Welcome to Ringside News’ coverage of the final episode of Monday Night Raw before WrestleMania!
Seeing as this is the final Raw before the big show, it’s set to be a pretty monumental one. First things first, Brock Lesnar returns for a last-minute run-in with Seth Rollins before the culmination of this lacklustre feud on Sunday. Then there’s Stephanie McMahon coming to Raw to make an announcement regarding the main event – seemingly to announce that both the SmackDown Live and Raw Women’s titles will be on the line.
Outside of the two big matches however, we’re also getting a Raw Tag Team Championship Match, the return of Batista to confront Triple H, Beth Phoenix’s first match in six years, and Roman Reigns seeking retribution. As we said, it’s a pretty hefty show for tonight, and there’s sure to be a long middle segment featuring Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley.
That’s the preview for tonight’s show. Remember to follow us on Instagram, download the Ringside News app, and enjoy the show!
Monday Night Raw
The final Raw on the Road to WrestleMania opens with Stephanie McMahon coming to the stage.
McMahon says she can’t believe we’re only six days from WrestleMania. She says this year’s event will be headlined by women. And it’s about to get even bigger right now as she includes a fourth woman in that match…herself!
Stephanie laughs and asks the booing crowd if they can’t take an April’s Fool Day joke. Stephanie turns serious and rhymes off the main event match before stating that this main event is getting bigger because both the SmackDown Live Women’s Championship and the Raw Women’s Championship will be on the line. This Sunday it will be winner takes all!
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman then make their way to the ring. Heyman introduces himself and the Universal Champion Lesnar, and says he will be doing the exact same announcement next Monday. He says last year Brock Lesnar stepped into the ring at WrestleMania and destroyed all of Roman Reigns’ dreams of becoming Universal Champion. And this year will be no different. He says this Sunday could very well be the last match of Seth Rollins’ career. So for the people out there who love Nascar for the crashes and NFL for the big hits, then tune-in this Sunday to see Brock decimate Seth Rollins and stand on is neck. Heyman says Rollins is an afterthought to Brock Lesnar but then the Kingslayer comes down to the ring.
Rollins grabs a microphone and paces around the ring. He says this is the biggest match of his carer this Sunday but it’s also the biggest of Lesnar’s career. Because after WrestleMania Brock won’t be able to just waltz around here like he owns the place. He says nobody wants Brock around; he doesn’t; the locker room doesn’t; and the fans are sick, sore, and tired of him. Brock laughs at Seth. Rollins tells him to laugh it up, saying Lesnar has made a lot of money and earned lots of success by simply being Brock Lesnar. And him beating Lesnar at WrestleMania is improbably but it is impossible. He tells Brock he will beat him and take his title and there’s not a damn thing he can do about it.
Again Lesnar laughs Rollins off and shoulders him as he walks past. Rollins turns Lesnar around and kicks him in the gnards! Seth tries to beat on Brock but the Champion scoops him up for a German suplex. Rollins low-blows Brock again before hitting a superkick and The Stomp! Rollins holds the Universal Championship up before throwing it onto Brock and leaving.
After the break, Beth Phoenix returns to the ring in 8-woman tag action!
*Commercial Break*
Back from the action and we get a replay of Seth and Brock brawling. Seth is shown walking backstage and Charly Caruso reminds him that he can’t win the title on Sunday if he low-blows Brock. Seth shrugs and says Brock had it coming.
Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Sasha Banks, & Bayley Vs. Nia Jax, Tamina, Peyton Royce, & Billie Kay
The match begins with Banks and Peyton Royce, who lock-up. Royce knees Banks and talks trash to her. Banks responds with an attempted springboard arm-drag that she botched. Banks then goes right back to the springboard arm-drag before tagging Bayley.
