Welcome to the Raw Review for September 4, 2017. For both this and Smackdown, I will go over what the big talking points were, pick the match of the night, and look ahead to the next show.
Talking Points
Cena vs. Reigns
John Cena kicked off the Labor Day edition of Raw, to a very positive reaction. It was actually hard to hear the jeers directed at him. His opponent was Jason Jordan, echoing Cena’s debut match against Kurt Angle. Their match was really good,with Jordan hitting two suplexs in a row. After an Attitude Adjustment, Roman Reigns made his way to the ring. The following promo was not as electric as last week, but felt like a promo from the Attitude Era. Reigns felt more at ease, challenging Cena to fight right now. Cena declined, giving Regin’s claims about Cena being all talk more weight.
Hardy Flies for the Belt
Jeff Hardy got his opportunity to challenge the Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. The big question at the start was how involved the Mizterouge would be in the match, and if Matt Hardy could even the odds. Jeff was his usually high flying self, but Miz countered with a few strong moves. After interference from Curtis Axel, the referee banned all male members from the ring. Jeff had a few near falls, but Miz hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the win. Miz looked wiped out after the match, as if Jeff came closer then he would have thought.
Tag Team of Enemies
Sasha Banks will get her rematch at No Mercy against Alexia Bliss for the Raw Women’s title. This did not sit well with Nia Jax, who felt that she should be given an opportunity. Emma also believed that her victory over Mickie James entitled her to a shot. Kurt Angle put them into a tag team match against Banks and Bliss. The stipulation was that if they were successful, they would be put into the title match. What followed was a very interesting match, where none of the participants liked each other. Jax and Emma came away with the win, making the Raw Women’s Championship at No Mercy a Fatal 4 Way.
Match of the Night
Braun Strowman vs. Big Show (Steel Cage Match)(Strowman wins by pin fall)
This was a match that made me remember how good the Big Show is. This could have been a glorified squash match with Braun Strowman winning after a few minutes. Instead, this was a classic steel cage match with both big men hitting some impossible moves. The highlight was Big Show dropping a elbow from the top rope. Strowman won, and then proceeded to throw Big Show through the cage. Strowman and Big Show had another great match together. Strowman continued to look like a monster, but big props to Big Show for reminding the WWE universe that there were two monsters in that ring.
Conclusion
Another strong show from the red Brand. Cena and Reigns are building to something special at No Mercy. The main event felt like a main event, getting the crowd to gasp and cheer. Next week , we should hear more from the women regarding their now four way match. Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt are heading for a rematch, but I feel like a stipulation is coming. With Jeff losing to the Miz, might Matt take a try? Tune in next week to find out.