WWE Monday Night Raw opens with a moment of silence for the Florida School Shooting this past week. Thankfully, nobody was a jerk and broke the silence.
We then return from the opening video and out comes The Big Dog, Roman Reigns, who gets a hefty boo from Phoenix. We’re opening the show with the Gauntlet Match!
We see a replay of the end of last week’s show, which saw Finn Balor and Seth Rollins both score pinfalls over Bray Wyatt and thus we’re left with a seven man Elimination Chamber match.
Roman’s standing in the ring and he gets interviewed by Charly Caruso, who asks him if he’s worried about competing in this gruelling match tonight, just six days before the Chamber. The fans boo him like crazy. Reigns says no, he knows it’s an incredibly tough match even though he’s never competed in it. That being said, the most dangerous part is the men in the match and Reigns rhymes them off to boos and cheers from the crowd. He says be that as it may, it’s his time to face Lesnar because all those other guys proved they cannot do it. The fans boo and he says if they don’t believe him they can go back to WrestleMania 31 when he had Lesnar beat until…
Rollins comes to the ring. Rollins and Reigns will start the Gauntlet Match and when one is defeated, the next Chamber participant will enter, and that will continue until someone is left standing.
Gauntlet Match
Roman Reigns Vs. Seth Rollins
The two Shield brethren start the match and the fans are chanting “Burn It Down”. They lock-up and Roman forces Seth to the corner where the ref forces the break. They tie-up again and engage in a feeling-out process with some wrist locks and a headlock from Roman.
Rollins tries to fight out but Reigns immediately grounds him with the headlock again. Reigns is doing a weird amount of talking in the hold. Rollins finally gets to his feet and shoots Roman off of the ropes, only to eat a shoulder barge. Roman then hits the ropes and Seth ducks, leapfrog, then hits an arm-drag and a few unsuccessful pinfall attempts. Rollins hits the ropes and Reigns runs at him, stopping Seth in his tracks. The two share a stare-down as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We return and Rollins is fighting out of another headlock, hits the ropes, and Reigns clobbers him with a back elbow. Michael Cole announces that three men will start the Chamber match, meaning the Chamber itself won’t be changed. Reigns hammers on Rollins in the corner, then lands a nice tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near-fall.
Reigns stalks Seth as the fans chant The Architect’s name, and Seth responds with a few kicks to create separation and follows-up with a blockbuster from the second rope and then the Slingblade. Rollins then clotheslines Reigns from a springboard, then clotheslines Reigns out of the ring. Fired-up, Seth goes for a suicide dive but Reigns lands a huge right hand and leaves Rollins dangling!
Reigns staggers around ringside before hitting a drive-by on Seth, who falls out of the ring Back in the ring, Reigns takes control of the match as he lands a huge right on Rollins and goes for the Superman Punch twice but Rollins counters each time; Rollins powerbombs Reigns into the turnbuckles, but The Big Dog bounces out with a huge Superman Punch and both men are down as we head to the break again.
*Commercial Break*
Back from the break and Seth is climbing to the top rope and he looks for a Frog Splash but nobody’s home. Both men are down again and they slowly climb to their feet, forehead-to-forehead, then trade shots. Reigns runs at Seth, who ducks and sends him over the top rope. Rollins then catches The Big Dog with a suicide dive and throws him right back in the ring. Seth leaps towards Reigns with a springboard but eats a Superman Punch for a near-fall.
Reigns takes to the corner and lines-up another Superman Punch but Rollins kicks him in the gut, then looks for the Curb Stomp and Reigns moves. Roman looks for a roll-up but Seth kicks out, then catches him with a roll-up and scores the pinfall!
Roman Reigns Eliminated
Reigns is shocked by his loss and Rollins is floored, recuperating. They take a few minutes to get back to base and Reigns puts his fist out for Seth to bump and just as they do, Seth’s next opponent is out.
Seth Rollins Vs. John Cena
Cena poses for the crowd in the ring as his music is still playing and Rollins clobbers him from behind, looks for an early pin but Cena kicks out and we take a commercial break. Great start to Raw.
*Commercial Break*
We return to see Seth trapped in a headlock and Cena’s still wearing his shirt. Rollins head must feel like a pimple from all of these headlocks. Seth fights out but gets hit with a big clothesline from Cena, who then finally takes his shirt off and tosses it to the crowd. Cena kicks Rollins, then applies a…headlock. At least this time Cena wraps his legs around Seth.
