WWE RAW
Episode 1376
#RAW
Original Air Date: October 7, 2019
Event Date: October 7, 2019
(aired live)
City: Bakersfield, CA
Venue: Rabobank Arena
Commentary: Vic Joseph, Dio Maddin, Jerry Lawler
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Video
Last week, Lana and Bobby Lashley interrupted the main event of RAW by kissing (a lot) in front of Rusev.
Intro Video
“Legendary” by Skillet
Ring Area
As we join the show, Rusev is being beaten up in the ring by Baron Corbin and Randy Orton. Orton and Corbin get out of the ring, and Bobby Lashley appears on the video screen.
Lashley reveals that he’s wearing Rusev’s robe. He’s also in Rusev’s house, and he gets into Rusev’s bed. So what’s missing? Something that Rusev is missing. A lot. Lana walks into the shot, removes her robe, and gets into bed with Lashley. Lana says everything she and Rusev own is in her name now. Lashley and Lana smile and assure us that they’re having a good time. Lashley turns the lights off, and the screen goes black.
Back at ringside, Orton and Corbin laugh at what they just saw. Rusev gets pissed and chases Orton and Corbin. Rusev manages to take both men down. Rusev continues to punish both men until he hits them each with a Machka Kick.
Match 1
Last Woman Standing Match
Lacey Evans vs Natalya
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Natalya wins after powerbombing Evans off the stage and through a table
Time: 13:38
Match Thoughts
This was okay, but this was an example of why I’m not often a fan of Last Man/Woman Standing matches. There was a little back and forth to start, but after a while it just became a grueling (to watch) sequence of Lacey hitting Natalya, then Natalya getting up at nine. This happened over and over again, so the match plodded along until it mercifully (and unsurprisingly) ended. None of the moves Lacey did were particularly exciting, and waiting nearly ten seconds between each move had me bored. I’m not mad about who won the match, but I really just hope this feud is over.
Backstage
Tyson Fury hangs out with what I assume is his family.
Backstage
Aleister Black sits in his dark room. He still wants a fight, because underneath his calm demeanor is a mean fire and a cold death. He’s also restless. Will someone please knock on his door?
Backstage
The Street Profits are getting excited for the WWE Draft coming up this Friday on SmackDown. They do a quick scouting report. They mention Apollo Crews, Buddy Murphy, and Drake Maverick. Before that though, Dawkins and Ford are excited to see Tyson Fury on RAW.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Tyson Fury. Fury says he isn’t trying to provoke Braun Strowman, but he does want an apology tonight.
Match 2
The Viking Raiders vs Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler (RAW Tag Champs)
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Erik pins Dolph Ziggler after the Viking Experience
Time: 13:35 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It seemed to be a lot slower than recent matches from both teams, but I don’t necessarily mind a slower-paced match. I think both teams have had better matches, even recently, though the finish of this will most likely lead to another battle between these two teams.
Backstage
Aleister Black is still in his dark room, but now he is shirtless. Black is about to head to the ring to find someone to pick a fight with.
Ring Area
The Singh Brothers announce that they are about to prove why they should be the top draft picks for both RAW and SmackDown. By that, they mean they’re challenging Aleister Black.
Match 3
The Singh Brothers vs Aleister Black
(referee: Eddie Orengo)
Result: Aleister Black submits Samir Signgh with a modified Dragon Sleeper
Time: 1:07
Match Thoughts
This was just a way to remind people that Aleister Black is still around. He had no trouble dealing with both Singhs at the same time.
Video
Highlights of SmackDown’s debut on Fox last Friday.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Braun Strowman. Strowman isn’t scared of Tyson Fury.
Video
Clips of Cain Velasquez appearing on SmackDown.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Rey Mysterio. Rey says he has never been prouder of his son after Lesnar’s attack last week. He also says that Cain Velasquez is Dominic’s godfather, and that’s why he brought him to SmackDown to face Lesnar.
Video
The Authors of Pain talk about growing up n a war zone.
Match 4
Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows & AJ Styles (US Champ) vs Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik & Kalisto
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: AJ Styles pins Kalisto after the Phenomenal Forearm
Time: 6:18 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. Both teams looked good, and it felt like the Lucha House Party sort of surprised The OC. LHP had a lot of good offense throughout the match, and they made The OC work to get back into it. I really enjoyed how LHP worked as a single unit a lot of the time, and I liked the matchup of Styles versus Kalisto. I think Kalisto should challenge for the US Title next.
Ring Area
After the match, Gallows and Anderson hit Gran Metalik with the Magic Killer. After that, Styles hits Lince Dorado with a second-rope Styles Clash.
