By Mark Rodriguez
We continue the rivalry between SHIELD and Braun Strauman's crew now that Drew McIntyre finally turned on him. Will Dean Ambrose finally turn on the SHIELD? Will The Riott Squad finally score a win? Let's find out!
Roman Reigns bows out for now
Reigns surprisingly comes out as his real self (breaking kayfabe and saying his real name is Joe) and says he is suffering from leukemia and it has returned, so he has to turn in the Universal Title. He thanks the audience for following him whether they cheered or they booed. The crowd thanks him despite mixed reactions. He assures them he isn't retiring and when he can recover from this he will return. As he walks out, Rollins and Ambrose embrace him.
After the break, Micheal Cole, Corey Graves and Renee Young break character and wish Reigns the best and send their prayers.
First Match- Fin Balor VS Bobby Lashley (with Lio Rush)
Lashley would overpower Fin in the beginning. Fin would get Lashley out of the ring but Lio would distract him. Fin would chase Lio around the ring and Lashley would use this distraction to clock him, sending him to the floor.
After the break, Lashley would continue to dominate the match until Fin used his speed and dropkicks to fight back. Lashley got him in a strong Samoa Drop but Fin still kicked out. Getting Lashley down with a Slingblade, he got him in position for the Coup de Grace, but his opponent got out of the way. Lashley grabbed Fin for his finisher, but Fin managed to slip out of it and get him with a roll up pin. Fin walks off victorious, leaving Lashley fuming.
Second Match- Sasha Banks (with Natalya and Bayley) VS Ruby Riot (and the Riott Squad)
Sasha and Ruby would square off, with Ruby dominating in the beginning. Once Sasha got out of the ring there was a minor face off between all of the women but Sasha was quick to grab Ruby and toss her back into the ring. Sasha climbed the rope but Ruby kicked her knee, making Sasha slip off the turnbuckle and bounce off the mat and down to the floor with an injured knee.
After the break, Sasha fought against Ruby's attacks. Ruby slammed her down but Sasha would kick out of the pin. Sasha would nail Ruby with the Meteora off the top ropes and then hit her with the Back Stabber and the Bank Statement. Bayley would come in to keep Sarah Logan out of breaking the submission. As the supporting women started fighting, Sasha let Ruby go to attack Sarah and Liv. As she got back into the ring, Ruby hit her with the Riot Kick and scored the pin. Ruby defeats Sasha Banks.
D-Generation X respond to Undertaker and Kane
Triple H and Shawn Michaels cut a promo on how they're not afraid of Undertaker and Kane and how they're nostalgic but also better than the current guys. Suddenly the screen shows Undertaker and Kane at a cemetery, showing tombstones with Triple H and Shawn's names on them. The Brothers of Destruction say that D-Generation X will never Rest in Peace as they fill up a grave.
It's been announced that the Triple Threat Match at Crown Jewel between Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Braun Strauman will now be a one on one match between Lesnar and Strauman.
Paul Heyman promo
Paul Heyman offers respect towards Reigns and all that he accomplished, but now that Lesnar will face Strauman one on one, he explains in great detail how he doesn't stand a chance against The Beast. Strauman shows up and says he will take down Lesnar, and despite his differences with Reigns, as soon as he beats leukemia, he'll offer him a title shot. Just then McIntyre knocks Strauman down with a Claymore Kick to the face.
Afterwards, McIntyre is asked if he's afraid of the repercussions of attacking Strauman. McIntyre is not afraid of the Monster and he says he needed them.
Third Match- Elias VS Apollo Crews
While Crews started strong, Elias got him in a headlock which took a while to break out of. When he finally managed to get out of it, Crews landed some kicks and a very impressive Standing Shooting Star Press, but Elias would still kick out. Elias would hit Crews with a knee to the head and then the Driftaway Slam and win the match.
After the match, Elias would try to perform again and Baron Corbin would come out and say they don't have time with all the other things they have to cover on the show. Corbin says if Stephanie didn't like Elias, he'd fire him. Elias would tell him to shut up and listen to his performance, which would insult Corbin. Corbin would cut the mic and the guitar and run Elias off the stage... but the drifter would come back and smash his guitar over Corbin's back. Like, that instrument literally exploded upon impact.
