Raw Review 10/31/2016

Happy Halloween everybody! Tonight we see the fallout from Hell In A Cell live from XL Center in Hartford, CT. Get the chants started because Goldberg is back tonight to address his match with Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. After getting screwed over last night by Jericho and Owens, what kind of revenge will Seth Rollins be looking for? Will Sheamus and Cesaro get a rematch for the Raw Tag Team Championships after winning via disqualification last night? What is next for United States Champion Roman Reigns and for the new Raw Womens Champion Charlotte? Also can TJ Perkins regain his Cruiserweight Championship as he gets a rematch after losing the title last night to The Brian Kendrick? Plus so much more on this spooky special Halloween edition of Monday Night Raw!

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Raw is live tonight from the XL Center in Hartford, CT

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

In Ring Segment
Goldberg! Goldberg! Goldberg! We start tonight with Goldberg making his way to the ring. He starts by soaking in the roaring ovation from the crowd. He says Brock Lesnar three weeks and is then interrupted by Paul Heyman.
Heyman says that Lesnar is not appreciative of the Goldberg chants. He says on the record you’re pissing me off. Heyman states he has all the respect for Goldberg and his abilities and that he is not a physical threat to Mr. Goldberg, so he feels some what comfortable stepping in the ring with him. Heyman proclaims to Goldberg that he came here tonight with significant back up. Heyman states that his client is an impatient beast. He reminds that Goldberg is 1-0 against Lesnar but Lesnar conquers streaks. Heyman states that Lesnar has decided not to wait until Survivor Series and that he wants to face Goldberg face to face right here. Heyman then introduces Lesnar but then laughs and says gotcha as there is no Lesnar to be seen. Heyman then pokes fun at the Goldberg’s son. Goldberg doesn’t take kindly and sizes up Heyman. Out comes Rusev.
Rusev starts by saying who do you think you are? Rusev claims that he doesn’t think Goldberg has it anymore. He says he is no superhero because there is no such thing. Rusev states he use to watch Goldberg back in WCW but he doesn’t think Goldberg has the strength and explosiveness to pull off the Spear and Jackhammer. Rusev goes on to question Goldberg’s heart. Rusev says Lesnar is not here but he is and that he crushes weak people and hits Goldberg with a right. Goldberg is unfazed and hits Rusev with some knees. Goldberg capitalizes and hits a Jackhammer on Rusev and finishes with a Spear to Heyman.
My Opinion:
This week Heyman was really good on the mic. He hit his points and helped build the storyline. Plus he actually got his Goldberg chants. It was nice seeing Rusev come out and get involved as I feel he deserves these spots. I’m glad Goldberg didn’t say anything as that will die out quickly if he talks too much. Enough was said with Goldberg hitting his two big moves. It made a huge statement and leaves you wanting more and that is the whole point. We want more and will get more on the road to Survivor Series. It was a good way to kick off Raw as the crowd was hot and the chants were loud.

Match 1: Enzo vs Luke Gallows (Trick or Street Fight)
Enzo and Cass were dressed up as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story. Gallows starts with a big shoulder tackle and tosses Enzo out of the ring. He throws Enzo back in but off a distraction from Cass Enzo takes Gallows out with a baseball slide. Enzo beats Gallows with a skeleton and shoves Gallows face in the apple bucket. Enzo then goes back to beating Gallows with the skeleton as we go to break. We are back and Gallows misses Enzo with a big boot but then takes out Enzo with a pumpkin. Gallows then smashes a pumpkin in Enzo’s face. Gallows takes the action back in the ring and hits a big clothesline. Gallows then takes it to Enzo with a candy corn kendo stick. He goes for another shot with the kendo stick but Enzo ducks out of the way. Enzo proceeds to throw pumpkins at Gallows but Gallows hits him with a big shot with the kendo stick. Enzo regains control after taking out Gallows knees. Enzo continues on Gallows and then hits Anderson with a pumpkin. Anderson then is taken out by a big boot and sent thru a table. Enzo hits a DDG for the win.
Winner: Enzo
My Opinion:
A very festive and entertaining match. For the occasion the match was very good. I like them putting Enzo in this match as he always can work on his in ring work. The pop him and Big Cass received was great. The match was a perfect way to ease into the festivities of the night. It was funny and entertaining and I liked that Gallows didn’t get buried as he dominated much of the match. Overall it was fun and entertaining.

