Ringside Intel brings you live play-by-play, results and viewing party for tonight’s WWE Monday Night Raw (10/22/2018) broadcast. Pre-show starts at 7:50 pm EST and the main show at 8 pm EST. D-Generation X returns to Raw. Tweet and follow @RingsideIntel on Twitter.

Monday Night Raw: 8 pm EST

Show opens up and Universal Champion Roman Reigns comes out to the ring. He says he told the fans he’d be a fighting champion and a workhorse… but that’s all lies. That’s all lies because his real name is Joe and he’s been living with leukaemia for years. And because of that leukaemia he won’t be able to be that fighting champion and fulfil his role. When he was 22 years old he was diagnosed with this. He was quickly able to put it in remission but he was then surrounded by obstacles.

It was the WWE that gave him a chance. They put him in front of the WWE Universe and they have made his life a dream come true. Reigns thanks everyone so much for always giving him the most of their energies. The crowd starts a clap and a chant of “Thank you Roman!” He says he must go home now and focus on his family and his health. An emotional Reigns clarifies that this is not a retirement speech. After he whoops leukaemia’s ass again he’ll be coming back because he wants to show everyone that when life throws a curveball at him, he will wind up and swing for the fences every time. Reigns says he will beat this and everyone will see him again very soon.

The crowd chants Reigns’ name and gives him all their thanks as he lays the title belt in the middle of the ring.

As Reigns gets to the main stage, his Shield brothers Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose come out to console him. They all have saddened and emotional looks on their faces as they touch fists, their music starting to play at that moment.

***

Singles Match: Finn Balor vs. Bobby Lashley (with Lio Rush)

Rush does a heel promo and then the match starts. Lashley takes control early. Balor tries to get back in it but Rush distracts him. Balor ends up chasing Rush around the ring but runs into a big shot from Lashley that levels him on the floor. Commercial break.

Balor mounts a comeback and they have some back and forth exchanges. Lashley hits a Samoan drop but then Balor levels Lashley. Balor goes for a Coup De Grace but Lashley moves and clobbers Balor. Lashley signals for the end but Balor sneaks a quick rollup for the victory.

Winner: Finn Balor

Lashley is furious after the match as he paces angrily around the ring, with Balor celebrating on the main stage.

***

Singles Match: Sasha Banks (with Bayley & Natalya) vs. Ruby Riott (with the Riott Squad)

Match begins and Banks gains the advantage as Ruby scampers into the ropes for salvation. Ruby seizes an opening and takes control of the match and she bullies Banks around. Commercial break.

Back again and Ruby is still dominating. She hits an STO and gets a near-fall. Ruby shows her annoyance and then puts Banks in a submission. Banks finally starts to comeback and she lands a series of dropkicks. She nails Ruby with Meteora and then hits a Backstabber into Bank Statement. Sarah Logan tries to run in but Bayley runs in and stops her. A brawl ensues on the outside and Banks comes out and swings on the Riott Squad. As banks gets back in the ring, Ruby hits the Riott Kick for the win.

Winner: Ruby Riott (with the Riott Squad)

***

The Brothers of Destruction cut a promo on DX.

***

D-Generation X comes out to the ring. They cut a promo on the brothers of destruction ahead of their match at Crown Jewel. They’re about to say “Suck it” when the Brothers of Destruction come on the big screen and cut another promo.

***

Paul Heyman is in the ring. He has a serious and emotional look on his face, as he prepares to address Roman Reigns’ remarks from earlier. He says his thoughts and his prayers are with the champion known as Roman Reigns. It is humbling to be amongst the members of the locker room tonight, and to have been in the presence of such courage and such greatness, says Heyman. Heyman says he has to explain to his children tonight something about this industry. What everyone witnessed was not just courage, but sacrifice.

He says Reigns sacrificed his aspirations as a champion because he couldn’t fulfil his own demands. That’s exactly what the title deserves. Every fan has a right to point at that title and say the man that holds it is the best. And until earlier tonight, the WWE Universe got to brag that Roman Reigns was that man. But Reigns would be the first to say the show must go on. And so it will at Crown Jewel. Only Braun Strowman vs. Brock Lesnar. And they will both show up to determine the new best and that sure won’t be Strowman, says Heyman.

Heyman goes off saying how Strowman isn’t in Lesnar’s league, not even the same stratusphere, or species. But then Strowman’s music hits and he comes out to the main stage. Strowman eyes Heyman down and tells Heyman to tells Lesnar he’s going to beat his ass all over Crown Jewel. And then he’s bringing the Universal Championship back to Raw every single Monday. Strowman says Lesnar will “Get these hands”. Drew McIntyre suddenly blindsides Strowman and lays him out with a Claymore in the aisle.

