The first WWE Raw since Vince McMahon announced Kurt Angle as general manager and that a “Superstar Shakeup” was in the works kicks off from the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, with the Miz and Maryse dressed as John Cena and Nikki Bella.
We’re live from the sold out Nassau Coliseum with The Miz inciting the crowd into a chant of “Cena Sucks.” The Miz as Cena says he definitely did not propose to Nikki at WrestleMania 33 for publicity and that everybody knows, “We’re not good actors and everybody knows” the best way we can get more publicity is by going to Monday Night Raw.
The Lunatic Fringe’s music cranks to a cheering crowd as Dean Ambrose is part of Monday Night Raw. Ambrose congratulated The Miz and Maryse as Cena and Nikki in “beating The Miz and Maryse at WrestleMania because they are the worst.”
The Miz answered with everybody knows he and Maryse “are the power couple.” He said he and Maryse are the big acquisition for Raw in the Superstar Shakeup. He then clarifies to Ambrose that he is actually The Miz and she is actually Maryse. Ambrose then hits The Miz with a Dirty Deeds DDT as the crowd explodes.
Before they go to break, Michael Cole teases Roman Reigns speaking about his big victory over the Undertaker at WrestleMania.
Now back from break, the camera zooms up on Kurt Angle on a cell phone. Sami Zayn walks up, pleading with Angle to let him know whether he will be on Raw or SmackDown. Angle responds, “You’ve been valuable on Raw, but there’s lots of interest from SmackDown.” As Zayn tries to gauge the interest, an angry Miz and Maryse interrupt their conversation. The Miz tells Zayn to leave and Zayn tells The Miz to make him shut his mouth. Angle then makes a match between the two.
Back to the ring, Big E tells Long Island to feel the power as the New Day music starts. Xavier Woods carries a blow-up doll to the ring. He says it represents the spirit of Kofi Kingston, who was injured by The Revival last week and underwent ankle surgery Monday.
New Day vs. The Revival
Xavier Woods and Big E gain the early momentum as they go to break. When the action resumes, Scott Dawson has Woods down on the mat. As Woods tries to make a tag, Dawson suplexes him to the mat. Woods then hits Dawson with a big forearm and both go to the mat. Both Big E and Dash tag in.
Big E is clearing house, hitting 3 belly-to-belly throws on Dash. Then Big E jumps off the rope and splashes Dash. Dawson distracts Big E and Dash almost rolls him up for the pin. Dawson tags in and then Big E belly-to-belly throws him to the mat as Woods tags in. With Dawson still on the mat, Woods leaps from a turnbuckle on the opposite side of the ring, 20 feet away, and hits an elbow.
As Woods and Big E went for their finisher, Big E gets tossed out of the ring and Woods jumps off a turnbuckle into the Shatter Machine finisher for The Revival. Dash then gets the three count.
The Revival wins by pinfall
Before going to break, Michael Cole teases a segment with Seth Rollins, discussing his future since the big win over Triple H at WrestleMania 33.
Back from break, the camera closes in on Neville and he’s asked about facing Austin Aries in a backstage interview. Neville says Aries isn’t on his level and neither is the rest of the cruiserweight division. T.J. Perkins comes out and confronts Neville saying he’ll have to eat his words. Neville tells him he’ll never wear the Cruiserweight championship belt again because he’s a joke. Neville said he’s the only one with an ounce of respect for T.J.
Aries joins the discussion and says Neville is lying about Aries getting Perkins’ opportunities. Neville says there is only one man who can grant championship opportunities. Aries asks Perkins if he really believes Neville’s lies, but Perkins walks off angered.
Back in the ring, Curt Hawkins raises his cane and celebrates being “back on Monday Night Raw” as the crowd boos. As Hawkins says he wants a party, The Big Show’s music pops and Hawkins is not happy with his appearance. The Big Show enters and stares down Hawkins before dropping him with a KO punch. The Big Show leaves him out cold, his music cranks again and he walks off before going to break.
As we rejoin the action, Michael Cole announces Neville as a special guest ringside commentator. Cole then teases a Payback match between Austin Aries and Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship.
Austin Aries vs. T.J. Perkins
As Aries and Perkins go through their ring entrances, Neville says he “looks forward to the torture, the humiliation and the pain” of wrestling his contenders in the future.
Aries gains the advantage early, getting Perkins to the ground with an arm bar. Perkins leg drags Aries down and then poses to the crowd.
Aries does a cartwheel and a headstand before hitting a dropkick on Perkins. Aries then did a lounging dab from the top rope in celebration. After hitting another elbow, Aries slingshot himself off the rope and smashed Perkins, who was then hit with an Aries assault from the top rope.
