Sean Raw Sapp (9/11): Match Ratings, Analysis, Cena vs. Braun, Reigns vs. Jordan

Roman Reigns defeated Jason Jordan
7/10

  • Reigns' demeanor is awesome. I don't know how anyone sees him as a straight up babyface at this point. WWE has embraced shades of gray.
  • Jordan connects with an awesome belly-to-belly suplex. Reigns later answers with his own.
  • Reigns' corner clotheslines still look bad, and WWE production make his leaping clotheslines look bad too. The replay angle looks much better.
  • This is Jordan's fifth straight TV match without a win. He's been beaten by Miz, Balor, Reigns, Cena and eliminated by Jeff Hardy so there's a level of protection there. 
  • Jordan gets a capture suplex, Saito Suplex, rolling Northern light suplexes. Incredible. Jordan is a really great contrast of styles that I love being thrown in with a lot of these guys.
  • It's not often you can lose five matches in a row and come out better and smelling like roses, better than you were before. Jordan has.
  • I think Reigns had the better match. He shakes Jordan's hand after. 
Bayley: I'm Excited To Have Jade Cargill In WWE, She's A Very Unique Performer

REIGNS AND CENA

  • Cena comes out and makes fun of Reigns for calling Jordan a rookie.
  • Cena trolls Reigns' mic skills.
  • I think a lot of people wanted this kind of storyline with Reigns, I just don't think a lot of this makes sense with Cena saying it.
  • These two seem to be thoroughly enjoying the zingers
  • Reigns says Cena is trying to make a name off of him because Reigns is selling tickets Cena couldn't sell for a long time. I'll need Brandon Howard and Chris Harrington to verify
  • Reigns says if Cena wants in Hollywood, he knows a guy.
  • Cena makes a drug test failure joke. 
  • That was probably my favorite of any of their promos.

Sasha Banks defeated Emma
5.25/10

  • Sasha and Emma are in a tough spot and start off really fast. 
  • They let Nia come out with no leather on. It's a new era.
  • Lots of "OH!" called, including double underhook suplex. Makes me sad.
  • We see the return of the Emma sandwich, but she loses. Good, short match.
  • Later we see a vignette for Asuka, which Alexa and Nia are watching. Nia reveals they have a match next week. 

Brock, Braun, Heyman!

  • Paul Heyman cuts his usual promo, but welcomes Braun Strowman out.
  • Strowman obliges and gets suplexed by Lesnar.
  • Braun no-sells it and Lesnar's facial expression makes the entire segment. Braun kicks his ass.

Bray Wyatt defeated Goldust 
5.25/10

  • Wyatt appears on a screen and cuts a promo on Goldust
  • Every Bray Wyatt promo: "YOU AINT WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN.
  • A Goldust boot misses by a mile and Bray sells anyway. 
  • Goldust almost kills Wyatt with a somersault senton off the apron. 
  • If you'd ask Goldust to do the Janela/Lio Rush spot, he'd find a way to get it done.
  • He didn't get it done in this match, though.
  • Wyatt wipes off Goldust's paint, and Balor makes the save. 

Tag Team Warfare

  • Cesaro and Sheamus cut a promo backstage before this and I don't know how I feel about it.
  • The Good Brothers would be much better served as babyfaces, or heels with Balor.
  • Rollins and Ambrose attack Cesaro and Sheamus, and this planned match never goes down. There's a pull apart brawl.
  • The issue here is no other teams appear on the level of Rollins and Ambrose. I don't think it's a tough fix, especially with Anderson and Gallows. They need an authority figure or Balor to question their performance, then get quick, dominant wins over Heath Slater & Rhyno, Miztourage, Titus Worldwide, or any other teams you can, and probably the Hardys to really establish things.
  • Kurt Angle books an 8-man tag main event. The Hardy Boyz are picked

Elias defeated Kalisto
5.5/10

  • Elias performs a song, and he's becoming quite the guitarist.
  • Kalisto is a victim of the WWE talent boom and not having enough spots for all of them. He interrupts Elias' song because of course. 
  • These two have a solid back-and-forth match. I'm not sure what the direction is for Elias. He's one of these guys who has a hot character that they have no clue what to do with, like a "Dashing" Cody Rhodes or a Bad News Barrett.
  • Anyway, he kills Kalisto with a powerbomb, hits his finish and wins. 

John Cena defeated Braun Strowman via DQ
5.5/10

  • WWE telling everyone to watch the late game after this match.
  • Two of the ugliest dropkicks ever, but Strowman's got a reaction. 
  • Cena took a step forward when he knew Strowman was coming running right at him. He gets crushed. 
  • Strowman just keeps adding to his arsenal every week.
  • This is nowhere near as good as Jordan and Reigns, but Strowman is looking good.
  • Strowman rolls out of the ring after an AA, then powerslams Cena onto stairs for a DQ. Using the stairs on Cena's face wasn't enough for a DQ I guess.

Enzo Amore defeated The Miz (w/ Miztourage) via DQ

  • Miz announces he and Maryse are having a child. Congrats to them.
  • Enzo is out and Miz goes off on him for getting kicked off tour busses and out of the locker room. 
  • Looks like WWE sent Miz out to have the ol Ric Flair-Carlito talk.
  • Miz puts over the cruiserweights and says there was nowhere left for Enzo to go, and he won't be able to hang.
  • Enzo says that Miz copies everyone. Some aspects, sure. I don't see it though. 
  • They're gonna have a match. They trash talk each other on the mic during the match.
  • Enzo says Miz needs to be asking the child "who's your daddy?"
  • The Miztourage kick the living shit out of Enzo.
  • Backstage, Neville laughs maniacally at Enzo.

Hardy Boyz, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose defeated Cesaro, Sheamus, and the Good Brothers
5.25/10

  • I like all eight guys involved in this match, but this is rough going up against the first Monday of football season.
  • The crowd is hot as Jeff Hardy flies over the top rope onto Cesaro & Sheamus before our last commercial.
  • Graves refers to Gallows as having "well educated feet," which I would never use to describe Gallows
  • There's not much of a point to this match. 
  • Ambrose has the power to back body drop a guy over the top rope, but not to make a tag.
  • Babyfaces win after Cesaro and Sheamus duck out.
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