Original Air Date: November 6, 2017
Event Date: November 6, 2017 (aired live)
City: Manchester, England, UK
Venue: Manchester Arena
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Jojo
Before the shows begins, white text on a black screen relays WWE’s condolences to the people of Sutherland Springs.
Video
Last week, Braun Strowman returned and stalked The Miz.
Ring Area
The Miz, Curtis Axel, and Bo Dallas are already in the ring for an episode of Miz TV. Miz starts by addressing Baron Corbin’s words about his wife and unborn child. Miz says this isn’t the independents anymore, this is the big time, so Corbin better bring his A game. Corbin might be the bathroom break of SmackDown, but Miz is the entirety of RAW. At Survivor Series, Miz will do something that Baron Corbin can’t: make himself and the US Title relevant.
** Good promo. Miz can really turn it on when he wants to. The IC vs US Title match at Survivor Series will likely be a bathroom break, but Miz might be able to make it a bit interesting heading into it. **
Miz moves on and introduces Kurt Angle as his guest. Angle tells Miz he has Angle’s full support in his match against Corbin. Miz doesn’t care, and he doesn’t reciprocate. He reminds Angle of Stephanie’s threat to fire him, but Angle says he isn’t going anywhere. Angle says RAW will prove that SmackDown is the B show, but Miz reminds Angle of SmackDown’s siege from two weeks ago and accuses Angle of sending Kane to attack Daniel Bryan. Angle says he had nothing to do with Kane’s attack, and he has nothing but respect for Bryan. Miz doesn’t believe him.
Miz then blames Angle for Strowman’s attack and Curtis Axel’s neck pain. Angle denies any involvement. Miz still wonders why Angle would reward Strowman for trying to injure him and his friends, but Angle says one had nothing to do with the other. Angle put Strowman on Team RAW because he deserves it. To get him on the team though, he had to promise Strowman a match. Tonight. Against The Miz.
** I feel like Angle might be on his way out. He’s been making some extremely emotional decisions that aren’t terribly fair to the bad guys on the roster. It feels like something will change at Survivor Series, because I can’t imagine RAW being run like this long-term. **
Ring Area
Elias is in the ring, but he doesn’t have his guitar. Still, he will give the crowd a song. The crowd apparently wants “Wonderwall,” but Elias instead chooses to sing an original song. It’s unsurprisingly about how much he hates Manchester. Unsurprisingly, he’s interrupted by Jason Jordan.
Match 1
Guitar on a Pole Match
Elias vs Jason Jordan
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Jason Jordan wins by hitting Elias with the guitar
Time: 3:45 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
I can’t remember seeing an exciting pole match, and this is no exception. Jordan showed some nice strength with multiple suplexes, but I feel like he still needs to work on match construction. It feels like he’s better suited reacting to things rather than carrying a match forward himself.
Backstage
Cesaro and Sheamus want to talk to Kurt Angle. They point out that Angle made Alexa Bliss and The Miz defend their titles going into Survivor Series, but he hasn’t made Rollins and Ambrose do the same. Angle seems reluctant, but he agrees to give Cesaro and Sheamus a Tag Title match tonight.
Match 2
Asuka vs Stacy Coates
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Asuka wins via submission with an Asuka Lock
Time: 1:12
Match Thoughts
Squash. I liked how she got into the Asuka Lock though. Asuka grabbed Coates in a Tiger Suplex position, but she sat down and drove Coates butt-first into the mat. Kind of like a Bubba Bomb, but with a different grip. It looked like it hurt.
Backstage
Alicia Fox announces that Asuka has been added to Team RAW.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews. Titus has requested a match with Samoa Joe after what happened last week. He says Joe is in trouble.
Ring Area
Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews head to the ring for a match, but Samoa Joe attacks them both from behind. Joe gets O’Neil in the Coquina Clutch on the ramp. Joe lets go and heads to the ring. He says anyone who stands in his way will be put down, and he issues an open challenge to anyone willing to challenge him. Finn Balor answers the challenge.
Match 3
Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor
(referee: Rod Zapata)
Result: the match ends in a double count-out
Time: 11:15 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match, only marred by a an unsatisfying finish. This was really good for both guys though. They both reminded people of what they can do when given time, and the way the match ended sets them up for a possible feud if they want to go that way.
