Raw Review 07/02/2018

Tonight as Extreme Rules gets closer what matches will be announced from the Raw side? Plus as Sasha Banks and Bayley’s friendship has ended and the two have come to blows, what will happen this week as they must go to counseling? Kevin Owens continues to run from Braun Strowman but how long will he be able to evade the monster’s wrath? Seth Rollins came up short last week when facing Dolph Ziggler in a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship but he now has another shot at Extreme Rules in an Iron Man Match. Will Rollins be able to figure out how to overcome the numbers game and win back his title in only a few weeks? Finally, how will Alexa Bliss handle having to defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Nia Jax at Extreme Rules?

Raw comes to us tonight from the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Raw kicks off with us being welcomed by Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and The Coach

In Ring Segment: Roman Reigns
Reigns says they’re extremely talented and they have a bright future but never in his career did he think he would lose to The Revival. He says he’s not making excuses but he had the worst tag team partner in history. He says he doesn’t wanna team with Bob he wants to fight him and if it’s not at Extreme Rules it should be right now. He says Bob thinks he’s the guy and he’s not and 10 years ago he was the guy but couldn’t handle the role. He says 10 years from now he won’t be the guy because he is the guy and he runs the yard around here. Outcomes Dolph Ziggler.
Ziggler questions Reigns and says he shouldn’t be calling someone else an egomaniac. He says Reigns acts like everything in this world has to go through him. Mcintyre says he always has to play the hero like last week when he saved Seth Rollins. Ziggler tells Reigns if he wants everything to go through him and wants everything about him that’s fine by them. Mcintyre says since he stuck his nose in their business it’s only fair they return the favor. Reigns takes a shot at Mcintyre but the numbers game quickly gets to him and he is beaten down. Rollins comes out to help and sends Mcintyre out of the ring. Rollins goes after Ziggler and Mcintyre pulls him out of the ring.
My Opinion:
Reigns continues to poke at Lashley and I like it but it’s getting to the point where the talking needs to be over and the action needs to start. Reigns is the guy right now and if Lashley wants to be in that spot then he needs a good showing against Reigns. I think Reigns helping Rollins against Ziggler and Mcintyre is a good thing, it helps Rollins and Ziggler’s feud plus it puts Mcintyre in a good light. I really enjoy how they don’t let The Shield fade and allow them to continue to have each other’s back. There are better ways to start Raw but this wasn’t the worst way either.

Backstage Segment:
Rollins tells Angle they want Dolph and Drew. Angle says he will schedule the match for next week. Reigns says let’s do this tonight. Angle tells Reigns he already has the match. Rollins tells him to come on they want the match. Angle agrees to make the match tonight.

Match 1: Matt Hardy vs Curtis Axel w/ Bo Dallas
The two lock up and Hardy is able to get around and roll up Axel but only gets a 1 count on the cover. Axel is able to work a headlock and brings Hardy to the mat. Hardy is able to work the wrist of Axel and takes Axel to the mat but only gets a 2 on the count. Hardy hits him with stiff right hands and Axel falls to the mat. Axel comes back and throws Hardy across the ring and knocks him down. Axel gets him in the corner and hits him with stiff kicks. Hardy is able to hit Axel with an elbow. Hardy goes for a Twist of Fate but Axel is able to escape and goes to the outside as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Hardy tries to fight off Axel but Axel hits him with a huge dropkick. Axel hits Hardy with big kicks and follows with a right hand. Hardy fights out of the corner. Axel tries a cover but Hardy kicks out. Axel continues to wear him down but another attempt at a cover doesn’t work. Hardy fights back and is able to hit a side effect on the apron. Hardy hits him with forearms and then bounces Axel off the turnbuckles. Hardy then hits a big clothesline in the corner and follows with a side effect. Hardy tries the cover but Axel kicks out at 2. Hardy hits him with an elbow to the neck and then one to the chest. Hardy tries another cover but Axel again kicks out at 2. Dallas provides a distraction and Axel tries to take advantage. Hardy gets him in the corner but Axel bounces him off the ring post. Axel plants Hardy face first and gets the 1 2 3 on the cover.
Winner: Curtis Axel
My Opinion:
Another huge win for Axel this week, this is now 2 weeks in a row and you have to think it’s getting to Hardy. Even though Dallas got involved Axel still was going toe to toe with Hardy in this match. Axel is proving he can hang and I think The B Team has Hardy’s number. The x-factor at Extreme Rules will be Bray Wyatt because they haven’t proven they can contain them yet. The most dangerous part about the B Team right now is they are on a role and if that’s the case there’s a good chance they could walk out as the new Raw Tag Team Champions.

