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In two of the last three weeks, World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk and Roman Reigns exchanged heated words in Raw’s main event segment. Last week, things turned physical as Punk knocked down Reigns for calling him old. This week, the two of them would once again meet in the ring for the main event segment. Before that could happen though, Punk was met in the ring by Jimmy & Jey Uso. As Punk had another heated exchange with them two weeks ago, they also had unfinished business with him.
Once Reigns finally came out, things would become even more chaotic. In addition to that, we had Oba Femi once again get the better of Brock Lesnar, a heated segment between A.J. Lee and Becky Lynch, and Dominik Mysterio looking to regain his Intercontinental Title from Penta.
Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Latest developments:
On the February 23 Raw, Brock Lesnar came out to the ring along with Paul Heyman as Heyman issued an open challenge for Lesnar for WrestleMania. Last week, Heyman came out to confront Seth Rollins and then brought out Lesnar to avenge what Rollins did to him two weeks earlier. As Lesnar stood face to face in the ring with Rollins, the lights went out and Oba Femi came out. As Lesnar was distracted by Rollins leaving the ring, Oba picked him up and planted him on the mat with the Fall from Grace. Later in the night, it was announced that Oba and Lesnar will face each other at WrestleMania.
This week, Lesnar came out to open the show along with Heyman. Heyman referred to what Oba did to Lesnar last week as his real WrestleMania moment and the peak of his career. As Heyman vowed that Lesnar would conquer Oba at WrestleMania, the lights went out and Oba came down to the ring. As the two of them stared each other down, Lesnar kicked Oba in the gut. Lesnar then went for an F5, but Oba escaped and clotheslined him over the top rope.
Analysis:
After how hot the segment was between these two that opened the show last week, it was only fitting that they ran it back again here. Also, like last week, Oba got the better of Lesnar by knocking him out of the ring with ease. While this probably won’t be as big of a story as what happened last week was, this was still a very good segment. By making Oba look strong the way they have been, it’s making this really feel like a big WrestleMania match. Even though this feud only started a week ago, the build has been very effective so far.
Now that Oba has gotten the better of Lesnar twice, Lesnar has to do something next week to get his heat back. If Oba continues to get the better of him between now and Mania, that’ll make the match outcome way too predictable. In order to keep this build as good as it has been, the two of them need to be portrayed as equal to one another. With Raw next week happening in the Garden, that’s the perfect setting for Lesnar to really beat the hell out of Oba. As Lesnar isn’t scheduled to be on Raw the week after, that’s the only logical way for their interaction next week to go.
Grade: B+
A.J. Lee vs. Becky Lynch
Latest developments:
At Elimination Chamber, A.J. Lee defeated Becky Lynch to win the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. The following Monday on Raw, A.J. vowed to be a fighting champion and issued a challenge to any of the other women who wanted a title shot. A.J. had her first title defense last week as she faced Bayley, who won a Gauntlet match the week before to earn a title shot. After a hard-fought match, A.J. retained her title after she forced Bayley to tap to the Black Widow. After the match, A.J. was attacked from behind by Becky as Becky hit her in the face with her title.
Becky came out to the ring this week to cut a promo about how A.J. was the one who mastered the Divas division while she was the one who murdered it before A.J. came out to confront her. As Becky escaped into the crowd before A.J. got into the ring, A.J. said that embarrassing Becky one more time at the biggest stage of all would finally get Becky out of her life. She then said that she’s going to prove why she’s the best of her generation and Becky’s generation as she agreed to defend her title against her at WrestleMania. Becky accepted and then brought up how A.J. handed in her resignation the day after her last WrestleMania match. She ended the promo by saying that she’ll save her the trouble this time as when she beats her, we’ll never hear from her again.
Analysis:
This was a solid segment that ultimately accomplished what it needed to in setting up their match for WrestleMania. As their interactions going into Elimination Chamber were hit or miss, this was one of the better ones they’ve had. One part of this segment that stood out was Becky mentioning that her daughter is now a fan of A.J. and then A.J. calling herself Becky’s daughter’s favorite wrestler. What was also good was when Becky mentioned how A.J. resigned right after her last WrestleMania match and how she’s going to make her disappear after this one. They really made good use of the personal jabs here in a way they haven’t been up until now.
As mentioned in last week’s review, a rematch between A.J. and Becky was the right direction. In addition to this being A.J.’s first WresteMania in 11 years, this will also be the first time the Women’s IC Title will be defended at WrestleMania. With that being said, this is a match that makes that title feel like a big deal and one that deserves to be defended at the biggest show of the year. From their interaction last week and also this week, this already feels like a much bigger match than their match last month was. By the time we get to WrestleMania, this match will have the electricity in the air that a long feud like this one really needs.
Grade: B+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Seth Rollins vs. Paul Heyman
Latest developments:
At Elimination Chamber, a mystery man in a black hoodie attacked Paul Heyman’s client Logan Paul and caused him to be eliminated. Immediately after, the man in the hoodie revealed himself to be a returning Seth Rollins. The following Monday on Raw, Rollins hit Heyman in the back with a chair after he had been left all by himself and then hit him with a Curb Stomp. Last week, a beat up Heyman came out to confront him as he then brought out Brock Lesnar to attack Rollins. Before Lesnar could even get his hands on Rollins, Oba Femi came out and Rollins left the ring before Oba nailed Lesnar with the Fall from Grace.
