WWE RAW Report – 8/31/2020

Aug 31, 2020 - by Staff

– Tonight’s WWE RAW opens up on the USA Network with a graphic in memory of WWE Hall of Famer “Bullet” Bob Armstrong, who passed away at the age of 80 on Saturday.

– We’re live from the WWE ThunderDome at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida as Tom Phillips welcomes us. He’s joined by Byron Saxton and Samoa Joe as the pyro goes off.

– We go right to the ring and out comes Randy Orton as Mike Rome does the introductions. The announcers reveal a series of matches with the winners competing in a Triple Threat with the winner challenging WWE Champion Drew McIntyre at Clash of Champions on September 27 – Dolph Ziggler vs. Keith Lee, Orton vs. Kevin Owens and Dominik Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins. Rey Mysterio is being replaced by his son due to an injury suffered at Payback.

Orton takes the mic and cuts a promo on hurting Drew last week, because he suffered it. Orton goes on about how he should not have to face Kevin Owens to qualify for the Triple Threat, as he should just get the Clash of Champions title shot from McIntyre, but that’s OK because he will go on to Clash of Champions and will win the title back. Orton goes on but the music interrupts and out comes Lee. Lee taunts Orton some and says he’s doing his best to forget what happened last night at Payback, to forget how Lee beat him in the middle of the ring. Lee says he gave Orton the chance to bask in his glory, but here Orton is complaining about a title shot that he thinks should be handed to him. Well, Mr. Orton, I think things are a little bit different now, Lee says, because maybe, just maybe a victory like mine last night, over a Legend Killer like you, means that maybe I should get the opportunity at the WWE Title.

Lee says don’t get him wrong, he’s known Drew for some time and considers him a good friend. Drew likes to talk about receipts and Lee believes without a shadow of a doubt, that Drew will make good on his word and at some point… Ziggler suddenly attacks Lee from behind and beats him down. Orton watches as they tangle but Ziggler drops Lee with a big DDT. We go to commercial.

Triple Threat Qualifier: Keith Lee vs. Dolph Ziggler

Back from the break and Dolph Ziggler and Keith Lee go at it to start. Lee tries to overpower but Ziggler uses his speed some. They break and size each other up. Ziggler goes for the leg but Lee grabs him. Lee works on Ziggler’s arm now. Lee takes Ziggler down to his knees, still working on the arm and making Ziggler scream out.

Lee lifts Ziggler by his one arm but Ziggler gets free and kicks at the leg a few times. Ziggler goes for a dropkick but it’s blocked. Lee ends up catapulting Ziggler face-first into the top turnbuckle. Lee looks to follow up but Ziggler rolls to the floor for a breather. Ziggler comes back in and they lock up as the virtual fans in the crowd look on. Lee takes it to the corner and they break as the referee counts. MVP will host The VIP Lounge later tonight. Ziggler with a neckbreaker for a 2 count as Lee powers out, sending Ziggler flying.

Ziggler stays on top of Lee and grounds him with a Sleeper on the mat. Ziggler keeps Lee grounded in a chinlock now. Ziggler gets on Lee’s back as he tries to power up to his feet. Lee fights up but Ziggler kicks his knee and then dropkicks him. Lee is still on his feet. Ziggler with a splash in the corner. Lee blocks another neckbreaker and sends Ziggler flying with a Pounce. We go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Lee is dominating now. Lee scoops Ziggler on his shoulders but Ziggler claws for the nose and slides out. Ziggler with a big Fame-asser for a close 2 count. Ziggler manhandles Lee some on the ropes and drops him with another neckbreaker. Ziggler with an elbow drop to the heart for another close 2 count. Ziggler mounts Lee’s back with another submission. The IIconics vs. Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott will take place tonight with the winners earning a title shot.

Lee powers up with Ziggler on his back. Lee slings Ziggler to the mat. Ziggler walks into a big right hand, and another. Lee levels Ziggler with a big forearm, then launches him high in the air to drive him down into the mat. Lee goes on and catches Ziggler with a big powerslam. Lee yells out while keeping Ziggler down. More back and forth now.

