Sheamus will also take part in the qualifying matches, as will Chris Jericho. Cesaro will be in it along with Roman Reigns, who gets heavily booed. The United States Champion Rusev will participate. Kevin Owens will be in it as well. The eighth slot goes to their draft pick from NXT, Finn Bálor. Bálor steps out to the center to a great ovation from the crowd. Today is Finn Bálor’s 35th birthday.
Cesaro vs. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens vs. Finn Bálor
The bell rings, and Bálor immediately goes after Owens while Cesaro squares off against Rusev. Owens clubs Bálor back, but Bálor starts punching away at him in the corner. Cesaro floors Rusev with a running uppercut that takes him out of the ring. Owens chops Bálor’s chest and applies a side headlock. Rusev punches away at Cesaro at ringside. In the ring, Bálor whips Owens off, but Owens shoulder blocks him down. Owens hits the ropes, but Bálor leapfrogs him and takes him down with a dropkick. Cesaro sends Rusev hard into the barricade and wipes him out with a summersault senton off the apron.
We come back from the break to see Owens and Rusev stomping Bálor. During the commercial break, Cesaro and Bálor gave Owens and Rusev a double suplex. Owens chokes Bálor in the corner while Rusev punches Cesaro on the apron. Owens taunts the crowd, but Bálor begins to fight back. Bálor hits the ropes, but Owens back elbows him down. Rusev then walks up and gives Bálor a suplex. Owens claps for Rusev before connecting with a suplex of his own on Bálor. Rusev grabs Bálor and gives him a German Suplex before getting in Owens’ face. Owens grabs Bálor and goes for a German Suplex, but Bálor fights back. Owens quickly clubs him in the back of the head before bowing for the crowd. Owens picks up a near fall. On the apron, Cesaro starts punching away at Rusev. Owens quickly comes in and makes the save by punching him. Rusev throws Bálor out of the ring and turns back to Cesaro. Owens and Rusev then suplex Cesaro into the ring. Rusev covers Cesaro, but Owens breaks it up and yells at him. Owens tries to talk strategy. Owens catches Cesaro with a senton splash and tells Rusev to “do that flip.” Rusev gives Cesaro a summersault senton splash.
Bálor gets in the ring and starts punching away at Owens and Rusev. Bálor hits the ropes, ducks a clothesline, and goes for a running cross-body block, but Owens catches him and gives him reverse powerslam. Rusev breaks up the pin and gives Owens a back suplex. Rusev goes to the second rope for a diving head-butt, but Owens rolls out of the way. Owens and Rusev punch away at each other before Cesaro takes them both out with a cross-body block. Cesaro gets to his feet and starts the uppercut train on Rusev and Owens before giving one to Bálor to be fair. Cesaro showcases his amazing cardio before going for the Cesaro Swing on Owens, but Rusev puts a stop to it. Rusev sends him into the ropes, but Cesaro hangs on and boots him in the face. Cesaro then gives Rusev a hip toss over the top rope and goes over with him. Bálor teases a plancha, but Owens stops it. Bálor gives him a back body drop before giving him a low dropkick to the face. Owens rolls out of the ring to recover. Bálor then takes out his three opponents with a summersault plancha!
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» FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > Monday Night RAW > 2016 > July 25th
Bálor gets Cesaro in the ring and goes to the top rope, but Rusev grabs his foot. Bálor viciously kicks him down before kicking Cesaro in the face. Bálor gets off a flurry of strikes before dropkicking him in the side of the head. Bálor connects with the 1916 for a near fall.
We come back from the break to see Owens punching away at Cesaro in the corner. Owens puts him on the top rope and goes for a superplex, but Bálor stops him. Rusev comes up and gives them the tower of doom spot. Rusev’s eyes start bugging out of his head as he surveys the carnage in the ring. Rusev charges Owens in the corner, but Owens boots him in the face. Cesaro quickly follows up on Owens with a running uppercut. Rusev wipes Cesaro out with a spin kick and clubs Bálor, but Bálor takes him out with a pelé kick. Bálor grabs Rusev, but Owens takes him out with a torture rack neckbreaker. Cesaro breaks up the pin, drags Owens out of the ring, and eats a superkick from Owens. Owens quickly goes to the top rope and hits Bálor with a frog splash for a near fall broken up by Rusev.
Owens throws Rusev out of the ring and superkicks him. Owens surprises Bálor with a Pop-up Powerbomb, but Cesaro breaks up the pin with a double stomp. Cesaro rolls Bálor out of the ring and goes for the Neutralizer on Owens. Owens gives him a back body drop, but Cesaro lands on his feet. Cesaro ducks a clothesline and connects with a springboard corkscrew uppercut. Cesaro is starting to feel it now as the crowd cheers him. Cesaro goes for the Cesaro Swing on Owens, but Rusev runs in and superkicks him. Rusev kicks Owens in the head and signals for the Accolade. Rusev stomps Owens and applies the Accolade. Cesaro runs in and drops him with an unbelievable vertical suplex for a near fall. Cesaro then grabs Rusev’s legs for a Sharpshooter, but Rusev fights out and goes for the Accolade. Cesaro immediately rolls through and rolls up Rusev for a two count. Rusev kicks Cesaro in the head, but Cesaro immediately rebounds with a clothesline that turns Rusev inside out.
