WWE RAW Rebound (08/30/21): Open Challenge
In my last RAW Rebound, I had a “Next Week” section at the end of the recap because WWE had announced three matches for the Aug. 30 RAW in Oklahoma City. Here’s what I wrote:
“RAW actually booked three matches for next Monday night from the Paycom Center, fka the Chesapeake Arena, in Oklahoma City.
- Bobby Lashley vs Sheamus
- John Morrison vs The Miz
- Doudrop vs Eva Marie
Two of these three matches I care about. I think you can figure out which one is the odd one out (hint, it’s match №3!)”
Somehow, the only match I didn’t care about was the ONLY match out of the three that actually took place! When you go to purchase tickets for a WWE event, there’s always that tagline underneath the marketing of the event that says, “Card subject to change”. It’s understandable because WWE is a 365 day a year business, and injuries and other circumstances can change storylines on the drop of a dime.
Last night’s RAW was the epitome of the card subject to changing.
Out of the three hours RAW was on the USA Network last night, 30 minutes of it was solid, and the rest was skippable.
Let’s get to the (somewhat) good of this show.
Open Challenge
A few hours before RAW hit the air, WWE announced Damian Priest would host a United States Championship open challenge to kick off RAW, and I got excited. Open challenges are always a good way to put a young talent over, and Priest was at least defending the U.S. Championship, unlike the former champion.
Speaking of the former champion, the “Celtic Warrior” answered the “Archer of Infamys’” open challenge, and I was so disappointed when Sheamus came out. My literal reaction was, “OH MY GOD! NOT HIM AGAIN! PLEASE GIVE US SOMETHING FRESH WWE!”
The “Scottish Warrior” was thinking the same thing because he came out and literally said the exact same thing! McIntyre told Sheamus he already had his shot, and it was time for McIntyre to win the one title in WWE he hadn’t yet. Priest was ready to accept the challenge but outcome MVP and the “All Mighty” WWE Champion. For some reason, the WWE Champion isn’t satisfied with just holding the most prestigious title on the red brand anymore, and he wants to take Priests’ title and become a double champion.
Well, with almost all of the male champions on the show 10 minutes into the night for no apparent reason, why not bring out the most entertaining part of RAW in RK-Bro?!
Orton told MVP he was full of crap. Lashley’s manager took exception and challenged RK-BRO for the RAW Tag Team Titles. Riddle accepted, and all of a sudden we had Lashley challenging every champion for their belts. Remember, he was supposed to go one-on-one with Sheamus. Ok then!
Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville cleared up the chaos pretty quickly by booking a triple threat between Priest, McIntyre and Sheamus for the U.S. Title, and RK-BRO defending their titles against Lashley and MVP in the main event. Rhea Ripley (we’ll get to her later) appeared to end one of the most convoluted segments to start RAW in recent history, and it was only the beginning.
Triple Threat
I decided to separate the two “main events” of the evening into two separate segments because they were truly the only two noteworthy matches of the night. The U.S. Title match started at the end of the first hour, and it was an old fashion brawl between three men that just wanted to hurt each other! Sheamus had some close near falls on McIntyre, but ultimately following a Claymore to Sheamus, Priest was able to reverse a backwards Alabama Slam into the Reckoning naturally to pin the former WWE Champion and retain the title.
I was shocked McIntyre actually took the fall here, but it was a nice rub for Priest, and it again feels like WWE is going to push Priest as a mid-card star going forward, something Monday nights desperately need. After getting his shoulders pinned, a disappointed McIntyre did shake the champions’ hand, but he didn’t look happy. Either McIntyre is about to turn heel, or he is moving to Friday nights in the draft, and I hope it’s the latter. While a heel turn would be a fresh change of pace for McIntyre, he’s done everything he possibly can do on RAW. It’s time for him to move on to FOX, so he can get back to the top of the card by challenging the “Head of the Table”.
Tag Team Titles
Following Omos destroying John Morrison and A.J. Styles crushing Xavier Woods’ calf (again, we’ll get to that later), RK-BRO made their entrance as we headed to break for the main event of the evening. We come back to Styles and Omos sticking around on commentary as Lashley and MVP make their way to the ring.
It was a good match, which ended with Riddle pinning MVP off a Floating Bro from the top rope. Orton had the loudest pop of the night when Riddle gave him the typical babyface hot tag. Lashley received an RKO outtanowhere from Orton, and RK-BRO celebrated their victory as Styles and Omos looked on from the announce desk to end the show.
I really don’t understand why all of a sudden Lashley wants every title on Monday Night, but this was a good way to set up Styles and Omos’ rematch at Extreme Rules. I was hoping Big E would quickly run down to the ring and cash in on Lashley after the RKO, but RAW quickly faded to black as the “All Mighty” was rising back to his feet.
