Coming off the heels of the injury to Edge, who undergoes neck surgery on 3/10, came a slew of injuries that have destroyed the depth of the company’s heel division, and in particular Smackdown champion Kurt Angle.
Angle, the most valuable full-time performer in the company, had an MRI on his neck on 3/3 and the results came out that Angle had severe neck damage. He will become the eighth WWE wrestler over the past few years to undergo neck surgery under Dr. Lloyd Youngblood in San Antonio, which will put him out of action for about one year. His symptoms, shooting pains down both of his arms, numbing in the fingers and a burning sensation in the neck had gotten worse while on the South Africa tour this past week.
His neck problems date back to amateur wrestling, as he suffered a broken neck in late 1995, and was not nearly recovered from it when he won the Olympic trials in freestyle wrestling at 220 pounds (against competition that included Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman and Dan Chaid) and later the gold medal.
What is officially being labeled a suicide, the death of Dream Stage Entertainment (Pride) president Naoto Morishita is just the latest in a string of events that is changing the face of the industry at record speed.
Morishita’s death at the age of 42 comes just two weeks after K-1 President Kazuyoshi Ishii was forced to resign his post after being indicted on tax evasion charges. This leaves the future cloudy of the two companies that, from an appearance and business standpoint, appeared to go into 2003 as the strongest entities in this rapidly changing industry. The circumstances and speculation surrounding Morishita’s death combined with Ishii’s arrest have left this aspect of the industry in Japan, which was at an all-time popularity peak this past month, reeling with an image problem and there is fear that a lot of sponsors will pull out. The traditional pro wrestling industry in Japan went through a similar problem in 1964 after the gangland style slaying of Rikidozan.
The Undertaker and Kurt Angle have both been pulled from Starrcast II.
The news was revealed in an interview that Sports Illustrated did with Starrcast’s Conrad Thompson. The article stated that Undertaker and Angle not appearing at the event is “due to the burgeoning war between All Elite Wrestling and WWE, with the first battle centered around Starrcast.”
Undertaker was announced for Starrcast on February 14, while Angle was added on April 1. Starrcast and AEW Double or Nothing are taking place in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend. Starrcast isn’t officially an AEW event, but it will feature AEW wrestlers and events related to Double or Nothing.
“The announcement went wide and viral. I was told it had gotten WWE’s attention and that Vince McMahon texted The Undertaker about the appearance,” Thompson told Sports Illustrated. “’Taker’s representation, which is a company called Get Engaged, called to tell me, ‘WWE says he can’t do it.’”
The deposit that Thompson paid for Undertaker’s appearance was returned to him by Get Engaged.
“I had a friend discuss the situation with Vince McMahon, and I was assured the ‘heat’ wasn’t on me or my event but rather that The Undertaker shouldn’t be doing personal appearances outside of WWE,” Thompson said. “I was assured that damages would be covered, a suitable replacement offered, or some sort of compromise to make everyone happy.”
Thompson said he suggested Vince McMahon, Triple H, or Stephanie McMahon as Undertaker’s replacement, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Connor’s Cure and Thompson matching that with a personal donation.
Thompson was told that WWE wouldn’t allow any replacements from the main roster. The article states that Thompson then set his sights on Shawn Michaels, who was “originally set to be booked for the event, but backed out before signing because of the close proximity of Starrcast and AEW.”
“I asked to keep Kurt Angle and announce Shawn Michaels as the replacement for The Undertaker,” Thompson said. “I offered to book everyone ‘through the office.’ I wanted to play by the rules but I felt like I already had, since each of these guys were actively marketing themselves for outside appearances via booking agents or their own social media. I have checked in daily for a week now and nothing is changing.”
It was noted that Undertaker and Angle signed new WWE contracts, with WWE exercising its right to withhold talent from events that aren’t deemed to be in the company’s best interest.
Inside the Ropes announced earlier this month that Undertaker won’t be able to participate in the Q&A portion of their Rise of the Taker tour shows on April 29, April 30, and May 1. Undertaker will still be appearing at the meet and greet portion of the events, and Mick Foley will be doing the Q&A and talking about Undertaker’s career and their rivalry.
Undertaker made a surprise appearance on Raw the night after WrestleMania 35 and interrupted Elias.
Angle had his farewell match at WrestleMania 35, losing to Baron Corbin. On the Raw after WrestleMania, there was an angle where Angle put Corbin in the ankle lock but was laid out by Lars Sullivan.
The road to WrestleMania continues tonight as SmackDown takes place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Kurt Angle’s farewell tour also continues as he comes to SmackDown for the final time to face AJ Styles. Angle and Styles have a long history from their time in TNA, but this is their first meeting in a WWE ring.
The New Day will address their future in the WWE. Last week, Kofi Kingston defeated The Bar, Rowan, Samoa Joe and Randy Orton in a gauntlet match for a WWE Championship shot at WrestleMania 35. Vince McMahon then added WWE Champion Daniel Bryan to the match and he defeated Kingston.
Next week on Raw, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch team up to take on the Riott Squad. Tonight, Lynch and Flair react to teaming with their WrestleMania opponents.
Plus, Mandy Rose, Naomi, Carmella, and Sonya Deville face off in a fatal four-way match for a title shot at SmackDown Woman’s Champion Asuka at WrestleMania.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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The New Day made their way to the ring. Tom Philips noted that rumors suggest New Day might quit tonight. The crowd broke into a loud “Kofi” chant. Woods said the past few months have been an emotional roller coaster.
Big E said they’ve been together for almost 5 years. The fans have been there from New Day Sucks to New Day Rocks. Woods said it’s been one hell of an experience and they want to thank everyone.
Big E and Woods have been talking. Based on all the obstacles put in Kofi Kingston’s way they’ve considered walking away. The fans booed and chanted “No”. Woods said it’s been hard watching the way Kingston’s been treated. Not just the last few weeks but over the past 11 years.
Woods asked Vince McMahon to come to the ring so they could talk face-to-face. They have no problem waiting in the ring until he does. The fans broke into another “Kofi” chant.
