By Tarron Coalson
Fresh off of the Payback PPV, Monday Night RAW moved to St. Louis this week & it’s basically looking to start setting up the EXTREME RULES PPV on May 22nd, with essentially the same match line-up that was at PAYBACK, with some new twists. On with the weekly Raw Recap!
The show started out with a recap of the power split between Shane & Stephanie McMahon that was ordered by their father Vince & that they both run RAW. Then a recap of the AJ Styles/Roman Reigns match at PAYBACK.
Stephanie McMahon entered the ring to be followed by Shane McMahon & Stephanie looks to show everyone she has had a change of heart & supports her father’s decision, even giving Shane a framed photo of him of Vince McMahon that Vince broke & stomped on during their feud.
The family moment is quickly ruined by the appearance of Kevin Owens, who demands his rematch for the Intercontinental Title that he’s never received after losing the belt. This is followed by Cesaro, who blames Owens for costing him the IC Title at Payback & Shane orders their differences to be settled in the ring..NEXT!
IC Titleholder, The Miz & Marise join the broadcast table for the match which features Cesaro hitting Owens with power moves..a nice dropkick to Owens while he’s on the top rope & a gut wrench suplex off the top rope & Owens hitting a nifty frog splash to Cesaro on the floor.
Owens then tried to pick up the IC Title to hit Cesaro with it & The Miz stops him & they get into it which turns into a three way brawl unto Sami Zayn comes out & clears the ring hoisting the IC Title in a similar fashion as Owens did the night before on PAYBACK.
PROMO follows with Dean Ambrose confronting Stephanie McMahon about her change of heart & she challenges him to invite her on The Ambrose Asylum (UGH!) & ask her anything…
This quickly cuts to a PROMO with R-Truth & Tyler Breeze (Golden Truth?) who are interrupted by Goldust & Fandango. It appears we are set to endure an angle of Goldust trying to make R-Truth jealous & vice versa…There are no words to help us for the punishment we are about to receive…..
A quick PROMO shows AJ/Luke Gallows/Karl Anderson, who is interrupted by Roman Reigns, who challenges them to a six man tag match against him & The Uso’s later that evening.
Back to the previously mentioned punishment for us all as they cut to Tyler Breeze vs. Goldust with R-Truth & Fandango at ringside. Mercifully, it’s a quick match as Breeze scores a roll up victory as Goldust is distracted by trying to gain R-Truth’s approval. I guess, since they’re on the payroll, you gotta do something with them but if they’re going for the same effect as MizDow had for awhile or the Kane/Daniel Bryan pairing, that’s not happening…
Next out is the WWE Tag Team Champs, The New Day to wrap up the tournament & the injury to Enzo Amore at PAYBACK & letting everyone know that Enzo is OK (Concussion). They are interuptted by The Vaude Villains & the announcers say that The Vaude Villains will face The New Day at EXTREME RULES, which is interesting because rumor has it that Vince McMahon hates their “gimmick”. They’re interupted by the Dudley’s who’s interrupted by Big Cass and the “S..A..W..F..T..” line.. which turns into an impromptu eight man tag match as it’s The Vaude Villains & The Dudley’s against The New Day & Big Cass with Big Cass getting the victory after hitting the East River Crossing on Devon.
Next up is another recap of AJ/Gallows/Anderson vs. Reigns/Uso’s, which is followed by the WWE Women’s Champ-Charlotte, with her dad, the Nature Boy Ric Flair, to explain the “Chigaco Screwjob” by PAYBACK on Natalya.
WWE dug into the archives to show footage of referee Charles Robinson doing the “Lil Naitch” gimmick from Slamboree 1999 & called him The Four Horseman’s personal referee. Robinson comes out to say that while Natalya didn’t physically tap out, she was screaming to “Stop It”. Natalya come up & disrupts the proceeding by tossing Charlotte out of the ring & slapping the Nature Boy & putting him in the Sharp Shooter, only to be rescued by Charlotte.
After a commercial, Stephanie McMahon informs Ric & Charlotte that their will be a rematch of Charlotte vs. Natalya at EXTREME RULES & that Ric Flair is barred from ringside.
Next is Becky Lynch vs. Emma is a ladies match that was sub par for Becky Lynch & featured Emma giving Becky possibly the worst “Thumb to the Eye” distraction that wrestling has ever seen (Ernie Ladd would not be proud!), but Emma scoring the victory. They seem intent on pushing Emma, but I’m not sure why at this point…and while we’re on that note, is anyone as dis-respected on the roster as Becky Lynch?
Following that is The Ambrose Asylum with Stephanie McMahon & Dean Ambrose unloads everything in his arsenal to make Stephanie lose her cool & show everyone that her change of heart is not genuine. Stephanie, for a moment, becomes my fan favorite, as she announces she’s canceling The Ambrose Asylum (YAY!!!) but it’s a fleeting moment as she says she’s reinstating The Highlight Reel (UGH!) with Chris Jericho, who comes out & predictably a brawl ensues which leaves Ambrose laying after Jericho hits him with Ambrose’s potted plant!
Next up is a Battle Royal to determine the #1 contender for Kalisto’s US Title (So long Ryback!) & it comes down to all three members of the FORMER League of Nations (Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus & Rusef) & Zack Ryder. The former L.O.N members turn on each other & eliminate themselves & it comes down to Zack Ryder & Rusef. Rusef eliminates Ryder to become the Number 1 contender & Lana joins him in the ring which is a smart move in my opinion & this was when Rusef was at his strongest before getting off track. It will be Rusef vs. Kalisto at EXTREME RULES for the US Championship.
Finally it’s the Roman Reigns/Uso’s vs “The Club” as JBL calls them, Styles, Gallows & Anderson. It’s a pretty good match that ends with AJ scoring the pin with the Phenomenal Forearm on Jay Uso as everyone else had cleared the ring.
That’s when things get interesting as after the match, Gallows & Anderson rough up Roman Reigns & drag him in the ring with a steel chair, urging AJ to use the chair on Reigns. He refuses & throws the chair down & they are attacked by the Uso’s & Jay Uso uses the chair on AJ & Gallows/Anderson leave the ring & the Uso’s turn their backs & AJ starts laying them out with the chair. He throws the chair down but Roman reigns sees what AJ has done to the Uso’s (even though the Uso’s used the chair first) & goes ballistic on AJ, ending with him throwing AJ through the air in a modified power bomb move through the announcer table & standing over AJ as RAW cuts out.
It looks like the AJ/Reigns feud may go a while & while I’m doubtful that Reigns will ever drop the title to AJ, at least it looks to be entertaining with more twists coming up in the weeks leading to EXTREME RULES. Tune in next week for our weekly Raw Recap!
Tune into SCM Radio to hear Katie Vick is Alive! Alive! this week to hear Britt Whitmire and Bryant Williams discuss the week in WWE and more! And make sure to visit every Tuesday Morning for a fresh Raw Recap!
