After being tired of Alexa Bliss and Lily’s interference in her matches, Shayna Baszler confronts the two tonight.
We began Monday Night RAW with the entrance of Randy Orton and Riddle. Awaiting them in the ring were other tag teams because a tag team battle royal will open the show.
Before the match could begin though, the RAW tag team champions AJ Styles and Omos joined the party. Styles wanted to thank the tag teams for showing up for the state of the tag team division address. With WWE going back on the road next month, Styles said he and Omos feel obligated to defend their championships against the very best.
Then Styles began to list of the tag teams in the ring, like The New Day who they beat at Wrestlemania. Mace and T-Bar were next. While Styles admits they don’t know much about them, he knows they are big and mean but he has the colossal Omos on his side. Then Styles gave props to Lince Dorado for being out there on his own. He said that they could have matches all over the world with The Viking Raiders.
Finally, RKBro. After listing Orton’s accomplishments he said the chemistry between Riddle and Orton just work. Then Omos and Styles used many stupendous and phenomenal words to describe themselves.
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods called Styles and Omos deplorable and many other words including booty (like in 2016-2018). The New Day is still mad that Styles and Omos don’t have official paperwork to be a tag team. Orton on the other hand said if styles wanted to be nice to everyone in the ring he would shut up.
Riddle then tried to explain to Styles how to zip his lip, which just frustrated Orton. Then The Miz, who was in a wheelchair, and John Morrison interrupted. Miz said he couldn’t help that he got injured at Wrestlemania Backlash, but he noticed that the tag team division is a bit dry. Apparently Morrison has volunteered to enter the battle royal on behalf of their tag team.
RKOs to The New Day and Lince Dorado before we went to commercial break.
Returning from commercial break we saw MVP, Lashley’s Ladies, and the WWE Champion Bobby Lashley popping a bottle of champagne backstage. Later on tonight the contract will be signed between Lashley and Drew McIntyre for Hell in a Cell.
The Viking Raiders defeated Randy Orton, Riddle, The New Day, T-Bar, Mace, and Lince Dorado in the Tag Team Battle Royal to earn an opportunity at the RAW Tag Team Championships
Morrison shockingly began the match being the only person no one went to beat up. After a short while, Morrison tried to eliminate Lince Dorado. With the help of Miz and the “drip stick” (insert my eyes rolling here), Morrison did eliminate Dorado. Soon though Morrison was eliminated by T-Bar and Mace.
Riddle tried to go on the attack of T-Bar, but that failed. In fact, T-Bar and Mace took care of Orton, Riddle, and The New Day but did not eliminate anyone. With everyone left laying, T-Bar and Mace had a face off with The Viking Raiders. Soon though everyone teamed up against T-Bar and Mace and eliminated them!
The match ultimately came down to The Viking Raiders, Orton, and Kofi Kingston. Riddle, after being eliminated, tried to save Orton but that failed. Orton eliminated Kingston, but was then quickly eliminated by The Viking Raiders.
After the match we get a video showing how Nikki Cross has been able to last two minutes in the ring with both Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley. Then Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville were talking backstage when Flair walked up. Flair said she was publicly pressured into the match with Cross and would like the match stricken from record.
Pearce said as much as they would love to do that Flair did accept the match. Deville said there is nothing else they can do. According to Flair, Deville and Pearce are jealous of the career she has had. Then she asked for a rematch with Nikki Cross.
Enter Rhea Ripley.
Ripley said that she respects Nikki Cross unlike Flair and she deserves the rematch. Deville then came up with the idea of a tag team match: Flair and Ripley versus Cross and a partner of her choosing. Then we took a commercial break.
Returning from break, we saw a recap of what happened in the tag team battle royal. Then we saw The Viking Raiders celebrating their win backstage. They were pretty hyped. Ivar wanted to go get turkey legs, when Omos and Styles walked up. Omos was snacking on a turkey leg!
Styles said they are not real vikings, but fake ones who don’t believe in deodorant. Erik said he lives his life in a way to honor vikings that came before him. If Styles has a problem with that, then The Viking Raiders have a problem with him.
Then we saw a video of what has been going on with Alexa Bliss lately.
After that Elias was in the ring. After he introduced himself, he said there would be no other introductions tonight. Jaxson Ryker became unhinged and that is why Elias is not one half of the RAW tag team champions. We then saw footage of what happened during their tag team championship opportunity last week.
Elias then told us he had no choice. When he first met Ryker, he saw the ghost of war, but he did not see a man that would go to battle for him. Before Elias could continue, Ryker attacked him from behind!
Then we took another commercial break.
