Posted on 4/07/126 by Bob Magee
CM Punk opens Raw
The show opened with CM Punk addressing the crowd, as he put
over Houston’s wrestling heritage. Punk pointed out that
Roman Reigns was not in the building tonight, stating that
he got some payback from being put through a table two weeks
ago as he gave Reigns the same treatment last week in
Madison Square Garden.
Punk said he hated Roman Reigns because he viewed him as a
“store-bought and plastic” star manufactured by corporate.
He pointed out that this wasn’t “cinema”, it was pro
wrestling and that Reigns and his bloodline don’t run the
place anymore. Punk took a shot at Reigns, or being a nepo
baby who ate dog food for “a weird old man” (Vince McMahon),
the same one who treated Punk like a dog, but he had dignity
and left when he had the FU money.
Punk then turned his attention to Pat McAfee for his remarks
on SmackDown last Friday. Punk challenged McAfee to call his
‘agent” to lower ticket prices and that he’s also got a
receipt coming. He wrapped up by saying that the prices
should be lowered so that families can see him step on
Reigns’ neck at WrestleMania, as he stated that he approved
this message.
Effective opening salvo from Punk, but as I noted on the
SmackDown recap, I’m really not a fan of the Pat McAfee
stuff being brought up. Punk also bringing up Vince McMahon
but not alluding to him by name also didn’t sit right with
me.
**********
– After a recap of LA Knight’s invasion of IShowSpeed’s
stream, we got Speed himself running into Danhausen. He
asked Danhausen to lift the curse that was put on him, but
Danhausen only agreed to do it if he got a mention on his
streams. Speed didn’t agree as Danhausen vanished.
The Vision’s Austin Theory and Logan Paul grabbed Speed and
said that they were safe with him.
LA Knight vs. Austin Theory
We started off with some chain wrestling, but Knight pushed
back and tossed Theory across the ring. As Theory rolled out
of the ring, he re-entered and instantly got met with a
Knight clothesline. After being deposited out of the ring,
Knight dropped him with a dropkick to the outside. We took a
break as Knight had the upper hand on Theory at the
timekeeper’s area.
Our opener returned from the break as Knight went for a
neckbreaker, but Theory countered with the Blockbuster for a
close near-fall. The action spilled outside as Knight bashed
Theory’s head across the commentary table. Logan Paul tried
to get involved, but got taken out by Knight for his
troubles.
IShowSpeed found himself caught in the fray as Logan pushed
him into Knight’s path. Speed ran as fast as he could up the
ramp until The Usos’ music played. As Speed was caught
between a rock and a hard place, he leapt over Knight in a
great show of agility and paced back into the ring. Knight
gave chase, but this allowed Theory to pick up a tainted win
with a roll-up pin.
Austin Theory def. LA Knight via pinfall
After the match, IShowSpeed tried to beg the Usos and Knight
for forgiveness. Before the Usos could do anything to Speed,
Logan Paul pulled him out of the ring.
This led to Knight asking for a six-man tag between him and
the Usos against Theory, Paul, and IShowSpeed to be made for
WrestleMania, as Adam Pierce made it official soon after.
I’m not too hot on this match being made, and it’s easy to
see why, given the sorry state of The Vision, which was once
heralded as a dangerous heel stable on Raw.
**********
– A recap of Pat McAfee’s aligning with Randy Orton from
SmackDown aired.
– Finn Balor tried to make his way for a match, but he was
ambushed from behind by “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio. Balor did
try to fight back, but Dom and JD McDonagh used the Judgment
Day numbers game to their advantage to leave Balor laying.
– AJ Lee’s interview with Michael Cole was rudely
interrupted by Becky Lynch. The challenger to Lee’s Women’s
Intercontinental Title dissed the champion’s last
WrestleMania appearance and how she quit the day after.
Lynch put over her WrestleMania acumen stating that it was
“her home”.
