Industry News
Acting RAW GM, or as he’s now known, General Manager Elect”, Baron Corbin, is out to begin this week’s broadcast by laying down the law. They recount the events of last week that left Braun Strowman on the shelf with a forthcoming elbow surgery. He’ll miss TLC, they stated as much.
Corbin has Bobby Lashley, Lio Rush, and Drew Mcintyre flanking him, and they are interrupted by Elias.
As we “walk with Elias”, he runs down a list of candidates who’d be better at running the show than Corbin himself. He mocks Lio Rush, Drake Maverick and a smattering of others. There is a song about how “Bobby Lashley sucks” and, “The Almighty”, as they are calling him now, isn’t pleased. He’ll have a chance to silence Elias, as they compete in singles action in a match to begin the broadcast.
“The Almighty” Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush defeats Elias via pin fall after interference from GM Corbin, Lio Rush and Drew McIntyre.
Lashley displays his power early in the match, pummeling Elias and using his strength to keep the former drifter grounded. Elias mounts the comeback to the delight of the Milwaukee fans, and in the end, Elias is about to come away with the victory after a well placed elbow, but Lio Rush yanks the referee out of the ring and he calls for the bell.
Before Elias can get his hand raised, Baron Corbin announces that before he was so rudely interrupted earlier, he neglected to mention that this contest is a No DQ match and we continue. Elias eliminates the outside interference, but just as Elias tries to pull off his best Jeff Jarrett impression with a guitar shot, Corbin and the others ground him.
Steel chair shots ring true as Elias pays the price for fighting the good fight. He is further brutalized on the outside before he eats a Claymore kick from Mcintyre. McIntyre hits the reverse Alabama Slam on the steel steps in a cool spot, before Lashley steals Strowman’s spot, running around the ring and hitting a spear. He mercifully puts him away with his patented finish, and this one is over.
Finn Balor might suffer the same fate later this evening as he faces GM Elect Corbin.
This heel stable is quite dominant, but is Dolph Ziggler a part of it still?
GM Elect Corbin is firing some tech guy backstage for turning the lights down for Elias before he is approached by Alexa Bliss. She says Corbin is doing an amazing job, and if he needs any help, she’s glad to assist. Corbin asks Bliss to oversee the entire women’s division. She asks if she’s serious, thanking him and he have this unholy heel union.
Renee Young says it’s absolutely ridiculous as Corey Graves speaks on her behalf. We then get a recap of the cat and mouse situation and the mind games being unfurled during the Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose feud. Rollins will have an IC Title open challenge later this evening.
Dean Ambrose is being tended too by a doctor and we hear comments about how he won’t be in the “toxic dump” that is Milwaukee. He was banged up in their match at Starcade this past weekend. He says he’ll be there next week and he plans to dodge the litany of diseases present in Milwaukee and he’ll be ready for Houston. He gets a shot in the rear-end, literally, as he runs down Rollins. Weird, eccentric, but classic Ambrose, a good promo.
Dash and Dawson state that what happened last week was a miscarriage of justice as they were forced to compete against three men, instead of two. They say that Lucha House party should respect classic tag team wrestling. It’s a moot point however as the match is announced as “Lucha House rules” yet again. Whatever, that promo was just made to be a waste of time.
Lucha House Party defeat The Revival via pin fall after a Shooting Star Press from Dorado.
The Revival try their best to keep it old school early, but Metalik, Dorado and Kalisto take charge with their high flying offense and aerial assault. Dash and Dawson can’t get their bearings and it’s Dorado who puts it away again this week with a shooting star press for the victory.
Corey Graves makes a Lizmark Jr. reference after the match, it’s perfect.
A recap of Nia Jax, “the facebreaker”, striking Becky Lynch in the face and causing her to miss valuable ring time and money, is shown again, but we’ll hear from Jax next as they continue to run with this.
Jax speaks at length about Raw Women’s champion, Ronda Rousey, after the break and she gloats about her recent success at Evolution, Survivor Series and in injuring Becky Lynch. She cuts one of the most cringe-worthy promos in doing this, by the way, sounding as if cue cards were her best friend.
Rousey has heard enough and she comes out and tears Jax and Tamina apart verbally before finding herself surrounded. Natalya returns to make the save, but she is thwarted by the Riott Squad, who beat her down and leave the ring along with the other heels, as the segment ends.
Drake Maverick makes reference to his “incident” at Survivor Series and says he experienced real fear, as Bobby Roode and Chad Gable will tonight. Tag team titles are on the line, next.
