Miz TV
- Miz and Morrison come out.
- Randy Orton ETHERS John Morrison. He says he took his ball, went home and wrestled in the minor leagues.
- Orton says the Miz can only win the title with the briefcase.
- He's paranoid and livid and thinks Miz set up the match to take advantage of him. Miz and Morrison say they're aiming for a tag title shot.
- New Day comes out. They troll Randy Orton, Miz and Morrison, and Orton immediately RKOs Kofi.
- Drew McIntyre makes the save and the heels all team up to do an RKO to Drew McIntyre, then all leave together.
Survivor Series Qualifier
Riddle defeated Elias and Jeff Hardy
5/10
- This triple threat is sloppy, but it ate up some time and it really needed to.
- I'll take a match that isn't as smooth, but is longer, as long as it has stakes.
- As reported on FightfulSelect.com today, Matt Riddle is the last member of Team Raw.
- Riddle wins on Elias with Bro Derek after Elias cracked Jeff Hardy with a knee.
- I think the right person won, and they can keep doing the Elias vs. Jeff Hardy thing that they're surely gonna do anyway.
- Styles says Riddle was the piece they're missing.
- Sheamus is mad, and for some reason implies they selected Riddle. He just won a match!
- WWE undermining BRAND SUPREMACY right out of the gate by having Sheamus flipping out about Riddle being on the team
WWE 24/7 Championship
R-Truth defeated Drew Gulak (c) to become champion
A bunch of other people become champion
- Hurt Business is backstage, and Gulak pitches himself to them. They beat him up for having on a clip-on tie.
- How worthless does it make that 24/7 Title look that none of the four guys who beat up Gulak wanted it?
- R-Truth wins it.
- There's a 7-way match later. Lucha House Party, Tucker, Erik, a bunch of people win the title, but Truth ends up with it.
- I hated and didn't hate this. I laughed at the bit at first. It got real old.
Shayna Baszler (w/ Nia Jax) defeated Lana
SQUASH
- I don't understand why WWE has people come out before a commercial, sit through a veteran's video clip, then play their music again, then show the recap video of why they're there. Three hours without a lot to fill it I guess.
- Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke are on commentary.
- Shayna destroys Lana and taps her out.
- Mandy and Dana prevent Nia from putting Lana through the table.
Special Ref: AJ Styles
Riddle & Keith Lee defeated Sheamus & Braun Strowman
5.5/10
- They have all the team out and they're arguing.
- Riddle says they need sick code names.
- Fireface, BroLee, Skipper, Mongoose and Dopey.
- Styles says the way to bring them together is a tag team match.
- None of the members of Team Raw were on the brand as far back as Summerslam.
- Sheamus is mad because Styles didn't count the pin, and Styles keeps accidentally getting hit.
- Jordan gets up in the ring. Why would it make any sense to cut to a commercial as a giant bodyguard we've never seen get physical comes into the ring? Just make it make sense.
- This match is a bit of a mess until Sheamus hits a Brogue Kick.
- Riddle scores the pin. Two big wins for him.
- This wasn't bad. AJ Styles was great and this is a big night for Riddle.
WWE United States Championship
Bobby Lashley (c) (w/ MVP) defeated Titus O'Neil
SQUASH
- Hurt Business are in the ring talking their trash.
- Titus O'Neil comes out and isn't happy about what happened a couple of weeks ago. He wants Lashley to defend his title.
- Not a lot of guys would have the guts to challenge a champion for a title shot, per Byron.
- MVP says the match isn't taking place under the ring, and Titus gets mad.
- Lashley wins pretty quickly.
Asuka defeated Nia Jax (w/ Team Raw)
4.75/10
- Byron was scripted to say this is a WrestleMania Main Event caliber match. Lol.
- Nia is upset that anyone would dare think they run Raw BESIDES HER!
- This goes through a commercial with some chaining.
- Back from the commercial, Asuka gets powerbombed but turns things into an armbar.
- Asuka takes out Team Raw, then Shayna attacks her.
- It all breaks down.
- Raw sucks, man.
- First time in a long time I haven't laughed at Lana going through the table.
Ali (w/ Retribution) defeated Ricochet
6.5/10
- Ali applauds Ricochet for not joining Hurt Business. Mia Yim cuts a promo, but none of the words this group says matters.
- Nothing like a rest hold a couple of minutes into an Ali/Ricochet match. I dunno if a chinlock a few minutes into this match is a really great display of what these two can do in the ring
- WWE Raw is a special kind of terrible to eliminate my excitement for this match.
- Ricochet's head scissors off the apron was good.
- WWE misses a distraction neckbreaker at the break.
- Ali and Ricochet are turning it up. They're saving this show.
- A great Tornado DDT counter into a brain buster.
- Ali's avalanche backstabber made me YELL.
- Ricochet does an insane tornillo onto Retribution.
- Ali gets the win with his submission. That match RULED.
- That was Retribution's first WWE win.
- WWE Raw should have a lot more like Ali & Ricochet. Give me something I've never seen before. Something that excites me. If you're running it back next week, add stakes. Give me a reason to be MORE invested than I was this week, which was them making me care themselves.
Other Stuff
- Nikki Cross tries to talk some sense into Alexa Bliss, and gives her an ultimatum. Bliss joyously says she picks Bray Wyatt.
Drew McIntyre & New Day defeated Morrison, Miz & Randy Orton
5.5/10
- Sheamus is mad about Drew not joining team Raw, and mad about Drew teaming with New Day. Drew lightens him up. Mercy The Buzzard is in the background.
- Adam Pearce tells Orton that he's defending the title next week against Drew. Orton is not happy. A WWE Title match on WWE Raw is much needed.
- New Day do in-stereo dives.
- Drew McIntyre gets the hot tag and beats the tar out of Miz & Morrison.
- Orton watches on, then walks out.
- New Day helps out, but McIntyre takes out Miz & Morrison himself.
- I do not like the countdown to the Claymore, and absolutely none of that audio is real.
- Faces win.
Rating Guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!
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