The Nightmare returns to Raw Talk!

Money in the Bank draws ever closer, and Raw Talk has the Raw Women’s Champion, the One and Only, and tonight’s main event winners, the NEW~ DAY~!

Kevin Patrick welcomes us back to the show!

Just two weeks left before Money in the Bank, an intense and exhilarating Raw wrapped up, “get in here!” R-Truth is here, too, and he says he would be doing a lot better if he had just caught “that Decepticon,” Akira Tozawa. Foiled again! Kevin saw what happened, right? It’s a conspiracy! Tozawa has Truth’s baby and puts it up and down! This is Kevin’s fault! Really? Still? Truth says Tozawa shouldn’t have even been out there in the first place! Yes, the disrespect of Tozawa, getting in the middle of the tag match. That’s just antagonizing Truth right there! How did he even kick out? Truth can’t believe Kevin is blaming him now.

Has Kevin ever done that before? No. Then Kevin can’t talk about how easy or hard a roll-up is! Kevin admits Truth is right, and he apologizes. It ain’t easy bein’ cheesy! Well it was still great seeing Truth back in the ring since, what? 19- No, wait. Truth asks Kevin whose side he’s on, and Kevin was just saying it was great. Yeah, well, Truth’s last regular match was in March. Of this year? Well, either way, they’ve got great guests, such as The New Day coming off that big main event win over the Hurt Business, MVP and the All Mighty Lashley. MVP did want this match, maybe he’s regretting it now. Truth guarantees MVP is regretting it.

Kevin hasn’t been hit with a Trouble in Paradise, right? No, not even once. It hurts. Right on the kisser! MVP doesn’t even know where he is now. Truth likes the New Day getting the best of Lashley, but the championship match is still coming at MITB. Fort Worth, Texas! Live crowds! Who does Kevin have? Kevin says he has to be impartial. Yeah, sure, big words for Kevin. But who? Kevin mutters  “Lashley.” Truth can’t believe that, and says he’s gonna tell Kofi that when the New Day is here. No, don’t! That aside, Matt Riddle won over AJ Styles with some help from his buddies, the Viking Raiders. Did Kevin expect anything less?

Well, Riddle is trying to win Randy Orton over, and rather desperately so. Orton wasn’t here again, but the Raiders were. Riddle still found a way, but the big news is that next week, Styles will face Ivar while Omos takes on Erik in Omos’ first singles match ever! And then, the week after, when Raw is in Fort Worth, the Raw Tag Team Championships will be defended! Truth says being in front of the crowd is going to be the best part. Then, Drew McIntyre defeats Jinder Mahal in a match, and Truth again says, “Did you expect anything else?” It’s McIntyre! But then Mahal takes McIntyre’s sword!

McIntyre knows what Truth is going through now, because that sword is like McIntyre’s baby. That’s thievery! Truth might have to help McIntyre get through this. The cheek of those boys! Smiling ear to ear, too. But a big show with phenomenal guests, even though Styles isn’t here tonight. The One and Only, the Raw Women’s Champion and the 11-TIME tag team champions, the New Day! New, Day Rocks!

Rhea Ripley joins Raw Talk!

The Nightmare has her title, no offense Truth. But Rhea is good and Truth is upset with Kevin. Rhea says this got awkward. Truth says Kevin doesn’t know better. But how is she feeling, really? Real good. She can’t complain, she got after Charlotte with a crutch. Kevin knows Rhea walked out with a crutch but that was just her using Charlotte’s tricks against her. Exactly. And it’s oh so fun for Rhea. It really is, honestly. Rhea’s living rent free in Charlotte’s head. Charlotte wakes up, she can’t help but think about Rhea. Truth likes that. Rhea says it’s on Charlotte’s face. Kevin’s sure Charlotte would say that’s not the case, as the impartial journalist.

Truth again apologizes for Kevin, but Kevin says Charlotte is a legend. Rhea really thinks she’s in Charlotte’s head? Yeah, she just said that. But Rhea has yet to beat Charlotte. He’s just pointing out facts. Truth, you gonna let Kevin disrespect her? No, he’s not. Kevin, c’mon, you gotta do better. Kevin’s just doing his job. But Rhea’s right here. She’s the champ right here. What has Kevin done? Other than help Truth lose his! Right! So he’s done nothing. That’s fair… But then what’s Rhea’s plan now? MITB, the title, Charlotte’s coming. They ask this every time. Rhea isn’t sure how many times she has to say this to get it through Kevin’s thick skull, and Truth says, “A lot.”

