One last Raw Talk before Tables, Ladders and Chairs!

Before TLC, there’s still much to Raw Talk about! What will the Hurt Business, Mandy & Dana, and even Elias and JAXSON RYKER have to say about everything that happened this Monday Night Raw?

Charly Caruso welcomes us back to the show!

No #CharTruth because the WWE 24/7 Champion has left the building, but instead, MVP is the cohost! There’s no nickname here yet, but he suggests “MVP and that chick.” She suggests MVC, “Most Valuable… Champions?” Well that would be members of the Hurt Business, and they still need to work on her journalism skills. But she has been working on them since last time. She studies every night because of him. Well then we’ll see how this goes. She will be on “temporary probation.”

Charly directs things to Raw, and what we just saw with the Ascension Ceremony. We got a preview of sorts tonight. What was MVP’s reaction to Styles having Miz and Morrison? Well any time MVP sees McIntyre encounter misfortune, he takes pleasure in it. Not great pleasure, but a good amount. It was 3v1 for McIntyre, but Charly needs work with math skills. Maybe use Ask Jeeves or even Alexa. Equality in search engines. But does MVP have early predictions based on what we saw? MVP does not like to speculate on things he can’t control. The only thing MVP speculates on is the futures in the Hurt Business. However, he will say that while he isn’t fond of McIntyre, he respects McIntyre as a fighting champion and dangerous individual. Do not look past tonight to predict an outcome.

Another thing MVP didn’t have a hand in was the Bray Wyatt field trip. “That’s just bizarre.” Bray is bizarre, and it’s one of those things MVP still hasn’t figured out yet. No one has. Does Bray need psychiatric help? Yes, definitely. It feels wrong enjoying the mental breakdowns. But people have tried to reach out to Bray and he doesn’t want the help. Bray seems to delight in his own derangement. MVP brings up Baker’s Law, where you can be sent for psychiatric help against your will. The WWE might need to consider that. Someone could’ve gotten hurt, but The Fiend appeared and got after Orton. The game of hide ‘n’ seek, the only ones who won were those not involved.

MVP has known Orton for a long time, he is someone else who might need some hep. So two sick, twisted individuals playing a high stakes game of hide ‘n’ seek, “somebody’s not gonna fare well.” TLC will bring a lot of surprises, that’s for sure. And another surprise will be who Asuka’s new tag partner is now that Lana was sidelined by Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Either one of our first two guests could be that substitute!

Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose join Raw Talk!

The #SexyMuscleFriends are together again and it’s great to have Mandy back. She is feeling much better, obviously. Her shoulder issue wasn’t severe, she’s back, and she made a statement. Dana says Mandy definitely helped her out. These two always have each other’s backs, that’s for sure. MVP is intrigued by this combination, and wonders what is possible for their combined talents and upsides. Charly says they have a strong upside. Dana and Mandy were going strong before the respective injuries that kept them from Survivor Series. But the comeback was strong. Nia and Shayna deserved what they got tonight as being such big bullies.

MVP takes exception to that word, “bullies.” Maybe Nia and Shayna were just “overzealous.” Is he defending them? He has no vested interest. Just at times, he and Hurt Business have been called bullies. Sometimes people just get overly aggressive. But they saw what Nia and Shayna have been doing to Lana for weeks. Nine different times, Lana was put through a table. “How jealous can you be after awhile?” MVP says no one could put him through a table nine times. Maybe once but- Has he ran into the Sexy Muscle Friends? That is Asuka’s name for them, after all. And Dana is pretty sure she could put him through a table. He might let her. MVP wants him some Sexy Muscle Friends. But he’ll stop before he gets in trouble.

Charly moves on and says with Lana out, is this a chance for one of them to be Asuka’s partner? Of course. Asuka helped them, including tonight, and they will be their for her if she wants them. Whoever is chosen, the other will cheer them on. MVP suggests rock paper scissors. Dana and Mandy will always be there for the Sexy Muscle Friends. So who makes the decision? Them? Asuka? A WWE management member? MVP asks if that’ll cause some tension. Dana and Mandy say it won’t, and Mandy will give away that they talked with Asuka before Raw Talk. They’ve agreed Asuka’s decision is her decision. So has she chosen? Dana can’t give that away.

MVP points out the wording, meaning they know but they can’t share it here. That’s not exactly what that means. Charly would love to keep pressing, but the music plays to give the “Sexy Muscle Friends” their exit. MVP would rather trade them for Charly. Well from good-looking guests to good(?) sounding guests…

Elias and Jaxson Ryker join Raw Talk!

The Drifter and his new bouncer join MVP and Charly, and MVP says he is a fan of Elias’. He has the album, Universal Truth. But he just defends that the previous guests were far more appealing. Elias says that’s alright, MVP is a fan so he’ll accept that. Elias skyrocketed in the charts, and he has a lot of new upgrades thanks to that iTunes money. Does he prefer to write in the morning, evening or whenever? MVP asks Charly what kind of question is that? Elias says it is whenever creativity strikes him. When it does, he has to write. And Ryker was obviously inspired by Elias. Isn’t this his stunt double? Charly does see a resemblance.

