Raw Review 01/08/2018

Tonight on Raw The Miz returns, after being gone for 7 weeks what will “The most must see” Superstar have to say to the WWE Universe. Plus how will Alexa Bliss bounce back after her loss to Asuka last week? Roman Reigns successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship against Samoa Joe last week but who will be the next challenger for “The Big Dog”? Illness kept Enzo Amore from defending his Cruiserweight Championship last week but he’s back and ready to defend. Will Enzo be able to retain over Cedric Alexander? Finally, Finn Balor teamed up with The Club last week but is this the start of the old group getting back together?

Raw is live tonight from the FedExForum in Memphis, TN.

Raw kicks off with us being welcomed to the show by Michael Cole, Corey Graves & Booker T.

In Ring Segment: Roman Reigns
Reigns says after all his attacks, all talks you’d think Samoa Joe would be ready for me. He says it’s not that’s better than Joe it’s just he was fighting with a purpose for his brother Dean Ambrose. He then warns the locker room that if you mess with one member of The Shield you mess with all of them. Outcomes Jason Jordan.
Jordan tells Reigns that when he watched his match last week he got goosebumps. He tells that for the first time he felt like he was apart of something meaningful. He tells Reigns it’s just like he said if you mess with one of them you mess with all of them. He says on behalf of Seth and himself Reigns proved this was his yard and then thanks Reigns. Outcomes Seth Rollins.
Rollins says he appreciates what Jordan is trying to do but he’s still got a lot to learn. He said Jordan did well with learning teamwork last week. Rollins then tells him he’s kinda taking Roman’s moment here. Jordan says this is everyone’s moment, they’re all champions and they run the show. Reigns tells him he’s partners with Rollins and he is the guy. Jordan tells them that they might be the most dominant three-man group in all of WWE. Outcomes Finn Balor and The Club.
Balor asks Jordan if he really thinks he’s apart of the most dominant three-man group in WWE. Balor tells him he’s been running with Gallows and Anderson for 10 years before Jordan even knew he was Kurt Angle’s son. Gallows says they’ve been with Finn for a long time. Anderson says they came to raw and had to stand on their own and they did win the tag team titles. He then adds about Balor winning the Universal Championship and adds that they knew one day they would come together and take this place over. Balor says 2018 is the year of Balor Club. Jordan says he’s proud to member of the Champions Club. Anderson asks if that’s the new version of The Shield. Balor says he sees The Architect and The Big Dog but not the lunatic. He then calls Jordan a nerd and Jordan steps to them. Outcomes Kurt Angle.
Angle says they have a great show tonight and he thinks he just found his main event. He then asks the crowd if they want to see this six man tag. The crowd cheers yes and Angle says it’s on, oh it’s true it’s damn true.
My Opinion:
That was an awesome way to kick off the show. I love Balor being with The Club again, I think it’s gonna help out all of their careers tremendously. I also like that Jordan isn’t being included in The Shield, it’s good to keep him out of it and keep the story interesting. This main event is definitely set up to be one of the best as we finally will see The Club be themselves again and Balor actually get a good push here.

