RAW Results and Recap: Long Live The Shield

The new Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, enters the arena and immediately challenges Finn Balor to a championship match. In case you forgot, Balor became the first Universal Champions in Brooklyn at SummerSlam 2016, but he had to vacate it immediately due to injury.

Balor says yes, but “Constable” Baron Corbin tries to call off the match because Balor showed up as his Demon alter ego to their SummerSlam match the night before. The three men are then cut off by General Manager Kurt Angle, who tells Corbin that the Constable doesn’t make the matches on RAW: So he sets up Balor vs. Reigns for the main event—with the Brooklyn audience’s approval—of tonight’s RAW.

Angle also announces Corbin vs. Bobby Lashley, which starts… right now:

Bobby Lashley def. Baron Corbin

Lashley pins Corbin after a Dominator.

Paul Heyman confronts Kurt Angle backstage on behalf of his client, Brock Lesnar. He says that Lesnar wants to invoke his rematch clause for the Universal Championship, but Angle claims it will be a long time before Lesnar gets his rematch—because he hasn’t been showing up to WWE events in the first place. Heyman suggests the rematch take place at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, but Angle says it’ll be “a cold day in Hell” before he makes that match.

Corbin confronts Angle backstage about his matches with Balor and Lashley, which he argues he lost because he wasn’t prepared. But Angle says his job is to do what’s best for the WWE Universe, not for Corbin. Faced with no other option, Corbin threatens to call Stephanie McMahon about his treatment.

The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, and Liv Morgan) def. Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Ember Moon

Riott pins Banks after a Riott Kick.

Triple H enters the arena, praises NXT, and talks about his upcoming match at the Super Show-Down in Australia—and history—with The Undertaker.

Dean Ambrose (with Seth Rollins) def. Dolph Ziggler (with Drew McIntyre)

Here, Ambrose reveals he’s changed up his move set while recovering from injury. McIntyre and Rollins eventually start to brawl while outside the ring, but Rollins is able to keep McIntyre from interfering in the match. Ambrose pins Ziggler after a Dirty Deeds.

Backstage, Braun Strowman insinuates that he will cash in the Money in the Bank contract on Balor if he wins the Universal Championship tonight.

Elias starts to play guitar in the ring, only to be interrupted by Curt Hawkins—who’s looking to end his 218-match losing streak. Hometown boy Hawkins challenges Elias to a match, only to be insulted and humiliated, but he refuses to back down against The Drifter. Elias then defeats Curt Hawkins, pinning him after a Drift Away.

Before a match, Titus O’Neil stumbles upon Apollo Crews and Dana Brooke talking privately backstage.

The Authors of Pain def. Titus Worldwide

AOP pin Apollo Crews after The Last Chapter.

Stephanie McMahon enters the ring, surrounded by RAW’s female wrestlers. A video package about the RAW Women’s Championship plays, before McMahon praises Ronda Rousey for becoming the first woman to win a UFC and WWE Championship. She takes credit for Rousey’s success and calls Rousey her protégé.

Rousey enters the ring and tells the other women on the roster to get in the ring too; she criticizes McMahon for putting her, the champion, above the rest of the roster and says the Women’s Evolution is about all of them. McMahon tells the women on the roster that Rousey wants to break their arms and wipe them out, but Rousey says she’s only here to break the arms of those who deserve it and stares down McMahon before putting her in an armbar.

Dash Wilder (with Scott Dawson) def. Curtis Axel (with Bo Dallas)

Wilder pins Axel after a Gory Bomb.

Backstage, Stephanie McMahon (backed by Corbin and Bliss) tells Angle to take some time off and makes Corbin the Acting General Manager of Monday Night RAW.

Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c) def. Finn Balor

Despite a distraction by Money in the Bank briefcase-holder Braun Strowman, Reigns pins Balor after a spear for the win.

Strowman then attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, but when Strowman vs. Reigns is about to start, The Shield music hits and Ambrose and Rollins enter the arena in their old SWAT gear. When Strowman attacks Reigns, The Shield attack The Monster Among Men in retaliation. The Hounds of Justice ultimately beat down Strowman and prevent Reigns from having to wrestle a second Universal Championship match that night.