WWE Raw is live tonight from the Toyota Center in Houston, TX.
The “WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” signature opens the show as always, and then we see the normal Superstar arrivals.
CM Punk With A Vicious Pipe Bomb To Kick Off The Show
CM Punk is the final Superstar arrival we see. The camera follows him as he makes his way through Gorilla and out to the entrance area, as his music hits. Punk makes his way out to the ring and tosses his belt in the ring and gets in the ring and sits in the middle of the ring.
Punk says Houston is a wrestling town with lots of pro-wrestling history. He says Houston haunts him as there are a lot of pro-wrestling ghosts too. Punk wonders how these ghosts and old timers would fare in today’s wrestling climate. What would Harley Race do?
Punk says he’s awake and lets us know that Roman Reigns isn’t here tonight. Punk talks about how Reigns powerbombed him through the announce desk two weeks ago and how he got his receipt last week doing the same to Reigns. Punk talks about Reigns’ hating him and says that means he’s exactly where he needs to be.
He says he’s not a loser like Reigns. Punk says he almost crippled Reigns and Punk is here, and Reigns isn’t… but that’s probably because Punk is an old man. Punk talks about why he hates Reigns. Punk says he and Reigns both have the tools to be on top but his tools are self-made.
Reigns’ tools are store bought, hand delivered and plastic. Punk says the reason Reigns gets to be on talk shows is because Reigns is safe. Punk talks about doing work outside of the WWE and still showing up for the WWE and how Reigns is a part timer. He compares Reigns to The Rock.
Punk continues, saying at least The Rock is, I mean was, a Hollywood Superstar. The crowd gasps at that line. He talks about Reigns having yes-men around him and how Reigns’ dad got him into the WWE and calls Reigns a nepo-baby. He says Reigns hates him because Reigns can’t control Punk and neither can the Samoan Family.
Punk says he can’t be blackballed and says he’s not done and everyone is getting it tonight. Punk calls out Pat McAfee. Punk tells McAfee to tell TKO officials to lower ticket prices instead of them putting McAfee in storylines. Punk drops the mic and walks off. Ruthless.
Backstage With IShowSpeed, Danhausen, Adam Pearce & The Vision
The commentators welcome us to the show and show footage from last week of IShowSpeed getting involved in The Usos vs. The Vision and inadvertently causing The Usos the tag-team titles. We then see footage from the weekend of LA Knight crashing iShowSpeed’s stream and beating him.
We return live backstage and we see IShowSpeed is looking for Danhausen. Danhausen shows up and Speed wants the curse to be lifted. Danhausen wants to be mentioned on Speed’s stream and he’ll lift the curse. Adam Pearce comes by and asks why Speed is here and he tells Speed to go home and not get involved in the tag stuff.
Austin Theory and Logan Paul come in and tell Speed what Knight did to him is unforgivable. Paul tells Speed he’s safe with them and says Speed needs to stick with them and they take him away and head to the ring to watch Theory’s match. Logan Paul’s theme hits and they head to the ring as the show heads to a break.
Austin Theory vs. LA Knight
When the show returns, we see Austin Theory in the ring and ready to go. LA Knight comes out and the bell sounds to get things officially off-and-running. Theory and Knight circle each other and then lock up. Theory is tossed in the corner and the two lock up again.
Knight is tossed to the mat and they lock up again. Knight hip tosses Theory and then slams him down two times in a row and Theory rolls out of the ring. Theory gets back in the ring and they lock up again. Theory punches Knight in the corner and drives Knight’s head into the turnbuckle and elbows him.
Theory suplexes Knight and covers Knight for a one count. Theory is clotheslined and Theory rolls out of the ring again. Knight kicks Theory through the bottom and middle rope and then goes outside the ring and clotheslines Theory over the barricade and we cut to a commercial break.
As we settle back in from the commercials, we see Knight and Theory battle to suplex the other and Knight reverses to a neck-breaker. Knight punches Theory several times and takes Theory with a flying forearm and takes Theory down with a side Russian Leg Sweep and then a neck-breaker.
Theory is covered and kicks out at two. Theory punches Knight and then hits a blockbuster and covers Knight for a near fall. Theory gets Knight on his shoulders and Knight counters and clotheslines Theory over the ropes to the outside. The action spills outside the ring and Theory’s head is smashed into the announce desk.
Paul distracts Knight and Theory is tossed into the ring. Paul shoves Speed into Knight as he’s getting in the ring and Knight goes after Speed. The Usos’ music hits. IShowSpeed has nowhere to go. Speed jumps over Knight and gets caught in the ring. Paul gets on the apron and gets knocked off by Knight. Theory rolls up Knight and gets the win.