Vince McMahon made his way to the ring. Before McMahon could speak Daniel Bryan and Rowan interrupted. Bryan told McMahon to not waste his breath on The New Day. He said to let them quit if they want to quit. He called them a stale nostalgia act that McMahon created. He said to call up three wrestlers from NXT and call them Fresh Afternoon. He said Kingston’s a B plus player and not to let New Day get in his head. He said McMahon’s instincts about Kingston are right and the people are wrong.
Woods claimed Bryan’s afraid to face Kingston. He’s a hypocrite that has become everything he fought against. McMahon told them to shut up. He mocked New Day for teasing to quit. He noted they were never going to quit. He called Kingston a B plus player. Bryan agreed.
McMahon wondered if Big E and Woods are a B plus tag team. He wondered if they could put Kingston in the WrestleMania main event. He said Kingston gets no more opportunities. However, if Woods and Big E win a tag team gauntlet match later then Kingston gets the match with Bryan at WrestleMania. Kingston never spoke. Byron Saxton questioned if McMahon will stay true to his word.
In the back, Becky Lynch discussed her WrestleMania match. She noted that she brings the people and Ronda Rousey brings the Raw championship. She wondered what Charlotte Flair adds to the match. She called Flair a third wheel.
Charlotte Flair interrupted and made her way to the ring. She promised to show Lynch that she deserves to be in the WrestleMania main event.
Charlotte Flair defeated SmackDown Woman’s Champion Asuka to win the title
The commentators were surprised to find out the match is for the championship.
The traded side headlocks early on. Flair gained the advantage but Asuka fought back and applied the Octopus submission. Flair attacked the leg to regain control. Asuka fired back with the lung blower but hurt her leg. Asuka hit a German suplex and shining wizard for a near fall.
Flair hit a big boot for a two count. She went for the moonsault but Asuka applied the Asuka Lock. Flair rolled through for a close near fall. Back from the break, Flair rocked Asuka with hard chops. Flair went for the Figure Eight but Asuka blocked the move. Asuka rocked Flair with a kick to the head for a very close near fall.
Flair hit the Spanish Fly off the top for a close near fall. Asuka locked on the triangle but Flair countered into a one-arm bomb for a very close two count. Asuka went for the Asuka lock but Flair countered into the Figure Eight to win the SmackDown Woman’s Championship. This was a good match.
In the back, AJ Styles discussed his match with Kurt Angle. He said he’s honored to face Angle in his final SmackDown match. Styles isn’t taking this match lightly with WrestleMania around the corner. Angle might have laid the foundation but this is the house that AJ Styles built.
AJ Styles defeated Kurt Angle by disqualification
They shook hands and hugged before the match. Angle hit the German suplex and went for the Angle Slam. Styles slipped out the back and applied the Calf Crusher. Angle teased tapping but countered into the Ankle lock. Styles reversed and sent Angle face first into the turnbuckle.
Suddenly, Randy Orton jumped in the ring and hit the RKO on Styles. Angle then caught Orton with the Angle Slam. This wasn’t much of a match and was kept short.
Earlier, Rey Mysterio and his son Dominic discussed Mysterio’s match against United States champion Samoa Joe at WrestleMania 35. Mysterio promised to win the title in front of his son.
The Miz made his way down to the ring. He has a proposition he wants to make to Shane McMahon. He said Shane’s lit a fire under him. Shane made this personal when he attacked Miz from behind and put his hands on his father. He did that to Miz up close and personal. Miz wants everyone to see him destroy Shane in a falls count anywhere match. He promised to take Shane all over Met Life Stadium.
This brought out Shane. He came out with security, Primo Colon, Shelton Benjamin, and Sanity. Shane forced announcer Greg Hamilton to introduce him as the best in the world. Shane said Miz is as dumb as his father looks. He put an image of him grabbing Miz’s father on the big screen.
McMahon agreed to the stipulation and promised to beat Miz all over Met Life as well. His only regret is not harming his father more. He called Miz a Miztake and mentioned Miz’s mother.
Miz snapped. He went after the security and the other wrestlers. He sent Colon into the ring steps and Benjamin into the post. Sanity jumped Miz and beat him down. Miz fought back and they fought into the crowd. Miz dove onto Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe.
In the back, The IIconics discussed their WrestleMania match. They promised to win the Woman’s tag team titles and WrestleMania will finally be iconic.
The New Day defeated Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows
Kofi Kingston is banned from ringside. Woods went for the quick win but Anderson briefly gained control. Woods rocked Anderson with a superkick. Big E sent Gallows to the floor. New Day then hit Up Up Down Down for the win in a short match.
Kingston watched the match in the back with Becky Lynch, Rey Mysterio and the rest of the roster.
The New Day defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev (w/Lana)
The heels took over and isolated Woods in their corner. Woods knocked Rusev off the apron. Nakamura went for a reverse exploder but Woods slipped out the back. Big E got the hot tag and ran wild. He whipped Rusev into the ring steps. The heels fought back and Nakamura hit a knee for a near fall.
Woods sent Rusev to the floor and followed up with a dropkick through the ropes. Big E avoided the Kinshasa. New Day then hit Up Up Down Down on Nakamura for the win.
The New Day defeated The Bar
The Bar was firmly in control and isolated Big E on their side of the ring. Cesaro gave Big E the big swing and locked on the Sharpshooter. Big E powered out of the move but Cesaro prevented the tag. Woods got the hot tag and ran wild. He nailed Cesaro with a dropkick and caught Sheamus with a DDT.
Woods hit a dive to the floor and hit a leg drop off the top on Cesaro for a close two count. Back from break, Sheamus attempted the Brogue Kick but Big E countered with a powerbomb. Cesaro caught Woods with an uppercut for a near fall. The Bar set up for the White Noise but Big E pulled Cesaro to the floor. Woods then rolled up Sheamus for the win.
After the match, The Bar jumped New Day and slammed Big E through a table.
The New Day defeated SmackDown tag team champions The Usos in a non-title match by forfeit
The Usos grabbed the mic and discussed their past with The New Day. They believe Kingston deserves a shot at the WWE Championship. The Usos then wished New Day luck and forfeited the match.
In the back, WWE Champion Daniel Bryan flipped out and destroyed his locker room.
