WWE Raw – June 15th 2020: Results & Review

Welcome to this week’s Monday Night Raw review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and this league is feeling more like the ending to “Heaven’s Gate” (Michael Cimino’s cut) every week. This is the first Raw without Paul Heyman as the overseer of the brand…so kiss your ass goodbye. I miss Columbo: “Well ma’am, before I go, I’d just like to commend you on owning that red-tipped putting wedge over in the corner. It always pays to have the proper equipment on hand, especially when you wanna go golfing. Also, the police say that your husband was murdered by a putting wedge…go figure. Oh, you might wanna check the paint on the putter…looks like it’s dripping off.” Columbo could save this terrible wrestling league… Alright, let’s get to the matches.

Match #1: Kevin Owens def. Angel Garza

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

After weeks of Angel Garza targeting his left knee, Kevin Owens had payback on his mind as he went right after Garza at the start of their match on Raw. However, the bad blood brewing between Garza and Andrade was the deciding factor in this match. First, their bickering led to Zelina Vega storming away from ringside. Then, Andrade tried to distract Owens, but Garza failed to capitalize on the opportunity and fell victim to a Stunner from KO.

My Opinion: 3.1 out of 5 – This was a lot of smack wrestling, with some brawling tossed in to make you think they were in a grudge match (this kinda was, but not that much). Owens and Garza definitely have some chemistry together and, if Vince gets smart, he can use this feud as a strong component of the mid-card over the summer. The ending was a little weak, but at least Owens got the win.

Match #2: The Viking Raiders and The Street Profits def. The Ninjas – Eight-Man Tag Team Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

While Raw Tag Team Champions The Street Profits and The Viking Raiders were busy planning “The Viking Profits Cinematic Universe,” Akira Tozawa arrived with a demand in the aftermath of their showdown outside the WWE Performance Center at WWE Backlash: “Sequel.” That seemingly took the form of an Eight-Man Tag Team Match where “The Viking Profits” made quick work of Tozawa’s charges. But when Tozawa brought the biggest of his warriors into the ring, the Raw Tag Team Champions and Erik & Ivar revealed they had backup of their own: Big Show. The World’s Largest Athlete helped them fight off the ninjas, while Tozawa and his towering charge retreated.

My Opinion: 0.8 out of 5 – A couple of The Ninja’s took some good bumps and moved well in the ring, but the match was horrible…and short. There’s very little wrestling here and the ninja mayhem didn’t really deliver much action, so this match was a huge disappointment.

Match #3: The IIconics def. Natalya & Liv Morgan

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Though they came up short in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match at WWE Backlash, Billie Kay & Peyton Royce did not let the loss deter them. The IIconics defeated the duo of Natalya & Liv Morgan.

My Opinion: 2.1 out of 5 – The IIconics were not very good here, but their team moves are coming along nicely. That being said, The IIconics were the only established team here, so them losing just isn’t an option (mostly). I’m fine with the winners; regardless of how I feel about their slow, lazy wrestling technique (I wish The IIconics would focus on submission moves more).

Match #4: Apollo Crews def. Shelton Benjamin

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Apollo Crews went out to the ring and sent a message to Shelton Benjamin. When Benjamin tried to use the ropes for leverage on a pin, Crews kicked out and then gave Benjamin a taste of his own medicine, grabbing the ropes to get the three-count.

My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – For a match so short, this was fine stuff. Benjamin doesn’t miss a step these days and Crews was right there with him. Why can’t you let a match like this go twenty minutes? This is a match I’d pay to see on Pay Per View. The next time this gets booked, it should get the amount of time it deserves.

Match #5: Drew McIntyre & R-Truth def. Bobby Lashley & MVP – WWE World Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

After making sure that his partner’s head was in the game, McIntyre headed into a battle where he did not need to be pinned to lose the title. Truth proved to be a good partner, taking out The All Mighty by sending him crashing into the steel ring steps. And after McIntyre hit the Claymore on MVP, he tagged in Truth, who hit a splash off the top rope to win the match and help McIntyre retain his title.

My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – Vince Russo loved this sh*t, bro. There’s a whole story-line reason for this happening like this, but it’s stupid, so screw it. Drew and Truth made a fun bizarro team that hilariously worked…hilariously? It sounds like I got hit in the head by a big f—— stick. There’s some solid back-and-forth that kept this from getting to silly, but I don’t think this match stands the test of time. MVP lost a fall to Truth, which felt like a big deal, so good for Truth. All in all, while not the greatest match ever (there will be more jokes at that promotional tactic’s expense), this was a decent fight for the middle of the card.

Match #6: Asuka def. Nia Jax – Raw Women’s Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

One night after their hard-hitting title bout at WWE Backlash ended in a double count-out, Asuka and Nia Jax again clashed for the Raw Women’s Title. The Empress of Tomorrow tried to neutralize her challenger early with an armbar, but Jax quickly turned the tables by powerbombing the champion on the arena floor. But Jax’s temper turned the tides of the match. Fed up with referee John Cone, Jax shoved the official to the canvas. But as Cone went to disqualify The Irresistible Force, Asuka rolled up Jax for the three-count, albeit a controversial one, as there were questions of whether it was a fast count.

My Opinion: 2.8 out of 5 – This was better than the Backlash match, but that’s not saying very much either. Asuka sold great for Nia and really played the defiant, strong underdog role quite well. Nia just doesn’t move fast enough or offer much in offense to really feel like a professional fighter (makes her matches lame). Hopefully, Asuka can move on to a better opponent and Nia will go back to the drawing board to figure out what to do next.

Match #7: (Main Event) Randy Orton def. Christian – Unsanctioned Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

After getting advice from Big Show and Ric Flair, Christian accepted Randy Orton’s challenge for an Unsanctioned Match – his first match in six years. However, Captain Charisma’s return was cut short in shocking fashion. Before the match started, Flair arrived, trying to stop Christian from fighting. But after Christian refused, “The Nature Boy” hit Christian with a low blow and left. That put Christian in position for Orton to knock him out with a devastating Punt. As Raw went off the air, The Viper switched between regretting what he had done and furiously blaming Christian for his own actions.

My Opinion: 0.1 out of 5 – This whole match was just an angle disguised as a match. Christian must not have been cleared to wrestle, so they did this to just get Orton more heat (or maybe this is just a goofy way to get Christian back in the ring). Either way, this match sucked, as it was just a low-blow and a punt to start and end it.

News Of The Night:

1. MVP helped Bobby Lashley divorce Lana and tried to recruit Apollo Crews to his faction.
2. The IIconics fight Bayley & Sasha Banks for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles, next week.
3. The Street Profits fight The Viking Raiders for the Raw Tag Team Titles, next week.
4. Big Show returned to help The Street Profits and Christian.
5. Ric Flair was here to coach his daughter Charlotte Flair on her next career move and consult/screw over Christian.
6. Christian came out of retirement to fight Randy Orton.
7. Randy Orton is continuing the angle of him being truly crazy and hearing voices.
8. Lana was divorced by her husband Bobby Lashley and is teased as being Natalya’s manager after Natalya got upset by Liv Morgan’s disrespect.
9. Akira Tozawa was very funny and charismatic as a stupid ninja guru (which is a waste of his time), which includes his faction of campy ninjas.
10. Zelina Vega wants Andrade and Angel Garza to work together.

Final Verdict: 2.6/5

Disco Tex doesn’t think this sh*t will get you dancin’, but at least it had some glitz along the way, like the return of many big stars and a clear direction for several wrestlers.