The Hugger literally just lifts Peyton Royce to her feet and tags Banks back in for a double-team move. Royce tags Kay and Sasha puts Billie in the corner and kicks her before tagging Nattie. After a suplex to Kay, Phoenix tags in and hits a double-arm drag with Natalya. Phoenix then lifts Kay high into the air with a wrist lock. Royce runs in to help Kay, prompting Banks and Bayley to come in. Phoenix, Natalya, Banks, and Bayley then get into each others faces and argue as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
Back from the break and Bayley is attacking Kay in the corner. Royce tags in and knocks Bayley out of the ring. Royce brings Bayley back into the ring for a two count. Kay tags back in for a double team move on Bayley. The Iconics pose together before Kay covers for a two count. Royce tags back in for another double team move. Royce continues to slow down the pace with stomps in the corner to Bayley.
Royce tries to tag Jax but she hops off the apron and avoids the tag. Tamina doesn’t want the tag either, so Kay yells at Snuka and Jax. Bayley drops Kay and begins to rally. Phoenix and Banks argue on the apron until Beth tags in on her own accord. She comes in hot and scoops Royce up and rams her into the corner. Phoenix knocks Kay off the apron. Beth hits Peyton with a slam and roars as the crowd cheer. Snuka pulls Beth out of the ring and she hits the apron hard on the way down. Phoenix knocks Snuka back before tackling her through the barricade!
The other women in the match are left speechless as Phoenix recovers and the fans cheer. Royce grabs Beth and throws her back into the ring. She lifts her up and slaps the face of the Hall of Famer. She slaps her two more times but then Phoenix grabs her arm. Phoenix lifts Royce and hits the Glam Slam for the win.
Winners: Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Sasha Banks, & Bayley
Banks and Bayley hold their titles up and stand face-to-face with Nattie and Beth.
Still to come, Aleister Black & Ricochet Vs. The Revival, and Charlotte, Ronda Rousey, and Becky Lynch teaming together. We see Batista, the hometown boy, arriving in an SUV and walking towards ringside.
*Commercial Break*
Back from the break and out comes The Animal, Batista. We see replays of last week when Triple H accepted the career-on-the-line stipulation. Batista gets into the ring and the lights go down like old times. The fans in DC chant for him and then he points to the Titantron, where we see a video of Batista destroying Triple H in multiple matches. After the video Batista looks dead into the camera and takes his glasses off before saying “Hunter, kiss my ass.” Batista drops the mic and leaves.
Still to come, Kurt Angle says farewell to Monday Night Raw. Angle was scheduled to face Rey Mysterio tonight but he is seemingly unable to do so physically.
*Commercial Break*
We see Elias standing outside Metlife Stadium. He says in six days he will have the performance of his life and there will be no interruptions. He name-checks Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and more, saying they’ve all played Metlife Stadium. And now it’s his turn. And that’s all anyone will be talking about when all is said and done.
Lumberjack Match
Apollo Crews Vs. Jinder Mahal
Every man in and around the ring will be a part of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale. Mahal kicks Crews and takes him down with a headlock.
Crews fights out with a back suplex, followed by a dropkick and a flying clothesline. Crews goes to the top rope and hits a frog splash for the win.
Winner: Apollo crews
Apollo poses with the Andre trophy, then The B-Team, The Ascension and everybody else storms the ring and a big brawl breaks out. Everyone is knocked from the ring until we’re left with Jinder and Apollo again. Crews tosses both Singh brothers out and hits Jinder with an enziguiri.
We see Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio sitting together backstage. Angle will be out after the break and we’ll take a look at his twenty year career.
*Commercial Break*
Hall of Famer Kurt Angle comes to the ring for his final Monday Night Raw appearance.
The fans chant “thank you Kurt” and he says they’re making it really hard. He says he’s had a lot of good times and heard a lot of boos but mostly cheers. From the bottom of his heart he wants to say “thank you”. The fans respond in kind with a chant. We turn to the Titantron for an incredible video of Kurt’s career.
Back in the ring and Kurt is crying as the fans give a loud “Thank You Kurt” chant. Baron Corbin then comes out to the stage and mocks Kurt. Corbin says that video is ancient history because the man in the ring is a far cry from the one in the video. He says Angle can’t go more than two minutes in the ring without huffing and puffing, and that Angle can’t hang with today’s stars. Corbin says he is tired of everyone telling him on social media that Angle deserves better for his last match. The fans chant “Cena”. Corbin tells them to forget it and forget the footage and that video, because the last thing they’re going to see of Kurt Angle is him lying down, a broken old man. Angle asks Corbin why he doesn’t just come down to the ring and have a match right now?
