Bobby Lashley was not happy he was left out of the title picture heading into the Day 1 pay-per-view on Jan. 1. One week ago, he took out those frustrations with a violent attack on Big E, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens. On Monday night, he beat all three men in singles matches to officially gain entry into the Day 1 title match.
Lashley now joins Rollins and Owens for a fatal four-way match as all three former world champions try to take the title from Big E. But with more weeks to go before the pay-per-view, there may be a few more twists and turns in the road.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Bobby Lashley runs the table to book Day 1 title shot
Bobby Lashley opened the show, saying that his attack on Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Big E the previous week was what happens when he is disrespected. Lashley then made it clear that he intends on finding his way into WWE championship match involving the other three men at Day 1. Owens and Rollins were out next to push back on the idea before Big E did the same, pointing out that he'd already beat Lashley multiple times. WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville then announced that Lashley would be entered into the match if he could beat Big E, Owens and Rollins in one-on-one matches later in the night.
Bobby Lashley def. Kevin Owens via submission with the Hurt Lock. Owens was the first man up for Lashley. After a standard back-and-forth match, Owens tapped out as Lashley was beginning to apply the Hurt Lock, not allowing Lashley to fully apply the hold as a matter of self-preservation.
Bobby Lashley def. Seth Rollins via pinfall with a spear. Owens attacked Rollins during the match, leading to Rollins winning via disqualification. Pearce and Deville came out to announce that the match would be restarted and any remaining Lashley matches on the night would be under no disqualification rules. Lashley immediately hit Rollins with a spear to score the win.
Bobby Lashley def. Big E via pinfall with a spear. After a match featuring plenty of chairs and tables, Rollins and Owens ran in to attack Lashley, trying to use the lack of disqualifications to help keep Lashley from securing a spot at Day 1. Big E attacked both men, not wanting their help and leading them to attack him in return. Lashley eventually put Rollins through a table while Big E did the same to Owens. Big E told Lashley they needed to finish it one-on-one before MVP slid into the ring and hit Big E in the knee with a cane, allowing Lashley to hit a spear and get the victory.
WWE is doing everything they can to load up Day 1 and adding a fourth man into the WWE title match is yet another way to do that. Making Lashley go through three men in one night, though? That's how you keep a dominant heel strong. Lashley had to put in some serious work on Monday night, with all three matches being given time. Credit where it's due, WWE was also smart in overbooking the finish to the Big E vs. Lashley match to keep the WWE champion strong. Everyone was booked perfectly in line with their character throughout the night and that's a big positive. Grade: A
What else happened on WWE Raw?
- Otis def. Riddle via pinfall with a front slam. After the match, Randy Orton slid into the ring, trying to hit Otis with an RKO, but Otis was able to deliver a back elbow to put Orton down.
- Bianca Belair def. Doudrop via pinfall after a 450 splash.
- Liv Morgan attacked Becky Lynch during Lynch's victory celebration. Lynch was attempting to embarrass Morgan after beating her the previous week to retain the Raw women's championship. Morgan challenged Lynch to a rematch at Day 1. Lynch refused before Morgan attacked her. Lynch got the better of things, however, sticking Morgan's arm between the ring steps and ring post and stomping it several times.
- The Dirty Dawgs def. Damian Priest & Finn Balor via pinfall when Dolph Ziggler hit Balor with a Zig Zag. After the match, Austin Theory slid into the ring to snap a selfie with a downed Balor before Priest chased him off.
- Queen Zelina def. Rhea Ripley via pinfall with a roll-up. Carmella and Nikki A.S.H. at ringside provided distraction -- though Nikki's was unintentional -- allowing Zelina to get the win in a very short match.
- Miz and Edge brawled during a Miz TV segment. Miz and Maryse were running down Edge before Edge came to the ring. Miz eventually attacked Edge, but Edge took over before trying to hit a spear. Miz saved himself by pulling Maryse in front of the attack, causing Edge to stop and allowing Miz to hit a Skull-Crushing Finale. Maryse was furious at Miz for putting her at risk, slapping her husband before storming off.
WWE Raw results, recap, grades: Bobby Lashley smashes his way into WWE championship match at Day 1 - CBSSports.com
Read More
No comments:
Post a Comment