-[drumroll] -[crowd cheering]
[uplifting music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] Every great story has a beginning…
middle…
and end.
But tonight,
this story gets a new chapter.
["Legendary" playing]
Huge news for WWE's TLC pay-per-view event.
For the first time in 11 years,
WWE Hall of Famer and current Raw general manager,
Kurt Angle, will compete in a WWE ring.
Due to medical issues, Roman Reigns will be unable to compete
in the 5-on-3 "handicap" match main event.
But as revealed on wwe.com this past Friday,
the Olympic gold medalist will take Roman's place.
-♪ 'Cause we're gonna be legends ♪ -♪ Legends ♪
♪ Gonna get their attention… ♪
[Mickie] Look, little girl, Nia broke down barriers
for women in the WWE all before you were wearing a training bra.
You are an old lady.
I will make history when I defeat you, Grandma.
Now I'm gonna be running circles around you.
♪ It's about to be legendary… ♪
[announcer] The Empress of Tomorrow.
[Graves] She is walking destruction.
[Bradshaw] No one's ready.
No one is ready for Asuka.
♪ 'Cause we're gonna be legends… ♪
[reporter] For the first time in 11 years six-time world champion, Kurt Angle,
joins forces with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.
[Michael] This will be a car wreck.
This will be insane.
-[Kurt] Oh, it's true. It's damn true. -[crowd] It's damn true.
[narrator] And now, WWE 2K18, the video game,
presents WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs.
-♪ 'Cause we're gonna be legends ♪ -♪ Legends ♪
♪ Gonna get their attention… ♪
[Michael] After a hectic week in WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs,
TLC has been revamped and raring to go.
You are looking live at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Welcome, everybody, to WWE TLC.
♪ It's about to be legendary ♪
[crowd cheering]
♪ It's all about me ♪
["All About Me" playing]
[bell rings]
[Rome] The following contest is a women's division match
-scheduled for one fall. -♪ Yeah! ♪
[Rome] Making her way to the ring, from Melbourne, Australia, Emma!
[Michael] Emma getting set for perhaps the biggest match in her career.
Hello again, everybody, and welcome.
Michael Cole, Hall of Famer Booker T, Corey Graves…
We are high above the Target Center tonight getting ready for TLC.
And, of course, the breaking news this week,
the viral infection will keep Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt
off the pay-per-view event tonight.
But taking Roman Reigns's place in the 3-on-5 "handicap"
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, none other than the Olympic gold medalist,
the Raw general manager, the WWE Hall of Famer,
Kurt Angle, back in the WWE ring for the first time in 11 years.
[Booker] Yeah, it's true, Kurt Angle moves into the front line.
We're gonna see if he can captain his team to a victory tonight here at TLC.
[Graves] What about the dream match with global implications,
Finn Bálor versus One Night Only AJ Styles from SmackDown Live?
[Michael] More on that in a moment, but Emma has, well,
earned this opportunity tonight, Fatal 5-Way Elimination matchup
a couple of weeks ago on Monday Night Raw.
[Graves] Yeah. Emma, the unlikeliest of the field perhaps,
was able to outwit and outlast the other competitors.
Sasha Banks thought for a moment she had the victory in her hands,
but the ever-aware Emma would steal a victory
and perhaps the biggest opportunity of her time on Monday Night Raw.
[Booker] And what an opportunity it is.
[Michael] Yeah. Emma earning the opportunity, guys,
well, to be a part of one of the most highly anticipated debuts
in recent memory.
[crowd cheering]
["The Future" playing]
♪ From far and wide And light years away ♪
♪ Cast from the shadows now light my way ♪
♪ Fallen idols scream yesterday… ♪
[Rome] And her opponent, from Osaka, Japan,
"The Empress of Tomorrow"
Asuka!
[Michael] One of the most unique individuals to ever step foot in the ring
in the WWE women's division, Asuka,
has been a champion and has been dominant worldwide.
But perhaps no more dominant than she was
at NXT where, for 523 days,
she was the NXT Women's Champion,
retired unbeaten.
[Graves] Ladies of the Raw women's division,
grit your teeth, the Empress has arrived.
[Booker] I've been waiting to see this live and in livid color for a long time
and you can feel… you can feel you're watching something different.
[Michael] Booker, you are in for a treat.
One of the most complete strikers in our entire industry, male or female,
a master of submissions,
Asuka is like no one you've seen before.
How impressive was Asuka's streak at NXT?
It was the longest such streak for a champion
in 25 years in WWE.
This woman has not been pinned.
She has not been submitted since arriving in WWE in 2015.
[Booker] She definitely mastered her craft
and that's the thing you got to understand.
You don't… you don't get like this by accident.
You don't get an undefeated streak by accident.
[Graves] Imagine how great this unreal warm welcome
from the WWE Universe felt for Asuka on her first night.
[Michael] And here we go. Asuka and Emma set to go one-on-one
to kick off WWE TLC.
Corey, you followed Asuka's career.
What does Emma have to be careful of in this match tonight?
[Graves] Emma needs to not be caught up in the intimidating aura of Asuka.
Asuka can be absolutely mesmerizing in the ring.
[Booker] I'll tell you, it would not be a good night
if she's upset-- if Asuka's upset by Emma tonight.
-[Graves] Uh-oh, look how quick. -[Michael] Oh, and look at this,
quickly Asuka takes Emma down to the mat.
And now, rolls her through, shoulders down.
Look at-- Oh, Asuka grabbing the arm and leg there.
Unique submission move by Asuka as Emma makes it to the bottom rope.
[Booker] I'll tell you right now, Asuka looks like she's going
for one big shot to get the thing over real quick.
That could be a mistake.
[Graves] Yeah, I think you're right, Booker.
If Asuka finds that next level, that other gear, she's near unstoppable.
-And she has been unstoppable. -[Michael] Asuka has sudden offense.
She is lethal.
And Emma looking to try to neutralize that here tonight.
[Booker] Almost somewhat of a cross-hybrid style.
She's… Like I said, she's mastered so many different elements of the game.
[Michael] You know, a lot of people have made so much of Asuka coming here tonight.
But, remember, this is Emma's first ever
WWE pay-per-view singles matchup.
And Asuka looking to fire up here against Emma.
-[Booker] Emma could be-- -[Michael] Uh-oh.
-And looking to try to-- -[Graves] Great counter by Emma.
[Michael] Trying to position for the armbar and--
[Booker] Emma looks like she's stepping up to the test, guys.
Let's not sleep on Emma.
Emma's done a great job getting to this position right here.
[Graves] You're right, Booker.
Emma is a very, very talented in-ring competitor.
It's just a matter of keeping her priorities in check,
not worry about social media, worry about picking up victories.
[Michael] Oh, and that's one of the points that Emma has been talking about.
The fact that everyone is talking about Asuka. Why is no one talking about Emma?
-[Graves] Oh, wait a minute. -That's it. Enough about you.
[Michael] There's that absolutely hypnotic smile of Asuka.
It'll buckle your knees if you know what's coming next.
[Graves] Oh! And there's the quickness of Asuka, down goes Emma.
[Michael] And she is a joy to watch.
She loves to have fun in the ring.
Asuka, all about entertaining.
She's as tough as they come.
And now, looking to wear Emma down…
-or take her down just like that. -[Graves] Oh, look at this.
Looking for an ankle lock submission perhaps.
This submission served Asuka very well in her career.
[Booker] Great counter, great counter there by Emma.
[Michael] And Asuka, a submission specialist in her own right.
Oh, and remember what Emma said earlier, guys,
it was gonna be #emmabeatsasuka when all is said and done tonight.
[Booker] Look guys, let's not-- let's not forget one thing here.
-[Michael] Oh, man. -[Booker] Emma's here, she knows
what it's like to be under the bright light.
This is the first time we've seen Asuka here under these lights right here.
I'm gonna tell you, that's a-- that's a whole lot of pressure.
[Michael] And Emma extremely confident, trash-talking Asuka throughout the match.
Five!
[Michael] And again, Emma looking to go on the attack
and what a win this would be…
-[Booker] Mm! Man! -…for Emma in her career
if she could knock off the Empress of Tomorrow.
-Oh my God. -[Graves] Oh, goodness.
-Face first. -One, two
[Michael] Again, a cover and a kickout this time, near fall.
[Booker] The thing I look at in the competitors is their comfort zone.
And, right now, Emma is looking very, very comfortable.
[Graves] I agree with you, Booker.
This is a different side of Emma that we've seen recently.
She seems incredibly focused.
[Booker] Well, these people, they live through the internet.
Maybe that's what it is, she's looking to get her views up or something like that.
[Michael] And Asuka, again, right to the back of the legs of Emma.
-[Graves] That was close. [Michael] Look out.
Where will that leave her when Emma rolls her up? Asuka rolls through.
[Booker] Emma's… Emma's on time tonight.
[Michael] A little yank to the hair and the official was warning Emma there
as she hooks the leg and wraps the arm, and a kickout, again, by Asuka.
[Booker] I tell you, that's the one thing. One hates to get overlooked, you know,
when all the media, all the cameras just following Asuka around.
Right there, you can tell Emma is coming out here
to make a point and that's beat Asuka.
[referee] Come on, Emma, out of the turnbuckle. Let's go.
[Michael] Well, I'm sure both of you guys have been at that point in your career
where someone else is getting all the attention, you wanna,
-to Booker's point, prove a point. -Back out of that corner.
-Back out, come on. -[Graves] Well, we agree.
It's not necessarily a bad strategy by Emma.
-I might not have advised it, but-- Oh! -[screams]
[Michael] Oh, my lord. Did you hear that?
-Right to the spine and kidneys of Asuka. -…three, four. Listen to me. Back off.
Back off. All right.
This is a mean streak many say Emma's lacked recently,
but it's out in full force tonight.
[Booker] Not only that, Emma's come out here with a strategy.
[Michael] Well and, Corey, both of you and Booker,
you've wrestled all over the world
but you understand when you come here to WWE,
it's a completely different level.
It takes some adjustment time and perhaps Asuka's gonna have to go through that.
[Graves] That may well could be the case.
-[Michael] Oh, and Emma… -[Booker] Man.
…flattening Asuka in the corner.
-One, two… -[Michael] Here's the cover again
and a kickout.
[Booker] You know, this is something good though, guys.
-We're gonna get a… Oh, wait a minute. -[Michael] Again, hook to the leg,
wrapping the arm, and a kickout.
[Booker] The word "adversity" is gonna come into play.
And, right now, Asuka's feeling it.
Oh, man!
Good to see how she could fight through it.
That's what a true champion is made of.
I mean, if she's gonna be champion here in the-- in the WWE,
she's gonna have to step up.
[Michael] And the WWE fans here in Minneapolis,
trying to will Asuka on.
13,381 WWE fans in attendance tonight.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Asuka, once again, using her entire body to create some space.
Uh-oh.
And now Asuka getting fired up and those slaps by Emma,
just seeming to make Asuka more angry.
[Graves] That guttural howl is like a warning of impending doom.
[Michael] Looks like she's going for-- and now there's the roll-through.
Asuka with shoulders down by Emma.
Emma kicks out at two.
And Asuka caught her and there's that blistering sudden offense of Asuka.
[Booker] When one move didn't work,
she doubled up and then went to that big kick right there.
That was a beautiful combination.
[Graves] Looks like Asuka's had a great deal taken out of her thus far.
Emma certainly brought the fight tonight.
Take one more look at this.
A sliding knee strike right on the bridge of Emma's nose.
[Booker] Wow. Timing of that was just perfect.
Or should I say "poifect."
[Michael] Now Asuka rolling through this time.
Oh. Shots to the hamstring, now to the knee of Emma.
Stomping on the fingers, and a kick to the back of the neck.
And Asuka showing she can fly as well with a missile dropkick.
A little bit of everything, Corey.
[Graves] Cat-like balance displayed by Emma. Her-- I'm sorry, by Asuka.
Emma feeling the brunt of the dropkick. Oh my goodness.
[Michael] Asuka punishing her opponent.
Emma, can you continue? Emma?
[Booker] Emma's reelin' and she's in a real bad way right now.
[Graves] Might be a TKO situation, Book.
-[Booker] Oh, man! -[Michael] Yeah, maybe for--
on Emma's side.
[Graves] Yeah, right to the base of Asuka's neck.
[Booker] I don't know about this shot right there.
[Michael] And, again, Asuka could be out,
this could be a huge opportunity for Emma,
dragging Asuka back toward the center of the ring.
Hooks the leg, tries to wrap the arm, and Asuka to a near fall.
[Booker] Give Emma a lot of credit right there,
pulling Asuka back to the middle of the ring
and getting a deep cover right there. Almost got a win.
[Michael] You say what you want about Emma in social media and the like,
but there's no doubt she's, oh, excellent in the ring.
[referee] One, two…
[Michael] Now looking to humiliate Asuka in her debut tonight.
[Booker] There's been a lot of talk about Emma before
-as to how good she really is. -[Michael] Oh, Asuka picked the leg.
-[Booker] She's proving it tonight. -[Michael] Again, looking
for an ankle lock, submission move here,
dragging Emma toward the center of the ring.
-She rolls through. -[Booker] Beautiful roll-through.
-No, no, no. -[Michael] Asuka says, "No way."
[Graves] Asuka just rolling with Emma's momentum and so--
[Michael] Oh my God, did you see the way that Emma's knee just bent?
And Asuka… Now Emma back to her feet trying to make it the rope.
-Asuka continues the punishment. -[Graves] Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
-[Michael] Still has the leg wrapped. -[Graves] Emma still trapped. Oh!
[Michael] Oh my God, dropping her on her neck.
[Booker] Good God.
[Michael] And she still had Emma's leg trapped as she delivered the suplex.
[Booker] What a beautiful suplex.
I mean, the speed and the torque
on that suplex was just about perfect, guys.
[Graves] Emma actually doing the wise thing in rolling to the outside,
trying to compose herself.
[Booker] Create a little space.
That's what that's called, right there, Corey.
[Michael] Oh. And now… Oh my God.
Again, grabbing the hair of Asuka, ripping her off the apron to the floor,
and Asuka landed hard.
[Graves] A very cagey maneuver by Emma.
[Booker] Oh, the one thing about Emma tonight, guys,
I have never seen a thing from this position right here.
She's one step ahead of Asuka every time.
[Michael] Oh, she's put in the homework. She's prepared for Asuka.
I'm sure she's watched a lot of tapes.
Remember, both these young ladies with experience at NXT,
Emma watched her career there.
And now, Emma back into the ring--
Asuka caught her!
That spinning kick from Asuka. And now may have Emma where she wants her!
-[Booker] Oh, no. -[Michael] Looking for the Asuka Lock,
trying to wrestle her down, center of the ring.
[Graves] If it gets cinched in, this one's over.
[Michael] And she's got it in!
Asuka's got in the Asuka Lock.
Emma's… Emma's trying to fight it, trying to fight it here.
Asuka's got it locked in. Emma has to tap.
[bell ringing]
-["The Future" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Rome] Here's your winner by submission, Asuka!
[Michael] I'm telling you, guys, Emma with an incredible performance
here tonight, but Asuka was ready.
[Graves] No one is ready for Asuka.
You can ask Emma. But I guess the good news is
Emma's name's probably trending worldwide, #pickupyourteethandgohome.
[Michael] But, Booker, if you were in the Raw women's locker room right now
you've been put on notice.
[Booker] Yeah, I have, but I want a piece of that.
I cannot wait to see Asuka in the ring again.
[Graves] Let's take another look at this magnificent suplex by Asuka.
Emma's ankle trapped.
The Empress still able to pop her hips
and deliver a brutal suplex, but Emma still kept fighting.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Graves] Unfortunately, for Emma, Asuka was too ready.
Watch this kick. Bang!
Lights out, Emma.
Stumbles her way into an Asuka Lock.
And if this doesn't tear your shoulder apart, I don't know what will.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] I'm telling you, it was worth the wait.
-[bell rings] -[Michael] The Empress of Tomorrow, Asuka,
has arrived on Monday Night Raw.
[Graves] Now, look at the elation on the face of the Empress of Tomorrow.
The WWE Universe,
get ready, Asuka is here.
[Michael] Something infectious about Asuka.
["The Future" continues]
[crowd cheering]
♪ From far and wide and light years away ♪
-♪ Cast from the shadows now light my… ♪ -[song fades]
["Fight Song" playing]
♪ And all those things I didn't say ♪
♪ Were wrecking balls inside my brain ♪
♪ I will scream them loud tonight ♪
♪ Can you hear my voice this time? ♪
♪ This is my fight song ♪
♪ Take back my life song ♪
♪ Prove I'm alright song ♪
♪ And I don't really care If nobody else believes ♪
♪ 'Cause I've still got A lot of fight left in me ♪
♪ A lot of fight left in me ♪
[song fades]
[crowd booing]
The most important thing is to forget about what this match was supposed to be
and concentrate on what this match is.
You know, Miz, our previous general manager, Mick Foley,
would never have allowed this to happen.
But on the plus side,
I've always wanted to Brogue Kick an Olympic gold medalist through a table.
Yeah. Tonight is not supposed to be about nostalgia.
It's about tables, ladders, and chairs.
And to us proving that we don't just set the bar,
-we are the bar. -we are the bar.
But that's not enough.
Do you realize what Kurt Angle did?
He robbed us, he stole a moment, he thrust himself into the spotlight,
my spotlight, our spotlight.
You think he would've stepped in for you, Sheamus?
[scoffs]
Do you think he would've stepped in for you, Cesaro?
No. He stepped in because he cares
about the WWE Universe.
We all know that that is a lie.
Kurt Angle only cares about himself.
He waited for the perfect moment to leverage his position
as general manager of Monday Night Raw
and put himself in the main event of this pay-per-view against me.
He could have postponed this match.
He could have canceled this match.
But no, Mister… Mister, uh…
Mr. "I won an Olympic gold medal with a broken freaking neck,"
had to play superhero.
Well, if Kurt Angle thinks he's a superhero,
he's gonna meet a monster among men, Braun Strowman.
[crowd cheering]
Save the pep talk, Miz.
I'm snuffing out Kurt's little return to the ring and I'm trashing it
along with Seth and Dean,
so long as all of you stay out of my way.
[crowd cheering]
I do whatever I want.
Because if anyone is gonna wrap a steel chair around Kurt Angle's neck,
mangle Seth Rollins with a chair,
reduce Dean Ambrose to a pile of rubble,
it's gonna be me.
Gentlemen, there is enough carnage to go around.
We have two-thirds of a shield and a Hall of Famer,
who is the general manager of Monday Night Raw, all in the same ring
This is our ability to change the face of the WWE forever.
The opportunity to eat off a table of our future,
to sit in a chair of an uprising, to use ladders, to build a bridge,
a bridge to a better tomorrow.
Because with Kurt Angle done, and Dean and Seth broken in half,
we will run Monday Night Raw!
[crowd cheering]
For Seth, Dean, and Kurt
there is no tomorrow.
I'm turning Tables, Ladders, and Chairs
into hell on earth.
I don't care what you do with the ashes.
We make history the hard way.
[crowd booing]
Oh, it's true.
It's damn true.
[Rome] Ladies and gentlemen, Elias.
-[crowd cheering] -[guitar strums]
[crowd booing]
Right now, I wanna know
how many of you feel alive?
[crowd cheering]
Well, judging by that response, I'd have to say, you're all dead inside.
Which makes you all liars.
But I can fill you with life if you follow me.
But, right now, I need you all to silence your cell phones.
There can be no distractions.
Hold your applause until after I'm finished.
Reach out to me and feel my words.
But most importantly,
shut your mouths because I've got a song to sing.
[crowd booing]
[playing mellow melody]
-[crowd cheering] -[Graves laughs]
What the…
Not cool, guys.
[playing mellow melody]
[Michael] Is that celery or lettuce?
What the heck was that?
-[Graves] It's raining produce. -[Michael] It's Jason Jordan.
[Booker laughs]
[Michael] I know Jason was upset earlier tonight when Elias interrupted
the conversation between him and his dad, Kurt Angle.