Corbin comes down to the ring but then stops. He says that’s the old Angle intensity, but where’s the intelligence? He says if he got into the ring now Angle wouldn’t make it to WrestleMania. Corbin turns to leave but then out comes Rey Mysterio. Corbin dodges Mysterio and gets back into the ring. Mysterio says we get it, he doesn’t want to face Kurt tonight, but he’d sure like to teach Corbin a lesson in respect. Corbin refuses but then attacks Mysterio from behind. Angle grabs Corbin, who turns the tables, but then Rey comes off the ropes with a springboard senton to Corbin. Baron leaves the ring and retreats while Angle and Mysterio hug in the ring.
We’re backstage with Charly Caruso and Charlotte Flair. Caruso asks Charlotte if she’s concerned that she has to put her title on the line. Charlotte says Asuka was blindsided last week when she took her title. Well, the whole world is going to be blindsided on Sunday when she breaks Becky’s leg and takes Ronda’s title. Caruso asks if Charlotte will lose her cool in the match tonight and risk her participation on Sunday. Flair rhetorically asks if she looks worried. She says she isn’t a hot-head and that she will be fine tagging with Lynch and Rousey, but afterwards they had better stay out of her way.
Ricochet makes his way to the ring, followed by Aleister Black. They will face The Revival for the Raw Tag Team Championships next!
*Commercial Break*
Raw Tag Team Championship Match
(C) The Revival Vs. Aleister Black & Ricochet
The match begins with Black and Scott Dawson. They lock-up and Black takes a headlock. Black dodges Dawson with a leapfrog but eats a punch. Dash tags in and chops Black in the corner, followed by an Irish whip but Black kicks him. Black connects with a rolling trip, followed by a deep arm drag. Ricochet tags in and takes a wrist-lock on Dash.
Dawson is tagged again and he stomps Ricochet’s hand and chops him hard. After a choke from Dawson, he and Dash make quick tags to keep Ricochet down. It doesn’t last for long though, because Ricochet takes them both down with a double hurricanrana. Black tags in and they perform rapid-fired strikes to both Dash and Dawson. Black attempted going to the top rope but Dash distracted him, allowing Dawson to wrap his arm around the ropes. Black fell to the floor as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back and Dawson is attacking the left arm of Aleister Black. He wrenches the arm with an armlock, while also twisting the fingers. Dash tags in and continues working on the arm. Black makes the tag to Ricochet, who comes in with fast forearms to dash and a neckbreaker to Dawson. Ricochet rolls-up Dash for a two-count.
Ricochet dropkicks Dash into Dawson, then rolls him up again for another near-fall. Ricochet is hit with a cheap shot from Dawson, followed by a Gory Special from Wilder for a very near-fall. The action spills out of the ring and Black floors Dawson with a flying knee. Dash then takes out Black with a tornado DDT off of the barricade. Ricochet then leaps from inside the ring, over the ring post, onto both Dash and Dawson! All four men are down on the floor.
The referee counts and Wilder makes it back into the ring, but Dawson holds onto Ricochet’s foot from under the ring to prevent him from getting in before 10.
Winners: The Revival
After the match Wilder lifts both titles at ringside and talks trash. Aleister clocks him with Black Mass before getting into the ring and doing the same to Dawson. Ricochet then hits Dawson with the 630.
Still to come, six-woman tag team action, Bobby Lashley, and Rey Mysterio will in fact face Baron Corbin. We see Rousey warming-up backstage. Charly Caruso walks up and starts to ask a question but Ronda says she doesn’t feel like answering any. Ronda keeps shadow boxing and says she will win the match tonight before beating both Charlotte and Becky on Sunday. Unless of course, they want Judgement Day to come tonight.
*Commercial Break*
Alexa Bliss is backstage with Tyler Breeze and EC3. She rhymes off the WrestleMania card and mentions the SNL guys that will be in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale, Breeze and EC3 begin laughing and saying the guys are hilarious. Braun Strowman then walks up and stares at them. Breeze points to two random guys in the hallway and says they were watching SNL. Braun walks up to them and tells them he’s going to see them as the SNL guys and he’ll see them later tonight.
