Raw after Crown Jewel

            It's a BIG opening on the season premiere of Raw, WWE champion, Big E is in the ring but is soon interrupted by Seth Rollins. He wants the title that currently adorns the waist of Ettore. Before a decision can be made, here comes Rey Mysterio. Rey wants to win the championship one more time. But the ring just keeps getting crowded with the appearance of Finn Balor. Balor wants the gold that he has never held. But wait, there is more. Here comes Kevin Owens. Shortly after chaos erupts, Sonya DeVille announces a fatal four way ladder match to determine the number one contender for a chance at the title. 

            The first match of the evening will see the Street Profits squaring up against the Dirty Dawgz and the Alpha Academy. The tag team who wins this contest will have a title match tonight against RK-Bro. So many close calls in this march, as well as, an appearance by Omos. His presence allowed for Roode and Zigler to pick up the win. 

            Next, it is the official coronation of the first ever Queen's Crown. I am still highly disappointed that Zelina "Red Rooster" Vega was given the title. It is interesting to note that no one officiated the ceremony the way Kofi did for King Xavier. Instead, she is out there bragging on herself until Piper Niven skips her way to the ring. Now, we will see Piper "crown" Zelina in a special kind of way. However, Vega cheats and hits Niven with her scepter to steal a win.

                Before we get to the second match of the evening, we will have a few words from the Raw champion Becky Lynch. Predictably, Bianca Belair joins the conversation. She wants a re-match against Becky. Lynch tells Belair to get to the back of the line which instigates a brawl between these two athletes. At some point, these women will face each other again, just not tonight. It will be happening next week. Tonight, however, there is a championship match on deck and it's for the tag belts.

            RK-Bro are defending their gold against the Dirty Dawgz. Simply put, RK-Bro retain. 

            Now it is time for the fatal four way ladder match. I am totally on board for this bout. I can easily see any of these 4 superstars facing Big E. My concern is that the suits in the back are going to choose the "company guy" Seth Rollins to win. This was such a brutally beautiful match with Rollins emerging as the winner. The company guy now has a title opportunity and a new storyline.  

#BringBackBraun

Monday Night RAW after Extreme Rules

            A BIG beginning to kick off RAW. Big E defends his title against an irate Bobby Lashley. An intense bull verses bull match up, however, a winner would not be declared. During the match, Benjamin Shelton and Cedric Alexander made their presence known. Chaos would erupt when Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods run down the ramp to even the odds. Referee had no choice but to call for the bell. According to Adam Pearce, the match would continue later on in the show in a steel cage match for the gold. 

            From one champ to another, Damien Priest is up next for a bout against the former United States champion, Sheamus. Both superstars took full advantage of the no holds barred rules. Priest introduced a table and with White Noise from the Celtic Warrior, both men obliterate the table with their bodies. After the commercial break, both athletes are taking turns slamming each other into the barricade. Back in the ring, Sheamus slams Damien's face into a steel chair. With his ring awareness regained, Priest retains his title. 

            Matt Riddle is up next in a singles match against AJ Styles. Randy Orton is apparently missing again. As good as he is, I am just not a fan of Riddle. Praise God, Styles won.

            The queen Charlotte Flair is set to square up against Piper Niven. Yep, I'm still not using the "D" word. This is a championship match. As much as I would like to see Piper become champ, I don't think it will happen until a pay-per-view event. And just like that, with the interference of Eva Marie, Charlotte picks up the win and her title all the way back to the locker room. Eva then gets on the mic to brag only to have Shayna Baszler come down the ramp to shut her up. 

            Monday Night RAW continues with a message from Bill Goldberg to Bobby Lashley. I must admit that I am a little surprised that he is still present in WWE. It is well known that his contract requires him to compete in 2 matches a year. Goldberg has completed the terms of his 2021 contract. He went against Drew McIntyre in the ThunderDome and against Lashley at a PPV. The Dude of Devastation is vowing to hurt the former RAW champion. I'm semi interested in seeing where this goes. 

             Now, we end the show the way that it began. Bobby Lashley will be going up against the champ, Big E, for the gold. Bobby didn't even wait for Ettore to get into the cage when he starts attacking him. What a cheap way to try to get an advantage. But as the old adage goes, cheaters never win. With a big ending off the top rope, Ettore retains his title. But wait, it's not over. Drew McIntyre's music hits. McIntyre has his intentions set on removing the belt from around the waist of Big E. I am so happy that Ettore is the champ. Now I anxiously wait for the day that Roman is dethroned. 

#BringBackBraun

Raw before Extreme Rules and Predictions

            It is the last Raw before Extreme Rules and the show opens with Big E celebrating with his New Day brothers after winning the championship last week over Bobby Lashley. After much thanks and appreciation, E sets his sights on SmackDown's Bloodline - Roman Reigns and the Usos. As a result, the first match of the evening will be a six man tag match between the Bloodline and the New Day. It was a vicious match because of the familiarity that exists between all 6 competitors. However, the height of the match happened when Big E and Roman Reigns went at it. A second highlight came when Bobby Lashley ran down the ramp and attacked both teams. Lashley's presence would allow Roman Reigns to execute the spear and pin Xavier Woods for the win. One last thing to note before moving on in the evening. MVP is noticeably absent. He suffered a broken rib last week as a result of a RKO and will be out indefinitely.  

            The second match of the evening has Randy Orton squaring up against AJ Styles. Each competitor has their respective tag partners at ringside. Awesome match which saw Omos get ejected from the area for interfering. After the commercial break, these two veteran competitors gave a expertly engaging performance. In the end, the viper Orton would pick up the win thanks to his signature move. 

            Women are up next with Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax meeting in the squared circle. This was a short chapter to the dissolution storyline between the former tag partners. Shayna quickly picks up the victory. However the destruction would continue after the bell with Baszler taking out the left arm of Jax with the assistance of the steel steps.

            Brutality continues with Rhea Ripley as she teams with Nikki Cross. They go against the tag champs, Nattie and Tamina for the gold. The champs control the first half of the match until Rhea hits the Riptide on Tamina on the outside. This was enough of a distraction to allow Nikki to pick up the win over Nattie. And just like that, we have new tag champs in the odd coupling of Rhea and Nikki. 

            The estrogen parade keeps going as Alexa Bliss and "Lilly" are hosting The Playground in the center of the ring. Their guest is none other that the queen herself - Charlotte Flair. There is such a mean girls flavor to this storyline. After a minute or two of verbal aggression, Charlotte takes off her heels, attacks Alexa and rips off the head of the doll "Charly". I predict Bliss taking the gold from the queen tonight at Extreme Rules.  

