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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Aug. 26, 2019) from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Clash of Champions pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for next month in Charlotte.
Advertised for tonight: The King of the Ring tournament continues, Bayley vs. Nikki Cross in a non-title match, 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.)
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR AUG. 26
Sifting through weathered photo albums... Does it make a difference? ...looking for gloriously aged polaroids... This is the way it is. You think it really would make a difference? Would I hang on the beach in perfect black and hide? ...of places you’ve never been. I broke through this hollow shell that once held me so tight I couldn’t breathe, and now, I’m here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with Sasha Banks making her entrance.
A recap of Sasha’s return and interview follows.
The Boss gets on the mic and says everybody wants to know why, and where she’s been. She throws up four fingers, Horsemen-style, and says she’s been gone four months, out of sight, minding her own business, but all she hears is people talking about her. About how she threw a fit (she did), how she was crying on the floor at WrestleMania (she did), and how she took her ball and went home (you’re damn right she did), but not for reasons you might think.
She was relegated to a tag team match she didn’t care about at WrestleMania, defending tag titles that meant even less while Becky Lynch got to main event WrestleMania against Ronda Rousey. So you’re right, she took her ball and went home and went on a couple amazing vacations with her WrestleMania paycheck, which, by the way, not as big as Becky’s.
When she came back, she came to work, and she wanted to make a perfect moment. And there she was, poor old innocent Natalya. And who came to save the day? Good ol’ Becky Lynch, and now Banks is the center of attention that she deserves to be for running the division since day one. And now, she deserves all this glory. So she--
Enter Natalya, elbow taped up but ready to fight! Double leg on the floor, grounded punches, the Boss turns it around and they brawl! Putting Banks into the steel steps, they roll around and referees and road agents swarm to separate them! At length, Scott Armstrong finally manages to pull Neidhart off and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Street Profits play hype men for tonight’s festivities, including a tag team turmoil match to determine number one contenders for the Raw tag titles.
Ricochet gets an inset promo talking about how he’s going to win King of the Ring. Drew McIntyre gets an equal and opposite promo.
Drew McIntyre vs. Ricochet (King of the Ring 2019 First Round Match)
Ricochet goes behind, waistlock, McIntyre throws him off. Back in, duck the punch, leg kick and a chop but Drew biels him into the corner! Ricky rolls under, bit of fancy dodging but he gets taken out with a chop! Belly-to-belly suplex sends the One and Only across the room! Jockeying for position over the ropes, Ricochet sends him to the floor, kickflip moonsault, nobody home, land on his feet, satellite... REVERSED INTO A BACKBREAKER ON THE APRON!
Another backbreaker into the apron and we go to break!
Back from commercial, McIntyre has a wicked bow and arrow in on Ricochet, on his back with full extension. Ricky slips out, trading strikes, off the ropes, dropkick into an enzuigiri and Drew is down and out! Follow it up, dropkick to the knee, to the apron for a running kick to the face, McIntyre staggered, springboard into the dropkick and the Scotsman falls to the floor!
Ricky off the ropes... CORKSCREW TOPE CON GIRO! Back inside, fireman’s carry blocked, Poison Frankensteiner caught... AND REVERSED INTO THE INVERTED ALABAMA SLAM FOR TWO! Military press, Ricochet slips out, catches him on the charge and hits a northern lights suplex! Roll through... TWISTING BRAINBUSTER COUNTERED INTO A RELEASE SUPLEX BY THE BIG MAN!
Springboard lariat, running shooting star press... NOPE! To the apron, jockeying for position over the ropes and Drew decks him with a right that sends the One and Only to the floor! Whip into the steps, Ricochet jumps over, enzuigiri off the steps! Running, jumping off the steps... MCINTYRE COUNTERS WITH A HEADBUTT TO SWAT HIM OUT OF MIDAIR! Back inside, Drew lying in wait... RICKY COUNTERS CLAYMORE WITH A SUPERKICK!
