Wrestling Lockup with Brandon 7.5.16: RAW Independence Day #RAW

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

Wrestling Lockup with Brandon, brought to you by Triple Threat CLE, is back with this week's RAW Recap Edition. 

This week's RAW was live in Columbus, Ohio, for a very special 4th of July extravaganza that promised a lot of Independence Day themed matches and segments. EXCUSE ME!! That's right, even former Smackdown General Manager, Vickie Guerrero, returned and threw her hat in the ring in attempts at becoming the Smackdown GM come brand split time. It wouldn't be Independence Day without a WWE United States Championship match, as Rusev defended the title against Titus O'Neil. Enzo and Big Cass battled Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel of the Social Outcasts. WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose battled WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz in a champion vs. champion match. Seth Rollins battled Dolph Ziggler in a one on one match. The Vaudevillains battled Golden Truth in tag team action. Becky Lynch battled Summer Rae in one on one Women's Division action. In the main event it was a 16-Man Elimination Tag Team Match, as Team USA battled Team International.

*** RAW Independence Day ***

- Backstage, RAW kicks off with a 4th of July Party taking place. Goldust and R-Truth get interrupted by The Vaudevillains, who do a musical number about the Declaration of Independence. The Vaudevillains are booed and get food thrown at them. The Miz and Maryse arrive and plan to put a stop to another party being ruined by a food fight. Miz and Maryse get blasted with food and a food fight erupts. Kane and Big Show double choke slam Heath Slater through a table. Kevin Owens laughs and proclaims this wouldn't happen on Canada Day. Owens gets hit with a pie to end the segment.

- Lilian Garcia, starts things off in the ring and performs the National Anthem.

- "WWE United States Championship Match": Rusev (c) vs. Titus O'Neil: Titus arrives dressed like Uncle Sam. The match closes out with Titus unloading a series of knees on Rusev. Titus with a shoulder tackle and a corner splash on Rusev. Titus hits a power slam and then Clash Of The Titus on Rusev, but gets only a near fall. Rusev lands not one but two thrust kicks on Titus, putting Titus down. Rusev with a stomp to the back and then traps Titus in The Accolade submission. Titus has no choice but to tap out. After the match, Rusev again locks Titus in The Accolade submission, before finally letting up and then taunts the fans with a USA chant.
Winner: Rusev, by submission, to retain the WWE United States Championship.

- Enzo and Big Cass vs. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel: Dallas, Axel and Heath Slater arrived dressed like Revolutionary War Minute Men. The match closes out with Cass getting the hot tag and unloads on Dallas and Axel. Cass hits the Empire Elbow on Dallas and then tosses Axel onto Slater. Dallas goes for a rollup on Cass, but catches a big boot to the face. Enzo and Cass hit the double team Rocket Launcher finisher and score the pinfall.
Winners: Enzo and Big Cass, by pinfall.

- Charlotte and Dana Brooke Promo: Charlotte brags about being the WWE Women's Champion, brags about being on top of the world right now and then mocks the WWE Universe for their Sasha Banks chants. Sasha Banks does interrupt and heads to the ring. Sasha wants nothing more than to defeat Charlotte, win the WWE Women's Championship and prove that she's The Boss. Charlotte reminds Sasha that their one year anniversary on the main roster is next week and during that year Charlotte has been the Legit Boss. Sasha attacks Dana and lays Dana out, but gets attacked by Charlotte. Charlotte talks trash to Sasha, but gets hit with a Sasha Back Stabber. Sasha goes for the Banks Statement submission on Charlotte, but Dana pulls Charlotte outside to safety.

- "Champion vs. Champion Match": Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz: The match closes out with Ambrose landing an elbow to the face and goes for a super plex. Miz knocks Ambrose off the ropes and leaps off at Ambrose, but catches an Ambrose boot to the gut. Miz blocks Dirty Deeds, but Ambrose retakes control of the match. Miz lands a kick to the gut and goes for the Skull Crushing Finale. Ambrose counters out, hits Dirty Deeds and scores the pinfall. After the match, Seth Rollins comes out for his match and Ambrose makes Rollins think he's going to attack him. Ambrose instead sits down at the commentary table.
Winner: Dean Ambrose, by pinfall.

- Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler: Dean Ambrose was on commentary for this match. The match closes out with Ziggler going for a super kick, but Rollins counters with a kick for a near fall. Ziggler counters a Rollins springboard knee and hits the super kick for a near fall. Ziggler with a jumping DDT and then goes for the Zig Zag. Rollins blocks it and plants Ziggler with the Pedigree to score the pinfall. After the match, Rollins states that Roman Reigns should not be allowed in the triple threat match and promises Ambrose that he's taking back the WWE World Title. Ambrose tells Rollins he can have the title and tosses it at Rollins. Rollins is distracted with the flying title, allowing Ambrose to plant Rollins with Dirty Deeds.
Winner: Seth Rollins, by pinfall.

