WWE Raw Results, Highlights, and Grades: Brand warfare loses the plot

WWE, Zelina Vega, Andrade Photo: WWE.com
WWE, Zelina Vega, Andrade Photo: WWE.com /
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Randy Orton is interviewed by Charly Caruso

Backstage, Charly Caruso interviewed Randy Orton who will be on Team Raw at WWE Survivor Series. Caruso asked how Orton would put aside personal issues with his partners on Sunday. Orton explained that while he “doesn’t play well with others,” he can if it benefits him.

Randy Orton then said that being the greatest superstar in the history of WWE Survivor Series benefits him, implying he will happily put things aside to lead Team Raw to victory on Sunday. He also said Viking Raiders were looking for a fight, so he’d be in the ring later in the night with a partner of his choosing that benefits him.

Grade: B+, This was an effective and intriguing promo by Randy Orton. He hyped up WWE Survivor Series, but also really built anticipation for a fight later in the night with Viking Raiders. Who might his partner be? 

Kevin Owens vs. Drew McIntyre

Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre made their way to the ring for what promised to be a really fantastic match. Things got started with Owens getting an early advantage, only for McIntyre to hit a huge Irish whip that drove Owens into the corner.

McIntyre followed it with some more strikes and a neckbreaker for an early near fall. McIntyre then began to wear down Owens, stretching his arms back and digging his knee into Kevin’s back. Owens powered out, hitting some strikes to turn the tides.

McIntyre retaliated with a big kick, which lead to a whip into the corner with Drew looking for a big shoulder tackle. Owens slipped out of the way, sending Drew into the post and leaving him vulnerable for a cannonball by Owens moments later.

Owens went for a Stunner, but Drew slipped out and got out of the ring. McIntyre hit a big kick to take control as things went to commercial break. After we got back, Drew was still dominating and wearing down Owens. He hit a huge belly to belly to earn a near fall.

Owens fought back and sent Drew to the outside, following it with a cannonball off the apron that wiped out The Scottish Psychopath. Moments later both men were fighting on the apron, and Owens hit a big superkick only for McIntyre to lift him up and nail a Death Valley Driver that drove Owens into the apron with a devastating thud.

McIntyre slid into the ring and looked for a countout win, but Owens slipped in and barely beat the count of ten. Drew McIntyre nailed a sitout powerbomb to earn a near fall, and put Owens on the corner turnbuckle looking for a superplex moments later.

Owens fought back, hitting strikes and a headbutt that knocked Drew to the ground and opened things up for a Frog Splash by Kevin Owens that earned a near fall. Owens went for the Stunner again, but Drew slipped out only to feel a superkick by Owens.

Drew nailed a clothesline and was shifting things, only to feel a Pop-Up Powerbomb from Kevin Owens that earned a close near fall. Owens went back to the top rope and tried a Swanton Bomb, but McIntyre got his knees up and drove them into Kevin’s back.

McIntyre was calling for the Claymore, only to feel a superkick by Owens. Another Stunner attempt was countered and Drew nailed a Claymore seconds later, but Owens got his foot on the bottom rope at the last second to break up the fall.

Owens countered a kick by McIntyre and finally hit the Stunner, but struggled to make the cover and Drew McIntyre was able to get his foot on the rope to break things up. Drew McIntyre managed to hit a Future Shock DDT which earned him a near fall.

Kevin Owens went to the well one more time and nailed the Stunner. He was slow to make the cover, and suddenly Triple H’s music hit. Triple H slowly approached the ring as things oddly cut to commercial.

Back from commercial, the match between Owens and McIntyre has seemingly ended in a no contest. Triple H is in the ring with a microphone and speaking to Kevin Owens, while NXT’s Forgotten Sons, Damien Priest, and Donovan Dijakovic are watching from the ramp.

Triple H explained that he was there for Owens for the same reason he came to Seth Rollins recently, but that it’s different because Kevin Owens is a different breed. Triple H explained that Owens had the guts to turn on his own friend to become NXT Champion, and then took on John Cena in his first night on Raw.

Triple H then shifted, skipping over the part where Triple H helped Kevin Owens win the Universal Championship, and talked about how people like Shane McMahon and Kurt Angle had tried to keep him down because he didn’t fit the mold and didn’t belong. Triple H said Owens belongs in NXT, said the NXT stars on the ramp were just there to ensure the conversation could happen.

Triple H followed up by saying that none of Kevin Owens’ Team Raw teammates cared about him, because they hadn’t come out to attack the NXT stars yet. Triple H also said it hadn’t happened because Raw knows “they’d get their asses handed to them” by NXT and prove that Raw is no longer the “A brand.”

The comment prompted a group of Raw superstars, including Cedric Alexander and Ricochet, to head down the ramp and attack the NXT stars. The Undisputed Era suddenly rushed the ring and ambushed Owens, beating him down before The O.C. showed up to clear out Undisputed Era and send things to commercial break.

Grade: B, This could’ve been an A+ match, but again a nonsense finish ruined things. Owens and McIntyre did great, only for an unannounced no contest? The brawl after also felt sort of pointless. Just more of the same, really.