Raw Review 04/09/2018

Tonight is what some call the biggest Raw of the year as it is the Raw after Wrestlemania where anything can happen! First, what is next for Roman Reigns after suffering a devastating loss to Brock Lesnar as Lesnar retained the Universal Championship? Plus Nia Jax finally got hers and captured the Raw Women’s Championship, will Alexa Bliss ever be able to regain “her title”? Braun Strowman shocked the world as he and a fan named Nicholas won the Raw Tag Team Championships but what will be next for Braun now that he has the gold? The Deadman finally rose from darkness last night but what will John Cena’s feelings be on their match? Finally what’s next for Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey after their huge victory over Stephanie and Triple H?

Raw is live tonight from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans

Raw kicks off with us being welcomed to the show by Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and The Coach.

In Ring Segment: Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie starts by saying she expected a little bit more from the crowd. She mocks the crowd and tells them any other crowd would have had some sympathy. She says they might be saying you tapped out but says everyone was surprised by one woman in particular and that was her. She says she knew exactly what she was doing and did this to show the world what Ronda was really made of. She says she knows the crowd wants her to come out and she couldn’t be prouder of what Ronda did last night. Here comes Ronda!
Steph tells Ronda last night the better woman won. She says she was spectacular and she showed that she does everything with heart and passion. Steph says she doesn’t feel bad for losing to her and she tells her that together there is nowhere they can’t go. She tells Ronda together they could do anything together and she will put the WWE machine behind her. She tells Ronda she is smarter than the crowd and she knows she needs the office to support the talent. She tells Ronda she taught her a valuable lesson last night and she paid the price. She tells the crowd to give it up for her friend Rowdy Ronda Rousey. The two share a huge but Ronda then gets Stephanie in an armbar!
My Opinion:
I like Raw starting off like this. I think Ronda is the now and this is a great way to keep getting her over. Ronda showed she doesn’t care and is here to make an impact. She was amazing last night and going forward I see nothing but success. The crowd was a little rough on Stephanie but at least they are into it. Stephanie did a great job selling this and was great in getting Ronda over. Now let’s see what Ronda does with the spotlight.

In Ring Segment:
*** Before the match Alexa says it looks like there is no bigger bully than Ronda Rousey unless you’re talking about Nia Jax. She says Nia loves throwing her weight around. She says she beat up Mickie James for no reason and she lost because of it and she is a compassionate woman. She says when she saw Nia beat up Mickie she was upset and competed under emotional distress. She says Nia is cold and that’s why she doesn’t have a partner. Nia tells her to shut up. She says she enjoyed every second of last night and adds she is the new Raw Women’s Champion. She says she does have a partner and her name is Ember Moon!

Match 1: Alexa Bliss & Mickie James vs Nia Jax & Ember Moon
Nia starts by throwing Nia. Nia grabs Mickie but Mickie is able to get out of the corner and hits the left leg of Nia. Alexa gets the tag and kicks Nia in the corner. Mickie gets the tag and they try to double Nia but she catches them. Nia headbutts Alexa. Nia then grabs Mickie and gives her to Ember. Ember takes it to Mickie but Mickie lands a kick and tags Alexa. Ember is able to land big kicks and hits an enziguri. Ember hits a cross body and tries a pin but Alexa kicks out. Ember is able to land a big leg sweep and goes to the top rope. Ember goes to the top and hits The Eclipse. Ember goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3.
Winners: Ember Moon & Nia Jax
My Opinion:
Awesome debut for Ember! I’m so excited to have her on Raw and I can’t wait to see where she goes. She is gonna do amazing and showed some of that tonight. I’m so happy for Nia as well, she is awesome as champ and will represent the division well. My only hope though is that Alexa and Mickie stay in the mix of things and don’t get left behind.

Backstage Segment:
Angle is on the phone and says Ember is what Raw needs. He adds that the Superstar shake-up is next week. Braun comes in and Kurt says your tag team partner was surprising and asks where he is. Braun says he is right here. Braun says they’re relinquishing the titles because Nicholas is only in the 4th grade. Braun says when he graduates they will be coming back for those.

