Stephanie McMahon started things with an interview saying this is a tumultuous time across the world that has divided households, has created heated rhetoric, and pitted red vs. blue. Of course, she was playing off Trump vs. Clinton, but said she was really talking about SmackDown vs. Raw. No reaction at all. Stephanie brought out the four known members of Team Raw: Owens, Jericho (who got a superstar reaction), Reigns (all boos, which Cory Graves brought up), and Strowman. Stephanie introduced the fifth member of the team, Seth Rollins.
Owens thought Stephanie was joking putting Rollins on the team. Rollins said Stephanie knows if she wants to guarantee a win over SmackDown Live at the Survivor Series, she needs the man on her team. He said he’s been given certain assurances about being on the team. Stephanie said the SmackDown live team is comprised of A.J. Styles, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton and Baron Corbin. Stephanie gave her team a pep talk and said they would have to fight at Survivor Series like their jobs depended on it because they do. She threw down the microphone and left.
Owens said Stephanie was right. He said he and Jericho have made a few mistakes along the way. Jericho said he and Kevin “were the WWE Universal Champion” and said even though Rollins and Reigns were stupid idiots, they were their “stupid idiots.” Kevin proclaimed he and Jericho co-captains of the team and they needed to be a well oiled machine, unlike the Shield, which imploded because everyone kept turning on each other. Jericho ordered them to keep their mouths shut, their eyes open and they would win at Survivor Series.
Rollins punched Jericho in the mouth. Reigns went after Owens. As Rollins took Jericho in the corner, Strowman threw down Rollins and gave Jericho a Reverse Chokeslam. Strowman and Reigns had a staredown. Stephanie came back out and said they were going to settle their difference tonight. She ordered a Fatal Five-way match with Jericho vs. Owens vs. Rollins vs. Reigns vs. Strowman.
Rich Swann and Sin Cara defeated Brian Kendrick and Noam Dar (7:22)
Rich Swann pinned Brian Kendrick after a victory roll. That’s two wins for Swann over Kendrick in two weeks and the announcers played up Swann getting a title shot. Noam Dar was over big as the home country guy and was really the only person fans had any interest in. Michael Cole said Dar grew up idolizing Johnny Saint, Mark “Rollerball” Rocco and Eddie Guerrero.
Postmatch, Kendrick blamed Dar for the loss and called him a loser. Kendrick said Dar lost in the Cruiserweight Classic because he doesn’t have any talent. He lost in his home country because he has no heart. Kendrick said Dar was just like T.J. Perkins, you always fail when it matters most. Kendrick punched Dar, who made his own comeback and sent Kedrick out of the ring with an enzuigiri.
There was a package previewing Goldberg vs. Lesnar showing his days in WCW. He did a sit-down interview saying the reason why he returned to the WWE was because his wife and his son had never seen wrestle. They showed highlights from their WrestleMania XX match. Goldberg said he thought it was fair, as a competitor, was to give him another shot. Lesnar did a promo telling Goldberg’s wife and son not to watch. Goldberg said the ass kicking he gave Lesnar at WrestleMania will be trumped by the ass kicking he’ll give him at Survivor Series. He said the fans have been clamoring to see someone kick Lesnar’s ass and he’s the man to do it.
Stephanie was backstage declining an invitation to appear on SmackDown Live, but invited Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan to appear on Raw next week. Sami Zayn walked in. Stephanie told him she finds his presence irritating. She couldn’t believe that Mick Foley allowed Zayn to face Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series because she thought it should go to Rusev. So she ordered Zayn vs. Rusev tonight with the winner facing Ziggler for the championship. Zayn barely said anything and left.
The Raw side for the Tag Team Elimination match at Survivor Series will be The New Day (team captains), Enzo Amore and Big Cass, Sheamus and Cesaro, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and The Golden Truth. All of those team came out so the New Day could address them. But the New Day were late, so Sheamus did a pro-Ireland, anti-Scotland promo which got heat. Sheamus proclaimed himself the captain of the team. Amore said Sheamus should be scared of the Sun, all of the kids yelling “Lucky Charms,” dying alone and looking in the mirror.
Gallows chuckled at that and Sheamus wondered why since Amore beat Gallows last week. Gallows called Cesar “Eurotrash.” Cesaro said Gallows could have called Sheamus “the Red Roster,” which has to be a rib. Sheamus got tired of being insulted and started to leave before the New Day came out dressed as characters from Braveheart.
