411’s WWE RAW Report 8.20.18

* Who is coming for Universal Champion Roman Reigns?
* Will Rousey’s title reign begin in a state of Bliss?
* Will Rollins’ victory mean the end for Ziggler & McIntyre?
* Who can stop the B-Team?
* What fallout will occur after The Demon’s reemergence?
* Who knows what danger lurks in your plumbing?

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Hi, my name is Tony Acero. You may remember me from such columns as, “Send me Sasha,” and “Bye Bye Bayley.”

Summerslam was yesterday, and I enjoyed it for the most part. Again, the weakest part of any PPV put on by the WWE is the stories going into the matches. If I had to choose a favorite, I’d say Joe vs AJ. Do you care? No. Do I care? Nope. LETS GO RAW!!!

RAW starts straight with Mr. Reigns. Roman soaks in the mixture of boos and cheers. He says he is a man of his word to a chorus of boos. He said he was going to beat Brock, and he did. YOU STILL SUCK chant. He also said that when he won it, he would defend it, and that’s what he’s going to do tonight. Typically, he’d open it up for anyone that wants to step up, but he has one man in mind. This man actually won this title in Brooklyn, got hurt, and never had an opportunity again. Since Reigns won this in Brooklyn, he’ll defend it tonight. What a grammatically shitty statement. Reigns introduces Balor, and out he comes sans Demon.

Balor comes down, and says he accepts his challenge, and he’s taking back the title tonight.

They shake on it.

Baron Corbin doesn’t seem to be a fan of this decision, because he comes out to tell everyone to calm down because this match ain’t happening. Finn will not be rewarded for that stunt he pulled last night. Baron says Finn no-showed and sent The Demon instead, and it was a breach of contract. With all of the lights, smoke, and noise, he couldn’t hear the bell ring. That match never happened. Tonight, Baron is facing Finn Balor, the man.

Reigns says that we are booing Corbin’s dumb ass. Corbin says Reigns only won because Brock was distracted by Braun.

Angle is out to calm the nerves of the men in the middle of the ring. Angle says that he makes the matches, not Corbin. Angle only cares about Brooklyn, and asks if they’d like to see the title match. They say yes. Angle informs Corbin that he has a match tonight as well, and it’s against Bobby Lashley.

Match 1: Bobby Lashley vs Baron Corbin
Lashley shoots behind and drops Corbin then lifts and drops him again. He locks up from behind for the third time and Corin hits an elbow then switches. Lashley switches again and takes Corin down, who grabs the ropes to break the hold. Lashley sends Corbin into the corner face first. Then again. Sends him out of the ring, and Corbin is frustrated. Lashley heads to the outside. He sends Corbin into the edge of the apron face first. He then sends him into the ring. Laslhey rolls in. He hits a shoulder in the corner then mounts on the 2nd rope for the ten punches. He gets em. Lashley then clotheslines Corbin over the top rope. Lashley leaves the ring and heads to Corbin, then sends him back in the ring. Lashley hops up on the apron but Corbin kicks the knee, and Lashley tumbles down. Corbin sends Bobby into the barricade chest first. Corbin grabs Lashley then sends him back in the ring. He rolls in and locks up from behind with a chin lock. Lashley punches out of it, but Corbin hits a knee. Whip to the corner is reversed and Lashley hits the corner with his chest. Leap frog off the ropes, and a clothesline from Lashley. Right hand from Lashley. Another. Another. He grabs the head and locks up. Lashley goes for a suplex, but Corbin rushes him into the ropes and Lashley drops between them to the outside. Corbin leaves the ring and hits a hard clothesline to Lashley on the outside.

