Jordan Huie of the Overtimer here, it’s time for another episode of WWE Monday Night Raw! I’ll be here giving you the live recap and results all night!
Randy Orton opens the show and wastes little time in inviting AJ Styles to the ring. AJ asks if he’s gonna brag or fake another knee injury. Says out of the goodness of his heart, he really thought he was hurt, and he was repaid with an RKO! Says Randy will not win the Royal Rumble. Recalls last week where he hit what he calls the best RKO of all time. Drew McIntyre comes out, plays to the crowd and turns tonight’s singles match into a triple threat match!
Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre
Drew with the immediate big boot to AJ, Randy with a poke of the eyes to McIntyre and sends him out of the ring. As Randy’s about to swarm on AJ, in comes the OC! But Randy and Orton quickly dispense of them before the commercial break! We come back in time to see a tower spot, as Orton was wanting a superplex on AJ, only for the rope-hung McIntyre to nail a Spider German Suplex, completing the tower! “This Is Awesome” chant already! McIntyre hits Orton with a Glasgow Kiss, gets a Future Shock DDT on AJ, sets up for the Claymore but Orton stops him with a standing dropkick! Drew takes Orton out of the ring, drives him repeatedly into the barrier and apron! Styles with a Phenomenal Forearm to the floor on Drew, Orton back suplexes him onto the barrier, AJ posts him!
Orton slams the steel steps into McIntyre’s face! AJ slips into the ring and asks Orton to come on in. AJ grabs him on the way though and hits the Draping DDT, stealing Orton’s signature yet again! Pele Kick, Orton wrestles his way to an advantage… steals the Styles Clash! Nearfall! After a few exchanges and blocks, Randy manages to nail AJ with the RKO – only for Drew to slip in and hit an immediate Claymore Kick for the victory!
Winner: Drew McIntyre
That’s a big win for him, very nice.
Ricochet vs. Mojo Rawley
Ricochet with a handspring headscissor, standing dropkick. Mojo just powers him down. Tries to throw him from the ring, Ricochet keeps on the apron. Slips under his legs, back body drop takes Mojo to the floor. Mojo rushes back to the apron, Ricochet with a springboard dropkick! Hits the ropes, tope con hilo! Springboard Double Footstomp avoided, Mojo hits the ropes, drills him with a big spear! Nearfall! Gutwrench Powerbomb! Stinger Splash nailed! Ricochet escapes from the corner, WWE Headkick, springboard crossbody caught! But Ricochet escapes, hits the Recoil! Goes up top! 630 Splash for the victory!
Winner: Ricochet
Never bad thing to see Ricochet notch a win.
Charlotte Flair vs. Sarah Logan
Charlotte with a swift running big boot! Grabs the ankle, Logan grabs the ropes as Charlotte tries to pull her out but she manages to bail to the floor. Holding her mouth after that opening shot. Charlotte pursues her and lays in a few chops, but Sarah responds with punches. They’re… hitting each other with their fists?! Here, on the night of the first-ever Fist Fight?! They continue brawling on the floor. Ref’s count gets to 8 before Sarah throws Charlotte into the ring and pursues, Charlotte with a facebuster. Pulls her to the middle of the ring, locks in the Figure Four! Bends back into the Figure Eight and that’s all!
Winner: Charlotte Flair
That wasn’t exactly much of a feud but eh. Gets you through two weeks. Might be revisited.
Charlotte lets the ref put her robe back on her as Logan watches, then grabs Logan and throws her out of the ring, a message for the Rumble. That was pretty demeaning.
Joe and Owens backstage talking about the rules for the Fist Fight tonight, Owens evidently concerned about it. Joe says all they have to worry about is making sure their opponents are down. Big Show appears and mentions how he has a large fist.
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman enter the ring. Paul says “Y’all gotta show a little ‘ppreciation for the champion!” He starts his spiel but is cutoff by a chant of “You Suck”, and they tease just leaving. From the ramp Paul raises the mic again. Gets more heckling, big heat as he keeps trying to speak. Angrily informs us that his client does not suck. They re-enter the ring and start over with a count of 3. Boos intensify as he does his usual bit. Talks up his calling Lesnar wins a spoiler and how that’s always been correct.
