The June 19, 2017 edition of WWE RAW aired live from the Ford Center in Evansville, IN.
– There’s no opening pyro as Michael Cole, Booker T and Corey Graves welcome us to the Ford Center. Roman Reigns’ music hits and Reigns makes his way out to the ring to kick off RAW. Reigns says whether you like it or not, no one can beat him one on one. Reigns points out that he has beaten Strowman, Balor, Rollins, and The Undertaker. Reigns says it doesn’t matter whether Brock Lesnar or Samoa Joe win at Great Balls of Fire, because he’s the #1 contender for the Universal Title at SummerSlam. Reigns says this is his yard and he makes the rules around here. Samoa Joe’s music hits and Joe makes his way out to the ring. Joe reintroduces himself to Reigns and says he’s the true #1 contender and is the next Universal Champion. Reigns says he’ll never be Samoa Joe to him, he’ll always be just Joe. Joe drops Reigns with a headbutt that sends Reigns rolling outside. Joe beats Reigns down around ringside then throws him back in the ring. Joe goes for the Coquina Clutch but Reigns gets out and drops Joe with a Superman punch. Joe rolls outside and slowly backs up the ramp.
– The Hardy Boyz are backstage getting ready to come out to the ring.
– Cole announces that Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe has been booked for later tonight.
– Matt & Jeff Hardy def. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson: Matt and Jeff control the opening moments, using frequent tags to double team Anderson. Matt and Jeff hit a double vertical suplex on Anderson and Matt pins for a two count. Cesaro and Sheamus are shown watching backstage. Gallows and Jeff tag in and The Hardys hit the Poetry In Motion on Gallows. Jeff follows up with a splash for a two count. Gallows fires back with an uppercut, then tags in Anderson and they start working over Jeff together. Jeff comes back with a Whisper In The Wind then gets the hot tag to Matt. Matt goes to work on Anderson and bumps Anderson off the apron. Matt repeatedly slams Anderson’s head into the turnbuckle then boots him in the face and hits a flying elbow. Matt hits the Side Effect and pins but Gallows breaks it up. Gallows and Jeff both get knocked outside. Gallows hits an uppercut on Hardy from the outside behind the ref’s back, then Anderson clotheslines him. Gallows tags in and they hit the Boot Of Doom on Matt for a two count. Jeff takes out Anderson at ringside. Gallows boots Matt in the face in the ring, then Jeff tags in. Matt hits a Twist of Fate on Gallows and Jeff follows up with the Swanton Bomb for the win.
– In the latest Shattered Dreams Production, Goldust invites R-Truth to take a first hand look at his new project next week on RAW, titled A Shattered Truth.
– Elias Samson is in the ring for another song. He asks the crowd to be quiet while he tunes his guitar, and before he can get to his song he’s interrupted by Finn Balor’s entrance music. Balor makes his entrance to the ring, and Samson backs off and heads up the ramp.
– Finn Balor def. Bo Dallas: Bo jumps Finn before the bell and beats him down until the ref pulls them apart. The ref allows Balor a moment to recover then he calls for the opening bell. Bo immediately takes Finn into the corner with punches, then takes him outside and beats down Balor around ringside. Balor fires up and drops Dallas then stomps on him until the ref pulls him off. Finn clotheslines Bo to the outside then kicks him in the head from the apron. Balor beats down Dallas around ringside and throws him in the fan barricade a few times. Back in the ring, Balor hits the Sling Blade and a running dropkick into the corner. Balor follows up with the Coup De Grace for the win.
– We go to the announce table where Corey Graves appears to hear something in his headset and then abruptly leaves the table.
– In the new WWE 2K18 video game commercial, we see a masked man goes through a WWE building with historical items in it like title belts and the Andre the Giant statue. The masked man destroys everything with a bat then sets the building on fire. Once he’s outside, he pulls off his mask to reveal that it’s Seth Rollins.
