Posted on 5/26/126 by Bob Magee
Paul Heyman paced around the ring, awaiting his cue to start
the show as the announcers plugged Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
at Clash in Italy.
Heyman said he was there to hype a match that didn’t need to
be hyped. (His speech was interrupted by chants of “Oba.”)
He called this rematch the biggest in professional wrestling
history, and he cut to the video screen for a pre-taped
Lesnar promo.
Lesnar congratulated Femi on his WrestleMania victory, but
said that win was going to cost him. Lesnar has had his ass
beat before, but nothing quite like that. It was so bad that
Lesnar was done (and left his gloves in the ring). However,
it wouldn’t end like that for him. Lesnar asked, “Brock
Lesnar can take an ass-whooping, but can you?” He said Femi
would get his ass kicked by a humbled, retired beast, and he
would rule over Femi.
Heyman said the good news was that everyone would get to see
history, but the bad news was that Femi had awakened the
beast.
Femi entered and cornered Heyman. Femi said he might have
awoken Lesnar, but “what do you think four F5s has awoken in
Oba Femi?” Heyman was panicking, so Femi assured him he was
safe. Femi wanted Heyman alive to see him retire Lesnar a
second time. Heyman liked to say it was only business, but
four F5s seemed pretty personal to him.
Femi pulled out the contract and signed it on Heyman’s
chest. He told Heyman to deliver a message: “Last time, I
was fighting to beat him. This time, I’m fighting to kill
him.” (The crowd liked Femi, but that line only got a modest
reaction from them.)
********
Roman Reigns was shown arriving earlier. It’s his birthday,
so a stagehand tried handing him a mystery gift, but he
chucked it aside. Jacob Fatu, Rey Mysterio (announced as the
new GM of AAA), and Judgment Day also arrived.
Intercontinental Championship match: Penta (c) vs. Je’Von
Evans
Evans immediately went for a cutter, but Penta blocked it.
Evans hit a hurricanrana instead, then landed on his feet
after Penta tried a hurricanrana of his own. After a quick
exchange of counters and a face-off, Evans joined Penta in
doing his little dance.
However, Evans nailed an unsuspecting Penta with a dropkick
before hitting a leaping dive. Evans tried a springboard
move back in the ring, but Penta superkicked him out of the
air. Moments later, with Penta back outside the ring, Evans
went for a suicide dive, but Penta used his momentum to toss
him into the edge of the announce table.
Evans fought back during a break by driving Penta over the
barricade before hitting a springboard clothesline back into
the ring. As Michael Cole noted, Evans was no longer
smiling. He traded chops with Penta, but instead of going
for another chop, Evans hit a sudden knee strike and a
cutter for a nearfall. Penta responded with a backstabber
for two.
With Penta hunched over on the apron, Evans leaped over the
ropes and hit a cutter onto the edge of the ring for a two
count. Penta blocked another springboard move and hit a
Penta driver for a nearfall.
Penta went to the top, but Evans leaped to the top rope and
hit an avalanche hurricanrana. Evans went for an OG Cutter,
but Penta nailed him with a mid-air superkick. Penta went
for a destroyer, but Evans countered with a knee strike.
Evans went for the OG Cutter again, but Penta caught him
with a mid-air backstabber, followed by a Canadian Destroyer
for the pinfall win.
— Penta raised Evans’ hand post-match, but a frustrated
Evans pulled his hand away and left the ring. Penta
celebrated with his belt.
Match result: Penta defeated Je’Von Evans to retain the
Intercontinental Championship (11:31)
An excellent TV match. Evans is ready to be a singles
champion.
********
Austin Theory gets a new tag team partner
Austin Theory approached Heyman backstage. Theory was ready
to hand over his tag title belt to Heyman, who wasn’t sure
why. Theory said Logan Paul was hurt, so he wasn’t sure what
to do with it. Heyman said Logan knew that this business
wasn’t ballet.
Heyman also put it in every contract that “The Vision” would
be the ones defending the tag titles, without specifying
who. Heyman said Theory could defend the titles with Bron
Breakker. Heyman explained further until Theory gave him a
big hug and thanked him.
Heyman told Theory, “I did this for you because I believe in
you. Because I wanted this for you.” (Probably some reality
to that line.) Theory wanted to take out anyone involved in
taking out Logan. Heyman was on board.
