The WWE draft continues tonight on Monday Night RAW. After the selection that were made on Smackdown on Friday it isn’t too hard extrapolate what may happen as the draft continues. The easiest pick is the Street Profits going to Smackdown. RAW draft Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods moments after they captured the Smackdown belts, so it’s easy to see the RAW champs moving to Fridays.  The Fiend has been attack Kevin Owens, who is still on RAW, so that isn’t too much of stretch to see him on Mondays. And with the Fiend, comes Alexa Bliss. Also, if RAW Underground is still a things, Brawn Strowman will be on his way to the red brand. On to the ThunderDome.

Randy Orton isn’t going anywhere. He is still deep in his feud with WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and will be facing him at Hell in a Cell. He heads to the ring to talk about said match with McIntyre, one thing is constant, though, 2020 has been the year of Drew McIntyre. Last week was the first time Drew had been pinned in nearly a calendar year. Orton thinks that could be a sign of things to come.

McIntyre interrupts Orton before he can spell out R K O. He wants to congratulate Orton for pinning him last week, but was surprised Orton decided to gloat. That allowed Drew to get to his feet and avoid the punt. McIntyre has promised to beat up Orton every tim he is in the building, so he heads to the ring to keep his promise. The two trade blows in the middle of the ring, until Orton rolls out of the ring. McIntyre follows, slamming Orton into the security barrier. The champ then slams Orton off the announce table. Orton is able to escape, making his way back up the ramp.


WWE DRAFT  Day 2 Round 1


No surprises here. Orton and Charlotte Flair are staying on RAW. Bayley stays on Smackdown. No one should be shocked that the Fiend is heading to RAW. And while it hurts that the Street Profits are leaving, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.


Aleister Black vs. Kevin Owens – No DQ Match


These two starting throwing hands as the bell rings. They brawl onto the ramp and then head back into the ring. Owens ducks a Black Mass kick. The fights spills to the floor, with Black getting smashed into the ring steps. Owens follows with a cannonball, crushing Black against the barrier. KO gets a table, but can’t get Black up for a powerbomb. Black catches Owens on the barricade and slams him down through the announce table.

After a commercial break, Owens is dropped onto a chair face first, but Black can’t get the pin. Aleister tosses more chairs into the ring and kicks KO in the face. Owens uses a chair to block a knee strike and follow with a DDT onto a chair. He can’t get the pin, though. Black pulls himself to the apron as Owen nails him with a chair. Owens sets up four chairs in the middle of the ring and pulls Black to the top turnbuckle. Black knocks Owens down and delivers a meteora to Owens onto the chairs. Black sets up a table in the ring as Owens recovers on the floor. Black goes for the Black Mass, but catches the ring post. Owens hits a stunner. He picks Black up and power bombs him through the table. Owens covers and gets the pin.

Winner via pinfall: Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens power bombs Aleister Black through a table to end the match. Photo courtesy of WWE.com


WWE DRAFT  Day 2 Round 2


So much for Kevin Owens staying on RAW. Brawn Strowman is now surprise, though. Matt Riddle is though, but if RAW Underground is still a thing, he could show up there.


Miz TV


The Miz and John Morrison make the Monday Night RAW debut after getting drafted on Friday. They make fun of all the tag teams that got split up, like the New Day and Heavy Machinery. Miz introduces his guests, Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke, who where also drafted to RAW on Friday night. Mandy finally gets a chance to call out Miz for getting her trade a few weeks ago and moving her away from Otis. Mandy wants to slap him. Morrison seems to think the trade has worked out for her; she is winning now. Miz tries to drive a wedge between Mandy and Dana, brining up Mandy’s past with Sonya Deville. Mandy assure them that tonight’s Women’s Battle Royal will not affect their friendship.

Lana and Natalya interrupt. Lana wants to know why they aren’t on the show. They start verbally sparring with Mandy and Dana, which leads to physical sparring. Dana and Mandy clear the ring.

After the break, Miz TV is still on. The next guest is Morrison, now that is convenient.  Too bad they get interrupted by Lars Sullivan. Honestly, I didn’t even know he was still on the roster until last Friday. I just assumed he was let go back in April. Miz and Morrison freak out, but don’t do the smart thing by clearing the ring. Lars attack, Morrison ducks as Miz runs away. Morrison doesn’t leave the ring though and pays the price. Miz tries to drag his partner out of the ring, but Sullivan pulls Morrison back. He its him with the Freak Accident as the Miz can just look on.


