Raw General Discussion Thread

[Professor Booty]

New Day and Xavier's hair were the highlight

 

[Shane]

Raw Five-Point Preview: Sept. 7, 2015

Seth Rollins has two opponents. Dolph Ziggler potentially has two girlfriends. The New Day might have two challengers. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns are outnumbered two to three. And Charlotte has two weeks to prove to the world she can live up to the hype.

Bow to the Queen

Among all the players involved in the Divas Revolution, one woman has finally emerged as the leader of the pack and the next in line for Nikki Bella’s Divas Championship. Charlotte was officially named No. 1 contender after winning the first-ever Divas Beat the Clock Challenge, and began her campaign in earnest by beating Tamina on SmackDown and petitioning The Authority to have her title match before Nikki's "Bellatron" — her countdown until she becomes the longest-reigning Divas Champion ever — reaches zero. It’s safe to say that champion and challenger will have a few choice words for each other, but will Team Bella spoil Charlotte’s attempt before it even gets going?

Brothers in harm?

Dean Ambrose & Roman Reigns are two tough fellas. Yet the ever-expanding Wyatt Family seems to have simply overpowered the former Hounds of Justice thanks to the addition of mobile mountain Braun Strowman. The Black Sheep singlehandedly tore both Ambrose and Reigns to pieces, which means they’ve got their work cut out for them if they’re ever going to beat back the Wyatts again. Given that their relationship with their former third man is, erm, strained at the moment, will they be able to find an equalizer to level the playing field against The New Face of Fear?

Tag team turmoil

The Dudley Boyz beat The New Day on Raw, and they beat The Prime Time Players on SmackDown. Which means, in the two week since they’ve been back, Bubba Ray & D-Von have beaten both the WWE Tag Team Champions and the tandem that’s still owed a rematch for said titles. Did the boys from Dudleyville just muscle their way to the front of the line? Expect further testimony on the matter come Monday.

Slippery when wet

If Rusev can’t quite find a way to put Dolph Ziggler to bed between the ropes, he’s certainly proving very crafty at sabotaging his personal life. Thanks to some stealthy maneuvering from Summer Rae, The Showoff found himself in a very compromising position last week, and Lana seemed to flirt with the idea of dumping him as a result. A SmackDown appearance on "Miz TV" did nothnig to help matters, so now that this rivalry has really gotten personal, what’s next on Raw?

Double Trouble

It’s shaping up to be a very long Night of Champions for Seth Rollins, who has to defend both his WWE World Heavyweight Title against Sting and his U.S. Championship against John Cena. And despite Rollins being more than ready for a piece of The Stinger, The Architect was less than thrilled that The Authority granted Cena his rematch clause for the same night. He shouldn’t have been surprised: His relationship with his bosses is strained at the moment thanks to his insistences he’s as good as Triple H. Plus, with Sheamus always lurking in the wings, there’s a chance he may not even make it to Night of Champions with both his titles intact. How will Rollins find his way out of this mess — or can he? And where is his statue?!

Tune into Raw, Monday at 8/7 C, only on USA Network to find out.
​

 

[Ricky Smarks]

I'm here and ready for action! Who's with me as we get to see more Raw moments with the Dudley Boyz and Sting?

 

[Ricky Smarks]

Tonight Sasha Banks will show Paige why she is the Boss. You can bank on it.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

Seth Rollins to kick off Raw!

 

[Ricky Smarks]

What a way to open Raw with the double titleholder Rollins. Already feeling pumped for WWE and NOC.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

Can we all just agree that double titleholder Seth Rollins is the greatest man that ever lived? I can't even cheer on Sting over my boy.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

Being dropped off the top turnbuckle is just Sasha Banks knocking Paige off her high horse.

And Sasha Banks steals one.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

Now we all know we all know why Sasha Banks calls herself the Boss. Better luck next time Paige.

 

[Ricky Smarks]

I think Owens is hungry for Ryback's #
IC Title. It may be time to see the Intercontinental Champion fight.

 

[Shane]

I caught the end of Raw. Sting is damn awesome. He trashed Rollins statue :

 

[Shane]

Kane has never been the most stable Superstar on the roster — or the most level-headed executive in the boardroom — but The Devil’s Favorite DOO has been particularly dichotomous since re-emerging at Night of Champions to attack WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. As the WWE Universe waits to see what both Demon Kane and Corporate Kane will do next, what else is in store on Monday night’s hottest show? WWE.com has some theories.

Who will challenge John Cena for the U.S. Title?​

One night after reclaiming the United States Championship from Seth Rollins at Night of Champions, John Cena defended his star-spangled prize last Monday on Raw, sealing a victory over The Architect with an Attitude Adjustment. Now the WWE Universe eagerly awaits tonight’s return of the U.S. Open Challenge. Who is bold enough to face The Champ?

This man, this monster​

So let’s try to get this straight: Kane returned from a leg injury at Night of Champions and assaulted WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. Then, the following night on Raw, the happy-go-lucky Director of Operations returned to work (with a new mug) and seemed to have no knowledge of his vengeful actions the night before. Then, capping off the night, Demon Kane tore through the ring canvas and dragged The Architect into “hell” — hardly an act befitting the DOO of a publicly traded company.

Corporate Kane was strangely aloof about Raw’s terrifying conclusion on SmackDown, even though it’s clear that he still has a strong connection to his demonic side. Is WWE’s DOO suffering from split personality disorder, or is his behavior part of a larger plan that has yet to be revealed?

