WWE Raw results: Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista unite to halt Evolution of The Shield

The former stable have taken drastic measures to halt the Hounds of Justice after last week's surprise assault

Batista, Triple H and Randy Orton reunite as Evolution to take down The Shield (WWE.com)

Monday Night Raw begun by paying tribute to The Ultimate Warrior, whose untimely passing last week shocked the WWE Universe, only days after being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Warrior, who also appeared on last week’s Raw show to deliver a rousing and emotional speech, will certainly not be forgotten by any fans of wrestling, and the night looked to honour the great man’s memory.

Why the Ultimate Warrior will be remembered as a wrestling icon

The wrestling action then kicked off with a number one contender’s tournament for the Intercontinental Championship. Eight superstars would be involved, starting off with Rob Van Dam squaring off with Alberto Del Rio.

The match had plenty of kicking action, with Del Rio leaving his mark on his opponent as he looked to secure the chance to grab a belt he had never won. He dominated for much of the match, but the experience of former six-time Intercontinental champ Van Dam proved vital and he somehow clinched victory with a Five-Star Frog Splash.

Capture the Hounds

Attentions then turned to Triple H, who appeared backstage with Randy Orton and Batista (and Stephanie) in order to discuss the possibility of an alliance in order to stop The Shield, who attacked the Authority last week on Raw, which saw Roman Reigns hit an immense spear on the COO. It would appear this huge rivalry is blossoming and could well be a part of the upcoming WWE PPV event, Extreme Rules.

Tag-team action followed, with The Rhodes Brothers taking on Rybaxel, a match that saw Ryback grab the victory with a Meat-Hook Clothesline on Cody Rhodes.

New Divas Champion Paige then appeared, a week after her shock victory over AJ Lee, to face Alicia Fox. Fox controlled the bout, but Paige seized the win with an impressive Scorpion Crosslock submission hold, forcing a tap-out.

Another champion, or champions rather, were then next up on Raw, with the Usos taking on the unorthodox tag-team of Orton and Batista. Jimmy and Jey paid homage to the Ultimate Warrior with their face make-up and vests and looked to channel his spirit in order to be triumphant.

Orton and Batista continued to surprise the WWE universe with their teamwork in the early stages against the Usos, but the pair were overwhelmed when the match was interrupted by an even more potent threat; The Shield. Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose appeared from the crowd to launch an assault against the pair, once again sending a message to The Authority.

The King of Swing

Paul Heyman’s new affiliation with Cesaro shocked the WWE Universe last week on Raw, and while initially he came out this week to remind the crowd that “Brock Lesnar broke the streak”, he oversaw his new client take on Mark Henry as part of the Intercontinental Championship tournament.

Heyman certainly knows how to turn a crowd, and while they booed any recognition he gave to Lesnar’s massive achievement at Wrestlemania, they cheered the appearance of Cesaro, chanting “King of Swing” as he walked to the ring.

It would certainly be no easy task taking on the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ but the Swiss superstar demonstrated his extraordinary strength to hit the 400+ pound Henry with a Neutraliser to progress to the semi-finals.

Cesaro wouldn’t be the only strongman on show however, and the attention soon turned to the ‘super-athlete’ Alexander Rusev who faced off against Xavier Woods. The match wouldn’t last long, and Rusev defeated Woods with the Accolade. R-Truth entered the ring to protect his protégé, but also fell victim to the power of the Bulgarian superstar.

Sheamus and Jack Swagger then fought, as the third pairing of the evening to compete in the number one contender’s tournament. With Cesaro and Van Dam set to face-off in the semi-finals, Sheamus booked his place with a hard-fought victory, ending the clash with a colossal brogue kick to decide the outcome.

Hulk Hogan coming to the UK

The Irish superstar would be joined in his semi-final by either Dolph Ziggler or Bad News Barrett, but before that match could place, Raw was first treated to a rant from Damien Sandow before his match against the Big Show.

Sandow spoke of what he ‘deserved’ from the WWE Universe, but was soon treated to a knock-out punch instead. The match didn’t even begin.

Another monologue followed, but with Bray Wyatt behind the microphone, the WWE Universe was enticed rather than bored. He launched into John Cena, and regardless of his loss at Wrestlemania, Wyatt’s business with Cena appears unfinished. Cena then appeared, mocking the Wyatt’s with a series of photo-shopped images in an attempt to undermine them, but more importantly to offer a challenge; a Steel Cage match at Extreme Rules.

Santino and Emma were next up in mixed tag-team action against Fandango and his new dance partner Layla, after he ‘broke-up’ with Summer Rae. The new partnership emerged as a winning combination, with Layla pinning Emma for the victory.

Release the Monster

Stephanie McMahon appeared again backstage as she attempted to re-ignite the monster inside Kane, by attacking his current reputation. He responded, by freeing his mask and promising to “eviscerate Daniel Bryan”, which will hopefully see a return for the ‘Big, Red Machine’ rather than the suit-wearing Director of Operations.

The final tournament match of the night then took place, with Dolph Ziggler and Bad News Barrett facing off to see who would meet Sheamus in the semi-finals.

The energetic Ziggler fought well in an entertaining match, but Barrett soon delivered the ‘Bad News’ to his opponent, with a Bull-Hammer elbow to grab the win as well as progression in the tournament.

Raw concluded with the main event, with The Shield in a match against a mystery trio of opponents. The Hounds of Justice made their way to the ring and watched on as their challenge was revealed, with an array of superstars emerging from the back to create an 11-on-3 handicap match.

The arrangement of the match was clear punishment for the recent actions of The Shield, who held their own in the opening stages.

The numbers advantage soon began to affect them and chaos descended when Reigns speared Ryback outside the ring the end the match via DQ. The 11-men then swarmed the ring to attack The Shield, before the entrance music of Evolution hit, with Batista, Orton and Triple H appearing, re-united.

They sent away the 11-man team, and continued the brutal assault themselves, delivering numerous RKOs and Batista Bombs to get their point across, that one of the most powerful factions in WWE history was back together.

Catch Up: Last week's Raw results