Ziggler connects with a Zig Zag for a close pin attempt. Ziggler can’t believe it. Lee ends up catching a superkick and dropping Ziggler with the big Spirit Bomb for the pin to win and advance to the Triple Threat.

Winner: Keith Lee

– After the match, Lee stands tall in the middle of the ring as his music hits. We go to replays.

– We get a look at how Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles from The Golden Role Models at Payback last night. Sarah Schreiber is backstage with the champs now. She asks how they were able to put their differences aside. Jax says she told Baszler to follow her lead. Baszler disagrees and says she told Jax to stay out of her way, and she did, allowing her to connect the double submission. They continue arguing over who made the win happen. Jax says she sees it like she’s the tag team champion and Baszler is just holding the other belt. RAW Women’s Champion Asuka walks up and Schreiber asks her if she got an answer on her next challenger. She didn’t. Jax and Baszler say this is their interview, just because Asuka is champion doesn’t mean she can interrupt. Asuka puts hands on Baszler and knocks her away. Jax steps to Asuka and stares her down. Asuka yells at Jax in Japanese, and then walks off. Baszler and Jax stare Asuka down as she leaves. Back to commercial.

– Back from the break and we see WWE Producer Adam Pearce backstage with a group of security guards. Pearce says RETRIBUTION ruined last week’s RAW main event but that won’t happen this week because security is going to do their jobs. If that does happen again, then WWE will hire some people to work security who can do their jobs. They give him a “yes sir!” and Pearce tells them to get to work. They all leave.

– Charly Caruso is in the ring now. She introduces RAW Women’s Champion Asuka and welcomes her to the ring.

Caruso says Asuka has been demanding a new challenger, and asks if she can think of anyone who is deserving. Asuka laughs and speaks some in Japanese. She then names some of the people she’s defeated, including Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks, among many others. It doesn’t matter who is ready for her, because she is ready for anything. The music hits and out comes Mickie James, who is celebrating her 41st birthday today.

Mickie says she recognizes greatness when she sees it and Asuka is probably one of the greatest women’s champions of all-time. So with that said, Mickie figures, out of respect, that Asuka should be the first to know that she’s coming for the title. The music interrupts and out comes Natalya with Lana. Natalya says Mickie really thinks she can come back and jump the line to demand a title shot. Natalya calls her so selfish and Lana goes on about how she’s delusional. Lana knocks Mickie for failing to evolve and having the same gear since 1998. Lana says Natalya aligned with her because she’s a trend-setter. Lana says she is Natalya’s best friend and to get to her, you have to go through Lana. Lana and Mickie start arguing but Asuka interrupts. Asuka says she’s ready for all of them. Lana and Natalya suddenly attack Mickie and Asuka. Asuka ends up sending Natalya out. Mickie brawls with Lana and sends her to the apron. Asuka follows up and knocks Lana to the floor with a Hip Attack. Asuka’s music hits as she stands tall with Mickie in the ring. We go to commercial.

– Back from the break and Tom talks about WWE supporting Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month in September, with the arena being decorated to support the campaign and Connor’s Cure, and WWE Superstars wearing custom merchandise. He sends us to a video package with the kid WWE Superstars, called the “Superstars of Tomorrow,” some we’ve seen before.

– We see how The Hurt Business wrecked RAW Underground last week. Cedric Alexander is backstage with The Viking Raiders. The Bachelor’s Demi Burnett walks up. She’s impressed with Cedric turning down The Hurt Business. She supports all three of them. She gives Ivar a kiss on the cheek and they walk off as Demi goes the other way. Angel Garza appears and is all smiles while watching Demi walk away, with a rose in his hand.

Lana vs. Mickie James

We go back to the ring as Lana and Mickie James go at it. RAW Women’s Champion Asuka is on commentary and Natalya is at ringside cheering Lana on.

Lana works Mickie over in the corner and slams her for a 2 count. Mickie tries to turn it around but Lana grounds her in the middle of the ring. Mickie finally makes a comeback and keeps dropping Lana as she tries to get up. Lana blocks Mickie’s DDT in the middle of the ring. Lana baits Mickie in a bit and drops her with a kick to the gut. Mickie comes right back with the Mick Kick for the short win.

