By David Dodgson @DodgeeWriter
Hot on the heels of the Superstar Shake-Up, we have the PWJ/Kayfabe Today Shake-Up. That’s right – I have switched from reviewing Smackdown to RAW, which means I get to continue following the exploits of Bobby Roode, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Jinder Mahal. Great.
It also means I get to track the new chapters in the careers of recent call-ups Drew McIntyre, Ember Moon, and AoP, and established stars like Seth Rollins, KO, Sami Zayn, and Woken Matt Hardy, which is actually great.
Tribute to Bruno Sammartino
The sad news of the passing of an early WWF legend broke after most WWE programming had aired last week so this was WWE’s first chance to give him a full tribute. And they did – a ten tolls of the bell and one of those video packages that they do so well.
Brock Lesnar Paul Heyman Promo
In his first post-Wrestlemania appearance, Brock bounces around in the ring while Paul Heyman does his usual introduction. There are a few boos for the champ, especially when Heyman mentions breaking the Undertaker’s streak. After (not) gloating over his client’s Wrestlemania victory, he moves onto the Greatest Royal Rumble saying that Lesnar is so desperate to be in a UFC fight that he demanded a cage match.
Some obviously planted fans at ringside start chanting ‘Roman, Roman!’ (come on WWE – another example of you trying too hard). The inevitable interruption comes just as Heyman is reaching his crescendo.
After two loooong staredowns (one from the ramp and one in the ring) while the voices of five people chanting ‘Roman!’ are amplified. He says he will come home with the gold and… that’s it.
I honestly don’t mind Roman Reigns – not my favourite guy but a decent enough performer. However, like many, it grates when they try too hard to get him over. The fans chanting looked and sounded fake and the segment felt the same.
Elias v. Bobby Roode
Elias barely gets passed hello before Bobby Roode does his entrance (almost as long as Roman Reign’s in the previous segment). The crowd are strangely quiet for this one (no planted fans to cheer on cue this time) except for ‘wooohs!’ for every chest chop.
The pace is methodical as both guys take turns to work the other over. Roode goes for the Glorious DDT a couple of time but Elias avoids it. The match ends when Elias pulls the Glorious One into the ropes and then rolls him up for the pin.
Winner: Elias
I don’t know what’s stranger – the face commentary team lamenting the interruption to Elias’ concert while Corey graves welcomes Roode, or Booker T calling Roode a ‘kid’. Bobby Roode seemed to favour his knee early in the match, but it didn’t play into the finish – an excuse to not get on the plane to Jeddah perhaps?
Woken Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt v. The Ascension
The Ascension getting a TV match? The superstar shake-up is working well for them already! After an ovation from Hardy for a Viktor cartwheel, the new tag team take control. Viktor and Konnor fight back briefly until an assisted Twist of Fate ends the contest.
Winners: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Some tag duos mashed up entrances work well – Breezango and Seamus/Cesaro for example – but Hardy and Wyatt’s doesn’t click. Maybe it will grow on me. I am also not sure about their combo finishers (neither are they as it seems to change every week). I do like them as a team though – one of the more entertaining acts on RAW right now.
The Sami & Kevin Show
As KO himself inform us, this is the replacement for Miz TV on Monday nights. They introduce Kurt Angle as their first ever guest. After a comedy spot where they sit him on a deckchair, they recount the road that brought them from Smackdown to RAW.
They ask what Kurt Angle will do to welcome them. He books them in a tag match against the monster duo of Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman.
At least they kept it quite short. Sami and KO were amusing, throwing in references to Rusev being in and out of the Casket Match with The Undertaker, and the exact number of Kurt Angle’s kids (KO: “You forgot Jason Jordan.” Zayn: “That’s ok. oO did Kurt.”) And we have a huge tag match for later in the evening.
Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre v. Titus O’Neill & Apollo Crews
This match does not last long with Titus Worldwide getting less offence in than The Ascension earlier in the show. A superkick/Alabama Slam combo seems enough to take Crews down, but a Claymore/Zigzag combo is added as an exclamation point.
After the match, both guys cut an impassioned promo about how they are here to take over the show.
Winners: Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
McIntyre and Ziggler gave us another entrance mash-up that didn’t quite work. They did give us a finisher that clicks though as well as an intriguing addition to RAW (and the tag division maybe?)
