WWE RAW Opener:
Tonight’s WWE RAW opens up with a look back at Extreme Rules. We’re live from Baltimore as the pyro goes off and Michael Cole welcomes us. He’s joined by JBL and Byron Saxton.
– We go right to the ring and out comes Seth Rollins to a big pop.
Seth appreciates the reaction to his return to Raw. He wants to know if the people of Baltimore are going to let him talk. He says it has been 200 days since he left. He has been thinking about stepping inside his ring once again. Seth says unless you are living under a rock, he is back. For seven months, he has waited to come back to win back the title he never lost. At Extreme Rules, he fired the first shot.
We see a photo of the Pedigree by Rollins to Roman Reigns after Roman defeated AJ Styles.
Seth says he feels like the people missed him. Seth says it was not always that way. When he put a steel chair in Roman’s back to end the Shield, you booed him every time. You were calling for his head every night. When he won the WWE Championship, he says you called him the weakest WWE Champion of all time. You were begging for people to beat him for the title, bu t no one could. You said he hid behind the Authority. You went against everything he earned during his title reign.
Then his knee buckled under the weight of carrying this company on his back for so freaking long. Then he started getting tweets and comments from people saying they missed him and wanted him to come back soon. He got flowers and so much fan mail, he did not know what to do with it. Seth says he did not open a single letter and he put it in a garbage can and he lit it on fire. Seth said he did not need you on his side to win the title or to defend the title. He says he does not need them to get it back.
Seth says there is only room on the Seth Rollins bandwagon for one dude and that is him. You weren’t there with him when he was rehabbing twice a day to get his title back. He says that is more work he has done in the last seven months than you have in your collective lives. Boo him or cheer him. He is back for one thing… the title he never lost. He redesigned Seth Rollins and he will take back HIS WWE World Championship.
Roman Reigns interrupts and makes his way to the ring.
Reigns enters the ring and Rollins leaves and goes to the floor.
Shane McMahon’s music plays and he shuffles his way on the stage and goes to the ring.
Shane takes a mic and he asks for Seth to come into the ring for a conversation, an adult conversation.
Shane says there is a lot of animosity between the two and it started when you turned your back on the Shield. Then at Wrestlemania 31, you interjected yourself into the main event to become WWE Champion, a championship you held until your injury. He says he knows that Seth wants his title back since he did not lose it. This match has Wrestlemania Main Event written all over it but we are not going to wait until Wrestlemania. At Money in the Bank, Roman Reigns defends his title against Seth Rollins.
– The announcers announce MITB Qualifying Matches for tonight – Sheamus vs. Sami Zayn, Cesaro vs. The Miz, AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens, Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler, Chris Jericho vs. Apollo Crews. Back to commercial.
Backstage:
We are back and Renee Young asks about Sheamus winning the briefcase last year and cashing in. Sheamus wants to know about what type of era puts him in a qualifying match against a guy named Sami Zayn. Seeing him skip to the ring with his stupid hat on his head. He says that Sami is Canadian and not even from this country. Sheamus tells parents will little children to take them out of the room because what he is about to do is not for all ages.
WWE Money In the Bank Qualifying Match: Sami Zayn vs. Sheamus
We go to the ring and out comes Sami Zayn. Sheamus is out next.
They lock up and Sheamus takes it to the corner and backs off. They lock up again and Sheamus takes Sami down with a headlock. Fans start the “ole!” chants and they lock up again. More back and forth. Sheamus drops Sami with a shoulder. Sami with a heel kick. Sami with a chop in the corner. Sami with more shots in another corner. Sheamus fights back and drops him with a knee. Sheamus tosses Sami over the top but he lands on the apron. Sami ends up sending Sheamus to the floor for a breather after a hurricanrana. Sami follows with a forearm. Sami nails a moonsault from the barrier. Sami rolls Sheamus back in but Sheamus nails a running knee, knocking Sami off the apron. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Sheamus is in control inside the ring. We see the MITB briefcase hanging above the ring. Sami fights back but Sheamus hits a big powerslam for a 2 count. Sheamus climbs up for a superplex but Sami fights him. Sheamus gets knocked to the mat and Sami is forced to land on his feet. Sheamus with an Irish Curse backbreaker for a 2 count.
