WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for September 25

Roman Reigns was the guest on Miz TV to kick off Monday’s Raw. Source: WWE.com

Follow along with our live Raw review.

Previously on WWE Raw, everything was all about No Mercy. And with the pay per view behind us, this week Team Red can focus on moving forward.

To kick off this week’s episode of Raw, The Miz is holding a special edition of Miz TV. Personally, I think they’re all special. But this week, his guest was Roman Reigns. The Big Dog defeated John Cena at No Mercy, so obviously that’s a big deal. But The Miz alluded to rumors surrounding Reigns – rumors that we here at Daily DDT have addressed. What will Roman have to say to kick off the show tonight?

In other news surrounding The Miz, he’s still the Intercontinental Champion. He defeated Jason Jordan at No Mercy – with a little help from The Miztourage. In defeat, Jordan was adamant that he didn’t respect Miz. Will the young up and comer get another shot at the title any time soon?

We have a new Cruiserweight Champion after No Mercy, as Enzo Amore found a way to defeat Neville. Sure, the way to win was by kicking Neville in the groin behind the referee’s back. But a win is a win, right? What’s next for Enzo?

Finally, Brock Lesnar survived a war with Braun Strowman to remain Universal Champion. It was a hard hitting match, and Strowman came closer to defeating Lesnar than anyone in recent memory. Heck, Paul Heyman even admitted as much after the match. But with Strowman near certain he’d be the one to stop The Beast, he’s sure to be in a foul mood on Raw. Will The Monster Among Men wreak havoc – more so than usual?

Related Story: WWE No Mercy: 3 Things We Learned

Join us for our live Raw review right here tonight, starting at 8:00 pm EDT.

Miz TV. Source: WWE.com via Twitter

The Most Must See Miz TV Of All Time

First off, The Miz just gets it like very few others. The way he raised his eyebrows after talking about drinking champagne with his wife? That’s the stuff legends are made of. It’s almost unfair how good Miz is at all the little things. I want him to be Intercontinental Champion forever.

But the meat of this segment is the stuff with Roman Reigns. There were actually a handful of cheers for Roman for a second, when he said he respected John Cena. Of course, they turned to boos pretty quickly when he said he was glad to have beaten him. When you’re The Guy, you take what you can get.

Anyway, Reigns has to be the epitome of a WWE babyface and call Miz, Dallas, and Axel a bunch of idiots. Then he orders them to get him a beer. It was weird, but not really unexpected. It’s just a way to get to the fireworks factory, though – because it leads (mostly) right into what everyone wanted to see.

Miz says if the Miztourage was around five years ago, no one would remember The Shield. Reigns laughs – as well he should – but says it isn’t going to happen. He says Dean and Seth are doing their thing, and he’s doing his – the Universal Championship. But Miz says that Reigns must have forgotten all those times that he’s failed in his quest, and the Intercontinental Title is the only one that matters.

So Roman just nonchalantly says they should fight. Miz tries to bail, using excuse after excuse, until Kurt Angle comes down to make a pair of matches. First, The Miz will take on Reigns after all. And next, Axel and Dallas will square off against Matt Hardy and Jason Jordan. And that match is next!

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Jason Jordan & Matt Hardy (w/ Jeff Hardy) vs. Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas

Result: Jason Jordan & Matt Hardy defeated Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

It’s a shame Jeff Hardy busted his shoulder up, because you never want to see anyone get hurt. But it could end up being a boon for Matt, who can have a nice little singles run in the meantime. Maybe he can break his wokefulness or something, who knows?

Hey, how about the chemistry from Dallas and Axel? The former Social Outcasts have really blossomed into a decent little team since joining up with The Miz. Both guys have been champions in WWE/NXT, so it’s not like they’re a couple of nobodies. But they’ve been ignored and poorly booked for so long that you forget sometimes.

The opening match here was nothing crazy. It was basically just a good way to get the crowd excited with some in-ring action. Perfectly fine, solid all around, and good down to earth wrestling. The big thing is to keep Jordan relevant in his rivalry with Miz (through Kurt Angle, I guess). By continuing to connect with the crowd through his suplexes and the like, he’ll keep looking like he deserves the push he’s getting.

The only issue I have? If we’re really working towards a Shield/Miztourage fight, why not let Dallas and Axel get a victory here and there? Tonight would have been the perfect chance – a last minute match, going up against a pair of wrestlers who have never formed a traditional tag team? It’s right there. Plus, you can always go with a distraction route to show how cohesive a unit the Miztourage is – I know I hate distraction finishes, but here it could have worked.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Universal Title Match Recap

I’m still a little upset about this match. Not so much that Brock won, but that Braun lost. Hopefully it’s going somewhere other than “Brock holds the title for a year until Reigns wins at WrestleMania 34.” But that remains to be seen.

