Howdy! It’s CB back to normality and coming back your eyes with some words about wrestling! I’ve been away for 2 weeks and I’m so happy to be back.
This week’s Raw, Live from Chicago, began with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman out to cut a promo on Seth Rollins, Heyman has a lot to say about Lesnar’s former ‘smol boi’ opponents as the kids would say. They were hit with choruses of boos and “Burn it down!” chants from the Chicago crowd too; but this didn’t deter them from continuing on – obviously – so they then question Rollins’ decision to face Drew McIntyre tonight to avenge his fallen frienemy, Dean Ambrose (who according to reports was written off TV last week until his contract expires. So that was the last we will see of Ambrose in WWE apparently. We wish him luck with all of his future EndeAEWvours..). Drew McIntyre comes to the stage and says it’s nice to finally have the respect he deserves, he says he will brutalise Rollins tonight and take his place against Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Which was just so believable because.. It’s McIntyre. He crazy. But Rollins attacked him with a chair on the ramp and hit him across the back 16 times! Yeah, that’s right; I counted. The chair was mangled up after. It was awesome. But the Scottish Psychopath will kill him for that. Rollins stormed the ring to join a stunned Lesnar (who’s face was effing hilarious when the chair shots end) but Lesnar wisely walks away. – loved everything about this. Perfectly executed by all 4 men.
Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush vs Finn Balor & a mystery partner
“Oooh, a mystery partner!” I thought “who could it be!? It’s Wrestlemania season! Bray Wyatt? Luke Harper? Sami Zayn? Maybe an NXT call-up?” – we have to wait.
Lashley & Rush came out as Balor began to talk and I can’t help it, I love the two together now. Lio Rush is just naturally entertaining. – but who was the Partner!?…. it was Braun Strowman. How anti-climactic. – Strowman vs Rush was hilarious, Lashley left Lio to get killed by The Monster. Rush vs Lashley incoming? Rush got laid out and took the loss. Bit of a nothing match, but it branches the story out.
Ronda Rousey backstage
She arrives, gets told off by a referee and is accompanied by security.
A Moment of Bliss
Bliss gets a nice pop, Elias is her guest.. she’s a little less thirsty this eve, but still tries it on with him. He announces that he’s going to be the headlining musical act for Wrestlemania. – No Way José’s music interupts Elias and it’s lead by Heavy Machinery. Alexa tells them off for coming too early! It was meant to be at the end of the show apparently, but a masked member of the conga line attacks Elias and it’s revealed to be No Way José! With his awesome new green braided hair.
Elias vs No Way José
Do my eyes deceive me? José having a match on Raw!? That makes me happy. Go get ’em José! Well, he tried. He lost, but his conga line chums were all on the outside chanting his name through the match. Which was bloody distracting, I tell you. But this match was pretty good. Again, more story focused than anything else.
Kurt Angle announces his final opponent ever for Wrestlemania
I was so hoping for a decent surprise here.. but it was Baron Corbin.
Kurt Angle vs Chad Gable
A match I never thought we’d see. Kurt Angle vs Chad Gable is like original vs reboot. The Chicago crowd chanted “this is awesome” before the bell even rang. I loved this match so much, it was technical wrestling masterclass. A real showcase. Kurt Angle got the win after an Angle Lock but Chad Gable also won. He will get a great little rub off of this! Well deserved too.
Baron Corbin, the most consistent Heel in WWE for the last 2 years, came out to Heel it up some more! Whilst I’m not thrilled at the prospect of this final match for Angle, I really like Corbin’s work and I think he deserves a great match at Wrestlemania after the great year he’s had. Can you imagine the reaction, the commotion, the noise of the crowd in New York & everywhere else he goes after if Corbin, the “Most Hated Superstar in WWE of 2018” award winner, actually beats Angle at Wrestlemania? That would be a great way to book a Heel in my opinion.
Baron Corbin &The Revival backstage
Apollo Crews asks Corbin for a match and doesn’t let him finish talking until he agrees. When he does, Apollo says “see? Why do you have to be so difficult? This is why nobody likes you.” to which Corbin turns to the Revival and asks “these guys like me, right?” to which they say “Hell no!” and walk away. Apollo laughs and says “Yeah. They like you, man.”
Boss N Hug Connection interview
Boss N Hug say they’re going to SmackDown Live and it’s going to be “Iconic”.. I am thrilled about that. I love the IIconics. Natalya comes out with Beth Phoenix, who says Nia and Tamina awoke “The Dragon” and it is ready to come out of retirement (Ricky Steamboat must’ve been so confused bless him) but they challenged Boss N Hug to a Match at Wrestlemania for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. This ended up in a little argument over Bayley asking if they’d like more time to prepare, Nattie explains who Beth Phoenix is to which Sasha responds by saying they know who she is, Nattie is the one riding her coat-tails just to get a match at Mania. This ended in a match.
Natalya w/ Beth Phoenix vs Sasha Banks w/ Bayley
This was interrupted pretty quick by Nia who insulted Beth until Tamina showed up and shoved Beth’s face into the ring post. Looked nasty, but Beth was always great at selling. Then Samoan Slaughterhouse walked off grinning. I’m guessing this sets up a match between Samoan Slaughterhouse and Neidhart & Phoenix on next Week’s RAW. Which would be a cool match. If Tamina wasn’t in it.