Kofi Kingston noticed Xavier Woods had bagpipes but was singing into them instead of blowing on them. Woods said the bagpipes were Francesca’s cousin “Agnes” and said they were too hard to play. Kingston wondered where Sheamus was going. Crowd chanted “shame” at him. Woods said they were a group of teams that would fight for the love and pride of Team Raw. Anderson and Gallows said they were opting out because with captains like the New Day, they were going to lose.
Big E., in his best Mel Gibson impression, said “fight and you may lose. Run and you’ll live.” Kingston wondered what type of Scottish accent that was and thought he sounded more like a pirate. Crowd chanted for Wallace and recited the Braveheart speech word for word with Big E. Amore stepped in and said he didn’t know what they were smoking in those bagpipes, but they liked it. Amore said SmackDown Live was going down like a hole in the ground. Goldust said Big E. had such a Brave Heart. Cesaro said he and Sheamus were ready. Sheamus got mad and said when does Cesaro speak for him? Sheamus said they were in, but only because they were about to get a shot at the tag team titles.
Woods wondered if Anderson and Gallows would fight for Scotland. Anderson said the New Day could wear their costumes, but no one was in charge of them. Anderson said the first chance they got, they were going to stab each and every one of them in the back and broke Kingston’s toy sword. Gallows said they were going to finish off the SmackDown teams (he mentioned American Alpha and the Hype Bros, but couldn’t remember the other two, including Rhyno and Heath Slater, who are merely the tag team champions) because they were just like the New Day, a big joke.
Woods said if they were jokes and beaten Anderson & Gallows, what does that make them? Kingston said they knew Anderson and Gallows would be reluctant to join Team Raw, so they asked Stephanie for a special tag team match tonight against Anderson and Gallows.
They had Reigns do a PSA encouraging people to vote. OK.
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated Raw Tag Team Champions the New Day in a nontitle match (6:38)
Gallows pinned Big E after a Magic Killer. Kingston went for the Midnight Hour on Anderson, but Gallows stopped it and the match briefly fell apart until the finish. There were moments of dead silence in this match.
R-Truth talked with Goldust backstage. Truth said they traded their spot in the Survivor Series to the Shining Stars in exchange for a time share in Puerto Rico. Turned out Truth gave a house where they had a great view of the sunset, but Goldust pointed out the house doesn’t have a roof. Truth said they could enjoy an All You Can Buffett. Goldust said the brochure said it was “All you could eat off Jimmy Buffett.”
Lesnar did his own taped interview package wondering why Goldberg would go on SportsCenter and issue himself a death sentence. Lesnar said he didn’t give two craps (he didn’t say craps) about wrestling at WrestleMania XX because he had other athletic endeavors on his mind. He said Goldberg can play himself in the video game, but he was the ass kicker. Paul Heyman said everyone wanted the Rock to be the man to beat Lesnar at SummerSlam in 2003, but Lesnar sent him back to Hollywood. Lesnar said Goldberg has been out of wrestling for 12 years and it wasn’t going to happen. He repeated that Goldberg’s son and wife shouldn’t watch the show and hope that their father will return. Hopefully.
Goldberg and Lesnar will have a faceoff next week in Buffalo.
Owens and Jericho talked backstage discussing if they should get Strowman on their side. Jericho barged into Strowman’s dressing room and started to put him on the list for throwing him around earlier. Owens tried to be more diplomatic. Jericho started to call him a stupid idiot, but Owens said they could add Braun to Team Chris and Kevin. Jericho was reluctant to agree but did, calling Braun “Ron.” Strowman got up and said he was on Team Braun. Jericho then added Strowman to the list to a big pop.
The Makeover of Emma to Emmalina is still coming soon.
The Shining Stars defeated The Golden Truth to earn a spot in the 10-team tag match at Survivor Series (5:18)
Primo pinned Goldust with a schoolboy cradle with his feet on the ropes. Goldust got distracted by Epico, who showed him a brochure of their Puerto Rico Time Shares. Goldust tore it up and threw Epico out of the ring. Again, no heat.
Shane McMahon and Bryan will appear on Raw next week in Buffalo.
Cole did a stand-up in the ring. There were noticeable boos for him. He introduced the Raw women’s team, starting with the captain, Charlotte. She did a promo calling the SmackDown Live team “peasants.” Next was Nia Jax. Cole started to interview Jax, but Charlotte interrupted her saying Jax dominated Bayley last week. Jax told Charlotte off saying whatever she does, she does for herself. The next team member was Alicia Fox. Cole asked if she could be civil at Survivor Series with Jax. Fox said if Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie could be civil during a divorce, then she could be civil with Jax.
