On the night after Backlash, a new era dawns on Monday Night RAW. Not because of any title changes last night, but behind the scenes there has been shake up with the creative team. Paul Heyman is no longer the man in charge and will only be an on-air personality. We have also seen the last of Edge in action for sometime, as he suffered a torn triceps muscles in the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever with Randy Orton.
Randy Orton makes his way to the ring to ring, as Tom Phillips shows us photos of Edge’s surgery. I believe you; I don’t need to see it. The Viper did what he said he was going to do; he embarrassed Edge, but also gave him closure. He thanks Edge for reigniting the “Legend Killer”. Orton knew he injured Edge last night, but he kept going to make him suffer. Orton jokes Edge will be cleared in July…of 2029. Maybe their paths will cross again in nine years.
Christian walks out to the ring to confront Orton, calling him an S-O-B. He stands up for his friend, Edge. He lets Orton now that Edge will get closure on his own terms. Orton calls Christian jealous of his friend. Randy knows what he wants; one more match. Christian says absolutely not. Orton challenges him to an unsanctioned match and the offer expires at the end of the night. If Christian doesn’t accepted it, Orton calls him nothing but a coward.
Charly Caruso welcomes Angel Garza and Zelina Vega. Last night, Garza was taken out by Kevin Owens, when he tried to interfere in the United States title match. Charly asks Garza if he feels that he cost Andrade the championship. Zelina jumps in, saying no one cost anyone anything. Garza feels for Andrade, but they both feel for Owens. Garza is going to prove that Kevin Owens is inferior. Garza wants Charly to interview him in the ring after he beats KO. Andrade hopes Garza can’t get over the loss if he doesn’t win.
Match #1 – Kevin Owens vs. Angel Garza w/Zelina Vega
Garza flies in with a drop kick, but misses wildly. Andrade’s music hits and he makes his way to ringside. Owens uses the distraction to kick Garza in the corner. He follows with a flurry of strikes. Owens rips off Garza’s pants, tosses them in his face and goes for the stunner. Garza slips it. Owens catches Angel on the apron, slamming him into the ring post. Andrade wants Garza to get back in the ring. Vega yells at them to stop and she storms off.
After a commercial break, Garza escapes out of the corner and goes up top. He connects with the missile drop kick. Owens answers with a strike to the face. Andrade takes a swipe at him and leaps to the apron. Garza yells at Andrade, only to turn around into a kick and a stunner. Owens covers and gets the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Kevin Owens
Garza and Andrade start jawing at each other in the ring. Vega chews them both out, telling them they night to fight together. She orders both men to the back.
If you missed Backlash, don’t worry, RAW recaps everything. Lana cost Lashley his match for the WWE title. Backstage, Sarah Schreiber tries to get a word with Bobby Lashley. MVP doesn’t want to do an interview and tells her to back off. MVP wants the story of Lashley being cheated out of the title, so he is going to address that issue right now.
Lashley and MVP hit the ring. MVP cuts right to the issue; blaming Lana for Lashley’s loss. He also wants McIntyre to give Bobby a rematch, accusing the champ of hiding behind another man’s wife. Lana isn’t going to stand for this and makes her way into the ring. She takes credit for everything positive that has happened to him. MVP and Lana argue back and forth. She calls MVP the problem, claiming they were on a hot streak. Bobby asks Lana when is the last time she laced up her boots. She had one job; stay in the back. He isn’t happy that she puts him all over social media. Lana points out she is the famous one in the relationship. Lashley drops a verbal bomb; he wants a divorce.
The Street Profits and Viking Raiders never had their match last night, as other things came up. Those things were ninjas. Sarah Schreiber asks both teams how they will break the stalemate. They talk about their potential merchandising and future team-ups, when Akira Tozawa shows up with his ninjas in tow. One word: sequel.
Match #2 – The Street Profits and The Viking Raiders vs. Akira Tozawa and three ninjas
Erik takes out a ninja with double knees. Dawkins tags in and hits a spine buster. Ford delivers a drop kick to another one. There is one more ninja at ringside and he is a beast. Tozawa orders two ninjas to charge. They run into spine busters as Ford and Ivar deliver frog splashes to them. Ford makes a cover and gets the win.
Winners via pinfall: The Street Profits and Viking Raiders
After the bell, Tozawa hits the ring with his big ninja. The boys huddle up and they want to the smoke. The Big Show’s music hits and the world’s largest athlete enters the ring. The ninjas go after Show, with little affect. He delivers a choke slam to one and the knock out punch to another. Tozawa and the larger ninja slip out of the ring and back up the ramp.
