WWE should be thanking their lucky stars that AEW didn’t decided to run on Monday nights. RAW hasn’t been terrible, but these mediocre shows would get them killed against Dynamite. There are unsubstantiated reports that there has been nothing but chaos backstage, with the show being changed on the fly. That could make for exciting TV or it could turn into a dumpster fire.
There’s no cold open tonight and after the intro rolls we join the announcers in the PC and everything is dark, just the ring is illuminated. Tom Phillips blames the production truck. Apollo Crews hits the ring, but the PC goes dark again. This time Phillips blames severe weather in the area.
Apollo Crews (champion) vs. MVP (challenger) w/Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin – United States Championship Match
Before the match, MVP wants to drop some truth bombs. He claims he is the true champion, since Crews didn’t show at Extreme Rules. When the ref counts three; this feud is over. The lights flicker at the start of the match. Crews opens with several suplexes and locks in an arm bar. MVP fires back with a shot to the face to free himself and follows up with a big boot. Crews makes MVP retreat to the floor with his business partners, so Crews flies over the top rope to take them all out.
After the break, MVP connects with a clothesline that sends Apollo head over heels. MVP locks in a camel clutch on the ropes, targeting Apollo’s neck. MVP misses a big boot in the corner; Crews hits a cross body off the top turnbuckle. The champ pummels MVP in the corner and drops him with a spine buster. MVP blocks the toss power bomb and hits a release German suplex. Crews pops right up and hits the toss power bomb. He covers MVP to get the pin.
Winner … and still United States Champion … via pinfall: Apollo Crews
After the match, Lashley tries to jump Crews and lock in the full nelson, but the champ is able to escape unscathed.
Backstage, Crews is fired up in his interview with Charly Caruso. He puts over Lashley’s strength, selling is previous injury due to the full nelson. Crews also has the US title that MVP commissioned. He is taking the real title home to his kids, and keep MVP’s title belt on him.
Back at the ring, MVP isn’t happy with the announce team, calling this an unsafe working condition. Awwww, MVP is scared of flickering lights. He is very upset that Crews didn’t show up at Extreme Rules and now he wants a rematch. And he wants that match at SummerSlam.
Something is going down on RAW tonight and it is the brainchild of Shane McMahon.
The Women’s champs are in the house. Bayley and Sasha Banks have all the gold and Sarah Schreiber wants to know if they are defending all the belts at SummerSlam. Bayley calls her boring and wants to spice things up. They run a promo video off their accomplishments.
Afterward, Asuka appears, saying revenge will be sweet. Shayna Bazsler takes the more direct approach, just slapping Banks across the face.
Elsewhere backstage, the IIconics tell Kevin Owens they want to be on his show tonight. Unfortunately, KO all ready has a guest booked.
The KO Show
Owens teases the return of Shane McMahon, but he will talk about that later. He introduces his guest Ruby Riott and asks her about her emotional win over Peyton Royce. She talks about dealing with toxic women like Royce and Billie Kay, but last week she got to shut them up.Ruby wishes Liv Morgan was with her to celebrate. SURPRISE! Liv Morgan is in building. That is a Maury Povich level reveal.
Owens really wants Liv to hear out Ruby, because he has been in the same position and it cost him friendships. Ruby delivers an impassioned plea to her friend. She was afraid that Liv didn’t need her anymore. She wasn’t ready for that and took it out on Liv. She points to a tattoo that they share; their WWE debut date.
Of course, the IIconics crash the moment. Peyton tells Liv that no one cares. Billie wants facts over emotion. Peyton talks about dominating the tag team division as the microphone cuts out.
Liv tells the IIconics that there is one thing she can agree on with Ruby; no one starts a riot better than them. Royce and Kay want match. Owens interrupts and Peyton slaps him, followed bu Billie. KO asks Liv and Ruby for a little help and the two attack.
The IIconics vs. Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott
Ruby ducks a few shot from Key, but then gets dropped with a neck breaker. The IIconics double team Riott and taunt Liv from inside the ring. Ruby sends Kay into the turnbuckle and Morgan gets the hot tag. She takes out Royce with a drop kick from the second turnbuckle, but Billie is able to break up the pin. Kay tags in and Morgan surprise her with a roll up and gets the pin.
Winners via pinfall: Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott
After the bell, Royce and Kay beat up on Morgan. Riott hits the ring to the make the save. The double team Kay with an STO.
Charly Caruso is backstage investigated some crates that were found knocked over. Reports say that is was deliberate. MVP is livid the story isn’t that he lost the United States title because of glitches. Caruso informs him that Crews has accepted his SummerSlam challenge. Shelton interrupts; someone stole his 24/7 title.
Drew McIntyre blames himself for Orton attacking him, but lesson learned and it will not happen again. McIntyre points out that everything was handed to Randy early in his career, while Drew didn’t have anyone to clean up for him and he was fired for it.
