Our WWE Raw results for tonight include Brock Lesnar responding to Oba Femi, The Irresistible Forces defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, IYO SKY clashing with Raquel Rodriguez, Kofi Kingston challenging Penta for the Intercontinental Championship, The Usos defending the World Tag Team Championships against The Vision, and CM Punk and Roman Reigns in the same place at the same time. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
WWE Raw Card:
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match | The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
- Street Fight for the World Tag Team Championships | The Usos (c) vs. The Vision
- IYO SKY vs. Raquel Rodriguez
- CM Punk and Roman Reigns face-to-face
- Brock Lesnar responds to Oba Femi
- Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge | Penta (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
WWE Raw Results:
Undisputed
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes puts over New York and Madison Square Garden. Stephanie McMahon interrupts (with what sounds like a remixed entrance theme that was hard as heck). The crowd chants for McMahon. Rhodes says he is surprised to see her. McMahon notes that this is the building her grandfather built. Rhodes asks what she wants to talk about. McMahon says she wants to talk about WrestleMania and Randy Orton, and Rhodes isn’t going to like what she is going to say. McMahon sells how dangerous this version of Orton is. Rhodes looks concerned.
McMahon says Rhodes isn’t his father, and this version of Rhodes can’t beat Orton. Rhodes goes on a rant that ends with him telling McMahon that he may not be his father, but she isn’t hers either. Stephanie slaps Rhodes and tells him she is out here because she cares about him. He can’t win like this. McMahon tries to walk away, but Rhodes grabs her arm and pulls her back. Rhodes says he has two words for her: thank you. Rhodes walks off. McMahon looks at Rhodes as he walks away like a proud dad who just mowed the lawn.
Grade: B
Say what you will about McMahon, but she can cut a hell of a promo. This was weirdly effective. And this shouldn’t go unstated: Stephanie McMahon is 1000000% right. know this version of Orton. Rhodes notes he knows Orton better than anyone.
Street Fight for the World Tag Team Championships | The Usos (c) vs. The Vision
LA Knight is at the commentary for the match. The Usos clear the ring, and Jey lands a dive. After the break, Jimmy and Jey are beating Austin Theroy with kendo sticks while he is stuck in a trash can. Jey and Jimmy superplex Theory through a table. Paul goes outside and gets a pair of brass knuckles from his mother. LA Knight attacks Paul. ISHOWSPEED gets pulled over the barricade by Paul in the confusion. SPEED picks up the knucks. Knight walks up behind Speed, and Speed turns around and decks Knight accidentally. After more confusion, Paul catches Jimmy with a shot with the knucks. Theory pins Jimmy.
Winner and NEW World Tag Team Champions, The Vision!
On the way up the ramp, Paul and Theory celebrate with a verclempt Speed, who didn’t mean to help them win. Paul tells Speed he’d better stick with them. Knight and the Usos are going to kill him.
Grade: C+
This match didn’t have anywhere near the time it needed. We so almost none of The Visions heat here. It was all Uso offense. This did nothing for Theory and Paul (yes, they walked away as tag champs, but the victory feels pretty hollow, which may have been by design).
The Greatest Royal Rumble Winner of Alllllll Time
Liv Morgan says Stephanie Vaquer is done for, b8tch. Morgan is upset that Vaquer put her hands on Dominik Mysterio. Morgan says Vaquer is scared to face her one-on-one. It’s on sight. While the crowd boos, Morgan makes a crack about Vaquer’s mother in Spanish. Vaquer power walks to the ring with a purpose. Morgan and Vaquer trade strikes. Vaquer superkicks Morgan’s head off her shoulders. Vaquer grabs a steel chair. Roxanne Perez teleports to ringside and attacks Vaquer from behind. Perez holds Vaquer in place while Morgan lands Oblivion.
Grade: B
This was such good you know what. Morgan kept it simple, and Vaquer looked as if she wanted to rip Morgan’s head off. Morgan and Vaquer have turned a match set up by a Rumble win into a legitimate, heated rivalry. Can’t wait to see these two face off at WrestleMania.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match | The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) (c) vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria
Legend and Jax beat down Bayley. Bayley tags in Valkyria, who lands a dropkick that rocks Jax. Jax forces Valkyria into her corner. Legend tags in and crushes Valkyria in the corner. Legend misses a second splash and eats a double top rope missile dropkick from Bayley and Valkyria. Bayley lands two dives on Jax. Valkyria dropkicks Legend through the ropes.
After the break, Valkryia manages to tag in Bayley. Bayley lands a diving elbow for a near fall. Jax goes up top for her finish. Bayley powerbombs Jax off the top. Valkyria follows that with a moonsault. Legend breaks up the pin. Legend obliterates Bayley with a right hand. Everyone is down. The Bella Twins walk down to the ring. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss follow. Everyone brawls. Flair and Bliss get in the ring and cause the referee to throw the match out.
No Contest
Jax and Legend get tossed out of the ring.