Charly Caruso asks Seth Rollins how he feel about Dominic Mysterio being at the show tonight. Seth needs and wants him here. He has a message for him and his father.
Christian is on the phone in a back office, talking to someone about what he should do tonight.
The Monday Night Messiah is in the ring; disappointed that Rey Mysterio isn’t in the building. He just wanted to have peaceful conversation, but Rey took the coward’s way out. His son, Dominic, is here though. Rey pops up on the Titantron, saying he didn’t know his son was heading to RAW. He issues Seth a warning. The Monday Night Messiah doesn’t want to hurt him; he wants to help. Dominic is part of the future and the greater good. He wants Rey to help Seth help him. He wants Dominic to join up with him. Rey says that will never happened. Rollins issues a warning, either Dominic joins him or he will be sacrificed. Rey tell Seth if anyone touched his son, he will end them.
As Seth preaches to Rey, Dominic comes out of the crowd and attack Rollins from behind. He slams Rollins into the ring steps before Murphy and Theory run out to the ring. Dom fights them off and is able to escape.
R Truth approaches MVP and Lashley. He wants to give his condolences to Lashley. Truth thinks Bobby has to be jet lagged after going to Claymore country. MVP and Lashley aren’t here for jokes. They threaten Truth, who just leaves. They eventually find him with Drew McIntyre. MVP calls Drew a pretender. McIntyre wants Lashley to know that MVP is full of empty promises. MVP wants Drew and Truth to put their titles on the line in their tag team match. Truth is in for it. McIntyre agrees to the winner take all match.
Match #3 – Liv Morgan and Natalya vs. The IIconics
Maybe ratings are down because we are 80 minutes into RAW and this is only the third match of the night. Liv Morgan and Peyton Royce start things off, until Nattie tags herself in right away. Royce blasts her with a forearm. Natalya takes a swipe at Billie Kay on the apron, only to get kicked by Royce. Kay tags in. She takes down Nattie with a suplex and poses. An elbow follows, but she can’t get the pin. Kay swipes at Morgan and nearly gets rolled up. Liv tags in, connecting with a drop kick from the second rope. Royce breaks the pinfall, and then tosses Natalya. Morgan rolls up Kay, but with the ref distracted he can’t make the count. Peyton tags in and Morgan is doubled teamed; getting hit with the Fall from Grace. Peyton covers to get the pin.
Winners via pinfall: The IIconics
After the match, the IIconics call out the tag team champs. They want a championship match on RAW. Billie calls Sasha and Bayley cowards, but they know someone who can make the match.
Backstage, Christian is still mulling over Orton’s challenge. Big Show offers some advice. Orton wants an unsanctioned match so he can do what ever he wants. Show breaks it down for Christian, he needs to step back or step up. Christian knows what he has to do now.
Natalya blames Liv Morgan for loss because she lacks discipline and vision. Morgan just walks away as Nattie keeps going off. Lana walks up, telling Natalya that she has it worse. Nattie knows how she feels and the two bond.
Christian walks out on stage. Charly asks him if he has an answer for Orton. Christian says he has nothing to prove, but he won’t be disrespected and he accepts Orton’s challenge.
MVP approached Apollo Crews, telling him there is a difference between being a fighting champion and a smart champion. He needs to pick his battles. He will burn out defending that title all the time. MVP wants to help him. Crews says if he isn’t a fighting champion; he isn’t a champ at all. MVP says he is the only way Apollo keeps the belt.
Ric and Charlotte Flair are backstage discussing her future. Charlotte doesn’t want him to worry, she does what she wants.
Match #4 – Apollo Crews (champion) vs. Shelton Benjamin (challenger) – United States Title Match
MVP watches on a monitor in the back. Crews tosses Benjamin across the ring with a German suplex. Shelton answers with a running knee in the corner. Crews with a back elbow and an enziguiri. He follows with a standing moonsault, but can’t get the pin. Benjamin with a roll up, but the ref catches him with his feet on the ropes. Apollo with a roll up and gets the pin while using the ropes for leverage.
Winner … and still United States Champion…via pinfall: Apollo Crews
Akira Tozawa and the ninjas roll up on R Truth. Akira says something in Japanese. Truth just out crazies them and they leave. Drew McIntyre wants to know if Truth understands the gravity of the situation, tonight. They could lose everything. Truth says he gets it.
Charly Caruso interviews RAW Women’s champion, Asuka, asking if Nia Jax is too much to handle. Asuka says she will finish the fight that Nia Jax started.
