{"id":94068,"date":"2020-03-02T16:24:48","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T22:24:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=94068"},"modified":"2020-03-02T16:24:48","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T22:24:48","slug":"wwe-raw-primer-3-2-rey-humberto-vs-andrade-garza-phenomenal-knock-on-blacks-door-beth-phoenix-vampire-queen-of-spades-vs-empress-now-or-never-for-the-smoke-24-7-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/03\/02\/wwe-raw-primer-3-2-rey-humberto-vs-andrade-garza-phenomenal-knock-on-blacks-door-beth-phoenix-vampire-queen-of-spades-vs-empress-now-or-never-for-the-smoke-24-7-championship\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE RAW PRIMER 3\/2: Rey &#038; Humberto vs. Andrade &#038; Garza, Phenomenal Knock on Black\u2019s Door, Beth Phoenix, Vampire Queen of Spades vs. Empress, Now or Never for the Smoke, 24\/7 Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1088546945\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3><strong>WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRIMER<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>BROOKLYN, N.Y. AT THE BARCLAYS CENTER<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>MARCH 2, 2020<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>AIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EST<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST <\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>Announcers: Tom Phillips, Jerry \u201cThe King\u201d Lawler, Byron Saxton <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Arena, Top 10 Moments of Last Week\u2019s Show, Items Advertised by WWE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>WWE Raw returns to a familiar destination in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.\u00a0 The nearly eight-year old building, which is about an hour drive from my home (depending on traffic), hosts the NBA\u2019s Brooklyn Nets and was hosting the NHL\u2019s N.Y. Islanders before it was announced that they\u2019d be heading back to their long time home in the NYCB Live at Nassau Coliseum for the playoffs and next year\u2019s regular season.\u00a0 WWE has been a frequent Barclays Center tenant with Raw and Smackdown and hosted SummerSlam from 2015-2018.\u00a0 It\u2019s bittersweet when any show is here or at Nassau Coliseum and I can\u2019t attend, which applies to this evening due to my early work schedule tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>Here are the top 10 moments from last week\u2019s show:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Top 10 Raw moments: WWE Top 10, Feb. 24, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h7N6bAVQwQ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We head towards Elimination Chamber this Sunday, which will be the last PPV prior to WrestleMania.\u00a0 Three matches are signed including both chamber matches.\u00a0 From the Raw side, they\u2019ll determine Becky Lynch\u2019s challenger for the Raw Women\u2019s Championship at \u2018Mania.\u00a0 For Smackdown, they\u2019ll go for their tag team championship currently held by Miz &amp; John Morrison.\u00a0 Braun Strowman defends the Intercontinental Championship in a three-on-one handicap match.\u00a0 I\u2019ll expand on those matches in the Smackdown primer last this week.\u00a0 Here\u2019s what advertised for tonight\u2019s show thus far:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mysterio and Andrade make Raw returns for highly anticipated tag team match<\/li>\n<li>O.C. sneak attack leads to Black vs. Styles on Raw<\/li>\n<li>Beth Phoenix returns to Raw with a medical update on Edge<\/li>\n<li>Shayna Baszler and Asuka collide six nights ahead of WWE Elimination Chamber<\/li>\n<li>\u201cNow or Never\u201d for the Street Profits against Seth Rollins &amp; Murphy<\/li>\n<li>Riddick Moss puts the 24\/7 Title on the line Monday<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Matt Hardy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Before I talk about tonight\u2019s Raw, I want to talk about Matt Hardy.\u00a0 He announced, via his YouTube show Thoughts from the Throne, that he let his WWE contract expired as of midnight this morning.\u00a0 He says he will be exploring all of his options by watching WWE, AEW, NWA, MLW, Impact Wrestling, ROH, New Japan Pro Wrestling, etc.\u00a0 and seeing what he wants to do.