The September 4th, 2017 edition of WWE RAW took place at the Century Link Center in Ohama, NE.
– Michael Cole welcomes us to RAW, then John Cena comes out right away to kick off this week’s show. We see a replay of Cena making his WWE debut against Kurt Angle, and then Angle’s “son” Jason Jordan makes his way out to the ring for the first match of the night.
– John Cena def. Jason Jordan: Jordan starts off strong with lots of offense on Cena and attempts a couple of pins early on. Jordan repeatedly wrestles Cena down to the mat until Cena comes back with a slam of his own. Cena comes back with a forearm shot and a suplex, then throws some punches at Jordan. Cena hits a shoulder block then attempts a back suplex, but Jordan escapes and levels Cena with a dropkick. Cena and Jordan go back and forth with right hands in the middle until Jordan goes for a spinebuster and Cena reverses into a sunset flip. Cena hits a back suplex and follows up with the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena goes for the AA but Jordan escapes and rolls up Cena for two. Cena puts Jordan in the STF, but Jordan escapes and puts Cena in a crossface-type hold of his own. Cena goes for the AA again but Jordan escapes. Jordan hits a Northern Lights suplex for a two count. Jordan hits a spear in the corner then goes for a back suplex but Cena escapes. Cena follows up with the WWE for the win.
– After the match Cena and Jordan shake hands then Jordan heads backstage. Before Cena can leave the ring, Roman Reigns comes out to interrupt. Reigns steps in the ring with a mic and criticizes Cena for taking 20 minutes to beat a rookie (Jordan). Reigns feels if Cena was as good as he says he is, he would have beat Jordan immediately. Reigns says maybe Cena isn’t as good as he thinks he is, and calls him a “lying, fake-ass little bitch.” Cena says he’s disgusted by Reigns’ face, and says using his brain isn’t Reigns’ strong suit. Cena says Reigns came out with his fly down and that Reigns has no balls. Cena says Reigns needs to be taught a lesson in respect, and says he doesn’t respect Reigns. Cena says Reigns is the one who is really a fake-ass bitch, and says the fans don’t agree with Reigns that he’s “the guy.” Cena says he might have to beat some common sense into Reigns, so Reigns tells him to do It right now. Reigns asks the fans if they want to see Cena kick his ass, which gets a big pop from the crowd. Cena seems to decline. Reigns says Cena is all talk and he doesn’t respect Cena, then he walks off. Reigns heads backstage as Cena looks at him from the ring.
– RAW Tag Champs Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose come out to join the commentary table with Michael Cole, Booker T, and Corey Graves.
– Sheamus & Cesaro def. Rhyno & Heath Slater: Slater rolls up Cesaro for a one count to start the match, then when Cesaro gets up he decks Slater with a right hand. Cesaro works over Slater in the corner and tags in Sheamus. Cesaro tags back in and goes back to work on Slater until Slater comes back with a spinning heel kick. Rhyno and Sheamus gets the tags and Rhyno cleans house. Cesaro knocks Slater outside, then Rhyno knocks Cesaro outside, and when Rhyno turns around he walks right into a big boot from Sheamus. Sheamus pins and scores the three count for the victory. After the match, Sheamus and Cesaro stare up at Rollins and Ambrose at the announce position.
– Over to the commentary table, Cole, Booker T and Graves promote the flooding relief efforts in Texas right now.
– The Hardy Boyz do an interview backstage where Matt says this would be a WONDERFUL evening for a new Intercontinental Champion. Jeff says he and his brother wrestle each match like it’s their first or could be their last. Jeff says tonight he’s either going to burn out in a blaze of glory, of he’s leaving the new IC Champ. Matt says if the dastardly Miztourage tries to run in, he’ll give them a twist of fate.
