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Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins
They made it a point to note this was only the second time they had wrestled.
Joe threw some kicks towards a cautious Rollins. They locked up and Rollins was backed into the corner. Rollins fired up with a chop but was nailed with a headbutt. Joe peppered him with right hands. Joe went for a clothesline but Rollins ducked under and nailed a dropkick after he rebounded. Joe went to the floor. Rollins followed and dove down on him off the apron.
They battled on the floor, where Joe tossed him over the barricade into the timekeeper's area but Rollins came off the barricade with a clothesline. Joe was tossed into the ring but rolled back out, where Rollins nailed a pair of suicide dives. Joe came back to nail a diving forearm to the floor. He went after Rollins' bad knee and drove down on it with a back senton splash. He measured Rollins in the corner and nailed a series of chops. Joe nailed a running back elbow into an enziguiri. It was all Joe.
Rollins fired back with clotheslines but Joe didn't go down. Rollins nailed a forearm in the corner and snapped him down with a hangman's neckbreaker. Rollins dove but Joe caught him and nailed the kneecapper, followed by a kneebar on the mat. Good stuff. Rollins made it to the ropes, forcing the break but the idea was that the damage had been done. Joe told Rollins he brought this upon himself and nailed a headbutt.
Joe snapped him down with a powerbomb and turned into a halfcrab. Rollins tried to make it to the ropes but Joe pulled him away and locked in a Texas Cloverleaf. Rollins broke the hold with the ropes so Joe used his boot to scrape his face. Rollins cut off a charge with a forearm and drilled him with Slingblade. The idea is that one-legged Rollins was taking the fight to Joe to build sympathy Unfortunately, It's pretty obvious the House of Horrors segment killed the momentum of the live crowd. Rollins nailed a Blockbuster off the top, which got the biggest reaction of anything in the bout thus far, despite the good work.
Rollins moved out of a Joe splash and kicked him in the chest for a two count. Rollins went for the buckle bomb but through better of it. He nailed a Falcon's Arrow for a two count. Rollins went to the top and nailed the frog splash but was grabbed at his bad knee. Joe kicked up at two. He rose like a monster in a horror film and they exchanged strikes. Rollins psyched himself up but was caught in a sleeper hold. Rollins pushed off the ropes (Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper at Wrestlemania 8) to score a two count but Joe escaped and worked him over. Joe locked in the sleeper. Rollins pushed back and somehow had Joe's shoulders down and scored the pin.
Your winner, Seth Rollins!
Sort of a fluke win, which is fine for a comedy babyface beating a mid-card villain, but these guys are supposed to be top roster members, so it's a weird finish. The work in the match was very good and obviously, they will live to fight another day.
House of Horrors 2: Electric Boogalou
Bray Wyatt arrived at the arena, stumbled out of the limo coughing and marched down a hallway towards the gorilla position. So, WWE champion Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt in a "House of Horrors" match continues...
Wyatt made his way down the ring with his complete entrance, carrying his lantern. The announcer teased that Orton hasn't shown up and would have to forfeit. When Bray blew out his lantern, the lights turned on and Randy was behind him in the ring and attacked, destroying him with a chair. They went to the floor, where Bray was sent over the announcing table at ringside. Orton set up and DDT'd Wyatt off the table to the floor. Orton was carrying his arm as if he had hurt his shoulder.
Orton snapped Wyatt across the back with a steel chair. He tossed Bray back into the ring. Orton set up for the RKO but the Singh Brothers from Smackdown attacked him. He fought them off. Wyatt went for Sister Abigail but Orton fought him off and nailed an RKO. Jinder Mahal hit the ring and attacked Orton with the WWE championship belt and walked off. Wyatt nailed Orton with Sister Abigail and scored the pin.
Your winner, Bray Wyatt!
Well, that was something.
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman.
Roman came out with his shoulder taped up. He attacked Braun and they began brawling before the bell. He backdropped Braun over the top to the floor as they rang the bell. Reigns charged around the ring and leapt off the ring steps, nailing a big clothesline. Roman teased a dive over the top but Strowman walked away. Roman went for the Driveby but Strowman caught him in mid-air and slammed him into the barricade. He then chokeslammed Roman through the announcers' table and tossed him into the ring.
Strowman followed him back in and they brawled. Dueling chants for Roman. Strowman nailed a series of running clotheslines in the corner. Strowman went after Roman's bad arm and shoulder, drilling him into the ringpost. Roman went to the floor and was hurting. Braun went to the floor and sent Roman back into the ring steps.
Roman was tossed back in the ring and worked over but kept kicking up. Braun cinched in a bearhug while riding him on the mat, trying to force the air out of Reigns. Roman sidestepped Braun's charges in the corner. The announcers were telling the tale that Roman couldn't breathe from the injuries. Roman nailed a big right hand and nailed a Samoan Drop out of desperation but Braun kicked up with some ferocity that it sent Roman back up to his feet.