What drama awaits the Divas on "Miz TV"?​

In a vitriolic rant to new Divas Champion Charlotte on Raw, Paige claimed that she was the harbinger of the Divas Revolution, and had harsh words for Becky Lynch, The Bella Twins, Team B.A.D. and even Natalya, who returned to action in a losing effort to Naomi later in the night but nevertheless made clear to re-insert herself into the conversation about WWE’s most powerful female competitors.

On Thursday night’s SmackDown, Natalya confronted the brash Diva of Tomorrow about her recent actions and received a stinging slap in the face in return. How might The Queen of Hearts retaliate against the embittered Paige? Plus, how will Charlotte and Becky Lynch address Paige’s actions on tonight’s edition of “Miz TV”?

Snake in the swamp​

Despite being dismantled by The Wyatt Family in a three-on-one attack earlier this month — based solely on the mere possibility he might be joining Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose against the gruesome trio at Night of Champions — Randy Orton returned to Raw last Monday night for some serious payback against Bray Wyatt and his dark disciples.

Even though The Big Dog and The Lunatic Fringe have a powerful new ally in The Viper, The Wyatt Family is undeterred, and despite Harper’s one-on-one defeat to Reigns on SmackDown, the family is as strong as it’s ever been. Should WWE’s Apex Predator fear what these swamp monsters — especially Braun Strowman — are planning next?

Brutality before The Beast​

Last week on Raw, Big Show was particularly aggressive during his match with Cesaro, overpowering one of WWE’s most physically dominant Superstars before finishing him off with a skull-rattling KO Punch. Impressive in its own right, The World’s Largest Athlete then claimed that his show of force against The Swiss Superman was a mere preview of what awaits Brock Lesnar at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 3, live and only on the award-winning WWE Network. What message will the giant deliver on Raw, less than one week before Big Show’s anticipated collision with The Beast Incarnate?

Don’t miss Raw at 8/7 C on USA Network, and be sure to tune in to Raw Pre-Show at 7:30 ET, only on WWE Network.

 

[Shane]

It’s official: In three weeks, live on WWE Network, Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt will settle the score inside Hell in a Cell, a formidable battleground that will also play host to a cataclysmic encounter between Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker. As these sure-to-be gruesome bouts approach, what awaits on Monday’s Raw surely won’t be for the faint of heart.

After Roman Reigns boldly threw down the challenge to Bray Wyatt on SmackDown, WWE.com confirmed that The Big Dog will indeed face The Eater of Worlds inside Hell in a Cell on Oct. 25, live on WWE Network.

With the structure separating these bitter rivals from their allies — Dean Ambrose and Randy Orton on Reigns’ side, and Luke Harper and the imposing Braun Strowman on Wyatt’s — the WWE Universe can expect this turf war to boil down to a flesh-rending one-on-one brawl inside the unforgiving steel. How are Reigns and Wyatt preparing for their career-threatening, and perhaps final, showdown?

In an intense Madison Square Garden bout on WWE Network this weekend, Brock Lesnar triumphed over a game Big Show, shaking The World’s Most Famous Arena to its very foundation. Now that he has conquered the giant, The Beast Incarnate prepares to do battle with The Undertaker inside WWE’s most callous structure, Hell in a Cell … and he’s reportedly bringing his Go to Hell Tour to Boston for Raw.

Will Lesnar follow up his impressive victory over The World’s Largest Athlete with another impactful message for The Deadman?

It’s becoming more and more difficult to discern what’s truly going through Kane’s mind these days, and his dichotomous behavior has no doubt kept WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins awake at night since Demon Kane’s re-emergence at Night of Champions.

But speaking of champions, The Devil’s Favorite Demon — a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion in his own right — has displayed a great deal of interest in The Architect’s title over the past week. Will Rollins’ reign soon meet a fiery end?

Right in their own backyard, The Dudley Boyz were yet again denied the WWE Tag Team Championships when The New Day escaped with a disqualification victory at Madison Square Garden Saturday night, live on WWE Network. The table-smashing tandem’s momentum in the contest was cut short after Xavier Woods interfered in the contest, breaking up a Dudley Boyz pin attempt following a devastating 3D that would have likely won Bubba and D-Von the championships. The “brothers” were able to exact a slight measure of revenge, however, when they once again smashed Woods through a table after the match.

How will The Dudley Boyz respond now that they have been denied the titles not once, but twice?

Paige's streak of stealing the spotlight ceased at Madison Square Garden on Saturday when Charlotte and Becky Lynch turned the tables on her by abandoning her during their match against Team Bella. However, while that situation continues to develop, the members of Team B.A.D. are stealthily positioning themselves as a serious threat to Charlotte’s Divas Championship reign. In SmackDown’s Six-Diva Tag Team Match, Team B.A.D. defeated Team Bella when Sasha Banks made Nikki Bella — the longest-reigning Divas Champion of all time — tap out to the Bank Statement.

As the Divas division continues to implode, will Team B.A.D. continue to capitalize on the chaos this week?

Don’t miss Raw at 8/7 C, and be sure to tune in to Raw Pre-Show at 7:30 ET, only on the award-winning WWE Network.

 

[Austin Bates]

Paul Heyman promo to start the show off. How rad?

 

[Ricky Smarks]

Paul Heyman promo to start the show off. How rad?

Paul Heyman is pure greatness. I hope everyone is enjoying the show tonight.