            Next we have a triple threat match between Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley and Big E. Ettore demonstrates dominance to start the match. Each competitor took turns controlling the narrative but in the end,  the visiting Tribal Chief picks up the win. Is this a harbinger to come for tonight when Roman faces Finn Balor? I think so. As much as I would like to see Reigns finally stripped of his Universal title, my gut is telling me that the Bloodline story hasn't reached its peak. I predict Roman to retain his title at Extreme Rules. 

#BringBackBraun

The Final Raw before SummerSlam

            It's the last Monday Night Raw before SummerSlam so let's get right to the action.

            Live from San Antonio, TX, The Viper, Randy Orton kicks off the show. As he is reminding us why he works best alone and what he's going to do to Omos, Matt Riddle's music hits. Matt wants to bring back RK-Bro. However, before Randy can answer, AJ Styles interrupts. He doesn't want Omos to have all the fun, so he will square off against Riddle in the first match of the evening. 

            Styles comes out hot when the bell rings. He has control for the first half of the match. But then, a triangle submission move by Riddle sends his opponent out of the ring, turning the tide in his favor. After the commercial break, AJ has Matt in a calf crusher but the hold is broken when Riddle gets his hand on the bottom rope. The damage done to the left leg of Riddle allowed Styles to execute the Styles Clash and pick up the win.   

            Before we get to Randy Orton v. Omos, it will be Nikki Cross in a match against Rhea Ripley. Before the bout can even begin, Charlotte Flair makes her way down to the commentary table. With the bell now rung, Nikki takes control. But in the end, a Rip Tide would pick up the win for Rhea. This Saturday, I will be curious to see if Flair will continue her undefeated streak at SummerSlam.

            Now for my favorite storyline. It will be Drew McIntyre in a two on one handicap match against Veer and Shanky. McIntyre wins the match which means Veer and Shanky will be barred from ringside this Saturday at SummerSlam as McIntyre is scheduled to feud with Mahal. While I loved the match. What annoyed me was the color commentators repeatedly saying that Shanky is over 7 feet tall. For the record, Drew is 6'5" and Shanky is 6'9". 

            The former ECW champ, John Morrison, is in the ring debuting Moist TV. His first guest, The Miz, is quickly silenced by the appearance of Damien Priest. The truth final comes out that The Miz has been medically cleared for weeks. As a result of this revelation, he will be going one on one with Priest.

            The United States Champion, Sheamus, joins the announce team to view this fight up close. Miz, in his Gucci loafers, is competing with a seemingly trick knee. Priest predictably wins. What was equally entertaining was John Morrison abandoning The Miz and Damien using Sheamus' signature move to pick up the W. Because I have been saying for months that Priest would be a main roster champ, I firmly believe it will happen this weekend. Let's us also not forget that Sheamus recently became engaged and is going to need some time off for a wedding and a honeymoon. 

            Up next, the time has finally arrived for Randy Orton to meet Omos in the squared circle. I immediately noticed just how small the ref is compared to these two superstars. 

            Randy immediately goes for the RKO but Omos just pushes him away. The giant dominates and was on track to win when AJ Styles interferes forcing the ref to call for the bell. The destruction would continue as the tag team champs take it to Randy in a two on one beatdown. Here comes Riddle to the rescue. He runs down the ramp straight pass AJ and immediately drop kicks Omos. Now Randy and Matt are in the center of the ring. And with a few words of respect, it is official, RK-Bro is a team again! Now, we will see RK-Bro vying for the tag belts this Saturday at SummerSlam.

            The story of Elias continues as we see a Jeffrey Sciullo put a tombstone on the embers of his burnt guitar. The tombstone reads Elias 2017-2021. Looking forward to his re-invention.

            The final segment of the evening is a face to face between Bobby Lashley and Bill Goldberg. Before he gets to the champ, the Hall of Famer addresses his son, Gage. However, an impatient Lashley and MVP  halt the speech. Goldberg has heard enough and spears the champion. I love Goldberg. While my heart will be rooting for him, my gut says Bobby will retain. Many reputable sport outlets have reported that the Hall of Famer's current contract obligates him to two matches a year. Since Bill has already fought Drew McIntyre earlier this year in the ThunderDome, Lashley will win this Saturday. 

#BringBackBraun

Raw 8-9-21

            The Viper is back!!! No sooner is Randy Orton welcoming the Orlando, FL audience to Monday Night Raw then the Original Bro comes down the ramp to join his mentor in the ring. The love fest is soon broken up by the tag team champions AJ Styles and Omos. AJ challenges Randy to match to see just who exactly who runs Raw. Orton accepts after 7 weeks on his couch listening to Styles jaw-jack.  

            Karma and "Angela" are a bitch according to Drew McIntyre. He is headed into a match against Baron Corbin. Drew dominates as Jimder, Veer and Shanky look on from the backstage area. After the commercial break, Corbin is in control. He gets in a couple of good shots until a headbutt turns things in McIntyre's favor. The match ends with a Claymore kick from a sympathetic Drew McIntyre. 

            Ricochet and Sheamus are up next. Ricochet is sporting new ring gear. Frankly, I miss him in simple black pants. This is a great storyline. Ricochet is a high flyer and Sheamus is nothing but power. The United States Champion picks up the win with a Brogue kick. Damien Priest stops the celebration of Sheamus when he enters the ring. I cannot wait for these two go at it for the gold. Priest will be the next United States champ. Until then, it will Priest verses John Morrison....again.

            I am personally over this feud and all the Drip Sticks. After Damien wins, once again, he goes after The Miz who miraculously stands up from his wheelchair and hightails it out of the arena. On the mic, Priest calls out Sheamus and challenges him to a match at SummerSlam. The champ accepts. Now we're talking. 

            A little break in the physical action with the appearance of MVP and Bobby Lashley. A lot of chest thumping, as expected, by the champ and his hype man. I am just ready for SummerSlam. Although I do not foresee Goldberg winning, it will none the less be a great match. Three days and counting.

            The women are up next. Rhea Ripley is squaring up against Nikki Cross. Yes, I am still referring to the champ by her former name. While I am a fan of Nikki, I am not a fan of her character's evolution and I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid. I like both women and, therefore, I am rooting for a great match.

            The champ enters the fight with her ribs taped. That is the bullseye that Rhea focused on during the match with vicious kicks and shoulder tackles. One sided affair for most of the bout until Nikki hits a DDT on Ripley. Cross was going for the win until Charlotte Flair interferes and the ref has no choice but to call for the bell. 

            Before we get to Randy Orton v. AJ Styles, a short promo has Elias burning his guitar in an outdoor fire. "WWE stood for Walk with Elias but Elias is dead." Curious as to how Jeffrey Sciullo returns to action.

