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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (May 8, 2017) from the O2 Arena in London, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Extreme Rules pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for early next month in Baltimore, Maryland.
Advertised for tonight: The Miz gets the red carpet treatment as the top contender to the Intercontinental title, Tag Team Turmoil to determine the top contenders in that division, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
NOTE: Due to the time difference, Raw will air pre-taped tonight. Spoilers for this show will be available beforehand on the site (find them here), and please keep discussion of those to that post. The comments section here should be kept SPOILER FREE.
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR MAY 8
Out on this road takes its toll and you pay for everything you do. Underlights, made me blind, this place is the same as last night. Out of control takes its toll, but you learn to live with your dreams, speaking your mind to those you find. Me? I'm just here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with Dean Ambrose strolling backstage when his phone rings. He picks it up and asks who it is, it's Kurt Angle! He asks if he got the pics he sent but it turns out Angle's wife opened the message. He asks Kurt if he's serious and says he thought he'd never ask, before saying he's got a great idea for the name of the next pay-per-view.
Angle appears to drop the call, so Ambrose flags down a member of the crew and tells him to hit his music, 'cause he's got an announcement to make.
Dean makes his entrance into the arena proper. He greets London and tells them about his phone call and says unfortunately Kurt Angle won't be here tonight, his dog is sick or something. But fortunately Angle knows a trustworthy person when he sees one and he's made Ambrose General Manager of Raw for the day!
So this is his show, and his show isn't about talking, it's about action--
Enter the Miz, flanked by Maryse as always. He's incredulous about Dean being made acting GM and asks the crowd if they approve of it, which they do. He says Raw will be absolute total chaos tonight and says they'd be better off picking names out of a hat at random to make matches.
Dean says he actually has a very detailed plan for an action-packed episode of Raw and says Miz will actually be in the first match of the evening. Miz has a newsflash for him, though. He got a call from Stephanie McMahon, you see, and she thought that if Dean ran the show by himself it might be the last episode.
So she assigned a co-GM, and that man is Miz. So now Raw has a GM that is AWE--urrrgh. Dean cut him off and tells him to enjoy it for now, because at Extreme Rules he's gonna put a beating on him and walk away as champion. Miz reminds him that he beat Seth frickin' Rollins and Finn Balor to become #1 contender in the same match.
Ambrose is proud of him and congratulates him, and in a show of sportsmanship offers a handshake. No funny business, just a handshake. Miz contemplates it for a second, drawing Maryse close as he reaches out...
(RRROOOAAARRR!)
Enter Braun Strowman, his left arm in a sling. He gets in the ring to pre-emptive "Thank you, Strowman!" chants before saying he doesn't care who's in charge, he's gonna get what he wants. He took the Big Dog out at Payback, but as long as Roman Reigns can still walk, he's not finished with him.
So you call Kurt, you call Stephanie, and you tell them that when his arm is healed, he's going to end Roman Reigns. And when he's finished with him, he wants Brock Lesnar! A lot of people were talking about Brock last week, but he's the first person to tell him what he thinks of him, and he'll be the first--
Enter Kalisto. He says Braun might not be done with Roman, but he ain't done with Braun. He refreshes Braun's memory and reminds him that he won the dumpster match and Strowman couldn't take it like a man. He almost ended his career, and he doesn't care how big and strong he is, nobody treats him like garbage and he asks Dean for a match.
Braun says Kalisto won on a technicality and he crushed him like an empty beer can, and he'll be happy to do it again. Hell, he can beat him with one arm! Dragon Gate USA bros stick together, and Dean makes the match official! Braun complains, but Ambrose says it's done and made.
Strowman steps in Dean's face for a second before backing off. Miz congratulates Ambrose, saying in ten minutes as GM he ended Kalisto's career, and suggests a variety of fun and ultraviolent match variations for Dean to book on top of it. Dean then makes Miz vs. Finn Balor as the first match of the night and takes his leave as we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for Finn's entrance.