– The Miz (c) def. Jeff Hardy: The Miztourage and Maryse are at ringside in Miz’s corner, and Matt Hardy is in Jeff’s corner. The Miz’s IC Title is on the line in this one. Jeff clotheslines Miz to the outside early on, but Miz moves out of the way so Jeff doesn’t jump. back in the ring, Jeff hits a neckbreaker on the champion then the Whisper In The Wind for a two count. Jeff goes up top for a Swanton Bomb, but Curtis Axel knocks him down while the ref is distracted by Bo Dallas. Matt takes out Axel and then attempts a Twist of Fate on Dallas, but Dallas shoves Matt off. The ref sees the brawl at ringside and ejects Matt and the Miztourage from ringside. Back in the ring, Jeff rolls up Miz from behind for a near-fall. Russian leg sweep by Jeff then an inverted atomic drop for another two count. Jeff goes for a leg drop but Miz blocks it and hits a DDT for a two count. Miz goes for the Skull Crushing Finale but Jeff escapes. Miz hits a knee strike and both men are down. Miz hits some kicks on a grounded Jeff, but Jeff comes back with a kick of his own. Jeff follows up with a dropkick in the corner for a two count. Jeff goes for a high risk move off the apron but Miz trips him and Jeff wipes out on the ringside floor. Back in the ring, Miz puts Jeff in the Figure Four until Jeff reaches the ropes. Jeff hits a Twist of Fate out of nowhere on Miz, but Miz reaches the ropes to break the pin fall. Jeff kicks Miz to the outside then hits the Poetry In Motion off the steps. Back in the ring, Miz is down and Jeff goes up top. Jeff goes for the Swanton but Miz rolls out of the way and Jeff hits the mat. Jeff goes for another Twist of Fate but Miz escapes and hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Jeff for the win. The ref hands Miz his IC Title belt and Maryse helps him out of the ring.
– Nia Jax approaches RAW GM Kurt Angle backstage and she wants the Women’s Title match. Emma interrupts and says she’s the one who deserves a chance at the Women’s Title. Nia gets in Emma’s face and Kurt separates them. Kurt says on RAW you don’t ask for opportunities, you earn them. He books a tag match and if the duo of Nia & Emma win tonight, they both get added to the Women’s Title match at No Mercy to make it a Fatal 4 Way.
– We see the steel cage hanging above the ring. Big Show and Braun Strowman will face off in the cage later tonight.
– Gran Metalik, Enzo Amore & Cedric Alexander def. Tony Nese, Drew Gulak & Noam Dar: Enzo cuts a promo before the match. Enzo says he creates controversy everywhere he goes, and controversy creates cash. Enzo says 205 Live always had great talent, but since his arrival 205 Live has become the realest hour on TV. The opening bell rings and Cedric takes the offense to Nese in the opening moments. Cedric hits a hurricanrana then a dropkick. Enzo tags himself in on Cedric’s back and Enzo hits a drop toe hold on Nese. After some back and forth fighting between Enzo an Nese, Cedric and Gulak get the tags. Gulak hits an elbow to the face, but Alexander fires back with a kick to the head. Nese breaks up the pin and Metalik takes him out with a kick. Cedric and Metalik follow up with suicide dives in tandem to the outside onto Nese and Dar. Enzo and Gulak are legal and Enzo pokes Gulak in the eye when the ref isn’t looking. Enzo follows up with the JawdonZO for the win.
– Alexa Bliss approaches Sasha Banks backstage and they both says they aren’t happy about teaming up tonight. Bliss says Banks needs to let her be in charge because she’s the champ, and Banks gets in Alexa’s face. Banks says she’s going to make Bliss scream at No Mercy when she makes her tap out.
– Finn Balor makes his entrance to the ring and gets on the mic. Balor mentions that he used to have the NXT Title and Universal Title, but he hasn’t had the Intercontinental Title yet due to Bray Wyatt. Balor takes issue with Wyatt costing him his opportunity last week to face The Miz. Balor says the next time Wyatt appears, he’ll be ready for him. The lights go out and we see Wyatt on the Titantron. Wyatt cuts a promo about remembering his first time going hunting and killing something. Wyatt says he got bored of hunting, so he stopped using weapons and started using his bare hands. Wyatt tells Balor he will run like a scared little rabbit, then says “run” one more time before the screen cuts to black.