Ring Area
The Miz heads to the ring for Miz TV. Miz starts by talking about all the celebrities that came to see him on SmackDown last Friday. He then introduces his first guest, Becky Lynch. Becky heads to the ring, then Charlotte Flair comes out as The Miz’s second guest.
Miz talks about many of Becky’s recent accomplishments and accolades. Becky says that’s all great, but last night, Sasha Banks beat her up. At the same time though, Becky beat Sasha. Miz then compliments Charlotte on her tenth title win. Charlotte says it’s good to be the queen. Miz says Becky and Charlotte can prove their dominance again when they take on the new women’s tag champs, Asuka and Kairi Sane.
Becky and Charlotte then start a war of words. Charlotte reminds Becky that she’s been champ ten times, so Becky responds that Charlotte’s title reigns may be plentiful but hers are meaningful.
The Kabuki Warriors come out. They laugh at Becky and Charlotte, and Kairi Sane calls them idiots. Becky tells Asuka that she’s been waiting on her, so the Kabuki Warriors run down to the ring. The four women brawl until a referee can get them to separate.
Match 5
Becky Lynch (RAW Women’s Champ) & Charlotte Flair (SD Women’s Champ) vs The Kabuki Warriors (Women’s Tag Champs)
(referee: John Cone)
Result: Kairi Sane pins Becky Lynch with a schoolboy (after green mist from Asuka)
Time: 7:56 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. I could see the finish coming from a mile away, but I’m glad they didn’t just have the two singles champs destroy the tag champs (like WWE usually seems to do). Asuka and Sane were better as a team, and that proved to be the difference, as it should. I’d love to see this match build up towards any combination of title matches with these four women, but I’d also love to see Asuka and Kairi be dominant tag champs. I’m just glad they’re both getting TV time now, and I hope it lasts.
Ring Area
After the match, Charlotte attacks Asuka and Kairi Sane. The Kabuki Warriors beat up Charlotte until Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross run to the ring. Nikki and Alexa brawl with the Kabuki Warriors with Kairi Sane getting the worst of their attack.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Apollo Crews. Crews says it’s an honor to be in a match with Ricochet tonight, but tonight is about showing why he should be a top pick in the draft.
Backstage
From their red room, the Viking Raiders growl about becoming the new RAW Tag Champs next week.
Backstage
Sarah Schreiber welcomes Ricochet. Ricochet says that if this is his last night on RAW, then there’s no one he’d rather share the ring with than Apollo Crews.
Match 6
Ricochet vs Apollo Crews
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Ricochet wins via pinfall after The Recoil
Time: 4:01
Match Thoughts
This was a lot of fun. It was labeled as a “draft showcase” match, and I think it was a great showcase for both men. Crews and Ricochet had very good chemistry, and their fast, agile styles complimented each other extremely well. This was pretty much non-stop from start to finish. The match was short, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’d like to see a longer, more competitive match between these two at some point.
Video
Clips of the Universal Title match from Hell in a Cell where Seth Rollins tried to murder The Fiend.
Backstage
Tyson Fury walks and shakes hands with The Miz, Cedric Alexander, Zack Ryder, and Curt Hawkins.
Ring Area
In the ring (which is surrounded by security), Jerry Lawler introduces Tyson Fury. Fury heads to the ring. Lawler asks Fury for his side of what happened on SmackDown last week. Fury says Strowman tried to make him look like a fool, so he demands an apology.
Braun Strowman heads to the ring. Strowman says he was just trying to have some fun until he didn’t like the look on Fury’s face. Strowman wanted security to let Fury goes last week, because Strowman says he will “literally” eat Fury for lunch. Fury says he would’ve knocked Strowman out if they had fought. They trade insults, then they get physical. Security rushes into the ring, but Strowman and Fury want to fight. Eventually, a bunch of superstars have to come out to finally separate Strowman and Fury.
Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Strowman if his opinion of Fury has changed. It hasn’t really. Strowman still wants to give Fury his hands.
Ring Area
Strowman comes back out for another round of fighting as the show ends.
Show Impressions
I liked that the show began and ended with fighting that went beyond the start and end of the show. That was fun, but those actual segments weren’t great for me. I don’t care about the soap opera stuff with Lana, Lashley, and Rusev. I also don’t care about seeing Tyson Fury fight Braun Strowman.
The middle part of the show was a lot better. Except for the Natalya/Evans match which kind of bored me I liked the rest of the middle segments of tonight’s RAW. My favorites were The OC versus Lucha House Party, and the Kabuki Warriors versus Becky and Charlotte. I still don’t buy Alexa Bliss as a babyface though. It just doesn’t feel right to me, and I doubt it ever will.
Match of the Night
The OC vs Lucha House Party
I definitely had the most fun with this match tonight.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2019-10-07