Grade: C+
This match was so good before the mess at the end. Everyone and their mother knew we were headed to a four-way match at WrestleMania, but WWE is getting there quite literally the laziest way possible.
The Beast is Unleashed
The Beast, Brock Lesnar, stomps to the ring with Paul Heyman in tow. Lesnar is in his wrestling gear and doesn’t look like he is here to talk. The crowd chants “Oba” as an angry Paul Heyman announces himself and Lesnar. Heyman notes he is out here tonight to pontificate on the horrors that await Oba Femi. Heyman notes that Femi caught Lesnar off guard every time Femi got one over. Tonight, Lesnar is dressed to fight. Lesnar cuts Heyman off and says enough, and wants Femi out here right now. Raw GM Adam Pearce walks out and says this isn’t happening.
Security follows. Pearce asks Lesnar to leave the ring. Femi’s music hits. Femi Jabaris his way to the ring. Security runs at Femi. Femi takes out every single one of them. Pearce gets in Femi’s way. Femi pushes Pearce into the barricade and walks around the ring. Lesnar and Femi go face-to-face. Triple H slides into the ring and tells them this isn’t happening. FemI and Lesnar go nose-to-nose. HHH steps in between them and yells for Heyman to get Lesnar out of here. Lesnar leaves the ring, much to the WWE Universe’s chagrin. Lesnar F5s a security guard on the ramp just for funsies.
Grade: A
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?? HHH getting involved sells this thing as a main event. No notes, and this writer hasn’t been this sports-entertained in a long, long time.
Intercontinental Championship Open Challenge | Penta (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
Kingston is all over Penta. Penta kicks out after a DDT from Kingston. Kingston dives off the top into a lung blower from Penta. Kick out by Kingston. Kingston escapes the Penta Driver. Penta lands a headstand dropkick in the corner. After the break, Penta rolls out. Grayson Waller tosses Penta back into the ring. Kingston yells at Waller for touching Penta; he wants to do this on his own. Penta dives off the top into Trouble in Paradise! Penta somehow kicks out. Kingston goes up top. Penta cuts him off. Penta pushes Kingston off the top and hits a leaping Mexican Destroyer for the win.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion, Penta!
After the match, Penta announces he will be defending the IC title at WrestleMania in a ladder match!
Grade: B
Can we see these two fight again? That was so much fun. Kingston needs to be featured more. People forget how great Kingston is. Also, ladder match? Sign this writer up.
His Name is Paul Heyman…
Heyman puts over Logan Paul and Austin Theory for winning the tag titles. GM Pearce interrupts and asks Heyman again if he has checked his email. Heyman says there is nothing Pearce can tell him that he doesn’t know. Pearce tells Heyman that all of the charges against Seth Rollins have been dropped. Heyman acts as if he knew. Pearce and Heyman go back and forth.
Pearce tells Heyman Rollins is medically cleared to compete. Heyman poops himself in the ring. Seth Rollins’ music hits. Rollins hops the barricade and hits Heyman with a chair. Rollins sets Heyman’s head on the chair and sets up a stomp. Someone pulls Rollins out of the ring. It’s Gunther! Gunther chokes Rollins out. Gunther holds up Rollins’ head and points at the WrestleMania sign.
Grade: B
Look, at this point, who cares how we got here? If we are getting Rollins vs. Gunther at WrestleMania, we have to just go with it. That match is going to slap like Ike Turner.
IYO SKY vs. Raquel Rodriguez
After some back and forth, SKY rocks Rodriguez with a dropkick. Rodriguez falls out of the ring. SKY tries a dive, but Rodriguez catches her and lands a clothesline. Rodriguez works over SKY. SKY knocks Rodriguez out of the ring. Asai moonsault by SKY. After the break, SKY lands a missile dropkick off the top. Bullet Train attack by SKY.
Rodriguez gets her knees up during the Over the Moonsault. Kairi Sane and Asuka walk to ringside. Sane gets on the apron. Rodriguez accidentally knocks Sane off the apron. SKY crushes Rodriguez with a diving DDT. Outside the ring, Asuka berates Sane. SKY takes out Asuka with a dive. SKY tries to talk to Sane. In the confusion, Rodriguez powerbombs SKY for the win.
Winner- Raquel Rodriguez
Grade: C+
Good TV match that had no business being the main event of Raw on the road to WrestleMania.
The OTC
The crowd chants for Reigns as he soaks it in. The Reigns’ chants turn into CM Punk chants. Reigns tells the crowd to acknowledge him. CM Punk’s music hit. Punk powerwalks to the ring, taping his fist. Reigns looks confused, but he readies for a fight. Punk and Reigns trade punches. Raw GM Pearce and official rush to the ringside. Reigns tries to powerbomb Punk through the commentary desk. Punk escapes and sets up a GTS. Reigns escapes, and both men are separated. Reigns Spears WWE official Petey Williams out of his boots. Punk drops Reigns with a GTS. Punk powerbombs Reigns through the commentary desk!
Grade: A
More of this! They got straight ot the point. No need for words, this feud is ON SIGHT, as it should be.
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