Ring Area
Joe and Balor brawl on the outside when Kurt Angle comes out to break it up. Angle says that he loves the passion and fight he just saw, so both Joe and Balor are now on Team RAW. Neither Joe nor Balor really react to the announcement. Instead, Balor continues the brawl.
Backstage
Bo Dallas attempts to reassure The Miz that monsters aren’t real. Strength lies in numbers, and Strowman is just a whole lot of flesh and bone. Curtis Axel doesn’t think Strowman is human and says they should all just run away. Miz gives him a look, so Axel changes his attitude and tries to pump himself up for a fight.
Backstage
Angle tells Jason Jordan that he’d like for him to be the last member of Team RAW. Jordan is excited.
Backstage
Mike Rome welcomes Bayley and Sasha Banks. They haven’t talked to Alicia Fox about being on Team RAW, but they both seem to feel that they deserve to be added.
Match 4
Nia Jax & Alicia Fox vs Sasha Banks & Bayley
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Sasha Banks forces Alicia Fox to submit to the Bank Statement
Time: 8:33 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. Nia Jax started for her team, so the match got off to a slow start, but once things started picking up it got good. I liked how this ended and what it could mean going into Survivor Series.
Ring Area
Alicia Fox tells Sasha Banks that she needs and wants her on Team RAW. Sasha is happy, but Bayley seems like she feels left out.
Video
Chronicling the issues between The Miz and Braun Strowman (and Kane).
Match 5
Braun Strowman vs The Miz (IC Champ) w/ Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Braun Strowman wins via DQ when Kane attacks Strowman
Time: 5:05
Match Thoughts
This wasn’t much of a match. It mostly consisted of Miz and The Miztourage running around and trying to outsmart Strowman until they got caught. Then Kane came out to interrupt. This furthers the Kane vs Strowman feud, but doesn’t do much else.
Backstage
Renee Young welcomes Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Ambrose didn’t expect to have to defend his title, but he’ll take care of business regardless. Rollins says they will continue to dominate as they always do.
Ring Area
Enzo Amore heads to the ring. Enzo says that people are asking him, “what’s next?” He’s tired of fighting Kalisto. He keeps talking and talking (and the commentators talk over him) when Kalisto finally comes out to interrupt him. Kalisto goes to ringside and waits. As he waits, Pete Dunne’s music plays and Kurt Angle comes out to introduce “The Bruiserweight,” the UK Champ Pete Dunne.
Match 6
Enzo Amore (Cruiserweight Champ) vs Pete Dunne (UK Champ)
(referee: Rod Zapata; at ringside: Kalisto)
Result: Pete Dunne wins via pinfall after a Bitter End
Time: 3:42
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match, but it was very short. Dunne could have really embarrassed Enzo if they had gone on a long time though, so I understand why the match went the way it did.
Video
Clips building up the match between Brock Lesnar and Jinder Mahal.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Alexa Bliss. Bliss says she will run circles around Natalya at Survivor Series.
Match 7
RAW Tag Title Match
Sheamus & Cesaro vs Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose (RAW Tag Champs)
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Sheamus pins Seth Rollins after a Brogue Kick, Sheamus and Cesaro become the new Tag Champs
Time: 15:19 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match, though this will be remembered more for the distraction from New Day (which led directly to a sudden finish).
Show Impressions
Despite having a “something on a pole match,” this was a good episode of RAW. I think it was better contructed and paced than last week’s show. I liked some of the surprises (like Pete Dunne), and I liked the way the Survivor Series teams are being put together. Jason Jordan isn’t a good pick, but it’s intentionally not a good pick because it puts even more doubt in Angle’s ability and impartiality in running RAW. Also, if Reigns can make it back in time
His picks of Balor and Joe make sense, but that too adds doubt to RAW’s chances. SmackDown seems strangely on the same page among bitter rivals, but RAW feels a lot more volatile.
I also like how Sasha got added to the team.
I think the main event was interesting too. I like the callback to two weeks ago, and having New Day get involved in the tag title switch gives Cesaro and Sheamus the chance to fight like underdogs (thinking that New Day wanted the weaker team to carry the titles into Survivor Series). It also gives The Usos plausible deniability in the whole situation.
Match of the Night
Tag Title Match
I really liked the Balor vs Joe match, but the wackiness of “Under Siege Part 2” and the lack of a finish to the Balor/Joe match made the Tag Title match more memorable.