R-Truth interrupts! This is not a drill folks, this is not a drill! TWO CHAMPIONS IN THE RING, TITLE FOR TITLE LET’S GO! What’s Okada/Naito compared to this?! Truth says his childhood hero John Cena always taught him to never give up! Says he is officially declaring the Royal Rumble. That’s what he said. Says you may be a big, big man, but you will go flying over that top rope… Paul Heyman! Heyman calls him bong hit and says he’s not in the Rumble match! You step into the Rumble match, you’re going face to face with Brock Lesnar! Upon hearing this, Truth decides to undeclare. Admits he wasn’t listening to him, he talks a lot. That was tremendously delivered. Truth asks Brock what’s up, does the splits right in front of him. Mid-dance, Lesnar drops him with a lariat, devastating F-5! And then he grabs the 24/7 title, just to throw it onto Truth’s corpse! Lesnar grabs the mic and lets us know, “That’s wassup!”
Truth’s being helped to the back after commercial, Mojo Rawley attacks the prone Truth with a big boot and covers him, new 24/7 champ. Was kinda waiting for that. Mojo holds the title up and hollers that he’s not running from anybody, dares anyone to come take the title from him.
Lashley and Lana are caught in the parking lot for an interviewer. They whine about how the wedding went two weeks ago. Everyone’s jealous, Rusev will be crushed, you already know what her promo is. Looks like the match is next.
Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley
Lana’s with Lashley of course but no Liv Morgan yet. Exchange of right hands, Lashley with a waistlock, Rusev elbows his way free.Shoulder block. Leapfrog from Lashley but Rusev catches him with a running Wheel Kick! Cover for 1. Lashley stomps Rusev into the corner. Rusev flips him around and pummels him. Power whip to the corner, Lashley recoils off, Rusev with a clothesline! Vertical Suplex, very crisp. Rusev looking intense. Puts him against the ropes, sharp kick to the center of the back. Shoulder thrusts in the corner. Pulls him out, signals for a spin, another vertical suplex follows. Starts piefacing him and yelling, “C’mon, Bob!”
Whips him to the opposite corner, running big boot, immediate cannonball follow-up for a nearfall! Lashley has to bail as he’s being eaten up here. Rusev wants to pull him back in but Lashley with a thumb to the eye, rushes in the ring to clothesline Rusev to the floor! Lashley leaves the ring and rushes around ringside, big head of steam for a violent spear! Commercial break. We come back to see Lashley holding Rusev down with a headlock. Rusev fights up but Lashley takes him down with a bodyslam. Grinds the boot against his throat, Rusev tries to clip the leg to counter but he’s quelled. Lashley goes out, pulls Rusev towards the ringpost, rams Rusev’s leg into it.
Idiot Charge in the corner, Rusev with the boot up! Lashley gets posted! Rusev with a series of right hands! Short-Arm Clothesline! Samoan Drop! Avalanche in the corner, into an Overhead Belly To Belly! Machka Kick dodged, Lashley with a German Suplex! But Rusev no sells! Machka Kick!! Wants the Accolade, Lana distracts, Lashley escapes, clothesline collision! Now out comes Liv Morgan, finally getting herself involved! She comes out to confront Lana! She dares her to swing at her. Lana begs off… grabs someone’s beer and throws it in her face! Tosses her into the barrier! In the ring, Lashley with a spear, and that is that!
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Welp, Liv Morgan sure helped!
Backstage Lashley and Lana say Rusev is the least of their worries. Lana calls Liv a stalker. Issues a challenge on Bobby’s behalf, mixed tag against Rusev and Liv. Lashley is stunned, clearly doesn’t want to do this.
The Viking Raiders come out to talk about the dominance they’ve established over the Raw tag division. Seems like another open challenge here. The Singh Brothers answer. Erik and Ivar stop them on the outside, hoist them up and throw them into each other!