Match 1: Sasha Banks & Bayley w/ Mickie James vs
Absolution (Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville) w/ Paige
Bayley and Rose start off the match. Bayley locks in a side headlock but Rose sends her off the ropes and lands a big shoulder tackle. Rose is able to lift Bayley but Bayley fights off and gets her in the corner. Bayley lands big kicks and forearms but Rose receives and delivers some of her own. Rose lifts Bayley again and this time lands a huge body slam. Bayley is able to kick out at 2 on the pin. Bayley fights back and is able to send Rose to the mat. Bayley goes after Rose but Rose rolls out of the ring as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns Rose is in control of Sasha. Sasha is able to get the upper hand and land a hip toss take down. Sasha lands double knees but it’s not enough to put away Rose. Rose fights back and lands big shots to Sasha. Sasha comes back with a huge slap of her own. Rose stays with it and lands a huge knee but Sasha kicks out of the cover. Deville gets the tag and lands big kicks to Sasha. Deville works Sasha to the mat and wraps her legs around her. Deville lands huge punches and pounds Sasha to the ground. Rose gets the tag and stays on Sasha. She uses the ropes to wrap up Sasha and land more big strikes. Deville gets the tag and goes for a cover after a big kick but Sasha kicks out again. Deville goes back to big Sasha but Sasha is able to take her down to the mat. Rose gets the tag and quickly prevents Sasha from getting the tag. Deville takes advantage of the ref being distracted and hangs up Sasha. Sasha goes for a roll up but Deville breaks up the tag. Sasha lands the Banks Statement and gets the win for her and Bayley.
Winners: Sasha Banks & Bayley
My Opinion:
It was an awesome showing for Rose and Deville tonight. Deville was awesome with her MMA style and Rose showed some amazing athleticism. I think they have a very bright future and they’re really making their mark. I like that Paige has stepped to the side and they’re getting good opportunities. Overall though Bayley and Sasha know how to get the job done and all it took was one mistake for them to capitalize.

Backstage Segment:
Goldust tells Cedric to eat lighting and crap thunder. He then says that kinda sounds uncomfortable. Cedric says he’s been dreaming of this and he’s let no one stand in his way. He says he so close to making his dream a reality. Goldust tells him the only thing standing in his way is himself. He tells him he is in control not them. He tells Cedric to go out there and show them. He tells Cedric Enzo is not going to be okay and he believes in him.

Match 2: “Woken” Matt Hardy vs Curt Hawkins
Hawkins backs to the ropes and takes advantage hitting Hardy har din the mid section. Hardy then bites Hawkins and takes him down to the mat. Hardy lands a neckbreaker and follows up with a big suplex in the corner to Hawkins. Hawkins lands an elbow but misses with a cross body. Hardy gets back into control and pounds on Hawkins. Hardy hits the twist of fate and gets the victory.
*** After the match Bray Wyatt appears in the ring and Hardy laughs at him. Wyatt then laughs back.
Winner: Matt Hardy
My Opinion:
I love that hey have fully made Matt Woken. I think this is an amazing character and is gonna catch on. I hope they run with it and Hardy can dominate and do everything the fans have wanted to see him do. I’m very excited to see where he and Wyatt go. I could definitely see them fighting at the Hardy compound.

In Ring Segment: Miz TV
Miz starts with asking the crowd if they missed him and welcomes everyone to Miz Tv. He says he is back on Monday Night Raw but in his absence he was not forgotten. He says he makes this show must see and then welcomes his guests Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, The Miztourage. He tells that these two have turned their careers around and are the living embodiment of a New Year’s Resolution done right. Axel says it felt like evryday was Mizmas and Dallas adds it felt like winning the Mizzies everyday. The two then start a “Thank You Miz” chant and the two then give him gifts. Dallas gives him a picture of Miz himself and Axel gives him a sports coat. Dallas comes back with giving Miz a watch. Axel then turns and gives him his shoes. Miz then tells them to sit down. He says 2017 was a big year for hi but he has a lot more planned. He says everything he touched turned to gold and he is Rolling Stones Superstar of the Year. he then shows the clip of him being attacked by The Shield and says he’ll never forget it. He says he wanted the Intercontinental Championship to be defended and be bigger than him. He says the champion makes the championship and daddy is home. He says in 2018 he will see the birth of his daughter, he will be the best Intercontinental Champion and he will be the one and only person people think of with that title. He tells Reigns he hopes he enjoyed the time in the spotlight but he is back and coming for the Intercontinental Championship and you can believe that.
My Opinion:
I’m so happy to have Miz back. I really do consider him one of the best and I hope he has a huge 2018. I think he’s got a good shot. He has a lot of momentum and he’s so over so there’s no reason to not work him right back into the spot he was in before he took off.

Backstage Segment:
Balor tells The Club tonight is about making new memories. Anderson says they’re talking about throwing down. Balor says they’re right their tactics will remain the same, eyes open and feet moving. Balor tells them that they have a big opportunity to show that 2018 is the year of Balor Club.