Winner: Mickie James

– After the match, Mickie stands tall and celebrates as her music hits. Natalya checks on Lana but hesitates from ringside. Asuka stands up and looks to have words with Mickie, who is still in the ring.

– We see how Aleister Black attacked Kevin Owens last week. Charly Caruso is backstage outside of Black’s locker room door, talking about Black and Owens. Randy Orton suddenly comes walking out of Black’s door, surprising Caruso. Back to commercial.

– Still to come, The IIconics vs. Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott. The winners will earn a title shot and the losers will be no more. Schreiber is backstage in a ring with The IIconics now, asking about possibly having to disband after being best friends for years, long before their WWE careers began. Their one constant has always been each other, but they won’t let some snot-nosed hooligans break them up. They will take the tag team titles and keep them as best friends.

Triple Threat Qualifier: Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

We go back to the ring for the next Triple Threat qualifier as Randy Orton makes his way out. The winner of this match will join Keith Lee in the Triple Threat main event, along with the winner of Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio. Kevin Owens is out next.

Aleister Black suddenly attacks Owens at ringside as he’s making his entrance. Black, with a cover over his hurt eye still, destroys Owens and sends him into the apron. Orton smiles from the ring. The referee yells at Black but Black drops Owens again with Black Mass at ringside. Black rolls Owens into the ring and the referee checks on him. The referee tries to stop him but Owens tells him to ring the bell.

Owens can’t even get to his feet but he finally does and chops Orton. Orton takes another but comes right back with a big RKO for the pin to win and advance to the main event.

Winner: Randy Orton

– After the match, Orton stands tall as his music hits. We go to replays.

– Charly interviews Rey Mysterio backstage. He’s got Dominik Mysterio and the family with him – his wife and daughter. Rey talks about injuries happening in this business but if there is one person on Earth he wants to take place, it’s Dominik. Dominik knows he’s the underdog but after their win at Payback, his confidence is on another level. Dominik says tonight he’s got a 619 with The Monday Night Messiah written all over it. The Mysterio family hugs and we go back to commercial.

– We see how Bobby Lashley won the WWE United States Title from Apollo Crews at Payback last night. Shelton Benjamin vs. Crews is announced for RAW Underground later tonight.

– We go back to the ring and MVP welcomes us to The VIP Lounge, the first from The ThunderDome. He’s joined by Shelton Benjamin. MVP talks them up and then introduces the new WWE United States Champion. Bobby Lashley makes his way out.

MVP takes the mic and addresses Apollo Crews. Lashley talks about how he said exactly what he was going to do to Crews at Payback. Lashley says Crews tried to get some payback during their celebration, but he’s not mad because he would’ve done the same thing. For that, Lashley promises that he will get Apollo back. Shelton says since Crews wants to act like a little punk, he’s going get beat like a little punk in RAW Underground tonight. MVP promises they’re not done with Crews, but for now they’re going to focus on tonight’s six-man match. He says they walked into RAW Underground last week and everyone was standing, but they weren’t at the end. The music interrupts and out comes Cedric Alexander with a mic.

The Hurt Business exits the ring as Cedric slowly walks down the ramp. MVP holds Lashley and Benjamin back. MVP approaches Cedric and asks if he’s had a change of heart since he’s out here all alone. Cedric says hell no he hasn’t had a change of heart, and he’s not out here alone. The Viking Raiders attack from behind and The Hurt Business gets laid out at ringside. Erik, Ivar and Cedric hit the ring as The Hurt Business gets back to their feet. We go to commercial.

Cedric Alexander and The Viking Raiders vs. The Hurt Business

Back from the break and the six-man begins as Bobby Lashley goes at it with Erik. They trade shots and Lashley gets the upperhand. MVP tags in for the double team in the corner. MVP unloads on Erik in the corner now. Shelton Benjamin tags in to keep up the attack on Erik.