- Vickie Guerrero Promo: Vickie comes out and states that she wants to be the Smackdown GM after the brand extension and draft take place. Security arrives and escorts Vickie away.

- Backstage, Big Show pep talks Team USA for tonight's 16-Man Elimination Tag Team Match.

- Backstage, security escorts Vickie Guerrero to the door and pass Dolph Ziggler. Vickie begs Dolph to tell security that she was invited to RAW. Ziggler says he's never seen Vickie before his whole life. Security kicks Vickie out of the building.

- The Vaudevillains vs. Golden Truth: The match closes out with Goldust power slamming English. Truth and Goldust hit their finisher and score the pinfall.
Winners: Golden Truth, by pinfall.

- John Cena Promo: Cena says AJ Styles brought out the best in him and if The Club wants some then they can come get some. The Club appears and Styles takes the microphone. Styles says no matter how hard Cena tries to bury Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson will be there to have Styles' back. Styles says no one will save Cena and The Club will beat Cena up every week. The Club attack Cena and the 3-on-1 beat down begins. Enzo and Big Cass hit the ring and help Cena fight off The Club and clear the ring.

- Summer Rae vs. Becky Lynch: The match closes out with Summer attempting a suplex, but Becky counters with a near fall rollup. Becky hits an exploder suplex for another near fall. Becky finally traps Summer in the Dis-Arm-Her submission and makes Summer tap out.
Winner: Becky Lynch, by submission.

- The New Day Promo: The New Day say that The Wyatt Family need a great big bowl of Booty O's cereal. The Wyatt's appear on the Titan Tron. The Wyatts want The New Day to come meet them at their compound so they can teach New Day a lesson. Kofi and Big E are more than happy in wanting to go because they will spread the power of positivity all over. Woods says The Wyatt's are laying down a trap for New Day and Woods can't stand by and watch Kofi and Big E fall for the trap. Woods leaves to end the segment.

- "16-Man Elimination Tag Team Match": Team U.S.A. (Big Show, Jack Swagger, Apollo Crews, Mark Henry, Zack Ryder, The Dudley Boyz, and Kane vs. Team International (Chris Jericho, Kalisto, Sin Cara, Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus:

** Elimination #1: The Dudley Boys hit the 3D on Sin Cara and score the pinfall. 8-7 Team USA.
** Elimination #2: Sheamus hits the Brogue Kick on Bubba and Kalisto hits a frog splash to score the pinfall. Tied 7-7.
** Elimination #3: Cesaro spins Devon in the Cesaro Swing and then forces Devon to tap out to the Sharpshooter submission. 7-6 Team International.
** Elimination #4: We get an old school "We The People" chant from Swagger and Cesaro together. Swagger misses the Swagger Bomb and Jericho hits the Code Breaker for the pinfall. 7-5 Team International.
** Elimination #5: Mark Henry plants Kalisto with the World's Strongest Slam to score the pinfall. 6-5 Team International.
** Elimination #6: Kevin Owens plants Mark Henry with the pop up power bomb immediately and scores the pinfall. 6-4 Team International.
** Elimination #7: Owens yells at his own partner, Sami Zayn, telling him to pick up his slack. Kane goes for a choke slam on Zayn, but Owens unloads steel chair shots on Kane for the DQ. 5-4 Team International.
** Elimination #8: Kane uses the steel chair on Owens and gets DQ'ed. 5-3 Team International.
** Elimination #9: Apollo Crews hits a moonsault on Sami Zayn and scores the pinfall. 4-3 Team International.
** Elimination #10: Sheamus hits a Brogue Kick on Crews and scores the pinfall. 4-2 Team International.
** Elimination #11: Cesaro gets into an argument with his teammates and unloads upper cuts on all of them. Zack Ryder sneaks a rollup on Cesaro and scores the pinfall. 3-2 Team International.
** Elimination #12: Big Show lands the big knockout punch on Jericho and scores the pinfall. Tied 2-2.
** Elimination #13: Big Show choke slams Del Rio and scores the pinfall. 2-1 Team USA.
** Final Elimination: Zack Ryder hits the Rough Ryder on Sheamus and scores the deciding fall to win the match. Big Show and Zack Ryder celebrate to end the show.
Winners: Team USA (Big Show and Zack Ryder survived).