WWE RAW
Episode 1318
#RAW
Original Air Date: August 27, 2018
Event Date: August 27, 2018 (aired live)
City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Venue: Scotiabank Arena
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jonathan Coachman
Ring Announcer: Jojo
Ring Area
Roman Reigns heads to the ring. Reigns says he told Braun Strowman he’d meet him in the ring. If Strowman doesn’t show, Reigns will issue an open challenge. Strowman comes out and heads to the ring.
Strowman talks about Rollins and Ambrose helping Reigns last week. Reigns says Rollins and Ambrose do what they want. They know the pressure of being champ, but Strowman doesn’t. Reigns has held every title in WWE, and if Strowman wants a match he should cash in right now. Strowman says he’s not cashing tonight. He knows Rollins and Ambrose would save Reigns again. Instead, Strowman has decided to cash in at Hell in a Cell.
Reigns says Strowman is finally starting to sound like a monster. Reigns offers his hand, and Strowman shakes. Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre comes out to the stage.
Ziggler complains about Rollins stealing the Intercontinental Title. Ziggler plans to invoke his rematch clause on his own terms, but for now, he and McIntyre want a new challenge. They decide that Reigns and Strowman, since they are on top of the RAW mountain, are who they would like to fight. Tonight.
Reigns challenges Ziggler and McIntyre to come down to the ring right now, but Baron Corbin comes out and stops everything. He says Strowman’s cash in for Hell in a Cell has been approved, and he makes a match for tonight: Ziggler and McIntyre versus Reigns and Strowman.
After everyone leaves, Corbin heads to the ring by himself. He announces that he’s making a match for himself versus Finn Balor. Right now.
Match 1
Baron Corbin vs Finn Balor
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Baron Corbin wins via pinfall after End of Days
Time: 8:19 (1 break; 1 match stoppage)
Match Thoughts
I really don’t see why they are continuing this feud. As it is, Corbin and Balor have had way better matches. This whole thing was just to show Corbin’s abuse of power as the acting GM of RAW. He lost the match by DQ, but then restarted it as a no DQ match. This could have been done with anyone against Corbin, so why bring Balor back into it when he’s already beaten Corbin twice on PPV?
Video
Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, and Christian make their picks for Triple H versus Undertaker at the Super Showdown.
Backstage
Apollo Crews gives Dana Brooke advice for her match tonight. Titus O’Neil is excited for Dana Brooke’s match, but Apollo is concerned since she’s facing Sasha Banks. Titus believes in Dana.
Match 2
Sasha Banks w/ Bayley vs Dana Brooke w/ Titus O’Neil, Apollo Crews
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Sasha Banks wins via submission with the Bank Statement
Time: 2:30
Match Thoughts
An okay match. It was short, but I liked it for what it was. It was an exhibition for Sasha, but it was an interesting story moment for Dana. I liked Dana in this, more for the sympathetic personality she brought to it rather than what she was actually doing in the ring (though she did look fine in the match).
Backstage
Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh approach Dean Ambrose. Mahal senses anger in Ambrose, and he can help. Mahal has Ambrose close his eyes and say what he sees. Ambrose sees himself causing Mahal great pain.
Ring Area
Seth Rollins heads to the ring. Last week was about family business, but this week is about IC Title business. Rollins issues an open challenge for his title.
Kevin Owens comes out to the stage. Owens is glad that Rollins is happy, but Owens’ life back on RAW is a living hell. Rollins has his best friends by his side, but Owens’ best friend is injured. The bad times stop now though. Owens will not leave tonight without a title.
Match 3
Intercontinental Title Match
Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins (IC Champ)
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Seth Rollins wins via pinfall after Blackout
Time: 15:49 (2 breaks)
Match Thoughts
Great match! This one built quickly and culminated in a great series of counters from both men. Owens in particular dug deep into his move-set and did things I haven’t seen in a long time or at all. This was really great, and hopefully it’s a sign that Owens will be getting back to stuff like this after his rather underwhelming, attack-filled feud with Strowman.
Backstage
Braun Strowman gives his Money in the Bank briefcase to Baron Corbin for his Hell in a Cell match.
Ring Area
Kevin Owens has been sitting in the center of the ring since the end of the IC Title match. Visibly distraught, Owens says “I quit” and leaves the ring.
Backstage
Renee Young welcomes Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler talks about changing the game by making the right moves at the right time. Tonight, Ziggler and McIntyre move to the top of the food chain.