I’m one of the few who didn’t totally hate the Lesnar/Strowman match at No Mercy. I’m not going to say that it was a bad match, but I can admit it was one of the worst on the card when all was said and done. Expectations may have been too high, but if it doesn’t go somewhere I reserve the right to change my mind.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Elias vs. Apollo Crews (w/ Titus O’Neil)

Result: Elias defeated Apollo Crews via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Instant encore! Last night on the No Mercy Kickoff Show, Elias defeated Crews in a fairly decent match. Tonight, the story was a bit different, but it was still a perfectly fine match.

Here, Crews was looking to get retribution for the loss. He wanted to make things up to Titus, who Crews thought he let down. So the early part of the match was all Apollo. Hard hitting, fast paced, non stop offense had Elias on the ropes.

But the former Drifter had a trick or two up his bandana covered sleeves. On the outside of the ring, Elias took out Titus’s leg, distracting Crews long enough to turn the tide of the match. When Crews came back in, he walked into a big boot, then was hit with Drift Away for the 1-2-3.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Finn Balor’s Plans

Balor takes a minute to say his victory at No Mercy over Bray Wyatt wasn’t just for himself. Rather, he won for everyone Wyatt had victimized in the past several weeks – Goldust, most notably.

When Charly Caruso asked Finn what his plans were now that he’s done with Wyatt, Finn said he’s going back to what he did when he first got to Raw – chasing the Universal Championship. Yes, please!

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Curt Hawkins vs. Braun Strowman

Result: No contest

Rating: N/A

Sadly for Hawkins – he could have finally ended that losing streak! – the match never got started. Hawkins tried to bail, but Strowman ran him down at a full sprint. I kept hearing Muldoon from Jurassic Park in my head: “Cheetah speed, if they ever got out in the open.” A near 400-pound strongman should not be that fast.

Of course, Braun catches him, and it’s lights out for the man riding a 118 match losing streak. Strowman picked him up and chokeslammed him through a table. But that wasn’t enough, as The Monster Among Men powerslammed Hawkins through the LED board on the stage.

Braun gets on the mic and says he’s not leaving until he gets some real competition. Out wanders Dean Ambrose (huh?), and he heads to the ring for a match with a very angry giant.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Dean Ambrose vs. Braun Strowman

Result: Braun Strowman defeated Dean Ambrose via pinfall

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Gotta be honest here, I don’t understand why, of all the people on the roster, Dean Ambrose answered Strowman’s challenge. Part of me thought that Rollins was going to come down and make it a handicap match against the Raw Tag Team Champions.

That being said, holy cow this match guys.

For all the criticisms about his weak looking offense, or his sometimes too goofy persona, Dean Ambrose can kill it in the ring. He’s the in-ring version of the Miz on promos – he just gets it. This was much better than it had any right to be, even with how good both guys are in the ring. There’s no story between the two, it’s a totally random match. But it worked.

Ambrose even made his suicide dive look more devastating that his usual wimpy push. And the DDT to Strowman on the floor was ugly. Great things all around, and Strowman getting the victory is 100% the correct call.

After the match, Seth Rollins questioned Ambrose’s “self destructive tendencies.” Good on the writers for actually making Ambrose’s lunacy make sense and be a plot point.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Kurt Angle Backstage

The GM is giving instructions to the referee for the Miz/Reigns match. He’s interrupted by the new Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore. Enzo demands a championship celebration, and a reluctant Angle allows it. When Angle tries to give Enzo some “Hall of Fame” advice for the first time champ, The Certified G boogies on out.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Alexa Bliss Addresses WWE Universe

Good talk, great handling of “What” chants, and a tie in to the Raw Talk after No Mercy? Heck yeah, I liked this segment.

Bliss starts things off by stating she’s disappointed in all of the fans. Why, you ask? Well, Alexa won a hard fought match at No Mercy over Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, and Emma. Problem is, all anyone wanted to talk about was the four non-winners of the match. Poor Alexa was an afterthought. Let’s not forget everyone’s excitement over Asuka’s impending arrival.

After Alexa talks about defeating the entire women’s division last night, out comes Mickie James. See, she’s part of the women’s division, but wasn’t in the match last night. So it starts a whole big thing. The short version is Alexa made a bunch of old lady jokes, and Mickie made a bunch of boob jokes.