Rusev looks like he’s been knocked for a loop before trading punches with Cesaro. Cesaro then takes Rusev down and gives him the Cesaro Swing with six revolutions before transitioning into a Sharpshooter. Owens runs in and superkicks Cesaro. Rusev crawls to the corner, and Owens connects with a cannonball. Bálor comes in out of nowhere and dropkicks Owens into Rusev. Bálor hits the ropes and takes Owens out with a Sling Blade. Bálor viciously dropkicks Rusev into the turnbuckle before going to the top rope to hit the Coup de Grâce for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Finn Bálor
Finn Bálor celebrates his big win as the crowd gives him a standing ovation. He’ll be in tonight’s main event against the winner of the second Fatal Four-Way match tonight. The winner of that match will face Seth Rollins for the newly created WWE Universal Championship at SummerSlam in August.
Roman Reigns is walking backstage when he bumps into Finn Bálor. Bálor wishes him luck, and Reigns does as well. Bálor says he’s Irish and they invented luck. Reigns says, “I’m Samoan. Enough said.”
Winner faces Seth Rollins at SummerSlam for the WWE Universal Championship
Finn Bálor vs. Roman Reigns
JoJo does the introductions in the ring to give this more of a big fight feel. Finn Bálor gets a big reception from the crowd while Roman Reigns is harshly booed.
The bell rings, and Reigns quickly punches him to the corner before throwing him across the ring. Michael Cole says, “Welcome to the big time, Finn!” Reigns stands over Bálor before throwing him across the ring again. Reigns whips him hard into the corner, but Bálor avoids an avalanche by jumping to the apron. Bálor kicks him in the head and applies a side headlock. Reigns whips him off and shoulder blocks him down. Reigns chokes him against the ropes before head-butting him. Reigns hits the ropes, but Bálor quickly dropkicks him down. Bálor unloads a flurry of punches and kicks on Reigns before Reigns elbows him down. Reigns begins wildly clubbing him in the corner. Bálor looks out on his feet as Reigns punches him in the face. Bálor is laid out against the bottom rope. Reigns goes for the Drive By, but Bálor moves. Bálor then hits a slingshot double stomp to the midsection before connecting with a running dropkick into the barricade.
We come back from the break to see Reigns give Bálor a modified Samoan Drop for a two count. During the commercial, Bálor focused on Reigns’ knee. Reigns catches him with a back suplex slam for a two count. Reigns applies a chin lock, but Bálor fights up and punches him. Reigns quickly head-butts him before punching him in the corner. Reigns whips him hard into the opposite corner before running into a boot. Bálor connects with some running forearms before Reigns rolls him up before lifting him up with one arm for a slam to pick up a two count. Reigns signals for the Superman Punch, but Bálor moves. Bálor runs into a boot. Reigns goes to the top rope, but Bálor kicks him in the face to send him to the floor. Bálor hits a baseball slide before getting on the apron for a running kick to the face. Bálor gets him in the ring and gives him a flying double stomp to the back of the head for a near fall. Bálor cannot believe he kicked out.
Bálor sets up for the 1916, but Reigns fights out. Bálor then floors him with a Sling Blade. Bálor sets up in the corner running into a Superman Punch. Reigns picks up a near fall. Reigns’ lip is busted. Reigns gets a furious look on his face before grabbing Bálor. Reigns goes for a crucifix powerbomb, but Bálor rolls him up for a near fall. Reigns quickly gives him a double powerbomb for a near fall. Reigns smiles in disbelief before going to the corner. The crowd is really booing as Reigns sets up for the Spear. Bálor counters with a Sling Blade before dropkicking him into the corner. Bálor goes to the top rope and connects with the Coup de Grâce for the win! Finn Bálor has pinned Roman Reigns on his 35th birthday!
Winner by Pinfall: Finn Bálor
Finn Bálor will face Seth Rollins at SummerSlam in Brooklyn for the newly created WWE Universal Championship! Reigns gets out of the ring looks physically and mentally defeated.
Tom Philips walks up to Reigns and asks if he has anything he wants to say following this loss. Reigns says he hopes Bálor beats Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship because he wants to face him again. Reigns says he respects Bálor. Bálor celebrates in the ring as this unbelievable night comes to an end.
Related Links, Photos & More:
» FINNishing TOUCH: World Wrestling Entertainment > Live Event Digitals > Monday Night RAW > 2016 > July 25th
» FINNishing TOUCH: Screen Captures > World Wrestling Entertainment > Monday Night RAW > 2016 > July 25th