Sami nails a huge clothesline. Sami with a Michinoku Driver for a close 2 count. Sami unloads with lefts and rights. Sami climbs the turnbuckles but Sheamus kicks the rope and sends him to the mat. Sheamus misses a Brogue Kick and Sami sends him to the floor. Sami runs the ropes for a dive but Sheamus nails a forearm before he can dive. Sheamus comes in but Sami hits a Helluva Kick out of nowhere for the win and the spot in MITB.
Winner: Sami Zayn
After the match, Sami celebrates as we go to replays. Sami heads to the back and Sheamus is left frustrated in the ring. Sheamus throws a fit and kicks the ropes as the cameras focus on him.
– Still to come, Charlotte delivers the state of the WWE Women’s Title. Back to commercial.
Backstage:
Back from the break and Apollo Crews is with Renee. Crews points to the punishment Chris Jericho took at Extreme Rules with the thumbtacks. He says this is the biggest match of his career… Sheamus attacks from behind. Sheamus destroys Crews and yells about the New Era. Sheamus leaves Crews laying and walks off.
In the Arena:
We go to the ring and out come WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day.
There’s a big sheet cake on a table in the ring and it says Happy Birthday. Kofi Kingston says the cake is here because RAW has been going strong for 1,200 episodes. Xavier Woods says RAW is more than 23 years old. They wish RAW a Happy Birthday. Big E says we all know a cake is never a safe place for a WWE ring. Big E goes to the floor and they pass the cake to him. They tease the cake going into the face of a little boy at ringside, then JBL, then Byron Saxton. Curtis Axel, Heath Slater and Bo Dallas suddenly attack Kofi and Woods from behind. The Social Outcasts take out The New Day as fans boo. They run a victory lap around the table in the ring after kicking The New Day out to the floor. We go to commercial.
The New Day vs. The Social Outcasts
Back from the break and the six-man match is underway. Slater is in control until Kofi turns it around. They start the Unicorn Stampede on Slater in the corner.
The New Day keep control of Slater until Axel and Bo pull him to safety. They run a Bo Train around the ring but Slater falls on his face. Woods launches himself over the top and takes them down. Kofi and Big E with the double team for the easy win.
Winners: The New Day
After the match, they go to ringside and Big E grabs a big handful of cake. Woods tells him to put it down. Big E picks Slater up and runs him into the cake as Woods and Kofi hold it. The music hits and The New Day dances over a caked up Slater.
– Still to come, Cesaro vs. The Miz. Back to commercial.
In the Arena:
We go to the ring and out comes WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz with Maryse. Maryse introduces her husband and fans boo. Miz reminds us again how he’s still the IC Champion. He calls himself a future Money In the Bank holder, saying he did it before and he will do it again. Miz says he’s been on a roll since his wife came back to WWE. Miz talks about the Fatal 4 Way at Extreme Rules and brags about winning. He calls it a true underdog story. They end up going to kiss but the music interrupts. Cesaro is out next to a pop.
WWE Money In the Bank Qualifying Match: Cesaro vs. The Miz
Cesaro starts the match with an Uppercut Train and one big uppercut for a 2 count. Cesaro runs the ropes several times and nails a big dropkick when Miz gets up. Another 2 count. Cesaro jumps off the apron and takes Miz out after Maryse pulls him out for a breather. Maryse yells at Cesaro and he tells her to talk to his hand. They come back in but Miz takes control. Cesaro blocks a suplex and hits one of his own, holding it. Miz tries to fight out but Cesaro suplexes him to the mat for another 2 count.
