Edge is backstage and he says Randy caught him flat-footed a few weeks ago. Maybe he was still basking in the glow of WrestleMania but it doesn’t happen often, so congratulations to Orton. And here he is, doubting himself. To be fully transparent.
He was retired for 3212 days, and in that time Orton competed in 1126 matches. And he’s looking at it and he realises he has to prove himself, to himself. So he wants to thank Orton for forcing him to contemplate things he’s has buried deep. So that night he got home and he watched the first episode of The Last Ride. And he himself was on there talking about when is the time to hang up the boots, and now here he is. And he understands what The Undertaker is going through.
Randy wants to doubt his ability but he has hung hold-for-hold with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Christian, Davy Boy Smith, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, the list goes on. He’s hung with them all and brought them to a new level. He was a five tool workhorse for WWE. And if Randy’s paying attention he’ll notice that that’s all past tense. Because he doesn’t know if he can do that anymore. But at Backlash he’s going to dig into the depths of his soul to try. That’s all a man can do.
Asuka makes her way to the commentary table, where she will watch the upcoming Triple Threat match.
*Commercial Break*
We see the Vikings backstage with the Profits, and they say they let them win. Dawkins says no way, Ivar had more chicken legs go in the hole than balls. Ivar laughs and says he certainly had a lot of birdies. Ford tells them to name the next challenge and Erik suggests gator wrestling, but Dawkins says “I’ve told you, anything but gator wrestling!” Erik then asks if they bowl, and they say they couldn’t choose something more boring.
The Vikings walk off and MVP and Lashley then walk up to the Profits and MVP says they’re going to be another case of talent washed down the drain. The Profits ask if there’s a problem and poke fun at MVP for getting Claymore Kicked. MVP challenges them to a tag match tonight and tells them to bring the smoke.
Charlotte Flair Vs. Nia Jax Vs. Natalya
Number One Contender Match
The triple threat begins and Nia shoves Natalya down, then lifts Charlotte and slams her into the corner to hit repeated shoulders. Flair kicks Nia but gets slammed. Jax then lifts Nattie and body slams her onto Charlotte. She looks to hit an elbow drop but Charlotte moves, then teams with Nattie to Irish whip Nia into the ring post.
Flair kicks Natalya and takes a headlock. Nattie counters with headscissors but Charlotte kips-out, then Nattie does the same. Flair hits a shoulder tackle, then knocks Jax off the apron. Natalya attempts a roll-up but Charlotte kicks out and hits her. Flair flips over the ropes to the apron but gets knocked off by Jax, who then clears the announce table. Natalya tries to baseball slide Jax but gets grabbed and slammed into the apron.
Charlotte tries to ram Nia with the lid of the announce table but they play back and forth with it. Both women then get on the apron and exchange shots, with Charlotte landing lots of chops. Jax counters a kick attempt and gets Charlotte on her shoulders but Natalya grabs her leg. Flair climbs down, then she and Natalya lift Nia and powerbomb her through the announce table!
*Commercial Break*
Back live and Charlotte has Natalya by the back in the ring, and Jax is still down on the floor. Nattie fights out and they hit stereo crossbody’s. Asuka helps Jax back into the ring and Natalya hits her with a tilt-a-whirl armbar. Jax lifts Natalya up and hits a powerbomb, then Flair kicks Jax in the head.
Flair tosses Natalya to the floor and drops a knee on Jax. Flair hits a moonsault for a near-fall. Nattie comes back and drops Charlotte, but Jax then hits her with a lariat. Jax whips both women into the corner and splashes them. Jax tries to lift both Charlotte and Natalya on her shoulders but they fight her off. Jax misses Charlotte in the corner and Flair slams her knee.
Charlotte target the knee with stomps, then goes to the Figure Eight but Natalya hits a dropkick to her. Natalya applies a Sharpshooter and Flair crawls to the ropes but gets dragged back. Jax pulls Natalya off and runs into her. Natalya gets hoisted up but Flair hits Jax with a big boot, then tosses Natalya to the floor.
Flair kicks Jax and climbs the ropes but Jax hits her. Nia climbs up top and Natalya grabs her for a tower of doom! Natalya rolls Flair out and attempts a Sharpshooter on Jax but Charlotte pulls her off and applies the Figure Eight. Jax hits a leg drop to Flair as she’s in the move. Jax lifts Nattie and hits a Samoan drop for the win.
Winner: Nia Jax
Jax is the number one contender to Asuka’s RAW Women’s Championship. They will face each other at Backlash.
Kayla Braxton interviews Drew McIntyre backstage and he says he’s leaving. She asks if he knows that MVP and Lashley are wrestling the Street Profits. He says he didn’t and suddenly he thinks he forgot something, and he’s certain he won’t find it until after Lashley’s match.
*Commercial Break*
R-Truth has realised that Tom Brady is not the 24/7 Champion, and he puts Rob Gronkowski on notice. Gronk then is shown in the gym, with the belt, and he’s reading a teleprompter to cut a basic promo about keeping the title.
We see MVP and Lashley backstage, and Kayla asks MVP why he’d choose to wrestle after getting hit earlier. He points to Lashley and says that’s why.
Ric Flair will be live on RAW, after the break.
*Commercial Break*
Ric Flair appears on the screen from his home, and he says the WWE reached out to him to get his verdict on Edge Vs. Randy Orton. Flair says ever since he quit limosuine riding, wheeling and dealing, and kissing women, the best in-ring performer today is Randy Orton. And that’s who is going to win at Backlash.
We see a lengthy clip from the next instalment of the excellent The Last Ride documentary on the WWE Network.
Liv Morgan tells us more things we might not know about her, and this time it’s that she never felt good enough. Never had any self-worth. That was, until she got to WWE. And she might not know all the answers but she is alive and will fulfil who she is destined to be. She is living her best life.
*Commercial Break*
Next week on RAW we will have a Rey Mysterio retirement ceremony, and Aleister Black will battle Seth Rollins.
Street Profits Vs. MVP & Bobby Lashley
We start the main event with Montez Ford and Bobby Lashley, and Ford slaps his ass the way Lashley used to. Ford rolls away from Lashley and plays up to the crowd. Lashley hits him with a shoulder tackle and poses. Ford avoids Lashley and grabs his head but the big man forces the Profit to the corner and drills him with shoulders.
Lashley slams Ford and tags MVP, who tees-off on Ford in the corner. Lashley gets the tag and he runs at Ford who pulls the rope down for Lashley to fly out. Ford then tries to jump over the ropes onto Lashley but misses and Lashley slams him into the barricade.
*Commercial Break*
Back live and MVP is beating on Ford. Tag made to Lashley and he drills Ford with forearms, then hits a sidewalk slam. Lashley tosses Ford to the outside and tags MVP, who jumps down and whips him into the steps. MVP puts Ford back inside and gets a two-count.
MVP misses a splash in the corner and Ford drops him with a right hand. Tag made to Dawkins, who comes in hot with lariats and a flying back elbow. Angelo lifts and slams MVP, then hits a spinning forearm in the corner, followed by a bulldog. Dawkins knocks Lashley off the apron and Ford spears him on the floor. Dawkins tags Ford and hits a spinebuster to MVP. Ford hits a frog splash but Lashley slams Dawkins into the ring post, then gets inside and grabs Ford with the Full Nelson and gets the win.
Winners: MVP & Bobby Lashley
Lashley won’t let go of the full nelson, but out comes Drew McIntyre. Drew gets into the ring and headbutts Lashley, who bounces back and tackles him to the ground. Drew knocks Lashley out of the ring and slams him into the barricade, then the apron. They fight back into the ring and the referee calls for officials but there are none, so some low-key NXT guys run into the ring and pull Drew off.
Drew headbutts them but Lashley then spears him. Lashley unloads some ground and pound but more NXT rookies run down and pull them apart. Lashley and Drew fight them off, but this time they get pulled apart by a dozen guys and the show goes off the air with them try to get to teach other.
And that’s it for this week’s RAW. Let us know what you thought of the show and come back tomorrow for more wrestling news. Until then, stay safe.
