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My Thoughts on RAW (4/25/16): Movie Quotes & Talk Show Feuds

  • We kick off with Shane McMahon. I'm sorry, did I just hallucinate the entire time WrestleMania 32 happened. Shane must have won at WrestleMania because he's been in charge for the last month. I could've sworn Shane lost at WrestleMania to the Undertaker. I guess not. Shane says he still here because of the fans, and Payback is the first pay-per-view of a new era. Outcomes Stephanie McMahon to a lot of boos. Stephanie says Shane is pandering to the fans and compliments the fans because she might be a heel, but she needs to be liked by the fans too. Shane says she took the air out of the room, and Stephanie says Shane should recognize her importance. She says this is Shane's last night running RAW, and says that Vince will decide who runs RAW at Payback. Stephanie says Vince is too smart to listen to the fans, but Shane says he wouldn't be on RAW if he didn't listen. Shane tells her to leave, but she says she isn't leaving the ring. Since he's still in charge, he calls down security to escort her out. Stephanie slaps a security guard and kicks him in the face, and gets dragged out be security. 
  • AJ Styles vs Sheamus-The two lock up and Shemaus over powers him and takes control. Quick paced action at the beginning as Styles jumps over and dropkicks Sheamus. Sheamus quickly takes control again and cuts off some chops and strikes from Styles with a big kick. Styles eventually fights back and knocks Sheamus out of the ring, but Shemaus fights back. The two take it to the outside, where Sheamus dodges a apron moonsault and tosses Styles into the stairs, sending him over and landing hard as we go to commercial. We come back with the two back in the ring, where Sheamus catches Styles with a two Irish Curse Backbreakers in a row before locking in a bear hug. Styles escapes and avoids a shoulder tackle in the corner, but gets caught going to the top rope. Sheamus goes for White Noise of the top rope, but reverses it with a sunset flip powerbomb. The two exchange strikes before Styles flurries, the camera misses a kip up, and Styles runs wild with kicks. Sheamus counters a fireman's carry with a running power slam, but only gets a two count. Sheamus goes for the Cloverleaf, but Styles blocks it and hits a Pele Kick. Styles throws some vicious forearms before Sheamus takes him down with a clothesline before locking in the Cloverleaf. Styles makes it to the bottom rope, dodges a Brogue Kick, and hits the Phenomenal Forearm for the win. Good match, best one from Sheamus in a while. After the match, Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows walk out on the stage to congratulate Styles.
  • Backstage Roman Reigns is watching Styles' match on TV when the Usos walk up to him. The Usos say Styles, Anderson, and Gallows are together, and they're willing to help Reigns as the audience chants that they can't hear them talking. They didn't miss much, anyway.
  • Outcomes the New Day, who talk about the #1 Contenders Tag Team Championship Tournament. Xavier sings a Prince song, saying New Day and the winners of the tournament will party like it's 1999, before the Vaudevillians come out. You could have heard a pin drop. Aiden English says after they win at Payback, they will party like it's 1899. Outcome Enzo & Cass to a monster pop. The exact opposite of what the Vaudevillians got. They call the Vaudevillians SAWFT, and Xavier Woods says it doesn't matter which team wins, because New Day will retain, because NEW. DAY ROCK. NEW. DAY ROCKS. NEW. DAY ROCKS.
  • Backstage, Gallows & Anderson walk out of AJ Styles locker room before the commercial break
  • The Usos vs Bullet Club Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows-Match starts off fast paced , with the Usos taking control in aggressive fashion, but Anderson take an Uso down with a dropkick. The Usos regain control with double team moves, but Gallows destroys Jey Uso with a clothesline. Gallows and Anderson beat down Jey Uso, working over Jey's injured shoulder. After a long beat down of Jey, Gallows pushes him off the top rope, sending him shoulder first into the barricade before the commercial. We come back with Gallows & Anderson continuing the down before Jey hits Gallows with a middle rope dropkick and makes the tag. Jimmy runs wild on Anderson to a chorus of boos, hitting the hip smash in the corner, but gets taken out with a clothesline. Gallows takes out Jey by throwing him over the barricade, and he and Gallows team up on Jimmy, with Gallows hitting a big boot and the two hitting the Magic Killer for the win. Fantastic debut, made Gallows & Anderson look so strong. After the match, Anderson grabs Jimmy and the two beat down both Usos before Reigns runs down to help. Reigns runs wild to a chorus of boos, as Anderson & Gallows walk back.