Rhonda Rousey and Nikki Bella Contract Signing
The Bellas run the moment Rousey stepped into the ring. Rousey promises not to hurt them since they're only here for the contract signing and not a fight. She says she won't hurt them no matter what they do, so naturally Nikki recalls Rousey's previous failures and consider them a disappointment to her mother. Nikki signs the contract and slaps her in the face. Rousey smiles and signs the contract and promises that she will END her at Evolution.
Fatal Four-Way Match- Nia Jax VS Ember Moon VS Dana Brooke VS Tamina
Dana would pretend to team up with Ember, but she would try to get a roll up pin on her. Nia would get rid of Dana and Ember and focus mostly on Tamina. Nia would overpower Tamina, until she would land a Super Kick to the face that would knock her down. Ember would suddenly leap off the rope and grab Tamina in the Eclipse and win the match.
Titus O'Neil comes out with several fortunate survivors of breast cancer and continue to show the support WWE gives to someday find a cure.
Trish and Lita Interview
Trish and Lita get interviewed and Alicia Fox shows up to talk smack. Suddenly Mickie James comes in to attack and Fox jumps in. It seems Mickie and Alicia won this round and call the reporter back to do their own interview, but Trish and Lita would come back and wreck them. Trish tells them 'This is how we did it in the Attitude Era' and walks off with Lita, leaving James and Fox an injured mess on the floor.
Main Event- Rollins and Ambrose VS Ziggler and McIntyre- RAW Tag Team Title Match
Ambrose and Ziggler fight it out, with Ambrose quickly tagging Rollins in to fight. Rollins would knock both Ziggler and McIntyre down with a Suicide Dive. Rollins got on the turnbuckle but McIntyre would shove him off and Ziggler would hit him with the Famouser. Rollins would kick out of the pin but now he was at the mercy of both Ziggler and McIntyre. The action would spill outside the right before Rollins could properly tag Ambrose in. McIntyre hit Rollins with the Alabama Slamma, but he would still kick out of a pin.
Seth would hit McIntyre with a Frog Splash and Ambrose would keep Ziggler away from breaking the pin, but the Tag Tea Champ would still kick out. Rollins and McIntyre would fight on the ropes and The Scottish Psychopath would fling Rollins nearly across the ring. Rollins would still muster up the strength to grab Ziggler with a Super Plex and roll it into a Falcon Arrow, but he would still kick out of the pin.
As Ambrose and McIntyre try to use their finishers on each other, Ziggler would hit Rollins with the Zig Zag but he still couldn't get the win. Braun Strauman made his appearance and took the fight to McIntyre. Both men would take the fight outside, leaving Ziggler alone. Seth hit him with The Stomp and scored the win. Rollins and Ambrose are now RAW Tag Team Champions!
Suddenly Ambrose snaps and hit Rollins with Dirty Deeds. As the audience was literally shocked and asking why, Ambrose would continue attacking Rollins and throw the Tag Team Titles into his face. He'd then rip the protective mat off the floor and hit Rollins with Dirty Deeds on the floor. Ambrose would take off his SHIELD shirt and walk off leaving Rollins lying on the ground.
The Highs of Tonight's RAW
Fin and Ruby- I kinda thought they were going to feed Fin to this new arrogant Lashley, but I'm glad he won. Similarly, Ruby finally won a match in this feud. I understand Ruby scoring the win was mostly to hype up the Riott Squad before their match at Evolution, but I'm still glad we saw her win.
Elias turning face? Hey, if he starts a feud against Corbin, I just might start to care for the guy.
Main Event Match- As always these guys continue to entertain, even if sadly, Reigns had to bow out. I was really hoping that Strauman was going to come in and that the distraction he caused would give Rollins and Ambrose the chance to win the titles. What would be better than winning the Tag Team Titles in the name of their fallen brother?
The Lows of Tonight's RAW
Ambrose heel turn- This was just stupid, but I guess a long time coming. I guess the show had to go on, and also if Reigns is gone and the SHIELD has to be disbanded, I guess they might as well get it over with. The way Ambrose was acting, they could have played it like a random outburst, like anguish over what happened to Reigns, but yeah, WWE threw all that out the window when they made him slam Rollin's face onto the floor. It felt horrible to do this, tonight of all nights.
