It’s the show after the Greatest Royal Rumble and the go-home show to Backlash because that’s how WWE books things.
Backlash is the first co-branded pay-per-view meaning Raw has less work to do in order to prepare for an event. But there is still some considerable work to do.
For one thing, The Deleter Of Worlds are the new Raw Tag Team Champions and they might need a challenger for Backlash but then again they could always just skip it if they wanted to and get by with cutting a promo.
Brock Lesnar is still the Universal Champion after Saudi Arabia but he won’t likely be in Montreal but anything is possible. Let’s just hope if Ronda Rousey shows up it’s not just for the live crowd because her storyline with Mickie James deserves some more television time.
Opening Segment – Roman Reigns
“And here comes The Big Dog!” Michael Cole shouted like he does every single week. But Reigns still didn’t have the Universal Title.
Reigns started by saying he wasn’t going to make any excuses and received a huge boo as a reply from the crowd. He said you’ve seen the footage and know the truth so we’re looking at the new Universal Champion as a huge “Roman sucks” chant started in the crowd.
He said he should be the Universal Champion but he’s not… yet. This received a ton of boos too. Then he said people doubted him but he’s a man of his word and he kept his word because he beat Brock Lesnar in that steel cage. He’d tell that to Lesnar right now but he’s not here.
Then Reigns turned his attention to Samoa Joe. Suddenly Joe appeared on the screen and received a ton of cheers as he said he was going to put Roman to sleep at Backlash. Then suddenly after an awkward silence, Jinder Mahal came out.
Mahal being out there means that Roman Reigns is still being booked as a heel but Jinder received a mixed reaction when he walked to the ring. After all, Jinder Mahal is Canadian so there were some smarter fans who were with it. Then Sami Zayn came out and Montreal became unglued.
The place popped huge for their hometown here and Sami had a chance to speak a little French and get the crowd going big time. He was having a lot of fun. He blamed vertigo on the reason why he couldn’t be at the Greatest Royal Rumble but he’s feeling a lot better tonight.
As he got in the ring the place popped huge when he said “tonight I will be the one to take on Roman Reigns.” Huge Yes chants broke out and then… Kevin Owens came out who is also a hometown boy and the place… lost it.
Kevin just stood there and looked out into the crowd while he couldn’t help but smile as the place rumbled in cheers for him.
The place cheered when he took a pause before speaking and then he started running off at the mouth in French while the crowd lost their minds and Sami Zayn chuckles in the ring. People started chanting “We” which is French for yes and that was just great.
Owens said people wanted to see him face Reigns. Kevin said they should leave it up to a popularity contest and then he gauged everyone’s reaction to each match while playing to the crowd. But Kevin Owens obviously came out the winner or who people would like to see.
Suddenly, Roman punched Owens and everyone jumped him. Then Bobby Lashley ran down to make the save but he also lost to the numbers game. Suddenly Braun Strowman came down to make the ultimate save.
Braun fought off Sami and Kevin and then got in the ring to take a pummeling from everyone only to allow Lashley to sent KO outside and then Sami and Jinder fed Braun. Sunil Singh was left in the ring so he got press slammed out of the ring.
They mentioned that Elias got some kind of special tea to drink for his vocal chords for some reason before they went to commercial break.
Ladies and Gentlemen…Elias
Elias received a great reaction as he told people to consider themselves blessed that he was there. Everyone screamed, “walk with Elias” before he called himself a gift and they cheered him even more.
Then he hyped his Greatest Royal Rumble appearance and he degraded Bobby Roode before playing a little song on his guitar about The Glorious One.
Then Bobby interrupted him after Elias threw a little dig at Montreal.
Elias vs Bobby Roode
The Glorious One took advantage early on with a dropkick and other moves to start things out. Elias tried to come back but Bobby hit a blockbuster from the middle rope. Elias powered out of the ring and then he hung Bobby over the top rope and hit a tackle to take control.
Then Elias put a headlock on Roode as they went to a split screen to promote Backlash. Roode just so happened to mount his comeback when the promo was over. But Elias came back with a massive bodyslam where he just tossed Roode across the ring which was pretty cool.
Elias almost got the pin after a huge mule kick in the corner and the crowd was really pulling for him too.
Bobby mounted a comeback but Elias kept kicking out of every neckbreaker he could throw at him. Then Elias met Bobby on the top rope and they started to fight. Bobby knocked Elias down and he hit that top rope clothesline.
