Rollins finally discovered that an eye for an eye literally meant an eye for an eye.
He talked about how he’s just trying to lead Raw to a brighter future, but Rey Mysterio has been on his way every step of the way. So Kevin Owens came out and said that he expected Rey to choose a Last Man Standing or a Steel Cage Match, but Seth is so dumb that he can make a man as respected and genuinely as kind as Rey Mysterio to the point where he wants to get the eyes. I loved this line. Also the name fell PCO!
So this was one of Seth’s best promotions since he became a heel. I admit that his promotions have sometimes sounded repetitive, but in this program he brought us back to the origins of this character. It is the WWE Universe that made him who he is, and Rey will not sacrifice himself for the greater good. I really liked that Seth mentioned the origin of why he became the Messiah.
Murphy went out to attack Owens but Aleister Black, Raw’s white knight, attacked him and we got a commercial. They fought for the tenth time or so and I’m not going to go into that because it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. There is a DQ ending because of course.
Then we get to the meat. Owens and Rollins had a tough showdown with Aleister, Rey and Dom Mysterio on the outside and without Murphy to help Seth. At this point in the show, my feed started to fail, so I couldn’t get much of what was going on, but Reverend Claire said Owens won through Stunner.
The key difference between a heel advantage around the ring and a babyface advantage around the ring is that the baby’s faces, as in this case, do not tend to interfere and take cheap shots while the referee is not looking and helps babyface fool winning. Sometimes it happens with babyfaces, but that is usually in games of rancor or when the heel has been so cowardly that it justifies cheating to win. To tell the truth, I like that my babyfaces are not 100% honorable.
I was really excited to see this game and then the United States screwed me up so booed. Reading what happened through the live blog, I would have really enjoyed it and many great moves were made. I will have to take a look on YouTube. I hope the Eye for an Eye match is fun and not an artificial disaster. Figuratively and literally.
Sasha is the true MVP
This main event was a great way to end the night.
Sasha and Asuka really gave us an idea of what’s to come on Sunday. The Kabuki Warriors made a double hip attack on the role models and really brought it to them.
The last few minutes were super smooth and seemed legitimately painful. Sane did one of the best elbow dives I’ve ever seen and almost won it if it weren’t for the evil Bayley pulling her out of the ring. Sane then connected with a big Alabama punch and Sasha responded with a vicious looking bank statement for the win.
I love that Sasha was the workhorse in this match and won the team victory. Set the stage for if WWE makes a hopeful turn with her as Bayley stands firm. However, it seems that Sasha was always the team’s true workhorse, and she was especially the woman who was always put into combat by her best friend.
I am incredibly excited to see Sasha vs. Asuka on Sunday as well as Bayley vs. Nikki Cross. As I have been saying, I am so torn about whether they disconnect the role models and whether they make them fight for a great Summerslam match, or if they ride this train for a while. I know some people are tired of constantly seeing them, but not me. I love.He drove to Bayley’s best race on the main list.
Much-needed bullying
Dolph was a guest in the MVP VIP Lounge to start the show.
He and MVP continued to criticize Drew’s lack of appreciation for his friend shtick.
Drew interrupted and said that this Sunday he will hurt Dolph. He realized what his arrangement was before he got big in his second WWE career. Dolph used it for his own benefit. He’ll make sure he regrets bringing him to Raw in the first place.
So he covered Dolph and jumped out of the ring. Legend.
This is the Drew McIntryre that I know and love. Direct, no nonsense and intimidating. Up to this point, I wasn’t remotely interested in Drew vs. Dolph at Extreme Rules. This time he called what the pairing was between them: a trade agreement. Drew was always there to be the bodyguard, and it was great to see him point that out. If Drew had this fire under him every week, he would have had a totally different perspective. Dolph did his part well here. He’s pretty good at being delusional.
Now I’m invested and ready to see these two do it. However, Dolph is not winning, and that should be obvious. The only thing that could be troubling on Sunday is the secret stipulation up Dolph’s sleeve. Crossing your fingers for a good one!
The rest
Angel Garza and Andrade def. Viking raiders – Before the game, the four teams were in the back with Charly Caruso and the only thing that showed here was that the … charm of Ivar attracted Charly away from Garza for a change. Garza was not happy about that! One of the best things about this whole game was Zelina on the outside. Their reactions make these games much better. At first there was already tension between Garza and Andrade, but once the game continued, they started. Erik didn’t take much offense before being eliminated first.
When Garza and Andrade were busy putting themselves on the same page, Ivar launched himself at them. Andrade actually ended up saving Garza twice before being eliminated. Garza fought for Charly’s honor and claimed victory for his team. Now I like the benefits of the street, but I think they need to be more serious and be the hunters. They have been making the tension between Garza and Andrade, but they need to be on the same page and become champions. Although I think the most likely scenario is that dissension overcomes them and they break.
By the way, last week when I mentioned a new Legacy with Orton, Andrade, and Garza, I in no way meant that Zelina should be offstage! I would have loved to see Orton and Zelina’s interactions and maybe an angle down the line where Zelina sees that Orton is too evil for her men and tries to convince them to separate from her.
Ruby Riott and Bianca Belair def. IIconics – BIANCA BELAIR! IT’S TIME! Ruby reintroduced her to Raw and she better knows that you’ll never want to mess with WWE EST. I would love to see these two as a tag team and make Liv more focused on a singles career. It was fast, but Bianca returned to television and the fight, which is what we all need in our lives.
Bobby Lashley def. Bounce – A unilateral match with Ricochet being shaken. Ricochet’s standard match. Yesterday I saw your documentary on the Net and it inspired me a lot. I highly recommend it! However, I find it kind of funny that WWE has been pushing him on TV and having him on television in games, and he hasn’t won a singles game in months.
Shayna Baszler interrupted Akira Tozawa against R-Truth – Tozawa and Truth would face each other, but Shayna came out and fought the ninjas when Tozawa came out. What she wanted to happen next was for Shayna to sleep with Truth and win the title 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but sadly. Instead, Shayna told us that she had let the women run and have fun. They all have the illusion that they are in control, but she came back to hit them all with a strong dose of reality.
Again, it was a perfect way to make Shayna dominant by earning that title 24/7, but whatever. I am happy to see her back after she falls off the face of the Earth. Start / stop thrusts are one of my biggest hobbies with Vince McMahon. Stop booking for yourself, boy.
Randy Orton def. R-Truth – This lasted every 10 seconds. The most important point here is the WWE garbage reserve of the 24/7 title. Twice tonight, people have completely ignored the fact that R-Truth is a champion with a title by which you just have to identify him. Anytime. Anywhere. Neither took advantage. I just don’t understand. The title has been a joke since its debut, but it would be nice to at least have consistency in reserve. However, constant booking is too difficult at times.
With Extreme Rules this Sunday, as I said, I am intrigued by the games for the women’s title. Orton continued to be wonderful and I really liked Ric Flair trying to convince Big Show to retire. I also still hate that Ric Flair is continually going on right now, but WWE isn’t hearing any pleas to get him off television. This show was so much better than SmackDown!
Grade b
What were your thoughts, Cagesiders?
