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Hello and welcome to the first night of the WWE Superstar Shake-Up! The entire landscape of the company was altered as numerous top names swapped from SmackDown Live and Raw. Let's go to it.
The Modern Day Maharaja returns to RAW and gets a new challenger
Kurt Angle comes down and welcomes fans to the Superstar Shake-Up, before being interrupted by Sunil Singh who reveals that Jinder Mahal and the United States Championship are now on Monday Night Raw.
Mahal questions why he wasn't brought to the arena in a limo and Angle responds by saying that if he thinks he's better than everyone else, he needs to prove it. Angle confirms that Jinder will be defending the US Championship right now, against - Jeff Hardy! After an initial flurry from Mahal, Jeff takes over as we head into an advert break.
We come back from the break and Mahal has assumed control with a headlock. There are some fun face/heel dynamics going on with the crowd between these two. Every time Jeff tries to get some separation, Jinder cuts him off. Corey Graves questions whether all of the time off has affected Jeff, despite him looking great just seven nights ago.
Hardy cuts off a potential interference from Singh, maintaining his momentum, only for Jinder to make another comeback. He goes for his finisher but Jeff rolls through, getting a close two count. Jinder pops up with a superkick, but can't secure the pinfall. Jeff hits the Twist of Fate, GOES UP TOP AND HITS THE SWANTON BOMB! Jeff Hardy scores the three count - he is the NEW United States Champion!
Jeff Hardy def. Jinder Mahal via pinfall to win United States Championship
Jeff celebrates. Miz promises a SmackDown Live superstar will come over during his Miz TV segment tonight. WWE advertises Bayley vs Sasha Banks, which is coming up next. Jinder is fuming backstage, he says this was all a conspiracy and said he wasn't ready to repeat. He's invoking his rematch clause at Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. No Way Jose interrupts backstage with his conga line - Jinder isn't happy.
Sasha Banks vs Bayley
It's a fast start for the two 'former' best friends, as Bayley gains control heading into the ad break. Perhaps they're doing this match now instead of on pay per view because one of them is heading to Team Blue? We're back on the broadcast, and Sasha is back in control. Michael Cole builds up the fact that these two have had some of the best matches in WWE history.
Bayley is digging deep and showing some frustration, which gets the better of her as Sasha sends her outside the ring. A high knee from The Boss keeps her momentum going, with a series of near falls. The split screen graphic for the replays shows 'Backlash', which seems like an error on behalf of the production crew. Things break down in the ring with slaps and punches from both women, descending into a brawl.
Both women come out with some counters until Sasha locks in the Bank Statement, only for Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan to interrupt and seemingly confirm their transfer onto Raw.
Sasha Banks & Bayley fight to a no contest
The Riott Squad completely dismantle the two women. This could open the door for Absolution to head over to SmackDown Live, although you just never know. The commentators confirm that the trio is now on Monday Night Raw.
Roman Reigns will be here tonight to once again address his loss to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 34, as well as his upcoming match against Samoa Joe at Backlash.
Authors Of Pain vs Heath Slater & Rhyno
Raw's newest tag team Authors of Pain take on Heath Slater & Rhyno, who attack the former NXT tag team champions from behind to begin the match. They build up the idea that Rhyno has a different look in his eye when it comes to facing these guys. Slater & Rhyno actually have AOP on the backfoot, as Corey Graves reveals Rezar competed for Bellator in MMA at one point.
Authors of Pain take control and begin to dominate, but a hot tag leads to Rhyno getting in some good shots on the newcomers. A great belly to belly gets a close two, as this match continues to be far closer than it has any right to be. With that said, they turn it around in a hurry and seal the victory within a few minutes.
Authors of Pain def. Heath Slater & Rhyno via pinfall
Up next, Miz TV will reveal who the next superstar is to come over from SmackDown Live. Could this be some kind of storyline renewal with John Cena after today's developments?
Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens return to RAW
The Miz doesn't waste any time - he confirms that the two superstars coming over to Team Red are Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The commentators question this decision, stating you can't trade for two guys who are out of work. The Miztourage engage in a fantastic group hug with the duo.
Miz claims the five men in the ring have more talent than the 1992 Dream Team. He says they're changing the landscape of WWE, and that they're putting the entire locker room on notice. Unsurprisingly, that brings out Raw GM Kurt Angle.