We are back, and unfortunately, they are still wrestling. Corbin eats corner after Lashley moves. They exchange right hands in the middle of the ring. Lashley gets the upperhand, hits the ropes, and hits a clothesline then a back elbow. Belly to belly as the crowd chants Rusev Day. Laashley rushes the corner and hits a clothesline, then bounces off for another one, only to run into an elbow. Lashley with a spinebuster! Pin for 1..2…NO! Corbin rolls to the outside AGAIN and Lashley follows to hit some rights.Corbin back in. Lashley hops on the apron, and Corbin hangs him up. Right hand knocks Lashley on his ass. Corbin gets Lashley up in the corner. The crowd chants BORING as Lashley headbutts Corbin down to the mat. Lashley on the top rope. He flies. Corbin catches. CHOKESLAM into a backbreaker! Pin for 1..2…NO!!!! Lashley with. knee. He locks up and lifts.

Corbin is on the shoulders of Lashley. He turns it into a drop and a pin for 1..2….3!!!

Winner:
One of the most formulaic and boring matches I’ve seen in quite some time. Damned shame.
Match Quality: *
Personal Enjoyment: *
Total Rating: *

Backstage, Heyman is with Angle to tell him he has a specific job here this evening. Brock would like to envoke his rematch clause. Heyman knows what we are thinking; that Brock would be half way down to UFC, but he goes where he wants and he wants his rematch. Angle says that he read the contract too, and it doesn’t state when the rematch will be. It will be a long, long, long time before Brock ever gets his rematch.

Heyman agrees. He is thinking it’s way beyond today, way down the road, like maybe Hell in a Cell. Angle says it will be a cold day in hell, or as they say in Brooklyn, Fuggit about it…

Back from the break, and Angle is on his phone. Corbin comes in pissed off. He is tired of Angle not giving him what he wants. Angle says his job isn’t to do what he wants. As long as he is GM, his job is to do what’s best for the WWE Universe, not him. Corbin says Steph is here tonight, and he is going to go talk to her.

Match 2: Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Ember Moon vs The Riott Squad
Sasha and Ruby to start. It’s short lived as Sasha tags in Ruby and they double team her. Tag to Ember, and she rolls into a pin for 1…NO! Ruby tags in Logan and Ember hits he with a huge right. Kick, kick, an enziguri! Ember is hyped. Hard superkick to the face! Cover for 1.2.NO! Ember with a double underhook. Ruby and Liv run in but Sasha and Bayley take them out. Cross body off the apron from Sasha. One from Bayley. Ember with a suicide dive, and I think her FINGER touches Logan.

Back from a break, and the heels have control. Liv smacks Bayley a hard one and sends her outside of the ring. Tag to Ruby, who grabs Bayley and hits an STO. Ruby sends Bayley into the ring and covers for 1..2..NO!!! Ruby with a tag to Logan. Ruby sends Bayley into the corner hard. Logan with some stomps. Tag to Liv She comes in and locks up with Bayley on the ropes. She distracts the ref and Logan gets a cheap shot. Pin for 1…2..NO!!! Liv with a chin lock from behind. Tag to Ruby and she whips Liv into Bayley. Logan then whips Ruby into Bayley. Ruby then whips Bayley into a headbutt and Sarah pins for 1..2..NO!!! Logan locks the head up from behind. Logan rushes the corner and knocks Ember off the apron. She then runs into a kick. Bayley hits an elbow. She rushes for a tag, but Logan catches her and kicks. She drags her to the corner and tags in Ruby. Stomp to the back and Ruby misses a kick. Rollup from Bayley for 1.2..NO!! Tag to Banks! She clotheslines Ruby, knocks Sarah off, and hits another clothesline to Ruby. Dropkick. Kick to Ruby. Sasha rushes the corner, grabs a kick, swings, and drops the knees then covers for 1..2..NO!! Liv stops the pin. Ember in to send Ember to the outside. Ember locks the head, swings, then hits a suplex on the outside! Sasha hits the corner, gets lifted up, hits a knee. Logan is there to hold onto Sasha’s leg. Bayley goes for a baseball slide, but Logan side steps and kills Bayley with a clotheslnie.
Sasha off the apron with knees!!!! She heads to the top rope, then jumps off, lands on her feet. Ruby with the Riott Kick! Pin for 1..2…3!!!