-We are back on Raw. Before their match The Brian Kendrick comes out and says last night he reminded everyone that nice guys finish last. He states that he doesn’t need anybody to let him win. He says it is mind games and that sympathetic people are weak minded. He says that he knew that Perkins would crack and the fake injury was just what he needed. He proclaims he can tell Perkins is fired up and determined but Perkins better believe he has a plan on how he will keep it.

Match 2: The Brian Kendrick(c) vs TJ Perkins (Cruiserweight Championship)
Perkins starts with running knees. He takes it to Kendrick but kendrick gets wrapped in the ropes to create separation as we go to break. We are back and Kendrick as Perkins in a headlock. Perkins gets out and hits a dropkick. Perkins plants Kendrick with a bulldog. Perkins hits a nice dropkick to the back of Kendrick’s neck and a kick to the gut. Perkins gets the Knee Bar locked in but Kendrick gets to the ropes. Perkins looks to fly but Kendrick knocks him down. Kendrick goes for a suplex but Perkins throws him down. Perkins then sends Kendrick over the top rope with a hurricanrana off the top rope. Perkins gets back in the ring before the 10 count but Kenrick decides not to get back in the ring. Perkins wins via count out. After the match Perkins takes it to Kendrick on the outside and locks in the Knee Bar.
Winners: TJ Perkins via Count out (Still champion Brian Kendrick)
My Opinion:
Not a bad match between the two. It was competitive and we saw some cool moves. I like Perkins breaking out at the end showing an aggressive side. If Perkins could get a better character developed these matches could become really special. It was good they put this match early as the crowd was still hot, so they weren’t wrestling in complete silence like usual. This was a good way for Kendrick to win as it builds on the he will do whatever it takes mentality. I don’t think this rivalry is over and it shouldn’t be as more Cruiserweights need to be built up first before they are prime players.

Backstage Segment:
Foley is seen backstage and is approached by Braun Strowman. Strowman says he wants to be part of team Raw at Survivor Series. He says he wants real competition or he will destroy half of the roster. Foley says is that a threat because if it is it’s working. Classic Foley. Foley says Strowman will be a part of a battle royal to see who will get to be apart of team Raw.

In Ring Segment:
Foley says last night Raw had a hell of a night. He says he is proud of everyone last night except for Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho. He says the things they did were legal but it left a bad taste in his mouth. Out comes Owens and Jericho.
Owens asks Foley what his issue is on what happened last night. Owens states that he made history last night being the first person to successfully defend the Universal Championship in Hell In A Cell. Jericho says that Foley needs him and Owens to anchor down team Raw. Foley says yeah I do need you both. Owens says yeah you do need us because we are the top two guys on Raw. Owens claims he can see it is killing Foley that he needs them. He states Foley is jealous because he won and Foley made a name for himself being a giant loser. They remind Foley he has lost four Hell In A Cell matches. Foley says he has an issue with Owens because he could’ve walked out a legend and instead he just walked out a winner. Foley says 18 years from now they won’t be showing the actions of last night on the WWE Network or video packages like they do with Foley’s classic moments. Foley mentions Jericho swinging the keys of the cell isn’t a highlight moment. Jericho calls it the “key of Jericho” and says lock it in man, a play on the gift of Jericho shtick. Foley says you think this is a joke? He says that he needs them both, but Stephanie wanted Owens not Jericho. Foley says that Stephanie wanted to suspend Jericho but he stopped her because he needs them both. Foley then says he needs a another guy but not just any guy the guy. Out comes Roman Reigns.
Roman thanks Foley for the confidence. Foley says his wife loves Roman. Roman states it sounds like we got a few ghosts in the crowd. Jericho says you’re not even wearing a costumes. Roman says I was going to dress up as a stupid idiot but they didn’t have anymore Jericho costumes. Jericho fires back and says Roman doesn’t deserve to be on the list and he isn’t worthy of being the United States champion. Jericho proclaims he would be a better US Champion than Roman. Jericho says he would take that title tonight if he wanted to but he is sure Roman is too beat up from his harrendence match with Rusev. Roman says he would never pass the opportunity to shut Jericho’s mouth. Foley says let’s make it official. Roman will defend tonight against Jericho.
My Opinion:
Pretty entertaining. Foley had a lot of passion and sold his points. The less Owens says the better. He doesn’t need to be a talker but he needs to take names. Jericho did well and was very funny as usual. The JeriKo duo continues to carry Raw on the entertainment side of things. Roman hit his points as well but it was the same old same old. The US title match was a nice announcement, plus having these three on team Raw.