Cesaro ends up sending Miz to the floor with a corkscrew uppercut. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Miz is in control. Cesaro fights back but Miz hits the backbreaker neckbreaker combo. Miz prepares for a Skull Crushing Finale but Cesaro blocks it and rolls him up for 2. Miz goes back to work on the shoulder and hits a DDT for a close 2 count. Miz mounts Cesaro with strikes as Maryse looks on. Miz slingshots Cesaro under the bottom rope and goes back to the shoulder. Cesaro comes back in and nails an uppercut. He blocks a punch and hits more uppercuts. Cesaro beats Miz into the corner but Miz blocks the shoulder and a clothesline in the corner. Miz goes to the top but Cesaro dropkicks him to the floor.
Cesaro goes to the floor and hits a running European uppercut that sends Miz into the ringside barrier. Cesaro sends Miz into the ring and Cesaro goes up top while holding his arm close to his body. Cesaro with a cross body for a near fall. Cesaro cannot go for the giant swing due to the damage done to his arm so Cesaro with a double stomp. Cesaro wtih a spinebuster and he is able to hit the giant swing but it not for as many rotations as usual. Ceasro with an elbow and he sends Miz to the apron but Miz drops the arm on the top rope.
Miz comes off the turnbuckles into a European uppercut and Cesaro hits the Gotch Style Neutralizer for the three count.
Winner: Cesaro (Advances to Money in the Bank Match)
– We take a look back to the start of Raw and the announcement of the main event at Money in the Bank.
Backstage:
Renee Young is in the interview area with Seth Rollins. Seth says it is fitting that he win the title there since he won the briefcase a few years ago and had the greatest cash in. He will win and cash in again because he is Seth Rollins.
Seth sees Stephanie and she is not as excited as her brother to see him. Rollins says he’s been looking for her all day and goes to hug her but she backs up. Stephanie says things have changed around here, including their business relationship. She welcomes him back and offers a hand shake before walking off, leaving Rollins confused.
WWE Money In the Bank Qualifying Match: Chris Jericho vs. Apollo Crews
We go to the ring and out comes Chris Jericho with his back bandaged up due to the thumbtacks at Extreme Rules. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Apollo Crews. We get a look back at when Sheamus attacked him earlier. Jericho throws his shirt at Crews to start the match and beats him down. Jericho keeps up the attack and talks trash. He slaps Crews a few times and hits him with knees. Jericho unloads and calls Crews a stupid idiot. Crews hits a big dropkick and an arm drag. Crews keeps control and gets a 2 count as we see Sheamus watching backstage. Crews takes Jericho to the corner now. Crews starts punching the bandages as Jericho screams in pain. Crews slams Jericho on his back.
Jericho turns it around with a cheap shot as we get dueling chants. Jericho with a snap suplex and a low dropkick for a 2 count. Crews fights back but Jericho dropkicks him for another pin attempt. Jericho keeps Crews grounded and talks trash. Crews fights to his feet and breaks the hold. Jericho with more chops. Crews turns it back around with clotheslines. Crews with a stiff kick and a splash in the corner. Crews with a big back elbow. Jericho backdrops Crews to the apron. Jericho ends up going for the springboard kick but lands on the floor as Crews ducks it. Crews comes off the apron onto Jericho and brings it back in. Crews goes to the top but has to roll through. He catches Jericho with a powerslam for a 2 count. Crews with an enziguri. Jericho blocks the sitout powerbomb and goes for the Walls of Jericho.
Jericho gets the Walls locked but it’s broken and Crews drops Jericho for a close 2 count. Jericho blocks a dropkick. Crews gets a leg up for a Lionsault it looks like. Crews kicks out at 2. More back and forth. Jericho goes for the Walls again but Crews rolls him up for 2. Jericho with a Codebreaker for the win and the MITB spot.
Winner: Chris Jericho
After the match, Jericho makes his exit and stops to look back at the briefcase above the ring.
– Renee is backstage for comments from Sheamus but he just laughs at Crews and walks off.
– Still to come, AJ Stykes vs. Kevin Owens. Back to commercial.
Backstage:
We are back with the latest Life Lessons with Coach Bob Backlund.
