Bobby Roode & Chad Gable Vs. The Ascension
As soon as the bell rings, Gable tags himself in and quickly hits Viktor with a German Suplex before connecting with a northern lights suplex. Gable hits a second German Suplex before knocking Konnor off the apron. Gable then hits a second northern lights suplex on Viktor. Konnor runs in and big boots Gable. Konnor tags in and takes him down before applying a chin lock. Gable fights up, but Konnor clubs him down.
Viktor tags in and whips Konnor into Gable for an avalanche before Gable is sent into Viktor for a high knee. Viktor picks up a two count. Viktor applies a chin lock, but Gable fights to his feet. Viktor stops him from making a tag to Roode though. Gable then hits a back body drop and makes his was to the corner.
Roode tags in, and he hits a clothesline and a back elbow on Viktor. Viktor reverses a rope, but Roode forearms him down. Roode knocks Konnor off the apron before running into a boot from Viktor. Roode hits a spinebuster and starts to do his “GLORIOUS” taunt, but Gable blind tags in. Gable hits a beautiful bridged German Suplex for the win.
Winners: Bobby Roode & Chad Gable
Gable celebrates like crazy after the match and brings Roode in, who joins in, albeit confusedly.
“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will team with Natalya to take on Alexa Bliss and Mickie James, next!
*Commercial Break*
We see Dolph Ziggler, McIntyre, and Strowman in the locker room. Dolph is ranting about The Shield when Corbin walks in. He says the laws are complicated. Corbin says he has some good news, Ambrose and Rollins will face McIntyre and Ziggler for the Tag Team Championships this Sunday. They aren’t happy about it but Corbin explains that he wants to impress because this is his first PPV as GM, and there’s no bigger match to make. He turns to Strowman and tells him that Stephanie wants him to win this Sunday. Strowman says that’s great but tonight, he’s going big dog hunting.
Alexa Bliss makes her way to the ring with Mickie and Alicia. Natalya and Ronda are out second. Before the bell rings, Bliss shoves Nattie into Ronda and things get a little heated.
Alexa Bliss & Mickie James Vs. Ronda Rousey & Natalya
Alexa starts off against Nattie and she immediately dives through the ropes to force the referee’s hand. Natalya takes Bliss down but Alexa reverses into a headscissors. They separate and Natalya uses her strength to throw Alexa around. Bliss whips Nattie to the corner but gets kicked. Natalya lifts Alexa and hits a rope-assisted atomic drop. Natalya then runs over her back and dropkicks her in the face.
Ronda and Mickie James are both tagged in. James takes her back but Ronda breaks free and hits a clothesline. Ronda grabs her, tags Natalya, and they hit a double team suplex. James looks for sunset lip pin but Natalta rolls through, and looks for a Sharpshooter but James kicks her away. James kicks Nattie in the face and Bliss hits her while the referee isn’t looking. James applies a sleeper in the middle of the ring. Natalya fights her way out but Mickie floors her with a clothesline. James then stands on Nattie’s hair and lifts her up by the arms.
Bliss tags in and hits Natalya with a double knee stomp to the gut, then a flip and a moonsault double knees. Bliss looks for the armbar she used last week but Nattie rolls her up for a two count. Bliss then talks trash before slapping Ronda! Rousey storms the ring and Bliss slides out. Ronda chases her around the ring, Bliss slides back in but Natalya lifts her up and Ronda comes in with a leaping clothesline – The Hart Attack! Bliss rolls from the ring to regroup as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back from the break and James has Nattie grounded with a scissors around the waist. James turns it into a guillotine but Natalya powers up and slams her into the corner. Natalya elbows her in the face, but James quickly pulls her down by the hair. James quickly powers her into the corner, and Bliss tags in.
Bliss stomps Natalya before James chokes with her boot. Bliss puts Natalya in the corner and stomps her down again. The referee backs her up before she taunts Rousey. Natalya quickly comes out of the corner and takes her down.