He says Sami and Kevin had their opportunity last week, and they both lost. Owens said plans have changed, and apparently, an email was sent just moments ago that he needs to be aware of. Zayn gets his glasses on and reads the email for everyone. It confirms that Kurt's decision is being overruled and the duo is officially signed, and it is revealed that Stephanie McMahon is behind the email.
Kurt Angle reveals that he just got a call from Shane McMahon and Paige, and apparently, Daniel Bryan is adamant about The Miz going back over to SmackDown Live. Apparently, Kurt can't do that, but he said he can and he did. This segment is picking up some pretty fun heat from the crowd. According to Angle, The Miztourage isn't going anywhere, and Miz will be moving to SmackDown Live on his own.
Angle confirms a mammoth main event for tonight as Miz's going away present: Miz, Miztourage, Owens & Zayn vs Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Braun Strowman & a WWE superstar making his Raw debut.
"Woken" Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs The Revival - Tag Team tournament eliminator
The final match in the Tag Team Eliminator is here. The Revival gets a jobber entrance as their opponents, Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt, make their way down to the ring. The winners will go on to face former champions Sheamus & Cesaro at Greatest Royal Rumble for the Raw Tag Team Championships.
The commentary is completely taking over this match, making it virtually unbearable to watch. The Revival is managing to control the majority of the match, with Dawson keeping Woken Matt down as we await the likely hot tag to Bray Wyatt. On commentary, The Bar continues to hype themselves up ahead of GRR next Friday.
The Revival cut off the ring and aren't giving Bray a chance to even consider entering the match. As we say that Bray finds his way into the match, and he looks better than he has done in a long time - as he wrestles in his special apron. Sister Abigail followed by an assisted Twist of Fate (which was great) sends The Woken Ones to Jeddah.
The Woken Ones def. The Revival via pinfall
The match is confirmed, making next Friday night's card even more stacked than it already was. Michael Cole leads into a segment with Raw and SmackDown Live superstars recording a 'song' that celebrates the fact all pay per views will feature both brands from now on. It's worth noting that he was quite literally reading this from his phone.
Up next, a recap of Ronda's segment with Stephanie McMahon from last week and what it could mean for WWE. The Fashion Police run into The Bar backstage, confirming they've been transferred 'to a new precinct'.
Ronda is backstage with Kurt Angle, who says WrestleMania was only just the beginning. Angle says he has a surprise, which is Natalya. Rousey is happy to see her and says they train together. Nattie is looking forward to proving she's the best there is, best there was and best there ever will be.
Mickie James vs. Ember Moon
RAW Women's Champion Nia Jax will be on commentary alongside former champion Alexa Bliss for this match. Jax is really driving home her new babyface persona as James and Moon make their way down to the ring. Unsurprisingly, Bliss doesn't make her way to commentary as advertised with Jax stating she's not surprised.
Jax talks about wanting to be a role model. In the ring, Ember and Mickie have a series of fun exchanges to start off this match between two of the most talented female stars in all of WWE. Cole cuts to an interview with Alexa Bliss in the MIDDLE of the match. She calls Nia a bully and says that she refuses to give her the satisfaction, sounding like she's on the verge of tears.
Moon executes an AMAZING Eclipse finisher to score the victory. Graves calls her the Shenom.
Ember Moon def. Mickie James via pinfall
Backstage Owens and Zayn talk about how they need to focus on tonight's match, and specifically, Braun Strowman. Owens wants to think about who the mystery man is, and talks about how Kurt Angle doesn't even have the decency to let him prepare. Miz interrupts Owens talking about Shane McMahon, and asks what he's like these days. He goes on to say they need to make his Raw finale special, as The Miztourage appear to be discussing something in the corner.
Dolph Ziggler returns to RAW..but he's not alone!
After the break, Dolph Ziggler is revealed to be the next man coming over to Raw as part of the Superstar Shake-Up. Cole calls it an 'incredible' pick up. Titus Worldwide interrupt him and attempt to recruit Dolph to be part of the faction. He calls him a multip platform superstar, and Dolph says that checks out. Ziggler says he didn't come back to Raw alone, which brings out the RETURNING DREW MCINTYRE! The Scot has turned heel, aligning himself with Ziggler.
WWE was teasing a female alongside a man, and this was an interesting swerve. The two men stand tall to end the segment.
Roman Reigns is confronted by Samoa Joe
Roman makes his way down to the ring as the commentary team promote his rematch against Brock Lesnar at Greatest Royal Rumble next Friday. Reigns gets an unfavourable response from the crowd, to say the least, as he points to the fact he's here and Brock Lesnar isn't once again. Reigns is getting even more hate than usual, as he battles through a paint by numbers promo about winning the Universal Championship in Jeddah.
