With the poorly named Roadblock this Saturday, this week RAW's worked to get the two matches on the card over. Did they do it?...Sort of. Here's what I thought of this weeks RAW.
- We kick off the show with Shane McMahon. He plays to the crowd and addresses what Vince said last week. He jokes about giving Vince the Father of the Year award, and calls him an "ego-maniacal, old bastard'. He says he's lost touch with just about everything (so true), and that it's his destiny to run Monday Night RAW. The crowd goes crazy for this, and Shane says all bad stuff in WWE is going to end. He says there are people who don't get the opportunities they deserve in WWE (Shane is like an Internet), and that he will beat the Undertaker. The gong hits...followed by Vince's music (such a heel move). The crowd calls Vince an assh*le (which is probably better than them chanting CM P-) and start chanting CM Punk (Dammit). Vince responds to both by joking that they both died down quickly. Vince tells the story of taking Shane to see his first WWE(F, dammit) event. He brings out the photo, and breaks it. He says Shane always thought he was perfect, and that Shane's kids will be so disappointed when he loses at WrestleMania. He says he'll comfort them and be a father figure they could be proud of. He ends by saying his greatest creation will destroy his worst, and calls security to escort him out of the building. Shane warns them to let him go peacefully, but they don't and Shane runs wild. Man, I love Shane McMahon, but he might have the worst strikes in history. I know he's not really a wrestler, but come on, you've got to do better than that.
- Kevin Owens vs Neville-The two lock up with Owens taking control. Owens yells at Michael Cole because he's the best, and beats down Neville, repeatedly calling him "mate" because he's the best. Neville blocks a senton by getting his knees up and works Owens over with kicks. Neville tosses Owens from the ring with an hurricanrana, but Owens moves out of the way of a tope. Neville lands on his feet (amazing!) and Owens chucks him into the steps as we go to commercial. We come back to Owens with Neville in a head lock. Neville dodges a cannonball, but Owens blocks a German suplex and hits one of his own, with Neville doing a complete flip. Owens goes to the outside, and Neville hits a shooting star press from the top rope. Neville rolls Owens back in the ring and hits a standing shooting star press for a two count. Neville puts Owens on the top rope, but Owens knocks him down and goes for a springboard moonsault. Neville moves, hits a superkick, a second rope Phoenix Splash for a close two. Neville goes back to the top rope, but Owens sneakily rolls him up for the win. Fantastic match between two of WWE's best workers. Byron Saxton calls the 100% clean victory a "cheap win" because he's awful. Neville argues that Owens had the tights (they didn't show it on camera), but Owens blindsides him and beats him down. Owens goes for the apron powerbomb, but outcomes SAMI ZAYN! The two start to fight, and Owens tries to run, but Neville kicks him and allows Zayn to knock him out of the ring.
- Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder (HE MADE IT ON RAW!) are talking backstage when Stephanie McMahon walks up. Ryder bails so Stephanie can't fire him, and Stephanie thanks Ziggler for taking down a tweet. Ziggler and Stephanie talk about Survivor Series 2014 because they just want to rub in that "the most important Survivor Series match ever" meant nothing. Ziggler says The Authority is going to be out of power for good after WrestleMania, and she books Ziggler in a 3-on-1 elimination handicap match against three members of the League of Nations, or as she put it "a tag team elimination match against three members of the League of Nations...with no partners" It's like the segment was short, so she had to stretch out the conversation longer. Imagine her booking a Hell in a Cell match like this/ "You two are going to fight in a Steel Cage match, except the cage is going to be a lot bigger with a roof...and you don't try to leave."
- Brie Bella vs Summer Rae-After her random win over Paige, Summer Rae tries to keep her momentum going. They play a clip from Total Divas before the match because "F*ck You". Brie almost immediately, but Summer gets to the ropes and takes advantage. Summer works over Brie, but gets a kick caught and gets tossed to the ground. Brie does her Daniel Bryan kicks, hits a dropkick, and screams Brie Mode. Summer dodges a cross body, and that sends out Lana, who apparently went back to her terrible Dolph Ziggler attire. This allows Summer to perform a terrible roll up for the win. Pretty bad, nothing match. Afterwards, Lana gets in the ring and hits a Bella Buster better than any Bella Buster Brie has ever hit and leaves. I just don't care about this feud.