Benjamin levels Erik with a clothesline for a close 2 count. Ivar tags in and Erik sends Shelton into a big knee from Ivar. Ivar stuns Shelton with another big strike. Ivar unloads on Shelton in the corner now. Cedric tags in and chops away on Shelton in the corner, then hits him with shoulder thrusts. Erik tags back in and slams Shelton, then hits a big knee. Erik yells at Shelton and continues but Shelton counters with a big Spinebuster. A Tornado Tag Team Match with Andrade and Angel Garza vs. RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits is confirmed for tonight.

MVP comes back in and counters Cedric with a big power move. MVP drops a knee on Cedric for a 2 count, and another. MVP takes it to the corner and in comes Lashley. Lashley beats Cedric down in their corner once again. Lashley keeps control and drives Cedric into the mat with another power move. Cedric kicks out at 2. Lashley continues dominating Cedric. MVP comes back in and keeps control of Cedric, grounding him and talking trash as The Viking Raiders try to rally.

Cedric finally goes for a tag but Shelton and Lashley knock them off the apron and brawl with them at ringside. This leads to Cedric countering MVP and rolling him up for the pin to win.

Winners: Cedric Alexander and The Viking Raiders

– After the match, Cedric’s music hits as The Viking Raiders join him in the ring. MVP actually smiles at Cedric and stands with Lashley and Shelton, calling them away from a potential brawl. The Hurt Business exits the ring, applauding Cedric and staring them down. Cedric celebrates with Erik and Ivar.

– We see Titus O’Neil backstage warming up for RAW Underground. Back to commercial.

– Back from the break and we see The Hurt Business stomping away on Cedric Alexander backstage. Apollo Crews and Ricochet show up and they back off. The Hurt Business talks some trash to Cedric before backing off.

#1 Contender’s Match, Losers Must Disband: The IIconics vs. The Riott Squad

We go back to the ring and out first are The IIconics – Peyton Royce and Billie Kay. The winners of this match will become the new #1 contenders to WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, while the losers must disband. The Riott Squad is out next – Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott.

Kay starts off with Riott and they go at it. Royce tags in and t hey double team Riott with a face to Kay’s knee. Royce covers but Riott kicks out at 2. Royce stays on top of Riott and grounds her. Liv manages to get the tag. She comes in fighting and dropkicks Royce for a close 2 count. Royce shuts Liv down and droops her. Kay tags back in for double team kicks. Kay with a 2 count on Liv. Kay yells in Liv’s face and beats her around.

Kay with a big boot to Liv’s throat in the corner now as the referee counts. Kay with a suplex for another 2 count. Kay unloads with strikes while Liv is down, while yelling at her. Liv gets up and delivers two big kicks to stun Kay. Riott tags in and unloads with forearms to Kay. Riott runs Kay face-first into Liv’s knees in the corner. Riott with more offense on Kay. Royce runs in but Liv also runs in and slams her face-first into the mat. Kay takes advantage of the chaos and rolls Riott for a 2 count. They tangle on the mat with more close pin attempts. Riott gets the upperhand and rolls Kay for the pin to win, earn the title shot and end The IIconics.

Winners: The Riott Squad

– After the match, the music hits as Liv and Riott hit the ramp to celebrate. The IIconics throw a fit in the ring, screaming out and begging the referee from their knees. The IIconics are no more as a tag team, according to the announcers. Kay and Royce cry together in the middle of the ring now.

– Shane McMahon meets his extra large security guard outside of the RAW Underground. He says we will see Jessamyn Duke, Titus O’Neil, and Apollo Crews vs. Shelton Benjamin tonight in the 10pm hour. Shane enters the room and we go back to commercial.

– We get a video package on the feud between Seth Rollins and The Mysterios.

Triple Threat Qualifier: Seth Rollins vs. Dominik Mysterio

We go back to the ring and out comes Seth Rollins with Murphy. The winner of this match will join Keith Lee and Randy Orton in the #1 Contender’s Triple Threat.

