SummerSlam 2015 is this Sunday, and this is the “go-home” show for Raw! We know that both The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar will be in the building, so what will go down between the two behemoths on the path to their war at the Pay-Per-View?

Also, John Cena has officially accepted Seth Rollins challenge, to square off for both the United States Championship and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. Who will gain an advantage going into this monumental title bout?

It was made known that the Tag-Team Championship will also be on the line in a Fatal-4-Way; which team(s) will provoke the other(s)?

Summer Rae locked Lana in The Accolade Camel Clutch last week, so will Lana be able to get some revenge tonight, or does Summer and Rusev’s humiliation of her continue?

Intercontinental Champion Ryback made his long-awaited return last week and took out both Big Show and The Miz. Of the three who are schedule in a Triple-Threat Match at SummerSlam for the I.C. Title, who will come out on top this week?

All this and much more, plus my predictions, so read on!

Monday Night Raw TV Report for August 17th, 2015 – “Legacies”

Introduction Segment: Welcoming and Arena Promo

Michael Cole, John “Bradshaw” Layfield, and Byron Saxton greet us in Minneapolis, then The Authority’s music plays to kick off Raw. Triple H and Stephanie put over SummerSlam and run-down the card, as well as a couple of matches for tonight; Luke Harper taking on Roman Reigns and NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks facing Divas Champion Nikki Bella. They also reveal that Jon Stewart – talk show host and actor – will be hosting SummerSlam. “The Game” then says “the road to SummerSlam starts right now!”

Randy Orton’s music plays and he saunters to the ring., for a Tag-Team Match, next!

Commercials.

Match #1: Tag-Team – Randy Orton and Cesaro VS. Kevin Owens and Sheamus

Cesaro and Owens begin circling each other, then Owens quickly tags out to Sheamus. Cesaro does the same and switches with Randy. They circle each other also, then Sheamus goes to the outside for a break. He gets back in the ring and clamps Randy in a headlock then gives him a shoulder-tackle. They lock up again and Orton shoulder-tackles Sheamus off the ropes. Sheamus tags Kevin in, but Orton can’t switch with Cesaro again as Owens attacks him. Randy gets the upperhand and manages to slap hands with Cesaro, who then drops Owens after a stalling-suplex. Kevin knees Cesaro but misses a clothesline, allowing Cesaro to hit a springboard uppercut.

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Orton and Sheamus are back in the ring, with Sheamus controlling then tagging Kevin. He knocks Cesaro off the apron and then mount-punches Orton. Sheamus is back in and stomps away on Orton, then knees and clotheslines him off the ropes for two! Owens is now back in and wears down Randy with a grounding rear chinlock.

On the outside, Orton backdrops Owens on the barrier, then has to kick off Sheamus in the ring. He reaches for the hot-tag to Cesaro, who comes in and repeatedly uppercuts Sheamus! He climbs the turnbuckle and soars off with a crossbody for a near-fall! Cesaro tries the Swing, but Sheamus struggles to the ropes for the break. Sheamus now ascends the turnbuckle and dives off, but is met with another uppercut! Cesaro covers as “Little Naitch” Charles Robinson (the referee) counts two before Sheamus raises his shoulder!

Randy is tagged and drops Sheamus with the rope-prone DDT, then R.K.O.’s him to get the hard-earned victory!

Winners via Pinfall: Randy Orton and Cesaro

After recapping the events of Undertaker and Brock Lesnar at Battleground and Raw, Cole says that The Undertaker will be up next!

Commercials.

Segment #2: Video Promo

The Undertaker appears on the Titantron. “When the reaper calls your name, there is no apology. When the reaper calls your name, there is no remorse. When the reaper calls your name, it’s just over. Lesnar, the ‘Hounds of Hell’ are begging for your soul, and the Gates Of Hell are opening, and welcoming you to your eternal damnation. Brock Lesnar, your name has been called, and at SummerSlam, you will never ‘Rest…In…Peace.’”

