Randy Orton Addressed Jeff HardyOrton has never been known as the most amazing talker, especially in recent years, but this was a damn good promo from him. He didn't come off as monotone as he has in the past. Rather, he came across as motivated for a change and I loved his logic for turning on the fans. He recalled his history as The Legend Killer and basically said he is out to annihilate everyone the WWE Universe idolizes, starting with Hardy. Orton's latest heel run is already off to a strong start. Andrade "Cien" Almas def. Rusev For two guys who are technically heels at the moment (even though Rusev should badly be a babyface), this was a very enjoyable outing that only got better as it went on. Almas and Rusev beat the holy hell out of each other toward the end and they successfully got the crowd invested in the action. The shenanigans at ringside with Zelina Vega, Lana and Aiden English served as a slight distraction, but it did lead to Almas scoring the victory and further teasing tension between English, Rusev and Lana.
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Zack Ryder def. Mike KanellisIt's a shame both of these talented guys have flown under the radar since coming over to Raw in the Superstar Shake-up earlier this year, but at least they make the most of their chances to shine on a show like Main Event. This was an solid outing that largely served as a showcase for Ryder, though Kanellis scored his fair share of offense as well. The crowd wasn't completely dead for it, either, so that was a plus. No Way Jose and Chad Gable def. The AscensionGiven how great of a wrestler as he is, Gable should not be subjected to a comedic tag team with Jose. Then again, it isn't as if Gable has been doing much else of note on Raw, so why the hell not? I thought they had good chemistry here as partners, even if their match against The Ascension was fairly formulaic. Similar to the previous bout, they had the crowd behind them and that added to my enjoyment of it as well.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon Announced the First Ever All-Women's Pay-Per-ViewEveryone figured this was coming as soon as this segment was announced for Raw, but I loved how it came across like a big deal and it was well-received by the live crowd. Vince McMahon's presence in the ring was appreciated even if he didn't say much. I'm sure Triple H and especially Stephanie will take credit for creating the first-ever all-women's pay-per-view, but at least it's a cool historic happening and I'm looking forward to it going down in late October. Raw Tag Team Champions The B-Team def. "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray WyattI can't say I was particularly impressed by the initial outing between The B-Team and Hardy and Wyatt at Extreme Rules, but this was a slight improvement. The in-ring action was perfectly fine, but I'm still confused by which tandem we're supposed to be cheering for. That was made extra unclear afterward when following another fluke victory from The B-Team, Hardy and Wyatt laid them out, yet the commentators didn't react as if they had turned heel. I really just want this rivalry to be over.
Johnny Impact def. Fenix, Taiji Ishimori and Petey Williams in a Four-Way MatchUnfortunately, Rich Swann was injured at an MLW taping earlier in the week and had to be pulled from the pay-per-view. It's unknown when he'll be back to in-ring competition. This was the absolute perfect match to kick off the night given there weren't any stories involved and instead it was all action. Granted, it lacked true psychology, but as a glorified spot-fest, it was incredibly entertaining and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Each of the four competitors had their time to shine and Impact winning made the most sense since he is the biggest star of the bunch. Tessa Blanchard def. AllieBlanchard has been doing great work in IMPACT these past few months despite suffering a few notable losses here and there, and this was another quality performance from her. Meanwhile, I've been digging the change in attitude from Allie as she transitions from a timid underdog to a fierce badass. This was an excellent match from the ladies and Blanchard going over was the right call, especially considering she has since signed a long-term deal with the company.
Killer Kross def. Petey WilliamsOriginally, I was surprised this wasn't saved for Slammiversary, but based off how it was booked like a standard squash for Kross, I'm glad they opted to put it on TV instead. Williams had his flurry of offense at one point and he sold very well for Kross' offense, but in the end, it was a dominant showing and a decisive victory for Kross as it should have been. I've seen rumors of Johnny Impact wanting a crack at Kross upon his return at Slammiversary this Sunday, so I could see that being Kross' first full-fledged feud. Desi Hit Squad def. Fallah Bahh and K.M.The jury is still out on Desi Hit Squad, but they've done fairly well in their last two matches on IMPACT!. This was another good performance from them and it helped that they were able to beat a popular tandem in Bahh and K.M. (who I could have sworn broke up a few weeks ago but apparently not). If nothing else, I'm happy they're slowly being built up and stacking up wins instead of being rushed into the tag title picture because they aren't ready for that yet.
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