Elias doesn’t want them thinking small with this. MVP and Charly have been good to Elias, the music world has been good to Elias, but in the ring, Elias was treated like a horse’s ass. No, Elias is the horse’s head. And Ryker sees that! Ryker walks with Elias down the right path. Just ask him yourself. So then, Charly will asks what Ryker’s role is with Elias. Ryker made that clear tonight. Elias has been disrespected, attacked, interrupted. Ryker makes sure that never happens again. And do not interrupt him, either. Sorry, Charly just wanted to point out Truth got in the ring… Ryker says he was once lost, but now he’s found because Elias sung Amazing Grace. Ryker has been reborn by the music, and now he walks with Elias.

Elias says it is no secret his music changes people. But Charly wants to bring up the interruption from Truth. But then we saw what happened right after. Ryker took care of business and sent a message to anyone else. So no stunt double work? Call him whatever you want, Elias has Ryker by his side and they’re headed to the promised land. Where is that? Can they find it on Google? Is it in the form of a platinum plaque? Elias likes the sound of that. He has not seen the promised land, but MVP put it out there. Elias has been having visions since getting electrified. They hit him out of nowhere and he sees his purpose, who is there and who goes with him. So that literal electrifying experience unlocked an epiphany. Baptized in lightning.

That needs to be a song! Yes, Elias is inspired. He needs pen and paper! Charly excuses Elias so he can do just that, and we’ll see him again when he has the new track. But now, MVP is excited to have this guest! “We have saved the best for last!”

Bobby Lashley joins Raw Talk!

It is the All Mighty, the #CHO, Chief Hurt Officer, the WWE United States Champion, and MVP’s friend, brother and business associate! What a great introduction. How is Lashley doing? Fantastic. So how does he feel about MVP being a cohost? MVP is a man of many talents, so he will make this show rated number one. But also because the Hurt Business is here together. Yes, it is. Charly will let MVP take this conversation. No, what about those journalistic training? Okay, then. What about Matt Riddle?

Lashley says Riddle is disrespectful! When Lashley and MVP came up, they had respect. Riddle keeps calling people out. And calling Lashley out, that is a bad business decision. Do what everyone else does: take their steps up from the bottom. The US Champion is at the top! But Riddle is successful. Does Charly play chess? No, but she does play backgammon. Well MVP says that when others play checkers, he’s playing chess. If you’re very good at what you do strategically, you give up the queen to secure a checkmate. Oh so queen’s gambit? Didn’t she say she doesn’t play chess? No, but she watched that series, The Queen’s Gambit. Very good series.

Well MVP’s point is you give up the queen to secure the win. So everyone knows MVP knows what he’s doing. Riddle has made a bad move, and those who came before him know what happens when you take on Lashley. Just as Apollo Crews, Ricochet, R-Truth and many others. But will this continue to go in that direction? Who can stop it? There are a lot of people looking to do that. And there are those who play the lottery, and lose time and time again. But there has to be a winner. But there’s always more losers than winners. And another thing, Lashley doesn’t go home and do nothing. He keeps preparing. Some win the championship and celebrate. The Hurt Business hasn’t even celebrated the US Championship win yet. No time, because they’re always on the grind. Lashley keeps leaving everyone behind.

In fact, go to Lashley’s Instagram and watch those training videos. No one in the WWE or even on the planet trains like him. So the New Day doesn’t even- Lashley and MVP laugh. Of course the New Day doesn’t cut it. The New Day are fun to watch. Lashley’s kids like watching The New Day. But when you talk about business, beating people up, that’s what Lashley does. There is no question about that. But there are many ways to go about business. Charly doesn’t want to be at odds with MVP. They’re not. She’s doing a great job. Then what can they expect at TLC? Well MVP made a deal: They would take care of Retribution, then they would collect. The bill is due at TLC. They’re getting the Raw Tag Team Championships. And then, the Hurt Business will have multiple gold, and you cannot dispute their dominance.

So the deal, the repayment for fighting Retribution, is dependent on The New Day losing. The higher ups in the WWE can’t do that. No, but that’ll happen because of the higher ups in the Hurt Business. So MVP is confident Benjamin and Alexander will win? Absolutely! You don’t become 10-time tag team champions without being great, but the New Day has not faced anything like the Hurt Business. Alexander and Benjamin have gelled and are now the best tag team in the WWE. They’ll prove that at TLC. Big statements, but backed by MVP’s analysis. Charly thanks Lashley for his time, thanks MVP for being a great cohost, and says they’ll see us again next time!

My Thoughts:

A pretty good Raw Talk, but I am surprised there was no R-Truth. I suppose they’re at least trying to kayfabe him out of the position, since the 24/7 Championship is his priority. Honestly, Raw Talk should’ve had a case where someone went after Truth for the title to take up the last bit of an episode. Maybe when Truth returns, it’ll happen. But MVP was a good cohost and we got pretty good promos out of the guests. Sexy Muscle Friends are definitely the top two choices for Asuka’s new tag partner at TLC, and there’s plenty of story that can be done with them. “Baptized by Lightning” definitely sounds like a great title for a song, but his and Ryker’s promos were a little recycled from Raw.

Lashley and MVP together had a good segment, though MVP admittedly took the majority of the talking. He is the better talker, though, so that just makes sense. No word on a US Championship match here but I expect the announcement in time for TLC on Sunday.