[Graves] I mean, listen, we are in Minneapolis.
Could we have gotten like a Semisonic reunion concert or something?
We got to deal with Elias?
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Thank you, Jason Jordan.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] That's a shame.
-["Be Like No One" playing] -♪ Be next, be NXT, be different ♪
♪ Be weird, be huggers, be fireflies ♪
♪ Be mohawks, be beards ♪
♪ Like no one, like nothing Like whatever, like this ♪
♪ Like Asuka, like Charlotte ♪
♪ Like Becky, like Bliss No tap-outs, no count-outs ♪
♪ No three-counts, no friends No stopping, nostalgia ♪
♪ No now with no then ♪
♪ One shot in one million One versus all, one team ♪
♪ One Finn, one Bálor, One demon, one king ♪
♪ Be hated, be vacant, B-R-A-Y ♪
♪ Like Jimmy, like Jey Like even this guy ♪
♪ Be heard, be seen Like Dolph, like Dean ♪
♪ No guts, no glory One shot, one story ♪
♪ Be you like now, no time, one run Be like no one ♪
-[explodes] -[song concludes]
[Snoop Dogg] Available now, rated T for teen.
You just never know what's gonna happen at TLC.
We just saw a food fight, Nigel.
Representing 205 Live, I'm Vic Joseph alongside Nigel McGuinness.
My first WWE pay-per-view couldn't be more exciting.
And we are getting ready for a showcase,
-the cruiserweights, here at TLC. -["Man With a Plan" playing]
[bell rings]
[Rome] The following contest is a tag team match scheduled for one fall.
Making his way to the ring from Venice, California,
weighing 157 pounds, The Brian Kendrick.
[Vic] Well, Nigel, here's a former Cruiserweight Champion,
making his way to the ring and let's go down to ringside
with some of our announce team partners for tonight,
including the Spanish announce team
of Carlos Cabrera and Marcelo Rodríguez.
[speaking Spanish]
[Vic] And our German announce team, Calvin Knie, Carsten Schaefer,
and Tim Haber.
[speaking German]
Asuka, Demon, Styles.
[speaking German]
[Vic] And they're getting ready for the high-octane style of 205 Live.
["Gentleman" playing]
[Rome] And his tag team partner from Manchester, England,
weighing 167 pounds,
Gentleman Jack Gallagher!
[Vic] Well, Brian Kendrick is trying to teach lessons in the locker room
and he has found a pupil in Jack Gallagher.
And let's go back, Nigel.
Let's go back last month.
It was actually a match featuring Brian Kendrick
as Brian Kendrick, The Man with a Plan,
was going up against Cedric Alexander
and, well, Brian Kendrick took advantage early on to this match.
[Nigel] Looked like he had the advantage against Alexander
and he would push that advantage until…
["Gentleman" playing]
[Vic] And to the surprise of many, Jack Gallagher would come to the rescue,
aiding in his friend, Cedric Alexander,
as he stared down his heated rival in Brian Kendrick.
Well, that's what we thought, Nigel.
[Nigel] Until the unhinged Englishman unloaded.
And look at the face, couldn't believe it.
And listen to the sound of that, that Mancunian nod upside the head.
[Vic] Kendrick was just as shocked as everyone.
A nasty side of Gallagher we had never seen before and then this.
Gallagher extending his hand to The Brian Kendrick.
["Gentleman" playing]
[Vic] Gallagher indeed has embraced the teachings of Kendrick so to speak.
[Nigel] Well, he's trained under some of the best.
Roy Wood at the infamous wake-- Wigan Snake Pit,
-and, of course, Billy Robinson. -["Won't Let Go" playing]
[Rome] And their opponents, first from Charlotte, North Carolina
weighing 205 pounds,
Cedric Alexander!
[Vic] But, Nigel, as I talked about those teachings of Brian Kendrick
for Jack Gallagher's, those are the same teachings
that have unleashed a side of Cedric Alexander.
[Nigel] I've never seen Alexander this aggressive and this fired up.
[Vic] Gallagher indeed has been very focused the last few weeks
-on Tuesday nights. -["Around the World" playing]
[Rome] And his tag team partner, from Baltimore, Maryland,
weighing 180 pounds, Rich Swann.
[Vic] And when you take a look at it, Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann,
it's quite the charismatic duo, Nigel, that we have in this match.
But let's go back to Tuesday on 205 Live.
It was Rich Swann who faced Jack Gallagher one on one.
[Nigel] Early on in the match, Gallagher would run for high ground.
[Vic] And Rich Swann would look to make an impact,
but it was The Brian Kendrick who ran a little bit of interference
until Alexander came out of nowhere.
And then, Nigel, everything broke loose.
[Nigel] Everything broke loose. And really, the referee at least
just had no choice but to throw the match out.
[Vic] And it's the animosity,
the intensity between these four superstars on display
this past Tuesday on the WWE Network.
And just when we thought things were gonna take a turn,
Rich Swann came out of nowhere as did Cedric Alexander.
[Nigel] Handspring roundhouse kick, Gallagher down.
And then just when it looked like it was lights out for Gallagher, again,
Kendrick comes to his rescue.
[Vic] That was just a taste of what's gonna happen here tonight
in the Target Center.
[bell rings]
[Vic] Rich Swann will start things off with The Brian Kendrick.
Rich Swann, a true friend coming to the aid of Cedric Alexander.
[Nigel] That's one way of looking at it, Vic.
Another way of looking at it is saying that he stuck his nose
in someone else's business.
[Vic] And Rich Swann, Brian Kendrick want to not only teach those lessons,
but Brian Kendrick has a philosophy and it's that experience always wins out.
[Nigel] Well, he certainly has more experience than anybody else
in this match, nearly two decades in sports entertainment.
[Vic] Oh!
And Rich Swann, European uppercut,
and there's that experience, again, paying off
for Kendrick early on in this matchup.
Tag made, in comes Jack Gallagher.
[Nigel] Stylistically, Vic, this is an interesting matchup.
You got the speed of Swann and Alexander against the technique and the intellect
of Gallagher and Kendrick.
[Vic] Well, right now, Gallagher has tied up Rich Swann.
Swann trying to navigate his way free.
An interesting hold right now being applied for a moment by Gallagher,
and a nice reversal by Swann.
[Nigel Gallagher caught with a side headlock.
And I guarantee you,
Gallagher will get out of it quickly as he did.
[Vic] The quickness that Rich Swann displays with a dropkick
to the butt of the jaw.
[Nigel] Oh! Alexander in without a tag, Vic.
-What do you say about that? -[Vic] Well, a tag was made,
Kendrick is in. A back elbow.
And there goes Cedric Alexander.
There's that unique style Cedric Alexander brings.
And Alexander is the legal man for his team.
As Alexander looking around.
Oh!
Jack Gallagher-- Wait a minute!
Eyes have to be on a swivel almost in the back of your head, Nigel.
[Nigel] Absolutely.
[Vic] Incoming comes Kendrick over the top rope.
[Nigel] You know what this might mean.
Here comes Alexander.
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] What a move by Alexander.
And WWE Hall of Famer Booker T said Cedric Alexander,
one of the most talented in the division, certainly on display tonight.
-Let's take another look at it, Nigel. -[Nigel] There it is.
[Vic] First it was the trip.
[Nigel] Swann would take over and give the opportunity for Alexander.
Look at the height, clears the top rope by a clear foot
-and lands nearly perfectly on his feet. -[Vic] Cover made.
Kendrick out at two.
You talk about the height, how about the landing of Cedric Alexander?
[Nigel] Great athletes, both of these guys.
-[Vic] Oh! -[Nigel] They need to put away Kendrick
or Gallagher as quickly as possible.
[Vic] Rich Swann, Cedric Alexander, two superstars that have been friends--
Oh! Big Irish Whip.
And, early on, it looks like this friendship
is working out pretty well in this tag team match.
Nigel, with a backbreaker, tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
-Into the cover goes Rich Swann. -One, two…
[Vic] Hooks the leg, and Kendrick's inside shoulder
just getting up in the nick of time.
[Nigel] They've done very well thus far and they've really stuck
to the perfect game plan, and that's to keep the pace up.
[Vic] Well, Gallagher, for a moment,
creates the distraction and Kendrick taking advantage.
-Face first went Rich Swann. -[Nigel] And look what he does though.
He grabs the leg and pulls him to his own corner so he can't make the tag.
Benefit of two decades experience, a lot of that in tag team competition
because he is a former two-time WWE Tag Team Champion.
[Vic] This new side of Jack Gallagher, Nigel,
you have known Jack Gallagher for quite some time.
Jack Gallagher is more intense.
He is… he is more ruthless inside the ring.
[Nigel] He's vicious. He's determined.
Still dressed in the finest Burberry threads.
Now, there's nothing gentlemanly about that.
A vicious three-quarter nelson.
-[Vic] Taking down Swann again. -[Nigel] Ooh.
[Vic] As Gallagher once said,
"A cool winter is coming to 205 Live."
[Nigel] A winter of discontent for Rich Swann.
[Vic] Another tag is made. Back in is The Brian Kendrick.
[Nigel] Absolutely no wasted motion from Kendrick.
Everything he does means something.
[Vic] And Kendrick, a butterfly suplex.
Into the cover again.
Hooks both legs of Rich Swann, who fights his way free again at two.
[Nigel] Awesome move made famous by Gallagher's trainer, Billy Robinson.
Watch his hair, Brian.
[Vic] Brian Kendrick, along with Jack Gallagher,
have been in control of this matchup and have started to cut this ring in half.
[Nigel] Kendrick really is-- Oh! And did you hear the sound of that?
Kendrick really is a student of The Game.
As if… As Gordon Solie said,
"Sports entertainment is a game of human chess."
Kendrick is sports entertainment's Bobby Fischer.
[Vic] Gallagher on the outside.
A smile on his face for a moment
as Kendrick just ramming into the top turnbuckle, Rich Swann.
And we haven't seen Kendrick or Gallagher smile often,
but it's typically when they're,
well, beating down an opponent.
-[Nigel] If they get a win-- -[Vic] Almost enjoying it right now.
[Nigel] Absolutely. Forget the win here. There'll be a big smile on their face. Oh!
[Vic] Gallagher back to the midsection,
the rib area, targeted now, of Rich Swann
by Kendrick and Gallagher.
[Nigel] Well, Alexander should know better.
Get to the outside.
[Vic] Gallagher just baiting Alexander as Alexander resetting himself.
Has to stay focused does Alexander.
As Jack Gallagher and The Brian Kendrick have made quick tags.
They have worn down Rich Swann.
This has been textbook tag team wrestling, has it not been, Nigel?
[Nigel] It absolutely has.
-Tag! -[Vic] Another tag made.
[Nigel] Great game plan. Better hold on to him tight.
[Vic] And incoming comes Kendrick and-- Oh! Up and over went Kendrick.
All the way down to the mat.
And this has to be the moment. Rich Swann needs to make a tag, Nigel.
[Nigel] But Gallagher is just there to make the save.
[Vic] And Gallagher is the legal man.
And Rich Swann.
[Nigel] Looked for the belly-to-back.
[Vic] Makes the tag and in comes Alexander.
And Alexander has been on the outside
patiently waiting for his moment to strike.
Not today.
[Nigel] Oh! Did you hear the sound of that back elbow?
Handspring roundhouse. Gallagher down.
[Vic] Alexander into the cover. Is it enough to put away Gallagher?
Who gets his inside shoulder up at two.
[Nigel] A lot of guts and determine from the man from England.
[Vic] What's on the mind now of Alexander?
[Nigel] Here he comes.
[Vic] And Alexander charging into the midsection.
How quick is Alexander with pinpoint precision on his strikes?
And flying off the top rope.
Another cover by Alexander.
Is this enough? And Kendrick…
ripping Alexander to the outside.
And he always has a plan does The Brian Kendrick.
-[Nigel] He's always in the right place. -[Vic] Wait a minute.
[Nigel] At the right time.
[Vic] Oh.
[Nigel] And again.
[Vic] Kendrick is one step ahead of Rich Swann.
[Nigel] This is why The Brian Kendrick is so dangerous.
-[Vic] And wisely-- -[Nigel] And wait a second.
[Vic] Alexander. Inside cradle.
Shoulders down and Kendrick out at two.
-Oh! -[Nigel] Ho, ho, ho, very nice.
[Vic] Oh, and a superkick to follow the boot.
[Nigel] Oh, wait, wait. Oh, the Captain's Hook.
[Vic] And the Captain Hook's locked on. Center of the ring.
Is Cedric Alexander gonna tap?
[Nigel] Alexander doing the right thing,
trying to push his hips out from underneath himself.
[Vic] Wait a minute. Alexander rolling through.
Kendrick again down and just getting out,
but Kendrick did not let go of the Captain's Hook.
[Nigel] Well, look at this on the top rope.
[Vic] Phoenix Splash.
[Nigel] Wow.
And Kendrick had no idea that was coming.
He was focused on Alexander.
[Vic] But Gallagher.
Oh, another roundhouse kick and then the headbutt.
[Nigel] All four men down.
But the two men in the ring are legal.
[Vic] And Alexander, Lumbar Check.
[Nigel] What? Is this it?
-[Vic] Cover on Kendrick. -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[Nigel] It is. -[bell ringing]
-["Won't Let Go" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Rome] Here are your winners, Rich Swann and Cedric Alexander.
[Vic] Well, Brian Kendrick, Jack Gallagher had a game plan,
but so did Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann.
♪ And now I've grown ♪
♪ Used to dream I'd have it all… ♪
[Vic] The embrace of two friends that stand tall tonight
at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, victorious.
What a tag team match, Nigel.
[Nigel] Swann and Alexander, great showing for themselves.
Let's take a look at how this went down. Listen to the sound of that.
-[Vic] Boom! -[Nigel] Oh!
Back elbow. How Gallagher stayed on his feet.
He certainly didn't after this.
[Vic] He certainly did not.
And then Swann getting involved.
What a way to break up the Captain's Hook with that Phoenix Splash.
And, Nigel, take one more look at the height of Rich Swann.
[Nigel] Absolutely no way that Kendrick could defend himself.
All the impact of that Phoenix Splash driving the wind out of his chest.
[Vic] And that's the turning point that opened the door for the Lumbar Check.
And that Lumbar Check sealed the fate
of Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher
-here tonight. -[bell ringing]
♪ Used to dream I'd have it all… ♪
[Vic] Well, back to the drawing board for two superstars,
that being Gallagher and Kendrick.
But this is just a sign of things to come tonight in the cruiserweight division.
Cruiserweight championship still to be decided here tonight.
[Michael] You know, ladies and gentlemen, everyone is talking about
the return of Kurt Angle tonight, including The Rock.
Now, the significance of this tweet is this.
It was 17 years ago tonight
that Kurt Angle won his first WWE Championship.
And who did he beat? The Rock.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to WWE TLC,
Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker's back.
And Booker, Kurt Angle's back in action tonight, first time in 11 years.
I thought he was gonna say "Beat me."
-[both laughing] -["Legendary" playing]
Well, he did. A number of times, by the way.
Ladies and gentlemen, coming up next,
it is about the Raw Women's Championship
Alexa Bliss defends her title
against the woman looking to make history tonight, Mickie James,
looking to become a seven-time Raw Women's Champion.
[Graves] But say what you want about Alexa Bliss,
there's no doubt that she has survived as the champ
including last month at No Mercy.
♪ Eventually they're Gonna know who's right ♪
[dramatic music playing]
[JoJo] The following contest is a Fatal 5-Way
for the Raw Women's Championship.
[Graves] Boom.
[Michael] Oh, shoulder-first.
Bayley launched into Emma.
Oh, and a DDT by Bliss.
Here's the cover, hooks the leg on Bayley Is it enough?
[crowd] One, two, three.
-[Michael] Got her. -[bell ringing]
[dramatic music playing]
And still the Raw Women's Champion, Alexa Bliss.
I don't know if you saw, but I just completely ran through
the entire women's division.
[Renee] It wasn't the entire division.
-Who am I gonna face next? -There's, like, Mickie James.
And she's somebody you've got to consider a contender.
You know what, you're right, you know, Mickie has had an amazing career
a long time ago.
Bottom line is,
nobody wants to see me defend my title against an old lady.
[crowd clamor]
[Alexa] I don't need to prove anything to any of you
because I cleaned out this entire women's division.
[crowd cheering]
The way I see it is, you didn't beat me.
What I want
is for you to repeat what you said last night on Raw Talk,
but I want you to do it to my face.
[crowd cheering]
Mickie, you are an old lady.
[Graves] Enough was enough. Mickie didn't wanna hear anymore.
[Mickie] I'm Mickie James.
I am a six-time Women's Champion.
I have broken bones, I have broken hearts,
and I have broke down barriers for women in the WWE,
all before you were wearing a training bra.
[Kurt] Based on your career history, being a six-time Women's Champion,
you have your championship match versus Alexa Bliss at TLC.
At TLC, I'm gonna be running circles around you.
There's only one Raw Women's Champion,
the only true goddess, Alexa Bliss.
That's why I'm holding the Raw Women's Championship
and I'll still be holding it after Sunday.
Isn't it past your bedtime, Grandma?
Alexa, you are moments away
from defending your title against Mickie James.
And there have been some really harsh comments made preceding this match.
Oh, like when she called me biscuit butt?
I don't even know what that really means.
I mean, I like my butt. It's cute.
I mean, I get it, you know, Mickie dedicated tonight to her son.
She's a mom,
which probably means she wears mom jeans.
But, Mickie's just sensitive on the fact that I called out her age.
But, to be honest, when I was young, I idolized Mickie James.
You know, I… I'm the one that brought her back to WWE.
She's a six-time Women's Champion.
She's gone toe-to-toe with Hall of Famers,
like Beth Phoenix, Lita, Trish Stratus.
And for Mickie, those were the good old days.
But after tonight,
her days aren't gonna be good,
they'll just be old.
[crowd clamoring]
["Obsession" playing]
[Michael] Well, you know, ladies and gentlemen,
Alexa Bliss is entitled to her opinion, she can say whatever she wants.
But the fact is this, Mickie James has nothing to prove here tonight.
She's already approaching legendary status.
But a victory by Mickie James tonight
will tie her with Trish Stratus
for the most Women's Championships in history of WWE with seven.
[Graves] Listen, Cole, I got to disagree with you.
I think Mickie James has a lot to prove.
Mickie needs to prove that she is still as great a competitor as ever
tonight against Alexa Bliss.
[Michael] And WWE TLC
is presented by WWE 2K18,
the video game, available now.
[Graves] I've got to say, with the harsh words of Alexa Bliss,
recently have lit a fire inside Mickie James
that I haven't seen in some time.
[Booker] Let somebody call you old, watch what happens.
[Graves] Yeah, a little sensitive there, Book?
["Spiteful" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And here is your Raw Women's Champion.
Now keep in mind, this past Monday night on Raw,
Mickie James actually pinned Alexa in a tag team match.
Corey, does that give Mickie an advantage tonight?
[Graves] Absolutely, it does.
When it comes to momentum, that is paramount inside of the WWE ring,
especially when a championship is on the line.
Mickie's got to be feeling on top of the world right now,
and it's got to be inside the mind of Bliss.
[Michael] And very candid statements from Mickie James,
as well as part of the social media lounge tonight
on the TLC kickoff show. She's ready.
Mickie also dedicated tonight's match to her son at home, Donovan.
When you're fighting for your family, you can do superhuman things.
[Graves] That's true.
[bell ringing]
The following contest scheduled for one fall
is for the Raw Women's Championship.
[crowd cheering]
Introducing the challenger, from Richmond, Virginia,
Mickie James.
[crowd cheering]
And her opponent, from Columbus, Ohio,
she is the Raw Women's Champion,
Alexa Bliss.
[Michael] Alexa Bliss, however,
carving out her own legacy in her own right,
a two-time Raw Women's Champion,
two-time SmackDown's Women's Champion as well.
