WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from September 26

On the heels of a Clash of Champions pay-per-view that ended in controversy when Kevin Owens, Chris Jericho, Stephanie McMahon and a referee bump robbed Seth Rollins of the WWE Universal Championship, questions lingered as to what The Architect's response would be as Raw hit the USA Network airwaves.

More importantly, did McMahon and Mick Foley in any way have prior knowledge of Jericho's involvement?

What awaited the key players involved was on fans' minds, but it was not the only topic of interest as the show kicked off.

How would WWE address the non-finish to Cesaro vs. Sheamus from Clash of Champions? Or, better yet, how many more times would the Superstars have to compete against each other before a clear victor was determined?

The Triple Threat match for the Women's Championship match fallout between Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Bayley also took center stage, and the audience watched with interest as The New Day sought new contenders for their Raw Tag Team Championship.

What all went down as Raw emanated from the heartland Monday night?

Find out now with this look back at the September 26 episode of the flagship show.

United States Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Rusev

Raw kicked off with a rematch of one of Clash of Champions' marquee match as new United States champion Roman Reigns defended against Rusev.

The Bulgarian Brute controlled the first half of the match, wearing Reigns down heading into the break. He ruthlessly and relentlessly attacked his opponent's injured back, driving the air out of Reigns' body.

In typical Reigns fashion, he launched a comeback, only to fall prey to another bear hug at the hands of the former titleholder.

At every turn, Rusev cut Reigns' comeback off, leaving some to wonder if Reigns could realistically go 2-0 against his opponent in consecutive nights.

Reigns exploded with a Superman Punch for a two-count late in the match and appeared frustrated with his inability to put his rival away. The action spilled to the arena floor, and the referee ultimately counted both competitors out.

The champion exploded off the steel steps with a Superman Punch attempt, but Rusev caught him with a chair. He endured another shot or two with the weapon but caught his attacker with a spear that left him lying there.

Reigns raised the U.S. title overhead, confidently trolling Rusev, and then blasted him with a chair shot to close out the segment.

Result

Roman Reigns and Rusev fought to a double count-out.

Grade

B

Analysis

For a match that dominated the first 40 minutes of airtime, this really resolved nothing. There was no definitive outcome, and neither guy emerged looking better or worse than when he went in. If anything, this felt like a way to eat up some of the ungodly three-hour run time rather than anything remotely close to a feud-progressing segment.

The match itself was very strong, with Reigns and Rusev having a chemistry with each other that has built over the last handful of matches between them. With that said, the series is approaching Sheamus-Cesaro in terms of repetition, and both would be better served going their separate ways.

Mick Foley Addresses Best of Seven Series Controversy

Mick Foley oversaw a tense exchange between Cesaro and Sheamus, each of whom made his case for the championship opportunity that was supposed to go to the winner of the Best of Seven Series.

Frustrated by the bickering, Foley announced they would have to share their title shot. He forced them to team up to battle whomever emerged from the next match with the tag team gold.

Grade

D-

Analysis

Fans sat through seven straight matches between Cesaro and Sheamus, with the gold at the end of the repetitive rainbow being the promise of a championship opportunity for the winner. Instead of anything even remotely interesting, WWE Creative went back to the Attitude Era bag of tricks and pulled out the tired "tag partners who hate each other" story.

A ridiculous development that does nothing to elevate Cesaro or Sheamus, both of whom are far too talented to waste away in the midcard.

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows

The revelation Sheamus and Cesaro will battle for the tag team titles, The New Day battled Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in a rematch from Clash of Champions.

Much like their match 24 hours earlier, this one was nonstop action.

Kofi Kingston wound up bleeding all over the place, the result of an ugly bump into the ring steps. Still, the champions were able to retain courtesy of Kingston's Trouble in Paradise to Anderson.

Result

The New Day defeated Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Grade

B-

Analysis

Much like the previous night's match, this was a fun sprint but did little to convince fans Anderson and Gallows are worth investing in. At this point, the former Bullet Club members are devoid of character and heat, something that must be addressed before any substantial push can be executed.

Bayley in Action

Bayley returned to the squared circle for the first time since her defeat just 24 hours later, battling enhancement talent Anna Fields.

After a brief flurry from Fields, Bayley put her away with the Bayley-to-Belly suplex.

Following the match, Tom Phillips joined the victor for an in-ring promo. Bayley promised the women of Raw have not seen the end of her, that her and the fans are on a journey and that she will not stop until she captures the Raw Women's Championship.

Result

Bayley defeated Anna Fields.

Grade

C-

Analysis

This was a nice way to get Bayley some momentum after another pinfall loss but at some point, fans of the main roster are going to demand a reason to be impressed by the former NXT star. She needs to build some credibility through victories, not just repeatedly express her desires to capture the title.

The most valuable asset in all of women's wrestling, even more so than Sasha Banks, Bayley has been used miserably to this point. This was a step in the right direction, hopefully.

Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann vs. Drew Gulak and Lince Dorado

The push for cruiserweight action on Raw continued Monday night as Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann battled Drew Gulak and Dorado.