Winner: Austin Theory
IShowSpeed Announced For Six-Man Match At WrestleMania 42
Once the match wraps up, IShowSpeed is in the ring with The Usos and Knight. Jey grabs Speed and The Usos go to 1-D him and Paul pulls Speed out of the ring. Knight gets on the mic and asks Adam Pearce to come out.
Pearce comes out and Knight says Speed cost Knight his match tonight. Knight wants a six person tag match with Then Usos and Knight -vs- The Vision and Speed. Pearce agrees to the match and tells Speed he told him to go home.
Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh Attack Finn Balor
Footage is shown of the whole Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee situation from this past Friday night’s WWE SmackDown show. When we return live, we see Finn Balo walking backstage. Grayson Waller and Kofi Kingston argue with each other as Balor keeps walking.
On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into a quick pre-match break, as Balor goes one-on-one against JD McDonagh when we return. When the show returns, we see Balor making his entrance. As Balor comes out to the ring, Dominik Mysterio attacks Balor from behind.
Balor fights back and McDonagh comes out to help and gets tossed into the ring post. Balor sends Mysterio in the ring and beats him up. McDonagh comes back in the ring and is tossed over the ropes, giving Mysterio the opportunity to strike Balor with his AAA belt. McDonagh and Mysterio beat Balor down with a chair.
Becky Lynch Crashes Michael Cole’s Interview With AJ Lee
From there, we shoot to the commentary desk at ringside. Michael Cole and Corey Graves set up a pre-taped sit-down interview that Cole conducted with AJ Lee to talk about her first WrestleMania in 11 years at WrestleMania 42, where she will be in the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship match against Becky Lynch.
Cole asks about her thoughts being on the WrestleMania card for the first time in eleven years. Becky Lynch comes in and makes fun of Cole and he leaves. Lynch sits down and says she remembers Lee’s last WrestleMania and how Lynch was a newbie backstage and Lee was being fake.
Lynch says Lee quit the next day because she was scared of Lynch. Lee tells Lynch to keep underestimating her. Lee says she’s proud of Lynch for everything she’s done for the WWE but none of that happens without Lee. Lee says she’s shattered glass ceilings so Lynch can walk through doors.
Lee says she’s not replaceable and the fans never forgot her so she knows who she is. Lee leaves and Lynch loses her cool and throws a temper-tantrum as the intense interview segment comes to a close. We head to another commercial break.
Bayley vs. Lash Legend
When the show returns, we head back to the ring for our next match of the evening, which is a women’s singles bout with Bayley going one-on-one against one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag-Team Champions from The Irresistible Forces, Lash Legend.
Already in the ring are Bayley and Legend. At ringside are their partners for the four-team women’s tag-team title tilt at WrestleMania 42, Lyra Valkyria and Nia Jax, respectively. Legend establishes the early offensive lead and very quickly into the match getting started, we head to a mid-match commercial break.
As the show returns, we see Bayley and Legend grapple and Bayley punches Legend and sends her out to the apron. Bayley guillotines Legend and Legend catches Bayley and connects with a backbreaker and covers Bayley for a near fall.
Legend goes for a powerbomb but Bayley counters and Legend takes Bayley down with an uppercut and covers Bayley for another near fall. Bayley kicks Legend and Legend slams Bayley to the mat. Bayley moves out of the way as Legend tries to jump on her and we get some separation.
Bayley kicks Legend and dropkicks Legend into the corner. Bayley hits a running knee and climbs the ropes and elbows Legend on her back and covers her for a two count. Jax trips Bayley and Legend runs at her but runs shoulder first into the ring post. Valkyria goes for Jax and Jax beats up Valkyria outside the ring.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss run out and fight Jax. Bayley comes off the top rope and takes out Jax, Flair and Bliss outside the ring. Back in the ring, Legend superplexes Bayley but Valkyria grabs Legend’s leg making Bayley fall on Legend. Valkyria holds her leg for good measure during the three-count.
Winner: Bayley
Seth Rollins Addresses Gunther And WrestleMania 42
Footage is shown to promote Seth Rollins’ coming up next. We head to another commercial break. When the show returns, we see some celebrities in the house, including the NFL’s Houston Texas’ head coach, hip-hop star Bun B and WWE Hall of Fame legend Mark Henry.
After the celebrity cameo segment of the week wraps up, we shoot to Michael Cole and Corey Graves at the commentary desk, who set up the trailer for the new Netflix docuseries, ‘Hulk Hogan: Real American,’ which premieres on April 22.
When it wraps up, we see an aerial shot inside the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. where we hear the familiar sounds of Seth Rollins’ theme music. “Burn it down!” He makes his way out to the ring, coming down the aisle for a change, as fans sing along to his catchy tune.
