Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION! Survivor Series is on the horizon and we already have the expected brand versus brand matches. Asuka will once again clash with Sasha Banks (if they both remain champions), while there will be a five against five Elimination Match. We already have the Raw women’s team set with Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose and Lana forming the team for the red brand. But can this disfunctional unit get along? Especially with the Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line tonight? Let’s get into it, and find out…
ALEXA BLISS was part of the opening segment with Randy Orton. Playing mind games as she faked that The Fiend was here, but instead Drew McIntyre took advantage of the distraction to hit Orton with a Claymore.
CHARLY CARUSO handled interview duties.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions SHAYNA BASZLER & NIA JAX defeated DANA BROOKE & MANDY ROSE to retain.
Before the match got started LANA came out much to the annoyance of everyone. Jax started with Brooke who quickly got a Sleeper Hold on onto Jax but Hax backed up. Rose was tagged and managed to get an Octopus Hold in briefly. A blind tag allowed Brooke to hit a Chop Block as Jax went for a Press Slam, setting up a Rose Knee Strike then a Cartwheel Moonsault for a near fall as Baszler broke it up.
Baszler got a tag but the faces kept control with a Double Team Suplex to get Rose a two count. Baszler got the arm for a Side Suplex then mouthed off at Lana at ringside. Brooke got a tag and went into House on Fire mode with Clotheslines then an Enzigiri. Hitting the Handspring Back Elbow then a Facecrusher out from the corner for a two count as a Rose Dropkick took care of Jax. Jax mowed down Rose on the outside while Brooke countered the Clutch with a Roll-up for a two count.
Baszler slid out of the ring, and for some reason went after Lana which left her open for a Baseball Slide from Brooke. Brooke went for another Handspring Elbow but this time Baszler applied the Clutch. However, Lana caused a distraction by getting onto the apron as Baszler broke the hold to grab her. Brooke rolled Baszler up and would have won the match but the referee was still distracted by Lana. By the time the ref saw the count, Baszler kicked out and the shove off send Brooke into Lana to knock her down. Baszler applied the Clutch and got the tap out win. After the match, none of the other women were happy at all with Lana who was mad herself for whatever reason.
SARAH SCHREIBER interviewed R-Truth in the ring as he seemed to misunderstand a match he signed up for.
Backstage Schreiber tried to interview Jax, who clearly took exception to Lana being on ‘her’ team. Jax made a vow to end Lana’s career.
Alexa Bliss was part of a new Firefly Funhouse segment, showing more supernatural insanity.
Non-Title Singles Match
WWE Tag Team Champion NIA JAX w/h SHAYNA BASZLER defeated LANA.
Before the match PEYTON ROYCE and LACEY EVANS gave a cut-in promo where they seemed to be on happy terms now, mocking Lana. Why did they break up The IIconics again just to put Royce in a new team? Baszler cleared the announce table before the match even began. Lana also gave a ‘last’ message cut-in promo.
Jax easily hauled Lana up to start, and brushed off strikes as she tossed Lana down a couple of times along with bad mouthing her. Jax hit a Corner Splash, but missed a second but Jax was instantly recovered. Lana managed to hit a trio of Head Kicks but a Body Check sent Lana down and Jax pulled Lana out from the cover to continue the match, hitting a Headbutt. More badmouthing, a Headbutt, and pulling Lana up from a pin. A Bodyslam followed as Jax demanded Lana quit, then hitting the Samoan Drop for the squash win.
The heels almost walked away after the match but Baszler went in to send Lana down before our favourite part of the show happened. Lana being driven through the announce table for a seventh time in about two months by a Jax Samoan Drop.
Backstage NIKKI CROSS approached Alexa Bliss to try and talk some sense into her but Bliss was in ‘possessed’ mode from her eyes.
RECKONING was part of Retribution putting a beating onto Ricochet and Tucker. On Raw Talk on the WWE Network, Reckoning called out Asuka calling her a dancing clown, implying she would be targetting the women’s division as part of the group.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If they’re trying to make Lana an underdog babyface, the WWE is going about this a very odd, weird way. If on the other hand they’re doing this to further bury Lana then they’re doing that, but at the expense of the other women. Rose and Brooke’s tag team momentum was just killed off with a throwaway loss on Raw to the champs they’ve been targetting so it’s hard to see how they’ll be able to mount a comeback after that. Plus, there was no real hype about Asuka versus Sasha Banks at Survivor Series, let alone an appearence by the champion. Once again it looks like the Series event will be a bad night for the women at this rate.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days time for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!