Dasha Fuentes is backstage with Roman Reigns, and she asks him about rumours saying he isn’t 100%. Reigns says let’s puts rumours aside because he is cleared to compete. Drew then attacks Roman from behind and unloads on him on the ground. Officials try to stop McIntyre, but he lifts Roman and throws him into some production equipment. He gets down beside Roman and screams “six days! I want you to see my face when you sleep at night!”
The Riott Squad make their way to the ring for a pounding. They’ll be facing the WrestleMania main event after the break.
*Commercial Break*
The Riott Squad Vs. Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, & Charlotte Flair
If Charlotte, Ronda, or Becky attack one another, the instigator will lose her place in the WrestleMania main event!
The match begins with Charlotte and Ruby Riott. Flair chops the chest of Riott and does the Flair walk. Lynch tags herself in and does the Flair walk, then begs Charlotte to attach her but the Champion doesn’t take the bait. Lynch then gets shoulder tackled by Ruby Riott. Lynch fires back with a dropkick that sends Ruby from the ring.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back live and Sarah Logan has Lynch grounded with a headlock. She whips Becky to the corner but eats a kick, followed by a flying forearm from the middle rope. Lynch dropkicks Logan from the ring but then Ruby tags in. Logan tags right back in after a dropkick from Lynch to Ruby. Logan knees Becky, then applies a modified cloverleaf.
Becky fights back and hits more dropkicks, followed by a Bexploder to Logan, followed by one to the now-legal Liv Morgan. Lynch won’t make the tag but Charlotte tags herself, but then Ronda tags in. The three of them stand and argue. Ronda Judo throws Liv Morgan and makes her tap.
Winners: Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, & Charlotte Flair
As soon as the bell rings and it’s legal, Ronda attacks Charlotte. She takes the SmackDown Women’s Champion down and beats her until Lynch attacks her. Officials come running own and start pulling them apart but the three of them fight them off and go back to brawling. Police them come down and separate the three of them. Rousey shoves them away and attacks Becky again. The police pull Ronda away from Lynch and handcuff her, but then Lynch attacks Ronda and she gets arrested as well. As the cops are escorting Ronda up the ramp, Charlotte comes running back down and clobbers Rousey with a forearm. She kicks Lynch before the police cuff her as well. All three women are escorted up the ramp in cuffs.
All three women are reluctantly led to the back area, then we see the cops trying to force them into squad cars. Lynch and Rousey are forced into the backseat together and comically begin swinging legs at one and other until Ronda breaks the window with her foot. The cops pull Becky out and take her to the other car but then Charlotte kicks the door open and kicks Becky. While the cops are pulling them apart one of the cars begins moving and it’s Rousey driving and she crashes into the back of a cruiser! The cops turn to her and pull her out of the drivers seat and back into the backseat. She hangs out the window yelling and Charlotte runs up and knees her in the head. Finally the cops get Lynch and Rousey in cars and drive off, while they’re still detaining Charlotte. That was simultaneously awesome and hilarious.
*Commercial Break*
Replays are shown of the chaotic brawl between Rousey, Lynch, and Flair before the break.
Heavy Machinery Vs. Gable & Roode
The match gets underway and Otis quickly takes Gable down before tagging Knight. They hit a double running belly bump to Gable’s head. Tucker then lands Gable on his head with a bad slam. Gable looks like he’s shaken hurt. Roode tags in and clotheslines Tucker for a two count.
Lacey Evans’ music hits, and she does her usual walk out and back again, meanwhile Otis gets all riled-up. Tucker elbows Roode and avoids a splash. Otis tags in and shoulder blocks Roode before knocking Gable off the apron.
Otis sends Roode into the ropes, but he lowers his head and eats a kick. Otis powers Roode to the corner and avalanches him. Otis gets pumped up and does the Caterpillar elbow drop, but Gable breaks it up. Gable then takes Tucker over the top rope. Roode kicks Otis before Gable tags in. Gable lands a few shots before Otis manages to catch him in mid-air, then Knight comes back in and they hit the Compactor for the win.