Rollins stares at Murphy and yells at him, saying Murphy kicked him in the head last night and forced him to get pinned in the ring by Dominik Mysterio. Rollins circles Murphy and says with a WWE Title shot on the line, he cannot have any mistakes or have Murphy screwing it up for him. Rollins tells Murphy to get the hell out of his ring. Murphy looks at him. Rollins repeats himself and tells Murphy to get out of his sight. Ge doesn’t want to see or hear Murphy until he figures out what kind of man he wants to be, what kind of man he stands for, what side of history he wants to be on. Murphy tries to speak but Rollins tells him to shut his mouth because he disgraces Rollins. Rollins yells at him to get out of his ring again. Murphy slowly walks and Rollins slaps him across the back of the head. Murphy walks up the ramp as Rollins continues barking at him.

Murphy stops and turns around on the stage but here comes Dominik Mysterio, dropping Murphy from behind. The music hits as Dominik rushes the ring. The bell rings as Dominik tackles Rollins and unloads. Rollins drops Dominik. Dominik counters a move and sends Rollins flying. They end up on the floor and Rollins slams Dominik face-first into the announce table. Rollins brings it back into the ring and starts pounding on Dominik. Rollins stomps away while he’s down now. More back and forth between the two. Dominik looks to mount more offense now. Rollins avoids a 619. They go to the floor and Dominik slams Rollins into the announce table. Dominik flies at Rollins again and takes him down on the floor. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and Rollins keeps control. Dominik kicks out at 2. Rollins grounds Dominik with a body scissors and makes him scream out. Rollins yells at the referee to ask Dominik if he submits. Rollins keeps control until Dominik rocks him with elbows. Dominik gets an opening and keeps beating on Rollins with more strikes into the corner.

Dominik mounts Rollins in the corner with strikes. Rollins counters and goes for a Buckle Bomb across the ring but Dominik counters and sends him flying into the turnbuckles with a hurricanrana. Dominik launches himself in from the apron but Rollins catches him. Dominik counters that with a big DDT. Dominik with a standing moonsault for a close 2 count. Rollins goes to the floor for a breather. Dominik goes to the top and hits a big crossbody on the floor for a pop.

We see Angie, Aliyah and Rey Mysterio watching backstage. Dominik goes back to the top but has to roll through as Rollins charges. Dominik drops Rollins into the ropes and then hits the 619. Dominik goes back to the top for the Frogsplash but he lands hard as Rollins moves out of the way. Rollins gets right up and nails the Stomp in the middle of the ring. Rollins covers for the pin to win and earn the final spot in the main event.

Winner: Seth Rollins

– After the match, we see Dominik’s mother get emotional backstage. Rollins stands tall as his music hits. Rollins vs. Lee vs. Orton is confirmed for the main event. Rollins goes to leave the ring but he comes back and delivers another Stomp to Dominik. The crowd boos as Rey gets angry backstage. Dominik’s mother shakes her head as Rollins walks to the back. The referee checks on Dominik as he clutches his head on the mat.

– We see Shane McMahon at RAW Underground. Titus O’Neil is in the ring with an enhancement talent. Titus easily drives the guy into the mat and covers for the win as the referee calls for the bell. Another enhancement talent gets on the platform but Titus manhandles him. Titus slams the guy and mounts him with strikes, then headbutts. The referee pulls him off and the bell rings again. Shane asks who else wants a piece of Titus. Riddick Moss steps up. They tangle and Moss takes Titus down. Moss mounts Titus with strikes now. Titus keeps fighting but Moss gets the upperhand. Titus ends up slinging Moss off the platform to the floor. Titus follows but Moss drives him back into the edge of the platform. Titus shoves Moss back into some shelving. An enhancement talent yells some encouraging words to Titus but Titus drops him. Titus and Moss go at it in the ring again but Moss gets the win. Moss poses and Shane says we will see the debut of Jessamyn Duke soon.

– The Street Profits are backstage getting hyped up. Angelo Dawkins uncovers a white board with the “Coach Dawkins Scouting Report” on Andrade, Angel Garza and Zelina Vega. They take shots at the group to hype tonight’s Tornado Match.

