Welcome to Ringside News’ coverage of WWE Raw results for March 18, 2019.
Tonight’s show will see Raw Women’s Champion, Ronda Rousey, defend her Championship against Dana Brooke. If you’ll remember, last week Dana interrupted Ronda Rousey and asked for a match. Instead, Rousey pounded her into the mat. Well, tonight Brooke gets her match, and Ronda has promised it will be “uncomfortable” to watch. Heel Ronda is legit.
Also tonight, the WWE Universal Champion returns after another hiatus. Well, seeing as it’s only three weeks to WrestleMania, I guess it’s high time Lesnar comes to Raw and F5’s someone. And next time we see Brock will be the go-home show, in which he’ll do something similar. At this point the Lesnar shtick is just so tired and trite that it’s hard to imagine fans really caring. Just let Seth take the belt and we can all move on with our lives.
And the final elements of tonight’s show worth mentioning are Kurt Angle announcing his WrestleMania opponent, and Seth Rollins facing Drew McIntyre, seeking retribution for his fallen brothers from last week.
That’s the preview for tonight’s Raw. Remember to download the Ringside News app and follow us on Instagram to stay in the loop. And, as always, enjoy the show!
Monday Night Raw opens with the WWE Universal Champion, The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar, making his way to the ring.
Lesnar, flanked by Heyman, is in the ring in Chicago and receiving a fair amount of boos. Lesnar lifts his title high to silence them but they boo louder. Heyman introduces both of them, then moves on to talk about WrestleMania. Heyman says Seth Rollins is a master of weaving propaganda tales; like saying Lesnar has a stylistic problem facing guys of his size and pace. Heyman then calls Rollins a fool and asks the fans who the winner was in Brock’s matches with Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles, and Finn Balor.
Heyman then talks about Drew McIntyre being a career killer. He says McIntyre is a machine and Rollins wants to fight the Scottish Psychopath a mere month from WrestleMania. Heyman asks what Rollins is thinking but then out comes Drew himself.
McIntyre, on the ramp, says it is refreshing to finally get the respect he has earned. The fans boo and he tells them to shut their mouths and open their ears. He reminds us that last week he “brutalised” both Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns last week. He says that Brock will need a new opponent for WrestleMania because Rollins won’t make it to the show after he’s through with him. Seth then comes running out and whacks McIntyre in the back with a chair. He floors him with a second shot, then referees come out to stop Seth. The fans chant “one more time”, so Seth hits McIntyre upwards of 20 times! Brock looks like he’s seen a ghost. Seth turns to Lesnar and runs into the ring but Lesnar slides out and leaves.
Still to come tonight, Rollins Vs. McIntyre, Ronda Rousey Vs. Dana Brooke, and we’ll hear Batista’s side of the story. After the break, Finn Balor and a partner of his choosing will face Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley.
*Commercial Break*
We return with Finn Balor on the mic and he wishes us a happy belated St. Patrick’s Day. Before he can continue, Bobby Lashley and The Hype Man come out.
Lashley and Strowman start the match and lock-up. Lashley shoves Braun backwards twice, but the third time Strowman shoves him to the corner. Lashley then runs for a shoulder tackle but Braun floors him and Bobby rolls outside.
*Commercial Break*
Back from the break to see Rush kick Balor, then make a tag to Lashley in. Lashley quickly stops Balor from making a tag and applies a chin lock. Balor fights up, but Lashley takes him down with a reverse STO for a near fall. Rush tags in and goes for a sunset flip, but Balor rolls through and dropkicks him.
Lashley quickly tags in and punches Balor down. Lashley then manhandles him and takes him down with a chin lock. Balor fights up and tries for a tag, but Lashley stops it. Balor boots him back and tries for a tag, but Lashley slams him into his corner. Lashley charges, but Balor sidesteps him and sends him shoulder-first into the ring post. Rush tags in, jumps over Balor, is scared back by Strowman, and takes a falling elbow drop from Balor.