Roman nailed a series of clotheslines in the corner. They battled and tumbled over the top to the floor. Strowman tossed Roman in and he rolled through, landed on the floor and nailed the Driveby. Roman went for a spear. Braun caught him and tried to do his powerslam on the floor but Roman slipped behind and shoved him into the post. Braun charged Roman but Roman moved and he hit the post. The digital screens on the post died. The referee began counting them both out but they returned to the ring before the end of the count.
Roman speared Braun and scored a close two count. He went for another spear but was kicked in the sternum. Reigns fired back with a pair of Superman punches, the second of which sent Strowman down to one knee. He went for another but Strowman shot him into the air and locked his triangle choke in, then hit the running powerslam for a close two count.
Strowman picked up Roman and nailed the running powerslam, scoring the pin.
Your winner, Braun Strowman!
Good main event. Reigns did a hell of a job playing the injured hero trying to find the miracle win. Braun deserved the win and did a hell of a job here.
After the match, Strowman brought in the steel steps. He set them up sideways as the crowd chanted "Thank you Strowman." He raised and dropped Reigns atop the steps. He then slammed the steps down across Reigns' ribs.
Several officials, including Adam Pearce and Fit Finlay yelled at Braun but he shoved them away. They showed blood on the canvas and bleeding from Reigns' face. Everyone checked on Roman. Michael Cole and the other announcers were trying to treat it like a serious scene but the crowd was chanting "Thank you Roman."
As Reigns struggled to leave, the audience chanted "You deserve it." Reigns made his way towards the stage, where he finally doubled over in pain. EMTs came out with a stretcher. The officials asked him to let the EMTs help him but he said he wasn't going to get on the stretcher. At this point the show officially ended.
RAW TALK
They came on the air with Roman staggering in the hallway backstage and showed him "coughing up" blood on a white wall as others tried to help him.
They showed a number of replays of the damage Roman took against Strowman.
Live, Roman was being helped into an ambulance. He was leaning against a door. Strowman screamed "I'm not finished with you!" and charged but Roman moved and Strowman destroyed the door when he slammed into it and crashed into a pile of cardboard boxes. He recovered and Roman nailed him with the other door. Braun disappeared as Roman was bloodied and hurting, leaning against the ambulance.
They went to Renee Young and Jerry Lawler who talked about the insanity of what we had just seen.
They brought Alexa Bliss in and congratulated her on her Raw Women's championship victory. Bliss wasn't happy there was no celebration for her. Young put over her accomplishments. Bliss bragged that she beat Bayley in her home town just a month after Bayley had defeated the most dominant women in the industry at Wrestlemania. She said Bayley was an excellent opponent and had a great match but she won. Bliss again complained there was nothing for her. Young said they would have it next time. Bliss snarked, "Yeah, next time I make history." She said what tears her down is also what brings her up. They showed Bayley's elbow on Bliss and Lawler admitted he thought that was the end. Bliss said that when she was in NXT, all she heard was the Four Horsewomen this and that, but she was the first woman to hold both titles. She said she talks a big game but she also backs it up. She said she was going to find a celebration and walked off.
Young and Lawler talked about the House of Horrors. Lawler said that it wasn't what he was expecting. He thought there would be some corny, creepy monster stuff. Instead it was a House that was banged up and everything within was used and it turned out to be a House of Horrors for Orton. Young wondered how you recovered from having a refrigerator slammed on you. Lawler said that Orton was resilient. Lawler said he liked the match at the House but really liked it once they got to the arena. Lawler said Jinder Mahal did Randy in. Lawler said that he didn't think the Mahal stuff was part of the plan for Wyatt and it just happened. Lawler said sometimes you do things in the business that come back and you regret them and he thinks this might be a case where Mahal regrets it down the line. He said this was a moment that may have raised the ire of Orton.
They talked about Chris Jericho moving to the Smackdown brand. Lawler said he loves Jericho but he's wondering how this will change Owens, as Owens has nothing around his waist. Lawler said it's not going to sit well with him.
They then talked about the Raw Tag Team championship. Lawler said that the situation reminded him of the night Mick Foley's tooth was inside his nose at Hell in A Cell. They talked about Jeff's tooth being kicked out. Cesaro and Sheamus told everyone they were welcome. They showed a clip of the tooth being kicked out and they asked for a slow-motion replay. Young asked them why they did what they did to the Hardys, since they had previously shown them respect. They blamed it on the Hardys making the blind tag to set up the finish, saying everything they do, they do straight up. Sheamus said he did some "bad" stuff early on in his career but now, everyone has just gotten the chance to see what he and Cesaro can do when they are on the same page. They were very much in love with the damage they caused. Sheamus blew off the idea that this was a plan and said this was just something that clicked. Cesaro kept asking for replays so they could keep enjoying it. Lawler praised what they did and said they should start their matches with this attitude going forward. Sheamus said what happened tonight was magic. He said he's been waiting for that side of Cesaro to come out for some time. They want their championships back. They were set for a big Wrestlemania moment but the Hardys came back. Sheamus said they had a great nostalgic moment but they are the future and the now. Sheamus said they have finally arrived and they are going to take back what they deserve. Cesaro said everyone was excited for who they remembered from the past but the future is now and no one can touch them. They said they don't raise the bar, they are the bar. Now, they are going to the bar.
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