It was last year at this event, TLC,
where she won her first title in WWE,
a Tables match victory over Becky Lynch.
So a lot accomplished
-in a young career, Corey… -[bell ringing]
-…for Alexa Bliss. -[Graves] Oh, I completely agree with you.
And there's no denying Alexa Bliss's ability inside the ring,
the harsh words, the braggadocious attitude
have served Alexa very, very, well in her time here in WWE.
[Michael] Yeah, #womenstitle if you wanna talk about this matchup on social media.
[Booker] Well, that may be true, but I'll tell you right now,
Mickie James is the most experienced, the most decorated champion
that Ms. Bliss has ever been inside of that squared circle with.
-[Michael] Yeah and remember-- -[Booker] She better watch it.
[Michael] And Book, Alexa Bliss brought Mickie James back to WWE
earlier this year over on SmackDown Live,
and now faces her with a title.
[Graves] This might be the game plan of Mickie. Cover.
[Michael] Look at this. Jackknife cover and a kickout at two by the champ.
[Graves] Mickie looking to frustrate Alexa here in the early moments.
I don't know who you think you are.
[Michael] You know, Alexa mentioned all those greats
that Mickie's been in the ring with, the Beth Phoenix, Trish Stratus, and Lita.
[Darrick] One, two…
[Michael] Mickie better be careful not to get herself disqualified.
Mickie has learned all the tricks over the years.
[crowd cheering]
[speaking indistinctly]
[speaks indistinctly]
[Michael] And perhaps Mickie with the desired effect
-taking Alexa Bliss out of her game… -[Booker] Oh, wow!
…but an elbow, pointed elbow, to the jaw of Mickie.
[Booker] The quickness that Mickie James
is gonna have to deal with all night right there, Ms. Bliss.
[Michael] Now, Corey, you've mentioned that before,
no matter what you think about Alexa, whether you like it or you don't,
there's no doubt that she has been a survivor as champion.
-Oh, man. -[Graves] Oh, wow.
[Michael] What a kip-up by Mickie. And again, Mickie will kip-up again.
And Alexa at some point is gonna have to get frustrated as Mickie takes her down.
[Graves] Terribly frustrated. You could see it on the face of the champion.
[Michael] The other thing we've learned about Mickie over the years
is she doesn't play games.
She's got a temper on her. She can get as aggressive as anyone else.
And there's another example of that.
[Graves] Full head of steam from the challenger.
-[Booker] Oh, wow. -[Michael] This could be it.
For the Women's Championship…
And at two, a kick out by Bliss.
[Graves] Alexa Bliss looks to be shaken early here
in the opening moments of this contest.
Booker, Alexa is certainly-- Oh! Sorry, Mickie certainly brought her A-game.
[Booker] I mean, Mickie is bringing it right now.
But, Corey, let's just keep it real for one second.
The thing is about age against youth.
Ms. Bliss, she's gonna go out there
and try to prove that she's the best of this era right now.
-Mickie James had her time. -[Michael] You're right, Booker.
[Graves] Great situational awareness from Bliss.
[Michael] But a win for Mickie James tonight
and it's Mickie's time again, Book.
[Booker] Oh, and I truly believe that Mickie James
is not ready to go away crying at the end of the night.
[Michael] Bliss trying to tear Mickie's arm clean out of the socket.
[Booker] But I'll tell you, Ms. Bliss right there,
she kept the same mentality ahead of the tag team wrestling,
won that notch on my belt, you know, The Rock 'n' Roll Express.
You know, "I want to beat those guys.!
"I want to say I have… I have those earned."
[Michael] Here's the cover, and a kickout, for the title.
[Booker] Right now, Ms. Bliss is doing a great job.
[Michael] Hey, listen, as Mickie has said, Corey,
age is just a number.
I mean, look at Kurt Angle returning to a WWE ring tonight
for the first time in 11 years.
[Graves] I believe that in sports entertainment,
that fact holds incredibly true.
Look at Kurt Angle, look at what Goldberg was able to accomplish in the past.
Age just equals experience in the WWE ring.
[Booker] Exactly. A whole lot of experience.
But I'ma tell you right now, the young guys always have the upper hand
in a situation like that.
[Graves] You're right. I wouldn't say the upper hand,
but, you know, Alexa certainly has a chip on her shoulder.
Bliss is eager to prove this is her…
-[Michael] Oh! -…her WWE, her women's division.
[Michael] Again, continuing to work on the left arm of Mickie James,
trying to rip a shoulder out of socket.
-Drags her back to the-- -[Graves] Cover.
[Michael] Near the center of the ring and a kickout by Mickie at two.
[Booker] I'll tell you, a straight up fight in this situation right here,
I'm gonna go with Bliss all night.
But I'ma tell you, Mickie James is gonna have to set some traps.
She gonna have to probably play a chess game
if she's gonna win this matchup tonight.
Trust me.
[Graves] Well, right now, it looks like Alexa Bliss
has implemented her game plan
and it's working out very, very well.
[Booker] I mean, Alexa Bliss has proven that she's tough, she's durable.
She can get the job done on SmackDown as well as here on Monday Night Raw.
And tonight, she's doing no different.
[Graves] Well, you know, Alexa Bliss wants nothing
more than to walk out of Minneapolis tonight and say, "I told you so."
'Cause that's exactly what's gonna happen. You can bet money on it.
[Michael] Yeah. And Mickie James wants to walk out of here tonight
a record-tying, seven-time Women's Champion.
[Graves] Look at the torque on the elbow of Mickie James.
[Michael] Yeah. Right now, in complete control, the champ Alexa.
[Booker] What a milestone that would be for Mickie James
to become seven-time Women's Champion.
I mean, that would be first valid Hall of Famer in my eyes, guys.
[Michael] I think she already is, Book.
I don't think there's any doubt about that.
But, again, Mickie, not ready to call it a career.
I believe she has so much more to prove here at WWE.
-Oh, and again, Alexa Bliss to the arm. -[Booker] Oh, man.
-And the thing is, guys-- Wait a minute. -[Michael] Cover.
Alexa trying to retain the title, and a kickout.
-[Booker] Don't think-- -[Michael] Again another cover.
[Booker] Don't think Mickie James didn't know this was--
-[Michael] A third cover. -[Booker] Whoa.
Don't think Mickie James did not know this was gonna happen sometime
in a matchup like this, guys.
You got to have a plan A, plan B, plan C.
[Graves] You're right. But, Booker, I think you can attest… Oh, look at this.
Sometimes, your plans don't work out accordingly.
And if you can't call the audible, you're done.
Give up, Mickie.
[Booker] That's where the youth is coming into play.
Sometimes, you cannot combat that, Corey.
Oh, poor Mickie.
[Michael] You guys keep talking about youth and how that's--
as we take another look again at what Bliss has done to Mickie James.
I mean veteran, the veteran instincts of Mickie James
that could help her here tonight.
[Booker] As well as being in this position before many, many times.
[Darrick] Get off. Let's go, Alexa.
[Graves] You have to be impressed with--
[Michael] Oh, and again, Mickie, looking to fight out of the corner.
Elbow catches Alexa again.
And here comes Mickie James. Mickie…
-[Graves] Down goes the champion. -…sends Alexa flying.
[Booker] Guys, if you'd noticed right there, there's nothing…
There's not a lot of speed, but the timing of Mickie James, right now, is perfect.
[Graves] Book, I don't know what you're watching,
there was plenty of speed in that one.
Mickie James hasn't lost a step. But that right hand from Bliss…
[Michael] Oh, what a slap by Mickie.
[Booker laughs]
That street fight I was talking about, guys.
[Michael] Hey, Booker, just 'cause you've lost a step
doesn't mean Mickie James has.
As Mickie continues that with a couple more rights and lefts.
And here comes Mickie, unloading on the champion.
And Mickie James misses with a right. Alexa ducks underneath by Mickie.
Hits with a kick to that corner. Both women down.
[Graves] Both competitors connected with kicks.
We got an even ball game. right now, gentlemen.
[Michael] Yeah. Critical moment.
First woman to her feet could be in control here
with the Raw Women's Championship on the line
in front of 13,381
at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
[Graves] Look at these women going tit for tat with…
-[Michael] Boom! -[Graves] …oh,
reversals and ducks and blocks,
and they both connected with knockout shots.
Five!
[Booker] I'll tell you, to see both of them go down like that…
[Michael] And the official counting.
And Mickie James trying to make it back to her feet and…
[Graves] Mickie looking for that adrenaline rush.
Oh, so is Bliss.
[Booker] It's like with that second wind, Corey,
that second wind is what gets you through matches like this.
[Graves chuckles] These two women just trying to take each other's heads off.
[Michael] And Mickie James sends Alexa face-first.
[Booker] I think the playbook's just went out of the window.
[Michael] And look at Alexa, kick right to the midsection.
Mickie fights out of it.
A couple of forearms now to the face of Alexa.
-And look at Mickie go. -[Graves] Look at this.
[Michael] The unloading, the challenger coming after the champion.
[Graves] How's that for speed, Booker?
-[Michael] Mickie's fired up. -[Booker] Somebody's feet is quick.
[Michael] Down goes the champ.
And Mickie James…
[Graves] Mickie's firing on all cylinders right now.
[Booker] Teacher versus student right here, man.
[Michael] Alexa paying for it.
-[Booker] Talking about a lesson. -[Michael] Running her mouth for weeks.
Mickie James, is she closing in on a historic Women's Championship?
Oh, I thought she had her.
[Graves] Mickie so close to the finish line.
She can taste the Women's Championship, but can she seal the deal?
[Booker] She's definitely schooling Alexa Bliss right now.
[Michael] Yeah. Alexa doesn't-- isn't quite sure what to do.
[Graves] Going for that… Oh, the injured arm once again plays a factor.
[Michael] DDT, and again, standing switch though by Mickie.
-Rolls up the champion. -[Booker] Beautiful. Whoa.
-Beautiful bridge. -[Michael] May have her here.
Kick out at two. Nice bridge by the challenger, Mickie James.
[Graves] Alexa Bliss appears to be all out of sorts. Well, momentarily.
Sunset Bomb.
[Michael] Yeah. Now, Mickie's in trouble. Almost had her.
Mickie at two, near fall for the champion.
Alexa getting very frustrated
that she hasn't been able to put Mickie James away.
Corey, you really believe Alexa thought this was gonna be a cakewalk?
[Graves] I don't know that Alexa believed it in her heart of hearts,
but I do know that Alexa expects to leave Minneapolis with the title.
It was mind games. It was trying to get inside the psyche of Mickie,
which doesn't seem to have worked that well.
[Booker] Corey, when you've been to Mountain top--
[Graves] Oh, face-first.
[Booker] When you've been to the championship
caliber of matches like Mickie James,
you're not gonna get upset, you're not gonna get frustrated.
You're gonna stay steady the course and try to pull off the big one.
[Michael] Now Mickie going up to the top rope
and Alexa Bliss, though, caught her in the knee
and a nasty fall on the bad shoulder.
Mickie falling on the shoulder
that Alexa's picked apart there on the matchup.
And you can hear Mickie screaming in agony as Alexa Bliss heads up to the top rope.
Has Mickie where she wants her.
-[Graves] Oh, no. -[Michael] With the Twisted Bliss
and Mickie rolled out of the way.
[Booker] I think that was the old possum, guys.
I've seen that trick a few times in my career.
[Graves] Can Mickie capitalize?
It's a golden opportunity for the challenger.
-[Booker] Don't waste any time. -[Graves] Are we on the verge of history?
[Michael] Mickie looking to go up top again to the top rope.
Alexa Bliss back to her feet.
Mickie James measuring the champ.
Caught her with a dropkick.
Alexa Bliss in trouble.
-Here's the cover by the challenger. -[crowd] One, two…
-[Michael] And Alexa at two. -[Booker] Oh, no.
[Michael] And Corey, I don't think Mickie got all of the dropkick.
[Graves] I don't think Mickie got as much as she was looking for.
It was effective, but not quite enough to finish the job.
Mickie needs to keep her foot on the gas pedal right now.
[Darrick] Watch the hair.
[Graves] Ooh, right to the throat.
[Darrick] Come on, watch it. Keep it clean. Come on.
[Booker] One thing right there, Alexa Bliss is very dangerous
in these situations.
We know that.
[Michael] Oh, a kick by Mickie to the face, again, of Alexa.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Mickie trying to somehow dig down deep to put Bliss away.
Another cover here. And, again, the champion,
a near fall this time for the challenger.
[crowd chanting] We want table!
[Graves] You can see the frustration beginning to build on the face of Mickie.
Get out here!
[Michael] And Mickie screaming to Bliss saying, "Come to the fight."
Alexa Bliss trying to beg off here.
Hey, hey, hey. One…
[Michael] Can't believe we just saw the goddess cowering.
-Oh! -[Graves] Oh!
-[Booker] Wow. -[Michael] Cowering and suckering Mickie
-and the DDT. -[Booker] Boom, exactly what it was, Cole.
-That's exactly what it was. -[Michael] Hooks the inside leg.
-Bliss retains the title. -[bell ringing]
["Spiteful" playing]
[Rome] Here's your winner and still the Raw Women's Champion,
Alexa Bliss.
[Michael] I'll tell you what.
What a performance by Mickie James tonight.
Alexa Bliss knew she was in a fight.
But in the end, Bliss again survives as champion.
[Graves] Alexa Bliss using her wit to her advantage,
taking advantage of the smallest opportunity afforded her,
capitalizing, and will leave Raw Women's Champion.
[Booker] Bliss went to the bottom of the deck, guys,
and pulled out the master card.
[Michael] And the question is, do you think that Alexa Bliss
-gained any more respect from Mickie-- -[Graves] I guarantee you
Alexa Bliss is leaving here with a great deal of more respect for Mickie James
than she arrived with.
[Michael] Let's take a look at what happened in this matchup,
as Alexa Bliss, again, making fun of Mickie James.
Right here, we thought Alexa Bliss was injured.
[Graves] Well, Booker, you said "possum." This is just a matter of…
-[Booker] Oh! -…Mickie losing focus for a nanosecond
and Bliss made her pay.
[Michael] Alexa Bliss still the Raw Women's Champion.
[bell ringing]
[Rome] Here's your winner and still…
[Booker] What a match.
[Michael] A very frustrated Mickie James.
She talked a lot about winning her record-tying
seventh championship here tonight.
[Graves] Well, Mickie has no reason to hang her head in shame.
That was a valiant battle.
[crowd cheering]
Mickie, you must be feeling so disappointed.
Disappointed.
You know what, maybe I am a little disappointed.
I wanted to take that championship home tonight
but I'm proud of my performance tonight
and I gave my heart, and my soul, and everything.
And I hope that I proved
not only that I was worthy of this championship shot tonight,
but it won't be my last time
in a Women's Championship match or as your women's champion.
[crowd cheering]
And I wanna take a second to say thank you
to the entire WWE Universe for all your love and support.
I love you guys.
You are why I do what I do and I'm just grateful for you.
[Michael] I'll tell you one thing. Maybe our champion, Alexa Bliss,
could take some notes from Mickie James.
-Just an incredible, incredible woman. -[Booker] Absolutely.
[Michael] And one of the two greats here in our business.
[Graves] Absolute class even in defeat.
What a performance by Mickie James.
I look forward to another opportunity.
["Obsession" playing]
[Booker] Great job by Mickie James.
[Michael] Hang your head high.
[crowd clamor]
You win some, you lose some.
["Obsession" continues]
[dramatic music playing]
[music concludes]
[crowd cheering]
How you doing, guys, you here to talk strategy?
No.
No, that's not why we're here.
Listen, I know you guys wanted to do this on your own, 2-on-5,
but I couldn't let you do that.
I mean, I don't know what I have left.
It's been 11 years since I've been in the WWE ring.
But what I do have left, I'm gonna give you 100 percent of.
I know everybody wanted to see The Shield tonight well--
Kurt. Kurt.
Look, we know why you did what you did
and we respect that.
We didn't come here to talk strategy.
We came here to give you this.
[crowd cheering]
For me?
And we're going out in our shields tonight baby.
We are in.
We're all the way in.
Oh, I'm in.
You can believe that.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] That's right, ladies and gentlemen,
Kurt Angle is all in.
He's gon--, well, honorary member of The Shield tonight.
The world has been talking about the return of Kurt Angle.
Tonight, for the first time in 11 years, the former Olympic gold medalist,
the former WWE Champion, the WWE Hall of Famer,
our general manager is in action
live tonight at TLC.
-["Legendary" playing] -♪ It's about to be legendary ♪
[Rome] Ladies and gentlemen, Elias.
-[crowd cheering] -[acoustic guitar playing melody]
[Michael] Take two.
[Graves] Let's try it again, shall we?
[crowd booing]
Hello, I am Elias.
[man] Why are you still here?
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
Well, earlier, I was interrupted
and I see you trying to interrupt again.
[crowd chanting] Off! Off! Off!
But nothing is going to stop me from giving you the performance that you need.
[crowd jeering]
Because what it needs is what I am.
So, right now, I'm gonna sing a song that's gonna change your life.
[crowd continues jeering]
[playing mellow tune]
[vocalizing]
♪ Came to Minneapolis ♪
♪ Eager for TLC ♪
[crowd booing]
Now I'm gonna have to start over.
[crowd jeering]
[playing mellow tune]
♪ Came to Minneapolis ♪
♪ Eager for TLC ♪
♪ Women here are fine as wine ♪
♪ But the men can't measure up to me ♪
[crowd booing]
I'm actually having trouble hearing myself right now.
[crowd cheering]
So I need you to hold your applause until after.
-[crowd booing] -Save it.
[playing mellow tune]
♪ The stench of your city ♪
♪ It covers me ♪
[crowd booing]
♪ So shut your mouth ♪
♪ Walk behind me ♪
♪ But leave me the hell alone ♪
[crowd booing]
-[Michael] Oh my God, not again. -[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Yes, again.
Let's do this again, and again, and again.
[Michael] What is Jason Jordan? The king of the supermarket?
-I mean, come on. -[Booker] I mean, this is, uh…
-[Graves] If we needed to fill time… -[Booker] Come on.
…we could've found like a local Replacements cover band or something.
-[Michael] I mean, this is ridiculous. -[Graves] No, this is ridiculously great.
I've never been more happy to see Jason Jordan in my life.
[Michael] Oh, come on. Let him… Let him play.
Let him play. Let him play.
Minneapolis is a city known for its music, Corey.
I mean, the great Prince hailed from here.
[Graves] Yeah, I know, that's all the more reason
Elias shouldn't be allowed to perform.
That is actually… It was actually a good song.
-Like a city-wide ordinance. -I've heard the song before.
-It's actually a good song. -Can I steal your line?
It was good.
Nonetheless, ladies and gentlemen, TLC rolls on tonight.
-We got some thank yous to get to. -Yeah.
-Speaking of music. -Yeah, we wanna spend--
send a special thanks to Welshly Arms for "Legendary,"
-the official theme of WWE TLC. -["Legendary" playing]
[Graves] It's off the Legendary EP.
Available on iTunes and Spotify.
[Michael] And ladies and gentlemen, coming up next,
it is all about the Cruiserweight Championship.
Kalisto, the brand new Cruiserweight Champion,
will defend against the, well, many people call him a loudmouth,
Enzo Amore.
And, for Enzo, he took the 205 Live roster by storm
earlier this month.
♪ Can't stand the heat then just… ♪
[upbeat music playing]
[Enzo] Enzo Amore is your new Cruiserweight Champion.
[Graves] Oh! What?
[Nigel] Hey.
[Vic] A low blow. The referee didn't see it.
Enzo Amore is the new Cruiserweight Champ
[Enzo] I made 205 Live relevant.
I didn't have to wait in line for this thing.
I crossed the line.
So all you cruiserweights can fall in line.
Hey back up, think twice. You guys like your job?
I dare anyone of you to touch me right now.
So act smart.
I know it's hard for you.
Hey, Mufasa, your parents did you a bigger injustice that I ever could
when they named you after the Lion King, kid.
