WWE Monday Night Raw 2/26/2024
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/wwe-monday-night-raw-2192024.html
Dominik Mysterio comes out and introduces Rhea Ripley. She talked about defending the title in her home country and said she's on top after beating Nia.
Becky Lynch interrupts her. She congratulates her and talked about how they did at the PPV. She said people flew around the world to watch her lose and Dom said nobody talks to her like that. Becky said she can beat Rhea. Rhea tells her to stop disrespecting her. She said men think they are the backbone of everything, when Becky said she was the backbone of the division. She said behind every man is a greater woman. She said she's not behind her in anything and is always on top.
Nia Jax jumps Becky from behind then legdrops her. Adam Pearce, the refs and staff then stop Nia.
Jackie Redmond interviews Nia Jax. Nia said Becky shouldn't go to Mania since she beat her. Nia said there is no way she is getting to Mania. Nia said what happened to Becky, Liv will get times 10.
Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Sami armdrags SN then SN hits shots to the gut. Sami goes out and moonsaults off the rails onto SN. Sami is selling his ribs. We go to break and return. SN has Sami in a grounded abdominal stretch. SN knees Sami's gut while he's laying on the top rope. Sami lariats him then hits punches. SN knees him then takes a michinoku driver for 2.
Sami tornado ddt's SN off the 2nd rope then SN knees him in the gut. SN picks him up and drops him on his chest from the suplex on the apron. We go to break and return. They trade forearms then SN spinning heel kicks him. Sami blue thunder bombs him for 2. SN 2nd rope knees Sami in the back.
Sami is put on the rail and SN knees him from the steps. SN stomps him in the ring then Sami hits a helluva kick to the back of the head. Sami then hullva kicks SN and wins it.
The commercial breaks really cut this one up to the point that I can't say I know how good this one was or wasn't. There was some definite rib work here by SN on Sami and Sami made his comeback at the end to win it. The helluva kicks to the back of the head were a new move.
Chelsea Green vs Raquel Rodriguez
Green does a promo. She said after issuing a formal complaint, she will be competing in protest. She said she would have won the last chance battle royale last week had Raquel not been added. She said Raquel flew all the way to Australia to be a loser like the San Jose Sharks. She said she will prove she is a loser by kicking her butt.
Green draws a virtual line. RR crosses it then green slaps her. RR hits a big lariat then fallaway slams her twice. RR single arm powerbombs her and gets the win.
This was just a quick squash as expected.
Sami Zayn is interviewed by Jackie. He said needing this win is an understatement. He said a loss tonight would have hurt him tonight. He said he doesn't need to worry though because he won. He said he believes he is a contender and will be a champ. He said the path to Wrestlemania will come his way, and he will find it if it doesn't find him. Imperium walk in. Vinci and Kaiser look at him but keep moving and Gunther laughs at him.
Cody Rhodes is interviewed. He said The Rock slapped him and he challenged him because of it. He said he awaits his rebuttal. They bring up his match vs Grayson Waller tonight. Cody said he's skilled and said Waller should like him, since he brought Jey back on his show and challenged Rock on his show. He said Waller gets his first Raw main event tonight and gets to find out.
The Judgment Day come out. Priest said they don't sweat him and he's had a dominant run, only 2nd to their run. Priest said they ran the table at Elimination Chamber and plan to do the same thing at Mania. Priest said they want to add more gold at Mania. He said that includes the IC title. Gunther asks who in Judgment Day is going for it. He calls JD "the one with the big head".
Dom steps up and said when they are going to do something, they mean it. Dom says the title belongs to them. Gunther pushes him away then Priest has to be held back. Judgment Day then walk off.
The Judgment Day run into Rhea in the back. Rhea doesn't like Dom challenging Gunther but Dom says he got this. Finn tells Dom to smooth that over. Andrade El Idolo then appears. Dom tells him it was good seeing him and Andrade says he's trying to set-up his first opponent and says he will see him soon.
Street Fight - Imperium vs The New Day
They fight in the entrance way and Woods goes into the tron. Kaiser pounds on Kofi thne Woods breaks a trombone on the heels. The New Day grab a table and get hit. They then do a tope con hilo + dropkick through the ropes.
