Tonight is a big Raw for one main reason – the return of Goldberg! The former WCW star comes back to WWE after over twelve years, last in the ring at WrestleMania XX in 2004. Will he accept a match against Brock Lesnar again? How will the fans react to him?

Last week, we found out that this year’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view on October 30th will have THREE Hell In The Cell Matches – which I don’t like, as it diminishes the quality/specialty of the match with more. We are just less than two weeks from the PPV, so what will happen tonight between Sasha and Charlotte, Rusev and Reigns, and Owens and Rollins to continue the build to their respective bouts?

The Club – Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson – suddenly attacked Enzo Amore and Big Cass; what was this about and will the “Certified G’s” retaliate? Braun Strowman has wanted some real competition, so will he get it tonight?

All this and much more, so read on!

Monday Night Raw TV Report for October 17th, 2016 – “’Who’s Next?’”

Introduction Segment: Video Promo, Welcoming, and Arena Promo

The regular Raw video plays, the pyro explodes in the arena, and we are live in Denver, Colorado! Scheduled is the aforementioned return of Goldberg, as well as an interview with Women’s Champion Sasha Banks and her opponent, Charlotte, that Hall of Famer Lita will conduct.

Jojo asks us to greet Universal Champion Kevin Owens and his friend Chris Jericho. Kevin berates the fans for chanting, and then accuses General Manager Mick Foley of not caring about him because he is being forced to wrestle Seth Rollins in the Hell In The Cell. Jericho agrees and detests Foley and his booking decision.

Owens does declare himself to be smart and figure out a way to survive The Cell, and abbreviate Seth Rollins’ employment too. Chris is also frustrated because isn’t in the Universal Championship Match as well, and blames the referee. He decides to put that referee on “The List of Jericho,” and the Universal Champion proclaims that he will retire Seth at Hell In A Cell.

Seth himself comes out on the stage and makes fun of Jericho. He tries to “drive a wedge” between Kevin and Chris by reminding Jericho how Owens didn’t back him up. “Y2J” insinuates a challenge to Rollins, which “The Architect” accepts, with a stipulation – he says that Kevin stay backstage. Jericho actually concurs, but Kevin wonders. Chris ends up convincing Owens all will be fine, and the Universal Champ hugs Jericho and leaves. This contest is up next!

Commercials.

Match #1: Single – Chris Jericho VS. Seth Rollins

Jericho starts out with a backdrop and a chop; he hammers away in the corner with clubbing-blows, but is clotheslined by a running-Rollins from the corner! Seth punches away and then runs on the outside with a boot to a laying Jericho n the canvas.

Back in the ring, Rollins tries a move from a whip but Jericho counters with an double-underhook-backbreaker! He slingshots Seth into the middle rope and then drops him onto the barrier. He dives off of the top turnbuckle but Rollins counters with a kick and tries The Pedigree. Chris reverses that with a backdrop, but Seth gets the advantage again. He soars off the top turnbuckle with a neckbreaker, and then tries another Pedigree, but Jericho gets out of it and springboard-dropkicks him to the floor!

Ads.

Chris is still in control, but misses a running-leg and lands on the middle rope. Jericho comes back though with a spring-dropkick from the middle turnbuckle, and then wears down Rollins with a grounding rear-chinlock. Seth begins another comeback with slingblade off of the ropes, and then a couple of chops. He throws Jericho into the corner and clotheslines him, but eats an elbow as he ran off. Jericho follows with the Lionsault (springboard-moonsault) but only gets two!

“Y2J” puts Rollins in a Pedigree position, but Seth reverses and knees Jericho in the face. 1 – 2 – Chris kicks out! Rollins climbs the turnbuckle, but is distracted by Universal Champion Kevin Owens who walks out. He turns around and rockets off the top turnbuckle with a crossbody to the floor! He hits a knee-to-the-face from the top turnbuckle in the ring and goes for The Pedigree. Jericho reverses into his Walls of Jericho submission (Boston Crab). Seth struggles to the ropes, but Owens pulls them out of reach. The referee eventually sees this. Rollins and Jericho trade finisher-tries, and then Seth is finally able to drive Jericho to the mat with the Pedigree! He covers and receives the victory!

Winner via Pinfall: Seth Rollins

Segment #2: Video Promo

The announcer’s hype Goldberg’s restoration and show a clip of his debut match in WCW, from September 1997.

Commercials.

Segment #3: Video Promo

Charlotte and Lita talk about Charlotte’s Hell In The Cell Match with Women’s Champion Sasha Banks. Lita asks Charlotte about her preparation, and Charlotte responds cockily. She answers all of Lita’s questions with bravado, and states “I am the woman to beat; I will be the three-time Women’s Champion.”