Winners: The Riott Squad
Not bad at the end there.
Match Quality: **1/2
Personal Enjoyment: **1/2
Total Rating: **½

Triple H is here! He expresses love for NXT and says that he sat back there on the edge of his seat during Summerslam. He loves this. He is a fan and it’s in him to the core. He will work until the day he dies to make sure this is here for everyone. Weekends like this also give him a different feeling; they make him get that itch. They make him wanna rip this suit off and lace up the boots and be The Game again This is why, whne Vince called to say he finished up the deal in Australia and would like HHH to wrestle there, he said hell yeah. 80,000 people in Melbourne? Hell yeah. Then Vince said, “And we would like you to step into the ring against…The Undertaker.” And Triple H said “Hell no.” But for a different reason than all of you think. Truthfully, of all the great moments he has had, there is one that stands out, and it’s the moment at the end of the HITC match that was billed The End of an Era. He, Taker, and HBK stood at the top of the ramp. We get the photo on the screen, and the crowd chants HBK. Triple H says that moment is about as real as it gets. A moment of mutual respect that none of them will ever forget. He’s there with freakin Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. Two guys who are as responsible as anybody for all of this, and this moment changed them. All three of them. They knew it was the end of an era, but not like that. It did something to them where right after this, Michaels was gone. The streak would be dead, Taker would put his hat and gloves in the middle of the ring. Triple H would put the suit on and leave, and it would be over – all of it. Over. The era, it ended. For these three guys, it changed everything. The sound was gone, the feeling, the goosebumps, gone.

Triple H says that without sounding like a bitter vet, his era was something special. YOU STILL GOT IT chant. For the same respect reason, he called Vince and said to call homie from Australia to tell him that he’s in; he will take off the suit and take back up the boots, and he will be The Game again. If The Undertaker will pick up that hat, put on the gloves, and be The Phenom one more time. So October 6, the sound will be back, the feeling will be back, the goosebumps will be back, because the era is back. The Undertaker and The Game, one last time.

Well, he still has the passion, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the very obvious broken down structure of the promo and the obvious missteps he had during. It’s ok, Trips, ya still did way better than half the roster…

Seth Rollins comes out as your NEW IC Title Holder, and my feed takes a dump. So there’s that.

Match 3: Dolph Ziggler vs Dean Ambrose
They start with some actual chain wrestling. Ambrose gets the upperhand, locking the head, until Dolph gets him against the ropes. Dolph shoves him, but Ambrose shoves back. Kick from Dolph, and a right hand. Another is blocked. Chop to Dolph. Ambrose with another chop. Ziggler fights back from out of the corner, scrapes the forehead, then whips, reversed, and Dean hits an elbow. Pin for 1..NO! Dean with a side headlock takedown. Ambrose with a shoulder tackle. Dolph goes for a hip toss, but Dean blocks and body slams Dolph. Dean hits the ropes, and Drew grabs the leg. Dean leaes the ring to get in the face of Drew. Seth holds him back and Dean hops on the apron, then eats a dropkick from Dolph.

Back from a break, and Dolph has a chinlock from behind on Dean. Dean turns into it and gets kicked in the knee for his troubles. Dolph smacks Dean around a bit, punking him in the process. Dean stands, ducks a clothesline, and hits a hard clothesline. Another. Dean with a knee to Dolph! I miss a few seconds, and come back with Seth beating down Drew! Ziggler leaves the ring and attacks Seth! They double team Seth and send him into the barricade. Ambrose is here though, and he kicks Drew away then rolls Dolph into the ring. McIntyre on the apron. Dean sends him off, escapes a Fameasser, locks up for Dirtyy Deeds!

Dolph escapes. Seth in the ring. He dives out ONTO Drew! Ambrose with Dirty Deeds! Pin for 1..2…3!!!

Winner: Dean Ambrose
Match Quality: **
Personal Enjoyment: **
Total Rating: **

We back to the show, and Finn is taping up. Braun walks in and says he won’t cash in from behind, he does things face to face. He then tells Finn good luck tonight, and holds up his briefcase.

