Raw Review 10/08/2018

Triple H finally put away The Undertaker but it was Undertaker and Kane who got the last laugh laying out both Triple H and Shawn Michaels. Was that truly the last time ever or will The Game look for retribution. Plus The Shield put away Strowman, Ziggler, and McIntyre but the feud is far from over, what will happen next in this epic rivalry? Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins defeated The Riott Squad and Rousey looked dominate. With that match Rousey now looks ahead to Evolution and defending the Raw Women’s Championship but who will her opponent be? Finally, Bobby Lashley alongside John Cena silenced Elias and Kevin Owens, is Lashley into new things or will Elias and Owens come back for more?

Raw comes to us from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.

Raw kicks off with us being welcomed by Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Renee Young

In Ring Segment: Triple H & “HBK” Shawn Michaels
Triple H says 25 years is a long time to climb the mountain but you climb that mountain because its the biggest most deadly mountain in the world. He says inch by inch year by year you climb that mountain. He says he and HBK should be standing on top of the summit right now because they made it to the top. He says the avalanche that followed though ruined that. Triple H then shows what happened at Super Show-Down. Triple H says respect is something that has lost its significance as of late. He says respect is something you earn one someone takes you under their wing an help you become something. He says respect is when you stand side by side with someone and fight everyone. He says respect is when you stick to your word even when everyone tells you not to but you stick to your word because that is respect. HBK says sometimes you respect someone for who they use to be and represent. HBK says it then dawns that the respect is not a two-way street. HBK says their trip back was a long trip to think about things and think about the beat down they took. HBK says to think about the last 8 and a half long years he has sat there and honored his word out of respect, a respect that never excited at all. HBK says Triple H walked up to him and said three words he never thought he’d hear again. Are You Ready? Triple H says the question is for Kan and The Undertaker, at Crown Jewel are you ready? HBK says DX is ready. HBK says he says this with no respect at all, if you’re no down with that we got two words for you, Suck It!
My Opinion:
What a huge way to kick off Raw! DX is back!!! I hope Taker and Kane accept this challenge and this match happens. This would be amazing to see these two dominate teams go at it. This is awesome and if it happens Crown Jewel is gonna be a huge event. Even just saying HBK back in the ring will be amazing!

Match 1: Kevin Owens vs Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush
Lashley and Owens lock up and Lashley throws Owens. Lashley goes at Owens again and he has to go to the outside. Owens gets around on Lashley but Lashley is able to hit him with a shoulder tackle. Lashley gets him in the corner and hammers on Owens. Owens is able to get to Lashley and sends him to the outside. Ownes goes to the outside and hits him with a straight right hand. Lashley gets back in the ring and again Owens sends him over the ropes. Owens takes a cheap shot and then flies over the top rope with a cannonball. Owens goes back outside but Lashley gets to him and hits him with right hands. Owens fights back and sends Lashley into the barricade as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Lashley has Owens in a sleeper hold. Owens gets to his feet but Lashley keeps the hold on. Owens breaks the hold with an elbow and goes to the corner. Owens goes to the outside after Rush, he grabs him but this allows Lashley to hit him from behind and throw him into the stairs. Lashley then sends Owens into the barricade. Lashley brings Owens back into the ring Lashley works Owens into the corner. Lashley hits him with a big spear and looks for a suplex. Owens fights back but Lashley is able to slam him with a spine buster. Lashley lands a huge suplex but can’t get the three on the cover. Lashley gets Owens in a full nelson but Owens stands at a verticle base. Owens breaks out and hits Lashley with the stunner. Owens goes for the cover but Lashley kicks out at two. Owens goes to the top but gets distracted. Lashley knocks him down and is able to get to Owens. Lashley slams Owens is able to get the 1 2 3 on the cover.
*** Rush sends Lashley back tot he ring and Lashley attacks Owens going after his knee. Lashley lays out Owens after destroying his leg on the ring post.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
My Opinion:
I wasn’t a huge fan of this match, this to me made Lashley look really weak. He came in as a good guy and now he needs a hype man and is turning heel. I don’t really get it and I don’t think this is gonna help him get to the top. For Owens this made him look really good. He was over with the crowd and he looked strong against Lashley. Lashley walked away looking like he can’t win on his own and needs someone by his side which defeats the purpose of who Bobby Lashley is supposed to be.