Truth tells Drew that he fixed it. The only title on the line will be the WWE championship. If Truth gets pinned, Drew loses his title. Truth wants someone to believe in him; he knows what it feels like to loses a title and he won’t let that happen to McIntyre.
Big Show is hanging out with the Street Profits and Viking Raiders. Ford thanks Show for helping out with the ninjas. Show has enjoyed the rivalry and knows how to settle it. This Monday on RAW, they should have a title match. Everyone seems happy with that idea.
Match #5 – Drew McIntyre (WWE Champion) and R Truth (24/7 Champion) vs. Bobby Lashley and MVP – WWE Championship on the line
Drew starts things off with Lashley, locking up in the corner. Drew unloads with chops and strikes. Lashley answers with a clothesline. McIntyre gives him the Glasgow kiss. Lashley beats the champ into the corner with a strike to the throat. Lashley with a spear in the corner and MVP gets the tag. Drew hits a spine buster on Lashley and dumps him out of the ring. He hits MVP with a neck breaker. Truth tags himself in and gets tossed across the ring. Lashley with the tag, tossing Truth into the barricade and we go to commercial.
After the break, Truth is getting pummeled in the corner by Lashley. MVP tags in, kicking Truth in the face. Truth kicks out of the pin. MVP misses the big boot and Truth connects with a kick. Drew gets the tag, taking out an entering Lashley with a kick an then an overhead belly to belly. MVP makes a blind tag, but McIntyre sees it and blasts MVP to the floor. Drew goes after him, slamming him into the barrier. He then climbs the turnbuckles and connects with a forearm. The champ hits the Future Shock DDT, but Lashley breaks the pin. Truth tries to run interference and is tossed to the floor. Lashley chases Truth on the floor, but Truth drops him into the ring steps with a toe hold. McIntyre connects with a Claymore kick, but instead of going for the pin, he tags in Truth. The 2/7 champ hits a frog splash and covers MVP to get the win.
Winners via pinfall: R Truth and Drew McIntyre
Ric Flair apologizes to Christian for not getting to him in time. Flair tries to talk Christian out of the match, to no avail.
The Women’s Tag Team Champions are in the house and they want to celebrate. It’s also Bayley’s birthday and they are going to celebrate all week. Wednesday they are going to NXT and then finish strong on Smackdown. Sasha Banks wants the IIconics to know that they have no say in when and where they defend the title. Peyton and Billie walk out and they want an answer. Royce slaps Sasha and Bayley goes off. She accepts the challenge for the tag team titles.
Match #6 – Asuka (champion) vs. Nia Jax (challenger) – RAW Women’s Title Match
Asuka comes out of the gates with a drop kick. Nia answers with a short armed clothesline. Asuka catches Jax with an arm bar, but then misses on a hip attack in the ropes. Asuka counters a Samoan drop with a submission on the ropes. Nia breaks free and drops the champ with a heavy right hand. Asuka locks in another arm bar, but Nia breaks the hold by getting the ropes. Jax catches Asuka on the apron and power bombs her to the floor. We go to commercial.
After the break, Asuka is in trouble in a torture rack. She recovers and hits the double knees and climbs the ropes. Nia greats her with a forearm. Asuka counters the Samoan drop and hangs Nia in the corner. She delivers the double stomp, but Jax kicks out of the pin. Asuka unleashes kicks, but Nia takes her down with a head butt. Jax with a Samoan drop and makes the cover. Asuka immediately gets a foot under the bottom rope. The ref doesn’t even count, setting Jax off. She shoves the ref, who threatens to toss her out of the match. Asuka rolls Jax up and the referee makes the count, which may have been a little fast.
Winner … and still RAW Women’s Champion …via pinfall: Asuka
Randy Orton has a question for Charly Caruso; he wants to know if she thinks he is a legend. They agree he is. Orton then tells us that unsanctioned means that the legend of Christian will be destroyed by three letters: R. K. O.
Match #7 – Christian vs. Randy Orton – Unsanctioned Match
Christian doesn’t even have ring gear for this match. Ric Flair’s music hits and the legend makes his way into the ring. He tries to talk Christian out of this, but Christian says he has to do this. The bell rings and Flair nails Christian with a low blow. Orton unleashes the punt, knocking Christian cold. Orton rolls him over and gingerly makes the pin. The ref makes the count.
Winner via pinfall: Randy Orton
Orton tells Christian that this is all his fault. He didn’t want to do this and tells the medical staff to take care of him. Orton continues to blame Christian and says he is sorry as the show goes off the air.
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