WWE Monday Night Raw Recap
Number One Contender Match Pulled from Extreme Rules
Kurt Angle announced that the number one contender match slated for Extreme Rules expected to involve Bobby Lashley, Roman Reigns, and four other superstars, is no longer in the cards. Angle’s announcement came after scrutiny on Twitter from Brock Lesnar’s representative Paul Heyman. This beginning to Raw led to yet another tag team affair between Lashley and Reigns and the Revival, who interrupted the feuding superstars for the second week in a row. The Revival emerged victorious, however the bigger story or question will be what is next for these two in the weeks before Extreme Rules.
Deleters of Worlds Meet Their Match
The Deleters of Worlds may have finally met a team as outlandish and extravagant as themselves in Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, who go by the name the B-Team. Axel and Matt Hardy faced off last night in a one-on-one match, which saw Axel pick up a surprisingly quick win over one half of the current tag team champions. The two teams will continue these rounds of run ins leading up to their match up at Extreme Rules, so it will be something to keep an eye on.
Authors of Pain Make Long Awaited Return
The Authors of Pain made their first appearance since April on Raw last night, and of course not against stout competition. Their opponents were Rich and Rex Gibson, who can be accurately described as in town jobbers. As expected, AOP looked strong and convincing in their win, and continued the beat down until the intervention of Titus Worldwide. It seems as though these two teams will begin a feud, however many fans are looking forward to their big break in the tag team division.
Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax set for Extreme Rules
Alexa Bliss came out to discuss last week’s attack at the hands of Ronda Rousey and continued her instigation of Nia and the WWE Universe. Bliss did not expect Natalya to come out to defend Nia’s honor, nor did she expect Natalya to have Nia in tow when she made her way to the ring. Nia had her impact on the match, interfering long enough to through Bliss off track and help Natalya to pick up the victory. Expect more fireworks between the two before their title match at Extreme Rules.
Bayley Finally Turns Heel.. Maybe
The saga between Sasha Banks and Bayley took an unexpected turn last night when Bayley attacked Sasha following their defeat in a 6 person tag match against the Riott Squad. The attack turned relentless, as Bayley repeatedly threw Sasha into the steel steps in a fit of rage and frustration. Kurt Angle confronted Bayley after the barrage, only to announce that she will be headed to counseling with Sasha or be fired. Bayley received maybe the biggest fan pop of her career when she seemingly turned heel, so it will be interesting to see how this feud evolves.
Ziggler Retains Intercontinental Title
The main event of the evening was highly entertaining between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins, and as expected it came down to the wire, with both men hitting finishing moves before Drew McIntyre saved Ziggler and his IC title. Rollins had hit a superplex and then a follow up falcon arrow and it seemed as if he had the match won. However, Drew McIntyre who had been removed from ringside earlier, came out and pulled the ref from the ring before he could count three. McIntyre then proceeded to attack Rollins, disqualifying Ziggler and allowing him to keep his IC title. McIntyre and Ziggler continued the assault after the match ended, which prompted Roman Reigns to come out and save his Shield compatriot Rollins from further damage. This rivalry will most likely continue between Rollins and Ziggler, and it will be interesting to see where this McIntyre/Reigns saga will go, as the fan reaction to the two meeting in the ring was extremely positive.