We go to break and return to them fighting in the stands. Vinci is hit with a drink that goes flying. Woods is backdropped on the apron. Kaiser chairs Woods then Woods his a chair double low dropkicked into his face. Kofi top rope crossbodies his opponents then russian legsweeps Vinci. Kofi slams Kaiser onto Vinci then legdrops him.
Kofi punches Kaiser then Kofi takes a double suplex. Woods takes double kendo stick shots. Kofi flying knes Kaiser on the floor then Vinci lariats Kofi. Vinci crossbodies Woods. Woods takes kendo stick shots and chair shots. We go to break and return. Kaiser throws Woods into the rails then Kofi throws a rolling chair at Kaiser. Vinci is sent into the steps. Kaiser takes kendo stick shots from both opponents.
Vinci is put on a table and Woods top rope elbow drops him. Vinci is put on Kofi's knee and Woods top rope double stomps him. Kaiser pulls the ref out on the count then Kofi topes Kaiser with the kendo stick. Kofi is pushed off the top through a table outside. Woods is hit with a cookie sheet then thrown into a chair head first. Kaiser then gets the win.
What we saw looked good but like the opener, it was ripped apart by commercials. Lots of hate here and people hitting each other hard with various weapons. They went into the crowd a bit also and we saw people go through tables.
Grayson Waller does a video. He said he will tell the truth and says there is no one better than him. He says the locker room knows he's the future of the company. He says he's not evil, but inevitable.
Adam Pearce talks to Bronson Reed on the phone is his office. Chad Gable walks in. Pearce told him he got a big win last week. Chad said he has reasons why he should face Gunther for the title at Mania. He said he was close to beating Gunther last time but what haunts him is him making his daughter cry and calling him a terrible father. Chad says he needs to make it right. He said it's not about the title, it just means more.
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark vs Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell
SB and Stark do a taped promo. They are made Indi and LeRae got a title shot at the PPV and they didn't. Zoey said that opportunity was theirs. SB told The Kabuki Warriors to pay attention to Candice tapping out as that will be their only escape against them.
CL kicks SB in the leg then sentons her back. CL knocks Zoey off the apron then back elbows SB. CL cannonballs Zoey off the apron. CL is thrown off a ddt attempt and knee'd by SB. SB stomps CL's arm into the mat then Zoey butt drops CL's arm.
Zoey rakes CL's face on the ropes then does an interesting release half-nelson suplex. Indi hits lariats on Zoey then spinebusters her. SB sleepers Indi and Indi taps out.
It was a quick one here and it wasn't much.
R-Truth is in Judgment Day's room. DIY and Miz go up to him. He said Judgment Day is gone for the night and he's reminiscing about the good days. Miz says they will get revenge on Judgment Day. Ciampa asks Truth if he's ready and says he has a plan. Truth says he's trying to regenerate something and calls it Regeneration X. Miz corrects him but then says that's what's up. They all leave and Truth brings his TV with him. It has no wires though and isn't cordless.
Drew McIntyre comes out to talk. He says "we did it". He said you don't achieve success alone and thanks everyone for praying for him. He says because of them, Seth vs Drew happens at Mania. He said he feels like hell and is jetlagged. He said his ear drum burst during the match. Drew said the doctor told him he might not make Mania, and he said "Who do you think I am, CM Punk?". He said nothing will stop him from making Mania. He then sits like Punk and said he thought about him. He said he wanted to do something for him, so he drank twice as much for both of them to celebrate since Punk doesn't drink. Drew then calls out Seth.
Seth Rollins comes out. He said he's proud of him and said this time he has an opportunity to do something he wanted to do since 2020 - win the title in front of people at Mania. Drew tells him he doesn't need this in his life, he said he doesn't need to be on SD fighting other people's battles. He said when he wins the title, his responsibility is Raw and the title only. Drew tells him to back off.
Seth said some risks are worth taking. He said he thought about everything Drew said already and said he might be right. Seth said he has been selfish in his life and career and said the gold didn't feel the void. He said it wasn't until he had his kid that not everything is about him.