Winners: Heavy machinery
We get a video hyping Kofi Kingston’s journey to WrestleMania.
Braun Strowman makes his way to the ring to face the two random guys from backstage earlier.
*Commercial Break*
Michael Cole says Rousey, Lynch, and Flair have been taken to a local precinct and will be booked.
Braun Strowman Vs. Two Random Employees
Strowman slams both men in the corner with a splash. He then throws both across the ring before flooring one with a boot and killing the other with a clothesline. Strowman tosses one from the ring, then the other.
Strowman leaves the ring and runs around it to shoulder tackle both guys. The crowd chant for him to do it again and he obliges before sending them back inside. Braun splashes them both in the corner again before hitting both with running powerslams. He finishes them off by hitting a running powerslam to both at the same time.
Winner: Braun Strowman
That was a message to the two guys from SNL, who will be competing with Strowman in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale on Sunday.
We see a replay of Seth and Brock opening the show and Rollins flooring Brock with The Stomp.
The Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush make their way to the ring.
*Commercial Break*
Charly Caruso interviews Lashley and Rush inside the ring and she asks if Lashley is concerned about facing Balor after Finn got the better of him last week. Rush says they are not because Finn only got the upper hand last week because Jinder Mahal was there. That won’t be the case at WrestleMania. Caruso then asks if Bobby is worried that The Demon might show-up. Lashley laughs and says he isn’t scared of some Irish fairytale. He knows Finn Balor is The Demon and The Demon is Finn Balor.
Balor then appears on the Titantron and says if he were Lashley he might be more concerned. Because demons are real and his demons are going to be with him at WrestleMania. A fog then covers the screen and when it dissipates we see The Demon and he sticks his tongue out in an awkward staredown with Lashley and Rush.
*Commercial Break*
The announcers run down the entire WrestleMania card.
Rey Mysterio Vs. Baron Corbin
The bell rings and Corbin corners Mysterio but Rey ducks a punch and kicks the leg. Rey slides through the legs of Corbin and connects with a dropkick to the knee. Mysterio slides through Corbin’s legs again and out of the ring. Corbin chases after but Mysterio slides back inside and dropkicks Corbin against the barricade.
Corbin regroups at ringside before getting back in. Corbin catches Mysterio as he tries to slide under him. He lifted Rey for a powerbomb but Mysterio gave him a hurricanrana over the ropes and to the floor. Rey looks for a suicide dive but Corbin clocks him with a right hand as we head to the break.
*Commercial Break*
We return to see Corbin and Mysterio on the outside and the former throws the latter into the barricade. Back inside the ring, Corbin sets Rey atop the turnbuckles and tries to rip his mask off. Rey fought him off and jumped to the canvas and tweaked his knee.
Corbin capitalises on the injury and stomps the leg of Rey. Mysterio leaves the ring but Corbin follows after. Corbin throws Rey into the barricade, then back into the ring. Rey lies down holding his knee for over a minute with Corbin watching on. Rey kicks Corbin twice in the face, then gets caught with a flapjack. Corbin tosses Rey belly-first out of the ring.
Corbin floors Rey with a clothesline before tossing him from the apron into the ring post. Corbin gets Rey back into the ring. Mysterio leaps onto Corbins back for a sleeper but Corbin shrugs him off. Rey hits a springboard headscissors, followed by a tilt-a-whirl DDT. Rey knocks Corbin onto the middle rope, then hits the 619. He heads to the top rope for the splash but Corbin rolled out of the way.
Corbin lifts Mysterio for a powerbomb but Rey punches him in the head. Corbin manages to catch Rey with a very quick Deep Six for the win.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Corbin leaves up the ramp and poses. Kurt Angle then comes out and gets him in the ankle lock on the stage! Corbin yells and frantically taps out. Referees rush out to stop Angle.
We see a final replay of Lynch, Rousey, and Flair being arrested.
That’s it for this week’s Raw. Let us know what you thought in the comments and be sure to come back tomorrow for more news and SmackDown Live results. Until then, safe travels!