Segment #3: Office Promo

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins is happy with The Authority having John Cena sign the contract for the match at SummerSlam; he also wants a statue of himself among the Hall Of Famers at Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. They agree if he wins both the U.S. Title and keeps his WWE World Heavyweight Championship after SummerSlam.

Dean Ambrose makes his entrance to be in the corner of Roman Reigns, who will face Luke Harper, next!

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Match #2: Single – Roman Reigns (with Dean Ambrose) VS. Luke Harper (with Bray Wyatt)

Reigns and Harper lockup and shove-off a couple times, then Roman slaps Luke out of the corner. Harper snapmares Reigns and works him over with a grounding rear chinlock. Reigns fights back with punches and kicks, then clotheslines him over the ropes. He follows up with the Drive-By running front-dropkick.

Commercials.

Harper is back in control, delivering a big Michinoku Driver for a two-count! Reigns counters with a backdrop, but Luke gives him a big boot direct to the side of the face! He locks in the Gator Roll, which Roman also battles back from. He ducks a clothesline and hits a couple flying forearms. Harper counters with a knee-to-the-head, but Reigns slams him with another backdrop. Luke runs, but Roman pulls the ropes down, sending Harper tumbling to the floor. Reigns follows with a leaping forearm from the apron!

Both get back into the ring at four and slug it out. Harper reverses a powerbomb attempt into a backdrop, which Reigns reverses into a sunset flip pin for two! Reigns tries a Samoan Drop, but Harper elbows out of it and superkicks Roman on the outside. He gets back in the ring but runs into a tornado side-slam by Harper. He attempts a powerbomb, but Reigns reverses into a Samoan Drop try, but Harper superkicks him again. He drops with a gutwrench powerbomb for two-and-half, but Reigns fires back with the Superman Punch and Spear for the 1 – 2 – 3!

Winner via Pinfall: Roman Reigns (with Dean Ambrose)

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Match #3: Single – Tamina Snuka (with Team B.A.D. partners Naomi and NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks) VS. Becky Lynch (with Team P.C.B. partners Paige and Charlotte)

Elbow/collar tie-up, then Tamina shoves Becky to the canvas. She headbutts Lynch, and catches her off a rope run with a spinning side slam. Snuka scoop-slams Becky for a count, then tears at her head with a chinlock. She pounds away with punches/forearms on the mat, but is elbowed out of the corner. Becky springboard-kicks Snuka in the corner, then jumps off the top turnbuckle with a front-dropkick. She reverses a pickup into her Disarmer Hold to force Tamina to tap!

Winner via Submission: Becky Lynch (with Team P.C.B. partners Paige and Charlotte)

Commercials.

Match #4: Single – Rusev (with Summer Rae) VS. Mark Henry

(Note: Lana is on commentary.) Henry begins with punches and a headbutt, then follows Rusev to the outside and hammers him with his arm. He rams him into the corner of the barricade, then slams him over-the-shoulder-style in the ring, twice!

On the outside again, Rusev kicks and runs Mark into the ring post two times. Back in the ring, he measures Henry and kicks him hard in the head. Rusev ties on The Accolade Camel Clutch. “The World’s Strongest Man” tries to break it at first, but “The Bulgarian Brute” adjusts the hold and makes Henry give up.

Winner via Submission: Rusev (with Summer Rae)

Post-match, Rusev and Summer leave but Lana enters the ring and takes off her shoes, then points at Rae, who enters the ring and removes her shoes too. Lana slaps Summer hard as she approached, then wants Rusev to face her. He obliges, and she looks to the entrance way. Out runs Dolph Ziggler, who takes out Rusev with a leaping-DDT. Rusev then uses Summer for protection, but Lana kicks her down. Lana and Ziggler celebrate his return.

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Segment #4: Backstage Promo

JoJo interviews Lana and Dolph Ziggler; they laud about what just happened and Dolph wants to wrestle Rusev at SummerSlam.

Segment #5: Video Promo

A montage of The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar’s rivalry airs.

