Sean Raw Sapp (8/14): Match Ratings, Analysis, More!

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- Excellent, 8- Great, 7- Good, 6- Above Average, 4-5- Average or slightly below, 3 or below: Poor

Opening segment

  • Dean Ambrose is super peeved about the Seth Rollins thing for some reason and he calls Rollins out.
  • Why didn't they talk about this some point over the last week?
  • Rollins and Ambrose were lukewarm at best a couple of months ago. Look at that crowd.
  • Ambrose and Rollins can't come to terms and beat each other up. Sheamus and Cesaro pick the bones.
  • Rollins and Ambrose fight the duo off and fist bump.
  • You could see this coming a mile away, and it was fantastic. Kurt Angle makes a tag title match for Summerslam.

Top Contender tournament final
Sasha Banks defeated Nia Jax
6.25/10

  • Alexa Bliss is ringside in an elevated throne. Clever.
  • Sasha Banks is a really good opponent for Nia in this type of match. 
  • There's a good story of Nia Jax doing enough to finish Sasha out of the gate, but Banks keeps finding a way out. 
  • Sasha can't powerbomb Nia from the ropes, but kicks Jax's feet out and knees her. 
  • Jax's counter is worth a mention, as she boots Banks from her ass. 
  • Sasha goes from Banks Statement to Tilt-a-whirl DDT to Banks Statement and wins!
  • Nia's achilles heel is her submission game, and I think that should be brought up.

Backstage crappenings

  • There were like 6 things going on at once. Dawson's injury is addressed, the Hardy's are here, The Miztourage shows up, they mock Angle's reference to Brock, Miz takes Bo Dallas' match with Jason Jordan for himself, and a ref comes in yelling about Balor and Wyatt.
  • Balor and Wyatt are fighting, and Angle makes their match for tonight. Well.
  • Elias Samson has a song interrupted, which is super original. R-Truth gets his ass kicked for it. Elias was really, really, really over as a heel.

Cass

  • Cass is so over as a heel in Boston they won't let him talk. He cuts a promo whining about Enzo Amore, but it fits everything about him and works well.
  • Enzo comes out and runs his mouth. He introduces Big Show.
  • Gallows and Anderson are here and help Cass jump Show. They attack/break his arm. Interesting.
  • Not the first, second or fifth guy I'd have put Anderson and Gallows with but we'll see how it goes. 

WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Akira Tozawa (w/ Titus O'Neil) defeated Neville (c) to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
6/10

  • This match starts off fast. This is probably the biggest Cruiserweight title match in the 11 month history of the title.
  • Neville gets his ass kicked thoroughly early, and that's not a situation Raw viewers have seen.
  • Neville busting out the Red Arrow really accentuates how important the match and moment were to him. 
  • He comes up empty and Tozawa hits his finish for the win. 
  • Woah.
  • I'd imagine they'll do a rematch at the PAPE.
  • Titus Worldwide is in the ring celebrating with him. This Raw feels big.

Bray Wyatt defeated Finn Balor
4/10

  • I can't imagine that I'd be less interested in a perceived main event level match. But then again Jinder Mahal is champion.
  • If I'm Stephanie McMahon, I'm pissed that Kurt Angle shit on the Raw end of Summerslam.
  • Balor's size allows Wyatt more offense, including an awesome swinging gutbuster.
  • This is an average match that ends in Wyatt winning. We'll see the same thing at Summerslam, but with Balor winning.
  • Bray Wyatt Gangrel's Balor after. Balor comically rolls around in it like that's Bertha Faye's menstrual blood or something.
  • This character sucks.
  • Papa Shango at least did voodoo. Bray Wyatt is an A/V student who minored in art. Acidic liquid!! HE'S REPTILE FROM MORTAL KOMBAT.

Mickie James defeated Emma
2.75/10

  • This match came about because Emma was complaining she didn't get an opportunity. 
  • There's no heat for this match. From the crowd or from the announcers. 
  • I'm a big fan of Emma's work, but she's been given nothing to go on.
  • She gets hit with a Mick Kick and pinned.
  • Why?

Jason Jordan and The Hardy Boyz defeated The Miztourage (w/ Maryse)
4.75/10

  • Start the slow build to turning Jordan heel. Shit ain't workin'. '
  • Jordan is so amazingly athletic. Miztourage run in. 
  • The Hardy Boyz save Jordan. If I had a babyface I wanted over and was getting fart noises I'd probably team him up with the Hardys to face Miz. Worth a try. Six man tag
  • Jordan heaves his entire body into the ring post. Yikes.
  • I love Bo Dallas' one man Au Revoir.
  • Jason Jordan seems like he tries a little too hard. He doesn't need to.
  • Jeff Hardy almost kills Bo Dallas with the Whisper in the Wind. He wisely sat on Bo Dallas for the pin. He hits a Swanton for the win, though.

Main Event Promo

  • We get a promo from Lesnar/Heyman. Normal stuff.
  • Joe and Strowman come out, followed by Reigns.
  • Reigns and Joe get taken out. Lesnar and Strowman are left and beat the crap out of security. 
  • Angle plays third base coach again and waves wrestlers in to break them up.
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