Monday Night RAW has the enviable position of having to follows up one the greatest shows of the year in Night of Champions. WWE really raised the bar last night, and RAW probably isn’t up to the challenge. It says something that Retribution was nowhere to be found and don’t even get me started on RAW Underground. We did find out, though, that another WWE draft is two weeks away. Let’s head into the ThunderDome.
The Nature Boy kicks off the show, joining the Big Show, Christian and Shawn Michaels in the ring. All four men just happened to help Drew McIntyre beat Randy Orton last night, oh, and the all were also kicked in the by Orton at some point over the summer. HBK introduces the WWE Champion. McIntyre is glad they are all together, even if the disdain for Randy Orton is why they are here.
HBK tells Drew that they interfered in his match last night to get revenge on Orton, but if he is upset about the attacks; it was Flair’s idea.
Randy Orton breaks in on the TitanTron, telling Drew that this is over when he says it over. Orton will be done when he has the WWE title. Orton won’t beg for a match, because he will be given one. And he wants to remind everyone that there is a priced to be paid when you cross the Legend Killer. Orton grabs his luggage and walks out of the building.
Drew wants to put his title on the line and issues an open challenge to the back. He begs for someone to step up.
Kayla Braxton asks Zelina Vega about being a poor sport after her loss last night. Vega wants to prove that she is ready for Asuka, who interrupts, asking if she is ready to lose again.
Asuka (champion) vs. Zelina Vega (challenger) – RAW Women’s Title Match
Vega lost last night, why does she get a rematch one night later? Asuka makes the mistake of turning her back on Vega, who nails her with a back stabber. Zelina goes up top for the moonsault, but Asuka gets her knees up and transitions right into the Asuka Lock. Vega taps out for the second night in a row.
Winner … and still RAW Women’s Champion … via submission: Asuka
Ric Flair and the boys are playing poker in the Legends Lounge.
Zelina is still on the ramp and Andrade has some words for her, telling her she is nothing with out him. I think Andrade is making her cry. Vega walks to the back as Andrade rants about holding the team together. Vega and Angel Garza were the weak links. He calls himself the greatest and calls out anyone to face him. Keith Lee answers the bell.
Andrade vs. Keith Lee
Lee takes Andrade down and then tosses him across the ring. Lee crashes into the turnbuckle, as Andrade catches him with a toe hold. Lee leap frogs Andrade and crushes him with a cross body. He splashes Andrade in the corner, but get caught with a low drop kick. Lee catches Andrade coming off the top rope, but he floats over and chop blocks Lee. Andrade goes for a hurricanrana, but Lee counters into the Spirit Bomb. He covers and gets the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Keith Lee
Earlier today, some random dude sat down with the Hurt Business to eat lunch, too bad he was in Lashley’s seat. Lashley took his seat back and took that guys lunch. Just because you are in the Hurt Business doesn’t mean you need to be a jerk about it. Lashley, you are better than stealing someone’s lunch.
Elsewhere, R Truth was playing chess with ‘Lil Jimmy. He’s approached by a ninja, who gives him a letter for Akira Tozawa. Akira says he was eaten by a shark and the ninja presents him with a black belt. It was all a ruse, Tozawa rolls up Truth and gets the pin. The ninja turns on Akira and pins him. It’s Drew Gulak. Truth hits Gulak in the head with a briefcase and pins him to regain the title.
Winner…and still 24/7 Champion…by pinfall: R Truth
Seth Rollins approaches Murphy backstage, embracing him. Murphy doesn’t look happy. Seth tells him its a huge night, with the Mysterio family on the King’s Court. He needs to lighten up. Seth wants to know why Murphy is dressed in his ring gear; he tells him to suit up! Murphy leaves his phone behind and Seth slyly picks it up.
The King’s Court
Jerry Lawler welcomes the Mysteiro family to the show. Rey is extremely upset that Rollins is lying about the family. Dominik wants to put an end to this when he sees Rollin’s next. Aalyah was upset by what her father said, though. She still a little upset, but she is 19 and Murphy approached her. She knows Seth is a fraud and those associated with him need to reevaluate their lives.
