RAW Recap 8/13/18
The Return of the Lunatic Fringe
Dean Ambrose has missed nearly 9 months with a nasty triceps injury, and his return brought an electric feel to the show and the arena. In what was most likely the most anticipated return to the ring aside from maybe Daniel Bryan, Ambrose showed up in tremendous shape and ready to kick ass. And he did just that. Following the signing of the contract for the IC title match at SummerSlam between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins, Ambrose made his long awaited appearance. Rollins announced that he would have some help come SummerSlam, and out came Ambrose to help clear the ring and set the tone for a loaded card this coming Sunday.
The Rowdy One is Ready for SummerSlam
Alexa Bliss once again targeted Ronda Rousey, calling her overhyped and complaining that too many fans were considering the match between the two a foregone conclusion. Bliss hired her own security for the night, but Rousey plowed through all four of them and looked more than ready for the title match on Sunday. Rousey has been a pleasant surprise to many, and she has certainly shown she has both the talent and character skills to stick around and entertain for a while.
The Revival Look to Gain Gold on Sunday
The B Team, the Deleters of Worlds, and the Revival faced off in a triple threat tag match for the titles on Monday night. The B Team escaped with the victory, but Dawson and Wilder outclassed both other teams and look poised to take over the Raw Tag Team gold. WWE creative has actually progressed this build with The Revival very well, having a slow build since the beginnings of the feud between Roman and Bobby Lashley. This match will definitely be one to watch come Sunday night.
Reigns and Lesnar Ready to Face Off AGAIN
Although this feud may feel stale to many fans, creative has done a fabulous job of maintaining a good story line through the last few weeks. From Brock feigning disinterest to him verbally and physically abusing his manager Paul Heyman, the duo set up the perfect segment for this past Monday. With Heyman seemingly out of Brock’s corner, he came to the ring in what seemed like a possible union with Roman Reigns. Instead it was a ploy, and Lesnar showed up to deliver an F-5 to the number one contender. I think I speak for most WWE fans when I say that this Sunday needs to be the end of the Lesnar era. Many are ready for a new champion, even if it is Roman Reigns.
In Addition…
This show was possibly the best Monday Night Raw of the calendar year. There were surprises, there were good matches throughout, and one of the most over wrestlers in WWE made his long awaited return. If this show didn’t pump you up for SummerSlam then nothing will. Regardless of the 20th meeting between Lesnar and Reigns, the card is stacked and who knows, there could be a few surprises in the card that turn the show into a blockbuster.
