7/17 Powell’s WWE Raw Live TV Review: Kurt Angle mystery reveal, Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe for a WWE Universal Title shot at SummerSlam, Dean Ambrose opens the show

By Jason Powell

WWE Raw on the USA Network
Live from Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena

Raw opened with a recap of the Kurt Angle drama… The broadcast team was Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Booker T… Ring announcer JoJo introduced Dean Ambrose, who headed to the ring for a promo. Ambrose brought a dented chair with him and called for Miz and his “two cronies” to come out so they could pick up where they left off.

Ambrose sat down on the chair and waited, but Miz and company didn’t come out. Ambrose continued to call for Miz, Bo Dallas, and Curtis Axel. Ambrose said he would burst Miz’s Hollywood bubble so fast that he’d be on the Real World again when he woke up.

Seth Rollins made his entrance and joined Ambrose in the ring. Rollins asked Ambrose why he was picking a fight he could not win on his own. Rollins recalled Ambrose telling him to stay out of his business, yet coming out later in the show and fighting his battles with a chair. Rollins said he appreciated Ambrose’s toughness, but he needed to settle down and come up with a better plan.

Ambrose said of course “Mr. Architect” thought he should have a plan. Ambrose told Rollins that not everything is about him, and he told him to scram. Rollins said he was there to ask Ambrose a question. When he takes the fight to Miz, will Ambrose stand in his way or stand by his side. There was a Yes! chant.

Ambrose took issue with Rollins referring to him as brother once. Ambrose said his brothers were in The Shield and they stood for something. “You, I don’t know you,” Ambrose said. “I knew a guy who looked a lot like you once.” Ambrose said Rollins stabbed him in the back and broke his heart. “And that was over three years ago and I’m sorry,” Rollins yelled. Seth said he lives with it every day. Rollins said he has moved on and questioned what it would take for Ambrose to move on.

Ambrose paced a bit and said he saw Seth’s lips moving, but he didn’t hear anything. Rollins said that if Ambrose didn’t want to trust him then he would let his actions speak for him. Rollins turned his back to Ambrose and told him to hit him with the chair if that would make him feel better. “Do it, dammit, hit me as many times as you need to to get this out of your system.” Rollins dropped the mic and held his arms out. Ambrose eventually threw the chair to ringside. Ambrose spoke to Rollins off-mic.

The Miz, Axel, and Dallas made their entrance. Miz said it was touching to see two brothers trying to work out their issues. He mocked the Nashville crowd by saying it could be a country song. Miz told Rollins that Ambrose would never forgive him. The trio walked toward the ring while Miz said Ambrose can’t beat him on his own. Miz stopped at ringside while Axel and Dallas walked around the ring. Miz said he prepared a welcoming party for Ambrose, but now he gets two for the price of one. Miz approached the ring. Dallas and Axel pulled chairs out from underneath the ring.. Miz removed his jacket and picked up a chair of his own.

[Q2] Ambrose went after Miz, who worked him over with a chair while Dallas and Axel worked over Rollins inside the ring. Miz entered the ring and gave Rollins a Skull Crushing Finale onto a chair. Miz left the ring and gave Ambrose another shot with the chair…

Graves hyped Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe for the WWE Universal Title shot at SummerSlam, and Cole hyped Kurt Angle coming clean about his “ongoing private matter” later in the show. Graves hyped Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley in an apparent non-title match for after the break… [C]

Powell’s POV: The Rollins and Ambrose verbal exchange felt a little flatter than expected to start, but Rollins showed good emotion and that helped draw in the live crowd. The attack by Miz and company was well done. Miz took a serious approach and the trio taking advantage of the numbers game was well done. The new looks of Dallas and Axel are starting to grow on me.

