WWE Raw 9/17/18 Match Ratings, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Opening Segment

• Roman Reigns is out and really unhappy about last night, but says he’s still Universal Champion and if Brock Lesnar wants his rematch, he can get it right now.
• Braun Strowman comes out instead and says Reigns is lucky things happened the way they were, but Lesnar keeps screwing him over. He wants his hands on Brock.
• Baron Corbin comes out and says that Roman Reigns will defend his title in like a month and a half at WWE Crown Jewel against Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman. 
• Strowman says everything sucks, and all the people there suck. Stop trying to force that shit.
• Paul Heyman comes out with the door of a cell. He says Brock Lesnar is just trying to make himself more valuable to the UFC. He’s chased off by Braun Strowman.
• Baron Corbin says Reigns is beat up and a little hurt, but he’s still going to defend the WWE Universal Championship tonight against him.

Drew McIntyre defeated Dean Ambrose
5.75/10

• I think we may need to start a Junior Heavyweight Sirloin Beef Sunsabitches division the way Ambrose and Drew McIntyre are working.
• McIntyre slings Ambrose into the barricade as we go to commercial.
• I really thought this would be worthy of a PPV match, but given the schedule and trajectory it makes sense to do it on Raw.
• Ambrose hits a couple of mean clotheslines, and locks on a Texas Cloverleaf. He needs a submission go to.
• Drew had also hit his situp belly to belly superplex out of the corner. 
• Ambrose misses a double axehandle to the outside and almost gets counted out. He eats a Claymore when he gets back in and Drew wins.
• This was a good, creative finish and a big win for Drew. I’d have liked that to have extended beyond the ten minutes — six broadcasted that we got. 
• Baron sees McIntyre and Ziggler backstage, and he encourages Ziggler to challenge Rollins to his rematch clause. Ziggler says he fell off Hell in a Cell and can’t compete. Corbin says that Rollins is in no shape to compete and probably isn’t even there. If Rollins doesn’t show up, they’ll strip him of the title.
• For tonight, I’m enjoying the heel authority figure. Haven’t seen it done to death over the last year and a half.

Chad Gable (w/ Bobby Roode) defeated Viktor (w/ Konnor)
5.5/10

• Viktor and Gable is a singles match you probably didn’t know you wanted. 
• Gable lands a beautiful bridging double underhook suplex. 
• VIktor lands a nice European Uppercut off of a Konnor distraction, but that’s the extent of his offense.
• He gets overhead suplexed a bunch, then Gable hits a cannonball off the apron. Chaos Theory wins it for Gable.
• Roode tried to help, but Gable didn’t need it. 
• Konnor pushes them into each other and pouts after the match. 
• I’m interested in this. Gable and Roode, not Konnor.

DIGGIN’ HOLES 

• The Undertaker comes out and sounds like a politician answering an attack ad.
• I always thought Taker would hang it up after 25 years in WWE, but I think he’ll do it (speculation) in 2021 after he hits 30 years.
• He says he’ll have Kane in his corner at SuperShowdown when he faces Triple H

Bayley (w/ Sasha Banks) defeated Dana Brooke
5.25/10

• Renee Young is ethering Titus Worldwide. Bayley brings out children with her as a part of the Connor’s Cure initiative.
• Dana Brooke has improved big time in the ring. Her offense looks good, minus some unnecessary flips.
• Her knees in particular are really good. Bayley gets the win with the Bayley to Belly anyway.
• This would have been rated higher, but it was so short. Dana Brooke looked great. 

AOP (w/ Drake Maverick) defeated Jobberskis

• AOP throw a stagehand up against the wall backstage.
• Huge uranage and Vader Bomb. Death Valley Driver into the corner and Super Collider. That’s a wrap.

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler
5.5/10

• Backstage, Corbin is giving Dolph Ziggler a pep talk. Rollins shows up and says he’s not forfeiting his title.
• Rollins is knocked off the apron ahead of the commercial. We come back to Ziggler screaming “DO SOMETHING,” which he should really shit can.  
• Ziggler misses a superkick, but is able to kick out of the Ripcord Knee.
• Superplex Falcon Arrow, Curb Stomp, win. This wasn’t very long, but it made sense because both men were beat to shit. Ziggler tried to hold the tights, but it didn’t work.

OPEN CHALLENGE!?

• Backstage, Rousey asks the Bella Twins and Natalya how to issue an open challenge.
• Rousey comes out and congratulates Alexa Bliss on giving her such a great fight and wants to be a great champion like Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ric Flair. 
• Gumption. Damn well better bet that was a Vinceism.
• Natalya’s music hits to accept the open challenge. It’s Riott Squad, and Ruby wants the title match.
• Ronda throws them around until Ruby hits a great spear. They all beat her down. 
• Bella Twins make the save. Did Brie Bella hire Barry Bloom to get her free agency? 

Elias vs. Bobby Lashley (w/ Lio Rush)
5/10

• Elias is still over, as directionless as he may be.
• Lio Rush comes out and Elias asks whose kid this is. 
• We join the match in progress after a Lio Rush promo, and Rush joins commentary.
• Lashley lands a powerslam. Elias catches Lashley with a knee while Bobby is flying.
• Corey Graves says it’s easy to call Kevin Owens a coward with Lashley standing in front of him. Lio Rush says “are you asking me that question?” It wasn’t a question.
• Owens’ music hits and Rush dives out of the way. Lashley saves Lio from getting powerbombed on the apron.
• I am gonna LOVE this Lio/Lashley duo. 

Nia Jax & Ember Moon defeated Alicia Fox & Mickie James (w/ Alexa Bliss)
4/10

• Nia Jax makes her return before the match.
• Ember Moon dominates Alicia Fox and Mickie James, then hits a suicide dive.
• Alicia Fox knocks Ember off the top rope. Ember for some reason doesn’t kick out of a pin and the ref has to stop. 
• Nia Jax gets a great pop on the hot tag. Alicia Fox sells for her, but the “run into people awkwardly” spot has to go. 
• Eclipse on Mickie, Samoan Drop on Alicia Fox.
• Not a good match, but it does what it’s supposed to. 

WWE Universal Championship
Roman Reigns (c) defeated Acting General Manager Baron Corbin
5.5/10

• In a lame backstage segment, Corbin implies to a ref that he should provide preferential treatment to him during their match.  
• Corbin goes for a lot of quick pins but falls victim to the Drive By.
• Reigns posts himself and walks into a Bossman Clothesline for 2.
• We get a commercial break at 10:54 PM EST.
• Corbin gets a two count following a chokeslam back breaker and his crossface half nelson.
• Reigns clotheslines and boots. Corbin runs away from the Superman Punch, so Reigns does it outside.
• Corbin runs away from the spear and throws a chair into Reigns’ face. That’s a DQ. 
• Corbin makes it a No DQ match. Reigns gets a Superman Punch for 2, though.
• Braun Strowman comes out and Corbin attacks from behind. Strowman even gets posted in matches he’s not in. 
• Corbin comes back with a huge Deep Six for two, and the Dogs of War are out to help Strowman.
• Superman Punch on Strowman as The Shield is out. 
• Reigns gets caught with a punch, but spears Corbin for the win. This was a mess. Did it need to be all this?
• This match got twice the time and wasn’t nearly as good as Ambrose/McIntyre.