  • Backstage, Renee Young interviews AJ Styles. She asks him how he's preparing for his match at Payback, but Anderson & Gallows interrupt the interview. Anderson says Styles can become champion, and they're just even the odds.
  • They show an awesome video package for Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, talking about how they've been friends for years. Owens says it bothers him Zayn got to WWE first. Zayn basically breaks kayfabe and says Owens stole his debut on RAW from him (which is true, Sami was supposed to take Owens' main roster push) and that he's set his sights on Payback.
  • Sami Zayn vs Rusev-Rusev needs bigger trunks. That is all. After avoiding the stronger Rusev, Rusev takes it to Zayn, taking him down with forearms and kicks before Zayn fights back and hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Rusev goes back to beating down and out muscling Zayn, but Zayn makes Rusev fall out of the ring. Zayn goes for a body vault, but Rusev catches him and drops him on the ring apron. Rusev Irish whips Zayn into the barricade, but Zayn jumps up and hits a moonsault. Zayn tries to make a comeback, but Rusev stops him with a spinning heel kick. Rusev sets Zayn up on the top rope and roundhouse kicks Zayn to the outside before the commercial break. We come back with Rusev in control with a front facelock. Rusev continues to over power Zayn, hitting two reverse German suplexes before Zayn clothesline him. Zayn runs wild, destroying Rusev with forearms, reversing a back suplex into a crossbody, and hitting a top rope crossbody. He goes for the Blue Thunder Bomb, but can't lift Rusev, who hits a fallaway slam. Rusev stops Zayn's attempt at a wristlock springboard DDT and hits a superkick for a two count. Rusev calls for the Accolade, but Zayn slips under and rolls up Rusev for the win. Fine match, nothing special. After the match, Lana throws her shoes at Zayn...I just thought that was funny. She threw them hard, too. After that, Kevin Owens ambushes Zayn on the entrance ramp
  • Backstage, Renee Young interviews Apollo Crews, but gets instantly interrupted by Stardust. Crews calls Stardust Cody, and Stardust says not even Dusty Rhodes could make him a star
  • Oh god, now they roped Ziggler into the anti-smoking commercial with Titus O'Neil. Did they not see what happened last time? Did they not see what the Internet did to it?

That. They did that.
  • Stardust vs Apollo Crews-You know, if Apollo Crews wasn't a giant black dude, he'd be the definition of "vanilla midget". The guy has ZERO character whatsoever. Crews takes control early until Stardust hits a hangman neckbreaker. Stardust works over Crews until Crews does a sunset flip. Stardust sits down and pins Crews, but he kicks out and runs wild, hitting a standing moonsault. JBL quips "I remember when me and Ron used to do that" Funniest thing he has ever said. Crews hits the spin-out powerbomb for the win. Man, I want to like Apollo Crews but he's so bland. His gimmick is basically "smiling black guy who's just happy to be here"
  • Outcome Dean Ambrose, who says he was supposed to host the Ambrose Asylum, but he says he's not in the mood for fun and games. Ambrose says Chris Jericho says he's the best all the time, but he's good too. Ambrose says he doesn't jump people or complain about how people don't like him like Jericho does before calling Jericho out to the ring. Outcomes Jericho, who says Ambrose is a disrespectful stupid idiot. He says he won't fight Ambrose in a dump like Hartford, and says he doesn't say he's the best in the world, he is the best in the world. He says being in the ring with him puts Ambrose on another level, and tells him to thank Ambrose to thank him for even associating with him. He then tells Ambrose to apologize for disrespecting him and stealing the Highlight Reel. I just remembered this feud was about dueling talk shows. Ambrose says he's sorry for Jericho paying too much for his boots, wearing a scarf, having a Bon Jovi haircut, and a bunch of other stuff, but he's not sorry for beating him up right now. Ambrose beats up Jericho and tears apart the announce table, but Jericho makes Ambrose fall head first into a monitor and locks in the Walls of Jericho on the announce table. Not sure how that hurts more, but alright.