This week, Heyman came out to the ring to call Rollins out to attack him until a masked man in a black hoodie showed up on top of the announce table and revealed himself as Rollins. Before Rollins could do anything, police officers came out to escort him out of the building as Heyman revealed he had filed a restraining order against him. As Rollins was being escorted by security, Heyman continued cutting a promo on Rollins about how he vowed to adopt his daughter while he’s in prison. Once Heyman said that, Rollins ran past the officers and into the ring as he knocked down Heyman with a right hand. Before Rollins could do more damage, the officers cuffed him and Heyman laughed as they took Rollins away.
Analysis:
Judging from what happened last week when Lesnar beat up all the men in black hoodies, it looks like Rollins is done having them all come out with him. In all honesty, that’s for the best as this storyline needed to enter its next phase. After Heyman was attacked the way he was by Rollins three weeks ago, having Heyman file a restraining order against him makes storyline sense. Overall, the highlight of this whole segment was all the things Heyman was saying to Rollins as he was being escorted out. From saying that Rollins’ wife would be sleeping with half the locker room to then talking about adopting his daughter, Heyman really went off on Rollins.
With Rollins getting arrested for attaching Heyman, it seems like this was all a way to write him off TV for a few weeks. While this segment was entertaining, it still didn’t give us a clear answer on who Rollins will face at WrestleMania. While there are rumors that Bron Breakker could make it back in time, a match like that deserves more than to be rushed together. It would still make for a great match, but it feels like there’s not enough time to build a match between them that’s Mania worthy. If they can’t make this match official by next week if it really does have the potential to happen, then it’s best to just save it for another PLE.
Grade: B
Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio
Latest developments:
On the March 2 Raw, Finn Balor kept JD McDonagh from helping Dominik Mysterio cheat to retain his Intercontinental Championship against Penta. This exchange eventually led to Penta defeating Dominik to win the Intercontinental Title. The following week, Dominik called Finn out to the ring. After Finn apologized for costing Dominik his title, he said that he realized that Dominik’s dad was right about him being a spoiled little pr*ck. Dominik pie faced Finn before Finn knocked him down but as he was about to continue attacking Dominik, JD clotheslined him as Dominik along with the rest of Judgment Day then attacked Finn.
Dominik came to the ring with Liv Morgan for his rematch against Penta for the Intercontinental Title this week but during their entrance, Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer attacked Liv from behind and they brawled all the way through Guerrilla. As the match took place and Dominik went to the top rope for a Frog Splash, Finn came out to distract him as he then beat up JD in the aisle way. This distraction led to Penta turning Dominik’s Frog Splash attempt into a Small Package to retain his title. After the match, Finn came into the ring to attack Dominik as he hit him with a Sling Blade and a Shotgun Dropkick. As Finn went for the Coup De Grace, JD pulled Dominik out of the ring before Finn leaped over the top rope onto both of them. After Dominik ran away into the crowd, Finn hit JD with a Shotgun Dropkick and then hit him with the Coup De Grace.
Analysis:
While a solid match, it was merely an afterthought to everything that happened before and at the ending. That brawl between Vaquer and Liv that extended into Guerrilla was by far the best thing they’ve done together since their feud started. It felt real, violent, and made it really look like they’re two women who wanna kill each other. As that was one thing that outshined this match, what also outshined it was the appearance of Finn. After Dominik did what he did to Finn two weeks ago, him showing up here to cost him the title again was inevitable.
While a Finn vs. Dominik would be the right direction for WrestleMania, it’s now feeling like Penta may face both of them in a Triple Threat after all. Penta still doesn’t have a clear direction for WrestleMania and with him being IC Champion combined with his popularity, he has to be on the show. As Dominik vs. Finn for the IC Title perhaps should’ve been the Mania match in the first place, this scenario would be one where everybody wins. Although this match would be similar to what they did last year except with one less person in the match, it still has all the ingredients to be a show stealer. With less than a month away until Mania, they need to have whatever match these three men are in official by next week.
Grade: B
C.M. Punk vs. Roman Reigns
Latest developments:
On the March 2 Raw, World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk told Roman Reigns that he was going to bury him next to his late father when he beats him at WrestleMania. The following week, Reigns’ cousins Jimmy & Jey Uso confronted Punk and demanded that he apologize for what he said about Reigns’ dad. After Punk didn’t apologize for what he said and then referred to them as Reigns’ young boys, Jey shoved him and then Jimmy hit Punk with a right hand before he could get to Jey. Last week, Reigns returned to confront Punk and referred to him being the champion as an embarrassment. After Reigns then called Punk old, Punk knocked him down with a right hand as Adam Pearce and security came into the ring to separate them.