Elias is in the middle of the ring. He says that it’s clear to him that someone is trying to destroy all that he is. He fired three of his crew members, and he knows that fender makes a quality guitar, so whoever has messed with him last night simply doesn’t understand what WWE stands for…

Elias says that his doctor told him not to go back to Brooklyn. He said he is a performer and needs to perform, so he will present his greatest song yet, he just needs us to do something that is seemingly difficult for New Yorkers, and that’s to shut their damned mouth.

Elias is cut off by…..

Curt Hawkins! Haha

ELias tells him he was born a loser and will die a loser. This is his stage, and Hawkins doesn’t belong here. Elias is done wasting his time. He tells Hawkins to get the hell out of Brooklyn. Hawkins looks sad and walks away slowly. Elias starts playing, and Hawkins stops mid ramp. He asks Elias if he’s going to hide behind the scarf and guitar or is he going to fight him. Hawkins wants a match right now.

Match 4: Curt Hawkins vs Elias
Hawkins with a rollup! 1…2..NO!!! Elias with a running knee to the face!! Elias rips off his shirt then grabs the head of Hawkins. Right hand to Hawkins. He tosses Hawkin into the corner. Whip to the ropes. Elias with a back elbow. Elias with an elbow drop to the chest. Pin for 1..2..NO!!! Hawkins with a surprise rollup for 1..2.NO!!! ight hands! Right hand off the ropes. Another.
A dropkick to Elias! He goes for a cover, but Elias rolls out of the ring then back in and hits ak nee to the chest as Hawkins re-enters. ELias with the Drift Away and a pin for 1..2…3!!!

Winner: Elias
Hehe
Match Quality: NR
Personal Enjoyment: NR
Total Rating: NR

Match 5: Titus Worldwide vs Authors of Pain
We come to the match already going on. Titus and Razar are in the ring. Tag from Akam who drives some knees to the gut of Titus. A hard blow to the back of the head drops Titus down to the mat. Akam locks up for a suplex. Titus is able to reverse and hit one of his own. Akam is slow to rise So is Titus. He gets a tag. Apollo in and gets a hard clothesline to th eback of the head! Tag to Razar. Double team dropping Apollo and a cover for 1..2..NO!! Razar locks the head. He cinches the hold and Apolo seems to be fading. Razar with a side slam hold and Akam hops to the top rope. He dives down and drops Apollo hard to the mat. Headlock from the side to Apollo. APollo escapes and heads to the top rope. He flies off with a crossody! Pin for 1..2..NO!! Apollo is pushed up and hits a standing shooting star press. He pins for 1..2..NO!! It’s broken up! Titus in the ring but gets setn right ack out.
Apollo goes for a roll up but Razar lifts APollo with one hand and tosses him into the corner .Tag to Akam. The Last Chapter is hit! Pin for 1..2…3!!!!

Winner: The Authors of Pain
I like these guys.
Match Quality: **
Personal Enjoyment: **
Total Rating: **

Stephanie is here to officially congratulate and present the title to Ronda Rousey. She says that last night, Ronda became the first ever UFC and RAW Women’s Champion. She is proud of her. Without Stephanie, and business prowess, Ronda wouldn’t be here. She saw this raw talent and shined it up like a diamon, and here she is shining above all of the rest. ROnda is someone that she has molded in her likeness. She’s a media darling and carries the WWE Universe on her back, just like Steph. All of these women wanna be like her. Steph wants to introduce her protégé, but Ronda cuts her off.

Ronda heads out all smiles. Stephanie is clapping for her in the ring, while the women’s roster circles the ring. Stephanie goes to shake her hand, but Ronda dodges that and grabs the mic. The crowd chants for Ronda, and Steph takes credit for it.

Ronda wonders what she is doing. For once, this is not all about Stephanie. This is about every other woman around this ring and in the WWE. Why are they standing ringside? What is Steph tryig to do? Put herself above them? Put Ronda above them? They deserve to be up here. She invites the girls up on the apron. Steph says this is not behavior that’s becoming of a champion. Ronda says this isn’t about one person, it’s about all of them, the women’s evolution. Every single one of them. Nattie is the cornerstone of the women’s division. Loud chant for Nattie.