Jaxson Ryker defeated Elias via Countout
The match truly was all Ryker from the get go. Even when Elias went to the outside, Ryker followed him. After shoving Ryker’s face into the steel steps, Elias began to get some control back to the match. A huge spine buster by Ryker, Elias ran off!
After the match we took a look back at Drew McIntyre’s match with Kofi Kingston from last week. Then Drew McIntyre made his entrance to the ring and we went to a commercial break.
Returning from break McIntyre was joined in the ring by Sonya Deville and Adam Pearce. Contract Signing time!!
Deville introduced Bobby Lashley, but he did not come out to the ring. McIntyre said he wasn’t going to wait for Lashley and then gave his prediction of how Lashley would come out anyway. He said Lashley would come out with all the bells and whistles and talk about McIntyre’s many championship opportunities.
Then McIntyre told a story about Scottish King Robert the Bruce. He lost a lot of battles as king and needed to go into hiding. In the cave he wound up hiding in was a spider who kept trying to build its web. Once the spider built the web, Robert the Bruce tried again. So like Robert the Bruce, McIntyre is going to try again and win back his WWE Championship.
Then MVP appeared on the tron. He apologized for Lashley’s late appearance. MVP, Lashley, and Lashley’s Ladies then made their way to the ring.
MVP congratulated McIntyre on manipulating his way into another championship match after he got to the ring. He said they held up their end of the bargain last week and did not get involved in the match. MVP feels that deserves some sort of reward. Lashley said that if McIntyre loses he does not get another championship opportunity while Lashley is champion.
McIntyre accepts and then said he would need something. He wants a match where no one else can lose on his behalf; he wants the match in HELL IN A CELL.
Deville and Pearce make all the changes official. MVP wants it all notarized. Lashley said if at first you don’t succeed, you just don’t win against The All Mighty. After the contract is signed, McIntyre gave Lashley a piece of advice. Once one is in a Hell in a Cell match, they are never the same again and McIntyre is ready to go through all of it again.
After telling Lashley he should start praying because he will grant Lashley mercy with a Claymore. Then as Lashley and MVP began to walk away, McIntyre cut the table in half with his claymore!
We find out that Nikki Cross’ tag team partner tonight will be Asuka!
Then Sheamus made his way to the ring as we took another commercial break.
Just like Trish Stratus years ago after a broken nose, Sheamus had to wear a mask to protect his face. After returning from commercial, Sheamus was sitting at the announcer’s table.
Ricochet then made his entrance to the Thunderdome for his match. Then his opponent, Humberto Carrillo came down to the ring. Before the match could begin, Sheamus got a microphone. He didn’t like that Carrillo and Ricochet were going to have a match to determine who would challenge him for the United States Championship after injuring him last week. Sheamus said he was following strict doctor’s orders…as Carrillo and Ricochet jumped towards him.
Ricochet knocked Carrillo off the apron as we took another commercial break.
Ricochet versus Humberto Carrillo ended in a Double Countout
We joined the match in progress, of course, and Ricochet looked to be in control of the match. Carrillo got himself back in the match after a wonderful crossbody off the ropes. A fast paced, high flying match though has its consequences. A Spanish Fly to the outside left neither man able to get back to the ring by the count of ten.
Backstage MVP walked up to The New Day as they were talking outside their locker room. He apparently wanted to talk to Kingston. MVP said he was impressed with Kingston’s performances the past two weeks. Before he was a part of The Hurt Business, MVP said he was a Kofimania fan. Kofimania actually helped MVP want to get back to WWE, but then it just ended.
Last week, MVP thought he caught a glimpse of the Kofi who could be WWE Champion again until he shook McIntyre’s hand. Kingston said he didn’t want MVP’s advice. He said somewhere in the world there are little kids watching that believe in him and are believing in himself because of him.
Then we took a commercial break.
When we returned from commercial break, another Eva Marie promo video was shown. Apparently she returns next week.
Then we saw Mansoor preparing for a match backstage when Mustafa Ali walked up to him. Ali asked if he was ready to face Drew Gulak. Of course Ali did not believe Mansoor when he said yes. Ali asked if he was ready for a fight if it stopped being fair and Gulak pulled something. This had Mansoor thinking as Ali walked away.
Jeff Hardy made his way to the Thunderdome. As he walked down the entrance ramp he got an inset promo. He said when he started in the business the locker room was much different. The veterans back in the day used to be respected. Now there are too many egos like Cedric Alexander. Hardy said he will show Alexander that respect is earned.
After hearing from Hardy we took a commercial break.