Backstage Segment:
Reigns aks Rollins about his match at Extreme Rules. Rollins says yeah and don’t worry you will too. Lashley comes in and tells Reigns he is a trouble starter and besides for Rollins, no one likes him. Lashley tells Reigns he needs to focus. Reigns says he will fine and tells Reigns to just sit on the apron. Lashley tells him he needs to focus or he will hold him accountable.

Match 2: Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews w/ Dana Brooke) vs The Authors Of Pain (Rezar & Akam)
Titus and Rezar start the match. Titus hits a shoulder tackle and knocks Rezar in the corner. Crews gets the tag but Rezar is able to work him in the corner and tags Akam. Crews uses his speed and hits a dropkick but Akam stays on his feet. Rezar is able to knock him down and then works him in the corner with big shots the kidneys. Crews is then thrown across the ring. On the cover, Crews is able to get to the ropes. AOP double teams Crews but Titus breaks up the cover. Titus is then sent into the ring post. Rezar gets the tag and AOP hits The Last Chapter. Crews is pinned 1 2 3.
Winners: The Authors Of Pain (Rezar & Akam)
My Opinion:
Another good win for AOP, they showed tonight it doesn’t take much for them to get the win. Titus Worldwide isn’t a bad team but they didn’t put up much of a fight. I think AOP is very dominate and hopefully, they will be able to be top competitors in the tag division sooner than later. I feel like the crowd needs to see more of what they can do and also they need to start facing more of the top teams on Raw. The one major positive is AOP now has been on Raw two weeks in a row and that’s a step up now.

Backstage Segment:
Rollins asks Reigns how it went with Bob. Reigns says he doesn’t know he wasn’t listening. Rollins laughs and then asks if he’s ready. Reigns says let’s do it.

Match 3: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns vs Dolph Ziggler & Drew Mcintyre
Rollins and Ziggler wrestle each other to the mat. Rollins tries to get around on him but Ziggler lands a cover but Rollins kicks out. Ziggler gets around on Rollins and works a side headlock. Rollins is able to fight him off but Ziggler rolls him. Rollins kicks out and the two then stare off. Mcintyre gets the tag and he then gets Rollins in a headlock. Rollins pushes him off but Mcintyre hits him with a shoulder tackle. Rollins tries to work him but Mcintyre throws him down. Reigns tags in and he and Mcintyre stare off. Reigns and Mcintyre lock up and Reigns is backed into the corner. Mcintyre hits him with a knee and then big right hands. Reigns reverse and hammers him with right hands. Reigns then lifts Mcintyre but he fights off. Reigns comes back with a huge right. Mcintyre gets back in control and knocks Reigns to the mat. Mcintyre hammers on him and tags Ziggler. Ziggler tries a cover but Reigns kicks out. Ziggler uses the ropes to choke Reigns. Ziggler bounces Reigns off the turnbuckle and Mcintyre tags in. Mcintyre hammers on Reigns and then pulls his hair. Ziggler tags in and hits Reigns with a big kick. Ziggler bounces Reigns off the turnbuckle and then mocks Rollins. Reigns hits Ziggler with a huge right hand out of the corner. Rollins gets the tag and knocks down Mcintyre from the apron. Rollins hits the sling blade and then takes Mcintyre out with a suicide dive. Reigns hits Ziggler with the drive by. Rollins hits the frog splash and goes for the cover but Mcintyre breaks up the cover. Ziggler rolls him up but Rollins kicks out. Rollins tries a cover but Ziggler kicks out. Rollins catches the superkick and sends Ziggler to the outside. Rollins goes to the top rope and flies taking out Ziggler and Mcintyre on the outside as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Ziggler has a sleeper on Rollins. As Rollins tries for a tag Ziggler hits him with the famouser. Ziggler tries the cover but Rollins kicks out. Mcintyre gets the tag and takes it to Rollins. Reigns tries to help but is taken out. Ziggler gets back in the match and takes Rollins to the outside but Rollins reverses and sends him into the barricade. Rollins catches Mcintyre. Ziggler comes back in and Rollins hits him with a buckle bomb. Rollins tries a tag but Reigns is pulled off the apron by The Revival and the bell is rung. The Revival takes it to Reigns and Mcintyre takes it to Rollins. Rollins tries to fight back but the numbers game catches up to him. Ziggler and Mcintyre hit the Zig Zag and Claymore on Rollins. The Revival then bring Reigns into the ring and hit The Shatter Machine.
Winners: Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns: Via DQ
My Opinion:
This was a very good match between these two teams. Rollins and Ziggler showed a little bit of what’s gonna happen when the two meet up at Extreme Rules and it looked pretty even between the two. Once again though it showed how Mcintyre is the one to worry about. If he gets involved I don’t think Rollins has a chance to win his title back. As for Reigns it looks like he may have made a bad decisions taking two matches tonight. The Revival was smart with their attack and they put themselves in a good position to pull off another big victory tonight.