Backstage, The Miz, Dallas, Axel, and Maryse were walking quickly when Charly Caruso tried to ask for a comment, but Miz declined. He said Rollins and Ambrose heard everything he had to say. Miz and company rushed into the backstage parking garage…

1. Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley in a non-title match. Cole noted that Bayley pinned Bliss last week and could put herself in line for a title match with a win over Bliss in this match. Bayley was in control about 45 second into the match with Nia Jax’s music played. Jax headed to ringside as they went to break. [C]

[Q3] Bayley sold arm pain even as she started to make a post-commercial comeback on Bliss. Bayley performed an elbow drop off the second rope and then Bliss rolled to the floor. Bayley followed, but she ran into Jax, who distracted her long enough for Bliss to land a cheap shot. At 7:50, Sasha ran out and attacked Jax at ringside and dropkicked her into the side of the ring. Inside the ring, Bayley rolled up Bliss for two, then followed up with Bayley To Belly for the win…

Bayley pinned Alexa Bliss in a non-title match in 8:15.

Powell’s POV: I continue to assume that we are headed towards a four-way match between these four women at SummerSlam. I’ve been annoyed in the past by Sasha Banks coming to the defense of Bayley too often, but this was a logical spot for that to happen.

Cole hyped the Angle reveal and a Matt and Jeff Hardy vs. The Revival match for later in the show…

Cole started talking about ESPN’s ESPY Awards when Graves stood up and excused himself before heading to the back. Cole set up the video package that showed The Miz, Maryse, John Cena, and Maryse at the annual sports award show. Footage also aired of Stephanie McMahon receiving the Sports Humanitarian Award… [C]

Cole set up a video package on Roman Reigns… Cole hyped Reigns vs. Joe as the Raw main event…

Backstage, a nervous Kurt Angle paced and told Graves that he was having second thoughts. He questioned whether he was doing the right thing. He questioned whether he should keep it to himself and questioned whether it should be televised. Graves told him that it’s going to get out and it’s better coming from him. Angle said he was absolutely right and thanked him. “Your friendship means so much to both of us,” Angle said…

Cole and Booker narrated highlights of Akira Tozawa pinning Neville in a tag match on Raw, and then aired footage of Neville attacking Tozawa on 205 Live…

[Q4] Backstage, Titus O’Neil sat on a chair while telling a standing Tozawa and Apollo Crews that they needed to pick things up because they are Titus Worldwide (they all said the brand name together). After Titus gave his pep talk, Ariya Daivari entered the room said that if Tozawa has any honor he will meet him in the ring so he could finish what he started last week before Neville interfered in their match. Tozawa was game…

Powell’s POV: The backstage angle was nothing special, but at least they gave the singles cruiserweight match an angle rather than just throwing them out there cold. You know, like they are doing with this tag team cruiserweight match.

Cole hyped Mustafa Ali and Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick and Drew Gulak for after the break. The heel duo made their entrance… [C] The babyface duo received full ring entrances…

2. Mustafa Ali and Jack Gallagher vs. Brian Kendrick and Drew Gulak. Footage aired from 205 Live of an angle involving Gallagher and Kendrick. They were going to start the match, but Kendrick tagged in Gulak instead. Cole said Gulak and Ali will meet in a best of three falls match on 205 Live. Late in the match, Gallagher caught Kendrick with a headbutt, then tagged in Ali, who performed an inverted 450 splash for the win…

Mustafa Ali and Jack Gallagher beat Brian Kendrick and Drew Gulak in 2:20.

A shot aired of Enzo Amore walking backstage in street clothes. The crowd gave him a nice reaction. Cole said Enzo would appear next… [C] An ad for Smackdown hyped AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin as the main event…

Powell’s POV: The hype for the 205 Live show was better than usual, but the short length of the match made it difficult to really invest in any of these guys.

[Q5] Enzo Amore made his entrance. He said there’s not a man in the business who can elicit a reaction like he can on the mic. He said he owns his words. He said you win some and you lose some, but you have to fight for what you believe in. Enzo said he believed in what he and Big Cass were fighting for. He spoke about letting Cass pick him up and throw him at opponents and said he allowed it because he wanted to win.