You got more abs than you do brain cells Tony Nese, you schmuck.
Look at this. Oh, you wanna touch me Gaba-Gulak?
You look like a hobo.
What are you wearing, a scuba shirt?
What size shirt is that, a shmedium?
[Kurt] None of the cruiserweights at the ringside
can have physical contact with you in any way.
If they do, they will be fired.
But none of this applies to the newest member
of the cruiserweight division that I just signed.
[man] Lucha! Lucha!
[Tom] The former United States Champion, Kalisto.
[Graves] One of the most talented luchadors on the planet Earth.
And he is staring a hole through Enzo Amore.
[Tom] And Kalisto, the newest member of 205 Live.
[Graves] Welcome to 205 Live.
-[dramatic music playing] -I'm trying to understand, Kurt,
is why Kalisto assaults me
and he gets rewarded with a title opportunity at TLC.
Explain that.
Forget about the match against Kalisto at TLC.
How you doing?
You're gonna put that Cruiserweight Championship on the line
against Kalisto tonight.
Your match with Kalisto is a Lumberjack match.
[Michael] Enzo Amore defending the Cruiserweight Championship
against Kalisto here tonight.
Looking for the Salida Del Sol, Enzo able to counter. There it is.
And Mustafa Ali makes sure that Enzo doesn't retain.
[Graves] And Enzo, once again, only has himself to blame,
the cheap shot to Mustafa Ali.
Ali didn't forget.
[Michael] Kalisto now. Enzo for the second rope.
Kalisto with a Salida Del Sol.
Can Kalisto do it?
[crowd cheering]
[crowd] …two, three.
-[bell ringing] -[Michael] Kalisto does it.
Kalisto is the Cruiserweight Champion.
[Kalisto] The very first time in the cruiserweight division.
There's a luchador as champion.
[Enzo] Let's just be real for one minute,
because I got nuked, duped, screwed,
and robbed of my Cruiserweight Championship.
And I got money stacked taller than you.
I earned that money being a star.
I think it shed some light, and I think some people see it.
[Michael] Hey, that's Daivari, and Dar, and Nese, and Gulak.
[Enzo] The Zo Train is coming through.
[Michael] If this alliance stays true, Enzo Amore is more dangerous than ever.
[Enzo] I'm muscles marinara and I got the sauce.
'Cause at TLC, I'm taking that lady back, boy.
How you doing?
[crowd booing]
-["SAWFT Is a Sin" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ You're SAWFT, you're sloppy ♪
♪ They callin' me Papi! ♪
♪ I roll in a Benz You ridin' around in a beat-up jalopy! ♪
♪ Hey, ya doin'? Bros wanna copy ♪
♪ But they are just not me ♪
♪ I'm up in the club stackin' them dubs
♪ You stuck in the lobby! ♪
♪ I'm hot like sauce ♪
♪ You SAWFT like balsa ♪
My name is Enzo Amore
and I am a certified G
and a bona-fide stud and you can't teach that.
Bada boom. Realest guy in the room.
How you doing?
[crowd cheering, booing]
[crowd chanting] How you doing? How you doing? How you doing?
I tell you how I'm doing.
I lost my voice.
[crowd cheering]
I was celebrating my victory a little too hard last night.
But make no mistake about it, the reason why I say that
is 'cause my voice is the only thing I'm losing.
And I'll tell you why.
There is only three types of people in this world.
People who make things happen, like me.
People who watch things happen, like all of you.
Yeah, losers. Yeah, losers.
Speaking of losers, the third type of person.
The person who just sits around and wonders
what the hell just happened.
Well, Kalisto, I'll tell you what's gonna happen.
I am gonna be two-time Cruiserweight Champion.
You know why?
Real simple, real simple.
Because there's only one word to describe you
and I'm gonna spell it out for you.
S-A-W-F-T.
[crowd] Sawft!
[Vic] Well, certainly a defiant challenger here tonight, Enzo Amore.
-["Lucha Lucha" playing] -♪ Lucha, lucha, lucha, lucha ♪
♪ Lucha, lucha, lucha, lucha Lucha, lucha, lucha, lucha ♪
[bell ringing]
[Rome] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
It is for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
Introducing first, from Mexico City,
weighing in at 170 pounds,
he is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion,
Kalisto.
[Vic] And we have some international flare here with us tonight.
Our international announce team over on international row.
We'll start with our Portuguese announce team
of Marco Alfaro and Roberto Figueroa.
[speaking Portuguese]
[Vic] Our Russian announce team of Moti Margolin and Zhan Pomerantsev.
[speaking Russian]
[Vic] Our Japanese announce team Shun Yamaguchi and Funaki.
[speaking Japanese]
[Vic] Our Indian announce team Obaid Kadwani and Shez Sardar.
[speaking Hindi]
[Vic] Our French announce team are Ray Rougeau and Jean Brassard.
[speaking French]
[Vic] And our Mandarin announce team Meng Ai and Sean Deng.
[speaking Mandarin]
[Vic] And we are all set for Kalisto's first title defense
of his Cruiserweight Championship.
It's against Enzo Amore and this of course, Nigel,
Enzo's contractual rematch for the Cruiserweight title.
[Nigel] It certainly is. Amore looks fired up.
-But I have to say, I think that… -[bell rings]
…really, Amore has gotta have the skin of Kalisto.
We saw it from the beginning there, how aggressive he was,
how quickly he wanted to get on top of Amore.
[Vic] Oh, Kalisto chomping at the bit, charging right in on Enzo Amore.
Enzo Amore trying to stay an arm-distance's away.
So you feel that that might be Enzo's strategy tonight
to continue to go in Kalisto.
[Nigel] That wasn't a good start. Just throwing away the… that leg kick.
[Vic] And Kalisto controlling Enzo with a side headlock.
Kalisto, also a former two-time United States Champion, is battle-tested.
And a sharp elbow, looked to the eye, Nigel, from Enzo Amore.
[Nigel] Did not expect that.
[Vic] Enzo Amore feels that there is a conspiracy against him.
[Nigel] Well, you can understand why given how events have transpired.
[Vic] Oh, whoa.
That's how quick Kalisto and--
Oh, and Enzo started dancing and Enzo now on the run.
[Nigel] It's not a bad game plan from Amore.
-Get inside Kalisto's head-- Oh. -[Vic] Oh.
Nobody home on the elbow drop.
-[Nigel] A little slow there. -[Vic] And for a moment,
Kalisto one step ahead of the challenger.
Up and around, headscissors takedown by the champion.
[Nigel] It's got to be clear, when it comes to speed,
when it comes to high flying, Kalisto clearly has Enzo's number.
-No doubt about it. -[Vic] What an enzuigiri from Kalisto.
And one more time, Enzo Amore trying to reset himself
in this Cruiserweight Championship matchup.
You know, I talked to Kalisto, who's now mocking Enzo,
I talked to Kalisto earlier
and he told me that Enzo Amore isn't that rich
because you aren't rich until you have something that money can't buy.
And Kalisto, he's not gonna hand over that title.
You can't buy a championship off Kalisto.
And it looks like the champion gonna take to the air.
Oh.
[Nigel] Suicide dive through the middle and top.
Kalisto taking some risks.
[crowd] Lucha! Lucha!
[Nigel] I think he can afford to do it early on.
But Amore has shown, Vic, time and time again,
he will go to any length to win.
[Vic] Well, he's going any length right now
to get out of the ring and to create some separation between he and Kalisto.
Kalisto staying on top.
But check out this impact in slow motion, Nigel.
A diving Kalisto.
[Nigel] That left shoulder of Kalisto catching Amore under the jaw.
[Vic] Oh, Kalisto just trying to pull Enzo Amore up.
-Oh. -[Nigel] Oh.
[Vic] Oh, my.
Kalisto jaw first over the top turnbuckle.
[Nigel] He always thought Amore was just gonna lie and wait
until the opportunity presented itself.
[Vic] And now Enzo picking up the scraps of the champion.
Enzo Amore who called Kalisto a hypocrite a few weeks ago on 205 Live.
What a unique move into the counter and just a two count.
[Nigel] That was innovative.
[Vic] Now watch it, Enzo Amore able to turn this around
right here in slow motion.
The impact… Boom!
Jaw first for Kalisto.
Really the turning point for the challenger.
[Nigel] And look what he's doing now, he's focusing on that injured body part,
the jaw of Kalisto.
Be interesting to see if he tries to remove the mask as well.
Of course, the mask of lucha libre superstars,
they're super important, a lot of integrity and pride
goes along with that.
[Vic] And a unique submission maneuver.
But right now, Nigel, it looked like a forearm.
Enzo Amore has had some verbal attacks along with some physical attacks
on the champion over the last several weeks.
[Nigel] Watch out he's sizing up Kalisto. Oh.
[Vic] To the midsection, into the ribs.
[Nigel] Field goal!
How many points is that Vic?
[Vic] Well, right now, it's all about winning the match up.
It's all about keeping his opponent's shoulders down for the count of three.
It doesn't matter about points as Enzo Amore scaling to the top rope.
And now mocking the champion.
[Nigel] He's way up there, a long way to go.
[Vic] We haven't seen Enzo.
[Nigel] Oh.
Thought better of it.
[Vic] Oh, wait a… Kalisto rolling through with a Listo Kick.
[Nigel] Well, you'd say it was a mistake from Amore to go to the top,
made a smart move to jump off,
but Kalisto was there to catch him.
[Vic] That mistake is the opening the champion may have needed
to retain his title here tonight,
as Kalisto trying to feed off the energy
here in the Target Center of the WWE Universe.
-[Nigel] Oh. -[Vic] Kalisto getting caught, oh.
[Nigel] Oh-ho. Drove down with a ven--
[Vic] And again, shoulders down, and--
Oh, could we have a new champion, and Kalisto just out at two and a half.
Enzo turning his focus right back over to Kalisto.
[Nigel] He's giving Kalisto a chance here to recuperate.
He's telling him, "Get up."
Oh, what's this?
We've seen football. Is this gonna be baseball?
[Vic] But do you not agree with what, uh,
Enzo Amore's doing here as the challenger in this match up?
-[Nigel] Oh. -[Vic] And a huge right hand.
Hooks the legs one more time. Is it enough?
And no, Kalisto out at two and three-fourths.
[Nigel] How can I disagree with that, Vic? It's effective.
And now a brutal rear chin lock, putting a lot of pressure on the neck,
making it difficult for Kalisto to breathe.
You got no chance. You got no chance.
[Nigel] Whoa, look at the way he drives with those hips,
adding more pressure to that neck.
[Vic] Enzo cinching in the head lock
and making it difficult for Kalisto to gasp any air,
to bring any air into his lungs.
[Nigel] Closes up that larynx,
makes it very difficult to get air back inside.
[Vic] Kalisto has to navigate his way free.
Kalisto has to get back to a vertical base.
And Enzo Amore right after the mask,
ripping back down Kalisto.
[Nigel] Yeah, but with the way I see it, he certainly did.
But listen, he's got to take shortcuts.
I've said it from day one.
Amore cannot compete in terms of speed,
in terms of technique,
so he's got to take some shortcuts.
[Vic] And here, Enzo just yelling at Kalisto,
nothing worse than getting yelled at
while you're getting beat up at the same time.
But Kalisto, never one to quit.
Kalisto the heart of a champion.
[Nigel] He certainly is an inspiration. There's no doubt about it.
Grew up in a very rough working class neighborhood of Chicago.
[Vic] Oh. What a counter by the Cruiserweight Champion.
[Nigel] Look at that face. You can see there Amore gasping for air.
Having trouble breathing.
[Vic] Amore rattled and rocked
as Kalisto trying to maybe get his bearings back about him
here in this Cruiserweight Championship match, as Kalisto…
[Nigel] Of course, the former Samurai of the Sun
will be looking for that Salida Del Sol, if he can hit it.
[Vic] Up and over, Kalisto holding on.
Oh, another Listo Kick.
And the first ever luchador Cruiserweight Champion takes to the air.
Oh.
Kalisto just driving Enzo Amore into the mat.
Is this enough to retain his Cruiserweight title?
And Enzo Amore, say what you want about Enzo,
what a ring presence.
[Nigel] Absolutely. I got to say,
say what you want about his technique or his speed,
but his experience is there.
[Vic] And Kalisto back on top of Enzo Amore.
-Oh, wait… Oh! -[Nigel] Is this-- Oh!
[Vic] And a counter by Enzo, into the bottom turnbuckle went Kalisto.
[Nigel] Time and time again, really has proved his ring IQ.
Oh.
[Vic] A DDG.
Will this be enough to bring the cruiserweight title back to Enzo Amore?
And where is Kalisto getting this from, Nigel?
[Nigel] Guts and determination.
He wants to wear that cruiserweight title around his waist again.
[Vic] We see the frustration building on Enzo Amore.
There is no Zo Train with him here tonight.
And check out the impact again, Nigel.
[Nigel] Look at the impact, but look at the angle, that head,
driving down into the mat, pins the leg.
[Vic] But not enough to pin the Cruiserweight Champion.
[Nigel] I think this is a mistake.
Now, he's just toying with Kalisto.
He's got to put him away. Perhaps yes. Is he looking for it here?
[Vic] Looking for the JawdonZo and countering was Kalisto.
[Nigel] It wasn't pretty.
[Vic] And Kalisto charging in.
Wait a minute. Kalisto, for the second time,
was not able to hook that SDS.
And once again, Enzo Amore trying anything he can do
to get away from the Cruiserweight Champion.
[Nigel] You can't get away from him because now in the center…
-[Vic] Oh! -[Nigel] Oh!
Did he have something… I couldn't see if he had a foreign object in his hand.
[Vic] It looked like… It looked like Enzo Amore just blatantly poked…
Another JawdonZo, center of the ring.
[Nigel] Is this it?
[Vic] Kalisto shoulders are down.
[bell ringing]
-["SAWFT Is a Sin" playing] -[Vic] And Enzo… Enzo Amore.
[Rome] Here's your winner
and the new WWE Cruiserweight Champion,
Enzo Amore.
[Nigel] Well, Vic, I'm shocked.
Amore almost looked shocked as well.
Got to say that's an upset.
And your heart has to go out to Kalisto.
[Vic] Enzo Amore cutting corners again,
to become Cruiserweight Champion.
Enzo Amore is, Nigel, is now a two-time Cruiserweight Champion.
[Nigel] Let's take a look at how it went down.
[Vic] Well, this is… The referee… Look right, right there.
Thumb to the eye.
[Nigel] I think, yeah, you're right. Thumb to the eye.
Distracting the vision of Kalisto.
He had no idea where he was,
couldn't defend himself against the JawdonZo.
-That was enough to beat Kalisto. -One, two, three.
-[crowd cheering] -[bell ringing]
[Vic] And for the second time in his career,
Enzo Amore is Cruiserweight Champion.
Well, Enzo, congratulations,
you are now a two-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
[crowd cheering, booing]
Oh my… Oh my God. I…
I got to thank him.
I got thank him.
I owe all of the thanks to me!
[crowd booing]
And, you know, what I owe all of you?
A big no thank you.
How you doing?
-["SAWFT Is a Sin" playing] -♪ You're SAWFT, you're sloppy
♪ They callin' me Papi! ♪
♪ I roll in a Benz… ♪
[Vic] Well, Nigel it appears, once again, that Tuesday nights
are, again, the Zo show as Enzo Amore is, once again,
the realest champ in the room.
["Legendary" playing]
[Michael] Tonight, we are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Target Center,
13,381 WWE fans on hand
for WWE TLC.
And we welcome two representatives from the Paralyzed Veterans of America,
Brad Coleman and Shaun Castle.
Join Paralyzed Veterans of America in their fight
to provide critical care and support for disabled heroes and their families,
by visiting pva.org/wwe and donate today.
[crowd cheering]
Well, ladies and gentlemen, earlier tonight,
we told you about the viral infection
which means Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt
cannot compete here tonight at WWE TLC.
Well, Bray Wyatt won't compete but "The Demon" Finn Bálor will
and what is a, well, Corey, a dream match.
That's what many of the WWE fans are calling.
I think a dream match is the perfect way to describe it. Up until a few days ago,
this is a match you thought you could only create in WWE 2K18.
"The Demon" Finn Bálor,
one on one with "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles,
who SmackDown Live was kind enough to loan us for one night only.
This thing is gonna be unreal.
[Michael] Yeah. From what we understand it,
General Manager Kurt Angle on Monday Night Raw contacted
General Manager Daniel Bryan from SmackDown Live
and agreed that AJ Styles would come here for one night only.
AJ Styles was in South America on the SmackDown Live tour.
He flew all night to get here today for this match.
["Phenomenal" playing]
[crowd cheering]
♪ No, they don't want none ♪
♪ They looking scared No, they don't really want none… ♪
[bell ringing]
[Rome] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Gainesville, Georgia,
weighing 218 pounds,
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles.
[Michael] And the general manager of SmackDown Live, Daniel Bryan,
got in touch with SmackDown Live commissioner Shane McMahon
who okayed it,
AJ Styles is here tonight,
loaned to Monday Night Raw, one night only.
[Graves] I think it's fair to say Kurt Angle owes Shane McMahon
a favor now after this.
What a get for one night only.
[crowd cheering]
[Booker] Let me tell you. Everybody was…
[Michael] And ladies and gentlemen, watch your favorite TV shows and movies
online with Hulu and get your next day unlimited instant streaming access
to all of WWE's weekly programs.
Visit hulu.com for a free trial
and start watching your favorite WWE shows today.
[Graves] AJ Styles in a Monday Night Raw ring. Wow.
[Booker] You gotta love it.
Everybody was anticipating Sister Abigail versus The Demon.
But I'ma tell you right now.
This matchup, right here, needs no buildup at all.
[Graves] This is two of the best in-ring competitors of our generation
about to do battle.
This is pure competition, folks.
[crowd cheering]
[Booker] Who's the best?
-We're gonna find out tonight. -["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[crowd cheering]
["Catch Your Breath" continues]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd] Whoo!
Whoo!
["Catch Your Breath" continues]
[Michael] It is extraordinary when The Demon enters the ring.
Finn Bálor has said The Demon is where his artistic and wrestling sides meet.
His personality changes when The Demon's war paint goes on
and he releases his inner demon.
[Graves] Finn has unlocked the crypt to the underworld in his mind
and unleashed the demon on Minneapolis.
AJ Styles had better be ready.
[Michael] AJ Styles said earlier tonight on the TLC kickoff show,
"Hey, The Demon's never been beaten."
"I'm gonna be the first to do it here tonight."
[Booker] Hey, guys, for The Demon to get a last-minute opponent,
not just a last-minute opponent but a guy like AJ Styles,
the pressure has to go to The Demon.
[Graves] I actually agree with you, Booker.
Finn has spent so much time focusing on Bray and Sister Abigail,
almost to the point of obsession.
Can The Demon adapt for AJ Styles?
[Booker] How do you switch gears for that?
[Michael] Both AJ Styles and Finn Bálor really made names
-for themselves wrestling in Japan. -[song concludes]
[Michael] At one point in their career, they both led the same faction.
[Booker] AJ Styles said it best. This match right here, guys,
will have global meanings all over the world.
[Graves] You're right, Cole. The notorious club started by Finn Bálor.
Once he departed for WWE, it was picked up
and AJ Styles took the ball to a whole new level.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
This is awesome!
[Michael] It is an electric feeling here tonight at the Target Center,
for the first time ever.
[Graves] They're chanting, "This is awesome"
and the match hasn't even begun yet.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Graves] It's one of the first times that's ever happened.
[bell ringing]
[Michael] And here we go, matchup is underway.
[Booker] Two guys with similar fighting styles.
I mean, the matchup is perfect
and both guys in the prime of their careers.
-You gotta love it. -[Chad] One, two, three…
[Michael] AJ Styles first arrived on the scene here in WWE back in 2016,
making his debut, a surprise debut, at the Royal Rumble.
He'd go on to win a WWE Championship, two-time United States Champion.