  • Natalya vs Emma-The #1 Contender for the Women's Championship got an un-televised entrance. That'll make people take her seriously! Before the match, outcomes Charlotte & Ric Flair to commentate. Emma and Natalya go back and forth until Emma rolls out of the ring, luring Natalya onto the apron before yanking her down. Natalya quickly locks in the Sharpshooter and gets the submission win. Such a shame Emma is back to losing already.
  • That Camp WWE commercial. I'm just curious, how come Rock and Austin are kids in the series, but Triple H and Stephanie are teenagers. Hell, the Undertaker's a kid and he's 
  • DAMIEN SANDOW! HE DID IT! HE GOT ON RAW! HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN! YES! YES! YES! #PUSHSANDOW BAYBAY!
  • Sorry, I got a little carried away there...#PushSandow
  • Damien Sandow vs Baron Cor-Never mind, Dolph Ziggler attacks Corbin from behind before the match starts and Corbin runs. By the way, they changed Corbin's lights to red lights and it looks AWESOME! So cool. And hey, Sandow didn't have to job, thankfully.
  • Primo and Epico blah blah blah Puerto Rico blah blah blah.
  • Miz and Maryse are out to cut a promo. Has Maryse always had that thick of accent? I never noticed. Pre-match, Miz says Cesaro won't beat him at Payback for the Intercontinental Championship, and he's appalled people don't see the benefit of him being champion. He doesn't really say why, but Cesaro comes out. Miz starts quoting Taxi Driver, and then Goodfellas, but Cesaro says the only movie he belongs in is Jackass. Cesaro tells Miz tomake his day, so he and Maryse walk out to leave, only for Miz to try to blindside him. Cesaro catches him and hits a Very European Uppercut. He calls for the Cesaro Swing, but Maryse dives on Miz to stop the swing. Cesaro holds the Intercontinental Championship up to end the segment.
  • Roman Reigns vs Alberto Del Rio-First off, let's just dispel this notion that Roman Reigns is a tweener. He can say he's not a good or bad guy all he wants, but he's still a babyface. He gets ambushed by the heels 2-on-1, saves his friends from beatdowns, and they show him hanging out with and hugging Make a Wish kids. "Yeah, he's not a good guy or a bad guy, he's THE GUY!...but look at him hug a sick child, how could you boo him?" Del Rio and Reigns go back and forth before Del Rio hits a double stomp to Reigns' back on the outside before the commercial. We come back with Del Rio in control. Neither man is getting cheered. Del Rio calls for a superkick, Reigns dodges, Del Rio falls out of a Samoan Drop, and Reigns runs wild, hitting ten clotheslines in the corner. Reigns calls for the Superman Punch, but Del Rio rolls out of the ring. Reigns runs out and dropkicks Del Rio into the ring post. Back in the ring, Del Rio superkicks Reigns for only a two count. Del Rio sets up the Tree of Woe Double Stomp, but Reigns dodges, avoids the cross armbreaker, and hits a Superman Punch. Reigns gets up for the spear, but outcomes Gallows & Anderson. Del Rio almost gets the roll up win, but Reigns kicks out and hits a spear for the win. Boring match. Gallows and Anderson attack Reigns, but Styles runs down and stops them. For helping him out, Reigns Superman Punches him. He then beats up both Gallows and Anderson before Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm. WOW...how to kill a team's momentum in one night. Gallows & Anderson went from brutal, unstoppable beasts to easily beatable dudes who can get beat up by one guy who just wrestled a 10 minute match. Ridiculous.
And that's about it. Overall, a pretty fine show. The matches were fine and there was nothing horrendous except for the main event, so not much to talk about.

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