Rhea says she is not telling anyone the plan. Who knows who is watching? Kevin mutters that Charlotte isn’t watching. How does he know that? Well she’s the Queen. She’s probably off doing royal things. But she has a TV, right? What royal things would she be doing? Kevin’s just talking down on himself and the show, saying Charlotte doesn’t care. Truth likes that! Is Kevin that much of an idiot? Rhea is the smart one. Truth says Rhea isn’t showing her hands. You ever play Uno? Or Spades? Or Go Fish? LOSER! YAHTZEE! GOTTEE! Well there aren’t cards in Yahtzee… Rhea wants Truth to smack Kevin one.

Kevin apologizes for the direction of this. The champ has to be shown respect, so he wishes her luck. His wish means nothing to her. She’ll walk into MITB and then defeat Charlotte. That’s all we need to know. Did he not see what she did to the crutch earlier? Broke it in half. Kevin promises to watch MITB. Rhea might teach him a lesson. Kevin thanks Rhea for her time, and she heads off. Kevin composes himself and apologizes to Truth as Raw Talk goes to break.

Ricochet joins Raw Talk!

Truth is fired up to see him and Ricochet wants to point out he heard all the talk about Truth not getting his baby back. You don’t know what it’s like in the ring, Kevin. Truth thanks Ricochet for defending his side of things. See that, K-Peezy? Richard O’Shea himself is saying this. No, Truth, it’s Ricochet. One word. But yeah, he gets it. Isn’t that what Truth said, though? Well, it was certainly tough for Ricochet with Miz hovering around again. Oh, that’s funny. But we’ve seen it, Miz ‘n’ Morrison will brag about defeating Ricochet, but they didn’t defeat anyone. Morrison gets back in the ring, Miz blocks Ricochet, and if that hadn’t happened, who knows what the outcome would’ve been?

Truth says he knows: Richie O’Shea on top! What does Kevin say to that? Ricochet also admires Truth’s watch, it is a really good watch. All that money from Money in the Bank, Ricochet might get himself one. How many MITB’s has Ricochet been in? This will be his second one. Ricochet’s first one was a bit of a surprise at the end in the form of Brock Lesnar, who certainly had his way with Mustafa Ali. Hopefully that won’t happen this year. Kevin says Ricochet’s been lighting it up in the ring, creating quite the highlight reel. Ricochet is clearly ready for this.

Next week, Ricochet has a Falls Count Anywhere rematch with Morrison, and he’s excited about that! Miz can try to stop him but they can go anywhere in the entire ThunderDome! That suits Ricochet’s style, for sure. He is one of the most innovative people in this business, and Morrison is right there with him. That’s the combo you want in that match. Morrison is a little water logged, Ricochet will wring him dry. Truth likes that! And then Truth asks Kevin who he’s got. Kevin says it is going to be Ricochet. Sure Miz is manipulative, he’ll have something, but Falls Count Anywhere, gotta go with Ricochet.

Ricochet points out Miz has a bad leg, he can’t climb the ladder for Morrison or anything. He’ll be no problem at MITB. Ricochet will even use Miz’s wheelchair as a battering ram. Truth says that’s the attitude Ricochet needs to have. Kevin asks if there’s anyone Ricochet is worried about, but Ricochet says we’ve seen all these guys before. They’ve all be former champions on some level, everyone is a threat. But none of that can stop Ricochet. He will win this by any means necessary and get the contract. Boom!

Kevin has to say it, though. Fans are back in Texas, how excited is he? Ricochet knows everyone will say something like this, but a live crowd and their energy, it’s just something you can’t duplicate. Someone like Ricochet, they feed off the energy. The ThunderDome has been awesome, but to have an audience to really be in front of, that’s something you can’t fake. Everyone is waiting to come back, it will be a party. Kevin thanks Ricochet for his time, and here come the New Day a bit early! They want to say hey to Ricochet before he leaves, and Ricochet says they did great tonight. The New Day tag in as we go to one more break.

Raw Talk returns with the New Day!

“New! Day Rocks! New! Day Rocks!” Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods, put respect on the name! Kofi said Woods would be back and he is back! Woods is sore from the match, but Kevin asks if that is a sign of things to come. K-Peezy asking these questions, of course it’s a sign! It’s a preview! A spoiler alert! What did Kofi say last week? Bobby Lashley is like Sub-Zero with ice on the ground: he slippin’! Truth says Kevin chose Bobby! Well Kevin’s a rookie, give him a pass. Kevin also said “Zavier” not “EX-avier.” It has an X, so it has to be an X. But Kev’s learning, he’s getting there. Wet behind the ears and all that. But a taste of things to come for sure tonight.

