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My Thoughts on RAW (7/3/17): Crews Loses

  • We kick off the show with Enzo Amore. He says he's been through a lot in the last year, but the fans have always had his back. He says Cass stood behind him for 5 years but was looking past him the entire time. He says no matter what gets thrown at him, he keeps getting back up and says that nothing Cass can do to him at Great Balls of Fire hasn't already been done. He says he's one of the toughest guys to step through the ropes in a long time and that he's confident in his abilities and who he is. He says he's grateful for all his fans and that his mouth has never dug a hole that he couldn't climb out of. He calls Cass a "seven-foot catchphrase that he wrote" and that he'll have to start wearing a shirt that says "Cass-hole." His music plays, but Enzo picks up the mic again and says he & Cass used to be ride or die, but that part is dead and Cass killed it. However, that big boot he got from Cass was like CPR and that he's an army of one with all eyes on him. I know I've ragged on Enzo quite a bit in the last few months, but I'll admit, this promo was fantastic.
  • Backstage, Charly Caruso interviews Big Cass.  He says Enzo talked for so long without saying anything and says after Sunday, Enzo won't be walking anymore. He says he's the star and he's where the money is. He is then jumped from behind by Enzo and the two fight until referees and Adam Pearce(?) break them up.
  • Sasha Banks & Bayley vs Alexa Bliss & Nia Jax-Bayley & Nia Jax start off with Nia quickly going for the Samoan Drop. Bayley fights out, but Nia continues to dominate the match. Bayley fights back and dropkicks Nia into the corner twice, but Nia manages to drop her onto the top turnbuckle. Sasha tags in for a double dropkick before dropkicking Nia out of the ring. Rather than get in the ring, Nia shoves Bayley down to the outside before smashing her into the barricade before the commercial break. We come back to Sasha beating down Bliss in the ring. We find out that Bayley has been taken out of the match due to Nia's attack. Sasha holds her own until Nia tags in and hits a backbreaker. Nia follows up with elbow drops for a near fall before tagging Bliss back in. The heels beat down Sasha until Sasha dodges a double knee drop by Bliss and hits a running knee strike. Sasha follows up with a neckbreaker before kicking Nia off the apron. Bliss tries to hit Sasha from behind, but Sasha quickly locks in the Bank Statement for the submission win.
  • Backstage, Braun Strowman confronts Kurt Angle. Strowman says Roman Reigns won't make it to Great Balls of Fire and that he wants competition. Angle says Reigns will make it to Great Balls of Fire and says that everyone is booked tonight. Strowman says he'll find competition if Angle doesn't find it for him.
  • Cedric Alexander vs Noam Dar with Alicia Fox-HOW IS THIS FEUD STILL GOING! Before the match, Alexander says he's tired of dealing wth these two and says that after this match, Dar is going to have a neck brace to match with Fox. Oh, Alicia Fox has a neck brace on, by the way. Alexander starts off hot, beating down Dar in the corner before hitting a springboard clothesline. Dar rolls out of the ring and Alexander follows him out, but Fox gets between them. Back in the ring, Alexander goes for a handspring headscissor takedown, but Dar blocks it and kicks Alexander in the face for a near fall. Dar follows up with an armbar and kicks away at Alexander before Alexander floors him with a back elbow. Fox hops up on the apron to distract Alexander, allowing Dar to roll up Alexander. However, Alexander rolls through and hits the Lumbar Check for the three and the win.
  • It's MizTV. Miz says that he exposed the Ball family last week for being overexposed and overhyped and says Lonzo Ball will be the biggest bust in NBA history. As a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, I know from experience that it would pretty hard to top this guy for biggest bust in NBA history:
    That Lonzo line got a pop from the Phoenix crowd, so Miz gets his heat back by saying Lonzo will disappoint more people than Steve Nash ever did. People who don't watch basketball must be so confused over what's happening in these last two MizTV segments. He says he knows talent, and that's why he made Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas featured stars in the Miztourage. He calls Lavar Ball a lunatic before turning his attention to Dean Ambrose. He says Ambrose had the promise to become a breakout star when he debuted, but he quickly became a wacky joker. Miz must've been reading Internet forums, lately. He says Dean Ambrose can't handle success and he caved under pressure as a main eventer. He says Ambrose couldn't make the Intercontinental Championship relevant because that's his job and says Ambrose will be the biggest joke of all. Ambrose comes out. Lamelo Ball drops the n-word somewhere in the distance. Ambrose says what Miz said was true, but he doesn't care and he'll come down there and kick his ass anyway. He says he wants his Intercontinental Championship rematch right now, but he is interrupted by Heath Slater & Rhyno. Slater points out that he was the last person to beat the Miz and says he's never gotten a singles title shot. He says he's earned this opportunity, but Ambrose says it's his turn for a title shot right now. Miz says Ambrose will get his rematch when he says he does and that Slater will not get a title shot. Kurt Angle comes out and says Miz doesn't decide when he defends the title, he does. Miz tells him to stay out of his business and agrees to defend the title at Great Balls of Fire against either Ambrose or Slater. Angle instead says Ambrose will get his rematch at Great Balls of Fire, but Miz will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Slater right now.