Lashley has no legitimate challengers that can take his title right now. Maybe we get a title for title match between Lashley and Priest at Extreme Rules, but I have no idea to be honest. RAW’s top champion is in a holding pattern until he faces Goldberg again in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel in October. The “Tribal Chief” is NEVER in a holding pattern.
Nia Jax Defeats Charlotte Flair
This match wouldn’t be that high up on the match card, except it was the WORST match of 2021 by far. The two tangled, and it looked like Jax legititmately dropped Flair on her head because Flair was dazed for a little bit, then she got up, and her and Jax started slap fighting in the middle of the ring. The two ladies clearly weren’t happy with each other as they refused to sell the other’s moves. Jax eventually picked Flair with a spinebuster-like maneuver, and Flair did not move afterwards.
I have no idea what happened, and the fact Jax randomly pinned Flair while Flair is in a feud with Alexa Bliss (who was nowhere to be seen on this show by the way) made no sense. The crowd also barely made a peep during almost the entire 15-minute encounter. Here’s the video. Go watch this masterpiece of how not to wrestle, folks!
Omos Defeats John Morrison/A.J. Styles Defeats Xavier Woods
The Miz must be at least a close contact to somebody who tested positive for COVID-19 because him and Morrison had their big break up angle last week, and Miz was invisible for the entire show. Morrison cut a backstage promo where he said Miz refused to wrestle him, so he challenged Omos to a match. Styles’ colossus laughed and then destroyed “America’s Moist Wanted” in the ring (Omos is going to be a future STAR in the business by the way). Then, Xavier Woods came out and had a random match with Styles and tapped out to the Calf Crusher.
The former RAW Tag Champs looked good here, and for Styles, it’s his first singles win without any interference from Omos in almost a year, singling to me the two are going to break up in the draft, so Omos can begin his monster, heel singles run. As for Morrison and Woods, they looked like jobbers. Hopefully, Miz and Kofi return soon, so the formers can get back to their regularly scheduled programs with the latters.
Rhea Ripley (W/ Nikki A.S.H) Defeats Shayna Baszler (W/ Nia Jax)
Rhea Ripley cut a promo before the match to bring her new “friend” Nikki A.S.H. to ringside to be in her corner, which as I said last week, I don’t understand because Ripley should be pissed at Nikki for taking her championship and making the match between her and Flair at SummerSlam a triple threat. I just don’t understand how you befriend someone who cost you money!
Anyways, after a good back and forth, Jax tried to help out Baszler by Samoa Dropping A.S.H. on the outside, allowing Ripley to get distracted long enough for Jax to roll her up, but the “Nightmare” turned the tables on the “Queen of Spades” and rolled her up for the win.
More dissension from Jax and Baszler. I guess they can tell the story that Jax beat Flair clean, but Baszler can’t win a match, and that’s how they break up, but it is what it is. There needs to be some anger here from the former MMA fighter for me to care about this rivalry.
Reggie Escapes a Dog to Remain 24/7 Champion
R Truth, his blonde wig and his stuffed “dog” chased around Reggie and the 24/7 Championship in an abandoned park right outside the Paycom Center. The “dog” eventually revealed himself to be Akira Tozawa, of course! When will the great Truth flag down the athletic former sommelier and become a 53-time 24/7 Champion?!
OLDBERG Needs Knee Surgery
Kevin Patrick caught up with GOLDBERG at his home gym. GOLDBERG said he needs knee surgery from Lashley’s assault at SummerSlam, but when he returns, he’s gonna rip Lashley’s soul from his body! Saudi Money, here we come baby!
The Viking Raiders Defeat Jinder Mahal and Veer (W/ Shanky)
The Viking Raiders returned for the first time since Money in the Bank and got some good practice in with Mahal and his lackeys. The Viking Raiders really have no place on RAW with RK-BRO as the champs, and there’s not another heel team on the brand besides Styles and Omos. They could be candidates to flip to SmackDown in the draft..
Karrion Kross Defeats Humberto Carrillo
Kross dismantled the man with a Kross Jacket in a matter of seconds.
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I thought for sure WWE would try to stack RAW this week with next week being Labor Day, and the following week being the kickoff to the ratings killer that is Monday Night Football, but I was dead wrong. I could have titled this recap, “D for Disappointing” because this show deserves a D, but I decided to go with “Open Challenge” because even Riddle said that was the theme of the night.
Two matches saved this show, or it could have been an F EASILY! Again, if it was a COVID related issue, I understand, but it doesn’t sound like it, and this show was brutal. I’m usually pretty generous when grading shows, and I like to give storylines the benefit of the doubt to play out, but this show was not it fam, as the Street Profits would say! No Miz, Jeff Hardy, Elias, Kofi Kingston or Alexa Bliss at all, and RK-BRO, McIntyre, Lashley, MVP, Priest, Sheamus, Styles, Omos and Jax were used multiple times.
RAW doesn’t have a bad roster. It just isn’t used properly… at all right now.
GRADE: D
