Three Stars of The Night: WWE Monday Night Raw (August 20, 2018)

A look at the Three Stars Of The Night for the August 20th edition of WWE Monday Night Raw!

Tonight was the much anticipated RawAfterSummerSlam!

Okay, maybe not. But it was a the Raw that aired after SummerSlam, and if you look closely you’ll see the company already planting the seeds for WrestleMania 35. But that road is a topic for another day, as tonight we have to bring you the Three Stars!

The Third Star:
Ember Moon

On multiple occasions I’ve said Ember Moon wasn’t the type of character to have a great run through NXT, that Ember Moon was a “main roster character.” And when given the chances, she’s proving me right on Raw.

Tonight was no exception. Ruby Riott and Sasha Banks are world class talents, Liv Morgan and Bayley are great. But in her spots, Ember Moon exhibited a fire and passion that was unmatched in this match. The woman is a star, and she’s going to be a fixture of the main roster for a long time.

The Second Star:
Drew McIntyre

Sounds crazy, right? The guy was but a second for Dolph Ziggler, who fell in defeat to Dean Ambrose. But Drew McIntyre is the real deal, and Brooklyn wanted to see him.

The people want to see him.

He accomplished more by removing his jacket and daring Seth Rollins to hit him, setting up a feud that can easily end up with Drew McIntyre as Intercontinental Champion. And that sounds great to me.

Other Honorable Mentions:
Triple H, Constable Baron Corbin

And now… a distinction usually reserved
for the top performer of the night …the first star!

The First Star:
The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins)

“Dean Ambrose turns heel.” That was the prevailing prediction for SummerSlam, or the Raw after, upon the Lunatic Fringe’s return to a WWE broadcast. The Shield reuniting was another thought, but not right away. Not around SummerSlam, that’s for sure.

Fast forward to Monday’s Raw, and Roman Reigns is already a fighting champion–giving Finn Balor the championship opportunity he deserves. Enter Braun Strowman, ready to cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase. The crowd was a absolutely on fire, but the alarms were answered by a very familiar sound.

“Sierra – Hotel – India – Echo – Lima – Delta … SHIELD.”

The Shield, back together again, and it already feels better than last year.

All three men were the stars tonight, together AND separate. Roman Reigns controlled the entire crowd when he gave Finn Balor his title shot. Dean Ambrose had a hell of a return against Dolph Ziggler, with Seth Rollins in his corner. WWE is better when The Shield around, and tonight was proof of that point.

Who are your Three Stars of WWE Monday Night Raw? Comment on social media @ChairshotGreg, @theCHAIRSHOTcom, and use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

In hockey, a game’s “Three Stars Of The Night” represent the top three performers of the night. For more clarification, I defer to this Pittsburgh Gazette explanation:

“The tradition dates to the 1936-37 season, when Imperial Oil became the principal sponsor of Hockey Night in Canada radio broadcasts and was seeking a way to promote one of its products, Three Star gasoline. The idea of doing so by selecting the top three performers in a particular game purportedly came from a Canadian advertising agency.

Many clubs do recognize the player with the most three-star selections with an award or trophy, usually in conjunction with a corporate sponsorship, at the end of the season (or sometimes, each month). All six Canadian franchises, for example, have an affiliation with a well-known brewery.

The NHL keeps track of its own Three Stars Of The Night selections, but that is done on a league-wide basis. The league employs a system that awards 30 points to a first star, 20 to a second star and 10 to a third – a running total can be found on the league’s website – but it does not present an award based on them.”

In hockey tradition, the first star represents the best of the three, but all three are considered to be receiving a high honor.