Written by Matthew Widdis
We open with a graphic paying tribute to the late, great Pedro Morales who was lost last week.
In Ring
Triple H reminds us all that we’re on the Road to Wrestlemania. He brings up Finn Balor winning the IC title from Bobby Lashley. He mentions Becky Lynch attacking Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey with a set of crutches and that she should be arrested for it (but admits that he thought it was pretty cool.) It’s not Wrestlemania season without the Hall of Fame and he announces that (all of) D-Generation X is going to be inducted! Tonight, many of us will see some new faces as Ricochet, Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa of NXT are all making their RAW debuts tonight.
But the last announcement comes first. We’ve got Baron Corbin and Braun Strowman in a tables match right now. The two fought at Elimination Chamber last night and we’re shown a recap of Corbin, McIntyre, and Lashley Cerberus-Bombing Strowman through two tables for a Lone Wolf win.
Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin in a Tables Match
Braun reverently touches the tables at the top of the ramp before he settles in ring. Corbin smirks and saunters down. He grabs a set of steel ring steps before even getting into the ring but he doesn’t bring them in. This is an odd feud to return to. The Big Man vs Big Man match is inherently limited, especially when one is a big and the other is huge and the face is more massive and menacing than the heel. They don’t go for another triple team in this match two nights in a row.
Instead, they crib from the Hulk Hogan and King Kong Bundy Wrestlemania 2 build-up by selling a rib injury on Strowman. Corbin plays the more mobile and cerebral party and actually does a pretty good job of it. He makes liberal use of kendo sticks and repeatedly drives Strowman’s ribs into the ringside barricades. Strowman gets stripped to the waist to reveal kinesio tape on his ribs and Corbin targets them with repeated punches. Corbin controls the pace of the match up until he tries to go airborne from the ring apron and gets hit with the ring steps. Strowman plucks Corbin up attempting his round-the-ringpost and hits a powerslam into a table in the corner.
Winner by pinfall: Braun Strowman
Paul Heyman walks onto the ramp and gets stared down by Strowman. Strowman grabs him by the neck but eventually relents and walks off. Paul Heyman shaken for his intro but says that he’s not surprised by Strowman’s actions. Everyone should jealous of his client, Brock Lesnar. He has put together video package to educate us on what he says will be the main event at Wrestlemania: The Beast Incarnate.
He grew up working hard down on the farm. NCAA champion. He came to WWE and beat their greatest champion, The Rock, to become the youngest world champion. He left and went to UFC and beat their greatest champion, Randy Couture. He returned to WWE and ended The Undertaker’s Wrestlemania unbeaten streak. To be continued…? Heyman says that the people’s hop, Seth Rollins, has no hope. Who among you believe he can win at Wrestlemania? He is interrupted by Finn Balor.
Finn gets to the ring and says that it’s been a while since he held a championship and, boy, does it feel good. He wants to continue the legacy and tradition of Intercontinental Champions like Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels, and Ric Flair. Lio Rush comes out and says that Finn doesn’t deserve the title. Bobby Lashley blindsides Finn. Lashley and Lio beta on him for a bit, including a frog splash from Lio. Ricochet runs out to make the save. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. We got us a tag team match, playa!
Smackdown teaser says that Daniel Bryan’s Wrestlemania opponent will be revealed and Miz will offer a public apology to Shane McMahon.
Finn Balor & Ricochet vs Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush
Lio Rush is able to showcase his talents in the match, especially his ability to change directions on a dime, but the match is mostly about Finn Balor playing Ricky Morton and teasing the crowd for the hot tag. The match is laid out well in that respect, as they had Ricochet do his thing during the run-in and his initial turn in the ring so the audience knows who he is and what he can do. With three ariel speed demons in the match. Renee Young name drops a few similar superstars, including Evan Bourne (Impact’s Matt Sydal.) My wife’s reaction to Ricochet’s speed, agility, and precision? “Damn! That’s impressive.” She lets out another “Damn!” after the 630 on Lio Rush.
