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0 of 9
Credit: WWE.com
The continuation of Intercontinental Championship was the keystone of WWE Raw on Monday.
As has been the case for much of 2018, the battle for this midcard title has been a boon to the red mark. That was true once again as Seth Rollins tried to recover his crown against Dolph Ziggler in San Diego.
The Universal Championship, on the other hand, remains MIA. Brock Lesnar's only contribution to the show was the terms of his contract apparently preventing a match of competitor No. 1.
Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley continue to compete for the position as they seek to challenge him in a feud that has little spark.
It was not the only place where the show came short. Raw went with the team "who does not hear" three times the same night. This is a reminder of the sometimes uncreative nature of the business. Bayley, Finn Balor and Lashley were among the paired Superstars with partners that they could not stand.
Read on for a breakdown of the latest Raw, from his opening moments to the main event of IC sizzling title match.
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With Baron Corbin at his side, Raw's general manager, Kurt Angle, attempted to make an announcement, but Reigns was interrupted. Lashley did the same thing to Reigns.
Lashley told Reigns that it was time to try to dethrone Brock Lesnar. The Big Dog made fun of him for leaving the company.
Angle told them that match # 1 of the contenders for several men was over.
Before Reigns and Lashley could go one after the other, The Revival came out to talk about rubbish. Corbin booked a match between the four men.
Moments and memorable quotes
- "The only thing you have proven is that you can not beat Brock." – Lashley.
- Reigns refers to Lashley as "Bob".
- "While you were doing nothing, I was busy arguing WrestleMania four times in a row."-Reigns.
- "He's tired of seeing your face, like all those people."-Lashley.
Quality
C +
Analysis
The reigns have surpassed Lashley here. The perception that Reign can not speak is outdated and false.
The picture of the universal championship is suddenly less clear. The confusion is not as convincing as a real championship hunt. And Lesnar getting canceled games is not really a good entertainment.
The absence of Lesnar continues to keep the main scene from Raw to neutral, and a rivalry between Reigns and Lashley is not the solution.
2 of 9
Lashley and Reigns quarreled as they mastered Scott Dawson together. Their problems allowed The Revival to take over, beating on Lashley with strike after strike.
The reigns rallied, leaving the staggering heels.
Dawson and Dash Wilder managed to regain control and slow the game. The high-impact offensive helped Lashley to come back.
Reigns and Lashley's arguments led to The Revival pouncing and Wilder rolling The Big Dog for anger.
Result
The Revival wins via pinfall.
Moments and memorable quotes
- Reigns hits a Drive-By, hitting Wilder in Dawson.
- "It can be as intense as I've ever seen Roman Reigns." – Jonathan Coachman.
Quality
B-
Analysis
The Revival looked excellent here. WWE really needs to find more ways to showcase this hard-hitting duo.
Dawson and Wilder had a much-needed victory, a win that creates a drama around Reigns-Lashley's situation.
The WWE teaming with rivals who can not hear is a tired trope. It was only last week that Reigns and Lashley clashed against The Revival, and it was the first of several situations like this one on Monday.
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Team B parodied again behind the scenes of the Raw team behind the scenes.
In the ring, Matt Hardy overcame Curtis Axel early. While he was trying to get rid of Axel, he slipped and Axel got him stuck.
The Deleters of Worlds applauded Team B afterwards.
Result
Axel wins via pinfall.
Moments and memorable quotes
- "You are about to enter a hive.-Bo Dallas.
- "Wrap that, the smoke is killing me." – Axel.
Quality
B-
Analysis
The B-Team took full advantage of his shot in the spotlight. Axel and Dallas have been one of the funniest parts of Raw each week.
Their Cinderella run was a welcome surprise in an often predictable environment.
Their matches are nothing remarkable. Like Breezango on SmackDown last year, The B-Team serves comic relief.
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The Bread Writers pushed an employee behind the scenes before having a moment of tension with Titus Worldwide.
Akam and Rezar dominated their jobber opponents. They pinned the Gibsons in a few seconds. After the bell, the blows continued.
Titus Worldwide, however, came to save, chasing the powers.
Result
Bread Writers win via pinfall.
Moments and memorable quotes
- "I think Rex would be better suited for a Peter Pan game than WWE." – Corey Graves.
- Rezar slams Rex Gibson into the apron of the ring.
Quality
C-
Analysis
It's great to have The Authors of Pain back. It's been too long since they're here.
Akam and Rezar looked like monsters during this squash match. It will not be until they find appropriate leaves that they reach their full potential, however. Titus Worldwide will not fulfill this role. It's just going to be a warm-up rivalry for former NXT team champions.
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Mickie James introduced Alexa Bliss to a dazed crowd.
Heels celebrated the 30-day suspension of Ronda Rousey. They went to Nia Jax while Bliss was savoring the arm wound of the former champion.
Eventually, Natalya emerged to say that her friend Rousey would get Bliss at the end. Jax joined her to accompany her to the edge of the ring.
Natalya's technical skills had Bliss in trouble early in the game. The champion went after Natalya's knee to tie the odds.
A distraction from Jax opened the door to Natalya to shake the Sharpshooter.
Result
Natalya wins by submission.
Moments and memorable quotes
- "It's not the cinema, it's real life and in real life, I'm the hero." – Bliss.
- "You can do anything you want, I'm still a champion."-Bliss to the fans.