Backstage Segment:
Owens tells Angle he has to do something about Braun Strowman. Angle says they settle things in the ring and it sounds like he wants a match. Owens tells him to send him to counseling or fire him or suspend him. Angle tells Owens there’s only one way to settle it so he will face Strowman tonight.

In Ring Segment: Constable Baron Corbin
Corbin goes on a rant about people just trying to help. He says Stephanie appointed him constable to help Kurt Angle be a better manager and help the superstars reach their full potential. He then shows footage from last week and explains what happened between him and Finn Balor. He says Finn’s behavior was inappropriate and unprofessional. He then invites Balor out here to offer him an apology. Outcomes Balor.
Corbin thanks him for coming out here and tells him it doesn’t have to be hard just come in and say you’re sorry and it won’t happen again. Corbin apologizes first and says when he hit him with a forearm he just wanted to talk. Corbin says he sorry that his comments about his vest got him fired from TGI Friday’s. Corbin says he will be the bigger man and let that slide and tells Balor to just say he’s sorry. Balor says he deserves an apology from whoever gave him that haircut. Corbin tells him to listen and says he is trying to help him. He tells him to suck up his pride, give him the respect he deserves and apologize. Balor says he’s sorry but he lost all respect the day he became Stephanie Mcmahon’s stooge. Corbin then hits Balor. Balor comes back with a big sling blade. Balor then knocks Corbin to the floor. Corbin then retreats.
My Opinion:
I love the new role of Baron Corbin, I think he’s playing it well and I’m glad to see him on tv every week. I like the rivalry with Balor as I think both are great and this is their chance to work together prove each other’s worth. Hopefully, they will get their big one on one match and they can show they belong and both should be in title contention.

Match 4: Liv Morgan w/ Sarah Logan vs Ember Moon
The two lock up to start and Morgan gets the advantage early. Ember is able to come back with an arm drag after blocking a hip toss. Morgan fights her off and locks in a side headlock. Ember is able to land a big crossbody and tries a cover but Morgan gets out. Morgan goes to the outside as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Morgan as Ember in a full nelson. Ember is able to get out of it and gets Morgan in an ankle lock. Morgan is able to hit a step up enziguri but it’s not enough to keep Ember. Ember then takes down Morgan. The two trade rights and Morgan is able to get the best of her. Ember sends Morgan face first into the turnbuckle and then hits a stomp. Ember hits the Eclipse and gets the 1 2 3.
Winner: Ember Moon
My Opinion:
I really enjoyed this match and I was surprised at how well Liv did. She was so hard-hitting and doing this against someone as good as Ember was great for her. Ember though is so good and showed all she needs is that one moment to capitalize and get that win. Eber is on her way to big things and tonight was another step in the right direction. One thing’s for sure this match could’ve turned out much different if Ruby was out there. Luckily Ember didn’t have to deal with the numbers game and showed why she is a top superstar on Raw.

