WWE Raw UK Taping LIVE SPOILERS

WWE is taping Raw in Manchester this evening, with the show airing at the usual time tonight on tape delay.

***Keep refreshing this page for updates.***

Here is what we know so far:

Crown Jewel received very loud boos when it was mentioned. Look for that to be edited out.
Brock Lesnar also received major heat when he was shown on the screen.
Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley will wrestle tonight. Their third consecutive meeting on Raw. And who said WWE was creatively redundant?
The crowd is said to be “PROGRESS Wembley levels. If true that would be around 5,000
Raw is opening with the roster on the stage and security surrounding the ring.

The entire #raw roster is out to start the show. Security protecting the ring.

Interesting.#RAWManchester #WWEManchester pic.twitter.com/C0z3WxlILN

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Baron Corbin confirmed Raw vs SmackDown men’s match for Survivor Series and Raw vs SmackDown tag team match. The same as last year.
Corbin is the Raw team captain but will not be wrestling because of his status as acting GM. Dolph Ziggler, Braun Strowman and Drew McIntyre are the first three members of the team.
Stephanie McMahon returns next week to address Shane McMahon winning the World Cup at Crown Jewel.
Alexa Bliss will captain the Raw women’s team against the SmackDown women’s team. Like Corbin she is not wrestling. In her case it is due to injury.
Kurt Angle came out to confront Corbin to a huge pop. Match between Kurt Angle and Baron Corbin with the winner becoming captain of Raw confirmed for tonight.

ANGRY BRAWN IS HERE AND HE'S KILLED THE SECURITY. #RawManchester pic.twitter.com/nfwjYS4vue

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Braun Strowman was very angry about what Baron Corbin did to him at Crown Jewel. Strowman destroyed the security around the ring. Corbin ran away.

Braun Strowman is coming for Baron Corbin and he’s going to GET THESE HANDS. 🖐🏾 #Raw #WWEManchester pic.twitter.com/0qAbXZsLhq

— Seventh Chairman Of The Tojo Clan, Adnan Riaz (@AdnanRiaz9) November 5, 2018

First match of the night is a rematch from Evolution. The Riott Squad vs. Bayley, Sasha Banks and Natalya. The winners are on the Raw team at Survivor Series.
More on anti-Crown Jewel sentiment and what WWE did to combat it:

Clever move by #WWE at #WWEManchester #Raw taping: #CrownJewel recap airing immediately before the show was played to the live crowd identically 2-3 mins before to absorb huge boos/negative reaction. TV version will be clean.

— Matty Paddock (@MattyPaddock) November 5, 2018

Natalya came to the ring wearing her late father Jim Neidhart’s sunglasses. Liv Morgan snapped them during the bout to get heat. Well, if they will use Roman Reigns’ cancer diagnosis to turn Dean Ambrose heel this sort of tactic is not beyond them. Following that spot the match awkwardly ended without a winner. If only WWE could get heat for its wrestlers without someone having to contract a life-threatening illness or die.
Jinder Mahal v Apollo Crews is next. For some reason.

Whole arenas just emptied while Jinder Mahal and Apollo Crews match is on😂😂😂 #RAWManchester

— Lloyd (@Lloydyboy56) November 5, 2018

^^^Can’t say I am surprised. Apollo scored the upset. Assume it was with a deadly distraction roll up but cannot confirm yet . . .
Seth Rollins is out next, with the belts . . .
While we wait to see what Sethy Three Belts has to say, here is an update on the supposed “half empty” arena:

https://twitter.com/Colohue/status/1059542863523053569

Rollins was about to give up the tag belts but Corbin said he had to defend them. On his own. AOP answered the call . . . Yes, they are following a six-woman tag with a wacky finish and a pointless Apollo Crews v Jinder Mahal match with a bizarre handicap match. And we still have Lashley v Balor to come. Yey!
Aaaaaaan NEWWWWWWWWWWW Raw tag team champions:

NEW RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS.

AOP.

Meh.#RAWManchester pic.twitter.com/TUMzgHakDC

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Post-match, Dean Ambrose attacked Rollins with Dirty Deeds then left. That poor guy has done a lot of travel with very little to show for it this past week.

