Last week’s edition of Raw ended with the WWE champion, Drew McIntyre, locked into a full nelson by his Backlash challenger, Bobby Lashley. Raw Women’s champion Asuka took on Charlotte Flair for a second week in a row as a new edition of the Peep Show took place during the go-home show.
Asuka and Charlotte Flair vs. The IIconics vs. Bayley and Sasha Banks
Flair was coming off her loss of the NXT Championship to Io Shirai at NXT Takeover: In Your House and Asuka looked to prepare for her bout with Nia Jax on Sunday. Instead of Flair’s entrance, Sasha Banks and Bayley, who captured the Women’s Tag Team championships during last week’s SmackDown on FOX, took to the ring.
Asuka proclaimed it was “her ring” as the new Women’s Tag Team champions paraded. Banks approached Asuka as Flair’s music hit. Flair reminded the team of her “stamina” and told them to “enjoy the spotlight.”
The IIconics entered the ring and announced a tag-team triple threat match for the Women’s Tag Team championships between them: Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, and the newly-crowned champions on Sunday. The six women fought and cleared the ring after Flair called Bayley and Banks “garbage,” and Asuka and Flair remained in the ring at the end.
Royce and Banks began the match and traded multiple pin attempts. Royce and Kay double-teamed Bayley and Kay suplexed the double champion. Flair teased tagging-in Asuka and took to slinging Bayley into a corner.
Asuka hot-tagged herself into the match and cleared her opposing teams from their corners. Kay hit a Shades of Kay to Bayley but Flair halted her momentum when she knocked down Royce. Asuka and Flair tagged each other several times and both were upset with their partners’ decisions. Asuka made Kay submit after she tagged herself in when Flair climbed atop the turnbuckle. Flair held Asuka’s title above her post-match.
Rey Mysterio gives a medical update
Mysterio’s retirement ceremony was scheduled for last week, but it did not go that way as he and his son, Dominic, scolded Seth Rollins for his actions. The Monday Night Messiah joined the announcer for the update.
Wearing an eyepatch over his right eye, Mysterio said the prognosis was “promising.” Mysterio does not know when he will be medically cleared but warned Rollins there was a “619 with the name Monday Night Messiah” written on it. Rollins said Mysterio had the opportunity to “walk away” and retire but insisted he is spreading “misinformation.” Rollins invited Mysterio and Dominic to next week’s Raw, but Mysterio saw through Rollins’s smoke. Aleister Black attacked Rollins as he attempted to respond.
Aleister Black and Humberto Carrillo vs. Austin Theory and Murphy
Rollins’s disciples looked to avenge Black’s attack on their messiah. Carrillo started by flying around Theory using the ropes. Black hit a moonsault onto Murphy and looked for a Black Mass. Carrillo hit a suicide dive to Theory, then Black superkicked Murphy as the latter perched on a turnbuckle.
Mysterio’s music hit post-match and Rollins entered wearing one of Mysterio’s masks. Black and Carrillo were attacked post-match by their three rivals.
Peep Show
Christian returned to WWE to host his iconic segment ahead of Edge and Randy Orton’s match at Backlash, which is touted as potentially “The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever.” He welcomed his best friend, Edge, to the ring.
Christian told Edge he is “running on fumes.” He then told his friend he could not pull it off “in his prime” and cited the expectations the match offers. Edge compared the match’s expectations to being at the bottom of Mount Everest with no gear.
Edge questioned his ability and Christian asked where his belief was with all of the excuses his friend said. Christian riled up Edge and smiled as he said he has confidence. Orton appeared on the titantron and demanded the two cease talking. Orton asked Edge what he will do when he does not “live up to the expectations.”
The Viking Raiders and The Street Profits compete in a decathlon
The score was tied 2-2 in the Anything You Can Do, We Can Do Better series. The Street Profits selected a 1,600-meter dash in which Ford beat Ivar. Archery was the event of choice by The Viking Raiders and Dawkins could not hit the target.
Flip cup was the third event and The Street Profits used their familiarity to win. The fourth event was sword fighting, and The Viking Raiders won that event. Dawkins and Ivar competed in a Hurdles race and Dawkins finished first. Stick fighting followed and Erik pulled Dawkins into a pool of goat’s milk. In a danceoff, Ford used Shawn Michaels’ theme and Erik used Fandango’s former music. The Street Profits won by a narrow score.
In shot put, Erik tossed the ball into the sand but didn’t surpass The Street Profits’ toss. The Viking Raiders focused on their turkey legs in the turkey leg competition. Ford and Erik made attempts in the pole vault, and The Viking Raiders evened the score, 5-5.
Angel Garza vs. Andrade vs. Kevin Owens
Winner faces Crews at Backlash for the United States Championship
Crews’s challenge to Kevin Owens did not go as planned last week; the winner of the triple threat match would contest him at Backlash for the U.S. championship.
Owens attacked Garza and Andrade during their entrances. The two Zelina Vega clients used their alliance to the disadvantage of Owens, but Vega was shoved during the match as Garza and Andrade’s egos clashed. Owens hit a stunner to Garza but was pushed aside by Andrade, who earned the victory and the right to challenge Crews for the U.S. title at Backlash.
VIP Lounge with Bobby Lashley
Lashley is set to contest McIntyre on Sunday for the WWE championship. The champion interrupted the VIP Lounge and this led to the following tag team match.
The Viking Raiders vs. Bobby Lashley and MVP
The Street Profits watched from ringside as their opponents in the Anything You Can Do, We Can Do Better series continued earlier in the night. Lashley held the edge throughout the match and earned his team the victory after locking in a full nelson to Erik. He held Ivar in the same maneuver but McIntyre hit a Claymore to break the hold.
Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka
This singles match was supposed to open the show but the women’s tag team division had other plans. The IIconics, Sasha Banks, and Bayley fought at ringside while Flair and Asuka occupied the ring.
Nia Jax entered the arena and tried climbing into the ring, but Asuka pushed her back outside. Flair dropkicked Asuka for the win, and Jax hit a Samoan Drop to the Raw Women’s champion post-match.
