Raw took place in the Staples Center in LA tonight. Following last week’s developments this was always going to be a very interesting episode of Raw and it didn’t disappoint.
DDP was announced as the latest member of the 2017 Hall of Fame ahead of Raw.
The main-event of the evening was a massive match between Braun Strowman and Big Show. Let’s get straight to the results.
Raw kicks off with Kevin Owens
Raw kicked off with a suited up WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens who was greeted by boos. Owens said that he finally had a chance to reveal why he can beat Goldberg. He added that when he was 15 he wouldn’t have believed that he would defend his WWE Universal Championship in the main even of a PPV against Goldberg, he wouldn’t beieve it. He said that even when Goldberg was ploughing through men in WCW, he hadn’t been impressed.
Owens said that he didn’t care about what happened to Brock Lesnar because Brock had underestimated Goldberg while Goldbegr had caught a lucky break. Owens then revealed his plan to defeat Goldberg. He would outlast him because the longer the match would go on, it would get tipped in Owens’ favour. Owens then accused of Goldberg wanting to use his WWE Universal title as a prop in his quest to prove that superheroes exist.
Owens added that the fans could chant for him all they wanted at WWE Fastlane because as far as he was concered, Goldberg was nothing. KO then started to address what happened to Y2J last week. He just dropped the mic and walked away.
Sheamus and Cesaro vs Enzo and Cass (#1 contender’s match for the WWE Universal Championship)
Enzo and Cass cut their usual promo before the match.
Sheamus and Cass started us off. Sheamus impressed early, driving Cass into the corner before hitting a running heel kick. Cass mounted a brief comeback but Sheamus and Cesaro traded tags early before Cass hit back with a massive bodyslam on Sheamus. Cass then tagged in Enzo Amore. Cass launched Enzo into Sheamus before Enzo headed to the top rope. Sheamus hit him with an uppercut, knocking him off the apron which Cesaro followed up with a running uppercut against the barricade. We then headed to commercial.
We came back from commercial to see Sheamus all over Enzo. He hit a jumping knee before tagging Cesaro back in. Enzo then hit back by launching both Sheamus and Cesaro out of the ring. Enzo then looked to scamper back into the ring and make the cover, only for Cesore to intercept him with an uppercut. Cesaro looked back in control but Enzo soon sent him face first into the turnbuckle before both men made tags.
Cass came in hot and booted Sheamus out of the ring before Cesaro came in and hit him with an uppercut. He follwoed it up with a beautiful crossbody followed by a springboard corkscrew uppercut. Cesaro then went for a Swing but Enzo came and distracted Cesaro. Cesaro launched Enzo out of the ring but Cass hit him with an East River Crossing to pin him.
Enzo and Cass def. Sheamus and Cesaro
Enzo bad begun to cut another insulting promo on Cesaro and Sheamus after the match but Sheamus cleaned his clock with a nasty Brogue Kick. The crowd responded with chants of “Thank You Sheamus”.
We got a backstage segment after this. We saw Kevin Owens looking to leave the building when Mick Foley stopped him and informed him that he had a natch with Sami Zayn later in the night. Owens sent out a warning to Foley, telling him that he would soon end up with more guys on the injured list if he wasn’t careful
Akira Tozawa vs Brian Kendrick
Brian Kendrick offered to shake Tozawa’s hand beforet he match began but Tozawa refused. This led Kendrick to cheapshot Tozawa. He sent Tozawa crashing into the turnbuckle before locking in the Bully Choke.
The match never started as Kendrick walked away following the attack.
Match never started
Roman Reigns vs Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows
Roman Reigns got greeted by a volley of boos from the fans at the Staples Center.
The all-conquering Reigns started the match like a superhuman once again, taking the fight to both Anderson and Gallows. He ploughed through the tag-team champions before Gallows finally blindsided Reigns with a side kick.
Gallows followed it up with suplexes and a side-headlock but Reigns managed to get back to his feet. Gallows responded with a knee before planting Roman on the mat. Gallows and Anderson then did their best to double-team Reigns. Gallows then went for a steel chair but Reigns took out the former Bullet Club members and picked up the stee chair.