Winners by pinfall: Finn Balor & Ricochet
In the back
Triple H is talking to Natalya. Drew McIntyre demands Seth Rollins so that he can prove that he can main event Wrestlemania. Dean Ambrose says that he’s not doing anything. He slaps Drew and walks off. Drew has his match now.
Recap of Vince changing the RAW Women’s Championship match for Wrestlemania on RAW last week. Further recap of Becky goes after Charlotte at a house show in Alexandria, LA, only to be further injured and of Becky attacking Charlotte and Ronda with crutches at Elimination Chamber.
Lucha House Party (Gran Metallik & Lince Dorado) vs Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins
Renee Young brings up that, as former “Edge-heads,” The Major Brothers, Hawkins and Ryder are former tag champs and the youngest tag champs in WWE history at that. The announcers bring up the losing streak, although Renee pumps up support for Zack Ryder. At the end of the match, Hawkins has Lince in the crosshairs but takes the time to drop Metallik and gets a hurricanrana and a 1-2-3. Hawkins frets over his failure and Ryder consoles him over it.
Winners by pinfall: Lucha House Party
Heavy Machinery is at the top of the ramp with Charly Caruso. She wants to know what their plans are. Tucker says they love the steaks and the weights and they’re ready for anything. Lacey Evans comes out looking like Agent Carter from S.H.I.E.L.D. for a catwalk and turn. Tucker and Otis do a strut of their own. The segment doesn’t seem to make much sense. We’re already familiar with these characters. Show. Don’t tell.
In the back
Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano are talking about their imminent match with The Revival. Bobby Roode and Chad Gable question why they aren’t starting from the bottom here on RAW. The Revival comes out and stokes the embers of their NXT feud with DIY.
Jim Cornette and The Pop Break’s own Michael Vacchiano likely crack a pair of smiles as these four masters put on a damn fine classic style tag team match. The former Team DIY manage to extend the match when Tommaso slips out of a Shatter Machine attempt by The Revival. Curiously (but not too curiously) Gargano & Ciampa win by Meeting in the Middle with the tandem kick/knee.
Winners by pinfall: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa
In the back
The announce team goes over Ronda’s tradition of defending on the RAW after a PPV. She’s getting ready but so is Ruby Riott.
Kevin Owens update on his recovery comes from a movie theater this week. His son pocketed the change from the popcorn money but KO is a little too busy with the video to fight him on it. Owens is focusing on getting better and getting stronger and taking the opportunity to spend time with his family.
In Ring
Sasha Banks & Bayley, the first ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions come out. The crowd in Lafayette has been deader than a crusty battery all night. It takes a while but the “You! De! Serve! It!” And “Yes!” chants start up. They talk about how far they’ve come and how they repeatedly make history together. Nia Jax and Tamina come out. Nia is sick of the happy=happy lovefest between Sasha and Bayley. They point out that this title is the best Bayley will ever get and that Sasha only cares about herself yet loses every title she wins on her first defense. The Samoa Slaughterhouse Sisters rush the ring but get fended off by the Boss & Hug Connection.
A video package for D-Generation X’s Hall of Fame induction singles out HHH & HBK, New Age Outlaws, and X-Pac and Chyna. Although he’s seen in the video, there’s no mention of or emphasis on Rick Rude.
Dean Ambrose vs Drew McIntyre
McIntyre hits the Claymore after about two minutes of brawling. He doesn’t cover, though. Instead, he waits for Dean to get to his feet and nails him with a second one as punishment.
Winner by pinfall: Drew McIntyre
The Brock Lesnar educational film starts back up. It talks about Brock’s “ownership” of the title, starting with Brock beating John Cena in 2014 for the two belts. It continues with Brock rolling through everyone in his path: Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Finn Balor, Daniel Bryan, Goldberg, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Freakin’ Rollins. Seth Rollins is going keep getting up as he gets beat down. He’ll risk all to win one and that makes him dangerous. Brock Lesnar is going to have to go back to the beginning and use what he learned on that farm and put Seth Rollins down. It’s not a prediction. It’s not a spoiler. It’s the end of Seth Rollins.