Rollins escapes but Cena keeps him grounded with kicks, then Cena tosses him from the ring and hopes for a count-out win but Seth gets back in a 9. Cena clotheslines Seth again and the slow pace resumes. Cena stalks Rollins slowly and Rollins tells Cena to bring it, before the 16X Champ hits three belly-to-belly suplexes for a near-fall. Cena is frustrated at crawls behind Rollins like Orton before the RKO, seemingly telling him to stay down. We take a break.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back and Rollins is pulling himself up using the rope. Cena grabs him for an Attitude Adjustment but Rollins lands on his feet and hits a DDT and both men are down. They get to their feet and trade shots in the centre of the ring until Cena ducks one, grabs Seth in his arms, and hits a modified stunner for another near-fall.
Cena is frustrated. He follows Seth as The Architect crawls to the corner. Cena backs-up and tells Seth to bring it. Rollins comes forward stumbling, holding his fists-up, and Cena floors him with a right hand. Cena stands behind Rollins and waits for him to turn around hits another right hand. Cena dances around the ring and Rollins swings for him and misses but Cena floors him again. This time, Rollins jumps back up and shoves Cena and the crowd goes crazy. Cena and him trade shots until Cena connects with a back elbow and Rollins is down.
Seth crawls onto the apron and Cena shoulder tackles him off to the floor. Rollins crawls back towards the ring and gets back in at 9 and Cena is unhappy. Cena asks the referee to stop the match because Seth won’t. This is how Rollins should have been booked as a babyface all along.
*Commercial Break*
Back from break and we see Rollins on the mat with Cena standing over him. Cena hits him with a running shoulder tackle, then another, then a back suplex. Rollins runs at Cena in the corner but gets flipped over and onto the apron. Rollins springboards off and Cena catches him by the foot and employs an STF but Rollins turns around kicks Cena away, then catches him with a slingblade.
Rollins gets to his feet and looks to hit Cena with a suplex/falcon’s arrow combo but Cena rolls through on the arrow for an unsuccessful pin attempt. Cena then looks to land the Five Knuckle Shuffle but eats a kick from Rollins. Cena is on the apron and Seth looks to suplex him inside, Cena reverses and lifts Rollins onto the apron. Rollins runs at Cena on the apron but John sidesteps and Rollins tackles the ring post and falls to the floor. Rollins uses the steps to pull himself up and Cena runs at him, nobody’s home and Cena tackles the steps. Both men are down on the outside.
Both men slide back into the ring at 9 and both are down again on the inside. After climbing to their feet, Cena knocks Rollins with some right hands, then a backdrop and this time lands the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena lifts Rollins for the Attitude Adjustment but Rollins rolls through and rolls-up Cena for a near-fall. Rollins gets Cena in a crossface in the centre of the ring but John stands up with Seth on his back, transitions, and looks for the AA but Rollins lands on his feet and hits an Enziguiri. Seth takes to the top rope and lands a frog splash but Cena kicks out. Wow!
Rollins has been in this match now for over 50 minutes! Seth grabs Cena from behind but John grabs him and quickly hits the AA and Rollins kicks out! Cena can’t believe it and neither can the fans. “Burn It Down” chants start again as Cena climbs to the top rope. Before Cena can jump, Rollins climbs up and hits Cena with a superplex/falcon arrow combo for a near-fall.
After a few minutes of both men down, Cena gets Rollins in the STF again but Seth reaches the bottom rope. Rollins looks for an Enziguiri but Cena ducks and applies the STF. Rollins crawls and eventually reaches the bottom rope. Rollins rolls from the ring and the commentators point out that there are still four competitors to come in this match. Cena drags Rollins to the top rope where he looks to hit a Super Attitude Adjustment. Rollins elbows Cena in the jaw and climbs down, only for Cena to leap onto him with a crossbody but Rollins rolls through and stands up, then hits an AA to Cena! Near-fall! This is incredible stuff!
Rollins slowly climbs to the top rope and looks for the Phoenix Splash but nobody’s home. Cena grabs Seth and hits an Attitude Adjustment but rather than pin he rolls through and lifts Rollins onto his shoulders for another but Seth climbs down, hits Cena with the Revolution Knee, then kicks the gut, hits the Curb Stomp and wins! WOW!
John Cena Eliminated
Is this as impressive as Jericho beating The Rock and Austin in the same night? Perhaps the stars aren’t as bright but Jericho didn’t do it back-to-back. Seth doesn’t get a minute to breathe because his next opponent is on his way to the ring before Cena can even leave.