Aries then nailed an ear clap and hit a neckbreaker off the rope before jumping off the top rope and elbowing Perkins outside the ring.
Neville left the announce area to confront Aries. As he’s being counted out, Aries went back into the ring with Neville still glaring at him from the entrance ramp. Distracted by Neville, Aries gets rolled up by Perkins for a quick 1-2-3.
Perkins pins Aries with help from Neville
Perkins viciously assaults Aries with a series of kicks after the match, finally dropping Aries with a detonation kick. Neville then laughs and claps as Perkins realizes he got played by Neville in the prematch interview.
As they go to break, Seth Rollins is backstage, giving Big Cass a High-Five and chatting with Enzo Amore.
Coming back from break, the crowd over 12,000 erupts as Seth Rollins makes his entrance. Rollins stalks through the ring, eyeballing the crowd as they chant “Rollins, Rollins.” The Architect says it feels good to be in the ring because he didn’t know if he was going to be back because he put everything in his knee rehab into appearing at WrestleMania.
Seth then exalts the crowd with, “We did it. We slayed the King of Kings.” The crowd breaks out into more chants of “Seth, Seth, Seth.” Rollins then thanks the crowd for “having his back.” He said he’s just getting started on Monday Night Raw and has scores to settle, like with Samoa Joe and winning the WWE Universal Championship. Rollins said the problem is he may not get the opportunity based on WrestleMania.
Video of Triple H being pushed into Stephanie McMahon and driving her through a table at WrestleMania plays on the video board. The crowd chants, “Thank You, Seth.” Rollins says, “I don’t think I will be named Employee of the Month.” Rollins then said McMahon will eventually come back to work and he knows he will be public enemy No. 1 when she returns. He said the easy way out would be to pack his bags and go to SmackDown. The crowd chants “no” repeatedly.
Rollins says he took the easy way out once before and he wouldn’t do it again. He says he will not leave the ring unless an army drags him out of it.
Kurt Angle’s music pipes up as the crowd serenades him with chants of “You Suck.” Angle address Rollins, “It’s true. Stephanie made it clear she wants you gone.” But Angle says he was impressed by WrestleMania, “You were the one-legged man who won the ass-kicking contest. I am not here to win a popularity contest. My show has Seth Fricking Rollins. As long as I am general manager, Seth Rollins will be on Monday Night Raw. It’s true. It’s damn true.”
As Angle’s music pipes up and the crowd chants “you suck,” Samoa Joe ambushes Rollins. Joe gets in a few good shots, but Rollins quickly turns the tables, superkicking Joe out of the ring. Joe then glares at Rollins and walks back up the ramp.
Backstage, Kevin Owens is asked about the Superstar Shakeup. “They can shake things up all they want, but the cream always rises to the top like I did against Chris Jericho on WrestleMania.” Owens said to ask Jericho how he feels about the Superstar Shakeup before gloating that Jericho is at home because Owens powerbombed him through a table last week. Owens says he is the face of America as the United States Champion. When asked about Dean Ambrose, the intercontinental champion, Owens said he’s the premier champion on Raw and Raw is the Kevin Owens Show.
Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax
As Charlotte makes her entrance, video replays of last week’s ambush with Nia Jax dropping Charlotte after the tag team loss to Bayley and Sasha Banks plays before going to break.
Nia Jax glares from the entrance ramp as her music starts on the return from break. Charlotte bounces off the rope and yells “Woo” before the two lock up. Jax then throws Flair face first to the ground and taunts her with a “woo.”
Flair hits a neckbreaker, but Nia Jax doesn’t leave her feet. Jax then hits a shoulderbreaker and drops a big elbow to a prone Charlotte. Jax then locks in a modified Cobra Clutch as Charlotte flails around, trying to break free. Charlotte grabbed both arms around Jax’s head and hit a jawbreaker to get free.
Charlotte tried to gain momentum with some knife-edge chops, but Nia doesn’t go down. Charlotte finally chops Nia’s knee out from behind before hitting a Natural Selection finisher. Nia kicked out of the pin, but Charlotte threw Nia’s shoulder into the turnbuckle twice. With Jax outside of the ring, Charlotte kicked Nia in the neck and shoulders with a moonsault off the top rope.
Both hobbled into the ring to beat the count out. As Nia walked to the middle of the ring, Charlotte dropkicked her in the face. However, Nia recovered quickly, then gained momentum with a blow to Charlotte’s face before picking up Flair for a Samoan drop for the win.