Chad Gable v. Jinder Mahal
This match was set up in a backstage segment notable for Jinder Mahal actually delivering a funny line when he mistook Gable for Strowman’s tag partner at Wrestlemania (before adding an equally insensitive line about the passing of Verne Troyer).
Mahal jumps Gable before the bell and takes control early on. Gable eventually fights back with some impressive mat wrestling, but Mahal overpowers him. As the former-champ sets up for the Khalas, Chad Gable counters into a pinning combination for a surprise victory.
Winner: Chad Gable
A debut victory on RAW for Gable continues a losing streak for Mahal on the red brand. Will he end up losing three in a row at the Greatest Royal Rumble this Friday?
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn v. Bobby Lashley & Braun Strowman
After trying to escape the ring in the opening moments, the heels eventually get caught by Strowman. Lashley overpowers them for a while but eventually falls victim to their double-team antics, while Braun seethes on the apron.
The tag to Strowman is teased a couple of times and eventually comes at the fourth attempt. Strowman goes on a tear, flattening Owens on the outside before turning his attention to Zayn in the ring. Sami tries to run up the ramp but Lashley catches him. Back in the ring, Zayn is on the wrong end of a vertical suplex from Lashley before a Strowman running powerslam finishes him off.
Winners: Bobby Lashley & Braun Strowman
Despite tag team fatigue setting in, that was a fun match if somewhat predictable (after Strowman won the tag titles with a ten-year old, would anyone expect him to lose with Lashley as his partner?)
No Way Jose v. Baron Corbin
After No Way Jose dances to the ring with his conga line. Corbin appears on the stage to say he will not participate in the match, citing the possibility of getting jumped by Jose’s companions as the reason.
Jose decides to continue the party and leads the conga line back up the stage. As soon as they dance their way to the back, Corbin returns to be the party pooper and leave No Way Jose lying on the ramp.
No contest
A lower card rivalry is born! And Corbin becomes the first main roster star to make a ‘No way, Jose!’ joke.
Seth Rollins & Finn Balor v. The Miztourage
Not had your fill of tag matches yet? Well, here’s another one! Booked after Dallas and Axel approached both their opponents looking for a new boss after the departure of The Miz, this marks the fourth two-on-two affair of the evening.
The heels isolate Balor early on until a hot tag to Rollins. He cleans house before delivering the stomp to Axel and tagging Balor back in for the Coup de Grace.
Winners: Seth Rollins & Finn Balor
Did you expect anything else?
Nia Jax, Ember Moon, Bayley, Sasha Banks & Natalya v. Alexa Bliss, Mickie James & The Riott Squad
What’s better than a tag match? A ten-person tag match! And what better reason to give the women this slot than just because the men had a ten-man main event last week? Throw in adverts for an event they can’t compete at and we’re all set.
The heels take control early on with Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan taking care of Sasha Banks. Ember Moon tags in and fires off some impressive strikes and a huge suicide dive before we cut to commercial. Back to the match and back to the heels in control before we go straight back to an ad for the men-only Greatest Royal Rumble.
Natalya gets in on the action and soon traps Mickie James in the Sharpshooter. A chop block from Sarah Logan breaks the hold and the injury is worsened by James. The action resumes with Bayley and Ruby Riot in the ring while the doctors attend to Natalya.
Nia Jax enters the match for the first time and lays waste to Ruby Riot. An attempted pin gets broken up and chaos reigns as all the women get involved. We then see Nia Jax softly fall on everyone at ringside, which opens the door for Mickie James to further assault Natalya.
That draws out Ronda Rousey. After Mickie james unwisely attacks from behind, Rousey traps her in the armbar causing a DQ for the faces.
Winners: Alexa Bliss, Mickie James & The Riott Squad
Alexa Bliss never tagged into that match – wonder what that was about? It seems that match was all about setting up a rivalry between James and Rousey, which is a good pick. James’ veteran experience should bring out the best in the hottest new arrival on the show.
Final Thoughts
With Corbin v. No Way Jose never getting started, that meant only two singles matches all night. The tag team bouts soon got repetitive, especially as many of them were either predictable or meaningless. Aside from the developments at the end of the women’s match, none of the tag matches furthered any storylines either. This may have been the 1,300th episode of RAW (as Michael Cole told us a million times) but it was far from a special one.
