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There were plenty of reasons to love Raws final episode before Sundays Survivor Series pay-per-view event. From the very outset, the singular purpose of getting everyone on the same page became the theme for the night, building a number of strange bedfellows situations and allowing seemingly conflicted teammates to pick up unexpected victories.That optimism carried through to the big Raw versus SmackDown confrontation that closed the show too, giving each superstar a reason to care about this match despite the appearance of there being a lack of long-term stakes. SmackDown Live got one of the biggest pops of the night after coming through the crowd, but both teams got over a general sense of unity (which might belie one or more conflicts rearing their ugly heads Sunday, but I digress) during the big throw down.But the best decision of all on Raw Monday was to have Brock Lesnar and Goldberg keep their hands off each other ahead of their main event showdown Sunday. In recent years, in the build-up to big matches like this one, the WWE has given away far too much, from extended beat downs or back-and-forth fist fights to actually having the same match thats set for the pay-per-view on free TV. By saving that first physical confrontation for Sunday, tension and anticipation is at an all-time high.For as much as Raw did right on a show that was surely a net positive, there were still a few things that left a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. For all intents and purposes it appears that Roman Reigns return to superman status is back on track, after he did all of the dirty work before draping a lifeless WWE Universal champion Kevin Owens on top of Sheamus to lock up a pinfall victory for their team. There were a number of other subtle hints, but dont be surprised if after Sunday we get Reigns making a fool of Owens a number of times as they seemingly head toward a champion versus champion conflict.Did you know that Sunday, fantasy warfare just got real?Jokes about endlessly repeated taglines and complaints about Reigns aside, before we get too deep into the weeds lets take a closer look at this go-home episode of Monday Night Raw -- at what went right, and what fell flat.Goldberg and Lesnar in the same ring, and it felt so rightThe crowd was as hot for Goldberg as any of the ones hes appeared in front of since his return, and its far from shocking that Paul Heyman was able to help ionize the crowd so well in a venue thats not Minnesota. Heyman was actually brilliant in poking the vulnerable spots and inciting the crowd, restarting every time he was interrupted and taunting Goldberg from behind the wall of security to build up the tension of Goldberg and Lesnars first in-ring meeting in well over a decade.For his part, Goldberg continued his altogether shockingly sharp run on the microphone, which we might thank his occasional Hollywood foray for. He countered each Heyman point by stating the fact that Lesnar never beat him, and continued to bristle at any mention of his family. After laying down the law and demanding that his wife and child not be mentioned again, at the next mention by Heyman, Goldberg shredded his shirt and, for the first time, it became clear that hes still in pretty tremendous shape going into this match.Let me spell this out for you, Heyman said, Live on the WWE Network. Survivor Series. Goldberg, you shall be beaten, victimized and conquered by Brock Lesnar... and, at that moment, Lesnar shoved down two security guards, seemingly clearing a path for Goldberg. Heyman continued, ...to such an extent that you sir shall be unrecognizable. So unrecognizable, that your son will call Brock Lesnar daddy.Goldberg snapped and took out the guards one by one, with Lesnar hanging back on the ring apron. When the last three were dispatched, there was a momentary tease that there would be an actual face-to-face showdown, but Lesnar instead stepped down and walked away. Both men never took their eyes off of each other, even for a second, and raised the level of excitement and anticipation for this match as high as it has been.Whether or not it can possibly live up to the hype, or even remotely resemble the action in WWE2K17 -- and there were no illusions as to the reason for this match, as both Goldberg and Lesnars nameplates had that logo attached -- is the only question that lingers.Raw versus SmackDown showdown comes in like a lamb, out like a lionThe opening portion of the Raw vs. SmackDown Live GMs and commissioners fell a little flat, as both sides reiterated similar points to what theyve been saying for weeks on their respective shows. There was a nice point-counterpoint about Shane McMahons participation in the traditional Survivor Series match, but things predictably escalated when the two mens teams came out.By entering through the crowd, Team SmackDown reiterated their standing as the team of the people. With the brands separated, this direct head-to-head confrontation felt special. You had Owens and AJ Styles touting their own top championship as the real world championship. Chris Jericho put Styles and James Ellsworth on The List,?Bray Wyatt promised to take out his creation Braun Strowman, and Dean Ambrose predictably lit the fuse and started the physical confrontation by attacking Jericho. Seeing Reigns and Seth