Sasha and Bayley…Ronda says if it wasn’t for their Takeover match 3 years ago, this whole movement may have never even got off the ground. Ronda is not Brock Lesnar.

Nice.

She is going to be a fighting champion, competing every night, and can’t wait to get in the ring. Steph says she is right, she is not Brock Lesnar. In fact, Steph doesn’t know who she is. This is Ronda who just wants to break people’s arms. Look at poor Alexa Bliss. Let’s see what happened last night. Look at the angle, the elbow, look at it. We get stills from last night. Stephanie says that wasn’t wrestling, she doesn’t know what that is, and Ronda is going to do it to all of them. She wants to break the arms of eeryone here. She wants to wipe all of you out so that Ronda can stand here in the spotlight. That’s who Ronda really is.

Ronda tells Steph that she isn’t here to break their arms…only those who deserve it.

Ronda drops the mic on the nearby table and walks towards Stephanie. She gets closer, closer still, grabs her arm, and tosses Steph down to the mat! She goes for the hold! She gets it in, and Stephanie taps! Ronda releases, and The heeels go to check on Steph while the faces, including the Bellas, hand the title over to Ronda.

Match 6: Bo Dallas vs Scott Dawson
Dawson gets Bo against the ropes then hits a right. I missed a few moments, but Dawson hits a clothesline in the middle of the ring. He then catepults Bo into the bottom turnbuckle. Dawson removes his elbow pad and scrapes his elbow against the face of Bo. Dawson with a face lock from behind. Hard uppercut from Dawson. He turns and goes for a neckbreaker, but Bo goes for a backslide and a pin for 1..2..NO!!! Elbow to the face. Bo with a right. Another Kick t othe face. Crossbody from Bo! Bo locks the head and we are getting The Wave from the crowd. Bo looks for a finish, but Dawson esapes and drops th face on the corner.
Dawson locks up and drops down with a DDT-looking move. Think Rampaige. Pin for 1..2…3!!!

Winner: Scott Dawson
Crowd didn’t care, y’all.
Match Quality: NR
Personal Enjoyment: NR
Total Rating: NR

Axel challenges Wilder immediately, even though we have been informed throughout the previous match that this was coming anyway…

Match 7: Dash Wilder vs Curtis Axel
We come back from a break and the match is already going down. Axel gets a kick afteer a failed pin and the crowd is still doing the wave. Backbreaker from Wilder and a pin for 1..2..NO!!! Wilder works the back of Axel, driving his knee into it. Wilder gets tossed by Axel. Axel with a right. Another. Dropkick to Wilder. Axel with an elbow in the corner. Snapmare. Axle hops over and grabs the head then goes for a neckbreaker.

Axel with a kick out of the corner. He heads to the top rope and drops an axe but Wilder moves and he locks up from behind, then drops Axel hard face first, kind of like a Gory Bomb, and pins for 1..2…3!!!

Winner: Dash Wilder
Meh
Match Quality: NR
Personal Enjoyment: NR
Total Rating: NR

Bo and Axel grab a mic after the match. Bo says that they may have defeated them seperately in singles match, but they are still the RAW Tag Team Champs.

Backstage, Renee wants to speak to Roman about Braun and about the title shot tonight. Reigns says he isn’t worried and he didn’t spend years of his life chasing the title just to not defend it. Finn deserves this opportunity, and he’s gonna give it to him, and he’ll lose it. As far as Braun, it didn’t effect him last night, attack him however, it doesn’t matter. This is my yard, and he’ll always be ready.

Weak ass promo.

Backstage, orbin and Alexa are helping Steph ice up her arm. Angle comes in and asks if she is ok. Steph says where was he? He let Ronda put her in an arm bar again. Corbin wonders if he has to do his entire job for Angle. This is worse. RAW is in chaos. Angle says he is doing the best he can. Steph says he is right, this is a tough job. It’s been a year and a half,and maybe Angle needs a little time off – maybe a vacation. Steph says not a permanent one, but he needs some time off. This means Corbin is the acting General Manager of RAW now. This means he is in charge.

