Who Filled In For Injured Elias In WWE Tag Title Match On Raw?
Matt Riddle got a pinch-hitter - and a heavy one at that - after backstage attack.
"Card subject to change" is a term that gets thrown around a lot in wrestling, but Raw really embodied it on Monday night when the first match of the night saw a substitute due to injury.
Matt Riddle & Elias were scheduled to challenge the Usos for the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship, but earlier in the evening, the Bloodline assaulted Elias backstage, leaving Riddle without a partner. However, the Original Bro came out to let the Usos know he had tracked down a replacement: Kevin Owens.
Owens really was the perfect pinch-hitter, given his ongoing rivalry with the Bloodline and former best friend Sami Zayn. As a team, KO and Riddle gave the Usos a run, but the makeshift duo ultimately fell to the longest-reigning tag champs in WWE history. Presumably, this will only further Owens' feud with Zayn and the Bloodline as a whole, with another shot at Roman Reigns' Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight Championship in the future.
Here comes @FightOwensFIght to save the day!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/QeXBhNxzCJ
— WWE (@WWE) December 6, 2022
But it's no rest for the weary for the Usos: They will defend their tag titles on SmackDown this Friday against Sheamus and Butch, with Butch replacing an injured Drew McIntyre. At least this time, the substitute is a fellow stablemate rather than a random roster member.