By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,428)
Live from Orlando, Florida at Amway Center
Aired October 5, 2020 on USA Network
[Hour One] ThunderDome went into full effect and then the broadcast team of Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, and Samoa Joe checked in and hyped the previously advertised match and segment…
Backstage, Randy Orton said he didn’t leave Clash of Champions with the WWE Championship. Still shots aired from the pay-per-view while Orton said he remembered being attacked by the various legends and being placed into the ambulance by Drew McIntyre.
Orton said it made him sick to see McIntyre hold up a title belt that he didn’t deserve to hold on last week’s Raw. He recalled the legends playing poker. Orton said that for every action there’s a reaction. And with the actions that Big Show, Shawn Michaels, Christian, and Ric Flair took at Clash of Champions, he reacted in the form of a much needed reintroductions to the Legend Killer.
Orton said he needed each of the legends to feel exactly how he did and to feel the pain that he did. Orton walked through what happened when he put his night goggles on and attacked the legends in the dark last week. He said the debt won’t be paid in full until he is the WWE Champion.
“This isn’t over until I say it’s over,” Orton said. He recalled saying that McIntyre still has hell to pay. Orton said he was talking to McIntyre. He said McIntyre tells everyone he wants to cement his legacy. He said that legacy will be waiting for him if he survives one more championship match with him inside Hell in a Cell.
Drew McIntyre barged into the room where Orton was speaking and attacked him. McIntyre threw punches at Orton while asking him what he knows about hell. Adam Pearce, other producers, and some referees pulled McIntyre off. Orton scooted out the door past the sign on the door that listed as the Legend’s Lounge…
Powell’s POV: A well delivered promo by Orton with the expected result of him challenging McIntyre to a Hell in a Cell match.
1. Asuka, Mandy Rose, and Dana Brooke vs. Zelina Vega, Natalya, and Lana. Vega’s entrance was not televised. Late in the match, Asuka took an elbow from Lana that sent her into her corner where Rose tagged in. Lana ducked a Hip Attack from Asuka, who followed up with a clunky elbow. Rose ran over and caught Lana with a knee to the head and pinned her.
Asuka, Mandy Rose, and Dana Brooke beat Zelina Vega, Natalya, and Lana in 4:50.
After the match, Natalya was checking on Lana when Nia Jax’s entrance music played. Jax and Shayna Baszler headed to the ring, causing Vega to sneak away. Jax headbutted Natalya, then Baszler took the broadcast table apart. Jax tried to put Natalya through the table, but Lana stopped her. Jax grabbed Lana and put her through the table with a Samoan Drop…
Powell’s POV: Natalya’s husband didn’t go on television and tell Vince McMahon to kiss his ass. Lana did and that the third table bump she has taken since then. Did she ever take a previous table bump?
A WWE Draft ad aired… Backstage, R-Truth unveiled a partial mock draft with Little Jimmy (imaginary friend) being moved to Smackdown. A masked janitor was mopping the floor behind Truth. The janitor swung a mop at Truth, who ducked it. Truth ran and then slipped on the wet floor while saying that Randy Orton wouldn’t get him. The masked janitor pinned him, then revealed himself to be Drew Gulak, the new WWE 24/7 Champion…
Powell’s POV: I wouldn’t be surprised if the Houston Texans’ draft board looked very similar to R-Truth’s mock draft board before Bill O’Brien was fired earlier today.
Footage aired of last week’s segments involving The Hurt Business, Mustafa Ali, Ricochet, and Apollo Crews…
Backstage, Ali was talking with Ricochet and Crews when MVP approached them. MVP brought up the draft and gave them a one night only invitation to join Hurt Business. He said Cedric Alexander turned him down a few times too. After everyone else walked away, Ricochet looked like he was considering the offer…
Seth Rollins and Murphy made their entrance for a tag team match… [C] A video package recapped the recent Rollins and Mysterio family drama…
Rollins and Murphy stood in the ring. Rollins held his hand open waiting for Murphy to pass him the mic. Rollins got upset with Murphy and said they’d talked about it earlier. Murphy said he’s done everything that Rollins has asked him to do. Murphy told Rollins that he wants him to apologize to Aliyah.
Rollins got pissed and ripped the mic away. He said he saved Murphy. He also said he could have put out all of the DMs with Aliyah sharing her true feelings. Rollins reminded Murphy that he is the disciple while Rollins is the messiah.
Dominik Mysterio and Humberto Carrillo ran out and cleared Rollins and Murphy from the ring. Mysterio and Carrillo performed dives onto Rollins and Murphy at ringside heading into a break. [C]
2. Seth Rollins and Murphy vs. Dominik Mysterio and Humberto Carrillo. The match was joined in progress. Murphy tagged himself into the match and tried to cover Mysterio, but Rollins stopped him. Rollins told Murphy that he didn’t need him. Carrillo tagged in and dove onto Rollins and Murphy.
The bickering between Rollins and Murphy continued a short time later and Carrillo performed another dive onto them at ringside. Back inside the ring, Carrillo dove from the top rope at Murphy, who caught him with a knee to the head and pinned him to win the match.
Seth Rollins and Murphy defeated Dominik Mysterio and Humberto Carrillo.
After the match, Murphy walked to the back without Rollins, who was upset about it at ringside. Rollins stormed to the back.
Powell’s POV: The bickering between Rollins and Murphy is intriguing. But they have to know that Murphy does look a little creepy for being a 32 year-old dude who is texting a 19 year-old.
Backstage, “WWE Official” Adam Pearce was shown talking on the phone. “That all depends,” Pearce said. “I see that.” Braun Strowman showed up and said he knew Raw Underground wasn’t happening, but Pearce could either find him a match or he could go to the locker room and wreck it. Pearce said Strowman is not a Raw wrestler, but he could give him an exhibition match. Strowman agreed to it. After Strowman walked away, Keith Lee approached Pearce. “Sign me up,” Lee said…
Kevin Owens made his entrance… [C]
Powell’s POV: I guess Strowman didn’t get the brand to brand invitation that Drew Gulak and Bray Wyatt apparently did?
Backstage, Rollins barked at Murphy that he apologized for nothing. Rollins said everything he does is for the greater good. Rollins said he thinks Murphy needs to apologize to him. Rollins demanded an apology by the top of the next hour and told Murphy to come find him…
Kevin Owens cut off ring announcer Mike Rome from introducing him. Owens said this episode of the KO Show had a different feel. He spoke about how you really do change once The Fiend touches you. Owens said they wouldn’t need the chairs and then tossed them to ringside.
[Hour Two] Footage aired from Smackdown of Alexa Bliss’s appearance on the KO Show, and The Fiend attacking Owens. Back live, Owens said he was paralyzed when the Fiend attacked him. He said he wasn’t sure why the dark, tortured souls had a problem with him. Owens mentioned The Fiend and Aleister Black, then wondered if The Brood or the Ministry of Darkness would be next.
Owens called out Wyatt. The Firefly Funhouse opening played on the big screen. “Hi, Monday Night Raw,” Wyatt said from the Funhouse set. Wyatt said it was nice of Owens to have him on his show. He said that’s what friends do and Owens is his new friend. He spoke about tossing the ball, finger painting, or burying a body in the woods with friends.
Wyatt said he wrote a song about friendship. Wyatt sang and got some help from his puppets. Mercy the Buzzard at Ramblin’ Rabbit. Owens said he would not sing along because it’s the only thing worse than watching Wyatt’s “demented Mr. Rogers reboot.” Owens called out Wyatt, who said he doesn’t like bullies and neither does He.
Wyatt got serious and told Owens that he has no idea what he’s gotten himself into, but on Friday’s Smackdown he will know. Wyatt snapped back into happy mode and told Owens to consider it a warning because that’s what friends are for. The Funhouse music played Wyatt off. Owens said that if Wyatt wasn’t coming for him, then he was coming for Wyatt.
Owens left the ring and headed up the ramp, but Aleister Black attacked him from behind. Black hit Owens with a Black Mass kick. Black sat crosslegged next to the fallen Owens on the stage… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good segment with a strong performance from Wyatt. It also served as a nice tease for Smackdown. It will be interesting to see if the Wyatt and Black characters are aligned or if they both just dislike Owens.
Charly Caruso stood on the backstage ring set and interviewed Drew McIntyre, who accepted Orton’s challenge to the Hell in a Cell match. McIntyre asked Randy what the hell is wrong with him. McIntyre said there’s nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. McIntyre said he’s not locked inside the cell with Orton, Orton is locked inside the cell with him and he will send him straight to hell…
The broadcast team spoke about McIntyre vs. Orton…
3. Braun Strowman vs. Keith Lee in an exhibition match. Strowman dropkicked Lee, who rolled to ringside. Strowman followed and charged Lee, who kicked him. Strowman threw Lee into the ring steps. The referee counted out both men.
Braun Strowman fought Keith Lee to a double count-out in 1:15.
Strowman called the referee a moron for counting him out, then told him to watch. Strowman charged Lee and drove him through the ringside barricade with a shoulder block. Strowman went to the ramp where referees and producers tried to keep him calm. Lee stood up. Strowman went back to ringside. Lee dove off the steps at Strowman. Lee threw Strowman into an LED board on the stage. Lee pushed the producers out of the way and then charged at Strowman, causing both men to fall off the stage through some tables below…
Powell’s POV: This was like a couple of giant movie monsters going at it. I have no idea why WWE felt the need to do this tonight, but they really should have advertised it in advance. The count-out finish would not have been pleasing, but they did enough afterward that they could have advertised it without pissing off the masses with a cheap finish. If nothing else, labeling this as an exhibition match means the company can bill their next match as their first sanctioned match.
The latest EST video aired. Bianca Belair was was playing a game with three friends. She got all the questions right and the other women were left annoyed by her dominance…
Drew Gulak took cover behind a trashcan and spoke about putting the title in his book. R-Truth and a referee stood up in the trashcan behind him, which caused Gulak to scurry into another trashcan, which Akira Tozawa was inside of. Truth backdropped Gulak into the first trashcan, then dove in. Tozawa stood up and dove inside the can too. The referee made a three count even though no one else could see what was happening. R-Truth stood up with WWE 24/7 Championship and left the building…
The Hurt Business made their entrance… [C]
Powell’s POV: I vote for moving the 24/7 Title to WWE Main Event in the draft so that most of us will never see it again.
A graphic touted the WWE Draft and noted that over 80 wrestlers are eligible to be drafted…
MVP delivered a promo while Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin stood next to him. MVP spoke about Apollo Crews, Ricochet, and Mustafa Ali, and said they never would have won last week without interference from Retribution. MVP said Retribution can wear their masks and try to scare people, but The Hurt Business is what nightmares are made of.
Crews, Ricochet, and Ali made their entrance. Ali accused MVP of making excuses. He said MVP lost last week because he pushed him and he pushed back. Ricochet interrupted Crews. Ricochet said he knew they had until the end of the night to take up MVP on his offer, but he didn’t want to keep him waiting. “It’s a pass,” Ricochet said while laughing.
MVP said they were about to find themselves on the business end of some hurt. Ricochet said it’s been that way for two months and he didn’t run then and he wasn’t running now. MVP told Lashley and Benjamin to punish their opponents, particularly Ricochet…
4. Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin (w/MVP) vs. Ricochet and Apollo Crews (w/Mustafa Ali). A graphic appeared on the screen with a clock counting down that Murphy had roughly 22 minutes to apologize to Seth Rollins. The babyface duo cleared the heels from the ring heading into a break. [C]
Lashley held Ricochet in the ropes so that MVP could jaw at him. Ricochet took a swipe at MVP, then ate a Flatliner from MVP. Later, Crews and Benjamin checked in. Crews hit a standing moonsault and went for the pin, but Lashley broke it up.
Ricochet hit Lashley with a couple of superkicks, but Lashley slammed him to the mat. Benjamin suplexed Crews, then tagged in Lashley. Crews avoided a spear from Lashley, who came right back with a one-handed slam. Lashley applied The Hurt Lock for the win…
Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin defeated Ricochet and Apollo Crews in 9:45.
Powell’s POV: They couldn’t even shake it up by having Ricochet submit to the Full Nelson this time. Here’s hoping the draft will put this feud out of its misery.
Aliyah and Murphy met up backstage. She said she was waiting to talk to him all night. Murphy said he just wanted Rollins to apologize. She asked if he was still considering apologizing to Rollins. Murphy said he didn’t know and then walked away…
A WWE Community video aired… [C] A WWE Draft ad aired for Friday’s Smackdown and next week’s Raw…
The Hurt Business was walking backstage when Mustafa Ali approached them. MVP said he must be out of his mind to approach them by himself. Ali told MVP to bring both of his goons with him when they meet later in the show…
Seth Rollins made his entrance while Phillips noted that the deadline for the Murphy apology was just minutes away. Rollins said he was awaiting Murphy’s apology. Murphy made his entrance and joined Rollins in the ring. Rollins said Murphy had a full hour to think it over and it should be very easy for him to apologize so that they could move forward.
Murphy stood with his hands folded. Rollins encouraged him to apologize. Rollins told Murphy not to go down this road because he’s seen firsthand what happens to people who stand in the way of the greater good.
Rollins said he plucked Murphy from obscurity and changed his career. “All you have to do is apologize, Murphy,” Rollins said three times. “This shouldn’t be that difficult.” Rollins grabbed Murphy by the beard and ordered him to apologize. “I made you,” Rollins said. “I made you and I can break you.”
[Hour Three] Murphy tackled Rollins and they traded punches. They got to their feet and Murphy caught Rollins with a kick. They ended up at ringside and continued to trade punches. Murphy ran Rollins into the ring apron.
Rollins pulled a kendo stick out from under the ring. Murphy dodged the kendo stick swing, then took it and worked over Rollins with it. They rolled back inside the ring. Murphy hit Rollins with the stick and told him to apologize. Rollins asked Murphy to stop. “Aliyah, wherever you are…” Murphy told him to hurry up, then hit him again. Rollins apologized and said he didn’t mean to bring her into this.
Rollins continued to apologize. Murphy dropped the kendo stick. Rollins sprang to his feet and gouged the eyes of Murphy. Rollins got the kendo stick and beat Murphy with it repeatedly until it broke. Rollins grabbed a chair from ringside.
Aliyah was in the ring and covered up Murphy while telling Rollins to stop. Dominik Mysterio ran out and joined his sister in the ring while Rollins rolled to ringside. Rey and Angie Mysterio came out and joined their kids in the ring. Rollins headed up the ramp. Dom wasn’t happy with Aliyah’s relationship with Murphy.
As the Mysterio family was leaving the ring together, Rollins was shown smiling while standing backstage watching them on a monitor. Dom asked Aliyah what she was thinking and told her to stop looking back at Murphy…
Powell’s POV: Can we send the kendo stick to WWE Main Event in the draft too?
Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax were shown talking backstage while Saxton hyped the WWE Women’s Tag Title match… [C] The broadcast team recapped the previous angle…
5. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax vs. Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Mike Rome delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Baszler bent Riott’s left arm and then stomped on it. Jax roughed up Riott at ringside heading into a break. [C]
Jax had Morgan down. Jax asked Baszler if she was sure she wanted to tag in. Baszler said she was. Baszler missed a knee in the corner, then Morgan was able to get to her corner to tag in Riott. The challengers took turns working over Baszler. They set up for their finisher, but Jax ran in and broke it up. Baszler blasted Riott with a knee to the head and then applied the Kirifuda Clutch. Jax stopped Morgan from breaking it up, and Baszler got the submission win for her team.
Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax defeated Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan in 10:20 to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.
After the match, Phillips made a fuss over Morgan being forced to watch as Riott tapped. Morgan was emotional as she checked on her partner…
Backstage, The Street Profits delivered a promo about the six-man tag match. They complained about what Randy Orton did to the legends a week earlier. They still want the smoke. Drew McIntyre showed up and they walked through the backstage area together while Phillips hyped the main event… [C]
Phillips hyped the return of Miz and Mrs. for Thursday, November 12 on USA Network…
6. Mustafa Ali vs. MVP (w/Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin). Joe reminded viewers that MVP offered one Hurt Business slot to Ali, Ricochet, and Apollo Crews. Joe said the offer had to be accepted by the end of the night and the night was not over with.
A couple minutes into the match, MVP, Lashley, and Benjamin all entered the ring and approached Ali. The lights flickered.
Mustafa Ali fought MVP to an apparent no-contest.
The Retribution members showed up. MVP asked Ali if he was with them. Ali stood with Hurt Business, then went to ringside and confronted T-Bar and Mace. “Get ’em,” Ali told the Retribution members, who then attacked Hurt Business and left them lying. Joe wondered how long Ali had been with Retribution. Ali stood in the ring and then the Retribution members joined him. Ali held up his hand and made a fist, and then they cut to a break… [C]
Powell’s POV: I want to be happy for the underutilized Ali, but it’s hard to feel good for anyone involved with the mess that is the Retribution faction. Does anyone else find it strange that the former police officer is apparently the leader of WWE Antifa?
An ad for Raw talk hyped guests Asuka, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Robert Roode, and Dolph Ziggler as the guests…
The broadcast team spoke about the previous angle. Saxton said Ali has been behind Retribution all along… A WWE Draft video package aired… Entrances for the main event took place…
Powell’s POV: I pressed the mute button. Dolph Ziggler’s shitty entrance theme has never sounded better.
7. Drew McIntyre and “The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins vs. Randy Orton, Robert Roode, and Dolph Ziggler. The babyfaces jumped out to a quick start heading into the final break. [C]
Ford was isolated by the heel trio. Orton slammed him onto the broadcast table, then brought him back to the ring and taunted McIntyre. Dawkins eventually tagged in. Ziggler put Dawkins down with a DDT. Orton tagged into the match and performed a draping DDT.
Orton struck the Viper’s Pose. Dawkins pushed off Orton’s RKO attempt, then performed a spinebuster. Ford tagged in and performed a top rope frogsplash on Orton and had him pinned, but Roode and Ziggler broke up the pin.
McIntyre made a blind tag. Ziggler hit a Fameasser on Ford. McIntyre took out Ziggler with a Claymore Kick. McIntyre set up for another on Orton, but Roode returned. McIntyre took out Roode with a Claymore, then Orton hit the RKO on McIntyre and pinned him…
Randy Orton, Robert Roode, and Dolph Ziggler defeated Drew McIntyre, Montez Ford, and Angelo Dawkins in 10:20.
Powell’s POV: Creative has protected McIntyre throughout his title reign, so it actually did feel like it meant something when Orton pinned him to win this match. Overall, Raw was all over the place with some decent moments, some feuds that feel like they may never end, and the odd reveal of Ali as the Retribution leader. I will have a lot more to say about this episode in my same night audio review for Dot Net Members. Let me know what you thought of the show taking part in our post Raw poll available via the main page.
I would LOVE to see Black and Owens come to Smackdown. That could be a great program, especially if Cross teams up with Owens…
Ali had originally been booked to win the WWE championship eventually won by Kofi Kingston, but lost that opportunity when he was injured in an Elimination Chamber match two years ago. I assume that will be the storyline source of his bitterness towards WWE (and that may be based on real life bitterness over that situation). The problem I see is Ali has not been presented as a charismatic personality whom would be a natural leader of any faction or group, much less an alleged anti-authority group like Retribution.
The angle that he was a Chicago police officer could be used as an additional source of his motivation, and Retribution’s motivation as well, in that playing within the system does not work when the system itself is corrupt, hence the need for a DIY counter-force to promote change. Of course, that is probably too esoteric for a WWE storyline, so Vince is probably just trying to promote his vision of real world events in a simplistic manner, and does not care about the inconsistency of an ex-cop leading a group portrayed as outlaws.
Your remarks about zigglers music are twice as lame as the actual theme music.
I don’t get why Orton and Macintyre are having a rubber match at Hell In A Cell when Macintyre has won every single encounter that the two have had over the WWE Championship. He’s not only defeated Orton, he’s pretty much dominated him so booking the two in yet another main event match for the WWE Championship doesn’t make a lot of sense.