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson win by DQ
Reigns then almost buried the tag-champs as he hammered them with the chair.
He followed it up with a Superman Punch to Luke Gallows and a massive spear on Karl Anderson.
The New Day vs Rusev and Jinder Mahal
The hosts of Wrestlemania 33, The New Day, come out to face the team of Rusev and Jinder Mahal. New Day had the fans eating out of the palm of their hands during their promo and the crowd chanted “We want ice-cream.”
The match started with Kofi and Rusev. Rusev hit Kofi with a massive dropkick before tagging in Jinder Mahal. Mahal hit a couple of jumping knees before tagging Rusev back in. Kofi hit Rusev with a tornado DDT before both men made tags. Big E came in and cleaned Jinder’s clock, hitting him with multiple belly-to-belly suplexes followed by a Big Splash.
Big E then went for a Big Ending but Rusev came in and hit him with a massive jumping side kick. Kofi thenknocked him out of the ring before hitting him with an over-the-top-rope dive.
At this point, Woods came in and stole the tab from Lana which contained the “hacked” inofrmation about New Day’s ice-cream and he destroyed it. Meanwhile, Kofi and E finished off Jinder Mahal with the Midnight Hour.
The New Day def. Rusev and Jinder Mahal
Contract signing for the WWE Cruiserwieght Championship match at WWE Fastlane
Jack Gallagher was in the ring with Austin Aries at the beginning of this segment. Gallagher signed his contract early before calling out Neville. Neville signed the contract and was about to leave when Gallagher called him back.
Gallagher offered Neville tea and biscuits, which Neville didn’t take kindly to. Neville asked Gallagher to take a look at itself because he was a stereotype of what American’s expected British people to be. He then added that the real streets of England were like him, ugly and rough around the edges. Gallagher replied that this was the way he had been raised.
Neville didnt take kindly to Gallagher’s perceived insolence and toppled the table over before pushing Gallagher away by the face. Gallagher took Neville down before hitting him with a massive headbutt. An enreaged Neville tried to get back into the ring but Gallagher stood strong.
Nia Jax vs Sarah Pearce
Pearce hit Jax with a terrible dropkick as the match started by Nia drove her into the turnbuckle before planting her into the mat. Jax tossed Pearce across the ring by the hair before hitting the Samoan Drop for the pin in under a minute.
Nia Jax def. Sarah Pearce
Bayley’s championship celebration
Bayley was back in her home state of California with the WWE Raw Women’s Championship around her waist. The fans treated her like a homecoming hero and chanted “You deserve it” and Bayley replied by saying “Don’t make me cry yet.”
Bayley told the fans that when she was growing up, her friends had different dreams but hers was always to be in the WWE and a WWE Champion. She added that she couldn’t put the feeling of winning the Raw Women’s Championship into words. She then said that when she won the championship, the first thing she did was call her dad who had taken her to every WWE show he could when she was a kid.
She then thanked her dad, who was in attendance.
Bayley was then interrupted by Stephanie McMahon. Stephanie’s appearance immediately sucked the air out of the building. Stephanie talked down to Bayley for her “tainted” victory last week because of Sasha’s interference. Stephanie asked Bayley if she was willing to throw away who she was for a championship that she hadn’t really earned before adding that Bayley should relinquish the Raw Women’s Championship.
The fans responded with vehement “no’s” as Stephanie continued to goad Bayley into relinquishing her championship. As Bayley reconsindered her decision, Sasha Banks’ music hit.
Sasha did her best, with the help of the fans, to convince Bayley to keep the title. Stephanie questions Sasha’s motives. Bayley replied that there was no way she was giving up her championship and it was because of the fans that she was champion.
At this point, Charlotte’s music hit. She apologized to Stephanie on behalf of Sasha, Bayley and the entire women’s division. Charlotte told Bayley that she didn’t want her to give back the title because she was invoking her rematch clause at WWE Fastlane. Sasha stopped Charlotte in her tracks and challenged her to a match.
