WWE Raw Preshow Notes for 6/27/16
– Stanford, Graves, Booker… They talk Ambrose vs. Rollins vs. Reigns, ignoring the fact that Reigns is suspended… Wait, Booker finally says “Reigns is out for 30 days right now” but doesn’t say why. Rollins kicks off Raw with a promo…… Cue the sarcasm voice as I say “yayyy”.
– Zayn and Kevin Owens on the Highlight Reel tonight. Yup, they’re still feuding.
– So the Wyatt Family get stuck feuding with frickin New Day… Apples and oranges. Just yuck…. New Day is on Raw tonight… Aren’t they always? New Day promo tonight… How’s that different from any other night. Booker says New Day “threw a monkey in the wrench” of the Wyatts.
– Apparently, we’re still stuck with this Titus O’Neil/Rusev feud… WWE is just coasting on crap angles until the Brand split.
– Cruiserweight Classic video. Booker says politics killed the Cruiserweight division in WCW because it was so great it pissed off the main eventers… I don’t doubt that one bit…
– The BOSS is back! Sasha returned last week to the A-show. Tonight it’s Paige & Banks vs. Charlotte & Dana
So far, all we have announced for Raw is THREE INTERVIEW SEGMENTS and the women’s tag match…
WWE RAW REPORT 6/27/16 FROM TAMPA, FL.
SETH ROLLINS / DEAN AMBROSE / AJ STYLES / JOHN CENA / STEPHANIE PROMO SEGMENT
– Rollins starts to cut a normal promo but says “LET’S TALK ABOUT ROMAN REIGNS” and his scandal… Seth says Roman’s “mistake” embarrasses Seth because Rollins brought Reigns to WWE. Rollins then shows Reigns’ apology statement on the big screen. lol. Rollins breaks down the statement, ripping on Reigns… He says Roman doesn’t deserve a second chance, nor a shot at Battleground. Seth thinks Reigns should be removed from the Triple Threat match. Anyone else sure would have. Rollins wants the one on one shot with Dean…
Cue DEAN AMBROSE to the ring. Some banter between these two leads to…
AJ STYLES to the ring… Styles has a few words, he wants the title, make it a Fatal 4 Way, but….
Here comes JOHN CENA, who refers to himself the Franchise… UGH… He makes sure to put over that today makes 14 years since his first WWE match. Cena says last time he fought Ambrose that he won. Cena wants in the match as well… A Fatal FIVE WAY….
Stephanie McBoobsalot interrupts. She calls what Reigns did was an embarrassment, but so is Ambrose as champion. Shane isn’t here, so Steph will make the rules. She tells Cena & Styles they have to earn their spots in the match at Battleground. Cena has to beat Rollins, and Styles has to beat Ambrose tonight on Raw….
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
MATCH #1: SASHA BANKS & PAIGE VS. CHARLOTTE & DANA BROOKE
Faces control, heels powder, match is 2 minutes old before we hit commercial. And back from break, the heels have control of Paige after Paige was booted off the apron. Paige gets a hot tag to Banks after a superkick to Charlotte. Banks lays out Brooke, but Charlotte stops the pin. Paige big boots Charlotte on the floor and she’s out. Back Stabber and Banks Statement to Brooke ends this in 9:00.
Banks be coming for the gold.
– WWE Raw is Live in Chine for the first time ever. China is the 91st country to air Raw live.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
MATCH #2: US CHAMPION RUSEV (w/LANA) VS. TITUS O’NEIL
Titus attacks with crappy aggression to get the match going. Rusev takes over with something to the head/face, I missed it. Titus fights back with crappy looking offense, Rusev bails. Double clothesline spot on the floor. That must be the new thing… Titus sends Rusev into the crowd and O’Neil beats the count. UGH… Titus wins via count out in 4:00 or so.
At least it’s over…
This is NOT how you get Rusev back over…
So now we have to watch this crap for a THIRD TIME… I feel like crying.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
– Backstage, Kane is still trying to get Stephanie to get his job back. Miz & Maryse interrupt. Miz gets all uppity with Stephanie. If Kane were running SD, he’d have an issue with his IC Champion being gone for 30 days, then brings up the old “30 days” clause and says Miz should defend the title tonight…. Steph agrees… Miz will have a mystery challenger tonight.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
MATCH #3: JOHN CENA VS. SETH ROLLINS
If Cena wins, he gets into the Battleground main event. The feeling out process starts, Cena with a crappy looking dropkick, Rollins comes back with a Blockbuster for a 2 count. Cena does his comeback spots, Rollins kicks Cena in the face as John goes for the 5 knuckle shuffle… Cena bumps to the floor as Raw goes to commercial.
