Almost Live, Definitely Half Assed Review of WWE Raw – 23 Sept. ’19

Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Saved from sftravel.com.

We get our last Raw of the “A Show” Era which also happens to be the last episode of the season. Seth Rollins graces us after a video package recapping his bad last week. Rollins is having a hard time sleeping because of the Fiend nightmare. He keeps repeating that he “Survives and Prevails.” Yuck. What a terrible phrase. It’s admitting you barely won. Corey Graves repeats the point just to drive the theme home. Woof. Braun Strowman comes out and isn’t going to play psycho mind games like Bray Wyatt. He’s going to challenge Seth face to face. Rollins accepts his challenge for a match later tonight, apparently.

The Viking Raiders are taking on The OC, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson. AJ Styles is with them. It would seem they have new music too. I approve. The biggest moment of the early going was Styles getting kicked out of ring side. He ends up getting attacked by Cedric Alexander. I feel like everyone and their brother said he was getting buried. Certainly looked like it to me too. The Raiders get on a roll offensively. Gallows low birdges Ivar to halt the moment. Erik takes to selling. Erik kicks out of a Boot of Doom. Erik kicks out of a Magic Killer. Ivar gets tagged in. Viking Experience for the win.

Robert Roode is interviewed about his Five Way match later tonight. Roode talks about beating Seth Rollins in the tag match. He’s ready to be “Glorious” with the Universal Championship.

Michael Cole has a sit down interview with Becky Lynch. She wants everyone at their best when she takes them on to cement her own legacy. Cole mentions Sasha Banks being in the only women’s Hell In A Cell match. Lynch points out that she lost that match. Cole wonders about Bayley. Becky is just worried about Banks fleeing like she did at Clash of Champions. Becky is ready to take out Banks at HIAC.

Renee Young gets crickets when she mentions that Rusev‘s timing in coming back right before the Draft. He takes on EC3. I don’t even notice that Michael Cole was gone. Graves & Young riffing was better than anything with Cole. I could actually tell they are friends. Accolade for the submission win. Did you expect anything else?

Rey Mysterio is pumped about his opportunity. He realizes it was just a small crisis of confidence. He dedicates this match to Dominc.

Sasha Banks comes out with her bestie, Bayley. Nikki Cross has her bestie at her side too in Alexa Bliss. Banks decides to slap Cross, which only fires her up.Banks rolls to the outside to break the momentum. Cross starts working over Sasha’s left arm. Banks bails outside again. Cross locks on a sleeper there. Banks falls to her back to break the hold. Banks finally counters Cross’s offense. Slingshot Meteora really changes the momentum. Banks locks in a modified Rings of Saturn. A Jaw Jacker opens things up again for Cross. A corner splash followed with a bulldog gets Cross a two count. Dragon Screw Leg Whip over the middle rope gets Sasha back on the offense. Banks starts working over the leg. Banks picks the ankle. Cross turns it iinto Banks hitting the post. Banks goes outside a third time. Cross meets her with a cross body. Cross can’t capitalize in the ring. Her leg is hurting too much. Cross gets in her apron spot. Cross goes for a Tornado DDT. Sahsa tosses her off. Neckbreaker by Cross. Bayley jumps on the aporn. Bliss pulls her off the apron. Bliss then tosses her into the time keepers area. Banks rolls through on another cross body attempt in a Bank Statement. Nice finishing sequence. Banks locks on the Banks Statement to Bliss after the match.

AJ Styles and The OC are still a group. They hype up Styles for his Five Way match tonight.

The Street Profits are still being hype men for Raw. They get to meet The Miz. He announces the birth of his second daughter and take a dig at Mike Kannelis. Hulk Hogan & Ric Flair are going to be on Raw next week. Fantastic.

Lacey Evans has a match with Ember Moon. I was assuming it was going to be against Natalya. She does get to watch the match in the back stage area like a “normal” WWE employee. The announcers are talking about how neither of these two have really connected with the audience. Yikes. An Upside Down Stunner gets a two count for Moon. Ember goes to the top rope. Evans recovers. They struggle. Evans gives her a Woman’s Right. Sharpshooter for the tap out win. Natalya is interviewed back stage. She says that copy catting is the sincerest form of flattery. She warns Evans that she should be ready to tap out if they have another match.