Match 3: Battle Royal (Winner joins team Raw at Survivor Series)
Bo dallas is quickly eliminated. Cesaro and Neville and Zayn work on Strowman. Sheamus hits a Strowman with a Brogue Kick but he is sent through the second rope so he is not eliminated. As we return Sheamus eliminates Jinder Mahal with the help of Cesaro. Sheamus then helps Cesaro eliminate Darren Young. Axel goes after Strowman but Strowman picks him up and tosses him out. Titus is eliminated by Zayn as Goldust is eliminated by Cesaro. Cesaro goes on to eliminate Sheamus but then Cesaro is eliminated by Strowman. Strowman dumps Neville out of the ring. We are left with Zayn and Strowman. Strowman flattens Zayn. Zayn tries to yank Strowman over the ropes but Strowman is too strong and knocks Zayn off the apron.
Winner: Braun Strowman
My Opinion:
Pretty good battle Royal. I am glad strowman won as it adds a nice touch to team Raw. It was nice to see the Sheamus and Cesaro team storyline continue to build. Plus Sami Zayn looked really good. Hopefully he will get some good work soon. It was nice seeing Strowman be dominate as that is what he needs. It makes him a big threat heading into Survivor Series and builds his character up to what he needs it to be at.

Backstage Segment:
The New Day is backstage. Kofi says we had a rough night last night and we suffered the loss of Francesca 2. Kofi says it is about looking into the future and in case you haven’t heard The New Day is the tag team captains for Survivor Series. They make fun of the SmackDown Live tag teams and then rip on Shane and Daniel. They say that when Raw and SmackDown Live compete Raw will overcome because New Day Rocks! They were all dressed as Charles Wright gimmicks. Big E was Kama Mustafa of the Nation of Domination, Xavier Woods was Papa Shango and Kofi Kingston was The Godfather.

Match 4: Rich Swann & Lince Dorado & Cedric Alexander vs Drew Gulak & Tony Nese & Davari
Davari and Dorado start off. Davari gets shots in early but Dorado uses quickness to get on the offensive. Swann gets the tag and hits an axe handle on Davari. Alexander gets the tag but is backed into the corner by Davari. In comes Gulak. Gulak takes down alexander and goes into a bridge pin but Alexander kicks out. Alexander sends Gulak flying and hits a nice dropkick. Nese comes in but is stunned by an elbow. Nese takes over as Davari gets involved. Nese gets Alexander in a tight chin lock. In comes Davari. He lands an elbow and goes for a quick pin but it is not enough. Davari then isolates Alexander with a chin lock. He tries to send Alexander flying but it is countered with a big kick. Gulak stops Alexander from getting a tag. Alexander is able to get a back body drop and tag in Swann. Swann hits a rolling thunder splash but the pin is broken up. Swann is in the ring with Nese. Nese gets hit with a big kick from Swann. Swann uses a jackknife cover to get the win.
Winners: Rich Swann & Lince Dorado & Cedric Alexander
My Opinion:
Another exciting match from the cruiserweights. Cedric Alexander shined and is definitely one to look out for. Swann did well too as he hit some very impressive moves. Gulak and Nese did well as always. Divari and Dorado did good as well. These men do have chemistry but it is just hard to buy in when these matches don’t mean much. I just want this to stop being a sideshow and have these matches have an impact on the show. It’s not that these matches are bad from a wrestling standpoint, but from a storytelling standpoint it just misses the mark. They put these matches on at tough parts in the show when the crowd is died down with noise and it just loses specialty. I think it would be a lot more entertaining if everyone was on the edge of their seat like they were during the CWC.

