Welcome to another edition of WWE RAW is DVR, where I watch RAW on a delay! Let’s see how long it takes me to watch the 8/19/19 edition.

RAW is DVR is back, and I am excited to see how much time we can save! Before you go too far, give Steven Mitchell’s Raw Results and Report a read! If you’re not familiar with RAW is DVR, it’s perfect for me as living on the west coast i have no choice to watch RAW on a delay. I get to fast forward where I choose, and it really helps my viewing happiness.

Time Stamp: 00:00, Stopwatch: 00:00

Big Dog Opens Raw!

• The crowd is booing and I am happy as shit about it.
• FAST FORWARD the talking and the video recaps.
• And here’s…Dolph? Okay, sounds good to me! I was expecting a promo.

Roman Reigns vs. Dolph Ziggler

• Not gonna lie, this was a weird opening, but it’s a match so we’re happy, right?
• Ziggler’s tweet was funny. #HumanRingPost
• So we have a ref, and a promo? Rudy Charles FTW!
• Dolph doesn’t get the credit he deserves for this run.
• Ziggler’s promo here is fantastic. FANTASTIC. So underrated. And brilliant ending.
• Reigns struggles early are…odd. The effects of the attacks?
• FAST FORWARD the commercials!
• Jerry Lawler calls back to Ziggler causing his heart attack!
• Dolph Ziggler could pull off the late 80s Brutus Beefcake tights. I should tweet that.
• Dolph Ziggler eats another spear, this time from Roman Reigns. Will he ask for more?
• Match started slow, but picked up. Ziggler is a great storyteller, and Reigns is the man.

Roman Reigns pins Dolph Ziggler following a spear – ***

FAST FORWARD commercials, recaps, and more.

I tweeted it:

#RAWisDVR @HEELZiggler should get the late 80s Brutus Beefcake tights. I think it would work for him.

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

Time Stamp 28:39, Stopwatch 17:01

Becky Lynch Talks

• Recorded earlier, and I am not sure why. At least they’re honest!
• “Sasha Banks is the greatest woman on the roster, to never be great.”
• This is a really good promo.

The King’s Court with Sasha Banks

• FAST FORWARD to Sasha’s entrance.
• Love Lawler bailing when The Fiend’s effects start.
• The Fiend attacks Lawler and the crowd response is amazing. If they’re not careful, he will become the biggest babyface in the company.
• Thank funny he still scares the kids.
• DARIN CORBIN FTW!
• The crowd is chanting “YOWIE WOWIE!” He’s a babyface!

FAST FORWARD the commercials and recap!

Time Stamp 20:48, Stopwatch 23:22

Oh hey, Vic Joseph. I like this.

Ricochet & The Miz vs. Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin

• I might be the only person who doesn’t hate the “Ricochet sound effect” at the start of Ricochet’s entrance.
• I should tweet that.
• Good ol’ WWE booking seeing next week’s King Of The Ring pairings fight in a tag team match. I don’t hate it.
• FAST FORWARD the entrances.
• BARON. CORBIN. SUCKS.
• FAST FORWARD the commercials.
• Two matches, two mid-match commercial breaks. Remember when we weren’t doing that?
• If they play their cards right, Ricochet can be a modern day Rey Mysterio. That means a Royal Rumble win and multiple world championships. Be patient.
• It also means getting tossed around by Drew McIntyre.
• Does Corbin wear that terrible wife-beater (can we call it that in 2019) to cover up those terrible tattoos?
• Undertaker tattooing “SARA” on his neck thinks those are bad.
• It’s not like Ricochet tattooed “TESSA” on his neck, right?
• Great tag team match. In-ring, this show is delivering tonight.

Ricochet & The Miz beat Baron Corbin & Drew McIntyre when Ricochet pins Corbin after The Recoil – ***1/2

I tweeted that:

I might be the only person who doesn't hate the "Ricochet sound effect" at the start of Ricochet's entrance. #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

FAST FORWARD the commercials

Timestamp 59:11, Stopwatch 34:37

FAST FORWARD most of the Booker T interview, and the entrances

United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Braun Strowman

• So we’re going to commercial soon, right?
• Knowing the spoilers for the end of Raw kinda ruins this match, not gonna lie. But let’s see how it goes!
• SPRINGBOARD INTO A FLYSWATTER!
• There’s the DQ. That’s why you have a crew, right?