The whole crowd yelled, “Glorious” but Elias got out of the Glorious DDT. They traded small packages for two counts and Bobby was moved out on the apron. Then Elias hit him and drove Bobby into the turnbuckle. While he sold his throat Corey Graves said he was thrown in there throat-first.
The referee jumped down to check on Bobby who was on the floor holding his throat. EMTs surrounded Bobby and Elias just stayed in the ring for a bit. Then as The Drifter realized his point had been made he grabbed the microphone and announced himself as the winner while the entire crowded cheered.
Winner: Elias via self-declaration
They went to commerical without the commentary team talking up the graphic for the six-man main event putting Braun, Bobby, and Roman vs the Candians to really play up the fact that Bobby Roode was hurt.
When they came back from commercial they showed the medical staff helping Roode up the ramp while Corey Graves said the only thing that really saved Roode was the fact that it looked like his chest hit the turnbuckle rather than his throat which was a good save.
Authors Of Pain vs Jean-Paul and Francois
These poor, poor Frenchmen got a chance to cut a promo backstage before coming out and they got a good pop from the crowd. But that didn’t help them once the bell rang.
It looked like WWE was giving AOP the enhancement talent treatment which is okay because they’re new and need to be built up. Hopefully, they’ll get a good buildup and it won’t diminish.
They soon hit the Super Collider and followed it up with the Last Chapter to win this match. “Just because the circus comes to town doesn’t mean you have to jump in the tiger cage,” Corey Graves said referring to this losing team who asked for this match.
Winners: Authors Of Pain
After they had squashed their opponents they cut a promo saying the Book Of Pain remains open. “Center of destruction!” they yelled before throwing down their microphones and leaving.
WWE showed a bunch of news articles on the screen that promoted their agenda to represent Saudi Arabia about a progressive country and how great it was that they were allowed to hold the event. Strange how they didn’t mention any of the article I actually read about the Greatest Royal Rumble for not letting Sami Zayn or the women perform and how the entire event was one big propaganda tool for a cash grab.
Seth Rollins Is Still The Man
Rollins strolled out with his IC Title around his waist once more. Montreal was all about The Architect too.
Seth riled the crowd up before giving them a little run-down of his recent travel schedule that made me tired just hearing it but Rollins was psyched to be in Montreal as the broke into a huge “Ole” chant and Seth just let them have a good time for a bit.
“You deserve it” chants broke out and a few more in French and when Rolllins said “thank you very much” in French they exploded. Seth said Montreal makes this worth is as they gave him one more pop so he could cut his promo.
Seth said he thought about what kind of champion he didn’t want to be and he doesn’t want to be like Brock Lesnar. He said love him or hate him, but Roman should be champion and people found it hard to boo Rollins.
Seth said he wanted to be a fighting champion… then Finn Balor came out wearing his Balor Club is for everyone t-shirt once again.
Balor came out and started speaking in French because he could. Balor said he’s had a chance to watch the madder match a few times and see how he didn’t become IC Champion. Then he said the way he sees it they have had four singles matches and they’re even so since Rollins is a fighting champion then he should put the title on the line tonight.
Seth said he has The Miz at Backlash for the IC Title but… and then he paused to soak in the applause while Finn said, “I like that but” which I’m sure will be a quote Botchamaia will pick up and use over and over again.
Rollins left it up to the crowd and they wanted the match so the two shook hands on it. Then The Miz’s music hit… but it was just The Miztourage who came out in suits saying how they shouldn’t be fighting each other, they should all be fighting together. These two need someone to follow now.
Curtis said last week they made a mistake by talking to them separately and they should have had a group conversation. The two of them opened up their shirts to reveal t-shirts underneath with all four of their heads taped to them. Dallas proposed the become the 4 Horsemen of WWE which didn’t go over well.
After thinking about it, Seth said that would be a “hard no, sorry” and Curtis seemed upset. As the crowd chanted “loser” the Miztourage went at Balor and Rollins. They got rid of the Miztourage very quickly and then Finn Balor attacked Rollins.
As Balor left walking up the ring he looked very pleased with himself.
Ruby Riott vs Sasha Banks
Sasha Banks cut a promo backstage before this match saying Bayley won’t be in her corner and she hasn’t spoken to her.
Banks won the first exchange in this match and Riott came back with a roll-up pin for a two count followed by a shoulder tackle. Then Banks nailed a chop on Ruby that sounded through the arena.