Match 4
B-Team (RAW Tag Champs) vs The Revival
(referee: Rod Zapata)
Result: Dash Wilder pins Curtis Axel after the Shatter Machine
Time: 5:40 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. The B-Team started strong and convincingly in this. I liked what they were doing. Then The Revival started to take over in a dominant fashion. Towards the end of the match there were some near falls that played on recent B-Team victories which I thought was nicely done. The actual finish looked a little frantic, but I liked everything else here.
Ring Area
The Revival is sick and tired of the B-Team making a mockery of the tag titles. Dawson and Wilder tell Dallas and Axel to hold on tight to their titles, because The Revival just proved they can take them away any time they want.
Ring Area
In the ring, Elias plays his guitar. He also says Toronto is a bottom-feeding city. As he continues to disparage Toronto, Trish Stratus interrupts and heads to the ring!
Elias is happy that Trish has stepped away from changing diapers to do something important. Trish says she’s a fan of Elias, but he needs to stop talking about Toronto. Trish also says she is looking forward to Evolution where she’ll be facing Alexa Bliss. Elias is excited to see their lingerie pillow fight. Trish tells Elias he needs to leave, but Elias knows Trish just wants to walk with him. He’s sorry to tell Trish that he doesn’t date women in their sixties though. Trish slaps Elias, and as he’s reeling, Ronda Rousey comes out to the stage.
Elias leaves the ring as Natalya joins Ronda on the stage. Ronda and Natalya head to the ring as the show goes to a commercial.
Back from commercial, Alexa Bliss and Alicia Fox come out to the stage. Alexa informs Rousey that she is invoking her rematch clause at Hell in a Cell.
Match 5
Natalya w/ Trish Stratus, Ronda Rousey (RAW Women’s Champ) vs Alicia Fox w/ Alexa Bliss, Mickie James
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Natalya wins via submission with a sharpshooter
Time: 2:14
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It was very short, but it was fine for what it was.
Backstage
The Bella Twins compliment Trish, Ronda, and Natalya. The Bellas also announce that they’ll be back in action next week.
Video
Steve Austin, Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, and Big Show make their picks for Triple H versus Undertaker.
Backstage
Baron Corbin tells Bobby Lashley that he has a match for him tonight. Lashley wants to know his opponent, but Corbin won’t say. His match is next though, so he better get out to the ring.
Match 6
Bobby Lashley vs The Ascension
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Bobby Lashley pins Viktor after a dominator spun into a side facebuster
Time: 2:30
Match Thoughts
This was okay. Unsurprising despite Graves’ attempts to convince us that The Ascension ever had a chance.
Match 7
Jinder Mahal w/ Sunil Singh vs Dean Ambrose
(referee: Rod Zapata)
Result: Dean Ambrose wins via pinfall after Dirty Deeds
Time: 3:49
Match Thoughts
Good match. It was very one-sided, but Ambrose will probably be on his post-return dominant streak for a while, so it’s fine.
Backstage
Braun Strowman tells Reigns he doesn’t like him. Tonight they have to work together, but soon Strowman plans to take away the Universal Title. Reigns says Strowman will fail.
Match 8
Roman Reigns (Universal Champ) & Braun Strowman vs Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Reigns & Strowman win via DQ when Ziggler & McIntyre refuse to stop attacking Reigns
Time: 8:50
Match Thoughts
This was fine. It was more about the story than the actual match. Reigns took on Ziggler and McIntyre by himself for quite a while, then when he did finally make a tag, Strowman refused to enter the ring. It was all a set-up which led to a brawling aftermath.
Ring Area
After the match, Braun Strowman takes advantage of the beating Ziggler and McIntyre gave Reigns. Strowman attacks Reigns. Ziggler and McIntyre join in which prompts Dean Ambrose to run down to help Reigns. Ambrose is quickly taken out. Rollins runs down next but is also quickly put down. Strowman powerslams Reigns. Strowman, Ziggler, and McIntyre stand together over The Shield.
Show Impressions
There were definitely some entertaining highlight on this episode of RAW. I liked seeing Dana Brooke in the ring and am happy that Titus Worldwide might be getting some decent airtime (though I’m less thrilled about the looming possibility of a breakup). The B-Team match was better than usual, seeing Trish was great, and the IC Title match was really great. A lot of the other stuff kept my interest this week as well.
I guess the only thing I really am not a fan of is the continuation of the feud between Balor and Corbin. Just stop. Let Balor move on to something better. Let Lashley and Corbin feud and set Balor free (I didn’t care much for the Lashley stuff either).
Match of the Night
IC Title Match
This was great. Hopefully it’s not the last we’ll see of Owens for a while though.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2018-08-27