WWE Raw Match Ratings, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp For 6/25/18

Opening Segment

• R.I.P Big Van Vader.
• Kurt Angle and Constable Corbin out, and Corbin makes Jojo give him a custom intro.
• Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley both interrupt, and Bobby Lashley says Reigns needs to move on from Brock Lesnar because he had three years to beat him and couldn’t. 
• Bobby Lashley is 15-2 as an MMA fighter and likely made millions off of that career. This is one of Reigns’ more insufferable promos since the Undertaker feud. He says that ten years ago Lashley quit and “moved on.” I can’t express my disdain with this promo any more. This was a shitty, stupid line and shows the lack of understanding of MMA from whoever wrote it. 
• Lashley says he has the “legit” tools to beat Lesnar. Is everyone else “not legit” on this show? It’s NOT REAL.
• Angle says Heyman expressed his displeasure, and a contractual issue is preventing the big Extreme Rules match
• The Revival come out and want another crack, because they didn’t think the two egos could overcome them. The match is made.

The Revival defeated Roman Reigns & Bobby Lashley
6/10

• Bobby Lashley gets worked over, then Reigns does.
• Lashley gets the hot tag and goes crazy. A great series of suplexes leads to him getting read to finish of Dash.
• Reigns tags himself in as Lashley takes a step back to allow Roman Reigns to spear Scott Dawson.
• Dash Wilder rolls up Roman Reigns for the pin, and the crowd goes crazy.
• Bobby Lashley is not happy in the ring. His music goes off for some reason. Why is he posing and celebrating? The dude lost. 

Curtis Axel (w/ Bo Dallas) defeated Matt Hardy (w/ Bray Wyatt)

• The B-Team clown Deleter of Worlds again, with Bo Dallas saying they’ll walk into a B-HIVE. Smoke from the vignettes chokes them up. 
• Axel reverses a Superplex and gets a win really quickly. That looked really nasty. This was like a minute long.
• Deleter of Worlds intimidate B-Team and they run off after.

Authors of Pain destroy Jobbers

• Authors of Pain push a stagehand, and get confronted by Titus Worldwide, who ask for them to show the roster respect.
• These are some spectacular jobbers. Rezar front slams one on the apron, and Akam ALMOST KILLS ONE with a Death Valley Driver to the corner.
• The Last Chapter is still a lame finish. AOP win. 
• They beat down the Jobberskis. OOOOOH, using the half nelson to open up knees. I love it.
• Titus Worldwide come and run AOP off. Why the shit are AOP afraid of them?

Natalya (w/ Nia Jax) defeated Alexa Bliss (w/ Mickie James)
5/10

• I forgot if I’m supposed to be confused about Mickie and Alexa’s friendship or not. They cut promos on Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax and try to stop the “what” chants, although less 
• “Ronda Rousey is my training partner” is the new “She’s a Hart!” I liked Alexa’s line about Ronda Rousey being able to count backwards from 30.
• Natalya has a match with Alexa Bliss, and has Nia Jax with her. The lack of direction for Nia and Mickie, with Alexa Bliss as the centerpiece is really frustrating.
• There’s some play with a guillotine choke, which I’m a fan of. Eventually, Natalya turns it into a nice Michinoku Driver, which is really the highlight of this match.
• Why doesn’t Alexa throw that punch every time if it’s so effective? This is where closed fists punches being “illegal” could work better now than when they actually enforced it back in the day. Everyone has seen the impact of such in hundreds of UFC fights.
• Nia Jax grabs Alexa Bliss’ foot, and Natalya gets the submission win.

Riott Squad defeated Sasha Banks, Bayley & Ember Moon

• Why did they show photos of the Bayley/Sasha thing instead of video!? Bayley is shown talking to Alicia Fox, and Kurt Angle says Bayley has to team with Sasha again. Bayley isn’t happy about it. 
• The Riott Squad tear up a camera that is taking pictures of Jinder Mahal backstage, and he remains calm. I kind of enjoyed this. 
• Ember Moon is so smooth, and Liv Morgan works well with her here. Then Ember kills Logan, before being huracanrana’d by Liv.
• Ruby Riott rolls up Sasha Banks and Bayley kicks Sasha’s ass. 
• Bayley stomps a damn mudhole in Sasha. This gets a great reaction and Bayley seems right at home kicking the shit out of Sasha.
• Bayley grabs Sasha from in the ring and slings Sasha and throws her into the stairs. This was a GREAT beat down.
• Kurt Angle says Bayley has to go to counseling next week or she’s fired. Here for the people who make excuses for gaps in logic to explain why Bayley would have to go to “counseling” but the Riott Squad tear up company equipment and don’t. They should be in the segment next week and just be like “Oh yeah, Kurt makes us come here every week.”

OTHER STUFF

• They have No Way Jose’s music playing for six goddamn minutes. Mojo won’t wrestle Jose because his conga line and Jose haven’t earned the right to be there. Todd the Cheeseburger gets harassed by Mojo, but the crowd is behind him and chants for him. Mojo punches Jose.

Braun Strowman & Kevin Owens defeated Baron Corbin and Finn Balor
5.75/10

• Backstage, Constable Corbin makes fun of Finn Balor for being short, and Balor makes fun of Corbin’s clothes. Braun Strowman shows up and wants a shot to make things up to Kevin Owens. This is a pretty good backstage segment. 
• Owens shows up later and says he doesn’t buy into Braun being his friend because he runs over KO all the time.
• Call me crazy, I think the Constable look is a much better one for Corbin. KO and Braun finally get on the same page and do a squisher/Cannonball in stereo.
• It’s really great to see the roles switched up a little bit, and KO playing the guy needing to make a tag, and Balor preventing it. I am all for a shift in paradigm and doing things that are different like this.
• Braun mows down his opponents outside and wants KO to do the same. He gets through Balor, but Constable clotheslines him. 
• Balor and Baron turn on each other and get counted out.
• Kevin Owens is pumped and wants to shake Braun’s hand. Braun won’t do it so Kevin RUNS. Braun gives chase.
• Kevin Owens wheels his luggage out, but can’t get his keys from the valet. Strowman has them.
• “HERE R UR KEYS. I HOPE U HAVE INSURANCE. CUZ THERE’S UR CAR” – Strowman has flipped the car. 

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins defeated Dolph Ziggler (c) (w/ Drew McIntyre) via DQ, no title change
7/10

• Drew McIntyre is a haunting presence at ringside as Ziggler and Rollins trade holds.
• Ziggler has one hell of an elbow drop. You can tell when Ziggler is really into it, and he seems into it tonight. 
• We see a Bret Hart turnbuckle bump out of Ziggler, and a double cross body block. Rollins gets a Slingblade and clotheslines Ziggler to the outside.
• McIntyre cracks Rollins while the ref isn’t looking, and Ziggler blindsides him. McIntyre is ejected but is arguing with the ref long enough to distract from a pin for Rollins. A suicide dive takes out both of the heels.
• I think you had to get physical with McIntyre to get him out there.
• Revolution Knee hits as we come back from commercial, but Ziggler gets his foot on the ropes. 
• Rollins wants an apron bomb, but instead Ziggler gets a sick DDT on the apron! Rollins is ALMOST counted out.
• The people are along for the ride. They care, and the wrestling is good. Also good is a Buckle Bomb and superkick, then a frog splash for two. 
• There are some great teases. Both men’s finishes reversed, both men hold the tights on pins, then Ziggler hits his finish for two.
• The Falcon Arrow Superplex has the pin, but Drew pulls the ref out for the DQ.
• Roman Reigns hits a giant spear on Drew, but this is cheap, and adds a component nobody was asking for.