Seth interrupts on the TitanTron with another important announcement. The truth is that one of them isn’t being honest with the family. Aalyah isn’t telling the truth about her feelings for Murphy. Seth has the receipts this time. Aalyah has been texting Murphy. Let’s be honest; the Mysterios have a right to be upset, Aalyah is 19; Murphy is 32. Aalyah walks out as her parents follow.
Murphy is less than pleased that Seth blew up his spot and grabs him by the throat. Dominik attacks Murphy out of nowhere. WWE officials break them up.
Lana and Natalya are in the ring demanding that Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler be stripped of the Tag Team titles. Adam Peirce doesn’t care about their Instagram follows, but he can give them a match to prove themselves.
Natalya and Lana vs. Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke
So Dana Brooke was also part of the trade from Smackdown. Lana makes a blind tag and yanks Dana down by her hair from the apron. She stomps Dana into the corner with Natalya. Lana takes a cheap shot at Mandy Rose, but nearly gets rolled up by Dana. Lana can’t prevent Brooke from making the tag. Rose nearly dumps Lana on her face with a gutwrench suplex. Natalya breaks up the pin, but get taken out by Dana. Rose connects with a running knee and covers Lana to get the pin.
Winners via pinfall: Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke
Aleister Black calls Kevin Owens a good man, but he does thrive in place where he can manipulate the viewers. KO betrays people though. It was a betrayal that Kevin was with his family and not helping Black. Aleister says he never forgets.
Big Show mentions he hasn’t retired, so he could accept Drew’s challenge. The Street Profits join the party.
Kevin Owens vs. Aleister Black
Well, the heel turn for Black is complete. He has a brand new entrance song. Those dudes head banging in front of me at TakeOver Philly are going to be super bummed. Owens takes the fight to Black outside the ring. The two trade strikes inside the ring. Blacks works Owen over in the corner. KO connects with an elbow and follows with a stomp. Owens nearly gets the pin with a roll up. Black hits the mat after eating a clothesline. Owens hits the senton and then a German suplex. Black rolls to the floor, where Owens crushes him with another senton. We go to commercial.
After the break, Black sweeps the leg, taking Owens off his feet. The go back to trading strikes. Black chokes Owens in the corner with his knee and does not appreciate getting reprimanded by the ref. Black with a kick to the chest and locks in a front face lock. After another kick from Black, Owens kicks out.
Owens dodges a pump kick and lands a super kick. Black kicks out. Owens rains down fists and goes up top. Black stops him up top, but Owens fights him off. KO with the senton, but Black blocks by getting the knees up. Aleister with a pump knee strike, but still can’t get the pin. Black is all over Owens on the ropes. The ref warns him and Black isn’t happy. Owens lands a shot. Black strikes back, but inadvertently elbows the ref in the stomach. The ref calls for the bell.
Winner via disqualification: Kevin Owens
Black argues with the ref, so Owens drops him with a stunner.
The Hurt Business catches Ali coming out of their locker room. Apollo Crews and Ricochet run in to protect Ali. The two groups mouth off at each other.
R Truth (champion) vs. Akira Tozawa (challenger) vs. Drew Gulak (challenger) – 24/7 Championship Triple Threat Match
Hey, Truth has his own shirt now! Tozawa and Gulak team up to beat up on Truth. The alliance doesn’t last long, as Gulak dumps Akira out of the ring. Gulak with the Gu-Lock on Truth. Tozawa goes up top, as Truth escapes. He wipes out Gulak with senton. Truth with a face buster on Tozawa and hits Gulak with an Attitude Adjustment on Akira. Truth covers both men to get the win.
Winner…and still 24/7 Champion…via pinfall: R Truth
Charly Caruso is backstage with Mandy Rose and Dana Brook, wanting to know how they came to team up. Mandy says Dana has always been there for her, while Brooke like Mandy’s resilience. They know they Riott Squad is next in line, but they are coming for the tag team titles.
