Monday Night Raw opens with a graphic remembering Masa Saito who recently passed away.
We go live to the arena where Kurt Angle is already in the ring. He opens by thanking the Raw Superstars for their performances last night at Extreme Rules. One Superstar who doesn’t perform, is Brock Lesnar. He told everyone last night that he would strip Lesnar of the title if he didn’t come to Raw tonight and negotiate a new match. He says it has been 24 hours and he hasn’t heard a word from Heyman or Lesnar, so here is therefore stripping Brock Lesnar of the Universal…
Angle is interrupted by Brock Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman. The advocate starts to introduce himself but Angle says we all know who he is. Angle tells him that is Lesnar isn’t here to talk business, he’s wasting their time. Heyman pretends to introduce Lesnar, then says he isn’t here tonight. Angle says that leaves him no choice but to strip Brock, to which Heyman comes running down to the ring shouting.
Heyman gets into the ring and says Angle, and the fans, all have it wrong. He says everyone thinks Brock doesn’t care about being Universal Champion, and his sole purpose is being UFC Heavyweight Champion. Heyman says nothing could be further from the truth. “Brock Lesnar loves being in WWE. Brock Lesnar loves being Universal Champion.” Angle asks why he doesn’t show-up. Heyman says Brock want’s to represent WWE by getting into the Octagon with the Universal Championship around his waist. Then when he wins the Heavyweight title in UFC, he will be a Champion in two sports. Heyman likens it to Angle carrying his gold medals to the ring.
Angle says he will keep it simple for Paul, if Lesnar doesn’t compete at SummerSlam, he will no longer be a WWE Champion. Heyman says Brock Lesnar will defend the title at SummerSlam, and the fans boo. He congratulates the fans, saying their voices have been heard: they want more Brock Lesnar, and the fans boo again. Heyman drives the point home and says they’ve gotten what they wanted, Lesnar will be back in a ring soon. Heyman then asks Angle to choose a victim for Lesnar at SummerSlam but out comes Bobby Lashley.
Lashley makes his way to the ring. He says when he came back to WWE, he had two goals. The first was accomplished last night at Extreme Rules when he beat Roman Reigns. Now it’s time to accomplish the other. Lashley walks up to Heyman, who looks nervous. Lashley wants to beat Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam.
Drew McIntyre’s music hits and out he comes – why do I feel like the ring is about to get crowded. McIntyre asks why they think he came back to WWE. He didn’t come back to make the roster numbers and stand in Dolph Ziggler’s corner. McIntyre came back for change and to ensure the Intercontinental Championship stays around Ziggler’s waist. That was phase one. Now it’s time for phase two, and a “YES” chant starts.
Seth Rollins’ music hits, and he walks to the ring and immediately gets in McIntyre’s face. McIntyre cost him the WWE Intercontinental Championship last night and he isn’t happy. Rollins says if they need an opponent for Brock Lesnar, he is right here.
A guitar strums, and Elias walks out to the stage. Elias asks, “Who wants to walk with Elias?” Elias gets in the ring and says nothing sounds nicer than Elias as the Universal Champion. On top of that on July 23, his debut album drops. It only makes sense for Angle to ride that success into SummerSlam against Brock Lesnar.
Finn Balor comes out and reminds us that he was the first Universal Champion. Also, he never lost that title! Finn says it should be him against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Before he can speak again he’s interrupted.
Roman Reigns’ music hits, and he comes out to loud boos from the crowd. Reigns says he doesn’t have any excuses and doesn’t care about Brock Lesnar. Reigns just wants to fight someone tonight. Angle says they’re all deserving to be out here right now. Angle says we’ll have two triple threat matches and the winners will compete next week for the right to take on Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. The first triple threat will be Elias, Seth Rollins, and Bobby Lashley. The other triple threat will be Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, and Roman Reigns, and that match is right now. Wow, what lazy booking.
