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With WrestleMania less than three weeks away, the setting for this week’s Raw was the home of the first WrestleMania, Madison Square Garden. For as many developments as there were this week for WrestleMania, the one segment that once again stood out was the segment between World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk and Roman Reigns. After Reigns Powerbombed Punk through the announce table last week, he was back again this week for the main event segment. Before he could dive deep into his promo, Punk came out to interrupt him. To no surprise, this led to a huge brawl between the two of them.
Unlike last week, Punk this time would have the last laugh. In addition to that, we had a surprise appearance from WWE Champion Cody Rhodes that was interrupted by Stephanie McMahon, another huge confrontation between Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar, and Gunther saving Paul Heyman from another attack by Seth Rollins.
Cody Rhodes and Stephanie McMahon Segment
Latest developments:
On the March 13 Smackdown, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton had the contract signing for their WWE Title match at WrestleMania. After Orton signed the contract, he slammed Cody’s head onto the table and hit him with a low blow. The attack continued from there as Orton hit Cody in the head with the steel steps, busting him open in the process. He then placed Cody’s body on top of the steel steps and hit him with a chair. As singer Jelly Roll tried to get in between Cody and Orton as they were having a brawl last Friday on Smackdown, Orton nailed Jelly Roll with an RKO.
This week, Cody made a surprise appearance on Raw that was soon interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. Stephnaie said Cody needs to think more like Orton to beat him and while his dad Dusty understood that mentality, he’s not his dad. Cody responded by saying he’s not afraid of Orton and while he admitted he’s not his dad, he told Stephanie respectfully that she’s not her dad either. Stephanie slapped him and said he’s going to lose the title if he doesn’t start thinking like Orton. Cody grabbed Stephanie’s arm as she tried to leave and then said he had two words for her, “thank you.”
Analysis:
While it was unexpected to see both Cody and Stephanie on the show, it made for a good segment. Considering Stephanie’s past with Orton, she was the right person to come out and give Cody advice on how to beat him. The line that stood out most from this was when Cody said he may not be his dad, but that Stephanie’s not her dad either. Even though Stephanie slapped him, Cody didn’t come off weak as he aggressively grabbed her as she tried to leave. However, the crowd did seem disappointed when he told her thank you the end.
All in all, this segment was way better than the brawl that Cody and Orton had on Smackdown last week. It at least succeeded in adding an extra layer to this storyline that it needed. With WrestleMania less than three weeks away, they need to do everything they can to spice this feud up and this was at least a step in the right direction. While Stephanie doesn’t need to be at ringside for the match at Mania, perhaps she could have a similar segment with Orton between now and then. More than anything, something big needs to happen on Smackdown this Friday in order to keep this build up interesting.
Grade: B
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan
Latest developments:
At the Royal Rumble, Liv Morgan last eliminated Tiffany Stratton to win her first Women’s Rumble match and punch her ticket to WrestleMania. After Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer successfully defended her title against Raquel Rodriguez on the February 2 Raw, Liv laid her out with the ObLIVion. On the February 23 Raw, Liv attacked Vaquer and picked her as the champion she’ll challenge at WrestleMania. As Liv was accompanying Dominik Mysterio to the ring last week, Vaquer attacked her from behind. This led to a vicious brawl between the two that spilled over into the Gorilla position.
This week, Liv came out for a promo where she said Vaquer was done for. She then said while her mother told her to never let anyone get the better of her, she called Vaquer’s mother trash in Spanish and then called her out to the ring. Vaquer came out and the two of them got into a huge brawl. As Vaquer was getting the better of Liv and grabbed a chair, a returning Roxanne Perez attacked her from behind. Liv & Perez double-teamed Vaquer as Liv then laid her out with the ObLIVion on the chair.