  • The Miz (c) with Maryse & The Miztourage vs Heath Slater with Rhyno-Intercontinental Championship-Ambrose takes a seat at commentary for this match. Slater rolls up Miz right away for a one count. The two trade holds until Miz takes down Slater with a snapmare. Miz follows up with a shoulder block, but Slater comes back with a hip toss for a near fall. Slater follows up with a backslide for a near fall and another rollup for another near fall. Miz comes back with a knee lift, but Slater is able to beat down Miz in the corner before chopping him and hitting a huge inverted atomic drop followed by a jackknife cover for a near fall. Miz rolls out of the ring before the commercial break. We come back to Miz hitting a backbreaker followed by a neckbreaker for a near fall. The two trade punches from their knees before Miz hits a snap DDT to a kneeling Slater for a near fall. Miz controls the match until Slater hits a flapjack. Slater punches away at Miz before hitting a high knee and rolls up Miz for a near fall. Miz hits a backbreaker, but Slater blocks the follow-up neckbreaker and hits a jumping neckbreaker of his own for a near fall. Slater charges in the corner, but Miz dodges it and hits the Awesome Clothesline. Miz goes to the top rope, but Slater meets him there and hits a top rope powerslam. Curtis Axel hops up on the apron, but Rhyno yanks him down. However, Axel & Bo Dallas are able to take out Rhyno. The commotion at ringside allows Miz to hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the three and the win to retain the Intercontinental Championship. Pretty good match, it's probably the best Heath Slater match I've seen. After the match, the Miztourage attacks Slater until Ambrose makes the save. However, the numbers game is too much for Ambrose and Dallas & Axel hit a back suplex/neckbreaker combo before picking him up for a Skull Crushing Finale by the Miz. Miz & Maryse kiss, prompting Bo Dallas to yell "TRUE LOVE! TRUE LOVE!" Michael Cole adds there will be no kissing when Samoa Joe & Brock Lesnar do their interview tonight. Don't count anything out, Cole. Wouldn't be the first time Brock Lesnar kissed a dude.
  • Apollo Crews & Titus O'Neil talk backstage. Titus says he heard Braun Strowman was looking for competition tonight, and he thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Crews. Crews is hesitant based on the fact that Braun Strowman could probably eat him alive if he wanted, but Titus convinces him and they chant "CREWS CAN'T LOSE." Guess what happens later tonight.
  • Goldust is in the ring to premiere his newest masterpiece "The Shattered Truth." He thanks R-Truth for being so naive and selfish. Goldust says that with this film, he will make Truth a star, but the only thing that shines brighter than a star is gold. Goldust plays "The Shattered Truth" on the big screen, which is just Goldust beating up Truth while Beethoven plays. However, we cut back to the ring to see Truth standing behind Goldust. Truth attacks Goldust and sends him running.
  • Kurt Angle tells Sheamus & Cesaro that they'll defend the RAW Tag Team Championships against the Hardy Boyz in a 30-Minute Iron Man match at Great Balls of Fire. Sheamus says that will be the end of the Hardys before Cesaro says he wants a warm up match tonight. Angle suggests Braun Strowman, but Cesaro instead says he wants Finn Balor. Angle books it before taking a phone call.
  • Seth Rollins vs Curt Hawkins-Before the match, Hawkins says he should be facing Braun Strowman right now and that last week, the Los Angeles crowd didn't believe in him. He tries to ask this Phoenix crowd the same questions he did last week, but Rollins takes the mic from him and asks who thinks Hawkins needs to shut up. Everyone cheers, so Rollins punches him. After Hawkins recovers, the bell rings before Rollins quickly hits the Rain-Trigger for the three and the win. After the match, Rollins says Bray Wyatt always says he's everywhere, but Wyatt never seems to be around when he wants to fight him. Rollins says he doesn't ignore his mistakes from his past, he embraces them because they made him the man he is today. He says at Great Balls of Fire, he will cleanse Wyatt's mistake and prove he is not a god.
  • Michael Cole tries to interview both Samoa Joe & Brock Lesnar, who are in separate rooms, over the big screen. Joe quickly cuts him off and says he doesn't need to answer any questions because he has made multiple statements and that he has a few questions. Lesnar cuts him off to say he's the champ and will be the champ after Sunday. Joe says Lesnar has done nothing in this feud, but Lesnar says he's a coward and hasn't been looking for him. Joe says the separation is for Lesnar's protection before Lesnar lists off the names he's beaten over the years. Joe does the same and says Lesnar is next. Joe takes off his mic and goes to look for Lesnar. Lesnar tells him to come find him. Cut to backstage, where Joe goes looking for Lesnar. Referees and officials tell Joe to wait until Sunday, but Joe brushes them off and walks past them. Kurt Angle appears and tries to calm Joe down, but Joe finds Lesnar and tries to get to him. Security holds him back and as Lesnar stands there and taunts him. If WWE doesn't push Samoa Joe to the f*cking moon after Great Balls of Fire, then it might be the hardest they've ever dropped the ball.