Braun Strowman beats AJ Styles via disqualification after The OC interferes – **1/2

• And here’s the babyface Universal Champion, complete with backwards hat!
• Can we do something with Strowman’s beard? The length is good, but it can use some work on the sides.

FAST FORWARD Samoa Joe walking, commercials, talking, etc.

Timestamp 1:14:11, Stopwatch 41:38

King Of The Ring First Round Match: Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro

• Samoa Joe would be the closest thing to King Harley Race we’ve ever had.
• Can we get suit wearing Cesaro back?
• I should tweet that.

I tweeted that:

Can we get suit wearing Cesaro back? #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

• Cesaro jump starting the match is brilliant. If you know why, you know.
• Okay, I’ll tell you: Samoa Joe is susceptible to flash pins.
• FAST FORWARD the mid-match commercials. That’s 3 out of 4.
• Samoa Joe needs a haircut, but I don’t have the guts to tell him,

I shouldn’t tweet that, but I did:

@SamoaJoe needs a haircut, but I don't have the guts to tell him. #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

• That kick was BRUTAL.
• Cesaro not getting Samoa Joe over the first time, but getting it the second, is a nice accidental bit of realism. I dug it.
• HASHIMOTO!
• By the way, here’s my brakcet: https://2b7.4c0.myftpupload.com/2019/08/demarco-cracking-the-code-on-the-2019-wwe-king-of-the-ring/
• Nice sequences at the end, and Joe ruins my aforementioned bracket.
• One hell of a match.

Samoa Joe advances to the quarterfinals with a submission win over Cesaro – ****

Timestamp: 1:34:33, Stopwatch: 52:01

Hello, I Am Eliath

• Are these fans chanting “BULL!” Like for Bull Dempsey?
• Somewhere, a chaise lounge is missing it’s throw blanket.

See, I wasn’t kidding:

• While I was getting a pic, R-Truth showed up.
• El Kabong doesn’t happen, and Elias escapes with the WWE 24/7 Championship

FAST FORWARD the commercials

Time stamp: 1:43:15, Stopwatch: 56:28

Rey Mysterio Doesn’t Retire

• I’d thank Charly for her time, too. “Money’s on the dresser, Charly!”
• Charly is better than that, by the way. It was a joke.
• Charly is taller than Rey. The dresser might be taller than Rey, too.
• Rey about to unmask. and Dominic Mysterio is here to stop him.
• Dominic has a Rey Mysterio tattoo.
• What worries me about this Dominic promo is that it was the best take they got.
• Dominic is gonna turn on Rey and have a career that will make David Flair proud.

Yep, tweeted it:

Dominic is gonna turn on Rey Mysterio and have a career that will make David Flair proud. #RAWisDVR (I hope I'm wrong.)

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

You do not FAST FORWARD The New Day’s entrance

• Did Michael Cole mention the WILDCARD RULE???
• WILDCARD BITCHES!

You also do not FAST FORWARD The Revival’s entrance.

• SAY YEAH!
• WE GO HARD!
• Best tag team in the world.
• Snakeskin boots? Fucking awesome.
• By the way, it looks like a good crowd at Raw tonight.

The New Day (Xavier Woods & Big E) vs. The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)

• Seriously, we are watching two of the best tag teams in the world. They ain’t scared, Nick.
• Xavier Woods’ Iron Sheik boots will never get old.
• FAST FORWARD the commercials.
• That’s 4 for 5 on the mid-match commercials tonight.
• RKO OUTTA NOWHERE!
• RKO OUTTA NOWHERE TO KOFI!
• Randy Orton is your next WWE Champion, and The Revival and Orton are a thing? God damn, man. The World Wrestling Federation is back!
• SHATTER MACHINE RKO OUTTA NOWHERE! Shit, man. This is awesome.
• See you guys on Smackdown tomorrow night!
• It was great while it lasted, and the post-match shenanigans were better. They’re part of the segment, and they’re part of the rating.

The New Day beats The Revival by disqualification – ***

I tweeted it:

Xavier Woods' @XavierWoodsPhD Iron Sheik @the_ironsheik boots will never get old. #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

Michael Cole Interviews Sasha Banks

• This is our second Michael Cole split screen interview.
• Sasha is the second person to thank the interviewer for their time.
• Sasha is the second person to fake cry.
• Guy in the crowd is wearing a “Rats Get Bats” shirt……
• The part of Damien Sandow will be played by Sasha Banks.
• #YoureWelcome

Yep:

The part of Damien Sandow will be played by Sasha Banks.#YoureWelcome #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

You do not FAST FORWARD Alexa Bliss coming to the ring.