In fact, earlier this year, Corey, I believe AJ Styles had a matchup
that may be Match of the Year against John Cena.
[Graves] I certainly concur with that.
But AJ Styles, right now, has another opportunity
to put together a match
that the world will be talking about for years to come.
[Michael] So, again, AJ Styles, is he the underdog in this matchup tonight?
We talked of course about the travel all the way from South America,
also the fact that last week on SmackDown Live,
AJ Styles challenged the WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal.
Perhaps his mind's on that.
[Booker] I mean, the travel does something to you, definitely being
in another time zone. But I'ma tell you, this is a moment that AJ Styles relish.
He's going out here and proving, guys, that he is truly phenomenal.
[Graves] You gotta wonder if AJ has any sort of advantage
because as well as he knows Finn Bálor, not The Demon,
but Finn Bálor. AJ's very familiar.
Does that maybe give him a leg up, having seen The Demon in the past?
[Michael] Takedown by AJ Styles, working on the left arm.
Finn Bálor, though, leg scissors
and a nice side headlock takedown.
And, again, AJ Styles. Bit of a stalemate here in the early going.
[Booker] Lot of range in both of these guys.
They can pretty much take it anywhere you wanna see it
in the middle of that squared circle, guys.
[Michael] And again, Corey, you mentioned that
AJ knows Finn Bálor very well.
But keep in mind, this is the first time these two men have ever met in a match.
[Graves] Exactly. And that's what begs to be seen.
AJ is… Oh. AJ is familiar with…
-[Michael] Oh. -…Finn Bálor, the man.
It's a different situation standing across the ring from The Demon.
[Michael] Here's the leapfrog and…
-[Graves] Oh" -…dropkick by AJ, right on the button.
Now, we've talked a lot about AJ. But what about Finn Bálor, The Demon?
He was preparing for Bray Wyatt tonight.
Now, on a two-day notice, he has to prepare
for one of the best in the world, "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles.
[Graves] The important part for Finn Bálor is he's already tapped into The Demon. Oh!
[Michael] Oh! And he caught AJ with a kick.
AJ felt that one. He's in trouble.
Finn Bálor now looking for the cover.
-No, actually. -[Graves] Look at the--
[Michael] Finn Bálor looking to tie up Styles.
[Graves] Finn very proficient in grappling,
very strong ground game.
Has control on AJ Styles right now.
Finn has a moment to decide what his next maneuver is.
[Booker] I'ma tell you. For a guy like AJ Styles,
who I've been in the ring with,
you gotta prepare for a guy like AJ Styles.
And I don't know if a couple of days is enough time for Finn Bálor.
[Michael] And Finn Bálor looking to continue to punish AJ Styles.
[Graves] Oh, look at this. Surfboard submission.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Puts an incredible amount of pressure
on your shoulders, on your knees.
[Booker] But Finn Bálor, just to hold a move like that,
take a lot on him too, Corey.
[Michael] Look at the torque, though, on AJ.
And Finn, again, looking to wrap AJ up.
[Booker] Finn right now just trying to go from one set to another
just to, you know, pretty much take away the legs
from AJ Styles here early in the contest.
[Michael] AJ grabbing the rope, forcing the break by the official.
[Graves] This is certainly a more tentative side of The Demon
than we've seen in the past.
Usually, 100 miles an hour right out of the gate.
-[Michael] A feeling-out process and-- Oh! -[Graves] Oh!
[Michael] And obviously respect being shown to AJ Styles
at all he's accomplished.
Chop to the chest.
[Booker] AJ's gonna have to be crafty tonight, guys.
Just go… He can't go out there and just go all out.
First up, he's gonna have to be smart.
[Michael] Oh! Dropkick right to the face by The Demon.
Finn Bálor, the first-ever Universal Champion.
[Booker] Especially after flying all night.
[Graves] You gotta wonder if that plays into AJ Styles's plan,
but not right there, Booker.
-[Michael] AJ just stopped… -[Graves] Wow.
…The Demon in his tracks.
[Graves] It's like Styles was shot out of a cannon.
That just stopped all of the momentum Bálor had built.
[Booker] You know, AJ wasted no time
-coming to WWE. Oh! -[Graves] Oh!
[Booker] Coming here to WWE and just making his mark.
And tonight, guys, this'd be a big mark,
beating the first-ever Universal Champion here at TLC.
[Michael] Finn Bálor winning the Universal Championship
a couple of years ago at SummerSlam
in a tremendous matchup against Seth Rollins.
He'd go on to get injured, have to give up the championship,
hard-fought to get back into things with a hurt shoulder…
But Finn back better than ever as AJ delivers the knee.
Here's the cover on Bálor, almost had him, near fall.
[Booker] Finn Bálor's been working really hard
to get back to that position. But, Cole, let tell me you… [chuckles]
…as easy as it is to get there, it's so much harder to get back.
-Not saying that it was easy… -[Graves] Oh.
…for this young man.
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Bálor! AJ Styles!
-[Booker] Mm. -[Michael] Mixed reaction
out of the 13,000 plus here tonight in Minneapolis.
Oh, wow.
[Graves] The agility of Styles.
[crowd chanting] AJ Styles! Let's go, Bálor!
-[Michael] AJ Styles! -[Booker] Oh!
[Graves] He connected. That might be it.
[Michael] That could be it. Hook to the leg on Bálor
and a kickout at two.
[Booker] Talking about somebody going for a homerun early.
-AJ Styles letting it all hang out. -[Michael] AJ Styles would love to walk
into SmackDown Live Tuesday night in Milwaukee
with a victory over Raw's Demon, Finn Bálor,
as we take another look at this explosive forearm to the face.
[Graves] Right on the jaw.
The real one, not the painted one, of Finn Bálor.
[Michael] When you think about it, Corey,
it'd be embarrassing for Bálor to lose here tonight
at the Raw pay-per-view event to a SmackDown superstar.
[Graves] It certainly would be. It's all about pride here.
But there's no embarrassment ever in coming up short
-to "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles. -[Booker] I second that right there.
AJ Styles is truly one of the best and Finn Bálor knows it.
[Graves] This isn't exactly Survivor Series
where Raw and SmackDown will go head-to-head,
but it's certainly an interesting situation.
[Michael] Yeah, well, it'll whet your appetite a little bit
for Survivor Series four weeks from tonight.
One of the biggest events of the year as AJ Styles delivers a right.
Now Finn Bálor, "The Demon," battling back.
[grunts]
[Graves] Oh my goodness.
[Michael] Oh, and AJ takes down The Demon.
-[Graves] Cover here by Styles. -[Michael] Is it enough?
And a kickout at two, got his shoulder up.
[Graves] Curious to see the longer this match goes on,
how the game plans work themselves out.
AJ Styles more of a strategic competitor.
Finn Bálor in demon form is all about emotion, full speed ahead.
[Michael] AJ Styles was asked on the kickoff show…
-[Graves] Oh. -…how would he prepare
for someone that he hasn't been in the ring with like Finn Bálor.
He said, "I'm always ready. I'll do what I usually do."
"Never underestimate my opponent."
[Booker] You know, normally, in the end, guys,
it's gonna come down to endurance.
Who's… Who wants it more? Who has…
-[Graves] Oh. -…more in the tank?
[Graves] Both of these competitors have outrageous amounts
of stamina in their system.
[Michael] And you look at the incredible shape
both of these superstars are in.
Oh, and that shot you can hear echo in the Target Center.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] And another one.
[Booker] AJ Styles, just look at the kid.
No wasted motion from "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles.
[Michael] And Finn with a chop of his own.
[Graves] Same can be said for Bálor.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Look at these rapid-fire rights and lefts.
-Oh! -[crowd exclaiming]
[Michael] Styles is whipped into the corner.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Michael] Is this the pace you expected, Corey?
[Graves] Honestly, I didn't know what to expect.
Both of these superstars are so capable.
-[Booker] Mm! -[Michael] Oh!
AJ knocked from a perch on the top turnbuckle
by a wicked kick by The Demon.
[Graves] Both competitors have such diverse skill sets,
incredible abilities in and out of the ring.
-What's Bálor thinking about? -[Michael] And here he is.
Oh, launching himself over the top rope and The Demon flies.
[Graves] But how much did Finn take out of himself?
A crash landing for The Demon.
[Booker] Guys, Finn Bálor just picked up the pace just a little bit,
just kicked it into another gear and…
[Graves] Take another look at this amazing kick.
-[Michael] Boom! -[crowd exclaims]
[Graves] Bálor connected right on the ear of Styles
and followed up with a beautiful suicide dive--
Oh! Taking out The Phenomenal One.
And here we go, Sling Blade.
[Michael] Sling blade by Bálor. Now The Demon measuring AJ Styles.
Can Finn put him away?
[Booker] You gotta wonder if AJ Styles can keep up with this pace.
Like I say, especially coming off of a long, long plane flight.
You gotta… you gotta admire him for being in a matchup like this.
[Michael] Yeah, if anybody can, it's AJ Styles.
-[Graves] Uh-oh. -[Michael] The best in the world today.
-[Booker] Oh! -[Graves] Oh!
Right across the back of The Demon's neck.
[Michael] Now can AJ capitalize?
[Graves] Ushigoroshi bought Styles a few moments.
Can he capitalize?
Look at this. The Demon with a full head of steam, AJ just picks him right up.
[Michael] Yeah, an incredible ushigoroshi.
[crowd clamor]
-[Graves] Uh-oh. -[Michael] Looking for the Styles Clash.
Finn Bálor, though, lands on his feet.
AJ from behind, face-first goes Finn.
AJ Styles for the win, shoulders down,
Finn survives.
[crowd cheering]
[Booker] Let me tell you. The ones that get you, guys,
is the one that you don't see coming.
And that's the difference between most of the guys
and "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles.
He's got a lot in his bag of tricks.
[Graves] Let's take another look at this. Bálor looking for a knockout strike
and Styles makes him pay in a sitout facebuster,
but still not enough to topple The Demon for three.
[Michael] Uh-oh, stomp right to the side of the face
of AJ Styles and AJ's hurt.
AJ is hurt.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And now The Demon…
could be closing in on a victory here tonight.
Stomping away at Styles.
Come on now. Back up.
[Michael] The aggressive side coming out in The Demon.
-[yells] -[Graves] Oh.
-[Michael] Into the corner goes Finn. -[Graves] Right on the money.
Styles trapped between the turnbuckle and Bálor's feet.
What's The Demon thinking? Uh-oh.
[Michael] AJ Styles up, takes the leg, looking for the Calf Crusher submission.
Calf Crusher center of the ring, nowhere for The Demon to go.
[Graves] Will The Demon be submitted in the center of the ring?
[Michael] AJ Styles has got it locked in.
[Booker] Great veteran move, right there, by AJ Styles.
He just took as much as he possibly could to The Demon,
just put himself on a position for a second.
[Michael] Corey, you went on a little bit about The Demon here
as he tries to make his way to the bottom rope.
[Graves] Wow, look at this.
Great ring awareness by the veteran Styles,
readjusting Bálor to the center of the ring,
the Calf Crusher in deep.
[Michael] And look at… Oh, look at The Demon doing everything he can
to break the Calf Crusher.
Great counter, but has the damage been done?
[Graves] There's no way anyone could sit in the Calf Crusher of AJ Styles
for that long and not suffer some sort of ill effects.
[Michael] And so much of The Demon's offense is based on his speed.
Will that be affected now by the injury to the leg? It has to be.
[Booker] I tell you, AJ Styles just lured him in
and Finn Bálor just walked right into it
and almost had to tap.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
This is awesome!
[Michael] Styles launched out of the apron,
catches him with a forearm again.
[Graves] Is he thinking about the Phenomenal Forearm?
But-- Oh! Oh, God.
[Michael] The Demon with a counter and AJ could be hurt.
[crowd clamoring]
[Graves] The Demon bought himself some valuable time,
blocking what I believe was going to be a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles. But…
can Bálor will himself back to his feet?
Let's take a look at this.
[Michael] Yeah, he was going for the Phenomenal Forearm
and The Demon able to knock him out of midair.
[Booker] Simple but very effective for The Demon right there.
Put himself in great position.
We've seen this before.
[Michael] Runs the apron, takes out AJ.
-[Booker] Mm. -[Michael] Vicious.
[Graves] Mr. Styles, your teeth are in section 133.
[Michael] Look at AJ. Eyes rolling to the back of his head.
[crowd cheering]
[Booker] AJ's trying to buy a little bit of time right now, guys.
I've been in that position before and it's not a great place to be.
[Graves] I don't think The Demon's allowing any time.
-[Booker] Oh, man. -[Michael] The Demon and--
Oh! And a dropkick, driving AJ into the barricade.
The Demon's on the hunt.
[Graves] Let's take a look at this kick.
Boom! Bang! Right on the side of AJ's chin
and Bálor would follow with a horrific dropkick
right into the barricade. Styles is in a lot of trouble.
[Michael] And meanwhile, The Demon has rolled back into the ring,
the official beginning the count. He's at a count of five now.
[Graves] Yeah, but Bálor doesn't wanna win like that.
[Michael] No, of course not. Bálor wants to pin or submit AJ Styles.
That's what this is all about.
He doesn't wanna take a count out victory.
-He wants to beat Styles in his-- -[Graves] Oh, no.
-Look out! -[Michael] Oh my God!
Driven onto the German announce table.
And that may come back to haunt Finn Bálor.
The Demon might've had a count out victory,
instead he went after Styles and AJ made him pay.
[crowd clamor]
[Booker laughs] AJ no stranger to a fight, guys.
[Graves] Let's take another look at this.
Bálor attempting to pick up Styles, but AJ with… Oh!
[Michael] That came from out of nowhere, Corey.
[Graves] You're absolutely right.
I'm surprised the German announce team could move that quickly.
[crowd] Eight…
[Michael] And both men back into the ring, bringing--
being in the count again. We do not want a count-out victory here.
-[Graves] This is about pride. -[Michael] Neither one of these men do.
-[Graves] This is-- Oh! -[Michael] Oh! And what a collision,
middle of the ring.
That'll break some ribs.
-[Graves] Oh, that clothesline. -[Michael] And again, a collision.
[Graves] Both of these athletes so well matched,
obviously thinking the same thing.
Both men are down.
This is exactly what the WWE Universe says it is.
This is awesome.
[Michael] And, Corey, you know, you hit the nail on the head
when you use the word "pride."
That is what it is about from both of these superstars.
Take another look at the collision.
[Booker] That's the first one right there, guys.
[Michael] And then the double clothesline here taking both men out.
[crowd clamoring]
[Michael] Back to their feet, Bálor unloads first.
[Booker] Truly a dream match, guy-- that we have right here before us, guys.
-[Graves] Breaking down right now. -[Booker] It's a-- It's a donnybrook.
-[Michael] And look at AJ. -[Graves] Oh!
-[Booker] Oh. -[Michael] Rights and lefts, the kicks.
And there he is.
Finn Bálor caught AJ with an overhead kick.
[Booker] That's that contrasting styles I was telling you about right there.
AJ looked like he was finna land one and Finn Bálor beat him to the punch.
[Michael] Corey, Finn is still favoring the leg
from the Calf Crusher earlier on in this match.
[Graves] You're right. But Finn landed the overhead kick.
Very, very similar to AJ Styles's Pelé Kick.
But The Demon is standing right now.
Could we be thinking about the end?
Great counter by Styles.
[Michael] AJ Styles… Finn Bálor counters.
[Graves] Can he get him up? There it-- Oh.
[Michael] Oh, no, no, no, no.
-[Booker] Oh. -[Michael] AJ lands on his feet.
Finn though drops the elbow, driving AJ into the mat.
[Graves] And now, I think, Bálor looking for the 1916.
[Michael] Been a while since we've seen it.
-[Graves] Boom! There it is. -[Booker] Oh man.
[Michael] Driving AJ into mat, hook to the leg.
-[Graves] No way. -[Michael] Is it enough? Almost had him.
AJ got the shoulder up.
[Graves] It'll be a sanguineous Sunday for sure in the Styles household.
I can't believe AJ kicked out of that.
[Booker] I've never seen that move right there,
but you can see all the air go out the lungs of AJ Styles.
Don't know how he kicked out of that one right there.
[Graves] But I can tell you, Styles has seen that very maneuver many times
in the other side of the world,
but I don't think he's ever been on the other end.
[Michael] But, Corey, it's a long time since we've seen this here in WWE.
And that's what Finn Bálor's doing, pulling out all stops here now…
-[Graves] Look out. -…against AJ
as he drives him back into the corner again.
[groans]
[Michael] And now The Demon--
[crowd cheering]
[Booker] AJ is in a bad place right now, guys.
[Michael] Going up to the top.
-AJ back to his feet, Pelé Kick! -[Graves chuckling] Oh!
-[Booker] Wow! -[Michael] Caught him on the top rope.
[Graves] The Demon is out cold on the top rope.
Can Styles finish this?
[Booker] AJ got all of that one, right there, too.
[Graves] Bálor hasn't moved.
Look at this ridiculous athleticism.
[crowd exclaims]
[Michael] Again, Bálor still on the top rope,
AJ up there as well.
Oh my goodness.
AJ Styles, hook to the leg for a Styles victory
and The Demon kicks out at two and this match continues.
[Graves] You gotta wonder if the Hurricanrana that
Styles connected with woke Bálor up enough to kick out.
[Booker] Let me tell you. AJ Styles right now,
he's in that eleventh hour. But this is what-- This is what proves
that he is a world-class international athlete.
That's AJ Styles.
[Michael] Oh, both of these men are.
[Graves] You're right, Cole, both of these superstars.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Graves] Styles… Oh! Misses the 450.
[Michael] And this allows The Demon…
-[Graves] What a lariat. -…to get back into this
as he turns AJ inside out.
[Graves] Another shotgun dropkick.
Styles…
All the wind knocked out of AJ's body.
Can The Demon sense the finale?
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Oh, the Coup De Grace from Finn Bálor.
The Demon with a cover
-and a victory for The Demon. -[bell ringing]
-[crowd cheering] -["Catch Your Breath" playing]
[Rome] Here's your winner, "The Demon" Finn Bálor.
[Michael] What a match.
I think the dream match delivered.
-[Booker] What a great match. -[Graves] I can't be-- I can't say that
Sister Abigail wouldn't have done any better, but this was an extraordinary,
competitive, high-stakes matchup.
[Booker] You said it, Corey. You said it earlier,
it's about the competition.
[Graves] Look at this. Both men pulling out all the stops,
taking it high risk from the top rope.
This somehow wasn't enough to be the nail in the coffin of The Demon.
[Michael] And then AJ would go for the 450 here, Corey,
and this miss right here would set up The Demon for a victory.
[Graves] Just the slightest opening was all Bálor would need.
Boom! Massive dropkick,
once again launching Styles into the turnbuckle.
The Demon is perched, takes flight,
Coup De Grace right through the heart of The Phenomenal One.
[Michael] The Demon flying through the air with a Coup De Grace
to pick up the victory tonight
in this dream match over AJ Styles.
One thing I would like to do, though, is take this opportunity tonight
to thank AJ Styles-- to thank Styles
for getting on a plane last night in South America, flying all the way here
overnight to compete in this Raw exclusive pay-per-view event.
AJ is from SmackDown Live. He came here tonight
and gave one hell of a match against The Demon.
[Graves] Under the unlikeliest of circumstances,
both of these athletes gave us a memory we will never ever forget.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves laughs]
What a show of respect…
-[Michael] What a moment. -…between these warriors.
[Booker] I think we'll see this again somewhere down the road, guys.
[Graves] I hope you're right, Booker.
[Michael] For the first time ever, it did not disappoint.
An incredible performance tonight from one of the best,
if the not the best, in the world today.
AJ Styles from SmackDown Live,
and that man, the up-and-coming Demon, Finn Bálor,
who's taken Monday Night Raw by storm.
["Catch Your Breath" continues]
[Graves] Demon days have descended upon the WWE,
Bálor Club worldwide.
[Michael] Moments like this
that happen on the WWE Network.