- Dean Ambrose is out for a promo. He says he plans on hijacking the WWE Championship and WrestleMania. He talks about the beatdown from last week, and says he'll beat Triple H at Roadblock this Saturday. He says he'll be the face of WWE and that he'll make Triple H respect him. He jokes about all the perks of being WWE Champion not being cool, but being WWE Champion is cool enough. Outcomes Triple H, who says that he will hold the WWE Championship as long as he wants to. Ambrose tells Triple H that after he wins, he'll go on the same announce table Triple H beat him up on, hold the WWE Championship, and tell Triple H to suck it. Triple H says Roadblock doesn't mean anything (not the best way to put over your show). Ambrose says he'd rather be delusional than whatever Triple H says. Triple H says he's driven, and that's why he is champion, and why Ambrose is not. Ambrose invites him to the ring, but Triple H says he only fights on his time, and books Ambrose against Bray Wyatt. That's not a very difficult match up.
- Dolph Ziggler vs Sheamus, Rusev, and King Barrett in a Handicap elimination match-Barrett starts off with Ziggler. Ziggler dodges a clothesline, but gets caught by Sheamus into the ropes and Barrett hits a Winds of Change for a two. Barrett ties up Ziggler in the ropes and knees him, followed by Sheamus' Beats of the Bodhren. Rusev tags in and dropkicks Ziggler. Barrett tags in again and works over Ziggler with knees in the corner, followed by a summersalt and a big kick. The trio continue to work over Ziggler, but Ziggler fights back with a jumping DDT on Sheamus. Barrett tags in, but Ziggler dodges a charging Barrett. Ziggler runs wild on Barrett and hits a superkick, eliminating Barrett. Ziggler hits another on Sheamus, but Rusev breaks up the pin. Ziggler dodges Brogue Kick and rolls up Sheamus for a two. Sheamus blocks a Famouser and Ziggler leans through the ropes, allowing Rusev to hit a roundhouse kick and set up a Brogue Kick from Sheamus for the win. Good match, but it meant nothing. Also, this isn't how you get Barrett to stay if you want him too.
- Backstage, Becky and Sasha Banks are arguing over who would have won to the #1 Contendership matches. They insult each other and Charlotte
- Naomi & Tamina vs Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch-Tamina and Becky start, and Tamina takes control. Tamina works over Becky, but misses a splash in the corner and Becky kicks Tamina. Both make tags, and Sasha runs wild on Naomi. Sasha hits her double knees to the face for a two, and Becky and Tamina fight outside the ring. Sasha locks in the Bank Statement for the win. Quick, nothing match. Afterwards, Charlotte beats up both Becky and Sasha
- R-Truth gives Goldust a pizza to make it up to him for being mean and not being his tag team partner. Goldust drops a subtle Owen Hart reference, says Truth should know he's lactose intolerant if he's a good tag partner, and leaves. Truth follows, and Mark Henry takes the pizza because "LOL Mark Henry is fat"
- The New Day vs Y2AJ for the Tag Team Championships-The New Day (of course) cut a great promo before the match. Kofi says the stakes are higher than ever before. Xavier says they won't be able to stay together and will tear each other apart and drops a Left 4 Dead reference, which gets an A+ from me. Big E says they got matching tattoos, but Kofi and Xavier say they didn't. It was pretty funny. Jericho & Styles both come out in Y2AJ t-shirts, which makes me think this team is going to be together for a while. Not that that's a bad thing, I'd just prefer it if he was doing his own thing. Jericho and Kofi kick off as the crowd is going crazy for AJ Styles. The two go back and forth before Jericho launches Kofi over the top rope. Big E follows suit, and Y2AJ hit tandem slingshot body presses as we go to commercial. We get back with Big E working over Jericho. The New Day do their Unicorn Stampede and continue to work over Jericho. Jericho blocks a corner splash and hits a dropkick on Big E. Kofi tags in, but Jericho hits an enziguri and makes the tag to Styles. Styles runs wild, hitting a springboard moonsault DDT on Kofi for a two count. Big E makes a blind tag, and that allows The New Day to hit the Midnight Hour, but Jericho barely breaks up the pin. Jericho and Kofi tag in, and Jericho runs wild. Kofi almost rolls up Jericho for a two. Styles makes a tag as Jericho hits a Lionsault, and Styles hits a springboard 450, but Big E pulls Kofi out of the pin. Kofi almost rolls up Styles, but catches him with a roundhouse kick. Jericho makes the tag and catches Kofi's Trouble in Paradise into a Walls of Jericho. Big E takes out Styles and makes the tag. Jericho and Big E go back and forth, ending with Big E hitting the Big Ending on Jericho for the win. Amazing match, these four worked so well together. Y2AJ get a standing ovation, but Jericho hits Styles with a Codebreaker, followed by two more. So much for that team. Also, why would you make shirts for a team that would only exist for like three weeks. Jericho takes the Y2AJ shirt and stuffs it in Styles mouth. I guess the feud isn't done yet.
