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.
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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.
Lacey Evans def. Dakota KaiAs I've said several times in the past, Evans is slowly but surely coming into her own as a complete performer in the ring. She is getting her character down as well, but her work inside the squared circle has especially impressed me lately. Sure, Kai is an excellent competitor in her own right, but Evans certainly held her own here and I was fine with her picking up the victory since Kai can always bounce back being the ultimate underdog that she is. This was a strong showing from the ladies. Kassius Ohno def. Rick RamirezI believe the last time we saw Ohno on NXT TV was when he lost to EC3 several weeks back, and he looked dejected after that loss. Thus, it was only logical for him to not only score a much-needed victory here but also do so in dominant fashion. He beat his unknown opponent in under a minute and came across like a badass in the process. I'm curious if this will lead to a more aggressive Ohno or a full-fledged heel turn eventually.
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