– Kurt Angle is backstage on his cell phone when Corey Graves walks in. Graves says he’s here to help and says he’s going to tell Angle his plan, but then Enzo and Cass interrupt. Cass says Kurt needs to get things under control so him and Enzo stop getting attacked from behind over and over. Enzo says he thinks it’s the Revival, while Cass says he originally thought it was Enzo who attacked him but now he thinks it was the Big Show. Angle says this is going to be sorted out before the end of the night tonight. Enzo and Cass walk off, then Corey continues talking to Kurt as we go back to the arena.
– Rollins is out to the ring in jeans and he talks about how he grew up playing video games and he’s excited to be on the cover of WWE 2K18. Rollins tells the fans “this is our cover.” Bray Wyatt interrupts on the big screen and says Rollins is vain and a corporate shill. Wyatt says Rollins can act like a good honest man, but he’s not one. Rollins says he’s not that man, he’s the man. Rollins says Wyatt is too egotistical and thinks he knows everything. Rollins says in his world Wyatt isn’t a god, he’s a coward. Wyatt says Rollins isn’t safe in his world, and it’s time to make a sacrifice. The lights go out and his music hits. Wyatt comes out to ringside and Rollins strikes first and hits a splash off the top onto Wyatt on the floor. Rollins heads to the back as Wyatt laughs at ringside. Rollins appears to be bleeding from a cut on his face.
– Finn Balor does an interview backstage where he announces that his sights are still set on the Universal Title. Balor is about to give his prediction for the winner of Joe vs. Reigns later tonight, but Elias Samson jumps him from behind. Samson beats Balor down and tells him to never upstage him again. D-Von Dudley ruins in wearing a suit and chases off Samson.
– Corey Graves mentions on commentary that he stands behind Kurt Angle 100% in his still-unknown personal issue.
– Akira Tozawa def. TJ Perkins: Titus interrupted before the opening bell and does a Michael Buffer-style ring introduction to help “hype” the match. Titus puts over Akira during the intro and says he’ll be the next Cruiserweight Champ. After only a couple moments of back-and-forth action, Neville’s music hits and he makes his way over to the commentary table. Neville gets on a headset and says he’s out here to take a closer look at Tozawa after Titus’ claims earlier. TJP takes control after the distraction and hits a senton off the top. Tozawa comes back with a boot to the face then goes up top. Tozawa goes for a double foot stomp but Perkins rolls to the outside to avoid it, so Tozawa hits him with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Tozawa fires up and charges TJP, but TJP moves and Tozawa falls face-first into the turnbuckle. TJP hits a gutbuster for a two count, then Tozawa comes back with a kick and a German Suplex. Tozawa goes up top and hits a senton drop for the win. Titus gets on the mic and celebrates with Tozawa. Titus says he and Crews have a match against Cesaro and Sheamus later. Titus tells Tozawa that if he signs with the Titus brand he’ll be the next cruiserweight champ, which Neville objects to. Neville stands on the announce table with a mic and calls Titus a peasant who should watch his mouth. He tells Tozawa to tread carefully and stop disrespecting him. Titus says Neville looks like a scared little boy and Tozawa is going to destroy him.
– Curtis Axel is backstage consoling Bo Dallas after his loss earlier tonight. The Miz walks in and says they haven’t been looking too hot lately, and says they were more badass on the set of The Marine 5 with him. The Miz says to revitalize their career, they should join The Miz’s entourage and he’ll make them stars that their families will be proud of. Miz tells them to think about it and walks off.
– Samoa Joe does an interview backstage and he shows us some highlights of him beating up Roman Reigns on his RAW debut. Joe says Reigns is going to leave here a broken man tonight. Joe says Reigns should be careful what he asks for, because he’s going to bear Lesnar for the Universal Title at Great Balls of Fire and he’s not going to let it go.