Kick to the knee, buzzsaw roundhouse kicks, Drew takes his head off with a lariat for his trouble! Sitout powerbomb... SO CLOSE! McIntyre draws him up, fireman’s carry, climbing the turnbuckles but Ricochet slips out and trips him up! Diving Recoil connects, Ricky heads back up top...
Ricochet wins by pinfall with the 630 senton.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins winning the tag titles last week.
Braun and Seth are interviewed backstage. Rollins says it’s quite a situation he’s gotten himself into, but that’s what they do, so they’ll be ready for all comers. Strowman refuses to speak about the tag titles for a beat before agreeing and then asking who Seth will let step up and challenge him for the Universal Championship. Rollins starts talking about all the challengers before realizing that Braun must be challenging him for Big Red.
Strowman plays off like he’s just trying to make sure they’re on the same page to defend the tag titles before saying of course he’s challenging for the Universal Championship. Rollins accepts the challenge!
The Miz makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Miz gets on the mic and cuts a promo.
He says he’s accomplished a lot and rattles off his accolades, from titles to his reality show, and says people always asked him what he wants, and the answer is simple-- he wants it all. We’re all on the quest with him to step on the WWE’s iron throne as King Awesome.
Baron Corbin vs. the Miz (King of the Ring 2019 First Round Match)
Circling, Corbin backing Miz into the corner and putting boots to him before referee John Cone forces the break. The A-Lister back at him with left hands, mounted in the corner, kick combo connects and a clothesline sends Baron to the floor! Off the ropes... slingshot dropkick misses and Corbin decks him with a right hand! Taking Miz around the ring, ramming him back-first into the barricade!
Back inside, trading punches, whip reversed, pass to the floor and back in and Baron cuts him off with a lariat for two to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Miz catches him with the neckbreaker / backbreaker combo and starts to turn the tide! Block a right hand, throwing punches, running corner knees set up the Awesome Clothesline! Perched up top, the A-Lister hits a diving double axehandle... NOPE! Off the ropes... DEEP SIX ALMOST DOES IT! Skull Crushing Finale countered, chokebreaker countered, sunset flip for two for the Miz!
End of Days countered, basement DDT connects! Schoolboy, nope, pass out and back in, Miz has got him... SKULL-CRUSHING FINALE ISN’T ENOUGH! Baron out to the floor, Cone counting, Miz goes after him and throws him into the barricade! Back in, springboard, nobody home, Corbin’s got him...
Baron Corbin wins by pinfall with End of Days.
Post-match, Corbin puts on the crown and takes a seat with the scepter.
He says when he came to this building tonight he was asked about a poll that said we wanted anybody but him to win King of the Ring, but the good thing is he’s never cared what we think anyway, and he’s here because of himself and only himself. All hail King Corbin.
Backstage, the OC are interviewed and complain about having to go through seven other teams to get a chance to win their tag titles back.
Bayley makes her entrance, she’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for NXT coming to USA Network next month.
We get a recap of Rey Mysterio’s near-retirement from last week.
Bayley vs. Nikki Cross
Cross with a shove, a boot, Bayley picks the leg, side headlock, back suplex and Nikki falls to the floor! Cross catches a dropkick but the Hugger kicks her away, leg trip on the apron and Nikki follows it up by ramming her into the apron! Back inside, repeated knees to the midsection before hanging Bayley in the Tree of Woe and putting boots to her.
Jockeying for position, Bayley slides through, into a pin for two before following it up with a straight suplex. Side slam, headed up top...
Bayley wins by pinfall with the diving elbow drop.
Braun Strowman cuts a promo about how he and Seth Rollins are going to defend the tag titles, he’s going to win the Universal Championship, and tonight he’s going to win the United States Championship from AJ Styles.
Viking Raiders make their entrance and we go to break.
B-Team (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode vs. Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight) vs. Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado) vs. the OC (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) vs. the Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Tag Team Turmoil Match)
B-Team and Raiders to start, Axel manages to cut Erik off and put boots to him in the corner. Erik gets away, tag to Ivar, and the Vikings take Dallas to lunch...