Back from break, Rollins blocks an STF. Cena does his entire comeback routine AGAIN…. 5 knuckle shuffle connects this time. Set escapes the AA and superkicks Cena’s face for a 2 count. Cena with a Tornado DDT for 2. Rollins comes back with a enzuigiri for 2. They trade shots, sloppy, Cena crotches Seth on the top rope. Rollins does the sunset running powerbomb that tore his knee last November and he drives Cena into the corner with the bomb. Rollins misses a frog splash. Rollins gets Cena on the top SUPERPLEX, AND THEN ROLLTHROUGH AND A FALCON ARROW!!! 1………2…Cena kicks out.
Cena blocks a pedigree and hits an AA. Seth’s foot on the rope just before 3!!!
Rollins escapes a second AA. Cena escapes a pedigree… Rollins blocks the STF by getting to the ropes… And here comes THE CLUB…
Cena is distracted as all 3 Club members surround the ring. Rollins lands an easy Pedigree and gets the win in 17:00.
Not one of their better matches. Cena won’t be in the title match at BG… Wanna guess if AJ wins later?
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
MATCH #4: ENZO AMORE & BIG CASS VS. JOBBERS
Enzo cuts his typical promo. Enzo wants everyone to start doing the WAVE when the match starts… The Wave lasts a whole two cycles, which is pretty pathetic, but this crowd isn’t the best… Match is over with the Rocket Launcher in like 20 seconds…
Post match, Big Cass informs the jobbers that they’re SAWFT, but they’re interrupted by….. THE SOCIAL OUTCASTS… Dear God. Bo Dallas says they’re not SAWFT, they’re HARRRRRRD…. Heath says they’re HARD and looking for some action… Jeeze. The Outcasts argue over which of them is the Hardest… Ugh.
Cass big boots Slater off the apron and Bo & Axel take off… This entire segment was SAWWWWWFT.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
– Life Lessons with Coach Backlund & Darren Young. Bob wants to review everything, and it sounds like they may finally be wrapping this shit up. I have no idea, but it was mercifully short.
– WWE puts over themselves joining up with the Special Olympics. After a video, Renee Young & Big Show are joined by special Olympians on the stage to discuss the new venture.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
MATCH #5: BECKY LYNCH VS. SUMMER RAE
Natalya on commentary. She turned heel because she’s tired of being a nice guy. Match doesn’t happen as Becky attacks Natalya before the bout and tackles her out of the announcer chair. Becky hammers on Nattie until she is pulled off. The two are separated.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
CHRIS JERICHO’S HIGHLIGHT REEL WITH KEVIN OWENS & SAMI ZAYN
Jericho tries to stir the pot, but Zayn wants to put an end to this “obsession”. Zayn wants to put an end to this at Battleground. Owens won’t respond. Zayn calls KO a coward, and says Owens didn’t turn on him to put food on the table, he turned on Zayn out of resentment. Owens insists it was all business and blames Zayn for ruining their friendship. They fought their way to get to WWE, he was happy that Sami made it, but Zayn wasn’t happy for KO…
Owens agrees to the match at B-Ground. Jericho agrees that Zayn is a terrible friend and a terrible example of a superstar. Jericho wants to slap Zayn’s “stupid idiot face”. Instead he gives them the “Gift of Jericho” and tells them both to drink him in… Owens Superkicks and Sami boots Jericho simultaneously.
The two men stare down and Owens leaves. Neither appear happy. Interesting.
This is a weird f-ing crowd… They pop real loud in some segments, dead for others, they chant Becky Lynch but barely make a noise when Jericho gets nailed… Just an odd crowd.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
MATCH #5: IC CHAMPION THE MIZ (w/MARYSE) VS. ???
IT’S THE DEMON KANE…..
Well that was about as fucking anticlimactic as it gets…
Kane dominates for the duration. Maryse randomly falls off the apron and sells an ankle injury. Miz does one move the Kane and then tends to Maryse and carries her to the back in order to be counted out… Poor Kane has to lay there after one lame move for an entire count of 10 playing dead. Kane sits up at 10, Miz is counted out. Crowd is mainly dead, but shits on it too… 3:00 of garbage…
What a great payoff, great return for Kane, great return for the IC Champ, and I have no doubt we will see this again at Battleground….