Finn Balor vs. the Miz
Miz immediately bails before cautiously climbing back up the apron. Balor with a waistlock takedown to a front chancery, he rolls it into a pin, wristlock, hammerlock, Miz out with an elbow. Boot to the gut, whip reversed, sunset flip evaded and Finn throws a dropkick. Strike rush, dropkick, Balor's feeling it but it's only good for two.
Charge dodged, to the apron, gamengiri sends the A-lister across the ring and Finn clotheslines him outside. Heading around, charging shotgun dropkick into the barricade! Back in the ring, up top but Maryse drags her man out of the ring and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Miz lands a kick for two before fishhooking Balor's nose and locking a rear chinlock on. Finn out with elbows, he throws a chop but Miz catches him with the inverted facelock backbreaker / neckbreaker combo for two more. Skull Crushing Finale reversed to a victory roll, no good, Miz catches him with the basement DDT and gets a nearfall..
Balor throwing hands, Miz whips him into a knee to the gut and slows the pace, going back to the rear chinlock. Elbow gets a big boot gets the Pele kick and both men are out on the mat. Both back to their feet, Finn blocks a charge, throws an elbow, dropkick, chop, charge to the corner for another, one more time and the A-lister gets a boot up.
Up top, Finn catches him with a kick, Miz falls to the apron, dropkick sends him outside, Penalty Kick from the apron! Rolling Miz back in but he begs off and throws Balor into referee Rod Zapata while Maryse runs interference. He rolls outside and gets a mic from the timekeeper, saying as GM he can't allow Finn to put hands on a refereee, and he orders Zapata to disqualify him and ring the bell...
The Miz wins by disqualification.
Dean comes down and he says the match isn't gonna end like that, we don't do disqualifications. The match is restarted and Maryse is banned from ringside! Miz is apoplectic but the bell rings and Balor blindsides him!
Back in the ring, sling blade, shotgun dropkick...
Finn Balor wins by pinfall with Coup de Grace.
Commentary hypes up Kalisto/Strowman II and we head to the locker room, where Alexa Bliss is getting ready.
Nia Jax rolls up and says last week she went at everybody in the women's locker room but her, why? Alexa has no idea what she's talking about and tries to back off but Nia doubles down and asks if she meant it when she said she was great. Bliss says of course she did and Jax tries to turn it into a title shot.
Alexa says nobody deserves a title shot more than Nia but she doesn't make matches Kurt Angle makes matches, but when he's back she'll go talk to him about it. Nia says until she does, she just got a new best friend, and Alexa agrees as we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get entrances for Alexa's match. Mickie James is accompanied by Bayley.
Alexa Bliss vs. Mickie James
Collar and elbow, Bliss backs James into the corner and they break. Back to it, again Alexa's superior mass takes the lead and she pushes Mickie to the mat. James loses her cool and takes her down for mounted punches. Snapmare to a kick for two, neckbreaker and Bliss bails. Baseball slide connects, Mickie out after her and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Alexa hits an inverted arm wringer for a nearfall before threading Mickie's arm through the ropes and wrenching. Yanking the arm, into a kneeling armbar but James fights out with body blows. Bliss clubs her to the mat, whip to the corner, elbow up on the charge, Frankensteiner out of the corner!
360 arm wringer, two again, elbow drops to the arm, stepover knee drop armbreaker, another two. Mickie throwing hands, a lariat, forearm, rolling solebutt, high knee, charging cross chop, only two. Kick to the gut, DDT reversed, flapjack to a kip-up. Mickie climbs, Bayley takes Nia out with a crossbody, Alexa yanks James down from the corner...
Alexa Bliss wins by pinfall with a lateral press.
Bliss throwing mounted punches after the match, Bayley makes the save and runs her off backstage. Jax gets in the ring to flatten James with a body avalanche, and an elbow drop.
Ambrose is discussing things with a crew member when Miz rolls up to yell at him. Dean says he runs a clean ship and Miz accuses him of not showering in a week, but Ambrose says he has a shower in his room. But anyway, Dean's got the whole show booked, so Miz can go home.
