WWE RAW Rebound (09/13/21): E Stands for Emotional
When Big E won the Money in the Bank (MITB) Ladder Match at the MITB Pay-Per-View (PPV) in July, I immediately wanted him to cash in on the “All Mighty” Bobby Lashley. I wanted E to win the contract early in the night and avenge Kofi’s beatdown by taking the strap off of Lashley.
When that didn’t happen, I wasn’t entirely disappointed, but I still wanted the heavy of the New Day to cash in soon. I thought SummerSlam in Vegas following Lashley’s successful title defense against OLDBERG would have been a good time. Nobody wanted to see Lashley vs OLDBERG, and E would have gotten a huge pop out of the crowd at Allegiant Stadium.
Instead, “BUM ASS BARON CORBIN” stole E’s contract, and the two fought for the case on the SummerSlam Kickoff Show. It was a fun rivalry, but now that E had his contract back, his focus turned to the “Head of the Table” Roman Reigns and the “All Mighty” Bobby Lashley.
For weeks following the “Biggest Party of the Summer”, during my SmackDown Scores and my RAW Rebounds. I have begged for WWE to let E cash in on Lashley. Reigns has too many challengers on the blue brand. Having E cash in on Lashley and become THE guy on RAW made too much sense not to do.
So why did last night feel so special?
For one, it was different. Usually the MITB winner — with a few exceptions — takes advantage of a fallen champion and gets an instant title match. After all, it’s what the concept is all about: The winner of the MITB Ladder Match does have the right to cash in on the champion of his choosing for up to one calendar year.
John Cena chose to compete in a normal one-on-one match with then-WWE Champion CM Punk on the 1000th episode of RAW in 2012. Damian Sandow decided to challenge Cena for the World Heavyweight Championship on a random RAW in 2013. Braun Strowman decided to challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship inside Hell in a Cell at the Hell in a Cell PPV in 2018.
In all three of those previous scenarios, the MITB holder failed to win the World Title. The only other person to fail at cashing in the MITB briefcase was Corbin, who did challenge then-WWE Champion Jinder Mahal when he was vulnerable in 2017, but Mahal ended up rolling him up, thanks to a distraction by Cena. Therefore, logic would tell you it is best to wait until the champion is completely incapacitated to cash in the contract.
Well… Big E said, “Screw Logic!”
Opening Segment
Earlier in the day, E announced on social media his intention to cash in the contract by the end of the night and walk out WWE Champion. RAW kicked off with E, Randy Orton, Riddle, MVP and Lashley all in the ring. Lashley and Orton were hyping up their highly anticipated WWE Championship match scheduled for the main event.
As a reminder, when RAW went off the air last Monday, the scheduled main event for this show was for Orton and Riddle to defend the RAW Tag Team Titles against MVP and Lashley, who earned the opportunity by winning Tag Team Turmoil last Monday. Orton was supposed to get his WWE Title match at Extreme Rules.
The “Apex Predator” explained he wanted the title match moved up because he wanted to throw Lashley off his game. He said he simply went to management (Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce), and they granted his request because he’s RANDY FREAKIN’ ORTON!
The “All Mighty” said he was gonna make Orton regret his decision. E tried to interrupt, but Lashley quickly warned him that he was gonna take E’s briefcase and shove it up his backside. Lashley and E got into a shoving contest, and Orton ended the segment by nailing the WWE Champion at the time with the three most destructive letters in sports entertainment.
Main Event
We get to the main event, and Orton and Lashley had a hell of a match. They hadn’t gone one-on-one since 2007, but it didn’t look like it. Both men looked in their prime, and this match had an old-school, drag out, knock out, 2007 feel.
Lashley would hit Orton with a Spear. Orton kicked out at two. An angry “Viper” would gain fuel from Riddle and the WWE Universe in the TD Garden cheering him on. He would deliver his vintage DDT and RKO to the champion, but the damage Lashley caused made it so Orton couldn’t cover him right away, allowing for MVP to pull his client to safety.
Riddle would distract MVP long enough for Orton to hit the RKO to MVP on the outside. Riddle would lay down next to MVP and taunt him like vintage Orton (It was a true LOL moment!). Orton reentered the ring and immediately got hit by a second Spear from the “All Mighty”. One, two, three, and Lashley retained the title.
