Thanks to some draft picks that were set to expire, Apollo Crews found himself back on Monday Night Raw after a yearlong stint on SmackDown. And he wasted no time showing the WWE Universe what they’d been missing, going toe-to-toe with Aleister Black for nearly an hour in an effort that was so impressive that you’d be forgiven for burying the lede that he lost.
Black, who likes to put his opponents away quickly, found himself completely stymied by Crews, who had an answer for every move and enough athleticism to send The Ominous Man From Amsterdam struggling for answers. Crews went down swinging, and only a last-gasp Black Mass finally put him down for three. Points to Black for a hard-fought victory, but the message couldn’t be clearer: Apollo Crews is going to be a problem.