Jordan Huie of the Overtimer here with another episode of WWE Raw to recap live tonight! Stay tuned!
We start with Jerry Lawler in the ring, who notes the demise of the marriage of Lana and Rusev. He came here hoping he could work out a reconciliation, points out that he’s wearing a shirt that says “King of Love”. But says they’re past the point of no return, so for the first time on Raw, they’ll be signing a divorce contract. Introduces Lana, who is accompanied by a lawyer. Lawler reads a statement from the lawyer, which notes that the distance provision in his temporary restraining order has been waived for the night but the other provisions are still in place. Which I guess just means he’s not allowed to make any direct contact. Rusev is then introduced, and out he comes with an angry donald duck shirt? Not common. Rusev hugs Lawler in the ring and offers Lana a hand, to no avail. Loud “Rusev Day” chant. Lana starts to speak but Rusev immediately interrupts to greet the fans, which Lana does not like. Lana wants to make sure that Rusev knows she used to love him. When the WWE Universe hated him and said he couldn’t wrestle and was stupid and ugly and fat, she loved him. But like so many other famous people, he turned out to be a statistic. When Rusev Day supporters starting chanting along, it got to his head. The chant of course kicks up big time, much to Rusev’s delight.
Lana says she’s a smart, intelligent woman and acknowledges it wasn’t just him that made the marriage fail… it was actually the entire WWE Universe! Rusev demands she calm down but she tells him not to take a step forward or he’ll be in violation of the restraining order and go to jail for a very long time. Rusev says he’s the one who needs protection these days, shows a video on the tron of Lashley and Lana’s arrests. Screaming ensues and Lana ends up bursting into tears and falling dramatically to her knees to some immense boos. Rusev says it’s time to get to the point and sign the divorce papers! He announces this with great aplomb, to a loud chant of “YES!” He happily states he’ll sign first but Lana stops him and has to sign first, and THIS gets massive heat. These people love Rusev so much, y’all.
Lana claims she’s getting the dog. Rusev argues that he got the dog on his birthday and Lana can’t take her back, Lana calls him a Bulgarian son of a bitch and Rusev yells at her to shut up. Rusev starts to sign but then decides he wants something else from her first. Lana again brings up how much he always wanted to have sex with him, calling him a sick person. Rusev says what he really wants is a match with hot, hot Bobby Lashley! Pop, but then Lashley’s theme hits! Lashley chides Rusev for making everything into a big joke, after the divorce, he’ll marry her. Rusev says she’s all yours, she’s just… bad. And Rusev wants to live happily on Rusev Day! And he will sign to have any match Lashley wants on none other day than Rusev Day! He signs, just before Lashley slams his head into the table, pulls him out and drives him into the barrier time and again. Throws him into the ring and pursues – into a Machka Kick! Rusev holds Lashley, belly to belly puts him right through the table, to a huge ovation!
Interviewer Girl #1 is with Kevin Owens and asks if he knows why AOP attacked him. Owens says it’s obviously because Seth Rollins told them to. Because when he told everyone he was a leader and no one followed him, but Owens was the one who got in his face and told him he was full of crap and that’s why they attacked him. Owens says he’s lucky to have gotten away last week but he did, and now he’s looking for AOP. Wanders backstage, runs into Rey Mysterio. Rey offers to watch his back against them. Kevin says he’s got this but Rey interjects, says what he meant to say is his homey has got him… hands him the lead pipe he used against Brock Lesnar!
Drew comes out for a match with Matt, says this show has gotten depressing. We’re all about putting smiles on peoples’ faces, we need some good news. Mentions how last week Matt and Reby gave birth to a new child, beautiful baby boy! Heard the kid was cross-eyed but atleast we know Matt’s the father! Says he’s known Matt for a very long time and he’s had a lot of success in that ring but outside the ring, he’s made a lot of bad decisions and suggests maybe he shouldn’t be reproducing. But he’s a good guy so he’s gonna give Matt a chance to walk out of this ring so he can hold his child and not be broken- Matt jumps him as he enters the ring and nails a Twist of Fate, sending him to the floor!
Matt Hardy vs. Drew McIntyre
Back from commercial, the bell rings and we are off to the races, Matt charging with one clothesline in the corner after another. Takes him over the top rope with one! Wants a Twist of Fate onto the floor but Drew shoves him into the steps. Throws him into the ring, driving kick to the gut. Raining down punches. Matt reverses a whip, sends him bouncing off the corner, Side Effect for a nearfall! Signals for the DELETE! Another Twist of Fate attempt reversed but Matt gets him with a backslide, Drew wrestles out of this, directly into the Future Shock DDT! Claymore Kick and that is that.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
Simple enough stuff here.
