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WWE Raw – Say Whatever You Want, But Don't Say "Concussion"

Raw's final hour finally approaches. It's been a long night. But it's mostly over now.

WWE Raw Report for August 24th, 2020 Part 3

When we left off in part two, Raw Underground was about to start, and we just learned that a match between Keith Lee and Randy Orton will take place after all. There's also a lumberjack rematch for the Raw Women's Championship tonight, so Raw's third houris looking good.

When Raw returns from some commercials, Bobby Lashley is choking out a jobber in the new Raw Underground. They've brought along most of the stuff from the warehouse, but it's a new room now since it's in the Amway Center. It looks better now. Dolph Ziggler gets in the ring.

Bobby Lashley vs. Dolph Ziggler – Raw Underground

• Still too many camera cuts.
• Dolph puts up a decent fight, but we all know there's no chance he wins here.
• Lashley shoves Dolph, who goes flying out of the ring and head-first into a wall.
• All the fighters hanging out are shocked by this, and it's the end of the match, I guess.

Hurt Business throws another jobber into the ring, and Lashley beats him real quick. Shane asks if anyone else wants a piece of Bobby, and Raw goes to commercials.

Randy Orton comes to the ring. We see another replay of Orton attacking Drew McIntyre earlier tonight. Keith Lee comes out with his new, generic metal entrance song. I am still very upset about this. It starts out with the intro of his old song and then changes to this generic metal tune, and I am so mad. It sounds like a dozen other WWE entrance themes.

Randy Orton vs. Keith Lee

• Orton slaps a devastating headlock on Lee to start the match.
• Lee whips him into the ropes, does some dropdowns and leapfrogs, and shoulder-tackles Orton.
• Orton sells it like he got run over by a truck.
• Lee wants a test of strength. Orton kicks him in the gut.
• Orton beats on Lee, but Lee catches his fist and crushes his hand.
• Lee hits a standing overhead belly-to-belly, which sends Orton rolling right out of the ring.
• Lee picks up Orton, but Orton shoves him into the ring post.
• Back in the ring, Orton stomps on Lee and then puts on… another headlock.
• Orton changes things up to a sleeper. Lee stands up with Orton his back.
• Lee hits Orton with a big splash and a flying crossbody, then shoulder-tackles him out of the ring again.
• He throws him back in the ring, which sets Lee up for the draping DDT when he tries to come back in.
• Orton is ready for the RKO. He slaps the mat.
• Drew McIntyre yanks Orton out of the ring, causing the DQ.

McIntyre kicks Orton's ass at ringside. Orton runs away. McIntyre poses in the ring. Lee just disappeared. That was disappointing. And I'm still mad about the music.

Hey, did you know Roman Reigns came back at SummerSlam? In case you didn't, Tom Phillips has let us know a hundred times tonight, and after some commercials, we're gonna hear about it some more.

We see some stats about the Thunderdome. Then Tom Phillips plays us a video about the ending of SummerSlam. It all boils down to Roman Reigns got new veneers. Read an EX-X-XCLUSIVE interview here.

Charly Caruso talks to Drew McIntyre backstage. Drew is happy for his friend Keith Lee but doesn't need him fighting Drew's battles. Drew doesn't feel good after getting kicked in the head earlier. Orton tried to end his career. If Randy is watching this right now… He's not, because he's behind Drew. He attacks and punts him again. Randy Orton, you scoundrel! Raw goes to commercials.

The bright side of all this? Now Tom Phillips is only showing us replays of the third punt kick tonight, instead of showing the two from the start of the show over and over. Charly is outside the trainer's room, waiting for news on McIntyre. Doctors fear Drew could have a skull fracture, which could mean bleeding in the brain, which could end McIntyre's career, but the one word Charly carefully avoids is "concussion." The announcers also try their best to sell the seriousness of a concussion without saying the word.

Sasha Banks and Bayley come out. What happened to Raw Underground? Did they forget about it? For that matter, why haven't we heard from Retribution tonight? The ring is surrounded by Lumberjacks. Asuka comes out.

