SPOILER WARNING: This article contains full show match results for WWE Monday Night Raw from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana which aired on Monday, September 10, 2018.
History was made last night as Renee Young (FINALLY) went full time on the Monday Night Raw announce desk.
And the show itself was no less eventful, with matches continuing to be made and hyped for Hell in a Cell 2018, the Super Show-Down and WWE Evolution.
Read on to find out six things we learned on the Raw go-home show before HIAC.
1. Mick Foley is going back to Hell in a Cell
Oooh boy.
When Mick Foley revealed on Twitter that he’d be dropping by Monday Night Raw to hype Hell in a Cell, we weren’t too surprised.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=XoZLAuVJ2TE
It’s been a year and a half odd since his last appearance, but it’s the 20th anniversary of THAT Hell in a Cell match between Mankind and The Undertaker, and there are DVDs and WWE Network subscriptions to sell.
So he popped by and set a match for Finn Bálor vs Elias, but what we didn’t expect was for Mick (looking great but still busted up under that chirpy exterior) to announce his formal involvement at HIAC.
Yep, Mick Foley will be the Special Guest Referee for Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman at Hell in a Cell, IN Hell in a Cell.
Mick has never won in four competitive appearances in Hell in a Cell, and was referee once before, when Triple H defended the title against Kevin Nash at Bad Blood 2003.
Of course, referees have been known to get themselves involved in Cell matches, from Shawn Michaels to Brad Maddox.
And even if they don’t choose to affect the result, refs have taken more than a bump or too inside Hell in a Cell.
We hope Mick knows what he’s doing.
2. It’s The Shield vs All once more, and Dean and Seth have a Tag Team title opportunity at Hell in a Cell
Last week wasn’t a one-off.
Roman Reigns coined One vs All, and although he now has his Shield brothers at his side, that theme continues.
It’s not just Roman, Seth and Dean against Braun, Dolph and Drew. The Shield guys have every single wrong ‘un in the locker room yapping at their sides, and it ain’t easy.
They defended themselves once more, and despite Baron Corbin threatening to call the cops again, they also managed to avoid getting banged up in jail for half the night either by backing off.
And despite his antipathy for the Hounds of Justice, ‘Constable’ Corbin also gave the dogs a bone: a WWE Raw Tag Team Championship match against Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre at Hell in a Cell 2018.
Apparently his boss Steph wants the card to be stacked with eye-catching matches, though we have to admit we’re still surprised that he’s just given his hated Shield such an opportunity.
Meanwhile, Roman Reigns himself came out on top against Braun Strowman as they had their final altercation before HIAC.
Braun was on the rampage looking for his opponent, but when he finally lured him out for the closing of the show, he likely got more than he bargained for.
With RR proving he can do it against the Monster Among Men even without the Hounds by his side, will Braun be left regretting trading in his Money in the Bank briefcase without a surprise cash-in?
3. The WWE Tag Team Division is ready for some more excitement
As the month-long reign of The B-Team was shunted into history with their (final) rematch loss against Dolph ‘n’ Drew, the division got a lot more exciting tonight.
And we don’t just mean the aforementioned Hell in a Cell title match between McIntyre/Ziggler and Seth Rollins/Dean Ambrose.
We saw AOP continue their resurgence under new manager Drake Maverick, though, they’ll need to do more than demolish local talents pretty soon.
And we also saw Bobby Roode and Chad Gable make short work of The Ascension to underline their own fledgling tag credentials.
Despite some (over)familiar faces, SmackDown Live has a buzzing and thriving tag scene, helped by mini-tournaments and some great spots on the card.
Raw has the time, and the talent, to do the same.
Whether Ziggler and McIntyre retain or The Shield all get titled up this Sunday, let’s have a bit more organisation and structure in that tag division to highlight all that ability in the locker room.
4. Nikki and Brie Bella have slid right back (near) the top of the tree, and the Riott Squad desperately need a reboot
After a tag victory over the Riott Squad’s Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan this week, The Bella Twins continued their triumphant return.