Match 2: No Way Jose vs John Skyler
Jose lands a huge hip toss to start. He winds up and hits the knockout punch. He goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3.
Winner: No Way Jose
My Opinion:
Good debut for No Way Jose, it was quick but the crowd loved him and he’ll get his time in the future. His finisher is awesome and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table. I can see him being in the mix but I hope he doesn’t end up like some of the other NXT call ups, mainly I hope he gets a fair shot.

Backstage Segment:
Cesaro and Sheamus say they heard that Braun relinquished the titles. Sheamus asks if he’s gonna give them their titles right now. Kurt says you really think I’m gonna do that. He tells them they will get their shot in 3 weeks at The Greatest Royal Rumble. He says he is gonna give 4 teams a shot in what he calls a tag team eliminator.

Match 3: The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder) vs The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson:
Winners advance to the finals for the chance to compete for the Raw Tag Team Championships at The Greatest Royal Rumble event.
As Raw returns, Dawson and Gallows are in the ring. Gallows lands big slams and takes it to Dawson in the corner. He then sends Wilder out of the ring. Dawson gets back in control and works the leg of Gallows. Wilder gets the tag and goes back to the leg of Gallows. Wilder twist of the ankle and puts pressure on Gallows knee. Wilder is pushed off and goes hard into the turnbuckles. He is able to tag Dawson and goes after Gallows but is pushed off as well. Gallows catches him and Anderson gets the tag. Anderson hits a couple of uppercuts followed by a clothesline. Anderson is able to hit a big kick and neck breaker. Anderson flies from the top and hits a cross body. Anderson hits the spine buster and goes for the cover but Wilder breaks it up. Wilder is able to tag and in without Anderson knowing. They hit The Shatter Machine and Anderson is put away for the win.
Winners: The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)
My Opinion:
Huge win for The Revival, they have been scratching and crawling for their opportunity on Raw and now they got it. They have been through a lot of ups and downs but it will be interesting to see if next week they win and get a shot at the titles. It’s surprising to me they haven’t one them yet so maybe it could happen soon. All in all, they showed how good they are as a team and whoever faces them next week better be prepared for their tactics or they will win just like tonight.

In Ring Segment: Seth Rollins
Rollins says there has been a lot of ups and downs over the years but says that was the loudest crowd he’s ever heard. He says after last night he can finally say Seth Fricken Rollins is back baby! He tells that Grand Slam Rollins has a nice ring to it. Rollins says he’s finally caught up with Roman and Dean and now every member of The Shield is a Grand Slam Champion. He says the best part was winning it on the grandest stage of them all. Outcomes Finn Balor.
Balor says he is sorry to interrupt but says there is something he’s been thinking about and he has to get it off his chest. Rollins tells him to come in. Balor congratulates him and tells him he deserves it. Balor says he was the better man last night but says that last night was a triple threat match and with that there was a winner, a loser and then there was him left wanting more. He tells Rollins he wants to be the first person to step up and challenge him for the Intercontinental Championship. Outcomes The Miz.
Miz says he is more than happy to interrupt the celebration. He tells Rollins he doesn’t deserve it. Miz tells him he deserves it because he made the title the most prestigious title in all of WWE. He says he came down without the Miztourage so there were no complaints. He tells them he is a changed man since he’s become a father and everything he does in his life effects hers. He says that Maryse told him that when Rollins stole the title and he was upset it made his daughter cry. He then says that Maryse cried and then he cried. Rollins tells him he’s gotta admit that he’s proud of him. He says everyone does when they watch him try to wrestle. Rollins tells Miz he can’t lace his boots. Miz says he is owed a rematch. Rollins says if he would like to invoke his rematch clause why not do it right here right now. Miz says no and he will invoke his rematch clause when he wants to. He tells Rollins he would like to invoke his rematch clause at Backlash. Miz tells Balor and Rollins when you negotiate you do it from strength. He says The Miztourage and him can take both of them on. Outcomes Jeff Hardy!
My Opinion:
This was a pretty good segment. I love Rollins as champion and I’m so happy for him. Their match last night was amazing and I hope Rollins has a memorable run as champ. Also seeing Jeff Hardy back was so cool, hopeful Jeff has big things in the future and he can have one more great solo run!