Bayley was next out. She told Charlotte she will prove she isn’t the weak link. Fans in Glasgow sang to Bayley “Hey, will you be our girl?” Bayley had to continue with her scripted interview instead of letting what could be a memorable moment breathe. Bayley said it could come down to her and Charlotte vs Nikki Bella and Carmella, but she and Charlotte would have to work together. Crowd didn’t feel like sitting through another boring Survivor Series interview segment and kept singing to Bayley. Charlotte tried to introduce the final team member saying it made her a better champion…Dana Brooke.
Cole stepped in and said Brooke wasn’t the fifth member of the Survivor Series team. Crowd continued to sing. Cole said the real 5th member was Sasha Banks. Crowd was still singing.
Charlotte said she made Brooke an alternate in case Banks couldn’t recover. Banks gave in to the crowd and completed a verse with her arm around Bayley. Charlotte said she has proven she was the best and Sasha wasn’t the boss after she beat her at Hell in a Cell. Charlotte told Banks to ask Jax if she thought Banks was the best. Banks and Jax briefly had a staredown before Cole abruptly threw it to a break.
Bayley, Alicia Fox and Sasha Banks defeated Charlotte, Dana Brooke and Nia Jax (11:36)
Bayley, Banks and Fox did a triple baseball slide on Jax outside the ring, but Jax didn’t sell it. Jax did monster spots with Banks for the heat. Bayley got the hot tag after Charlotte kicked out of a schoolgirl cradle. Bayley took a rough bump after Brooke threw her into the turnbuckle breaking up a pin.Charlotte accidentally kicked Jax, allowing Bayley to pin Charlotte after a Bayley-to-Belly.
Rollins was asked by Charly Caruso why he joined Team Raw after all the animosity he has with Reigns, Jericho, Owens, Stephanie etc. Rollins said he was promised some future opportunities if he joined the team. Strowman walked in and said Rollins shouldn’t worry about future opporuntities because he was going to snap Rollins like a twig. Rollins said there’s one more person who doesn’t like him.
Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs was displayed as the latest member of a major professional sports team to pose with a WWE Championship Belt on the front page of the Chicago Tribune.
Sami Zayn defeated Rusev to earn the Intercontinental Championship title shot at Suvivor Series (8:37)
Zayn did a flip tope and a crossbody block for a two count to trigger his comeback. He went for a back suplex, but Rusev nailed a roundhouse kick for two. Zayn went for the Helluva Kick, but Rusev hit a Superkick for another near fall. Finish came out of nowhere. Rusev climbed the top rope, but Zayn hit a running kick. Rusev crashed to the mat and Zayn pinned him. Best match thus far.
Kevin Owens pinned Chris Jericho to win a Fatal Fiveway that also included Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman (14:53)
Most of the match was geared toward getting Strowman over as the new giant. Jericho and Owens jumped Rollins at the bell and fought to the floor. Strowman and Reigns teased going at it. Jericho ran in the ring to encourage Strowman, who elbowed Jericho in the straw. Reigns and Strowman continued their faceoff, where Strowman clotheslined him to cheers. Rollins pulled out a kendo stick and beat Strowman with it repeatedly. Rollins tried to pull out a table, but Strowman clotheslined him. After a commercial, Strowman gave Reigns a reverse chokeslam. Owens tried to placate Strowman, only to punch him. Strowman decked Owens. All four men ganged up on Strowman, who threw all of them off. Strowman was knocked out of the ring after Rollins gave him a springboard knee and Reigns gave him a Superman Punch. Crowd chanted for Jericho.
Rollins and Reigns teased going at it, but Strowman tried to get back in the ring. Reigns knocked him to the floor with a Superman Punch. Then Rollins called for Reigns to give Strowman the old Shield spot of power bombing their foe through a table, but Jericho and Owens attacked Reigns before they could. Jericho and Owens rammed Reigns into the dasherboards, then threw him into the ring steps. In the process, Owens tore up a fan’s “I Love Reigns” sign to a big babyface pop. Owens hit the cannonball on Reigns on the floor. Owens tried to give Rollins a cannonball, but he gave him a downward spiral into the railing. Jericho tried to give Rollins a codebreaker, but Rollins caught him and power bombed Jericho onto Strowman through the table.
Rollins missed a frog splash and Owens went for the Pop-Up Power Bomb, but Rollins escaped and hit a Pedigree. Jericho pulled the referee out of the ring. Jericho tried the Walls of Jericho, but Rollins gave him a spin kick, then the Pedigree. Owens ran in and gave Rollins a superkick, then Reigns delivered a Superman Punch to Owens. But Owens fell on top of an unconscious Jericho and accidentally pinned him. Once Owens recovered, he had a huge smile on his face after getting the win despite pinning his best friend.
credit: wrestlingobserver.com