Enzo questioned whether Cass’s size won them any championships. He also talked more about being thrown by Cass when they were teaming and then when Cass threw him out of the ring and out of his life. Enzo said he’s not out of Cass’s life. He said he got back to his feet like a man and made him finish the fight. Enzo had them set up footage of Big Show getting the better of Cass last week.

Enzo said Cass bounced a check and he sucks. He said that Cass folded like a lawn chair when the going got tough. Enzo was about to do the sawft routine when he was interrupted by Big Cass’s entrance music. Cass walked toward the broadcast table and said none of this would have happened it if wasn’t for Graves. Cass walked toward the ring and said Enzo is always running his mouth and he didn’t learn his lesson, so he was going to beat some sense into him.

Enzo asked Cass if he wanted to fight, then rolled to ringside once Cass entered the ring. Enzo hopped over the barricade and had a fan wearing his wig sit on his lap. Enzo said Cass was going to get punked, and once he was laying on his back he’d ask him how he was doing.

Big Show headed out. Cass went after Show as he tried to enter the ring, but Show ended up getting the better of Cass at ringside moments later. Cass fought back with punches. Show kicked Cass and ran him into the ring apron before bodyslamming him on the floor. Show rolled Cass inside the ring and slapped his chest. Cass recovered and pushed Show into the post twice. Cass worked over Show in the ring. Show had blood on the bridge of his nose. Cass kicked Show repeatedly. Enzo ran in and Cass ended up hitting him with a big boot…

Powell’s POV: Cass may want to run for the exits as Floyd Mayweather did when he broke Show’s nose. By the way, the big boot on Enzo looked pretty weak with Enzo ducking to avoid it.

[Q6] Backstage, Charly Caruso interviewed Roman Reigns, who said he is at his best when the stakes are at their highest. He said he’s going to beat Samoa Joe, then move on and beat Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Why? Because he’s the big dog around here and it’s his yard…

Cole hyped the Angle drama reveal for later in the show. Graves hyped Finn Balor vs. Elias Samson for after the break… [C] An ad hyped John Cena vs. Rusev for Battleground…

Powell’s POV: Speaking of Cena, why isn’t Cena’s status as a free agent considered big news on Raw? Shouldn’t they be touting the fact that Cena can now appear on their television show as well?

Backstage, Ambrose and Rollins bickered about what happened earlier in the show. Rollins was ready to leave, but Angle showed up and booked them in a match against any two members of the Miztourage. Ambrose suggested they face all three of them. Rollins agreed. Angle booked the match…

Elias Samson sat on a chair in the ring and did his pre-match bit. He said he had a long history in Nashville and claimed to have played the War Memorial a few times. The fans chanted “We Want Balor” as Samson was about to play. He asked them to keep their phones and applause down until he finished. Samson diddled on the guitar and then said the people of Nashville and the music couldn’t be much worse. Balor made his entrance… [C]

3. Finn Balor vs. Elias Samson. Cole told another BS story about Dusty Rhodes bailing Samson out of jail. Graves said Samson finishing his song would have been the worst thing to happen to Nashville since his Pittsburgh Penguins (you know he’s been sitting on that one all day).

[Q7] At 4:20, Balor performed a dropkick through the ropes and then followed up with a kick off the apron. Balor dropkicked Samson into the barricade. Samson stood up and smashed his guitar over the head of Balor for the DQ. They replayed the guitar shot several times while Cole said it was uncomfortable to watch. Trainers tended to Balor and wiped blood from his head…

Finn Balor beat Elias Samson by DQ in 5:05.