Match 3: Enzo Amore (c) vs Cedric Alexander:
Cruiserweight Championship Match
Alexander backs Enzo into the corner. Alexander lands a big shot and Enzo goes to the outside. Alexander goes after him and catches Enzo with a huge kick. Enzo tries to escape again but Alexander drags him back in and lands another huge shot. Enzo is able to land a cheap shot after using the ref and send Alexander crashing to the outside as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns Enzo has Alexander grounded on the mat. Alexander comes back for a second but Enzo lands a quick move and goes for the cover but it’s not enough. Enzo gets on top of Alexander and bends his back. Enzo lands a drop kick but it’s still not enough. Enzo then gets a rear chin lock on Alexander. Alexander backs him in the corner but is caught by a knee. Alexander is able to cut off Enzo and land a huge drop kick. Alexander fires up and lands a series of clotheslines. Alexander comes off the ropes and lands a huge kick. Enzo tries fighting off Enzo but Alexander lands another big kick.Alexander comes off the top rope but Enzo goes to the outside to save himself. Alexander flies to take out Enzo on the outside. Alexander makes it back in the ring but Enzo does not. Alexander gets the win but not the title.
Winner: Cedric Alexander:
Enzo Amore is still the Cruiserweight Champion
My Opinion:
A pretty hard hitting match form these tow. Cedric was deadly with his kicks but I take nothing away form Enzo. Enzo fought but took a cheap day out in the end. Cedric has waited this long so I don’t mind him waiting a little longer but he better get a rematch with it ending like that.

Backstage Segment:
The doctor tells Enzo he’s gonna have to do X-Rays and possibly an MRI. Nia comes in and checks on him.

Backstage Segment:
Angle is on the phone with someone talking about the Women’s Royal Rumble. Sheamus and Cesaro come in and tells angle it seems like Angel is trying to keep jordan away form them. Cesaro says it seems like favoritism and asks if they’re gonna get a re-match. Angle tells them they will get their match at the Royal Rumble. Sheamus says that’s great news and asks about tonight. Angle tells them to head to the ring and he’ll find them competition.
Miz comes in and asks Angle if he has any idea who he’s talking to. Miz pleads his case to Angle and tells him he wants to face Roman Reigns for the Intercontinental Title at the 25th Anniversary of Raw. Angle says he likes the idea.

Backstage Segment:
Alexa tells Asuka she got lucky last week. She tells Asuka’s luck is gonna run out. She tells Asuka that when Nia hears what she called her she wouldn’t want to be her.

Match 4: Cesaro & Sheamus vs
Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews) w/ Dana Brooke
Sheamus and Titus start off the match. Sheamus lays mind games and gets a side headlock in. Titus comes back with a big shoulder tackle and tags in Crews. Crews bends the arm of Sheamus but Sheamus backs him in the corner and tags Cesaro. Cesaro controls Crews but is taken down by a big dropkick from crews. Crews then lands a standing moonsault but Cesaro kicks out of the cover. Sheamus takes advantage and sends Crews over the ropes to the floor. Sheamus goes after crews after getting the tag. Cesaro tags back in and the two double team Crews. Cesaro works Crews but tags back in Sheamus and the two land more double team offense. Sheamus goes to the mat and works Crews. Crews side steps Sheamus and sends him into the ring post. Titus gets the tag and comes in hot. He lands a big splash in the corner but can’t get the 3 on the cover. Titus goes after Sheamus but that allows Cesaro to take advantage. Seamus lands a big knee and gets the tag. Crews takes out Cesaro and Titus rolls up Sheamus off the distraction and gets the 1 2 3.
Winners: Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews) w/ Dana Brooke
My Opinion:
Big props to Titus and Apollo for pulling off the win. They should great teamwork and hung in there. Sheamus and Cesaro are so good but I think they got a little too cocky in this match. No doubt this is a wakeup call for them. As for Titus Worldwide, they better ride this momentum and see what they can do next.

