Opening segment
- Miz interrupts Kurt Angle and goes off on him for being a deadbeat.
- Angle announces a fatal four way for contendership for the IC title.
- Jordan comes out and calls his dad "Kurt." He wants and gets the Miztourage in the top contender match.
- Jordan is in a much better place than he was heading into Summerslam.
- I hope the six-pack challenge is the field trying to prevent Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel from letting each other get the pin.
- Backstage, Kurt gives Jason Jordan a talking to about flying off the handle about people saying things he doesn't like. Jordan is still really wooden.
Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss
5.25/10
- This is really old school style begging off. Alexa tries to explain and tries to run instead.
- Sasha Banks stops her. Why would Alexa run from Sasha instead of Nia? She gets RUNNED OVER by Nia.
- We come back from a break and Nia wins with a Samoan Drop. This was solid stuff
- Nia continues an attack and Bayley returns! Alexa tries to buddy up, but gets her ass kicked too. Alexa Bliss is so good at the little things.
- We later find out Bayley is added to the No Mercy match, and Emma tweets about it. I'm really digging the integration of Emma's gimmick.
Sheamus & Cesaro defeated Good Brothers and Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins
5.5/10
- Cesaro and Sheamus cut a promo, but it just drones on.
- A lot of tag teams need comedy to stay relevant, but Rollins and Ambrose aren't one of them. Ambrose's line was okay, though.
- One of the teams that would benefit from comedy, a face turn, Finn Balor or AJ Styles are the Good Brothers.
- The match breaks out, and not much of note happens until the Cesaro Swing into the barricade on Ambrose.
- The Good Brothers came real close to winning with their finish, but a well produced Ambrose save keeps it from happening.
- There's really nothing bad about this match. It's just six days before a PPV and you could tell it doesn't really mean anything unless Good Brothers win an add themselves to the title match, or lay claim to a future title shot. Instead, it was easy to tell they were there to eat the pin.
- Sheamus and Cesaro get the win.....over the Good Brothers. They stole one.
- That didn't need a 36 minute segment and an 18 minute match.
Backstage crappenings
- Bo Dallas gives match motivational speaking advice, which is fantastic. Miztourage both bring up their pedigrees, which is a nice touch.
- We get video packages to promote Cena/Reigns and Lesnar/Braun.
- Braun Strowman isn't a sit down interview guy. He gets over by tearing shit up. He is fed the instruction to re-ask the question posed to him. Lesnar interrups Heyman and cuts a good, succinct promo about being backed into a corner.
- They write really shitty stuff for the Hardy Boyz.
- Asuka teasers. There's no reason for only one women's program on Raw with her, Jax, Sasha, Alexa, Bayley, Emma and possibly Paige. If Paige comes back, I hope that she's moved to SD.
Apollo Crews (w/ Titus O'Neil) defeated Curt Hawkins
4.5/10
- Curt Hawkins says that his star factory is over, and he's ending his losing streak. This is a fun promo.
- Apollo beats him.
- Sixth televised singles match between Crews and Hawkins in the past year.
Roman Reigns
- Reigns drops a SHIT bomb on air
- He says he doesn't look like Cena, and if he did he'd be fired like Alex Riley.
- Roman throws to a clip of Cena criticizing The Rock for being a part-timer.
- Get Roman Reigns a new fucking shirt. That thing is lame. Don't give me the "appealing to kids" excuse, when he's cursing up a storm.
Bray Wyatt defeated Dustin Rhodes
- Earlier, an unpainted Dustin Rhodes went to Kurt Angle and asked for a shot.
- I believe "Dustin Rhodes'" last televised match was at TNA Lockdown in 2005. Also, I don't believe he's wrestled as "Dustin Rhodes" in WWF/E since January 1991, as some of his 98 appearances were as Dustin Runnels.
- Rhodes is better as a worker in 2017 than he was in 1995.
- After a brief ass kicking from Dustin, Wyatt hits Sister Abigail for the win.
- Now it's Finn Balor on the Titan Tron telling bad stories. Just what this needed
BRAUUUUUUUUUUUUUN
- Braun beats up Enzo. The crowd chants "Thank you Strowman." He BULLDOZED Enzo.
- Enzo's facial expression was great. Say what you want about Enzo outside of his on-screen stuff, but he does his job damn well.
- In one motion, Braun picks up and chokeslams Enzo. Corey Graves' legit fear was fascinating.
- What to do when you need to stay over and run out of shit to tear up? Beat up Enzo. Good call.
- Neville comes out and hits a Red Arrow and laughs. I would have preferred a more stoic laugh per usual, but it was still funny.
- Backstage, Enzo sells his beating well in the trainer's room, puts over Braun and sells his No Mercy match in about 30 seconds. Well done.
Neville defeated Gran Metalik
5.5/10
- We haven't seen much Metalik on Raw, so it's a nice change of pace.
- Neville rips at Metalik's mask, which is a nice heel tactic.
- Metalik gets some great offense, and sells a boot on a moonsault as well as anyone. He's submitted shortly after.
Top IC Title Contender match
Jason Jordan defeated Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, and Elias
5.75/10
- Elias has a song interrupted. Original. Why just one name? The Drifter was a cool nickname.
- Jordan trips going up the stairs. oof.
- A commercial break at 10:53 Eastern. Jeff Hardy tried to roll up Matt before the commercial.
- Elias jumps from the mat to the top rope. Didn't see that coming at all.
- Tower of Doom spot. We ALL saw that one coming.
- Jeff Hardy almost kills Axel with a Swanton. Jordan pins Axel with his finish.
- Jordan beats up Miz, but the Miztourage attack. Miz says that after Sunday, Jordan will still be a bastard. JEEZ.
- Solid stuff here.
Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! Click here to learn more.