The trainers were helping Balor to his feet when a laughing Bray Wyatt appeared on the big screen. Balor stopped to watch the promo. Wyatt spoke about liking what he saw and how real people have feelings. He said he feels the need to put Balor in agony. He said he is not a myth unlike Balor. He said he’s the worst nightmare that Balor has ever had. He told Balor he will enjoy every part of it… [C]

Powell’s POV: Wait, does this mean Wyatt won his feud over Rollins and both guys are moving on? Wyatt won a feud! It’s a miracle! I believe the last feud he won was a long one over Dean Ambrose. Anyway, the guitar shot hit Balor on the side of his head. He appeared to have a scratch on the side of his head, but the blood was minimal or they were able to close the wound quickly. Perhaps Samson should swing by the Double J Compound while in Nashville to get a few tips on how to swing the guitar.

Backstage, Angle told someone by phone that he was anxious, but ready to do it. Sasha Banks and Bayley showed up and made their cases for getting title shots against Alexa Bliss. Angle said they both deserve a shot. He said he won’t decide, they will. Angle booked Bayley vs. Sasha for next week with the winner getting the title shot at SummerSlam…

Powell’s POV: For the love of all that is good and holy, do not give us another finish where the heel champion interferes in the contenders match and then acts dumbfounded when the general manager books a Triple Threat or a four-way.

[Q8] The broadcast team hyped the Battleground event and ran through some of the previously advertised matches…

The broadcast team recapped Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson beating the Hardy Boyz last week, and the Revival attacking the Hardys afterward…

Backstage, Caruso asked Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson why they attacked the Hardys. Wilder asked why would they not. He said they attacked them because they are the Hardy Boyz. Wilder said the Hardys acted like they were nobodies when they met, but now they will treat them with the respect they deserve. Dawson said the Hardys will care about The Revival. “Top guys out,” Dawson concluded…

Akira Tozawa and Titus O’Neil made their entrance… [C] Ariya Daivari was in the ring. The broadcast team noted that he looks up to wrestler Hassan Yazdani, who won a 2016 gold medal in freestyle wrestling. They showed a graphic for Yazdani on the big screen…

4. Akira Tozawa (w/Titus O’Neil) vs. Ariya Daivari. Daivari targeted the left shoulder of Tozawa. Late in the match, Daivari performed a running knee to the back of Tozawa and covered him for a two count. Daivari put the boots to Tozawa. O’Neil climbed onto the apron and yelled “stop it.” The ref called for the bell and Daivari was named the winner by ref stoppage. Tozawa looked surprised. Daivari took the house mic and apparently recalled dedicating the match to the Iranian gold medalist. Tozawa glared at O’Neil and left the ring. Titus chased him, and Tozawa said he never quit…

Ariya Daivari beat Akira Tozawa in 3:20.

Cole hyped Angle coming clean after the break… [C]

Powell’s POV: Please let this be the end of Titus Worldwide at least as far as Tozawa is concerned. I have no idea where the sudden obsession with Hassan Yazdani comes from. Is he developmental bound?

[Q9] Kurt Angle made his entrance and told the crowd that he’s a little nervous. He apologized to the fans for being a distraction over the last couple of months. Angle said every action has a consequence. He said he found out recently that an action earlier in his life had a consequence. He said his family and WWE are both supportive of what he’s about to say.

Angle said that he dated a woman in college and it wasn’t until recently that he found out she gave birth to a baby boy nine months after their last date. He said the boy was put up for adoption and raised by great parents who taught him great American values. He said the boy was a three sport athlete and was drafted to play professional baseball, but he chose to go to college and excelled in wrestling. Angle said the boy had plenty of options, but he chose to go to WWE to pursue his dream of becoming a WWE superstar.

Angle introduced “my son” Jason Jordan as the newest member of Raw. Angle got emotional as Jordon walked to the ring with a smile on his face. Angle and Jordan hugged in the middle of the ring. Cole questioned whether Graves knew about this all along. Graves said he’s known Jordan since his days in NXT and they became good friends. Graves said Jordan has confided in him and he appreciates his friendship…

Cole hyped the main event, and Graves hyped the Hardy Boyz vs. The Revival for after the break… [C]

Powell’s POV: I like the decision to go with Jordan, as either he or Chad Gable would have been good choices. However, this was too straight forward. It was quick and to the point, and the payoff of the duo embracing and nothing more was uneventful. Of course, there’s probably more to the story, but I actually wish they would have been creative in dragging out this segment, perhaps even with a one-off appearance by Dixie Carter or someone else from Angle’s past.

