WWE Raw 10/26/15 Pre-Show Notes
– It’s Stanford, Graves & Otunga. These guys are just absolutely TERRIBLE.
– Tonight on Raw we will learn Seth Rollins’ next challenger.
– They discuss Brock beating Taker and the Wyatt Family’s appearance after the match. The future of Taker, the future of Brock. Man, these “announcers” need to go. Seriously, if you’ve never watched the pre-show, check it out once and you’ll agree.
– For those who don’t know, Roman Reigns beat Bray Wyatt last night. So it’s a guessing game where Reigns goes next? And again what was up with the Wyatts and Taker?
– Seth Rollins beat Kane last night. So now Corporate Kane must be fired, AND who is Rollin’s next challenger? You seeing a pattern here???
– It’s obvious last night basically wrote off most of , if not potentially all current feuds. Yes, they may continue to beat this Dudleys/New Day thing to death, but in general a lot of the major feuds have been resolved, and thus we’re at a new starting point… HOPEFULLY some good storylines are coming, but I’ll take a wait and see approach on that one.
– So Kane is no longer Director of Operations, and Graves and Otunga run campaigns with Howard Finkel voice overs to promote themselves as the next DOO. Sigh.
– Oh hey! Did you know Alberto Del Rio came back? And beat Cena for the U.S. Title last night? Well if you didn’t, you do now!!! Oh yeah, and the racist Zeb Colter is now a peace maker, acting as manager (I think?) of ADR.
Sometimes the pre-show will announce some decent updates on what will be on Raw, basically the only reason I watch. This is NOT one of those times… Blah
WWE Raw Report 10/26/15 from the Valley View Casino in San Diego, California
The Authority / Seth Rollins / Roman Reigns Segment
– We’ve got HHH & Stephanie McBoobypants on the way to the ring. Apparently we witnessed matches of “mythic proportions” last night, or so says Stephanie. A little jibba-jabba from the Authority and they bring out STILL the champ, Seth Rollins. Rollins has just beaten them all… Orton, Ambrose, Kane, Brock Lesnar, Sting… They had to make sure Seth was the man, and he survived every single test. Seth has finally secured his spot as THE MAN. Not only is he still champ, he also got Kane fired, which makes WWE better. The Authority is just so PROUD of Seth as they HUG him. Oh the ratings.
Seth says he is speechless, but then goes on to ramble on about himself and the Authority. But now Seth has left the Authority in a PICKLE. Seth has beaten everyone… There’s nobody left to challenge Seth. So now people have to fight their way up to earn a championship match. Apparently, the winners of last night matches will face each other tonight, and the 4 winners will meet in the main event in a Fatal Four Way to determine the next #1 contender. Seth loves it, but…….
Roman Reigns on his way to the ring. SIGH. They just won’t let him get over organically, it’s right back to the forced main event push. Reigns gets about two sentences of dialog, and still managed to sound corny. Reigns plans to be the challenger. Joy. I guess there really isn’t anyone else left though, way to be WWE…
These Contender matches start now… Reigns is in the first match, when we return…
— Commercial Break —
1. Roman Reigns vs. Kofi Kingston (w/Big E)
We get some New Day promo time before the match. They bash Reigns, they have some kind words for Xavier, and then Kofi professes to be Harry Potter and ‘put some magic’ on Reigns. Kofi with some fancy running early leads to a dropkick on Reigns that drops Roman to a knee. Lame… More fancy running and leapfrogging by Kofi, but this time Reigns gets in a neckbreaker and Kingston takes a powder as we head to break a couple minutes into the match…
Back from break, Reigns suplexes Kofi back into the ring from the apron. Roman clotheslines Kofi’s face off and then a second one takes Kingston back to the floor. Outside, Big E distracts and Kofi baseball slide kicks Reigns into the barricade. Back inside, Kofi takes over with some mostly generic offense, a double axe handle off the top, an armbar, nothing exciting. Reigns gets sick of selling so we get a bunch more clotheslines from Reigns… Kofi escapes a powerbomb… Kofi escapes a Samoan drop… But Reigns right back with ten more clothesline in the corner… What an easy match for Reigns… Kofi comes back to try a double springboard move but misses, Reigns follows up with a ONE ARMED sit out powerbomb for a near fall… Reigns sets up for the Superman Punch, but Big E distracts and gets knocked off the apron. Kingston tries Trouble In Paradise, but Reigns ducks and lands THE SPEAR on the rebound… Reigns wins in 12:43. Talk about dragging out a squash, they didn’t really want Reigns bumping for Kofi. Reigns saves all of his usual spots for the main event.
Reigns goes on to the Fatal 3 Way. The last minute of the match had a fun sequence of action, but skip the first 11:00.
– Backstage, The Miz hyped the new WWE 2k16. Earn those big dollars!
