goldust attacked first. As the cameraman was filming and the referee were warning, Goldust slammed R-Truth’s shoulders into the ring post. Goldust posed in the corner as the expected match between the two never happened.

– Backstage, Paul Heyman told Charly Caruso the Staples Center will be on fire because Lesnar is here to call out Samoa Joe for a fight. Meanwhile Bayley was picking her spot for the Gauntlet Match.

– It’s MizTV time. Before welcoming his guests in the ring, Miz claimed that after exposing Dean Ambrose for the fraud he is, Miz and his wife Maryse have never been happier. Maryse seemed ansolutely not. Miz said he’s looking at future and he has an announcement that will change WWE forever. He introduced his guests for tonight, 15-year-old basketball player LaMelo Ball, his father LaVar Ball and his brother, future LA Lakers player Lonzo Ball. Some of their Big Baller Brand apparel is on display in the ring. Miz went straight on congratulations and claimed his partnership with BBB is a dream come true. LaVar quickly stopped him, claiming Miz is a little too low for them right now and they were thinking of someone higher than Miz as a partner. Miz yelled he’s the Michael Jordan of WWE and he in fact didn’t want deal with them. Miz and LaVar were about to fight when Dean Ambrose arrived and broke this free advertising moment.

– The Miz and The Miztourage (Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas) defeated Dean Ambrose, Rhyno and Heath Slater. Heels made a good work on working on Rhyno but slater resisted quite well. The faces lost the match because the referee was distracted by Ambrose chasing The Miz outside the ring, allowing Dallas to roll up Rhyno for the win.

– Enzo Amore in the ring said he wasn’t doing too good. He called Big Cass all week, sent him text messages and direct messages, even spoke with his mother (I personally call that harassment), but Cass didn’t want to handle this in private. Enzo claimed he did stupid things and he will do some again but he had to talk to Big Cass (very soap opera…). Enzo asked Cass to listen to the crowd’s reactions, something that could hurt Cass. Enzo said Cass knew him better than anyone else and was right about some things last week. Because Enzo is not the biggest guy but does have the biggest mouth and sometimes that mouth bites off more than he can chew. Because they are brothers. Enzo claimed he’s heartbroken and refuse to let Cass break their bond. (I can keep on but watch an episode of The Young and The Restless and you’ll not be far away from what happened). Cass shut him up, claimed he had never been more ashamed than after what he did last week. Even if Enzo is an annoying and loud big mouth, they are brothers and he’s sorry. Big hug and apologies. Cass added if anyone thought they were going to throw away a lifetime of friendship then there’s only one way to describe you… SAWFT but Cass clotheslined Enzo the second after, mocked him and launched him down the ramp.

Big Cass then approached Corey Graves to tell him he must have some good dirt on Kurt Angle because Angle told him he can’t lay a finger on Graves.

– Seth Rollins defeated Curt Hawkins. Hopefully Rollins shut Hawkins up quickly but the fight was way too short.

After the match Bray Wyatt appeared on screen and warned Rollins that he is in his mind. Wyatt announced he will face Rollins at Great Balls of Fire and told Rollins to give in to his true self in this match or he will burn.

– Backstage, Mickie James and Dana Brooke drew their numbers for the Gauntlet match while Paul Heyman was waiting for his client.

– Heyman is in the ring and claims it’s time for Samoa Joe to start fearing Brock Lesnar. His client is about come to the ring to call Samoa Joe out for a fight. Lesnar arrived on the stage but Joe locked the Coquina Clutch on the WWE Universal Champion. Lesnar was turning red-faced as joe was getting him down. The Revival and other wrestlers came to break it up. Lesnar was in a very bad shape.

– WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville defeated Lince Dorado in front of Akira Tozawa watching at ringside in the special Titus Brand VIP section. Good action in a too short match again.

After the match, Neville invited Tozawa into the ring to fight but Titus O’Neil appeared on the ramp. He asked why would they fight for free right now as he just finalized a match between the two at Great Balls of Fire. He confirmed Tozawa is the newest member of Titus Worldwide and we will soon find out if the level of Neville compares with the power of Tozawa.

– Backstage Emma was drawing her number as Paul Heyman was telling Charly Caruso Lesnar may have a severe problem if Joe is able to lock the Coquina Clutch at Great Balls of Fire. The promoter he is claimed he loves all of this and Lesnar will hit Joe with the F5 in less than 2 weeks. Meanwhile, Nia Jax was telling Alexa Bliss there’s not a single woman in the match tonight that can drag her down, Bliss answered her with a good luck.

Bayley and Nia Jax are the first two women to start the main event of the night, the Gauntlet match for the #1 contender spot for the RAW Women’s Champion and a match against Alexa Bliss at Great Balls of Fire. Bayley focused on Jax’s leg but Nia knocked her down, hit the Samoan Drop and eliminate her. Mickie James was out next. After a bearhug from Nia, James nailed a Thesz Press from the top rope and a Mick Kick. But Nia blocked a DDT and eliminated James. Dana came, Nia hit a leg drop, Dana was eliminated.

Emma came to the ring. After a dropkick, she tried a crossbody from the top rope bu Nia catched up in mid-air, hit the Samoan Drop and eliminated her. Sasha Banks is the last woman standing. She quickly hit a jawbreaker and a shot to the face. Sasha tried a dive but Nia grabbed her in mid-air and sent her into the ring post. Sasha answered with the double knees from the ring apron. After commercials, Nia was in control but Sasha came back with a series of knees in the corner but Nia finally grabbed her, sent her on the mat for a two-count. Sasha spent a very bad moment as Nia unloaded tosses, slams and elbow drops. Not enought to make Sasha relinquish. Nia applied the bearhug but Sasha turned it into a choke that Nia countered into a suplex. Nia tried the Banks Statement but Jax overpowered her. Nia then hit the Samoan Drop but Banks rolled under the rope before she was able to make the pin. Nia tried to go for another Samoan Drop but Sasha countered and made Jax bend into the Banks Statement. Jax tapped out.

General Manager Kurt Angle made his way to the ring to congratulate Banks and raise her arm. But Alexa Bliss interrupted them, raising the title in the middle in the ring in Sasha’s face. Sasha grabbed the belt and raised it, Bliss tried to catch it, but Sasha raised the belt again. Bliss finally got her title back and left as Sasha was standing tall in the ring.

TO SUM UP:

A very good episode of The Young and The Restless (or The Bold and The Beautiful, whatever). With tiny bits of wrestling in it ! No need to make a Gauntlet match if it was about Nia vs. Sasha. No need to do the ambulance scene again as we witnessed it weeks ago. Only moment of joy, Lesnar trapped into the Coquina Clutch and fainting. Fans want wrestling and this week, RAW was merely about it…

All images courtesy of WWE