WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, and Analysis for August 13, 2018

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Finn Bálor & Braun Strowman vs. Jinder Mahal & Kevin Owens

Result: Finn Bálor & Braun Strowman defeated Jinder Mahal & Kevin Owens via pinfall

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Well, that didn’t take long to get Strowman out to the ring, huh?

After Kurt Angle pretends he has any authority whatsoever and adds Strowman to the match, there’s really no point to have it, right? Sure, it’s a pair of former Universal Champions, a former WWE Champion, and a Money in the Bank winner going at it. But if Corbin can book the match to punish Finn, and it’s not really a punishment anymore, why wouldn’t Baron say, “Ah, the hell with it, I’ll just come up with something else”?

At least Corey Graves and Renee Young did their best to justify things. They claimed that if Owens and Mahal were successful in “softening up” Bálor, they may be in line for some kind of reward from Constable Corbin. It makes sense, I guess, but the rest of the match did not.

I can understand Owens being terrified of Strowman. If someone tried to shoot murder me on (counts on fingers) half a dozen times, I’d be a bit frightened, too. But scared to the point that he’s literally running away in the middle of a match? Nah, I don’t buy that.

Anyway, after two weeks straight of nothing happening between Mahal and Strowman in their matches, tonight there was actually some physical contact. It was nothing we haven’t seen before, but Strowman is so damn good and strong that you can’t help but be enthralled by him. Check this out:

Jeez, how did Jinder’s chest not collapse from that?

A couple of more feats of strength from Braun sealed the deal, but Baron Corbin got the ladt laugh by appearing from the void to hit Bálor with an End of Days. If you don’t think Corbin has top heel heat, think again.

All in all, the unevenness of this one was outweighed by the added hype to the Corbin/Bálor match at SummerSlam. Even if it’s a rematch — like most of the rest of Raw‘s half of the card — after the matches tonight I’m looking forward to seeing it (if only to bring the rivalry to an end).

Oh, It’s Because Dolph Was on Roast Battle, Right?

That must be why Ziggler is such a jokey mcjokester tonight!