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Buy or Sell Second Half Performances
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This week was the Raw brand’s “go-home show” ahead of Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, but WWE did little to build to the show beyond keeping the featured story between WWE champion Drew McIntyre and challenger Randy Orton moving forward. McIntyre delivered on his promise to show up during Orton’s show-ending promo, but fans were not treated to another brawl between the two.
The other big note coming out of the show was Retribution stepping into the ring for their second match as a group — and first with newly-revealed leader Mustafa Ali. The group came up short against The Hurt Business and also made a terrifying new enemy in “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt.
CBS Sports was with you all night long, providing recaps and highlights of all the action out of WWE Raw. Read on for all the information you need from the Hell in a Cell go-home edition of the WWE’s flagship television program.
McIntyre cut a backstage promo on Orton. The WWE champion said that Orton was smart for attacking Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Christian and Big Show, because he knew it would provoke McIntyre to accept his challenge for a Hell in a Cell match. McIntyre said that at Hell in a Cell, he will go through hell and would put Orton through hell to remain champion. He then suggested that he might show up during Orton’s interview later in the night.
Orton closed the show with a promo from inside Hell in a Cell. Orton said that his first time in the Cell was when he realized what he was truly capable of. He then rattled off various men he had defeated in the demonic structure and the titles he had won in the match, culminating in saying he had earned The Undertaker’s respect inside the Cell. Before he was able to get any further, McIntyre’s music hit to cut him off. Orton taunted him from inside the cell, daring McIntyre to break the lock before the WWE champion pulled a pair of bolt cutters from behind the ringside barricade and cut the chain holding the Cell door closed. As McIntyre pulled the Cell door closed behind him, the show went off the air.
It’s a good cliffhanger in a normal show, but seeing McIntyre enter the Cell with Orton for the first time as the show went off the air was a bit anti-climatic, especially when the two are set for a Cell match in less than a week. Still, both men delivered solid promos, as expected, and even if the moment of McIntyre just happening to have planted bolt cutters next to the ring was a little too cute, the Cell has become a trademark part of the career story of Randy Orton, and that point did get across. Grade: B
The Hurt Business def. Retribution via submission after Bobby Lashley locked T-Bar in The Hurt Lock. The show opened with Alexa Bliss welcoming The Fiend to the ring, but Retribution interrupted, surrounding the ring before the lights went out and The Fiend had disappeared. Mid-match, The Fiend appeared on the Tron, but the show went to commercial and came back without it having any impact on the match. After the match, however, the lights went out and The Fiend appeared on the apron next to Mustafa Ali, before taking out all of Retribution.
Later in the show, Ali cut a promo saying The Fiend and The Hurt Business made a mistake thinking his only power was strength in numbers. He then said that he has the power to take a laptop or a cell phone and cause chaos with a single click. He had been sitting on the sidelines watching people stab each other in the back, before revealing that he was the hacker months ago on SmackDown. Ali said that anyone who tries to stop the truth from being heard will be shut down.