In the back
Seth Rollins is with Charly Caruso. He says that Paul Heyman is no liar. Everything he said about Brock is true. But he was wrong about Seth. If he has to be carried out on a stretcher, he’s going to leave Wrestlemania as WWE Universal Champion. Dean Ambrose appears next to Seth, working the kinks out of his neck and groaning. An annoyed Seth asks Dean if he can help him and Dean wants to know where Seth was out there (seemingly knocked into last year when the two were friends.) Seth asks him if he has completely lost his mind. This elicits a bewildered stare and a “meh,” from Ambrose. I’ve always found Dean’s delivery to be fairly humorous.
In ring
Elias strums his guitar and takes a dump all over “unhygienic” Lafayette, LA. He says that they may be excited for the new faces from NXT but that he’s the most important. Just as he orders the audience to shut their mouths, the music hits for Aleister Black. After the “Rise from your grave” entrance, he says that, if it is silence that Elias seeks, he will help him “Fade to Black.”
Elias vs Aleister Black
Aleister Black gets his theatrics in early with his bounce back from the ropes and cross-legged sit. This is a short match and the highlights are the pinpoint timing when Elias hits a flying knee on Black coming off the tope rope and a grapple sequence that ends in a Black Mass spin kick that ends the match.
Winner by Pinfall: Aleister Black
Next week, it’s Ric Flair’s 70th Birthday and RAW is going to celebrate ‘Naitch deep in Flair Country, Atlanta.
Ruby Riott vs Ronda Rousey (champ) for the RAW Women’s Championship
Riott Squad in the ring as Ruby Riott awaits Ronda Rousey for her rematch from last night’s Elimination Chamber. This was the match that Ruby Riott should have been given at Elimination Chamber. Good back and forth with Ronda starting out early with beautifully done hip tosses and striking in the corner. Ruby hits her Bombs Away back senton from the second turnbuckle and two Riott Kicks that can’t keep Ronda down. Ronda goes out of her comfort zone in the match with new offense. She hits a Doctor bomb and hits Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan on the outside with a cross body off the top turnbuckle. Ruby tries get a reverse hurricanrana but Ronda counters into a slingshot-type maneuver that drives Ruby face first into the top turnbuckle. From there, it’s a scramble on the mat but Ronda locks in the armbar.
Winner by submission and still RAW Women’s Champion: Ronda Rousey
After the match, Ronda fights off Liv and Sarah as we abruptly go off air.
Final Thoughts:
Not a bad show but the energy level was in the basement and I wonder if bringing in the NXT talent wouldn’t have gone over better in another house.
Braun getting his revenge and the style of the matches at Elimination chamber and RAW indicate that Braun Strowman is out of whatever doghouse he might have been in and that the powers that be still have a lot of trust and confidence in Baron Corbin.
Even (ostensibly) on his way out, Dean Ambrose is instantly over when allowed to just be Dean Ambrose.
Sasha Banks & Bayley made a lot of sense to get the titles. Staying on RAW makes less sense when the better women’s teams are on Smackdown.
I understand the need for “new” talent to get over by going over. I just don’t understand why it was done tonight and how. Tag champs job. One of the mid-card’s best does a quick job. One of the best in the company and oft-cited as underutilized, Finn Balor, plays second fiddle.
A little bit of Paul Heyman makes just about anything palatable. He’s like bacon; he improves everything he touches.
Kevin Owens coming back as a family man fighting to give his loved ones a better life is imminent and I really think it will work. Triple H loves him because he looks at him and sees Dusty. We just might, too, if this happens.
Elephant in the room. Triple H announces that D-Generation X is going into the Hall of Fame. Yes, that means that he’s going in. Yes, that means that current All Elite Wrestling producer, Billy Gunn, is going in. Yes, that means that both Chyna and X-Pac are going in. I’m not nit-picky. I’m not concerned with if this is disrespecting the dead somehow or still inappropriate. Hell, I’m wondering if it’s going to make it harder for The New Age Outlaws to go in a second time by themselves. You know who else isn’t in the Hall of Fame by himself? Triple H.