Match 4: Sasha Banks vs Mandy Rose
Sasha sends Mandy to the outside to start. Sasha lands a baseball slide and sends Mandy to the floor. Sasha takes down Mandy and hammers away. Sasha works her in the corner and tries the pin but Mandy kicks out. Mandy is able to take control and throws Sasha into the turnbuckle. Sasha is able to turn it around and bounces Mandy off the turnbuckle. Mandy grabs Sasha and hangs her up on the ropes. Mandy is in control as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Mandy has an abdominal stretch on Sasha. Sasha is able to flip Mandy and hits her with big rights.Sasha takes Mandy down and then is able to hit a dropkick. Sasha flies from the top rope and hits the double knees. Sasha goes for the cover but Mandy is able to kick out. On the outside, Mandy is able to hit a big right. Bayley accidentally punches Sasha as Mandy moves out of the way. Back in the ring Mandy hits her with a huge knee strike and gets the 1 2 3 on the pin.
*** After the match Paige says it was really hard to sit on the sideline at WrestleMania. She says he loves this ring, it’s her heart and soul. She says that due to neck injuries she can no longer compete as a competitor. She says she would like to thank every single female superstar. She says she is proud to be apart of the division and they have made into something they never thought it could be. She thanks her family and then thanks Daniel Bryan and says that he came back from his injury and it gave her hope. She then thanks Edge and says that he showed her there is life after this. She thanks the WWE and says 4 years ago she won the Divas Championship here and this is where she wants to retire. Paige thanks everyone and says this will always be her house.
Winner: Mandy Rose
My Opinion:
This was a great showing for Mandy, she really did awesome tonight.I see Mandy doing big things in the future and same for Sonya even though she didn’t wrestle tonight. Obviously, we got more tension between Sasha and Bayley, I hope we will see them have a match soon to settle this. For Paige this is really sad, she’s always been one of my favorites and is so good in the ring. It’s sad to see someone’s career end but thank you to her for the incredible impact she made!

In Ring Segment:
Elias comes out and the crowd goes nuts. Elias pokes fun at the crowd but they just go with it. Elias sings his song but is interrupted by the returning Bobby Lashley! Lashley gets in the ring and Elias tries to take it to him but Lashley gets the advantage and lifts Elias. He holds Elias up and slams him. Lashley is back!
My Opinion:
Lashley is back baby! I love seeing him back and can only imagine the matches he is gonna have! What an awesome surprise and as always he made an immediate impact. Lashley can be a big-time player they just need to use him right. I think he’s off to a good start and who knows maybe Elias could be a good guy for him to work with to start.

Backstage Segment:
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come to Kurt and tell him they’ve had a fallout on SmackDown. Kurt questions them about their actions. Zayn says it was a personal vendetta but they want to be team players. Kurt says his tag division is full but he heard TNA is hiring. Both plead their case and Angle says he has one spot. He says the two can wrestle for it and they can take it or leave it. Zayn says it’s fine by him.

In Ring Segment:
Slater says it’s a shame he and Rhyno aren’t in the tag team thing. He says they should be because they were the first SmackDown Live Champions. He then challenges any team in the back to come face them. Out comes The Authors of Pain!

Match 5: Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) vs Heath Slater & Rhyno
Slater hits Razear with a huge kick. Rezar stays on him and Akam gets the tag. They take it Slater and hit the Ending Chapter to get the win.
Winners: Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar)
My Opinion:
Impressive debut for these two. They are so dominate as a tag team and their track record in NXT speaks for itself. They are game changers and will make an immediate impact. I was honestly surprised they weren’t in the tag team eliminator tonight but I guess they have to prove themselves. I think they’re gonna do great on the main roster, I just hope they don’t end up in the position that we’ve seen teams like The Ascension and The Revival get in.

