WWE Monday Night Raw opens from Hartford Connecticut, with General Manager Kurt Angle coming to the ring to a chorus of “you suck”.
Angles welcomes us to Raw and the Superstar Shake-Up. He says we’re going to see some new faces and some big surprises. So without further ado…
Angle is interrupted by Sunil Singh, who introduces the newest member of Team Raw, the United States Champion, Jinder Mahal. The Modern Day Maharajah makes his way to the ring. Mahal congratulates Angle, saying he made the greatest acquisition of all-time, by signing him. He then asks why he was brought to the arena in an SUV, when Angle knows that he only travels by limo. Angle welcomes Jinder, then says they never agreed to a limo. Mahal says he was brought to Raw because of who he is, and because he is the best wrestler on the roster. He says he expects all the same perks that Brock Lesnar gets. The fans start chanting “you suck” and he tells them to shut up before telling Angle he demands the same perks.
Angle tells him to email him his demands, to which Sunil asks what his email address. Kurt tells him “kurt.angle@nofrickinway.com”. That got a pop from the fans. Angle says he doesn’t know how it works on SmackDown Live but here on Raw, we solve problems in the ring. And the Raw competitors are ready to compete. So, whoever in the back wants to take the challenge, Mahal will be putting his title on the line right now! And here comes Jinder’s opponent…
United States Championship Match
(C) Jinder Mahal Vs. Jeff Hardy
The bell rings, and Mahal kicks Hardy down and punches him right off the bat. Mahal stomps him in the corner and talks trash to the crowd. Jeff blocks a punch and hits one of his own before putting him in the corner.
Hardy splashes Mahal in the corner and forearms him in the back. Hardy hits a snapmare and dropkicks him in the back of the head. Mahal responds with an elbow in the back of the head. Mahal sends him to the ropes, but Hardy holds on and boots him back before dropkicking him out of the ring. Hardy hits a slingshot baseball slide before hitting a diving clothesline off the apron. Both men are down on the outside as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We come back from the break to see Mahal applying a chin lock to Hardy. During the commercial, Mahal sent Hardy into the ring post to regain control. Hardy fights up, but Mahal clips the knee to take him back down. Mahal still has the chin lock on, but Hardy fights up while the crowd chants his name. Hardy hits a sit-out jawbreaker and charges, but Mahal gives him a snapshot on the top rope. Mahal drops a trio of knees before digging it into Hardy’s face.
Mahal backs up while Hardy gets up on the apron. Mahal then delivers a snug right hand to knock him down. Mahal again taunts the crowd. Hardy slowly gets up and shoulders Mahal as he charges. Hardy snaps him off the top rope and goes for Whisper in the Wind, but Mahal crotches him up there. Mahal goes for a back superplex, but Hardy punches him off and hits Whisper in the Wind. Both men are down again.
Sunil Singh gets on the apron to cause a distraction but Hardy knocks him to the floor. Hardy makes his comeback with a clothesline and an inverted atomic drop followed by a leg drop to the midsection. Hardy dropkicks him in the face and picks up a near fall. Hardy goes for a Twist of Fate, but Mahal gets out and sends him to the ropes. Mahal lowers his head and eats a kick. Hardy hits the ropes again, but Mahal knees him in the face for a near fall.
Mahal goes for the Khallas, but Hardy rolls him up for a near fall. Mahal immediately kicks him in the face for a near fall. Mahal lifts Hardy up and hits a gordbuster, but Hardy counters into a pin for a near fall. Hardy follows up with a Twist of Fate and goes to the top rope for a beautiful Swanton Bomb and that’s all she wrote!
Winner and New United States Champion: Jeff Hardy
Jeff celebrates his big win and the fans are ecstatic. I assume this means Jeff will be moving to SmackDown Live. Mahal looks furious.
Later tonight, Miz TV will be with a new SmackDown Superstar, who Miz promises will change the landscape of Raw. Up next however, Bayle and Sasha Banks will go to war!