Viking Raiders eliminate B-Team by pinfall with the Viking Experience on Bo Dallas.
Ivar and Gallows to start but the OC work Ivar over together as referee Dan Engler tries to reassert his authority. Working Warbeard over, the big man comes off the ropes... VIKING TOPE! All four men brawling in the ring, Engler has no choice...
Both teams are eliminated in a double disqualification draw.
Ziggler and Roode come out next and we go to break.
Lucha House Party is the other team. Dorado and Roode, Lince fighting from underneath, headscissors and a tag to Metalik. Handspring back elbow wipes Ziggler out, missile dropkick but Robert breaks it up! Gran with a rolling sunset flip, only two, handspring... COUNTERED WITH A NORTHERN SUPERKICK!
Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode eliminate Lucha House Party by pinfall with a superkick to the back of the head from Ziggler on Gran Metalik.
The Revival out now, Dawson and Ziggler to start. Circling, feeling out, collar and elbow leads to a struggle in the corner and a side headlock takeover from Scott. Dolph with a pinning predicament, bit of mat grappling, collar and elbow into a headlock. Tag to Roode, chops in the corner, Dawson turns him around, hard whip into the corner sets up a back body drop.
Tag to Ziggler, side headlock, Dawson gets him in the corner and makes the tag. Wilder takes Ziggler out, quick tag back sets up the leg drop Demolition Decapitation... NOPE! Wilder with a waistlock, Dolph fighting out with back elbows, Dash tags out and Dawson dumps Ziggler to the apron. Mocking front kicks and punches, slingshot suplex... NOT ENOUGH!
Back suplex, Dolph lands on his feet, tag to Roode. Superkick blocked but the Fameasser connects! Big DDT blocked, Robert nowhere to be seen... SCOTT WITH THE BRAINBUSTER! Dawson tries for one on Bobby, nope, reversed...
Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode eliminate the Revival by pinfall with the Glorious DDT from Roode on Scott Dawson.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Hawkins is running wild on Ziggler and Roode one-on-two! Swinging neckbreaker, tag to Ryder, fireman’s carry into a Samoan drop / blockbuster combo for two! Clearing house, Dolph is on point...
Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode eliminate Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder by pinfall with a superkick from Ziggler on Ryder.
Heavy Machinery are the last team out.
The heels look to take a time out but Knight goes out and pulls them back in at the bell. Back inside with Ziggler, springboard crossbody for two! Dozer in for a nearfall, tag back to Tucky, slingshot splash, but a low-bridge sends him to the floor. Roode tags in, ramming Tucker into the barricade and then the steps! Back inside, nearfall, tag to Dolph and he comes in with clubbing rights and a neckbreaker for two.
Reverse chinlock applied, Ziggler trying to choke Tucky out but after they break, Knight slingshots him into the post! Tags made on both sides and Otis is light a freight train! Stinger splash sets it up... CATERPILLAR! In the aftermath Roode nearly scoops him up but Dozer hits the World’s Strongest Slam... NOPE! Knight tags back in, directing traffic but Ziggler cuts him off with a superkick!
Zig Zag takes Otis out! Roode capitalizes...
Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode win, last eliminating Heavy Machinery by pinfall with the Glorious DDT from Roode on Otis to become #1 contenders to the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
We get a video package about the mystery of who’s been attacking Roman Reigns to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for the new season of Total Divas.
Natalya vs. Sasha Banks
Natalya charging right in, spear into grounded punches, rolling around, Neidhart ends up on the floor and sidesteps a baseball slide, putting Banks into the barricade! Snap suplex on the floor, another one, back inside for mounted punchs but Sasha gets away. Punches in the corner, referee John Cone with the warning, Nattie shifts a wheelbarrow into a wicked release German suplex!
A trip out to the floor and the Boss takes control again, working the injured arm over, wrenching and tearing and striking, Bank Statement applied in the middle of the ring, shift to use the injured arm as a cutthroat choke...
