WWE Raw live results: Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Rollins & Ambrose

The Big Takeaway: A strong in-ring program with very good matches top to bottom. In the main event, Sheamus and Cesaro retained the Raw Tag Team Championships against Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. At first, Sheamus and Cesaro were disqualified, but Kurt Angle came out to restart the match. Then Samoa Joe interfered, leading to Cesaro pinning Ambrose after Sheamus delievered a Brogue Kick. Reigns defeated Jason Jordan, whose gradual heel turn continues. Matt Hardy is officially doing his Broken character, or in this case, his “woken” character in a program with Bray Wyatt. He’s got the Broken accent and everything. 

Show Recap: 

Kurt Angle came out. Angle announced Reigns would defend the Intercontinental Championship, but before he could announce his opponent, Jason Jordan walked out. Fans booed the living hell out of Jordan. He said he wanted Reigns. Angle said Jordan couldn’t be serious because his knee was still injured. Jordan said he’s been in the ring with Reigns, John Cena, Strowman, Kane and he knows he can beat Reigns. This brought Reigns out, who got a slightly better reaction than Jordan. Reigns said he was a fighting champion, so he would tell Angle who he was going to fight and it wasn’t going to be Jordan, it was going to be Joe. Crowd liked that idea much better. Reigns told Jordan if Jordan wanted an opportunity, he shouldn’t run to his daddy. Jordan said Reigns was one to talk about earning opportunity because Reigns was the posterboy for getting opportunity after opportunity. Reigns said that Jordan was right about one thing, he’s on a lot of posters. Joe said his patience has worn thin and he accept Reigns challenge. Joe gave Reigns five second to withdraw his challenge because Reigns knows he can’t beat him. Jordan spoke up and said he didn’t have to come out talk tough, unlike Joe he is tough. Jordan said he doesn’t have to come out and attack people from behind, he comes out and issues challenges just like he’s doing right now. 

Reigns told Jordan to back off and told Joe his five seconds were up. Then Jordan gave Reigns an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Reigns sold it for a second, then got up and told Joe he would have to wait until later tonight. Jordan was going to get his right now and ordered Angle to make the match at once. 

Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns defeated Jason Jordan to retain the Intercontinental Championship (20:35) 

Reigns hit a DDT for a near fall, then immediately but Jordan in a half crab. After a long struggle where Jordan failed to make the ropes, Jordan countered with a small package for a near fall. Reigns quickly hit a Superman punch, but Jordan kicked out at two. Crowd always pops whenever Reigns’ opponent kicks out of the first Superman punch, even though he never gets the pin after the first punch. Reigns’ attempted the spear, but Jordan kicked him, hit a Northern Lights Suplex, then followed with a rolling Northern Lights suplex. Referee got confused and botched the count, getting two. Jordan attempted the hoist neckbreaker, but Reigns landed on his feet to hit the Superman punch, followed by the spear for the pin. Very good match. Reigns’ first attempt at the Superman punch was blocked when Jordan hit a dropkick. Jordan attempted his hoist neckbreaker, but Joe landed an uppercut that knocked him out of the ring. Reigns left the ring, jumped off the steps and attempted the Superman punch, but Jordan caught Reigns and  rammed him into the post. Reigns worked over Jordan outside the ring early, sending him into the ring steps and giving him the Drive-By. Jordan made his comeback picking up Reigns and sending him into corner before Reigns missed a shoulder charge and crashed into the post, a regular Angle spot  Reigns sold his left shoulder very well. Jordan has added some heel facials so he’s all but turned. Joe watched the match from the top of the ramp in a chair. 

After the match, Joe said maybe the kid wore Reigns out and he was going to go down to the ring to put Reigns to sleep. Joe put Reigns in the Coquina Clutch, but Jordan came up from behind and gave Joe a back suplex to send him away from Joe. Joe and Jordan traded words after Joe was knocked from the ring. Reigns showed his appreciation to Jordan by giving him a Superman Punch from behind. 

Angle was on the phone with Stephanie McMahon when Jordan walked up demanding a rematch with Reigns. Then Jordan wanted a match with Joe. Angle asked Jordan who he thought his was and he couldn’t be playing favorites. Angle told Jordan he would take it under advisement and to go somewhere a cool off. Joe roared in and crushed Jordan against the wall, leaving him motionless. Angle got Joe away from his son.