Rollins stand tall and do a Shield-style powerbomb onto a group that included Ambrose was an interesting final touch as the final Raw before Survivor Series went off the air.The State of the WWE Universe post-show event further hammered home the points each show wanted to make, with the kind of reality-bordering and reality-based statements that have made Talking Smack a must-watch program every week. While there were a few awkward moments, Daniel Bryans statement that most of SmackDown has improved post-draft while Raw superstars have largely stagnated was one of a dozen different things that rang true. Its 30 minutes long, and if you didnt have the stamina to stay up after the three-hour Raw, its worth going back to watch it if only to see Bryan and Mick Foley drop truth over and over again and Stephanie McMahon try to steer it back toward the in-storyline matches.With the focus of SmackDown likely to be largely centered on The Undertaker, Edge, the Intercontinental championship match and other 900th episode festivities, this served as the final official step in the build to Survivor Series.Hits and missesThe New Day is toeing a dangerous line right now. After winning a few too many one-sided rivalries, its understandable how they could be a little complacent and put things on auto-pilot a little too much. Their shopping cart full of merchandise highlighted just how much of a following they have, but the strange sexual innuendo of the sock and the unicorn horn showed they can sometimes take their often charming schtick a little too far.Its actually been kind of nice to see some cracks in the armor as New Day approaches Demolitions all-time WWE tag team title reign record, and that was especially the case in this six-man tag team match. Rollins, Jericho and Strowman proved to have considerable in-ring chemistry as a team, and the result was a match that was far better than most might have expected. All six men looked crisp, and the action was frenetic throughout.Strowman was the highlight of the match throughout, wreaking havoc on all three members of the New Day and finishing things off with a fantastic-looking running powerslam to finish off Xavier Woods. The partnership was too good to last, though, as Rollins hit a pedigree on Jericho post-match. Jericho tried to embrace his role as captain in both segments that his team was involved in, including an olive branch in the form of matching scarves for Strowman and Rollins. He is simply on a roll when it comes to taking potentially silly ideas and concepts and spinning them into gold, and showing little sign of slowing down.Just like the six-man tag team match earlier in the night served as a wonderful showcase for Strowman, the womens tag team match was the Nia Jax show. She showed every bit of her physical dominance against both Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair, and did more in this single match to prove her potential as a title contender than months of squash matches against local talent.Despite flashing some incredible chemistry that dates back to Flair and Banks earliest days in NXT as part of the BFFs, this was the first match in which partners couldnt wait until the end of the match to go after one another. It was a nice way to display that, even in the face of brand unity, some conflicts transcend teamwork (even if they ultimately did pull off the victory).The opening match of the night put Raws two champions to the test against Sheamus and Cesaro, and it hit all of its intended notes. For his part, Cesaro looked every bit the main event player in this match, both with his in-ring moves (including a crazy corkscrew tope con hilo dive over the top rope onto Reigns and Owens on the outside) and his charisma. He continues to do good work with whatever hes given, but the question of when he will get another shot to prove he can hang with the best (as pointed out by Bryan during the WWE State of the Universe special) in a top-level rivalry still lingers.Reigns and Owens warred throughout the match, with Owens refusing to tag in or tag out for most of the match until he could steal Reigns thunder, but they did the bare minimum to win the match. A good match, putting over how Reigns puts his team above all when Owens got hit by a brogue kick, he knocked Sheamus out with a spear and then draped the lifeless Owens on top of Sheamus to pick up the victory.We got a quick match between Sami Zayn and Bo Dallas, but both men really deserved better. Their NXT rivalry is still the peak of Bos powers in the WWE and made both guys look great. Mondays match was the opposite. Zayn really could have used a more legitimate victory and some real momentum heading into his Survivor Series Intercontinental championship match against Dolph Ziggler (or, theoretically, The Miz, if he wins Tuesday). Dallas, who had been picking up a modicum of momentum in showing an edge of late, shouldnt have served as cannon fodder for Zayn at this particular moment.Brian Kendricks words rang hollow but his actions in his match against Sin Cara rang true. The conflict in the locker room, with numerous guys staking legitimate claims to cruiserweight championship matches and questioning Kendricks chances against Kalisto, was some of the most story building theyve done with the Cruiserweight division. Thats certainly a welcomed development, and although they still didnt seem to get much of a reaction from an otherwise hyped Buffalo crowd, the more dimension these cruiserweights are given, the better.Theres not a lot that really has to be said about the eight-man tag-team match, but its about time that a heel tag team like Gallows?and?Anderson cut off Enzo and Big Cass?S-A-W-F-T bit for some heat. Cheap Custom Dodgers Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Authentic Custom Dodgers Jersey . Down by seven with 90 seconds left in regulation, thats where they looked comfortable. http://www.customdodgersjersey.com/ .