Bayley was shown watching on a monitor backstage while she hugged herself as Ruby backed Banks into the ropes. Morgan and Logan distracted Banks and then they hugged each other while they laughed like villains.
Banks came back and hit some mounted bunches and pushed her foot against Ruby’s face in the corner before locking on a submission hold.
Sasha hit a hip toss and a double knees before Riott started fighting out of an arm submission. Banks was put outside and ducked under a punch from Logan. She moved out of the way of Ruby and ran back in the ring to hit a baseball slide on Riott.
Ruby came back later on by driving Banks into the second turnbuckle and hitting an STO for a two count. Ruby had Banks in a headlock for a bit and then she came back and got an Okada roll for a two count and then they traded near falls.
Banks hit a couple clotheslines and a dropkick before landing a knee to her face. But Ruby sidestepped Banks and she crashed into the turnbuckle. Ruby landed a sick senton on Banks for another two count and the place came alive and jumped on the Riott Squad’s side.
Suddenly Banks got on the Bank Statement and Logan distracted the referee while Morgan helped her out. Ruby ended up on the apron and Banks landed a double knees into Ruby into the post then Banks hit Morgan with a jumping double knees off the apron to the floor.
Banks then jumped up to the top rope and Ruby nailed her with a Riott Kick to the side of the head causing Banks to come crashing down to the mat. 1-2-3 and Ruby Riott won a pretty good match in Montreal.
Winner: Ruby Riott via pinfall
Alexa Bliss cut another Moment Of Bliss PSA where she hyped her upcoming match against Nia Jax.
Titus was interviewed about his Greatest Slide at the Greatest Royal Rumble while they played the replay over and over again. Renee said Tius stole the show and broke the internet.
Titus said he failed, plain and simple but not too many people get a chance to fall on their face in front of the entire world so he hopes this situation… then Baron Corbin showed up to talk some trash and laugh at him. He said Titus would be a lot more inspirational if he would have not fallen in the first place.
Matt Hardy Tells A Story
Hardy cut a promo about how he and Bray were there during many moments in world history and they showed images from human history with the Deleter Of Worlds badly photoshopped in there.
Matt and Bray said they are the Darkness And The Light, so behold The Deleters Of Worlds… run!
Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn vs Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, and Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman must have lost his green Greatest Royal Rumble because he didn’t have it with him.
The crowd was so hot for both Zayn and Owens they tagged in an out for a minute just to play with the crowd. Then Jinder got the tag and Roman beat him up a little bit. Bobby Lashley got the tag next and hit a leapfrog and a clothesline. He tried to pick Jinder up in a fireman’s carry but Mahal got down and tagged in Sami.
He kicked Bobby down in the corner until Lashley came back with a neckbreaker. Bobby drove his shoulder into Zayn’s abdomen in the corner and got him up for the vertical suplex but KO came in and kicked Bobby down. Then he got the tag and too the boots to Lashley while the place erupted.
Mahal took the tag next to continue their assault on Bobby only to have Kevin tag himself back in moments later. KO was so over that he got a pop when he took Bobby down with a chinlock and ironically this rest hold happened just when they did a split screen to show a Backlash promo.
Then Bobby got out of KO’s chinlock just in time for Zayn to get the tag as Lashley tagged in Sami Zayn. Roman took the fight to Zayn and there’s no way he wasn’t booked to get boos in this situation.
Roman tried to get the Superman Punch but the Singh Brother jumped on the apron to distract him. KO got the tag and hit a DDT on the Big Dog for a two count.
Sami Zayn got Roman in a headlock and soaked in the “Ole” chants which we just do not hear often enough. Corey Graves called Zayn a hero for overcoming vertigo which is really screwing themselves for mentioning it over and over again because we all know why he wasn’t invited to Saudi Arabia and it’s not a good look for WWE.
Kevin Owens got the tag and immediately got a near fall before mounting Roman to punch him repeatedly. Reigns fought back and hit a suplex on Sami Zayn while they both climbed to their corners. Owens got the tag first but Reigns fought him off without getting any pop at all. Reigns nailed a Superman Punch and it didn’t go over well.
Jinder got the tag but Roman hit a Samoan Drop before tagging Braun which thankfully got a pop. He ran around the ring and took out KO and SZ before getting in the ring to deal with Jinder and then he ran out to deliver some more punishment to the Yep Movement including tossing KO into the barricade.
Braun took the post when he got back in the ring and Lashley was taken out as well. Then Roman nailed a spear on Sami but KO hit a Superkick on him. Braun stopped KO’s cannonball and nailed a running powerslam for the win.