In Ring Segment: Roman Reigns
Reigns says as you can see I got my ass kicked last night. He says he is here tonight but Brock Lesnar isn’t. Reigns says everything felt off yesterday, he tells how Vince McMahon himself couldn’t look him in the eye and smarten him up. He then tells how Lesnar re-signed with WWE and he now has a steel cage match with Lesnar which he learned about on the internet. He says if he keeps being put in matches with Brock Lesnar he is gonna become the Universal Champion. Outcomes Samoa Joe.
Joe says well Roman thinks there is a conspiracy. He tells Roman that last night Brock Lesnar exposed him. He tells that Roman said he was the only one who could beat Brock Lesnar. He tells Roman he failed and that makes him a failure. He says Roman is a liar and can’t face the fact that everyone he faces Lesnar he gets jacked up. Joe says after Lesnar is done with him he’ll be waiting at Backlash to put him to sleep.
My Opinion:
Great to have Joe back and he was pretty harsh but real with Reigns tonight.I can’t wait to see him back in the ring and make his way back to the top. I think it’ll be awesome to have him feuding with Reigns again. Also, I hope Joe will get his shot at the Universal Championship as well.

Match 6: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs Titus WorldWide (Titus O’Neil & Apollo)
Winners advance to the finals for the chance to compete for the Raw Tag Team Championships at The Greatest Royal Rumble event.
Hardy and Titus start the match. The two lock up and Titus backs him into the corner. Hardy is able to land a huge clothesline and Wyatt gets the tag and so does Apollo. Wyatt throws him in the corner but Apollo moves and is able to land big rights. Wyatt is able to takedown Apollo and lands a senton. Wyatt pounds on Apollo and tags Hardy. Hardy hammers away but Apollo comes back with rights of his own. Hardy is able to get the advantage and bounce Apollo off the turnbuckle. Wyatt gets the tag and does the same thing. Hardy lands the side effect but Titus saves the match by breaking the cover. Apollo comes back with a dropkick. Wyatt gets the tag but is hit with an enziguri as he enters. Wyatt is able to his the uranage and tags Hardy. Wyatt sends Apollo into Hardy and Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and gets the 1 2 3.
Winners: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
My Opinion:
Hardy and Wyatt looked awesome as a team. I really like this pairing and I think their styles match well. I’m excited to see where this goes and I can’t wait to see how they do next week. They looked to be on the same page and got a pretty easy victory over a formable team of Apollo and Titus.

Match 7: Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens: Winner Gets A Raw Contract
Zayn misses with the Helluva kick to start, Zayn is able to get to Owens but Owens comes back with a huge elbow. Zayn is able to send Owens to the floor and then launches himself to take him out on the floor. Owens lands a big right to drop Zayn. Zayn drops Owens on the floor and then launches him into the ring post. Back in the ring Zayn lands big chops and tries to walk on the top rope but Owens hangs him up. Owens hits an elbow but it’s not enough for the three. Owens tries two more covers but Zayn still kicks out. Owens is in control as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Owens hits Zayn with a huge superkick. Zayn is able to come back and hits a powerbomb but Owens doesn’t stay down. Owens rolls out of the ring to avoid Zayn. on the outside, Owens lands another huge kick. He hits a cannonball on Zayn in the corner. Owens climbs to the top and hits a frog splash but Zayn kicks out of the cover. Owens hits a huge clothesline in the corner. Zayn is able to hit a Helluva kick in the corner. Zayn grabs Owens but Owens fights him off with an elbow. Owens is able to hit the pop up powerbomb but Owens falls to the outside. Owens goes to the top but Zayn lands a huge kick to take him down. Zayn looks for a suplex but Owens reverses into one of his own. Zayn and Owens both are down and neither can make the 10 count.
Winner: No Contest: Double Count Out
My Opinion:
This was such a good match but you kinda knew it’d end in this kind of way. It’s a shame but I’m sure both will find a spot on the roster again. Zayn and Owens constantly prove how good they are but keep getting nothing really in return. I hope these two will get a fair shot at something soon but first, they gotta find jobs.

Backstage Segment:
Matt welcomes Jeff back and tells him he is so glad he overcame his broken condition. Matt tells him he won due to an all too familiar foe. Wyatt hugs Jeff and says he is so glad his brother rendered Sister Abigail obsolete. Wyatt says he feels wonderful. Finn asks what that was all about and Jeff walks away.