Murphy vs. Dominik Mysterio
Dominik drives Murphy into the corner a the bell, but then runs into a boot. Murphy with mounted strikes and a big kick. Dom slams him into the security barrier and then into the announce desk. Murphy returns the favor, tossing Dom over the table. Back in the ring, Dom connects with a cross body and then lays into Murphy with strikes. Murphy hits a pump knee strike and stomps away at him. Dominik counters with a jaw breaker and follows with a DDT. He stomps away at Murphy in the corner, getting warned by the official. Murphy is slammed into the apron. Dom goes for the kendo stick. Aalyah runs down to the ring and confronts her brother. She begs him to drop the stick. Murphy rolls up Dom as he argues with his sister and gets the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Murphy
Dom still attacks Murphy with the kendo stick, until Aalyah gets him to stop. He calls her naïve and Aalyah slaps him.
Hey, it’s ten o’clock and Shane McMahon is nowhere to be seen! Does that mean RAW Underground is done? We can only hope.
Dolph Ziggler talks to Adam Peirce about Drew’s open challenge, but it’s not about him.
The Hurt Business vs. Apollo Crews, Ricochet and Mustafa Ali
MVP calls out Apollo Crews for making the same mistakes over and over. MVP runs down all of Crew’s loses to the Hurt Business.
Ali, Ricochet and Crews attack before the bell, sending Lashley and MVP to the floor and ganging up on Benjamin. Lashley fight back, but the lights go out and the Retribution logo appears on the video boards.
We return from break, and the match is finally underway. Retribution is nowhere to be found. Ali hits MVP with a DDT and goes up top. Ali connects with the 450 splash and gets the pin.
Winners via pinfall: Mustafa Ali, Apollo Crews and Ricochet
Ric Flair takes down the pot with a royal flush. The Nature Boy struts his stuff.
Don’t forget that Bianca Belair is the EST.
All we are getting from Retribution tonight is some flickering lights and now a video package.
Drew McIntyre is in the ring and wants to know who is ready to step up. Dolph Ziggler walks out, but he isn’t eligible as he has faced McIntyre for the title in the past. Dolph brings out a glorious opponent. That’s right. Robert Roode is back.
Drew McIntyre (champion) vs. Robert Roode (challenger) w/Dolph Ziggler – WWE Championship Match
Roode fires off a series of kicks and forces Drew into the corner. McIntyre with a straight right. Roode rakes Drew across the back. The fight goes to the floor and Drew crushes Robert into the apron with a reverse Alabama slam. We go to commercial.
After the break, Roode tries to fights McIntyre off the to turnbuckle. McIntyre is able to grab Roode and tosses him across the ring. Ziggler pulls Roode out of the ring to save him. McIntyre grabs Dolph, slamming him into the ring. Roode hits McIntyre with a chop block. He then whips the champ’s leg across the ring post. McIntyre kicks him away, but has a noticeable limp. Roode rolls Drew into the ring and connects with a clothesline from the top turnbuckle. He follows with a figure four leg lock. McIntyre reverses the hold, but Roode gets to the ropes to break the hold. McIntyre hits the Glasgow kiss and follows with an overhead belly to belly. Drew kips up, but his knee gives out. Roode hits a spine buster and makes the pin. Drew kicks out at two.
McIntyre hits the Future Shock DDT, but can’t get the pin. Ziggler pushes Roode out of the way and eats the Claymore kick. Roode hits the Glorious DDT, but can’t get the pin. Roode goes for another DDT, but Drew counters and hits the Claymore kick. The champ covers and gets the win.
Winner…and still WWE Champion…via pinfall: Drew McIntyre
In the back, Randy Orton breaks into Legends Lounge with a chair and night vision googles. He kills the lights and all we hear is smashes and bangs. Orton sneaks out as WWE officials rush to the aide of the Legends.
See you next week in the ThunderDome.