The New Day defeated WWE Champion Daniel Bryan & Rowan by count out
The heels beat down the New Day. Bryan attacked Big E’s leg and slammed it against the ring post. The heels isolated Big E and worked over the leg. Woods made the save and sent Rowan to the floor. Woods then hit a huge dive on Rowan.
Bryan charged at Big E but he caught him with an urange. Big E hit Big Ending on Bryan but Rowan broke up the pin attempt. Bryan ordered Rowan to clear off the announce table. Woods caught Bryan with a DDT off the apron to the floor.
Rowan attempted the Iron Claw on Woods through the announce table but he slipped out the back. Woods sent Rowan into the ring post. Big E sent Rowan over the announce table. Big E then turned the announce table over onto Rowan. Rowan was unable to answer the 10 count and was counted out. New Day wins the gauntlet match. Kofi Kingston will challenge WWE Champion Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35.
In the back, Kayla Braxton approached Vince McMahon as he entered his limo. McMahon confirmed that Kingston is going to WrestleMania to face Bryan. McMahon wondered if a B plus player could defeat Bryan for the title.
New Day and Kingston celebrated in the ring. The roster came down to celebrate as well.
With WrestleMania 35 less than two weeks away, the build to WWE’s biggest show of the year continued in Boston last night.
Kurt Angle’s farewell tour also continued. He took on Samoa Joe on last night’s Raw and got the win, reversing the Coquina Clutch into a pin. Angle will face AJ Styles on tonight’s SmackDown and Rey Mysterio on next week’s Raw.
After their match was officially announced as the main event of WrestleMania, Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair took part in a Beat the Clock Challenge against The Riott Squad. Rousey, Lynch & Charlotte will team against The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match next Monday.
WWE added another stipulation to Triple H and Batista’s no holds barred match at WrestleMania, with Triple H agreeing to put his career on the line. Roman Reigns accepted Drew McIntyre’s WrestleMania challenge, and Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost and Michael Che will be entrants in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Two matches have been announced for Raw’s go-home show for WrestleMania 35.
Ahead of WrestleMania, Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair will team up on next week’s Raw. They’re facing The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan) in a six-woman tag match.
WWE has announced a stipulation where Rousey, Lynch, or Charlotte will forfeit their place at WrestleMania if they betray their team against The Riott Squad.
Rousey will defend her Raw Women’s Championship against Lynch and Charlotte in a triple threat match in the main event of WrestleMania.
Next week’s Raw is taking place at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. Kurt Angle’s farewell tour will continue, with him facing Rey Mysterio on the episode. Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is also set to appear.
Angle has defeated Apollo Crews, Chad Gable, and Samoa Joe on his farewell tour thus far and has a match against AJ Styles on this week’s SmackDown.
Baron Corbin has been announced as the opponent for Angle’s farewell match at WrestleMania. Mysterio will challenge for Samoa Joe’s United States title at the event.
Date: March 25, 2019 Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA
The Big Takeaway —
Kurt Angle beat Samoa Joe and will face Rey Mysterio on Raw next week.
Show Recap —
They kicked off the show announcing that the Women’s title match will main event WrestleMania and they made sure to plug all of the media outlets who covered it online.
Ronda Rousey came out. She was booed. Rousey let the crowd go long enough for a loud “we want Becky” chant to start. Rousey said women would be in the main event at WrestleMania for the first time ever. “I only have one thing to say: You’re welcome.”
She dropped the mic, then picked it back up, because she actually had more to say: she was going to tap-out both Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at the same time. She claimed she didn’t know what a beat the clock challenge was and called it another one of our B.S. gimmicks.
The Riott Squad came out for their match, then Lynch came out to cut a promo. Lynch called Rousey a weirdo and noted that she came into the company with a big contract and only fought the best of the best, yet nobody cared about her until The Man came around. Lynch said Rousey was better off with her around and that’s why they were main eventing.
Lynch said they both knew how this would end, with Lynch holding the title above her head with Rousey’s head under her foot.
Charlotte came out next. She said they were in the main event, not because of what Lynch has done in the past six months or because of what Rousey has done over the past year–but because of what she has done over the past seven years.
Beat the Clock match: Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey defeated Sarah Logan (w/Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan) (1:25)
Logan ran around to kill time, then caught Rousey in a submission. Rousey fought out, hit a leaping forearm followed by an armbar for the submission win at 1:25.
Beat the Clock match: Charlotte Flair NC Ruby Riott (w/Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan) (1:25)
They counted down from 1:25 and Charlotte applied the Figure Eight with a few seconds left, but Ruby held off and didn’t tap-out as time expired. (The match didn’t continue beyond the time limit.)
Beat the Clock match: Becky Lynch defeated Liv Morgan (w/Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan) (1:17)
Charlotte booted Lynch before her match started, but Lynch won anyway with a roll-up at about 1:17, winning the beat the clock challenge. Rousey and Lynch yelled at each other post-match (with Rousey standing on the stage).
This all felt rather pointless.
2-on-1 handicap match: Finn Bálor defeated Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley & Jinder Mahal (w/Lio Rush and The Singh Brothers) (5:48)
Lio Rush was supposed to be Lashley’s partner, but said he wasn’t cleared to compete because of what Braun Strowman did to him last week. They found a new partner instead. Renee Young noted how ridiculous it was that they could just pick their own replacement. Rush also said Bálor would be leaving the game a broken down piece of garbage like Rob Gronkowski.
After a break, Bálor made a comeback on both men until he was tripped up by the Singhs. He responded by taking out everyone (except Rush) with a flip dive. He tossed Mahal in the ring and hit Coup de Grace for the pinfall win. Crowd popped pretty big. The win meant Bálor gets an IC title shot at Mania. After the match, Lashley slammed both Singhs, then speared Mahal.
Elias was shown at Time Square in New York. He said he would give the greatest performance we’ve ever seen at Mania. He claimed Time Square was normally dead at this time of night, but there were people everywhere just to see him perform. Before he could start, a random guy with a guitar showed up to perform instead. Elias told him to go perform in the subway.