How do they think the Hurt Business is feeling right now? Uh, horrible. Kofi would feel bad if he was MVP. MVP was talking about, “I’m not cleared to compete, sorry~. Not cleared~!” Sounds like Mickey Mouse but that’s how MVP sounds to Kofi. And then, how is it MVP is able to compete tonight? And then he thought Lashley would save him? MVP coming to a tag team match with the greatest tag team of all time, limping down and thinking he’s not gonna get hurt? Woods shakes his head. What is MVP doing? He’s the veteran, with a sound mind! What happened? Lashley gonna take care of him? He ain’t All Mighty anymore, is he? Just “Bobby Lashley,” or even “Bob Lashley,” but soon might just be “Bob!” #JustBob slippin’!

Kevin says MVP is the leader, the spokesperson, who requested the match. Woods says if Lashley and MVP failed to understand what the New Day has been putting down for six years and counting, then something is wrong with them. They talk about being so smart and so great, but not enough to not challenge THE greatest tag team of ALL TIME, to a tag match! Woods and Kofi are very good solo, but together, they are on a different level! Outside of the stratosphere! Hey, Trish! Outside the ThunderDome, in space.

But how you gonna take on the best team ever, after you kicked out your great tag team in Cedric & Shelton out of your Hurt Business and now you have just a two man business? That’s not a business! That’s a mom ‘n’ pop shop! A start-up! How you gonna bring a start-up to face the franchise? How? What you doing? It makes no sense. But Kevin says Kofi won’t have Woods at MITB. What? Hold on, K-Peezy, wet behind the ears, but Woods is always with Kofi. People talking the same about Big E over on SmackDown alone. He’s always with them and they’re always with him, in their hearts! They feel his power! See? What did Kofi say? “Feel the power,” that’s Big E’s line! Big E is with them!

Kevin says Woods won’t physically be there, the match has to be 1v1. Woods says Kofi has been WWE World Champion before, he shouldn’t be nervous or worried just because Woods may or may not be there. Kofi has been on the top of the mountain before, he can get there again. Woods points out the staff telling Kofi not to get on the table like last time because they left marks and bent stuff. DoN’t GeT oN tHe TaBlE~! The New Day and the WWE are going to be back in front of a live audience, those people can give them the money to get a new table! Truth defends the table, we can’t have anyone breaking it, it’ll come out of his check.

What? Truth’s been wrestling for how long? Isn’t he rich? Not enough for this table. Well it is a nice table. Glass from New Zealand. Or the Louvre in Paris. Oh, wow~! But before the New Day goes, obviously they’re buzzing for fans to be back. Of course! The New Day feels the fans through the camera. Zoom in, zoom in. “We feel you. Put your hand on the screen.” Computer, phone, TV, whatever you’re watching on. Feel it. Do you feel it? They are gonna feel you in person soon. Feel the power. And when you see them live and in person at Money in the Bank, you’ll feel it even more. Trust them on that. Then you’ll feel it again at SummerSlam! And the Valentine’s Day Massacre.

Actually, NXT TakeOver: In Your House, NXT Great American Bash, you’ll feel all of it! Truth says he feels it! Do you have footage of WrestleMania 37 where there were also people? Give us that, that is how exciting it’ll be. That was a taste, but now they’re here for the whole pie! They will consume the people! Uh, okay… What kind of pie, though? Lemon cream? Apple? Cherry? Woods wants to clean his plate! They want ALL the pies! Peach cobbler, too! Whatever you got! BRING IT. NOM NOM. And y’know what Kofi’s gonna get? “A FAT DUUUUB!” TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION! Kevin, have you been practicing them hips? Are his hips better?

TWO-TIME! W! W! E! WORLD! HEAVY! WEIGHT! CHAMPIOOON~! Might even get the tag titles, too! Hey, get the camera back on them! Kevin says they have to go! No, they wanna make this a long episode! Check Woods’ Undisputed Era shorts! Kofi vows the New Day will consume every last one of us! Eat you up! They’re hungry! Starving! Starving for the people! And now we’ll see ’em gobble you up! Kevin tries to get the show to stop, and plugs MITB coming in just under two weeks. Truth wants the New Day to calm down a bit, but the show’s over anyway.

My Thoughts:

This was a very good Raw Talk, it did a good job carrying things over from Raw. Rhea got a bit more attitude tonight but she does need to start showing some actual personality if she’s to stay champion. She still recycled some things, but the “I’m not sharing my plans here” tactic is very logical. Ricochet was good, he got to have just a bit of swagger despite the loss tonight. Falls Count Anywhere of him and Morrison is an awesome way for Raw and WWE to say good-bye to the ThunderDome, as next Monday is the last night in there. The New Day of course had amazing energy, they always do, but especially after their win and with the build to both MITB and the live audience. Fans going nuts is the one thing that makes me want Kofi to win at MITB, even though I feel like Lashley still retains.