It’s the go-home show to TLC and Raw is in Portland Oregon. The stage was full of tables, ladders, and chairs which not only make me think there’s going to be some kind of gimmick spot but also so we don’t forget what’s going on this Sunday.
Opening Segment – The Shield Is Back!
Kurt Angle came out to hype the main event of TLC. Suddenly The Shield’s old entrance broke out and The Hounds Of Justice emerged in the crowd to walk down to the ring complete with their old black Shield vests.
It was electric and The Shield was back. Kurt asked the crowd if they wanted to hear from The Shield and there was an overwhelming response. Each member got to cut a little promo and they all turned it up a notch. Then the heels from the TLC match came out to join them for a staredown with Kurt Angle stuck in the middle.
Who Wants To Walk With Elias?
People are starting to love Elias. Now he has The Club with him and they sat behind him as he played in the ring. They played around and were awful on purpose to draw heat. Then Titus, Apollo Crew, and Jason Jordan came out to face them.
After a little match where people did their best to pump up the half-full arena, Apollo crews ended up hitting a sit-down powerbomb and scored a pinfall for his team.
Winners: Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews, and Jason Jordan
Interview With Emma
Emma was backstage talking about how much she wanted to destroy Asuka because she’s better when Alexa Bliss walked up and they had a back and forth. Bliss brought up how Mickie called her a “biscuit butt” and she didn’t complete the word which means WWE wants people to chant that now. Fun. A match was set up later with Emma and Bliss vs James and a partner of her choosing.
Cedric Alexander vs Jack Gallagher
It’s nice to have an actual Cruiserweight match on Raw. The Brian Kendrick is amazing and got involved on the outside because he’s palling around with Gallagher because The Gentlemen is now a heel. Rich Swann had Alexander’s back on the other corner.
Gallagher grounded Cedric and slowed things down. He’s switched up his style a bit since turning heel and is even stiffer. He also keeps his street clothes on which is nifty.
Swann hit Kendrick with a tornado DDT off the steps outside when he was trying to get involved. Then Alexander hit the Lumbar Check and Gallagher sold it like a champ. 1-2-3 and Alexander wins.
Winner: Cedric Alexander vs pinfall
Miz TV
The Bar came down with The Miz and Miztourage. The Bar cut a nice promo and then The Miz got his turn. They all cut hard on The Shield. The Miz told the fans that The Shield was never as good as fans think they are.
Then Braun Strowman came out to chat it up with his TLC partners.
Strowman came out and cut a monster promo where he said he would have shattered The Shield tonight after they put him through “the announcement table” last week. This is why he’s looking forward to his steel cage match against Roman Reigns later tonight.
Then The Miz started to add another member to his team because The Shield said it didn’t matter how many guys they faced. Kurt Angle came out to stop him and said if The Miz wants a fifth partner at TLC then Braun needs to win his cage match but if he loses he’s out of the TLC main event.
Angle also banned everyone from ringside for the match.
Sasha Banks vs Alicia Fox
Before the match started they aired an interview of Foxy complaining about losing last week and she said he wanted her t-shirt which is weird because WWE finally gave her one last week.
After wrestling a little back and forth match Sasha slapped on the Bank Statement and Alicia Fox tapped out.
Winner: Sasha Banks vs submission
After the match was over Foxy beat Banks down backstage and Banks took some tough shots off equipment backstage. A referee ran in to pull Alicia Fox off of Banks and she shoved a referee. Then they led her away while she shouted “I am not a problem!” Yeeeeah, that’s what all the crazy girls say.
Enzo Amore Made Some Friends?!
Enzo came out wearing all blue jean material from his jacket to his pants which was a good look for him.
Enzo told the people to stop booing him which got him even more boos. Then they replayed the footage from last week when Kalisto beat him for the title. Enzo said he was robbed and it’s not a conspiracy, it’s a fact.
Then Kalisto came out to his old music for some reason. He told Enzo there aren’t going to be any excuses at TLC. Enzo said the “Zo-Train” is going to run through Kalisto.
Then Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, and Noam Dar came out and beat Kalisto down. Enzo walked around talking smack until Mustafa Ali came down to take everyone out but Enzo hit him with a cheap shot and then the heels beat down Ali.
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs The Bar (Raw Tag Team Title Match)
Graves said Rollins and Ambrose actually made that t-shirt of Cesaro’s missing teeth and put it on WWE Shop. Number one, that’s impressive because Rollins and Ambrose are working in every facet of the company like ECW and two, Cesaro is still probably getting those sweet royalties anyway.
The Bar took advantage pretty early on in the match and maintained control with some stiff ring work.
These two teams are so good together so this match was naturally a great contest. The fans in attendance really cheered the way WWE wanted. As Rollins took damage in the ring the crowd changed for Ambrose and when Seth stated unlocking on Sheamus they crowd was very happy about it.