Seth asked what happens if they don't take care of Bloodline before Mania. Seth said it's only a matter of time until they come for the World Heavyweight Championship. He said Drew might be right, but he may be 100% healthy. He says if they can do that then it's just him, Drew and the heavyweight title. He says may the best man win. He said some risks are worth taking.
Well, they made some sense here of Seth wanting to take down Bloodline and help out Cody.
Nia Jax vs Liv Morgan
Liv shotgun dropkicks her, hits forearms and a back splash. Nia catches a headscissors and samoan drops her. Nia curbstomps Liv then splashes her. Nia rubs her butt in Liv's face. Nia stretch mufflers her then bangs her head into the buckles. Nia misses a legdrop on the apron then Liv topes her.
We go to break and return. Liv step up enzugiri's her then Nia bodyblocks her. Nia misses a senton. Liv pulls Nia down backwards on the top rope then 2nd rope dropkicks her. Liv diving codebreakers her off the 2nd rope for 2. Nia spears the post when Liv moves then Liv dives on her off the apron. Nia catches her and rams her back into the post. Becky Lynch comes off the rail and nails Nia for the DQ.
Becy bangs Nia's head off the commentary table and apron. Nia then runs off.
I didn't like the finish here. They were have a very good match and it's a shame we didn't get to see the finish to it.
Austin Theory and Grayson Waller are interviewed. Paul Heyman is seen walking behind them. Waller says he got the biggest scoop in WWE but Cody disrespected him at home. Waller says he will disrespect Cody at home now.
They talk about Ole Anderson passing away, who hated WWE. They put him ove and put up a graphic for him in a nice moment.
Becky Lynch talks to Adam Pearce in the back. She said she can't move on to her Mania match until she gets Nia. Pearce books the match for next week. Liv Morgan comes in. She said she was in the middle o something out there and told her not everything has to be about her.
Jey Uso is interviewed. He says he will keep being him to get into the title picture. He said when he goes to complete the mission, he feels like he falls short. Drew McIntyre then walks in. Drew said he can relate and tells him he deserves this. Jey punches him and they fight until it is broken up.
Grayson Waller vs Cody Rhodes
They lock up. Cody takes him down and gets headscissored. Waller bangs Cody's head off the buckles then Waller hits knees from the cravate. Waller hits forearms. Cody drops down and punches him then delay gordbusters him. Cody lariats him over the top. Cole says there's breaking news and Paul Heyman is backstage, even though he could be spotted earlier. We go to break and return.
Waller cravates Cody and we see him doing a roll in to the ring with a flatliner during the break. Cody forearms him then hits a powerslam. Cody hits a disaster kick for 2. Cody knocks Theory off the apron then gets hit by Waller. Cody topes Theory over the commentary table then Waller lariats Cody on the floor.
Waller rolls in then takes a cody cutter. Cody hits cross rhodes and picks up the win.
Cody didn't get a lot of offense in before winning here and I thought the ending was just too sudden. They seemed to work well together otherwise.
Paul Heyman comes out after with guards. Cody grabs a chair. Paul calls San Jose "San Joe-sey". COdy interrupts him and tells Bloodline to come and get him. Paul said Bloodline isn't here. He said Cody needs to take Rock's name out of his mouth. Paul says he can forgive Cody but Rock won't. Paul says to withdraw the challenge to The Rock, or else.
Cody said he's tired of being nice and tells Bloodline to come and get him. Paul and his guards get on the apron. Paul asks if he can get in and Cody says no. Paul's guards then get in and surround him. Cody said he will drop all of them if any of them take a step closer. Paul says the threat doesn't apply if he gets close to him, right? Cody then beats up the guards with chairs, hitting a cross rhodes on one of them. Paul then says to call The Rock and Roman. He says Bloodline isn't hunting him, he's hunting Bloodline.
This was a weird final segment and it didn't really work. I didn't like Paul's guards getting up from chair shots and the cross rhodes. I just don't know what this was supposed to be or accomplish.
Overall thoughts: It was a good Raw but the final segment sucked. It didn't accomplish much and it feels like it was not the original plan. Other than that, we got a good street fight, Nakamura/Sami looked fine, Nia/Liv had a good one and Drew had some good lines on CM Punk.
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