In Ring Segment: All Hail the Queen
Charlotte says last night she single handedly made history. She states the biggest mistake of Sasha’s career was getting off that stretcher. Shes claims there is nothing wrong with losing and that Sasha pushed her to her limits. Charlotte says that every women in WWE is playing second place. She tells them all to learn their place. Charlotte says her team will be victorious at Survivor Series and sends a warning to the women of SmackDown. She then says Bayley is the weak link of team Raw and calls her out to the ring. Out comes Bayley.
Bayley says she doesn’t know why she was called out here but she is glad she was. Bayley states that what Charlotte and Sasha did at Hell In A Cell gave her goosebumps. Bayley then congratulates Charlotte on her victory. Charlotte says while Bayley is dreaming of all of this, she is achieving all of this. Bayley says Charlotte is a jerk and she wouldn’t want to be a champion like her. Charlotte tells Bayley she will never be like her and that this isn’t NXT anymore. Bayley says everyone is tired of listening to Charlotte talk. Bayley says you can put me in a match with Dana but I beat her last night. Charlotte says your opponent isn’t Dana and out comes Nia Jax.
My Opinion:
Charlotte continues to do well on the mic. Bayley struggled a bit as she just didn’t have it in her to have great comebacks and stand up for herself. Bayley needs to have some more fire and go at Charlotte. This is a feud that should happen soon but they will have to get chemistry with promos as there was disconnect here.

Match 5: Bayley vs Nia Jax
Bayley tries to go after Nia but Nia is too strong. Bayley tries to work on Nia’s left arm but Nia tries to create separation. Nia misses an attempted clothesline but capitalizes with a shoulder breaker. Nia has Bayley in the corner and goes for a splash but is met by a boot from Bayley. Nia regaines control and throws Bayley into the corner. Nia gets Bayley in a bear hug but Bayley fights back. Bayley looks for a guillotine but is driven into the corner. Bayley goes for the guillotine again but Nia powers out. Bayley is able to hit a couple dropkicks and knocks Nia down to one knee. Bayley hits a running bulldog. Bayley is then caught and taken down by Nia. Nia knocks Bayley to the floor. Nia meets her on the outside and throws Bayley into the barricade. Back in the ring Bayley tries to land some kicks but is caught and is hit with a samoan drop. Nia gets the cover 1 2 3 for the win.
Winner: Nia Jax
My Opinion:
A very competitive match between the two. I hate though that they make Bayley look so weak and make her seem like a little kid in there. I know she has this innocent child like character but it is a little too much sometimes. It did well in showing how dominate Nia can be and they need that as she will need to be built up with only three weeks until Survivor Series. Beating Bayley is a big win for her and she needs it to remain this powerful figure. Bayley needs a push and needs to sbine. There is no reason Bayley needs to be out there in this kind of match. She can compete with the best of them but they don’t give her the chance. Remember who was the other competitor in the first women’s iron man match? Well that was Bayley. Bayley can do it. I think Dana or someone else should have faced Nia. This is just burying Bayley and the crowd will only stay behind her for so long.

Match 6: Sheamus & cesaro vs The Shinning Stars (Primo & Epico)
Cesaro and Primo are in and Cesaro lands some nice uppercuts. Cesaro gets set onto the apron by Primo. Cesaro takes down Primo and Epico. Cesaro gets knocked off the apron by a drop kick. Cesaro is back in the ring and Primo takes control. Epico has cesaro in a headlock but cesaro gets out. Primo is able to get the tag and they double team Cesaro. Cesaro is able to get the tag on Sheamus. Sheamus hits the Ten Beats of the Bodhran. Sheamus locks in the clover leaf as Cesaro takes out Primo.
Winners: Cesaro & Sheamus
My Opinion:
Great outing for The Shining Stars but I think Cesaro and Sheamus should’ve dominated this match. Cesaro got beat down and Sheamus barely got to do anything. I get that they want to create the disconnect between the two but this wasn’t even that. Cesaro was just dominated. They did well at the end and it all came together but i feel this should’ve been more of a squash match for them. Disconnect with domination would’ve been more entertaining.