Congratulations to The Demon.
[song fades]
["Superheroes" playing]
♪ Oh ♪
♪ When you've been fighting For it all your life ♪
♪ You've been struggling To make things right ♪
♪ That's how a superhero learns to fly ♪
♪ Every day, every hour Turn the pain into power ♪
♪ When you've been fighting For it all your life ♪
♪ You've been struggling To make things right ♪
♪ That's how a superhero leans to fly ♪
[song fades]
[crowd booing]
[Rome] Ladies and gentlemen, once again, Elias.
[strums guitar]
[crowd booing]
By now you know I am Elias.
And in just a minute,
I'm going to have a match with Jason Jordan.
And, Jason, you spent all night with your childish pranks.
That doesn't surprise me,
you never had a dad around to teach you the right way.
[crowd clamoring]
But before I'll show everyone that I am the better man,
I am going to play a song for Jason on his way down to the ring.
[playing mellow tune]
♪ Jason, yes… ♪
["Next Generation of Great" playing]
-[crowd cheering] -[Michael] Not again.
I mean, Elias worked on his dream out here
and he gets interrupted by Jason Jordan for the third time tonight.
[Graves] Was his dream to be in a Creed cover band?
[bell ringing]
[Rome] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Making his way to the ring, from Chicago, Illinois,
weighing in at 245 pounds, Jason Jordan.
[Michael] Well, this match was made,
uh, after the last altercation earlier tonight.
Jason Jordan came out interrupting Elias a couple of times
by throwing produce from a supermarket at him.
[Graves] We're talking celery,
-lettuce, cabbage. -[Michael] Carrots.
[song fades]
-I think a melon. -[bell ringing]
[Graves] There was a banana. There was definitely a banana.
[Michael] And here we go. Jordan and Elias one-on-one tonight.
All kidding aside, this should be a great matchup.
Two of the young up-and-coming superstars on the Monday Night Raw roster
and they've had quite the rivalry over the past few weeks.
[Graves] Listen, I might feel a certain way about his music,
or lack of musical talent,
but Elias gets it done in between the rope.
But the same can be said for Jason Jordan.
Since being revealed to the world that he was the son of Kurt Angle,
I mean, Jordan's made the most of every opportunity he's been given.
[Michael] Last week at Monday Night Raw's, Six-Man Tag Team matchup,
Jason's team beat Elias's team.
Collar-and-elbow tie up center of the ring.
Jason got upset here tonight because, in the kickoff show,
he was having a moment with his father, Kurt Angle,
-talking about Kurt's return to WWE. -[Graves] Oh!
[Michael] Nice takedown by Jason Jordan to Elias.
Elias interrupted, wanting to sing tonight and Jason got upset with that.
[Graves] Look at the power of Jason Jordan. My goodness,
just dumping Elias down into the cover.
Elias could thank his ring positioning for that one.
[Booker] You know, Corey, I don't know if you noticed,
but I'm gonna tell you right now. Jason Jordan…
-[Michael] Oh! -…just came out here.
He's totally underestimating Elias and his-- and his ability.
-I think that's gonna be-- -[Graves] Oh, look at… Oh!
[Booker] I think it's gonna be a mistake.
[Graves] And I don't think Jordan's underestimating anybody, Book.
I think Jason Jordan is confident and has every single right to be.
[Booker] Let me tell you something. His walk to the ring, his swagger.
Just a look, man, that right there tells me a whole lot about this kid.
He's got a lot to learn.
[Graves] You think-- Book, you think Jason Jordan's got a lot to learn…
-[Booker] Yes. -…'cause he's got swag, Book?
[Booker] No, no, not because of that.
Just because, uh, he's underestimating a guy like… a guy like Elias,
who has been nothing but money
ever since showing up here on Monday Night Raw.
[Graves] Well, not everyone agrees with you, Booker.
See? You're the only one out here with your Elias fan club
laminate on your suit pants. I mean--
-[Michael] I like Elias. -[Booker] See that?
[Graves] Well, you got to send me money for the fan club, Cole.
[Michael] Yeah, I won't do that.
And look at Elias now, clubbing blow to the back of Jason Jordan.
Side headlock now by Elias.
[Graves] And again, I take every opportunity
to give Elias the credit he's due inside the ring.
He's a tough dude.
He gets better and better each time you see him.
But Jason Jordan has got all the tools to be a champion someday.
[Michael] And, Corey, let's talk about Jason Jordan.
What's he's going through tonight, not only in this matchup with Elias,
-but he has the opportunity… -[Graves] Oh!
…to be here and watch his father…
Here's the cover by Elias and a kickout.
Watch his father compete in the WWE ring.
[Graves] It's gotta be an incredible feeling for Jason Jordan.
You think of the stories of how rare it is for Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr.
to play at the same time,
to be able to compete on the same night as your father making history.
[Booker] You know the difference? Ken Griffey Jr.,
-he earned his spot on the team. -[Michael] Oh, here we go.
-[Graves] Here we go again, Book. -[Booker] That's the difference.
-[Michael] Here we go again. -[Booker] That's the difference.
[Michael] By the way, Booker, Jason Jordan was an accomplished athlete
-in WWE before… -[Graves] Look at that.
-…you even knew who his dad was. -[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Jason Jordan catching Elias and now there we go.
-[Graves] Oh! -[Michael] Running slam to Elias.
Jason, cover. Is it enough? Hooks the leg and a kickout.
-[Booker] That was a great move. -[Graves] A little extra on that one.
You could see Elias wince. Hips first driven right into the mat.
[Michael] Remember, Jason, a former Tag Team Champion
over on SmackDown Live and there's a dropkick to Elias
who landed on the apron, drags him back in center of the ring,
hook of the leg and a kickout at two.
[Booker] Uh, I can say this,
if Jason Jordan get a win here tonight over Elias,
this will be the biggest win since coming over for the Raw brand.
[Graves] Well, we're glad you made that declaration, Book.
I think others would disagree but let's talk… Oh.
I said talk about the ridiculous power-- Oh!
[Michael] Elias driving Jason into the corner with a knee to the back.
Jason hit face-first, the official rushing over there
-to make sure he was okay. -[Booker] That's what I like about Elias,
nothing's pretty but effective.
He goes out to get the job done.
[Graves] Knee right between the shoulder blades of Jordan,
launching JJ into the middle turnbuckle.
Very effective from Elias.
[Michael] Corey, of course, you got a long relationship with Jason Jordan.
-Great friends with him over the years. -[Graves] Oh. Yes, sir.
But look at this right now, nothing friendly about Elias.
-[Booker] Yeah. -[Graves] Just throwing hammers.
[Booker] Talk about the debut of this man right here.
I mean, he has done nothing but what, Cole? Win.
[Michael] Who, Elias?
-[Booker] Elias, yes. -[Graves] Elias lost last week, Booker.
[Booker] He's a winner. This guy's a winner.
[Graves] But while you're busy walking with Elias,
Jason Jordan is making waves.
[Michael] Oh, but Elias now taking it to Jordan.
One…
[Michael] Listen here.
Look at the way Booker looks at things, Corey.
-[Graves] Oh! -[Michael] Oh, the only reason
you got your job out here is 'cause you're friends with Jason Jordan,
-who's Kurt Angle's son. -[Graves] That's right.
That's definitely accurate.
-[Booker] Perhaps. -[Graves laughs]
-Cover here by Elias. -[Michael] Is it enough?
Hook of the leg and Jordan kicks out again.
But make no mistake about it.
Jason Jordan an absolutely incredible athlete.
One of the best, uh, wrestlers in the country in college in Indiana.
[Booker] I take nothing away from Jason Jordan.
You see, this right here, this is a great matchup
-for Jason Jordan. -[Michael] Wait a minute.
-[Graves] Cover here by Elias. -[Michael] Here we go again.
Hook of the leg and a kickout again.
You just flip-flopped
-in the span of one minute. -[Booker] No, no. What I'm saying is,
if you can go out here and beat a guy like Elias,
who, like I said, has done nothing but win since coming over to the brand,
this is gonna be-- it's gonna be great for him.
-[Graves] Wow. -[Booker] It's gonna be great.
[Graves] Captain revisionist history over here.
[Booker] I don't know if he can do it.
[Graves] Well, Booker, I just-- I'd like to this opportunity
to recognize and thank Stevie Ray for all your success.
-Look at this great submission from Elias. -[announcers laughing]
[Michael] Jason's in deep, deep trouble here.
The official right there checking to see if Jason's gonna tap out
as Elias continues the pressure,
almost a version of the abdominal stretch here, Corey.
[Graves] That is a ground abdominal stretch.
Jordan able to free his left arm
and deliver a few effective-enough left hands,
but… Now, look.
Jordan looking for a reverse now. Oh.
[Michael] A standing abdominal stretch by Elias.
[Graves] Elias is incredibly powerful. You have to give that to him.
[Michael] And he's talented too. Make no mistake about it.
We sit out here and joke with Booker about this,
but Elias has been so successful since arriving on Monday Night Raw.
He's gonna be a player for years to come for Kurt Angle's team,
as you see Elias continuing to punish Jason Jordan.
[Booker] And all these fans, they may be staying later for the concert.
[Michael] Oh, he's gonna have a concert?
[Booker] Yeah. He told me about it.
-[Michael] Oh. -[Booker] Yeah.
[Michael] And look at Jason Jordan now, reverse standing switch,
trying to make his way out of this abdominal stretch,
sending Elias out of the ring.
[Graves] Desperation maneuver by Jordan,
but it was effective enough.
-One. -[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Elias back into the ring.
Jason Jordan blocks.
There's a right hand.
Jordan again with another right.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Both of these men very impressive in this matchup tonight.
Jordan takes down Elias.
[Graves] Here's Jordan looking to pick up the pace.
This is where he's at his most dangerous.
-Oh! -[Michael] There's the power Jordan,
driving Elias into the corner.
[Booker] Jason always going back to that wrestling base.
[Michael] And again, on the other side.
[Booker] I wanna see if this kid can throw hands.
I wanna see a good… a good fight.
[Michael] And, again, driving Elias to the other side of the ring turnbuckle…
and a belly-to-belly throw.
[Booker] Perfect.
[Michael] I don't know how you can't see it, Book.
This kid's got all the tools.
[Booker] Oh, I've said it before, man.
Jason Jordan, he's a… he's a hell of an athlete. Oh!
He's got… he's got a hell of a future.
[Graves] Cut Elias in half.
[Michael] Is that a suplex there? Here's the cover, hook of the leg.
Is it enough on Elias? Kick out at two.
[Booker] A hard kickout from Elias tells me he got a lot left in the tank.
[Graves] I don't know, Book. That was desperation on--
in my book from Elias.
Certainly feeling the effects of this assault from Jason Jordan.
Jordan looking to figure out a way to seal the deal.
[Booker] You said to try to figure out a way to seal the deal.
Right now, I think this kid's a little bit confused.
[Graves] Booker, hang on 'cause God don't know what you're watching.
But, regardless, Jason Jordan is moments away
from maybe what you called the biggest victory of his time
-on Monday Night Raw. -[Michael] Look, Book. It's almost, like,
you took a fall or something tonight.
Not sure where you're at as Jason Jordan now
has Elias up on the top rope.
[Graves] Elias hanging on for dear life.
[Michael] And look at Elias, shots down to the midsection.
Jason's in trouble, back down to the mat.
Elias second rope, Jason Jordan.
Is this Elias's moment?
-Jordan though, quick as a cat. -[Graves] Shades of Kurt
the way he walked up to those middle ropes.
[Michael] Indeed. Oh, the knee caught him.
Caught him right on the jaw.
Jason Jordan's in trouble.
And now it's Elias just tossing Jordan across the ring and Jason's hurt.
-[Graves] You're absolutely right. -[Michael] Jason is hurt.
[Graves] He could've hyperextended a knee.
[Booker] That left knee buckled, guys.
[Graves] Look at this.
-[Michael] Oh my God. -[Graves] It almost doesn't do it justice
without the sound.
But right on the eyebrow of Jordan, Elias with a precision knee.
[Michael] And Elias wasting little time,
back on the attack of Jordan.
[Booker] A shot right to the temple right there.
[Michael] Oh, look at Jordan though. Here's the roll-ups, hooks the leg.
Shoulders are down.
-Did he get him? -[Booker] No, no, no.
-[Graves] He got him. -[Michael] Right, he got him.
-Jason Jordan got Elias. -[Booker] No.
[Rome] Here's your winner, Jason Jordan.
[Michael] Booker, you just threw your glasses
-down on the table. -[Booker] No. I think the referee…
-Oh, let me think. -[Graves] Did you see that?
-[Michael] Then say it. -[Graves] It's a conspiracy, Booker.
The fact is Elias didn't get his shoulders up
before the referee's hand hit the mat for the third time.
[Michael] Yeah, but I think Booker thought it was a quick count.
[Booker] I thought it was a quick count.
-I really did. -[Graves] I'm sure.
I'm sure Kurt Angle probably put him up to it too, right?
[Booker] Again, I'm not gonna go that far, okay?
-[Graves] Well, just-- -[Michael] Nonetheless,
let's take another look here.
And, Book, let's see if we can prove your theory.
[Graves] Jordan locks in the inside shoulder.
-[Michael] Shoulders down. -[Graves] One, two, three.
-[Booker] He's out. He's out. -[bell ringing]
[Michael] I think the shoulder was up.
-I think his right shoulder was up. -[Graves] Wait, look.
-[Michael] Watch this. -[Graves] Look. One.
[Michael] Watch the right shoulder.
[Booker] Look at that. Look at that. There it is right there.
-Look at that. -[Michael] I think he got the shoulder up.
[Graves] Listen, I… I begrudgingly- uh, agree with you.
[Michael] Jason Jordan picks up the win in the history books,
-but Elias may have him beat. -[Booker] Stolen.
[Graves] Booker, why don't you go campaign?
Let's get the call overturned.
[Michael] Ladies and gentlemen, it is about Tables, Ladders and Chairs.
Meaning, they are all legal
in a 3-on-5 "handicap" match.
On one side, it's Miz,
Kane, Strowman,
Cesaro, Sheamus.
On the other side, Ambrose, Rollins,
and the return of Kurt Angle.
["Legendary" playing]"
[dramatic music playing]
[narrator] Every great story
has a beginning…
middle…
and end.
But tonight,
this story gets a new chapter.
[crowd cheering]
["Legendary" playing]
Huge news for WWE's TLC pay-per-view event.
For the first time in 11 years,
WWE Hall of Famer
and current Raw general manager Kurt Angle
will compete in a WWE ring.
Due to medical issues, Roman Reigns will be unable to compete
in the 5-on-3 "handicap" match main event.
But as revealed on wwe.com this past Friday,
the Olympic gold medalist will take Roman's place.
-♪ 'Cause we're gonna be legends ♪ -♪ Legends…
Strap up your boots tight, Kurt,
'cause you're gonna be in a warzone.
[Sheamus] TLC, it's do or die.
I truly am looking forward
to destroying another nostalgia act in Kurt Angle.
Kurt Angle, at TLC, I promise you,
you'll wish you'd never stepped foot in the WWE ring again.
Sure, Kurt Angle's comeback tour looks good on paper.
[Michael] He is the only Olympic gold medalist in WWE history.
-[bell ringing] -[Ross] Angle's got it.
[Michael] He has held every title imaginable.
♪ Can't stand the heat Then just stay out the light ♪
♪ For you might never make it out alive… ♪
[Miz] Unfortunately for Kurt Angle,
it was going to be a one-night-only event.
♪ 'Cause we're gonna be legends… ♪
[Charly] For the first time in 11 years,
six-time world champion, Kurt Angle,
joins forces with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.
[Michael] This will be a car wreck.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] This will be insane.
[Kurt] Oh, it's true.
-It's damn true. -[crowd] It's damn true.
[song concludes]
[crowd clamoring]
I know you're all chomping at the bit
to be a part of history tonight.
But I have something very special,
a surprise for the whole team,
because at the end of this fight,
we're not just gonna win,
we are going to treat Ambrose, Rollins, and Angle
the way they should be treated,
like garbage.
And what do you do with garbage?
You drive that garbage to the dump.
[Miz] Awesome.
-["I Came To Play" playing] -♪ I came to play ♪
♪ There's a price to pay ♪
♪ Time for you to get down ♪
-♪ On your knees and pray ♪ -♪ I came to play ♪
♪ Say goodbye to the good old days ♪
♪ They're never coming back ♪
♪ Watch your future fade… ♪
-[bell ringing] -[Rome] The following contest
is a 5-on-3 "handicap" Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.
There will be no disqualification.
The only way to win is by pinfall or submission.
Introducing first, residing in Hollywood, California
weighing in at 221 pounds,
he is the Intercontinental Champion,
The Miz.
[Michael] Now, ladies and gentlemen, for the twentieth time in WWE history,
we have a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.
Uh, this all begin back in the year 2000 at SummerSlam.
Edge and Christian defeating the Dudley Boyz
and the Hardy Boyz in the first-ever TLC match.
And, boy, we've made history over the past 17 years.
[Graves] Each one seemed the top, the last.
I can't see tonight being any different.
5-on-3 "handicap" rules,
you can see why The Miz is confidently strutting into the ring.
["Swiss Made" playing]
["Hellfire" playing]
-[crowd cheering] -[Rome] And his partners,
the team of Sheamus and Cesaro.
[Graves] If you stop right here and you think about the addition
of the former Tag Team Champions to Team Miz,
that's impressive in and of itself.
The Miz has assembled a very, very good team.
But, guys, we're not even close to finished yet.
[Michael] You know, it was back in 2009 at the TLC pay-per-view event
where Sheamus won his first WWE Championship
when he defeated John Cena in a Tables match.
Sheamus looks to be successful again here
tonight with his partner, the man, Cesaro who called Kurt Angle a nostalgia act.
[Booker] They're big. I've never seen a more one-sided affair
in all of my years, guys.
This, right here, tonight, it's gonna take a miracle.
[Graves] Well, they're supposed to be the reunited Shield.
But obviously, it's something entirely different tonight.
[crowd clamoring]
["Veil of Fire" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Rome] And making his way to the ring,
weighing 323 pounds, Kane.
[Michael] When this man came up to the ring on Raw Monday night
and took out Roman Reigns,
he changed the complexion of this entire match.
Kane is one of the greatest of all time.
And tonight, that marks the 175th time
this man has stepped into a pay-per-view match in the WWE.
More than anyone in history.
[Graves] You can blame all of this on Dean Ambrose and his big mouth.
Dean was the one that said that Shield could be three, four, five men
and The Miz is simply holding Ambrose to his word.
[Booker] Well, I think you'd blame all of this on Kurt Angle.
Kurt Angle should never have let a situation like this take place,
but I commend him for stepping in.
[Graves] What a daunting task awaits Rollins, Ambrose, and Angle.
I mean, look at this team and there's still one more.
-[Michael] Yeah. -["I Am Stronger" playing]
[Rome] And their tag team partner,
weighing in at 385 pounds,
Braun Strowman.
[Michael] The Monster Among Men simply said
that Kane will regret
that he ever returned.
Kurt Angle will regret that he ever returned.
That's what he said earlier tonight, my bad.
I've got my focus, of course, on the five men
that are in the ring here tonight.
Strowman, Kane, Miz, Cesaro, and Sheamus.
What a completely dominant team.
How do you stop these guys with five men,
let alone three tonight if you're Rollins, Ambrose, and Angle?
[Graves] I don't have an answer for how you stop Braun Strowman.
I don't know how you stop Kane.
You certainly can't stop all five of these competitors.
This is an insurmountable task for Rollins, Ambrose, and Angle.
[Michael] And remember, Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, all legal.
[crowd clamoring]
[man] Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta.
-["Special Op" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] They are the current Tag Team Champions.
And tonight, they are dressed as The Shield.
-[Graves laughs] -[Michael] And look who has joined them.
The honorary member for tonight,
the general manager of Monday Night Raw,
the returning Kurt Angle.
[Graves] Listen, you have to admire Angle's determination
to make TLC go off without a hitch.
