Holiday editions of Raw are, more often than not, filler shows that it wouldn't matter if you missed. For some reason though, Monday night's Raw had something of a big show feel about it. Shawn Michaels would be on the show, likely to reveal that he will be the referee for Triple H versus The Undertaker at Super Show-Down, and that also came along with the hope that The Deadman would be in attendance too. There was also Braun Strowman's alignment with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre to address. Is The Monster Among Men a heel now or not? Bring on the continued build to three PPVs all at once courtesy of Monday Night Raw.
RELATED: JOHN CENA DEBUTS HIS SIXTH MOVE OF DOOM
The Strowman issue was addressed as soon as the show began. Raw's resident monster came to the ring with his new found friends and even posed with them at the top of the ramp during their entrance. If that wasn't evidence enough that Strowman is now a bad guy, he basically said as much while in the ring. The trio didn't get long to talk though as they were interrupted by The Shield, this time all three of them at the same time. Before a brawl broke out, acting General Manager Baron Corbin emptied the locker to break things up, but if anything that just made the situation more chaotic. It took everyone to keep the six men from tearing each other apart and the segment ended with The Hounds Of Justice being carted away in the back of a police van on the orders of Corbin.
This week's Raw also marked the in-ring return of The Bella Twins and even though fans didn't seem as excited for the match as they were HBK's appearance, despite WWE's best efforts, it was still a pretty big moment. Nikki and Brie will team up with Ronda Rousey and Super Show-Down to take on the whole of The Riott Squad so they need to get back in ring shape. Their opponents on Raw were Riott Squad members Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan and judging by how it went, we don't fancy the latter's chances in Australia. Nikki pinned Morgan in the ring after Brie's suicide dive kept Logan at bay.
Elias just can't seem to get out an entire song. At least on this week's Raw, he was interrupted by someone who seems to have a soft spot for him, Alexa Bliss. At first, it looked as if Bliss was coming to confront The Drifter for comments he made about her hometown but no, as she happens to agree. Bliss was actually coming to the ring since her match with Natalya was up next. Not only did Five Feet Of Fury pick up the win, but she took the opportunity to send a message to her Hell In A Cell opponent Ronda Rousey who was watching on at ringside. How? By making Nattie tap to the armbar.
RELATED: WWE TEASES POSSIBLE MELINA RETURN AT EVOLUTION
With The Shield out of the way and a GM who clearly has a soft spot for them, Strowman, Ziggler, and McIntyre basically did as they pleased on Raw for the rest of the night. That started with The Showoff and The Scot taking out The Revival so that Corbin would award them the Tag Team Title shot which was initially intended for Dash and Dawson. The B Team certainly wasn't expecting the challenge they got when Ziggler and McIntyre came to the ring, but they didn't merely lie down. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel put up the fight of their lives, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Raw now has new Tag Team Champions and they will take some beating. The Shield and the Authors Of Pain, now led by Drake Maverick, will already have their eyes on them, though.
As promised, Shawn Michaels was on Raw this week. He didn't announce that he will be the special guest referee for Triple H and Undertaker's match at Super Show-Down, though. No, he just wanted to let his feelings known about that match and had some strong things to say about The Deadman. In fact, his comments brought The Phenom to the ring as the gong sounded and the lights went out. HBK had accused Taker of not having much left in the tank, and The Deadman responded by claiming that Michaels was too afraid to return to the ring in what was an intense exchange. It sounded like the beginnings of an angle that will see HBK return to in-ring action, but don't let us get your hopes up.
RELATED: SHAWN MICHAELS RUMORED TO REFEREE UNDERTAKER VS TRIPLE H
Some fans might have noticed the lack of attention being given to Kevin Owens' 'quitting' last week on this week's Raw. Quite worrying if you're a KO fan. Never fear, The Prizefighter was back late on in the show, and he saved us from what was a frankly awful segment. Corbin ordered Bobby Lashley to join Jinder Mahal in the ring for some yoga to help with his non-existent anger issues. As you can imagine, the segment fell pretty flat. That was until KO rushed the ring and beat down Lashley, finishing things off with a painful looking, as always, powerbomb to the apron.
There was a time not so long ago when Strowman and Balor were friends. Not anymore. Corbin booked the two of them to face each other in Raw's main event this week. Despite the size difference, and Ziggler and McIntyre lurking at ringside, there were times when Balor looked like he might slay the monster. It wasn't to be though, and Strowman picked up the win. After the match, the newly formed heel faction looked to punish the defeated Irishman Shield style. However, they were interrupted by the Hounds Of Justice returning in the police van they were carted away in. Unfortunately, it was not The Shield's night, and Raw ended how it had begun, in chaos. Pretty much every heel in the locker room poured out into the arena and decimated Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose. Corbin was supposed to be steadying the ship in Kurt Angle's absence, but if anything things have gone from chaotic to absolute anarchy.