Juvenile humor aside, it was one of Mickie’s better promos – she’s never been known as being a great talker. Alexa is probably the best talker in the division, so she helps carry things along. Eventually, Mickie forces Bliss to repeat what she said on Raw Talk yesterday – that Mickie’s an old lady. A fight breaks out, and Mickie sends the Raw Women’s Champ scrambling.

I’m all for Mickie getting a decent feud now – she’s been an afterthought for, oh, her entire return here. It’s also a good placeholder for Alexa until Asuka shows up to kick her head off.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus (w/ Cesaro)

Result: Seth Rollins defeated Sheamus via pinfall

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Sheamus has his teammate at ringside with him; Rollins is flying solo because Ambrose got wrecked by Braun Strowman. But Cesaro has no teeth, and Rollins is challenging Strowman to a match next week, so it all evens out.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/912490754576019456

These two have had roughly a billion matches against each other in recent months. You know how I know? When I start typing to create the “next slide” button, if I enter “Rol” it autofills “Rollins vs. Sheamus.” It’s been done.

But every time they have a match, it’s pretty good. You have a pair of former world champions, of course it’s going to be good. The style contrast is what really helps – Rollins wrestles a very indie type style, while Sheamus is practically “WWE Wrestler Prototype.” They play off each other well.

It was no different in this match tonight. Honestly, the only thing I’m really surprised about is that Cesaro didn’t get more involved. He and his lack of teeth are probably out of acrtion for a bit to heal, but not even a distraction? What kind of heel tag team are The Bar?

I’m curious to see what happens with the Raw Tag Team Title picture now that Cesaro is injured. Does The Bar keep their spot? Who steps up to the champs next?

Keep Your Enemies Closer

Finn Balor is walking around backstage, and he runs into Goldust. The Bizarre One is a little peeved that Finn is making Goldie out to be a victim. Finn apologizes, and Goldust attacks him. Guess the Universal Title quest for Finn has to be put on hold. Apparently the only gold he’ll be getting his hands on is Goldust.

Ugh, that was terrible. I’ll stop.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Passing of the Torch

We get a recap of John Cena vs. Roman Reigns from No Mercy. In case you missed it, you’ll see that Roman survived multiple AAs through the course of the match. Over the course of the match, both superstars showed that they had gained respect for their opponent.

The heavy part of the recap is the post match comments by Cena and the Raw Talk crew. Much uncertainty has surrounded Cena’s status with WWE since the match ended. Is John retiring? Is he taking a break? Was it just really dusty in the Raw Talk studio, and that’s why he was crying? So many questions!

Folks, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: John Cena isn’t going anywhere. He may have “passed the torch” to Roman, but as long as Cena can walk without risking injury, he’ll be around WWE.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Roman Reigns vs. The Miz (w/ Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel)

Result: Roman Reigns defeated The Miz via pinfall

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Man, is there any professional wrestler better than The Miz? I’m not talking technical wrestler, or most exciting. I’m just talking best. I mentioned above that Miz just gets it. The entire opening sequence of this match with Miz trying to avoid Roman was terrific.

The involvement of The Miztourage was great – not too much, just enough. And credit where it’s due, Reigns seemed believable during his “comeback” – I never felt like he was Superman during this match. He’s just a big strong dude, and he can take a lot. So his hanging in there was totally within the realm of possibility.

I’m never a fan of a champion losing a non-title match, like Miz did here. But I can forgive this one – Reigns is clearly a world title contender, and he has zero interest in the Intercontinental Championship. It’s like the winner of the College World Series playing against the Yankees. Even though the collegiate team is a champion, and the Yankees are not, it’s a different world.

Post-match, the drive to the fireworks factory got a little more windy. The entire Miztourage beat down Reigns with chairs (hey, isn’t TLC around the corner?). After laying the Big Dog out, the three cronies mocked The Shield’s trademark fist bump pose. Oh, it’s happening, guys.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Goldust vs. Finn Balor

Result: Finn Balor defeated Goldust via pinfall

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

This is one of those pairings that I never would have thought to want to see in a match, but once it happens I can’t believe I never thought of it. All the intangibles in this match could fill an 18-wheeler. And they’re linked up because of a situation with Bray Wyatt? Throw him into the mix and it’s a psychological warfare dream.

Balor spent much of the match favoring the ribs he injured at No Mercy at the hands of Wyatt. In Goldust’s backstage attack, it looked like Finn may have further tweaked the ribs. Much of Goldust’s attack during the match was obviously focused on the midsection, because he knows how to tell a story in the ring.