In Ring Segment: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman
Heyman says there’s a code in this industry called “Old school”. He says he and Lesnar have a lot of respect for that but this is a progressive industry and is always changing and needs something new. He tells that he thinks they’ve gotten away from something that takes away from the tenure of Brock Lesnar. He tells that the old way was you’d find a challenger and they would take on the champ and try to be better. He says they’ve gotten away from that and now the Universal Title is marketed as how can Lesnar survive this predicament. He says Lesnar thinks this whole concept sucks. He reminds how last week Lesnar took Kane’s best shot and laughed in his face. He tells that at the Royal Rumble he will beat Braun and Kane. he says Lesnar is going into the Rumble with the mindset of is he gonna pin Strowman or Kane or both. He tells that this day he’s never met a man who can put down the Reigning defending Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.
Kane then comes and attacks Lesnar from behind. Lesnar and Kane fight to the back and Strowman joins in. Strowman puts Lesnar through a table and then picks up a container and hits Kane with it. Strowman then pulls down the huge metal entrance ways and slams it on Lesnar and Kane.
My Opinion:
I love the fire that Heyman had tonight. He made a huge statement out there on Lesnar’s behalf. Lesnar is a Beast and one of if not the most dominant champion in history. With that being said I loved what happened at the end. It was good to see Lesnar and Kane go at it but with Strowman that was insane. What Strowman did was something that makes me love pro wrestling, he went above and beyond to inflict as much damage as he could. I say get yours Braun. This year should be the year of Strowman and I think the Rumble could be the start of it. Nonetheless, he showed that he can take both of them and is the most dominant force in the WWE today.

Backstage Segment:
During the break, Lesnar was brought onto a stretcher and was going to be transported to a nearby medical center but refused to go. Kane was able to get up and walk away from it.

Match 5: Samoa Joe vs Rhyno
The two lock up to start the match. Joe comes at him with big forearm strikes. Joe lands a big elbow in the corner followed by a huge kick. Rhyno comes back with huge chops. Joe takes it right to him with cross faces and more kicks. Joe lands a big headbutt but Rhyno comes at him with the chops again. Joe doesn’t take long and lands a big STO. Joe lands a big inverted atomic drop and follows with a senton. Rhyno is able to kick out of the cover. Joe lands a big right but Rhyno lifts Joe on his shoulders. Joe fights off and locks in the Coquina Clutch. Rhyno taps.
*** Charly tells him this win probably doesn’t take the sting away from last weeks lost. He says he didn’t lose and Reigns victory came at a big price for him. He says he’s beaten years off his career and when it all comes tumbling down he’s gonna be there to finish the job. He says until that time he’s gonna pursue more worthy things and declares for the Royal Rumble. Charly then asks how he’s gonna match up against the superstars and legends. He says when it comes to his career John Cena is a name he’ll never forget and at the Royal Rumble, he’ll be the first he’ll eliminate.
Winner: Samoa Joe
My Opinion:
Joe was very dominating tonight. I loved that no matter what Rhyno tried to throw at him he had a counter for it and never let him gain an edge. I also loved his intensity in his post-match interview. Joe is out to take what is his and I can’t wait to see what he does in the Rumble. Joe definitely can have a huge year as long as he keeps the chip on his shoulder.

Backstage Segment:
Alexa asks Nia how Enzo is. She says he’ll be fine but it’s not like you care. Alexa says she thinks Enzo is holding her back. Nia says he inspires her and she wants to be a champion like him so she’s entering the Royal Rumble. Alexa says she’s her favorite to win but she needs to take out Asuka and go to WrestleMania to face her in their dream match. Nia tells her to save it and she and Asuka are on a collision course anyway and asks Alexa what she said. Alexa then whispers to Nia what she said. Nia then asks her if she speaks Japanese cause Asuka doesn’t speak English.

In Ring Segment:
Asuka comes to the ring for her match but Nia Jax comes from behind and slams her to the mat. Nia then lands a rolling senton and takes out Asuka.