Match 5: Bobby Lashley & Roman Reigns vs The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)
Reigns quickly backs Dawson into the corner. Dawson is able to get out and gets around on Reigns. Reigns works Dawson and gets a side headlock. Dawson fights him off with attacking his ribs. Reigns fights back with a big right hand and knocks Dawson to the floor. Wilder distracts Reigns and Dawson hammers on Reigns focusing on the ribs. Wilder comes in and Reigns fights off Dawson sending him to the outside. Wilder then hits him with a dropkick. Wilder works him and Dawson then tags back in. Dawson continues to work on the ribs and then goes to a body lock to further inflict damage on the midsection. Reigns is able to work to a vertical base but quickly Dawson takes him to the mat as Reigns can’t reverse the hip toss. Wilder gets the tag and the two double team him. Wilder hits with an uppercut in the corner and tags Dawson. Reigns is able to catch him and hits him with big right hands. Dawson again catches him in the ribs but Reigns fights back and throws him into the corner. Wilder gets the tag and he tries to steal one but he kicks out. Lashley finally comes in to help Reigns and hits two spinebusters. Lashley looks for the tag but Reigns refuses. The Revival then double team Reigns in the corner and the ref calls for the bell. The Revival hammer on him and hit him with The Shatter Machine.
Winners: Roman Reigns & Bobby Lashley: Via DQ
My Opinion:
This match wasn’t the best, I understand why Lashley didn’t come in but still, this match could’ve used it. I think The Revival look good from this obviously showing their dominance as a team but it’s not much of a knock only beating up one guy. Reigns was just too proud tonight and once again his pride got him beaten down. Reigns need to learn that to get to where he wants to be you gotta be smart and tough. Tonight he didn’t show smarts and now if Lashley gets ahold of him who knows what condition he is gonna be in.

Backstage Segment:
Owens tells Angle he needs to fix this chaos. Owens tells him to fix this he needs to cancel this match. Angle tells him he’s good. Owens pleads with him but Angle says there is no way he is getting out of this match.

Backstage Segment:
Reigns asks Kurt what he has to do. Angle says it’s set Lashley was just here. Reigns says good and you better find a replacement for him cause he’s gonna lay him out.

Mojo Rawley vs No Way Jose
Mojo asks Jose if he didn’t make himself clear last week. Mojo says he’s sacrificed everything to be in this ring and Jose takes the opportunity and dances. Mojo tells him no way Jose and hits him with the mic. Mojo then takes out a member of the conga line. Jose goes after him but he is then driven into the apron.
My Opinion:
Once again Mojo makes a statement but at the expense of No Way Jose and a member of his conga line. I don’t think this proves much for him and for Mojo it’s gonna take so much more to get to where he wants to be. I think people are tired of seeing segments like this and it’s one of the problems on Raw.

Exclusive Interview:
Renee asks Ronda’s reaction to Alexa defending against Nia. Ronda says she is excited and can’t wait. She says she may be suspended but not from Extreme Rules so she will have a front row seat to watch this.