The broadcast team recapped the Angle angle. He said Jordan was once a part of American Alpha and is now a member of the Raw roster. He also hyped Angle and Jordan being interviewed on WWE Network after Raw tonight…

Powell’s POV: While the story can always change, it appears they are sending the message that Jordan is now a Raw wrestler while Chad Gable is staying on Smackdown. So was there a storyline trade between the brands or are they just moving Jordan to Raw without any further explanation?

5. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy vs. “The Revival” Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. The Hardys fought the Revival before the bell. Things settled down and the match started. Gallows and Anderson were shown watching the match on a backstage monitor.

[Q10] The Hardys cleared Dawson and Wilder from the ring heading into a break. [C] Late in the match, Jeff went up top for a Swanton, but illegal man Wilder tripped Jeff, and Dawson pinned him. Cole said he thought Jeff kicked out. Graves said the only thing that matters is the ref counted to three. Cole narrated the replay and ended up stating that Jeff was pinned…

The Revival beat The Hardy Boyz in 14:00.

Powell’s POV: Unfortunately, we are getting storms in the area and my DirecTV feed was knocked out for a good portion of the match following hte commercial break. The crowd was hot once I got the USA Network online feed up and running and I was able to see the finish, but I definitely missed several minutes. I will check it out via Youtube before I write the Hit List tomorrow. By the way, if I stop updating then just assume the power went out.

Backstage, Samoa Joe told Caruso that he proved to the world that he does not fear Lesnar. Joe said Reigns thinks he is an obstacle in his way to Lesnar, but he will find out that he is much more than that. Joe said Reigns was laid out and his hand was raised in victory the last two times they met. He guaranteed that the third time will be the charm…

The broadcast team hyped Balor vs. Samson in a No DQ match, Bayley vs. Banks for a title shot at SummerSlam, and Ambrose and Rollins vs. two members of Miztourage for next week’s Raw…

Ring entrances for the main event took place. Reigns entered to a mix of cheers while Cole told viewers there was a big fight feel in Nashville “because here comes the Big Dog.” Graves said he never bets against Reigns, but Joe has been nearly unstoppable lately. Joe made his entrance…

6. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe for a WWE Universal Title shot at SummerSlam. Reigns knocked Joe down. Joe rolled to ringside. Joe raced back to the ring only to take a punch from Reigns. Rinse and repeat heading into a break less than 90 seconds into the match.

[Q12] [C] Joe worked over Reigns with punches in the corner coming out of the break. Reigns rolled up Joe for a two count, but Joe got up and knocked him down with an elbow and got a two count of his own. Joe wore down Reigns, who then threw punches at Joe before knocking him down with a pair of clotheslines and then a running clothesline for a two count at 9:50. [C]

Reigns performed a Samoan Drop on Joe for a two count at 16:10. Reigns went for a punch, but Joe caught him with an inverted atomic drop and ended up putting him down and then performing a running senton for a two count. Reigns came back with a Superman Punch.

[Overrun] Braun Strowman’s music played and he headed to the ring with his elbow wrapped. Strowman pulled Joe from the ring and then looked down as Joe was lying on the floor. Strowman turned his attention to Reigns, who was still down in the ring. Strowman tried to climb over the top rope, but Reigns hit him with an uppercut. Strowman battled back and shoved Reigns into the barricade, then tossed him through the ropes and inside the ring.

Joe got back to his feet and traded punches with Strowman at ringside. Strowman pulled in Joe for a short-arm clothesline. Reigns caught Strowman going over the ropes again, but Strowman grabbed him by the throat. Joe got back in the ring and put Strowman in the Coquina Clutch. Reigns charged at them, but Strowman gave him a big boot.

Reigns regrouped and performed a Superman Punch that broke the hold. Reigns went for a Superman Punch, but Strowman caught him and drove him into the mat. Strowman picked up Joe and power slammed him. Strowman picked up Reigns and gave him a power slam as well. Strowman teased leaving and then grabbed Reigns by the hair. Security ran out and tried to talk Strowman down. Strowman blew them off and power slammed Reigns again. Strowman stood up and let out a war cry before leaving the ring…

Samoa Joe fought Roman Reigns to an apparent no-contest in 20:00.

Powell’s POV: Stick with me for some updates on the Angle and Jordan interview that they are airing on WWE Network.

Renee Young interviewed Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan backstage at Raw in a segment that aired exclusively on WWE Network. Angle said he would have a ruling on the WWE Universal Championship match next week, but he was overwhelmed to be sitting by his son. Jordan spoke about being grateful for his run on Smackdown and for the live and support that his parents have shown him. Jordan said it’s been an amazing night and he’s excited.

Young asked him to take her back to when he found out he was adopted. Jordan said he found out when he graduated college and he was shocked. Jordan said everything eventually made sense and it’s been an amazing ride. He spoke again about how much his parents have supported him. He said he’s always wondered where his athletic ability came from and he knew it wasn’t from his parents because they were not the most athletically gifted. Jordan said it’s been in his blood all along. Angle laughed and rubbed his head.

Jordan said he wanted to know more about his biological parents, but at the same time he did not. He said his parents were supportive and he decided he needed to find out. He said he hired a private investigator who tracked down his birth mother. Jordan said it was a difficult conversation for both of them. He said it was tough for his biological mother to go back and think about a decision she made 28 years ago. He said he wanted her to know he’s had a fulfilling life. He said he was shocked and excited when he found out that Angle is his father.

Kurt said he and Jason need to get to know each other more. Kurt said they just came together tonight. Angle said he wants to make sure Jordan doesn’t make the same mistakes he made, and he just wants to be a father to him. Jordan said he got to WWE on his own and he’s not looking for preferential treatment. Jordan said he got there on his own. Angle gushed about Jordan having “The 3 I’s.” Renee said there’s a shocking resemblance between them. Angle said he knows and said Jordan is a good looking kid. Jordan said he’ll never become an Olympic gold medalist like Kurt, but one day he will become a WWE champion.

Young asked if Kurt has reached out to the biological mother. Angle said she is a very private person. He said they spoke briefly on the phone and that’s good enough for him. Angle said he was nervous the fans would go the opposite way, but it worked out. Jordan said he was also nervous, but he’s happy they did it. Angle said he doesn’t want Jordan or his other five kids to make the mistakes he made. Angle said he has a second chance at a career and a second chance at being a father. Angle cut off Young from asking a question, saying he wants to get to know his son better. Young said she completely understands…

Powell’s POV: The USA Network website feed was jumpy during the main event, so it’s possible I missed an official ruling on this one, but I believe it was simply a no-contest that was not acknowledged. The match was entertaining, though it did seem like they were hellbent on making Reigns look good first and foremost. The post match angle was great and we’re not left wondering whether SummerSlam will be a singles match, a Triple Threat, or even a Fatal 4-Way.

Overall, the show will be remembered for a flat reveal of Jason Jordan of the Kurt Angle mystery. While there’s no changing the fan reaction to the initial angle, it will be interesting to see if they have big plans for this angle going forward. The unfortunate part about the reveal is that they didn’t set up anything for fans to be excited about. Angle said the company is cool with it, and it’s not like Jordan has a rival or there’s any sign that Jordan is conning Angle. Hopefully they have something beyond the payoff in mind, but there was no sign of that on the network interview either. I will have more to say in my member exclusive audio review late tonight. Be sure to check out Wade Keller’s new podcast at Podcast One tomorrow, as he and I will be recording his first edition momentarily.