Earlier Today, Charlotte came to meet Becky Lynch backstage. They quickly state that they don’t like each other. Charlotte says she doesn’t like the Kabuki Warriors more, suggests making her Becky Two Belts again. Becky says she’d rather take a chance about them to collect an old debt. She’s going to face them two-on-one tonight, just like Charlotte did last week!
Owens backstage still looking for AOP, asking where they went. Comes up to Mojo and asks about them, Mojo messes with him claiming they went all sorts of different directions. Owens slaps him so hard he keels over and says “You just went that way”.
Viking Raiders make their way out and issue an open challenge to any team who thinks they can take their gold. Street Profits answer!
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: The Viking Raiders (c) vs. The Street Profits
Spear, big splash off the top rope and Ivar has to break up the count immediately! Power moves and athletic flash is exchanged between both teams. Ford gets nailed with the Viking Experience and that is that, dang…
Winners: The Viking Raiders
That uh… that just completely destroyed the Street Profits, I’ll say it. That was sad. I apologize for not giving a better recap but honestly it concluded whilst I was still writing the announcement of the match itself, that’s how fast that was. Shame, it was good action in the interim but they haven’t been clued into the fact that the Viking Raiders can in fact have full length matches.
Raiders and Profits bump forearms afterwards as if something was proven.
Seth Rollins then emerges, comes to the ring and says he has something to take care of! The teams leave in disgust. Seth says he wants to fight the AOP right here, right now! Owens comes out instead, says AOP aren’t here, if they were he’d have found them ’cause they’re not that smart. Says that’s the only reason Seth is saying anything, he knows they’re gone. Seth tries to plead his case but then we see that Owens was right – because AOP are only just now arriving in the parking lot! Commercial break.
Rollins and Owens argue their points, Owens brings up the idea of taking out Rollins now to avoid a 3-on-1 once the AOP come into the ring. Rollins bails, says this isn’t gonna be a popular decision but he has to make his leave. AOP flash onto the screen and speak in their usual language and flash off. Then… Sami Zayn emerges with Mojo Rawley in tow? Says he has a managerial license that allows him to go back and forth between Raw and SmackDown. But Kevin knows better than anyone that he’s not a manager, he’s a liberator, he sets people free! And he knows that Owens is in a prison of his own mind. Doesn’t judge him, he’s got a lot on his plate with Seth and AOP. But what he did to Mojo backstage was way out of line! He humiliated him! Says he’d love to help Kevin but he can’t start until he atleast admits that he was wrong.
So what he’d like to do is have him do the right thing and apologize to Mojo. Boos pour in. Mojo demands Kevin look at Sami when he talks to him, tells him he won’t disrespect him too! Sami suggests he not take that tone with him when he has that look in his eye and a steel pipe in his hands. Mojo claims everybody is tough with a steel pipe in their hands. Owens says “Let’s test out that theory”, tosses him the pipe – STUNNER! Looks eye-to-eye with Sami who swiftly bails. Owens lays into Mojo’s back with the pipe!
Aleister Black vs. Akira Tozawa
Arm wringer, chain wrestling sequence, Tozawa with a hip toss, but Black springs back into a wristlock. Black with a legsweep takedown. Tozawa gritting his teeth as he gets back up. Gets a body shot in, before Black rolls over his back, gets some deeeeep Japanese arm drags in. Roundhouse kick ducked! Tozawa wide-eyed as Black crosses his legs in the middle of the ring. Tozawa tries a kick, gets caught. Black with a combo of strikes, throws him to the ropes, Tozawa gets the back elbow. Rana takes him to the floor! Tozawa goes for the Suicide Dive but Black with a leaping knee lift catches him out of mid-air! Brutal! Black throws Tozawa into the ring, Black Mass as Akira gets up, that is that.
Winner: Aleister Black
Good stuff!
Backstage Humberto Carrillo is about to be interviewed when Zelina Vega appears. She yells at him in Spanish. Then Andrade yells at him in Spanish. Humberto and Andrade yell back and forth in Spanish until they’re separated. Zelina exasperatedly shouts ,”Tonight?!” So that’s a match then.
Liv Morgan vignette!
Andrade vs. Humberto Carrillo
Immediate dropkick from Andrade who stomps Humberto down. Whip to the ropes, wheelbarrow gets countered with an arm drag. Back body drop to Humberto, cover for 2. Chinlock. Humberto fights his way up with back elbows but takes one of his own! Andrade with a running kick to the face. Whip to the corner, knife edge chop. Humberto with a boot up. Gets sprung up but he lands on the top rope, twisting crossbody! Big arm drag takes Andrade to the floor! Humberto goes up top – all the way to the ring post! Moonsault to the floor takes Andrade down!