*Commercial Break*
Replays are shown of Jeff Hardy defeating Jinder Mahal to win the WWE United States Championship.
Jinder Mahal is walking backstage with Sunil Singh, unsurprisingly he isn’t happy. Renee Young stops him and says this isn’t the way you’d want to start the show. Mahal says Kurt Angle forced him into a match that he wasn’t warmed up for. Mahal says he is invoking his rematch clause in two weeks at Saudi Arabia for the Greatest Royal Rumble match. As he’s talking, you can hear No Way Jose’s music very loudly. Mahal says Angle will pay. No Way Jose then interrupts and dances with Renee Young. He tells Mahal to not let life get him down but Mahal is furious.
Replays are shown from last week of Bayley accidentally costing Sasha Banks a match against Mandy Rose last week on RAW.
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
The bell rings, and they talk to each other for a few seconds. Sasha is getting riled-up, and Bayley tries to calm her down. Banks kicks her and sends her to the corner, but Bayley pushes her. Bayley goes to the middle rope for a springboard arm drag, but she slips off in a bad botch – though Sasha recovered well by instantly grabbing her by the hair and slamming her.
Banks then slaps her and tries for a rope climb arm drag, but Bayley pulls her off. Bayley then sends her over the top rope. Bayley hits a baseball slide out of the ring into a hurricanrana on the floor! Bayley is in charge as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We come back from the break to see Bayley trapped in a straightjacket submission. Bayley fights up and backs her to the corner before whipping her off. Banks tries to attack the arm, but Bayley gets out and hits a back body drop. Bayley sends her to the apron and snaps her off the middle rope.
Bayley hits a shoulder thrust in the corner before rolling back, cheering, and hitting a back elbow. Bayley hits a tornado reverse DDT for a near fall. Bayley goes to get her up, but Banks kicks her in the head and throws her out of the ring. Bayley gets on the apron, but Banks knees her in the face. Banks hits a slingshot meteora onto the apron and hits another one off the top rope for a near fall.
Banks talks trash and says she’s better than Bayley, before slapping her. Bayley slaps her back, and they get into a free-for-all, which the fans get really into. Banks forces her to the corner and, after an awkward sequence, takes her down and hits double knees to the face, but Bayley counters into a roll-up for a near fall. Banks applies the Bank Statement, but out of nowhere, The Riott Squad attacks!
No Contest
After the bell is rang. The Riott Squad continue to beat on Sasha. The trio proceed to hit their respective finishers of Sasha and Bayley before posing for the crowd.
The Big Dog, Roman Reigns, will here later tonight.
*Commercial Break*
We return to see Heath Slater and Rhyno on their way to the ring. We see Slater and Rhyno in a pre-taped promo. They say the Authors of Pain may be rough and tough, but they have a second chances. They don’t take second chances lightly. Next out is AOP, without Ellering sadly.
Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. Authors of Pain
Slater and Rhyno attack AOP from behind before the referee restores order. Akam starts against Heath Slater. Slater kicks and punches him before Akam shoves him off. Slater punches him to the corner and tags in Rhyno. Rhyno punches away at Akam before sending him to the corner and hitting a running shoulder.
Slater is tagged in, and he comes off the top rope with a club. Akam quickly hits a flapjack into the top rope. Rezar tags in and punches away at Slater. Akam tags back in. They hit a double-team gutbuster for a near fall. Akam grabs the face and slams him down. Rezar tags in and talks trash, but Rhyno is tagged in. Rhyno has a whip to the corner reversed, but he elbows him. Rhyno clotheslines him and punches Akam off the apron. Rhyno shoulders Rezar and hits a belly-to-belly. Akam breaks it up and sends Slater over the top rope. Rezar quickly clotheslines Rhyno , and Akam is tagged in. They hit The Last Chapter for the win.
Winners: Authors of Pain
The Miz will host Miz TV and introduce the newest member of RAW, next.
*Commercial Break*