Afterwards, Lashley headed to the outside and, concerned over his friend and manager, he slammed Riddle’s head into the post and took out some more frustration on his challenger. With ease, he picked Orton up and Spinebustered him through the announce table, but Lashley delivered the move with so much force, due to the fact he was so angry, his knee buckled. As he limped back to the ring, E’s music hit, and the Boston crowd ERUPTED!
For some reason, at this point, we go to a commercial break, and I have NO IDEA why! The MITB contract is supposed to be cashed in immediately! I didn’t understand that at all!
Anyways, when RAW returns, we see E slapping Lashley. Lashley’s face turns even more angry, and he demands the official to ring the bell. The official obliges’, and the bell rings.
E would attempt a Big Ending, but Lashley would reverse. The champion hits a Spear, but E kicks out at 2.9! Lashley would go for the Hurt Lock, but E reverses, muscles Lashley up in the middle of the ring and drops him with a Big Ending! The crowd is going bananas the referee begins the count.
One (still no kickout).
Two (still no kickout).
Three.
Ding… Ding… Ding!
Folks, Big E — the man who was brought in as Dolph Ziggler’s heavy — the man who after a short Intercontinental Title reign in 2014 was lost on the main roster, the man who revitalized his career with two other lost mid-carders in Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, the man who broke out on his own on SmackDown in 2020 by winning his second Intercontinental Championship on Christmas Day in a Lumberjack Match vs Sami Zayn, the man who was Mr. MITB, is now Mr. Monday Night and Mr. WWE Champion.
I can’t tell you how FREAKIN’ good this moment felt! Nobody deserves this more than Ettore Ewen. This felt like the biggest moment that’s happened in the TD Garden since the Boston Celtics won the 2008 NBA Championship, and yes, I’m serious.
A star was born on RAW last night. A much needed new star who will provide a freshness to Monday nights. Corey Graves said on the broadcast, much like Babe Ruth when he played for the Red Sox, E stood at home plate, called his shot and hit it over the Green Monster. I couldn’t have described it any better.
Finally, there’s something compelling to RAW other than RK-BRO and A.J. Styles and Omos!
Charlotte Flair Defeats Shayna Baszler, Meets “Charlie”
After costing Nia Jax the RAW Women’s Championship last week, the “Queen of Spades” wanted her shot at the “Queen”. It was a physical, different kind of matchup, one we rarely see in today’s WWE where two competitors just throw strikes and hands.
Flair did a moonsault to the outside. As we headed to break, the “Irresistible Force” made her way down the ramp. After a few more minutes of fighting post commercial, Baszler hits the champ with a nice step-up knee strike, but just like Baszler did to Jax, Jax distracts her, and Flair hits Baszler with her own step-up knee and covers her for the victory.
While Flair celebrated her victory, Alexa Bliss and Lily came out with a present. Flair said she knew there was a doll inside, and queens don’t play with dolls, but Bliss told her Extreme Rules opponent that even narcissistic bitches can get presents! With that line, the crowd got into it and forced Flair to open the present. Flair was right.
Inside of the box was a Flair-looking doll. Bliss and Lily named her Charlie. Flair tried to throw Charlie back at Bliss, but Bliss jumped into the champions’ arms and started wailing on her with rights and lefts, eventually knocking Flair to the outside. Later in the night, we see Flair tossing Charlie into the trash can.
So listen here folks: I love “Goddess” Bliss. Bliss seems like a genuinely good person. I want her to be champion again.
However, there’s no way she should win at Extreme Rules. She needs to go to SmackDown in the draft, as I’ve been saying, and reset her character. This feud should not be over a doll. I’m surprised with how over Bliss was with the Boston crowd, and it scares me that WWE just might put the title on her, but I’m done with this. Releasing Bray Wyatt killed this character for me.
Damian Priest © Defeats Jeff Hardy for United States Championship
WWE must have listened to the fan reaction from last week’s 24/7 Championship chase because Hardy went from chasing that belt to accepting Priests’ U.S. Title Open Challenge, and it was a terrific match. Priest hit Hardy with some hard hitting moves. He went through the ropes twice — once on a dive over the top and another on a body scissors from the apron into the ring. Towards the end of the battle, Hardy went for Twist of Fate, but Priest countered it into the Reckoning for the pinfall victory. Sheamus, who was sitting on commentary and sold both men well, attacked not only Priest, but Hardy as well after the bell, delivering Brogue Kicks to both.