Analysis:
For how off the build was for this feud when it first started, it’s really picked up over the last two weeks. The interactions between these two have been much more intense recently and what happened here continued that trend. As great as the physicality was here, the icing on the cake was the return of Perez. With Perez coming back to help Liv out, it really established how the deck is now stacked against Vaquer. For as beloved as Vaquer is, that’s a smart way of going about this build up.
While it looks like Liv has the advantage now with everyone in her corner, it kind of feels like that’s not gonna last. As Raquel has had her issues with her recently, there’s a chance she could end up costing her the match at WrestleMania. If that doesn’t end up happening, there’s also the possibility of Perez pretending to be in Liv’s corner only to end up turning on her. Since it was Finn Balor who initially brought Perez into the Judgment Day and the fact that they recently kicked him out, maybe she might screw Liv out of loyalty to Finn. Regardless of how it plays out, this feud is quickly becoming one of the better parts of the show.
Grade: B
Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Latest developments:
On the March 16 Raw, Paul Heyman brought out Brock Lesnar to attack Seth Rollins. Before Lesnar could get to Rollins, Oba Femi came out to confront him. As Lesnar was distracted by Rollins leaving the ring, Oba planted him on the mat with the Fall from Grace to answer Lesnar’s open challenge for WrestleMania. Last week, Oba once again confronted Lesnar in the ring. As Lesnar attempted to hit Oba with an F5, Oba escaped and clotheslined him over the top rope.
Lesnar came out dressed in his ring gear this week along with Paul Heyman and in the middle of Heyman’s promo, Lesnar grabbed the mic and called Oba out to the ring. Oba then came out and ran through the security guards and Adam Pearce standing in his way. Oba got into the ring to confront Lesnar until Triple H got into the ring to get in between them. Triple H then yelled at Heyman to get Lesnar out of the ring until he eventually did. Before Lesnar left, he hit an F5 onto one of the security guards on the floor.
Analysis:
While it seemed like Lesnar was going to get his heat back this week, what they did here instead worked just as good. Having the two of them try to go at it only to be separated by everyone including Triple H was a strong way to build more tension between them. Since Lesnar returned last summer, this has been leaps and bounds the best thing that he’s been a part of. In just two weeks, this has become one of the matches for Mania that people are most hyped for. While some are even saying it should be one of the main events given how the build has gone so far, those spots should still be reserved for the title matches.
With two episodes of Raw left until WrestleMania, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens between these two next. So far, Lesnar hasn’t gotten the better of Oba at all. As strong as Oba’s been made to look since this feud started, it would still be good for the story for Lesnar to brutally attack him between now and Mania. Or considering that Triple H came out to get in between them this week, perhaps he may announce that the two of them can’t touch each other until the match. In building more anticipation for this match, either one of those scenarios would work.
Grade: A
Seth Rollins vs. Paul Heyman
Latest developments:
On the March 2 Raw, Seth Rollins attacked Paul Heyman with a chair and hit him with a Curb Stomp. Last week, Heyman came out to call Rollins out to the ring. Once Rollins came out, a group of police officers came out to escort him out of the building as Heyman announced that he had placed a restraining order against him. As Heyman continued to insult him as he was being taken away, Rollins ran past the officers and got into the ring to attack Heyman. Before he could do more damage, the officers hand cuffed Rollins and took him away.
Heyman came out this week for a promo before he was interrupted by Adam Pearce. Pearce asked Heyman if he checked his email, which Heyman responded by saying there’s nothing he can tell him that he doesn’t already know. Pearce then said if that’s the case, he knows that the Boston Police Department dropped all charges against Rollins and that Rollins was also medically cleared to compete. Rollins then appeared from behind Heyman and hit him with a chair. As Rollins was about to Curb Stomp Heyman on the chair, Gunther pulled him out of the ring and trapped him in the Sleeper as he pointed to the WrestleMania sign while he held up his head. Later in the night, it was announced that it’ll be Rollins vs. Gunther at WrestleMania.