Samoa Joe comes out to the ring, to the delight of the audience. Joe says he notices Roman doesn't brag about getting the job done, because he hasn't, and he never will. Joe seems to be coming across more as an advocate for Brock Lesnar than anything else, or the voice of the internet wrestling community. He gets back on track by stating someone needs to put him down for good, and Joe is waiting at Backlash to put The Big Dog to sleep once and for all.
A promo airs of all the punishment Brock has inflicted on Roman over the years, dating all the way back to WrestleMania 31. Reigns says that's everything Brock has done - why doesn't Joe bring his lazy fat ass down to the ring so he can show him what he can do by comparison. Joe rejects the idea and says he'll see him at Backlash on his time.
Mandy Rose vs. Natalya
It seems as if Natalya's segment with Ronda earlier served as a babyface turn for the crazy cat lady, with Rose playing the role of the heel in this one - although Nattie is also showing some fire. Cole teases the idea of Rose & Deville being split apart in the Superstar Shake-Up as Natalya takes control of this match against Mandy.
Following a quick back and forth, Natalya gets the sharpshooter for the win.
Natalya def. Mandy Rose via submission
After a post-match beatdown from Rose and Deville, Ronda Rousey makes the save. Sonya Deville is showing no fear, though, as she squares off with Ronda in the ring. Rousey comes out with some great strikes before issuing a fantastic takedown on Sonya. This seems to set up Rousey's next match in tag team form, prior to a likely feud with Natalya down the road.
Cole hypes a promo for Raw's next selection in the Superstar Shake-Up, which is revealed to be Baron Corbin.
The Bar vs. Breezango
The Bar and The Fashion Police are having a match as a follow-up to their backstage segment earlier in the night. Breezango's antics amuse the fans early on, as they take control of the match. After The Bar seems to be on the verge of victory, a roll-up by Tyler Breeze hands them the upset win.
Breezango def. The Bar via pinfall
Elias has an interview with Renee Young, in which he talks trash about Bobby Lashley.
Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley & Mystery partner vs The Miz, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn & The Miztourage - 10-Man Tag Team Match
All nine men make their entrances down to the ring, and it's time to reveal Raw's mystery man - The Glorious One, Bobby Roode. Many of the superstars got decent pops on their way down to the ring, with Rollins and Roode being particularly popular with the crowd. Longtime Universal Championship rivals Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens, who headlined a handful of pay per views against one another in the back-end of 2016, kick things off.
On Twitter, it's confirmed that Mike Kanellis has been signed to Raw. After the break, Team Babyface are in complete control, as the crowd seems to chant 'We Want Strowman'. WWE breaks the record for most camera angle changes in ten seconds as Team Heel takes over against Balor.
Lashley finds his way into the ring opposite Sami Zayn and completely dominates the Underdog from the Underground. After the break, we're back to Rollins and Owens, as Seth missed a dive to the outside - handing the advantage back to Team Heel. Kevin has him in a headlock, building towards the hot tag.
The Miz previews his imminent feud with Daniel Bryan, as he issues some 'It' Kicks to Seth Rollins, who took his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania. Rollins rolls him up for a two count, as Seth attempts to make a tag. The Miztourage run around the outside of the ring and take Lashley & Balor out of the equation.
Strowman manhandles Zayn and Owens who attempt to interfere, as Bobby Roode gets the hot tag. His popularity with the crowd didn't really lead to a great reaction this time in comparison to his entrance, as he attempts to finish off Curtis Axel.
Miz gets the tag in, and with everyone else down on the outside, Rode makes the tag to Braun. The Monster Among Men chases Miz around the ring and gets some shots in on Zayn and Owens once again. Miz tries to fight back, but Strowman nails him with a chokeslam. Every member of Team Heel attempts to best Braun, and he goes shoulder first into the ring post.
Rollins and Balor come in to clean up the mess, with Seth hitting a suicide dive. It's finisher time as most superstars pop up with big-time moves one after another. Miz nails Braun with a series of corner kicks, stolen from Daniel Bryan, only for Braun to nail an astonishing dropkick to halt his momentum. Miz crawls back to the corner, but the Miztourage refuse to tag in.
Braun hits the running powerslam, securing the victory for Team Babyface.
Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley & Bobby Roode def. The Miz, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel
The Babyfaces celebrate to end the show.
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