– We’ve got Alberto Del Rio vs. Neville, Dolph Ziggler vs. Big E, and Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens as the other 3 matches to determine the Fatal Four Way participants for the main event… So I guess winning a 6-man pre-show match is good enough to get you a chance at the WWE title…
— Commercial Break —
2. Cesaro vs. IC Champ Kevin Owens
Non-Title, but for a Fatal Four Way spot. Some quick back and forth pin attempts from both men to start. Cesaro gains brief control before Owens lures him outside and attacks Cesaro on the way back in. Cesaro powers back with a delayed vertical suplex for 2. Owens pulls Cesaro outside, where they exchange blows and double clothesline each other down. Somehow it keeps them both down for the count of NINE… Both men get back in the ring just before the TEN count… Jeeze… And we’re off to commercial.
Back from break, Cesaro starts exploding in the corners with running European Uppercuts and a dropkick sends Owens to the floor… Cesaro with more insanity with a running uppercut up against the barricade and he lands in the crowd… Then Cesaro with a nice looking running somersault senton dive off the apron… Back inside, Cesaro wants a backslide, Cesaro counters, but Owens lands a DDT for a near fall… Cesaro with a suick looking springboard reverse spinning uppercut… Owens blocks the Cesaro Swing by reaching the ropes, the ref pulls Cesaro back and Owens plants a Superkick and the stupid Pop-Up powerbomb ends it in 10:22.
So Cesaro KILLS IT all match long, he’s over here, and they kill it to stick Owens in the main event tonight even though it’s irrelevant. This sweat hog Owens push is really annoying, I really don’t care what kind of an Indy darling he was.
– Anywho, backstage Paige is praising herself at the expense of Charlotte and Becky Lynch. Apparently she was on Conan O’Brien last week and she’s just so popular now because of it… All three of these girls will team tonight, even though I’m pretty sure Paige turned heel on them a few weeks back?
— Commercial Break —
3. Charlotte, Paige & Becky Lynch vs. Alicia Fox, Nikki & Brie Bella
So this mess continues… Some good stuff outta Charlotte and Nikki last night, it was no Sasha vs. Bayley, but what is? Paige & Nikki start, Paige controls. Charlotte tags in and the heels take over with double and triple teaming in their corner. Charlotte etas a Brie Mode knee to the face and a bunch of YES! Kicks. Brie teases Charlotte to tag and Charlotte finally drops Brie and hot tags to Lynch… Shit breaks down soon after, everyone starts laying out everyone… You know the routine… Nikki drills Lynch with the big punch or whatever. Rack Attack ends it. Nikki wins, for some reason… 5:24.
So I guess the rule of thumb is, you always lose in your hometown… UNLESS you’re dating John Cena. I question some of the winners tonight… In case you didn’t notice.
As Charlotte checks on Lynch, PAIGE ATTACKS CHARLOTTE and lays her out with the “RamPaige” DDT… And the same for Becky Lynch… Paige with the “PTO” submission on Charlotte… Paige prances around afterwards and the crowd eats it up… The crowd is actually far more over for this entire segment than it deserved. The match was really nothing but a backdrop for Nikki to get yet another win, and Paige to turn on her partners… AGAIN… Can’t say they didn’t deserve it… The turn was decent, would have been even better if it wasn’t the SECOND TIME Paige turned heel in the last 6 weeks… To quote Ryback… STOOOOPID.
– Okay, so the Wyatt Family stole the Undertaker’s body last night… BUT FUCK THAT, we’ve gotta sell WWE 2k16 bitches! More video game shilling! BUY YOUR COPY Tuesday… or next week… or something.
— Commercial Break —
This segment is just a recap of Taker vs. Lesnar, and the Wyatt’s committing a kidnapping, or man-napping, or whatever. The Wyatts will speak TONIGHT!
– Backstage it’s Renee Young with Zeb Colter & U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio. Colter claims there is no more America or Mexico, they are one country. Colter & ADR are apparently the first members of this new nation entitled “Mex-Ammerica”…. I kid you not… Vince can really think of some stupid shit…. You can’t just have ADR be ADR… He’s got a stupid gimmick. This has Vince written all over it. I can just see him sitting there thinking of this and his eyebrows raising in delight… “We’ll call them… THE MEX-AMERICANS!!!!”. Lame… Yeah Vince, this will boost your Hispanic audience.
Anyway ADR wants the WWE Title too… Greedy them Mex-Americans, aren’t they?
ADR vs. Neville is next.