\u00a0 He also said there will be a finale to Free the Delete. Here\u2019s is that clip:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THOUGHTS FROM THE THRONE 26\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Y_pVBvzxOQo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis:\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how much Matt has left in the tank from an in-ring standpoint, but I believe there\u2019s some creativity left in him.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure he\u2019d be able to delve into that under the employ of WWE.\u00a0 A lot of people feel AEW is his next stop as the leader of the Dark Order, and that probably makes a lot of sense.\u00a0 I\u2019m just 100% sure it does for me, and I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s something Matt would want to do.\u00a0 For now, I wish Matt all the best and will look forward to seeing where he pops up next.<\/em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rey Mysterio &amp; Humberto Carrillo vs. U.S. Champion Andrade &amp; Angel Garza (with Zelina Vega)<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-568253542\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s been round and round the dance floor for quite some time for everyone involved in this tag team match.\u00a0 Angel Garza has won two straight televised matches against his cousin Humberto Carrillo, beating him on Raw last week and at Super Showdown this past Thursday.\u00a0 When Garza debuted several weeks ago, he went after Carrillo and later took on Rey Mysterio.\u00a0 Mysterio won via DQ when Garza DDT\u2019d him onto the exposed concrete floor.\u00a0 Garza paired with Bobby Lashley to defeat Carrillo and Rusev a few weeks ago on Raw.\u00a0 Zelina Vega has been paired with Garza since he has debuted on Raw.<\/p>\n<p>Vega\u2019s other client, U.S. Champion Andrade, returned from suspension at Super Showdown and failed to win the coveted Tuwaiq Trophy.\u00a0 He has a long-standing feud with Mysterio which goes back to late 2018.\u00a0 Tonight, feuds get combined as Mysterio pairs with Carrillo to face both of Vega\u2019s client in Garza and Andrade.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis:\u00a0 I did notice in one of the losses recently that Carrillo had a real sinister look on his face.\u00a0 I still wonder if a heel turn is in the offing for him with maybe Andrade going babyface.\u00a0 They could pair cousins Carrillo and Garza together managed by Vega.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s really even a thought for WWE, but the thought crossed my mind.\u00a0 Right now, I see Carrillo being a good hand, which is fine, but I wonder if there\u2019s more ground to mine with a turn.\u00a0 As far as the match there aren\u2019t a ton of talking points other than it should be a good match with solid action.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Aleister Black vs. A.J. Styles<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been an interesting few weeks for A.J. Styles.\u00a0 A few weeks ago, he talked about being the greatest and put himself over several WWE Hall of Famers.\u00a0 Last week, he along with Karl Anderson accompanied their O.C. \u201cbrother\u201d Luke Gallows as he took on Ricochet.\u00a0 After Ricochet defeated Gallows, the O.C. were seen arguing in the back.\u00a0 Fortunately, the camera was there at the right time as in walked Aleister Black.\u00a0 They attacked Black ahead of his match with Erick Rowan.\u00a0 This past Thursday at Super Showdown, A.J. thought he had the coveted Tuwaiq Trophy in the bag when the Undertaker showed up and replaced Rey Mysterio in the gauntlet match for said trophy.\u00a0 \u2018Taker pinned him off of a choke slam.<\/p>\n<p>Later on, Black would defeat Rowan.\u00a0 While being interview by Sarah Schreiber, he clearly trolled all of us here at PWTorch and said, \u201cif anyone thinks I\u2019m being too cryptic, next week we fight.\u201d\u00a0 Tonight, Black goes one-on-one with A.J.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis:\u00a0 If A.J. can be pinned off of one choke slam, Black ought to not waste any time.\u00a0 He should go right to Black Mass and get out of dodge.\u00a0 A.J. has been so defined down since pairing with Gallows and Anderson.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how Thursday did him any favors.\u00a0 Considering Black is on the rise, it\u2019ll be interesting to see the finish they have planned for tonight.<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Beth Phoenix Returns to Give Medical Update on Husband Edge<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3674668858\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>We\u2019re a little over a month since Randy Orton took out long-time friend Edge with multiple chair shots to the head.