Raw general manager Kurt Angle kicked off Monday's broadcast, greeted by a chorus of "you suck" chants as he made his way to the squared circle. The Olympian ran down the two main events for Sunday's No Mercy PPV, but The Miz interrupted him and looked none-too-pleased as he headed to the ring, flanked by The Miztourage's Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. Miz continued to voice his frustrations over the lack of attention the authority figure paid to him. When it was revealed that Jason Jordan is in line for a shot at his title, Miz decried the decision and asked when Dallas and Axel would receive an opportunity. Miz delivered a few scathing lines about fatherhood, telling Angle he will be a better dad than the general manager, just like he is a better champion. The intercontinental champion referred to Angle as a deadbeat, drawing Jordan to the ring in defense of his pops. Angle announced the planned Fatal 4-Way match to determine the No. 1 contender to the Intercontinental Championship was now a Six-Pack Challenge, to which Miz insulted Jordan. A brawl broke out with Jordan standing tall alongside his dad.
The "friendship" between Raw women's champion Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax was put to the test as they battled in a non-title bout just six days before a huge Fatal 5-Way match at No Mercy. Chants of "Nia Jax" broke out as Bliss stalled early, not at all eager to get in the ring with an opponent whose size and power are a distinct advantage. Bliss did everything she could to dodge her opponent, but Jax repeatedly caught her and demonstrated her strength advantage. Just when it looked like Bliss had escaped, Sasha Banks appeared, providing a distraction. Moments later, Jax bowled her over at ringside, leaving Bliss lying on her back heading into the break. Back from the commercial and Jax flattened Bliss in short order with the Samoan Drop to win the match.
After the match, Banks attempted a sneak attack but was met with a similar fate. In her hometown of San Jose, California, Bayley returned, joining Bliss and Banks for a three-on-one takedown of Jax. As Bayley and Banks reunited, Bliss interrupted, drawing their ire and enduring a Bayley-to-Belly to end her night. Jax looked strong, beating Bliss clean in the middle of the ring and retreating only after it took three women to take her down. She has been the most compelling member of the division the last two months and the Superstar to keep an eye on come Sunday's No Mercy on the WWE Network.
The Bar vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose
Before a scheduled match between The Bar and Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, Sheamus accused fans of loving nostalgia acts, comparing Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to Stranger Things and Star Wars.Cesaro reminded fans that Ambrose and Rollins cannot stand each other, while Sheamus reiterated that their friendship is fragile and about to crack.Ambrose and Rollins interrupted and cracked a few jokes about the former champions' attire before Anderson and Gallows hit the ring. They said neither The Bar nor Ambrose and Rollins are good brothers. No, they are nerds.A brawl involving the three teams broke out, with the babyfaces clearing the ring and standing tall as the show headed to break.During the break, Kurt Angle announced a Triple Threat tag team match, adding Sheamus and Cesaro to the originally scheduled bout. Sheamus and Gallows exchanged blows in a nice hoss fight at one point before Cesaro tagged in and unloaded a few European uppercuts. The Celtic Warrior tagged back in and took the fight to Gallows before a knee to the face halted his momentum.
Rollins delivered a springboard clothesline to Sheamus off a blind tag, and the tag team champions took control of the match. Then the heels isolated Ambrose from his partner, wresting the momentum away from the titleholders.The Kingslayer eventually got the hot tag and exploded into the match, delivering a blockbuster neckbreaker before Cesaro cut him off by crotching him on the top rope. Rollins answered with the Buckle Bomb, but Sheamus broke up the pin.Moments later, Ambrose wiped out Sheamus and Cesaro, allowing Gallows and Anderson to score the Magic Killer. A last-second save by The Lunatic Fringe snatched the match from the jaws of defeat.The heels, once again in control of the bout, worked over Rollins coming out of the break.Ambrose was the recipient of this hot tag, unloading on any and everyone around him before taking Anderson off the top rope with a superplex. A top-rope elbow followed, but Sheamus broke up a pinfall attempt.With the remainder of the Superstars cleared out of the ring, Ambrose and Rollins exploded with a suicide dive. Chants of "this is awesome" broke out as the champions set Anderson up for a Doomsday Device.Late, Ambrose blasted Anderson with Dirty Deeds and a legal Sheamus tossed him, then scored the victory.
Apollo Crews vs. Curt Hawkins
Curt Hawkins sadly announced the end of the Star Factory and, in its place, introduced Curt Hawkins: History Machine, vowing to end his historic losing streak. He introduced the man who would be on the wrong side of history: Apollo Crews, who was accompanied to the squared circle by Titus O'Neil.Crews controlled early but tried for a standing moonsault and landed sternum-first across Hawkins' knees.The former tag team champion grounded Crews, wearing him down with a sleeper. A spinebuster cut off Crews' attempt at a comeback. A two-count led to visible frustration, though.Hawkins attempted to hold the tights on a roll-up, but Crews escaped and finished his opponent with a powerbomb for the win.
Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar...via Satellite
Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar exchanged words in their final verbal confrontation before Sunday's Universal Championship match.Paul Heyman admitted that Lesnar respects the fact that Strowman is the greatest challenge to his title imaginable. But The Beast has been the underdog before, and the last time that happened, he ended the legendary Streak.Strowman vowed to stomp Suplex City into the ground, showing incredible confidence as he addressed the biggest match of his career.Heyman took exception to the number of questions asked to Strowman instead of Lesnar and proceeded to run down the list of his client's undeniable accomplishments.Lesnar cut Heyman off and thanked Strowman for backing him into the corner. "It's when I'm at my best. I'll see you Sunday," The Beast warned before finishing with, "Suplex City, bitch."
Roman Reigns Promo
Roman Reigns began the final hype for his upcoming match with John Cena by suggesting that if he were a jacked-up white guy with a military haircut, he would not have a career. Just ask Alex Riley, whose bright career in WWE the franchise star may or may not have extinguished.He then rolled video from 2012 in which Cena criticized The Rock for leaving to film movies, flat calling him a hypocrite.He ended the brief promo with, "See you Sunday, movie star," before mocking the salute and dropping the mic.This felt forced. Worse, it felt like something that should have been brought up three weeks ago.Instead, Cena-Reigns feels like a thrown-together excuse for a marquee match built on the back of worked-shoot comments and a manufactured dislike.
Dustin Rhodes vs. Bray Wyatt
A week after being beaten down and having his face paint removed by Bray Wyatt, Dustin Rhodes squared off with The Eater of Worlds, eager to gain a measure of revenge.Rhodes unloaded on his opponent, catching him with a big clothesline. Wyatt suckered him to the floor and took control for a brief moment before being sent into the steel steps.The future Hall of Famer delivered Shattered Dreams, catching Wyatt in the inner thigh. Wyatt recovered quickly, though, dropping Rhodes with Sister Abigail from out of nowhere for the win.Finn Balor appeared on the video screen afterward telling a story of a little boy who read of gods and monsters, then created a demon for himself.Balor surmised that, if the demon is the creation of the man, then the man is clearly more dangerous. He smiled a creepy smile, putting the final touches on the build to his match with Wyatt Sunday.
Braun Strowman Obliterates Enzo Amore, Neville Benefits
Enzo Amore began his tired promo on the entrance ramp, only to have Braun Strowman interrupt and run him over. Amore took a big bump before being dragged to the squared circle and thrown inside.Strowman delivered a monstrous powerslam before cruiserweight champion Neville appeared and delivered a Red Arrow. He mocked Amore in what amounted to the last-second Raw build to Sunday's title bout.Neville was awesome in mocking a down-and-out Amore, but one cannot ignore the fact that he has been bogged down in this ongoing program.
Gran Metalik vs. Neville
Still in the ring after his cowardly attack on Amore, cruiserweight champion Neville squared off with Gran Metalik.Live a savage, The King of the Cruiserweights grounded his opponent and ripped at his mask.From there, he tapped him out to the Rings of Saturn, scoring a mostly uncontested victory over the luchador.
Six-Pack Challenge No. 1 Contender's Match
Elias greeted fans in San Jose with their own personalized concert before Matt and Jeff Hardy cut him off. Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel and Jason Jordan joined them in the squared circle for the night's main event.Quick pinfall attempts defined the early portion of the bout.Dallas and Axel dumped Elias over the top rope in a scary spot at one point, while the Hardys delivered a nasty superplex to Jordan.Jeff appeared to be injured, heavily favoring his shoulder, while Matt fought to remain in the title hunt.
The action broke down as the match continued on, ending with Jordan pinning Axel in a foregone conclusion of a match.A dismayed Miz joined Jordan in the squared circle and wound up eating two straight overhead suplexes before The Miztourage hit the ring, laying waste to the new No. 1 contender.Miz finished the assault with a Skull-Crushing Finale and grabbed the mic. He vowed to remain intercontinental champion, promised Kurt Angle would remain a terrible father and then finished with, "and you will still be a bastard." The champion added that final, biting line about Jordan being a bastard with such seething conviction that it would not be outside the realm of possibility for new viewers to immediately develop a deep dislike for the intercontinental champion.Miz is so good at what he does that he overshadows his opponents, and that will be no different with the undefined, underwhelming Jordan character, which has yet to evolve past being Angle's long-lost son.
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