WWE Monday Night Raw rolls on. Aleister Black will now face off against Raw’s newest signee Apollo Crews, coming over from SmackDown.
Aleister Black vs. Apollo Crews
Lock-up, Apollo with a side headlock. Aleister reverses it into a Hammerlock. Chain wrestling continues, Apollo counters into a front facelock and holds him down for a moment. Black makes it to his feet, gets a facelock of his own. Apollo picking the leg now but Black blocks it. Whips him into the ropes but Crews nails a shoulder block, flips over Black, Black rolls across his back and sits cross-legged and Crews just bails from the ring rather than deal with that mess. Commercial break. As we come back, Crews hits the ropes only to be taken over with a Japanese Arm Drag into an Arm Wringer. Crews escapes, Military Press attempted but Black escapes, Arm Wringer Takedown. Crews fights out, Black with some push kicks until Crews fires back and forces Black out of the ring. Crews escapes to the outside and walks over, Black with some high kicks until Crews gets him with an Overhead Belly To Belly to the floor!
Crews grabs Black and rolls him into the ring. Black with a knee lift to the gut but Crews keeps control with pummeling strikes until Black gets him with a kick to the shins that trips him, charging knee to the chest for a nearfall! Charges in the corner but Apollo pops him up and Black bounces off the apron on the way to the floor! Crews stomping on him from the apron, kick to the face! Asai Moonsault Press lands flush and Crews lands on his feet! Commercial break. As we come back, Black fights up out of a hold, wants a legsweep but Crews blocks it and shoves him away. Black with a series of leg kicks, hits the ropes, Crews counters with a powerslam for a 2 count! Crews tries for a standing moonsault but due to his bum leg he can’t do it. Instead pulls Black up, enziguri kick, Sit-Out Powerbomb for a nearfall!
Apollo lays in punch after punch, Black responds with a big roundhouse kick but Crews absorbs it and nails a lariat! Goes up top, tries a Frog Splash but Black rolls out of the way and he crashes and burns! Aleister charges, leaps into a kneebar, working on the injured leg! Apollo trying to roll his way to the ropes but he can’t seem to move. Finally he powers his way to the ropes for the break! Tries to stand but he collapses. Black pulls Crews to his feet, tries for the Black Mass but Crews ducks it and kicks Aleister to the floor! Amazingly he’s still not beaten yet, we’re making it to another segment here with this commercial break. As we come back, Crews has Black up top, Aleister rolls over to him to the mat, there’s the legsweep, basement dropkick, Springboard Moonsault for a nearfall!
Crews fights to his knees only to get taken to the floor with a roundhouse kick to the head for a 2 count. Crews with a rolling headscissor to get up off the mat, standing dropkick for a 2 count. Crews seems weary now. Takes Black up top once again. Aleister tries to fight but Crews manages to hit the Superplex for a nearfall! Aleister with a combination of strikes, charges but Crews surprises him with another Sit-Out Powerbomb for a nearfall once again! Crews with a Military Press, there’s the Standing Moonsault! And a Standing Shooting Star for good measure, nearfall! Crews goes up top but Black stops him with a pop-up roundhouse kick! Hooks him but Crews tosses him to the mat! Black fighting up to his feet as Crews leaps at him, Pump Knee out of the air! Finally, Black once more pulls Crews to his feet but Crews holds on to his foot! Sunset flip for one last two count, Black springs up, Black Mass finally hits and that is that.
Winner: Aleister Black
That is by far the longest I’ve ever seen Apollo Crews wrestle. That was just about 30 minutes. It’s pretty clearly killing time but I can’t be mad at giving him a showcase like that. I actually wish commentary would make a bigger deal out of the fact that it took Black so long to beat him when usually he finishes people in thirty seconds.
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