But you do FAST FORWARD the commercials.

You do not FAST FORWARD Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville making an entrance.

• I need to check out that new Steve Austin show.

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville

• That hug….
• Fitness Model Mandy Rose is on her way to being a modern day Trish Stratus. You doubt me, but she’s ahead of where Trish was at this point in her career.

You guessed it!

Fitness Model @WWE_MandyRose is on her way to being a modern day Trish Stratus. You doubt me, but she's ahead of where Trish was at this point in her career. #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

• Sonya Deville is a star in waiting.
• That finish was outta nowhere, I wonder if time got cut.

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross beat Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville when Cross pinned Deville – **3/4

Timestamp: 2:20:21, Stopwatch: 1:22:27

King Of The Ring First Round Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Sami Zayn

• Cedric is a man of few words–and he proved why with that promo.
• Sami loves the throne.
• For the record, I picked Cedric Alexander to beat Sami Zayn here.
• Hot start to the match, and I’ll be honest with you: I’ve never seen a Cedric Alexander match I didn’t enjoy.
• Just a quick reminder that ROH had Cedric Alexander and no one told him to lose 20 pounds. WWE did, and look at him now! WWE – 1, ROH – 0.
• Zayn fell over during the reverse head-scissors, and I can’s sell that as realism.
• Lumbar Check gets it done, and this match was rushed. Something else ran long.

Cedric Alexander pinned Sami Zayn with the Lumbar Check to advance – **3/4

Not gonna FAST FORWARD the Street Profits.

• The Profits being very sneaky and not wearing their NXT Tag Team Championships.
• But they did get the lower third.
• Braullins?
• Tag Team King Of The Ring, Tag Team Royal Rumble, Tag Team Money In The Bank — we need it all! #SaveTagTeamWrestling

Tweeted it!

Tag Team King Of The Ring, Tag Team Royal Rumble, Tag Team Money In The Bank — we need it all! #SaveTagTeamWrestling #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

FAST FORWARD the commercials and highlights.

Almost fast forwarded Natalya’s promo, but Twitter told me I shouldn’t. Sasha attacks again!

• “Sasha is my friend. Sasha was my friend.”
• Natalya is a terrible promo. She needs a character to play.
• Sasha’s attack was great.
• “Go to hell Nattie, and tell your daddy I said hi” is a brilliant line from Sasha Banks. Don’t @ me.

You didn’t have to ask:

"Go to hell Nattie, and tell your daddy I said hi" is a brilliant line from Sasha Banks. Don't @ me. #RAWisDVR

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) August 20, 2019

FAST FOWARD the entrances, commercials, and entrances.

Raw Tag Team Championship: Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (c) vs. Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman

• #SaveTagTeamWrestling is in trouble here, as the Vicious Cycle of WWE Tag Team Booking seems to be in effect.
• They love to have Seth Rollins “work injured.”
• Michael Cole just said “floundering for a piece.” I can’t even right now.
• FAST FORWARD the mid-match commercials. 5 for 8 now.
• FAST FORWARD a slow period.
• This match has become The Seth Rollins Show.
• FREIGHT TRAIN BRAUN ON THE OUTSIDE!
• Mowing people over isn’t “waiting patiently,” Vic.
• Powerslam and it’s over.
• Love that Vic Joseph called the finish. Great job by Michael Cole to step aside.

Braun Strowman & Seth Rollins beat Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson to win the Raw Tag Team Championships – ***1/2

• On the reply I realized how brilliant it was to have Seth hit the Stomp on AJ to keep him from causing the DQ, which Rollins eluded to earlier. Great foreshadowing.
• Braun staring at the Universal Championship to close. Great work there, too.

Timestamp: 3:00:12, Stopwatch: 1:46:30

Summary

• Best match of the night: Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro (****)
• Time saved: 1:13:42

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

I can’t complain about tonight’s Raw. It was entertaining, it advanced storylines (Becky-Sasha, Braun-Seth, King Of The Ring) while reminding us of others. Dolph Ziggler, Samoa Joe, Cesaro, and Sasha Banks all delivered great performances. Good shit, pal.