The Firefly Funhouse with Bray Wyatt graces our screen. The Pig & Ramblin’ Rabbit can;t find a way to share their Seth Rollins action figure.
Wyatt tells them that the Fiend doesn’t like to share. Wyatt then pulls the action figure in half and returns it to them.

Carmella & R Truth come out. Carmella can;t handle the stress of being 24/7 Champion. Carmella double crosses him and pins him to become champion. All of the women who haven’t been on TV in a while get to chase Carmella now. That is a good way to freshen things up a bit.

Sasha Banks & Bayley talk about how great Sasha Banks is.

I like the choice of look for King Corbin. As Chris & I discussed, he might finally be coming around after seven years and countless choices.

Sami Zayn hypes up Shinsuke Nakamura. Shinsuke gets Zayn to stop being so antsy.

Corbin had to wait in the ring a shorter time than most. He makes more short jokes at Chad Gable again. Since Cole decided to mention that 12 Hall of Famers are former KoTR winners, how many didn’t make it in? Corbin tosses Gable into a pair of security guards on the outside. Corbin connects with Ring Around The Rosie. Corbin works over Gable. Corbin tosses Gable into the turn buckles chest first. Gable finally gets a come back. It gets stopped short with a Big Boot. Corbin clothes lines Gable in the corner. Corbin follows up with a splash. Corbin pays for Ring Around The Rosie Part 2. Gable takes too long going up to the top rope. Corbin tosses Gable down. He then argues with the ref to allow Gable to recover. Corbin choke slams Gable but only gets a two count. Corbin misses a jump from the middle rope. German Suplex by Gable. He follows up with a moonsault. Gable only gets a two count. Ankle Lock by Gable. Corbin works his way to the corner. Corbin attacks Gable with his sceptre causing a DQ.

People thought the AOP was all talk no action. They went back stage and whooped on someone. Missed who it was.

Ricochet is finally interviewed right before the Five Way Match. Rey Mysterio, Robert Roode, AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura join him. It’s elimination styles so I’m assuming it will either finish or come close to finishing the show. Rey Mysterio & Ricochet end up facing off against each other. It’s kind of cool but doesn’t last long. Ricochet gives Roode Recoil. When he turns around, Nakamura connects with the Kinshasa to eliminate Ricochet. It makes me laugh when Robert Roode power bombs the remaining three opponents. Phenomenal Forearm to eliminate Shinsuke Nakamura. Moments later, Glorious DDT on Styles to eliminate him. Roode & Mysterio are the last two. Rey rolls up Roode. He flips him into the 619 Position. Roode intercepts with a Spine Buster. Rey counters a Glorious DDT into 619 Position. 619 follows. Drop of a Dime for the win. Proving once again, that people don’t want to see loser Rey Mysterio. Just, still kicking ass Rey Mysterio. How hard is it?

Seth Rollins isn’t happy about having to wrestle Braun Strowman and Rey Mysterio in consecutive weeks but he’ll be ready to win both matches. Burn It Down, bay bay.

The match starts with fifteen minutes left in the show. How early does The Fiend show up? Braun counters a Pedigree this time around. Rollins rolls to the outside. Rollins avoids the outside shoulder tackles. Strowman still has the upper hand though. Strowman runs into the post after Rollins dodges. Rollins connects with the spring board knee to the head. Blockbuster by Rollins hurst Strowman but Rollins takes a moment to cover him. Strowman kicks out. Rollins connects with 2 Frog Splashes. Rollins pushes Strowman out to ring side. Rollins connects with a second suicde dive which knocks down Strowman. Rollins goes for a third one when Strowman catches him. Strowman is firmly in control. The Fiend pops up and gives Strowman the Mandible Claw causing a DQ, I’m assuming since there hasn’t been a bell. The Fiend plays nice with Rollins who cowers in the corner. The Fiend attacks Strowman again.We’re left with The Fiend laughing.

Kevin DiFrango

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