The Viking Raiders vs. The Singh Brothers (Non-title)
Into the ring, bell rings, Singhs get body slammed, Erik bodyslams Ivar onto both boys, Viking Experience,
Winners: The Viking Raiders
When the recap is but one run-on sentence, you know it didn’t go too long. But man, they had Singhs here for all of two or three minutes and they still took the worst bump on the show.
Rusev and Liv backstage accept the challenge.
Jerry Lawler in the ring with a table, talking about the upcoming WWE Raw Women’s Championship match between Becky Lynch and Asuka. Introduces Becky. She’s out here now for the contract signing. Jerry asks Becky if she has anything to say. She grabs the mic but thinks better of it and just sits down. Asuka out now. Kairi is with her. Asuka grabs the mic and yells in Japanese. Kairi prods at Becky with her umbrella, Becky rips it away and makes her leave the ring. Becky reaches for the contract but Asuka pulls it away and lackadaisically signs it. Becky signs as well, takes the mic up and says “May the best woman win”. Asuka smiles, stands up and spits mist in her face! Japanese screaming ensues and she makes her leave.
Becky howls and curses as she suffers the mist but demands a mic anyway. Says when they give you money and hand you things, it’s poison to those who want to work for a living. She’s been trying desperately in anger to defend herself from Asuka but when you put your hands on her, you arise a badness in her. Says she doesn’t care if they’ve tried to erase her, hide her from her, she doesn’t care if she’s walking into a buzzsaw, she is going to retain her title.
After a recap of the Rey/Andrade situation, it’s announced that the two of them will face off in a ladder match for the US title next week! Interviewer Girl #2 talking with Andrade and Zelina. Zelina says Andrade is a hero, man enough to defeat Rey Mysterio in MSG and retain his championship in the rematch last week. And he was man enough to rip the mask off the face of Rey Mysterio. Chides Rey for attacking Andrade and stealing the US title from them, they had no other options but to file a criminal report against that low-life Rey. They call him a disgrace to Latinos everywhere. Says he’s a poor example for Dominik and the rest of his kids. Andrade says that he is disgusted to call Rey Mysterio a latino. Threatens him in Spanish with what he’ll do to him in that ladder match.
Interviewer Girl #1 is with Rey elsewhere, who addresses what was just said. Responds in Spanish, says ever since Andrade hurt Humberto he thinks he can get away with anything. Says he’s no joke, nor is it funny that Andrade tried to injure one of the most promising rookies in WWE. He loves the idea of a ladder match, but he’s already sacrificed years of his life to them. He accepts the consequences. Next week he won’t just take back the US title, more importantly, he’ll take it away from Andrade.
Buddy Murphy vs. Aleister Black
Black and Murphy step up to each other. Murphy yells at him but eats a reverse spinning elbow! Murphy with a high kick! Throws Black to the ropes but he rebounds and stands his ground, high kick to the face, roundhouse kicks to the chest! Whip to the ropes, roundhouse attempt but Murphy slips to the floor, baseball slide from Black! Murphy tries to fight back but eats a kick to the chest, thrown into the ring! Black pursues and grabs a leg, Murphy kicks him away and bails. Black follows him, high kick to the face!
Black wants to drag him back into the ring but Murphy gets him with an elbow, trip takes him into the ramp! Murphy breaks the count at 8, rolls back out to continue the fight! Murphy with more kicks, goes up to the barrier but Black with a kick clips the leg out from under Murphy, he bounces off the barricade! Black throws Murphy into the ring, cover for 1! Armwringer locked in, Murphy with elbows, arm drag takes Black to the apron. Wants a shoulder thrust but Black evades, kick to the chest, goes up top. Murphy avoids him in the corner, charging dropkick slams Black’s head into the post! Hooks him, suplex takes him from the second rope into the barrier, brutal! Commercial break.