Paige defeated Sasha Banks (16:04)  

Alexa Bliss was on commentary. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose were out with Paige. Bayley and Mickie James accompanied Banks. After satellite head scissors, Banks got a two count after a crossbody off the top rope. After a lengthy straight jacket hold, Banks tackled Piaige into the ropes and they both took a bump out of the ring. During the commercial, Banks went to the second rope, but Paige tripped her. Banks whiplashed the back of her head against the top rope. Then Paige hit a Sunset Power Bomb and Banks landed horribly again on her neck. Banks hit the mat with such velocity, her knees nearly hit her face. Referee checked on Banks for a moment. Paige went for the Rampage, but Banks got out and put on the Bank Statement. Paige got to the ropes. Then Bayley and James started brawling with Rose and Deville. DeVille laid out Bayley quickly. As Rose fought with James, DeVille chop blocked James. Banks got distracted by the fight outside the ring, leading to Paige hitting the Rampage for the pin. 

Postmatch, Deville and Rose jumped Banks. Rose gave Banks a front suplex onto Deville’s outstretched knee. 

Elias approached Angle backstage and wanted another Intercontinental Championship opportunity, but Angle gave that chance to his son. So Elias wanted a musical performance instead. Elias said the bias against his bastard son will be the end of Angle. Angle told Elias to go to the ring and perform while he finds an opponent for him. 

MGK was shown at ringside. No mention of the time Kevin Owens power bombed him off the ramp two years ago, which may have been for the best since MGK barely sold it. 

Amore was backstage with his “Zo Train,” Gulak, Nese, Ariya Daivari and Noam Dar. Amore barked at Gulak and Nese for one of them to win their four-way tonight after Swann won last week. Nia Jax showed up acting like she was smitten with Enzo and asked him “How you doing?” Enzo looked horrified. 

Drew Gulak pinned Mustafa Ali to win a Fatal Four-Way which also included Cedric Alexander and Tony Nese. Gulak faces Rich Swann next week to determine the #1 contender for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (14:53) 

This was one of the best cruiserweight matches on Raw this year. Ali did a handspring spot and sold his left knee. Gulak and Nese dragged Ali out of the ring, leading to Alexander doing a somersault tope onto the heels. Nese did a spot where he was doing crunches for his abs while kicking Alexander, who was tied to the tree of woe. Nese wanted to jump off the top rope, but Gulak stopped him since Gulak’s gimmick is no cruiserweight should fly. Ali soared in for a crossbody on both men. Lots of great spots during a sequence that won the crowd over, including Gulak hitting a stiff clothesline on Alexander, followed swiftly by a springboard clothesline by Ali on Gulak. For the second week in a row, the cruiserweight match had a tower of doom spot that had Nese taking a double superplex. Alexander hit a great springboard enzuigiri on Gulak, which Ali broke up. Alexander wasn’t happy with Ali, and they did a hockey fight spot. Alexander did a standing spanish fly, which was broken up by Nese. Later, Nese crotched Ali on the top rope. Alexander went after Nese, who put Alexander on the top rope, as well. It led to Ali doing the Spanish Fly off the top rope on Alexander, but Gulak made the save. Gulak missed a charge to the corner and Ali attempted the inverted 450, but Nese dragged Gulak out of the ring. Alexander hit the Lumbar Check on Nese, who bounced out of the ring. Alexander, in desperation, gave Ali the Lumbar Check. But Gulak ran in and gave Alexander a knee to the back, knocking Alexander out of the ring. Gulak pinned an unconscious Ali. 

Charly Caruso did an interview with Gulak in the ring. She asked Gulak if he conflicted about possibly facing Enzo. Gulak said that was a good question which could only be answered with a powerpoint presentation. Corey Graves announced they didn’t have time for the powerpoint presenation. They did have time for a Total Divas trailer where Lana told Rusev in front of Jax and Sheamus that she didn’t want to have children, which looked more staged that Gulak’s interview. 

Elias started his performance. He got a pretty big babyface pop. Elias said Los Angeles worships vapid and soulless celebrities, his is the air you breathe and he is everything. He sang about everybody in Los Angeles wanted to be a celebrity but the children are pathetic and the city was full of nobodies. Strowman’s music hit and the place erupted. Elias started to leave. Strowman posed, but Elias jumped him from behind. Strowman didn’t sell it, gave Elias a beal and a boot out of the ring. Strowman ran after Elias, who gave Strowman a boot and pushed Strowman into the corner. Elias smashed his guitar to Strowman’s back, but Strowman didn’t sell it. Elias tried to run away, but Strowman ran him down and delivered the running powerslam on Elias. They’ve done such a good job getting that finisher over the crowd chanted “one more time.” Strowman threw the ring steps into the ring, but Kane’s music played. 

Kane just appeared on the TitanTron and said Strowman has been a monster among men for so long, maybe he’s forgotten what it’s like to be a monster among monster. Next week, Kane said they would step into the ring again and they would descend into the abyss and only one monster would emerge. 

