Match Ratings For WWE Raw 1/15/18 From Sean Ross Sapp

Story time with Braun

• Braun says "I was telling them a story" when Kurt Angle (with security) interrupts him. Fantastic.
• Kurt Angle pulls Braun Strowman from his title match and fires him!!! Wow
• For a long time, WWE wouldnt touch the PPV roster or make changes to matches after being booked. I think the Reigns/Angle thing changed that
• Braun realizes people are behind him and isn't happy. He kills them ALL. Then says everyone is going to catch his hands.
• Braun Strowman should eliminate everyone from the Royal Rumble. Everyone. Maybe even himself. I dunno
• Booker T is livid that Kurt Angle would think firing Braun Strowman on live TV is a good idea.
• Braun Strowman is backstage, and someone comes screaming into catering.
• Curt Hawkins gets chokeslammed through a table. Another guy holding a cake freezes and Strowman eats the cake and leaves him alone. 
• I need Braun Strowman to destroy and get kicked out of Barclays next week, only to make the trip across town to destroy the Manhattan Center.
• Braun Strowman is in the truck DEMANDING that #WWEStopTheZoom. "WHATS THIS DO?!"
• Kurt Angle stops Braun from tipping over a semi by saying he's calling the cops. It doesn't work. There are a million camera zooms. 14 really.
• Imagine being SO panicked you say "The Monster Among Men is coming out here" instead of "Braun" "Strowman" "he" or getting the hell away. Michael Cole gets wedgied and thrown into security guards. Angle says Stephanie called him and rehired Braun, and put him back in the title match.
• AW SON OF A BITCH, TOM PHILLIPS. NO!

Titus Worldwide (w/ Dana Brooke) defeated The Bar
5/10

• Titus so effortlessly body slams people.
• I fully expect The Bar to win this week and next week and nothing to come of this. If not, I'll be happy.
• Apollo Crews has been a crazy waste of in-ring talent. No great matches in three years.
• Titus looks really motivated tonight.
• Jason Jordan distracts The Bar and Crews rolls up Sheamus for the win. Seth Rollins isn't happy with Jordan.

Cedric Alexander (w/ Goldust) defeated Tony Nese (w/ Enzo Amore)
5.5/10

• Nese's crunch kicks are pretty funny. 
• This is good, fundamental, athletic safe stuff. Not a PWG style match. It's very much a WWE cruiserweight match.
• The finishing sequence is really good, and Nese's sell of the Lumbar Check is outstanding. He takes a face bump off of the bounce. Maybe the best since Candice LeRae.

Asuka defeated Nia Jax via TKO (injury)
6/10

• Nia Jax hits a nice side backbreakear.
• Asuka pulls a triangle armbar out of nowhere, but Nia Powerbombs her into the corner. A good spot and false finish.
• I love the cardio aspect of the Asuka vs. Nia Jax coming into play.
• Asuka has some sloppy kicks that are rewarded with a nice powerbomb from Nia. 
• Nia's leg gets smashed in the stairs, but still makes it in the ring. She's crying. 
• That fake fall from Nia Jax was atrocious. The match is stopped.
• Alexa Bliss comes out to check on Nia Jax. Backstage, Enzo checks on Nia too, and Alexa gets mad. Nia tells Bliss that Enzo has it taken care of. 

Backstage crappenings

• This was a terrible Jason Jordan promo. He stumbles over his words and recommends that Seth Rollins faces Finn Balor. "Jason Jordan is now making matches"- Booker T.

The Revival defeated Jobberskis

• Hey it's the Revival, who are back on TV for the first time since their Raw return a month ago.
• Assisted front suplex. Shatter Machine. One of the guys is Bayley's fiance. 
• Glad they're back.
• Scott Dawson says that Charly Caruso giving The Revival a live mic is a risk. Then cuts a promo saying nothing risky at all. 
• Ah shit. They're gonna feed The Revival to a bunch of geezers
• The Revival Raw 25 = The Ascension Raw Reunion = Heath Slater Raw 1000

Roman Reigns defeated The Miztourage (w/ The Miz)
4.5/10

• They've shifted the attention on John Cena from Samoa Joe to Elias. Miz paid Elias to sing a song about him.
• Miz cuts a promo about how important he is to Raw and how much the crowd missed him.
• The numbers game gets the best of Reigns. Then Bo Dallas holds him in a chinlock for 90 seconds.
• Axel prevents a suplex, allowing Dallas to hit a DDT. Axel is forced to DDT his partner by Reigns later as he's booted. 
• A lot of pussyfooting after a couple of superman punches that makes Reigns look dumb. He wins with a spear.
• Pretty boring drivel

Sonya Deville (w/ Absolution) defeated Sasha Banks (w/ Mickie James & Bayley)

• Tom Phillips announces that Paige can't compete in the Royal Rumble.
• Why are they showing still images of last week's Raw?
• This is where I sing the praises of Sonya Deville's strikes again. Second to probably only Aleister Black in WWE
• "That is a STATEMENT" – Corey Graves after Sonya Deville defeated Sasha Banks. It sure is.

Woken Matt Hardy defeated Heath Slater (w/ Rhyno)

• Booker T wonders what Jeff is thinking at home.
• Rhyno makes Heath Slater get back into the ring after Matt Hardy creeps him out. 
• The DELETE head rams look much better this week with production.
• Matt Hardy wins. This was a squash.
• MATT DELETE THAT BOOGER BRO.

Seth Rollins (w/ Jason Jordan) defeated Finn Balor (w/ Balor Club)
7/10

• This is a PPV quality pairing with a good story from two years ago. 
• A classic Raw moment in the middle of the main event. OK.
• Another match with good, fundamental work.
• I like Balor adding to his arsenal by using the Eye of the Storm. The battle of dueling Slingblades was cool too. 
• Rollins caught Balor with a hell of a superkick.
• Balor looks much more aggressive with his strikes. That's a good thing.
• Rollins is favoring his knee and misses a Phoenix splash. Perfect transition into a dropkick in the corner from Balor, then a superplex Falcon Arrow. Awesome.
• Rollins eats knees HARD and the ref goofs the count.
• The Bar comes out and brawls with Balor Club. Finn Balor with a tope con hilo!
• Jordan trips Balor. CURB STOMP!!!!!!!!!!! Rollins wins!!!
• WWE didn't explicitly call it the Curb Stomp. Good move.