Show Open

After fully recapping last week’s events surrounding the WWE Championship picture, we open the show from backstage as the Hurt Business, draped in gold, talks to Sarah Schreiber. Lashley talks about the 16 years it took to get to the top of the mountain. Despite the WWE Championship rematch scheduled to start the show, he vows to walk into WrestleMania as the Almighty Champion.

Bobby Lashley (c) vs. The Miz - WWE Championship

The Miz walks to the ring, flanked by John Morrison, with a mic in his hand. The Miz said that he expected to get his ass kicked last week, but not to lose his WWE Title in the process. He claims he deserves to be taken seriously when he claims that he is not well. 

The Miz goes on and on, and although he is undoubtedly one of the best talkers in the business, this could have been shorter. He basically went over everything that the package recapped at the top of the show.

Between the buildup last week, and the reactions from the WWE Universe throughout the week, I’d bet my life savings that Lashley retains.

Entering to a new video package and intro, Bobby Lashley, followed by a sharply dressed MVP, has arrived.

The Miz is on his bike tonight, keeping Lashley at a distance until MVP gets involved. Next thing you know, Lashley is dominating, before running himself into the ring post not once but twice. 

Highlight: The Miz lines Bobby Lashley up in the corner for his signature leaping clothesline. Lashley catches The Miz in mid-air and throws him like a rag doll.

The Almighty retains with his submission, affectionately known as The Hurt Lock.

Rating: 2.5/5

I like this match going a bit longer than last week’s match. Seeing as both competitors were prepared and hungry for this matchup, it makes sense that it would be more competitive than their previous bout.

Drew McIntyre Backstage Segment

Speaking to Sarah Schreiber, McIntyre is absolutely livid at Bobby Lashley’s lack of competitive nature, his setting up The Miz to become the champion. Just as he’s getting into his rant, Sheamus attacks him from behind.

Drew McIntyre Backstage Segment #2

McIntyre storms around backstage until he finds WWE Official Adam Pearce, and he demands a No-DQ match against Sheamus tonight. Pearce says he’ll see what he can do.

Rating: 2/5

Fine with this feud continuing, as it didn’t really get a chance to flourish given the nature of a multi-man Elimination Chamber match.

Braun Strowman Backstage Segment

R-Truth approaches Braun asking for his forgiveness and begins to list off some nonsense. Braun cuts him off and tells Truth that he doesn’t want an apology from him, but he’s going to demand one from Shane McMahon after last week.

R-Truth tries to erase Braun’s memory of the conversation, Men in Black style, but to no avail.

Rating: 3/5

R-Truth is an ageless wonder, everything he does tickles my funny bone.

Braun Strowman In-Ring Segment

Strowman, just like last week, recaps his various gripes with WWE management. After talking for a bit too long, Shane McMahon enters and cuts him off. Shane apologizes, looks Strowman dead in the eyes, then walks away. Interestingly enough Shane gets to the top of the stage, pauses, then decides not to speak again.

Rating: 1.5/5

I like the ambiguity of Shane’s behavior, but with some overly long promo segments tonight, there are actual opportunities for some underutilized talent to show what they can do. But instead, lots and lots of talking.

Drew McIntyre vs Sheamus - No-DQ Match

Sheamus doesn’t even make it to the ring before Drew McIntyre is on top of him. The brawl down the ramp makes its way to the ring, and the bell rings as the fight is already underway.

This match is all fists and heavy strikes. Exactly what a feud like this, between two competitors like these, should consist of.

Highlight: Drew McIntyre repeatedly strikes Sheamus as he’s sat in one of the announce chairs.

Highlight: Sheamus wails on McIntyre with relentless kendo stick shots to the body. McIntyre does the same and hits an assisted Russian Leg Sweep.

Highlight: Future Shock DDT onto the steel chairs really should have been the finish.

This match ended when both Sheamus and McIntyre collided with steel steps, knocking out both competitors. No contest.

Rating: 3.5/5

Sheamus really delivered in the emotional realm tonight, his facials and fire were above his usual work.

Although this matchup took place last week, McIntyre and Sheamus made the best of their history with plenty of reversals and personal moments and the No-DQ stipulation allowed them to push the envelope.

AJ Styles Backstage Segment

AJ jokes around with Omos about The Fiend and Randy Orton’s rivalry, how silly and weak it is. Orton interrupts, insulted but AJ’s mocking of the situation. He challenges Styles to a match tonight and it is accepted.

Rating: 1.5/5

Why have one of your own superstars do what half the internet is already doing (commenting on the stupidity of the Fiend/Orton Feud)? Then again, Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles is a match I’ll never say “no” to.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Xavier Woods

Right off the bat, I’m a little confused why Woods is booked for singles competition. Not to take anything from Woods, but Kofi is the proven single competitor, a former WWE Champion, who recently competed for the WWE Championship.

After a pretty back and forth match, Woods picks up the victory by way of a small package. This is the second week in a row where Shelton Benjamin takes a visual pin, not sure what that means for the Raw Tag Team Champions.