Backstage Segment:
Kayla welcomes Finn and Byley and asks about their rematch tonight against Jinder and Alicia. Finn says those two can’t get on the same page. Bayley says individually they’re great but they don’t work together. Rush then comes in and says did you see what happened out there. Lashley asks where are they worried about hugs when he just ripped Owens to pieces. Rush says with his words and with Lashley’s power it’s just too sweet.

Match 2: Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins (Brie Bella & Nikki Bella) vs  The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan)
Liv Morgan pushes Brie Bella and then slaps her. Brie fights back and hits big kicks on Morgan. Morgan and Brie then throw rights and go at it on the mat all the way to the outside. Logan gets the tag and so does Rousey. Rousey hits Logan with big knee strikes. Logan throws her in the corner but Rousey comes out and flips Logan as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Nikki hits a spine buster on Riott. Nikki then hits her with a series of clotheslines and follows up with a dropkick. Nikki tries a cover after an enziguri but Riott kicks out. Brie gets the tag but is pulled to the outside by the Riott Squad as Riott lands an STO. Morgan gets the tag and stomps on Brie in the corner. Logan then gets the tag and works a half nelson on Brie. Brie fights out but Logan is able to throw her down to the mat. Logan then hits a hip toss and follows with a running knee. Logan goes for the cover but Brie kicks out. Logan gets the tag and lands a huge kick. Logan goes for the cover but Brie kicks out. Riott then comes in and tries her luck but still, Brie continues to fight. Riott tries to prevent the tag and does so with a knee. Riott then takes cheap shots. Riott looks for a tag but The riott Squad has been taken out. Rousey gets the tag and goes after Riott. Rousey fails on a pin attempt but gets back up and lands huge body strikes on Riott in the corner. Rousey flips Riott and then locks in the armbar after The Bella’s stop Morgan and Logan from interfering. Riott taps.
*** After the match The Bella Twins attack Rousey. Rousey fights back and takes out Brie. Rousey then grabs Nikki and hits her with an uppercut. Rousey flips Nikki and she goes out of the ring. Rousey goes tot he outside but is attacked from behind by Brie and is driven into the ring post. Rousey is then driven into the stairs. Nikki then picks her up and drives her into the barricade. They then drag Rousey into the ring and stand on top of her. Nikki then puts the title on Rousey.
Winners: Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins (Brie Bella & Nikki Bella)
My Opinion:
This was an okay match, it was the best showing from the Riott Squad but they showed their dominance and put up a good fight once again. The big story from the match is obviously The Bella Twins attacking Rousey. It seems they used Rousey to get back into the spotlight and now they’re coming after her title. See Nikki and Rousey facing at Evolution now. It’ll be interesting to see this feud develop.

Match 3: Bayley & Finn Balor vs Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox w/ Sunil Singh
Jinder Mahal slams Balor and tries a cover but Balor kicks out. Mahal then goes to a chin lock. Balor tries to fight out but Mahal wrenches it in tighter on the mat. Balor gets to his feet and is able to work Mahal and hits the basement dropkick. Fox gets the tag and as Bayley comes in Balor assists her picking her up and kicking Mahal as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Fox works a side headlock on Bayley. Baley tries to fight out but Fox strikes her and drops her to the mat. Fox stays on Bayley and hits her with a big forearm. Fox goes to a waist lock trying to prevent the tag. Baley fights back and sends Fox out of the ring. Fox comes back in but Bayley sends her to the floor again this time on the other side. Balor gets the tag and drops Mahal with a clothesline. Balor then hits a big double stomp. Balor hits a big chop but his momentum is stopped with a big boot from Mahal. Balor is able to get around on Mahal and drops him. Balor tries a cover but the pin is broken up. Mahal gets Balor in the corner but Balor goes to the apron and lands a big kick. Balor goes to the top and hits the Coupe de Grace. Balor gets the 1 2 3 on the cover.
Winners: Finn Balor & Bayley
My Opinion:
Bayley and Balor looked super strong as a team tonight. They showed they are on the same page and have what it takes to get the job done. Tomorrow night they have a tough task against Braun and Ember but right now Bayley and Balor look to be on one of the most complete teams so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them win.

