-Opening video recaps the Shield/Evolution feud.
-From Kansas City, MO
-TONIGHT: Dean Ambrose defends the U.S. title against ADR & Rybaxel in a Fatal 4 Way.
-Match 1: The Wyatt Family VS WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos & Sheamus
-Harper & Jey start, with Jey getting a schoolboy followed by a mule kick and an uppercut followed by a shoulderblock for two. Tag to Sheamus, who wins a slugfest, but gets backed into the Family corner, and Rowan tags in. Rowan works Sheamus over for a little bit, then it's back to Harper. Sheamus scores with a Finlay Roll and a kneedrop for two, but Harper fires back with an uppercut before tagging in Rowan. Sheamus catches Rowan with a high knee, then a cross-body to send both guys out over the top after Rowan blocks the running knee. It's a standoff on the floor as we go to break.
Back from break, Sheamus gets caught in the Family corner and triple teamed. Bray gets in and hits a big avalanche, then taunts the Usos before cutting off a tag. Rowan gets in and hits a kneedrop followed by a slam. Sheamus plays FIP for a little longer, before managing to hit Harper with the Irish Curse and tag Jimmy. Jimmy hits Harper with a Samoan Drop, a couple thrust kicks to the gut, and an enziguiri. Jimmy takes out Rowan, then hits the ATM on Harper. Jimmy keeps Bray from interfering, but then misses a Whisper in the Wind, and Harper hits a Michinoku Driver for two. The match breaks down, and Bray makes a blind tag, catching Jimmy with Sister Abigail for the pin.
*** Good work with a pretty hot finishing run.
-Jey stupidly hits a dive on Harper & Rowan, leading to Bray taking him out. Sheamus tries to help out, but gets triple-teamed for his altruism. Harper goes back in the ring and drops Jimmy with a spinning clothesline. Well that beatdown's on Jey, as the Family were leaving before he hit that dive.
-Contract signing for the "WeeLC" is next.
-Adam Rose is still debuting on Raw.
-Hornswoggle has ridiculous demands before he signs. Torito has some words, and Vickie just wants to keep this...short. Torito signs it with his "hoof". They have a face-off then a fight, and Los Matadores clean house before Torito adds a dive.
-RVD/Swagger is next. Oh joy.
-Match 2: RVD VS Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Coulter)
-Cesaro & Heyman come out for Heyman to join the announce team. The distraction allows Swagger to get the early jump. RVD kicks Swagger out of the ring, so Swagger cheap shots Cesaro. Swagger avoids an RVD moonsault off the apron and floors him with a big boot. Back in, RVD catches Swagger with a heel kick, and finishes with the Five Star Frog Splash.
-* At least it was short. Don't know how this is supposed to make me want to see the triple threat at the PPV though.
-Cesaro jumps RVD and lays him out with the Neutralizer.
-Daniel Bryan is up later to talk about Kane going after Brie.
-BOLIEVE
-Match 3: R-Truth (w/Xavier Woods) VS Alexander Rusev (w/Lana)
-Rusev mauls R-Truth to start. Truth splits underneath a clothesline, and hits a couple heel kicks to knock Rusev outside. Rusev drops Woods for talking shit. Truth tries a dive, but gets caught and driven back-first into the apron. They go back in, and Woods jumps in to draw the DQ.
-NO RATING Just here to set up the handicap squash at the PPV.
-Woods & Truth manage to take Rusev down, and Lana calls him back. How are Truth & Woods the babyfaces here?
-Daniel Bryan is out to his customary huge ovation and chants. Bryan doesn't care what Kane has done to him, because Kane put his hands on Brie. Bryan promises to send Kane back to hell, even if Bryan has to go with him. Kane responds, promising to give Bryan a tour of hell, then cuing up his own video package. Kane says the worst is yet to come, before finishing the segment with a Dr. Evil laugh.
-Match 4: Dolph Ziggler VS Damien Sandow
-Sandow still has his Magneto costume, and new music. JBL supposedly being the comic book expert is only the second most out-of-character thing about this segment. Cole, after saying JBL is a "comic book expert" says moments later "I didn't know you loved comic books". Sandow hits a flipping neckbreaker for two and pounds away in the corner, but takes his time and falls victim to a small package for two. Sandow comes right back with a big lariat for two, and follows up with a hammerlock. Sandow hits a Russian Leg Sweep and the not-People's Elbow. Sandow tries using his powers, and Ziggler has no idea WTF Sandow is doing. Dolph hits a dropkick, followed by the Zig Zag for the pin. JBL goes off on a pretty great rant about how a superhero who is wearing a cape is automatically given a standing eight count after taking a move and cannot be pinned.
**1/2 This was alright, and Sandow is doing the best he can to make this silly gimmick work.
-Match 5: Intercontinental Champion Big E VS Titus O'Neil
-Big E immediately gets a takedown, then drops Titus with a shoulderblock. Titus slides out of the Big Ending, then they botch a clothesline to the outside. Once they get out there, Titus throws Big E over the announce table, and works him over. Back in, Titus hits a couple mounted punches followed by a stomp and some trash talk. Titus hits an overhead backbreaker drop, then gets DQ'd for not stopping his attack when Big E gets to the ropes.
*1/4 The work was decent, but I'm not sure what that finish is supposed to do for either guy.
-After Titus turns his back, Big E jumps him. Tripping over the cable cord and landing face-first on the floor couldn't have felt good for Titus. Big E disappoints the fans by not putting Titus through the announce table, opting to roll Titus back in the ring and stand tall there.
-A video recaps the Cena/Wyatt feud.
-Bray says that when he wins at Extreme Rules, he will take more of Cena's fans, and Cena will be left with nothing.
-Match 6 for the United States Championship: Dean Ambrose [c] VS Alberto Del Rio VS Curtis Axel VS Ryback
-The heels naturally all gang up on Ambrose and beat him down. That gets cut short when Axel gets a schoolboy on ADR for one, then ADR does the same to Ryback. Rybaxel argue amongst each other, then Ambrose takes the opportunity to get back in it. He promptly takes a spinebuster from Ryback, who tosses him outside. Rybaxel stare ADR down as we go to break.
Back from break, ADR fights off a Rybaxel double team, and hits a backstabber on Ryback, forcing Ambrose to make the save. Axel knees ADR in the face for two, as Ambrose makes another save. Rybaxel take Ambrose outside and send him into the barricade. but ADR kicks Ryback in the face. Axel catches ADR with a dropkick for two, but he then runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. ADR catches Ryback with a German suplex (I'm really surprised to see that move come back) for two. Ambrose fires up on ADR, then slaps the taste out of Ryback's mouth. Ambrose takes ADR out, then fights off a PerfectPlex from Axel before hitting a Rebound Lariat for two.
Ryback pulls Ambrose outside and sends him into the timekeeper's area. ADR catches Ryback with a running enziguiri, but then falls victim to a PerfectPlex for two. ADR gets Axel caught up in the ropes, and hits Low Ki's Warrior's Way double stomp to the chest for two. Axel ducks a low superkick, but ADR ducks a Meathook Clothesline, which causes Ryback to floor Axel. ADR gets Ryback in the cross-armbreaker, but Ryback powers that into Shellshocked in a neat spot. Axel pulls Ryback off the cover and crawls towards ADR, but gets caught with an Oklahoma Roll by Ambrose for the pin.
***1/2 Pretty much all action bell-to-bell with a good amount of heat and a slick finish. Can't ask for more than that.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: The opener and the main event are good enough to carry things this week. A lot better than some of the PPV go-home shows in the past have been.
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