WWE Raw Results, Highlights, and Grades: NXT is the main event
Mixed Tag Team Match: Andrade and Zelina Vega vs. Sin Cara and Carolina
Next up we got mixed tag team action as Zelina Vega joined forces with Andrade to take on Sin Cara and Carolina. Vega bragged before the match about herself and Andrade being the greatest mixed tag team combination in all of wrestling.
Once things got rolling, Andrade took the fight to Sin Cara only to get tossed over the top rope. Sin Cara tried to follow it with a dive, but Vega grabbed his foot when he went to bound off the ropes. While the ref is distracted by this, Carolina came flying off the apron with a cannonball to Andrade on the outside.
After a commercial break, Sin Cara and Andrade found themselves fighting near the turnbuckle. With Andrade perched, Sin Cara bounded over the ropes and hit a huge sunset flip powerbomb to take down Andrade and bring things to a stalemate. Andrade and Sin Cara managed to both make the tags, bringing the women into the action.
Carolina hits a few strong dropkicks and a second rope crossbody to gain the upper hand. Carolina hoisted Vega onto her shoulders, but Vega clawed at her mask to escape. Zelina tried to built some offense only to get hit with a huge wheelbarrow facebuster. Carolina gets a near fall, but Andrade breaks up the pin.
Carolina followed it up with a huge Gory Bomb, but Vega fought back and managed to climb the turnbuckle. Vega leapt off the top for a hurricanrana, but Carolina caught her. She went for a buckle bomb, but Vega countered at the last second and sent Carolina into the turnbuckle. She followed it with a Basement Rana that finished her off and gave Vega and Andrade the victory.
Grade: B, This was a decent mixed tag match. Carolina had a few jitters, but overall looked solid in a losing effort. Andrade and Sin Cara also looked good. This match could’ve stood out a bit more, but it wasn’t bad.
Rusev calls out Bobby Lashley
Out next was Rusev, who quickly said we all wanted to end this drama, which is true, so he called out “Bob Lashley.” Lana and Lashley came out onto the ramp, but Lashley had crutches and insisted he was not medically cleared to compete. He went on to explain he tore his groin doing things with Lana, and not in a match. Lana also said they had someone who volunteered to fight Rusev, which cued the appearance of Drew McIntyre.
Rusev vs. Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre took control early on, but Rusev powered out and cornered him with a series of shoulder strikes. Both men traded strikes, with Rusev getting McIntyre back into the corner again to deliver several stomps. McIntyre countered, putting Rusev in the same position and driving his boot deep into the throat of Rusev.
Rusev regained control with a superkick, but a stiff elbow by McIntyre knocked him back down. Rusev finally hit a huge fallaway slam, but things went to commercial. By the time they got back, McIntyre was back in control and even screamed “you’re nothing but a b*tch” at Rusev during the match.
The exclamation seemed to only fire Rusev up, who fought back and hit a big spinning heel kick. Both men got to their feet and collided in the ring with a double crossbody, essentially resetting things. Both men struggled to their feet and started trading strikes before Rusev hit a big kick that sent McIntyre out of the ring.
Rusev hopped out of the ring and began slamming McIntyre into the steel steps, only to be ambushed from behind as Lashley slammed the crutch into his back and showed Lashley wasn’t really injured. The action went into the ring, where Rusev fought back only to be struck with an RKO out of nowhere.
Randy Orton had appeared for some reason to fight alongside McIntyre and Lashley, but Ricochet hit the ring to make the save and sent the trio into retreat. Don’t ask me why Randy Orton and Ricochet showed up, because it wasn’t clear at all.
Grade: C-, This whole thing was a mess. The match itself was slow and didn’t feel very special. Tack onto that the weird finish and nonsensical attack by Randy Orton, and this whole thing somehow got less logical. Ricochet too, because babyface? I guess?