(It’s pro wrestling logic, but it’s silly that Heyman can
simply put “The Vision” in the contract, and Adam Pearce
wouldn’t make him specify which members make up the team.)
********
Joe Hendry was in the ring, I guess for a concert. He sang
his Fire Logan Paul song again until Theory attacked him
from behind with a steel chair. Theory hit Hendry repeatedly
in the back with the chair. Theory was about to leave, but
turned around to hit Hendry’s “head” against the steel post
(it was done safely). Officials checked on Hendry.
Backstage, Seth Rollins approached Angelo Dawkins. Rollins
said he knew what it felt like to get screwed over by the
Vision (as the Street Profits did at SNME). But they had an
opportunity with Logan gone. The Vision was the weakest
they’ve ever been, but they were also the most dangerous.
(What?) Rollins said she’s never seen that side of Theory,
and they should put the Vision out for good.
Montez Ford approached and was not having this. Ford wasn’t
interested in Rollins’ redemption story. Rollins said if he
were around for their match, the Street Profits would be tag
champs right now. They didn’t have to be friends when this
was over; they just needed to work together to get rid of
the Vision.
Rollins knew why Ford didn’t trust him, but he was also the
only one between them who was a multi-time world champion
and a WrestleMania main-eventer. Ford said he never stabbed
his brother in the back. Ford wanted a match against Rollins
tonight, and Rollins accepted. Dawkins was annoyed.
********
There was a video package for the El Grande Americano vs.
Original El Grande Americano, Mask vs. Mask match in AAA on
Saturday.
Penta approached Evans backstage. Evans apologized for being
unprofessional earlier. He called Penta a great champion,
but let him know he’d be seeing him again soon. They bumped
fists.
Rey Mysterio approached Penta and congratulated him on his
success. Penta congratulated him on his position in AAA,
too. Penta wanted to be a fighting champion, and there was
no one he would rather face than Mysterio. Rey liked the
sounds of that. Penta left to go talk to Pearce.
********
Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (w/ Women’s World Champion
Liv Morgan & AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio) vs. Lyra
Valkyria & Bayley
Bayley made a hot tag following a break, hitting Perez with
a back suplex and sunset flip powerbomb into the corner.
Valkyria tagged in and teamed with Bayley to hit Perez with
a combo neckbreaker.
They awkwardly made their way to the side of the ring so
they could be in position for Morgan to put Perez’s leg on
the bottom rope. However, the ref saw this and tossed her
from ringside. Morgan protested, so Bayley attacked her.
Rodriguez clotheslined Bayley, and Valkyria wiped out
Rodriguez. Perez tried to use the distraction by applying a
schoolboy, but Valkyria kicked out. Morgan finally left
ringside.
Bayley tagged in and went to the top rope, but Dom
distracted the ref, so Rodriguez shoved Bayley off the top.
Perez hit Bayley with Pop Rox, and Valkyria was supposed to
break up the cover, but she was late, so Bayley kicked out
of Perez’s finisher.
Rodriguez tried powerbombing Valkyria out of the ring, but
Valkyria used a leg scissors to wipe them both over the top
rope.
Dom leaped on the apron to distract the ref so Perez could
use his AAA title as a weapon, but she got in a tug-of-war
with Bayley. Bayley knocked Perez backward, and Perez
knocked Dom off the apron by accidentally hitting him with
the belt. Bayley rolled up Perez for the pinfall win.
Match result: Bayley & Lyra Valkyria defeated Roxanne Perez
& Raquel Rodriguez (10:50)
A mess of a match. Awkward-looking spots with tons of
interference and distractions. Rodriguez and Valkyria, in
particular, were off in this match, and the overbooked spots
didn’t help.
********
Roman Reigns met with Pearce backstage. Pearce didn’t think
Jacob Fatu should be employed by WWE. Reigns understood, but
he had to show the power and stroke that they (the
Bloodline) had.
Reigns didn’t actually want to go back to his old ways and
didn’t realize Fatu knew he had the ace to pull by
challenging him to Tribal Combat. But Fatu knew Reigns had
no choice but to accept as Tribal Chief. Reigns said there
had to be consequences in the contract. If Fatu lost, he had
to serve Reigns. But if Fatu won, he wished Pearce luck,
because they were all screwed.
*******
There was a Memorial Day video narrated by Cody Rhodes.
LA Knight promo
LA Knight entered. He said it’s been a while since he’s felt
this. It’s been since WrestleMania since he stood in the
ring in front of everyone. He wished everyone a happy
Memorial Day and thanked all of their service members.
Knight put the Vision in his rear-view mirror at
WrestleMania and stood with Jimmy and Jey Uso, but the Usos
have been doing things a bit differently lately. Next week
on Raw, the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments begin,
and he was throwing his name in the hat. That meant he would
be earning a title shot and was coming for Roman Reigns, who
was the most corrupt champion he’s ever seen.
Jimmy Uso interrupted. He said he fought side-by-side with
Knight against the Vision at Mania. Knight said that was
true, but now Jimmy was with Reigns, fighting three-on-one.
It rubbed Knight the wrong way, and he was one of the
Bloodline’s past victims.
Jimmy understood because a lot of people had a problem with
the Bloodline. They made things ugly for everyone for years.
They did what they had to do, but it wasn’t like that
anymore. Jimmy invited Knight to enter KOTR because if he
won, he’d have a fair shot at Reigns.
Knight heard the word “fair” and asked if Jimmy was being
honest with him, or if he was even being honest with
himself. Knight saw Jimmy playing third-fiddle to Reigns,
behind Jey, and didn’t want to see him become Reigns’ errand
boy again.
Jimmy said Knight was lucky the Yeetman wasn’t there,
because if he was, they wouldn’t be talking. Knight said
that proved his point. The two of them would attack him two-
on-one, and maybe Reigns would join them, just like they did
to Fatu.
Jimmy said their family business had nothing to do with
Knight, so he should tread carefully, or he would become
their business.
Knight said Jimmy was the one he liked. He was ok with Jey.
But he didn’t like Reigns then, and he didn’t like him now.
Reigns always needed somebody’s help. If the family business
became his business, he would make sure they went out of
business. Knight told Jimmy to deliver that message to
Reigns.
********
Ethan Page interrupted a conversation between Pearce and
Rey. Page didn’t like that Rey was trying to get an IC title
match. Rusev jumped in next, wanting to know what was going
on. Page said Pearce and Rey were conspiring against Rusev.
Rusev believed him, so he wasn’t happy to hear this. Rey was
more than happy to fight Rusev to earn an IC title match.
Pearce made it official.
********
90 minutes into Raw, we’ve had two matches amounting to
about 22 minutes.
Seth Rollins vs. Montez Ford
After a break, Rollins hit a superplex into a falcon arrow
for two. They traded counters until Rollins hit a Pedigree
for two. With Ford down, Rollins tried to talk sense into
him and convince Ford that he’s changed. Ford slapped him,
so Rollins hit consecutive buckle bombs.
Rollins went for a third buckle bomb, but Ford countered and
drove him out of the ring. Ford hit a running flip dive over
the corner to the outside, followed by a frog splash in the
ring for two.
Ford went for a 450 splash, but Rollins dodged it and hit a
curb stomp. Rollins was exhausted, but fell into a cover for
the pinfall win.
— After the match, Dawkins scampered out to the stage where
Theory attacked him with a steel chair. Theory continued the
attack until officials ran out. Pearce called him sick.
Match result: Seth Rollins defeated Montez Ford (12:35)
This match was fine, but a step down from what you might
expect. Unlike the Evans’ match earlier, it didn’t feel like
Ford deserved a better fate here, but that seemed to be the
point.
********
Backstage, Ford was steaming and wanted an update from
Pearce on Dawkins. Rollins joined in and wanted an update,
too. Ford finally agreed with Rollins that there were bigger
things going on and bigger fish to fry. His brother was
down, and he needed them. Rollins and Ford nodded at each
other before Ford went into the trainer’s room to check on
Dawkins.
Rollins told Pearce he wanted Breakker and wanted the match
as soon as possible.
(Breakker wasn’t on the show tonight, and Paul is out with
an injury, so it’s odd that they’re having so much trouble
against one guy with a steel chair.)
********
Clash in Italy (airing 2 pm ET/11 am PT):
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther for the WWE Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s
Championship
Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat for the
World Heavyweight Championship
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca for the Women’s
Intercontinental Championship
********
Becky Lynch interview
Cathy Kelley interviewed Lynch backstage. Kelley said Sol
Ruca was sidelined with injuries tonight, and it seemed like
Lynch had the advantage for their upcoming match.
