Monday Night RAW was nothing short of a blockbuster this week. As advertised, The Miz put the WWE Championship on the line against Bobby Lashley in a match that would have huge implications for WrestleMania 37. There was plenty more action on the night too, with former world champion Drew McIntyre returning, while Randy Orton got a nasty shock when he came face-to-face with... himself? Check out the full results from this week's RAW below.
Drew McIntyre def. Sheamus
The bad blood boiled over, as the two old friends couldn’t wait for the opening bell to begin throwing haymakers.
Sheamus grabbed the first true advantage when a Brogue Kick knocked McIntyre clean to the outside. The brutality continued as The King of Claymore Country unleashed a beatdown on the announce table and shook the ring with a suplex of The Celtic Warrior off the top rope.
Both men risked it all at the finish, as McIntyre’s Claymore bested Sheamus’ Brogue Kick attempt to finish the high-level clash that is already generating early 'Match of the Year' buzz.
Nia Jax def. Naomi
Naomi & Lana were looking to build momentum after earning a WWE Women’s Tag Team Title opportunity, but Nia Jax was intent on squashing that momentum.
The Irresistible Force fought off early attacks to drop Naomi with a thunderous slam and send a message to Lana in the process.
The Miz got a case of the Mondays
After the WWE Title Match was set for a 9 p.m. ET start, The Miz had little time to scheme up his latest advantage.
As Bobby Lashley waited in the ring, the A-Lister complained backstage of intense stomach pains but The All Mighty confronted The Miz to let him know there’s nowhere to run.
The Hurt Business def. Braun Strowman & Adam Pearce – Raw Tag Team Championship Match
When The Monster Among Men came calling for a WWE Title Match, Shane-O-Mac cooked up his own plans and had Braun Strowman team up with Adam Pearce.
On the plus side, the unlikely partners would take on Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin for the Raw Tag Team Titles.
Strowman tossed The Hurt Business around the ring, but a call from Shane McMahon to tag Pearce resulted in Benjamin rolling up the WWE official for the win which ignited another monstrous tirade.
Damian Priest def. Elias
Elias started the night with a proposition for Bad Bunny, but instead found himself in a battle with Damian Priest.
The hard-hitting action pushed the limits of both competitors with Elias narrowly kicking out of a Broken Arrow to keep the match alive.
The Archer of Infamy dug deep for a Hit the Lights to remain undefeated since debuting on Monday Night Raw.
Randy Orton gets a nasty surprise
During a backstage segment, Randy Orton called on Alexa Bliss to move on or 'face consequences' but it appears The Fiend has other ideas.
A video of Orton appeared on the screen and spoke with a distorted voice, warning a shocked Viper that things won't end on his terms and he'll soon be facing everything he's done.
The mysterious Orton figure began laughing and taunting the real one, who left quickly appearing to cough and choke as the camera cut away.
Bobby Lashley def. The Miz by Count-Out
With Adam Pearce mandating a 10 p.m. ET start for The Miz’s showdown with Bobby Lashley, it appeared The All Mighty was finally going to get his opportunity.
The WWE Champion would hesitantly make his way down to the ring but and tried to strike a deal to delay the night’s match. And when all else failed, The A-Lister ran for the hills at the sound of the bell.
Charlotte Flair def. Shayna Baszler
Charlotte Flair boldly stated her Raw Women’s Championship intentions, but Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler let The Queen know the Road to WrestleMania runs through them.
Baszler would level Flair to usher in the opening bell, as Jax waited at ringside to stack the odds.
After Flair tossed Jax into the ringside steps, The Queen bounced back into the ring to land a Natural Selection on Baszler for the statement win.
Riddle & Lucha House Party def. RETRIBUTION
After claiming the United States Title, Riddle was ready for a brodown with Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado against RETRIBUTION.
T-BAR brought a merciless start with a chokeslam of Riddle, but Lucha House Party would help turn the tide with high-flying action.
A skyscraping splash from The King of the Ropes resulted in a pin of SLAPJACK and an irate Mustafa Ali.
Mustafa Ali def. Riddle
After his RETRIBUTION troops failed him in Six-Man Tag Team action, Mustafa Ali took matters into his own hands.
The Original Bro appeared to have the match clinched after a Final Flash knee strike, but a flurry of distractions from the outside allowed Ali to plant Riddle off the middle rope to capitalize for the win.
Bobby Lashley def. The Miz – WWE Championship Lumberjack Match
The moment finally came for Bobby Lashley to take out his frustrations on The Miz and seize his WWE Title opportunity, and The All Mighty did not disappoint.
The A-Lister looked for any possible opening to escape, but the Raw Superstars on the outside made sure to keep him focused on the task at hand. With nowhere to run, The Miz fell right into the waiting arms of The All Mighty who clutched in The Hurt Lock to force the tap-out victory.
Lashley had grabbed hold of his a WWE Championship reign that was 17 years in the making.
The Road to WrestleMania really is full of surprises, isn't it? With a rare title change on RAW, the landscape heading into 'The Showcase of the Immortals' has completely shifted again.
So where does this leave us? We'll just have to wait and find out.