– Nia Jax & Emma def. Alexa Bliss & Sasha Banks: Sasha starts off against Nia and gets her in a sleeper hold early on. Nia throws Sasha off then misses a splash in the corner, and Sasha fires back with punches. Sasha goes for an arm drag, but Nia reverses and slams Sasha down. Emma tags herself in on Nia’s back then pummels on Sasha. Emma and Sasha trade pin attempts until Emma drops Banks with a clothesline. Emma goes for a vertical suplex but Sasha reverses it into one of her own. Alexa tags in and continues the offense on Emma. Banks tags back in and continues stomping on Emma. Banks hits a double knee drop on Emma for a two count. Sasha and Emma trade forearm strikes and elbows, but when Emma goes for the tag Sasha trips her. Bliss tags in and together with Banks they hit a double suplex on Emma. Alexa beats down Emma some more then goes up to the top rope. Emma rolls away before Bliss can jump, so she climbs back down. Emma hits a neckbreaker on Bliss and Nia tags in. Bliss shoves and slaps Nia and Nia comes back with a clothesline. Nia hits a splash in the corner then some elbow drops on Bliss. Bliss comes back with some elbows to the face and attempts a DDT, but Nia reverses into a Samoan Drop. Nia pins but Sasha breaks it up. Bliss ducks a clothesline and tags in Sasha. Sasha goes for a cross body off the top on Nia, but Nia catches her. Sasha goes for a sunset flip and Nia attempts a bonsai drop, but Banks rolls away. Banks hits a knee to the face and goes for the Banks Statement, but Nia fights up and clotheslines Banks down. Emma tags in blind as Nia runs off the ropes then hits a leg drop on Sasha. Emma is the legal woman and she runs in and pins Sasha for the win. Nia is not pleased that Emma stole the pin, so she hits a Samoan Drop on Emma after the bell.
– Braun Strowman is backstage to talk about his first-ever steel cage match tonight. Strowman questions what Kurt Angle is thinking by locking him in a steel cage with the Big Show just weeks away from his match against Brock Lesnar. Strowman says he’s going to hurl Big Show’s carcass into the steel cage, slicing him to ribbons. Then he’ll slam Show in the ring for the three count. Strowman says he’s taking this opportunity tonight to send a message to Kurt Angle, Big Show, Brock Lesnar, and everyone else.
– Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins are backstage walking towards the gorilla position. They get distracted by Elias playing his guitar backstage, but they keep walking.
– Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose def. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson: Gallows & Anderson come out first, and Sheamus and Cesaro meet them in the ring and they argue. Sheamus and Cesro intend to watch this one from ringside. Ambrose and Rollins come out next the opening bell rings. Rollins takes control of Anderson early on and stomps a mud hole in him in the corner. Ambrose tags in and they briefly double team Anderson but Ambrose takes him to the corner for some chops to the chest. Ambrose hits a boot to the face then a diving elbow to the face of Anderson. Anderson backs into the corner and Gallows tags in. Gallows overpowers both Rollins and Ambrose at first, but the champions come back with dropkicks on both Gallows and Anderson. Rollins & Ambrose hit suicide dives in tandem on Gallows and Anderson at ringside as Sheamus & Cesaro look on. Back in the ring, Anderson comes back with a spinebuster on Ambrose then he tags in Gallows. Gallows hits a two-handed chokeslam on Ambrose then tags in Anderson. Anderson stomps on Ambrose then hits a series of knee drops for a two count. Anderson drops Ambrose again with an elbow, then he tags Gallows back in. Gallows knocks Rollins off the apron, then hits a splash on Ambrose in the corner. Anderson tags back in and they hit a double back suplex on Ambrose. Anderson mounts Ambrose in the corner for some punches then he goes for a superplex, but Ambrose fights him off. Ambrose knocks Anderson down to the mat, then Gallows tags in and knocks Ambrose off the turnbuckle. Ambrose hits a shot to Gallows and Gallows answers with a big boot. Ambrose comes back with a lariat, then Rollins and Anderson get the tags. Rollins cleans house then hits the Sling Blade on Anderson. Rollins hits a splash on Anderson in the corner, while Ambrose hits a suicide dive on Gallows at ringside. Rollins sits Anderson on the top turnbuckle and hits a Frankensteiner. Sheamus and Cesaro hop on the apron for the distraction, but Rollins is still able to roll up Anderson for the win.