The Golden Truth and Mark Henry make their entrance for a match, next.

Ads.

Match #2: Six-Man Tag-Team – The Golden Truth (Goldust and R-Truth) and Mark Henry VS. The Shining Stars (Primo and Epico) and Titus O’Neil

Goldust and Epico begin; Epico gets the better soon and tags in Titus, who punches away in the corner. Goldust soon counters on Epico with a powerslam, and then makes the hot-tag to Truth, who almost gets this after a Scissors Kick onto Titus! This breaks down until Henry blind-tags in and finishes with a World’s Strongest Slam onto O’Neil!

Winners via Pinfall: The Golden Truth and Mark Henry

The Tag-Team Champions The New Day will be out to celebrate four-hundred and twenty days as Tag-Team Champions!

Commercials.

Segment #4: Backstage Promo

Chris Jericho is walking through the halls and finds Universal Champion Kevin Owens; they get into an argument about Owens joining at ringside earlier. Commissioner Stephanie McMahon overhears and orders them to sort it out, as she wants them both to be on Raw’s team at Survivor Series.

Match #3: Single – Sheamus (with Cesaro) VS. Tag-Team Champion/New Day member Big E. (with Tag Team Champions/New Day members Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)

Prior to this, the Tag-Team Champions insult Cesaro and Sheamus. The bell rings and Big overpowers Sheamus at first. Sheamus comes back with a big German suplex, and then runs at him with a couple of clotheslines. He uppercuts him against the ropes, but is tossed to the floor. Sheamus climbs back and tries Beats of the Baron, but Big counters. The Tag-Team Champion runs and splashes on the apron, but is given a Rolling Senton on the floor!

Ads.

Big fires up with a couple of belly-to-belly suplexes, but Sheamus counters a splash with his knees. He plants E. with an Irish curse backbreaker for two! Sheamus tries the Brogue Kick, but Big reverses into a powerbomb! 1 – 2 – Sheamus gets his shoulder up!

“The Celtic Warrior” regains domination and lays into E. with Ten Beats of the Baron. He then sees Cesaro in the crowd and wants him to film a Brogue Kick. Unfortunately, this leads to Big E. splashing in the corner instead and rolling up Sheamus for the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champion/New Day member Big E. (with Tag-Team Champions/New Day members Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)

Commercials.

Segment #5: Video Promo

Goldberg’s WCW Heavyweight Championship win on Nitro, July 6th, 1998, is recalled.

Match #4: Single – Bo Dallas (with Curtis Axel) VS. Neville

Bo is rough early with fierce punches and knees. He goes for a clothesline but Neville ducks and kicks away. He lands on his feet out of a backdrop-attempt, and then gives Dallas an enziguri. Neville climbs the turnbuckle, but Bo goes to the floor. Neville changes plans and springboard-moonsaults instead! Neville boots Bo in the corner, but as he goes back to the turnbuckle, Dallas trips him up and then drives him down with a reverse-spinning-neckbreaker.

Winner via Pinfall: Bo Dallas (with Curtis Axel)

Post-match, as they celebrate, Bo suddenly hits Axel and dumps him to the floor. He continues attacking and runs his knee against Curtis in the corner of the barricade.

Ads.

Match #5: Single – Dana Brooke VS. Bayley

Dana runs to the outside as Bayley went for her. Bayley has to chase Brooke around until she is able to use the middle rope to jawbreak her! She plants Dana with a running-facebuster, and then clotheslines in the corner. She rams Dana’s head a bunch of times against the top turnbuckle, but is hit hard with a right hand! Brooke capitalizes and boots at Bayley’s head against the bottom turnbuckle.

Dana controls for a bit until they both clothesline each other! Bayley rolls over Brooke and punches her, and then elbows her in the corner. She wants to follow with a dive from the middle turnbuckle, but Dana rolls to the floor. Bayley follows with a sliding-dropkick, but Brooke runs her into the ring post. Dana covers for three!

Winner via Pinfall: Dana Brooke

Segment #6: Video/Arena Promo

Paul Heyman is entered live/“live” from WWE’s studio into Raw. He confirms that Goldberg will accept a match with Brock Lesnar, but tells Goldberg to “say no” instead, as Lesnar thinks that Goldberg is not worth his time. He warns Goldberg that it will not go the way he wants if him and Brock do meet again in the ring.

Commercials.

Match #6: Three-On-One – The Mile-High Trio VS. Braun Strowman

Strowman picks this one up, handily!

Winner via Pinfall: Braun Strowman

Post-match, Braun orders some “real competition” again from GM Foley. In a surprise, Sami Zayn answers him! They face-off and then Strowman pushes Sami across the ring to the floor! Braun walks away as Sami looks from the squared circle.

Ads.

Segment #7: Backstage Promo

Sami is asked why he challenged Braun; he responds, “because no one else will.”

Segment #8: Arena Promo

Lana brings out her husband, Rusev. He gets mad at the crowd and then presents pictures of his family, starting with Mama Rusev. Lana declares her love for her too, and Rusev continues with pictures of his father, brother, Babushka (Grandma), and cousins.

United States Champion Roman Reigns interrupts; he approaches the stage, makes fun of Rusev’s family and him, and then puts Rusev in his place about their match inside Hell In The Cell at Hell In A Cell. Lana gets in his face, but that was a ruse when Rusev pulled Lana away and kicked Reigns in the head. He throws him into both the barrier and steel steps. He slams the steps against Roman, and then chucks him into them back in the ring. He sets the U.S. Champion up on them, and then clamps on The Accolade!

Segment #9: Video Promo

Goldberg’s debut in WWE from 2003 is recapped.

Commercials.

Segment #10: Video Promo

Emmalina will be here soon.

Match #7: Single – Club member Karl Anderson (with Club member Luke Gallows) VS. Big Cass (with Enzo Amore)

Big is furious right off the bat with hard punches and a fall-away slam! He chucks Amore into Luke on the outside, and but is kicked as he climbed back in the ring. Karl runs at Cass and is driven down with the East River Crossing spinning-side-slam to finish this!

Winner via Pinfall: Big Cass (with Enzo Amore)

Segment #11: Locker Room Promo

Drew Gulak, Tony Nese, and Brian Kendrick are conspiring against Cruiserweight Champion T.J. Perkins, who walks in. He and Kendrick go at it verbally, and then Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann back up T.J.

Ads.

Segment #12: Video Promo

Women’s Champion Sasha Banks is interviewed by Lita about her Hell In The Cell Match with Charlotte at Hell In A Cell. Sasha reiterates that she is all good and can’t wait to make history with Charlotte.

Segment #13: Video Promo

Goldberg winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H at Unforgiven 2003 plays.

Commercials.

Match #8: Six-Man Tag-Team – Brian Kendrick, Drew Gulak, and Tony Nese VS. Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, and Cruiserweight Champion T.J. Perkins

(Note: it is announced that T.J. Perkins will defend his Cruiserweight Championship against Brian Kendrick at Hell In A Cell.) Swann and Gulak begin with an elbow/collar tie-up, and then Drew slaps Rich. He clamps on a grounding front-facelock, but Swann comes back with flips. He tags in Cedric, who avoids Tony a couple of times and then switches with Perkins, who is caught from a Guillotine Choke into a powerslam by Nese. Kendrick comes in and is quickly tied up in T.J.’s kneebar, but he manages to get out of it to the floor.

Ads.

This eventually breaks down, and after Nese lands a 450-splash onto Swann, Kendrick tags himself in and locks on his Captain’s Hook submission. T.J. tries to make the save but Tony holds him back, and Rich has to give up!

Winners via Submission: Brian Kendrick, Drew Gulak, and Tony Nese

Segment #14: Office Promo

Commissioner Stephanie and GM Mick put each other over about how they have made matches for Raw and Hell In A Cell. Mick makes one more for next week’s Raw, with Universal Champion Kevin Owens taking on both Seth Rollins and Chris Jericho in a triple threat, non-title match!

Commercials.

Segment #15: Arena Promo

Michael Cole is in the ring for the long-awaited return of Goldberg! After some recap of what led up to this, the man himself marches through the back to make his usual entrance! He soaks in the adulation, which include chants of “Goldberg,” “holy s**t,” and “this is awesome!” He thanks the fans for not forgetting; and then Michael leaves the ring to give Goldberg the time.

“12 years, ladies and gentleman. You never say ‘never,’ eh?” Goldberg is really happy because his wife and son are seeing him live in the ring for the first time. He also is thrilled to be doing this for all kids around the world, because he wants to be another much-needed “superhero” for them. Bill says that during his tour to put over the video game, “I created a little drama along the way back here in WWE.” He talks about the challenge that Brock put out there, and how he contemplated it. He didn’t want to at first, but then realized because Lesnar didn’t actually challenge him face-to-face, he want to go one more round! “Brock Lesnar, not only does that mean that ‘you’re next;’ but most importantly, it means, Brock Lesnar, ‘you’re last!’”

Goldberg tosses the mike and then acknowledges all the fans, and carries his son around. It is just made known that Brock will be on Raw next week to reply. Goldberg poses at the top of the ramp to close the show.

End of Raw.