– Back from a break and we see video of WWE 24/7 Champion Akira Tozawa and his ninjas arriving to the arena earlier today. Their van stops at security but he says they’re not on the list. Tozawa gets out to check the list but it’s blank. The security guard just shrugs his shoulders. R-Truth suddenly appears and rolls Tozawa up to capture the 24/7 Title for the 39th time. The security guard was a referee. Truth runs away and Tozawa hops back in the van to chase him, kidnapping the referee but leaving a ninja behind.

Tornado Tag Team Match: The Street Profits vs. Andrade and Angel Garza

We go back to the ring and it starts raining red cups as RAW Tag Team Champions The Street Profits head to the ring – Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins. The announcers go over the rules for this match. The titles will not be on the line. Out next are Andrade and Angel Garza with Zelina Vega and Demi Burnett.

The bell rings and here we go. Dawkins gets taken out and they double team Ford now. They look to hit a double superplex on Ford in the corner as Vega cheers them on. Dawkins comes over and interrupts, slamming all three to the mat with a counter. We go right to commercial.

Back from the break and the double team to Dawkins is in progress. Garza grounds Dawkins and Andrade nails a big shot from the second rope. Garza wastes some time and Dawkins kicks out at 2. Garza with a big running shot to Dawkins in the corner. Andrade goes out and drops Ford into the edge of the apron. Dawkins gets double teamed again as Vega cheers her crew on. Andrade with an arm submission to Dawkins using the ring ropes. Dawkins fights off a double team from the corner. He rocks Garza and launches Andrade across the ring.

Dawkins unloads and runs wild on Garza and Andrade now. Dawkins with a leaping corkscrew splash on Andrade in the corner, then a big bulldog for a 2 count as Garza breaks the pin up. Burnett also cheers Garza on from ringside. Garza and Andrade take Dawkins back to the top and turn him upside down. Garza with a big running kick to the chest while he’s upside down. Andrade goes to the top and hits the big stomp while Dawkins is upside down. Andrade with a 2 count as Ford leaps from out of nowhere to break it up.

The two teams trade big moves on their feet now. Ford with a big Blockbuster and enziguri to Andrade. Ford shakes the ring ropes and yells out but the lights start flickering. Could this be RETRIBUTION? Garza takes Burnett and they run away through the crowd.

RETRIBUTION suddenly storms the ringside area. Ford, Andrade and Dawkins are in the ring as it’s surrounded. Male members of the masked group hit the ring and attack. Female members also surround Vega at ringside and beat her down. The crowd boos as RETRIBUTION stomps away on Vega, Ford, Dawkins and Andrade. They all run away to the back as we go back to commercial.

– Back from the break and we see a replay of what RETRIBUTION just did. We see WWE Producer Adam Pearce backstage yelling at a group of security guards.

– We go back to RAW Underground with Shane McMahon. He hypes up Jessamyn Duke, who is in the ring. She goes at it with an enhancement talent and unloads to get the win. Duke then attacks her on the ground after the bell. Another enhancement talent jumps on the platform to stop Duke but Marina Shafir gets in her face. The bell rings for the next fight as Shafir easily makes the woman submit while Duke smiles from ringside. Shane calls it. Duke and Shafir celebrate. The IIconics are here now. Peyton Royce rolls Billie Kay into the ring but Kay isn’t thrilled with the idea. Duke easily drops her and Royce cringes at ringside. Shane stands with Royce and promises more to come.

– We see what’s happened tonight between Cedric Alexander and The Hurt Business. We go back to the RAW Underground door now. Cedric, Ricochet and Apollo Crews are talking each other up and it looks like Shane’s extra large security guard is chuckling at them. Caruso approaches and brings up how it’s been a a tough night for Cedric and his friends. Crews talks about how he’s going to bounce back and not stop going at Bobby Lashley until he gets the United States Title back. Ricochet goes on about how they have friendship, something MVP doesn’t have, and will fight for their friends. They get hyped up and tell Shane’s guard to let them in. He finally opens the door and they enter. Back to commercial.

– Back from the break and guests announced for RAW Talk on the WWE Network are The Riott Squad, Angel Garza and The Hurt Business.

