Raw: Musical Chairs and Money in the Bank

Thomas Starr

Raw: Musical Chairs and Money in the Bank

Smackdown was a hot show with an incredible angle at the end. What will be the follow up on Raw? Five matches have been announced. Two more triple threat matches leading into Money in the Bank. Liv Morgan defends her belt. Father and son square off in another devastating moment for the Mysterio household. And Karrion Kross and Xavier Woods’ intense, genre-defining feud continues. Also, WWE released a clip before the show where Maxxine Dupri tells Chad Gable she will talk to Otis about forgiving him. They were all worried after he was murdered two weeks ago (yes, he kicked out of death).

Welcome to Monday Night Raw.

The show started with a handheld going through a crowd of fans and Jey Uso appearing in the middle of the people. He entered through the crowd, which is a great spectacle. Jey said he is winning the Money in the Bank. Chad Gable interrupts. He said if you look up “miracle” in the dictionary you will see a picture of him. Fair. He did kick out of death. He said they are going to call him the “master in the bank.”

Jey asked what Chad is doing here. I mean he did die two weeks ago. They traded insults until Gable took a cheap shot at Jey. Jey fights back and goes for the splash, but Gable rolls out.

Lights out. Wyatt Sicks time. These guys travel with smoke machines. What weirdos. Also, who put them in charge of the lighting? You would think they would be fired after turning them off so much. So, Gable wandered the crowd and saw shadows of the Wyatt Sicks. Then the creepy lady walked to the announcer table. Two WWE personnel members were laid out on the announce desk and looked like they had passed out at the bar. She handed Michael Cole another box. Sigh.

Karrion Kross vs. Xavier Woods

Coming off Smackdown, they decided to start with magic and Karrion Kross. Sigh. They replayed last week where, shockingly, Paul Ellering spoke. It was not a promo, but hey baby steps. Maybe at some point they will introduce him and explain what his role is. A lot of chops and Karrion Kross, embarrassingly, played to a crowd that did not react. Then he smashed Woods into the ring post and finally got a reaction.

Paul Ellering (sort of) distracted Woods. So again, he was actually doing something. Woods reversed into a small package for the win.

Winner: Xavier Woods

Authors of Pain attacked after the match. Tokka and Rahzar threw Woods into the barricade. Karrion put an armbar (maybe?) on Kingston, which did not look painful at all. Thankfully, this feud will continue. Forever.

They replayed Liv Morgan’s shenanigans from last week. Including her assisting Finn Balor and JD McDonagh in winning the tag team titles.

Dominik and Priest were talking backstage. Priest lectured Dom about talking to Liv. Dom said he is acting like his dad. I mean he is. Priest asked if everything was good with Rhea, Dom said yes, but Priest revealed she is not. So, Dom has not spoken to Rhea.

Liv was with Balor and McDonagh watching them play video games. Priest asked Balor what is going on, Balor told Priest that he has changed since winning the belt.

They replayed that incredible tribute to Sika Anoa’i.

Zelina Vega was interviewed in the back. She said she is going to prove people wrong. I am betting she will not.

Zelina Vega vs. Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game. By getting it to the plate, she embarrassed a number of other celebrities including 50 Cent (look it up, it is awesome).

Liv Morgan is not the biggest woman on the roster, but she looked like a giant compared to Zelina. Liv has fantastic heel facials. Zelina got the Karrion Kross treatment when she played to the crowd (crickets). Dom walked out. Then Rey came out to even the odds. The crowd popped big when Rey walked out.

Liv did Rhea’s submission on Zelina. Corey Graves said Dom is looking more like American Love Machine Art Barr these days. That popped me. At ringside, Rey shoved Dom. Unprovoked too. Liv then hit the baseball slide and kicked Rey. In one of the dumbest finishes, Dom slid a chair to Zelina. With the referee watching, so if she used it, she would have been disqualified. Zelina then hit Dom with the chair but was rolled up for the win.

Winner: Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan was interviewed afterwards. She dedicates her victory to her “Daddy Dominik.” I feel sick.

Drew McIntyre did an interview segment. He said no one will take his title shot away from him at Money in the Bank. He then referenced CM Punk’s bracelet, which Drew is still wearing.

Seth Rollins was walking in the back.

They previewed the documentary about the lead up to WrestleMania 40.

Seth Rollins entered after the commercial break. The crowd sang his theme music. Confetti was coming down from the ceiling. From Seth’s reaction, it did not seem like something they planned. Seth called Boston a championship city. He called the confetti leftovers from the Celtics victory. The crowd chanted “Let’s go, Celtics!” Is Seth turning face in Boston to turn heel in the rest of the world?

Seth reminded us of the stipulation for Saturday. If he loses, he cannot fight for the title while Priest is still champion. On the other side, if Priest loses, he leaves the Judgment Day. Music and Balor came out. He said everything is changing and it is Seth’s fault. Seth challenged Balor. Priest came out.