            Orton makes an impressive return to the ring. Both superstars gave everything they have in their arsenal. Despite the ominous distraction of Omos on the outside and an appearance by Matt Riddle, Orton hits the RKO and picks up the win. It was looking like RK-Bro was a team again as the two men were hugging it out in the ring. But Randy executes the RKO on Matt. Sorry Bro.

As Pat McAfee would say, we're three sleeps away from SummerSlam 2021.

#BringBackBraun 

               

Raw 8-2-21

             At a sold out All State Arena in Chicago, Illinois, we are greeted by the current Raw Champion Bobby Lashley and his hype man MVP. The crowd is chanting "Goldberg" as MVP asks the question "Bill, if I may, do you want to be remembered as a champion or as a casulty?". The Hall of Famer comes to the ring to answer the pressing question. "Because I'm Goldberg, at SummerSlam champ, you're next,".  Goldberg fist bumps his son Gage on his way back up the ramp. Lashley and MVP both have words with the younger Goldberg. Papa bear comes back and spears MVP. Father and son make their way back up the ramp. 

            Vengeance continues between Drew McIntyre and Veer and Shanky in a two on one match. McIntyre brings his sword "Angela" to the ring. Drew brings the aggression out of the gate against Veer until he sent shoulder first into the ring post. Shanky is now seeking retribution after the recent chair shots to the back that left him instantly bruised. Feeding off the WWE Universe, the former champ turns things again in his favor. Drew sets up for his signature Claymore but Shanky is holding on to his ankle from outside the ring. This allows for Jinder Mahal to enter the squared circle with a steel chair. Ref calls for the bell as the Modern Day Maharaja attacks Drew. Now Drew is facing 3 athletes each holding a steel chair. He grabs "Angela" and hits a steel chair out of Mahal's hand. I am all for foreign objects being used in a bout, but a sword is a little too much. Serious injuries happen despite training from some of this industry's greatest athletes. I am a huge fan of McIntyre but this was a no bueno for me and I pray it doesn't happen again.  

            Nia Jax squares up against Rhea Ripley next. I love that she is sporting curly hair. I never understood the flat ironed look. She is also rocking some improved ring gear. I never understood why she had those "beaver tail" flaps on her hips. An upgrade all around. Speaking of hips, Jax used her hips to sandwich Ripley's head into the ring post. While Nia dominated most of the match, Rhea turned things turned around with a drop kick off the top rope taking the irresistible force off her base. Further into the match, Shayna Baszler tries to help her tag partner by getting in the face of the nightmare. It all backfires because Ripley rolls up Jax to pick up the win. Now there is tension in the ring between Shayna and Nia. Fingers crossed, this team will be no more.

            The queen makes an appearance in a questionable outfit. Are shoulder pads a thing again? Ranting like she drinks from the same cup as Sami Zayn, the former champ is ready to go up against Nikki Cross later tonight in a No Holds Barred match. I think Nikki is more ready because she attacks Charlotte Flair from behind with a steel chair. 

            Damien Priest is the guest on Miz TV tonight. The Archer of Infamy is the one responsible for putting The Miz in a wheelchair. Gracias mi amigo. By the end of the interview, Priest challenges Johnny "Sidekick" to a match. 

            The match is on and despite a "drip stick" interference from The Miz on the outside Priest picks up the win. The former NXT champ is celebrating when he is attacked from behind by Sheamus. Here comes Ricochet to the aid of Priest. Now we have an impromptu tag match compliments of Sonya DeVille. Sheamus and Morrison take it to Damien Priest and Ricochet. Priest almost had a second win over Morrison but it is broken up by Sheamus. Sheamus would pay for the intrusion when Priest sends him out of the ring. The torture on the United States champ continues compliments of a high flying Ricochet. Back in the ring, with his signature move, Damien picks up the win over John via The Reckoning.   

            The Original Bro seeks payback against Omos for breaking the handle of his scooter last week. This is the first time he is coming to the ring without his tag partner AJ Styles. Riddle tries to gain the upper hand before the bell by attacking the almost 500 pound giant from behind. With the bell now rung, Omos dominates and ragdolls Orton's protege and easily picks up the win.

            It's now time for the No Holds Barred championship contenders match between Nikki and Charlotte to cap off the evening. An irate queen is the first to up the ante by clearing the announce desk and introducing a table from under the ring. But before any of those scenarios can be utilized, Flair spears Nikki through a barricade. After the commercial break, the action is back in the ring along with a table ominously propped up in the corner. The action quickly moves back outside the ring where Nikki is slammed through the announce desk. Charlotte puts the body of the lifeless champ in the center of the ring and attempts an arrogant cover to no avail. Charlotte then sets up for a spear but Nikki moves out of the way and goes through the table. This is the fatal mistake that cost the queen the match. Nikki picks up the win and holds high her gold. I'm a little tire of this storyline and eagerly await SummerSlam later this month.

#BringBackBraun 

Raw 7-26-21

            So Windham Rotunda, aka, Bray Wyatt, and Ric Flair have been released by WWE. I must confess that I am not terribly sad about either man being let go. I was not a fan of The Fiend character. And I hope that Ric rests a little despite wrestling being in his blood. Let the shockwaves continue while I catch up on wrestling. Now, on to the last Raw of July 2021.

            The evening opens with the new Women's Champion Nikki Cross in the ring armed with a mic. Yes, I am still calling her Cross. While I am a fan of Nikki, I am not a fan of her new name. 

            During her encouraging monologue, she gets interrupted by Charlotte Flair. The former champ claims that the gold was stolen from her and vows to take back the belt at SummerSlam. The queen's soapbox rant gets halted by another former women's champ, Rhea Ripley. Rhea thinks she should have the title opportunity at SummerSlam. DeVille and Pearce intrude on the jaw jacking and officially make a triple threat championship match at SummerSlam. But before that can happen, Nikki accepts a match against Charlotte later in the evening.

            When the match between these two female athletes takes place, I watched for the obvious outcome of the current champ retaining her gold but that didn't happen. The perceived underdog champion loses to Flair via a pin. Jaw jacking after the match ends with a rematch scheduled for next week.

            The first match of the evening is between Damien Priest and Sheamus. This is a United States Championship Contenders match. Priest focused on the face of the title holder and Sheamus focused on the lower back of his opponent. A kick to the face would allow for the mask to finally come off of Sheamus. Priest hits the reckoning and picks up the win. Sheamus screams that his nose has been rebroken and wants a doctor. I am so loving this storyline. Priest is a future champ and he will take the gold from Sheamus. The fella recently became engaged and will need time off for the wedding and a honeymoon. Remember how Seth Rollins went on paternity leave?

