Stephanie grits her teeth. Planning on making her big return to Raw this week, along with booking this show, has left her tired, exasperated. She's not in the mood for any nonsense so she stays in her office, with the volume turned low, and watches to see how the show flows without her micromanaging everything from the curtain like she tends to do.
Big E starts the show off by defeating Jack Evans with a belly to belly slam after some back and forth that Jack eventually lost control of and couldn't regain. The next match is Kane vs Kazuchika Okada, Kane mocking the NJPW superstar by tilting a finger, causing a small pillar of flame to come up from the entrance ramp, slowly burning through the currency with Okada's face on them that rains from the ceiling. Okada and Gedo step carefully through the smoldering bills, gingerly making their way to the ring. Okada slowly shrugs out of his impressive full-lengthed coat before entering the ring.
He and Kane stare at each other intensely before the bell rings, Okada immediately trying to get the first shot. He tries also to keep some distance, not wanting to get caught by Kane's long arms, but the further away he is, the more his attempts at offense fail. So he slips in closer and lands a solid forearm to Kane's upperbody, rocking the man... or at least Okada had assumed, until Kane immediately responds with a solid punch to Okada's face that staggers him, causing Gedo to yell out in Japanese to him.
Growing more and more furious, Okada strains and focuses, landing a solid forearm to Kane's upper chest and throat area when he approaches once more, arm extended to try for a chokeslam. He then suplexes the staggering man, panting for breath when Kane actually doesn't rush to stand up. "Stay down!" he cries, booting him in the chest before heading up. Flying off, he closes his eyes as he hits a vicious elbow drop from the top rope, paling when he shifts over to find Kane now sitting up. Cursing in Japanese, he scrambles up and tries to figure out his next move. He finally opts to slip under Kane and lift him, gritting his teeth against the weight, before dropping Kane down in a neckbreaker slam. His strength fails him then and he staggers back into the corner, closing his eyes.
It's only Gedo's shouts that wake him up and he forces his eyes open, moving aside just in time for Kane to hit the turnbuckle post. He's too slow after this, getting a solid punch to the face for his troubles. He can barely breathe, his ribs feeling like they're on fire after lifting Kane up, and Gedo is still screaming. Pride is the only thing that forces Okada to focus, kicking and struggling until he frees himself from Kane's attempt at a tombstone, hitting the mat with a strangled cry. Where the energy comes from, how the power flows through his bruised, exhausted body, he's not sure, but he doesn't even bother to pose before rushing forward and gripping Kane's wrist, sending him down hard with a Rainmaker. Not wanting to risk the victory, he forces Kane up once more and lunges forward, hitting him once more with the rough lariat, downing him for real this time.
Pinning Kane is a blur, Gedo slapping his back excitedly a muffled sensation in the background and Okada staggers, so very tired after this war with one of the more formidable American monsters.
Afterwards, Aerostar defeats Baron Corbin and Nick Jackson wins a six man match against Big Show, Ryback, Apollo Crews, Kofi Kingston and Trevor Lee, the crowd reacting as expected for one of the longest chains of superkicks ever. Matt Jackson continues the superkick party by defeating Aiden English next, celebrating with his brother on the ramp before going backstage.
Next, in one of the most baffling matches that Stephanie's ever booked in her many years in this business, Al Snow defeats R-Truth. A three team tag match starts next, Natalya and Paige competing against the teams of Becky and Sasha, and Summer and Maria. Summer looks digusted to be teamed up with Maria, her lips pressed tightly together as the match continues, Natalya and Sasha exchanging glows and submission holds for awhile. Things fall apart when Becky tags in, Sasha yelling at her.
Summer finds an opportunity and tags herself in after awhile, watching as Becky and Sasha drop to the mat below and start arguing in earnest. It seems to distract Natalya enough that Summer succeeds at spin kicking Natalya in the face, bitting a body scissors and transitioning into a pin... just to realize that Paige isn't trying to break it, Maria having snuck around the ring and pulled her off of the apron, squeeching at her for slapping her aferwards. Paige is quickly distracted from doing something worse to the woman when the bell rings, confirming that Summer and Maria's won. She laughs ecstatically as her hand is raised in success.
After a brutal battle where the crowd holds their breath, certain that either man could kill each other at any time, Kenny Omega defeats Kevin Owens after slamming him down and dazing him with a fisherman buster, the crowd buzzing over this impressive victory and what it might mean for Kenny's future in the contest.