We come back in time to see Humberto hit a springboard crossbody! Second-effort enziguri! Standing moonsault for a nearfall! Humberto takes Andrade up top, pursues, but Andrade trips him up – double footstomp to the face! Nearfall! Andrade wants the Meteora in the corner but Humberto slides to the apron to avoid it! Missile Dropkick off the top! Humberto with the Aztec Press, tilts a little too much to the left and lands on his knees, was a bit underwhelming. Covers for 2. Andrade with a waistlock, back elbow from Humberto, ducks both the knee lift and spinning back elbow the first time but on a second attempt Andrade nails it! Humberto rolls out of the way of a moonsault, Andrade lands right on his feet and nails the Meteora!!! Hype! Andrade hits the corner, but Humberto springs up, gets a big head of steam for a running dropkick! Andrade shoves Humberto to the ropes where Zelina Vega distracts him… he puts on the brakes, but evades Andrade who nails her and sends her to the floor! Victory roll from Humberto follows, and that is that!
Winner: Humberto Carrillo
One botch aside, good stuff here, I could see these two have a much more serious match.
Afterwards Andrade and Zelina get in a screaming match. If they’re breaking this act up I dunno what Andrade’s future is looking like…
Buddy Murphy vs. Zack Ryder
Murphy takes advantage quickly, Ryder goes to the second rope but gets pulled off down to the mat, running kick to the head gets 2. Ryder whipped to the ropes, facebuster counter! Ryder with both knees up off a charge, missile dropkick! Charging forearm to Murphy in the corner. Broski Boot connects and sends Murphy to the floor! Murphy sees Hawkins… nails him with a forearm for no reason! Ryder with a baseball slide takes Murphy into the ring. He takes a moment to check on Hawkins, then enters the ring for Murphy’s Law! That is that!
Winner: Buddy Murphy
Man, so you mean to tell me that two fresh, talented guys on winning streaks are having a PPV match this Sunday and the week before they both gain victories to keep that going? Man I dunno if this strategy has any legs…
Backstage Owens finds the van AOP arrived in and assaults it with the pipe, breaking windows. Rips open the back of it. Finds… something in there, starts to take it out but AOP jump and throws him into a shudder door. They stomp him into the floor as the steel poles that they keep leaned against things for the sole sake of falling and making a lot of noise fall and make a lot of noise.
Inside the van is a sliding chair in fact. It slides around and the man sitting there with a hoodie reveals himself to be Seth Rollins! Big heat. Rollins says it’s come to this. It’s a shame! He’s sorry. Hits the Stomp on Kevin, right onto the cement! Rollins and AOP leave together.
After commercial, Rollins comes out to the stage to some biiiig heat! Rollins asks what they want from him! Says the fans and himself used to get along, they used to see eye-to-eye and somewhere along the way everything went wrong and he’s wondering why! He did everything right! He never took a week off, he left everything in that ring, put it all on the line for each and every one of you! Big boos. He sticks his neck out for you, not just in the ring but in the media too and what does he get? He gets spit on and disrespected and he’s sick of it! He told Kevin Owens and all you guys that he had nothing to do with AOP and that was the truth! But the truth isn’t good enough for you! Because some flavor of the month Kevin Owens called him a liar and you jumped on that bandwagon!
And he did what he does, he let it slide, he came out this week, tried to tell you again that he had nothing to do with AOP but the truth was not good enough for people. So in 2019, what is good enough for these people?! Does he have to go to that ring and kill himself?! He beat Brock not once but twice, brought the Universal title back to Raw for you and that still was not enough! “You suck” chants. Rollins hears you. It’s time for Seth freakin’ Rollins to push back! The negativity has become a self-fulfilling prophecy and that has turned your fiction into fact. It has turned him to stand side-by-side with two men that understand, the AOP! Akam and Rezar then emerge from the back to stand with him.
Kevin Owens backstage is being stretchered into an ambulance.
Aaaand now it’s time for Becky’s match, cool. Seth and the AOP just disappeared.
Becky Lynch vs. The Kabuki Warriors
Becky comes out strong but the numbers come to pay off for the tag champs quickly. Becky tries to prevent a tag but Asuka tags in anyway, only to get dumped to the outside. Baseball slide dropkick takes her down. She takes them both down, exploders. Bexploder to Kairi. Asuka comes in, body slam countered, Reverse DDT on Asuka and regular DDT on Kairi simultaneously! Pins Kairi for 2. Goes to the second rope, but Kairi whips her to the canvas. Wants her Insane Elbow Drop, Asuka blind tags in, Becky avoids the elbow, Bexploder to Asuka! Becky with the second rope legdrop but Asuka evades it, Asukalock! Becky struggling. Gets to her feet, slams her head into the top turnbuckle pad! Reverses the hold, gets the Asukalock in on Asuka!! Kairi drags Asuka and Becky to the outside, Becky slams Kairi into the barrier!