            A tag team championship match is next. The Viking Raiders go up against AJ Styles and Omos. Out of the gate, Erik flattens AJ with a pair of knees. The quick tags in and out by the challengers is an effective strategy. The current champs are an odd couple of a team but are gelling more and more. Omos is a man that can easily block out the sun. After he softens Eric up, he tags in his partner. Styles executes an impressive 450 to retain the titles.

            Vengeance is the flavor of the next bout between Drew McIntyre and Veer. Before Veer can make his way to the squared circle, Jinder, flanked by Veer and a "lawyer", runs his mouth and offers McIntyre the opportunity to apologize for his actions last week against Shanky. Drew's response, "Screw the lawyer and I'm going to beat Veer within an inch of his life,".

            As Drew is unleashing fury on Veer, Mahal is on the outside slamming a steel chair on the apron of the ring. It is enough of a distraction to turn things in the favor of Veer. Impressive skills by the challenger with ruthless rights and lefts followed by a vertical elbow drop. The former champ does ultimately turn things around but for a moment. Mahal gives Veer a steel chair and McIntyre claymores the foreign object into the face of Veer. And by disqualification, the former champ picks up the win.

           Veer and Jinder slowly back up the ramp, This leaves the attorney down at ringside. Drew throws him into the ring and proceeds to Claymore the lawyer after Stone Cold saluting him.

  

            A main event promo is next regarding Goldberg's challenge to Bobby Lashley. Thought Bill was going to make an appearance but instead the champ is interrupted by Cedric Alexander. Why hasn't he been released? And why is his ring gear black and lavender accented with white fur and a headband? Is he the new Velveteen Dream? Shelton Benjamin cancels Alexander's rant. Both offer Lashley a challenge. Bobby decides to take both of them on in an immediate handicap match. The champ dominates and retains. 

             Matt Riddle is up next against John Morrison. This is a light hearted feud. Also, I must confess that every time someone says "moist", I get a tangible wet willy feeling. The best part was when Matt drop kicks The Miz on the outside causing him to fall back onto the floor like an upside down turtle. True to character, Riddle playfully mocks. After commercial break, The Miz is again right side up in his wheelchair and the Original Bro is off his game because of the appearance from AJ and Omos walking the ramp to ringside. Omos breaks the handle of Riddle's scooter over his leg like a twig. This allows for John Morrison to hit Starship Pain and pick up the win. 

             I will continue to catch up on wrestling while indulging in my personal routine of re-watching every past SummerSlam. I do this with every pay-per-view event because often the color commentators will reference back to past matches and then I would make a note to go back and watch. Now, I just prep beforehand. 

#BringBackBraun

Raw after Money in the Bank

             I have always found the Raw episode after a pay-per-view exciting so let's dive in.

            John Cena has returned and he opened the show. I personally do not enjoy watching him but, love him or hate him, the man knows how to hype up a crowd. He called Roman Reigns an A-hole! Censors may have bleeped Cena but they couldn't silence the live audience. It will be curious what he has to say to the Universal champ this Friday at SmackDown. 

            The first match of the evening is the team of Matt Riddle and The Viking Raiders verses AJ Styles, Omos and John Morrison. Styles and Riddle start the contest. Great action but my favorite part was watching Morrison get sandwiched by the Vikings on the outside. Back inside the ring, AJ and Erik go at it with a phenomenal blitz of strikes. I can hear, and subliminally feel, just how powerful those leg kicks are. Incredibly impressive but after much energy spent, they each catch a reprieve from one of their respective partners. John and Ivar are now trading moves. Ivar is so powerful and agile for a man of his size. John tries to execute Starship Pain off the top rope but misses. Before a winner can be declared in this contest, a predictable event takes place. Morrison's sidekick, The Miz, "kind of "gets involved with his "drip stick".

            Riddle, comes around the ring, steals a water filled drip stick from Miz and squirts the giant Omos. When Omos turns around, Riddle is gone and Miz is left holding his stick. The big guy leaves the apron and slowly makes his way to Miz. Morrison gets in-between them only to get thrown back into the ring by an angry giant. AJ then tries to slow his irate partner down which leaves John alone in the ring with the Vikings who pick up the win.. 

            The queen is up next wearing her newly earned championship gold. Yada, yada, yada, "I can beat Rhea Ripley any night of the week..."... here comes Rhea. She issues a challenge for tonight which Charlotte quickly declines. However, Adam Pearce and Sonya DeVille come out and makes a title rematch official.

            But before that can happen, it's time for my favorite fella. The United States Champion Sheamus squares up against Humberto Carrillo. It was 2 months ago that Humberto broke the nose of the champ. Carrillo is showing a lot of fiery guts going after Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior turns things around after his opponent tries to take off his protective mask. Sheamus is so powerful. His strikes are just echoing throughout the arena. He goes for a second Dublin smile but his opponent is smart enough to bite the champ's fingers to change the momentum in his favor. It's an illegal but effective move. Carrillo then flies through the ropes to launch Sheamus over the announce table. This would all be short lived because the champ demonstrates why he is the champ. It takes a moment but the fella finds his way back. With one Brogue kick, he scores another victory over Carrillo.

            Succeeding this match is a promo by Bobby Lashley and MVP. I tuned out until Bobby asks "Who is it going to be to accept the open challenge?" Keith Lee is back!!!!!!!!! This powerhouse has been out of action since January 2021. And now he is going up against Lashley in a championship contenders match. 

            Keith is all power and glory and he is a fitting opponent for Bobby. Lashley had trouble muscling up Lee. He does, however, try to go for the Hurt Lock. There was no way he was going to hook it on a man of Lee's frame. It would be with a spear that the champ picks up the win. I'm not mad that Lee lost on his first night back. I'm just happy he is back. 

              The surprises didn't end there, While the champ is celebrating his win, Goldberg's music hits. The Hall of Famer has returned and he makes a bee line for Bobby Lashley. I am a huge fan of Goldberg. He gets directly in the face of  Lashley and delivers a simple and effective message: "I'm next!" This fan is so ready to see these gladiators go at it. 

            For those of you who follow me regularly, I mentioned in my May 7th post that I would share my disappointment regarding a promoted match between Mahal and Lesner that never happened. 

            It was 2017 and for the first time ever, I was dating a fellow wrestling fan. As we were driving to dinner, I mentioned that I was excited to see the feud between Jinder and Brock. His response: "It's never going to happen." Shocked, I asked "Why not?" and he just kept saying that is was never going to happen. And sure enough he was right. I don't know how, because he wouldn't explain, but he was right.   

            Speaking of The Monday Night Maharaja, as I like to call him, he is in the ring flanked by Veer and Shanky. Shanky is singing Happy Birthday to Jinder when Drew McIntyre comes up from behind and attacks Mahal with a steel chair. He then goes after Veer and then Shanky. Poor Shanky, he gets absolutely brutalized with the steel chair across the back while Jinder and Veer have made it up the ramp. This is where the genius of Corey Graves comes into play. 

