WWE Monday Night Raw 4/15/2024

WWE Monday Night Raw 4/15/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/wwe-monday-night-raw-482024.html

We see Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso and Damian Priest arrive.

Rhea Ripley comes out with her arm in a sling. she said her arm got injured in an attack from Liv Morgan. She said she'll be out for a few months and said she will have to vacate the women's title. She said the title means the most to her in her life.

She said this is due to Liv's stupid revenge tour. She said she would have had some respect for her if she did it face to face but she blindsided her like a coward. She said when she comes back, she is coming back for blood. She said they will have to lock her up in jail when she finds Liv.

Liv Morgan comes out and security tries to hold her back. Somehow, 6 males can't accomplish this. The guards then hold Rhea back. Rhea headbutts a guard and the segment ends.

I'm not surprised Rhea is injured. Liv really hit her hard with a chair and sent her into the wall hard.

We see a silhouette of Sheamus who they say will be on next.

Rhea goes up Judgment Day in the back. They hug her. Priest says he knows she will make Liv regret messing with her and will be more bad@ss than she is now. They say they love her and she says to keep Judgment Day on top.

I mean they could keep Rhea in just a managerial role but I guess they don't want to.

Sheamus vs Ivar

Sheamus side headlocks him then they trade shoulders. They trade forearms and Sheamus shoulders him over. Ivar stunners him over the top rope. Ivar goes up top and takes a 2nd rope air raid crash.

We go to break and return. Sheamus slams him then clubs Ivar's chest on the ropes. Ivar boots him out of the corner and spinning heel kicks him. Ivar hits a top rope splash for 2. Ivar pounds on him in the corner then Sheamus hits punches back.

Ivar knees him in the gut then springboards into a Sheamus pumping knee. Sheamus pumping knees him then hits a pump kick for the win.

What we got looked good here. Some of the execution wasn't that great but I liked the general idea of this.

Sheamus moves the commentary table spilling a drink then grabs both announcers, hugging them. We then get a replay of this.

Triple H comes out with Adam Pearce. Triple H said 8 days ago was the biggest Mania of all time. Pearce said we walked out with two sets of tag champs and we need new tag titles for the new era. Awesome Truth comes out. The crowd chants "you deserve it". Truth then does a split.

Triple H says what's up and congratulates them. He said they made history in the biggest tag match in history. He said it was awesome to see Truth have a Wrestlemania Moment. Triple H said they need to represent the tag titles in a new era. He said they will be known as the World Tag Team Champions. He then shows them the new belts. They look a lot like the Raw Title belt and with some red stripes on them with the title names. 

Truth said he has seen rabbits come out of a hat and seen a lady get cut in and half and walk away. But he says he has never seen a trick like that. Truth said Triple H made titles appear out of thin oxygen. He said he knows a good magician when he sees one. Miz says he's not a magician and Truth says that's what a magician would say. He said he doesn't trust magicians after Little Jimmy. He said everyone used to be able to see Little Jimmy.

Miz says these title belts are what they wanted. Miz talks about Triple H and Truth asks where Triple H is. Truth says this houdini got Miz fooled too. He then says "I see right through you, Tomasso Ciampa". Miz talks in French to Truth. Truth understands him and is surprised to find out the new titles are theirs. Triple H asks if he can just go. He then takes the old titles and gives the new titles to Awesome Truth. Truth and Miz then hold up the titles. Pearce asks them why they made the boss leave the ring. Truth says what boss? Pearce says Triple H and Truth said Triple H is not out here.

Pearce said they need to figure out who their first challenger will be. He said there will be a triple threat #1 contenders match right now.

I'm not a fan of the new titles as it looks like the Raw title and I don't really like that design. I think there's just too much going on and it looks like a golden pizza. I also don't like Truth not knowing it was Triple H. That's just going too far over the top. 

#1 Contenders Match - The Creed Brothers vs DIY vs The New Day (Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston)

BC = Brutus Creed, JC = Julius Creed, JG = Johnny Gargano

3 men will be in the ring here at all times and you can only tag in your partner. DIY still has DX colors on. Woods hits corner punches on BC then JG does as well. BC forearms JG then Woods rolls him up. JG rolls up Woods then BC rolls up JG and swings him at Woods. BC hits a double clothesline.

New Day misses a double dropkick then knock The Creed's off the apron. DIX hits planchas on The Creed's, get caught, then New Day tope con hilo them. We go to break and return. Kofi, Ciampa and JC are fighting on their knees and trading shots. 

JC and Ciampa trade forearms. JC hits a jumping knee then takes one from Ciampa. Woods top rope dropkicks BC ten JG slingshot spears Woods. JC epxloders Kofi then Kofi gets his knees up on JC's tanding moonsault. JG superkicks JC then buzzsaw kicks Kofi. Kofi takes a double kic kin the corner then JG apron cannonballs opponents. Kofi takes a powerbomb backbreaker on the knees from Ciampa for 2.