*Commercial Break*
We return and see Angle walking backstage. Corbin stops him and asks if he even got authority from Stephanie to book two Triple Threat matches. Angle says he didn’t think he needed authority. Corbin says that’s the problem, he never thinks, and why didn’t he think to put him in one of those matches? Angle says he didn’t deserve it. Corbin says how come Finn Balor is in there? Angle says because he beat Corbin last night and storms off.
Drew McIntyre Vs. Finn Balor Vs. Roman Reigns
The bell rings, and McIntrye shoves Balor to the mat right away. Reigns punches McIntyre to the corner, but the Scot fights back. Balor starts punching McIntyre as well. Reigns goes for a Samoan Drop on McIntyre, but he slides off the shoulders, then clotheslines Reigns and Balor. McIntyre bounces Balor in the corner and punches away at him. McIntyre keeps Roman down, then grabs Balor by the throat, but Balor fights him off and connects with a dropkick. Reigns then clotheslines McIntyre out of the ring. Balor then clotheslines Reigns over the top rope before taking Reigns and McIntyre out with a somersault senton.
Balor gets McIntyre back in the ring and chops the chest. McIntyre reverses a whip hard into the corner. Reigns hits the ropes, and McIntyre hits him with a belly-to-belly overhead suplex for a two count. McIntyre stomps Reigns and punches him in the face. McIntyre knocks him off the top turnbuckle and punches him in the corner. Balor turns the tables on McIntyre around and punches away at him. McIntyre fights back, whips him into the ropes and catches Finn with a back elbow. McIntyre then takes Reigns out with a big boot in the corner. McIntyre hits Reigns with a suplex for a two count.
McIntyre punches and chops Balor and continues to set the pace. McIntyre then gets Reigns on his feet and floors him with a right hand for a two count. McIntyre mounts Reigns and punches away at him. McIntyre then knocks Balor off the apron. McIntyre hits a neckbreaker for a two count on Reigns. McIntyre is firmly in charge as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We return from the break to see McIntyre still controlling the pace. Outside the ring, McIntyre drops Balor on the barricade and tosses him back inside. McIntyre stomps Balor and Reigns, keeping them grounded.
Finn starts to make a comeback and kicks McIntyre. Reigns then hits McIntyre with a pair of clotheslines followed by a jumping clothesline. Balor turns his attention and forearms Reigns to the mat. Reigns reverses an Irish whip and clotheslines Balor down. Reigns goes outside and tries for a Drive-By Dropkick but Balor moves. Reigns is laying on the apron, so Balor hits a slingshot double foot stomp. McIntyre then comes from out of nowhere to take Reigns out with a somersault senton!
They get back to their feet and Finn pushes McIntyre into the steel steps. Balor climbs to the apron, jumps off and hits Drew with a double stomp to the back off the neck. Balor gets Reigns in the ring and hits him with a double stomp for a near fall. Reigns gets to his feet powers Balor into the corner. Reigns looks for a splash in the corner but Finn moves, then hits a slingshot kick and goes to the top rope. McIntyre returns and cracks him with a chair shot that sends him to the floor – legal in a Triple Threat. McIntyre gets into the ring and tries to hit Reigns but Roman floors him with an uppercut. McIntyre regains control by sending Reigns into the ring post shoulder-first for a near fall. Off to the break again.
*Commercial Break*
We return to see Reigns setting up for the Superman Punch. McIntyre counters with a spinebuster for a two count. Balor comes back in the ring with the chair and sends Drew out of the ring. He cracks Roman several times and the fans go wild, before heading outside to dropkick McIntyre into the barricade.
Balor makes a quick sidestep as Reigns comes from nowhere and Spears McIntyre into the timekeeper’s area! Back inside the ring, Balor takes down Reigns with a sling blade. Balor looks for the running dropkick but Roman counters the running dropkick with a Superman Punch for a near fall. Finn rallies and hits the front dropkick into the corner, followed by the Coup de Grace. McIntyre pulls him out of the ring and drives him into the steel steps to break up the cover. Reigns hits both men with the Superman Punch. Drew hits Finn with the Claymore. Reigns knocks him out of the ring with, you guessed it, a Superman punch, and Spears Balor to get the win.