— Commercial Break —
4. U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio (w/Zeb) vs. Neville
Non-Title, again this is for a Fatal Four Way spot. This could be pretty good, if ADR isn’t forced to hold back and save his main stuff for the main event like Reigns and Owens were. Colter’s on the scooter, which makes this even more stupid looking. Some nice solid feeling out to start things off, Neville takes over with a body scissors into a bulldog, a flying head scissors, and a springboard cross body… This sends ADR out of the ring and hiding behind Colter’s scooter… Okay, so apparently Mex-Americans are heels. That’ll get the characters over even more. Anywho, we go to break…
Oh and for those who were wondering, we got about three minutes of action before the break, it was all solid.
Back from break, ADR has control with a seated chin lock. We see that ADR landed a Backstabber during the break… It seemingly goes on forever for some reason. Neville finally escapes out and lands all sorts of kicks from all angles and ADR goes running outside AGAIN… This time Neville with an inside out twisty plancha outside onto Alberto. Back inside, Neville lands on his feet during an ADR tilt-a-whirl attempt and Neville lands a huracan rana for a near fall… Neville starts to ascend the ropes when ADR lands an ENZUIGIRI for 1………….2……… NO…
ADR goes for the rolling cross armbreaker but Neville counters into a cradle for 2… ADR kicks out and clotheslines Neville inside out. But Neville back up and ADR knocked back outside… Neville climbs to the top rope but ADR knocks him down into the tree of woe… Del Rio lands a top rope DOUBLE STOMP on a hanging Neville, and that ends it in 12:25.
This was decent, the first thing on the show I’d actually recommend. A bit slow in the middle, but that’s how it goes. As decent as this was I have no doubt these two could really have a show stealer in the future when they’re allowed to go “all out”. If you watch this you won’t be bored, but if you don’t watch this you won’t hate yourself either. I’m not complaining for a TV match. ADR goes to the Fatal 4 Way…
— Commercial Break —
5. Ryback & The Dudley Boyz vs. Rusev, Sheamus & King Barrett
So this foreign group… sorry, this INTERNATIONAL group is a thing now? Bring back the Dusty Rhodes World 6-Man Titles babays if you weeell. Match starts with all six men brawling in the ring, match eventually winds up with Sheamus vs. D-Von in the ring. D-Von controls. Heels eventually take over and work over D-Von. Crowd is kinda blah for this, but still better than the average crowd. Sheamus with the Irish Curse backbreaker. D-Von finally drops Rusev for the hot tag to RYBACK… Ryback plows over Barrett. Sheamus distracts, Wade goes for Wasteland on Ryback, but Bubba saves by tagging in… The Dudleys lay out Sheamus & Barrett, Ryback tags back in and lays out Rusev… TRIPLE MEAT HOOK CLOTHESLINE on the heels from all the faces… Barrett gets laid out and takes the WUZZUP headbutt… D-Von AND Ryback go out for a table… No idea why, the match isn’t… That makes no sense… Why would you go get a table? To lose by DQ on purpose? WTF does that accomplish… Oh okay, Sheamus distracts, Barrett rolls Bubba up and the Dudleys job again… Now it all makes sense. 6:11 ends this nothing match.
— Commercial Break —
Bray Wyatt Promo
Bray Wyatt sits in the middle of the ring alone. He talks Undertaker. For 25 years Taker had no equal, but last night was the Apocalypse came to surpass as the soul of the Undertaker was carried out. The Undertaker’s soul is currently being ripped to shreds… Wow… Wyatt goes on for a bit about Taker’s demise and then asks everyone to bow their heads and share a moment of silence for the man who has lost his soul to Bray Wyatt… A moment of silence for Undertaker. Wyatt then tells Taker to REST IN PEACE… Phenom.
HERE COMES KANE FOR REVENGE…
BY GAWD…. THROUGH HELL, FIRE, AND BRIMSTONE!!!!
IT’S KANE!!!!
Kane gets in the ring… the lights go out… they come back on… Kane is surrounded by the entire Wyatt Family… Kane drops Rowan and Harper like bitches, and low bridges Strowman to send him outside… Kane confronts Wyatt… Rowan and Harper back in, Kane goes for a double chokeslam… But Strowman attacks from behind… And now the Wyatt Family beat the crap out of Kane as well. They pummel Kane and carry him off like they did Taker last night…
Well… As much as I’m over Kane, I’ll say this much. At least this MADE SENSE… Which is more than I can say for much of the last 2 months. Poor Kane… He just came back. Wait, did I just show pity for boring, slow, old, crappy bumping, did I say boring, Kane? I’m going soft.
— Commercial Break —
– Backstage, the Wyatts are dragging Kane away as Bray sings the “Whole World” song.
6. Dolph Ziggler vs. Big E (w/Kofi)
Why is Dolph’s match so much closer to the main event? AND HERE COMES TYLER BREEZE… Crowd goes quiet for Tyler, who is accompanied by Summer Rae. Tyler & Summer have a VIP section to sit at ringside. Big E mauls Dolph early with power and then slaps on Zigglers abs during an abdominal stretch. Ziggler escapes and lands a dropkick, both men wind up on the floor. Ziggler attempts control, but Kofi distracts and Big E plows Ziggler back down to take over as we go to break.