We come back to see Murphy taking Black off the apron with a powerbomb attempt!! Black escapes though, vicious double footstomp! Shotgun dropkick takes Buddy against the barricade, charging knee lift to the face, the momentum takes Black into the crowd, geeze! Aleister throws Murphy into the ring, pursues, ducks a backhand and gets a combo in, body shots, legsweep! “This Is Awesome” chant as a quiet crowd finally gets into this, charging kick, standing moonsault for a nearfall! Black setting up Black Mass now, Murphy holds onto the leg to block, tries to turn it into Murphy’s Law, Black blocks but it’s turned into a cradle, Murphy grabs the tights but the ref spots it!
Takes Black to the outside and hits the ropes, but Black rushes back into the ring to stop him mid-dash with a Pump Knee to the face for a nearfall! Buddy taken to the apron, Black grabs his head but eats an enziguri kick to the face! Murphy up top, Black tries to intercept, front suplex takes him to the mat! But as Murphy keeps climbing, Black rushes, running big boot takes Murphy from the top rope to the barricade! Both men make it into the ring and come eye to eye, fighting to their feet to applause! Combo of kicks, Black responds with a combination of his own, neither can finish them, push kick, roundhouse to the face from Black!
Springboard Moonsault, Murphy kicks him out of the air! Murphy’s Law!! Murphy hooks the arm to keep him from grabbing the bottom rope but he still gets the leg onto it in time! “This is Awesome” again, smattering; I notice the crowd closest to the ring is the loudest here. They’re the ones able to see how hard they’re laying it in. Murphy picks Black up, goes for the Black Mass, Black ducks it, nails it himself! Cover, apparently he just barely kicked out?! Ref says the shoulder barely got up there. Black picks a very dead Murphy up and a second Black Mass finishes him off!
Winner: Aleister Black
Black wins again, three straight and stays undefeated on Raw. Murphy certainly came closer this go-round. Someday… and on the replay we get a better angle of the kickout. Thought it was a weird botch for a moment but nope, intentional kickout, just a very worn out one.
Erick Rowan makes his way out and we see Murphy is still leaning against the barrier, despondent. Interviewer Girl #1 comes to him, he just says, “Please Charlie, not now”.
Erick Rowan vs. A Man
Rowan immediately kicks his opponent out of the ring. Throws him into a barrier. Rowan goes over to his cage, raises the tarp to reveal a wooden door and he reaches inside it… whatever is in there bites his hand and leaves some red on it. He goes into the ring, Iron Claw slam on A Man for the victory.
Winner: Erick Rowan
Gotta wonder how many consecutive squash matches this has been for Rowan, this is getting close to Superstars-level.
First Ever Fist Fight In WWE History: Seth Rollins & AOP vs. Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe & Big Show
Before the bell, Seth Rollins and AOP jump Big Show from behind! Joe and Owens come out with kendo sticks to draw them off! Into the ring, bell rings, table slipped inside the ring. I guess it turns out that a Fist Fight is just any hardcore match or maybe Last Man Standing judging by how they’ve been talking about it. Owens, Joe and AOP brawl on the stage as Rollins posts Big Show and KEVIN OWENS JUST DID A KARATE MOVIE WALL RUN INTO A SENTON WHAT THE HELL?! Joe takes one of AOP onto a table, running senton off the stage through a table! Big Show with a punch to Rollins takes him off the apron… and he ended up seated right next to Buddy!
I died laughing at that, he tries to get Buddy to help but he’s too busy being miserable. Rollins into the ring, Show lays him out, sets up for a KO Punch… but Murphy sneaks up from behind and hits a low blow! Murphy and Rollins throw Show through a corner-leaned table! Meanwhile the stage brawl continues, Joe gets taken onto the announce table, Owens trying to fight back but they overwhelm him, double chokeslam puts him through Joe and the table! Brutal spots in this one. Back in the ring, Murphy and Rollins stalking Show. Curbstomp but Show pushes him away, Murphy sent out of the ring as well, Big Show with an avalanche on Rollins! Goes to the middle rope but AOP stop him, double powerbomb into the middle of the ring! Murphy holds Show down as Rollins makes it to his feet. “Let’s Go Big Show” chant, but Rollins plants him with the Stomp and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner: Seth Rollins & AOP
Turns out the rules of the match were that the first to hit a Curbstomp wins.
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