They plugged Kurt Angle vs. Samoa Joe. Corey Graves noted that they had a storied history, but have never wrestled in WWE.
Aleister Black & Ricochet defeated Tag Team Champions The Revival in a non-title match (8:57)
Cole noted that Black and Ricochet beat the Revival a few weeks ago in a non-title match. After a break, Cole said if Black and Ricochet could pick up a non-title win tonight, they might earn themselves a title match.
Before the break, there was kind of a messy spot where Ricochet barely caught Dash Wilder with a dive to the outside, then Black followed with a double knee strike on Scott Dawson. Despite the dives, Revival were in control after the break.
Ricochet used a soccer kick on Dawson and a neckbreaker on Wilder, then made the tag to Black. Black used strikes on Dawson, then took out both men with a springboard moonsault. Black followed with more strikes and a knee to the head, but Dawson kicked out. Dawson faked a punch and nailed a DDT, but Ricochet broke up the cover.
Black caught both men with one Black Mass, then Ricochet nailed Wilder with the 630 for the pinfall win. Crowd got quiet during the match, but popped for the finish.
Drew McIntyre/Roman Reigns segment
McIntyre told the crowd that they might not like him, but they must respect him. McIntyre said a week was a long time to wait for an answer. He was nervous anticipating Roman Reigns’ answer but didn’t blame Reigns for taking his time.
McIntyre had a clip for us and replayed what he did to Reigns two weeks ago and noted that he could have finished him off right there if he wanted to. They also included the clip of McIntyre saying Reigns beat leukemia but he can’t beat him. McIntyre said he took out Dean Ambrose and beat the number one contender Seth Rollins.
McIntyre spoke to “Joe” again and asked if he had put his family through enough already. They already had to watch daddy fight for his life–does he really want to put them through that again knowing he’s going to lose. The crowd booed, then chanted for Reigns.
McIntyre threatened to stay out there all night, then Reigns interrupted. Reigns stood toe-to-toe with McIntyre (McIntyre was noticeably taller). Reigns said that “Roman” accepted the challenge. He said the next message wasn’t coming from “Roman” and warned him to never speak about his wife and kids again.
Reigns attacked McIntyre and tossed him around ringside. Upon re-entering the ring, McIntyre caught him with a low-blow, followed by a Claymore kick. Referees checked on Reigns as McIntyre left. This only got a modest amount of heat.
After a break, McIntyre was shown walking through the back where he ran into Dean Ambrose. Ambrose wondered why McIntyre called him a cockroach or why McIntyre claimed he exterminated him. Ambrose didn’t feel exterminated and challenged McIntyre to one more match tonight–a last man standing match. McIntyre didn’t know how Ambrose was even standing, but promised that he won’t be standing after tonight.
Natalya (w/Beth Phoenix) defeated Sasha Banks (w/Bayley) via DQ (7:36)
After a break, Natalya did the spot where she steps over/on her opponent while running the ropes, but Banks caught her leg and transitioned into the crossface. Natalya countered that into a sharpshooter but Banks fought out of it and flipped Natalya into the turnbuckle.
Suddenly, Bayley was attacked on the outside by Tamina and Nia Jax. They jumped in the ring and Tamina gave Banks a superkick for the DQ. Phoenix jumped in for the save and got Jax on her shoulders, which the crowd popped for. Tamina saved Jax, but Phoenix caught her with the Glam Slam. The crowd chanted “you still got it” as Natalya embraced Phoenix.
They announced the Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart as the Hart Foundation for the Hall of Fame and aired a video package. After the video, they cut to Natalya and Phoenix who were still in the ring, and Natalya was in tears as the crowd cheered. Phoenix stepped aside so Natalya could take in the moment. This was nice.
Backstage, Charly Caruso asked Kurt Angle about facing a tough opponent tonight. Angle appreciated Samoa Joe coming in from Smackdown for the match. He said this tour wasn’t about handshakes, it was about leaving on his terms. He was honoured to face Chad Gable and Apollo Crews and would be ready for Baron Corbin at Mania (the crowd booed). Corbin interrupted to mock him. Angle got in his face, said “screw you,” and left.
A Moment of Bliss
This week’s episode took place in the ring instead of on the stage. Bliss said the Mania lineup has gotten better since she was named host and mentioned the women in the main event. Bliss aired clips of Strowman’s involvement with Colin Jost and Michael Che of SNL, then introduced Strowman as her guest.
She ran down some of the violent actions from Strowman’s past, all of which he admitted to doing. Bliss introduced Jost and Che, who appeared via satellite. Jost knew he made a mistake when he wore a New York Mets hat in Philly, and wouldn’t do it again. This time, he put on a Yankees hat here in Boston, which was booed.
Jost went on for a while and said he wanted payment for Strowman destroying the car. Among the things Jost wanted was an autograph from his favourite wrestler, Brock Lesnar. Strowman suggested Jost enter the battle royal at Mania, or else he’ll find both Jost and Che backstage and take care of them. Che heard this and accepted on Jost’s behalf.
Jost then added Che to the match. Strowman told them both to shut up, then asked Bliss if she could make this official. She pretended for a moment that she couldn’t, then she made it official. Strowman said they better show up, or they’ll walk around NYC the rest of their lives wondering when they’ll get these hands.
Back to Elias, who was in front of Madison Square Garden. Elias had a cup of herbal tea, then somebody tossed a quarter in his cup. Elias ranted at the guy, who was already gone.
Baron Corbin defeated Apollo Crews
Corbin was introduced as a former Golden Gloves boxing champion, former U.S. champion, former Money in the Bank winner, and Boston’s favourite son.
Crews hit a frog splash but Corbin kicked out. Corbin followed soon after with End of Days for the clean win. After the match, Corbin gave him another End of Days.
Rousey, Charlotte and Lynch will be on ESPN tomorrow morning. Young said it would be their first interview since the announcement that they were main eventing Mania. (They all cut promos earlier tonight about said announcement.) Next week, the three women tag together against the Riott Squad.
Seth Rollins promo
Rollins said he would cut straight to the chase, then went on to cut a long promo. Rollins said he and Lesnar weren’t cut from the same cloth and their roads to Mania couldn’t be more different. He wanted to be the kind of champion that inspired him when he was little, like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart or Ric Flair. Even Triple H and John Cena inspired people.