- Backstage, Renee Young catches up with Jericho. He says the he was sick of the crowd cheering for AJ Styles, and that they won't be anymore.
- Kalisto vs Tyler Breeze-The most depressing wrestler in WWE right now; Tyler Breeze. Kalisto takes control quick, but Breeze takes it soon after. Kalisto hits a Listo Kick, a springboard corkscrew, and reverses a superkick into a Salida del Sol for the win. Poor Tyler Breeze.
- The Big Boss Man is going into the Hall of Fame. That's pretty cool
- Backstage, The Lucha Dragons are talking when JoJo walks up. Sin Cara walks off, and JoJo asks Kalisto about WrestleMania. Kalisto says he watched people like Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, and he's ready. Ryback comes out and questions why he isn't on the WrestleMania card. He talks down to Kalisto because he's smaller than him, and that WWE isn't a superhero movie. He encourages Kalisto to abandon Sin Cara and watch him beat the Social Outcasts. Weird segment, Ryback totally changed what he was talking about half way through.
- Curtis Axel vs Ryback-Bo says that Ryback can't be part of the Social Outcasts, and Curtis Axel says Ryback's win over Adam Rose was a fluke, and that "THE AXEMAN WILL COMETH." He chops and makes a weird noise, and the other Social Outcasts join in. It was so oddly funny. The match kicks off with Ryback working over Axel. Ryback does the CM Punk knees, which absolutely pisses off the Chicago crowd. Axel almost gets the win and starts beating down Ryback. Ryback reverses it and obliterates Axel with punches. Ryback hits the Shell Shock for the win. Fine match, nothing special
- Vince McMahon is backstage when Stephanie approaches him. Stephanie worries that Shane might actually beat the Undertaker because of how fearless he is. Vince says he's got it, but Stephanie wonders if he doesn't.
- Dean Ambrose vs Bray Wyatt-Wyatt appears on the TitanTron before the match to say he has the opportunity to beat Brock Lesnar at Roadblock. Wyatt starts the match in control, but Ambrose takes control quickly. The two go back and forth until Wyatt connects with a body block as we go to commercial. We come back with Ambrose in a headlock by Wyatt. Wyatt works over Ambrose until Ambrose blocks a body splash with a big boot, but Wyatt regains control, sending Ambrose to the outside. Wyatt and Ambrose hit a double clothesline and barely beat the count back in. The two exchange punches before Ambrose starts chopping. Wyatt counters a rebound lariat from Ambrose with a huge clothesline for a two count. Wyatt sets Ambrose up on the top rope, but Ambrose knocks him down. Wyatt catches Ambrose and sets up an Uranage, but Ambrose hops out and sends Wyatt to the outside. Ambrose goes for a suicide dive, but Wyatt blocks it and goes for Sister Abigail. Ambrose reverses that, they get back in the ring. Ambrose avoids another Sister Abigail and hits a top rope elbow. The other Wyatt's interfere and beat down Ambrose, ending with a Sister Abigail. Good match until the interference. A Wyatt Family match ended in DQ, shocking, I know. Triple H comes out, and comes face to face with Bray Wyatt. The crowd chants "YES!" at this. Bray touches the title and sends the rest of the family off. Triple H goes and tears apart the announce table, but Ambrose catches him with Dirty Deeds when he gets back in the ring. Ambrose holds the title as the show goes off the air.
And that's about it. Overall, good show. Hopefully this streak of good RAW keeps going after WrestleMania.
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