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
Backstage, Miz is trying to help hobbling Maryse. He seems legit concerned until she starts laughing and dancing. SHE FAKED IT… I’m sure she does that a lot with the Miz… Miz applauds her shady behavior and thanks her. Sigh.
MATCH #6: CESARO & APOLLO CREWS VS. ALBERTO DEL RIO & SHEAMUS
Didn’t these guys just split up a few weeks ago? Now the heels are back teaming this week. Paint by nubers tag team TV match gets going with the faces in control. Heat on Cesaro in the heel corner. Sheamus tags himself in. Finally, Cesaro drops Sheamus and hot tags to ADR and Crews. CROWD ISN’T MAKING A NOISE…. ADR takes down Crews, Sheamus wants tagged in… So Del Rio tags Sheamus… With an ENZUIGIRI… ADR drops Sheamus and leaves the ring… Why were they teaming anyway??? Crews gets up and hits the spinning powerbomb for the win in maybe 5 or 6:00.
Crowd didn’t make a noise for shit in this match except when ADR kicked Sheamus.
– Renee Young interviews Dean Ambrose. Stephanie interrupts. She’s disgusted that Ambrose is the champ.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
NEW DAY / WYATT FAMILY SEGMENT
– Wyatt Family Promo…. Nope…. It’s New Day dressed as the Wyatts…. DEAR GOD…. Coveralls, sheep masks, beards, just….. SIGH. Nothing says a great Wyatt angle like Rainbows and Comedy… The only thing New Day fears is the Wyatt’s hygiene. Woods is acting weird and isn’t really roasting the Wyatts with Kofi & Big E… Woods seems legit scared and thinks they should leave… But the other two refuse…
Cue the Wyatt Family to the stage… Woods looks like someone stole his bike, all sad and staring at the canvas while Wyatt speaks. Wyatt takes note of Woods’ behavior… Bray invites Xavier to trust him. Wyatt says New Day Falls. Woods looks disheveled.
— COMMERCIAL BREAK —
– Renee Young stops New Days backstage. They’re singing and mocking the Wyatts, except Woods…. Renee asks if that’s a wise idea… They think it is, doesn’t appear that Woods agrees.
MATCH #7: WWE CHAMPION DEAN AMBROSE VS. AJ STYLES
You know the deal, if AJ wins, he gets into the title match at BG. Non-title obviously. Seth Rollins on commentary. Feeling out stuff to start. AJ tries for the Styles Clash, Dean tries for Dirty Deeds, they’re at a stalemate as we head to break.
Back from break, they’re deeper into it. Ambrose nails a nice Perfect Plex for 2. Double Underhook SUPERPlex on AJ for 2. uicide dive outside by Dean. Styles controls for a bit after they botch something and Dean sells his leg. CALF CRUSHER, but Ambrose doesn’t tap. Pretty good stuff from both, as I’d expect. Pele Kick by AJ sends Ambrose into the ropes and rebound with a WICKED CLOTHESLINE… Both men are down… Here comes Gallows and Anderson, they distract Dean, but here comes CENA…. Cena drops BOTH Gallows and Anderson, Super Cena at his best. This distracts AJ, and we get a repeat of earlier, distraction leads to Dean hitting Dirty Deeds for the win in 15:30 or so. Styles won’t be in the title match either.
Post match, Gallows and Anderson attack Cena on the floor and take him to the stage where they hit their finisher…
A distracted Dean Ambrose eats a pedigree from Rollins to close the show…
Most of this show felt like WWE Main Event or the undercard of a house show. The way Xavier Woods is playing the character vs. the Wyatts is slightly interesting, unless it’s all a joke and ploy and he laughs at them at Battleground, at which case you might as well bury the Wyatts if they can’t control someone as low on the totem pole as Woods….
The crowd was WEIRD, popping for some segments, dead in others. I groaned at the thought of Becky vs. Summer, but they actually wound up treating that segment pretty ok.
The Cena/Rollins match really wasn’t all that great. It went long, but that doesn’t make it good. They’ve had better and it’s not a “must-see”. Ambrose and AJ was good for TV, I’d say give it a watch. Can’t wait to see what happens one day when they let Dean and AJ go at it on PPV, assuming they’ll even be on the same brand.
Give the last match a watch if you can spare 15 minutes… The Zayn/Owens promo isn’t bad either, that’s worth a watch too.
The entire rest of the show, it felt like even Stephanie was just going through the motions… These next few weeks could be rough as they just get ready for the brand split.
Eh.