That caught the attention of the Legend Killer, who is accompanied by Ric Flair. Orton wants to know if his respect isn’t enough. Drew repays him by saying he was handed everything. Orton agrees he should have been fired, but he was too valuable to the company. Randy is the chosen one. Orton wants an original thought from the champ.
McIntyre lays his belt in the middle of the ring and tells Orton that he represents everything that is wrong with WWE. The Undertaker pulled Orton up to his level, but Orton has never done that for anyone. Randy could have done that 10 years ago as McIntyre was self destructing, but Orton didn’t do a thing. Drew has 10 years of receipts from a lot of people to cash in.
Nia Jax is in the back talking with Pat Buck, the WWE official she attacked last week.
Backstage, Ruby and Liv are talking with Kevin Owens. Ric Flair wants a word with KO, he thinks Owens is too worried about helping others and not looking out for himself. Owens wants to take a different route; he wants to be the guy that people look up to, unlike Orton. Flair wants Owens to mind his own business and maybe he would have a title match at SummerSlam. Owens wants to show Ric what kind of fight he has in him. He challenges Orton to a match next week.
Nia Jax is in the ring with Pat Buck. Nia doesn’t apologize; in fact she challenges Pat to a mat. He wants an apology, and he will get one. after the match. Buck wants an apology or he is leaving. Jax insults him some more. He informs her that she is suspended indefinitely without pay. Jax loses it and head butts Buck. I mean, she’s already suspended with out pay. She kicks him out of the ring for good measure.
As Nia leaves, R Truth runs to ringside with the 24/7 title as the ninjas giving chase.
Shelton Benjamin (champion) w/ MVP and Bobby Lashley vs. R Truth (challenger) vs. Akira Tozawa (challenger) w/ ninjas – 24/7 Championship Match Triple Threat Match
Truth has the actual belt right now, telling Benjamin that it is his title. Tozawa rolls outside the ring at the sound of the bell as Benjamin works over Truth. Tozawa with a surprise roll up, but Shelton kicks out and power bombs him. Truth with a flurry of strikes, but misses the scissors kicks. Benjamin hits pay dirt, when a ninjas hits the ring. Shelton kicks him out of the ring. He follows, as Lashley and MVP take out the other two ninjas. Back in the ring, Tozawa hits a senton on Truth and covers to get the three count.
Winner …. and new 24/7 Champion … Akira Tozawa
After the bell, Tozawa high tails it out of ring area.
We finally join Shane McMahon. He tells us to stay tuned for RAW: Underground, which looks to be some sort of fight club. Wait? If the first rule of RAW: Underground is that you don’t talk about RAW: Underground; how will I report on it?
Dominic Mysterio tells Sarah Schreiber that he knows it is crazy to keep fighting Seth Rollins, but after what Rollins did his dad maybe he is crazy. Especially after he challenges Seth Rollins to a match at SummerSlam.
Shayna Baszler vs. Sasha Banks w/Bayley
Baszler takes down Banks at the bell. She takes over the champ with a snap mare and feints a kick to the back, playing mind games. Shayna stomps on her hand. Baszler blocks a suplex and locks in a cross arm breaker. Sasha gets to the ropes. Bayley tries to get involved, so Shayna grabs her by the hair. This allows Banks to gain the upper hand, taking Baszler down. Sasha hits a cross body from the top, but Baszler is able to pick he up and hit a modified back breaker. Shayna locks in the Kirifuda clutch. Banks is able to break free and lock in the Banks Statement. Baszler breaks the hold, but Sasha takes her down with a head scissors. Baszler with a kick and both women go down.
Asuka attacks Bayley at ringside and the ref calls for the bell.
No Contest
Asuka chases Banks out of the ring.
After the break, Charly Caruso is in the ring with Asuka, who informs us that Kairi Sane is not here. Well, we all knew that. Asuka wants a rematch with Sasha Banks at SummerSlam. Shayna doesn’t want to fight, in fact she is rooting for her. She wants Asuka to win, so she can take the RAW Women’s title from her.
Banks makes her way back out on stage with Bayley. She tells Asuka she gets her rematch, if she can beat Bayley, next week.
Angel Garza is in the back with Demi Burnett from the Bachelor, (a sentence I never thought I’d write,) and gives her a rose. Zelina isn’t pleased Demi is here and wants a word with Garza.
So Shane McMahon is running an underground fight club, with dancers. There are very little rules here and lots of things that Shane wants to see. The combatants fight in a ring that has no ropes. The ring is surrounded by other fighters and fans. The first fight lasts under a minute as the ref calls it. Is this real? Am I having a flash back to the Brawl for All?
Montez Ford w/Angelo Dawkins vs. Angel Garza w/Andrade and Zelina Vega
Before Garza makes his way to the ring, Dawkins gives Demi a shout. Ford wants him to focus and makes fun of Garza’s velvet track suit. Tonight, Garza and Andrade will be put to the test. The Street Profits want the smoke.