Bob tells Mr. Young when you believe you can do something, you can do it. Darren is writing it down and Bob tells Darren that he needs to learn what he is teaching him. He says that notes are for kids in school while adults put it in their brains. He tells Darren to recite the presidents in order. Darren says that he can’t do that and he does not think anyone can do it. Bob starts to recite the presidents and Darren says “Damn” at what he was doing. Bob says that you cannot be great using language like that. Bob tells Darren to give him 100 jumping jacks. Darren says something and Bob makes it 200.
Backstage:
JoJo is with Baron Corbin and she asks him about his victory over Dolph Ziggler and the low blow that led to the victory. JoJo asks about the way he won. Baron says that people have issues with the way he won a No Disqualification Match. He did that to Dolph Ziggler because he can.
Dolph Ziggler shows up and says ‘Because I Can’ is clever. Dolph says that Baron cannot be on Breaking Ground without looking like a tool. He can’t beat him in a technical wrestling match. Baron says he did not grow up wanting to be in WWE and be the best wrestler. If you want another match, we can have it and we can talk about technical wrestling… when you wake up. Dolph says we have a match for next week and you can watch his match against Dean Ambrose to see what a wrestling match is all about.
In the Arena:
We go to the stage and out comes Big Cass to a big pop. He stops and motions for Enzo Amore to come out. Enzo runs wild on the stage as fans pop. Enzo apparently drops his mic off the stage and goes to get it, then rejoins Cass on the stage. Enzo does their introduction and gets a pop as they head to the ring. Enzo talks about getting a concussion and cuts a promo like only he can. If he had a dime for every time he got knocked down and didn’t get back up… he’d have 0 dimes. Enzo calls out The Dudley Boyz and says they have been out of line. Cass joins in and Enzo gets hype. Cass says he’s going to prove again that there’s only one word to describe them… SAWFT. The pyro goes off as D-Von Dudley and Bubba Ray Dudley make their way out. We go to commercial.
Big Cass vs. Bubba Ray Dudley
Back from the break and they go at it into the corner. Bubba with a big chop. He looks at Cass and gets shoved across the ring. They lock up again and go back to a corner. Cass ducks a cheap shot and launches Bubba into the opposite corner, and again. Bubba goes down. D-Von floors Enzo at ringside. Bubba takes advantage of the distraction and nails Cass.
Bubba works Cass over until he manages to turn it around as D-Von talks trash to Enzo. Cass hits a big splash that sends Bubba to the floor for a breather. Cass follows and assists Enzo with a launch as he charges D-Von. They bring it back in and Bubba goes to the top. Cass cuts him off and slams him to the mat. Cass with a big boot and the Empire Elbow for the win.
Winner: Big Cass
– WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte is backstage walking with Ric Flair and Dana Brooke. Back to commercial.
In the Arena:
Back from the break and out comes WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte for her Women’s Championship Celebration and State of the Women’s Title. Dana Brooke and Ric Flair are with her.
Charlotte wooos and she hands the mic to her father.
Ric says before you start, tonight, on this phenomenal interview you are going to have, as a father, he wants to convey how proud he is since she won the WWE Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania. As a child, every time you turned around, you had your hand in the candy jar. Everything she touched, she made it happen. When you had your back against the wall, you prevailed last night. You went to get someone like your uncle Arn, Dana Brooke. You are that damn good. Without Charlotte Flair there is no Dana Brooke.
Charlotte says she wants to thank one person… herself. She says she could not be more proud of Dana since she chose to be with the best.
Dana thanks Charlotte for letting her stand in the ring with the dirtiest player in the game.
Charlotte says speaking of him, she says he remembers Thanksgivings, Christmases, and birthdays she remembers Mom saying that Daddy’s always with you. You weren’t there because she had to watch him on television. She says she could not understand why you weren’t there but now she gets it because she is the WWE Women’s Champion. She has never been more powerful or more confident. You knew what it felt like to be the man because she is the woman. That is why she finally has the courage to say ‘Get out of my ring’
Charlotte says that she expected him to stare at her dumbfounded. The people of your generation are all the same, they don’t want to leave the spotlilght. She says she let Ric bask in her spotlight. She is not Ric Flair’s daughter, he is Charlotte’s dad. Charlotte says her spotlight is bigger than her father’s.