Reigns told Ambrose and Rollins backstage that he’s done his part, now it’s time for them to do theirs. Rollins said they would get their job done. Ambrose acted like he didn’t know their rematch was tonight, then admitted he was kidding. Ambrose said he’s been thinking about beating up Sheamus all day and it smells like gold. 

Alicia Fox did an inset promo about how she saw what Asuka did to Brooke last week. Fox claimed she led the Raw women’s team to victory at Survivor Series, she now has a t-shirt and she’s going to end Asuka’s undefeated streak. Fox is still wearing her captain’s hat from the Survivor Series. 

Asuka defeated Alicia Fox via tapout (2:20)

Asuka sold the most since her strange two-match run with Emma, taking a big boot from Fox. Asuka tried various kicks where Fox was totally out of position and ultimately won with the flying cross armbreaker. 

Postmatch, Absolution came out and once again surrounded the ring. Fox stayed in the ring. Asuka just stepped out of the ring as Paige, Rose and DeVille didn’t make a move on her. Paige told Fox to relax, she wasn’t there to hurt her. Paige said Fox was her friend because Fox was the only one who liked her when she was here a year ago. Paige said she loved Fox, but she didn’t think Rose and DeVille felt the same way. Rose and DeVille stepped in the ring and jumped Fox. Rose gave Fox a V-Trigger knee, and Deville laid her out with another knee strike. 

They showed Charlotte playing a role on the USA Network series “Psych: The Movie” named “Heather Rocklear.” It included a soundbite from veteran character actor Kurt Fuller, who was not identified as the main heel from “No Holds Barred.”  

Finn Balor defeated Bo Dallas (5:38)

Curtis Axel accompanined Bo Dallas, who distracted Finn Balor when he went to the top rope for the Coup de Grace. After a lengthy armbar spot, Balor hit a forearm and a series of clotheslines. Balor caught the sling blade, the woo dropkick and a Coup de Grace. 

They replayed Matt hardy reacting to his loss last week to Bray Wyatt. After showing Hardy’s Tweets proclaiming himself “Woken,” Wyatt popped up on the screen. He said Hardy was a fool. Then Hardy popped up on the screen, speaking in his broken accent, saying he’s traveled through several milleniums, has danced with Cleopatra. Wyatt showed up again and said that Hardy’s rhetoric was the dialogue of a madman. Hardy then popped up and said he was now woken. Wyatt showed up and said he feels alive again. Hardy said Wyatt has left him no choice and he will sentence Wyatt to deletion! Then Wyatt and Hardy each took turns laughing laugh madmen. 

Next week, Strowman and Kane will meet in Cleveland. Plus, Swann vs. Gulak for the #1 contendership for the Cruiserweight championship.

Raw Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose in what became a No-DQ match to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships (18:39) 

Great spot early where Rollins attempted a pescado on Cesaro. Sheamus pulled Cesaro out of the way, then came up from behind to ram Rollins into the post. Cesaro gave Ambrose a big boot off the apron. Rollins backdropped Cesaro, but Ambrose was on the floor selling his arm, so no hot tag. Rollins gave Sheamus a superkick, which sent him out of the ring. Ambrose got the hot tag. Ambrose ran wild and tried a tope on Cesaro, who caught Ambrose with an uppercut. Ambrose rolled through Cesaro’s crossbody for a two count, then reversed Cesaro’s giant swing with a small pacakage for two. Ambrose’s head rested against the second rope, and Sheamus nailed him stiff with a knee to the head. Sheamus went to the top rope while Cesaro hoisted Ambrose up, but Ambrose punched Sheamus and crotched him on the top rope. Rollins gave Sheamus a superplex, followed by the Falcoln Arrow, but Cesaro came in for the save.  Cesaro went for the Neutralizer, but Rollins hit the Rainmaker Knee, but Sheamus made the save. Sheamus then started kicking Rollins repeatedly even though he was the illegal man. The referee disqualified Sheamus at 17:09 and the crowd booed. 

Sheamus and Cesaro took the belts and started to leave. Then Angle came out and restarted the bout as a no disqualification match. Ambrose hit a rebound clothesline on Cesaro, followed by a frog splash on Rollins, but Cesaro kicked out. Joe ran out through the crowd and gave Ambrose a urange and Rollins a forearm. Reigns ran down to send Joe packing. Reigns gave Cesaro a Superman Punch as he came through the ring. In the midst of the confusion, Sheamus hit Ambrose with a Brogue Kick, placed Cesaro on top for the pin. Sheamus, Cesaro and Joe left together through the crowd and Reigns watched on in disbelief. Really strong match and a terrific show.