  • Neville vs Mustafa Ali-Neville quickly takes Ali down to the mat to start. The two go back and forth before Ali hits a dropkick followed by a hurricanrana. Ali follows up with a corner jump crossbody for a near fall before going to the top rope for the imploding 450 splash. However, Neville is able to crotch him on the top rope before going for a back superplex. However, Ali lands on his feet and hits a tilt-a-whirl tornado DDT for a near fall. Ali tries for the imploding 450 splash, but Neville shoves him down to the outside. Neville brings Ali back in the ring and stomps away at him in the corner. Neville controls the match before locking in the Rings of Saturn for the submission win. Hey, remember how on the first Bring it to the Table when JBL justified 3-hour RAWs by saying the cruiserweights take up an hour on RAW? The combined match times for the two cruiserweight matches on this RAW is 8:31. Not exactly an hour.
  • Bray Wyatt cuts a promo from the desert...it's basically the same promo they guy always cuts except in the script instead of "Setting: Black room" it says "Setting: Desert."
  • Charly Caruso interviews Alexa Bliss. She says she's not worried about Sasha Banks tapping her out tonight because she let her win so Sasha would have a false sense of security. Caruso doesn't buy that, so Bliss tells her nobody cares about her opinion and that's why she's not the RAW Women's Champion
  • Finn Balor vs Cesaro with Sheamus-The Hardy Boyz come down to the commentary table for this match. Balor starts off with a headlock before taking out Cesaro's knee with a basement dropkick. Back to the headlock, but Cesaro breaks out and catches him off a leapfrog and hits a backbreaker. Cesaro follows up with an uppercut in the corner before clotheslining Balor for a near fall. Balor counters a sunset flip with a basement dropkick before chopping Cesaro from corner to corner. Balor strikes & stomps away at Cesaro until Sheamus hops up on the apron to distract him. This allows Cesaro to throw Balor into the corner and stomp away at him. The two trade chops before Cesaro throws Balor out of the ring before the commercial break. We come back to Balor getting a near fall off a sunset flip. Cesaro quickly responds with a clothesline for a near fall before hitting a deadlift suplex for another near fall. Cesaro controls the match until Balor counters the Neutralizer and hits a double stomp. Balor comes back with forearms and a basement dropkick, sending Cesaro out of the ring. Balor hits a wrecking ball dropkick before hitting a running soccer kick from the apron. Back in the ring, Balor hits the Sling Blade and calls for the dropkick into the corner, but Elias Samson comes down to the ring and distracts Balor by strumming his guitar, allowing Cesaro to hit a Very European Uppercut, but Balor kicks out. Cesaro hits two more uppercuts before going to the top rope. Balor kicks him down and goes for the somersault plancha, but the Drifter trips him up. The Hardyz leave commentary to brawl with Sheamus & Samson before Balor sends Cesaro into the pile and hits the somersault plancha onto the crowd. Everyone gets their spots in, ending with Balor dropkicking Cesaro into the barricade before quickly throwing back in the ring. Balor hits the Coup de Grace for the three and the win. Really good match, wouldn't expect anything less from these two.
  • An ambulance pulls into ringside before Braun Strowman comes out. He says he loves hurting Roman Reigns and the fact that he's too stubborn to stay down. Strowman warns Reigns & Kurt Angle that if Reigns shows up to Great Balls of Fire, he's leaving the same way he left last week, in the back of an ambulance...well, duh. You're facing him in an ambulance match. That's how the match ends Strowman then demands his opponent for the night comes out. Outcomes Titus O'Neil, who says who he's about to bring out is more competition he could've ever imagined...Apollo Crews.
  • Braun Strowman vs Apollo Crews with Titus O'Neil-Crews takes the fight to Strowman, but Strowman eventually floors him with a big boot. Strowman throws Crews out of the ring, but Crews gets back in before being counted out. Strowman controls the match until a pep talk from Titus fires Crews up. Crews slaps Strowman before hitting two jumping roundhouse kicks. Crews follows up with two basement dropkicks and goes for a standing moonsault, but Strowman literally up kicks him across the ring.
    Jesus...Strowman quickly hits a running powerslam...only to hit another...and another before pinning Crews for the three and the win. Strowman goes for one more, but Titus makes the save. Titus gets in the ring and takes the fight to Strowman, but Strowman quickly clotheslines him down and gives him a running powerslam. Strowman then throws Crews over the barricade and takes him over to the ambulance. Strowman throws him in, but the ambulance doesn't leave. When Strowman goes over to the door, Roman Reigns pops out and attacks Strowman. Strowman manages to throw Reigns back onto the stage like last week, but Reigns manages to throw Strowman into the screen before spearing him off the stage through a table. However, the show ends with both men being able to get to their feet.

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