– Samoa Joe def. Roman Reigns: Joe and Reigns shoulder block each other early on and neither man backs down. Joe hits another running shoulder block but Reigns still stands. Joe pie-faces Reigns, and Reigns comes back with a right hand. Reigns hits a few uppercuts, and Joe comes back with a knee and a forearm for the face. Reigns ducks a clothesline and hits a running clothesline that drops Joe. Joe rolls outside to recover for a moment before coming back in and hitting Reigns with some rapid-fire strikes. Joe and Reigns trade elbows to the face, then Joe whips Reigns in the corner for a splash and a Pele kick. Reigns falls down and rolls outside to recover. Reigns rolls back in and they trade punches until Joe drops Reigns with a knee strike and a headbutt. Joe delivers some more headbutts and a chop to the chest, but Reigns comes back with a Samoan Drop. Joe evades a Drive-By attempt by Reigns, then he catches Reigns with a kick and slams him into the ring post. Reigns is down and Joe follows up with a running senton drop on the floor. Back in the ring, Joe controls the match until he misses a senton. Reigns drops Joe with a series of clotheslines and boot to the face. Reigns gets Joe in the corner and hits some more clotheslines, then a jumping clothesline. Joe sees Reigns getting ready for a Superman punch so Joe rolls outside. Reigns rolls out and hits a Drive-By on Joe then throws him back in the ring. Reigns goes for a Superman punch but Joe catches him and hits an inverted atomic drop. Joe follows up with a big boot and a senton drop for a two count. Reigns escapes a suplex attempt and hits the Superman punch for a two count of his own. Reigns goes for a spear but Joe knees him in the face. Joe hits a version of the Rock Bottom for another two count. Joe goes for the Coquina Clutch but Reigns fights him off and spears him. Reigns pins but Joe gets his foot on the bottom rope. Joe rolls outside to recover then rolls in at the referee’s 9 count. Reigns is in the corner gearing up for a spear, but we hear a beeping noise that distracts Reigns. On the big screen we see an ambulance back up into the arena, and Braun Strowman bursts out of the doors. Reigns is distracted by Strowman’s appearance on the big screen, and Joe sneaks up from behind and puts Reigns in the Coquina Clutch for the win.
– After Joe heads to the back, Reigns is shown still laying in the ring recovering. Braun Strowman’s music hits and he walks down to the ring with purpose. Strowman grabs a mic and steps in the ring. Strowman tells Reigns he’s not finished with him, then he grabs Reigns up off the mat and hits a reverse chokeslam. Strowman taunts the crowd and gets a big reaction. Strowman grabs the mic again, and tells Reigns if he’s man enough to come see him at the Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view in an ambulance match.
– A video package airs showing R-Truth accepting Goldust’s invitation for next week to come face to face.
– The Miz comes out to the ring for a special edition of Miz TV honoring Maryse. In the ring with Miz, are two men in bear costumes holding signs, and a big red box between them. The Miz presents Maryse with a repaired grandfather clock, and pleads with her to forgive him and she does. Dean Ambrose interrupts which causes The Miz to accidentally spill Maryse’s champagne all over herself. Miz charges at Ambrose but Ambrose moves and Miz crashes through the grandfather clock. Maryse slaps The Miz and storms off. Ambrose goes for the Dirty Deeds on Miz but Miz escapes. Ambrose clotheslines Miz to the outside, then the two men in bear costumes attack Miz from behind. The bears take their masks off to reveal that they’re Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel. They hold back Ambrose and Miz boots him in the face. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Ambrose then leaves with Dallas and Axel.
– Kurt Angle is shown backstage talking to The Big Show before we go to commercial break.
– On commentary, Michael Cole promotes that Brock Lesnar will be at RAW next week.