She says that Ric is the second dirtiest player in the game and she does not have time for those who finish in second place.
Charlotte says she does not need him any more. Charlotte says Ric abandoned her. How do you think she has felt the last thirty years of her life? She tells Ric that to all of these people, you are immortal to them but dead to her.
Charlotte tells Ric that he can watch her on television like she did for him. We go to commercial.
– We are back and it is time for the post mortem of what we just saw when Ric Flair was disowned by his daughter.
WWE Money In the Bank Qualifying Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler
Dean Ambrose makes his way out as we get stills from The Asylum match at Extreme Rules. Dolph Ziggler is out next and they lock up to start.
They lock up and Ambrose with a waist lock take down. Ambrose with a snap mare for a near fall. Ziggler gets a take down and rollup for a near fall. Ambrose with a wrist lock into an arm bar. Ziggler with a gutwrench rollup for a near fall. Ambrose with a hammer lock and Ambrose with a side head lock take down. Dean with a shoudler tackle. Ziggler with a drop kick for a near fall. Ziggler with a side head lock take down. Ambrose with a back elbow and slam for a near fall. Ambrose with chops. Ambrose with a chop in the corner. Ziggler with a sunset flip for a near fall. Ambrose gets a near fall. Ziggler with another near fall. ZIggler is sent through the ropes and Ambrose tease a suicide dive but he sees where ZIggler is so he stops short. We go to commercial.
We are back and Ambrose sets for a superplex but Ambrose is knocked off the turnbuckles. Ambrose wtih a forearm followed by a superplex and he gets a near fall. Ambrose with a forearm into the corner but Ziggler avoids the bulldog and hits a Stinger Splash. Ambrose avoids the neck breaker and then Ambrose sends Ziggler over the top rope to the floor and Ambrose with a suicide dive. Ziggler sets for the X Factor off the turnbuckles but Dean pushes him off and Ambrose with the elbow drop but Ziggler rolls through for a near fall. Ziggler with a Fameasser for a near fall. Ambrose blocks a super kick and then both men go for a cross body and both men are down.
Dean and Dolph alternate punches. Ziggler with a super kick and Ambrose bounces off the ropes for a wackyline and a near fall. Ambrose goes to the turnbuckles but Ziggler meets him with a drop kick for a near fall. Ziggler with a splash into the turnbuckles and he punches Dean but Dean holds on and tries for a power bomb but Ziggler counters with a sunset flip and a near fall. Ziggler tries for the Zig Zag but since Ambrose is on the ropes, he holds on. Ambrose with a double underhook DDT for the three count.
Winner: Dean Ambrose (Advances to Money in the Bank Match)
– We see Ric Flair walking dejected in the back and Arn Anderson stops to check on him. Ric walks away and Renee wants to know how Ric feels. Ric does not want to say anything and he walks out of the arena. We go to commercial.
– Back from the break and we get a video from The Shining Stars. They talk about how good their debut was last week and invite everyone to come to Puerto Rico.
In the Arena:
AJ Styles is in the ring and he has something to say before his match. He says in our business, you never know how good someone is until you get in the ring with him. In the last six weeks, Roman Reigns is every bit the man he says he is. AJ says that Roman is one of the better men he has been in the ring with. He says Roman is not phenomenal. If it wasn’t for the Usos, Gallows, and Anderson, he had Roman beat last night. If it wasn’t for those guys, you would be looking at the new WWE World Champion. That did not happen. AJ says he does not live in the past. He has a chance tonight to face Kevin Owens and beat him on his own and move on to Money in the Bank.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson make their way to the ring and Karl wants AJ to take that back, bro. If it wasn’t for ‘us’? You make it sound like you don’t want them out there fighting with him. AJ says he wanted to do this on his own. This isn’t Japan and things have changed. Karl says you would have bought them a round of drinks on Roppongi if they were in Japan. He says that AJ has changed.
