Hey everybody! It’s @TheMagnumDA with tonight’s Raw report. My computer hit the fritz last night, so thanks for your patience while I get this to you guys a little late.
The Results:
– Show opens with a 10-bell salute and video tribute to the late Bruno Sammartino. Wrestlers have taken their place on the stage for this tribute.
– Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman came to the ring. They promise to win on Friday at the Greatest Royal Rumble, but Roman Reigns interrupts them and says he will leave Saudi Arabia the Universal Champion.
1. Elias defeated Bobby Roode when Elias rolled Roode up for the pin. (**1/4)
2. Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy defeated The Ascension with the elevated Twist of Fate. (*1/2)
– Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were in the ring for the first Sami and Kevin Show. They state that they will win the Greatest Royal Rumble, and then bring out Kurt Angle as their guest. Angle warns them that many foes will be gunning for Owens and Zayn.
3. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre defeated Apollo Crews and Titus O’Neil. McIntyre pinned Apollo after a Claymore/Zig-Zag double team finisher. (*)
4. Chad Gable defeated Jinder Mahal in a rehash of the Austin/Bret Survivor Series 1996 finish. Gable pulled himself up over Mahal to catch him for the roll-up. (*3/4)
5. Braun Strowman & Bobby Lashley defeated Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. Strowman pinned Zayn after a running powerslam. (**)
– No Way Jose was supposed to have a match against Baron Corbin, but Corbin refused to wrestle Jose, saying that he wasn’t taking this seriously. Jose said even though there’s no match, that doesn’t mean the party has to stop. Jose leads his conga line around the ring once more. Corbin reappeared to attack Jose and gave him a chokeslam backbreaker on the stage.
6. Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins defeated Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas. Rollins hit a stomp and then Bálor hit the Coup de Grace and pinned Axel. (*3/4)
7. Mickie James, Alexa Bliss, Sarah Logan, Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan defeated Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon and Natalya. Mickie, Alexa, and the Riott Squad worked on Natalya’s knee during the match until Ronda Rousey came to her aid. Mickie James gave Ronda a baseball slide, so Rousey got in the ring and locked in an armbar on James, resulting in a disqualification victory for James’ team. (**1/2)
The Good:
Classy Tribute to Bruno: I really thought that the video, the 10-bell salute, and the documentary that followed Raw were fantastic. Great show of respect for one of the legends of WWE lore.
Sami & Kevin Show: These guys were hysterical. The “six kids” line on Angle had me rolling. I thought this was a great way for these guys to continue to get heat as they work their way up the ranks on Raw.
Alexa’s PSA: The anti-bullying PSA, where Alexa accuses Nia Jax of eating a homeless woman’s burrito bowl, was pretty damn funny.
The Bad:
“The Show” – I am not feeling that tag team moniker for Drew & Dolph.
The Main Event – I firmly believe that the women of Raw should deserve a main event spot. I don’t, however, believe that it should be a 10-women tag team match that goes over 15 minutes with a DQ finish. I understand what it all led to, but it was just too long. I was already burned out, at this point.
The Ugly:
The New Shield – Sorry, Bo and Curtis…it’s not happening.
That’s it for me, see you later tonight when I’ll be live-tweeting Smackdown Live! Be sure to look out for the TV report tomorrow. Until then, @TheMagnumDA signing off!
