source: WWE
Raw emanates from London as we see a few more MITB qualifying matches and a brutal attack on Jinder Mahal from Roman Reigns!
source: WWE
Roman Reigns calls out Jinder Mahal
Reigns comes out to the ring, saying that he was robbed once gain. He calls out Mahal, saying that if he wants to become more relevant than ever, he should come out now. Kurt Angle comes out instead, saying that he was thinking emotionally by denying Mahal an opportunity in the MITB match.
Angle announces a MITB qualifying match between Jinder, Bobby Lashley and Elias, saying it’s “best for business”. Angry that he isn’t allowed more qualifying opportunities for MITB, he takes it upon himself to go backstage and find Jinder.
Reigns and Mahal find one another and brawl backstage, and Reigns mutilates Mahal backstage before bringing the attack to the stage and ramp. He hits Jinder with a superman punch and Jinder retreats as Roman is apprehended by refs and security.
Opinion:
This would have been great if the UK fans (and pretty much fans all over the world) wouldn’t boo Reigns so profusely. In this case, Roman brings up valid points and isn’t a white-meat babyface. He was screwed over by management and doesn’t respond in the kindest way. Reigns is as close to a heel turn as he has ever been, but the fans continue to obliterate him. If fans realized that Roman isn’t going anywhere and just dealt with him being Vince’s guy for the time being, we could get his title reign out of the way and move onto a new champion.
source: WWE
Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens
Intercontinental Championship Match
Winner: Seth Rollins
Highlights:
Owens catches Rollins’s suicide dive and sends him into the post
Seth dodges Kevin’s power bomb onto the apron and delivers a Falcon Arrow to him on the apron
Rollins hits Owens with two consecutive suicide dives
Seth Rollins goes for the splash but Owens gets his knees up
KO gets Rollins into a fisherman buster off the ropes
Rollins hits Owens with a stomp as he enters the ring for a three count
Opinion:
This match was one of the best Raw matches in the past few weeks, and of course both Rollins and Owens were involved. If Rollins’ open challenge matches continue to be even close to this good every week, he could be one of the best IC champs in history.
source: WWE
Bobby Roode vs. Baron Corbin vs. No Way Jose
MITB Qualifying Match
Winner: Bobby Roode
Highlights:
Roode hits Jose with a clothesline off the top ropeCorbin delivers a Deep Six to Roode
Bobby hits Jose with a Glorious DDT for the victory
Opinion:
I’m so glad that the person who deserves to be in the MITB match the most won the match. For some reason, any No Way Jose match tends to bore me, but Roode was able to shine through. With Jose’s relatively unsuccessful rise to Raw and Corbin’s loss at his cash-in last year, Roode is the only sensible option anyway.
source: WWE
Breezango vs. the B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel)
Winners: B-Team
Highlights:
Bo and Curtis kick Tyler Breeze down in the corner
Fandango clotheslines Axel repeatedly
The B Team double team a back duplex and neck breaker for the win
Dallas and Axel celebrate and challenge Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Opinion:
While I’m disappointed that it was at the expense of Breezango (the most underrated team in WWE, in my opinion), I’m super excited for the rise of the B Team. Their new name is hilarious and fitting, and I love the concept of their underdog rise.
source: WWE
Riott Squad vs. Ember Moon, Natalya and Sasha Banks
Winners: Ember Moon, Natalya and Sasha Banks
Highlights:
Liv Morgan jumps off the top rope and sends Sasha face first into the mat
Banks hits Logan with a meteora outside the ring
Ember delivers a suicide dive to Ruby
Natalya locks in the Sharpshooter and Morgan submits
Opinion:
I loved the way that towards the end of the match, there was just as much going on outside the ring as there was going on in the ring. Natalya really showed up when she was tagged in, bursting from the corner with energy. All 6 women looked really good in this match.
source: WWE
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt vs. the Revival
Winners: Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Highlights:
Hardy applauds Dash Wilder’s athleticism, calling it “wonderful” and the crowd gives it a standing ovation
The B Team are seen backstage taking notes about this match
Dash and Dawson double team Hardy in the corner
Matt hits the Twist of Fate onto Dawson and he and Bray hit the Kiss of Deletion (a double team Sister Abigail) for the victory
Opinion:
Hardy and Wyatt looked really good in this match. I like the name of their finisher and the way they express their characters in the ring.
source: WWE
Sami Zayn threatens to expose Bobby Lashley
Zayn comes out to the ring, reminding fans that Bobby Lashley gave him vertigo—the first case of vertigo in WWE history—and fans cheered. He makes excuses for losing matches since he was “victimized” by Lashley.
Sami says that he reached out to Lashley’s three sisters, who said that he is not what he claims to be. He says that he promises to expose the real Bobby Lashley with all three of his sisters in attendance next week.
Opinion:
Hopefully sitting through that brutal Bobby Lashley interview was worth it. Zayn's personality is enough to make up for Lashley's new and strange persona, but I'm a little worried that this segment next week is going to be more like "Bayley, this is your life" than like "Festival of Friendship".
source: WWE
Bayley vs. Mickie James vs. Alexa Bliss
MITB Qualifying Match
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Highlights:
Alexa and Mickie double team Bayley and Alexa yells at Bayley as Mickie keeps her in a submission
Mickie tries to roll up Alexa
Bayley gives Bliss a Bayley to Belly but James breaks up the pin
Alexa Bliss delivers a DDT to Bayley for the victory
Opinion:
With the several times Alexa and Mickie turned on each other in this match, it’s sure to leave cracks in their friendship. As of right now, Alexa is my pick to win the MITB match—I can easily picture her with the briefcase, and now that she’s without the title, she can use the briefcase as leverage each week.
source: WWE
Finn Balor and Braun Strowman vs. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre
Winners: Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre
Highlights:
Ziggler tags in McIntyre, and McIntyre calls out Strowman but when Strowman enters, Drew tags Ziggler back in
McIntyre chops Balor and leaves marks on his chest
Dolph dodges Braun and sends him shoulder first into the post
Braun shoulders McIntyre outside the ring and knocks over the GRR trophy
Ziggler rolls up Finn for the pin
Opinion:
Dolph and Drew clearly had more to lose in this match than Finn and Braun, so I’m glad they won. Finn taking the pin off a distraction doesn’t harm him, but makes McIntyre and Ziggler look good. The only issue I had with this match is that the destruction of Strowman’s GRR trophy looked like an accident—it was preventable and if they moved the shoulder attack a little bit, they could have done more damage and had the destruction of the trophy look worse.
source: WWE
Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Elias
MITB Qualifying Match
Winner: Kevin Owens
Highlights:
Just after Jinder is cleared to participate in this match, Roman spears him and takes him out of it again
Kevin Owens cuts off Elias’ concert before he can sing
Elias has Jojo bring him his guitar during the match but upon seeing Owens come back pushes her away with his guitar before he can sing
Sami Zayn breaks up a pin by Lashley and gives him a Helluva Kick outside the ring
KO delivers a frog splash to Elias to qualify for the MITB match
Opinion:
In Owens second match of the night, he and Zayn are both looking great. I love the idea of Owens being favorited by Stephanie McMahon—it makes him even more hatable.