The Viking Raiders vs. Ricochet and Cedric Alexander vs. Angel Garza and Andrade
Whoever wins this match would face Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford for the Raw Tag Team Championships next week on Raw. Dawkins and Ford watched this match as they served as the ring announcers. Zelina Vega was at ringside to cheer on her clients. El Idolo and Garza went right after their opponents as the bell rang. Then Ivar and Cedric Alexander were trading blows after the first commercial break. Garza and Andrade sat at ringside so they could avoid being hit as much as possible. The other two face teams worked together to eventually take out the heels. Ricochet and Andrade teamed up on Erik. Garza finished off Alexander with the Wing Clipper.
Results: Angel Garza and Andrade defeat The Viking Raiders and Ricochet and Cedric Alexander
Grade: B
Shayna Baszler vs. Nia Jax
Jax and Baszler continue their feud and brawl until they were counted out. Several officials stormed to the ring to try and separate them.
Results: This match results in a double count-out
Grade: B-
Mustafa Ali vs. Bobby Lashley
Lashley showed off his power and dominance by easily shoving Ali to the ground and throwing him. Lashley was able to dominate and control the tempo of the match until The All Mighty had to fight off some ninjas. Ali capitalized on the distraction and hit Lashley with a suicide dive into the barricade. Ali was able to counter the Dominator and hit a beautiful tornado DDT. He missed the 450 splash, and Lashley put him into a full nelson for the submission victory.
Results: Bobby Lashley defeats Mustafa Ali via submission
Grade: C
Asuka vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Championship
Kairi Sane chased Bayley away from the ring before the match began to make it an even playing field. The Empress was irate and immediately took control with some stiff kicks. The Boss was able to turn things around and began focusing all of her offense on Asuka’s left leg. Banks tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero move by pretending Asuka attacked her with the title belt, but the official saw everything and refused to declare a disqualification. We came back from a commercial to see Banks with the upper hand again. It took a long time for Asuka to hit a counter and give herself a little breathing room. A frog splash couldn’t keep Asuka down, so The Boss transitioned into the Bank Statement. When the Empress took control, we saw footage of Bayley beating up Sane backstage on the big screen. The distraction led to Asuka releasing her signature submission so she could save her friend. The ref counted her out and declared Banks the rightful Raw women’s champion.
Results: Sasha Banks defeats Asuka to become Raw Women’s Champion via countout
Grade: A-
Humberto Carrillo vs. Murphy
Humberto looked to get revenge on Murphy for what him and Rollins did to Carrillo’s friends Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio. The Juggernaut took control early, but the luchador didn’t let him have the upper hand for long. He used his speed and agility to turn the tables and send his opponent out of the ring. Carrillo came close to winning with a missile dropkick to the back of Murphy’s neck. After he managed to recover, The Juggernaut hit Murphy’s Law for the win.
Results: Murphy defeats Humberto Carrillo via pinfall
Grade: C
Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler
The Showoff had the champ reeling after the break, but The Scottish Psychopath quickly turned things around with one back elbow to the head. He propelled Ziggler into the plexiglass divider before taking out a kendo stick and teeing off on his opponent. It took a low blow for Ziggler to give himself some time to recover. McIntyre caught him jumping from the apron and drove him through the barricade as the show went to a commercial. We returned right as McIntyre began throwing Ziggler around the ring with suplexes. After putting The Showoff through a table with a Claymore Kick, McIntyre scored the win. As he celebrated, Orton hit the RKO out of nowhere to close the show.
Results: Drew McIntyre defeats Dolph Ziggler via pinfall
Grade: A+
Analysis: This weeks episode of Raw had some pros and cons. There were some matches that were well-booked and well-executed and there were other matches that could have gone on longer or had more action. I would give this weeks episode of Raw a B.
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