Winner: ROMAN REIGNS
Roman celebrates his win after the fact, and next week he will compete with the winner of the other Triple Threat, with the winner facing Lesnar at SummerSlam. We all know it will be Lashley, which means a rematch of last night and Reigns will likely win. Making last night entirely pointless.
We see Bayley backstage. In walks Kurt Angle and she asks where Sasha Banks is. Angle says she’s holed-up in her locker room. Bayley says typical Sasha, she only cares about herself. Angle asks how the friendship therapy went and she says not good. Bayley says they both tried but they won’t ever be friends again. Angle says that isn’t true, so tonight they can team up. Bayley says that isn’t a good idea but Kurt says they can either get along, or one of them will be traded to SmackDown Live.
We see Dolph Ziggler backstage. Some guy is polishing his Intercontinental Championship. Dolph will be out next!
*Commercial Break*
WWE Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler makes his way to the ring. We see still images of him beating Seth Rollins last night. Ziggler gets on the horn and says last night at Extreme Rules, all he did was everything he said he was going to do. Ziggler says he put on an absolute clinic. Ziggler tells Robert Downey, Jr. to move over because he is Iron Man and still the WWE Intercontinental Champion. Ziggler says something special happened last night. The Intercontinental Championship main evented a WWE PPV for the first time in 17 years. That sure as hell wasn’t because of Seth Rollins. Ziggler came back to RAW and put the entire roster on notice. Ziggler gives credit where it’s due. He says he respects everything Rollins did to make the Intercontinental Championship what it is today, but he’s not Dolph Ziggler, brother. He didn’t just beat Rollins once, he beat him five times. Just then Dolph is interrupted.
Bobby Roode’s music hits and he comes out to the ring to no reception. Roode says he knows that Ziggler is trying to give credit where it’s due, but he hasn’t heard him give any to Drew McIntyre. If it wasn’t for McIntyre, Ziggler wouldn’t be out in the ring bragging. Ziggler should be on his hands and knees thanking McIntyre. If it wasn’t for McIntyre, Ziggler would be at a comedy club telling bad jokes. Ziggler says last night while he was headlining Extreme Rules, Roode must have had fun watching from the sidelines. Roode says the sidelines suck. As a matter of fact, that’s why he’s out here right now to challenge Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship. I feel bad for Roode, that received no reaction the fans whatsoever. Roode takes off his robe as Ziggler shakes his head and finger no. Roode asks if Ziggler is worried he can’t do it on his own. Ziggler angrily agrees to the match.
JoJo begins to make the announcement that this is an Intercontinental Championship match. Ziggler stops her, takes the mic, and says he said Roode could have a match, but not for the title. The fans boo.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Bobby Roode
The match begins, and Roode quickly tries for a Glorious DDT. Ziggler fights out and shoulder blocks him down. Ziggler hits the ropes, but Roode gives him a hip toss. Roode hits a headlock takeover and applies the headlock. Ziggler fights up to his feet and backs him to the corner to break the hold, before kicking him. Ziggler hits a headlock takeover and cinches in the side headlock. Roode fights up and reverses the side headlock. Ziggler whips him off, so Roode shoulder blocks him. Roode then sends Ziggler over the top rope.
Roode tosses Ziggler into the barricade, then back into the ring. Roode gets back in the ring, but Ziggler dropkicks him down. Ziggler nonchalantly covers him for a two count. Ziggler applies a chin lock, but Ziggler soon fights up and punches out. Ziggler kicks him in the midsection and hits a neckbreaker for a two count. Roode punches back, but Ziggler reverses a whip to the corner. Roode quickly pops out of the corner with a clothesline. Ziggler then pulls him face-first into the turnbuckle. An OK match so far but the fans simply don’t care.
*Commercial Break*
