The Miz w/Maryse vs. Finn Bálor

As soon as the bell rings Miz rolls out of the ring. Miz eventually gets back in the ring. Baálor promptly takes down Miz and gets one count. Miz catches Bálor with a back elbow. Sunset flip by Miz but Bálor rolls through and dropkicks Miz in the face. Stiff dropkick by Bálor. Bálor clotheslines Miz over the top rope. Bálor torpedo dropkicks Miz into the barricade. Bálor rolls Miz back in the ring. Bálor climbs up to the top rope but Maryse pulls Miz out of the ring. After a short break

 

After a short break, Miz is working a rear chin lock. Bálor tries to fight out of it but ends up eating the Miz combo for a two count. Miz calls for the skull crushing finale but Bálor rolls out of it. Miz kicks Bálor in the knee and waylays him with a spike DDT for a near fall. Bálor surprises Miz with the Pelé kick. Both Miz and Bálor are out on the mat. Bálor gets to his feet first. Miz charges in and eats a big boot from Bálor. Miz pops up to the top rope. Bálor head kicks Miz off the top rope. Miz falls to the outside. Bálor hops out to the apron and hits a penalty kick that almost decapitates Miz. Back in the ring, Miz tries to beg off. Miz pushes Bálor into the referee (and Maryse). Miz rolls out of the ring and says since he is the co-GM he can not allow a superstar to put their hands on a referee. Miz disqualifies Bálor.

 

Miz and Maryse attempt to leave but Ambrose cuts them off. Ambrose says this match will not end in a DQ. Ambrose restarts the match and bans Maryse from ringside.

 

Bálor hits the sling blade as soon as Miz gets in the ring. Bálor hits the Coup de grâce for the win.

 

Winner: Finn Bálor

Tonight’s edition of Monday Night RAW is being taped at the O2 Arena in London. Click ‘Show’ to find out what Finn will be up to on the show and be sure to tune in at 8/7C on the USA Network.

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The show opens with The Miz, Maryse, Braun Strowman and WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. RAW General Manager Kurt Angle is away so Ambrose and Miz are acting as co-General Managers for tonight. Braun vs. Kalisto with one arm tied behind Braun’s back is announced for later. The Miz is booked in a match first

The Miz vs. Finn Balor is next with Miz’s IC Title shot on the line. Balor controls most of the match after they got going. Miz disqualifies Balor using his GM powers but Ambrose uses his and re-starts the match plus bans Maryse from ringside. Balor gets the win with Coup de Grace and was over huge.

[/spoiler]

Seth Rollins makes his entrance to a really good pop. Rollins gets the crowd pumped up and asks to hear them louder. Rollins says he’s feeling good, too. For the first time in a long time, aside from getting his butt kicked a little bit last night by Samoa Joe, he’s feeling really good. The last six months have been like a rollercoaster, and the crowd has been with him throughout all of it. Sometimes you get to a point where you want to dig a hole and climb in, but you have to embrace the sucky part of life, look in the mirror, and figure out who you are and who you want to be. Rollins did that. He looked in the mirror and realized he’s still Seth Freakin’ Rollins. Everything kind of came full circle. At WrestleMania, he slaid the King of Kings. Last night, he took out Samoa Joe. There’s only one thing left to do. Rollins says, “I want The Beast!” A loud “YES” chant fires up. Rollins says he wants Brock Lesnar and the Universal Championship. Rollins has been to Suplex City and isn’t afraid to go back!

 

Finn Bálor’s music hits, and he comes out to the stage smiling. Bálor says they’ve been on the same page recently. Bálor respects Rollins. Rollins is the one-legged man who won at WrestleMania. As for him, he’s the one-armed man who became the very first Universal Champion. Bálor gets in the ring and says Rollins remembers it. Bálor’s arm was hanging from his body, yet he still beat him. Bálor never actually lost the title, either. Bálor means no offense, but when it comes to facing Brock Lesnar, the line starts with him.

 

Dean Ambrose’s music hits, and he comes out to a very good reception. The WWE Intercontinental Champion makes his way to the ring. Ambrose says they all sound like a couple of chickens saying “Brock” over and over again. Lesnar fights when he wants, which isn’t often. RAW is about fighting champions, which is what he’s all about. The Intercontinental Championship is the #1 title on RAW now, and he’s anxious to get to some action.

 

The Miz’ music hits, and he comes out with his wife, Maryse. Miz tells them to hold up, and the crowd loudly starts booing him. If Ambrose wants to talk about action, Rollins and Bálor haven’t earned anything. As for Ambrose, he’s an embarrassment as a champion. Miz and Maryse get in the ring. If anyone deserves that title, it’s him. Miz is the one who made the Intercontinental Championship relevant and prestigious. Bálor says Miz is also the latest member of the “Finn Bálor just kicked my ass” club. Miz says Bálor cheap shotted him and it’s a coward. No one in the ring deserves to be the Intercontinental Champion. Miz defended it nightly. Ambrose wasn’t important enough to defend it at Payback last night. Then there’s Seth Freakin’ Rollins. Rollins used to be the man, but now he hobbles on one leg like the gimp he is. Rollins says he could still run circles around him. Miz says this isn’t a running competition. This is a WWE ring. In this ring, he beats people up. Miz says people hate him because he’s the biggest threat on Monday Night RAW. All three men tell him to shut up.

 

Ambrose says there’s a lot of mudslinging going on here. Ambrose says he will defend the title against anyone, and people like seeing Miz get beat up. Ambrose asks if the people of Sacramento would like to see Bálor beat up Miz. The crowd loudly cheers. Ambrose then asks if the people want to see Rollins beat up Miz. They loudly cheer again. Ambrose calls Kurt Angle on his cellphone. Ambrose says Angle was not happy he had his phone number. Angle made a match for tonight. It’ll be The Miz vs. Finn Bálor vs. Seth Rollins. The winner will become the #1 Contender for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Ambrose says, “It’s true… it’s damn true, baby.” Ambrose then walks off.

After The Miz called Finn Bálor a “failure” during “Miz TV” on the WWE Payback Kickoff, the charismatic Irishman proved he is nothing of the sort when he nailed the arrogant A-Lister with a Sling Blade before dropkicking him into the corner. We’d like to believe this will teach Miz to keep his mouth shut, but we know better.

 

Last night, Bálor made it clear that he’s focused on reclaiming the Universal Championship, which he was forced to relinquish one night after winning it at SummerSlam last year. And yet, before the mysterious Superstar sets out to slay The Beast Incarnate, it seems like he might have some unfinished business with The Miz. Might we see a “sequel” encounter between Bálor and The A-Lister tonight?

Miz TV with Finn Balor (Kickoff Show): The former universal champion said he wants his belt back, even if it means going through Brock Lesnar. He also revealed “The Balor Club” to be all of his fans in the WWE Universe.

 

After calling Balor too small and a failure, Miz hid behind Maryse to avoid a fight when Balor took off his leather jacket. Balor attempted to leave, saying he would be the bigger man and walk way despite “every episode of Miz TV ending the same way — with you getting your ass kicked.” Miz continued talking trash, however, leading Balor to hit him with a Slingblade and a missile dropkick.