*** Next week Asuka will face Nia Jax

Match 6: Balor Club (Finn Balor & Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs
The Shield (Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) & Jason Jordan
Rollins and Balor start off the match. Rollins quickly goes for the cover but Balor kicks out. Balor sends Rollins off the ropes but Rollins is able to flip over him. Balor then hits him with a dropkick. Anderson gets the tag and goes after Rollins. Anderson tries for a cover but Rollins kicks out. Anderson works his arm and tags Gallows. Rollins is able to reverse the double team and Reigns tags in. Reigns takes it to them and he and Rollins take out Balor. Reigns and Rollins send Balor Club to the floor as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns Balor is control of Rollins. Rollins is able to land a big shot to the neck of Balor. He works to his corner and tags Reigns. Reigns comes in hot and lands huge clotheslines in the corner to Balor. Reigns lays out Balor and does the same to Anderson and Gallows. Balor comes from behind and lands the sling blade. Anderson makes the tag and wears down Reigns. He goes for the cover but Reigns kicks out. Anderson keeps Reigns in his corner and tags in Gallows. Gallows lands stiff shots and goes for a cover but Reigns again won’t stay down. Gallows then goes to a chin lock on the mat. Reigns works to his feet and lands big shots to Gallows midsection. Gallows pulls his hair and tags in Anderson. Anderson works him to the mat and lands a huge knee. Anderson stays on him and he goes to the chin lock on the mat. Reigns comes back and lands a tiltawhirl backbreaker. Gallows gets the tag and hits Reigns with the boot preventing the tag. Gallows lands a snap suplex. Gallows scraps the face of Reigns and gets a front face lock. Reigns fights to his feet and hits Gallows with the Superman Punch. Anderson gets the tag but so does Rollins. Rollins hits the blockbuster and then hits the suicide dive. He follows up with a sling blade and then hits a suplex. Off the suplex Rollins hits the falcon arrow but can’t get the 3 on the pin. Rollins works Anderson to the ropes but Gallows comes in to makes the save. Jordan then gets involved helping out Rollins. Anderson then hits a huge spine buster on Rollins but Rollins kicks out of the cover. Gallows gets the tag and lands a cheap shot on Jordan. Rollins hits an enziguri and buys time. Balor gets the tag but Rollins is able to take him down. Jordan distracts the ref and Reigns doesn’t get the tag. Reigns still comes in to help and yells at Jordan. Reigns then takes out Anderson and Gallows on the outside. Jordan gets in Rollins way and Balor takes advantage with a dropkick. Balor hits the Coupe de Gace and gets the win for Balor Club.
*** The Miztourage comes out and ambushes Rollins and Jordan. The three then attack Reigns. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Reigns. They then hit the triple powerbomb on Reigns.
Winners: Balor Club (Finn Balor & Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson)
My Opinion:
I’m very happy Balor Club got the win. I’m looking for them to gain momentum and do something big. I like the heat with Jordan because I think fans wouldn’t like him being welcomed with open arms. The match itself was awesome but you can definitely put the blame on Jordan in this match. Balor Club is too good to make mistakes and it showed tonight. The sky is the limit for them if they stick together and watch each other’s backs.

Final Thoughts:
This was a pretty good Raw. I was super happy to see Balor Club on top tonight. Like I said I really hope they stick together and rise to new heights. WWE missed opportunities with them so I hope now they take advantage of what they have. I really liked Matt Hardy tonight, it was awesome to see his new theme and he’s got an amazing thing going right now. I loved what Nia did tonight, going after Asuka was a big statement and it will interesting to see how their match plays out next week. Braun Strowman was another person who made a huge statement tonight. It was awesome to see Strowman being able to take it there, it was real it was awesome it was the destruction we’ve been waiting for. Samoa Joe was great tonight as well, I think he showed he’s ready to make an impact and I can’t wait to see who he goes after in the Royal Rumble. Lastly, I was really impressed with Absolution, Rose and Deville showed what they can do and I think they’re in a position to do huge things this year.
Overall Rating: 6.9/10