Lesnar was not the kind of champion who inspired people. Rollins always knew he wanted this match but didn’t realize until recently how much it meant to all of the fans. He mentioned doing an autograph signing yesterday in Boston and every fan had the same message for him: please beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.
Rollins said that message hit him in the heart and now he feels like he has no choice. “Now, I have to beat Brock Lesnar.” Rollins refused to let Lesnar be the champion the defines the future and couldn’t let him continue to cast a shadow over this industry. Rollins pointed at the fans and said he had an army with him and together they would burn it down.
Before he could quite finish his line, Paul Heyman interrupted. Heyman wanted to thank Rollins, because now he knows the match at Mania is a handicap match: Lesnar against Rollins and the entire WWE universe. Heyman liked those odds and assured them that their chances of winning were zero.
He said Rollins sounded pathetic for needing their affirmation and wondered if he would ask for thoughts and prayers next. Heyman mocked people who asked for thoughts and prayers because their pets or distance relatives needed surgery. He suggested Rollins would be asking for thoughts and prayers after what happens to him in Suplex City.
Heyman hoped Rollins took it personally when he and the entire universe lost at Mania. Heyman left up the ramp, then Rollins chased after him. Heyman fell down and immediately began begging for his life, saying “I hope you win!” then suggested that Lesnar put him up to this.
Rollins laughed and said he wasn’t here to ask for thoughts and prayers, he was here to answer them. He said “we” were going to march into Suplex City and let the crowd chant “burn it down.” Heyman was great here. Angle came out for his entrance with Heyman still sulking on the ramp and directed the “you suck” chants at him.
Kurt Angle defeated Samoa Joe (8:55)
Joe cut a promo before the match. He said he forgot his bouquet of flowers and even though they have a lot of memories together, he’s not a sentimental person. He said it would be a cold day on the wrong side of the afterlife before he lets Angle go riding off into the sunset.
Joe had a special gift for Angle in his last night in Boston: “I couldn’t think of a better way to say goodbye to you forever than putting your ass to sleep one last time.” This was great.
When the match started, the went face-to-face and mimicked their first meeting in TNA, with Joe giving Angle a headbutt this time. Joe took out Angle with a suicide dive and they went to break.
Joe was in control after the break, but Angle cut him off and used rolling German suplexes for two. Joe countered an Angle Slam and hit an inverted atomic drop, big boot and senton for two. Angle came back with an Angle Slam for a nearfall. Joe fought off an ankle lock and hit a powerslam for two.
Angle avoided a muscle buster and (barely) hit a missile dropkick. Angle sized up for the ankle lock but Joe caught him in the Coquina Clutch. Angle then rolled into a cradle for the pinfall win. This match was a struggle.
Triple H promo
Somewhat surprisingly, this was not a top-of-the-hour segment. Triple H congratulating Rousey, Lynch and Charlotte for getting the main event at Mania. He called it historic for them, every woman in the back, and every woman who ever stepped foot in the ring. He said it wasn’t given, it was earned.
He said moments like that made him happy, like having a dry microphone, and not the one Batista spit all over last week. Some things don’t make him happy, like the letter he struggled to pull out of his jacket pocket from Batista’s lawyer that stated his client won’t compete at WrestleMania unless he agrees to another stipulation.
Among the ramblings in the letter, Batista wanted Triple H to admit that he only started Evolution to help him retain the world title. Triple H congratulated him on finally realizing this, which drew a laugh from the crowd. Triple H ran down some more things in the letter, while mocking Batista the entire time.
He said Batista was better off having been a part of Evolution considering all of the titles he won after leaving them, then noted Batista quit once he realized he couldn’t beat John Cena. He claimed Batista wanted the Mania date pushed back to comply with his filming schedule for Guardians of the Galaxy.
He went on for a while and finally got to the stipulation that Batista wanted, that Triple H would retire if he lost. He said Batista beat up a 70-year-old man for this and he already agreed to the match. At this point in their careers, if he can’t beat a douchebag like Batista, he doesn’t belong in the ring anyway. He agreed to put his career on the line.
Elias was shown performing on the streets of a rainy New York City with no one watching. Some guy stole the money out of his guitar case, then stole the guitar case.
Next week on Raw, Kurt Angle faces Rey Mysterio. Also, Brock Lesnar appears.
Drew McIntyre defeated Dean Ambrose in a Last Man Standing match (9:56)
The match started with only about 11 minutes left in the show. Mike Rome raced through the rules of the match as McIntyre entered. Ambrose crashed and burned on a diving elbow attempt to the outside, then McIntyre tossed him into the barricade as Cole frantically cut to break with only 8-9 minutes left in the show.
Back from break with 5-6 minutes left in the show, McIntyre nailed Ambrose with a Kendo stick to the gut and to the back, then stuck the point of the stick in Ambrose’s face. Ambrose clotheslined McIntyre out of the ring and followed with a suicide dive. Young groaned and mentioned the bruise left on Ambrose’s body from the Kendo stick.
McIntyre followed with a headbutt, then catapulted Ambrose chest-first into the steel grate under the ring. McIntyre followed with a steel steps shot, but Ambrose got to his feet before the count of 10. McIntyre placed a chair in between the ropes, but Ambrose managed to drive him into it. Ambrose followed with Dirty Deeds but McIntyre got up at the count of 7.
Ambrose set up a table in the corner of the ring but McIntyre picked him up and drove him through it. Ambrose got up at 5, then McIntyre nailed him with a Claymore kick. Ambrose tried getting up but fell down as the referee countered to 10. McIntyre wins. He posed and pointed at the sign as they went off the air right at 11:00 pm ET.
McIntyre didn’t break the rules or anything, but there’s no real reason why Ambrose’s buddies couldn’t have come out to help him here. Reigns in particular had plenty of incentive.
Before facing AJ Styles on SmackDown, Kurt Angle will first have a match with another wrestler from his TNA past.
WWE has announced Angle vs. Samoa Joe for tonight’s episode of Raw. Joe is a member of the SmackDown roster and the current United States Champion but is appearing on Raw for tonight’s match.
