SummerSlam is over (read the full review here) but the pace is not slowing down. Tonight’s show looks crammed. Drew McIntyre and Cedric Alexander have a match, and with any luck, this one will actually start. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross are defending their tag titles against The Kabuki Warriors. Rey Mysterio and Andrade take their rivalry to two out of three falls. The OC are looking for new opponents, as is Becky Lynch. The Miz and Dolph Ziggler have a match, and Ziggler is bound to be in a terrible mood after his SummerSlam humiliation by Goldberg. New Universal Champion Seth Rollins can put Brock Lesnar in the past since Paul Heyman confirmed that no rematch will be granted. He’ll be celebrating tonight, and we’ll be hearing Stone Cold Steve Austin’s thoughts on Rollins’ victory, via Skype.

I’m Amanda and this is the RAW review.

Match Results

Samoa Joe def. Sami Zayn

The Miz def. Dolph Ziggler

Ricochet def. Elias

Andrade def Rey Mysterio

Drew McIntyre def. Cedric Alexander

Robert Roode def No Way Jose

The Viking Raiders def. Carter Mason & Sebastian Suave

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross def. The Kabuki Warriors

Seth Rollins def. AJ Styles

The Key Bits

♦ Seth Rollins opened the show after a recap of his win over Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. He winced in pain when he raised the belt and said he has to be honest, last night he didn’t know if he had what it took to beat Lesnar. The last few weeks have been the toughest stretch of his entire career. He walked down to the ring not at a hundred percent. And in the ring, Lesnar is everything he’s touted to be. He’s a freaking beast. And when he emptied the tank and didn’t have anything left the crowd came alive and, at that moment, they took him to a place he has never been in his entire career. Somewhere he couldn’t go alone, that they could only go together. And, at that moment, he knew he had what it took to slay the beast and he remembered he’s Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins and that’s why he’s stood there are Universal Champion.

US Champion AJ Styles arrived with the rest of The OC. When they got to the ring Styles said The OC would like to be the first to congratulate him, but this is where it gets tricky. Rollins doesn’t have to worry about Lesnar anymore, he has to worry about him instead. Since he came to his senses he’s got a lot to prove, so tonight he wants to challenge Rollins and prove that he’s a better champion than him.

Rollins said he always had a ton of respect for Styles, but not anymore. It doesn’t matter how beaten up he is, he doesn’t back down from a fight so later on tonight he’ll give Styles a lesson in respect. Challenge accepted.

Gallows and Anderson got out of the ring and Styles offered Rollins his hand. They shook, but Styles was obviously trying for the sneak attack. He didn’t get it, but Rollins could be in trouble later.

AJ Styles vs Seth Rollins, Champion versus Champion match, closed the show. Rollins’s midsection was heavily bandaged.

Anderson distracted the ref while Gallows pushed Rollins off the top turnbuckle. The ref ejected them, and Rollins almost got a rollup off the distraction. The match finished at that point because Gallows & Anderson came back and attacked Rollins, getting AJ Styles disqualified. Ricochet came to save Rollins from the beating, but he was also overwhelmed.

When The OC turned their attention back to Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman came down and cleaned house.

Once The OC had been dealt with, Strowman went and retrieved the Universal Championship from the timekeeper’s area and they shook hands. Ricochet joined them as the show went off air and there was a lot of nodding at each other.

♦ Becky Lynch had a sort of backstage interview. She took the mic and gave some respect to Natalya then sent a message to all of the locker room. She’s coming for everyone who has done her wrong, and their smart play would be to get her before she gets them.

Natalya had an in-ring promo. She said she wrestled Becky Lynch at SummerSlam and she tapped out. Lynch out-wrestled her and was the better woman. She has a dislocated elbow and she’s getting an MRI tomorrow. She thinks this is the part where she’s supposed to take back everything she said about Lynch but she meant every word. And she doesn’t know where or when but they’re going to do it again. She told us that she had a dream her dad said he was proud of her, and that it is one year to the day since his death. Then it happened.

Sasha Banks is back!!! She came to the ring, hugged Natalya, then laid her out. She removed her wig to reveal that her hair is now blue, then beat the living hell out Natalya.

Becky Lynch ran down to make the save when it became clear Banks wasn’t going to stop and they brawled. Banks wore a chair out on Becky Lynch’s body then threw it towards the officials who were pleading with her to stop. She went back to Lynch and tossed her into the steps before she finally left. The crowd were mostly booing by then, which is impressive considering how pleased they were to see her.

♦ Before Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs The Kabuki Warriors – Women’s Tag Team Championship match – Bliss and Cross said they’re fighting champions, and Nikki Cross beamed about how grateful she is to Bliss. Paige didn’t accompany The Kabuki Warriors to the ring because she’s having another neck surgery.

The match was really good (even though we missed some to an ad break, so I guess that rule has gone). Nikki Cross tried to avoid Kairi Sane’s InSane Elbow by rolling to the outside. She took a crossbody from the top turnbuckle to the outside instead, and then took the InSane Elbow. Bliss broke the pin then took out Asuka on the outside with the help of a ring post. She distracted Sane long enough for Nikki Cross to deliver the swinging neckbreaker, then tagged in and secured the win with Twisted Bliss.