Braun tags in, and he grabs Rush and throws him. Strowman then tosses Rush across the ring like a paper ball. He does it again and Rush gets serious air. Strowman clubs Rush in the chest and lifts him up, but Lashley comes from nowhere and spears the monster! Balor jumps Lashley and knocks him out of the ring. Rush then knocks Balor out of the ring.
Rush quickly goes to the top rope and hits a frog splash onto Braun, but Strowman powerfully kicks out. Rush looks terrified as Strowman gets to his feet. Rush runs away, but he’s cornered by Balor. Balor catches Rush, but Lashley knocks him down. Strowman then shoulder blocks Lashley into the crowd. Strowman gets Rush in the ring and shoulder blocks him down. Strowman then hits Rush with a chokeslam. Lashley is at ringside, watching on, before he decides to walk off and leave Rush behind. Strowman then hits a running powerslam on Rush for the win.
We see Ronda Rousey and her husband, Travis Browne, walking into the arena. They’re stopped by a referee and security, who say in addition to being fined for her actions last week, management has saw fit to hire extra security. Ronda blows them off and keeps walking.
Alexa Bliss makes her entrance for A Moment of Bliss with Elias.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back live and Alexa Bliss talks briefly about WWE’s 1 billion social media followers. She says the hype for WrestleMania is real, then turns it over to Michael Cole to rundown the card – that must be weird for those in attendance because they can’t hear the commentators.
Back with Alexa Bliss, she says she is the only person worthy of hosting a card like that. She says she’s a really good talk show host, that she has been inspiring people across the world. She then introduces her guest, Elias.
Elias sits with Alexa and she tells him no to worry, because this is a safe place and he won’t be interrupted. Elias thanks her and then announces that he will be the headline musical act at WrestleMania. He then criticises New York and praises New York, earning the boos of the crowd. He says if anybody attempts to interrupt him at WrestleMania, and he means anyone, he will beat them down.
No Way Jose’s conga line then comes out and interrupts, but Jose isn’t there. Instead, Otis Dozovich and Tucker Knight are leading the way. Alexa apologises to Elias, saying she did book the conga line but it was for the end of the show. Elias then gets in Otis’ face and says he needs to teach him the importance of timing. Just then one of the conga line smashes Elias from behind. It’s a guy in a Lucha mash, who turns out to be No Way Jose. Elias gets to his feet and Jose slides into the ring, fired-up. The two will have a match after the break.
*Commercial Break*
We return to see the match already underway, and Jose hits Elias with an airplane spin. Jose hits a rolling senton on Elias, then forces him to the corner. Elias reverses a whip to the opposite corner, but Jose slingshots over him and hits an arm drag. Elias gets up, but Jose hits another arm drag/neckbreaker and sets into an armbar.
Elias eventually punches out of the armbar and takes Jose down. Jose fires back with a pair of clotheslines and a hip toss neckbreaker. Jose clotheslines him in the corner and goes to the top rope for a cross-body block, but Elias moves.
Elias punches and kicks Jose before flooring him with a clothesline. Elias goes to the top rope, almost loses his balance, but then hits a flying elbow drop. Elias follows-up with Drift Away for the win.
Still to come, Batista talks about his history with Triple H, a Raw Women’s Championship Match, and Seth Rollins Vs. Drew McIntyre. Up next however, Kurt Angle will announce his WrestleMania opponent.
Kurt Angle makes his way to the ring to announce his WrestleMania opponent, in what will be his final match.
Angle says his farewell tour continues, as he gets to have a match here in Chicago. The fans chant “Thank you Kurt”. He thanks them, then also thanks the McMahon Family for allowing him to choose his opponent – which we’re about to find out is certainly not true. Angle goes on to say that he wants to face the man who has made his life a living hell for the past few years: Baron Corbin. Nothing would make him happier than making Corbin tap-out at WrestleMania. So there goes any hope for John Cena.