Intercontinental Champion Ryback makes his entrance and will take on The Miz, next!

Commercials.

Match #4: Single – Intercontinental Champion Ryback VS. The Miz

(Note; The Big Show is on commentary.) Ryback chops to begin, but Miz chops him down at the knee. He controls for a bit, but Ryback counters a kick and hits the harsh Meathook Clothesline! He tries to drag Miz to the middle, but Miz holds onto the ropes. Miz dives off the turnbuckle, but is caught and slammed with The Shellshock for the finish!

Winner via Pinfall: Intercontinental Champion Ryback

Post-match, Ryback now wants to go at it with The Big Show and orders him to get in the ring; Show walks away instead.

The contract signing for the U.S. and WWE World Heavyweight Championship match is after the break!

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Segment #5: Arena Promo

The ring is decorated in a black mat, with chairs and a table in the ring, as are The Authority. Triple H and Stephanie bring out WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins first. He puts over Stephanie and Triple H for booking SummerSlam, then himself for presuming he will beat Cena at SummerSlam.

Rollins accuses Cena of being a “villain,” being the top guy for the past ten years and has not letting anyone else overtake him. He relates Cena to a “disease” and proclaims himself as “the cure.” Rollins also takes issue with Cena’s views of him and not replying to his challenge in person.

John Cena now joins to respond. He berates Rollins for his words and title reign, then talks about legacy. He says that he is a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion, and after Sunday, will be a 16-time World Heavyweight Champion. This applies to Triple H, because his mentor, Ric Flair, is the only other 16-time World Heavyweight Champion, so when Rollins loses, so does HHH. Cena puts the pressure on both; “Sunday’s not just a match, Sunday you fight to protect everything – the past, the present, the future of this man’s (Triple H) legacy. Bestowed to him by Ric Flair, he is trying to bestow it on you. There is one major difference here – Triple H was never Ric Flair’s ‘bitch.’ This Sunday, I’m going to make you mine.”

Cena signs the contract then walks to the back, holding the United States Championship high.

Commercials.

Match #5: Eight-Man Tag-Team – The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) and Tag-Team Champions The Primetime Players (Titus O’Neil and Darren Young) VS. Los Matadores (Fernando and Diego) (with El Torito) and The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Big E.) (with New Day partner Xavier Woods)

This breaks down early with Titus taking out both Matadores with tossing slams. On the apron, Torito and Woods engage in a fight, distracting a Matadore. Kalisto tags in and gets the 1 – 2 – 3 with a Hurricanrana cover.

Winners via Pinfall: The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) and Tag-Team Champions The Primetime Players (Titus O’Neil and Darren Young)

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Segment #6: Video Promo

A comic book style video for the feud between Stardust, Arrow, Neville, and Wade Barrett recaps.

Segment #7: Video Promo

Stardust and King Barrett appear on the Titantron. Stardust rambles on about their SummerSlam match with Arrow and Neville, then declares Barrett as “The Cosmic King.”

Divas Champion Nikki Bella makes her entrance with Alicia Fox and Brie Bella to take on NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks, next!

Commercials.

Match #6: Single – Divas Champion Nikki Bella (Team Bella partners Brie Bella and Alicia Fox) VS. NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks (with Team B.A.D. partners Tamina Snuka and Naomi)

They shove each other to start then lockup. Sasha gives Nikki a shoulder block for a quick count, then Nikki lockers in a standing side headlock. She drives Sasha’s face to her knee then uses the ropes to aide in a suplex, then clutches on a rear chinlock. She slams Banks to the mat and goes back to work with the chinlock. Sasha counters a double-kick and double-stomps Nikki in the corner, then performs push-ups for a break.

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Sasha is now dominating with a surfboard stretch, but Nikki soon makes a comeback. She clotheslines Banks and gives her the Alabama Slam, but Sasha counters with a modified neckbreaker for two. She slaps Nikki and rolls her up, but Nikki reverses into the Electric Chair Drop. Nikki goes for the Rack Attack, but Naomi hops on the apron to distract; Sasha reverses with a Backstabber and turns it into the Bank Statement lock for the victory!