Nikki Bella beat squad leader Ruby Riott in a 1vs1 match, and although we’re delighted to have the former champ back and firing all cylinders, we couldn’t help but worry for Ruby Riott.
As we’ve noted before, along with their SmackDown mirrors Absolution, the Riott Squad made a stunning impact when they first came to the WWE roster.
Absolution disintegrated following Paige’s retirement and while the Squad are still here, they’ve only really performed in fits and starts, and their defeats to the Bellas over the last two weeks underline that.
Yes, the Bellas are era-straddling and underrated talents, but it’s no coincidence that they’ve re-established their claims to dominance by so comfortably putting away the Riott Squad, rather than anyone else.
Brie Bella takes on Maryse in the main event of SmackDown tonight and we’re expecting continued Bella success at Mrs Miz’s expense.
Maryse can take the loss (or maybe even cheat her way out of it), but we’re hoping that the Riott Squad reboot, restore and reclaim their mojo before too long.
5. Triple H vs The Undertaker is turning into a surprisingly engaging Super (Side)-Show
The WWE Super-Show over in Australia is an odd one. Like the Greatest Royal Rumble before it, it’s part house-show, part PPV.
And the oddest match on the card is it the main event: The Undertaker vs Triple H for the Last Time Ever.
We were a bit wary of these two grizzled veterans taking the top of any card in 2018, but they’ve managed to weave a surprisingly interesting story out of this encounter.
Triple H initially spoke about respect and seemed to be welcoming the nostalgia of it all.
But after Shawn Michaels’s involvement last week and Taker’s brusque response, things have heated up a bit.
Trips has suggested that the Deadman’s batch of Mania matches against HBK and The Game were his crowning glory, and maybe he’s right.
He also claimed that despite his victory, that quartet of encounters marked the beginning of the end of The Undertaker’s reign… and there’s some truth to that too.
It gives the whole feud a boost. Two men with such storied histories.
Taker clearly has the edge in their past encounters but more miles on the clock, while Trips has the physical superiority in 2018 but a mental block when it comes to the Deadman.
We’re excited to see how this plays out.
6. Kevin Owens reveals why he un-quit and it’s kind of underwhelming
Kevin Owens had more buzz around him than he’d enjoyed for months on announcing that he had quit the WWE after a recent defeat.
But just one week later he was back on Monday Night Raw, stomping about and even joining in a Shield beatdown seemingly at the behest of his previous tormentor Braun Strowman.
So, what gives?
Well, this week he revealed the reason for his all-too-quick change of heart.
Apparently, ‘Constable’ Baron Corbin made him an offer he can’t refuse.
While the likes of The Shield have to watch their step or fear involvement from law enforcement, Kevin Owens has carte blanche to do whatever the hell he likes, to whoever the hell he likes.
Be it Tyler Breeze or Bobby Lashley, KO can do as he pleases, and Lashley is now at the top of his (s)hit list for his role in putting his Best Frenemy Sami Zayn on the shelf.
But Kevin has more to worry about than the cops or the fizzling out of his post-quit intrigue.
The cat’s out of the bag now, and the likes of Lashley won’t sit there like sitting ducks for his antics.
WWE Monday Night Raw full show match results – Monday, September 10, 2018
Nikki Bella vs. Ruby Riott
WINNER: Nikki Bella
AOP (Akam and Rezar) vs. Ronnie Ace & Nathan Bradley
WINNERS: AOP (Akam and Rezar)
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre (c) vs. The B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel)
WINNERS and STILL WWE Raw Tag Team Champions: Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
The Ascension (Konnor and Victor) vs. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable
WINNERS: The Ascension (Konnor and Victor)
Alexa Bliss & Mickie James vs. Ronda Rousey & Natalya
WINNERS: Ronda Rousey & Natalya
Elias vs. Finn Bálor
WINNER: Finn Bálor
What did you think of Monday Night Raw – let us know at @digitalspywwe.
Source: Read Full Article