Angle’s opponent for tonight is Chad Gable. The two men who have been compared for a long time. Before the match begins, Gable shakes Angle’s hand and tells him, without a mic, that he is a hero and a true inspiration, and that the pleasure is all his.
As the match begins, the fans chant “this is awesome”. They lock up and Angle backs him to the corner. Gable applies a side headlock, Angle whips him off, and Gable shoulder blocks him down. Angle gets to his feet and applies a waistlock. Gable reverses it and takes him down. Angle grapevines his head, but Gable kips up and out of the hold. They’re at a stalemate and the fans cheer the amateur wrestling.
Gable takes his hero down and applies a front facelock. Angle fights up and fires back with a shoulder block. Angle runs at him in the corner but Gable responds with an elbow. Angle catches him with a belly-to-belly overhead suplex, and Gable quickly rolls out of the ring to recover.
Gable makes his way back into the ring and takes Angle’s back and slams him down. Angle reverses into a slam of his own and a headlock. Gable struggles to his feet and gets Kurt on one knee with a wristlock. A pocket of the crowd began chanting “CM Punk”, and the rest of the crowd booed them.
Angle whips Gable into the corner chest-first. Angle runs at Gable, who dodges him, sending Kurt through the ropes and to the floor. As Angle slowly gets back into the ring, Gable dropkicked his knee. Gable then goes to work on the leg. Gable applies a submission to the leg but Angle kicks him off. Angle then knocks Gable out of the ring with a clothesline and we take a break.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back live and Gable is sliding into the ring. Angle hits him with a clothesline, then another, followed by a back body drop. Gable leaps off the middle rope with a sunset flip but Angle rolls through for an Ankle Lock. Gable reverses into a pin attempt but Kurt kicks out.
Angle catches Gable with a German suplex, but Gable then gets him in an Ankle Lock! The Chicago crowd boos! Angle rolls forward, sending Gable into the turnbuckles. Kurt looks for the Angle Slam but Gable reverses into a DDT! Angle kicks out but Chad climbs to the top rope and looks for a Asai moonsault but nobody’s home. Angle then grabs Gable with the Ankle Lock and wraps around the challenger, forcing him to tap.
After the match Angle lifts Gable to his feet and hugs him. Baron Corbin then comes out and the fans boo. Corbin says he enjoyed laughing and humiliating Angle as Raw GM. It felt good. But it won’t feel as good as when he humbles and humiliates him in his final match. He says it won’t matter what Kurt has done in his career, they’ll just remember his last match. The fans chant “we want Cena!”
We see a video of last week when Drew McIntyre ambushed Roman Reigns, then destroyed Dean Ambrose in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.
*Commercial Break*
Sasha Banks and Bayley are in the ring with Charly Caruso. The interviewer asks why the duo have been to Raw and NXT, but not SmackDown Live. Sasha gets heated at Charly but Bayley steps in and says they don’t fear anyone, and that’s why they will be making an appearance tomorrow night on SmackDown Live. She hints that they will address Billie Kay and Peyton Royce specifically.
Natalya then comes out, followed by Beth Phoenix. They get to the ring and the fans cheer for Phoenix. She says she respects both Banks and Bayley, and she watched everything they did to get to where they are. She says Nattie and her would loved to have had that opportunity when she was a competitor. She says she was content to do commentary and watch the women’s revolution unfold. That was until she saw Nia Jax and Tamina trying to set the whole division back a few years. She says that awoke the dragon, and it got her thinking that her and Natalya may still be able to accomplish some goals. She says if Bayley and Sasha truly claim they are willing to defend these titles at any time, she will be willing to step-out of retirement to face them at WrestleMania!
