Almost Live, Definitely Half Assed Review of WWE Raw – 13 Aug. ’18

Proximity Hotel in Greensboro NC by Dennis Quaintance. Saved from tripadvisor.com

The WWE starts us off with Ronda Rousey, who probably spends more time on her hairdos than I do on this blog post. She starts off with a nice dedication of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart which is fitting considering the story line intertwining of Rousey and Natalya. She then talks about beating Alexa Bliss on Sunday for Nattie because of all of Bliss’s underhanded tactics. Rousey then introduces Ember Moon. I really would have picked someone else to lose to Bliss but it won’t kill her character. Alexa Bliss comes out with Alicia Fox and makes fun of Rousey for having new friends which is hilarious for obvious reasons. Bliss continues to run down Rousey including her trademark scowl. Bliss is ready to end the hype train at Summerslam. Constable Corbin granted Bliss personal protection. They don’t even last until the commercial break. Neither does Fox. Rousey & Fox are at ring side and things have calmed down as the match rolls on. Corey Graves nails it by wondering if Bliss is going to get a refund on the security. This match has been back and forth. They are feeding into the “Bliss can’t beat Rousey” by having her in this much of a knock down drag out with someone who isn’t a contender as I type. Rousey attacks Fox to keep her from interfering. Moon gives Bliss a Tornado DDT that turns into a suplex. Snazzy stuff. Eclipse. As she goes for the pin, Fox breaks away Rousey to interfere in the match causing the DQ.

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre give Kurt Angle a hard time after Baron Corbin did. Corbin is the one that comes to the ring after this mini segment. Tyler Breeze, bump machine, is his opponent. His bumping was better for Mojo Rawley. Maybe Corbin’s offense is just boring. Deep Six for the win. Corbin then calls Jinder Mahal out for his match with Finn Balor. Corbin says that isn’t enough for an “Extraordinary man”. He calls on Kevin Owens to be a second opponent. After a commercial break, the mini segment comes full circle and Angle assigns Braun Strowman as Balor’s partner in a tag match. Balor tags a beating. Strowman gets a hot tag. Balor comes back in so the match can last a while. Strowman gets another hot tag. Power Slam on Mahal for the win. Corbin ends up ambushing Balor after the match and Deep Sixes him.

Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre decide to be annoying and ask about Rollins again. They mockingly lament the fact that if Rollins doesn’t make it on time, the match won’t be IC Championship.

Ricky Roberts is going to pattern himself after Elias. When he gets in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Elias will finally address him. Elias is the only Elias. Naturally, he makes fun of the city he is in. Bobby Lashley interrupts him again. Lashley is ready to make an example out of Roberts. Lashley turns around. Roberts cracks him with a guitar. Lashley turns around and plants him with a Spine Buster.

Bo Dallas is concerned about the odds. Curtis Axel is ready to fight and capitalize on the greatest run of their careers. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt are out next. The Revival is out next. Interesting to maybe only me, Jojo didn’t call Hardy & Wyatt the Deleters of Worlds as a team name. The Revival should win the match just for doing the Hart Attack. Wyatt cleans house. Dawson gets suplexed onto everyone who isn’t Matt Hardy on the outside. Curtis Axel sneaks in a tag. The Revival is unaware. Shatter Machine on Wyatt. Axel tosses Dawson into Wilder. Axel gets the pin fall win. I’m super amused that The B Team keeps celebrating with Roman Reigns back stage.

Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre continue to be annoying to Kurt Angle.

Roman Reigns saunters down to the ring. He is ready to end things this Sunday at Summerslam. Paul Heyman comes out and is quite happy. Heyman peddles his “unless” which is all of Brock Lesnar’s big, dirty secrets which will allow him to become Universal Champion. Reigns doesn’t need Heyman’s help because he’s had Lesnar dead to rights twice. Heyman does his regular lines, but punctuates with Roman Reigns. Roman thinks Heyman is a dying shark that will try anything. Heyman even pulls out some Samoan that supposedly Reigns father said to him. Heyman hands him a letter. Reigns appears to be reading it when Heyman sprays him with pepper spray. Brock Lesnar comes out and attacks. Lesnar ends up putting Reigns to sleep. Lesnar comes back into the ring after Reigns recovers. F5 to Reigns.

Bobby Roode, Apollo Crews & Titus O’Neil are taking on AoP & Mojo Rawley. Glorious DDT on Rawley for the win. Even the announcers can’t pretend like this match had much relevance.

They have a nice segment on Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart. That was a tough watch since so much of his best work was during my childhood.

Sasha Banks is taking on Ruby Riott. Of course, Bayley, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan are at ring side. Riott is working over Banks left arm early in the match. She’s still working it over after a commercial. Banks fires off with some chops. Banks turns the clinch into an arm drag. Banks dives into Logan. Banks knees Riott. Morgan grabs Banks leg. Bayey takes out Morgan. Riott catches Banks come back into the ring. Roll up for the win by Riott. The Ladies matches have been the high light so far in ring wise.

Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre come out gloating. According to Ziggler, Seth Rollins quit. Drew McIntyre says that Rollins hard work made them work harder. Ziggler talks about how the crowd continues to turn their backs on guys because of perceived slights. Ziggler talks up McIntyre for pushing him too. Seth Rollins finally shows up. Rollins was here the whole time. He didn’t want Ziggler to know of his man in his corner would be. Naturally, it’s Dean Ambrose who looks bulked up. they toss Ziggler & McIntyre from the ring and stand tall. – Kevin DiFrango

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