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. Wholesale Custom Dodgers Shirts . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. Babe Herman Jersey Large . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.Dwight Howard never grew comfortable playing with Kobe Bryant and for Mike DAntoni. Once a wide-smiling, fun-loving big guy, Howard lacked that joy in Los Angeles. The Rockets are confident hell find it again in Houston. "Were going to get a smile back on his face that hasnt been on it for a couple of years because of various things, injury and maybe the team situation he was in at the time," general manager Daryl Morey told Comcast SportsNet Houston. "Hes going to have a smile back on his face." The Rockets were the ones beaming Friday, thanks to Howards choice to take less money in hopes of more happiness. "Ive decided to become a member of the Houston Rockets. I feel (its) the best place for me and I am excited about joining the Rockets and Im looking forward to a great season," Howard wrote on Twitter. He leaves behind an extra $30 million and an offence under DAntoni that he was never fully pleased with, joining a Rockets team that could become an immediate contender in the Western Conference with the All-Star centre in the middle. "Years of work by Dwight & Rockets went into this. This team is going to be special," Morey tweeted. USA Today first reported earlier Friday that Howard would join the Rockets, where he will team with All-Star James Harden to give the Rockets a potentially potent inside-outside combination. That didnt quite end the Howard saga, which has dragged on a couple of years. Howard spoke again with the Lakers amid reports he was changing his mind. Turns out, he was just saying goodbye. "We have been informed of Dwights decision to not return to the Lakers," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "Naturally were disappointed. However, we will now move forward in a different direction with the future of the franchise and, as always, will do our best to build the best team possible, one our great Lakers fans will be proud to support. "To Dwight, we thank him for his time and consideration, and for his efforts with us last season. We wish him the best of luck on the remainder of his NBA career." Dallas, Golden State and Atlanta were the other suitors interested in Howard. But it was the Rockets, who brought Hall of Fame centre Hakeem Olajuwon with them when theey made their pitch to Howard on Monday, who beat out the other teams.dddddddddddd And now Howard will follow the likes of Olajuwon and Yao Ming in Houstons middle. The deal cant become official until July 10, after next seasons salary cap has been set. The Rockets can give him a four-year deal worth about $88 million, a year less and far below the $118 million the Lakers could have offered. The Lakers acquired Howard last August from Orlando as part of a four-way trade that also included Philadelphia and Denver. He averaged 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds in 76 games, good numbers but far from his usual dominant play in eight seasons with the Magic as he played his way back into shape following back surgery. He wasnt a natural fit in DAntonis system, had what appeared at times to be a strained relationship with Bryant and acknowledged not having fun at times. Bryant apparently wont miss him. Though he took part in the Lakers meeting with Howard on Tuesday, the five-time champion posted a photo on Instagram of himself and Pau Gasol, the Lakers remaining big man, shortly after Howards decision. Howards awkward departure is right in line with the confusion thats followed him over the last few years. The No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft was one of the NBAs most popular and likable players, an Olympic gold medallist who led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals -- where they lost to Bryant and the Lakers. But he decided a couple of years later that he wanted out of Orlando, and the Magic eventually gave his agent permission to negotiate with the Nets, Mavericks and Lakers about arranging a trade. Yet Howard would later agree to not opt for free agency, remaining with the Magic for the 2011-12 season. Howards season ended prematurely when he needed back surgery, and Orlando finally dealt him to Los Angeles. The Lakers season was a disappointment, with Bryant, Gasol and Steve Nash all missing time with injuries. They never developed any chemistry, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by San Antonio. The Rockets believe hell find that chemistry in Houston. "We have good teammates. Theyre young. Theyre guys who are great not only on the floor but off. Hes going to get along great with our team," Morey said in an interview with Comcast SportsNet Houston. ' ' '