The action was every bit as fast-paced and unpredictable as fans would expect out of the athletes involved.

Late in the match, Swann caught Gulak with a kick and rolled him into a pin for the victory.

Result

Rich Swann and Cedric Alexander defeated Lince Dorado and Drew Gulak.

Grade

C+

Analysis

The action was fun, and the right team won, but the biggest issue facing Raw and the cruiserweights is a lack of character. There is no reason for fans to care about any of the guys in the division beyond their ability in the ring. While they may be strong workers, their ability between the ropes is only a part of the overall presentation.

Characters allow fans to invest emotionally in a wrestler, something today's WWE Creative has forgotten along the way. Flip and dives are great, but without any sort of personality traits that can capture the audience's attention, the cruiserweights are destined to become WWE's popcorn match.

Cesaro and Sheamus in Action

Nick Cutler and Willis Williams were the unlucky gentlemen tasked with facing a frustrated Sheamus and Cesaro. Forced into battle as a tag team, with their shared championship opportunity coming in that division.

The reluctant partners may not have gotten along throughout the match, but they did secure the win courtesy of Sheamus' Brogue Kick.

Result

Sheamus and Cesaro defeated Willis Williams and Nick Cutler.

Grade

D+

Analysis

The only saving grace of this entire ordeal is the fact Cesaro and Sheamus are good enough to make the reluctant tag partners shtick work.

Otherwise, this was a squash designed to get the new angle over.

Sasha Banks Confronts Charlotte

One night after successfully defending the Raw Women's Championship against Bayley and Sasha Bank, Charlotte hit the ring for a celebratory promo.

She ran down the same spiel fans have heard for the last year, only to have Banks interrupt her.

The Boss demanded the singles championship rematch Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon never afforded her. Charlotte agreed and offered her the bout...next week.

Eventually, she stunned Charlotte with a slap to the face and then trapped her in the Bank Statement.

The Boss stood tall to close out the segment.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Charlotte continues to grow and evolve as a character, and her promo work was above-average Monday night. Unfortunately, she comes across as repetitive because WWE Creative has not taken the initiative to give her anything fresh and exciting.

So many of her promos sound alike because she has been robbed of the opportunity to say anything fresh, new or interesting.

Banks, as a babyface, has lost the edge and swag she had in NXT. She needs to rediscover that element to keep fans interested.

The championship match next week should be a good watch, barring any slopping high spots that leave fans cringing rather than celebrating the talent involved.

T.J. Perkins vs. Tony Nese

Credit: WWE.com

T.J. Perkins is the cruiserweight champion and in need of a few spotlight matches to give fans a taste of what he is all about. Sunday night, he got a big win over Brian Kendrick. Monday, he was back at it, battling a very determined Tony Nese for the gold.

Disrespectful audience members made the show about themselves, chanting names of former Superstars rather than paying attention to the men in the ring.

Perkins secured another win with the leg-bar submission.

Result

T.J. Perkins defeated Tony Nese. 

Grade

C

Analysis

Perkins is a hard worker, and Nese is underrated, but this match was hurt significantly by the continued lack of character development within the cruiserweight division. If Perkins had a character fans could relate to, he would be even more over and en route to a significant push.

He is not, so the Raw brand will continue searching for ways to get the new division over.

Highlight Reel with Kevin Owens

Credit: WWE.com

Chris Jericho was joined Monday night on his Highlight Reel segment by best friend and associate Kevin Owens.

Jericho heaped praise on Owens, almost to the point he was disingenuous.

Owens sold himself as a pro's pro—a man deserving of the honor. Not Seth Rollins, who is a disgrace. That line brought out The Architect, whom security stopped.

Eventually, Enzo Amore and Big Cass interfered, and a main event match between the familiar foes was set on the spot.

Grade

C+

Analysis

The parade of "meh" continued here as the segment felt very much like a creatively phoned-in one.

Other than Jericho's almost sickening praise for Owens, it almost dares the audience to think Y2J will be turning heel at some point in the very near future.

Enzo and Cass' arrival made sense given the history between the two teams. It also set them up for a main event match, something their insanely over act has more than earned them.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens

Credit: WWE.com

As is the case with every Enzo Amore and Big Cass match, the former found himself isolated from the big man, unable to make the tag. When he finally did, Cass exploded into the match, rolling over the opposition.

Unfortunately, Cass' fury was short-lived, and Owens seized the opportunity to put Amore away with the Pop-up Powerbomb.

Result

Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens defeated Enzo Amore and Big Cass.

Grade

 C

Analysis

It is always fun to watch Enzo and Cass electrify the audience like few others can. They bring heat to every situation they are in and are legitimately over—a word hardly used to describe much of the roster.

The clean win for Jeri-KO allowed Owens to continue the roll he finds himself in, all the while keeping fans guessing as to how Rollins will eventually get his revenge.

Jericho remains the wild card. His act is increasingly great every week—a potential shift in character that could reintroduce the WWE Universe to a dangerous Y2J who is determined to regain the gold and prove to the world he is one of the best of any generation.