Woods jump off the bottom rope to ddt Ciampa. Woods then hits an honor roll on JG. Woods spinning forearms BC. Woods sends Ciampa into the post shoulder first hten holds him for a Kofi fameasser for 2. JC belly to belly suplexes Kofi then does the same to Woods coming off the top. JC release germans Ciampa. The Creeds then hit stereo suplexes for 2.

BC is pushed off the top into a superkick on the floor from Woods. JC jumps up to the top rope, superplexes Kofi then Woods elbow drops him off the top. Woods takes a meet in the middle and is pinned.

It was a fast paced spotty match as expected. They kept it moving here faster than I could really type it up and it was all action packed.

Drew McIntyre is interviewed. He laughs at the footage from last week with Punk costing his the #1 contenders match. Jackie said she wasn't expecting this reaction. Drew then kicks a tv over.

Indi Hartwell and Candice LaRae vs Maxxine Dupri and Ivy Nile

Ivy side headlocks Indi. Ivy rides her back then sunset flips her. Ivy dropkicks her then spinning enzugiri's her. Max top rope crossbodies Indi then hits a perfectplex for 2. Max has words for CL then Indi lariats Max.

CL pounds on Max and bangs her head off the mat. CL foot chokes Max in the corner. CL pounds on Max in the corner. Max misses an enzugiri then knees CL in the gut. Max ddt's CL. Ivy argues with the ref. Indi face kicks Max when she isn't the legal person and CL pins Max.

The finish was okay here as it continues the slow burn of CL and Indi turning heel. It also kind of fits with what Max is doing. They heavily pushed multiple times that Max is improving and training.

They do a video package on Damian Priest. He used to be fat and he said he was homeless 10 years ago.

We see Priest talking to Judgment Day. Priest says they still run the WWE. He tells Dom he will teach Andrade a lesson. He says JD will have his back and says they will get this done. Finn says their focus should be on getting the tag titles back. Priest says Finn needs to focus on tonight and needs him to teach the meaning of the word loss. He says he will teach Jey the meaning of the word pain at Backlash.

They definitely did this to push Priest as the leader here.

We see Jackie Redmond trying to interview Chad Gable earlier. Chad was training with The Creed's in the ring. Chad said winning the IC title is everything. He said his mood is high and he's excited. Jackie asks how he's prepared for the crowd cheering Sami. He said not one person wanted him to win at the olympic trials. He said Sami showed his weaknesses while they trained together and Chad said he will expose them.

Andrade vs Dominik Mysterio

Dom chops him and hides between the ropes. Dom boots him and side headlocks him. Andrade shoulders him over. Andrade top rope crossbodies him for 2. Andrade hits 2 of 3 amigos then Dom goes for it. Dom hits some then Andrade finally hits the 3rd suplex. Andrade goes up top and is crotched up there when JD gets on the apron. Dom poses on the ropes and we go to break.

We return and Andrade dragon screws him. Andrade flying forearms him then meteora's him in the corner. Andrade misses a splitlegged top rope moonsault. Dom kicks the rope in Andrande's crotch then hits a canadian destroyer on the apron. Dom then gets a 2 count on it.

Dom dropkicks him in the back then Andrade spinning back elbows him. Andrade nails JD on the apron then double underhook twisting ddt's Dom. Andrade wins it.

I hated this. Kicking out of destroyers on the apron is an AEW thing, not a WWE thing.

JD nails Andrade from behind then hits punches as Dom holds him. Ricochet then comes out to help after.

Jey Uso is interviewed by Cathy Kelley. He says messing with The Bloodline is going down a dark, dangerous road. He said he told Jimmy Uso to come with him but he needs to focus on Finn Balor. He said Finn Balor needs to catch this yeetdown on Raw tonight.

Piper Niven and Chelsea Green vs Katana Chance and Kayden Carter

Piper gets 2v1'd to start then she hits a double lariat. Piper cobra clutches Chance then ripcord lariats her. Green is tripped into the middle buckle then takes a double team boot/knee combo in the corner. Carter chops on Green then hits a blade runner variation. Green is on Carter's shoulders, Chance jumps off of them to crossbody Piper but is caught. Chance takes a fallaway slam and Carter does an air raid crash. Piper crossbodies Carter and Green wins.

This was a waste of all of these girls and went less than like 2 minutes.

Liv Morgan is interviewed. She is asked ifthis is the end of her revenge tour. She said she's not the bad guy and asked where the sympathy was when Rhea put her on the shelf for 8 months. She says it's an eye or an eye and a shoulder for a shoulder. She said Rhea got karma. She said this isn't the end of the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour, that happens when she becomes champ.