Nia Jax pins Charlotte Flair
After the match, a video package of Finn Balor plays. Finn says he’s going to win over all the fans on Raw. “This is just the beginning,” he says as the video fades with his trademark celebration of his arms raised to the fans takes us to the break.
Jinder Mahal vs. Finn Balor
Mahal is already in the ring as we’re back from break. The crowd as Finn Balor’s music rocks the arena. Balor pops the collar of his leather jacket as he approaches the ring. Balor climbs onto the second rope and excites the crowd as he raises his arms to the sky as his music crescendos.
Balor and Mahal lock up, and Balor uses an arm drag to get Mahal down. Mahal then elbows Balor to the face and drops a few kicks on Balor’s chest, using the rope for leverage. Balor then connected with an overhead kick to break free from Mahal, who had dropped Balor with a big elbow to the temple.
Balor kept up the momentum with a slingblade before kicking Mahal with both feet into the turnbuckle. Balor then swiftly climbed to the top rope to deliver a Coup De Grace for the easy win.
Balor quick pin of Mahal
Bray Wyatt appears on the video board as Balor celebrates. Wyatt announces he will be moving to Raw. He says in three weeks on Payback he will torture Randy Orton. Then Bray says he will be watching over Balor. Bray raises his lantern. “Monday Night Raw, I’m here.” Then he blows out his lantern as we go to break.
As we come back from break, a video replay of the open recaps that The Miz, Maryse and Dean Ambrose moved to Raw. Michael Cole and Corey Graves also recap that Apollo Crews, Kalisto and the tag team of Rhyno and Heath Slater will be moving to Raw.
The Miz with Maryse vs Sami Zayn
The crowd chants “Ole, ole, ole” as The Miz and Zayn lock up. The Miz hits a few punches before Zayn tosses The Miz to the mat with three arm drags. As Zayn was about to fly through the ropes to kick The Miz while he was out of the ring, Maryse stepped in front of The Miz. Zayn pulled up short, somersaulting himself back into the ring off the ropes as the action went to break.
The Miz had Zayn in a chinlock as we returned. The Miz tried to suplex Zayne off the top rope, but Zayn threw him off. The Miz regained control by hitting a DDT and then mocked Daniel Bryan with kicks as the crowd chanted “yes.” Zayn quickly turned the tables with some jabs. The Miz then kicked out of a pin attempt after Zayn hit a Blue Thunder Bomb. Maryse then distracted Zayn, who was trying to go for the Helluva Kick, and The Miz tried to hit a Skullcrushing Finale. But Zayn shocked The Miz, rolling him up for the win.
Zayn defeats The Miz
After returning from break, Corey Graves announced that Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose would headline Raw with a champion versus champion match.
We now go backstage where Michael Cole asks Roman Reigns if he feels remorse that his victory at WrestleMania might be the last match of Undertaker’s career. As Reigns says he respects Taker, chants of “Roman sucks” echoes from the arena.
As Reigns says “I’m the big dog here and this is my arena,” Braun Strowman ambushes him and throws him against a wall and then through a table as the crowd chants for Strowman. Reigns tries to stumble away and Strowman throws him three times off an aluminum overhead storage door. Strowman then picks up Reigns and body slams him on top of a storage case. Strowman then wheels another metal case and rams it into a prone Reigns.
As Strowman walks off, referees call for EMTs as Reigns struggles to breathe. They wheel up a stretcher as a video replay of the assault plays. After the video ends, paramedics strap Reigns on to a stretcher. As the paramedics try to take Reigns away, Strowman returns and throws Reigns and the stretcher off a loading dock. Reigns seemingly lands face first on to a concrete floor.
EMTs pick Reigns, who is holding his ribs and grimacing, off the floor. Then a video replay of Strowman throwing Reigns off the loading dock plays twice. EMTs then wheel Reigns into the back of an ambulance. Once inside the ambulance, Strowman roars “I’m not finished with you.” He punches Reigns and then walks to the side of the ambulance. From there, Strowman lifts the ambulance up and tips it onto its side as we fade out to break.
We’re back and Michael Cole comments about the shocking assault as the ambulance crew retrieves Reigns from the back of the flipped ambulance and drives him away in another ambulance. The crowd chants “Na Na Na, Hey, Hey, Hey, Good-bye” as the video replays the assault.