Match 6: Mickie James w/ Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax
*** Before the match Nia tells Alexa that this needs to end. She says at Extreme Rules it will with Ronda Rousey watching. She informs Alexa that their match will be an Extreme Rules match.
Mickie tries to hammer on Nia but Nia pushes her to the mat. Mickie comes back with big shots but Nia again knocks Mickie down. Nia toys with Mickie but Mickie fights back with a big kick. Mickie continues to try to fight but Nia turns her inside out. Mickie goes to the outside but Nia catches her. Nia grabs Mickie but Alexa pulls her off. The two are at a standoff as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, attacks the knee of Nia. Nia gets back in the ring but Mickie hits her with big kicks to the knee. Nia tosses her into the corner but Mickie brings her back to her knee. Mickie continues with big kicks. Mickie then uses the ropes to wrench down on the knee of Nia. Mickie hits with an elbow to the knee and continues to apply pressure. Mickie punches the knee of Nia and then hits her with a forearm. Nia turns it around with a leg scissors. Mickie makes it to the bottom rope to break the hold. Nia hits Mickie with a big headbutt and then an elbow. Nia hits a series of clotheslines and then sends Mickie into the corner. Mickie is able to counter with a big kick. Mickie tries the Mick kick but gets caught. Nia hits the sit down powerbomb but Alexa distracts the ref on the cover. Nia then hits the Samoan drop and gets the 1 2 3.
Winner: Nia Jax
My Opinion:
Mickie did very well tonight in wearing down Nia but Nia is so tough and wouldn’t stay down. For Nia, once she can use her power game she’s in control. Mickie fought hard but Nia didn’t give up and for her, it takes only a few big moves and a lot of moves to wear down her opponents. At Extreme Rules, Bliss is gonna have to stay on her and not let up if she has any chance. It’ll be interesting to see if Rousey gets involved during the match especially since there will be no rules.

Backstage Segment:
Owens asks Mahal what he’s doing wrong with the breathing exercises. Mahal tells him to find inner peace. Charly tells Owens he seems shaken up. Owens says he’s not shaken up and he’s glad he’s facing him. Charly questions this. Owens asks why he would be shaken up about this. Owens says some people would be terrified but he’s fought him before and tonight and he’s gonna get in there with him and he’s gonna show the world how you destroy a monster.

Backstage Segment:
Renee asks Bobby’s reaction to his match with Reigns. Lashley says did you see the match Reigns got what he deserved and it felt good to see. He says he can’t wait for their match and if he had never gone away this would’ve never been Reigns yard.

Match 7: Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens
Braun quickly shoves Owens to the mat. Owens then rolls to the outside. Owens runs away and is counted out. Strowman then chases him. Owens gets to his car but doesn’t have his keys. Owens then hides in the porta potty. Strowman continues to search for him and finally realizes where he is. Strowman then duck tapes the porta potty shut and pulls it into the arena. Strowman brings it onto the stage and then runs into it tipping it over and knocking it to the floor.
Winner: Braun Strowman: Via Count Out
My Opinion:
Of course we didn’t get a match for the main event but I’m finding the feud between these two so entertaining. I think this is a fun way to end Raw and Braun continues to do things that make us laugh and surprises us. I love Owens trying to run and it’s creating a very good humorous concept. This rivalry helps Braun and Owens and it truly looks like they’re enjoying what they are doing and it’s nice to see.

Final Thoughts:
Tonight was an okay Raw. I was glad to see Reigns and Lashley’s match finally be announced. I think a lot of people have been waiting for them to go one on one and finally we got it. Reigns bit off more than he could chew tonight and that could be a bad thing since he needs to 100 percent if he’s gonna be somebody like Lashley. Dolph Ziggler and Drew Mcintyre again got one over on Seth Rollins. Rollins is a fighter but how will he survive the numbers game at Extreme Rules especially in an Iron Man Match. I was very impressed with Liv Morgan tonight. I thought her and Ember Moon had a great match and Liv showed she could stand on her own. But, with another big win Ember continues to push herself closer to getting a title shot. Nia Jax showed tonight it only takes a few moves for her to end a match. Mickie took it to her but you have to do so much to keep Nia down. Alexa is kinda lucky she has an extreme rules match with her because she is gonna need to use everything she can to keep her down. Authors Of Pain picked up a huge victory tonight beating Titus Worldwide. It’s about time AOP is on tv constantly and I think tonight they proved hey can mow down the competition on Raw. Finally, I enjoyed the ay Raw ended tonight. Yes, we didn’t have an actual match but to me, the feud with Braun and Owens is very entering and it’s refreshing to see the humor they bring. I think this continues to put Braun over and for Owens it helps him as well. I think ultimately they will face in a cage match or something at Extreme Rules but for now, it’s fun to watch their antics.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10