Backstage Segment:
Ziggler they can take The shield tonight. He tells Braun he needs to take them out. Drew says they know what they need to do. Drew brings up Super Show-Down and tells Ziggler he needs to worry about pulling his weight around here. Braun tells them to shut up and says they are here to watch his back and make sure he wins the Universal Championship. Braun says they are gonna put an end to The Shield tonight, no more excuses.

Backstage Segment:
Slater tells Balor he wants a shot at the World Cup and says he wants to be apart of the battle royal tonight. Baron says he appreciates it but tells Slater he’s just not any good.

In Ring Segment: Baron Corbin
Corbin comes out and says he can’t believe he comes out and the crowd boos him. He says Crown Jewel will be historic and tells about The World Cup tournament. He says as acting GM he could’ve put himself in but he wanted to prove he belonged. He says he scoured the world looking for the best talent in the world. He then hypes up the competitors in the ring. He introduces the competitors from around the world and then introduces himself as the competitor form the United States.

Match 4: Battle Royal Qualifier for the WWE World Cup Tournament
The competitors go after Corbin but he fights back and starts eliminating them one by one. Corbin eliminates everyone and believes he won but the Conquistador hasn’t been eliminated. Corbin goes after him but the Conquistador gets back in the ring. Corbin comes back and is hit with a trio of German suplexes. He’s then hit with another suplex before he is eliminated. It’s Kurt Angle under the mask!!!! He is going to the WWE World Cup alongside John Cena!
Winner: Kurt Angle
My Opinion:
OMG! Angle is back! That was an awesome way to bring Angle back! Angle in the World Cup will be amazing. It’s been a while since we’ve seen him in the ring so it’s about time. With him and John Cena in this, it’s shaping up to be a must-see tournament! I can only imagine who else is gonna enter!

Backstage Segment:
Charly congratulates Angle and says what a surprise you are now heading to Crown Jewel to compete in the World Cup, she then welcomes him back. Angle says thank you but technically I am still on vacation.

Match 5: Nia Jax vs Ember Moon
Moon locks in a side headlock. Moon tries an arm drag but Nia stops her and swats her down. Moon is able to hit a step up enziguri but Nia won’t go down. Nia is able to spike Moon to the mat. Nia hits a splash in the corner and then tosses her. Moon locks in a sleeper hold but Nia just throws her off. Moon continues to fight and is able to hit a hurricane. Moon then hits a basement dropkick and sends Nia out of the ring. Moon flies through the first rope and his a suicide dive but Nia still stands on her feet. Moon goes to get in the ring but Nia pulls her right back out. Nia lifts her but Moon fights off. Nia grabs her and throws her to the floor. Moon is able to move out of the way of Nia and Nia hits the apron hard. Moon gets back in the ring and wins via count out.
*** After the match Nia hugs her and raises her hand.
Winner: Ember Moon: Via Count Out
My Opinion:
Big win for Ember tonight. No matter how you get it done she still picks up the victory and was able to survive Nia. I like the sportsmanship showed by Nia. I think for her to get back to the top she needs to go back to this side of herself because that’s what truly got her over.