\u00a0 He has tried to give an explanation but is constantly conflicted and has been interrupted by Matt Hardy and Kevin Owens.\u00a0 Last week Owens talked about his disappointment seeing as he grew up watching Edge and always dreamed of facing him.\u00a0 That dream was taken away as a result of Orton taking out Edge.\u00a0 Orton defeated Owens later on with the help of a referee who turned out to be aligned with Seth Rollins<\/p>\n<p>Tonight, we hopefully get no interruptions as Edge\u2019s wife, WWE Hall of Famer and current NXT commentator Beth Phoenix, makes an appearance to give us an update on Edge\u2019s medical condition.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis:\u00a0 The Brooklyn Bridge is about a five to ten-minute drive from the Barclays Center.\u00a0 I\u2019ll sell you that bridge if you think they\u2019re not running some kind of angle tonight.\u00a0 They\u2019re going to provide extra security for Beth given how Orton has been acting lately, right?\u00a0 (Yeah, I tried that with a straight face but no dice.\u00a0 If you could see my face now.)<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Shayna Baszler vs. Asuka<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Last week the participants of the Elimination Chamber match to determine Becky Lynch\u2019s challenger for the Raw Women\u2019s Championship at WrestleMania signed a contract.\u00a0 Asuka, Natalya, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, and Liv Morgan were all present with Jerry \u201cThe King\u201d Lawler moderating (really WWE?\u00a0 Send the world\u2019s biggest dirty old man to do that?)\u00a0 Conspicuous by her absence to start out was Shayna Baszler, the sixth participant.\u00a0 Asuka made issue with it, but they continued with the signing.\u00a0 After everyone signed, Baszler came out.\u00a0 Asuka got in Baszler\u2019s face and then everyone brawled.\u00a0 Later on, Baszler brawled with Becky after she made her way out.<\/p>\n<p>Tonight, Asuka and Baszler go one on one.\u00a0 These women at different times were two of the most dominant champions in NXT.\u00a0 They never crossed paths, but Asuka\u2019s Kabuki Warrior partner Kairi Sane sure did.\u00a0 They swapped the women\u2019s championship and had a long-standing feud throughout 2018.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis:\u00a0 It\u2019s odd to have two heel characters go at it, especially including one who hasn\u2019t been a heel for very long in Asuka.\u00a0 What babyface should Baszler take on that\u2019s worthwhile?\u00a0 I suppose Natalya would be the choice.\u00a0 There\u2019s no other babyface on the Raw side that\u2019s worth a minute of your time.\u00a0 Most likely there will be shenanigans setting up whatever they have planned, but the match leading up to all of that should be good.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cNow or Never\u201d Raw Tag Team Championship: Seth Rollins &amp; Murphy (champs) vs. Street Profits (Montez Ford &amp; Angelo Dawkins)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This past Thursday at Super Showdown, Rollins &amp; Murphy retained the Raw Tag Team Championship over the Street Profits.\u00a0 In the run-up to that match, last week on Raw we saw Angelo Dawkins beat Murphy via DQ.\u00a0 Next, we saw Montez Ford go about 15 minutes with Seth Rollins, ultimately falling to his Stomp.<\/p>\n<p>Tonight, the Street Profits somehow get a rematch for the Raw Tag Team Championship.\u00a0 Only this time it\u2019s a \u201cnow or never\u201d match, which suggests the Profits will never get a shot at Rollins &amp; Murphy for the titles if they can\u2019t win them.\u00a0 Here\u2019s Rollins &amp; Murphy in a <a href=\"http:\/\/wwe.com\/\">WWE.com<\/a> exclusive following their retaining of the titles at Super Showdown:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Seth Rollins &amp; Murphy relay message to Raw roster: WWE Exclusive, Feb. 27, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bY0S5OKHwPc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis:\u00a0 Now or never?\u00a0 Does that mean they\u2019re switching the titles?\u00a0 That would make sense if they\u2019re setting the stage for a feud with Rollins and Kevin Owens or whatever else they may have planned for Rollins &amp; Murphy.\u00a0 For me though, it doesn\u2019t feel like the Street Profits\u2019 time, but when does it feel like time for any tag team on the roster?