WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 5

With Hell in a Cell on the horizon, The New Day channeled the power of positivity to help them leave John Cena, The Dudley Boyz and Dolph Ziggler lying in the ring to close out Monday Night Raw.

It was a stunning development as the typically cartoonish trio showed increased aggression in lashing out against those who opposed them.

Speaking of lashing out, Seth Rollins verbally assaulted Kane, only to incur Stephanie McMahon's wrath. She announced a WWE World Heavyweight Championship between the two Authority members.

To make matters worse for The Architect, Rollins would have to team with the Director of Operations to battle The Dudley Boyz.

Worst of all, Rollins would be left lying in the center of the ring, the victim of a chokeslam through a table.

The Divas Revolution continued in two separate matches, Kevin Owens picked up a dominant victory and Brock Lesnar made Big Show's latest trip to Suplex City an unpleasant one.

How did each match and segment grade out?

Find out now with this look back at the October 5 episode of Raw.

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman Kick Off Raw

Brock Lesnar followed up his victory over Big Show inside Madison Square Garden this past Sunday by reintroducing the giant to Suplex City.

Paul Heyman reminded fans of the story between his client and Undertaker ahead of their Hell in a Cell match on October 25 and then stood back and watched The Beast deliver a thunderous German suplex and F5 to leave the interrupting Big Show lying in the ring. 

Grade

C-

Analysis

Brock Lesnar completed another of his contractually obligated dates by standing in the ring while Heyman delivered another fantastic promo about Undertaker and then doing what he does best by obliterating Big Show for the second consecutive time.

Was it an effective use of The Beast? It is debatable. On one hand, it popped the crowd and got the show off to a hot start. On the other, it meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Regardless of which of those you tend to favor, there is no denying that there is an aura that exists around Lesnar that WWE should focus on creating with its full-time roster.

Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Randy Orton vs. The Wyatt Family

As the war between Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt continued Monday night, they teamed with their respective partners to do battle in a huge Six-Man Tag Team match.

Dean Ambrose found himself isolated from Reigns and Randy Orton and the subject of Wyatt, Braun Strowman and Luke Harper's ground-and-pound offense.

He made the hot tag to The Viper, who exploded into the match and initiated the babyface comeback.

With Ambrose tackling Strowman into the stands, Orton dropped Harper with an RKO, and Reigns finished him off with a spear to pick up the win.

Result

Orton, Reigns and Ambrose defeated The Wyatt Family.

Grade

B+

Analysis

Reigns is at the point this year where he is simply not having bad matches. He is on the hottest streak of his young career and has developed strong chemistry with Wyatt and Harper. That was on display Monday night, in an energetic opener that showcased one of the premiere WWE rivalries just weeks before Hell in a Cell.

Unfortunately, this was hardly anything different than what fans are looking for at a time when WWE should be stepping outside their comfort zone to attract a larger viewing audience.

Neville vs. Sheamus

The Man That Gravity Forgot tried to continue his winning ways Monday night, building on the victory over Stardust from Madison Square Garden when he squared off with Sheamus. Unfortunately, King Barrett's presence at ringside would make his effort for naught.

The Celtic Warrior capitalized on Barrett's distraction and scored the victory with the Brogue Kick.
 

Result

Sheamus defeated Neville.

Grade

D-

Analysis

So Sheamus remains directionless, while Neville and Barrett reignite a feud that ended earlier this spring, with the former scoring decisive victories over his rival.

That is the very example of a lack of progression for all involved and a damning piece of evidence in WWE Creative's stale approach to its programming.

Kane Promo

Seth Rollins' continued nagging and complaining about his treatment at the hands of Kane earned him a date for Hell in a Cell, as Stephanie McMahon announced.

Tired of listening to The Authority's handpicked champion whining like a little girl, the Billion Dollar Princess announced the bout and then informed Rollins that he would team with Kane against The Dudley Boyz in the night's main event.

Rollins was frustrated and flustered as his boss left the ring.

Grade

C-

Analysis

This was fine for what it was, but how many times have we heard Stephanie and Triple H grow frustrated with their champion, only to support him when he retains the title. It's repetitive booking and a major factor in the WWE's flagship show's stale nature.

That is not to mention the fact that three of the four Superstars in the advertised main event were in their prime some 15 years ago during the height of the Attitude Era.

Stephanie's announcement that Corporate Kane will be out of a job if The Demon loses to Rollins on October 25 was a nice addition to the match, but it essentially gives away the match's conclusion, especially if Kane is in the midst of a babyface turn and a likely split away from the heel authority figures to solidify it.

Natalya vs. Paige

The issues between Paige and Natalya resulted in a singles match Monday night that allowed the talented in-ring workers to showcase their skills.

Natalya worked over her opponent with an array of submission holds, setting her up for her trademark finisher.

As the third-generation Diva attempted the Sharpshooter, Paige fought her way to the ropes. The second time was the charm, though, as Nattie forced the tapout submission.

Result

Natalya defeated Paige.

Grade

B

Analysis

This was a really strong showing for Natalya, who needed to leave an impression after being passed by in regard to the Divas Revolution in recent months.

A submission win over the Diva confirmed the centerpiece of said revolution was the right way to do it. Wrestling a quality bout with Paige only helped matters.