Drew McIntyre says Braun Strowman just felt the cold kick of reality. He’ll soon realize he needed McIntyre and Ziggler. Now he and Ziggler must focus on their challengers for tonight for the Raw Tag Team Championships.

***

Elias is in the ring doing his shtick, playing guitar and cutting a promo. Apollo Crews comes out to interrupt.

Singles Match: Elias vs. Apollo Crews

Match begins and Crews takes control early as he beats Elias up at ringside. Commercial break.

Back again and Elias has Crews in a side headlock. Crews powers out and hits an arm-drag. He tries to get his breath back, and then hits a few big kicks. He levels Elias with a jumping clothesline and then kips up. Crews lands a standing shooting star press for a 2-count. Elias manages to bait Crews into a trap and he connects with a big knee to Crews’ chin. Elias proceeds with the Drift Away for the pinfall.

Winner: Elias

***

Elias tries to perform his song again on the main stage but Raw General Manager Baron Corbin comes out and says they just don’t have time to accommodate his performance. Elias says Stephanie McMahon would want to walk with Elias so he’s going to go ahead with his performance. Corbin says if Stephanie didn’t like Elias, he fire him. Then Corbin orders him to get off the stage. The crowd chants “No!” Elias says he just wrote a song for this occasion and orders Corbin to silence his cell phone, hold his applause…

Elias starts a song making fun of Corbin and Corbin orders his mic and guitar to be cut. Corbin then order Elias to get off the stage and ultimately Elias does. The crowd boos. Corbin is about to say what he has to say when Elias appears behind him again and smashes his guitar over Corbin’s back. Elias smiles at his handiwork and leaves Corbin battered in the aisle.

***

Nikki Bella and Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey come out for their Evolution title match contract signing. They cut promos on each other and then Rousey hands the pen to Nikki. Nikki happily signs the contract and then slaps Rousey across the face. Rousey looks angry but then she just laughs and signs the contract. Rousey says she’ll end Nikki on Sunday. And smiling, “I give you my word.”

***

Fatal 4-Way Match: Nia Jax vs. Dana Brooke vs. Tamina Snuka vs. Ember Moon

Ember Moon picks up the quick victory with an Eclipse on Tamina.

Winner: Ember Moon

***

Alicia Fox and Mickie James attacks Trish Stratus and Lita and a brawl ensues backstage. Trish and Lita end up leaving Mickie and Fox beaten up and Trish says, “That’s how we did it in the Attitude Era!”

***

Tag Team Championship Match: Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

Match begins and Rollins and Ambrose drives McIntyre and Ziggler from the ring as it cuts to commercial.

Back again and Rollins is taking it to Ziggler. He goes to the top rope but McIntyre pushes him off. Ziggler follows up with a Famouser for a near-fall. McIntyre comes in and picks up the offense. Ziggler and McIntyre cycle tags and keeps Rollins isolated in their corner. Rollins tries to get a tag to Ambrose but Ziggler grabs a sleeper and drags Rollins down. McIntyre tags in and Rollins nails him with some shots. He is about to get the tag but Ziggler prevents it.

Ambrose chases Ziggler around the ring but runs into a shot from McIntyre. McIntyre then hits an Alabama Slam on Rollins for a 2-count. Commercial break.

Back again and Rollins and Ambrose use some nice teamwork and Rollins gets a near-fall on McIntyre after a big frog splash. McIntyre then looks for a belly-to-back superplex but he gets knocked backward and hung upside down. But suddenly McIntyre sits up and german superplexes Rollins into a backflip, landing face-down on the canvas. There is some scrambling and Rollins hits Ziggler with a superplex-Falcon Arrow for 2. It’s pandemonium and Ziggler hits a ZigZag on Rollins. He pins. 1-2-… but Rollins gets the shoulder up.

Ziggler and McIntyre look for the finish but then Braun Strowman’s music hits. There is some confusion and the ref gets bumped. Strowman and McIntyre have a stand-off before locking horns. Strowman and McIntyre brawl out into the crowd and away into the backstage area. Ziggler comes to in the ring and McIntyre is nowhere in sight. Ziggler tries to use the title belt as a weapon but Ambrose stops him. Rollins plants him with the Stomp. Ambrose rousts the referee up and into the ring and he hits a count of 3.

Winners: The Shield (c)

After the match, Rollins and Ambrose are celebrating but then suddenly Ambrose kicks Rollins and spikes him with a Dirty Deeds. Faces are shown in the audience, shocked and confused. Ambrose looks crazed and lost. Rollins starts coming to and is wondering what happened. Ambrose brutally attacks him some more. Ambrose yells at Rollins as he viciously assaults him around the ringside area, concerned and distraught fan faces are shown in the crowd. Ambrose lifts up the mats beside the ring and exposes the concrete floor.

Ambrose plants Rollins cranium on the concrete and the crowd is in a state of disgust as they boo and jeer Ambrose’s walk out of the building through the crowd.