Angle stands by shocked, then leaves.

The main event looks to start now. Reigns comes out holding the title in such a way that I’m sure is going to piss some people off.

Match 8: Universal Championship Match
Finn Balor vs Roman Reigns
Lockup to start. Reigns gets Finn into the corner then tosses FInn across the ring. FInn with the go behind. Elbow from Reigns. Side headlock from Reigns. Rope work and Reigns misses a clothelsine, but hits a shoulder tackle immediately. Whip to the ropes and Finn flips over with a sunset flip and a pin for 1..2…NO!! Finn gets to the apron, looks to kick high, but Reigns hits a right sending Finn down.

Back from a break, and Finn escapes a hold from Reigns. Finn is sent to the ropes but reverses. Reigns flips over, but Finn rolls through and hits a dropkick to the face. Reigns is shocked. He stands. Finn is up too. Finn sends Reigns to the outside then baseball slides through the middle ropes. Finn on the apron. He goes for a running kick, but Reigns grabs the leg and swings him forward hard. Cover in the middle of the ring for 1…2..NO! Reigns with a right hand in the corner. Reigns is standing tall while Finn flounders on the mat. Reigns looks down on Finn. Finn is on his knees. Right hand from Reigns to the face. Reigns runs into a kick to the head. Finn ducks a right and hits a crossbody. Takedown and a stomp to the chest from Finn. Chop from Reigns. Whip is reversed. Chop from Finn in the corner. Reigns is pissed. He sends Finn into the corner then hits the clotheslines. Reigns hits the ropes, but finn hits a dropkick! He pins! 1…2…NO!!!

We come back to Reigns and Finn going at it. Reigns hits a right, Finn hits an overhead kick. Both laid out on the mat. Ref checks on both. Reigns moves first. Finn stirs. They both stand. Finn locks up the arm. Reigns lifts with one arm and drives Finn down with a sitout powerbomb. Pin for 1..2..NO!!! Reigns is up in the corner. He looks down on Finn then calls for the Superman Punch. Kick from Finn stops it! He drops an elbow to the chest of Reigns. Pin for 1..2..NO!!! Finn grabs Reigns, gets shoved to the corner, and dodges the nhits ahigh kick to Reigns. Finn goes to the top rope and flies off .Lands on his feet. Slingblade. Finn up in the corner. He waits. He runs. SUPERMAN PUNCH! Pin for 1..2…..NO!!!!
Reigns is up first. He calsl for the spear. He turns.

BRAUN’s music hits!!!

Reigns stares down Braun from the ring. Slingblade from Finn!!! Dropkick into the corner! Finn to the top rope! Coup De Gra—NO!!!! Reigns moves. SPEAR to Finn! Pin for 1..2……3!!!

Winner:

Match Quality:
Personal Enjoyment:
Total Rating:

Braun enters the ring immediately after the match. He drops the briefcasse. Reigns is standing. Braun with a huge kick to the gut. He grabs the briefcase! Braun hands the briefcase to the ref! The ref announces it! JOJO ANNOUNCES IT!!!

Braun waits! Reigns is about to stand.

THE SHIELD’S MUSIC HITS!!! Dean and Seth come down the ramp! The music of The Shield is playing, and Seth and Dean hop up on the apron while Cole explains that the bell has not yet rung. Reigns stands. He’s all smiles. He looks to Braun and asks for the fight to happen. Braun seems worried. HOLY SHIT chant. Braun attacks Reigns!!! Ambrose and Rollins attack Braun! He sends Seth away hard. SUPERMAN PUNCH to Braun! Dean clips the lg. Kick from Rollins! Reigns with a clothesline sending Braun to the outside. Dean isn’t done! He strips the table! Seth leaves the ring to help out Dean. They grab Braun. Reigns is here. Dean and Seth lift the big man up! But Braun kicks Reigns away! He shoves Seth and Dean! SPEAR from Reigns!!!!! They get the big man up! Powerbomb from The Shield to Braun!

The Shield is back for one reason! Yay…