Backstage Segment:
Jericho is backstage and says the US title is the only title he has never had. He tells Owens they will be champions together. Owens says Jericho will beat him and they will make it the Canadian title. Jericho tells Owens that he needs him Owens says he’s got his back and they got it.

Match 7: Roman Reigns(c) vs Chris Jericho w/ Kevin Owens (United States Championship)
Jericho hammers on Reigns with right hands. Roman meets him with a big elbow and pounds on him in the corner. Jericho goes for a hip toss but Reigns counters with one of his own. Jericho lands a nice kick to Reigns chest and Jericho hammers on him with forearms. Jericho slaps Reigns in the face and Reigns does it back. Jericho suckers him in and hits a dropkick. Jericho goes to the top but Reigns meets him with punches. Reigns goes up with him but is taken down by Jericho. Jericho is able to land a high crossbody. Reigns doesn’t stay down for long and hits a hard right to Jericho. Jericho is sent over the top rope. Reigns meets him on the outside and slams Jericho into the barricade. He throws Jericho back into the ring and Jericho distracts the ref as he checks on him. Owens takes advantage of this and sends Reigns into the ring post. Back from break and Jericho is in control. Jericho ends Reigns ribs first into the barricade. Reigns is thrown back into the ring and Jericho connects with a kick to the ribs. Jericho continues to work on Reigns and has a nice chin lock locked in. Reigns fights back with rights and lefts to the mid section. Reigns hits some big clotheslines and gains momentum. He connects with a big boot to Jericho but it is not enough to put him away. Reigns tries to throw Jericho out of the ring but Jericho lands on the apron. Jericho tries to fly from the top but Reigns catches him with a right hand. Reigns capitalizes with a drive by and then a samoan drop but Jericho kicks out. Reigns goes for a Superman Punch but Jericho ducks. Jericho goes for the walls but Reigns powers out. Jericho goes for the Lionsault but Reigns blocks it. Reigns goes for another Superman Punch but Jericho counters. Jericho goes for the Codebreaker but Reigns catches him Reigns is able to get out and lock in the Walls of Jericho. Reigns powers out of the walls and delivers some right hands. Reigns hits a big sitdown powerbomb on Jericho but Jericho kicks out again. Reigns gets rolled up by Jericho but he kicks out. Jericho is hit with a Superman Punch in mid air. Reigns connects with a devastating spear. As he goes for the pin Owens comes in and breaks it up. Roman wins via disqualification. Owens and Jericho tear apart Reigns. Owens goes for the pop up powerbomb and it is switched into the Codebreaker. Rollins comes out and lays out Jericho and Owens. Rollins hits a superkick to Jericho and goes for the Pedigree but Owens pulls Jericho out of the ring and the two walk away. Rollins and Reigns share a look as Raw goes off the air.
Winner: Roman Reigns via disqualification and still United States Champion
My Opinion:
A highly competitive match between the two. They did a good job selling Roaman’s fatigue from last night. As always Jericho was great. His wrestling has really been awesome to watch as of late. Roman retaining was the right choice as there was no reason to have him drop the title. They got a fairly decent reaction from the crowd. I expected Owens to get involved a little more but he served his purpose. I thought saving Seth until the end was a little to expected but he received a huge pop and that is what they want from him. Most importantly you need to keep everyone looking strong heading into Survivor Series to really build the feud with SmackDown and I think they did just that. It was a smooth way to close the show.

Final Thoughts:
Overall it was a decent Raw. I felt it died down as the night went on as it started off so hot with Goldberg. I think the Goldberg segment was pretty good but it would’ve been nice to see him a little longer out there. Every match was pretty competitive tonight and it was nice not seeing really any pointless matches. Everything flowed nicely and there was a reason behind every segment. I can’t say I was jumping out of my seat too much but I liked what they did. They built up for Survivor Series while still keeping the feuds there. There are changes I would make but nothing to major. I hope Bayley doesn’t get buried because that was a little rough tonight. Owens and Jericho played their parts well as always and less is better with Seth just like tonight. For him to get over they need to not shove him down people’s throats like they did with Roman. For being a holiday special I thought there would be more Halloween type segments but there wasn’t. It might have been for the better.
Overall Rating: 7/10