Fatal Four-Way- Isn't Evolution all about how they want to give the women longer and more meaningful matches? We're back to these stupid 2-3 minute matches again. I guess I can't complain too much because nowadays we get stupid 2-3 minute filler fights with the guys too. They have to stop this. Also make Tamina VS Nia Jax a full on match. Soon. It's too late for Evolution but maybe build it up for afterwards.
D-Generation X, Trish and Lita- We get it, you guys have matches coming up. How many times are you gonna keep promoting it. At least Evolution will be this Sunday already but we might have to see Triple H and Shawn talk about Undertaker and Kane again for the next few weeks. I don't know, just replay their promos from last week or something.
My Overall Opinions-
Wow. Just.... wow. The Roman Reigns announcement just came out of nowhere and my heart goes out to him. I'm glad the audience backed down from the usually booing and paid him the respect he deserved. Even Paul Heyman was trying his best to stay in character for his promos but you can tell there was extra emotion in his eyes and his words. I have my highs and lows for this episode, but it all felt like it didn't really matter after that announcement.
I am surprised they turned the intended match at Crown Jewel into a one on one match between Lesnar and Strauman. Usually when titles get relinquished due to serious injuries and whatnot there's an extra match between 4 or so people to fill that vacancy, but I can understand no one really wanting to do such a match, especially since they'd be stuck with Lesnar and Strauman. Speaking of which, I liked how he still showed some respect to his lifelong rival.
There isn't too much I can say expect I still feel the Ambrose heel turn was in bad taste tonight of all nights. I mean, Rollins and Ambrose were probably not supposed to win the titles tonight before the announcement, so having them win right now would have been a feel good moment in the name of their brother and could have finally given Ambrose a title and made whatever resentment he had fade away. The audience was literally yelling out 'WHY' and 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING' to him to his face as he brought the attack on Rollins closer to the crowd. I guess with Reigns out, Vince just couldn't wait to pull the plug on the SHIELD.
Again, my heart goes out to Roman Reigns, or rather Joe Anoa'i and his family. I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of him and he can come backs strong.
We continue the rivalry between SHIELD and Braun Strauman's crew now that Drew McIntyre finally turned on him. Will Dean Ambrose finally turn on the SHIELD? Will The Riott Squad finally score a win? Let's find out!
Roman Reigns bows out for now
Reigns surprisingly comes out as his real self (breaking kayfabe and saying his real name is Joe) and says he is suffering from leukemia and it has returned, so he has to turn in the Universal Title. He thanks the audience for following him whether they cheered or they booed. The crowd thanks him despite mixed reactions. He assures them he isn't retiring and when he can recover from this he will return. As he walks out, Rollins and Ambrose embrace him.
After the break, Micheal Cole, Corey Graves and Renee Young break character and wish Reigns the best and send their prayers.
First Match- Fin Balor VS Bobby Lashley (with Lio Rush)
Lashley would overpower Fin in the beginning. Fin would get Lashley out of the ring but Lio would distract him. Fin would chase Lio around the ring and Lashley would use this distraction to clock him, sending him to the floor.
After the break, Lashley would continue to dominate the match until Fin used his speed and dropkicks to fight back. Lashley got him in a strong Samoa Drop but Fin still kicked out. Getting Lashley down with a Slingblade, he got him in position for the Coup de Grace, but his opponent got out of the way. Lashley grabbed Fin for his finisher, but Fin managed to slip out of it and get him with a roll up pin. Fin walks off victorious, leaving Lashley fuming.
Second Match- Sasha Banks (with Natalya and Bayley) VS Ruby Riot (and the Riott Squad)
Sasha and Ruby would square off, with Ruby dominating in the beginning. Once Sasha got out of the ring there was a minor face off between all of the women but Sasha was quick to grab Ruby and toss her back into the ring. Sasha climbed the rope but Ruby kicked her knee, making Sasha slip off the turnbuckle and bounce off the mat and down to the floor with an injured knee.