<\/em><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Riddick Moss Defends 24\/7 Championship<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Two weeks ago, on Raw, Riddick Moss retained the 24\/7 Championship over former champions Mojo Rawley and 20+ or 30+ time champ R-Truth.\u00a0 Earlier that day he retained the title at the Funko Store:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"24\/7 Champion Riddick Moss ambushed at Funko: Raw Exclusive, Feb. 17, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WYY6aDquBjg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>WWE is advertising that he will defend the title tonight.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis:\u00a0 Isn\u2019t the idea of the 24\/7 Championship that it\u2019s defending anywhere, anytime and unannounced?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Other Match Results and Segments from Last Week<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Paul Heyman cut a promo with his client, WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, ahead of his retaining the title over Ricochet at Super Showdown.\u00a0 He looked ahead to the \u201cspoiler\u201d of retaining the title over Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania.\u00a0 Speaking of Drew, he spoke backstage with Charly Caruso regarding his career in WWE.\u00a0 He talked about how things went the first time around when he was the \u201cchosen one\u201d to getting fired, coming back and becoming the NXT Champion, coming to the main roster, and eventually winning the Royal Rumble.\u00a0 They highlighted his time in 3MB (I get the willies thinking about that awful stable) but didn\u2019t talk about the alliances with Dolph Ziggler and eventually Shane McMahon.<\/li>\n<li>Bobby Lashley defeated R-Truth ahead of Truth defeating him in the Tuwaiq Trophy gauntlet match at Super Showdown.\u00a0 That match would eventually be won by the Undertaker, who defeated A.J. Styles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite some issues with the show recently, I\u2019m still overall intrigued by the storylines much more so than I am with Smackdown.\u00a0 Even though I\u2019m positive on it, Asuka vs. Baszler feels a little soon.\u00a0 I\u2019ve just hot a point in my WWE viewing that no matches are big and it\u2019s better just to watch and see how things unfold.\u00a0 Given we have Elimination Chamber next week, tonight should be good considering it\u2019s the go-home Raw episode.\u00a0 New York shows tend \u2026 I say tend to be more exciting than others.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Follow Frank on Twitter @FrankPeteani.\u00a0 Questions and discussion are welcome!\u00a0 Thank you for reading.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/02\/24\/heydorns-wwe-raw-report-2-24-alt-perspective-coverage-of-the-live-show-including-final-hype-for-super-showdown-brock-lesnar-addresses-ricochet-next-steps-for-randy-orton-and-more\/\">HEYDORN\u2019S WWE RAW REPORT 2\/24: Alt Perspective coverage of the live show including final hype for Super Showdown, Brock Lesnar addresses Ricochet, next steps for Randy Orton, and more<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-5863446\"><div id=\"pwtor-1886937836\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRIMER BROOKLYN, N.Y. AT THE BARCLAYS CENTER MARCH 2, 2020 AIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EST BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST \u00a0 Announcers: Tom Phillips, Jerry \u201cThe King\u201d Lawler, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/03\/02\/wwe-raw-primer-3-2-rey-humberto-vs-andrade-garza-phenomenal-knock-on-blacks-door-beth-phoenix-vampire-queen-of-spades-vs-empress-now-or-never-for-the-smoke-24-7-championship\/\" title=\"WWE RAW PRIMER 3\/2: Rey &#038; Humberto vs. Andrade &#038; Garza, Phenomenal Knock on Black\u2019s Door, Beth Phoenix, Vampire Queen of Spades vs. Empress, Now or Never for the Smoke, 24\/7 Championship\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,52,4354,27,5893,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prowrestlingnews","category-opnionandanalysis","category-raw-primer","category-specialists","category-tvprimers","category-news_wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2020\/03\/Screen-Shot-2020-03-02-at-4.22.58-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94068"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94074,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94068\/revisions\/94074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}