Ambrose got the tag and really started taking it to Cesaro. Ambrose went for a Dirty Deeds after Cesaro avoided the same spot that damaged his face. Then both heels were sent outside so Ambrose and Rollins hit twin suicide dives.
The Bar hit a double team move on Dean but Rollins broke it up. The Bar then went for double crucifixes but The Shield members squirmed out of it. Seth took out Sheamus and Cesaro took a Dirty Deeds from Ambrose for the win.
Winners: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs pinfall
Curtis Axel was backstage pumping up The Bar saying he’s the fifth partner at TLC and they need to stay strong. TLC is in Axel’s hometown and wanted to be in the match. Then The Bar convinced Axel to go find Roman Reigns and fight him to prove himself. Neat!
Finn Balor Addresses Sister Abigail
This is Balor Club in Portland! Finn said he thought Sister Abigail was another trick but he was wrong. Then he started talking about the dead walking the earth. He started speaking about slaying a monster with a demon of his own and then the lights cut out and started to morph into a new demon who was orange and looked like of like a tiger. So, the tiger demon sounds like fun.
Emma and Alexa Bliss vs Mickie James and Bayley
Bayley was the mystery partner for Mickie James which is fine because Asuka can’t show up until TLC because they’ve been promoting it that way for a month.
Alexa let Emma do a lot of the work for her but she eventually got the tag and in spite of her attempt to keep Bayley in the match, James got the tag and started lighting up the Raw Women’s Champion.
James hit a neckbreaker and followed it up with a missed Mick Kick and then she took a slap from Bliss. Mickie James sent Bliss face-first into the mat and climbed the turnbuckles. She hit Bliss with a takedown off the top rope but Emma broke up the tag. Bayley tossed Emma outside and Alexa turned to deal with Bayley.
When Bliss turned around she caught a kick to the face and took a pinfall.
Winners: Mickie James and It’s Bayley
Curtis Axel was walking around backstage trying to psych himself up to talk to Reigns. He looked over and happened to see The Shield standing together. Then he geared himself up and walked off camera toward The Hounds Of Justice.
The Miz was with his heel partners at TLC when they told him Axel might be beating up The Shield right now. “He said he wanted to beat up The Shield so I told him to do it,” Strowman said.
The Miz looked understandably worried and then he left.
Mickie James was interviewed about being a veteran and said she’s proud of who she is. Then she talked about her kid at home and said she wanted to take the Raw Women’s Championship home to her little boy at home. She called Alexa Bliss a “biscuit butt” again too.
Suddenly The Miz finds Curtis Axel and he’s been strung up by his feet and hanging from a forklift. Neat. His shirt had been ripped off and his body looked like it had taken a beating for real which probably happened.
Renee interviewed The Miz about Axel being their fifth member and The Miz said he thinks the world of Axel but he was never their fifth member
Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns (Cage match)
Braun and Roman traded shots for a bit and Reigns tried to climb the cage early on but he got pulled back down. Reigns put some damage to Strowman but the big man didn’t leave his feet.
Braun started tossing Roman all over the ring and then eventually tossed Reigns up and he grabbed the top of the cage and tried to climb it. Strowman ripped him off and then tossed him through the cage again but of course, the cage didn’t break.
Strowman went for a charge but Reigns moved and Braun hit the cage. Reigns started to kick Strowman a few time and finally got him up for a Samoan Drop.
Reigns started climbing the cage and then The Bar climbed up to stop Reigns. Ambrose and Rollins ran down to stop The Bar and the four started brawling around the ring.
Reigns kept climbing down and then Strowman grabbed Reigns and started climbing up to get him. Braun hit a superplex on Reigns from the cage and then he covered for the pin but only got a two count.
The Bar and Seth and Dean fought up the entrance ramp and started brawling around the tables, ladders, and chairs. They took the fight backstage and the camera followed them although there was still a cage match going on in the ring. The four of them fought out into the parking garage and The Miz shut the door on them.
Meanwhile back in the ring, Strowman was stalking Reigns. He picked Roman up for a Running Powerslam but Reigns slipped out of it and started to climb the cage again.
Reigns hung Strowman up in the top rope and hit a couple Superman Punches. Reigns yelled at the ceiling and hit Strowman with a third Superman Punch that was even bigger. 1-2-kickout!
Suddenly Kane’s music hit and the fire filled the arena. Kane came from underneath the ring and destroyed Roman with a chokeslam. Strowman hit a Runnin Powerslam and Kane hit a Tombstone Piledriver.
Yeah. So Kane is back? I guess he was able to find some time to return to the ring in the middle of running for mayor. The Miz was spotted sitting on the top of the tallest ladder as he announced the fifth member of their team would be Kane at TLC.
