Raw started off with a dedication to the late Harry Fujiwara, AKA Mr. Fuji.
(J): Rest in Piece Mr. Fuji....While highly stereotypical, Mr. Fuji was probably one of the best heel managers of his time, second only to Bobby the Brain Henan. He will be missed.
Now on to the Rockin' Wrasslin' Report. The opening segment saw the contenders for the WWE Universal title gathered in the ring for an interview conducted by Cory Graves. They did a nice job of giving each of the competitors in the fatal four way time to shine in their own way.
(J): Big Cass is definitely a future champ, but I don't know if he's ready yet. I'm glad to see that they are letting Roman Reigns just do what he does best. This is what made him popular to begin with, just beating people up. Honestly, I'd love to just see a feud between Rollins and Owens. The matches would be awesome and they are two of the best at working the mic right now.
Neville vs Jericho - Pretty solid match from these two. Neville pulled out some of his signature high flying moves that brought some gasps and cheers from the audience. Surprisingly, Jericho pulled out the win all on his own. No KO. The extra little pressure to the head in the Walls of Jericho was a nice touch tonight.
(J): I'd like to see them keep this rivalry up. I think that the two of them could generate an awesome body of work. Jericho might also just be what Neville needs to get himself back into a prime spot and showcase his great ability. And I don't think I can ever get enough of the gift of Jericho. The fact that this guy can still go the way that he does at this point in his career is amazing. Also, did Michael Cole call it the Lion Tamer? What decade is he living in? I'm pretty sure last week he couldn't tell the difference between Seamus and Cesaro either.
New Day & Bailey - Gallows, Anderson, Brooke Segment: Bailey and New Day having a good time until Brooke pokes her nose in. Next we see Gallows and Anderson ditching the Dr. roles to become "retirement experts," referencing their attack on the Dudley's last week. Brooke joins them as a nurse.
(J): I like this team up of Bailey with New Day, but I hope that they don't wind up just putting her in with them. While she would fit right in with the faction, Bailey has too much going for her to just be thrown into an already existing team. I'm liking the Gallows & Anderson segments, just a long as they don't let it go too long. The Dr. bit got old quickly and they were recycling material a little too soon. Dana also does a great job of making your want to hate her character. She's so obnoxious.
Nia Jax vs. Hyan - Squash match number one for the night. This time it was a backstage interview rather than in ring. Nia takes it with this new slam move she's working on rather than her leg drop.
(J): I get that they are trying to set her up as a juggernaut of utter destruction, but it bothers me that they are taking this approach with her. The interview segments are just awkward, it's awkward that they are running the exact same (THE EXACT SAME) angle with Braun Strowman, and it's awkward that Nia has actually faced and shown dominance against some named talent at NXT. She needs to keep working on that finishing move though.
Sammi Zayne vs Jendar Mahal - Sammi takes the win via a Helluva kick.
(J): This felt like a filler match, and I didn't see any point in it's place in the show. Nothing happened here. Nothing surprising. Nothing that got the fans going. Nothing that lead to anything else going on in the WWE Universe. Personally, I want to see Sammi Zayne make a run for the US Championship against Rusev.
New Day & Bailey vs Gallows & Anderson & Brooke - Good back and forth with New Bailey making a comeback leading up to Bailey putting Dana Brooke away with a Bailey-to-belly.
(J): A decent match, but I'm a little confused about exactly what they are trying to do with Gallows and Anderson. One moment they are dominating and taking people out left and right, and the next they are taking a beating and sent back licking their wounds. I thought for sure that even though New Day and Bailey picked up the win, that Gallows and Anderson would lay waste to them after the match. Still great to see Bailey in action.
Cesaro Interview -
(J): Cesaro is getting better and better on the mic all the time, and I'm glad to see that they are giving him an opportunity to develop here.
Cesaro vs. Seamus - Best of Seven series, match 2: Cesaro dominated most of the match until he took a bad bump into the ring post giving Seamus a chance to lock in the Cloverleaf and force Cesaro to tap out.
(J): I know that Cesaro fans are going to be upset that he is once again not getting involved in a title track, but I'm enjoying these Cesaro/Seamus matches. I was surprised to see that Seamus picked up a second victory in a row, which makes me think that that blow to the back might be more of a shoot. It didn't look that bad at first, but on the replay it does look like he might have jammed his spine from the bottom. I really hope this isn't the case as it would only serve to further WWE's belief that Cesaro doesn't have what it takes to carry a title. The match was entertaining though, and it would make for a good story to see Cesaro battle back from a major disadvantage.
Strowman vs Americo - Squash match numero dos. Braun just dominates this guy before ripping off his mask.
(J): Really nothing to say here. At least this track makes sense to build Strowman up since he hasn't actually ever done anything in official matches except try to act like he hasn't fallen down ever...
Heyman-McMahon Interview
(J): I don't know what exactly I was expecting here, but it wasn't this. The conversation between Stephanie and Paul just didn't seem to connect. It started out being about Brock laying hands on a WWE Higher up, and finished with a commentary on the state of the women's revolution?
Titus vs. Darren - Titus took advantage early, especially after Darren took a bad tumble over the top rope to the floor. Darren sneaks a win in with a crucifix pin, only to be attacked by Titus after the bell.
(J): Unlike Cesaro, I guess they decided not to give Titus a second chance on the mic... I will say though that once he got going last week, Titus didn't do too bad considering how little work he's gotten in that regard. I thought Darren was dead for a minute. That spill to the outside looked nasty. Titus is big and strong, but Darren has a lot of potential to really put on some entertaining matches. Hopefully, he can get some traction under him.
Fatal Four Way - Owens vs Cass vs Reigns vs Rollins - Lots of action going on all over the place. Big Cass makes a good showing taking out all three of his opponents at one point. It took some signature moves from all three, but eventually Big Cass is the first eliminated by Owens. The fight continues with Owens eventually being sidelined as Reigns and Rollins squared off one-on-one for a while until
(CAUTION: MAJOR SPOILERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Triple H returns to take out Reigns so that Rollins can eliminate him. Then in the biggest surprise since Sting's debut at Survivor Series a couple years ago, The Game pedigrees Rollins and crowns a stunned Owens as the new Universal Champion.
(J): Wow... What a performance by these four guys! Excellent spots giving everyone a chance to shine. Big Cass is definitely a future major player. I look for big things from this seven-footer. He was beyond a doubt the stand-out performer in that match. I did not see that ending coming. I know that they were working towards a Rollins/HHH feud, master vs apprentice, before Rollins' injury and Reigns having to step in. I expected they might come back to it, but I didn't think that this would be the way they would play it. Glad to see Owens take the title though. Just wish he would have taken it a little more on his own. Even if it was just pulling Rollins up and giving him a Pop-up Powerbomb for good measure.
Final Thoughts:
(J): Over all, a decent show with a few matches carrying the entire three hours, but still making it worth the watch.
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