Author: Kevin Berge / Source: Bleacher Report
The October 15 edition of WWE Raw promised major forward momentum toward two huge events, Evolution and Crown Jewel.
The Undertaker and Kane were expected to make an appearance to respond to the challenge of Triple H and Shawn Michaels for a tag team match.
The World Cup continued to build up contenders, with Kurt Angle, John Cena, Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton already announced for the one-night tournament. This week, Seth Rollins would face Drew McIntyre, and Dean Ambrose would clash with Dolph Ziggler to name the final two Raw competitors.
The Bella Twins promised an explanation for their vicious attack on supposed friend Ronda Rousey that led to the announcement of the Raw women’s champion fighting Nikki Bella at Evolution on October 28. Bobby Lashley was also set to show more of his new attitude brought on by manager and hype man Lio Rush.
With only weeks left before these events, there was room for many more major segments. The Evolution card still had space for more women to step up, with everyone vying for consideration. Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman were also certain to appear ahead of their Triple Threat title match on November 2, which will also include Brock Lesnar.
While nothing stood out clearly going into Raw, this was an important night that could decide what was coming at the end of the month, with looming controversy over Crown Jewel certainly on everyone’s mind.
Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Cup Qualifier)
Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre opened the show bragging about destroying The Shield last week until Reigns and Rollins came out to contest the claim that their trio was done.
The Architect then challenged The Scottish Psychopath to start their World Cup Qualifying match early.The Showoff reappeared during the bout to distract the intercontinental champion so McIntyre could send him hard into the steel underneath the ring. After some brilliant counters by both sides, Rollins took out Ziggler and McIntyre with suicide dives.
The #Heel tripped The Architect as he went for a Curb Stomp, sending him to the floor. In response, Ambrose appeared to attack Ziggler, and his appearance allowed Rollins to recover just enough to beat McIntyre back to the ring and win by count-out.
Afterward, The Shield talked backstage with Ambrose taking exception to his brothers calling him a lunatic, and he walked off again.
Result
Rollins def. McIntyre by count-out to advance to the WWE World Cup
Grade
B+
Analysis
This all felt a little too familiar. This Shield vs. Strowman and Co. feud has become highly repetitive, but that does not take away from the overall strength of the opening promo and match. The heels were in top form and hinted at potential dissension down the line.
Rollins vs. McIntyre is too often Raw’s go-to match, which has diluted the impact of a potential show-stealer. This was easily their best clash in months, with the two pulling out some phenomenal sequences down the stretch with a clever finish that protected the Scot.
The Brothers of Destruction Promise to Make D-Generation X Rest in Peace
In a pretaped promo, Undertaker and Kane stood together in a boiler room where they called out the hypocrisy of Triple H and Michaels, who had cheated heavily to win at Super Show-Down.
They promised to make D-Generation X pay for their insolence at Crown Jewel and put them back where they belong.
Grade
B
Analysis
This was a better way for The Brothers of Destruction to respond than having them appear on Raw and waste an extra five minutes saying the same thing. The editing here showcased the eerie threat The Deadman and his brother represent.
Even if this feud feels too little, too late to work, the veterans still know how to represent themselves as larger-than-life personalities outside the ring.
Nia Jax and Ember Moon vs. Tamina and Dana Brooke
Before this match, it was announced Evolution would have a Battle Royal that would include all four of these women.
The returning Tamina worked with Dana Brooke to beat down Ember Moon early in this tag match. The powerful second-generation star looked impressive against Jax, hitting a Samoan drop on the former women’s champion.
However, the move took too much out of both wrestlers, and they were forced to tag in their partners with Moon catching Brooke with a quick Eclipse to win.
Afterward, Tamina superkicked Jax and Moon, and she threw The Irresistible Force over the top rope before Brooke threw them both out as well.
Result
Jax and Moon def. Tamina and Brooke by pinfall
Grade
C-
Analysis
It was great to see Tamina back, and despite a lack of pageantry surrounding her return, she looked good here. The match was nothing special, but it did hint at the potential interest in a future Jax vs. Tamina power struggle on Raw.
The post-match action ruined this, though, as Moon’s actions took away from any potential genuine heat building between the two friends. It came off as a turn at first before it was revealed the whole thing was just to hype the Battle Royal, throwing away any real stories.
The Battle Royal at Evolution feels like a waste of talent, but it is WWE’s modus operandi to use such a bout to force as many stars on a card as possible rather than making genuine stories.
Ronda Rousey Tells The Bella Twins the Truth of Their Careers
Rousey called out The Bella Twins to get an answer for their attack, and Nikki and Brie answered. They questioned how The Baddest Woman on the Planet could steal their spotlight, with the two taking credit for establishing the power of the “Diva” label.
The Raw women’s champion called the Bellas talentless while leeching off…
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