In Ring Segment:
Trish says in just three weeks we will be making history in the first ever WWE women’s PPV Evolution. She then brings up Alexa and says last weeks Moment of a Bliss sounded like a moment of bs. She says she thought she’d come out here and enlighten little miss brat with a moment of satisfaction. Out comes Bliss.
Bliss questions Stratus. Bliss tells her she has goosebumps being out here and its an honor. She says, Stratus was a 7-time women’s champion and she can finally tell her she sucked. She tells Strauts back then she wouldn’t have been able to step in the ring with her. She says she would’ve been an afterthought and lived in her shadow. Stratus questions her and says there is a ring right here let’s do this tonight. Mickie and Alexa get in the ring and Mickie tells Alexa she is not doing this right now these people don’t deserve it. She then says nothing good ever happens in Chicago. Stratus tells her to protect her friend and then tells Mickie to tell her friend what it’s like to be in the ring with her. Stratus says they will find out what a Hall Of Fame beat down is like. Mickie says she’d love to see that and offers a tag match. Trish says it’s on she just needs a partner. She then brings out Lita.
The four women go at it. Lita takes out Bliss and Trish then takes down Mickie. Lita goes to the top but Bliss pulls Mickie out of the ring.
My Opinion:
Wow, this was a huge announcement! First what an iconic moment seeing Trish and Lita in the ring toegther but now we get them teaming up! This match is gonna be so good and I can’t wait to see how they build this up. Evolution is getting close and now the stakes have never been higher.

Backstage Segment:
Reigns says they are not an alliance they are a brotherhood. Ambrose says Braun, Ziggler, and Mcintyre maybe you think you’ve done some bad things but they are the bad guys, not them. Reigns says it doesn’t matter where they are the story is still the same. Rollins says they don’t bend, they don’t snap, they are the one true constant. Ambrose says they are The Hounds of Justice. Reigns says they are The Shield believe that.

Match 6: Bobby Roode & Chad Gabe vs The Ascension (Konnor & Viktor)
Konnor and Roode lock up to start the match. Roode gets backed to the corner. Roode works a side headlock but is taken down by a shoulder tackle. Gable had made the tag previously and flies but it doesn’t take much for Konnor to get in control as he sends him out of the ring. Konnor then runs him over. Viktor gets the tag and takes it to Gable. Konnor comes back in and they double team him. Konnor gets back in and takes it to Gable more. Viktor gets the tag and works Gable on the mat. Gable fights to his feet and on the apron fights back in the ring. Gable rolls threw and makes the tag. Roode hits Viktor with big shops. Viktor throws him in the corner but Roode hits him with big boots. Roode hits the blockbuster. Konnor tries to run interference but Gable sends him to the floor. Roode hits Viktor with the boots. Gable tags in and hits the German suplex into the bridge. Gable gets the 1 2 3 for his team.
***After the match AOP comes out and lays out both teams.
Winners: Bobby Roode & Chad Gable
My Opinion:
Good win for Gable and Roode after losing the past two weeks in singles matches. Even though it didn’t look like they were on the same page at the end a win is a win. The big story is the dominance of AOP. they can run through the tag division and it’s only a matter of time before they get a shot at the Raw Tag Team Championships.

*** Ronda Rousey will defend against Nikki Bella

Paul Heyman:
Heyman says he is here to see a fight. He says he’s here to see The shield face Braun, Ziggler, and Mcintyre. Heyman tells how these guys fought 72 hours ago and now they’re back to do it again. He says this is what the WWE does to entertain all of you. He says Brock is not watching this promo because he is in his own bed sleeping in his own house. He then tells of Lesnar’s training he is going through to become the first two-sport concurrent champion in both the WWE and the UFC. He says Reigns is part of a brotherhood where he has to watch his back and now Braun is part of a team. He tells that Brock has never done such a thing and has never said the word we. He says Brock stands before everyone and says me. He says at Crown Jewel Brock Lesnar will be reigning and defending Universal Champion. Out comes The Shield for the main event.

