We have a new Intercontinental Champion after the events of last week. Who will step up to challenge the “Big Dog” on this week’s broadcast?
Monday Night Raw comes to us this week from the Thompson-Bolling Arena in the house that Kane built in Knoxville, TN on 11/27/17!
The Highs:
Absolution
Paige returns this week with new friends, NXT talents Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose. The “Tough Enough” history provides the backstory, which we’ll surely delve into in coming weeks.
Tonight we witnessed the trio, known as “Absolution”, decimating Mickie James and Bayley backstage. “The Boss” Sasha Banks stood her ground, but to no avail.
Banks fell victim to the Rampaige, and this trio looks strong again this week.
We saw them later in the evening after Asuka decimated Dana Brooke in yet another smartly booked squash match. After Brooke tapped out to the Asuka lock, the trio circled the ring.
Asuka would not back down and we saw the trio pay respect to Asuka, who fiendishly grinned and took her leave, never taking her eyes off the believed enemy.
A Star Is Born
Roman Reigns has many that stand against him. This proclaimed “corporate” man has the ability to work a solid match against many who might have just needed a “leg up” if you will.
Flanked by the Miztourage, with the former champ, The Miz, on the set of a new movie, we drifted with Elias as he took Reigns to the limit in an IC Title match.
Elias really got himself over, pulling out all the stops against Reigns.
In the end, he fell victim to a marvelous spear, but the crowd was really behind this in-ring effort and I must give kudos to both men for a job well done.
“Breaking” Hardy
Bray Wyatt made his return and it was a triumphant one. Matt Hardy ate a Sister Abigail and after a strange promo, even by Wyatt standards, “The Eater Of Worlds” left the ring smiling, having picked up a needed win.
The cameras focused on Hardy and he led the crowd in a series of “DELETE” chants. With the trademark battle almost at an end, will we see the WWE debut of “Broken” Matt Hardy?
Will it be against Bray Wyatt? That will surely draw money for the fed heading into the holiday season.
Ring Generals
Seth Rollins and Cesaro gave us a tremendous match tonight.
Dean Ambrose is off on his honeymoon with Renee Young and Sheamus is abroad on vacation.
After giving the crowd a solid piece of in-ring work, Rollins came away with the victory, Ambrose having done the same last week.
Two wins in singles matches surely means members of the Shield are headed for a rematch for the tag straps at the forthcoming PPV.
The Lows:
Demons and Monsters
Don’t get me wrong, I am very much enjoying the veteran Kane’s recent return.
Braun Strowman came down to the ring to save Finn Balor, who had just taken a DQ victory from Kane after the “Big Red Machine” introduced a steel chair into the equation.
Kane walloped Balor repeatedly and was about to leap from the second rope onto a chair around Balor’s neck!
Strowman made the same, drilling Kane with repeated shots. He then power-slammed Kane on the ring steps and gave him a “receipt” for the events of last week, jamming the chair not once, but twice into Kane’s neck to end the show.
The “low” comes in the form of Jason Jordan coming out to crickets.
Kane obliterated Jordan’s knee and this high-fiving “babyface” Jordan was heavily booed by the crowd.
Really People?
Rich Swann won a fatal four-way match to advance in a Cruiserweight tournament of sorts. Swann took Noam Dar, Akira Tozawa and Ariya Daivari to the limit, but the crowd was chanting “Tyler Perry” at him.
I won’t comment on how wildly inappropriate that is for the obvious reasons, but as a fellow Baltimore native, Swann deserves more than that.
He is a tremendous in-ring talent and a truly nice guy at that. I will be the first to congratulate Swann on a crucial victory and I’ll wish him luck against whomever win’s next week’s fatal fourway match.
Nothing to “meh” about this week. While it wasn’t the best Raw of the year, it was a solid show for the most part, highlighted by performances from several unexpected sources. A job well done!