After the break, Sasha fought against Ruby's attacks. Ruby slammed her down but Sasha would kick out of the pin. Sasha would nail Ruby with the Meteora off the top ropes and then hit her with the Back Stabber and the Bank Statement. Bayley would come in to keep Sarah Logan out of breaking the submission. As the supporting women started fighting, Sasha let Ruby go to attack Sarah and Liv. As she got back into the ring, Ruby hit her with the Riot Kick and scored the pin. Ruby defeats Sasha Banks.
Triple H and Shawn Michaels cut a promo on how they're not afraid of Undertaker and Kane and how they're nostalgic but also better than the current guys. Suddenly the screen shows Undertaker and Kane at a cemetery, showing tombstones with Triple H and Shawn's names on them. The Brothers of Destruction say that D-Generation X will never Rest in Peace as they fill up a grave.
It's been announced that the Triple Threat Match at Crown Jewel between Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Braun Strauman will now be a one on one match between Lesnar and Strauman.
Paul Heyman promo
Paul Heyman offers respect towards Reigns and all that he accomplished, but now that Lesnar will face Strauman one on one, he explains in great detail how he doesn't stand a chance against The Beast. Strauman shows up and says he will take down Lesnar, and despite his differences with Reigns, as soon as he beats leukemia, he'll offer him a title shot. Just then McIntyre knocks Strauman down with a Claymore Kick to the face.
Afterwards, McIntyre is asked if he's afraid of the repercussions of attacking Strauman. McIntyre is not afraid of the Monster and he says he needed them.
Third Match- Elias VS Apollo Crews
While Crews started strong, Elias got him in a headlock which took a while to break out of. When he finally managed to get out of it, Crews landed some kicks and a very impressive Standing Shooting Star Press, but Elias would still kick out. Elias would hit Crews with a knee to the head and then the Driftaway Slam and win the match.
After the match, Elias would try to perform again and Baron Corbin would come out and say they don't have time with all the other things they have to cover on the show. Corbin says if Stephanie didn't like Elias, he'd fire him. Elias would tell him to shut up and listen to his performance, which would insult Corbin. Corbin would cut the mic and the guitar and run Elias off the stage... but the drifter would come back and smash his guitar over Corbin's back. Like, that instrument literally exploded upon impact.
Rhonda Rousey and Nikki Bella Contract Signing
The Bellas run the moment Rousey stepped into the ring. Rousey promises not to hurt them since they're only here for the contract signing and not a fight. She says she won't hurt them no matter what they do, so naturally Nikki recalls Rousey's previous failures and consider them a disappointment to her mother. Nikki signs the contract and slaps her in the face. Rousey smiles and signs the contract and promises that she will END her at Evolution.
Fatal Four-Way Match- Nia Jax VS Ember Moon VS Dana Brooke VS Tamina
Dana would pretend to team up with Ember, but she would try to get a roll up pin on her. Nia would get rid of Dana and Ember and focus mostly on Tamina. Nia would overpower Tamina, until she would land a Super Kick to the face that would knock her down. Ember would suddenly leap off the rope and grab Tamina in the Eclipse and win the match.
Titus O'Neil comes out with several fortunate survivors of breast cancer and continue to show the support WWE gives to someday find a cure.
Trish and Lita Interview
Trish and Lita get interviewed and Alicia Fox shows up to talk smack. Suddenly Mickie James comes in to attack and Fox jumps in. It seems Mickie and Alicia won this round and call the reporter back to do their own interview, but Trish and Lita would come back and wreck them. Trish tells them 'This is how we did it in the Attitude Era' and walks off with Lita, leaving James and Fox an injured mess on the floor.
Main Event- Rollins and Ambrose VS Ziggler and McIntyre- RAW Tag Team Title Match
Ambrose and Ziggler fight it out, with Ambrose quickly tagging Rollins in to fight. Rollins would knock both Ziggler and McIntyre down with a Suicide Dive. Rollins got on the turnbuckle but McIntyre would shove him off and Ziggler would hit him with the Famouser. Rollins would kick out of the pin but now he was at the mercy of both Ziggler and McIntyre. The action would spill outside the right before Rollins could properly tag Ambrose in. McIntyre hit Rollins with the Alabama Slamma, but he would still kick out of a pin.