Asuka wants a running kick from the apron but Becky catches her leg and drags her to the floor! Running knee quells her momentum though. Ref is counting in the ring, Kairi holds Becky to try and keep her from making it back in but she breaks free and enters the ring at 9! Asuka catches her with an immediate Shining Wizard though for a nearfall! Becky with a spinning back kick, Asuka reverses a whip and takes her to the corner. Kairi rushes in for a shot to the back. Asuka tags her in, takes Becky up into Electric Chair position, Kairi off the top with a flying forearm takes Becky off Asuka’s shoulders, cover for a nearfall! Kairi off the top with the Insane Elbow, Becky was meant to get the foot up but didn’t quite catch her but it’s a counter anyway. Asuka rushes in, eats a Uranage! Becky takes Kairi into the Dis-arm-her! But Asuka pulls Kairi free. This gets some heat. Becky pursues but takes a shot from behind… Asuka takes up a chair and nails Becky with it for the DQ!
Winner: Becky Lynch (By DQ)
Asuka and Kairi proceed to pull out a table! Becky trying to fight out of this but Asuka drapes her onto the table! Kairi up top! Insane Elbow to the floor, that table just got obliterated!! That looked great.
AJ in a promo backstage talks up how Gallows and Anderson beat the Viking Raiders at Crown Jewel in the tag gauntlet to be named best tag team in the world, and will one day soon get their title match against them. Promises to become the US Champion tonight and if Orton dares interfere, they will end his career forever… or, 4 lyfe.
Becky being tended to backstage as Charlotte comes up. Becky seems more willing to team with her to get that shot at Asuka. Charlotte leaves and walks down the hall when the Kabuki Warriors jump her with a chair as well.
Erick Rowan vs. Some Guy
Some Guy immediately rushes outside, grabs Rowan’s cage and high tails it up the ramp! He puts it on the stage and darts through the crowd back into the ring as Rowan rushes out to get the cage back. Some Guy is in the ring trying to get a count out win! Ref gets to 7 before Rowan’s able to rush back into the ring and he is incensed. “You’re trying to hurt somebody that I love!” he shouts. He hits the Iron Claw once, twice, three times before the ref just calls for the bell.
Winner: Erick Rowan
Afterwards, a fourth Iron Claw. He then goes over to the cage and explains to it that he took care of it.
Backstage, Kabukis dare Becky and Charlotte to challenge them to a tag title match.
After a commercial, Charlotte and Becky sitting together. Becky asks if she wants to challenge them. Charlotte says yes but wants to up the ante. Becky says Tables, Ladders and Chairs.
Street Profits now have a news update gimmick confirming the TLC match that was literally just announced. Ford makes a joke about Asuka’s mist claiming that she may have eaten Baby Yoda. Dawkins shows a mock-up of a show involving The Fiend & Mrs. This is silly. Both of the Profits advise that Lashley get the hell out of that relationship with Lana. They then insinuate that King Corbin has a small penis.
WWE United States Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles
Rey with a quick waistlock, AJ escapes, gets the shoulders down a couple of times after a test of strength, Rey with a victory roll, exchange of cradles! Dueling chant. AJ rams Rey into the turnbuckle, catapults him into the corner twice! Wants a third one but Rey catches himself on the second rope! Sunset flip for 2, Styles with a polish hammer knocks him down! AJ with a chinlock, Rey fights to his feet, arm drag takes him to the floor, baseball slide dropkick! Rey with an Asai Moonsault! Gallows and Anderson make their way out, distracting Rey, AJ rams his shoulder into the ring post as we go to commercial.
AJ has a lengthy heat segment on, until Rey escapes and takes AJ to the floor – a crazy flying sunset flip bomb into the barrier starts his comeback! Back in the ring, Rey gets a couple of nearfalls before an Inverted Powerbomb leaves both men down. Mysterio with an enziguri kick that takes AJ to the middle rope! He goes for the 619 – Gallows actually takes the kick for him! Anderson onto the apron, Rey kicks him to the floor! Gets back into the ring just in time to eat an Ushigoroshi for a nearfall! Rey takes AJ up top… wants the Super Rana but AJ blocks it… he wanted to turn it into an Avalanche Styles Clash but he ends up just trying his damnedest to not kill Rey instead as things get messy. So instead, AJ powerbombs Rey and then hoists him right off the mat into the Styles Clash instead, great improvisation! Orton suddenly appears to distract AJ… leaves the ring quickly, AJ grabs Rey – caught in an inside cradle and that’s that!
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Aaaand you can really tell that finish got delayed by the botch because they go off the air IMMEDIATELY after the bell, I genuinely don’t even think Rey’s music played. Good match though.
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