Dirty Deeds.

Leaves.

That was Dean's appearance. #RAWManchester pic.twitter.com/OAnqlqMv64

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Here’s a photo of the crowd at Manchester for tonight’s Raw. It looks sparse, it has to be said:

Is it me or wasn’t #RawManchester promoted very well? Didn’t even know it was on or I would’ve gone. Explains the empty seats tho. @WWE pic.twitter.com/7YpSq0HOSP

— Hez (@Mark_Herron) November 5, 2018

Dolph Ziggler is out next, microphone in hand.
Elias interrupts and boy is he over like rover in Manchester:

Everyone loves Elias. #RAWManchester pic.twitter.com/bJVMqGShYm

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Elias had a song for Ziggler:

Elias serenades Dolph.#RAWManchester pic.twitter.com/PWE5UKv1Nc

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Although not yet confirmed, it seems likely we will see AOP v The Bar at Survivor Series. That could be MOTN if given time.
Elias v Dolph Ziggler inevitably followed. Elias was so over as a babyface that the crowd chanted “stand up if you love Elias” then proceeded to do so. He is definitely a fully-fledged card holder in the babyface alliance now.
Elias wins what was described as a “decent” match but the really story was the reception he received, which some described as “the best of his career.”
Raw women’s champ Ronda Rousey is out to address the crowd next. There’s been a LOT of talking tonight.

https://twitter.com/MattyPaddock/status/1059555068754755584

Ronda says Becky might be ‘the man’ but she is the “baddest bitch on the planet”. Oh, it’s on.
Nia Jax v Ember Moon is next. Yes, another rematch.
Nia squashed Ember. What a waste. Ember was perhaps the second most over person on the Evolution card.
Tamina came out to confront Nia again after the match. Didn’t we see this exact match and angle last week?
I spoke too soon! Nia turned fully heel, joining forces with Tamina to beat up Ember after the match. Might have made more sense had Ember won the match like . . .

And now Tamina and Nia beat up Ember Moon…

THEN THEY HUG.

But why…?#RAWManchester pic.twitter.com/AW5XmLGw8K

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Surely this newly-formed Nia and Tamina tandem is going to be pushed as the monster duo of the long-discussed women’s tag title division? Either that or they are giving Nia backup for her showdown with Rousey.
The main event has been changed from Baron Corbin v Kurt Angle to DREW MCINTYRE v Kurt Angle. Is this TNA in disguise? Just kidding – it should be superb.
Reason for the change is Corbin has spent the night hiding from Braun and is afraid of him. He ran into a waiting car to escape, changing the match before he left.
Lio Rush took the brunt of the Manchester audience’s wit during Lashley v Balor III. The crowd chanted “you’re just a small Bobby Lashley”. Genius.
Lashley won as 50-50 booking ensured parity was restored. Sigh. Post-match Drew McIntrye came down, squared up to Lashley (this really is TNA) then helped Balor up . . . and hit him with the Claymore. Not sure but this is possibly something they did that will not air to ensure Drew – who is a Brit – gets booed against Kurt.

Lashley and Drew stare each other down.

Drew then…helps Finn up.

Aaaaaand proceeds to Claymore him. #RAWManchester pic.twitter.com/QBdrp78eQf

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Main event time – Drew McIntyre v Kurt Angle.
From what we are hearing, this is the best Kurt has looked in a WWE ring since his return. He is holding nothing back. He nearly got the win with the Angle Slam but Drew rolled to the outside. Smart dude.
Drew wins a very good main event by making Kurt tap to his own ankle lock. Now that’s a heel.

Drew wins!

Kurt tapped!

Actually a very good match. #RAWManchester pic.twitter.com/0SyJMl8rXc

— Adam Cailler (@acailler) November 5, 2018

Drew also hit an Angle Slam. They are pushing him hard. The crowd was stunned at the result.

https://twitter.com/MattyPaddock/status/1059567751067590658

Strowman came out to clear out the heels after the match.
Uh oh. Now for some bad news. Reports indicate that Kurt is hurt. He took a stiff shot early on and was described as looking “woozy” and “not right”. We will have more on this if and when it develops on the main site.

***Keep refreshing this page for updates.***