Monday Night RAW opens with a look back at Roman Reigns’ announcement last week about his leukaemia diagnosis, it transcends into a sweet tribute video to Reigns.
We go live to the arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Acting General Manager Baron Corbin is in the ring – with the Universal Championship on his shoulder. Corbin says last week was not only one of the hardest weeks in his role as GM, but in his career. He pauses for a moment before saying life moves on and he hopes Roman Reigns never returns to RAW. The fans boo and he says we know that belt looks good on him. He says Roman did not make his job easy…
Corbin is interrupted by none other than Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman! The duo get into the ring and Corbin begins introducing them but Heyman stops him. Paul then introduces himself and Lesnar the only way he knows how. Heyman says we live in historic times, because in four days from now history will be made once again when Lesnar takes the Universal Championship back home. In order to do that though, Lesnar has to beat Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel. Heyman compares the upcoming match to the Superbowl and the Oscars. He continues building up Brock and saying he will win until Strowman comes out.
Strowman comes to the ring and the fans lightly chant “get these hands”. Strowman says that, at Crown Jewel, he is going to become the Universal Champion. Brock and Braun square-up and Corbin tries to get between them, so Braun tosses him away. Corbin then attacks Braun from behind but eats a running powerslam for this troubles. Strowman returns to staring at Brock, then hits Corbin with another powerslam as Lesnar poses with his title. Braun then lifts Corbin and hits a third powerslam, this time though Brock waits behind him and hits Braun with an F5! Brock poses with the title belt before throwing it onto Strowman and walking out.
We return to the announce table, where Michael Cole send us to a video of Dean Amrbose turning on Seth Rollins last week. We’ll hear from Dean Ambrose tonight. Also happening tonight, DX and the Brothers of Destruction in the same ring, and there will be a 10-woman tag team match, featuring Trish Stratus and Lita! Finn Balor makes his way to the ring for a match with Bobby Lashley, but that takes place after the break!
*Commercial Break*
Lio Rush comes out first. Rush says Finn is just an ordinary guy, who got lucky last week when he pinned Lashley. He says there is nothing that bothers Lashley more than a guy with false confidence. He says Lashley is going to beat Finn, he knows it and so do the people in North Carolina.
Finn Balor Vs. Bobby Lashley W/Lio Rush
The bell rings, and Lashley powers Balor into the corner before driving some shoulders into the midsection. Lashley connects with a sidewalk slam, and Rush chants “Lashley” at ringside. Lashley applies a nervehold while Rush talks him up at ringside. Lashley scoops him up, but Balor knocks him out of the ring. Balor hits the ropes and wipes Lashley out with a summersault senton.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back from the break and Lashley is beating Finn across the middle rope. He brings him to the middle of the room and applies a trap submission. Finn starts to fight to his feet, so Lashley simply picks him up and slams him down. Lashley stands over Finn while Rush talks trash, then goes back to the submission hold.
Lashley lifts Finn for a powerbomb but the Irishman gets back to his base and flips Bobby over, then hits a double stomp. Balor chops him before having a whip to the corner reversed. Balor tries to slingshot over him, but Lashley catches him and hits a spinning slam for a near fall. Balor manages to catch him with a Sling Blade and dropkicks him into the corner. Lio Rush tries to distract him, but is unsuccessful. Balor jumps over Lashley as he gets up. Balor manages to take him down and goes to the top rope, but Rush shoves him to the floor and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner Via Disqualification: Finn Balor
The end of the match is not the end of the beatdown. Lashley slams Balor into the barricade and apron a few times before getting him in the ring. Lashley then applies a full nelson. Lio Rush gets in the ring and talks some trash while slapping Balor in the face. Balor is out from the pressure of the full nelson. The crowd loudly boos. Rush orders Lashley to pick Balor up and the big man acquiesces. Rush then slaps Balor in the face as the fans boo. Rush starts chanting “Lashley” while he poses.
After the break, we’ll apparently be seeing something from last night’s PPV that wasn’t aired.