            Graves: "Where's Tito and Jermaine?"

The chair is completely mangled. So the Scottish Warrior grabs a fresh chair from the outside and continues the slaughter.  Twenty times across the back of Shanky and there is instant bruising. 

            Now it is time for the Harbinger of Sorrow to make his debut on Raw sans Scarlett. His opponent is Jeff Hardy. The future Hall of Famer comes to the ring rejuvenated with the return of his "No More Words" entrance theme music. Karrion thinks he is going to dominate the veteran in this match but Hardy changes his plans. He sends Kross shoulder first into the ring post. That is enough for him to hit the Twist of Fate and then a power bomb to secure the win. It is inevitable that Karrion is moving up to the main roster. Did the NXT champ pick up a "L" at his Raw debut as a way to set up a losing streak storyline that has him parting with the gold?

             To cap off the evening, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley have their championship title re-match. From the bell, both athletes unleash fury on each other. Ripley wants the match over quickly but Flair is a chess player. The champ targets the knee of her opponent. Rhea fights through the agony and the pain. She even gets a the figure four on the champ and hits the Riptide and goes for the pin. The ring awareness of Charlotte allows her to get her foot on the rope to break the count. Flair would retain her title for a few minutes longer after she gets disqualified for hitting Rhea with the belt. After the bell, Nikki Cross runs to the ring to cash in her MITB contract. From the top rope, she flies with a cross body onto Charlotte Flair and just like that, we have a new champion. That was a fun and unexpected way to end Monday Night Raw.

#BringBackBraun 

Raw before Money in the Bank

            Raw wasted no time getting right into the action. The opening match was between Bobby Lashley and Xavier Woods.  Woods gets to work and tries to get Lashley off his base. However, the power of Bobby has Xavier being handled and thrown effortlessly both inside and outside of the ring. The underdog was repeatedly brutalized. Woods does counter at one point with a Tornado DDT into a cross-face submission. The power of the champ allowed him to beast out. Just when you think all is said and done after a full speed spear, Xavier surprises Bobby with an inside cradle for the win. The writing is on the wall. The champ's days are numbered.

            The rest of the evening felt like an evening of filler matches and/or a period on ThunderDome exclusive elements. 

            The women's fatal 4-way was one of those filler matches. I didn't understand the necessity of Asuka, Nikki Cross, Naomi and Alexa Bliss going up against each other. Maybe it was meant to be a preview of this Sunday's MITB. Eva and Piper Niven come down the ramp half way through the competition. Alexa leaves the ring and goes after Eva. Piper comes to her rescue and dumps Creepy Miss Bliss over the barricade. As the camera pans to the other side of the barricade, it shows no evidence of Alexa. That was it for the interruption. Back in the ring, chaos continues with the three remaining athletes. Asuka is on fire trying to clear the field. However, Nikki would be the one to pin Asuka. Despite her loss tonight, I am predicting Asuka to win MITB. 

            It was a year ago that she won the briefcase. When the women's champ at the time, Becky Lynch, called Asuka to the ring, she instructed her to open the case. Asuka did not win a MITB contract last year, she was made the women's champ because Becky was going on maternity leave. Two big surprises in one moment.

Now that WWE is back on the road, I can see big, jaw dropping scenarios ahead. Scenarios that can only be appreciated in front of a live crowd. I see Asuka winning the ladder match and, fingers crossed, Becky Lynch making an appearance. I can fully imagine Becky locking eyes with Asuka and indicting her intention to reclaim the gold she had no choice to give up. A true full circle moment. 

            Rhea Ripley and Nattie are up next. Why? I enjoyed the match. I love both women. I just didn't understand how this match came to be. Nonetheless, both competitors are equal in their skill set despite the young gun vs the veteran theme of the match. In the end, it would be a Riptide that secured the win for Rhea. Kudos to Natalya for being the ever professional. Not only does she earn gold on her own but she is always willing to help get others over. She is also willing to be a ground breaker. Remember her match against Lacey Evans at Crown Jewel in 2019 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia? It was the first ever women's match to take place in Saudi Arabia. 

            Riptide may have been the end of the match, but Rhea's fight wasn't over. The champ is attacked from behind by Charlotte Flair. Flair took out the knee of Ripley. She then successfully applied the figure four leg lock while hanging out of the ring. Final tease before Sunday. I predict Rhea will retain.

            Before I get to Mahal and McIntyre, let's visit the ongoing story between Ricochet and John Morrison. I love this feud. I just wish The Miz wasn't apart of it. I was wasn't a fan of him on The Real World and he's still not doing it for me in WWE.

            John is 41 years old and Ricochet is 32 years. Yet, both move seamlessly like a pair of 20 year olds. The athletic Cirque du Soleil is breathtaking to watch. This is a falls count anywhere match. A clinic routine to start until John hits a neck breaker on Ricochet across the apron. John has control and goes for the first 3 pin attempts. Ricochet turns things around with a German suplex. The fight makes its way over the barricade wall. Ricochet slams Morrison's face into the LED audience before executing his signature 450 off the edge of the barricade. 

            After a commercial break, there is a ladder balanced between the apron and the announce table. Hmmmm.....Before anything can be done with the ladder, Riddle comes down the ring and tips the Miz on his back while still in his wheelchair. I love it! Ricochet is able to fly off the top rope sending John through the ladder and secure the win.

            Now for Mahal and McIntyre. I love this storyline much better than when Drew fought Sheamus. Jinder attempts to call his friend out to the ring to apologize and give back the family heirloom sword. Drew opts to appear on the big screen where he shows that he is in possession of the true sword while Jinder has a replica. The Scotsman then proceeds to destroy Mahal's custom made motorcycle. 

            I have been saying for months that Lashley should drop the belt to either Damien Priest or Jinder Mahal. Looks like this build up between Drew and Jinder has Priest out of the running. 

            Speaking of Lashley, he ends the last night in the ThunderDome as aggressively as he began it. MVP and Lashley's Ladies are already in the ring. When the champ finally decides to make an appearance, he send the women out of the ring and lays into MVP. Bobby declares that everything Kofi Kingston has said about him is true. The days of being pacified with women and champagne are over. And apparently so is the VIP Lounge. Lashley obliterates the lounge. It is no more and I couldn't be happier. I never like the pimp persona associated with the champ. I also was never a fan of MVP thinking he was a modern day Don King.

