With only three Raws left until Wrestlemania, the card is sure to take shape tonight. With Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey promised for Raw tonight, we’re sure to see things heat up. Hopefully, we’ll get some answers to the questions: Who will be Braun’s tag partner at Mania? What will happen between Nia and Alexa Bliss? You’re along for the ride for tonight’s Raw Review.
Opening Segment
Kurt Angle opens the show and says that Roman’s suspension is still in effect and won’t appear on Mr. McMahon the Lesnar will be here. He starts to address the Strowman/team situation but gets interrupted by Roman Reigns. Angle reminds Reigns that he’s suspended and Reigns answers “so what?”
Kurt tells Roman that he’ll have Brock and Wrestlemania. Roman claims he’s had plenty of memories in Dallas (where Raw is at tonight) and that he’s prepared to make some more and that he wants Lesnar tonight.
Angle leaves and three “U.S Marshalls” come to the ring arrest Reigns and proceed to read him his Maranda Rights. Handcuffed, Reigns goes off on the officers. Lesnar hits the ring and takes out Roman, who’s still handcuffed, with chair shots and suplexes.
Lesnars appears to be leaving but hits the ring again and continues to hit Reigns with chair shots. Lesnar enters the ring for the third time and hits Roman with an F-5 and proceeds to finally leave.
Roman is attended to and is taken off on a stretcher. Lesnar’s music hits again and he tips over and drags the gurney that Reigns is attached too.
Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss
The segment opens with a recap of last week’s events and we see Alexa accompanied to the ring by Mickie James followed by a cut to commercial.
We come back from commercial to see Mickie and Alexa in the ring, Bliss has a mic and looks to cut a promo. Alexa claims that she and James were joking and it was girl talk. Bliss apologizes…that she didn’t say it sooner. Alexa carries on but is interrupted by Asuka.
The two continue to go back and forth with Micke interjecting multiple times throughout the match. Asuka puts Bliss in an ankle lock, Bliss exits the ring and continues to leave up the ramp, losing via count out. Bliss and James seem to be leaving but are blocked by Nia Jax who chases Bliss through the crowd as we lose sight of both.
Backstage Segment
Alexa Bliss interrupts Kurt Angle to say that Nia should be suspended or even arrested. Angle responds saying that the WWE Women’s Champion should be a role model and that at Wrestlemania, Alexa Bliss will defend her Women’s Championship against Nia Jax at WrestleMania.
Braun Strowman Mic Segment
Braun says that WWE authority has told him he needs a partner for Wrestlemania to face The Bar. He is interrupted by The Bar who claim that tossing opponents over the ropes is different than actually pinning your opponent. The three continue to trade barbs which leads to a match between Strowman and Cesaro.
Strowman vs. Cesaro
Strowman starts the match stong before we cut to commercial. Strowman chases Sheamus around the ring but is caught by Cesaro. A few minutes later in the match, Strowman hits Cesaro with a Running Power Slam to pin Cesaro and get the win.
Ultimate Deletion Preview
We head to the Hardy Compound and we are introduced to the entire Hardy Clan including Reby Hardy, Senor Benjamin, King Maxel, Wolfgang and Vanguard 1. Inconspicuous by his absent though is Jeff Hardy aka Brother Nero.
Titus Worldwide vs. The Revival
A short match ended by the Shatter Machine to see the Revival win the match. After the match, the Revival claim that they’ll be the first tag team to ever win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale.
Mark Henry HOF Package
We see a video package announcing the Hall of Fame induction of Mark Henry. The video includes Henry’s time as Sexual Chocolate, the Hall of Pain, his World Heavyweight Championship win and his WWE ambassadorship.
Sasha and Bayley vs. Absolution
Sasha comes to the ring with a mic and says that she was taught to talk about problems instead of burying it. Sasha says she considers Bayley as a sister and forgives Bayley. Bayley claims that she can’t get over what Banks did at Elimination Chamber. The two are interrupted by Absolution and the match kicks off.
Bayley and Banks begin to argue early in the match which leads to Absolution taking control. Bayley gets the hot tag from Sasha and takes control of the match. Bayley pins Deville but the ref is distracted by Sasha and Rose. Bayley and Sasha argue which gives Deville the opportunity to pin Bayley and get the win off the distraction.
John Cena Promo
Cena claims we will get the Undertaker’s response to his WrestleMania challenge. Cena says that there is no response to Cena’s challenge from the Undertaker. Cena claims that the Undertaker is being disrespectful to Cena and the WWE Universe. Cena stares “you are not the god they made you, you are the man you have left your insecurities to become and that man is a coward.”
Out comes Kane who doesn’t say anything. The two go face to face and the segment ends with Kane giving Cena a Chokeslam.
The Miztourage vs. The Balor Club
The Miz kicks things off stating that he’s had the odds stacked against him at WrestleMania. The Miz called Seth Rollins and Finn Balor, Tyler Black and Prince “Nevitt”. Before the match can start, Rollins comes out to sit at commentary.
We come back from commercial break to find the match started. The Miztourage mock the Balor club which allows Balor to get the hot tag to Anderson. Balor goes on a tear and rolls up Miz for the win. The Miztourage attack Balor club after the match. Rollins comes to the ring to help Balor Club.
Ronda Rousey Recap
A short video package of Rousey training for WrestleMania, her days in UFC and a recap of what she’s done in the WWE so far.
Ultimate Deletion
We see Bray Wyatt arrive at the Hardy Compound. He follows the music until he finds Matt Hardy. The match starts and both continuously laugh until they begin to wrestle. Wyatt is about to hit Hardy with a chair when fireworks start to go off and the two stray from the ring, trading blows. They come to the Dilapidated City to find the house from the House of Horrors match.
The stray some more and Bray searches for Hardy as they wrestle through the dirt. They come to a door which leads to the Dome of Deletion, a garage with a wrestling ring and numerous other items. Hardy tries to run over Wyatt with a lawnmower only to stop when Bray spider walks.
They wrestle on the garage floor and Bray drags Hardy until they get to the Lake of Reincarnation. Bray gets distracted by Vanguard 1 and starts hallucinating of Brother Nero and Senor Benjamin. Hardy pins Wyatt and throws him into the Lake of Reincarnation and requests Benjamin to retrieve Wyatt’s corpse from the Lake. Benjamin claims that Wyatt body is there and Hardy claims the deletion and the war are over.
Well…That was strange.
Conclusion
Tonight was a great episode and bit of a weird episode if I’m being honest. We did get Mania questions answered and we saw plenty of storylines heat up tonight. We now know that Alexa Bliss will defend her championship against Nia Jax at Wrestlemania.
We also know the Braun Strowman will have a tag partner when he faces the Bar at Wrestlemania for the Tag Team Championships. There were not a lot of matches on tonight’s episode but the ones we had were all good.
Overall, tonight was a great night on the road to WrestleMania.