Rousey tags in, and the crowd pops but Bliss gets out of the ring. Bliss takes advantage of a distraction from Foxy to throw Rousey into the barricade. Bliss sends her into the ring apron before getting her in the ring for a one count. The announcers reminds us that Rousey’s ribs were injured last week on RAW, so of course James tags in and she kicks at Rousey’s ribs. Bliss tags back in and kicks the ribs before hitting a snapmare and kicking her in the ribs again. Bliss stretches her out a bit before kicking her in the ribs again.
Mickie James tags back into the fray, and stretches Rousey. James hits a baseball slide to the midsection for a near fall. James then applies a chin lock. A “Ronda” chant picks up. Rousey hits a judo hip toss to break the hold. James knocks Natalya off the apron and knees Rousey. Rousey gets fired up and knocks Bliss off of the apron. The Champion jabs James back to the corner. James fights out, but Rousey takes her down with some judo throws. Rousey stares at Bliss and applies the arm bar for the quick tap.
Winners: Natalya & Ronda Rousey
Rousey and Natalya celebrate in the ring but suddenly, Bliss, from out of nowhere, kicks her in the ribs! Bliss scurries from the ring with Fox and James, while Natalya helps Rousey to her feet. Rousey glares at them.
We get a video package of the rivalry between Becky Lynch and Charlotte. They will face off this Sunday!
We see Elias backstage, getting a drink from a stage hand. He spits it into the guy’s face and says he specifically asked for chamomile tea. Suddenly, we head Braun Strowman screaming. He asks where Reigns is but everyone around him scurries. He picks up a guy and holds him high above him but the guy has no idea where Reigns is. He then throws the guy onto a production box and through some poles. Strowman stomps off, still searching.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back and we see Ronda and Natalya in the Gorilla position. Charly Caruso asks if Ronda is hurt and if she can compete on Sunday. Ronda says she’s fine but even if she were in pain it wouldn’t stop her. She says she’s never backed down because, even on her worst day, she’s still the best.
Elias is in the ring. He says New Orleans has a rich history of music. From the birthplace of jazz, to the heights of rock and roll, and now he has perfected music. He plays a little ditty for the fans before asking “Who Wants To Walk, With Elias?” He says something feels off tonight. He says the fans don’t feel right, they feel weird. He asks if it’s because The Saints lost yesterday? The fans chant for Drew Brees but Elias says the man has told him that he is sick of representing New Orleans. Elias then says his song can save them and bring them back to life. He asks them to silence their cellphones, hold their applause, and shut their mouths. Just as he begins to play, Elias is interrupted…
Foley gets in the ring and receives a loud “Foley” chant. He apologises for the interruption, saying he’s a big fan of Elias. He says he has a great voice but as a musician he’s no Nita Strauss. And he’s really good at playing guitar but his lyrics are insincere. Elias says to Foley he knows why he’s out here, to talk about the historic Hell In A Cell match. Elias says he remembers that match, telling us about watching it as a kid. He says he prayed Foley would stay down after that but he didn’t. Elias says he’d by lying if he said that wasn’t a special moment to him and everyone else. Foley is a legend. But that was then, and now he’s standing in the ring with a broken man. He likens Foley to an old musician who plays the same song everything but can’t remember the words.
Foley says Elias got him a nutshell, but he didn’t come here to talk about the past. Elias says he’s looking at it. Foley says that’s entirely possible, Elias has all the tools, and he should be a Universal Champion some day. However, he’s here to talk about the immediate future. He says he went to Stephanie McMahon recently and asked her to let him have a roll in the 20th anniversary of Hell In A Cell this Sunday, even if it’s just to ring a bell. Elias says if he knows Stephanie, she probably laughed in his face. Mick said that’s exactly what she did.