            This Sunday at MITB, I predict the champ will retain, even if Goldberg gets involved. Yes, I said Goldberg. A spoiler has been revealed by more that one reputable source and it's that Bill Goldberg is coming back. Goldberg is 54 years old and his contract requires him to compete in 2 matches a year. Bill has already competed against McIntyre in 2021. He won't be competing this Sunday but the course is set for him to go up against Lashley at SummerSlam next month. 

            While I am soooooo happy that the days of the ThunderDome are over, I am going to miss seeing every match. For example, this past Monday, Sheamus fought Humerto Carillo, Omos fought Erik and Ivar fought AJ Styles and these matches didn't replay on Hulu. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to catch the match highlights on the internet. 

#BringBackBraun

Raw 7-5-21 and Main Event

            This Friday July 9, 2021 will my last time in the ThunderDome. I am both happy and sad about this reality. WWE is back on the road as of July 16, 2021. Until then, I am going to drop one more Main Event spoiler.

            Monday's taping of Main Event saw Jeff Hardy squaring up against Veer. This is the second week in a row that Veer is appearing on Main Event. He comes to the ring with Shanky and Jinder Mahal to Mahal's music. There is definitely a size disadvantage here for Jeff Hardy. Veer had his way with Hardy for the majority of the match. Jeff does create a separation at one point but this only angered his opponent. Veer showed his insane power and pinned Hardy for the win. Afterwards, the trident of Jinder, Veer and Shanky stand on the apron and I thought how fun it would be to see them go against The New Day in the future.

            The second Main Event match was between Angel Garza and Sheldon Benjamin. These two athletes are equally matched but then Sheldon showed his experience. He tries to wear down Angel but he powers out. Garza reminds me of Rico Suave with a hint of grit. And with a moonsault off the top rope, Angel pins Benjamin for the win.

            Now onto Monday Night Raw. It opens with Miz TV. The Money in the Bank qualifiers come to the ring one by one. Miz and Morrison and a 20 foot ladder are already in the ring. Matt Riddle makes his way to the top of the ladder with his taped up foot. The man is "high".  AJ Styles comes to the ring with Omos spouting his anger over the results of the last chance qualifying match last week. His argument is that he didn't lose and it should have been a one on one instead of a triple threat. AJ tips Matt off of the ladder and assaults his injured ankle. This leads to a match between AJ and Matt.

            From the bell, I knew that I was going to see the infamous Karate Kid move because of the injured ankle. Sure enough, Styles gets caught with a crane kick.

Both men gave everything they had but the match would go to Riddle because of the appearance from the Viking Raiders. The tag duo appear from behind the barricade and flank Omos. This was enough of a distraction for Riddle to roll up Styles into a pin for the win.

            The next match was between Ricochet and John Morrison. I always wonder if this storyline would ever had happened if Sheamus didn't get his nose broken several weeks ago. However, this is what the fans have and it is a decent feud. Both men are creative high flyers but Ricochet throws hands from jump street in this highly motivated vengeance match. And predictably, Miz and his wheelchair get involved. While both competitors are on the outside, Miz blocks Ricochet from getting back into the ring with his wheelchair and Morrison wins via a countout.

            Graves had me in stitches with his comments on the 8 woman tag match up next. It's Nikki Cross, Alexa Bliss, Naomi and Asuks verses Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Eva Marie and Piper Niven. He colorfully commented on the robes of Naomi and Asuka. 

            Graves: "Looks like someone slaughtered Sesame Street."

I love him at the desk but back to the action. Alexa was creepy as usual while standing on the second rope instead of the apron. Eva tagged herself in and out of the match. She then finds herself all alone in the ring as all the other competitors took the action to the outside...or so she thought. Alexa sneaks up behind her and screams in her face scaring her out of the ring. 

             After order is restored, Piper is going one on one with Asuka. Piper then tags Nia and the two of them "sandwich" Asuka. But it would be a Samoan Drop on Nikki that secures the win. Eva once again claims herself the sole winner of the match. Nia is not having it and it will be interesting to see if a feud develops because of this.

            There was only one other women's segment and that was between Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley. The jaw jacking promo opened with Charlotte in the ring on a single crutch to give an update on her leg "injury" This segment was a bad sell from the get go because you don't wear heels with a leg injury.

Rhea comes to the ring with the other crutch and mocks the queen's injury. It is soon revealed that both are feigning injury and then crutches start swinging. Maybe this Monday's build up to MITB will be more convincing.  

\            That's it for the women. Before I get to the rest of the matches that replayed next day on Hulu, let me tell my fellow streamers about the ones that you will not see. 

            Mustafa Ali vs. Mansoor is the first match. This is a teacher verses student flavor of a feud. Mansoor never asked for a mentor. Ali has inserted himself in the career of Mansoor. Here's some sage advice for Ali - Unsolicited advice is passive aggressive behavior. Each competitor swapped submissions but in the end Ali picks up the win.

            The other match that did not air on replay was a repeat match between T-Bar and Mace verses the Lucha House Party. I'm over their matches. Lucha wins.

            The main event match of the evening saw Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston wrestling MVP and Booby Lashley. The great team work of Woods and Kingston had MVP isolated from "Bob" to start. But then a major miscalculation from MVP and Lashley give The New Day an opening. MVP goes for the Playmaker but Kofi counters with Trouble in Paradise. Kofi pins MVP and it is a clean win.

            Now for my dream match of the evening. It's Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal. I love both these men. It's like when my two favorite NFL teams play each other and I don't know who to root for but I am totally invested. 

            The genesis of this storyline is Drew being too busy and returning texts three days later. Lame but it gets these two bulls in the ring. I still think "Bob" is going to drop the belt to either Damien Priest or Jinder Mahal. Drew will then go after one of those men to reclaim the gold. Anyway, the action tonight was pure aggression and the ref got in-between more than once. Mahal goes for the Khallas but McIntyre counters with a Future Shock DDT. He then sets up for a Claymore Kick but Veer and Shanky interfere and the bell rings. The destruction continues and Jinder executes the Khallas. He then runs out of the ring and up the ramp to take possession of Drew's sword.

            Mahal: "Drew, you took away my opportunity, I take away your family heirloom. I take away your precious sword."

I guess Vince McMahon wants his sword back before the company hits the road again.    

            Safe travels to all of WWE. Thank you for entertaining us through a pandemic. See you soon.

#BringBackBraun

Monday Night of Second Chances

             My Monday night in the ThunderDome opened with the taping of this week's Main Event. The first match was Veer squaring up against Drew Gulak. 

            Drew seems to be the standard of Main Event. Just last week, Gulak went up against Bronson Reed in his Main Event debut. It's an intangible sense that performing on camera with Drew is a way to gauge future potential. And Gulak's opponent this week, Veer, is all power and potential. 