Angle and Joe’s feud in TNA is considered one of the most successful programs in company history.
Angle has defeated Apollo Crews and Chad Gable on his farewell tour thus far and has a match with Styles set for tomorrow’s SmackDown. It was revealed earlier this month that Angle would be having his farewell match at WrestleMania 35. On last week’s Raw, Baron Corbin was announced as Angle’s WrestleMania opponent.
Joe will defend his US title against Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania. WWE has set up that Mysterio’s son Dominic, who has trained to be a professional wrestler with Lance Storm, will be front row for the match.
Tonight’s Raw is taking place at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Kurt Angle’s farewell tour will include an appearance on this week’s episode of SmackDown.
WWE has announced that Angle will face AJ Styles on Tuesday’s show. The history between Angle and Styles dates back to their time in TNA, and this will be the first time they’ve wrestled each other in WWE.
Tuesday’s match is being promoted as the final time that Angle will wrestle on SmackDown.
Angle has defeated Apollo Crews and Chad Gable on Raw over the past two weeks. On last Monday’s episode, it was announced that Angle’s farewell match at WrestleMania 35 will be against Baron Corbin. Angle got to pick his opponent in storyline and said that, though there are a lot of people he wants to face, Corbin is the only one he wants to beat.
Styles vs. Randy Orton is set for WrestleMania.
Tuesday’s SmackDown is taking place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. It will also feature a fatal four-way match between Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Naomi, and Carmella, with the winner challenging for Asuka’s SmackDown Women’s Championship at WrestleMania.
Though the road getting here was as convoluted as possible, WWE has finally confirmed Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch for WrestleMania 35.
Storyline suspensions, injuries, and even an “arrest” for Lynch, the McMahons getting involved and Vince replacing Lynch with Charlotte, Charlotte fully turning heel and Rousey turning against the crowd, and dozens of tweets all led to Lynch facing Charlotte at Fastlane. The stipulation was that if Lynch won, the Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania would officially become a triple threat.
One of the two biggest issues of the year, the awards issue, is out right now.
The awards issue contains not only the award winners, but also top placeholders in every category and an all-time history of award winners dating back to 1980.
Have a look at the career and life of Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, from football to college wrestling to TV stardom in Japan to teaching school. It’s really an amazing story of one of the first Americans to become a TV celebrity in Japan and the greatest American masked wrestler of all-time.
Read full coverage of the road to WrestleMania with most of the card as well as full coverage of Fastlane with a match-by-match rundown with star ratings, poll results and business notes.
Look at SummerSlam tickets, WWE creative, Bruce Prichard, Jeff Jarrett, AEW vs. WWE, Takeover Brooklyn’s complete card, newcomers to WWE this week, Dwayne Johnson award, Harlem Heat Hall of Fame notes, WrestleMania 2020 week updates, new WWE hire, WWE ticket sales, WWE stock price, most watched shows of the past week no the WWE Network plus notes from all the weekend house shows with results, angles and business.
This issue has updated coverage of the New Japan Cup, with this week’s shows, a rundown of every match so far in the tournament and an updated look at the brackets.
ORDERING INFO: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].
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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE
By Joseph Currier and Bryan Rose
WWE
SmackDown tonight is at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. It will feature a gauntlet match pitting Kofi Kingston against Randy Orton, Samoa Joe, The Bar and Rowan. If Kingston can get through all five wrestlers, he’ll get a WWE title match at WrestleMania. Also advertised is The Miz responding to Shane McMahon, as well as Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks & Bayley facing Peyton Royce & Billie Kay in a non-title match.
205 Live’s number one contender’s tournament will conclude tonight with Cedric Alexander facing Tony Nese in the finals. The winner will challenge for Buddy Murphy’s Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania 35.
Kurt Angle posted on Instagram about facing Baron Corbin at WrestleMania: “My farewell match will be against Baron Corbin at Wrestlemania. I realize it’s not the most popular decision from a fan’s perspective… BUT I will make Corbin tap out on the biggest stage of them all…. and I Hope you can share this moment/accomplishment with me on April 7th. Baron is a legit tough guy. It won’t be easy but it never is. #itstrue #wrestlemania35 #wwe #wrestling”
Total Bellas on Sunday fell to 395,000 viewers, down from last week’s 441,000, a new series low.
Although PWInsider had a report yesterday that Sin Cara signed a new contract with WWE, he took to Twitter to say he has not, a play off of AJ Styles’ tweet saying he had re-signed.
Ray Leppan, the former Adam Rose, announced his full-time retirement from professional wrestling. Leppan wrote that he’ll be fulfilling his dates that are currently booked, but he isn’t taking new ones.
Ahead of challenging for Jay Lethal’s ROH World Championship at Pro Wrestling Association’s Passover Bash 2019 in Israel on April 21, David Starr cut a promo on Sinclair Broadcasting and their politics.
Donald Cerrone’s next fight has been confirmed. He’ll face Al Iaquinta on May 4 in Ottawa, according to Brett Okamoto.
Ariel Helwani tweeted about Cerrone vs. Iaquinta: “The booking of Cerrone vs. Iaquinta could very well clear the path for McGregor vs. Diaz 3 happening later this year. Developing.”
Ed in San Antonio presents the WRESTLEMANIAWeekend Events (more to be added):
Saturday, April 6th, at 12:00 pm: Lunch (all you can eat) at Churrascaria Plataforma ($90 per person), located at 316 W. 49th street in Manhattan. Purchase tickets here~!
Luxury Bus to MetLife Stadium for Wrestlemania: We will depart from the Hilton Midtown (site of Wrestlecon) located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Departure time is 4:00 pm and will return from MetLife approximately 30 mins after the event. Times are subject to change, and cost $67.00 per person for the round trip. Purchase tickets here~!
Kurt Angle has an opponent for his farewell match.
On tonight’s episode of Raw, it was announced that Angle will face Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35. Angle got to pick his opponent in storyline and said that, while there are a lot of people he wants to face, Corbin is the only person he wants to beat.