Priest tells Seth and Finn that no one is getting into his business. Finn stalked around behind Priest. Seth challenged Priest to fight right then. Finn hit Seth from behind. Priest stopped Finn, allowing Seth to hit Finn. Finally, Priest saved his teammate. It appears Priest is turning babyface, but who knows.

Ludwig Kaiser is injured. They go to an interview with Kaiser. He said Sheamus broke his ribs. He called Sheamus a coward. Kaiser said he is coming back to end Sheamus. This was a good promo.

Zoey Stark vs. Dakota Kai vs. Ivy Nile

I am not a fan of these three-way matches. They are almost always awkward. Just a series of moves that mean little and someone gets a cheap win. Putting two women, Nile and Stark, who have not been defined, into this kind of match is a disservice to them. Neither can get any heat or sell, other than laying around until it is their turn, long enough to get the crowd to react to them. They gained nothing from this match.

Nile started to show off her power, which you could hear the crowd starting to get behind her, but then it was not her turn, and the crowd went quiet again. Waste of time. For whom are we supposed to be cheering? Kairi Sane ran out for no reason. Then Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn, two more women who have not been defined, ran out and stopped Sane. Zoey Stark, who did extraordinarily little in the match but get beaten up, won with her finish.

Winner: Zoey Stark

Michael Cole pitched it to the VHS tape from the Wyatts.

Taylor Rotunda, in his Halloween costume, is interviewing…himself without a Halloween costume. He said he and his misfits have become a family. He said something about false prophets or something. He called himself the reckoning. Okay. Then Taylor switched places with…himself in the costume. They did a round of musical chairs. Then they took turns telling each other they were nobody and/or the reckoning. It ended with just Taylor in his Halloween costume. He said, “There you are.” And they went black.

I do not know what this Wyatt stuff is supposed to be, but they need to get to a point soon. Taylor’s delivery is great, but what does this have to do with wrestling? And when is WWE going to get them off the lighting crew? Or tell them not to bring the smoke machines?

Chad Gable found Otis eating backstage. He told him Taylor was talking about him (Gable). Gable asked Otis for help against the Wyatts. Otis said it is not his problem.

Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio

The crowd chanted “Shave your mustache” at Dominik. Back and forth action early. Liv Morgan made her way to ringside much to Rey’s chagrin. Dom did the Three Amigos. Rey reversed Dom after the last one and sent him into the ropes. He was in position for the 619, but Liv pulled Dom out of the ring. Rey did the baseball slide kick to Dom who landed on top of Liv. She would not allow Dom to leave.

Zelina ran out as Liv was trying to interfere again. They fought at ringside. Then, while Dom was on the top rope, Liv got onto the apron. She shoved Zelina off the apron. Zelina grabbed Liv’s legs and dropped her onto the apron, which also knocked Dom off the top rope. Rey took advantage for the win.

Winner: Rey Mysterio

Sheamus does a promo for the three-way men’s match.

Sami Zayn entered as they went to another commercial break. He said people think Bron Breakker is going to run right through him. Sami said he is going to beat Breakker at Money in the Bank. Bron Breakker entered.

Bron said Sami has his respect for accepting a match against him. He promises to decimate Sami. Sami replied that he has been beaten down a thousand times and always rebuilds himself. He tells Bron that he might not be as good as he thinks he is. Bron started to leave, but turned and speared Sami.

Bron went down the aisle. He saw Sami go outside the ring next to the ring steps. Bron ran around to spear Sami into the ring steps, but Sami leapfrogged and Bron crashed into the ring steps. Sami beat up Bron for a bit, until Bron hit another spear. Good segment.

Damage CTRL were interviewed backstage. Lyra Valkyria interrupts. Then Kayden Carter and Katana Chance attack Damage CTRL. Who are the babyfaces and who are the heels? This is not working for me.

They replayed the Bloodline-Heyman angle from Smackdown.

Ilja Dragonuv was interviewed about the main event.

Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Ilja Dragonuv

Sheamus and Drew went face-to-face. Drew repeatedly shoved Ilja away from them. Finally, Ilja kicked Drew in the face. Drew then sold at ringside for way too long. Ilja took it to Sheamus. The match spilled to the outside, where Drew woke up from his nap, I guess.

Dragonuv was dominating the action as they came back from the break. They had a second commercial break in the middle of the match. From what was shown it was the best match of the night and had high stakes, but they put two commercials in it? They can format these matches to not have breaks, I do not understand why they do not.

Back from break again, they do the triple superplex spot that shows up in every triple threat match. The crowd does the Pavlovian “This is Awesome!” chant. The match had good action, but if the crowd was truly invested, they would be chanting one of the wrestler’s names. Just saying.

McInyre set up the Claymore, but Dragonuv hit the Torpedo Moscow in an incredible spot. Ilja then tried to come off the top onto Sheamus, but Sheamus kneed him in midair.

Ilja was dumped outside and Drew and Sheamus went at it. After some good action, Drew hit the Claymore for the win.

Winner: Drew McIntyre

Drew is interviewed after the match. He promises to win Money in the Bank and cash in the same night.

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