Analysis:
After not seeing Gunther on TV in a month, he finally returned here in a major way. Even though he’s the man that retired John Cena, it was almost looking like he wasn’t going to make the WrestleMania card. This angle they did here served as a prime example of making the best of a bad situation. Since the original opponents for both Rollins and Gunther are injured, it only made sense to put the two of them together. Considering Gunther attacked Rollins on behalf of Heyman, perhaps the two of them will form a temporary alliance that will lead to Heyman being in Gunther’s corner for the match.
While this match is clearly one that was just thrown together, that doesn’t mean that it’s not an appealing one. As great as it would’ve been for Rollins to have the planned match against Bron Breakker at WrestleMania, this match has the potential to be every bit as good as that one would’ve been. While Gunther against Rey Mysterio also would’ve been fun, it’s not one that quite feels like a WrestleMania match. Even though there’s no real story between Rollins and Gunther, they could potentially develop something interesting between them in the next two weeks. Although this match is not what most people had in mind, it has all the ingredients to be one that stands out on the Mania card.
Grade: B
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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C.M. Punk vs. Roman Reigns
Latest developments:
On the March 16 Raw, Roman Reigns cut a promo on World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk where he referred to him as old. In response, Punk hit him with a right hand as security then got in between them. Last week as Punk was having a confrontation in the ring with Jimmy & Jey Uso, Reigns came out to the ring to hit him with a Superman Punch. As Jey encouraged Reigns to continue the attack, Reigns hit Punk with a Spear. Reigns still wasn’t done as he then took Punk outside the ring and Powerbombed him through the announce table.
Reigns came out this week for the main event segment but before he could dive into his promo, he was interrupted by Punk. Punk came into the ring and the two of them got into a huge brawl. The brawl then spilled over to the outside of the ring as Adam Pearce and security attempted to interrupt before Reigns shoved them all out of the way. Security eventually got in between them until they got through them and Punk hit Reigns with the GTS. Karma for what happened last week, Punk then Powerbombed Reigns through the announce table and then pointed to the WrestleMania sign as the show ended.
Analysis:
While the ending to this segment felt like the reverse of what happened last week, it at least got Punk his heat back. Since Reigns brutally attacked him last week, it was only fitting that Punk returned the favor here. As just simply hitting Reigns with the GTS in the ring would’ve worked just fine, Punk Powerbombing him through the announce table made a more powerful statement. While the build for this match has still been strong, it’s starting to feel like they’re running out of ideas. Considering they’ve interacted with each other three straight weeks, it’ll be good to have them take a break from each other next week with Reigns not scheduled to be on the show.
More than likely, Punk will have another interaction with the Usos next week to progress the feud. Considering that Jimmy & Jey lost their titles earlier in the show, it’s understandable that they didn’t come out for this segment. Over all, this feud still feels like the real main event of WrestleMania. What makes it even more appealing is the fact that the outcome feels very unpredictable. While we won’t see anything happen between Punk and Reigns next week, that’ll make way for something big and fresh to happen on the go-home show the week after.
Grade: B+
Usos vs. Logan Paul & Austin Theory
Latest developments:
With L.A. Knight at ringside doing commentary and IShowSpeed sitting in the front row, the Usos defended the World Tag Team Championship against Logan Paul & Austin Theory this week in a New York Street Fight. As the match progressed, Jimmy & Jey hit Theory with a Superplex from the top rope through a table. Paul was handed a pair of brass knuckles by his mom sitting in the front row before Knight attacked him. Paul dragged IShowSpeed over the railing as this was happening and as Knight tapped him on the shoulder, IShowSpeed hit him with the knuckles accidentally. As Jimmy was about hit Paul with a Suicide Dive, Paul nailed him with the knuckles after he got them from IShowSpeed. As Jey jumped off the apron onto Paul, Theory put his arm over Jimmy to pin him as he & Paul won the titles and celebrated with IShowSpeed in the aisle way.
