This week’s WWE Monday Night Raw opens with talk about last night’s Extreme Rules pay-per-view and then they announce that Triple H has ordered Dean Ambrose to defend his title to open the show.
United States Championship Battle Royal
The Shield opens the show and Dean Ambrose has to defend his United States title in a 20-man over-the-top battle royal. This was ordered by Triple H, who seems angry that Evolution lost to The Shield at Extreme Rules. The entrants are a who’s who of WWE talent. Ambrose has been U.S. champion for 351 days. Ambrose doesn’t hide from anyone. Midway through, everyone teamed up to eliminated Big Show and Mark Henry. The final five were Ryback, Curtis Axel, Jack Swagger and Sheamus. Ambrose eliminated Ryback, Zxel and Swagger before Sheamus eliminated Ambrose to win the U.S. title.
Winner: Sheamus (**)
After the match, Triple H comes out. He said The Shield was lucky at Extreme Rules and their luck is changing since they will have a six-man match tonight against The Wyatt Family.
Adam Rose is here tonight. Sheamus is interviewed backstage. To Ambrose, he said “no hard feelings, fella.” Backstage, Stephanie McMahon shows up to warn Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella and tells Bryan the only way she can assure his safety is to stay in his locker room until his match later.
Rob Van Dam vs. Cesaro
Paul Heyman, for the second night in a row, introduced Cesaro not as the King of Swing, but as the King of Extreme. The match was a hard hitting, long match that ended when Cesaro hung RVD upside down in the corner and just punched him over and over until the referee disqualified him. Even after the loss, he kept punching and kicking RVD in the head until Paul Heyman stopped him by telling him not to get suspended.
Winner: Rob Van Dam by disqualification (**)
The Wyatt Family is here. Back from commercial and they are in the ring with the lights down. Bray Wyatt said Sister Abigail told him that he would one day change the world. They replayed the Little Johnny singing child from Extreme Rules. He said the world will remember him as a God and sang his song to end the promo.
Cody Rhodes vs. Ryback
Ryback dominated most of the match, a slow lumbering one. Cody Rhodes finally came back at the end and hit a Beautiful Disaster kick and then a missile dropkick. He went up top again, and Curtis Axel moved over there, looking like he was going to interfere. Goldust came to the rescue, but Axel slammed Goldust into the ring post and Cody fell onto Ryback’s shoulders for the Shell Shock.
Winner: Ryback (* ½)
Backstage, Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella are in their locker room when the lights go out and Kane’s mask is on a lamp. They leave the locker room and Stephanie McMahon meets them in the hallway. She said she will have their car brought in to them for their safety. Back from commercial, Los Matadores are in the ring with El Torito for a Cinco De Mayo celebration. 3MB comes out with Hornswoggle to offer a truce. El Torito accepts but then Hornswoggle attacks El Torito. Los Matadores clear 3MB out of the ring and then El Torito gores Hornswoggle to the floor.
Kofi Kingston vs. Rusev
Lana is out next and once again, she is honoring Russian President Vladimir Putin, her hero. He also said that her hero welcomed the patriot Edward Snowden and America’s secrets are safe with them. By the way, Alexander Rusev is now just known as Rusev. Kingston put up a strong fight, but Rusev had little trouble in beating him with the Accolade.
Winner: Rusev
Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella get in their car to leave and Stephanie McMahon shows up at the car. She tells Bryan that he can’t leave until he wrestles his match tonight and if he doesn’t, she will strip him of his WWE World Championship. And his match is next.
Daniel Bryan vs. Alberto Del Rio
Brie Bella is at ringside with Daniel Bryan. The match was great, one of Del Rio’s best in a long time. The crowd was also loud during this match for really the first time this evening. Bryan hit a flying head scissors and rolled into the YES lock for the win. After the match, Kane’s entrance music started and Bryan and Brie ran. They got to their car but it wouldn’t start. Bryan checked under the hood but a wire was unhooked. Bryan closed the hood and Kane was in the car with Brie. Bryan got Kane out and they escaped.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (***)
Intercontinental Championship
Bad News Barrett vs. Big E
Bad News Barrett did an awesome Mick Foley tribute. He yelled BANG BANG before hitting a running elbow drop from the ring apron. The match was very similar to the one from Extreme Rules. Barrett tried the Bull Hammer a few times, but Big E kept avoiding it. The fans were all in Barrett’s corner. Barrett maneuvered the referee behind them when Big E tried for the Big Ending, Barrett raked Big E’s eyes and then hit the Bull Hammer to keep his title.
Winner: Bad News Barrett (** 1/2)
Zeb Colter nad Jack Swagger are out. Swagger has a sign with “Zeb’s Deportation List” on it. The names on it are Paige, Emma, Sheamus, Santino, Cesaro and Paul Heyman. They are interrupted by the Adam Rose party and his Rose Buds!!!!!! Zeb Colter is in shock. Colter tells Rose to get back, so Rose grabs Colter’s beard and tells him to not be a lemon, and to be a Rose bud. Colter sends Swagger to get him, but Rose ducks out and tosses Swagger from the ring. After that, the party goers all come in the ring and dance around Colter, until he crawls out and runs. Sadly, just as I thought, NXT fans LOVE Adam Rose but the WWE Monday Night Raw fans just sit on their hands and have no idea how to react.
The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family
The crowd is chanting “This is Awesome” as soon as the match starts. They are right and this match was awesome and both units looked great. The end came after The Shield used the double suicide dive to take out Luke Harper and Erick Rowan and then set up Bray Wyatt for the Triple Powerbomb. Then Evolution’s music hit. They came to the ring, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose hit the double Suicide Dive on everyone. Triple H went in the ring and Roman Reigns hit the Superman punch. However, this gave Bray Wyatt the opening to hit Sister Abigail’s Kiss for the win. After the match, Evolution destroyed The Shield and then they hit the triple powerbomb on Roman Reigns and celebrated over him to end the show.
Winners: The Wyatt Family (****)