Monday Night Raw (10/15/2018): Recap and Results

Raw General Manager Baron Corbin tells Kurt Angle that he’ll be in a handicap match against the Authors of Pain tonight.

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World Cup Qualifier: Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler

Match gets underway and Ziggler takes control early. Ambrose gets back in it and hits a fallaway slam, sending Ziggler rolling outside. Ambrose goes after him and throws him into the barricade a couple times. Back in the ring and Ziggler drives Ambrose face-first to the canvas from the top rope as it cuts to commercial.

Back again and Ziggler knees Ambrose in the face but then gets hit with a catapult into the ring post. Both men are down. Ambrose drops Ziggler’s abdomen on the top rope and then they scramble. Ambrose locks on a cloverleaf submission. Ziggler manages to reach the bottom rope to break the hold. Ambrose hits a German suplex and gets a 2-count. Ziggler manages to set up for a superplex but Ambrose lifts and drops Ziggler face-first down on the mat. McIntyre suddenly runs out and tries to helps Ziggler.

Rollins runs out to try and help and Ambrose leaps off the top rope out onto McIntyre. As Ambrose gets back in the ring, Ziggler catches him looking the other way with a superkick and pins for the 3-count fall.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Rollins looks dumbstruck as he realizes how badly things managed to turn out after that mad scramble. He steps into the ring and Ambrose slowly rises to his feet and roughly pushes past Rollins as he storms to the back. Rollins catches up with him on the main stage and pushes Ambrose, asking him what his problem is. Reigns has to come out and pull them apart to restore order. Corbin then comes out and he can’t believe they’re all still having problems. Corbin says he won’t allow The Shield to break up on his watch.

Corbin sets them up with a match to redeem themselves… The Shield will face Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler later tonight. Rollins and Ambrose leave angrily and Reigns mad-dogs Corbin with a thousand yard stare.

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Singles Match: Finn Balor (with Bayley) vs. Jinder Mahal (with Alicia Fox)

Balor picks up the quick win with a Coup De Grace.

Winner: Finn Balor

After the match, Bobby Lashley and his advocate Lio Rush come out. Lashley poses on the turnbuckles, with Rush singing his praises, as Balor considers stepping to him. Bayley, however, talks Balor out of it. Lashley will be in action after the commercial break.

Singles Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Tyler Breeze

Before the match gets underway, Lashley does some muscular poses for the crowd as Rush favorably commentates. Finally the match begins and Lashley starts to beat up Breeze with ease. Lashley hits the finish.

Winner: Bobby Lashley

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Trish Stratus and Lita come out to cut a promo but Alexa Bliss and Mickie James interrupt. Bliss mocks Trish and Lita, and the two Hall of Famers chuckle at her insolence. Bliss tells them they haven’t been in the ring in a long time and Evolution is going to be a cake-walk for her and Mickie. Mickie laughs about how easy it’s going to be beating Trish and Lita. Then, Trish and Lita call Mickie and Bliss out for some “practice” right now. Bliss and Mickie make like they’re going to head to the ring, but then they turn back and the crowd boos.

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Handicap Match: Kurt Angle vs. Authors of Pain

Angle seems to be wearing the golden costume that he wore last week as a disguise in the battle royal. AoP easily dispatches the golden costume-wearing man, who doesn’t appear to be wrestling very much like Angle. They get a 3-count.

Winners: Authors of Pain

After the match, they unmask him and it’s not Angle. Angle then appears on the main stage and hits an Angle Slam on Corbin.

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Singles Match: Ruby Riott vs. Ruby Riott

Ruby has the Riott Squad with her, so Natalya brings out Bayley and Sasha Banks to have her back. Natalya manages to get the Sharpshooter on Ruby but Sarah Logan runs in and interferes, causing the disqualification.

Winner: Natalya (DQ)

After the match, a brawl ensues involving all 6 women in the ring area. Natalya, Bayley & Banks send the Riott Squad into retreat.

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Elias comes out to do his shtick but gets interrupted by Apollo Crews and Crews puts a beating on him. Crews is sick of watching other guys pass him over for their success. It’s his turn now. Crews clears Elias out of the ring and celebrates with the crowd.

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6-Man Tag Team Match: The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler

Strowman yells at Ziggler to start the match and “Show me something!” Ziggler waves Strowman aside and then locks up with Rollins. Ziggler slaps on a headlock ands asks Strowman if that’s the kind of thing he’s looking for. Rollins regains control and The Shield cycles tags as they assault Ziggler. Suddenly there is some confusion between Rollins and Ambrose that causes some tension and Strowman capitalizes on the distraction and takes them out with a shot. Commercial break.

Back again and Ziggler is punishing Reigns with a submission. Reigns starts to get back in it, as he levels Ziggler with a shot. Ziggler tags McIntyre, who prevents Reigns getting a tag. Then Strowman comes in and starts to batter Reigns. Strowman and McIntyre start to tag themselves in off each other, competing over who does a better job beating up Reigns. Reigns manages to evade Strowman’s charge and plant him with a Samoan Drop, which takes all his might to complete.

Reigns is about to finally get the tag, but Ziggler and McIntyre run across the ring and knock Ambrose and Rollins off the apron. McIntyre and Ziggler hit a Claymore-ZigZag on Reigns. McIntyre pins. 1-2-… but Ambrose and Rollins stop the pin in time. At long last, Reigns is able to get a tag and Rollins, then Ambrose, comes in hot as they clear their opponents out of the ring. Ambrose and Rollins hit stereo suicide dives out onto Ziggler and McIntyre.

Then, they try the same move to Strowman… but he catches them in midair by the throats. Reigns manages to hits Strowman with a Superman Punch to save his partners. Back in the ring and Ambrose hits a Dirty Deeds on McIntyre. He pins. 1-2-… But Ziggler pushes Rollins on top of Ambrose’s pin and stops the count. Ambrose ends up getting mad that Rollins managed to screw up his victory and they nearly come to blows. Ziggler takes advantage and nails Ambrose with a ZigZag. He pins but Ambrose gets his shoulder up.

There is chaos now as a rapid sequence occurs, ending with McIntyre accidentally Claymore Kicking Strowman out of the ring. Reigns then hits McIntyre with a Spear. All 3 Shield members then drop Ziggler with the Triple Powerbomb for the 3-count.

Winners: The Shield

After the match, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns embrace in renewed camaraderie.

The Shield leaves and then Strowman gets in the ring and grabs Ziggler by the hair. He yells at Ziggler, saying he warned him if he screwed up he’d “get these hands.” Strowman Powerslams Ziggler, but then he turns around and catches a huge Claymore Kick from McIntyre that lays him out flat. McIntyre has a cold, hard look in his eyes as he looks upon his work and then stomps the terra to the back, as Strowman stands and wobbles on shaky legs in the background.