Miz complains that he had a special MizTV booked with one of the guys from One Direction, but Dean says it's canceled. Ambrose says he'll take on anybody, and Miz makes Dean a match against Bray Wyatt before yanking the clipboard away and going to do some more of his own booking.
We get a tale of the tape for Kalisto/Strowman II, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Charly Caruso is interviewing Samoa Joe. He takes issue with the idea of starting with him costing Seth Rollins an Intercontinental Championship match, preferring to talk about Payback, where the Kingslayer only barely escaped. He wants to challenge Brock Lesnar, but that's not how it works.
Seth lives his life on Samoa Joe's terms now, and Joe is about to turn up the volume. He'll hear every creak and snap of his joints and ligaments, because his lift is going to get very loud. Rollins blindsides him! They brawl, Samoa throwing him into a roadcase and Seth attacking with a small ladder in return, and referees, Jamie Noble, Fit Finlay, and 5-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce come in to break them up.
Braun Strowman vs. Kalisto
Braun gets on the mic and says Dean Ambrose is supposed to be co-GM tonight but as far as he's concerned, he can shove it and he's not accepting this match because Roman Reigns is a pathetic coward that won't face him man-to-man.
The bell rings anyway, though, and Strowman boots Kalisto in the face! Running kick to the ribs, stomps in the corner into a choke, and Roman Reigns comes down. Referee Darrick Moore tries to wave him off but he gets in the ring and squares off with the monster among men.
Roman boots him...
Braun Strowman wins by disqualification, I guess. Nothing is announced.
Superman Punch, a second, a third! Strowman heads outside and Roman follows. Charging around, caught by a boot but he puts Braun into the post! Throwing hands on the bad arm, and yanking his shoulder into the post over and over! Slamming his arm into the apron
Roman gets a chair and wails on Braun, driving him off through the crowd.
R-Truth is hanging out backstage when Goldust rolls up to ask him if he's ready. Truth says he's ready and goes back to his tunes but Goldy wants some serious time. He's enjoyed teaming with Truth but what Kurt Angle said about their win/loss record last week hurt. Have they even accomplished anything together?
They let all these other teams come in and pass them by. They weren't on their game and Braun Strowman treated them like roadkill. He knows what he can do, he knows what Truth can do, he wants to go out there and prove what they can do, that the Hardyz aren't the only ones who can turn the clock back.
He asks if Truth is with him, and he is, and he wants to go out there and shock the world.
Tag Team Turmoil is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw has three hours to fill.
Enzo & Big Cass make their entrance, they do the deal. Enzo says this is tag team turmoil and anyone that wants to beat them ought to pack a lunch because they're going to soil their pants, and also maybe they should have worn a diaper? But then Enzo says he's going to have streaks in his drawers, so everyone's pooping, I guess? Cass calls 'em all SAWFT and we get to the match.
Beauty & the Man-Beast (Heath Slater & Rhyno) vs. Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Enzo & Big Cass vs. Golden Truth (Goldust & R-Truth) vs. the Club (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Tag Team Turmoil Match)
Sheamus and Cass to start, collar and elbow, Big forces the Celtic Warrior against the ropes but eats a boot on the break. Uppercuts and punches, whip blocked, Cass turns it around for punches and elbows of his own. Whip, Stinger splash, body slam, off the ropes, Empire Elbow, tag to Enzo.
Cesaro runs in, Big throws Amore into him, diving crossbody on Sheamus, only good for two. Celtic Warrior hits the Irish Curse backbreaker and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Cesaro is stomping the holy hell out of Enzo. Easily twenty stomps. Grounded half nelson chinlock, Amore to his feet, whipped in the corner but he dodges and the Swiss Superman's shoulder goes into the post. Dodging Sheamus, crawling, but Cesaro is on him and has the ankle picked. Enzuigiri, but Big is yanked off the apron by Sheamus and no pin!
Uppercut to the back of the neck, Sharpshooter applied in the middle of the ring...
Cesaro & Sheamus eliminate Enzo & Big Cass by submission with a Sharpshooter from Cesaro on Enzo Amore.