Gallows & Anderson with the Shining Stars vs. Cesaro & Sheamus with the Hardy Boyz
After all four teams enter the ring, The Drifter from NXT makes an appearance on the entrance ramp. The Hardy Boyz open up with offense as Matt gains a quick advantage over the Shining Stars. Cesaro and Sheamus then tag up for some punishment of Karl Anderson with Cesaro hitting a crossbody off the top rope. Before Cesaro can take Anderson for a swing, Luke Gallows grabs Anderson by the arms and pulls him out of the ring as we go to break.
We’re back and Gallows has Cesaro down on the mat in a headlock. Cesaro is thrown into the enemy corner and Anderson tags in before Gallows and Anderson double team Cesaro with a suplex.
Cesaro fights his way into his corner, where he tags Matt Hardy. Matt pounds on Primo before Gallows tries to interfere. Jeff Hardy gets in on the action, hitting a twist of fate on Gallows to get him out of the ring. Jeff then hit a poetry in motion with Gallows and Anderson out of the ring before Jeff and Matt teamed up for a swanton bomb off the top rope to pin Primo for the win.
Cesaro & Sheamus with the Hardy Boyz defeat Gallows & Anderson with the Shining Stars
We go backstage where Dana Brooke is reading a book titled Be Your Own Protégé. Evil Emma then reminds Dana that before Dana was dumped by Charlotte Flair that Dana was a protégé of Emma’s at NXT. Brooke then refuses to go with Emma, saying she’s learning how to stand on her own two feet. As Dana walks off, Emma glares in her direction.
Before going to break, Corey Graves teases an interview with Raw women’s champion Bayley as she sings to herself while she walks backstage.
When we return, Sasha Banks is announced as the crowd cheers along with her music. The Boss says she has some unfinished business, and then introduces her best friend, Bayley. Bayley dances with her inflatable Bayley Buddies on the entrance ramp before hugging some kids on her way to the ring.
Bayley throws some hugs to the crowd and then hugs The Boss as she enters the ring. Bayley thanks Banks for the introduction and thanks the crowd for being by her side through NXT, her Raw debut and her WrestleMania moment of her dreams.
Banks congratulates Bayley for her WrestleMania win, but starts to ask for a chance at the championship belt before Alexa Bliss ambushes the party by announcing her move to Raw. Bliss says she’s the only woman in the ring who deserves recognition because she was two-time SmackDown women’s championship and that she will soon win the Raw women’s championship.
Bliss is then interrupted by Mickie James, who also announces her move to Raw. James, a six-time former champion, threatens Bliss before Nia Jax ambushes her from behind. Nia throws The Boss out of the ring before hitting Bayley with a Samoan drop. Nia yells “this championship is mine, Bayley” as the Raw women’s champion writhes on the floor. Nia and Alexa Bliss glare at each other on the ring ramp before Jax walks off.
As the action fades to break, Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens are shown in a split screen psyching themselves up for their match.
We’re back and a video recap of Braun Strowman’s assault of Roman Reigns plays. Michael Cole said in a preliminary medical report that Reigns suffered cracked ribs, a potential separated shoulder and other internal injuries. Cole said Strowman was escorted out of the building.
Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens
KO enters the ring and raises the United States Championship belt to the crowd during his entrance. Dean Ambrose, the Intercontinental Champ, wastes no time making his entrance, and as the bell rings Owens kicked Ambrose in the guts.
Owens attempted to punch Ambrose in the corner, but the Lunatic Fringe reverses him and landed a series of punches to the stomach. As the action went outside of the ring, Ambrose bounced Owens off the crowd barricade twice before launching himself off the ropes and kicking Owens as we go to break.
Ambrose bounces off the ropes and clotheslines Owens. However, KO gains control after Ambrose rammed his shoulder into the ring post. Owens then takes Ambrose to the mat with a choke hold. Ambrose rose to his feet, elbows his way out of the chinlock and tries to kick Owens, but KO tosses him out the ring and throws him into the ring post.
With Owens still outside of the ring, Ambrose drilled him with a suicide dive. After hitting a few clotheslines, Ambrose landed a swinging neckbreaker. Ambrose then dropped Owens crotch first on top the top rope and hitting him with another clothesline from the turnbuckle. With Owens out of the ring, Ambrose launched himself off the top rope again for a big elbow to the side of Owens’ head.
Ambrose tried to land another top-rope maneuver, but Owens kicked him in the ribs, powerbombed him and almost got a three count. After Owens landed a superkick, Ambrose reversed him, loaded up the Dirty Deeds and put KO down for the count.
Dean Ambrose defeats Kevin Owens
After the match, Chris Jericho’s music blares as the crowd cheers for Y2J. Jericho then sprinted to the ring and promptly dropped Owens with a Code Breaker. Jericho sneers at Owens as the show ends.