AJ says he did not bring them to WWE to watch their back and take care of his problems. Luke says if they didn’t drop everyone who had a problem with there would have been a lot of bar fights he would have been in. If they didn’t save AJ in WWE, he would not have made it to Extreme Rules.
AJ says they need to separate. You do your stuff alone and he does his stuff alone. Right now, they are done. No one can separate them from being brothers. Luke tells AJ how dare you talk to them like that and then call them brothers. Karl says they are not brothers any more. They are not friends any more. AJ says if that is the way it is, they don’t need to be in the ring together. As of right now, this is his ring. Karl and Luke leave the ring and we go to commercial.
– We are back and Miz will defend the Intercontinental Title against Cesaro and Rusev will defend the United States Title against Kalisto on Smackdown.
WWE Money In the Bank Qualifying Match: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens
KO is out next. Owens asks AJ if he has a chance at this because it is his. AJ and Kevin push each other and then they exchange punches. Styles with forearms as Owens retreats to the ropes. Owens with a low kick and he goes to his bread and butter as the Headlock Master. Owens holds on to the ropes to avoid the Phenomenal Drop Kick but Styles still hits a drop kick for a near fall. Styles with a snap mare and a Phenomenal knee drop and he gets a near fall. Styles chops Owens against the ropes.
Owens with forearms and chops. Styles chops back. Styles kicks Owens but Owens with a drop kick and he mocks AJ and gets a near fall. Owens with a kick to the back. Styles sends Owens to the floor and Styles goes to the apron but Owens pulls AJ face first into the apron. OWens runs the ropes and rolls under the bottom rope for a clothesline and he tells everyone he is phenomenal. Owens argues with the announcers and punches Styles. Styles wtih a punch and slingshot forearm to Owens. Owens punches Styles. Styles Irish whips Owens into the ring steps and then Styles sends Owens back into the ring as we go to commercial.
We are back and the Headlock Master has AJ in a head lock. We see footage from the commercial when Owens caught Styles and dropped him on the apron. Owens with an elbow and then Owens back drops Styles to the floor. Owwens sets for a power bomb on the ring steps but Styles blocks it. Styles backs Owens into the apron and connects with forearms. Styles and Owens with forearms and then Styles with kicks. Styles wtih elbows to get off Owens’ shoulders. Styles with a sliding forearm for a near fall.
Styles sends Owens into the turnbuckles but Owens with an elbow. Styles with a sit out gourdbuster driver for a near fall. Styles sets for a Styles Clash but Owens with a back body drop. Styles with an elbow and Styles goes to the turnbuckles but Owens grabs Styles and hits a German suplex and a cannonball for a near fall.
As Owens gets up he tells Cole to shut up because he is too loud. Owens tries for a pop up power bomb but Styles holds on to the ropes. Styles misses a kick and Styles wtih a German suplex and Ushigoroshi for a near fall. Owens tries for a back body drop to counter a Styles Clash. Owens with a fisherman’s neck breaker for a near fall.
Owens goes up top but Styles stops him with a punch. Styles sets for a superplex but Owens with punches. Styles with a head butt, but Owens with a head butt and Owens misses a double jump moonsault when Styles moves. Styles with a springboard 450 splash for a near fall.
Styles sets for a springboard move but he sees Owens move so he lands on the apron. Styles with a knee but Owens with a pop up power bomb on the ring steps and both men are down. The referee starts his count. Styles gets back in at nine as he gets a power up in time. Owens sets for the Pop Up Power Bomb but Styles lands on his feet and he hits a Pele Kick.
Styles gets a near fall. Styles goes to the apron for the Phenomenal Forearm but Owens kicks the ropes and Owens hits a pop up power bomb for the three count.
Winner: Kevin Owens (Advances to Money in the Bank Ladder Match)
After the match, Owens celebrates as we go to replays. We see Shane McMahon and Mick Foley backstage preparing for their podcast. We come back to the arena as AJ recovers and RAW goes off the air.