Backstage, Adam Pearce tries to explain to the New Day and Street Profits that they have to exchange title, since they have been drafted to the other show. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler aren’t happy that the Profits are leaving; they want their shot at their titles. Instead, Kofi and Xavier are going to give them a shot at their new RAW titles.


WWE DRAFT  Day 2 Round 3


I feel like a broken record, but no surprise here. Alexa Bliss joins the Fiend and the wild card, Lars Sullivan, is going to Smackdown.


The Monday Night Messiah, Seth Rollins, heads to the ring to deliver his final sermon on RAW, as he was drafted to Smackdown on Friday. He lets the RAW crowd know everything they are losing in him. And now, there is no one to step up and fill his shoes. It won’t be Dominik or Rey Mysterio because they have been drafted to Smackdown.

Jeff Hardy is ready to step up though as the newest member of the RAW roster. Seth appreciates the enthusiasm, but tells Jeff he isn’t the leader type. Rollins wants Hardy to focus on his match this Friday with Lars Sullivan, instead. Rollins tries to leave, but is cut off by AJ Styles. He tells Seth to step off and starts addressing Hardy. Rollins turns around and gets in Styles face. Hardy attacks both men and challenges both men to a triple threat match.


Jeff Hardy vs. Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles – Triple Threat Match


Styles and Rollins team up to start the match, but that alliance quickly falls apart when Styles knees Seth in the back of the neck. Rollins kicks out of the pin at two. Rollins wipes out Styles and Hardy on the floor with a suicide dive. We go to commercial.

After the break, Rollins is in control, yelling he runs this house until he says otherwise. Hardy hits him with a back elbow and takes out Styles with a shot. Jeff nails Whisper in the Wind on Seth and AJ, but tweaks his knee in the process. Styles takes an inverted atomic drop and a low drop kick. Rollins takes  an atomic drop and a snap mare. Styles recovers, but Hardy hits him with a face buster.  AJ is able to kick out.

Styles with a reverse DDT Hardy, who kicks out of the pin. AJ looks for the Styles Clash, but Rollins cuts him down with a flying knee. Rollins with a falcon arrow on AJ, but Styles kicks out. Jeff Hardy with a DDT to Rollins, who kicks out. AJ stops Hardy on the top turnbuckle, but Rollins is able to get AJ on his shoulders. AJ rolls through a locks in the calf crusher. Seth gets to the ropes. Jeff hits a swanton bomb on Rollins, but AJ styles the pin. Rollins kicks out. Hardy counters the Styles Clash with a Twist of Fate.

Out of nowhere, Elias crushes Hardy with a shot from a guitar. Styles covers Hardy and gets the pin.

Winner via pinfall: AJ Styles

Elias makes a smashing return to Monday Night RAW. Photo courtesy of WWE.com


WWE DRAFT  Day 2 Round 4


Elias, Lacey Evans and Sheamus are all coming to RAW, while Sami, Shinsuke and Cesaro all stay on Smackdown. Way to shake things up.


Lana and Natalya vs. Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke


Dana sends Nattie spinning to start the match. Dana and Mandy make a good team, as Dana hits a senton off Mandy’s shoulders on Lana. She covers and gets the pin.

Winner via pinfall: Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose


After the match, Natalya decides that this isn’t working out and dumps Lana in the middle of the ring; not physically, mind you, emotionally.

Natalya is done with Lana dragging her down. I’m sure this won’t come back to haunt her later in the show. Photo courtesy of WWE.com

Backstage, Ricochet has a proposition for the Hurt Business. If he wins tonight against any member of the Hurt Business, they need to leave him alone, but if he loses, he is joining up. MVP wants Cedric to take care of business.


Angel Garza vs. Andrade


Zelina Vega, Garza and Andrade’s former manager, joins the commentary team. Garza wastes no time going after Andrade. He connect with a super kick and Andrade quickly kicks out of the pin. Andrade slams Garza into the turnbuckles. A back elbow sends Angel to the floor. Andrade looks for the hammerlock, but Garza slams him into the ring apron. Garza hits the wing clipper in the ring. He covers and gets the pin.

Winner via pinfall: Angel Garza


After the match, Vega goes to check on Andrade, only for the lights to go out. It’s not Retribution. It’s Alexa Bliss and the Fiend. Bliss grabs Vega, while the Fiend grabs Andrade. They hit Sister Abigail in unison.


WWE DRAFT  Day 2 Round 5


So the Nikki Cross, Alexa Bliss drama is just switching nights. If Apollo is heading to Smackdown, does that mean Ricochet is losing and joining the Hurt Business? And how is Dabba-Kato eligible? He had never been on RAW. Well, I guess RAW Underground isn’t dead.


Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods (champions) vs. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler (challengers) – RAW Tag Team Title Match


Well, with Robert and Dolph on their way back to Smackdown, there’s no way they are winning these belts, right? We all ready saw the title switch between shows. Why couldn’t this pick be announced after the match? Ziggler yanks Kofi off the apron, only for Kofi to take him out. Kofi makes the tag, unbeknownst to Roode. Woods gets him set up and Kofi hits the Midnight Hour. He covers Roode to get the win.

Winners…and still RAW Tag Team Champions…via pinfall: The New Day

The New Day successfully defend their RAW Tag Title against a team that was drafted to Smackdown. Photo courtesy of WWE.com


Backstage, Charly Caruso asks Elias why he attacked Hardy. It’s payback; Elias hasn’t forgotten the Jeff hit him with a car. Charly tells him that it was never discovered who hit him. Elias is dead set on revenge, but he will still hold a concert next week.


Ricochet vs. Cedric Alexander w/The Hurt Business


The two men tee off on each other to start the match. Alexander slams Ricochet to the match and aggressively goes after his former partner.  Ricochet gets beaten into the corner, but nearly gets a pin with a roll up. Ricochet goes up top, but Cedric rolls away from the 630. Ricochet catches Cedric with a kick and hits the Michinoku Driver. Cedric accidently knocks down the official and MVP slides a chair into the ring. Ricochet intercepts it. He slams it on the mat, tosses the chair to Alexander and falls to the mat. The ref recovers to see Ricochet on the mat and Cedric holding the chair. The ref calls for the bell.

Winner via disqualification: Ricochet

Ricochet outsmarts the Hurt Business, proving brains can beat brawn. Photo courtesy of WWE.com


WWE DRAFT  Day 2 Round 6


So, Aleister Black goes to Smackdown, following Kevin Owens. Everything else is status quo. The draft will continue on RAW Talk, any superstars not drafted will become free agents.


Dual Branded Women’s Battle Royal


RAW women’s champion, Asuka, joins commentary as the winner of the match will receive a shot at her title. Before the match, Nia Jax addresses every women in the ring. She announces the Shayna will win, or it will more likely be her. She wants everyone to just eliminate themselves to save her the trouble.

Tamina and Nia stare each other down, before both head butting Lana. Jax the tosses Tamina over the top rope. Billie Kay tries to take on Jax by herself, and it ends as you would expect. She’s on the floor. Mandy tries to save her partner, Dana from Shayna Baszler, but it just allows Nia Jaz to get a dual elimination. The field teams up on Nia and Baszler joins in to get the final push and eliminate her tag team partner. Jax is furious. She finds Lana and Samoan drops her through the table, but I don’t think she was officially eliminated.

Backstage, Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre are brawling as we go to commercial.

After the break, the ring is looking a little empty; so many eliminations off screen. Nikki Cross gets dumped out of the ring by Lacey Evans. Shayna Baszler locks in the Kirifuda Clutch on Ruby Riott, but doesn’t eliminate her, just slams her onto Liv Morgan. Bianca Belair locks Shayna in a double chicken wing. She picks Shayna up and is able to toss her over the top rope. The Riott Squad uses team work to eliminate Bianca and we are down to the Squad, Natalya and Lacey Evans.

Evans and Nattie get the Riott Squad onto the apron and are able to eliminate them both. Evans goes over the top to the apron; she flips back into the ring. Asuka is now backstage watching on a monitor. Lacey pulls Natalya onto the apron. Evan is driven into the ring post, but stays of the floor. Natalya runs into the a kick, and is able to hang off the ropes to save herself. Nattie catches Evans and tosses her into the ring post. Evans hits the floor. Nattie celebrates, but is knocked off the apron by Lana, who was never eliminated.

Winner: Lana

It was a this moment Natalya wished she had just stuck with Lana. Photo courtesy of WWE.com


Lana celebrates, but Orton and McIntyre’s brawl crashes the party. The two men trade punches at ringside. Drew is whipped into the barrier. WWE officials try in vain to separate the two. Eventually, they are pulled apart and we go off the air. See you next week in the ThunderDome.

 

Monday Night RAW 10/12/2020
3.5

The ThunderDome at Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida

Actual wrestling carried the show tonight, which is a good thing because the draft fell flat. There weren’t any surprises, other than the return of Elias and things were not really shaken up. It felt like that most feuds were just moved to the opposite show. The Women’s Battle Royal told some good stories and check out Ricochet outsmarting the Hurt Business. Unfortunately, it seems RAW Underground may be returning.