Dawkins and Garza brawl, but Garza misses a spear, crashing into the ring post. On the floor, Dawkins slams Angel into the boards.
After the break, Dawkins nails a drop kick as Demi looks on from the back. Dawkins accidentally rips off Garza’s pants and catches a drop kick. Dawk counters the Wing Clipper with a big right and follows with a bulldog. Ford celebrates, maybe too much, as he collapses at ringside. Dawkins doesn’t see the super kick as he checks on his partner. Garza with a drop kick to the side of the head. He covers and gets the win. Demi loves it, backstage.
Winner via pinfall: Angel Garza
Montez Ford W/Angelo Dawkins vs. Andrade w/Angel Garza and Zelina Vega
We join the match in progress, and Ford is being dominated. Garza chokes him on the ropes and Ford is struggling to get to his feet. Ford is tossed out of the ring. Andrade kicks him in the head. Ford reverse a whip, sending Andrade crashing into the security barrier. Ford pummels Andrade in the ring. The two fight in the corner. The ref tells Ford to back up and Andrade clocks him with a forearm. Ford flips over Andrade and drops him with a forearm shot. He then drop kicks Andrade off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Ford flies over the top rope to take him out. Ford is fired up, shaking the ropes, but then he collapses again. The ref calls for the bell and calls for a doctor.
Winner: Andrade
Dawkins and WWE officials check on Ford.
Seth Rollins tells Murphy that he made the right decision, but the past is the past. Murphy wants to know what he is going to do about Dominic’s challenge.
Shane is back with another fight. Erik from the Viking Raiders absolutely destroys some kid. He kicks the kid out of the ring and the crowd tosses him back in. Shane loves the action.
Charly Caruso is outside the trainer’s room with an update on Montez Ford. She doesn’t have any information. Angel Garza doesn’t want her to be afraid and gives her a rose. Zelina Vega says she is concerned about Ford, but wants to know what it means for SummerSlam. Angelo Dawkins walks out, saying Ford may have been poisoned. Bianca Belair, Ford’s wife, is ready to throw down with Vega, who denies any involvement. Belair take a shot at her and both women need to be held back.
Tom Phillips informs us of security footage of a bunch of hooded figures torching one of the electrical transformers with a Molotov cocktail.
MVP isn’t happy with Charly’s line of questions. Lashley calls RAW Underground a stunt. MVP wants to talk about sabotage. Well, if he wants to talk about sabotage; he will get sabotage.
Benjamin starts to spin a conspiracy theory that its not a coincidence that all these strange things are happening the same night RAW Underground debuts.
The Monday Night Messiah, Seth Rollins, makes his way to the ring with Murphy and they have some housekeeping to tend too. Rollins calls out Tom Phillips, wanting to ask him a few questions. He wants to know if Tom considers himself an unbiased professional journalist. Seth has taken issues with Phillips cheering on Dominic Mysterio, as he beat Rollins with a kendo stick. What Tom says matters and he is part of the greater good, whether he likes it or not. Rollins wants Tom to call it down the middle. When he does a poor job, he becomes a liability. Seth wants to find a new voice of Monday Night RAW. He order Murphy to take him.
Samoa Joe isn’t going to let that happened. He tells Seth to back off or he will beat Murphy down. Joe admits he was laughing the hardest last week. Rollins warns Joe to back off, but he really wants to do this. Rollins and Murphy retreat to the ring and he wants Joe.
After a commercial break, Joe is still outside the ring, but now Seth and Murphy are armed with chairs.While they focus of Joe, Dominic slips in the back with a kendo stick. He knocks Murphy to floor and takes down Rollins. He hits a 619 on Seth and then flies off the top turnbuckle, taking Rollins and Murphy out on the floor. Rollins grabs a microphone on the ramp and accepts Dominic’s challenge at SummerSlam.
Dolph Ziggler is fighting in the Underground, now, choking out his opponent. The Hurt Business arrives and MVP has an announcement. They are taking over RAW Underground and they came to fight. I pity the poor soul stepping up to Lashley. The CEO of the Hurt Business just may have killed a guy. Nevermind, he’s moving.
MVP wants some now, too. Benjamin tosses in a random dude and MVP destroys him. Well, they killed the vibe as almost everyone is now leaving. One more guy steps up, tough, and Shelton wrecks him. MVP, Lashley and Benjamin are now just grabbing people at ringside and beating them up. Shane is fine with all of this, saying anything goes. Looks like business is booming for the Hurt Business. See you in a week.
Monday Night RAW August 3, 2020
WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Imagine Stefon from Weekend Update on SNL. This show had everything. A blackout, malfunctioning microphones, a contestant from The Bachelor, ninjas, Molotov cocktails, an apology, someone got poisoned, Fight Club, sabotage, a title change, kendo sticks, broken crates, roses, and someone got suspended. RAW has everything, but not in a good way. The show started off with a very good United States Title Match and it all went down hill from there. Samoa Joe standing up for Tom Phillips was also a cool moment. Everything else, trash.