Stephanie went a step further and confirmed the match between Sasha and Charlotte.
Sasha Banks vs Charlotte
The match started of with Sasha slapping Charlotte across the face. Charlotte responded with a gut kick. Charlotte tried to go after Sasha’s knee but ended up throwing her down onto the mat by the hair.
Sasha followed it up by driving Charlotte face-first into the turnbuckle and tried to follow it with a Sunset Flip but Charlotte drove her knee into the back of Sasha’s head. Charlotte then wrapped her legs around Sasha’s head, driving her head into the mat and sending her gasping for air. Charlotte then tossed Sasha acros the ring before hitting her with a big boot and throwing her out of the ring as we headed to commercial.
We come back from commerical to see Charlotte locking Sasha Banks into a Dragon Sleeper. Sasha hit back with knees to Charlottes head before rolling her up for a 2-count. Charlotte went for a big boot but Sasha dodged it and hit a body scissors into a Bulldog for a 2-count. Sasha then looked for the double knees in the corner but Charlotte dodged it.
At this point, Dana Brooke looked to come out and help Charlotte but Bayley neutralized that threat. Sasha hit the Backstabbber on The Queen and locked in the Banks Statement which lead to Charlotte tapping out.
Sasha Banks def. Charlotte
Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn
Samoa Joe came out from behind and brutally attacked Sami Zayn as he made his way to the ring. He hit Sami with repeated punches before driving him into the ring post and barricade. Joe then hit a running senton on the floor before tossing Zayn into the ring.
Zayn decided to still go through with the match and Owens destroyed him. Owens hit Zayn with two massive clotheslines followed by two brutal canonballs. He followed it up with a Pop Up Powerbomb to pin Zayn.
Kevin Owens def. Sami Zayn
Following the match, we got a backstage segment between Stephanie and Mick Foley. Things got heated between them and their professional relationship looks strained beyond repair.
Michael Cole interviews Brock Lesnar
Cold started off by asking Lesnar about the Goldberg-Owens match for the WWE Universal Championship. Heyman replied on behalf of Lesnar, telling Cole that Brock had been on edge recently. He added that the match between Goldberg and Owens wouldn’t affect Lesnar’s Wrestlemania. Heyman then added Owens was not the most violent title holder in WWE but Lesnar disagreed.
Heyman also added that he thought Owens had a shot of shocking the world and beating Goldberg but Lesnar disagreed because if Goldberg won, Lesnar could win the WWE Universal Championship from Goldberg.
Big Show vs Braun Strowman
The two behemoths squared off as the match began. They started off with Tests of Strength before Strowman rolled out of a wrist lock and followed it with a kip up. Impressive.
Show responded by pushing Strowman off his feet but Strowman replied with a side-headlock takedown and followed it with a massive clothesline. He followed it up with a huge clothesline in the corner followed by a big boot then left Big Show crawling on the mat. Strowman then went for another corner clothesline but Show went for a chokeslam ony for Strowman to whip out a DDT. Once again, the big man impressed.
Strowman followed it up with another couple of clotheslines which left Big Show floored once again.
Big Show briefly mounted a comeback and even hit Strowman with a chokeslam but the behemoth kicked out at 2 once again. Show then looked to head to the top rope for some reason and Strowman sent him crashing into the mat. Strowman then looked for a Powerslam but Show reversed it and sent him up to the top rope. Show climbed up along with Stowman as he looked for a Superplex.
Strowman sent Show crashing back down before looking for a double axehandle. Show met him with a KO punch but Strowman kicked out of the ensuing cover. Show then headed back to the middle rope but Strowman caught him and hit a Powerslam. It wasn’t a clean move and Big Show kicked out.
Show then looked for a chokeslam but Strowman broke out and lifted Big Show with ease before planting him on the mat with a huge Powerslam to pick up the win.
Braun Strowman def. Big Show
Roman Reigns’ music hit as soon as the match ended. Reigns came in and hit two Superman Punches but Strowman hit him with a running dropkick.Strowman then hit Reigns with a nasty Running Powerslam as the fans exploded and chanted “Thank You Strowman”.