Rating: 2/5

Matt Riddle Backstage Segment

Riddle has a match against Slapjack tonight, but he’s more concerned with where he’ll park his scooter. He asks the approaching New Day to keep an eye on it, then they all do a cool handshake.

Rating: 3/5

Matt Riddle vs. Slapjack

Riddle is dominant off the bat, showing off his strength, strikes and mat wrestling ability. It takes Mustafa Ali’s involvement for Slapjack to get the upper hand.

Some innovative, creative offense from Slapjack, Riddle sold his butt off all over the ring.

Highlight: The most beautiful dropkick I’ve seen in a pretty long time, from Slapjack to Riddle.

Riddle hit the Final Flash knee, but Slapjack was under the ropes and couldn’t be pinned right away, but it was followed up by a second knee and Bro Derek for the victory.

Rating: 2/5

Where is the rest of Retribution, why was only Mustafa Ali out there tonight?

Shane McMahon and Braun Strowman In-Ring Segment

Shane, silent, awaits The Monster among Men in the ring. He appears. Shane grabs a second mic, as the first one wasn’t working properly. He walks out of the ring and halfway up the ramp before he starts talking. 

He says what he did to Bryan last week was “all in good fun” and that he likes to have fun while he runs Raw. Shane hums and haws, it’s a real bad segment this far in. It goes really long, Shane McMahon just saying stuff, eventually gets to playground insults. Lame. Eventually, he calls Braun stupid, and starts running, Shane runs. Braun follows, they end up backstage, where we see a car drive off. Braun gives up, and it’s then revealed that Shane wasn’t in the car.

Rating: -5/5 

An utter waste of time, money and everyone’s attention.

Naomi and Lana vs. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax (c) - WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Given the level of separation indicated in their last few weeks of matches, this match shouldn’t go any more than 5 minutes.

Lana and Naomi enter with matching glowing outfits. The champions enter with Nia on the mic and Reginald trailing Nia. Nia explains that he wants to give him a chance to redeem himself. 

Naomi showed up with her signature athleticism and flashy offense, as she always does. Lana on the other hand didn’t do much worth mentioning, other than getting killed by Nia.

Champs retain.

Rating: 0.5/5

This match went for two segments of television. So let’s talk about that for a moment. Although I am typically on board with championship matches going longer than the typical non-title competition, the “number one contenders” have been presented like losers for a while now. So I wasn’t exactly invested in this matchup.

Randy Orton Backstage Segment

Sarah Schreiber asks Orton about his mental state and how other superstars look at him. He says he doesn’t have any friends in the WWE locker room, all he cares about tonight he hitting an RKO on Styles.

Rating: N/A

Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose Backstage Segment

Dana and Mandy tell Sarah Schreiber that they don’t want to be overlooked on the road to WrestleMania, and they should be in the title picture. Charlotte Flair appears, telling them to show that they deserve it. Charlotte knows damn well that she does.

Rating: N/A

AJ Styles (w/ Omos) vs. Randy Orton

The main event tonight sees two of the best wrestlers in the world go toe to toe. The Apex Predator methodically enters the ring to take on The Phenomenal One, but the (over) 7-foot tall colossus, Omos, ominously stands by Styles’ side.

Orton plays up his aggression tonight, remembering the words of weakness spoken earlier by AJ. He’s taking all of his frustrations out tonight. He went for the RKO early, but Styles can step away from it. 

Orton stays on the hunt, following Styles to the announce table. Orton hits a huge back suplex onto the table, as Omos looks on menacingly. 

When we return from the break, Styles is punishing Orton’s leg, attacking at a very high pace. Commentary talks up the possibility of Styles looking to execute the Calf Crusher later on in the match. 

After some great ring-work, Styles locks that Calf Crusher in, and even though Orton doesn’t tap out, the damage is done. 

Orton takes his time gearing up to hit the RKO, which gives Omos the time to save AJ. 

Just as AJ is being pulled out of the ring, Alexa Bliss appears on the screen. She lights out a match, blows it out and the ring corners set off in flames. Orton coughs up black sludge for the third week in a row. 

Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm off the distraction. Styles picks up the win.

Raw goes off the air to the tune of Alexa Bliss’s laughter.

Rating: 2/5

A really solid match is ruined by the finish. I’m not against the silliness of the storyline, just the timing of the shenanigans. I would’ve liked to see this match end clean.

Overall

The two best matches of the night were both marred by sloppy finishes. The No-DQ match and the main event both would have benefitted from a “less is more” mentality. 

Besides, three segments were centered around Braun Strowman being angry. Not wrestling, just being angry. McIntyre got four segments himself. Meanwhile, talent like Ricochet, Damien Priest, Angel Garza and dozens of other superstars were not even featured on the show. So that’s disappointing.

That “Braun is stupid” segment really hurt the show’s grade tonight. And my head.

Overall Rating: 1.7/5