Match 7: The Shield (Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose) vs Braun Strowman & Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
Rollins and Mcintyre lock up to start. Rollins backs him to the ropes and tries to get the advantage but Mcintyre drives him to the mat. Rollins hits him with a boot and tags Ambrose. Ambrose and Rollins double team him and Ambrose tries a tag. Mcintyre kicks out. Ambrose hammers on him but Mcintyre fights back and tags Braun. Braun lays out Ambrose. Ambrose is able to use his quickness to escape and Reigns gets the tag. Bruan backs Reigns to the corner and then hits a splash. He tries another but Reigns hits him with a right hand. Strowman comes back and lays out Reigns. Braun gets him in the corner and hits him with a shot to the back. Ziggler comes in and bounces Reigns off the turnbuckle. Mcintyre gets the tag and they try the double team but Rollins and Ambrose prevent it. They then send Ziggler and Mcintyre to the outside. Braun yells at them to get it together as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Braun beats down Reigns in the corner and then hits him with a splash. Ziggler tags in and toys with Reigns. Ziggler bounces him off the turnbuckle. Reigns tries to fight back but Bruan gets the tag. Reigns continues to fight and hits the Samoan Drop. Reigns gets the tag and hits a sling blade. He hits a suicide dive taking out Mcintyre. He hits Ziggler with a right and then flies taking out Ziggler. Rollins tries the stomp but Ziggler avoids and goes after the knee. Rollins tries to stack up Ziggler but he kicks out. Rollins hits the buckle bomb but Mcintyre breaks up the cover. Ambrose comes in to help. Braun grabs Rollins and Ambrose but Reigns hits a Superman Punch. On the outside Reigns flies over the ropes taking everyone out on the outside as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Braun works the neck of Reigns. Rollins gets the tag but so does Mcintyre. Mcintyre toys with him but Rollins fights back with rights. Mcintyre gets the best of him and drops Rollins to the mat. Ziggler gets the tag and hits Rollins with a kick. Ziggler doesn’t allow Rollins to get to his feet. Mcintyre gets the tag and prevents Rollins form getting the tag. Rollins is able to hit the enziguri but Braun knocks Reigns and Ambrose off the apron preventing the tag. Braun the goes to the outside and lays out Reigns and Ambrose even more. Rollins rolls up Mcintyre from behind but he kicks out. Rollins tags in Ambrose and Ambrose hits a suicide dive taking out Mcintyre and Strowman. Mcintyre comes in and grabs Ambrose but he fights off and rolls him up. Mcintyre kicks out. Ambrose hits the neck breaker but it’s still not enough to put him away. Ambrose is able to catch Mcintyre off the ropes but can’ land Dirty Deeds. Rollins comes in and takes down McIntyre and Ziggler. Rollins sacrifices himself and takes himself and Ziggler to the outside. Ambrose and Mcintyre collide and both men are down in the center of the ring. Reigns looks for the Superman Punch but Braun catches him and sends him into the post. Ambrose flies but is caught by Braun. Ambrose turns it into a DDT. Reigns comes and hits a spear. Ambrose comes back in the ring and is hit by a Claymore. Mcintyre gets the 1 2 3.
Winners: Braun Strowman & Dolph Ziggler & Drew Mcintyre
My Opinion:
Huge win for Ziggler, Braun, and Mcintyre. For Bruan he got what he wanted, they got it together and got the job done. As for The Shield, there is no sign as to what’s next. With Ambrose leaving Rollins and Reigns in the ring after the match it appears he may be done with them. If so it’ll be a tough road for Roman getting to Crown Jewel.

Final Thoughts:
This was an awesome Raw, there was so much going on tonight! First, we saw the revival of DX and then find out they will face The Brother’s of Destruction at Crown Jewel. That is gonna be such an iconic match! Also, seeing Trish Stratus and Lita in the ring together again was awesome and finding out they will tag together at Evolution is even better! Another thing we found out was Ronda Rousey will defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Ronda Rousey which should be a pretty good match. We also saw the return of Kurt Angle. With Angle and Cena both in the WWE World Cup, it’s shaping up to be a special tournament. Finally, a the end of the night we got truly an epic main event. Braun Strowman got what he wanted and got Ziggler and Mcintyre to work together and get the job done. The Shield is left up in the air after Ambrose walked out after the match. If it is the end of them I hope there are big plans for Ambrose and it’s not all for nothing. Either way, both Crown Jewel and Evolution are shaping up to be iconic events and I can not wait for this next month of wrestling!!!
Overall Rating: 7.5/10