Sean Raw Sapp (5/1): Podcast Notes, Braun Strowman, Much More

Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Alicia Fox & Emma defeated Bayley, Sasha Banks, Dana Brooke & Mickie James
6/10

• Alexa Bliss is a fantastic heel. She calls Mae Young and Moolah Mickie James' contemporaries.
• Alexa carries an awesome, ten minute promo talking everyone down. This is really good.
• How in the shit was this "impromptu?" Alexa said it was happening minutes ago.
• I'm so happy to see Emma back. She later avoids Dana, who sucks.
• I love Alicia Fox. I also love the addition of the Saito Suplex to Bayley's repetoire. 
• Mickie hits a crazy Thesz Press to the outside. 
• Alexa wins with a DDT after an eye gouge. Big fan of that move being used as a finish. 
• This was a fun, enjoyable half hour program to start the show.

Backstage Crappenings

• They're setting up that "Roman is valiant" shit. C'mon. 
• TJP cuts a bad promo about Neville's antics at last night's PPV.
• Dean Ambrose is backstage interviewing Miz, and later Rollins. He makes Balor eat a donut, then sees The Drifter and asks if he knows any Pearl Jam.
• Kurt Angle turns down Golden Truth's title match. Golden Truth wants a chance to prove they're not a joke. Angle books Tag Team Turmoil.

Luke Gallows (w/ Karl Anderson) defeated Enzo Amore (w/ Big Cass)
4/10

• Say what you want about Enzo and Cass, people are making noise and going along with the chants.
• Anderson and Gallows attacked Enzo and Cass, but Enzo won't stop dancing. 
• Cole calls a flying DDT a running bulldog. Oh. 
• Gallows beats Enzo's ass, and then looks ridiculous selling for him.
• Enzo just can't go in the ring. Both guys looked a little winded.
• Gallows won with a flapjack.

Intercontinental Title fudgery

• Seth Rollins comes out and makes a motivational speech, and gets a good reaction for doing so.
• Rollins wants Lesnar, which gets a big pop.
• Finn Balor's music hits, and that also gets a nice reaction.
• Dean Ambrose is out. Michael Cole uses a corny ass "WELCOME TO THE ASYLUM" and Booker T makes another 80s reference.
• Rollins laughed at Ambrose's Brock chicken joke. Ambrose says his title is the top championship on Raw.
• Miz is out. Good stuff from him. Eventually Ambrose calls Kurt Angle on the phone and gets a match with Miz, Rollins and Balor booked.

Jack Gallagher, Rich Swann & Akira Tozawa defeated The Brian Kendrick, Tony Nese & Noam Dar
6/10

• Cruiserweights aren't on Raw consistently enough to get over, but Tozawa got screaming over.
• Noam Dar has the Spongebob pajama kid haircut.
• This match is solid, but nothing outstanding. The kind of match to kill some time, maybe set up a program and not bore the crowd.

The Hardyz, Cesaro, Sheamus

• Sheamus and Cesaro are out, and Sheamus cuts a great promo
• I hate that Cesaro uses the "these people, you people" thing. 
• The Hardy Boyz run them off after a "delete" motion.
• This is good, it gives the Hardys a reason to want to continue the feud even after winning a ton.

Apollo Crews (w/ Titus O'Neil) defeated Heath Slater (w/ Rhyno)
4.25/10

• No reaction for Heath Slater. Bummer. That changes later with a "He's got kids" chant.
• This match came about after a Titus O'Neil segment backstage.
• Apollo Crews wins. Good crowd for this one.  
• This is a good role for Titus.

Wyatt and Orton

• Kurt Angle comes out and says Reigns and Strowman are both beaten up from last night. Angle also soaks up the "you suck" chants.
• Bray Wyatt comes out and shakes Angle's hand and says he's reborn.
• Wyatt tells Angle not to get in his way. Pretty good segment.

Austin Aries defeated TJP

7.75/10

• Aries using the bell clap is cool. Nobody else does it.
• Aries really sells the leg TJP works over.
• TJP is so much better as a heel.
• Shouts to Neville for watching a television correctly. 
• Really good match from these two.
• TJP attacks after the bell and puts a kneebar on the already injured leg.

IC Title Top Contender Match
The Miz (c) (w/ Maryse) defeated Finn Balor and Seth Rollins
8.25/10

• They run the classic, old, "heel lets them fight" spot, and it gets over.
• Balor's spin kick combo is really, really fast.
• Lots of stalling. 
• After the commercial, Rollins and Balor have a nasty mid-air collision. 
• Some good, triple threat action. WWE does these matches very well.
• Samoa Joe attacks Seth Rollins! 
• For no reason, Wyatt attacks Balor. Okay.
• Miz wins a great match.