Seth would hit McIntyre with a Frog Splash and Ambrose would keep Ziggler away from breaking the pin, but the Tag Tea Champ would still kick out. Rollins and McIntyre would fight on the ropes and The Scottish Psychopath would fling Rollins nearly across the ring. Rollins would still muster up the strength to grab Ziggler with a Super Plex and roll it into a Falcon Arrow, but he would still kick out of the pin.
As Ambrose and McIntyre try to use their finishers on each other, Ziggler would hit Rollins with the Zig Zag but he still couldn't get the win. Braun Strauman made his appearance and took the fight to McIntyre. Both men would take the fight outside, leaving Ziggler alone. Seth hit him with The Stomp and scored the win. Rollins and Ambrose are now RAW Tag Team Champions!
Suddenly Ambrose snaps and hit Rollins with Dirty Deeds. As the audience was literally shocked and asking why, Ambrose would continue attacking Rollins and throw the Tag Team Titles into his face. He'd then rip the protective mat off the floor and hit Rollins with Dirty Deeds on the floor. Ambrose would take off his SHIELD shirt and walk off leaving Rollins lying on the ground.
The Highs of Tonight's RAW
Fin and Ruby- I kinda thought they were going to feed Fin to this new arrogant Lashley, but I'm glad he won. Similarly, Ruby finally won a match in this feud. I understand Ruby scoring the win was mostly to hype up the Riott Squad before their match at Evolution, but I'm still glad we saw her win.
Elias turning face? Hey, if he starts a feud against Corbin, I just might start to care for the guy.
Main Event Match- As always these guys continue to entertain, even if sadly, Reigns had to bow out. I was really hoping that Strauman was going to come in and that the distraction he caused would give Rollins and Ambrose the chance to win the titles. What would be better than winning the Tag Team Titles in the name of their fallen brother?
The Lows of Tonight's RAW
Ambrose heel turn- This was just stupid, but I guess a long time coming. I guess the show had to go on, and also if Reigns is gone and the SHIELD has to be disbanded, I guess they might as well get it over with. The way Ambrose was acting, they could have played it like a random outburst, like anguish over what happened to Reigns, but yeah, WWE threw all that out the window when they made him slam Rollin's face onto the floor. It felt horrible to do this, tonight of all nights.
Fatal Four-Way- Isn't Evolution all about how they want to give the women longer and more meaningful matches? We're back to these stupid 2-3 minute matches again. I guess I can't complain too much because nowadays we get stupid 2-3 minute filler fights with the guys too. They have to stop this. Also make Tamina VS Nia Jax a full on match. Soon. It's too late for Evolution but maybe build it up for afterwards.
D-Generation X, Trish and Lita- We get it, you guys have matches coming up. How many times are you gonna keep promoting it. At least Evolution will be this Sunday already but we might have to see Triple H and Shawn talk about Undertaker and Kane again for the next few weeks. I don't know, just replay their promos from last week or something.
My Overall Opinions-
Wow. Just.... wow. The Roman Reigns announcement just came out of nowhere and my heart goes out to him. I'm glad the audience backed down from the usually booing and paid him the respect he deserved. Even Paul Heyman was trying his best to stay in character for his promos but you can tell there was extra emotion in his eyes and his words. I have my highs and lows for this episode, but it all felt like it didn't really matter after that announcement.
I am surprised they turned the intended match at Crown Jewel into a one on one match between Lesnar and Strauman. Usually when titles get relinquished due to serious injuries and whatnot there's an extra match between 4 or so people to fill that vacancy, but I can understand no one really wanting to do such a match, especially since they'd be stuck with Lesnar and Strauman. Speaking of which, I liked how he still showed some respect to his lifelong rival.
There isn't too much I can say expect I still feel the Ambrose heel turn was in bad taste tonight of all nights. I mean, Rollins and Ambrose were probably not supposed to win the titles tonight before the announcement, so having them win right now would have been a feel good moment in the name of their brother and could have finally given Ambrose a title and made whatever resentment he had fade away. The audience was literally yelling out 'WHY' and 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING' to him to his face as he brought the attack on Rollins closer to the crowd. I guess with Reigns out, Vince just couldn't wait to pull the plug on the SHIELD.
Again, my heart goes out to Roman Reigns, or rather Joe Anoa'i and his family. I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of him and he can come backs strong.
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