Foley then reminded her of the time when he was thrown off the cell, a stretcher came out, but had nowhere to go. They had to lift the cell to get it to him. People thought the match was over, but there was magic in the air. He says there was so much electricity in the air that night it could have powered Pittsburgh for a week. He says he just wants to feel as alive as the night when he was almost dead. Foley begged her not to shut him out. So, six nights from now, he won’t be keeping time, ringing bells, or at ringside. When the door shuts on Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman, he’ll be inside with them as the Special Guest Referee! Foley yells Bang! Bang! before walking away.
Elias stops him and says that was special, but he needs to take a piece of advice from him. Foley needs to shut his mouth and go back to where he came from. Foley gets in the ring and in his face. Foley says he hasn’t been here in 18 months. He’s Mick Foley, so Elias will listen to what he has to say. Stephanie McMahon allowed him to make one match for old time’s sake. Elias will be in action against this man: Finn Balor.
*Commercial Break*
We see Strowman still searching for Reigns backstage.
Elias Vs. Finn Balor
The bell rings and Elias immediately scoops up Balor for a body slam. Finn responds with a basement dropkick to take control. He starts focusing on the leg with quick kicks, but Elias is able to whip him into the corner – it seems they’re going big man vs little man.
Balor reverses another body slam and hits a kick to the body. He takes Elias down with a sling blade, but the drifter responds with a running knee to the face for a two count. It’s all Elias as we head to a break.
*Commercial Break*
We come back from the break to see Elias stop a Balor comeback attempt, then knock him down for a two count. Elias puts him in the corner and lifts him up, but Balor fights out and takes him down with a falling elbow for a two count. Elias avoids a double stomp and hits a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall.
Elias chops Finn’s chest and puts him on the top rope and chops the chest. Balor fights back and knocks him off the ropes. The fans get to their feet but Elias avoids a Coup de Grace and tries for the Drift Away, but Balor gets an inside cradle for the win.
Winner: Finn Balor
Footage is shown from earlier in the day of Bobby Lashley weightlifting with his ribs taped. Lio Rush, of all people, is giving him some motivation. Lashley slaps him on the shoulder and knocks him over. Lashley says, “My man!” Rush then goes back to motivating. These two could be a really fun team. Seems a little weird though, seeing as Lashley had nothing to say in regards to KO.
Braun Strowman is backstage with Charly Caruso, but he steals the microphone. Strowman asks her where Roman Reigns is, but she doesn’t know. She says if he goes out to the ring, Reigns might find him. Strowman seems pleased, then walks off.
*Commercial Break*
We get a graphic to say The Undertaker will be live on Raw next week!
Braun Strowman makes his way to the ring screaming for Roman Reigns. Strowman grabs a microphone and tells Reigns to face him like a man. Reigns doesn’t come out, so Strowman calls him a coward. Unfortunately for Reigns, there will be nowhere for him to hide inside Hell in a Cell. Reigns will be just a man locked inside with a monster. If Mick Foley gets in his way, the injuries he sustained at the hands of The Undertaker twenty years ago will look like a paper cut compared to what he does to him. He says that, at Hell in a Cell, he’s taking Reigns’ Universal Championship, sending him to hell, and he’s never coming back.
Roman Reigns’ music hits, and Strowman doesn’t know where he is. Strowman then sees him standing on the commentary table. Reigns greets him with a Superman Punch before punching away at him. Strowman shoves him into the LED stage walls before head-butting him down. Strowman clears the commentary table before talking trash to Reigns. Strowman punches him in the face and puts him on the table. Strowman gets him to his feet, but Reigns gives him a Samoan Drop off the table and through the stage! Reigns crawls out of the hole and grabs his championship to boos from the crowd. Reigns holds up the WWE Universal Championship to end the show. They will meet this Sunday inside the Devil’s playground!
That’s it for this week’s Raw! Let us know what you thought in the comments. We’ll see you tomorrow night for Smackown Live, and Sunday for Hell In A Cell. Until then, safe travels!