Jeff Hardy defeated Cedric Alexander via Pinfall (Swanton Bomb)
Although Alexander said that he would defeat Hardy and his legacy would go to new heights, he failed. After a little back and forth to begin the match, Alexander did find himself in control. He even blocked Hardy’s attempt at Twist of Fate! I think he used a Jackhammer to counter even!
All the offense by Alexander was stopped after he mocked Hardy from the top rope. Twist of Fate and then a Swanton Bomb!
After the match Charlotte Flair came up to Rhea Ripley backstage as she was preparing for their tag team match. Flair, as the more professional superstar (her words), wanted Ripley to follow her lead. Ripley said she would…in two weeks at Hell in a Cell. Until then though, Ripley as the champion has a bit more advantage.
Nikki Cross made her entrance to the ring as we went to another commercial break.
Nikki Cross and Asuka defeated Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair via Pinfall
When you don’t trust your tag team partner this is what happens! Flair and Ripley could not get on the same page. They argued towards the end of the match, Flair wanted to be tagged in so she could end the match. The opponents/turned tag team partners wound up fighting each other! Flair got the upper hand and hit Ripley with Natural Selection! Nikki Cross just looked on while the chaos went on, but then took advantage of Flair’s betrayal and won the match.
Then we saw Alexa Bliss and Lily at Alexa’s Playground. Bliss put earmuffs on Lily before talking to us. She then retold us what happened last week and said Shayna Baszler was wrong in what she said last week. If we don’t believe her stay tuned because it is going to be a real scream.
Then we took another commercial break.
Mansoor defeated Drew Gulak via Pinfall
While Mansoor started off with a few good arm drags, Gulak wound up taking control of the match. After a great reversal, Mansoor got a fantastic victory!
We saw Randy Orton give Riddle the key to speak again backstage. Riddle then spoke a mile a minute about Burger King and who knows what else. Orton just seemed to get angry before finally getting Riddle to zip it again. Before Riddle zipped it up again he asked Orton if he was coming out to his match tonight, Orton wasn’t sure yet.
Orton then took the key and threw it in the trash as Riddle looked shocked! Back in the Thunderdome, The New Day made their entrance before we took another commercial break.
Kofi Kingston defeated Riddle via Pinfall (Trouble in Paradise)
Riddle may have learned tonight that listening to Randy Orton is a good idea. While Orton did not come out to the ring with Riddle, after Xavier Woods played his trombone, Orton decided it was time to intervene. Orton stalked Woods, but Kingston kicked him through the ropes before Orton could do anything. More trombone by Woods as Kingston sent Riddle to the outside, but this spelled bad news for Woods!
Orton came up behind him and dropped him on the announcer’s table. Kingston then dove off the top rope taking both Riddle and Orton out! After a commercial break, Kingston almost put Riddle away! When Riddle did gain back control of the match, Orton told him to finish it. Much to the chagrin of Orton, Riddle felt he needed to put a little finesse to the end of the match. Riddle took too much time and it cost him the match.
Backstage Nia Jax tried to talk to Shayna Baszler about this meet up with Alexa Bliss. Jax said she knew things between them have been tense for a variety of reasons lately, but wanted to help Baszler. She said this is the most unpredictable she has ever seen Alexa Bliss. Baszler didn’t want help though. She said she would show Bliss exactly what happens when someone crosses the Queen of Spades.
After a commercial break the ring had been transformed into Alexa’s Playground. Bliss welcomed us to the playground and said this week they may make a new friend on the playground. Lily didn’t seem as optimistic.
Enter Shayna Baszler.
As soon as Baszler entered the playground she pushed down the rocking horse. Bliss said that wasn’t very nice, but her and Lily were still willing to give Baszler a chance to be friends. All she had to do was apologize to Lily. Two words: I’m Sorry.
Baszler wasn’t for it. She blamed Bliss for Reginald’s accidents and why she is no longer a tag team champion. Bliss just laughed and said she would never do such a thing. Then she warned Baszler it would be in her best interest to apologize to Lily.
Baszler then grabbed Lily and said she was sorry that she was just a stupid doll. Bliss was mad! She punched Baszler and then went on attacking her until Baszler tossed her outside the ring. When Bliss tried to get back in, Baszler stomped on Lily!
Then things went haywire. The lights began acting funny so Baszler decided to get out of there. As she walked up the entrance ramp? FIRE! Once backstage things began to fall, just barely missing Baszler. Baszler tried to get out of the building but doors were locked!
Baszler finally decided to barricade herself in a room, but when she looked in a mirror? LILY WAS THERE! Baszler got freaked out and smashed the mirror!
That’s RAW everyone.