Winner: The Babyfaces?
Baron Corbin vs No Way Jose
Baron Corbin came out and got a negative reaction. He told them to shut up because they came to see him. This segment was doomed because it took place right after KO and SZ’s segment which was really what people paid to see.
Corbin cut a promo on No Way Jose and his conga line. He said this nonsense makes him want to puke. Corbin said he doesn’t get paid to make people laugh he gets paid to crack people in the teeth and when it’s all said and done no one will be laughing.
Then No Way Jose and his Rosebuds came out and danced around the ring.
This match didn’t last long until Baron Corbin was turning Jose inside out with a clothesline. He taunted the crowd before punching away at his opponent a little bit. Baron took a small spot to the outside but he jumped right back in.
Jose hit him and climbed up to the top rope but missed a crossbody block entirely. Corbin ran Jose’s shoulder into the ring post and then Titus Worldwide came out. They made a big deal about the ramp not being slippery and Titus posed for a pop.
Then Titus took a bump as he acted like he slipped and fell getting into the ring. This caused Corbin to applaud this intentional botch and then No Way Jose rolled him up for the surprise win.
After the match was over Titus O’Neil, No Way Jose, and the Rosebuds all danced up the ramp.
Winner: No Way Jose via pinfall
Mickie James vs Natalya
Ronda Rousey came out with Nattie to her music which means they didn’t have to pay Joan Jett royalties for her song this week.
Nattie started the match out by tossing Mickie James outside while she screamed at the crowd for cheering for Rousey.
Once they returned to the ring Natalya nailed a basement dropkick and continued her offense. But Nattie stopped in the middle applying the Sharpshooter when Bliss got on the apron.
Rousey stalked Bliss around the ring and then she chased her around the ring a few times before Nattie rolled Mickie up in a cradle pin for the win.
As Alexa Bliss started to leave Nia Jax came out and she ran away through the crowd. Then Jax got in the ring and stood in between Rousey and Nattie before looking them over and raising both of their arms in victory like a bunch of true babyfaces.
Winner: Natalya
Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor – Intercontinental Title Match
Finn started it out by taking Rollins down and the two grappled around a bit before Rollins hit a takedown and tossed Balor out of the ring. He hit a slingshot splash on Balor while landing on his feet because he’s Crossfit Jesus after all.
Rollins took Finn down with a headlock to slow things down after tossing his opponent into the turnbuckles to cause damage to Balor. Balor landed hit feet to Rollins’ head and Balor started a comeback with tackles before he checked his eye to make sure he didn’t bust himself back open.
Seth jumped on the top rope and hit a blockbuster before driving Finn’s face into the second turnbuckle. Rollins hit a springboard clothesline while Finn rolled outside but it didn’t stop Seth from nailing a suicide dive… but when he tried for a second one it didn’t turn out too well as Balor landed a kick to the head.
“This is awesome” chants erupted from the crowd as Balor landed a nice DDT for a two count.
Balor positioned himself and tried for a slingblade but Rollins countered, however, Finn bounced back and landed a dropkick and an elbow.
While Michael Cole put over Finn’s new aggressiveness as Balor trash talked Rollins in the ring, Seth came back with a knee to the face for a two count.
Rollins rallied the crowd while he stomped on the mat but after hitting one kick, Balor landed a kick to Seth. Rollins missed a springboard clothesline and Balor returned with a doublestomp but no pinfall attempt was made.
Balor positioned himself in the corner and he kicked Seth down before climbing to the top rope for the Coupe De Gras. Rollins stopped him and climbed up to the top rope for a superplex but Balor fought out of it.
Then Seth jumped down and hit a Superplex but Balor reversed the Falcon Arrow to hit one of his own before pinning Rollins for a near fall. The place popped pretty big for that one.
Seth and Finn traded right hands and then they traded chops and forearms. Balor tried for a 1916 but Seth countered. Balor nailed an overhead kick and Seth hit a kick of his own. Balor clotheslined Seth outside of the ring and hit a massive flipping dive on Seth.
When they got back in the ring, Rollins nailed the shotgun dropkick but he missed the Coup De Gras. Seth tried for the Curb Stomp but Rollins ducked, Rollins tried again but Finn avoided it a second time. Then Finn hit the slingblade and prepared himself in the corner.
Finn ran at Seth but he caught a knee to the face and a Curb Stomp to retain the title.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Well, it looks like Finn Balor won’t have anything to do at Backlash now.