This week, Punk came out for the main event segment but before Reigns could come out to confront him, Jimmy & Jey once again showed up. As they were about to get into it with Punk, Reigns finally came out and then asked his cousins to leave the ring. Punk then said they should stay because Reigns needs their help as Jey ran to attack Punk before he knocked him down. Reigns then Superman Punched Punk as he was tied up with Jimmy but as Reigns was about to leave the ring, Jey encouraged Reigns to keep attacking Punk. Reigns then hit Punk with a Spear and then Powerbomed him through the announce table to end the show.
Analysis:
After weeks of Punk and Reigns going back and forth on the mic, it was time to take this feud to the next level. They did that in a major way this week as Punk really took a beating from Reigns. While the Spear would’ve been enough, having Reigns Powerbomb Punk through the announce table was the exclamation point. In addition to how brutal the beating was, what stood out was the fact that Jey was the one encouraging Reigns to attack Punk the way he did. As they were teasing a storyline months ago where Jey was starting to act more like Reigns, it looks like they’re revisiting it for this storyline.
While the jury is out on how this feud will pay off in the end, having the Usos involved has added an extra layer to it. However, as much as they’ve added to the build for this match, that doesn’t mean that they should be involved in the outcome when the match happens. With next week’s Raw taking place in MSG, something else big happening to spice this all up some more feels inevitable. As Reigns laid out Punk here, perhaps he’ll return the favor next week and hit Reigns with the GTS. As Reigns isn’t scheduled to be on the show the week after next, they really need to make their interaction next week count.
Grade: A
Usos vs. Logan Paul & Austin Theory
Latest developments:
In a nontitle match, World Tag Team Champions the Usos faced The Vision’s Logan Paul & Austin Theory this week. At one point in the match, Paul clotheslined Jimmy over the timekeeper’s area. Jey later got the hot tag and hit a Spear onto Theory but was pulled down onto the top rope by Paul when he went for an Uso Splash. Paul attempted to use a pair of brass knuckles until LA Knight came out to stop him and then threw the knuckles to Jey, who used it on Theory to end the match on a DQ. Later in the night, it was announced that the Usos will defend their titles against Paul & Theory next week in a Street Fight.
Analysis:
As an actual match, there wasn’t much to this as it was all used to set up the title match for next week. While it seemed like they were maybe saving the title match for Mania, the fact that it’s happening next week at MSG makes a title change a strong possibility. What also stood out from this was the interference of Knight and his issues with Jey sparking up again. With the match next week being a Street Fight, there’s a good chance that Knight could end up doing something similar to what he did here and it ends up backfiring on Jimmy & Jey. With all these factors involved, it’s making this match feel like a big deal in a way Tag Titles matches haven’t felt like in a long time.
Je’Von Evans vs. Grayson Waller
Latest developments:
This week, Je’Von Evans went one on one with Grayson Waller in a match where Evans hit a Springboard Hurricanrana and then followed that with a devastating Suicide Dive through the second rope. As the match progressed, Evans continued to build momentum as he leaped over the top rope onto Waller while Waller was arguing outside the ring with Kofi Kingston. Once back in the ring, Evans hit Waller with a Red Dot for a close near fall. As both men were later on the top rope, Evans teased a Spanish Fly that he impressively turned into a Hurricanrana. He then followed that with the OG Cutter to pick up the win.
Analysis:
Really fun match that has to rank as one of the best Evans has had since coming to the main roster. From the Suicide Dive he did that he luckily didn’t get hurt from to the Spanish Fly he turned into a Hurricanrana, this match had endless highlights. While it’s hard to say where he’ll fit in on the WrestleMania card, to not have him on the show given his recent performances would be a crime. As great as Evans was, this match also demonstrated how good Waller could be when given the opportunity. Sooner or later, he needs to split away from the New Day as it feels like being linked to them isn’t doing much for him.
Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs. Kabuki Warriors
Latest developments:
This week, Bayley & Lyra Valkyria teamed up to face the Kabuki Warriors in a match where after Lyra hit a Fisherman Buster onto Asuka. Immediately after, Bayley followed that with an Elbow Drop from the second rope for a near fall. Bayley later hit a Bayley to Belly onto Asuka on the announce table but as she then went for an Elbow Drop, Kairi Sane moved Asuka out of the way. Immediately after, Lyra dropkicked Asuka & Kairi through the second rope and then hit the Nightwing onto Kairi to pick up the win. Later in the night, it was announced that Bayley & Lyra will challenge Nia Jax & Lash Legend for the Women’s Tag Team Championship next week.
Analysis:
Solid match that accomplished what it needed to in setting up Bayley & Lyra as the next challengers for the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Although they’re getting a title shot next week, it’s obvious that whatever happens in that match is going to lead to them being added to a multi team match for the titles at WrestleMania. In addition to new challengers, what was also set up from this was the eventual split between Asuka & Kairi. As Asuka blamed Kairi for the loss and Iyo Sky tried to tell Kairi that she deserves better afterwards, it looks like we’re getting Asuka vs. Iyo at WrestleMania after all. Considering that it was looking like Iyo was going to face Raquel Rodriguez until a match was made between the two of them for next week, a match against Asuka with Kairi also involved would make much more sense as a WrestleMania match.
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