Kurt promised The Shield reunion.
He needed a home run tonight,
so Kurt volunteered and stepped in himself.
[Michael] Yeah. Roman Reigns out with a viral infection,
so Kurt Angle has decided to return to WWE in-ring action.
The problem is, not everyone's happy with it.
The Miz has said that Kurt Angle is just another general manager looking for glory.
[Booker] Guys, I got a prediction, all right?
I feel like tonight, Kurt Angle will be crushed
and this will be his last match ever.
[Graves] Certainly a bold statement.
[Booker] I mean, look at the guys across them.
Every one of those guys want a piece of Kurt Angle.
[Graves] Yeah. I mean, listen. Kurt Angle only made the decision
to compete in this match two days ago.
Kurt hasn't had necessarily a full-blown training regimen,
but this is a whole new dimension to this match.
Kurt-- Kurt gotta understand,
every one of those guys on the opposing team
-wanna hurt him and hurt him bad. -[Michael] Look at this.
The Shield now positioning itself around the ring,
typical Shield style.
Dean Ambrose, chair in hand.
[Booker] I mean, come on, guys. The arrogance of Kurt Angle,
the general manager of Raw, to put himself in a match like this.
I don't agree with it.
[Graves] Hey, it's not arrogance when you put your money
where your mouth is, Booker.
That's what Kurt has the opportunity to do tonight.
[Michael] Yeah, The Shield surrounding the ring.
They are down three men to five in this matchup.
[Booker] I don't think this little trick is gonna work tonight, guys.
[Michael] We'll see what happens, Booker, and see how it plays out.
[Graves] Everything is legal, tables, ladders, chairs, you name it.
-You can use it. -[crowd chanting] You suck.
-[Graves] Oh, look at this. -[Michael] Here we go.
-[bell ringing] -[Graves] Rollins--
[Michael] Seth Rollins sacrificing himself as Ambrose and Angle go after
the rest of the guys with a steel chair.
This match is underway.
[Graves] Hey, sometimes, you need an equalizer.
Ambrose now laying it into The Monster Among Men. Oh.
[Michael] And Strowman with a clubbing blow.
-[Booker] Wow. -[Graves] Angle finds himself
on the wrong side of The Big Red Machine.
[Michael] And speaking of monsters,
Kane and Strowman in the ring but from behind.
[Graves] Listen, you have to wonder how the strategy of The Shield
plus Angle has been effective tonight.
They don't have their powerhouse.
There is no Roman Reigns to combat Strowman and Kane.
[Michael] Yeah, but they do have chairs.
They have equalizers at least in this juncture.
They are unloading on Braun Strowman.
[Booker] They're gonna have to keep this going all night
-if they got any chance. -[Michael] And now turning their attention
to "The Big Red Machine" Kane.
Kurt Angle decked out in Shield uniform tonight.
The three-on-one attack on Kane.
Remember, you win via pinfall or submission.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And the 13,381 in attendance
roaring with approval.
[Graves] Uh-oh.
Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins got that devil in their eye.
Here we go.
[Michael] Down go Miz, Sheamus and Cesaro.
[crowd clamoring]
[Graves] Angle standing tall, all alone inside the ring,
but, oh, here comes our general manager.
[Booker] This is a great start.
It's a really great start for The Shield…
-[Michael] Yeah, smart-- -…along with Kurt Angle.
[Michael] Yeah, smart start as they use the ladder now to their advantage…
and down they go.
[Graves] You know, this has to be great for the confidence of Kurt Angle.
After all these years having not competed,
having two elite superstars like Rollins and Ambrose
fighting at your side, that can do great things.
[Michael] But it's also a wise way to start this match
and it's no longer, at this juncture, three-on-five
-because they've taken out… -[Graves chuckles] Look out.
-[Graves] Trust me, Angle knows. -…everyone.
[Graves] Angle knows the destruction that Strowman's capable of.
[Michael] Oh, indeed.
[Graves] Kurt has watched it week after week.
[Michael] And Kurt now with a ladder, using it to his advantage.
The Monster Among Men is down.
[Booker] I commend Kurt Angle for being out here.
I mean, stepping up to the fight--
[Michael] And look at Rollins. Off the top rope!
[Booker] Oh!
[Michael] The Big Red Machine taken down.
Now Ambrose. And Rollins, Ambrose, and Angle are standing tall.
[Graves] I gotta be honest. To this point,
it's almost like The Miz's team is the one that's been outnumbered.
Rollins and Ambrose have been absolutely everywhere.
[Booker] Yeah. I'ma tell you though, Corey.
They're gonna have to keep this up for a long time
because these big guys aren't going anywhere.
-They can take this punishment all night. -[Michael] They won't need to keep it up
if they can pin them right now.
[Graves] One fall, Booker. That's all it takes to defeat Kane.
They got him isolated right now.
-This is a great strategy. -[Michael] It's a three-on-one.
-Look at the ladder from Angle… -[Graves] Oh!
…to the midsection of Kane.
Seth Rollins and Kane with a long, long history.
Seth has not forgotten what Kane has done to him.
-And now Ambrose… -[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Look at this. Ladder.
-[man 1] Table! -[man 2] Table!
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Miz's team has not been able to get out of the blocks.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And there goes the hood of the table.
[Booker] You know, Kurt Angle playing the designated hitter
with that ladder, man. He's just picking his spots.
[Graves] I talked to Seth earlier today.
I asked him what his thoughts were heading into this match.
He said, "As much as we miss our brother, Roman,
it's a dream come true to be teaming with the Hall of Famer like Kurt Angle."
[Michael] Yeah. But here's the problem,
Cesaro now with the steel chair on hand driving Ambrose back.
Rollins and Sheamus now going at it.
-Sheamus-- Oh, right into the steps. -[Graves] All legal.
[Michael] And now Cesaro on the barricade.
And, again, every time Miz's team tries to make a move, they can't get it done.
[Graves] Well, obviously, The Architect has spent weeks
trying to put this game plan together that's been very effective thus far.
[Booker] Trust me, this is no game plan.
This is all-out war, Corey. This is a fight.
-[Michael] I mean-- -[Booker] Survival of the fittest.
[Michael] But I think this is a game plan. I think it's strategy.
I think The Architect got together with Kurt Angle Friday night
-along with Ambrose and they decided… -[Booker] Oh, really?
…how they're gonna take these guys out. I have no doubt about that.
That's why Rollins is one of the smartest in the game today.
Kurt Angle, he's an Olympic gold medalist.
He's a Hall of Famer. He's a former six-time champion.
[Booker] I see Kurt Angle over there right now. Second wind, man.
Time off is your worst enemy.
How long it's been since Kurt Angle been to a match like this from the fight?
[Graves] Can we talk about Braun Strowman?
You're worried about Kurt Angle's cardio.
We got Braun Strowman running over everybody on Team Angle.
[Michael] And look at Braun Strowman clearing out that announce table.
Kurt Angle's in trouble.
Kurt Angle, he may be a non-factor if The Monster Among Men has his way.
-[Graves] Oh! -[Michael] From behind,
Seth Rollins with a chair.
And remember, great equalizers in this matchup,
tables, ladders, and chairs
and that's why the three men have a chance against five.
[Graves] Rollins is wearing out the steel chair on the body of Strowman.
[Booker] I tell you, Kurt Angle was in a bad position.
He was protected there for a second.
[Graves] Look at this. Rollins and Ambrose--
[Michael] Oh! Off the post, and down goes Strowman.
This has been an incredible job by Ambrose, Rollins, and Angle.
-[Graves] Oh! -[Michael] They've taken out the big man.
[Graves] You're right. You've taken out Kane momentarily.
You've got Strowman down.
That evens the odds at least for a few seconds.
[Michael] And now what are they gonna do to Braun Strowman?
They're setting him up on the German announce table down there.
And look at Ambrose and Rollins.
-They've got Strowman in trouble. -[Graves] Everything is legal.
-What won't they do? -[Michael] And Kane on the other table.
-Both big men are down on the table. -[Booker] Oh, baby.
[Michael] Chairs to the chest of Strowman.
Ambrose is putting the ladder in place.
[Booker] Yeah, I see this. I see plan.
They're trying to take the two big guys out first.
[Michael] That's what they've been doing throughout this entire matchup…
-[Booker] They could-- -…as they setup the ladders.
[Booker] They could do this right here, Cole.
-[Graves] This is-- -[Booker] This might be it.
[Graves] This is what I'm saying, Booker. It's strategy.
The Architect, a Hall of Famer,
and a lunatic had laid out a pretty nice blueprint.
[Michael] And Rollins and Ambrose are climbing the ladder.
Strowman and Kane have nowhere to go.
They're lying down and out of the table.
[Graves] Desperate times call
-for desperate measures. -[Michael] You've gotta be kidding me.
-They're not gonna do this. -[Graves] The hell, they are.
[Michael] Top of the ladder, through the table.
-[Booker] Oh, man. -[Michael] Strowman's out.
Kane is out.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] One thing that, uh, I noticed, Corey,
not to take away from this moment,
but Seth Rollins has grabbed his knee when he landed.
Rollins with a history of knee injuries
and he immediately grabbed his knee when he went through the table.
-We hope that's not a concern. -[Graves] I certainly hope it's not,
but that's what they call them high-risk maneuvers.
Ambrose and Rollins from atop the ladders
-sacrificing themselves. -[Michael] Absolutely incredible.
[Graves] That's what you're gonna have to do, but you're right, instantly,
Rollins clutching at his left knee.
We can only hope that The Architect can recover. Look at this.
[Michael] But if you're gonna beat a three-on-five team
that includes Kane and Strowman, you've gotta take high risks.
-[Booker] Guys-- -[Graves] This isn't three-on-five men.
This is three superstars and a pair of monsters.
[Booker] The one thing you must understand,
every time they go up and pull off a big move like that,
it takes a little bit out of them each and every time.
How long can they do it?
[Michael] Angle sends Miz-- sends Miz into the ring.
Now Sheamus, and now Cesaro.
And here's the problem. Rollins and Ambrose, high-risk maneuver.
-They-- -[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Michael] They were taken out. And now it allows…
-[Graves] Oh! -…a triple team on Angle.
And now Kurt Angle is vulnerable.
[Booker] See The Miz? He's got a A-team. He's got a B-team.
And, you know, he may have a C-team somewhere around here.
[Michael] And, Corey, here's the problem.
Two of the nastiest men in WWE today
are picking apart Kurt Angle with a chair.
[Graves] This might be the rules of the-- of the-- of the forest,
pick apart the oldest wolf, oh, in the pack.
[Michael] And again, this is why Ambrose and Rollins
are not in the matchup at this point.
They went through the tables,
taking out Strowman and Kane, but to what cost?
They are still down and out.
Kurt Angle has been isolated now by Sheamus, Cesaro, and Miz.
[Graves] It's a very, very dire situation
for our general manager who's just being beat by The Celtic Warrior
and his partner, Cesaro.
[Michael] And now a ladder into the ring and Kurt Angle…
This is the moment where Kurt's gotta be thinking,
-"Why did I do this?" -[Graves] I mean, you got to figure
Sheamus and Cesaro are absolutely loving this feeling right now
to be able to beat up the general manager.
-[Booker] Oh man. -[Michael] Oh my God, right to the ribs.
[Graves] And to do it with complete immunity
within the confines of a match. This is all legal.
[Booker] And Kurt Angle put himself in this position right here.
And I'ma tell you, if I was Sheamus, if I was Cesaro,
I'd go ahead and take advantage of this moment.
You don't get chances like this too often.
[Graves] Oh, you know, The Miz has been waiting for this forever and a day.
[Michael] Well, indeed because, listen, Miz has had a problem with authority.
-[Graves] Wait, wait. Could this be-- -[Michael] Oh my God.
-Look. They're gonna mock The Shield. -[Graves] This is poetic justice.
[Michael] Mocking The Shield.
[Graves] We're gonna see a Shield-- Oh no, we were.
[Michael] And look at this now, everybody unloading.
[Graves] Rollins and Ambrose wouldn't let that go down.
Momentarily, Angle has been saved
but now The Swiss Cyborg and The Celtic Warrior taking it
to the Tag Team Champions on the outside.
[Booker] Rollins and Ambrose gonna have a uphill battle
-all night-- -[Graves] Oh, God, look at this.
-Cesaro has got a piece of the table. -[Booker] Oh.
[Graves] Just smashing Rollins with it.
-[Booker laughs] -[Michael] Uh-oh.
Oh, there's Kurt Angle with a German suplex.
[Graves chuckles] It's been a while…
[Michael] And another one.
…since we've seen this from Kurt Angle,
-and man, is this good. -[Michael] And a third.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] Here comes Sheamus, there goes Sheamus.
-Cesaro… -[Booker chuckles]
-…join the party. -[crowd cheering]
-[Michael] And Angle is fired up. -[Booker laughs]
[Michael] Kurt Angle is back.
[Graves] Say, one of the pioneers of Suplex City.
Kurt Angle all fired up.
-[Booker] Oh, wait a minute. -[Michael] Uh-oh, The Big Red Monster
is sitting up and The Big Red Monster is back.
[Booker] This is-- This is the obstacle right here, Cole.
-The big guy have recovered. -[crowd chanting] You still got it!
[Michael] And The Big Red Machine goes out for Kurt Angle.
Kurt Angle now looking for a German on Kane.
Kane with an elbow to the side of the face.
[Graves] Uh-oh.
Can Angle-- Angle's picking the leg,
ankle lock.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] The general manager might make The Big Red Machine tap out.
[Michael] Yeah, the ankle lock. Kurt Angle's bread-and-butter move.
And Braun Strowman back into the ring.
[Graves] What agility from The Monster Among Men just…
[Michael] Oh, so fast, so quick. Angle into the barricade.
[Graves] I haven't met too many men in history
who could double like Kurt Angle, and Braun Strowman just did it.
[Michael] And now this is frightening.
Braun Strowman back on his feet with weapons.
[crowd cheering]
[Booker] Guys, you gotta think about the odds here. Come on.
I mean, The Shield and Kurt Angle,
Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose are a great effort
but the tide has shifted.
[crowd clamoring]
[Graves] The tide shifted because Braun Strowman could change
the gravitational pull of the earth. He's a monster. Look out.
[Michael] And Strowman slamming… -[Graves and Booker] Oh!
…through the table.
-[Graves] Oh, no. -[Michael] A Running Powerslam…
-[Graves] Angle-- -…through the table,
and our general manager is down and out.
[yells]
[Graves] That was a valiant effort,
but I think Kurt Angle has gotta be ruing his decision to take this match.
[Booker] Braun Strowman did exactly what he said he was gonna do
and that was take Kurt Angle out of the game.
[Graves] Thunderous powerslam through a table.
Let's take one more look. Oh!
-[Booker] Kurt Angle-- -[Graves] Guys-- I mean,
Kurt Angle is effectively eliminated from this match.
There's no way the general manager comes back from that.
[Booker] Kurt Angle felt the brunt of 385 pounds of leverage
-coming down on his body. He's hurt. -[Graves] Yeah.
Strowman may have broken Angle in half.
[Michael] Now you see the officials and the medical personnel down there
checking on Kurt Angle.
Kurt, of course, a history of neck injuries.
Gotta be concerned about that right now.
And now Rollins and Ambrose back in the fight, doing all they can,
but Sheamus with a chair, now Miz as well, and now just…
[Booker] Kurt Angle is down, guys, but the thing is he had no business
being in a match like this.
-This is Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. -[Graves] Oh, Booker.
[Booker] This is one of the most dangerous matches in this business.
[Graves] And that's why Kurt Angle is a Hall of Famer
for stepping up against the odds
and doing what's right by the WWE Universe.
You have to celebrate it.
Right now, Rollins and Ambrose are being beaten senseless.
[Booker] Celebrate what?
Celebrate Kurt Angle going to the hospital?
[Michael] And now Sheamus and Cesaro again,
and The Miz directing traffic,
and this is getting bad. This is getting real bad.
[Graves] It could be. Kurt Angle, due to no fault of his own,
has left Dean Ambrose and Rollins absolutely helpless.
This is a massacre.
[Michael] Look at the side slam by Kane "The Big Red Machine."
Angle has been put through a table.
Rollins and Ambrose… Now Angle is just being helped to his feet.
They're gonna get him out of here
as Rollins and Ambrose now in what's turned into a 5-on-2 massacre.
[Graves] And, Booker, you're right.
Maybe it wasn't the right decision for Kurt Angle to make,
but at one point, you had a competitive fire inside your belly
what made you wake up in the morning.
Kurt Angle still has that.
[Booker] Kurt Angle is the general manager of Raw.
He's a businessman now.
He's not a sports entertainer. He needs to think smart.
And this was not smart. Now, what is Seth Rollins gonna do?
What Dean Ambrose's gonna do out there now?
What they gonna do?
How many guys in that locker room would've loved
-to have been in this matchup? -[Michael] Oh, my God.
[crowd clamor]
[Graves] We need to get some more help out here.
-[Michael] Indeed. -[Booker] Guys, this is pathetic.
This is pathetic.
Kurt Angle should have never put his name on the dotted line.
You know what this is, guys? This is ego. This is bravado.
That's exactly what that is, and that's what it gets you.
[Graves] Well, some people would consider it guts, Booker.
Even Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins,
even when they thought it was still Roman Reigns
that was gonna stand by their side,
it takes guts to fight against these odds.
-[Booker] Come on, Corey. -[Graves] Against monsters. Book--
[Booker] Come on, Corey, you're smarter than that.
You just said it, you talking with your heart right now.
[Michael] Meanwhile the decimation continues in the ring.
[Graves] Strowman throwing those sledgehammer-like rights…
right in the face of Ambrose.
[Michael] And I don't know, if you're Rollins and Ambrose,
what do you do? There's nothing you can do.
[Booker] You know what you do, Cole?
You continue to take this beating until it's over with.
That's what you do.
[Graves] We are watching the, oh, systematic destruction…
Look at that chair just completely warped from Rollins' body weight.
[Booker] And the thing is, all of this is legal.
All of this is legal because of who? Because of Kurt Angle.
[crowd booing]
[Booker] Come on, guys. You gotta agree with me on that.
[Michael] Sheamus now, top rope, Ambrose can't even stand up.
Now, the Celtic-- Oh my God.
[Graves] Look, Booker, we know. There were some health problems all right.
We know Roman Reigns would be here otherwise. He wasn't medically cleared.
Kurt Angle stepped in to try to do the best he could
to deliver the best possible main event.
You need to applaud Kurt Angle and his efforts.
[Booker] You know what? You know what? You know what? You know what?
I do applaud him, but it was stupid. It was foolish.
Kurt Angle should know better.
He's the general manager of Monday Night Raw.
Come on.
[Michael] And now, a chair.
[Booker] I mean, an 11-year hiatus from the squared circle, come on.
Time off is your worst enemy. We know about the neck injuries,
We know about the back. We know about the knees.
[Michael] Oh, and Miz.
[Graves] The systematic destruction of Rollins and Ambrose.
Miz, Cesaro, Sheamus
just taking their time and enjoying, savoring this.
[Booker] There's no coming back from this right here.
These guys right here, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose,
this one night could ruin their careers.
-This one night. -[Graves] Well, Book,
I don't disagree with you, I mean, the odds certainly--
[Booker] And you wanna see nostalgia, I understand that, Corey.
You're a fan.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Oh, and what an uppercut.
[Graves] Nothing wrong with being a fan, Book.
[Booker] Oh.
[Graves] Cesaro just destroying Ambrose in one corner.
Sheamus… Oh.
[Booker] This is systematic, guys. This is systematic.
[Michael] You're right, Booker. They're just picking apart…
-[Graves] Oh, no. -…Ambrose and Rollins.
-And now Braun Strowman. -[Graves] Strowman's gonna charge.
[Michael] Strowman goes into the post. Seth Rollins trying to rally.
Ambrose trying to rally as well.
Trying to do everything they can to fight back.
A valiant effort by The Shield members tonight.
[Graves] Their last bit of adrenaline.
Oh, no.
-Kane just… -[Michael] Oh my God.
…plastered Strowman with a steel chair.
[Booker] It was an accident.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Oh, that's what you say but I'm not sure Strowman feels that way.
-[Graves] Oh, no. -[Michael] Apparently he doesn't
and now Miz is trying to play peacekeeper,
so is Sheamus and Cesaro.
[Graves] I've never seen someone just shove Kane like that.
It just goes to show you how huge Strowman is.
[Michael] And look at Rollins and Ambrose trying to take advantage,
trying to take advantage, guys, of the discord between Strowman and Kane.
[Graves] If nothing else, Rollins and Ambrose
are united in their cause but, you're right, Booker.
Sometimes heart, sometimes passion just aren't enough
when you've got ten fists and boots stomping down on you.
Throw 'em outside. Throw 'em outside.
[Booker] Talking about Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins,
these guys have taken a beating.
[Michael] Whoa, Kane, does not look happy.
[crowd clamor]
[Booker chuckles] You know what time it is, guys.
[Michael] Oh my goodness. Table time.
Dean Ambrose in deep trouble.
[Booker] Time to put these guys to bed, man. It's time to end this thing.
Oh, double crucifix. Goodnight.
[Michael] Through the…
-Oh, the table didn't burst. -[Booker] You know what?
[Michael] Ambrose bounced off and that's worse.
[Booker] That's just bad luck.
[Graves] And look at the leg, it snapped the steel leg of the table.
Trust me, Ambrose is feeling every bit of that right now.
[Booker] That's just bad luck for Dean Ambrose, guys.
That's just bad luck for him, he's just gonna have to take more of this.
More of the same.
[Michael] Yeah, more punishment coming.
[crowd chanting]
[Graves] Uh-oh. If Sheamus and Cesaro couldn't get it done,
I can assure you Strowman will.
Good God.
[Booker] Wow.
You guys want to see this. This is a match.
This is something that you guys really want to see, right?
Told you this was gonna happen.
[Michael] Booker, the world wanted to see this match.
This way. Come on.
[Michael] And now, Miz, he's the captain, he's running the team.
[crowd clamor]
[Graves] Looks like the team might run the table right now.
[Booker] Let me tell you something guys.
-Miz is making-- -[Graves] What is--
[Booker] Let me tell you something, Miz has been making a play
to become the face of this company for a long time.
[Michael] Oh, wait a minute. What the hell is Miz doing?
And what is that? What is that noise?
[Graves] It's a freaking garbage truck.
[Booker] Taking out the trash.
[Michael] But where is it? Oh, there it is.
[Graves] Look at it, it's on the side of the stage.
[Michael] Oh my goodness.
[Graves] Miz said he was going to treat Angle, Rollins, and Ambrose
like the trash that they are.
[Michael] Yeah, and then drive that garbage to the dump.
So this is apparently what Miz meant.
[Graves] This is humiliating.
[garbage truck beeping]
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] And Ambrose and Rollins are just helpless.
[Graves] This is absolutely humiliating for Rollins and Ambrose.
[Booker] This is a great master plan by The Miz
to take out The Shield all in one night.
[Graves] Well, hey. Miz said
if there's a victory tonight for their team,
tomorrow night they could run Monday Night Raw.
And it looks like that might be the case.
[Booker] Like I said, this is a major play for The Miz, man.
The Miz has been looking for something like this for quite some time.
[Michael] Oh, wait a minute. Oh my God. Oh my God.
Ambrose and Rollins have been thrown back
into that-- into that garbage truck,
and trying to fight out of it. Ambrose and Rollins,
still fighting back.
Incredible effort by these two men against five.
[Graves] Rollins and Ambrose will not quit,
refuse to be humiliated, fighting for everything.
[Booker] This is called getting down and dirty, guys.
[Michael] Off the top of the dump truck-- the garbage truck.
Incredible, Rollins and Ambrose.
[Graves] I can smell that thing over here.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] And look. Ambrose and Rollins momentarily have everybody down.
-[crowd cheering] -[Graves] Uh-oh.
[Michael] Now, look at Miz has been isolated.
Miz has been isolated.
[Graves] The Miz is hightailing it toward the ring.
Ambrose and Rollins giving chase.
[Michael] And this is Ambrose and Rollins's moment,
-if they can somehow get The Miz… -[Graves] Uh-oh.
…get The Miz into the ring, they could win this matchup.
Everybody else has been taken down.
Critical moment for Ambrose and Rollins.
[Graves] And once again, The A-Lister finds himself outnumbered.
[Booker] I'll tell you this. Things got so far out of hand, Cole,
I forgot all about a win in this thing. I got caught up in the beat down.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] They wanna punish Miz now.
Ambrose and Rollins wanna punish the leader
of the opposing team.
The Intercontinental Champion, The Miz.
[Graves] Well, Miz is receiving a beatdown second-to-none right now.
It's October, fellas. I wonder if Miz's beatdown comes in pumpkin spice.
[Michael] Look at Miz trying to crawl away.
[crowd clamor]
-[Graves] Oh, no. -[Michael] And from behind, Kane.
[Graves] The Big Red Machine
coming to the aid of the Intercontinental Champion.
[Booker] Guys, what does this say about the fight
in Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins?
These guys, there's no quit.
[Graves] You're the one with all the doubt in your mind, Booker.
-[Booker] There's no doubt-- -[Graves] These two guys…
These guys have been fighting their hearts out since the bell rang.
[Michael] But you've been saying
-that they're down and out… -[Booker] Cole.
…since this thing started. And look at them go.
-[Booker] No, come on. -[Michael] Rollins and Ambrose
-taking it to Kane. -[Booker] Come on, I'm just-- Come on.
I'm just saying they got a lot of fight in them.
[Graves] Uh-oh.
-Two of the three Hounds of Justice. -[Michael] Oh my God.
And from behind "The Monster Among Men" Braun Strowman.
-And with Strowman and Kane… -[Graves] Oh God.
…back on their feet,
things look bleak again for The Shield.
-[Graves] Wait a minute. -[Michael] What the hell?
What is Kane doing?
This is exactly what Miz was trying to avoid earlier,
when he was trying to play peacekeeper.
[Michael] Oh my God.
Oh my God.
Kane just Chokeslammed Braun Strowman
through the stage.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Incredible.
[Booker] Wow.
[Michael] And look out, Book. Look out, look out.
[Booker] I know.
[Graves] Guys, I don't think The Big Red Machine's finished
after Chokeslamming Braun Strowman through the stage.
[Booker] What the hell is going on?
[Michael] My God. Kane is up-- Kane is up in our announce position area.
Braun Strowman has been Chokeslammed through the stage.
[Graves] Kane promised hell on earth.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] I think we just witnessed it for Braun Strowman.
But why?
[Michael] Kane got upset, I guess,
'cause Strowman knocked him on his rear end earlier tonight.
[man 1] Do it, Kane. Come on, boy.
-[man 2] Do it, Kane. -[man 1] Whoo!
[Michael] Wait, what is Ka… What the hell?
[man 2] Come on, Kane. Come on, Kane.
[crowd clamor]
[man 3] Get him, Kane. Get him, Kane!
[man 2] Kane.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd clamor]
[Graves] Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no.
No, no, no, you can't.
-No. Oh God. -[Michael] Oh my God.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] What is wrong with you?
[Booker chuckles]
[crowd clamor]
[Graves] Guys, Braun Strowman is still moving.
I don't know how the hell he's still moving.
[Michael] Kane just ripped those chairs out of the ceiling
and just crushed Braun Strowman.
[Booker] The other question, Cole, why?
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] The entire situation of the match was thrown upside down.
[crowd clamor]
[Booker] Guys, this match is not over yet.
[Graves] Oh, it is. It's over for Braun Strowman.
[Booker] Yes, indeed.
[Graves] What--
I can only imagine… I mean, what reason could Kane have
for turning his back on his teammate at this point in time?
[Michael] Well, Corey, I can only go back to what happened
earlier on in the match, the confrontation between these two men.
[Graves] Yeah, but sometimes you gotta just…
-[Booker] Obviously that-- -[Graves] Look at--
[Michael] And look at that now. It's Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins
trying to fight back. By taking out Braun Strowman, Kane may--
he's limited his team in this matchup as again, Ambrose and Rollins,
and now Miz get back into things.
[Booker] I don't think it's about his team right now.
Kane has his own agenda and we don't know what it is.
[Graves] Uh-oh, once again, The Lunatic Fringe launching The A-Lister
into the video board. But Kane once again. Look at this.
-[Booker] Oh! -[Graves] Oh God!
[Michael] Oh my God.
Kane has been a wrecking machine.
[Booker] Kane right now does not need Braun Strowman's help.
Right now, he's a one-man wrecking crew.
[Michael] Kurt Angle has been taken to the back,
Ambrose and Rollins have been decimated.
[Graves] Look at this. Watch this huge double Chokeslam.
Do you see the sickening way Ambrose's neck whipped
when he made contact with the table and now…
[Booker] I'll tell you something. Kane doesn't need anybody to help him.
That's the thing, you know, when you got two big men.
That right there. You got a rivalry in itself and I don't--
-[Graves] It's a tag team match, Booker. -[Booker] I don't think--
I don't think Kane like being in a tag team.
He doesn't play well with others, all right?
[Michael] Okay. It doesn't matter because the match continues
and Kane has taken out Rollins and Ambrose.
Now, Sheamus and Cesaro are gonna have their way with the Tag Team Champions.
Strowman's out, Angle's out.
[Graves] Somebody is going for a trash truck ride.
I mean, Rollins or Ambrose are gonna end up in dump tonight in Minneapolis.
[Booker] Anyway it goes The Miz still gonna get what he wants guys,
and that's getting rid of The Shield.
-[Graves] What? -[Michael] What the--
-[Graves] You gotta be kidding me? -[Michael] No. Come on.
How is Braun Strowman even moving?
How is this man even moving?
[Booker chuckles] 'Cause he's a Monster Among Men, Cole.
[Michael] Braun Strowman is rising from the wreckage.
Braun Strowman is still, still in this thing.
[Graves] Strowman marching forward like the undead.
[crowd clamor]
-[Graves] Oh, and Miz begging. -Calm down. Come on.
There's five of us. There's five of us.
There's only… There's five of us, Braun.
Please, please, please.
-[Graves] Oh, no. -[Michael] Oh my God.
Miz is trying to keep peace between his team.
-[Booker] Oh, no! Oh, wow! -[Michael] And now Braun Strowman,
not only is he taking out The Miz but he's taken out Sheamus,
-he's taken out Cesaro. -[crowd clamor]
[Graves] There is only one man left and it's The Big Red Machine.
[Michael] And now it's Strowman and Kane going at one another.
Braun Strowman going right after Kane.
This thing has completely broken down between these two men.
[Graves] Look at this. What the-- Strowman's got The Big Red Machine up.
[Michael] And now Sheamus and Cesaro saving Kane from destruction.
And now Strowman fighting back.
[Booker] You can forget about the team format, guys.
This thing has totally lost it.
[Michael] And Kane with a boot to the face of Strowman.
And now look at this. Wait a minute.
All four guys have turned on Strowman now.
This is four-on-one beat down on their own teammate.
Get him there. Get him there.
[Graves] Miz's emotions are obviously an all-time high. What the…
[Booker] I feel like if they get Braun Strowman out of the picture,
they still got a chance of getting the win.
[Graves] No, no. Oh my God.
[Michael] Strowman's in the garbage truck.
[overlapping shouting]
[Graves] What?
Do it! Just do it!
[Michael] Oh my God. Strowman is in the trash.
-[Graves] Stop the truck. -[Michael] Strowman has been--
Strowman has been trapped in the garbage truck.
-[Graves] What the hell? -[Booker] This is gonna protect
-his investment, guys. -[Michael] Oh my God, no.
Oh, my God, no.
-What the hell? -Go away, Braun.
[Michael] What are they thinking?
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Oh my God.
Strowman is in that thing.
[crowd clamor]
[Booker] What just happened, guys, please?
[Michael] I don't… Strowman's trapped.
[crowd clamor]
[Graves] Trapped, Cole. You can imagine worse than that.
[Booker] Listen, guys, Miz is still trying to…
-[Michael] Yeah, I think-- Yeah. -…protect his investment.
-[Booker] Miz could still get a win here. -[Graves] To hell with the investment,
Booker T, Strowman is a Monster Among Men but he's still a human being.
[Booker] Yeah. But the object right now is to beat The Shield.
[Graves] Now, look at the face of The Miz.
I think even The Miz is having second thoughts about what the hell he just did.
[Michael] Yeah. But now, they turned their focus back to Rollins and Ambrose
and to finally end this matchup.
-It has been… -[Graves] Please,
-someone end it. -…an absolute destruction.
[Booker] Put this thing to bed.
[crowd clamor]
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Circle.
-I'll go other side. -Circle.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] And now, what are they gonna do?
I mean, Rollins and Ambrose can't move.
Throw them in the ring, and pin it, and end this thing.
[crowd clamor]
[Booker] You don't wanna do it too quick.
-You wanna savor this moment. -[Graves] Oh, get it over with.
[Booker] The Miz wants to savor this moment.
[Michael] Guys, I have no idea what to say after what we just saw.
This is completely beyond sports entertainment.
-[Booker chuckles] -[Michael] Braun Strowman was just hauled
out of here, trapped in a garbage truck. And now Miz…
-[Booker] Wow. -…with a DDT to Rollins.
It is a four-on-one assault of Seth Rollins.
And Cesaro and Sheamus and Miz having their way.
Cover.
-One, two-- -[grunts]
-[crowd cheering] -[Graves] Oh, and Ambrose.
-[Booker] Whoa. -[Graves] Where the hell did he come from?
[Michael] Ambrose came in and-- but so did The Big Red Machine.
And now Kane is back in the middle of this.
[Booker] I can't believe this fight is still going, guys.
[crowd clamor]
[Graves] It looks like they're giving the honors to The Big Red Machine.
-["Medal" playing] -[crowd cheering]
-[Graves] What? -[Michael] Wait a minute. No.
["Medal" continues]
[crowd chanting] You suck! You suck! You suck!
[Michael] I can't believe Kurt Angle's back.
-Kurt Angle is back! -[Graves] Oh my God!
[Michael] And there goes Cesaro.
Sheamus missed with a Brogue.
Kurt Angle gonna make him pay.
-Kurt Angle with an Angle… -[Graves] Angle Slam on the floor!
-…Slam! -[Booker] You gotta be kidding me.
[Michael] And Angle with an Angle Slam through the table!
[Graves chuckles]
There's the look we haven't seen in far too long.
[Michael] Kurt Angle is back.
[Booker] With a vengeance, Cole.
[Michael] Angle turning his attention to Kane.
There goes The Miz.
[Graves] Oh.
[Michael] And Kane, just like that, looks to snuff out the rally.
[crowd clamor]
-[Graves] Uh-oh. -[Booker] Oh, this could be it.
[Michael] Oh, my God going for the Tombstone
and Ambrose and Rollins now with steel chairs.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] There's been so much destruction in the building, our powers going out.
Things are going all over the place, but the--
[Booker] The fight continues though, Cole.
[Graves] You're absolutely right.
[Michael] Yeah. The fight continues in the ring.
Kurt Angle somehow… Now, look at this.
-[Graves] Oh, God! -[Michael] Oh my God!
Kane blasted through the barricade.
[crowd cheering]
[Booker] Talk about a little teamwork right there.
[Graves] It's a little homage there.
[Booker] Homage.
[Graves] For The Big Dog.
[crowd clamor]
[Booker] Wow.
[Graves] Angle still feeling the effects of Kane-- Oh, no, no, no.
[Michael] Oh, look at Miz. Just what Miz wants.
Looking for the Skull-Crushing Finale for Angle!
-[Booker] Oh, perfect position. -[Michael] And Miz is gonna love this.
-Miz is gonna rub this… -[Booker] The Miz.
[Michael] …in Angle's face.
-Kurt Angle kicked out! -[crowd cheering]
[crowd booing]
[Michael] Miz called Angle a glory hound.
He wanted to beat him tonight, and Angle kicked out,
and Miz is livid.
[Booker] I don't know how Kurt Angle kicked out right there
because that's the one he did not see coming.
Miz hit it perfect.
Kurt Angle kicked out.
[crowd chanting] USA! USA! USA!
[Michael] The "USA" chants directed to the Olympic gold medalist.
Kurt Angle, taken out of this match earlier on, is back in it,
and now Miz looking for the cult-- Skull-Crushing Finale…
-…in a steel chair. -[Graves] Oh, no, no. A chair.
-Oh, oh, oh! -[Michael] Angle with the Ankle Lock!
Look at the Ankle Lock! The Ankle Lock on Miz!
The Ankle Lock center of the ring.
-[crowd cheering] -[Graves] He's gonna-- he's gonna
-[Michael] Miz is gonna tap-- able to… -[Booker] No, no, no.
…get out of it, and Angle sent through the ropes
and out of the ring.
[man] Get up, Kurt.
-[Michael] And Angle hit hard. -[Graves] You're absolutely right but…
[Booker] He's no quitter, man. He's no quitter.
[Graves] No, he's certainly not a quitter.
But there's been some damage done to The Miz's ankle.
-That's for sure. -[Booker] I tell you once upon a time
Miz probably would've tap but not here in 2017.
-This is a moment for The Miz. -[Michael] Yeah. But look at Ambrose,
Rollins, Angle in Shield position.
Miz does not like what he sees.
[Graves] It's a three-headed monster all staring at the Intercontinental Champion.
[crowd clamor]
[Michael] Where's Miz-- He's nowhere to go.
Miz has nowhere to go.
Here comes Rollins, Ambrose…
-[Graves] Boom! -…across the knee.
-There's Dirty Deeds. -[Booker laughs]
[Michael] And here's Kurt Angle with an Angle Slam.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Miz is down.
This could be their moment.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Are we gonna see it?
Angle's calling for it.
[Booker chuckles] Wow.
I cannot believe these guys.
[Michael] I can't believe we're gonna see this.
-[yells] -[crowd cheering]
[Graves laughs]
[Michael] Paying homage to Roman Reigns "The Big Dog"
-and a Triple Powerbomb to The Miz. -[Michael] An Olympic Shield Bomb.
-[Michael] Angle with the cover. -[Booker chuckles] Wow.
-[bell rings] -[Michael] What a win.
-["Special Op" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Rome] Here are your winners, the team of the Raw Tag Team Champions
Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose, and Kurt Angle!
[Michael] Olympic Shield Bomb. I love that, Corey.
[Graves laughs] I do what I can. What an unreal moment.
Booker T, will you please finally admit
-how wrong you were? -[Booker] Hey, man.
Let me give these guys some props.
I knew they could do it.
[Michael] What are you-- Wait a minute.
What an incredible performance.
Angle, Rollins, and Ambrose fought all the odds
and they win this matchup.
[Graves] Everything turned around when Angle made a return,
eliminating Cesaro, then Sheamus from the equation.
Angle was the wrestling machine of old
and an Olympic gold medalist in every sense,
just laying waste to everyone.
[Michael] And then The Shield would take care of Kane…
[Graves] Looks kind of familiar doesn't it?
…with a Big Dog action.
[Graves] Angle was trying to take advantage but The Miz sneaks in
a Skull-Crushing Finale. We were all but certain this was over.
[Michael] But Angle still got it, doesn't he?
-[crowd cheering] -[Graves] Unbelievable.
The Miz, once again, finds himself on the wrong end of the numbers game.
Dirty Deeds, Olympic Slam.
[crowd cheering]
[Graves] And an Olympic Shield Bomb.
-Angle, Rollins, Ambrose defying the odds… -[bell rings]
…and I assure you The Big Dog is watching on very, very proud.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Kurt Angle's return to WWE in-ring action is a success.
What a night, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for joining us in Minneapolis for TLC.
-["Special Op" continues] -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Goodnight, everybody.
[crowd cheering] ht, everybody.