As part of his farewell tour, Angle defeated Chad Gable on tonight’s Raw. Corbin came out after and cut a promo about how he’s going to dominate his match against Angle at WrestleMania.
Angle announced on last week’s Raw that he’ll be having his final match at WrestleMania. His program with Corbin dates back months, with Corbin replacing Angle as Raw’s on-screen authority figure before the McMahons took over the role.
WrestleMania 35 is taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 7. Here’s the updated card:
Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey defending against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a triple threat match
Universal Champion Brock Lesnar defending against Seth Rollins
Triple H vs. Batista in a no holds barred match
AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin (Angle’s farewell match)
Shane McMahon vs. The Miz
WWE Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy defending against the winner of a number one contender’s tournament (Cedric Alexander is facing Tony Nese in the finals on this week’s 205 Live)
Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey will defend her title against Dana Brooke on the show. That was set up by an angle on this week’s episode where Brooke interrupted Rousey and wanted her to issue an open challenge, which led to Rousey attacking Brooke and slapping a referee who tried to break things up.
Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre has also been announced for Monday’s show, along with a tag match where Finn Balor will choose a partner to team with him against Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush.
McIntyre attacked Roman Reigns on this week’s Raw and then defeated Dean Ambrose in a falls count anywhere match. Lashley won the Intercontinental title from Balor on the episode, with Rush distracting Balor before the finish.
WWE is hyping that Kurt Angle will reveal his WrestleMania 35 opponent on Monday’s Raw. Angle announced this week that he’ll be having his farewell match at WrestleMania on April 7.
Monday’s Raw is taking place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, who will defend his title against Rollins at WrestleMania, is scheduled to appear on the episode.
Kurt Angle is set to have his farewell match at WrestleMania 35.
Angle came out during Raw tonight and said at WrestleMania, he would have his farewell match. He thanked the locker room and the fans for their support. He also said that he wanted to have one more match in Pittsburgh. He got that wish, as he defeated Apollo Crews in a short match after the announcement.
Angle first joined the WWE in 1999 after winning the gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. After spending some time in Power Pro Wrestling, he made his debut later that year on the main roster. Within a year he became a main event level star, winning six different WWE World titles between 2000 and 2006.
After a lengthy run in Impact Wrestling (where he won their World title six times), Angle made his return to WWE in 2017, entering their Hall of Fame. He also returned as a on-air character as the general manager for Raw. Once that storyline ended, he appeared sporadically as an active wrestler.
Date: February 4, 2019 Location: Moda Center in Portland, OR
The Big Takeaway —
Becky Lynch was suspended by Stephanie McMahon for refusing to see doctors about her knee injury. Stephanie will only allow her to compete if the doctors clear her. The story is that Lynch doesn’t trust Stephanie or the doctors and doesn’t want them to get in her way. Lynch attacked Stephanie but Stephanie managed to escape.
Before Lynch was escorted out of the arena, Ronda Rousey got in her face, cut a promo and called her a bitch. In response, Lynch did nothing.
Elsewhere on the show, Kurt Angle did not retire, but was instead in a tag main event which ended in a lame DQ. Dean Ambrose is back to being a babyface. He lost to EC3, who still has not spoken.
Show Recap —
Stephanie McMahon was in the ring to start the show. She welcomed the crowd to Raw and before she could say much more, Becky Lynch entered to a big reaction. Stephanie continued speaking and cut to a replay of Ronda Rousey’s promo from last week (they didn’t include the line where Rousey said she could kill Lynch). Rousey’s name was booed.
Stephanie was impressed that Lynch was still smiling at the end of that promo by Rousey. Lynch said she had every reason to be smiling and would slap the head off Rousey at WrestleMania. Stephanie was looking forward to it considering her history with Rousey.
Stephanie pointed out Lynch’s knee brace and limp and asked if she was okay. Lynch said she was fine. Stephanie then showed images from the Rumble where Lynch won despite being attacked by Nia Jax. She then noted that Lynch has been refusing medical attention. Lynch said she didn’t want any doctors coming near her.
Stephanie recalled being with Lynch after she got punched by Jax and saw that all Lynch wanted to do was fight, and has never seen that much fight out of anyone. However, Stephanie couldn’t allow Lynch to fight unless she was cleared by the medical staff. The crowd booed.
Lynch said she knew what was happening. Lynch was a glitch in their plan. She said she fought to get to where she is now and claimed Stephanie was trying to hold her back because she never had to struggle for anything. Lynch said she was going to Mania and there was nothing Stephanie or any stupid doctor could do about it.
Stephanie said it was easy–just see the doctors, they clear her, and she can compete. Unless, her knee is worse than she’s letting on. Lynch said Stephanie wasn’t going to take her moment away. Stephanie said she would have to suspend Lynch until she sees a doctor. Lynch warned her not to suggest it again, or else.
Lynch wouldn’t comply, so Stephanie suspended her. Stephanie turned around, then Lynch grabbed her and knocked her down with a punch. Lynch was about to put her in a Disarmer but her knee gave out. A bunch of officials ran out and Lynch fought off a couple, but Stephanie managed to kick her in the leg and escape. Lynch limped to the back surrounded by officials.
After a break, Lynch was being escorted away by officials when she was approached by Ronda Rousey. Rousey ranted at her for putting their Mania main event in jeopardy. Rousey said she keeps things professional because she knows they have a fight to promote, but what Lynch just did wasn’t professional and doesn’t promote their fight.
Rousey wondered why Lynch was even there and figured she just wanted the crowd to hear her weekly violin recital. She suggested Lynch rest up so she can receive a beating at Mania. Before leaving, Rousey told her, “ice and Advil, bitch.” Lynch just stood there and did nothing, then continued leaving with the officials.
I suppose we’re supposed to think Lynch didn’t attack her because officials were there, but this didn’t come across well for her.
Non-title match: Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey defeated Liv Morgan (w/Ruby Riott & Sarah Logan) (1:25)
Rousey won quickly with the armbar. Despite coming out smiling and high-fiving the crowd, Rousey grabbed a mic after the match and yelled at the crowd for booing her from the comfort of their seats and called out the rest of the Riott Squad for glaring at her the wrong way. She was ready for another fight, so Sarah Logan obliged.