Beauty and the Man-Beast are up next and their met in the entryway for a brawl! Slater taken care of, they beat Rhyno down and throw him into the steps. Heath wakes up and they pop him onto the barricade for uppercuts before rolling him in the ring. In the ring, Cesaro with a stomp to the midsection and a leg drop before applying a half nelson neck crank.
Slater out, whip in the corner, fighting desperately, he lays Cesaro out with a leg lariat but nobody's there for the tag. Sheamus tags in, diving lariat is good for two and he dropkicks Rhyno off the apron. Drawing Heath up, punch to a reverse chinlock but Slater slips away.
Again no one to tag, Cesaro in to manhandle him, quick tag to Sheamus...
Cesaro & Sheamus eliminate Beauty and the Man-Beast by pinfall with a Brogue Kick from Sheamus on Heath Slater.
The Club enter next and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Cesaro is in with Anderson, punching him into the corner. Whip across, Karl dodges, bicycle kick, right hand, tag to Gallows. Backbreaker into an elbow drop, only two, so Big Hoot shifts to overhead elbows into a reverse chinlock. Knee lift, thinking suplex but the Swiss Superman blocks and deadlifts the big man over himself!
Tag to Sheamus, cross-arm mat slam, only two. Wristlock, yanking it, short-arm shoulder thrusts but Luke throws punches back to knock him down. Whip, kick to the midsection, clothesline, up top but the Celtic Warrior dives into a superkick! Machine Gun tags in but runs right into a tilt-a-whirl slam. Gallows with a boot, Cesaro with the springboard uppercut, Anderson catches him with the spinning spinebuster and all four are out on the mat!
Sheamus blocks a right hand, White Noise... NO GOOD! And we go to break.
Back from commercial and the Club hit the powerbomb / neckbreaker on Sheamus but it's only good for a nearfall. Luke tags in, drawing Sheamus up, hooking him for Magic Killer but Cesaro makes the save and clotheslines Anderson out of the ring. Sheamus in position...
Cesaro & Sheamus eliminate the Club by pinfall with a Brogue Kick from Sheamus on Luke Gallows.
Golden Truth are up next, the final team. Brawling in the ring, they isolate Sheamus, double-team Russian legsweep, no good. Goldust the legal man, drawing him up but the Celtic Warrior throws hands. Whip, drop-down slap, running bulldog, mounted punches in the corner.
Whip across, Goldy catches him with the snap scoop powerslam, only a nearfall. He slaps Cesaro out of the ring but Sheamus dumps him and the Swiss Superman makes the tag. Shinbreaker on the barricade puts Cesaro in firm control and he stays on the leg with an elbow drop and a legscissor. A few punches, tag to Sheamus, knee drop to the knee!
Another into the half-crab as R-Truth tries to rally the crowd. Goldust kicks him off, Cesaro tags back in and cuts him off on the tag before kicking at the hamstring and snapping his leg to the mat. Body blow in the corner, whip across but Goldust's leg gives out on him. Fighting back, going for a slam but his leg buckles again and Cesaro counters with a crossbody.
Sharpshooter on but Truth saves it, he wants a tag, Cesaro can't stop him! R-Truth in, he clears Sheamus off the apron, ducking, jumping leg lariat for a nearfall. Sit-out gourdbuster, Lie Detector... NO GOOD! Charging Stinger splash, Cesaro dodges...
Cesaro & Sheamus win, last eliminating Golden Truth by pinfall with a schoolboy and a handful of tights from Cesaro on R-Truth, becoming #1 contenders to the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
After the match they put boots to R-Truth and the Hardy Boyz come out. They hit the ring and Cesaro & Sheamus bail.
Commentary recaps the Joe/Rollins segment from earlier and informs us that they'll have a match, after the break.
Back from commercial, we get our entrances for the next match.
Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe
Right in with hockey punches, Rollins pulls ahead and Joe bails, yanking him out of the ring. Seth smashes Samoa's face into the apron and follows after. They trade chops, the Architect puts the Destroyer's face into the barricade but Joe returns the favor into the apron and they go back in the ring.
