Monday Night Raw
May 19, 2014
London, England
The Wyatts cut into the opening signature and we are in the arena across the pond. It’s dark and the fans have their cell phone lights on. Bray Wyatt has the arena singing “He’s Got the Whole World…” Bray talks about reality setting in and looking into the mirror and that none of us are superheroes. He talks about a teacher calling him a piece of trash. Damn his promos just get better and better and John Cena is getting schooled every night. The fans are singing the song without Bray even telling them to. Bray says Cena hides behind a plastic smile, and the CENA SUCKS chants become very very loud. Bray will put Cena out at Payback, but tonight Luke Harper will. Suddenly Cena’s music plays. Harper and Rowan run down the ramp, but John Cena comes through the crowd and AA’s Wyatt in the ring alone. Cena runs off. How can a heel turn not happen now?
They are at the new beautiful O2 Arena. The guys talk about Daniel Bryan and his surgery. They don’t give a timetable for his return and after watching what happened last week we will see what happens with the Title tonight.
Back from break and Paul Heyman is with Cesaro. He does his usual Taker/Brock crap that pisses everybody off.
MATCH: Sheamus vs. Cesaro
This should be good, as we have to Europeans smacking each other around. This is a rematch from Smackdown which ended in a double countout. We get a random JBL chant. One of those crowds tonight. This has been a fun match as both guys are going back and forth with stiff power moves and a bevy of European uppercuts. Heyman distracts the referee and Cesaro hits a German Suplex for the win. WINNER: Cesaro
Sheamus goes for a handshake but Cesaro laughs it off.
BEAT THE CLOCK: Big E vs. Ryback
So we will have Beat the Clock matches tonight to determine who will face Bad News Barrett for the IC Title at Payback. It’s also been announced that Evolution vs. Shield at Payback will be a No Holds Barred Elimination match. Simple enough match which Big E wins in 5:02, the time to beat. WINNER: Big E
MATCH: R-Truth vs. Fandango
Before the match Summer Rae comes down and starts brawling with Layla. Layla and Fandango made out hardcore in there as well, which means they must be dating. WINNER: No Contest
Back from break and out comes Stephanie McMahon to Daniel Bryan’s theme which elicits severe boos. She goes over Bryan’s story from Wrestlemania to marriage to neck surgery. She says his story has inspired everyone. However, Stephanie has some…and they play Bad News Barrett saying “BAD NEWS” six times in a row. Stephanie says she’s considering stripping Daniel Bryan of the Title and giving it to Kane, or Batista, or Bad News Barrett, or even Triple H. However she’s not going to strip Daniel Bryan of the title, she wants Daniel to be on Raw next week and have Bryan do the right thing and hand the title over. JBL is right that Daniel should do it but Lawler and Cole are upset. This is where the lack of logic comes in. If he’s not coming back for three months the title must be vacated. It sucks, but it’s what needs to be done.
3MB continues the tradition of coming out in England as the Union Jacks.
MATCH: Heath Slater vs. Rusev
Lana comes out and talks about how the UK is as weak and helpless as the US. Then he crushes the trio. WINNER: Rusev
The Shield are in the arena’s catacombs and they talk about Triple H hiding behind his muscle. Roman Reigns has a nasty shiner and nine stitches.
BEAT THE CLOCK: Alberto Del Rio vs. Rob Van Dam
They have to beat Big E’s time of 5:02 to move on. Has Del Rio fallen or what? He still puts on solid matches, but he doesn’t succeed here as RVD catches Del Rio in a roll up with :47 left in the match. So RVD has it with 4:15 to beat. WINNER: Rob van Dam
NXT Takeover is May 29th, and Adrian Neville will defend the NXT Title against Tyson Kidd.
Renee is with John Cena, who says the Usos will join him tonight. There’s desperation in the air.
Backstage Evolution is talking. Triple H says the Shield knows the war is over at Payback and tonight Batista takes out Rollins.