Cody Rhodes comes out to talk. He said we should thank Pearce because he's on Raw despite being a Smackdown star now. He said he's facing either LA Knight or AJ Styles at the next PPV. He thanks Seth for being his shield. He said he doesn't think Rock has one match left in it, he thinks he has more than that. Cody said Rock told him he would make him bleed. Cody said Rock will bleed with him if he bleeds.

He talks about Tama Tonga and Bloodline. He said Roman was nowhere to be found then brings out Jey Uso. He says Raw is about to be Jey's and said nobody deserves it more. He said he'd love to have Jey's back tonight. Jey says he has to do it alone and pushes the idea of him being champ. Cody said he understands, wishes him luck and hugs him. Cody then says "until we yeet again".

Nia Jax is interviewed by Cath Kelly. She said she doesn't care about Rhea. She said rhea was hers the last time she saw her. Nia asks who will stop her from taking the women's title now. She said Liv and Becky were hers the last time she saw them. She said there's two types of people in this world - those who fear Nia Jax, and those who learn to fear Nia Jax. She said the title is hers and no one is taking it from her.

Jey Uso vs Finn Balor

Finn jumps him from behind in the ring and pounds on him. Finn back elbows him. Jey hits shots and Finn rolls through a sunset flip with a basement dropkick. Finn side headlocks him and we see Priest watching in the back. Finn hits chops and corner spears.

Jey is pulled down off the top to the inside. Finn pounds on Jey. Finn basement dropkicks him out and we go to break. We return and Jey double boots him in the corner. Jey spinning enzugiri's him. He hits a superkick and samoan drop for 2. Priest says he's going down to say hello.

Finn elbow slices Jey for 2 then slingblades him. Jey superkicks him then Finn john woo's him in the corner. Jey spears him then wins it with a top rope splash.

It was shorter than it should have been here and they took it pretty easy. It was okay and all but not even a fraction of what they could have done here.

Damian Priest comes down on the apron and has words for Jey after. Priest holds the title up at him then Judgment Day jump Jey. Dom comes off the apron and is superkicked. Jey hits JD in the crowd and sends him into Finn. Jey then walks up the stairs in the crowd.

We see Jay arrive in the concourse and he shakes hands with fans along the way. Jey shoves one of the fans then heds outside. Sami Zayn is there and is looking up into the sky. Jey asks him what he's doing. Sami said the first show he saw in his life was here 25 years ago and now he comes in as champ. He said he walks in the way the same way he came 25 years ago. Sami walks in and throws a garbage can. Some fan in a mask gets run over by a camera man then Sami enters through the stands.

Chad Gable talks to Bronson Reed backstage. Red says whoever wins tonight won't be champ for long as the winner has to answer to him. 

WWE Intercontinental Title - Sami Zayn (c) vs Chad Gable

Sami is surrounded by fans and gets a huge reaction. He then takes a Canadian flag with him. It's a cool entrance.

Sami goes for a wristlock and is tripped and side headlocked. They trade armdrags then Sami pulls him over the top. Sami teases a dive out. They go head to head and we go to break.

We return and Sami walks up the buckles and is crotched on the ropes. Sami holds his knee then Chad top rope plancha's him outside. Chad hits a top rope headbutt drop for 2. Chad dragon screws him and toe holds him. Chad double throat thursts him and Sami lariats him. Sami elbows him off the buckles then Chad rolls him up for 2. Chad ankle locks him.

Chad is rolled out to the floor then Sami arabian moonsaults him outside. We go to break and return. Chad hits a top rope olympic slam. Chad hits germans then Sami germans him. Sami germans him on his head. Chad rolling koppo kicks him and is suplexed into the buckles. Chad rolls into an ankle lock on him. Chad dives off the top and is caught with a powerbomb.

Sami's knee gives out on a sharpshooter attempt. Sami takes a release german in the buckles. Chad moonsaults and catches Sami foot off of it, putting him in an ankle lock. Chad takes an exploder into the buckles then takes a helluva kick. Sami wins.

They did a little too much here as the top rope olympic slam really should have finished things but it was a good match and the crowd was real into it. The two matched up well together and it just felt like a big match. 

Sami helps Chad up after. Chad holds up Sami's arm. Sami hugs his family then Chad germans him on the floor. Chad sends Sami into the post then throws him over the commentary table. Sami is pushed into the post then Chad ankle locks him on the buckles.

I liked how they did the turn here as they hid the part where Chad thought about it, so there was no tease. I don't like Chad being turned heel though. I thought he should have won the title all along and I thought he was doing a good job as a face. It also screws up Alpha Academy now as they are all faces.

Overall thoughts: It was a good wrestling show here with a great main event and other good matches on the show. It wasn't a great night for storylines outside of the main though with not that much happening other than Rhea's title forfeit and Awesome Truth getting new tag titles.