            Veer made an impressive debut on Main Event. Quite the specimen of a human that there was no way for Gulak to overpower him. Drew instead focused on the knees of his opponent, trying to take the beast off his base. But it was not to be because Veer picks up the win. 

            Main Event's second match was Lucha House Party verses T-Bar and Mace. These athletes are familiar with each other. Size is often a factor to be considered in David and Goliath matches, however, I don't think Lucha House Party ever lets their size stop them from giving it their all.

            High flying action sends the Dominant Duo of Mace and T-Bar out of the ring and onto their backs. Soon, however, they would be back in control to pick up the win,

            Next on to Monday night Raw. I was so happy that the evening didn't open with a 15 minute promo. Instead, there was a over the top battle royal to see who would replace a missing Randy Orton later in the evening for a last chance triple threat match. Matt Riddle weasels his way in as the replacement and wins. His character might be having a little bit of an identity crisis because he demands that Orton's music plays and then he strikes Randy's signature pose. Seemed like a predictable outcome all the way. There was more interesting things happening during this battle royal than seeing who would win.

            Damien Priest is back! He has been away for several weeks dealing with a back issue. I loved seeing him and Jinder Mahal in the same ring. At one point, they went after each other. I have said it more than once and I'll say it again - "Bob" should drop the belt to either Mahal or Priest and then have McIntyre reclaim the gold against one of them. 

            The next entertaining thing about the opening match was Omos coming down the ramp to settle a score with the Viking Raiders. He pulls both men out of the ring and proceeds to send Erik into the barricade and Ivar into the LED apron. Lastly, the 24/7 title changed hands 4 times on the outside of the ring. Tozawa loses to Drew Gulak. Gulak loses to R-Truth and then Truth loses it back to Tozawa. All this happened in less than 2 minutes. 

            Earlier I talked about Matt Riddle's character having an identity crisis. I think Nikki Cross is going through something similar. While being interviewed moments before her match against Shayna Baszler, she starts rambling on about being "almost a super hero". Nikki A.S.H.? Graphics down the ramp still said Nikki Cross but there was a lot of promoting from the announce team in referring to her as Nikki A.S.H. Oy Vey! What a 3-week whirlwind she has had. First she debuts a new look. Following week, her husband gets released and now Nikki A.S.H. I hope this will all be worth it in the long run. Until then, she continues to be on a winning streak.

            Second chances seems to be the theme of the night. The re-match between Asuka and Naomi against Piper Niven and Eva fits such a theme. The cracks with Piper and Eva have been evident from their debut. Yes, I keep saying Piper. I refuse to say the "D" word. Anyway, Eva got a taste of her own medicine when she went for a tag and Piper jumped off the apron giving Eva her first loss since her return.

            Continuing with the women, we see a 6 woman tag match between the team of Tamina, Nattie and Charlotte against Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose and Rhea Ripley. Mayhem erupts before the bell. Quite the brawl but I wasn't invested in the match because of the yawn inducing personalities of Mandy and Dana. Just not a fan. I think they try too hard to get their personas over instead of becoming their persona. For example, Sheamus is the Celtic Warrior. Mark Calaway is the Undertaker. Corey Graves made a good point during the color commentary of the match. 

            Graves: You know what Saxton. I can stand in a batting game for 6 months straight doesn't mean I can play for the Yankees.

            Despite their training, Dana and Mandy do not have what it takes to be main eventers. My point is proven when Charlotte pins Mandy for the win. 

            Still scratching my head at the surreal reality that Braun Strowman, Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy and Killian Dain were the ones released. 

            The triple threat match between McIntyre, Riddle and Styles was a second chance opportunity to qualify for the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Physical dominance on display right out of the gate from Drew. Suplexes, thunderous chest slaps and belly to bellies across the length of the ring were unleashed from his arsenal in an attempt to end the match early. 

            AJ and Matt came back with viciousness of their own. They form a temporary alliance to put Drew through the announce table. This puts the titan out of the equation for a moment. AJ takes the submission game to Riddle where he focused on torturing the ankle of his opponent. But Riddle dug down deep and gifted a knee to the face of Styles. Back and forth it goes with Styles hitting a brain buster and going for the pin to no avail. McIntyre from the outside pulls AJ out of the ring where he repeatedly body checks Styles from the apron to the barricade. Back in the ring, Drew takes out his frustration out on Matt Riddle. Eventually, all three competitors are on the outside. Riddle goes for a kick to AJ and instead meets a foot full of steel. He is lead out of the ring area with a "possible" broken foot.

            Riddle would eventually make his way back to the match with a taped up foot. He hits the RKO on Styles but Omos saves his tag partner from being pinned. Drew takes advantage and with one Claymore Kick, secures the victory.

            Now there were two matches that were not shown next day via Hulu. Nor are they available on Peacock  Peacock is a travesty of a company for many reasons. One reason is the fact that they are still a month behind on uploading current episodes of Raw and SmackDown.

            Regarding the missing matches, unless you watched it live in the ThunderDome or via cable or satellite, you missed the strap match between Elias and Jaxson Ryker. Elias debuted new entrance music and Jaxson debuted new ring gear. No bueno to both, especially Ryker's gear. He was dressed in mustard yellow and ketchup red ripped trucks reminiscent of Hulk Hogan. Despite the gross gear, he did beat the tar out of Elias for the win.

            The other match that did not replay on Hulu was between Ricochet and John Morrison. High flying match start to finish but the highlight happened outside the ring. John is already on the outside when he jumps over the barricade to protect himself from Ricochet. If you watch carefully, you can see Morrison walk and then take two steps up before sitting on the edge of the barricade. Ricochet flies out of the ring with a cross body. Impressive and impactful move that cause both men to be counted out.

            Great evening in the ThunderDome. I am going to miss it when it is gone. I think WWE should give away SummerSlam tickets to some of the LED audience members in appreciation of our loyalty. Many a Monday night, I was an active member in the ThunderDome from my living room for the entire 3 1/2 hours of taping. What do you say WWE?

#BringBackBraun

Major Monday Night

             I am so happy be an active part of WWE's ThunderDome. Never so more than last night. 

            Monday night is when WWE tapes Friday night's Main Event. If you weren't part of the ThunderDome, then you missed two epic surprise matches.

            By the end of this week, fans will see the Main Event debut of NXT champs Bronson Reed and Karrion Kross!

            Bronson Reed goes up against Drew Gulak. The 330 pound colossal North American champion gave the technical terminator a run for his money. At one point, Reed swats Gulak out of the air like an annoying fly. Drew is nothing to sneeze out. The man is an excellent wrestler. However, Bronson Reed proved resistant to all of Drew Gulak's skills. A Samoan drop and then a tsunami off the top rope was the winning combination for the champ.

