WWE Monday Night Raw continues. We now have our United States Championship match, with Andrade defending the title against Apollo Crews in a one-on-one match, as was setup earlier in the night by Apollo pinning Andrade in a six-man tag.
WWE United States Championship: Andrade (c) vs. Apollo Crews
Apollo with a lock-up, takes him to the corner, clean break. Andrade with a top wrist lock cinched in, Apollo reverses. Arm wringer, pounds on his elbow. Body scissors, Apollo has control on the mat. Into a front facelock now. Andrade fights to his feet and escapes. Side headlock now from Andrade, Apollo tries to shoot off but Andrade stands his ground. Finally he shots him off, Andrade tries a shoulder block but it has no effect! Apollo stares him down! Andrade hits the ropes but gets caught with a leap frog into a dropkick! Andrade bails, Apollo pursues and slams him into the apron!
Andrade trying to fight back but Crews maintains control and throws him into the ring. But as Apollo rolls in, Andrade gets him with an elbow drop. Takes him to the corner, Apollo tries to fight out but Andrade stomps him into the buckles. Grinds the knee into his face. Apollo escapes with a few front flips only to turn right around into a dropkick from Andrade! Back into the corner, Andrade charges, Apollo evades the high knee and Andrade tumbles to the outside! Apollo wants an Asai Moonsault but Andrade avoids it, Crews tweaks the knee on the landing and gets taken down with a charging clothesline! Commercial break.
We come back to see Andrade targeting the knee in the ring. Baseball slide takes Apollo out of the ring. Andrade with a single leg boston crab, drives the knee into the mat. Sliding dropkick to the back, pulls Crews to the apron and clobbers him. Back into the ring, he stomps him into the corner. Tries for the Meteora but Crews evades it and he crashes into the buckle! Crews with a series of punches, clothesline, double leg drive into the corner, several shoulder thrusts. There’s the Stinger Splash, into a gorgeous Overhead Belly To Belly! Apollo charges, Andrade with a boot up, goes up top but Crews blocks him and pulls him into a Military Press! Lands it in spite of the bum knee, Standing Moonsault for a 2 count!
Apollo holding his knee now, having sacrificed it for that nearfall. Apollo charges, Andrade with an overhead belly to belly into the corner, setting up a hard Meteora! Pulls him to the middle of the ring for a nearfall! Zelina Vega is losing it. Apollo avoids all of Andrade’s strikes and tries to pound on him but Andrade with a kick to the bum knee! Apollo hoists him up again regardless but Andrade counters into a DDT out of the air! Cover for a nearfall! Andrade wants the Hammerlock DDT, Apollo wants his crazy pop-up Powerbomb again but Andrade escapes, sunset flip for a nearfall, Apollo with an enziguri! Deadlift Powerslam for a nearfall!
Crews pulls Andrade towards the corner, goes up top, Andrade stops him! Wants a superplex. They exchange right hands, Andrade hooks him for a suprerplex but Crews fighting it. Headbutt sends Andrade to the mat. Tries a Frog Splash but Andrade rolls out of the way, Apollo wants to land on his feet but he can’t, that knee is too hurt! Andrade repeatedly attempts to pin but the referee is getting in the way of it… and the official calls for the bell, says the injury is too severe for him to continue.
Winner: Andrade
Could’ve set that finish up a lot better but I don’t mind it. Allows them to build to an eventual title victory instead which does look like the endgame as of right now.
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