Mojo Rawley backstage
Talking smack to his mirror again.
Ricochet vs Jinder Mahal
Absolutely awesome match. Mainly Ricochet doing crazy stuff for 5 minutes. It was amazing to see him doing so well. The crowd in Chicago are all familiar with Ricochet and his background. He got a standing ovation at the end. This man is the future. He won with a picture-perfect 630 Senton.
Ronda Rousey vs Dana Brooke for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship
Dana Brooke’s first title opportunity. Dana has been doing very well lately in terms of her character.
Rousey killed her though. She beat her in 15 seconds and didn’t let go of the Armbar. Dana was screaming, it looked nasty. She kicked the ref and then beat the security up, her husband, Travis Brown, was front row and he hit a security guard with an awesome looking Forearm Smash for trying to get Ronda off the other guard. His training is going well it seems. Dana was selling the arm in the ring whilst we went to break. The commentators were saying her arm may be broken (Kayfabe-style, obvs. Sorry, Ronda.) – I have to say though, much to my fellow PWJer’s disagreement, sorry, Rox Blackburn, but I am in the minority that actually like what Ronda is doing. I don’t like the use of the word “kayfabe” being thrown around willy-nilly like, but I like what she is doing. But I understand and relate to the other side of the coin too. Like, you’d imagine something that was so serious it nearly got Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Triple H & HBK fired 20 odd years ago wouldn’t be so accepted in 2019. But that’s the whole thing! This has never been done before!
Baron Corbin vs Apollo Crews
Corbin has no friends and is the biggest villain on Raw, so I think it’s time to get him some hired goons. Like a proper villain. The dress-shirt ring attire would be a perfect fit too! (Heh. Pun.) 2 massive guys, like AOP to be his goons and be super loyal to him. That’d be amazing I think!
The match was actually the best of the Night so far! I really enjoyed it! Corbin got so much hate from the crowd and he just lapped it up! It was great. Corbin lost via a roll up.
Batista sattelite interview
Michael Cole is conducting the interview with Dave Batista who is live via sattelite fro. His home in Tampa, Florida. He starts off by asking Dave why he has so much against HHH and Batista just simply says he just doesn’t like HHH. He said since before Evolution he hasn’t liked him because he uses people to get what he wants and history shows it. He says everyone says he owes his career to Triple H, but in reality he held him down, shut him out and talked down to him when he moved up on the company. Cole asks if Dave quit WWE 9 years ago because of HHH, Batista says he does blame Hunter, of course he does and he says he didn’t quit. He said to imagine that you’ve got a buddy who’s also your boss, but that theyre also jealous of you and don’t want you to supersede them. So they hold you back and limit your progression, he says he left because of Triple H, because he told Vince not to push him because he “wasn’t A star”, but he then says look at all he’s achieved since leaving WWE. He has worldwide fame now. Movie Star status – very true. – he said he can get what he wants and so he did. Cole says that HHH has been nothing but fair to him personally in his career and look at what he does for NXT, but Batista interupts and says “Cerebral Assassin” – he’s got us all fooled. Triple H is the most insecure, selfish, jealous control-freak he’s ever met. He said he will have his job taken soon enough but he will end his career in ring at Wrestlemania and expose him for what he is. “Interview over. Get outta my office. GET OUTTA MY OFFICE!!“.
Braun Strowman backstage
He announces his entry into the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Curt Hawkins should win that though in my opinion. Alexa Bliss shows up and says she wants to make sure Wrestlemania goes off without a hitch.. so wants to broker peace between Strowman & the SNL guys. She has 1 week.
Seth Rollins vs Drew McIntyre
Drew shows a video of him attacking Roman Reigns, he proclaims the WWE is his yard now. He then challenges Reigns to a match at Wrestlemania. He says he hopes he doesn’t accept. Because he will destroy him. He says he may have beaten Leukaemia but he will never beat Drew McIntyre. Rollins appeared on the tron and said that what he just said is exactly why he beat his ass with a chair earlier, that was for his brothers. This time, it’s for him.
The match itself was really quite good, as you’d imagine, but the narrative; the narrative is where it’s at! I loved the whole McIntyre destroying the Shield idea and the ending of this match displays just how many storyline possibilities come out of it. Brock Lesnar hit his music and appeared on the ramp just as Rollins was about to land the Blackout Stomp. McIntyre took advantage of the distraction by landing a Claymore and getting the pin. Raw went off air with Lesnar laughing.
Conclusion
5.5/10 🌟
Firstly, I think this RAW was good for the most part, but I dropped 4.5 points from the 10/10 for the anti-climaxes and the nowhere booking of Finn Balor, who apparently has “something big” lined up for him at Wrestlemania. We have 19 days left to build something.. The build for this Mania has been almost absent and that makes me worried for the 2019 Show of Shows.
Match of the Night: Seth Rollins vs Drew McIntyre despite it not going as long as you’d hope a main event would go it was a solid scrap with narrative interlaced with the action.
Annoyance of the Night: So many dud surprises. Its fricking Wrestlemania in less that 20 days! Do something crazy! Get the people buzzing! This felt more like a long advertisement than an actual episode of Monday Night Raw.
