Sean Raw Sapp (9/18/17)- Match Ratings, Analysis For WWE Raw And The No Mercy Go Home Show

Opening segment

• Miz interrupts Kurt Angle and goes off on him for being a deadbeat.
• Angle announces a fatal four way for contendership for the IC title.
• Jordan comes out and calls his dad "Kurt." He wants and gets the Miztourage in the top contender match.
• Jordan is in a much better place than he was heading into Summerslam.
• I hope the six-pack challenge is the field trying to prevent Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel from letting each other get the pin.
• Backstage, Kurt gives Jason Jordan a talking to about flying off the handle about people saying things he doesn't like. Jordan is still really wooden.

Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss
5.25/10

• This is really old school style begging off. Alexa tries to explain and tries to run instead.
• Sasha Banks stops her. Why would Alexa run from Sasha instead of Nia? She gets RUNNED OVER by Nia.
• We come back from a break and Nia wins with a Samoan Drop. This was solid stuff
• Nia continues an attack and Bayley returns! Alexa tries to buddy up, but gets her ass kicked too. Alexa Bliss is so good at the little things.
• We later find out Bayley is added to the No Mercy match, and Emma tweets about it. I'm really digging the integration of Emma's gimmick.

Sheamus & Cesaro defeated Good Brothers and Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins
5.5/10

• Cesaro and Sheamus cut a promo, but it just drones on.
• A lot of tag teams need comedy to stay relevant, but Rollins and Ambrose aren't one of them. Ambrose's line was okay, though.
• One of the teams that would benefit from comedy, a face turn, Finn Balor or AJ Styles are the Good Brothers. 
• The match breaks out, and not much of note happens until the Cesaro Swing into the barricade on Ambrose.
• The Good Brothers came real close to winning with their finish, but a well produced Ambrose save keeps it from happening.
• There's really nothing bad about this match. It's just six days before a PPV and you could tell it doesn't really mean anything unless Good Brothers win an add themselves to the title match, or lay claim to a future title shot. Instead, it was easy to tell they were there to eat the pin. 
• Sheamus and Cesaro get the win…..over the Good Brothers. They stole one. 
• That didn't need a 36 minute segment and an 18 minute match.

Backstage crappenings

• Bo Dallas gives match motivational speaking advice, which is fantastic. Miztourage both bring up their pedigrees, which is a nice touch.
• We get video packages to promote Cena/Reigns and Lesnar/Braun.
• Braun Strowman isn't a sit down interview guy. He gets over by tearing shit up. He is fed the instruction to re-ask the question posed to him. Lesnar interrups Heyman and cuts a good, succinct promo about being backed into a corner.
• They write really shitty stuff for the Hardy Boyz.
• Asuka teasers. There's no reason for only one women's program on Raw with her, Jax, Sasha, Alexa, Bayley, Emma and possibly Paige. If Paige comes back, I hope that she's moved to SD.

Apollo Crews (w/ Titus O'Neil) defeated Curt Hawkins
4.5/10

• Curt Hawkins says that his star factory is over, and he's ending his losing streak. This is a fun promo.
• Apollo beats him.
• Sixth televised singles match between Crews and Hawkins in the past year. 

Roman Reigns

• Reigns drops a SHIT bomb on air
• He says he doesn't look like Cena, and if he did he'd be fired like Alex Riley.
• Roman throws to a clip of Cena criticizing The Rock for being a part-timer. 
• Get Roman Reigns a new fucking shirt. That thing is lame. Don't give me the "appealing to kids" excuse, when he's cursing up a storm.

Bray Wyatt defeated Dustin Rhodes
 

• Earlier, an unpainted Dustin Rhodes went to Kurt Angle and asked for a shot.
• I believe "Dustin Rhodes'" last televised match was at TNA Lockdown in 2005. Also, I don't believe he's wrestled as "Dustin Rhodes" in WWF/E since January 1991, as some of his 98 appearances were as Dustin Runnels.
• Rhodes is better as a worker in 2017 than he was in 1995. 
• After a brief ass kicking from Dustin, Wyatt hits Sister Abigail for the win.
• Now it's Finn Balor on the Titan Tron telling bad stories. Just what this needed

BRAUUUUUUUUUUUUUN

• Braun beats up Enzo. The crowd chants "Thank you Strowman." He BULLDOZED Enzo.
• Enzo's facial expression was great. Say what you want about Enzo outside of his on-screen stuff, but he does his job damn well.
• In one motion, Braun picks up and chokeslams Enzo. Corey Graves' legit fear was fascinating.
• What to do when you need to stay over and run out of shit to tear up? Beat up Enzo. Good call.
• Neville comes out and hits a Red Arrow and laughs. I would have preferred a more stoic laugh per usual, but it was still funny.
• Backstage, Enzo sells his beating well in the trainer's room, puts over Braun and sells his No Mercy match in about 30 seconds. Well done.

Neville defeated Gran Metalik
5.5/10

• We haven't seen much Metalik on Raw, so it's a nice change of pace.
• Neville rips at Metalik's mask, which is a nice heel tactic.
• Metalik gets some great offense, and sells a boot on a moonsault as well as anyone. He's submitted shortly after. 

Top IC Title Contender match
Jason Jordan defeated Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, and Elias
5.75/10

• Elias has a song interrupted. Original. Why just one name? The Drifter was a cool nickname.
• Jordan trips going up the stairs. oof. 
• A commercial break at 10:53 Eastern. Jeff Hardy tried to roll up Matt before the commercial. 
• Elias jumps from the mat to the top rope. Didn't see that coming at all. 
• Tower of Doom spot. We ALL saw that one coming. 
• Jeff Hardy almost kills Axel with a Swanton. Jordan pins Axel with his finish.
• Jordan beats up Miz, but the Miztourage attack. Miz says that after Sunday, Jordan will still be a bastard. JEEZ.
• Solid stuff here.