MATCH: Seth Rollins vs. Batista
Triple H barred everybody else from ringside. Well, except himself as he comes out to ring announce. He says a match this big needs a special guest timekeeper and that’s Randy Orton. So it’s pretty much 3 on 1, but Seth Rollins has his own idea and announces Reigns and Ambrose as guest commentators. Ambrose is actually a pretty entertaining announcer, which doesn’t surprise me. The match is slow but Batista seems like he is getting back on track in the ring a bit and doesn’t seem as blown up. Chaos finally ensues as the other four guys start brawling outside. The Brits get a THIS IS AWESOME chant going. Triple H decks Rollins for the DQ. WINNER: Seth Rollins by disqualification
Shield cleans house. Triple H went for a Pedigree on the announce table but Ambrose backdropped him on the German announce table. They have gotten the upper hand pretty much this entire feud.
Back from break and Alicia Fox is in the ring, one week after her meltdown.
WINNER: Paige vs. Alicia Fox
The Divas Champion returns to her home country, as she grew up two hours north of London. We have a decent match here as both divas are going right at each other with some pretty stiff moves. For a Divas match. Alicia Fox wins in an upset, clean. WINNER: Alicia Fox
So she loses in the NXT Divas Title tournament, but she beats the WWE Divas Champion here? Makes no sense.
We see the opening of Raw for the THIRD TIME. SHORTEN THE GODDAMN SHOW IF YOU’RE USING FLUFF.
We go to Rowan with his mask and Harper calling Cena a mouse. Bray Wyatt calls the Usos dominos in a line.
BEAT THE CLOCK: Mark Henry vs. Dolph Ziggler
They have to beat 4:15 or RVD faces Barrett at Payback. Dolph rolls outside and Mark Henry tells the ref to go get him. Mark, that’s your job. Both guys work hard but run out of time. WINNER: Time Limit Draw
So RVD will face Bad News Barrett at Payback for the IC Title. RVD comes out and (as I was quietly predicting) is blindsided with a Bull Hammer by Barrett. He gets some face pops when he calls RVD a bloody Yank. Barrett then stands on the ramp as the British Bulldog’s theme plays. It’s shows like this I miss Bulldog.
Renee Young is going to interview Adam Rose as his “Exotic Express” comes out. There’s rumblings his debut has been a failure. I got an idea: WRESTLE! Enough with the interviews and the dancing, WRESTLE! He talks about his cheeseburger and to not be a lemon, but be a ROSEBUD. The crowd starts singing. This is all fun and stuff, but Adam Rose needs to WRESTLE WRESTLE WRESTLE! Out comes Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter, or “Zebbie”. He calls his group of Woodstock rejects and he rips the London crowd. The crowd sings the song and dances. Zeb challenges Rose to a match but when he turns his head Swagger cheap shots him. Of course Swagger almost missed the punch. Rose fights back and finally we get some real action out of Rose. He chucks Swagger out of the ring.
Bolieve. Smackdown this Friday. Hulk Hogan will also be on Smackdown this Friday.
MATCH: John Cena vs. Luke Harper
The match is trying to go on but the crowd is still humming Adam Rose’s theme. I don’t know when the bookers started this feud they meant for Cena to be completely alone and devoid of the fans, but it’s getting pretty close. The Usos go after Bray and Rowan and Bray drops both with Sister Abigail. This match could be better but lots of outside interference is taking away from it, although we do have a THIS IS AWESOME chant. The match ends in DQ when Rowan intereferes. WINNER: John Cena by disqualification
Cena is alone and eats Sister Abigail. Cena continues to get beat down up the ramp. They get to the top and Bray delivers Sister Abigail again. Everybody sings while Harper counts to ten. With that we’re out.
SCOTT’S TAKE: Another episode where there’s some extraneous stuff but a lot of matches too. Usually the London taped shows feel taped but the crowd was very energetic and gave it some juice. Somebody who’s always energetic is Graham Cawthon, purveyor of thehistoryofwwe.com. Follow him on Twitter @thehistoryofwwe. Here’s Graham’s RAW Tweet of the Night!
Beat the Clock for an IC title shot? This is freaking great. Keep elevating that belt
I agree, Graham.