– Cesaro & Sheamus def. Titus O’Neal & Apollo Crews: This one is a non-title match. Cesaro hits a running European uppercut on Crews early on, then tags in Sheamus. Matt and Jeff Hardy are shown watching backstage. Sheamus lays into Crews with strikes then puts him in an arm lock. Cesaro tags in and stomps a mud hole in Crews in the corner. Crews stuns Cesaro with a kick to the head, then Titus gets the tag. Titus drops Cesaro with a running shoulder block then tosses Cesaro across the ring. Titus hits a running splash in the corner then a big boot on Cesaro. Sheamus gets the blind tag and misses a flying clothesline off the top. Titus slams him and Crews tags in and hits a standing moonsault for a two count. Cesaro cheap-shots Crews behind the ref’s back, then tags in and
– We’re shown a video package promoting the Brock Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe main event at Great Balls of Fire. It features new pre-taped interviews with Lesnar and Joe. Lesnar says Joe is a “punk ass b*tch” and that he’s going to run through him like a freight train on fire.
– Nia Jax def. Sasha Banks via DQ: Alexa Bliss is on commentary for this one. Shortly after the opening bell, Emma confronts Alexa at the announce table and they head down to the ring. Alexa hits behind Nia and Emma hits Nia which leads to the DQ. Emma and Alexa then beat down Sasha until Dana Brooke and Mickie James make the save. Nia takes out Mickie and Dana, then slams Sasha. Nia misses a leg drop on Sasha. Bayley hits the ring next and drops Alexa and Emma. Bayley suplexes Alexa then hits a splash on Emma in the corner. Bayley knees Emma in the face, then Nia takes Bayley to the corner. Mickie and Dana pull off Nia, then Bayley hits a bulldog off the middle rope on Nia. Dana and Mickie both dropkick Nia and send her rolling outside. Dana, Mickie, Sasha and Bayley stand tall in the ring as the heels head to the back.
– RAW GM Kurt Angle is out to the ring next, and he says we’re going to get down to the business right away. Angle says people have attacked Enzo and Cass from behind for weeks, and he’s going to get to the bottom of this. Kurt tells Enzo and Cass to come on out, and they make their entrance. Angle tells them he’s been talking to suspects all night long, and first of all he wants to bring out The Revival. Kurt then introduces The Big Show. Kurt asks Big Show if it was him. Big Show says he can’t believe Kurt would ask him that. Show says Enzo and Cass are the “Swaft” ones, and says if he wanted to attack them he would do it to their faces not from behind. Cass says he thinks it was Big Show, but Kurt tells him to settle down for now. The Revival says they’re innocent this time, and Kurt agrees. Kurt says The Revival has very solid alibis, and clears them. Corey Graves interrupts from the announce table and says he can be of some assistance. Graves says Cass’ claim that he had a lump on his head wasn’t true, and WWE’s medical team says they don’t recall treating him. Cass says the EMTs attended to him. Graves says last week Cass wrestled without being cleared, and he says he knows what happened to him last week. Graves says he has some security camera footage, and they play it on the big screen. The security footage shows Cass alone, and he’s looking around to make sure no one is looking. Cass is shown laying some objects on the ground, then Cass lays down on the floor and starts holding his head. Graves does commentary over the security footage, and says that after Cass voluntarily lays on the ground he’s in the same position the refs and Enzo found him in. Graves says nobody ever attacked Cass, and says that Cass attacked Enzo. Enzo turns around to face Cass and he’s not happy. Cass says you’re damn right he did it. Cass says teaming with Enzo is brutal because Enzo always runs his mouth. Cass says he can’t count how many times he wanted to slap Enzo, but he feels bad for Enzo because everyone in the back behind the curtain doesn’t like Enzo. Cass says that putting up with Enzo’s crap made him snap, and he says it felt good attacking Enzo from behind. Cass says Enzo is dumber than he looks, and he’s holding Cass back. Cass says he’s done with Enzo, then boots him in the face. Kurt Angle tells Cass to get out of there and he leaves. Cass heads up the ram as Angle checks on Enzo in the ring and RAW goes off the air.