The Other Bits

♦ Street Profits had a backstage segment. Angelo Dawkins was very hungover from the SummerSlam afterparty. Sami Zayn interrupted them and told them to enjoy it while they can because RAW and the crowds will suck the soul out of them. He used Rollins as an example, and Becky Lynch, accusing them of being manufactured and pandering to the crowds. Dawkins asked if it happens to everyone, and asked specifically about Samoa Joe. Zayn went off on one about Joe not knowing he was stood behind him. They had words, Zayn got shoved, they had a match.

Samoa Joe vs Sami Zayn was used as much to recap the Roman Reigns mystery attacker saga as it was for the match itself. I think the recaps were longer as well. Sami Zayn tapped out in the Coquina Clutch.

After the match, Samoa Joe said he’d forgiven Roman Reigns for accusing him of the attack, but he hasn’t forgiven the WWE Universe and he never will.

♦ Dolph Ziggler turned up for The Miz vs Dolph Ziggler in street clothes, to Goldberg chant from the crowd. He told Miz he hopes he’s happy. Miz knew he couldn’t beat him at SummerSlam, so he set Goldberg on him. All part of Miz’ master plan. But he took so many spears last night he’s not medically cleared so there will be no match. He started to leave the ring then ambushed Miz when he turned his back.

The match happened after the break. It was decent, there’s not much to say about it. Dolph Ziggler tapped after a really long time in a figure-four.

After the match Dolph Ziggler called Miz a coward and told him he wasn’t even the best wrestler in his family, Maryse is. He kept talking so Miz went back and gave him a Skull Crushing Finale.

Ricochet was the one to interrupt Elias this week and told him people interrupt him because he sucks. Elias said he wasn’t going to let someone who dresses as a comic book character tell him what’s cool. Then he demanded a ref and we got Ricochet vs Elias. It was an ok match, but there was controversy at the end. Ricochet got the pin, but Elias’ shoulders were clearly off the mat on the replay.

♦ Rey Mysterio vs Andrade – Two out of Three Falls – was fun. The first fall very quickly went to Andrade courtesy of Zelina Vega distracting Mysterio then holding Andrade’s feet on the ropes while he pinned him. It didn’t get to a third fall. Mysterio delivered the 619 but Andrade got his knees up for the follow-up frog splash and took the second and final fall with a hammerlock DDT, after a brutally impressive match.

After the match, Mysterio was asked if he’d met his match in Andrade. Mysterio said he’s never lost two falls in a row like that and he doesn’t know where his career is going he just knows he has a family to support. Charly Caruso tried to ask if there was something he was trying to say, Rey Mysterio muttered ‘my family’ and walked away.

Street Profits sent a message of encouragement to Mysterio, or Montez Ford did, Angelo Dawkins was napping. Ford tried to rouse him to hype up the WWE Women’s Championship match, but all he got from him was a sleepy nod and Dawkins chugging water.

♦ In his Skype call, Stone Cold Steve Austin was very impressed with Seth Rollins victory at SummerSlam. He talked about Rollins saying this was all he has and all he’s got, and how much he identifies with that sentiment. Apparently, they spoke at the RAW Reunion and Austin told him to stay focused. Rollins reached down and found a pice of himself he never knew existed in the Lesnar match and Austin now knows what he’s all about. It finished with Stone Cold congratulating Rollins and Michael Cole talking about Austin’s new show for a few seconds.

♦ Drew McIntyre said he’s going to end his rivalry with Cedric Alexander tonight, by taking his boot and caving in Alexander’s skull. Drew McIntyre vs Cedric Alexander was great. Cedric Alexander took a ridiculous amount of punishment and still had several good pin attempts on McIntyre. But McIntyre’s pre-match interview proved prophetic and the Claymore that finished the match nearly took Cedric Alexander’s head clean off.

♦ No Way Jose vs Robert Roode was short and sweet and finished by a Glorious DDT.

♦ Charly Caruso interviewed a very moody Paul Heyman. He confirmed that Brock Lesnar isn’t going to get a rematch and questioned how he’s supposed to explain that to his client. Then he ran out of words, gave Caruso a haunted look and went back into the dressing room.

♦ The Revival vs Lucha House Party was interrupted by the 24/7 Champion, R-Truth, with Carmella, and the chasing pack. The Revival pinned R-Truth together to become co-champs. R-Truth pinned Scott Dawson to win it back then ran off with the pack on hot pursuit and Drake Maverick bringing up the rear. R-Truth and Carmella reappeared after everyone had run past, and went off backstage in the opposite direction. They were talking backstage when Elias hit R-Truth from behind with a guitar and pinned him.

♦ The Viking Raiders vs Carter Mason & Sebastian Suave was another squash match.

♦ Next year’s SummerSlam will be in Boston.

Starting next Monday, and running for several weeks, RAW will be bringing back the King of the Ring tournament. It will feature eight superstars from RAW and eight from SmackDown Live. They are hyping it up massively. The competitors have already been announced. The RAW superstars will be: Baron Corbin, Cesaro, Cedric Alexander, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Sami Zayn, Samoa Joe, and The Miz. And representing SmackDown Live will be: Ali, Andrade, Apollo Crews, Buddy Murphy, Chad Gable, Elias, Kevin Owens, and Shelton Benjamin.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxGTGcBTpEI]