Match Ratings For WWE Raw 6/18/18, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

THE NIGHT THAT WRESTLING WAS REVIVED II

• Alexa Bliss is brought out and we’re told Nia Jax isn’t there because she’s rehabbing in Birmingham, but she’ll get her rematch at Extreme Rules. Ah great mangggggggg, rematch clause. Brilliant.
• Alexa Bliss now has more title reigns than Fabulous Moolah. Alexa is better.
• Ronda Rousey comes out and she’s pissed off.
• Alexa says everything she did last night was perfectly legal. Actually, what Alexa Bliss did in the Rousey/Nia Jax match wasn’t legal…..which is why there was a DQ.
• Rousey gets tired of Alexa and attacks. Kurt Angle tries to restrain her but Rousey hits an arm throw and punches Bliss in the ribs. She beats the shit out of Kurt Angle with the briefcase and Jacknifes Bliss through a table.
• Rousey beat up a bunch of refs too.
• Rousey hitting those Oz/Vinnie Vegas/Diesel powerbombs. She’s going off backstage on Angle, who kicks her out.
• It’s revealed that she’s suspended for 30 days, but she says she’s coming back then and kicking Alexa Bliss’ ass.

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Dolph Ziggler (w/ Drew McIntyre) defeated Seth Rollins (c)
5.75/10

• Seth Rollins makes an IC title open challenged, answering is Dolph Ziggler.
• Nothing much happens before the first commercial, but as we come back Ziggler is catapulted into the post. Ziggler takes that catapult into the post better than anyone. Rollins also gets a Slingblade and a suicide dive.
• Rollins gets a Ripcord Knee, but misses a Stomp and eats a Fameasser. 
• Rollins counters a superkick with two of his own. A struggle leads to a buckle bomb. McIntyre distraction leads to a couple of roll up pins. Ziggler wins! He’s a 6-time IC champion.
• Ziggler and Drew beat him down. 
• These two will have a rematch next week. Rollins losing the IC title is a very, very good thing, but I wish it were to Elias. 
• Backstage, Ziggler says that Monday Night Rollins is canceled, and no crying online is going to get it revived.
• Later, Rollins says McIntyre is a problem he has a week to solve, because he’s going after his rematch next week.

Bobby Roode defeated Curt Hawkins

• Boreious.
• GREAT Glorious DDT. Hawkins took that awesome. He came out aggressive, but lost again.
• Short and painless, honestly.

Braun and KO

• Braun Strowman mentions his accomplishments, and he’s interrupted by Kevin Owens.
• Kevin Owens congratulates Braun Strowman and says he deserves it. Owens even sells injuries walking up the stairs.
• KO says that nobody is around to watch Braun’s back now, even though he’s never needed it, and now he does. Owens says that he’ll do that and if Strowman wins the title they can have a match for it.
• Braun Strowman shakes Kevin Owens’ hand, but holds on to it. Strowman tries to powerslam KO, but he escapes. 

Deleter Of Worlds defeated Heath Slater & Rhyno
4.75/10

• Curtis Axel shows up on the Titantron as Matt Hardy. BO DALLAS AS BRAY WYATT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bray couldn’t keep a straight face. They have a battery operated lantern.
• Heath and Rhyno get a little bit of offense in, but Bray runs over Heath. I don’t know what this 50/50 match does for Bray and Matt Hardy, because this division is built badly.
• Kiss of Deletion wins it.

Jinder Mahal (w/ Sunil Singh) defeated Chad Gable
5.5/10

• Jinder Mahal cuts a promo about optimism, but gets his ass kicked pretty early with some nice slams from Gable.
• Ye olden CHINLOCK 40 seconds in. Mahal gets dropped on his back pretty high by Gable, maybe come in at a different angle.
• Gable hits the moonsault, but Jinder yanks Gable into the ropes, hits a boot and Khallas.
• WWE use that “pull you into the ropes by your arm” thing as a cheap tactic a lot. But it’s not really.

The Riott Squad (w/ Ruby Riott) defeated Sasha Banks & Bayley
5/10

• Bayley tries to console Sasha Banks backstage. They match, and match Sasha’s hair. Sasha is standoffish, but Bayley is trying to mend the fences.  
• How does Ronda Rousey — on this same show — get suspended, and The Riott Squad go unpunished for tearing up a bunch of shit? That doesn’t make a lot of sense.
• It’s cleared up. Uncle’s Tater farm! Sasha tags herself in, and Bayley doesn’t like it. There’s some friction, and Sasha begrudgingly helps Bayley. She’s all over the place with these emotions so far. 
• Bayley eats a spinebuster when trying to make a tag, but Sasha eventually gets the tag anyway and takes Liv out with Meteora. Logan lands a cheap shot and Liv rolls up Sasha for the win. 
• Sasha shoves down Bayley. Backstage, they brawl. 
• Later, Sasha drives off, and says Bayley isn’t her friend. Bayley throws a water bottle at Sasha’s car.

Bobby Lashley & Roman Reigns defeated The Revival
5.75/10

• Kurt Angle gets a call from Stephanie McMahon, with Constable Corbin smirking along.
• Baron Corbin is so good in this Constable role. Angle says he’s making big announcements tonight.
• Angle says they’ve decided when Brock Lesnar will defend his title next.  
• Roman Reigns wants his shot, but Bobby Lashley wants his. They’re both entered into a multi-man match at Extreme Rules. 
• The Revival come out and cut a promo.
• Roman Reigns was really good here. 
• This is a one-upping pissing contest between Lashley and Reigns, and it’s fun. The Revival are the better team, but Reigns and Lashley are the better individuals. The Revival distract Reigns and chop block Lashley. 
• I like the story of Revival as a unit using their experience to exploit the pissing contest between Lashley and Reigns.
• Coach blows the lid off of kayfabe all the time, and keeps getting shit on for it ON THE BROADCAST.
• Reigns has been using that guillotine legdrop the last couple of nights.
• Two big Superman punches, although the first one almost led to Reigns being pinned. Lashley tags himself in and spears Wilder for the win. 

Mojo Rawley defeated No Way Jose

• Commentators speculate that Mojo has a “missing puzzle piece.”
• He works over Jose, but runs into a couple of boots. The crowd is dead. Big punch and fireman’s carry facecrusher. 
• This was too short to rate. Mojo is yellow. He cuts a promo about staying focused. He should focus on getting more than a few moves, because he won’t work out otherwise.

Other stuffs

• Backstage Finn Balor and Kevin Owens argue, and a match is set up for Corbin & Owens against Balor & Strowman.
• Elias sings a great song. He wants in the Extreme Rules match.

Constable Corbin & Kevin Owens defeated Finn Balor & Braun Strowman
6/10

• Constable Corbin is still wearing his business attire. He and Owens have Balor thrown on them by Strowman.
• Why is Owens wrestling tonight after that fall? Keep him out of the ring for a week. This is Corbin’s first match in a month.
• Corbin cuts off a Balor springboard with a punch, and hits a great Deep Six. 
• Owens misses a senton and sells it hard. 
• Strowman is in full Hogan tag mode on the apron. He runs in, squashes Corbin and throws Balor across the ring to tag him. 
• Corbin leaps off the apron and takes out Strowman. This has been a real showcase night for Constable Corbin.
• A double foot stomp from Balor to Constable leaves both down, and Strowman to knock Owens through the barricade.
• Balor DDTs Corbin, but walks into End of Days. Constable wins!