Here we go, after one of the most electrifying Wrestlemania’s in recent memory, it’s MONDAY NIGHT RAW! There’s a lot to recap and a lot that happened over the three hours of RAW, let’s go through it!
Stephanie McMahon comes out first, hobbled, as we see her left arm in a brace. As Steph enters the ring the crowd roars “You Tapped Out!” The crowd is giving her none of it, as she admonishes the crowd for their ire. She goes full heel as she takes credit for the great match from last night. Eventually she brings out Ronda as she comes out to many a cheer from the crowd. The crowd treats her to the full suite of “Ronda Rousey (clap clap clap-clap-clap)” chants. Steph tries to convince Ronda to join with management and have Steph help her become the best she can be. We get a bunch of “Bullllshit” and “Shut The F**k Up” chants. Steph and Ronda go in for the hug, the crowd boos but THEN RONDA GRAPPLES STEPH AND GOES IN FOR THE ARM BAR! She rips off the brace and puts Steph in the arm bar, Stephanie taps but Ronda doesn’t give up, eventually she relents as she exits leaving Steph writhing on the ground. Ronda gets all of the crowd’s love, and Steph gets all the hate. It’s a very good way to put Ronda over. Along with the match from last night Ronda’s booking has been superb so far.
Nia comes out next for a tag match. It’s so great to see the belt on Nia, she can dominate the Women’s division for a long time, I hope WWE doesn’t mess this up. The crowd gives her some well-deserved “You Deserve It” chants. Alexa comes out with Mickie James playing the victim card, saying she was distraught that Nia beat up Mickie. The crowd just keeps giving Alexa more heat. Nia interrupts Alexa to tell her to shut up and that she enjoyed the beat down from last night. She also tells Alexa that she has a tag partner for tonight’s match, and it’s……EMBER MOON!!!! To quote my girlfriend: “OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, HNNNNGU ASGQASLETKIGAAGGAPENBALISEDSFFFFG AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
The match starts with Jax throwing around James. Nia toys around with her prey and eventually Alexa taps in. Nia taps in Ember Moon and she goes to work. Eventually she gets to the top rope and pulls the eclipse off on Alexa. Pin fall as Jax and Moon win.
Side note: During the commercial, we learn that there is going to be a superstar shakeup next week.
Backstage we see Kurt and Braun Strowman with his partner, NICHOLAS. Unfortunately, Braun and Nicholas have to relinquish the tag titles since Nicholas has a scheduling conflict: school. However, he tells Kurt that when Nicholas gets out school, everyone is going to have to “GET THESE HANDS,” Nicholas screams. It’s sad that Braun doesn’t have a belt anymore but it was good for a comedy spot.
I suppose the idea of making Braun the comedy monster can be a good hook, I just selfishly want him to hold both tag titles by himself.
After the commercial we get a conga line courtesy of NO WAY JOSE. This RAW is so high energy it’s hard not to have a smile on your face. No Way Jose gets in the ring to go against indie wrestler, John Skylar. We get a nice little squash match as Jose keeps up the conga line after the match.
Backstage The Bar asks Kurt for their tag titles back. Kurt tell us there is going to be a tag team eliminator challenge (a four team bracket) for the RAW Tag Team championships with the winner competing against The Bar, at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.
Gallows and Anderson vs. the Revival are up for a tag team match for the first spot in the tag team eliminator challenge. The Revival start out strong both tagging in taking out Luke Gallows. Karl Anderson eventually taps in taking out both Dawson and Wilder in and out of the ring. However, the Revival take out Karl Anderson with a shatter machine. It was a quick match but good to showcase the Revival who may be making a push for the RAW Tag Team titles.
Next up is the new Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins. The crowd breaks out into a “Burn It Down” chant which is actual kind of scary taking it out of the wrestling context. Finn Balor comes out to congratulate Seth on his recent title. Finn wants first rights to challenge Seth for the IC Title and they shake on it. The Miz then comes out with the Miztourage to tell Finn and Seth that if anyone deserves the IC title it’s him. I missed the Miz as a heel on the mic over the past few weeks, but he’s back and it’s beautiful. He gives a shoutout to his daughter as Finn, Seth, and the crowd give him props. The Miz then tells Seth that he made his daughter cry by taking the IC title, and it in turn made Maryese cry, and the Miz admits…it made him cry. It’s a great promo that just accentuates how good the Miz is, and what a good villain he is. Seth reminds The Miz that he has a rematch clause he can invoke. The Miz informs Seth he will invoke it…at Backlash. The Miz, however, is willing to do a match between himself and the Miztourage against Finn and Seth. As they get ready Jeff Hardy comes out to join Seth and Finn. The Miz and the Miztourage back out of the ring as they exit up the ramp. It’s good to see Jeff Hardy back on Monday Night RAW, even if it’s without his brother Matt.
Next up is Sasha Banks vs. Mandy Rose with Absolution ringside. As the match is set to begin Bayley comes out to accompany Sasha ringside, much to Sasha’s chagrin. It’s not much of a match as Sasha takes down Mandy for the majority of it. Bayley tries to take out Mandy outside of the ring but winds up clotheslining Sasha. Mandy gets the hit on Sasha inside the ring and pins her for the win. Unfortunately for WWE, the crowd loves it. To be fair this story line hasn’t gone anywhere for what seems like the better part of a month. It’s hard to tell if Bayley is going to turn heel or it it’s just a friendship gone wrong, but it feels so hollow because I haven’t had a reason to be invested in the two of them.
