Sean Raw Sapp (5/7): Raw Podcast Notes, Ratings, More

Opening segment

  • Dean Ambrose says that he's been named acting GM of Raw. It'd be hilarious if next week it was revealed he lied about the whole thing. Miz says he's co-acting GM.
  • Great crowd in England. Grass is green.
  • Braun Strowman comes out and calls Reigns "The Big Dog." Ah shit. 
  • Kalisto wants Strowman, for some reason. Oh.
  • I hope "The World's Bravest Tiny Little Man" is a nickname they have to repeat.
  • Ambrose makes Finn Balor vs. Miz up next. 

Finn Balor defeated Miz (w/ Maryse)
4/10

  • Kick kick kick kick kick kick kick.
  • Yeah, a front dropkick on the floor. THAT makes sense. 
  • Miz got sloppy with a neckbreaker.
  • 13 televised kicks. 5 front drop and 2 side drop kicks by the count of one of our readers.
  • The viewer is conditioned to think that bumping hurts. Finn Balor bumps himself all night.
  • Finn Balor is going to need a better tan, or else his leg will be beet red after every match.
  • Miz pushed Balor into the ref, and as acting GM demanded a DQ. Ambrose came out and said "NAH" and banned Maryse.
  • Balor won with the Coup De Grace.
  • My inability to enjoy Finn Balor matches is kind of a bummer. 

Backstage crappenings

  • Alexa Bliss is so great, and Nia Jax is so not. This really put that on display.
  • Samoa Joe is one of the worst "YOU SEE" offenders in wrestling. He cuts a pretty good promo here, though. I would fire any camera man who did this bad of a job, though.
  • Golden Truth's backstage segment was great, and the type of thing we need more of.

Alexa Bliss (w/ Nia Jax) defeated Mickie James (w/ Bayley)

3.5/10

  • Bayley got a great reaction from the London crowd. She looked like the star she could be, and wasn't even in the match.
  • Mickie James is the type of person you want Alexa working with to get better.
  • The DDT/STO reversal was really awkward. 
  • This was a rough match.
  • Mickie gets squished by Nia Jax.

Braun Strowman vs. Kalisto

  • Strowman, one armed, beats the shiznit out of Kalisto.
  • Reigns comes out to thunderous boos. He attacks Strowman's injury. This is the Reigns I want to see.
  • Michael Cole is great here, too.
  • The Monster Among Men retreats from The Big Dog. That was a real line. Nooooooo.

Tag Team Turmoil
Cesaro and Sheamus win

5.75/10

  • Good reaction for Enzo and Cass. They also found attractive women chanting for the duo, so that's cool I guess. 
  • Big Cass gets more aggressive than I've ever seen him, which is promising. 
  • Cesaro stomps Enzo about 200 times, but Enzo doesn't have anywhere to sell. 
  • Enzo taps out to a Sharpshooter.
  • Sheamus and Cesaro attack Heath Slater and Rhyno before getting to the ring.
  • They dispose of these two easily.
  • Gallows and Anderson are next, and Anderson has a really cool step up boot in the corner.
  • Hooray for people watching TV right!
  • Cesaro suplexed Gallows, and wow. 
  • There's a cool spot where everyone gets taken out. 
  • Sheamus Brogue Kicked Gallows for the win
  • The only team that I think ends up a little hurt here is Gallows and Anderson. 
  • Goldust sells an injured knee better than anyone I've seen in main event programs lately.
  • Cesaro and Sheamus win after a 28 minute run.
  • They attack Golden Truth, but The Hardy Boyz run them off.
  • Cole is mad, but how are Sheamus and Cesaro cowards? They just beat four teams over a half-hour.

Seth Rollins defeated Samoa Joe via DQ
6/10

  • Joe and Rollins start off fast and violent.
  • This is a good battle, and Rollins has sold the leg a lot more convincingly than in previous matches.
  • Rollins eats exposed turnbuckle and Joe gets DQ'd
  • Solid match. Nothing special. Looks like they're headed for another PPV bout.
  • A Coquina Clutch is applied after the bell.

TJP defeated Jack Gallagher

4/10

  • I loved the false finish of the immediate headbutt.
  • TJP wins and continues to confuse the division, which is kind of cool.
  • TJP attacks Gallagher after the bell. Aries makes the save.
  • This is like four straight matches that we've seen an attack after the bell

Sasha Banks defeated Alicia Fox
4.5/10

  • Alicia and Sasha Banks really go at it.
  • Alicia Fox's bridge is awesome off of a Northern Lights Suplex.
  • Nothing says anger like a good ol' rear chinlock.
  • Sasha reversing the backbreaker was nice. SCOUTED. Likewise Alicia with the double knees. 
  • Sasha hits a good set of double knees off the second rope, but the pin was trash. Alicia's shoulder was up. I hope it leads to an angle. 
  • I'd love to see a longer match between those two. 

Bray Wyatt defeated Dean Ambrose 

5.5/10

  • Bray Wyatt lands a nice suplex to the floor.
  • It definitely doesn't seem like it's been a year or two since these guys were in a feud. 
  • This is a much better match than I expected between the two.
  • Miz blasts Ambrose with the IC title. A normally hot London crowd doesn't care much for the turdy show they saw. 
  • Wyatt wins.
  • Miz attacks Ambrose for the fifth post-match beatdown of the night. Aight then. 
  • A pretty terrible Raw all in all. 

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