Worst Case Scenario – A Raw Recap for 6/5/17

Tonight’s Raw comes to us from the Mohegan Sun Casino in Wilkes-Barre, PA

Worst Case Scenario

Your new #1 Contender has something to say.  He wants an advocate.  He wants someone to handle his contracts and get him that sweet Brock Lesnar schedule.  He wants Paul Heyman to advocate for him.

Paul Heyman is in the building and he answers Joe’s query.  You see, Samoa Joe is the worst case scenario.  Finn Vs. Brock would have been a nice David Vs. Goliath story.  But Joe doesn’t fear Brock and Brock doesn’t fear Joe.  I admit that I don’t quite follow why it makes it the worst case scenario.  Either way, Paul is not interested in being Joe’s advocate but he welcomes the new #1 contender at Great Balls of Fire.

Paul reaches out his hand…but Joe has other plans.  Joe drops his microphone and intimidates Paul E. into a corner.  He tells Paul that he’s going to choke him out to send a message to Brock.  He wants Heyman to tell Lesnar how it feels.  It’s very tense and I felt real danger for Paul.  And then he locked in the Coquina Clutch and they both drop to the mat.  Refs pour in from the back to stop Joe, but it’s too late.  Heyman passes out and we go to commercial.

For the crowd in attendance, it wasn’t as interesting.  They couldn’t hear what Joe was saying.  It was a great TV moment and the right call.  I don’t like Paul Heyman or Heyman promos but I loved this one.  It’s one of the better Raw segments this year, if not the best.

Angle is not so happy about the turn of events and now I really want a Kurt Angle Vs. Samoa Joe match.  Sure, they were both in TNA at the same time and it probably exists if I wanted to look for it.  But then I would be supporting the Anthem Owl.  F*ck that Owl.  Seth steps in to put Joe in his place in the main event.

Later in the show, Heyman gets a call from Brock, who we are led to believe sounds really concerned.  Brock will be there next week and he’ll be there for vengeance.  I at least like that version of Brock versus the one that bounces and smiles during a Paul Heyman promo.

I realize that the whole point of this is to make Brock the face of this matchup.  It’s to gain sympathy so we want Lesnar to crush Joe.  It’s disappointing to me.  I’d love Joe to upset Brock.  I feel like he could out wrestle the Beast.  I realize that with this excellent promo that it’s probably not going to happen.

In the main event, Seth was poised to win when an interruption from Bray allowed Joe to lock in a Coquina Clutch for the tap out victory.

Intercontinental Championship Comeback Tour Celebration

Early in the show, we were treated to an encore performance from Elias Samson, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time.  That rude Dean Ambrose had to ruin it and attack The Drifter mid-song.

Dean wants his rematch right now!  Miz, appearing via the Tron, denies Dean the opportunity.  He has other plans tonight, specifically the Intercontinental Championship Comeback Tour Celebration!  Fuming, Dean finds Angle in the back and demands a rematch.  Angle won’t grant it to him as the celebration is already booked.  Sensing it will be a problem if Dean stays, Angle sends Ambrose home for the evening.

Ambrose sneaks back in…

Dean has a history of disguises and sneak attacks.  So it’s no surprise that Miz was very suspicious of the guy dancing in the bear costume.  When he realizes that Maryse didn’t arrange for the bear guy, he immediately hits a Skull Crushing Finale.  But it’s not Ambrose.

Next, comes a perfectly human-size present, wheeled to the ring.  Miz knows what’s up.  He beats up the box, only to reveal a present from Maryse.  She’s not too happy and storms from the ring.

Dean was in a disguise though.  He was one of the cameramen.  Miz say it coming in the tron and ate a Dirty Deeds to finish the segment.

Ongoing Mysteries

Kurt Angle and Corey Graves

Nothing solid, but Angle is getting disturbing enough texts to interrupt Corey Graves in the middle of the broadcast.  It’s weird and I’m sure it has something to do with Stephanie making her way back.  I am curious to see what could “ruin” Angle.

The Beatings Continue

On the way out to his celebration, Miz comes across an unconscious Big Cass.  I think this puts to bed any rumors that Cass has been behind the beatings from the last couple of weeks.  I doubt Cass would do that to himself.  Earlier in the broadcast, you see the Top Guys walking around in the back.  Despite their denials, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is them after all.

That leaves Enzo with a dilemma.  They have a match scheduled with Gallows and Anderson and you know that Enzo doesn’t want a loss.  He call in a Big favor.  Yes, that’s right: EnShow.  Ok, that’s terrible.  I’ll never right that again.  At first, Show is a little reluctant to participate in the antics.  He loosens up and jumps right in.  They destroy Anderson and Gallows.  Instead of the assisted splash, Show picks up Enzo, despite his protests, and just throws Enzo into a cross body for the pin.

The Women’s Championship

Bayley has the night off, which I think is a good thing.  WWE is owning how bad that segment was from last week.  When Alexa wants to celebrate with a “This is My Life” segment, Angle denies her calling last week’s segment one of the worst ones in Raw History.  He’s not wrong.

Angle reminds her that she promised Nia that she’d be next in line and he books the match for later that night.

After a failed attempt to recruit Mickie and Dana, they decide to be unofficially lumberjacks for the match and hang out on the outside of the ring. Alexa tries to get some offense in on Nia but is simply (wo)manhandled.  Desperate, she heads over to the two on the outside and strikes Mickie and Dana, drawing the DQ.

No one is happy about this outcome and proceed to beat her until they go to commercial.  I’m sure we’re not done here.

Everything Else

• TJP had a disappointedly short match with Mustafa Ali.  Sure, it was just so TJP could appease Neville who would then setup a match for the Cruiserweight Championship after the win.  After the match, Neville saunters out to break the news that Angle didn’t approve the Title match.  When
• Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Slater and Rhyno in another disappointedly short match.  As the first SmackDown Tag Team Champions, they deserve a longer match.
• Kalisto defeats Titus by rolling him up with a handful of tights.  It’s payback from last week.  Apparently Tozawa was going to sign with the Titus Brand if he won?  I don’t really buy it, but whatever.
• Bray started off Raw claiming it was the beginning of the end for the other four participants in the Fatal Four.  He saved Roman Reigns for criticism last.  And on cue, Roman shows up to tell Bray that he’s in his yard.  A confused-looking ref magically appeared too.  It looks like we’re having a match.
  • It was a great multi-segment match.  The only real criticism is that it seemed like they went into rest holds during all the commercial breaks.  I don’t blame them, but every break came back with Roman in a chinlock.  Roman puts away Bray with a Superman Punch and Spear combo.
• More Golddust and R-Truth pre-taped segments.