Sasha Banks wins by submission with a cutthroat Bank Statement.
Post-match, Banks attacks and grabs the Bank Statement crossface again!
Backstage, AJ Styles is interviewed.
He talks about how nobody thinks he can beat Braun without his OC buddies but he’s not intimidated by Strowman.
Commentary promises us Cedric Alexander vs. Cesaro after the break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for Stone Cold’s new show.
Cedric Alexander vs. Cesaro
Collar and elbow, Cesaro backs Alexander into the corner and breaks with a shove. Cedric shoves him back, uppercut clocks him, more uppercuts, whip reversed and a big series of chops from Alexander. Whip across, up and over, foll through, backflip into a headscissors! Dropkick sends Cesaro out of the ring, Cedric off the ropes for a dive... SWISS DEATH!
Karelin lift to follow it up, pass Alexander to the apron. Springboard reverse STO sends Cesaro to the floor, Cedric off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO! Back inside, springboard clothesline, still only two. Back suplex blocked, uppercut, Alexander with a Cactus crossbody and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Cesaro is working Alexander’s knee over at length but Cedric is able to get a back elbow up and start fighting back. Slugging it out, Neuralyzer connects! Scoop... MICHINOKU DRIVER CONNECTS EVEN WITH THE BUM KNEE! Can’t complete a springboard because the knee is busted and Cesaro is able to dropkick him right in the bad knee
Jockeying for position... DEADLIFT SUPERPLEX! Alexander kicks out and Cesaro takes him right into the half crab! Swiss Superman calling for him to rise, off the ropes... STANDING SPANISH FLY OUTTA NOWHERE! Back suplex lift blocked, second try, Cesaro reverses to a crossbody and shifts right into a torture half-crab! Cedric gets two off a victory roll pin, back elbow, handspring but Cesaro picks the Neuralyzer into an ankle lock!
Alexander kicks him to the floor, Cesaro back in, Cedric has his number...
Cedric Alexander wins by pinfall with Lumbar Check.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of Elias appearing at some kind of festival and the 24/7 Championship shenanigans that ensued.
Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are interviewed backstage.
They talk about how they came together as a team and how their opponents at Clash of Champions have to pull double duty.
Street Profits again play hype man and talk up the main event when they realize Braun Strowman is right next to them.
The monster walks to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get a Firefly Fun House retrospective video.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Braun Strowman (WWE United States Championship)
Strowman biels Styles to the floor and freight trains him immediately after! Around a second time and he hits just as hard! Back inside, AJ gets his boots up on the charge, springboard, caught into the chokeslam... STYLES’ FOOT IS UNDER THE ROPES! Off the ropes, Braun with a big boot that sends AJ to the floor and us to break.
Back from commercial, Strowman scoops Styles up but AJ is able to reverse to a sleeper hold! Taking Braun’s leg out from under him, he follows up with leg kicks and a sliding forearm to the back of the head. Quebrada... NOPE! Off the ropes, another sliding forearm to the back of the head and into the Calf Killer! Wrenching it in, Strowman in the middle of the ring, nowhere to go but he’s able to just straighten up and hit a headbutt for a close two!
Freight train, freight train, AJ sidesteps and Strowman eats the post hard! Referee Chad Patton barely got away from the impact but he doesn’t get away from Styles dropkicking Braun into him! Claw the eyes, kick right in the gentleman’s area and AJ goes and gets a steel chair for good measure. Running in, Braun catches him into a powerslam... NO REFEREE! The OC hit the ring and put boots to the Monster Among Men!
Strowman runs the former tag champs off with the chair but as Patton is waking up, Styles does an Eddie Guerrero special! Chad throws the match out!
AJ Styles wins by disqualification after feigning as if Braun Strowman had hit him first.
Braun wailing on everybody with the chair! A powerslam for Gallows, one for Anderson, and one for Styles as well!
That’s the show, folks.