But Finn has been talking about going back to the Universal Championship hunt, so there’s no way he loses this match. He withstands the onslaught and hits all his big moves. After a while, he hits a Coup de Grace for the victory. Good for Goldust to keep up, glad to see he’s still got plenty in the tank.

After the match, my stomach turned when Bray Wyatt taunted Finn via creepy singing child. I swear, someone at WWE is reading my reviews here, because I literally just wrote about the creepy singing kid from Extreme Rules 2014 last week. So, whoever’s reading this review, I have a list of demands. First, Drew Gulak for Cruiserweight Champion. Second, reunite The Shield. Finally, DO SOMETHING WITH SAMI ZAYN, JEEZ.

Sasha and Bayley On The Outs?

Can one of these two turn heel already? This will they won’t they thing is worse than Moonlighting (yes, I’m old and know what Moonlighting is; see, back in the day Bruce Willis was a television star!). Two veterans of the ring don’t understand what “every woman for herself means? Well, then you have no right to complain.

It’ll be interesting to see how well these two “best friends” are able to coexist in the upcoming tag match against Nia Jax and Emma. WWE has teased this dissension between Bayley and Sasha for a while now, but nothing has ever come of it. Will tonight be any different?

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Enzo Amore Doesn’t Understand Interpersonal Relationships

He doesn’t understand personal space, either. Kurt Angle is running around backstage like a chicken with his head cut off, then the parmigiana for the chicken shows up and starts being weird? If I was Kurt, I’d have flipped out on him to.

Anyway, Enzo says he’s been preparing his big celebration, but he’s afraid he’s going to get attacked. Clearly, he does know how to read a room. He wants an “order of protection” or something like that, and Angle gives it to him just to shut him up. That’s the sign of a true leader – pick your battles.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Nia Jax & Emma vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley

Result: Sasha Banks & Bayley defeated Nia Jax & Emma

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Ah, the wonderful “not really main event but last match” slot that gets two commercial breaks. It’s really frustrating to watch any match when there’s one entrance, commercial, three more entrances, sixty seconds of match, then another commercial. There’s no flow, and you miss half the match during the commercial. And it always happens in the 10:30-10:45ish slot.

Anyway, the match itself was pretty good if you could deal with the commercials. There was little to no dissension between Bayley and Banks – one blind tag could have caused an issue, but didn’t. Nia and Emma, though, worked as two singles wrestlers as opposed to a team.

All four superstars played their part perfectly. Nia just threw people around the ring, Bayley was the underdog who scrapped her way to relevance, Sasha was The Boss because she controlled most of the pace, and Emma was, uh, there?

The end of the match was a nice little sequence. Sasha took Emma to the limit, with Bayley focusing on Nia until Sasha came over to help. A double team on the floor took care of Nia, leaving Emma alone to get hit with a Bayley to Belly for the victory.

Where things go next, who knows. But with Alexa and Mickie James starting a program, and Asuka ready to debut, it’s going to make the Raw Women’s Division a very tough place to get noticed.

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Cruiserweight Championship Celebration

Literally the only redeeming quality of this final segment was watching Enzo gad rag dolled around the ringside area. Well, that, and having the 205 Live crew in the main event slot to hopefully get more eyes on the product.

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What we got was a terribly executed double turn, in my estimation. Although, now it seems like the entire 205 Live roster is now babyfaces, and Enzo is the only heel. I get that everyone hates Enzo, but this seemed ill-advised.

Enzo starts the segment off as he usually does – talking himself up, and putting everyone else down. Let’s not forget that he cheated to win the title at No Mercy. Before too long, he’s interrupted by everyone on the 205 Live roster.

His first instinct? MAKE FUN OF EVERYONE. Let’s call Gran Metalik fat. How about saying the most talented guy on the roster – Cedric Alexander – is a charismatic void? Ooh, I know – let’s rip on Rich Swann for being a dancer AS YOU DANCE IN THE RING. Hypocrisy knows no bounds, folks.

Eventually, Neville comes out and just tears Enzo a new one – verbally and physically. So Neville ignored the order of protection, potentially meaning this is the end of Neville in the cruiserweight division. I’m fine with that, so long as he does something worthwhile on the official main roster.

So now Enzo has over a dozen enemies, which limits storytelling somewhat. And if the point of Enzo as Cruiserweight Champion was to get more people watching 205 Live, maybe he should actually be on 205 Live this week.

Next: 25 Greatest WWE Entrance Themes of All Time

That does it for this week’s episode of WWE Raw. Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts!