Sasha Banks Vs. Natalya
The referee has to get in between them before the bell. As soon as the match begins, Nattie tackles Sasha and pounds her. Banks kicks Nattie from the ring, then looks for a baseball slide but Nattie avoids it and slams her into the barricade. Natalya hits Banks with two suplexes on the floor, before putting her back in the ring.
Natalya beats on Banks in the corner before hitting her with a huge, Brock Lesnar-style German suplex. Banks rolls from the ring, where she manages to slam Natalya’s injured arm into the ring post. Banks drags Natalya from the ring and throws her nose-over-tail into the timekeeper’s area. Banks shoves Natalya into the ring post, then back into the ring.
Banks puts Natalya in the corner and kicks her before wrapping her arm around the rope and pulling it. Banks looks for double knees in the corner but nobody’s home. Natalya looks for a roll-up but she stops and tries to put on the Sharpshooter to no avail. Banks hits Natalya with the Bank Statement, and Nattie tries to get to the ropes but Sasha wraps her injured arm across her face and Natalya taps.
Winner: Sasha Banks
After the match, Banks leaves the ring but turns and gets back into apply the Bank Statement again. The referee pulls her off and Banks leaves with a grin on her face.
Kayla Braxton is backstage with AJ Styles. She asks him about the match against Braun tonight, but he calls it “a bunch of bull”. He says Gallows and Anderson were screwed last week and nobody thinks he can beat Braun by himself, but clearly they’ve forgotten how phenomenal he is. He says Braun thinks he can walk out of Clash of Champions with all the gold, but he can’t do that because he won’t get his hands on his U.S Championship.
After the break, Cesaro will face Cedric Alexander.
*Commercial Break*
Cesaro Vs. Cedric Alexander
The match gets underway and both men lock-up. Cesaro powers Alexander, forcing him to the corner. Alexander shoves him, so Cesaro knocks him down. Alexander fires back with some stiff chops, followed by a head-scissor takeover before dropkicking him out of the ring.
Alexander goes for a suicide dive, but Cesaro counters him with a European uppercut. Cesaro gets him back in the ring and hits a deadlift gutwrench suplex for a two count. Cesaro then applies a chin lock. Cesaro sends him to the apron, but Alexander boots him away. Alexander then hits a slingshot reverse STO.
Cesaro rolls out of the ring but Alexander hits him with a somersault senton. Alexander puts Cesaro back in the ring and hits a springboard clothesline for a near fall. Cesaro comes back with an uppercut, so Alexander hits him with a running cross-body block that sends them both over the top rope as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We come back from the break to see Cesaro attacking Alexander’s leg. During the break, Cesaro shoves Alexander leg-first into the LED boards before dropping it on the apron. Alexander catches Cesaro with a kick to the head, then he hit a Michinoku Driver after almost collapsing. Baron Corbin, Alexander’s opponent next week, is seen watching backstage.
Alexander heads to the apron and looks for a springboard, but he can’t jump on his leg. Alexander knocks Cesaro back and starts to climb the ropes, but Cesaro joins him. Cesaro hits a big superplex for a two count. Cesaro transitions from pin into a single leg crab, but Alexander grabs the bottom rope. Cesaro hits the ropes, but Alexander catches him with a Spanish Fly out of nowhere for a two count!
Alexander punches Cesaro and looks for a slam, but his knee gives out again. Cesaro applies a cloverleaf, then transitions into a single leg crab again. Alexander fights up and hits a victory roll for a two count. Alexander connects with a back elbow and looks for a handspring kick, but Cesaro counters into an ankle lock. Alexander twists out to send Cesaro out of the ring. Cesaro quickly gets back in, and Alexander hits him with a Lumbar Check for the win.
Winner: Cedric Alexander
*Commercial Break*
We see a video of R-Truth taking the 24/7 Championship from Elias this past weekend at a Fox Sports event. Truth then appeared on Fox TV, where host Rob Stone tripped Truth and pinned him. Elias then appeared and pinned Stone to regain his title.
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are interviewed backstage, and they’re asked how they came together. Ziggler says he doesn’t trust anybody but every now and again you find a Superstar with the same twinkle in their eye as you. Ziggler says that Braun and Seth will be exhausted at Clash of Champions, and they will capitalise. Roode says they both know that neither of them could team with anyone better. They say they didn’t come together on a whim, and they’re the most talented and best looking team on the roster. He says that, at Clash of Champions, they will become the next Raw Tag Team Champions and it will be glorious.
Montez Ford is backstage and he says tonight’s Raw has been lit. He says Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler have put themselves on the map, and asks if it’s possible for Seth and Braun to overcome everything at Clash of Champion’s. Dawkins isn’t paying attention though because he’s wearing Mardi Gras clothing and says he’s heading to Bourbon Street to party. Ford asks him who will win the United States Championship tonight but before they speak, the camera turns to see Strowman standing two feet away, and he starts walking towards the ring.
*Commercial Break*
We see a video recapping many of the Firefly Fun House segments.
United States Championship Match
(C) AJ Styles Vs. Braun Strowman
The match begins and Braun immediately throws AJ over the rope to the outside. Braun runs around the ring and shoulder tackles AJ, then does the same again. Strowman puts AJ back in the ring and runs at him but eats a kick in the face.
Styles looks for a Phenomenal Forearm but gets caught with a huge chokeslam. Braun pins but AJ gets his foot on the bottom rope. AJ goes to the apron but Braun boots him off.
*Commercial Break*
Back live and Styles is on Braun’s back with a sleeper hold. Strowman fights out and looks for a big boot but misses and gets his foot caught on the top rope. Styles hits a chop block to the standing leg, then chops him down with kicks.
Styles hits a moonsault from the second rope for a two count. AJ hits a flying forearm to the back of the head, then applies the Calf Crusher. Braun scream and thinks about tapping but then the big man just sits up on his knees and headbutts AJ.
Strowman delivers two shoulder tackles, then looks for the running powerslam but AJ escapes. Strowman runs and spears the ring post, forcing the referee onto the apron. AJ shoves Braun into the referee, who crashes into the barricade. Braun grabs AJ for the Chokeslam but AJ rakes his eyes, then kicks him in the groin.
Styles leaves the ring and grabs a chair but Braun hits him with a running powerslam when he gets back inside but there’s no referee. Anderson and Gallows come down and attack Braun but he shrugs them off and hits them with chairs. The referee gets up and Styles pulls an Eddie Guerrero, pretending he was hit. The referee calls for the bell.
Winner Via Disqualification: AJ Styles
Braun doesn’t like the referee’s decision, so he batters AJ and Gallows with the chair. Strowman then hits Anderson and Gallows with powerslams, before lifting AJ and hitting him with a running powerslam. Strowman lifts the United States Championship and stares at it before tossing it onto AJ and posing.
And that’s it for Monday Night Raw. Let us know what you thought and we’ll see you here tomorrow for SmackDown Live. Until then, safe travels!