Bayley says it would be an honour for them to have that match… but wouldn’t she rather have more time to prepare? The fans boo and Bayley says she doesn’t mean it in a bad way, it’s just that Beth has been retired for six years and the competition has evolved since she was around. Natalya reminds Bayley who Beth Phoenix is, a Hall of Famer and former Women’s Champion who has zero reason to be afraid of a little girl like her. Sasha asks Natalya who she thinks she is, and says they know who Beth is. Banks says Natalya is just riding Beth’s coattails trying to get a match at WrestleMania. Natalya then slaps Banks and they start brawling. Phoenix shoves Bayley and the two teams are left staring each other down as we head to a break.
*Commercial Break*
The bell rings, and Banks takes her down with a Thesz Press and some punches. Natalya gets out, but Banks kicks her. Natalya sidesteps her and spikes her on her tailbone. Natalya steps on her and hits a low dropkick for a near fall. Natalya applies an abdominal stretch and grabs the leg for good measure. Banks gets out and rolls her up for a two count. Banks throws her to the corner and hits double knees. Natalya soon sidesteps her and hits a discus clothesline. Banks rolls out of the ring to recover.
Nia Jax comes out to the stage and sarcastically applauds Beth Phoenix for coming out of retirement. Jax says she isn’t jealous of Phoenix because she’s done more than Phoenix did in her entire career. The fans boo but Nia continues that Phoenix is only back because she is getting recognition for being the new monster. She’s the prettier, stronger version of The Glamazon. Tamina then sneaks up from behind and shoves Phoenix into the ring post before clocking Bayley and Banks with meagre superkicks.
Tamina then joins Nia on the ramp and she says they’ll see them at WrestleMania. This should be so much better than it is, but the booking is so poor.
Mojo Rawley is backstage talking to himself in the mirror once again – imagine getting paid to do this? Rawley says potential isn’t any good if you don’t do anything with it. Rawley screams at himself why he can’t figure it out. Nothing much here.
Ricochet makes his entrance. He’ll be in action, next.
*Commercial Break*
The bell rings and Mahal powers the one and only to the corner. Ricochet fires back with a hurricanrana before dropkicking Mahal out of the ring. Ricochet feigns a dive and the crowd smatters some applause.
Back in the ring, Ricochet shoulders Mahal, before being whipped to the corner. Ricochet kicks the former Champion back, but The Singh Brothers grab his ankle. Mahal then clotheslines Ricochet down and takes control of the pace.
Mahal digs his knee into Ricochet before hitting a scoop slam for a two count. Mahal applies a chin lock to Ricochet and holds it on for a while. Ricochet fights up, but Mahal continues to control him. Finally, Ricochet hits an enzuigiri and a rolling dropkick to make a comeback.
Ricochet ducks a right hand and hits a head-scissor takeover. Ricochet hits a running shoulder block and hits a springboard clothesline. Ricochet hits a standing shooting star press for a two count. The Singh Brothers pull Mahal out of the ring. Ricochet then hits a cartwheel Fosbury Flop on Mahal and The Singhs. Ricochet gets Mahal in the ring and goes to the top rope for the 630 and the win!
Wow, the crowd was pretty dead throughout that and I can’t blame them. This doesn’t feel like the Road to WrestleMania, there’s only a couple of big matches building, while the rest of the show feels like filler.
Still to come, Seth Rollins Vs. Drew McIntyre, Ronda Rousey Vs. Dana Brooke. Rousey BMF walks her way to the ring.
*Commercial Break*
Dasha Fuentes interviews Seth Rollins backstage and asks if fighting a bigger guy like McIntyre is practice for Lesnar. Seth says he isn’t afraid to fight fire with fire. Tonight isn’t about proving anything, it’s about getting revenge for what Drew did to his brothers. And then he plans on going to Suplex City and burning it down.
We see Dana Brooke in Guerilla position. Charly asks her if she knows what she’s getting herself into. Dana says this is the Road to WrestleMania, where dreams become reality, and underdogs make history. She says she isn’t naive, she might not be as good as Ronda Rousey, but she only has to be better for 3 seconds.
