I haven't reviewed anything in forever, but we're back baby. And just in time for the Superstar Shakeup draft thingy.
John Cena's music hits to open the show and I honestly popped bc big match John is our lord and savior, but instead ITS THE MIZ. This shit was so lit. Miz is dressed as Cena and Maryse is dressed as Nikki Bella. They're interrupted mid-promo by Dean Ambrose. I guess this means both Ambrose & Miz are on Raw? This was confusing, but great at the same time. Ambrose plays dumb then drops Miz with a Dirty Deeds.
Kurt Angle & Sami Zayn are backstage when they're interrupted by The Miz who is complaining about being attacked by Ambrose. Angle puts the two in a match later on and says Zayn's status on Raw is up in the air.
1) The Revival vs. The New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods)
This was a really good action packed tag. No filler whatsoever. Big E brings a Kofi Kingston blow up doll to the ring with him and Dawson & Wilder wear "We broke Kofi's ankle shirts" which were both genius things that added to this despite being minimal factors. The Revival picks up the win after fighting out of New Day's finisher and catching Xavier in mid air and damn near killing him.
Match rating - ***1/4
God tier backstage promo between Neville, Austin Aries, & TJ Perkins. Aries walks up with a banana to challenge Neville's argument that he & TJP can get along. They tease a TJP heel turn which leads to our next match.
2) Austin Aries vs. TJ Perkins
TJP is on the verge of a heel turn and Aries is on fire as a face so this was all around quality stuff. Neville on commentary is a nice touch as well. Aries poses with the crowd which leads to a near confrontation between Neville & Aries, but Aries makes it back in the ring before he gets counted out. Good closing sequence which leads to Aries picking up the win. Post-match, TJP flips a switch and lays out Aries. The Cruserweight Title is the best it's been since the inception of 205 Live and I'm pretty stoked.
Match rating - **3/4
Seth Rollins comes out to address the fact that he refuses to go to Smackdown because he still has scores to settle with people like Samoa Joe and says Stephanie will have to drag him out if he gets put on Smackdown. Kurt Angle interrupts and basically confirms that Seth will be staying thanks to his stellar Mania performance. As Angle is leaving, SAMOA JOE ACTS ROLLINS FROM BEHIND. This shit was hype. Angle tries to calm Joe down, but he won't stop. Rollins battles back with a double leg takedown and Joe bails. God, the eventual match between these two is gonna be so good.
3) Nia Jax vs. Charlotte
Aside from a few botches, this was solid stuff. Divas matches in the last year or two have grown to have a good bit of consistency so they're always fun. Jax almost kills Charlotte by dropping her on her head at one point. Charlotte hits a moonsault to the floor from the top turnbuckle that floors Jax. When all is said and done, Jax puts Charlotte away in what looks to be Charlotte's last match on Raw before heading to Smackdown. She barely made it out alive.
Match rating - **3/4
4) Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal
DUDE what the fuck was Jinder Mahal on in this match? This was Balor's big first actual match since returning last week and it was meant to make him look strong and although it did because he took a BEATING and still somehow won, I lef this wanting more aggressive Jinder Mahal singles action. Mahal delivered one of the most stiff elbow shots I've seen in years to Balor and left him with bruises/marks all over his face. MAHAL/OHNO PLS. Balor fires back, though, and hits his finisher for the win. Everyone is being vicious as fuck tonight.
Match rating - **3/4
5) Sami Zayn vs. The Miz
I was excited for this because I know what these two are capable of. They only got a few minutes to work here so they didn't reach their full potential, but it was still a fun little back & forth contest. Zayn hits the blue thunder for a false finish before eventually catching Miz off guard with a pinning combination for a quick three count.
Match rating - **1/4
Roman Reigns has this sit down interview in the back with Michael Cole. That is until Braun Strowman crashes the damn party and proceeds to deliver the BEST attack/backstage brawl in years. Strowman literally slings Roman over a bunch of equipment and like 6 feet through a table, pushes him off a ledge when they put him on a stretcher, then to top it all off, he struggles but flips over the ambulance they put him in. Unreal showing that felt so real. If Braun wasn't legitamized, he is now. Strowman is ready to plow through Reigns and go straight for Lesnar, book it.
6) The Hardy Boys, Cesaro, & Sheamus vs. Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Primo & Epico
Weird combinations here, but they all do their jobs well and this is a super enjoyable 8 man tag team showcase. The Hardys are still on fire from their return. Anderson & Gallows are the perfect bad guys and The Shining Stars even hold their own. Some flippy shit, some heat spots, good stuff. The face team of the Matt, Jeff, Cesaro & Sheamus win. They face off at Payback for the tag team championships. I smell a heel turn from Cesaro & Sheamus.
Match rating - ***
Sasha Banks & Bayley have a heated confrontation in the ring before Alexa Bliss interrupts in her Raw debut. I think Alexa is gonna be a nice fit for the Raw division and help switch things up a bit. I haven't watched much of her SD work since I've been out of the loop, but apparently she's a two time champ, over there? Mickie James comes out next making her main roster return and things are really getting interesting in the Raw women's division!
7) Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose - Champion vs Champion Match
KO and Mox have chemistry together and have delivered MOTY quality stuff before so it's no surprise that this ruled. It's not anything out of this world however it's the best match of the night and the perfect little way to cap off this Superstar Shakeup edition of Raw. Lots of action and a breathtaking moment or two. Ambrose picks up the win when all is said and done. After the match, Chris Jericho returns to a nice reaction and lambasts Kevin Owens. I thought I'd be tired of that feud by now but they are seriously keeping me invested so yay. I'm just confused as to whether or not KO will be staying on Raw and how that will affect the plans for their rivalry. But anyway.
Match rating - ***1/2