Lynch said some people got punched in the face and became
the face of the industry, while others got punched in the
face and got a wake-up call that they were in over their
heads. Ruca was totally outmatched.
Some people might be impressed with her tricks and flips,
but she hasn’t picked up a single pinfall victory since her
debut. Ruca’s name was written in sand, but the tide was
coming in. Lynch’s name was etched in stone and would be
around forever. There was a difference between striving for
greatness and standing across from it. Lynch welcomed her to
the big time.
********
Ethan Page joined commentary for this match.
Rey Mysterio vs. Rusev
They played cat-and-mouse until Rey set up for a 619, but
Rusev popped off the middle rope and clobbered him with a
back elbow. Rusev was in control, but Rey came back after a
break with a low seated senton and Lionsault for two. Rey
tried a springboard move, but Rusev caught him and hit a
spinning side slam, followed by a Machka Kick for two.
Rusev tried chucking Rey through the ropes, but Rey
countered by hitting a 619 to the gut. Rey went for a
regular 619, but Rusev caught him. Rusev went for the
Accolade, but Rey quickly slipped out and applied a
schoolboy for the pinfall win. Page was displeased.
Rey is now the number one contender for the IC title,
setting up a potential match against Penta.
— Rusev attacked Rey after the match, so Dragon Lee ran out
to make the save. Page ran into the ring, but Dragon Lee
fought him off and used a hurricanrana to drive him into
Rusev. Dragon Lee wiped out Page with a flip dive while Rey
hit Rusev with a 619. Dragon Lee hit Rusev with Operation
Dragon and posed tall with Rey.
Match result: Rey Mysterio defeated Rusev (9:27)
********
An irate Pearce told Theory he’d had enough and kicked him
out of the building. Theory said it wasn’t enough after what
happened to the rest of the Vision. Pearce told him again
that he was done for the night. Heyman settled things down
and walked Theory out of the building.
They walked past Alpha Academy as they left. Otis and Akira
Tozawa weren’t impressed. Maxxine Dupri told them to cut
Theory some slack. She said she’d catch up with them later,
and she left.
(Seriously, what’s stopping Ford and Rollins from ambushing
Theory right now?)
********
Next week on Raw (airing at 2 pm ET/11 am PT):
King and Queen of the Ring tournaments begin
As Knight referenced earlier, the tournament winners earn
title shots.
********
Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu contract signing
This was the second contract signing with these two men in
the past four weeks.
Jacob Fatu entered first, and security filled the aisleway.
Fatu signed the contract, then he chucked the leather chairs
and table out of the ring at the security guards. Security
swarmed into the ring, but Pearce settled them all down.
Roman Reigns entered. He signed the contract. Reigns told
Pearce and security to leave them. Pearce thought it might
be smart for security to remain. Reigns said Fatu made a
blood oath. He can’t touch him until Italy. Reigns told them
to leave now, so they did.
Reigns told Columbus to acknowledge him. They did. Reigns
told Fatu this could have been simple. After Reigns beat
him, Fatu could have acknowledged him, and they could have
moved on to the next mission.
Fatu said hell no. Fatu wasn’t like everyone else. Reigns
was indeed the reason their family was living the life that
they were, that their family was living on top of the
mountain. Reigns elevated the family and took them to the
promised land. But he could only take them so far. It was
time for a change. It was time for another destination.
Fatu smiled and asked Reigns whether he lived by the
Bloodline’s code at Backlash, or if he bent the rules just
to beat him. Fatu knew Reigns did what he had to do in that
match, but in Tribal Combat, anything goes. Fatu would dog-
walk Reigns’ bitch-ass. When Fatu took over all of this,
everyone would face the consequences.
Reigns said he was a man of his word. If Fatu won, he would
be head of the table. Fatu would lead, and Reigns would
follow. But if Fatu couldn’t dog-walk him, Reigns would walk
him like a dog. Reigns would domesticate him. Fatu would
serve him, learn from him, and, in time, Fatu would love his
Tribal Chief.
Fatu was on board with that. This was a win for him. Even if
Reigns won, Fatu still had a job. Nothing changed there. But
when Fatu won, everyone—including Reigns—would learn how to
acknowledge him.
They shook hands and touched foreheads to make it official.