The match gets underway and Dana catches a kick before slapping Ronda. Rousey fires back with a knee to the face, followed by a few more knees and an armbar or the win.
Rousey refuses to let go of the armbar and Dana screams in agony. An official forces Ronda off and she shoves him down. Ronda then leaves the ring and goes to kiss her husband. Security grab hold of her and she takes one down and beats him. Another starts to pull Ronda off and her husband (UFC fighter Travis Browne) clocks the guy with a stiff elbow. He then lifts Ronda over the barricade and the two of them leave through the crowd. Officials are left in the ring trying to help Dana Brooke, who is still selling the effects of the armbar.
After the break, Batista will share his side of the story.
*Commercial Break*
The bell rings, and Corbin soon takes him down with a shoulder block. Crews dropkicks him and kips up. Corbin slides out of the ring, and Crews hits a moonsault off the apron and wipes the lone wolf out.
Apollo gets him back in the ring, but Corbin fires back with a stiff forearm. Corbin throws him headfirst into the corner. Baron goes for an out-and-in clothesline, but Crews avoids it. Corbin then takes him down and applies a chin lock to slow down the pace.
Corbin looks for a chokeslam but Crews lands on his feet. Crews hits the ropes but Corbin comes back with a Deep Six for a near fall. Corbin punches Crews while the crowd chants, “We want Cena.” Crews flies right through the End of Days and rolls Corbin up for the win!
Corbin is furious after the match, while Kurt Angle meets Crews on the ramp and celebrates with him.
We see Batista sitting down, being fitted with a microphone. He’ll be doing his interview after the break.
*Commercial Break*
Batista is live via satellite from Tampa, Florida. Michael Cole thanks Batista for joining them. Cole wants to know why he’s so angry with Triple H. Batista says he just doesn’t like the guy. Since he’s left, all he’s wanted to do is come back and have that one last match with him. Now here we are. Cole says that’s a vague answer. Where does this go back to? Evolution? Batista sits quietly before saying it goes back way further than that. Batista keeps hearing that he owes his career to Triple H. Before Evolution, Triple H groomed him to be his muscle. Triple H uses people to protect him and make him look good. DX and Evolution are the same thing. Triple H used him like some big meathead, holding him down and underestimating him.
Cole mentions that Batista quit in 2010 and walked out at the height of his career. Does he blame Triple H for that? Batista asks “why shouldn’t I?” Batista also doesn’t like people saying he quit. Imagine having a buddy who is also your boss and jealous. Batista felt like he never got a fair opportunity. He says HHH didn’t think he was a big enough star to be on top of the company. Ever since then, he left and became world famous. Batista is now in a position of control and is getting what he deserves. Cole says he’s known Triple H for over 20 years. He’s been nothing but fair to him. Look what he does for NXT Superstars. Batista asks what is wrong with Cole. Triple H is known as the Cerebral Assassin. He says Triple H has them fooled. HHH is the most selfish, insecure, jealous control freak he’s ever met. Batista says one day, hopefully soon, Vince will wake up and fire Triple H to end his professional career. At WrestleMania, he’ll end Triple H’s in-ring career. Batista then kicks the film crew out of his office.
Charly Caruso is backstage with Braun Strowman. She asks him about the attack on the car last week and Strowman says they came to his house and disrespected him and WWE. These two have him so angry that he’s entering the André The Giant Memorial Battle Royal so as many people as possible can get these hands. Alexa Bliss walks up and says she wants to broker peace as the host of WrestleMania. Bliss asks for a week to make it right. Strowman agrees, but if they disrespect him again, he’ll show them what discipline really is.
Drew McIntyre makes his entrance, he’ll face Seth Rollins after the break.
