“The Man” comes back around to begin this week’s broadcast. COO, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are in the ring and they recap the volatile events of last week’s respective shows.
The Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI hosts this week’s show, taking place on 2/11/19.
Becky Lynch interrupts her own introduction again and we are told that Lynch saw her own doctors this weekend and after conferring with WWE doctors, she will be able to compete at Wrestlemania and her suspension is lifted.
The knee hasn’t sustained major damage and simple rehab will get Lynch to Rousey in short order, that is, if she comes out and issues a formal apology for what she did last week before the broadcast ends. Classic McMahon/Helmsley heel tactics and it’s great. In this case, with what Lynch did last week, is it truly a heel move?
Nia Jax/Tamina defeat Bayley/Sasha Banks and Liv Morgan/Sarah Logan in a triple threat tag match via pin fall after a Samoan Drop by Jax on Bayley.
Whomever took the pin fall in this match would see their respective team enter the Elimination Chamber match first this coming Sunday. Bayley went it alone again as Banks continues to deal with her own injuries and left the ring as a result of such.
Morgan and Logan gave things a valiant effort and Bayley once again looked like a million bucks, albeit in a losing effort.
Shockingly, Tamina put on a watchable match, something that one doesn’t see very often. After a well-placed superkick, Jax was tagged in, hit the Samoan Drop on Bayley and it was academic from there.
We “Walk with Elias” after the break, and after the rising star bested Jeff Jarrett last week,
Finn Balor and Becky Lynch are backstage and Balor tells Lynch not to let her pride get the best of her. Balor invites her to bide her time, just like he plans to do this Sunday in his match against Lashley and Rush, when he steals Lashley’s IC Title.
Lynch also tells Balor his abs are still awesome by the way, and a multitude of memes will agree with that statement.
After a strange cut, we continue with Elias and he is joined by Lucha House Party for a fun segment. Dorado dances, Metallik briefly sings and Kalisto plays a quick guitar tune to a great reaction.
Elias acts as the buzzkiller channeling his inner Jeff Jarrett by slamming his own guitar over Kalisto’s back. Elias flees and maybe we’ll have a new program.
The IC Champ, “The Almighty” Bobby Lashley, and Lio Rush are headed to ringside to watch the next match.
Finn Balor and Drew McIntyre are out for their match.
Finn Balor defeats Drew McIntyre via DQ aftr interference from Bobby Lashley.
This one didn’t go too long as we’d see why in a short time. Balor had plenty of momentum and after clearing out both Rush and Lashley, he went up for Coup De Grace, but was thwarted by “The Almighty” and the match was thrown out.
After the match, a mugging ensued as the heels, now flanked by Baron Corbin, would work over Balor. Kurt Angle came down and issued a few german suplexes before being attacked himself. “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman evens the odds and we have a six man tag after the break.
Finn Balor/Kurt Angle/Braun Strowman defeat Baron Corbin/Drew McIntyre/Bobby Lashley after a Coup De Grace from Balor to Lashley.
This one got some time and the crowd enjoyed it. Balor was the face in peril, who mounted a great comeback. Strowman steamrolled through the heels until two Claymore Kicks put him over the guard rail and into the crowd.
A false finish saw Lashley pin Balor, but his foot was on the bottom rope. The match was restarted after a second referee intervened.
Strowman cleaned house after rising from the ashes and after a powerslam, he tagged in Balor who went up to the “dropzone” and went halfway across the ring with a Coup De Grace, very impressive. He got the three count and carries his recent momentum into his handicap match this weekend for the IC Title as the faces celebrate and the heels retreat.
Becky Lynch is asked by Charlie Caruso if she’ll apologize and she says it’s none of her damn business. That’s how you back somebody off.
Nikki Cross heads to the ring to a great reaction and as advertised, she’ll take on Ruby Riott, who has a Women’s title match this Sunday, after the break.