Lee fired back by saying that people kept underestimating
her and that the fans never forgot who she was even after
all the years away from WWE. She closed off by telling Lynch
that she should ask who Roux Lynch’s favorite wrestler his
when she Becky tucked her daughter to bed, because it was AJ
Lee.
**********
Bayley vs. Lash Legend
The match opened with Legend at the advantage early, but
Bayley attempted to fight back. Big boot by Legend took us
to the commercial break.
We returned as Legend hit Bayley with a backbreaker for a
near-fall. Bayley tried to fight back as she avoided a pump-
kick. The elbow drop from the heavens missed its target. In
the end, Lyra Valkyria held down Legend’s leg as Bayley got
the pin with a diving crossbody after countering a
superplex.
Bayley def. Lash Legend via pinfall
**********
Seth Rollins addresses GUNTHER
Seth Rollins made his way down to the ring, with the Houston
crowd loudly singing his song. He was addressed as “Seth
‘Freakin’ Rollins” in his entrance
As Rollins took the mic, he showed excitement and
gratefulness to the Houston crowd for singing his entrance
them as he had been waiting for it after six long months
away from the ring.
Rollins took in the crowd singing before he declared that he
was back. He talked about how in less than two weeks at
WrestleMania, he was going one on one against GUNTHER. He
was trying to figure out how we all got here, mainly because
he and GUNTHER had no personal issues with one another.
Rollins suggested that GUNTHER had a business relationship
with Paul Heyman.
Rollins stated that he had two missions: to take the World
Heavyweight Title he never loss, and to kill The Vision. He
talked about how Logan Paul and Austin Theory had issues
with The Usos, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed were on the
shelf, and that Brock Lesnar was put on a silver platter by
Rollins for Oba Femi.
As Rollins addressed GUNTHER, the Ring General tried to
ambush him, but Rollins got ahead of it and avoided a
sleeper. The brawl spilled to the outside, as Adam Pearce
and officials tried to break things up.
This Rollins/GUNTHER feud is somehow the one feud that
hasn’t been a total wash in terms of the Road to
WrestleMania. I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying it.
**********
Penta, Je’von Evans, Dragon Lee vs. El Grande Americano &
Los Americanos
El Grande dropped Evans with a knee as he and Los Americanos
did a dance in the middle the ring. Evans headed to the top
and took everyone out. The action spilled to the outside as
Lee, Evans, and Penta took out everyone with massive dives
as we took a commercial break.
The match resumed from the break as Penta and Rayo Americano
were the legal men. Penta connected with an amazing rolling
double DDT on Los Americanos. Meanwhile in the ring, Lee hit
Rayo with a basement dropkick. Lee attempted a Styles Clash,
but Bravo pulled at his leg, which allowed Dragon to be hit
with repeated headbutts by El Grande and Los Americanos.
Evans entered and tried for the Springboard Cutter, but got
hit with a forearm.
Things hit a quickening pace as Dragon Lee connected with
the Styles Clash. El Grande broke up the pin as all six men
were now in the ring. Dragon Lee dropped El Grande with a
hurricanrana from the apron, while Penta hit the Mexican
Destroyer on Rayo on the apron. Evans finished things off
with the O.G. Cutter on Bravo to pick up the pin and win.
After the match Rey Mysterio showed up to a huge ovation
from the Houston crowd as he embraced Evans, Dragon, and
Penta.
– Rey Mysterio talked about how cool it was for Penta’s
journey to take off with him becoming the Intercontinental
Champion. Mysterio said that he missed WrestleMania last
year due to injury, but as for this year, he spoke with Adam
Pearce. Mysterio said it was missing him . Penta agreed and
seemed to welcome Rey into the Intercontinental Championship
ladder match.
Je’von Evans, Dragon Lee, & Penta def. El Grande Americano &
Los Americanos via pinfall.
A heck of a tag match. I might be generally down on WWE as a
whole, especially as far as the Road to WrestleMania goes.
But, I find myself enjoying Je’von Evans and Penta. Seeing
these two succeeding as they are always puts a smile to my
face.
**********
– Cody Rhodes’ response to Pat McAfee’s actions from
SmackDown last Friday later that evening was shown.
– A recap of Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi’s Madison Square
Garden showdown was shown.
RHIYO (Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY) vs. B-Fab & Michin (w/ Jade
Cargill)
Ripley slammed B-Fab down and punched away at her. She then
took her out with a fierce clothesline. Ripley threw Michin
into the ring and laid her out with a kick before tossing
her to the ringside area. B-Fab took advantage and hit
Ripley with a strike before she worked her over in the
corner. B-Fab than hit a DDT on RIpley for a two-count.
B-Fab locked in a chinlock on Ripley for a good while before
it was broken up with a snapmare. Ripley tagged in SKY while
Michin entered for her team. Double stomp to Michin by SKY,
who dropped B-Fab by the neck across the ropes. This left B-
Fab and Michin at the mercy of a double dropkick from SKY.
B-Fab and Michin were then rattled by a suicide dive by SKY
as we took a break in the action.
Raw returned from commercial with SKY at the mercy of a two-
on-one attack from B-Fab and Michin as they took control
during the break. While the referee was distracted, Jade
Cargill tripped up Ripley at the apron to prevent her from
tagging SKY. Back in the ring, SKY rolled up B-Fab with a
flash pin for the win.
After the match, Cargill laid out SKY, as Michin grabbed a
kendo stick, looking to do damage, Ripley entered the ring
and tried to even the odds, but a pump kick from Cargill put
her out for the count. With Ripley held against the ropes by
B-Fab and Michin, Cargill took the kendo stick and turned
her attention to SKY. Cargill then finished her off with
Jaded.
RHIYO def. B-Fab & Michin via pinfall
I can’t tell you how this feud is leaving me cold. Cargill
is just not a good heel, and the inexplicable alliance
between her, B-Fab, and Michin does not interest me as a
heel faction.
**********
– Finn Balor addressed Dominik Mysterio and stated that a
side he had buried a long time ago as he said that it was
coming back at WrestleMania, hinting that he was bringing
The Demon back to deal with Dom.
– Stephanie Vaquer attacked Liv Morgan in the Judgment Day
clubhouse, throwing her right into the TV.
Oba Femi/Brock Lesnar WrestleMania contract signing
During the commercial break, Paul “Triple H” Levesque was
shown entering the ring and confiding with Adam Pearce as
they’ll oversee the Femi/Lesnar contract signing.
Pearce addressed the crowd, and stated that over the last
couple of weeks, we’ve seen the birth of a true clash of
heavyweight titans at WrestleMania between Oba Femi & Brock
Lesnar. Before Pearce could continue, Paul Heyman butted in
as only he could. Heyman talked about this match being the
most anticipated match in WrestleMania history and how Oba
Femi couldn’t measure up to Brock Lesnar.
At that moment, Lesnar made his entrance. Soon after, Pearce
introduced Femi, as “The Ruler” made his way down to the
ring to a loud ovation.
As Femi entered, Lesnar went on the attack before Femi
fought back as security ran down post-haste to break
everyone up… or at least try to. Even with everyone
attempting to separate Femi and Lesnar, the brawl continued
on. Lesnar and Femi tossed a chair at one another as the
show ended rather abruptly.
**********
As with most overused Triple H booking tropes, the pull
apart brawl is one that’s gotten a bit too much use over the
past couple of weeks, between Femi/Lesnar, Punk/Reigns, and
Rhodes/Orton. This final segment didn’t exactly feel that
exciting and enticing me to watch WrestleMania for the Femi
vs. Lesnar match. The rather abrupt ending before anything
truly could break down didn’t help matters either.
All in all, this was kind of an okay Raw. Maybe my lack of
excitement for WrestleMania season kind of colored how I
reacted to the show tonight, but nothing really grabbed my
interest. That said, the six-man tag match was a highlight
and the actual matches themselves tend to be enjoyable. It’s
just the overall storytelling in WWE that’s been failing for
the most part.