This smells like a triple threat at Extreme Rules. As much as I love Hardy, he’s probably there to eat the pin. I was rooting for him to win the title. He deserves to be in a main program, and RAW just doesn’t book him the way SmackDown did last summer. He needs to move in the draft.
A.J. Styles, Omos, MACE and T-BAR Defeat Mustafa Ali, Mansoor, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods
These four teams all were involved in Tag Team Turmoil last week, and this match honestly was nothing spectacular until Omos entered the ring. All four of the babyfaces tried to attack him at one time, and all four got thrown around like children. Omos slammed Ali to the mat for the win.
Watching Styles’ colossus wrestle is one of my favorite parts of RAW. The 7’3, 406 pounder is a freak for his size!
I still think WWE breaks this team up in the draft. I think Styles heads to Fridays while Omos stays on Mondays. The dude is soooooo good in the ring, and a future program between him and Big E for the WWE Title would be something.
Nikki A.S.H. Defeats Tamina, and Rhea Ripley Defeats Natalya
Rhea Ripley was scheduled to go one-on-one with Natalya following the tag team victory last week. All four women got into a brawl in the back pre match, forcing Deville to book the Nikki V. Tamina match first.
This match was boring. There was a clear botch where Nikki had Tamina’s shoulders down off a cross body, and Tamina was supposed to kick out, but she didn’t. She even raised her shoulder up immediately after, and her music played (If that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is. I’m assuming she just lost track of the count and thought the referee was at two).
Ripley made Natalya tap out to the Cloverleaf submission after a back-and-forth affair.
Y’all know how I feel about this “Super Brutality” nonsense. I watched more of the second quarter of the Ravens-Raiders game than this match (What a game btw!).
Reggie Escapes Through the Parking Lot to Retain 24/7 Championship
Reggie jumped over forklifts and cars to get past R-Truth, Akira Tozawa and the rest of the 24/7 Title chase gang. Drake Maverick told Truth and Tozawa it wasn’t the plan that was the problem, it was the execution of said plan. It forced Truth and Tozawa to scream at each other as to whose fault it was the former sommelier is still going around towns as the 24/7 Title holder.
A storyline with the 24/7 Championship?! Finally! Screw COVID for basically rendering the title useless for the last 16 months! The best thing about the summer of 2019 is back BAY BEEEEEE!
Drew McIntyre and The Viking Raiders Defeat Jinder Mahal, Shanky and Veer
Faces take out the heels. Claymore Kick to Shanky ends it. Send McIntyre and the Viking Raiders to SmackDown in the draft, please! They’re lost on Monday nights with nothing to do but beat up Jinder Mahal and his friends.
Karrion Kross Said it’s Time to bow Down and Pray
He was in a dark room. He warned us his time was coming after choking out Jeff Hardy, John Morrison, Ricochet and Keith Lee in recent weeks with the Kross Jacket. Kross may be pushed more post draft, so I’m not ready to give up on him yet, but he needs to be pushed soon for me to care because right now he’s lost in the shuffle as well, for me at least — a non-NXT watcher. A rivalry with Priest over the U.S. Title is something I’m done for.
DouDrop Defeats Eva Marie
This match happened. Doudrop hit the splash on Marie. Like I said last week, I could care less. Marie’s return has been a total bust. This match took place right at the end of the third quarter of Monday Night Football. Football was more entertaining.
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Next Week
WWE announced Shayna Baszler vs Nia Jax for next week’s show from the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC. I’m sure we’re also gonna hear from a certain new champion and find out some of the stipulations for Extreme Rules. After all, it’s going to be the go-home show on the red brand for the PPV in Columbus, OH, and for some reason, WWE has strangely not booked any stipulations for any of the matches for the show yet.
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It’s going to be easy to grade RAW for the end of the year. If I’m more interested in football, the show wasn’t good.
This show wasn’t AMAZING by any means. I can’t give this show the highest grade of the year when there were some parts when football was more interesting, but I was into 90% of the show, and Big E winning the WWE Title was the moment of the year for RAW, and it was truly emotional! Even if it was (somewhat) expected, when WWE tries, they do it right, and they tried last night.
GRADE: A-