*Commercial Break*
We come back from the break to see Rush and Lashley walking backstage. They walk into a trainer’s room to find Baron Corbin holding his ribs. Corbin says he is impressed with what they just did. He said Finn is just a thorn in his side and has been for months, but Lashley fixed that. Lashley says that Finn isn’t on his level and Corbin agrees. Corbin says he will give Lashley a chance to prove himself at Crown Jewel, in the World Cup tournament. Lashley says the tournament is already full, to which Corbin says he can replace someone who did nothing to earn his spot: John Cena. We go back to the announce table and Renee says that’s not fair but Graves reiterates that Cena did nothing to earn that opportunity. It’s worth noting that Cena refused to appear at Crown Jewel because of the heated political/murder case that recently happened. Bear in mind, Daniel Bryan also refused to appear, so we can assume he’ll be written out of his title match with AJ Styles as well.
We see photos of Ronda Rousey’s win over Nikki Bella last night, then it is announced that Ronda will face Becky Lynch at Survivor Series! We see a clip from last night, after the event, when Becky interrupted an interview with Ronda and they passive-aggressively congratulated each other.
Lita and Trish Stratus make their entrance, followed by Sasha Banks, Natalya, and Bayley. We’re in for 10-woman tag action next!
*Commercial Break*
Kind of ironic that the women go from a full PPV to all of them being squished into one match tonight.
Sasha Banks, Bayley, Natalya, Trish Stratus, & Lita Vs. Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Alicia Fox, & Mickie James
Hall of Famer Trish Stratus starts the match against Sarah Logan. They lock up, and Stratus hits a snapmare before taunting her to bring it. Stratus hits a headlock takeover and catches an incoming Ruby Riott with a head-scissor takeover simultaneously. Liv Morgan tags in, and Stratus hits a Lou Thesz Press before punching away at her.
Lita tags in, and they hit a clothesline Poetry in Motion on Morgan. Lita chops the chest before having a whip reversed. Lita hits a head-scissor takeover before connecting with a sweeping DDT. Lita goes to the top rope, but Logan and Riott pulls Morgan out of the ring. Bayley and Banks then hit them with stereo baseball slides before taking Fox and James out with crossbodies off of the apron!
*Commercial Break*
We’re back and Bayley has Alicia Fox grounded with a submission. Bayley tags Trish, who tags Sasha Banks, and they do a dance, followed by a double elbow drop on Foxy. Sasha then rolls up Fox for a two count. Banks hits the ropes, but James grabs her foot. Fox then kicks Banks in the face for a near fall. Mickie James tags in, and she applies a chin lock to Banks.
Banks fights up, but James knees her in the midsection. Banks quickly slingshots over her, but James stops her from making a tag. James slams Banks into her corner and tags Logan in. Logan tries for a suplex, but Banks counters into an inside cradle for a two count. Logan quickly dropkicks her for a near fall. Logan then applies an arm bar. Banks fights up, but Logan powers her down. Banks fights out and tries for a tag, but Logan cuts her off. Riott tags in, and she stomps away at Banks. James and Fox get some cheap shots in while Riott distracts the referee. Riott applies a front facelock. Riott quickly powers Banks down and knocks Lita off the apron. Riott mocks Banks and charges, but Banks sidesteps her. Riott knocks The Riott Squad off the apron. Fox quickly tags herself in and attacks Banks.
Sasha creates some distance from Foxy and makes a desperate move for her corner. Natalya tags in, and she takes Fox down before taking her down for a low dropkick. Natalya hits a spinning lariat, but Logan breaks up the pin. Stratus takes Logan out before hitting a handspring head-scissor on James. Banks hits a meteora on James. Bayley and Lita hit Morgan and Riott with dual Twists of Fate. Bayley goes to the top rope and hits Riott with a diving elbow. Lita then hits Morgan with a Lita-sault. Lita and Natalya hit Fox with a Hart Attack for a near fall. Natalya immediately follows up with a Sharpshooter for the submission victory.