Headbutt, Rollins wobbling as Samoa follows up with jabs and chops in the corner. Whip across, Seth catches him with the reverse STO into the turnbuckles and a diving lariat off the steps when Joe bails on him. Right hand, whip reversed and Rollins takes the barricade hard. Samoa dumps Seth back in the ring and goes on the attack with chest kicks.
Whip across, the Architect gets the boot up, sling blade, chops , but Joe gets back in it with mounted punches and a headbutt to the back of the head. Trading punches, slugging it out, Rollins trying for a suplex but Samoa reverses to one of his own for two. Stomp in passing, drawing Seth up, whip to the corner but he gets the elbow up.
To the second for the blockbuster, Joe back body drops him to the apron on the followup and goes after the leg as Seth tries to re-enter. A legsweep takes Rollins off the apron and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Joe caves Seth's chest in with a punch under the ropes. Headbutt, Rollins fires back with chops, Joe with knees, chop to the back of the knee, a combination for two. Disdainful punches, jawing at the Architect as he tries to find his feet. Double legs, yanking him away, Seth lands on his feet, Coquina Clutch, he's right out, Samoa bails, suicide dive!
Another, back in the ring, springboard lariat, only good for a nearfall! Charge, Joe has a chop, off the ropes, snap scoop powerslam, a nearfall! Manhattan Drop, big boot, a senton, but Rollins kicks out. Thinking powerbomb, Seth counters, thinking suplex, Joe reverses, gets him up this time but the Architect slips out and hits the Falcon Arrow!
Trading punches, Samoa switches to slaps and pushes Rollins back but he has kicks, Joe ducks the roundhouse, Coquina Clutch, he doesn't have all of it and Seth gets out and hits an enzuigiri. Boot up on the charge, Rollins to the second, Joe picks him off and the turnbuckle comes with.
Avada Kedavra for a nearfall, Rollins with arm triangle transitioning to the wristlock, Joe shoves him chest-first into the exposed turnbuckle! Referee Rod Zapata goes to replace the turnbuckle pad but Samoa stops him, throwing it out of the ring and putting Seth's chest into it again! Zapata was warning him the whole time...
Seth Rollins wins by disqualification.
Joe draws him up for a third, putting his head into the turnbuckle and locking the Coquina Clutch on! Rod is trying to pry his arm off and begging him to let go of the hold but Samoa won't cooperate! He finally breaks it after Rollins is passed out, saying it's over when he says it's over.
We're told Dean Ambrose vs. the Miz for the Intercontinental Championship will be next week, but first he has to go up against Bray Wyatt, and we have to go to break.
Back from commercial, Neville makes his entrance. Commentary shows us a video from Facebook where he promised TJ Perkins TJP a title shot if he could beat Jack Gallagher tonight, and he'll be on commentary for the match.
Jack Gallagher vs. TJP
The bell rings and TJ remains perched in the corner, referee Shawn Bennett ordering him to get down. Perkins flashes a peace sign and Gallagher dabs, leading the former champ to get down and shove him, dabbing himself. Jack throws a headbutt! NOT ENOUGH!
TJP rolls outside and the Gentleman rolls him back in but Perkins evades clean out the other side and Gallagher meets him with an uppercut. Perkins sends Jack face-first into the steps with a drop toehold, puts him back in the ring, slingshot senton atomico, and he goes to work on the leg.
Crossing the legs and stepping on the knee, into the cross-leg butterfly lock, Jack gets to his feet, small package for two. Catch of the boot, an uppercut, another, dropkick, another of those as well, exploder suplex, Gallagher is on a roll! Whip to the corner, headstand, kick, Perkins with a fireman's carry, Jack slips out, O'Connor roll, TJ reverses...
TJP wins by pinfall with an O'Connor roll and a handful of tights.
After the match he pops back in the ring and chop blocks Gallagher! Hamstring kicks, he takes him down, TJP Clutch is on! He breaks and gets up when Austin Aries hits the ring in a knee brace! Punches and a box of the ears from the apron, neckbreaker over the middle rope and Perkins bails!