Ruby Riott defeats Nikki Cross with a Riott Kick.
As expected, especially when she’s heading into a title match this coming weekend, Riott comes away with a great victory over the unique Cross who employed all of her outlandish and over-the-top arsenal in this short, but fun match. Riott scored the victory after a counter with a well-placed Riott Kick and she heads to the Elimination Chamber ready for Rousey.
Seth Rollins is out to “burn it down” and he and “The Advocate” Paul heyman have a great back and forth about the forthcoming Wrestlemania match. Rollins is injured and they sell it as him having taken the six F-5’s several weeks back.
He’ll be ready for Wrestlemania and he mocks Lesnar not being there as many do and says he’ll martyr himself to bring the belt home, whether he has to sell his own soul to do it. That’s over the top, but it’s a wrestling promo and it worked.
Heyman utilized his traditional “spoiler” line which Rollins countered and it was a great way to keep Rollins in front of the crowd while he’s on the shelf rehabbing his injuries.
Dean Ambrose comes out at the end of the promo and tells Rollins to “slay the beast”. I conferred with my fellow Scrum colleagues about how they are using Ambrose on his way out. He is still present on television, putting over needed stars, and still being featured prominently. It’s different.
Dean Ambrose defeats EC3 via pin fall with a roll-up.
Speaking of different, everyone figured that EC3 would come away with his second victory in as many weeks and shockingly, Ambrose steals a win from the rising star, even with everyone knowing that his time in the fed is short. A blowoff match is soon to follow, with EC3 going over.
Kevin Owens gives an update on his recovery and he’ll be back in a little over a month. It’s unknown if he’s heading to Raw or Smackdown.
Roode and Gable are headed to the ring and we’ll see them defending the tag titles against “top guys”. Will this be their night?
The Revival defeat Bobby Roode and Chad Gable via pin fall with a Shatter Machine to win the Raw tag team titles.
“Top Guys” pull it off! I cannot even begin to do this match justice and to be honest, by the time I put these column words in front of you, the video won’t be ready for you to enjoy.
I implore you to do your level best to seek these highlights out, whether it be via the WWE or your local broadcast provider. The crowd didn’t know how to feel, the hour getting late and the main event segment looming.
This was high energy, high flying, a technical masterpiece, all rolled into one. This showcased precisely how the WWE tag division might flourish is these premiere athletes are only given a chance to flourish.
They had ample time in this contest to spread their wings and they flew, oh did they fly! Gable was the star attraction of this contest and he showcased exactly why he is one of the most underrated performers on the roster. Roode channeled his inner Arn Anderson with a dynamic spinebuster and Dash and Dawson did what they always do.
The near-falls in this kept you on the edge of your seat and finally it came down to a well-timed tag, Gable to the top and a Shatter Machine counter. New champions are crowned!
“The Man” is out for the final segment and she is joined by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Will she apologize? Lynch goes on for several minutes about how she’s handled her business and she says if all that is keeping her away from her dream, then she’s sorry. The crowd boos her vehemently, but she says now that this nonsense is out of the way, she wants to talk about Rousey.
She says nobody is taking her dream away from her. Triple H and Stephanie says congratulations, she’s going to Wrestlemania. Lynch says “that’s it?”. She calls out Ron-Ron and says that at MetLife in front of 70,000 people, it’ll be them.
The Raw Women’s champion wastes no time getting to the ring and just as they are about to get things rolling, the Chairman makes his presence known and he says it could be one of the biggest main events of all time. He hates both their attitudes, and Lynch isn’t “The Man”, he is. Lynch is suspended for sixty days which expires five days after Wrestlemania.
Vinny Mac says we need someone to take her place, someone who understands how things work and that person is Charlotte Flair! Wow! That’s how we get to our Triple Threat match at ‘Mania and the crowd hates it. That is going to be one hell of a match and that shocking reveal is how the broadcast ends. A fine Raw tonight, a fine Raw indeed!