*Commercial Break*
Drew McIntyre is in the ring and has replays shown of him sending Roman Reigns head-first into the ring post last week on RAW. Roman Reigns is not medically cleared to be here tonight. When Reigns returned, everyone rejoiced in the fact that the Big Dog is back. At Fastlane, he could tell Reigns wasn’t the same and relied on The Shield to get through it. Now The Shield is no more. McIntyre now has Seth Rollins attacking him from behind like a coward and viciously assaulting him. Rollins is just like the crowd: deluded and living in a fantasy world. Last week, McIntyre revealed the truth when he dropped Reigns. This is his yard now.
McIntyre wants to take a moment to speak to Roman Reigns. Not Roman Reigns, the superstar, but Joe, the man. That’s what Reigns told them to call him when his leukemia came back: Joe, the husband and father. Now he’s Joe at home because of him. If Reigns wanted to be an inspiration to the people, he has a challenge for him. McIntyre is challenging Reigns to a fight at WrestleMania. McIntyre knows the answer already, as do the people. McIntyre tells Reigns to look at his wife and children. McIntyre is asking him to say no to it. McIntyre tells Reigns to choose his family and not the people because they don’t give a damn about him. McIntyre swears that if Reigns fights him at WrestleMania, all bets are off. He says what he did to Reigns and Ambrose will be like nothing. McIntyre will maim and destroy him. He says Reigns may have beaten leukemia, but on the Grandest Stage of Them All, Reigns will never beat him. Gross, as usual.
Seth Rollins appears on the Titantron. Rollins says that’s why he did what he did to him earlier tonight. Replays are shown of Rollins viciously beating McIntyre with a steel chair earlier tonight. Rollins says that was for his brothers and this is for him now. Rollins’ music hits and he comes running out. McIntyre runs and meets him on the ramp and they brawl. Referees pull them apart and we head to a break.
*Commercial Break*
We return to the match in progress. McIntyre takes him down and applies an arm bar. Rollins fights up, but McIntyre takes him down with a back elbow for a two count. Rollins tries to fight back, but Drew takes him down with two vertical suplexes for a two count. McIntyre clubs him down and reapplies the arm bar. Seth fights up and kicks him in the face before throwing him out of the ring.
McIntyre pulls Seth out of the ring, but Rollins fires back with some punches and chops. McIntyre tries to toss Rollins into the steps but Seth attempts a backflip moonsault and lands on the floor hard.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back and McIntyre unleashes some chops on the number one contender. During the commercial break, McIntyre hit a belly-to-belly overhead suplex. McIntyre looks for a powerbomb but Rollins counters into a hurricanrana. McIntyre rolls out of the ring to recover.
Rollins goes for a suicide dive, but McIntyre catches him and slams him into the barricade. McIntyre grabs a steel chair and thinks about it using it while the referee tries to stop him. McIntyre smacks the ring post with the chair, then swings but Rollins dropkicks him.
Both men get back in the ring just before being counted out. Rollins immediately clotheslines Drew back out of the ring and hits two quick suicide dives. McIntyre gets in the ring, and Rollins hits him with the Sling Blade. Rollins follows up with a superkick for a near fall. Rollins sets up for a powerbomb, but McIntyre shrugs him off and hits a back body drop, but Rollins lands on his feet. McIntyre catches him with an inverted Alabama Slam for a near fall. Seth took that bump hard.
McIntyre puts him on the top rope and punches him. Seth climbs down but then McIntyre pulls him up to the top rope with him. The Scotsman headbutts Rollins off, but Rollins quickly scales the ropes and hits a superplex followed by a falcon arrow for a near fall. Rollins sets up for the Stomp, but Brock Lesnar’s music hits!
The WWE Universal Champion makes his way to the stage with Paul Heyman. Rollins is distracted. Lesnar hands Heyman his belt and starts walking to the ring, but McIntyre then levels Rollins with a Claymore Kick for the win.
Back on the stage, Lesnar and Heyman are laughing. Lesnar takes his belt back from his advocate, as he clearly had no intention of coming to the ring.
That’s it for this week’s Raw. Let us know what you though of the show, and be sure to come back tomorrow for more wrestling news and results. Until then, safe travels!