Sasha Banks vs. Asuka – Raw Women's Championship Match

• Banks tries for a quick rollup, and when it fails, screams at the ref, then gets tossed outside by Asuka.
• Sasha shoves Ruby Riott. She goes back in and gets tossed out again. Bayley protects her.
• The heel lumberjacks come over for a staredown with the face lumberjacks, and Raw goes to commercials.
• After the break, Sasha and Bayley are teaming up on Asuka. Tom Phillips explains this is okay because Bayley is a lumberjack and so can make contact with the competitors.
• In the ring, Asuka makes a comeback. She gets Banks in an ankle lock. Banks rolls out, sending Asuka outside.
• Banks goes for a meteora off the apron on Asuka but takes out the Riott Squad instead. Asuka hits a running knee on Sasha from the Apron then turns her attention on Bayley.
• Bayley hides behind all the heel lumberjacks as Asuka goes through them, but that allows Sasha to attack her from behind. Banks throws her in the ring and hits a frog splash, but Asuka kicks out.
• Bayley tries to get involved with a chair, but Shayna Baszler stops her. A distracted Sasha gets caught in the Asuka Lock and taps out.

Poor Sasha. Bayley consoles her while she cries. Shayna Baszler looks pleased with herself.

Backstage, Drew McIntyre is loaded into an ambulance. It pulls away, but then comes back, and McIntyre has turned into the fiend! Actually, it just leaves, and Charly Caruso says Drew is being taken to a local medical facility. Then she asks Keith Lee for his thoughts. Lee says part of him is made Drew interfered in his Raw debut, but Lee saw his friend get loaded into an ambulance, and that's what matters. Lee knows Drew is tough and will be okay. But Lee can't say the same for Randy Orton.

Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio are seen walking backstage. Raw goes to commercials.

Tom Phillips shills Raw talk with Dolph Ziggle, Keith Lee, and Shayna Baszler. Then we get more Raw Underground.

Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander – Raw Underground

• Lashley kicks Alexander's ass.
• He chokes him out with his legs.

Erik and Ivar attack and brawl with Hurt Business.

Viking Raiders vs. Hurt Business – Raw Underground

• Hurt Business wins in less than ten camera cuts.

Shane says that's all for Raw Underground this week. I think they've just run out of things to do with it. I have some ideas for them. Check back later this week.

The Mysterios come to the ring. I want to point out that we haven't seen Retribution tonight. If they don't show up, then I have to assume Roman Reigns is gonna turn out to be their leader, and they'll only be on Smackdown from now on. Seth Rollins and Murphy come out.

Rey and Dominik Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins and Murphy

• The Mysterios attack before Rollins and Murphy make it to the ring. They brawl at ringside, and Rollins and Murphy end up with the upper hand.
• Rollins sends Murphy into the ring to fight Dominik, and the bell finally rings.
• Dominik hits his arm drags, and dropkick and Murphy rolls out of the ring. He hits a sliding dropkick on Rollins outside, then backdrops Murphy outside when he attacks.
• Rey Mysterio throws Rollins into the barricade and then tosses him into the ring. The Mysterios have him double-teamed and go for a 619, but Murphy pulls Rollins out. Dominik hits a dive off the top rope on them, and Raw goes to commercials.
• An NXT commercial promises the return of Tommaso Champa.
• Rollins is beating up Rey Mysterio after the break.
• Do you know what would be cool? If Retribution hijacks the ambulance, Drew McIntyre is riding in.
• Eventually, Rey gets a hot tag to his kid, who kicks Murphy's ass. He hits a springboard crossbody that almost gets the pin.
• Dominik hits some fancy flippy moves (if you ignore he nearly slipped a few times), but Rollins breaks up a pin. Slow it down, Dominik.
• Rollins tags in and tries to buckle bomb Dominik, but Dominik escapes and tags Rey. Rey goes for the 619, but Murphy gets a blind tag, and Rollins rolls away.
• Rey sets up Murphy, tags in Rey, and they hit a double 619.
• And here comes Retribution.

Rollins and Murphy run away while Retribution beats down Rey and Dominik. I don't know if it's just that Rey is so small, but they seem to have a couple of bigger guys. Are these the permanent cast? Two big Retribution members toss Rey into the ring post. I wonder if they're the Authors of Pain. Is Rollins behind Retribution? Rollins and Murphy are watching this brutal beatdown with delight.  Retribution (there are six of them) stand tall on the ring apron as Raw goes off the air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsSfxmclQUk

This Raw felt like a step backward. It mostly consisted of rehashing the PPV we just saw last night. Most of the matches were pointless. Raw Underground was particularly uninspired. And I'm about ready for something to happen with this Retribution angle already. But there's one good thing about tonight: it's finally over.

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