After the match, Paige gives a very heartfelt speech about how she can no longer perform as an in-ring competitor. She announces that she will have to retire. It’s a very emotional speech as the crowd gives her the support she deserves with a “This Is Your House” chant. It goes as well as could be expected for such bad news. While it’s a bummer, I’m glad Paige got to go out with a speech on her terms, in New Orleans which is the same place she won the Divas championship four years ago. It’s sadly poetic, but she gives a hopeful message that this will always be her house, and that Daniel Bryan proves that anything is possible.
Elias is in the ring for the next segment. He has a great interaction with the crowd until it gets weird. After his typical heel schtick, Elias calls the crowd scumbags to which they reply with a “We Are Scumbags” chant, and Elias does not know what to do. He informs the crowd they are right and continues with his song bashing the crowd, which is answered with crowd cheers. Somehow he is becoming the anti-Roman Reigns, no matter how much of a jerk he is the crowd loves him more. In the middle of the song Bobby Lashley comes out to interrupt and beat up Elias, which really gets the crowd excited. It’s a quick re-introduction as Bobby goes backstage. The crowd gives him some well deserved pop for the former UFC fighter as we are taken backstage.
Kevin Ownes and Sami Zayn are asking Kurt Angle if they can join the RAW roster after their fallout with Smackdown Live. Kurt tells him he only has room for one spot of the roster, and he’ll let Kevin and Sami fight for it, tonight; they agree.
Heath Slater and Rhyno are in the ring next and they face off against…..THE AUTHORS OF PAIN. The Authors of Pain are my favorite NXT tag team by far, so for me this was an incredible moment. I honestly didn’t catch much of the match because I was jumping around my apartment, but AOP pretty much dominated Heath Slater and pinned him in under a minute, Rhyno never even got into the ring. After the match as AOP walks up the ramp they stop Paul Ellering and continue up the ramp without him. I’m not sure what WWE is going to do with Paul Ellering but I wasn’t sure that AOP ever needed him anyway, so I don’t think there will be much of an impact felt.
After the break we get Roman Reigns accompanied by his usual chorus of boos from the crowd. Roman cuts an interesting work-shoot promo about how he thought Lesnar was going back to the UFC. However, he found out that Brock signed a new WWE contract and that he’s fighting him in a steel cage at the Greatest Royal Rumble; all of this he had to find out on the internet. Then comes out SAMOA JOE, with a great heel promo about how Brock exposed Roman Reigns. Joe tells Roman that he failed to beat Brock and it makes him a failure. Joe tells Roman that once Brock is done with him Joe will be there to take care of him. It’s a very good promo and reminded how much I missed Samoa Joe on the mic, because he is exceptional.
The second match for the tag team eliminator challenge features Titus Worldwide vs. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt. Matt Hardy and Titus start off the match trading blows as Matt attempts to delete Titus. Apollo and Bray tag in, as the crowd starts singing “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands.” It’s honestly quite disturbing. Matt tags in lands numerous blows on Apollo. Matt tags in Bray, as Apollo puts in a good effort getting in dropkick after dropkick. Bray sets up a Sister Abigail into a twist of fate on Apollo as Matt gets the pin.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are next with the winner receiving a Monday Night RAW contract. Owens and Zayn start off with a lot of intensity, Sami throws Kevin out of the ring and dives out on top of him. Sami and Kevin get back in the ring, Sami tries to wrap up Kevin but Kevin gets the elbow drop on him. Kevin tries to land several pin falls on Sami but to no avail. Kevin knocks out Sami with a kick, gets onto the top rope for a frog splash, lands it, and Sami just barely kick out for the near fall. Sami is able to get up and get the helluva kick on Kevin but Kevin lands on the ring ropes keeping Sami from pinning Kevin. Kevin lands a pop up power bomb on Sami but falls out of the ring. Kevin goes for another frog splash but Zayn gets a kick on Kevin as he sits on the top turnbuckle. Sami climbs up as he lands a superplex on Kevin. After the move both men stay down after the ten count, resulting in a double count out, meaning neither wrestler will be joining RAW.
Backstage Matt and Jeff have a reunion with Bray Wyatt giving Jeff a very awkward hug. After Matt and Jeff leave Seth and Finn look perplexed as Jeff shrugs off the encounter.
The final match of the evening will be a 6-man tag team between The Miz and the Miztourage vs. Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, and Jeff Hardy. Rollins and Axel start off the proceedings, Rollins dominates Axel leaving Bo Dallas to tag in. Jeff Hardy tags in using Rollins as a spring board to kick Bo Dallas right in the head. Finn Balor tags in and continues the rampage on Dallas. Curtis Axel tags in and holds Finn down as he lands multiple blows on him. Dallas then tags in to go work on Finn Balor, attempts the cover, but Balor kicks out. Dallas tags in the Miz as he takes out Rollins early, he holds Finn back preventing him from tagging Jeff Hardy. Balor escapes and gets the tag, as the Miz tags in Curtis Axel. Bo Dallas tags in as they double-team Jeff Hardy, twister in the wind to both of them. Hardy tags Rollins as the Miz tags in, Rollins gets the Miz out of the ring as he suicide dives onto the three of them. The crowd erupts into “burn it down chants” as the Miz dodges Rollins attack. The Miz sets up on the top arrow but Rollins gets up to pull a superplex on The Miz, Rollins attempts the pin but no good. Rollins gets up and puts the blackout on the Miz for the pin. Overall, it was a good match, with the faces getting to show off their finishers and beat up on the heels, successfully putting all three of them even more over.
After the match Jeff Hardy and Finn Balor continue the barrage on the Miztourage as the team just spams finishers on the Miztourage one after another. It is a dominating performance by the trio that looks like they could be a tag team of their own.
Overall, it was a fantastic Monday Night RAW, with plenty of surpirses and a handful of good matches. Next week is the Superstar Shakeup so there will be a lot of changes in store! See you next week.