The reveal of Ali as SmackDown’s hacker wasn’t a surprise in any way, but it was necessary to tie together some different aspects of his character and drive home his purpose in creating Retribution. That said, having the team lose clean in the opening match — weeks after a weak DQ loss in their debut match — and then having the group get taken apart by The Fiend afterward left the group feeling very weak. An invading group of a mastermind and his twisted monsters should not be taking losses — in and outside of competition — this early in their run, and certainly should not get humiliated in a four-on-one situation. Whatever life the angle had breathed into it with the reveal of Ali as leader was sucked right back out with this booking. Grade: D+
.@WWEBigE is LIVE in the #WWEThunderDome on #WWERaw to cheer on @TrueKofi! pic.twitter.com/zCXcPOPJVv
That mysterious hacker on #SmackDown? It was @AliWWE all along!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/u7pyndYSZ5
#TheViper‘s earned a ton of respect inside this structure.#WWERaw @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/g25NDbx1zy
He’s right at home.#WWERaw @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/aIYcZQzAdE
This isn’t over.#WWERaw @BraunStrowman @RealKeithLee pic.twitter.com/PzZk9T3kXS
RIGHT AFTER #WWERaw:@JEFFHARDYBRAND, @NikkiCrossWWE, @mikethemiz & @TheRealMorrison join #RAWTalk on the 🔓 Free Version 🔓 of @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/6l8vk7zv4s
UP NEXT: #TheViper @RandyOrton delivers #WWEChampion @DMcIntyreWWE a message from inside #HellInACell! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/Z5e1kf15Qf
#TheMonster @BraunStrowman goes LOW to get the victory over @RealKeithLee on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/cTo02u4s6F
YOWIE WOWIE!@AlexaBliss_WWE has arrived on #FireflyFunhouse!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/HmSTZ06wV0
#TheMonster @BraunStrowman goes LOW to get the victory over @RealKeithLee on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/AWFnNxQg5k
This is NO joke.#WWERaw @RealKeithLee pic.twitter.com/pNjayL0qGw
YOWIE WOWIE!@AlexaBliss_WWE has entered the #FireflyFunhouse!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/P8OyCmYgML
It’s time @BraunStrowman found out just how #Limitless @RealKeithLee really is. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/GN5szo0ktA
What an IMPRESSIVE debut on #WWERaw! 👀 pic.twitter.com/eBnVYSVDEX
🚂🚂🚂 ALL ABOARD THE STROWMAN EXPRESS 🚂🚂🚂@BraunStrowman collides with @RealKeithLee in #WWERaw‘s main event NEXT! pic.twitter.com/kFGqf1EXUt
What an impressive #WWERaw debut for #ElGranGordo!!! pic.twitter.com/C1Nf5clls4
YOWIE WOWIE.@AlexaBliss_WWE has joined @WWEBrayWyatt in the #FireflyFunHouse! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/ieLmCV717Q
Feelin’ all fuzzy after learning #RamblinRabbit has a wife. ❤️❤️❤️#WWERaw #FireflyFunHouse @WWEBrayWyatt pic.twitter.com/Hm1bc6r477
What an IMPRESSIVE debut for #WWERaw‘s newest Superstar #ElGranGordo!!! pic.twitter.com/j5vGBf5SG3
More of this crew, please.#WWERaw @AustinCreedWins @TrueKofi @tuckerwwe @WWE_MandyRose #ElGranGordo pic.twitter.com/4Zdz6iyoCm
¡LOS GANADORES!#ElGranGordo & @tuckerwwe pick up the victory over @mikethemiz & @TheRealMorrison on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/ta8b4qa98z
Felicitaciones! Muy bien!
A most impressive #WWERaw debut for #ElGranGordo! pic.twitter.com/HWn2CprbKD
UP NEXT … 🙃🙂🙃🙂🙃🙂🙃🙂 #FireflyFunHouse #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/cmoJlAxjuN
Trying to figure out who #ElGranGordo really is.#WWERaw @mikethemiz pic.twitter.com/R3to2OlDat
¡LOS GANADORES!#ElGranGordo & @tuckerwwe pick up the victory over @mikethemiz & @TheRealMorrison on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/YxrcpWajYT
They were lost. Now they’re found.#WWERaw #RETRIBUTION @AliWWE pic.twitter.com/szsFZ4wPOJ
Our truth will be heard. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/XmLmlbadNO
You can’t slow down #ElGranGordo with your words, @mikethemiz. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/3KZ6ZtOpIJ
Raise your hand 🙋♀️🙋♂️ if #ElGranGordo is your new favorite @WWE Superstar.#WWERaw @tuckerwwe pic.twitter.com/hF1MVkNRWi
EL GRAN GORDO HAS ARRIVED ON #WWERaw!
Thanks for bringing him, @tuckerwwe. pic.twitter.com/18bLSOfo3q
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