The next match is a six man elimination match, Jay Lethal, Chris Jericho, AJ Styles, PJ Black, Dean Ambrose and Cesaro cluttering the ring. For a moment, Jay and PJ stand back and watch as Dean goes right for Jericho, the two men exchanging punches and insults. It's only when some space is forced between the two men that AJ acts, slamming his forearm into Jericho's upperbody, leave him in good position for Cesaro's sharpshooter. Dean then forces him back up and hits the Dirty Deeds before pinning him. From there, the match turns less personal, being simple a fight for power, for those points. To find themselves in the same position as Neville when he returns from his injury.
Dean eliminates PJ Black and Cesaro eliminates Jay Lethal only a few moments apart, their eyes locking as they realize they're now alone in the ring with AJ Styles. They brawl, mixing it between the three of them, before AJ takes Cesaro out with his forearm, trying to pin him. His and Dean's eyes lock, the lunatic fringe making no move to save the man when AJ pins him. Down to two and the two minute fight, fully aware of this fact. Neither can stand well, but finally, AJ staggers and slumps against the wall, brushing his sweat soaked hair out of his eyes. This is the opportunity Dean was waiting for, lunging forward and punching him deep into the turnbuckle post. He wants nothing more than to finish this match before Anderson and Gallows might show their faces, so eventually he pulls AJ out of the corner and kicks him hard, setting up for another Dirty Deeds.
AJ fights, trying to get free, but Dean pushes him down and kicks him in the head, forcing the matter. A simple three count and Dean walks away victorious, trying to remember to breathe, how it all feels better now- more normal.
Fenix defeats Kalisto, the crowd still awake and with things as Kushida then succeeds against Simon Gotch fairly quickly. This leaves plenty of time for the main event tag match, the crowd chanting along with Enzo Amore as he introduces himself and Big Cass for the first time as a tag team in Team Work. They feel lucky that they'd been able to team together after the singles match nightmares from the week prior, and more so when they see the thrown together team they're facing off against. Xavier Woods and NJPW's Naito. Enzo chuckles in disbelief, about to say something absolutely scathing against the both of them, when Xavier gets a microphone of his own.
"Excuse me," he says, clearing his throat obnoxiously. "I'm guessing you think you're going to win and both have one point in this little contest thing, hm?" Enzo and Cass are nodding, no doubt in their minds, when Xavier's laughter turns truly evil. "Sorry to wreck your dreams, but you're not only going to lose here tonight, word on the street is if you did win, only the guy who does the pinning gets the point. So one of you would still be persona non grata in this contest." He smirks at the men before turning to his partner. "Come on, let's go."
Cass and Enzo exchange troubled glances before the bell rings and they have to start the match, Enzo starting off against Naito. Between the two of them, Naito and Xavier keep Enzo down, away from their corner, battering the man until he can barely move without grimacing in such intense pain that Cass can see it from across the ring. Cass paces back and forth, trying to cheer Enzo on, when finally he kicks free and lunges forward, tagging Cass before collapsing against the apron, half-watching as Cass dismantles both Xavier and Naito. He has Naito down outside, and Xavier, the legal man, in the ring, and quickly tags in Enzo, supporting him as always when Enzo drops down, his full weight drawing the oxygen out of Xavier's lungs.
Enzo hesitates, however, over pinning the man, biting his lip. Struggling onto his side, all he can think about is how stupid, how lame this actually is, but dammit... he'll always have another opportunity. He hopes. This fueling him, he struggles back to their corner and tags in a confused, worried looking Cass. "Take the pin," he hisses out, clinging to his midsection. "Go on, big man. Get that point. You deserve it."
Cass wants to argue, wants to question him further, but Xavier and Naito are both stirring so he scrambles over, he pins Xavier and holds his eyes closed until he and Cass are declared as winners. Cass immediately frees himself from the nagging referee and stumbles over to where Enzo is slumped over, helping him to sit up and ruffling his crazy hair. "You did it!"
"We did it," Cass corrects him, nudging at him with a bright grin that fades into uncertainty over what Enzo just sacrificed. "Are we ok?" When Enzo nods, he releases a breath. "Thank you, Enzo. You're the best tag partner a man could ask for." Enzo is clearly floundering, not sure what to say to some of this, and still achey from his extended time in the ring. Cass notices, however, and thankfully lets him off of the hook." Come on, let's go home."
"Yeah, let's," he sighs, leaning against Cass as they head out.