Back from break, Big E still stomping on Ziggzlesworth. Ziggy tries to come back with a Famouser, but Big E counters with a powerbomb for 2. Big E goes back to the abdominal stretch. Can you stand the excitement? Ziggler again escapes and hits a dropkick… AGAIN. Comeback time for Ziggmeister Flex. Dolph comes back with all of his basic signatures, the big elbow gets 2. Big E counters a superkick into a catapult, and he catapults Ziggler up over the top rope, head first into the ring post LEGIT and to the floor… Big E toys around and ends up taking a FAMOUSER for a near fall. Big E back on top and adjust in mid-air to hit a big splash for 2… Big E looks to splash Dolph on the apron, but runs into a SUPERKICK instead… Ziggler again with a near fall.
Dolph tries for the jumping DDT but Big E LAUNCHES him across the ring… Big E charges, but misses and hits the ring post… Ziggler from behind ZIGZAG…1………..2………..3!!! Ziggler wins it in about 14:00, just in time to come back out in ten minutes to work the main event…
– Backstage, Dean Ambrose is with Roman Reigns. Dean gives Roman a pep talk to get him psyched for the main event. Reigns don’t need a pep talk, he thinks he has this. The cocky bitch. And how do you have Ambrose and not use him? God I hope they don’t turn Ambrose heel.
— Commercial Break —
– Back from break, the ring is loaded up with Breast Cancer survivors, HHH, and a bunch of mid carders. Rise Above Cancer. Hey wow Curtis Axel and R-Truth apparently still have jobs. Titus O’Neil handles the promo.
– Backstage, or somewhere, The Miz wins his video game match as he plays as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Miz mimics Austin’s voice, only to turn around into… STEVE AUSTIN himself! Miz quickly apologizes and promotes Austin and WWE 2k16. Austin is on the cover so, yeah.
– Seth Rollins heads to commentary for the Fatal Four Way. How did I not see that coming.
— Commercial Break —
– Oh man, it’s a Special Halloween Edition of Smackdown this week. SPOOOOOKY! You really wanna surprise me? Give Dean Ambrose a WIN.
#1 CONTENDER FATAL FOUR WAY
7. Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler
All four guys immediately get to fighting on the floor. Owens and Reigns end up in the ring, Del Rio jumps off the barricade to lay out Ziggler on the floor. The heels try to double team Reigns in the ring, but Roman lays both of them out, AND Ziggler out… Superman Reigns everyone. Reigns with the Drive By apron dropkick on Kevin Owens, then the Drive By dropkick on Del Rio on the announce table… Reigns is up but turns right into a Ziggler SUPERKICK… Dolph takes over as we head to break…
Back from break, Reigns is laid out on the floor and the heels double team Ziggler. After beating down the faces, the two heels turn on each other. Owens and ADR now go at it. Owens misses a senton and Del Rio lands the SUPERKICK that he beat Cena with last night, but Owens rolls to the floor. Reigns now takes over on ADR with a Samoan drop and clothesline-a-mania in the corner…
Ziggler tries the Zigzag on Reigns from behind, but Roman hangs on. We get a baby face stare down. Ziggler nails a dropkick and the jumping DDT for 2… Reigns comes back with a sit out powerbomb for his own near fall… SUPERMAN PUNCH on Ziggler, but Del Rio nails Reigns from behind and steals the cover on Dolph….1…………………….2…………Ziggler kicks out… ADR enzuigiri knocks Owens off the apron… ADR running enzuigiri on Ziggler misses and Dolph with the FAMOUSER ON ADR!!!! 1………….2……………NO!
Del Rio comes back and throws Ziggler way up in the air, ten feet or more.. and Dolph crashes down for a near fall. Ziggler crotches ADR on the top rope. Owens and Reigns get involved… SUPERMAN PUNCH knocks ADR off the top rope… Ziggler superkicks Reigns… Owens suplexes Ziggler across the ring… CANNONBALL ON ZIGGLER… CANNONBALL ON ADRio… It’s down to Owens & Reigns… Back and forth… POP UP POWERBOMB, NO REIGNS GETS TOSSED INTO THE AIR AND COMES DOWN WITH A SUPERMAN PUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPEAR……………1………..2…………..3.
Reigns gets the win after 15:00. Crowd was pretty hot for this. You don’t see 4 ways much in today’s WWE so this is worth the watch.
Reigns gets the title shot against Rollins next. They have a stare down after the match at ringside. Both men look at the belt. No words exchanged. Reigns walks off, Rollins doesn’t appear happy. And that’s the end of Raw peoples…