Winner via Submission: NXT Women’s Champion Sasha Banks (with Team B.A.D. partners Tamina Snuka and Naomi)

Segment #8: Backstage Promo

Rene Young with Team P.C.B. Paige predicts they will win on Sunday, and will do it with “flair!” Becky, Charlotte, and Paige all let out a “whooo” in homage to Charlotte’s father, Hall Of Famer “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

Segment #9: Video Promo

Another recap of the feud between Undertaker and Lesnar is shown.

Commercials.

Segment #10: Arena Promo

Paul Heyman is in the ring and puts over his client’s accomplishments, then introduces the hometown man, Brock Lesnar! Confetti goes off as he makes his entrance amid cheers and “suplex city” chants. Heyman is on his knees and sings a variation of “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah,” changing the lyrics to accommodate Lesnar and The Undertaker.

The gong goes off and the lights dim and come back on quickly, but Heyman and Lesnar are still in the ring alone. Heyman mocks the short warning, then insinuates that ‘Taker will not defeat Lesnar at SummerSlam. He puts “The Deadman” over for his physical stance, but reminds him that he is wrestling “The Beast,” not a man. “This Sunday at SummerSlam, my client Brock Lesnar offers no respect to The Undertaker’s accomplishments. This Sunday night at SummerSlam offers you no recognition of your multiple WWE Title reigns. This Sunday night at SummerSlam, Brock Lesnar offers you no recognition of your twenty-five years of dominance and destruction. Brock Lesnar offers you no resurrection. Brock Lesnar offers you no retribution. This Sunday night, Brock Lesnar offers you the realization you have met your…”

Another gong rings out and the arena goes dark again. This time when the building is brightened, “The Phenom” is standing in the ring. He boots Lesnar below the belt then Chokeslams him. Undertaker gives Brock a Tombstone as a horrified Heyman looks on. ‘Taker kneels down then walks away with the arena turned in his patented purple colour and pyro going off by the stage to close the show.

End Of Raw.

Reporter’s Rumblings – By Moe Tapp

This was an OK Raw; the action was really good, but nothing overly new or surprising, as it was your average “go-home” build-up for Sunday. Onto my analysis then preview:

Excellence: matches between Cesaro/Orton/Owens/Sheamus, Nikki/Sasha, Becky/Tamina, and Roman/Luke – all well and hard-wrestled.

Promos by Undertaker, Rollins, Cena, and Heyman – all passionate in their respective ways and really put over their matches as to why they are “must-sees.” Particularly, Heyman and Cena, especially Cena talking about Ric Flair/Triple H’s legacies and comparing them with Seth’s.

Glad both (former) NXT women’s wrestlers got the big W’s tonight, and here’s hoping this revolution continues well past SummerSlam. As well, liked the tease of Big Show not engaging Ryback when he was called out; save the two big-men for the Pay-Per-View.

Bogus: thought the opening promo by The Authority was a waste of time; putting over the card for SummerSlam was something that should’ve been left to the commentators. They could’ve just opened with the contract signing or Orton/Cesaro/Owens/Sheamus

Was actually hoping for a Mixed Tag match between Ziggler/Lana and Rusev/Summer instead of just a one-on-one; with all that has gone on the last while, this makes mores sense since it seems the feud was more centered around Lana and Rae.

SummerSlam Predictions: Owens defeats Cesaro; Sheamus defeats Orton; Rusev over Ziggler w/ Summer’s help; Arrow/Neville get the celebrity-endorsed win Ryback retains the Intercontinental Championship; Lucha Dragons win the Tag Titles; Team P.C.B. are victorious; the reunited Wyatt Family take it with the aide of returning Erik Rowan; Rollins triumphs and has both championship by nefarious means; Undertaker wins over Lesnar, to setup one more final “tie-breaker.”

Until next week, Be Excellent Wrestling-Online Readers and Wrestling Fans!