Aries checks on Gallagher and the two pairs of men stare each other down.
Sasha Banks is walking backstage and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Sasha Banks makes her entrance.
Alicia Fox vs. Sasha Banks
Slaps, right into a wild brawl as referee Darrick Moore tries to break it up. Fox takes Banks down, northern lights suplex, only one, another cover gets less, knee drop to the back into a reverse chinlock. Adding a rake of the nose into it as the Boss struggles to her feet, throwing hands, off the ropes, tilt-a-whirl reversed into a crossbody!
Tilt-a-whirl headscissors, Sasha is on a roll, double knees, another charge meets boots, off the ropes, Banks on her with a chinlock and Alicia reverses putting her into the turnbuckles. Up to the second, thinking superplex, Sasha knocks her down...
Sasha Banks wins by pinfall with Meteora.
Commentary shows a replay that seems to indicate that Fox had a shoulder up during the pin.
Wyatt/Ambrose is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, Miz joins the commentary booth for the main event.
Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose
A bit tentative, into the collar and elbow, Bray backs Dean in the corner and throws him across the ring. Circling, Ambrose with a waistlock, Wyatt out with a back elbow and hanging from the corner, throws a lariat, Dean ducks and comes back with chops only for Bray to choke him on the ropes.
Big right, Ambrose backs into the corner and eats a further body blow as Wyatt declares himself a god. Off the ropes, Dean with the low bridge, suicide dive! Smashing Bray's face into the barricade, climbing up top, up and over, kick to the gut, underhooks, Wyatt bails and snaps Ambrose's face into the apron and suplexes him outside from the floor!
Only good for two, Bray lays in a stomp or two and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Wyatt has a side headlock on and Dean is throwing elbows. Bray with a headbutt, and a corner avalanche sends Ambrose sprawling! Headbutts to the midsection, a kick, dragging Dean up for an overhead elbow but he blocks a right and fights back only for Wyatt to catch him with a DDT.
Rear chinlock with a knee to the back, keeping Ambrose grounded, firing off a headbutt and locking it back on when it seems like he might get to his feet. Shifting to a reverse chinlock, Dean to one knee and then his feet, jawbreaker escape and they trade punches.
Pendulum lariat but Bray has it scouted and takes his head off with a lariat! To the second, the Eater of Worlds takes a moment too long and the pool is empty when he throws a diving senton. Ambrose dragging himself up the ropes, off the ropes for elbows, whip reversed and he clobbers Bray with a lariat.
Charging elbow, Wyatt knocks him down, puts him in the corner, kick to the face, Dean climbing and Bray bails, but he just readjusts and hits the diving elbow from the top to the outside! Referee Chad Patton counting, they go back in the ring and Wyatt catches him with that wild crossbody block.
Miz heads to ringside with Maryse, giving Bray a chance to clutch Sister Abigail but Dean reverses to a schoolboy pin for two. Huge Rock Bottom from Wyatt gets a nearfall of his own! To the corner, Bray thinking superplex but Ambrose fights him off with body blows and headbutts, knocking the Eater of Worlds down.
Dean dives into a slicing right but it sends him into the ropes and he comes right off with the pendulum lariat! Miz taunts him with the Intercontinental Championship, Bray from behind, kick to the gut, underhooks, he slips out of Dirty Deeds and Dean throws a suicide dive on Miz!
Brawing around, Bray into the barricade and Miz clips Ambrose from behind with the title belt but Patton didn't see it! Wyatt rolls him in, nearfall off a lateral press, Bray draws him up...
Bray Wyatt wins by pinfall with Sister Abigail.
Miz announces Bray as the winner and heads in the ring to beat Dean up himself some, mounted punches and a rake of the eyes. Miz stands over him with the mic and the title, telling Dean that next week he'll be wearing the title and the whole world, including this godforsaken country, will have to look at him as Intercontinental Champion and say "Awesome!"
That's the show, folks.