Thanks to a virus in the locker room, TLC didn’t exactly go as planned for Team Red. They get a chance to reset tonight in Green Bay.
The Headliner(s)
One upside of your Universal titleholder not being around is that he’s less likely to get the mumps, or whatever it is that led to Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt missing last night’s pay-per-view (PPV). But Brock Lesnar will return to Raw on Oct. 23, because he was called out by WWE champ Jinder Mahal last Tuesday.
#TheBeast is on his way...@BrockLesnar returns to answer @JinderMahal's challenge TOMORROW NIGHT LIVE on #RAW at 8/7c on @USA_Network! pic.twitter.com/DMIWUp1y7B
— WWE (@WWE) October 23, 2017
WWE has confirmed that this year’s Survivor Series event (and maybe all future iterations of their annual pre-Thanksgving Big 4 show?) will work a Raw vs. SmackDown theme, so chances are Brock is going to accept Mahal’s challenge. Or his advocate Paul Heyman will agree to the match on his behalf, anyway.
Will The Beast Incarnate do anything else? On a night after Kurt Angle joined The Shield, anything seems possible.
The title scene
Speaking of the General Manager and newest Hound of Justice, what’s the follow-up from the choas we saw in Minneapolis. The tag belts remain around the waists of Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, and despite taking a whole mess of finishers and eating the pin, The Miz is still our Intercontinental champion. Beyond that, they could all probably use the night off. But will only three episodes until Survivor Series, they’re unlikely to get it.
Mickie James wasn’t exactly the old lady and easy victory Women's champ Alexa Bliss said she’d be, but The Goddess did prevail in their TLC showdown. Bliss better hope WWE has plans for her to face Natalya, or whoever is holding Team Blue’s title, in Houston next month. Otherwise, Asuka looms... Emma demanding a rematch for tonight probably keeps everyone else safe from the undefeated Empress - at least for this week.
Kalisto has joined Akira Tozawa in the hall of short-reigned titleholders, and Enzo Amore is now a two-time Cruiserweight champion. WWE.com’s official preview for tonight is already teasing a rematch, and with no “no contact” clause to protect him this time, the field of contenders is wide open.
Other stuff to keep an eye on:
- The handicap main event ended in chaos because... well, for a lot of reasons, actually. But a big one was due to in-fighting between Braun Strowman and Kane, and Miz eventually directing The Big Red Machine and The Bar to put The Monster Among Men in the back of a garbage truck. Was that a face turn from Braun? Does it even matter since he was quite possibly compacted to death? We’re supposed to get an explanation from The Devil’s Favorite Demon tonight... will Strowman rise from the grave like Kane’s brother to retort?
- He didn’t get to close the book on his feud with Bray Wyatt, but Finn Bálor did pick up a win at TLC, and maybe a new nickname. Will “The Extraordinary Man” be facing AJ Styles again on Nov. 19?
- With time to fill, Jason Jordan got plenty of segments last night. Mostly to throw produce, but also to beat Elias. Well, kind of, since the former Drifter got his shoulder up on the cover. So expect more of this.
- The Boss earned a victory on the pre-show, so what’s next for Sasha Banks... or Bayley? Those answers may give us an idea of what WWE has planned for the ladies at Survivor Series... or it may not. You never know with this division.
It’s the TLC fallout show!
What will you be looking for on Raw tonight?