SPOILER WARNING: This article contains full show match results for WWE Monday Night Raw from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts , which aired on Monday, July 9, 2018.
WWE Extreme Rules 2018 is less than a week away, and although it already looked pretty stacked before last night with a whopping nine matches, there were some major changes to the card.
They included a match for the Monster Among Men Braun Strowman as well as an all-important stipulation for the WWE Intercontinental Championship Iron Man Match between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins.
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Read on for 6 things we learned on last Monday Night Raw before the next major WWE pay-per-view.
- Braun Strowman is going to Extreme Rules 2018 (and we'll be cheering him on)
For weeks now Braun Strowman has been trying to have his way with Kevin Owens (as it were), with the Canadian continually running away (not that it's done him much good tbf).
Well, there was only one place this was going to go, then. Kurt Angle booked Steel Cage match between the two for Extreme Rules 2018.
Now, we've been hearing a lot of people moaning that Braun is "bullying" KO, and asking what on earth Owens has done to to deserve this sort of shabby treatment.
These are quite possibly the same people who moan about wrestlers flip-flopping between good and bad, and whine about a lack of continuity.
So we'll recap:
Kevin Owens is a horrible, horrible man. He turned on his BEST FRIEND Sami Zayn. He turned on his next BEST FRIEND Chris Jericho. He tried to end the career of a returning Daniel Bryan.
Braun Strowman isn't a good guy. Braun Strowman isn't a bad guy. Braun Strowman isn't THE guy. Braun Strowman is a MONSTER AMONG MEN. An amoral force of nature.
Think of him as an act of god, wreaking vengeance on Kevin Owens for all the wrong he has done others.
And cheer him on this Sunday at Extreme Rules.
- Drew McIntyre will be at ringside for Seth Rollins vs Dolph Ziggler
Seth Rollins quite rightly knows that everywhere Dolph Ziggler goes these days, Drew McIntyre follows.
He had the opportunity to avoid that interference this Sunday, and all Seth had to do was defeat the big Scot in last night's main event.
A hard-hitting match was up in the balance when Dolph Ziggler became the distraction, and taking advantage with the Claymore, Drew picked up the win.
After all that trouble, you can absolutely bet that Drew will be by Dolph's side as he defends the WWE Intercontinental Championship in that 30-minute Iron Man Match.
The question now is whether or not Roman Reigns will care to get involved, or if he'll be too busy preparing for/recovering from his match with Bobby Lashley (one, we note, has none of the stakes of Seth's title bout).
If RR is just too busy to help his friend, we wonder if anyone else will be Lunatic enough to help out a brother in need and provide Justice for All.
- It could be time for the Riott Squad to dissolve
When the Riott Squad made their debut it felt like they and Absolution were different sides of the same coin.
One on Monday Night Raw, one on SmackDown Live, we looked forward to the stables building a major presence and only rarely coming head-to-head at the very biggest pay-per-views.
But the end of Paige's in-ring career meant the end of Absolution, even though Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville continue to be pals.
And while Ruby Riott will only be out for a short time with an MCL sprain, the trio have long lost that momentum they had on their debut.
All three are great performers, especially Ruby, but we can't help but think that Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan need to get out from under that Riott shadow.
Neither has picked up significant wins in recent months, and without the dangled promise of those Absolution matches we so wanted it feels like half the reason for the Riott Squad existing has gone.
We'll be keeping an eye on all three in the coming weeks and months to see if there are any signs of discord in the Riott camp.
- Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax could be the most EXTREME match on Sunday night
At the time of writing, Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax is the only match at Extreme Rules 2018 with a stated Extreme Rules stipulation.
And last night we got a teaser of just how brutal things could get.
Last year at Extreme Rules, Alexa Bliss got the win over Bayley in a Kendo Stick on a Pole match.
Last night she got ahold of a stick after her and Mickie's tag loss to Nia and Natalya and started thwacking.
But Nia is no Bayley. She snapped that stick in two to send Alexa fleeing.
At Extreme Rules it's anything goes, and there won't just be one Kendo Stick in play.
We've got a feeling that Alexa will be better prepared with all manner of foreign objects, tables, chairs and the like to make the size difference with Nia irrelevant.
Oh, and don't forget Ronda Rousey being at ringside with more than a passing interest in what's going on, too.
Things are going to get extreme.
- Tyler Breeze has earned a solo run and Fandango's unfortunate injury could make this the time
Whether in matches or offering fashion advice,Tyler Breeze and Fandango were always a bright spot on Monday Night Raw.
An underrated duo who added a different shade to proceedings, they perhaps didn't get as much ring time as they deserved, but always maximised their minutes.
Now Fandango has picked up a serious injury that will leave him on the shelf for several months, Tyler Breeze is out there on his own.
The Riott Squad's Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan didn't seem to keen on his fashion advice, but the Gorgeous One won't take that to heart.
What's important for Breeze now is that he continues to make his presence felt on Monday nights, and maybe even starts offering some sartorial tips to Kurt Angle as a means of getting a match or two booked.
Given his in-ring skills, there's no reason why Tyler can't pick up a few wins and get the sort of momentum that could propel him to Intercontinental Championship contention.
- Win or lose on Sunday, The B-Team show that there's no such thing as a jobber in the WWE
Tyler Breeze can take confidence from Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, should he need it.
Individually and collectively, the B-Team are now on a seven-match winning streak after Bo Dallas's most recent victory against 'Woken' Matt Hardy.
Despite their run of form, we still can't picture the duo actually winning the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship against the Deleters of Worlds this weekend, but my god they've earned their shot.
And it's not impossible that they DO go all the way.
Over the last few years we've seen so many wrestlers dubbed "jobbers" by some in the WWE Universe end up with serious gold.
Remember that former 3MB bandmates Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre have all had significant highlights and championships.
Zack Ryder was WWE Intercontinental Champion. JAMES ELLSWORTH was picking up a win against AJ Styles and getting an actual title match.
No-one is a "jobber" for life. Anyone can have their moment. Yes, even Curt Hawkins.
WWE Monday Night Raw full show match results – Monday, July 9, 2018
Alexa Bliss & Mickie James vs Nia Jax & Natalya
WINNER: Nia Jax & Natalya
Mojo Rawley vs No Way Jose
WINNER: Mojo Rawley
Bo Dallas vs. 'Woken' Matt Hardy
WINNER: Bo Dallas
Ember Moon def. Liv Morgan
WINNER: Ember Moon
Baron Corbin & Elias vs. Finn Bálor & Bobby Roode
WINNERS: Baron Corbin & Elias
Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins [If Seth Rollins wins Drew McIntyre is banned from ringside at Extreme Rules]
WINNER: Drew McIntyre