Analysis:
While it seemed like a title change was bound to happen in this match, no one would’ve predicted that it would happen the way it did here. Although the match itself was just ok, the finish to it was well done. The way the finish went down now potentially sets up a Six Man Tag for WrestleMania. Since IShowSpeed used the brass knuckles on Knight and then gave them to Paul to use on Jimmy Uso, the Usos & Knight now have a reason to want revenge on him. While it’s an odd match for the Usos & Knight to be in, a Tag match like this would be better use of IShowSpeed instead of a singles match if they insist on having him wrestle.
Nia Jax & Lash Legend vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
Latest developments:
This week, Nia Jax & Lash Legend defended their Women’s Tag Team Titles against Bayley & Lyra Valkyria. As the match progressed, Bayley hit Nia with a Powerbomb from the top rope. Lyra then hit Nia with a Moonsault, but Lash interrupted the count. Nikki & Brie Bella came out before they were attacked by Nia & Lash. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss then got into the ring and attacked Nia to end the match on a disqualification as all four teams got into a brawl. Later in the night, it was announced that all four teams with compete in a Four Way for the titles at WrestleMania.
Analysis:
Anyone could’ve seen the finish to this match coming from a mile away. Considering that, there was little to no reason to be invested in this match at all. Honestly, this storyline has been a prime of example of how interest in the Women’s Tag Division has declined compared to late last year. Despite the fact that there wasn’t much to any of this, it at least established the Four Way that will happen at WrestleMania. Hopefully, that match will turn out better than this one and we’ll get a clear winner.
Penta vs. Kofi Kingston
Latest developments:
Penta once again proved why he’s a fighting champion this week as he defended his Intercontinental Championship against Kofi Kingston. After Kofi yelled at Grayson Waller to not interfere, he attempted to jump over the top rope onto Penta before being caught and slammed onto the announce table. Kofi nailed Penta with the Trouble in Paradise as Penta jumped from the top rope, but it was not enough to put the champion away. After Penta then escaped a Superplex attempt from Kofi, he jumped from the second rope to hit him with the Mexican Destroyer to retain the title. After the match, it was revealed that Penta will defend the IC Title against Rusev, Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, and JD McDonagh in a Ladder match at WrestleMania.
Analysis:
This was another impressive title defense for Penta as he’s quickly established his own identity with the IC Title. Much like his other recent matches, the creative way he hits the Mexican Destroyer continues to be the part that stands out most. In addition to that, we now know what role he will have at WrestleMania. Having him face multiple opponents in a Ladder match for the title is probably the best use for him since he doesn’t have a set singles feud right now. With people like Lee, Rusev, Evans, and JD for Penta to play off of in that match, there’s no way that that match won’t deliver.
Iyo Sky vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Latest developments:
Iyo Sky went one on one with Raquel Rodriguez this week in a match where Iyo failed at an Over the Moonsault attempt when Raquel put her feet up. Iyo eventually rebounded when she reversed a Double Chokeslam attempt into a Hurricanrana followed by a stomp onto Raquel’s chest for a near fall. Asuka & Kairi Sane then came down to the ring as Kairi got on the apron before Raquel hit her with a big boot after Iyo moved out of the way. Iyo hit Raquel with a Tornado DDT and then barely hit Asuka with a Suicide Dive. As Iyo got back into the ring, Raquel planted her with the Tejana Bomb to pick up the win.
Analysis:
Even though this feud has been going on for weeks, the match here was basically an afterthought to the issues between Iyo, Asuka, & Kairi. That Suicide Dive Iyo barely hit Asuka with looked scary and it was a miracle it didn’t turn out much worse. With Raquel picking up the win convincingly the way she did, it looks like her feud with Iyo is over. Clearly, all of this is leading to either a match between Iyo and Asuka or a Three Way with Kairi also being involved at WrestleMania. While either one of those scenarios would be appealing, Asuka against Iyo in a singles match with Kairi having to pick a side feels like the better route.
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