            Just when I thought Bronson was the stellar surprise of the evening, here comes the opponent for Shelton Benjamin...Karrion Kross! My jaw hit the floor. What the greatness is going on? Two NXT champs debuting on Main Event! This was an awesome match that I would never have dreamed up. I have said on more than one occasion that we will see Kross on the main roster by, if not, at the WWE draft later this year. Amuse-bouche action for fans everywhere. Signature Kross jacket secured on Shelton and it was over. One glaring note about the match was the absence of Scarlett.

            Scarlett is the real life girlfriend of Karrion. She usually accompanies him to the ring in dramatic fashion but not last night. I have always wondered about Scarlett. Despite having a professional wrestling background, she currently serves as Kross' valet. Other than being lead-in eye candy who sometimes speaks in promos, what purpose does she really serve? I have no memory of her ever getting involved in her boyfriend's matches. Maybe WWE is setting up to have her join the main roster as a competitor. Now onto Monday Night Raw.

            What an evening of mind-blowin' and head-scratching moments. Raw opens with the VIP Lounge. MVP, Lashley and his ladies enter the ring to toast Bobby's previous night's win at Hell in a Cell. I am over the ladies but I understand why they are part of the champ's storyline. As long as they keep appearing on tv, I'm keeping an eye on Mia Lantz. According to her Twitter account, she is a professional fitness life coach. Let's see if the company does anything with her besides using her as a hand model for Bobby's shoulder.

            Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods interrupt the celebration by coming down the ramp with a catering cart of dry toast. They frisbeed the "toast" into the ring as their way of celebrating Lashley. I love their playful sense of humor. After all the jaw-jacking, it is so declared that Woods will have a Hell in a Cell match later in the evening against Lashley. Kofi, on the other hand will face "Bob" at Money in the Bank next month. 

            More than having a Hell in the Cell match on prime time tv, it was also an evening of Money in the Bank qualifying matches. 

            First qualifying match was AJ Styles v Ricochet. Both men thrive on an up tempo style. The first half goes to AJ. Every time Ricochet picked up some momentum, AJ countered. Things changed in the second half when the Viking Raiders made their way down to the ring and immediately go after AJ's tag partner, Omos. Ivar and Erik send Omos through the barricade. This was enough of a distraction for Ricochet to pick up the win and become the first qualifier for next month's pay-per-view.

            Second men's qualifier match was between John Morrison and Randy Orton, sans the goatee. The viper is molting. The goatee was a welcomed facial feature in his storyline with Riddle but I have a suspicion that going back to his classic look will soon result in Randy giving his tag partner a RKO. As much as I enjoy the odd couple team of RK-Bro, I miss Orton on his own. 

            Morrison's strategy was to exploit the well documented shoulder injuries of Orton. Yet, Randy is still able to repeatedly slam John's head into the announce table. Clotheslines and slaps across the chest reminds John he is in the ring with the viper. Just when Orton is about to hit the RKO, the Miz and his "drip stick" get involved prompting Matt Riddle to come down to the ring. It was a hysterical low speed chase around the ring with Riddle on his scooter and Miz in his wheelchair.

            Back in the ring, Morrison executes his signature Starship Pain to get the upset win over Orton. John Morrison is the second superstar to qualify for Money in the Bank. 

            Matt Riddle would make another appearance later in the evening when he faced Drew McIntyre in the third men's qualifying match. Although I would have booked Riddle v Morrison and Orton v McIntyre, I was pleasantly surprised with the matches. 

            Drew in a qualifying match 24 hours after surviving a brutal Hell in a Cell match assured him the title: Lion of Scotland. Riddle's obvious strategy was to target Drew's battered back. I felt the pain in his face every time he arched in agony. Despite feeling uncomfortable watching one of my favorite superstars suffer for his craft, I knew he would get in a few good licks. Belly to bellies, powerbombs and good old fashion slaps were released from the reserve of McIntyre onto Riddle. Valiant effort by Drew but he loses in an upset. Matt Riddle earns a spot in next month's Money in the Bank. 

            The mind-blowin' events continued with the ladies. However, I want to touch on some thought provoking mic drop moments.

            First, the "D" word was dropped. Piper Niven of NXT UK fame was dubbed Doudrop by Eva Marie. The look on Piper's face was priceless. I don't see it lasting long because Niven tried to say her name when Eva interrupted her. What an epic day it will be when she truly walks away from Eva and screams "My name is Piper Niven!"

            Their MITB qualifying match against the colorful duo of Asuka and Naomi, was over quickly. Eva starts in the ring but quickly tags in her partner before any action begins. Piper does what she does best and just when she is about to fly off the ropes, Eva tags herself in. Thinking Naomi was out for the count, she attempts to reap a win from the hard work of her partner. Not having it, Nivens jumps off the apron, leaving Eva with a check mark in the loss column. Naomi and Asuka are heading to Money in the Bank. 

            Second, Nikki Cross is now a superhero. She debuted her new look fully loaded with cape and mask. Initially, I thought it was a step down but then she got in the ring and she was still Nikki. Her chaotic and positive energy is all she needs to be forever entertaining to watch. Nikki inexplicably teams up with the villain herself Alexa Bliss. Their opponents are Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. 

            My brain was short circuiting during this MITB qualifying match. Nikki has a new look. Alexa has new entrance music. And in the end, they pick up the win against the former tag champs. 

            Final moment with the women touched on the disqualification of Rhea Ripley at her Hell in a Cell match with Charlotte Flair. Rhea was DQ'ed because she used the apron of the announce table as a weapon against Charlotte. Since when is that a disqualification? Randy repeatedly slammed John Morrison's head into that same announce desk tonight and the ref didn't call for the bell. Rhea is right when she says that she is being held to a different set of rules. As a result, a rematch has been granted for next month's pay-per-view.

            The main event of the evening was a Hell in the Cell match between Xavier Woods and Bobby Lashley. Bobby is 24 hours removed from his Hell in a Cell match against Drew McIntyre. What a specimen of an athlete to have two cage matches two nights in a row. This man has boulders where us mere mortals have muscles. 

            Lashley was the aggressor right out of the gate. Be that as it may, Woods brought the fight to the champ. Compliments of Xavier, "Bob" found himself dancing with chairs, tables, kendo sticks and ring posts. So happy this wasn't a one sided match but it did have a predictable ending. A chair to the head, a spear and a Hurt Lock submission gives Lashley the win. All around an epic night.

            I cannot wait for WWE to get back on the road in front of live audiences. Just 24 more days to go. The energy of the fans instead of piped in audio. A tangible WWE Universe instead of LED screens.  And the anticipation of big storylines, momentous surprises and eagerly awaited returns. 

#BringBackBraun