– We go back to Shane McMahon at RAW Underground. It’s time for the main event, he says. Apollo Crews paces on the ring as Shelton Benjamin enters. Their crews look on from ringside, cheering them on. They go at it and Benjamin slams Crews first. They trade holds and strikes on the mat. Shelton avoids a submission by shoving Crews off the platform to the floor. The two teams start brawling with each other now. MVP brings Ricochet to the ring and t hey go at it. Bobby Lashley and Cedric Alexander also brawl on the platform. Crews and Shelton return. The Hurt Business stands tall with their opponents down on the mat. Shane rings the bell and says that’s it. Shane says The Hurt Business means business, and he can’t wait to see what happens next week on RAW Underground. MVP, Benjamin and Lashley stand tall to end the segment.

– Angel Garza is backstage with Demi Burnett. She’s asking him why he abandoned Zelina Vega and Andrade. He insists he didn’t abandon them. He goes on and says if anything ever happens to Demi he won’t be able to take it. They keep walking but RETRIBUTION comes busting through two doors, beating up a few security guards. They stop and stare down Garza and Burnett. Garza takes off running, leaving Burnett by herself. She finally runs away as RETRIBUTION approaches.

Triple Threat #1 Contender’s Match: Randy Orton vs. Keith Lee vs. Seth Rollins

We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event as Randy Orton makes his way out. The winner of this match will become the new #1 contender to challenge WWE Champion Drew McIntyre at Clash of Champions on September 27. Keith Lee is out next as Orton stares him down from the ring. Seth Rollins is out last.

The bell rings and they all size each other up. Orton goes to the floor and has words with Rollins, who thought they were going to work together. Rollins looks to lock up with Lee but he changes his mind and rolls to the floor. Rollins and Orton have more words at ringside now. Lee grabs Rollins by his head and pulls him to the apron. Rollins rocks Lee and applies a headlock. Lee sends Rollins flying with a big shoulder block. Orton ends up coming in and taking over on Lee while he’s distracted. Lee sends Orton into the corner and splashes him.

Rollins beats Lee down. Lee overpowers Rollins and whips him into Rollins in the corner. It takes Rollins and Orton both to get Lee to the apron. Lee ends up powering himself over the top into the ring, taking down both of the veteran Superstars for a pop. Lee gets right back up and poses as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Rollins ends up running from the apron to the floor, nailing a big knee to Lee’s head. Orton immediately follows up by slamming Lee into the top of the announce table, sending him to the floor on the other side. Rollins and Orton grab Lee at the same time and launch him head-first into steel ring steps. Rollins and Orton struggle with getting Lee back up and in the ring, but they roll him in and follow.

Orton catches Rollins re-entering the ring and kicks him, then drops him with the second rope draping DDT for a close 2 count. Orton drops and hits the mat, waiting for Rollins to get up for the RKO. They tangle and Rollins nails the Falcon Arrow on Orton for a close 2 count. Rollins waits for Orton to get back up. Lee comes to the apron and rocks Rollins as he turns around. Lee enters the ring and runs over both opponents a few times. Lee splashes Rollins in the corner and then throws Rollins into Orton with ease.

Orton and Rollins retreat. Lee goes around the ring to Orton and takes him out with a huge Pounce. Rollins flies from the ring but Lee ends up putting him down on the floor. Lee and Rollins go at it in the ring now. Rollins with kicks. Rollins turns a hold into a roll-up for 2. Rollins keeps control and stuns Lee with a kick to the head. Rollins ends up dropping Lee with a kick to the head. Rollins yells at Lee to get up so he can hit the Stomp.

Lee catches the Stomp and delivers a big Spirit Bomb to Rollins but he’s slow to follow-up with the pin. Orton runs right in the ring and takes advantage, hitting the RKO on Lee. Orton covers Lee for the pin to win and earn the title shot from McIntyre.

Winner and New #1 Contender: Randy Orton

– After the bell, the music hits as Orton stands tall and exits the ring, going to the ramp. The boos pick up from the virtual crowd. We see Lee and Rollins recovering at ringside. We get replays now. Tom says if McIntyre is cleared, he will be defending the WWE Title against Orton at Clash of Champions on September 27. The post-Payback edition of RAW goes off the air with Orton celebrating as Lee and Rollins look on.

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