– After the match, Anderson and Gallows attack Sheamus and Cesaro from behind. This leads to the two teams brawling all over the ring until Sheamus and Cesaro hit a big boot and a European uppercut, then they clear the ring of Anderson and Gallows.
– Michael Cole introduces a Connor’s Cure video package showing Finn Balor and the Miz at a charity event.
– We see another shot of the cage hanging over the ring and we’re told the main event is up next.
– Enzo, Cedric Alexander and Grand Metalik are backstage celebrating their win when Cruiserweight Champion Neville interrupts. Neville says he just talked to Kurt Angle, and tomorrow night there will be a Fatal 5 Way elimination match on 205 Live tomorrow night to determine who gets a shot at Neville’s Title Belt at No Mercy.
– There’s a crew around the ring supposedly reinforcing it. Backstage, the ref who worked the Big Show vs. Strowman match where the ring broke does an interview. He says he doesn’t know what to expect from Strowman and Show tonight, and he’s just going to stay out of the way.
– The Big Show does an interview backstage where he discusses his 23 year career, and says he’s never face an opponent like Strowman. Show says when he throws Strowman into the cage he’s going to shred his face and his bones will break. Show says he plans to chokeslam Strowman straight to tell and walk out victorious. Big Show says there hasn’t be one person in 23 years big enough or bad enough to break him, because he’s the world’s largest athlete.
– Braun Strowman def. Big Show: The cage is lowered and it’s on. Strowman starts off with a big boot, then hits some splashes on Big Show up against the cage. Strowman runs in for another splash, but Big Show stick his hand out and Strowman runs into it face-first and goes down. Both men get to their feet and Strowman charges at Big Show, but Show side-steps and Strowman catches into the cage. Big Show throws Strowman into the cage a few times Strowman is down and Big Show starts climbing up the side of the cage. Strowman climbs up behind him and they start trading strikes on the top rope up against the cage. Strowman throws some headbutts and Big Show gets crotched on the top rope. Strowman tries to keep climbing, but Big Show hits him and Strowman gets crotched on the top rope next. Big Show goes up to the top rope and he hits a flying elbow drop off the top onto Strowman. Big Show tries to crawl out of the cage door, but Strowman stops him and slams the cage door in Show’s face. Strowman tries to walk over Show, so Show slams the door in Strowman’s face too. Big Show hits a shoulder tackle on Strowman, then he calls for the chokeslam. Big Show goes for the chokeslam, but Strowman escapes and hits a DDT For a two count. Big Show and Strowmn both throw punches and headbutts until Big Show catches Strowman with a chokeslam for a two count. Big Show starts climbing but Strowman pulls him back down. Strowman and Big show fight on the turnbuckle until Strowman hits the superplex on Big Show. Strowman picks up Big show and hits the running powerslam for the win. Strowman raises his hands up in the air and celebrates his win. After the match, Strowman gets on the mic and asks the fans if they see what he’s one to this so-called legend. Strowman delivers a verbal warning to Brock Lesnar on the mic, then he turns his attention back to Big Show. Strowman picks up Big Show and hits a running powerslam right through the wall of the cage. Referees come to check on Big Show, who is selling a hip injury, as Braun Strowman heads backstage to close the show.