It is once again time for RAW In A Nutshell, and open with Big E, who battles Lashley before the Draft.
We know this, because WWE used Sunday’s Extreme Rules to set up a match for this RAW.
Lashley is just the latest former champion to be bent over losing due to a cash-in. That boiled over at Extreme Rules, leading to Monday’s title match.
So, that’s something big for this RAW In A Nutshell, right? I mean, a championship match is a big deal, especially as it happens before the draft.
That draft, of course, begins Friday on SmackDown. That should shake things up a bit, meaning that this might be the last time Big E battles Lashley, as one may switch brands soon enough.
The Draft really does loom large. Monday could be the last time we see some matches for quite a while.
Teams could be broken up. New teams could be formed.
Either way, with this the last show before the Draft…lots can and will change between now and next RAW.
So, this RAW In A Nutshell should be an interesting one.
And with that said…let’s get into it.
RAW In A Nutshell: Big E Battles Lashley Before The Draft
Simple and direct, let’s crack open this Nutshell!
Best Match of the night:
Big E and Lashley, part two.
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Opener was not bad, but the main event was better.
Before the main event, my vote would have gone with Riddle and AJ Styles.
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Worst match of the night:
That slapped together six man, with Ali, Mansoor and Jeff Hardy taking on Jinder Mahal, Veer and Shanky.
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Just…could have gone without this.
I mean, how far has Hardy dropped in just 24 hours? Dude was in a United States Championship match LAST NIGHT.
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Crowd Chants of the Night:
One more time.
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As in, that was the crowd, chanting for Shayna Baszler to stomp on Eva Marie’s arm another time.
Star of the Night
Baszler, for hopefully taking out Eva Marie.
No? OK, fine…
I’d have to go with Big E. This show was all about closing out the Big E/Lashley storyline, and cementing Big E as the top face.
source: custom, YouTube TV screenshot
Spot of the Night:
White Noise off the apron through the table was brutal.
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Xavier drilled a super kick off of someone (forget who), as they leapt off the cage at him.
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Jobber of the Night:
Tozawa for one.
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Eva Marie for another.
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Upset of the Night:
None. Not one.
Well…fine. Just this one.
Hated that they announced a Charlotte open challenge…and then revealed it would be Doudrop.
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Like…no suspense. We’ve had some cool surprises built up via those open challenges in the past.
Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:
A few options, honestly.
Hurt Business seems to be back in business…or at least, they reunited for one night.
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I mean, it could be a farewell, right?
Then, how about the beating Lashley doled out on Big E before the main event even got started.
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Botch of the night:
Big E and Lashley seemed to have a botch or two, but nothing crazy. Seems like a couple exchanges just did not go too well.
Noteworthy Moment:
Hurt Business is back, if possibly only for one night.
Doudrop answered Charlotte’s open challenge.
We closed the show with a triumphant Big E staring down Drew McIntyre. It’s a curious development, because both are faces…and the draft might change things up.
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WWE probably wants us to hate Shayna Baszler. We do hate Eva Marie, and she’s also been a heel.
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Having Shayna destroy Eva? Makes fans love Baszler.
Keith “Bearcat” Lee is back. Like, cool he’s back, and the history behind the nickname is nice.
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But that still feels forced.
Goldberg returned to TV too, reminding us he wants to kill Lashley.
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Overall lowlights:
Eva Marie is a waste.
The Raiders/Garza + Carillo was just bland.
Overall highlights:
New Day versus Hurt Business opened the show and closed the show, and it worked.
Riddle and AJ Styles was strong too.
After the final bell:
Well, that’s it. This was the last RAW, and last RAW In A Nutshell, before the 2021 Draft.
We saw Big E battle Lashley, not once, but twice. Might be a while before that happens again for any RAW In A Nutshell.
The rest of the show, as with many others, was a mixed bag of good and bad. Things will look very different by the time next week’s RAW wraps up, however.
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