- Bliss swings Natalya with a huge right hand.
Quality
C +
Analysis
Little Miss Bliss did well to gather a crowd that seemed disinterested at first. Her promo has lasted too long, but she remains a qualified irritant.
The match was fast with few strengths.
Bliss's comeuppance came too early here. Of course, Rousey is sure to do a lot worse for the champion, but why soften the drama of this moment? It would have been wiser for her to steal a victory and keep the babyfaces in hunting mode.
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After welcoming Alicia Fox to Raw, Bayley discovered that she was going to team up with Sasha Banks again.
Ruby Riott, meanwhile, broke a camera behind the scenes to end a Jinder Mahal photoshoot at first.
In the ring, Ember Moon slammed around Liv Morgan to get things started. The Riott squad, however, created the chaos that the group took advantage of.
Riott pinned Banks, but the real fight happened afterwards. Bayley pounded her best friend in the carpet, throwing her around the ring area.
Angle later told Bayley that she should undergo counseling through the attack.
Result
The Riott team wins by way of pinfall.
Moments and memorable quotes
- Morgan nails Moon with a hurricanrana on the floor.
- "Last week was the tip of the iceberg, tonight was the Titanic." – Serious.
- Bayley pulled banks out of the ring and onto the floor.
- "Do you think you're better than me, Sasha?"-Bayley.
Quality
A-
Analysis
The OK match showed Moon's skills, but it will be the consequences that people are talking about.
This moment has been long in coming. WWE teased this out for months. The image of Bayley who was staring at Banks with a hint of regret on his face was pure art.
This rivalry is going to be one of Raw's strengths for the rest of the year.
Why Bayley has to go to the board for something that happens every two weeks on Raw is beyond me. WWE better not drain the drama of this story with ridiculous segments.
7 of 9
Credit: WWE.com
No Way Jose asked for a rematch with Mojo Rawley.
Rawley refused. He rebuked people in Jose's conga line before timing his rival.
Moments and memorable quotes
- "Frankly, I'm embarrassed to be here." – Rawley.
- "Do you know that you are dressed like a cheeseburger on national television?"-Rawley.
Quality
B +
Analysis
A fast and efficient segment served as a showcase for Rawley. It was part of his best work so far.
A quarrel with No Way Jose wrote low cards everywhere, but that night, Rawley reminded us of how much he has grown since he's turned the heel. He needs a bigger story and more high profile foes in a hurry.
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Credit: WWE.com
Angle booked this team match as requested by Braun Strowman.
Corbin and Finn Balor pleaded in their corner during the action. The alliance between Strowman and Kevin Owens, meanwhile, remained tenuous.
Finally, KO and Strowman worked together to take control of the fight. The fight shifted to the outside where The Monster Among Men rolled everyone over until he crashed into a ring.
This did not matter. Balor and Corbin fought until the referee counted them.
After the match, Owens tried to escape the arena to avoid an angry Strowman. The fat man was waiting in the parking lot where the knockout car was upside down.
Result
Owens and Strowman earn by count.
Moments and memorable quotes
- "Does your manager at TGI Fridays know you stole his vest?" – Balor in Corbin.
- "Go in there!"-Strowman to Owens.
- Strowman hits a shot in one corner while Owens hits a cannonball in the other.
- Strowman jostles Balor then Corbin as he sprints around the ring.
- "We played well, what's your problem?-Ouvres.
Quality
B +
Analysis
Owens and Strowman won a fun house-show style match that energized the crowd. Their interactions were at the heart of the fight as the monster commanded around his cowardly partner.
Balor and Corbin are clearly heading for a quarrel with each other. This is not the match of the World Championship that Balor fans would like to see, but at least the Irish should stay in the spotlight.
Strowman will continue Owens in the coming weeks with strong entertainment potential.
9 of 9
Credit: WWE.com
An aggressive Seth Rollins went after Dolph Ziggler from the first moment. He surpassed the new champion as Drew McIntyre watched. Ziggler was able to fight and maintain Rollins with his ground game.
McIntyre caused a number of distractions, and Ziggler slammed the challenger in every hard surface at hand, but The Kingslayer struggled anyway.
The referee finally expelled McIntyre for interference. Despite this, Ziggler got rid of Rollins' charge, eliminating the shot after the shot.
An exceptional fight ended when McIntyre came back and beat Rollins.
The reigns came in to prevent his brother from taking other sanctions. A fight broke out, in which The Big Dog came out on top.
Result
Rollins wins by disqualification; Ziggler keeps the intercontinental championship.
Moments and memorable quotes
- "The Seth Rollins that Dolph Ziggler is going to receive tonight do not look like anything he's ever seen." – Rollins.
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Ziggler pushes Rollins from the apron of the ring and into the security barricade.
- Rollins pinned Ziggler while the referee was busy with McIntyre.
-
Ziggler DDTs Rollins on the apron of the ring.
Quality
A +
Analysis
The IC title has been the foundation of this show for much of the year. That was still true here as Rollins and Ziggler tore it up.
Strong performances from both men, the high stakes of the match and an enthusiastic crowd added to a memorable main event.
His partnership with McIntyre and the IC title hunt revived a stagnant Ziggler.
As for the Scottish Gladiator, when he is arguing with Reign in the near future, sparks will fly away. McIntyre is much better as Reins's rival than Lashley.
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