Sin Cara vs. Kevin Owens

After weeks of cheating to beat Ryback and then dodging him in a subsequent rematch, intercontinental champion Kevin Owens scored a clean and decisive victory Monday night, destroying Sin Cara with a Pop-up Powerbomb for the pinfall victory.

Following the bell, Ryback hit the ring and chased Owens off.

Result

Kevin Owens defeated Sin Cara.

Grade

C-

Analysis

So WWE Creative books Owens like a monster, letting him squash Sin Cara, only to revert back to its bad habits of having him run away like a coward.

At a time when the company needs compelling heels, taking the most interesting worker it has and tearing him down to the point that he is like every other one-note cowardly heel on the roster is a mistake that there is no recovering from.

The Dudley Boyz vs. Seth Rollins and Corporate Kane

Kane continued to torment Seth Rollins Monday night, nursing an injury under his corporate persona and reemerging from the locker room as The Demon.

His arrival drew a disqualification victory for Rollins over The Dudley Boyz, but there was no time for celebrating. Instead, the WWE World Heavyweight champion found himself on the receiving end of a chokeslam through a table.

Kane stood over his Hell in a Cell opponent to close out the segment. 

Result

Seth Rollins and Corporate Kane defeated The Dudley Boyz by disqualification.

Grade

C-

Analysis

This was really, really dull.

The Kane injury fake-out has been done in recent weeks, and Bubba Ray and D-Von's punch-and-kick offense did not help to make the match any more exciting or unpredictable.

Nothing about the match was particularly inspiring, especially for fans who had seen Kane leave Rollins lying in the ring in the past.

Like at Night of Champions. Or Raw. Or the MSG special. 

Team B.A.D. vs. Team Bella

Sasha Banks continued to build momentum for herself, finding further success against Team Bella Monday night, as she and her Team B.A.D. cohorts, Naomi and Tamina, picked up a huge tag team victory.

Late in the Six-Diva tag bout, the action broke down, with finishers being exchanged with rapid speed.

In the end, though, it was The Boss who caught Alicia Fox with the Bank Statement and secured the submission victory. 

Result

Team B.A.D. defeated Team Bella. 

Grade

C+ 

Analysis

With Sasha Banks just two nights away from the most important match of her career, WWE Creative made an excellent decision to spotlight her with a strong finish.

The rest of the match was fine, with the two teams solidifying their in-ring chemistry and building on the very good match they had last week on SmackDown.

The win over Team Bella also helps establish Banks as the thorn in the dominant trio's side; she's the one Diva they cannot figure out a way to beat.

At a time when the majority of the booking is questionable, to say the least, this was a great use of one wrestler who has established herself as one of the best wrestlers on the planet, regardless of gender.

Summer Rae Proposes to Rusev

There's nothing quite like a fall wedding, and after Raw, Rusev is about to find that out.

Called to the ring and showered with praise by Summer Rae, Ru-Ru (just go with it) watched from the squared circle as a video package detailing their whirlwind romance aired.

If that was not enough, Summer dropped to her knee and proposed to her love bug.

Rusev accepted, but under one condition: He must have WWE gold around his waist before he commits to her.

They left the ring together.

Grade

D+

Analysis

Well...at least it is something different.

Vince McMahon has never met a wrestling wedding he did not love so, with the viewing audience not what it should be, it is no surprise he dipped into his bag of tricks and pulled that one out.

The interesting twist is the championship provision, which perhaps points to another run with a title for The Bulgarian Brute.

This segment, like so many others in this program, was awful. With that said, Summer proposing to Rusev instead of the other way around was a fantastic demonstration of how chauvinistic Rusev is and how domineering and commanding he is over his significant other.

United States Championship Open: John Cena vs. Big E

Credit: WWE.com

John Cena hit the ring in front of friends and family in Boston for the United States Championship Open Challenge. When Dolph Ziggler's music hit, the arena erupted, with the promise of a great match leaving them salivating.

Instead, The New Day emerged, with the limp Ziggler in their grasp. No longer would The Showoff be challenging for Cena's title; it would be Big E—a former intercontinental champion in his own right.

The two powerhouses delivered an entertaining bout, with the challenger pummeling the champion with a spear through the ropes and a dangerous suplex that landed Cena on his head.

In the end,  Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston's interference failed, and Cena successfully retained his title via pinfall.

After the match, The New Day beat down Cena until Ziggler's music played and he made the save. The Dudley Boyz followed suit moments later, but the four babyfaces were no match for the three heels, who danced and celebrated to close out the show.

Result

John Cena defeated Big E. 

Grade

A- 

Analysis

The Raw main event not only provided fans with a quality match, but it also suggested that WWE Creative is prepared to go all-in with The New Day. The trio has earned the spotlight and increased television time, getting over despite a crappy initial gimmick and providing an entertainment value not found elsewhere.

Ziggler, Cena and The Dudley Boyz are guys who have the respect of the fans; they're guys with countless titles between them. By booking The New Day to put them down and leave them lying in the ring, the writers successfully allowed a group of heels to get over strong and present themselves as legitimate threats going forward.

It was simple wrestling storytelling that has worked countless times in the past and will work here, as well.