Match 8: Seth Rollins & Finn Balor & Jeff Hardy vs The Miz & The Miztourage (Curtis Axel & Bo Dallas)
Miz starts the match with Rollins but wants no part and tags Axel. Axel lands a shoulder tackle and works a side headlock on Rollins. Rollins lands an arm drag but Axel comes back with a stiff right. Dallas and Axel try a double team but Rollins fights it off and lands a leg drop on Dallas. Balor and Rollins assist Hardy as he hits Poetry in Motion on Axel and then Dallas. Rollins, Hardy, and Balor are in control as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Balor lands a stomp on Dallas. Balor tries a pin but Dallas kicks out of the cover. Dallas takes advantage of the distraction and takes Balor down. Miz gets the tag and stomps on Balor. Miz hits a knee on Balor but it doesn’t keep him down. Miz moves to a chinlock but Balor tries to fight out. Miz is able to hit a modified backbreaker and tries for the cover but Balor kicks out. Axel gets the tag and hits a big knee to the back of Balor. Axel tries to prevent Balor from getting the tag and is able to drop Balor to the mat. Dallas gets the tag and hammers on Balor with knee strikes. He tries a cover but Balor kicks out. Dallas works a chinlock and brings Balor to the mat. Balor works to his feet and breaks the hold. Balor tries to get the tag but Dallas stops him. Balor is able to plant Dallas. Miz gets the tag and stops Balor again from getting the tag. Hardy gets the tag and so does Axel. Hardy takes down Axel and hits an inverted atomic drop. Hardy is pushed by Dallas and hit with a forearm. Dallas gets the tag but Hardy is able to fight off the double team. Hardy then hits Whisper in the wind the two. Rollins comes in and so does Miz. Rollins takes Miz down with a blockbuster and he then flies to take out Axel. Rollins then flies again to take out all three men on the outside. Miz is able to avoid Rollins and goes to the top. Rollins meets him up there and hits the suplex followed by the falcon arrow. Rollins goes for the cover but Dallas breaks the cover. Balor comes in to help. Miz tries to take advantage of Rollins but Rollins fights him off and hits the stomp. Rollins goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3.
*** After the match hardy hits the twist of fate on Dallas. Balor it’s the Coupe de Grace and Hardy hits the whisper in the wind. Rollins follows with the stomp. They then do the same to Axel.
Winners: Seth Rollins & Finn Balor & Jeff Hardy
My Opinion:
Great way to end the night, I thought Hardy looked really good in his first match back. Rollins and Balor killed it as always. The Miz and The Miztourage did awesome as a team tonight but just couldn’t overcome those three. Overall this was a great match and it was awesome to see Hardy with two of the best going today.

Final Thoughts:
This was a pretty awesome Raw! I loved the opening with Ronda and Stephanie, Ronda showed she has no mercy and I think that’s what people want to see from her. After last night I am so excited to see Ronda compete again because she is amazing and I hope they have big plans for her going forward. Tonight I was super excited to see the debuts of No Way Jose, Ember Moon, and The Authors of Pain. I think all them will contribute to the roster in big ways. We’ve seen in the past NXT talents get pulled up and not used right but this group has a good shot to make an impact. All the call-ups did awesome in their matches and made their statements. It was also awesome to see the returns of Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, and Bobby Lashley. I can not wait to see what matches Lashley will be in, I think he is gonna make a huge impact during his time here. Samoa Joe obviously will get back right in the main event picture but that’s okay because Joe brings out the best in anyone he faces. As for Hardy, I’m excited to see his singles run and I hope he can capture the world title one more time. The teams of The Revival and Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy picked up huge wins tonight and now have a shot to win the right to face Sheamus and Cesaro for the vacant Raw Tag Team Championships. Wyatt and Hardy looked awesome as a team and I can’t wait to see how they work against the tag team specialist The Revival. Sad news with Paige retiring from in-ring competition tonight, she has given us so many memories and I can’t thank her enough for sacrificing her body for us fans. I think the night ended well with that 6 man tag, they did awesome and closed the show on a high note. One things for sure I can’t wait for the SuperStar Shake-Up next week!
Overall Rating: 7/10