WWE Raw results, recap, grades: Kevin Owens ends show with brutal attack on WWE champion Big E

Owens blamed Big E for causing him to lose a match against Seth Rollins

As WWE champion, Big E has not had many top contenders lined up to face him. That changed in a big way on Monday night's episode of Raw, with Big E suffering a brutal attack at the hands of Kevin Owens as the show went off the air.

Owens spent the night trying to prove that his nearly beating Big E in underhanded fashion was not a sign he'd reverted to his old heel tactics, but a misunderstanding caused by Seth Rollins. Rollins has secured a championship match with Big E after winning a ladder match and interfered in the match between Big E and Owens the week prior in an attempt to get in the head of the champion.

Rather than prove himself an innocent player in the situation, Owens would end the night by snapping and attacking Big E.

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Kevin Owens snaps, attacks Big E after main event

Owens was backstage with Big E early in the show, with Owens begging Big E to understand that he isn't the old backstabber he was earlier in his career. Owens nearly pinning Big E after interference from Seth Rollins the week prior was a misunderstanding, not an indication of who Owens is. The story threaded through the entire show, with Rollins confronting members of the locker room backstage about Owens' character and Owens similarly defending himself to anyone who would listen. The two also brawled after an in-ring promo by Rollins, hyping up the night's main event.

Seth Rollins def. Kevin Owens via countout. Big E was ringside for the match, looking on as Owens and Rollins laid into each other in a hard-hitting match. The match eventually went outside of the ring, with both men brawling before spilling into the commentary table area. Rollins suddenly sprinted and slid into the ring, beating the referee's count to win by count out. After the match, Owens snapped and attacked Big E, blaming the WWE champion for getting in his way as he tried to get back into the ring to beat the count. Owens hit a pop-up powerbomb, driving Big E into the ring apron before leaving as officials came in to break up the situation. Owens then turned and ran back, attacking Big E once again before the show went off the air.

An Owens heel turn is certainly fine. He's a lovable guy and fans gravitate toward him, but he also is a complete monster as a heel and Raw needs more heels -- even ones who are believed to be leaving WWE in three months. The turn was also necessary because so much of the story felt like a way to waste time and help fill three hours with no matches to build toward ahead of Survivor Series. Now, with Owens turned, there's something meaty to look forward to next week. Grade: B-

What else happened on WWE Raw?

• Dolph Ziggler, Robert Roode, AJ Styles & Omos def. RK-Bro & Street Profits via pinfall after Omos hit Riddle with a chokeslam. The heel side broke down at the end of the match, arguing over who would get the pin before Ziggler snuck in to steal the pin.
• Bobby Lashley def. Dominik Mysterio via submission with the Hurt Lock. Lashley dominated the match from start to finish, intentionally drawing the match out and punishing Mysterio. The match was made by Adam Pearce for Mysterio's spot on the Raw Survivor Series team. Lashley takes over the spot with the win.
• Big E def. Chad Gable via pinfall after a Big Ending. After the match, Otis got in the ring to stare down the WWE champion.
• Reggie regained the 24/7 championship after losing it to Drake Maverick, who lost it to Akira Tozawa, who lost it to Corey Graves, who lost it to Byron Saxton, who lost it back to Maverick before Maverick was pinned by Reggie. Reggie then managed to escape up the entrance ramp with his championship.
• Liv Morgan def. Carmella, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley via pinfall by rolling up Carmella. Doudrop attacked Belair during the match, following through on a teased heel turn earlier in the night during a segment with the Raw women's locker room members arguing backstage. Morgan will receive a title shot as a result of her victory.