Non-title match: Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey defeated Sarah Logan (w/Ruby Riott & Liv Morgan) (4:53)
Most of this happened during a break and Rousey won again with the armbar. As the Riott Squad backed away, Ruby jumped on the apron as if she would challenge Rousey. The crowd lightly chanted for Ruby until she backed down and left with her friends.
When they got to the back, Dasha Fuentes asked Ruby why she ran from Rousey. Ruby was offended and said she wasn’t running. She knew she could be Rousey and when she did, it would be for the title. But right now, her friends were hurt and they needed her.
I liked Rousey getting two quick wins here after having a lot of long back-and-forth matches.
Charly Caruso asked Sasha Banks and Bayley about their recent failures against Rousey and asked how it would affect their tag match. Banks was about to go off on her but Bayley calmed her down. Bayley said they both took Rousey to her limit and tonight was about tag wrestling.
Banks said they would make history. Alicia Fox and Nikki Cross interrupted to let them know they wouldn’t make it to the Chamber. Cross said nobody wanted to play with her, but the Fox did. She added, “chaos isn’t judgmental, chaos is fair.”
Four Corners tag match: The Revival defeated B-Team, Heavy Machinery and Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado (w/Kalisto) (11:17)
Heavy Machinery almost had it won but they were stopped by Curtis Axel, who saved Bo Dallas. They were sent from the ring and Revival won with a Shatter Machine on Dallas, earning them a “future tag team title opportunity.” Revival had “FTR” on their trunks.
Curt Hawkins was watching the match and Zack Ryder assured him they would get a shot soon. Hawkins called himself a loser. He’s been losing for 2 years straight and said this team wasn’t going to work out.
Ryder noted they spelt his name wrong on the graphics last week and called himself a loser, too. Ryder said they could get through this together and Hawkins streak would be broken by them as a team. Hawkins responded in the affirmative. Hawkins’ performance was good here. Ryder’s was not.
Angle was shown walking backstage and was greeted by Mickie James, Apollo Crews and No way Jose.
Kurt Angle promo
Angle said he’s been living by the three Is–intensity, integrity and intelligence, and it worked out for him through better and worse. He accomplished everything he could have, from the European championship all the way to the Hall of Fame.
He said he was able to be the GM and even found out he had a long lost son. He also said the crowd always reminded him “how much I really suck.” They chanted “you suck” and he responded, “thank you, I guess.”
He said the three Is have turned into the three Ds–doubt, defeat and depression. Angle said he beat everyone in his career and won a gold medal with a broken freakin’ neck. But the one opponent he cannot defeat was father time.
Baron Corbin interrupted and was roundly booed. Corbin said Angle should’ve retired two years ago and called him a shadow of a man. Angle dared him to get in the ring so he could break his ankle in two. Angle took off his jacket, then Drew McIntyre interrupted.
McIntyre said Angle couldn’t help himself. One minute he was ready to accept his fate, and the next, he wanted to break the ankle of the man who took his job and beat him. McIntyre said he saw fear in Angle’s eyes when he made him tap out to the ankle lock. McIntyre admitted Angle had no quit and knew he would never quit until someone put him down for good.
McIntyre told the Portland crowd to shut their mouths and get their cameras ready because they were going to put him down. They marched to the ring and surrounded him until Braun Strowman ran down. Strowman attacked McIntyre, then Angle attacked Corbin. Strowman threw a fancy leather chair at Corbin, who then ran away through the crowd with McIntyre.
Angle and Strowman stood tall with Angle’s music playing. After a break, they announced Angle and Strowman against McIntyre and Corbin for tonight’s main event. Michael Cole said we’ll “never know” if Angle came out here with the intention to retire. I mean, you could just ask him.
They aired a video package of Brock Lesnar beating down Seth Rollins last week.
Fox and Cross attacked Banks and Bayley during their entrance. The beating went on a while and they went to break with the announcers wondering if the match would even happen. After a break… it was already underway. Bayley was in the ring as Banks was struggling to climb onto the apron. Bayley was fighting off both women until she was cut off by a Fox scissors kick.
As they worked over Bayley, Cross used a flying crossbody off the apron to the floor, which looked cool. Cross tried a running charge, but Banks was hiding around the corner of the ring and yanked Bayley out of the way, causing Cross to run into the post.
Fox tagged herself in and stopped Bayley from tagging out, then Bayley caught her in a schoolgirl for the sudden win. Banks never got in the match, so she’s likely still nursing an injury.
Apollo Crews told Caruso that he didn’t think Angle was intending on competing, but is glad he is. Caruso asked why he’s glad. Crews said because he was Kurt Angle, and he was allowed to have a couple of bad matches.
Drake Maverick and Rezar confronted Crews. Maverick told him to admit that Angle can’t win. Crews asked Rezar how he got his puppet to talk like that. Rezar was about to attack him, but Maverick stopped him and said Crews was just upset his Olympic hero keeps letting him down.
Elias defeated Jeff Jarrett (w/Road Dogg) (7:51)
Road Dogg and Jarrett each cut promos before the match. Road Dogg did his DX shtick, then Jarrett did his old routine as well, calling himself the world’s greatest singer, entertainer, and wrestler.
They sang “With My Baby Tonight” until Elias interrupted. He said nobody wanted to hear them sing the song nobody knows the lyrics to and said their act hasn’t aged well. He wondered what Road Dogg was even doing there and said, “shouldn’t you be on Smackdown tanking their ratings?”
Elias said he mistakenly turned down a halftime performance at the Super Bowl to come to Portland, a town not even good enough to have a football team. Jarrett then quoted an old rival and told him, “don’t sing it, bring it.”
After a break, Elias was in control after a high knee. He mocked Jarrett’s strut and did the crotch chop at Road Dogg. Later, Elias kicked down Road Dogg when his back was turned. Jarrett mounted a comeback with fists and a clothesline. Jarrett did his strut, then hit an enziguri. Elias knocked Road Dogg off the apron, then gave Jarrett a Drift Away for the win.
Road Dogg attacked Elias from behind after the match and knocked him down with punches. Road Dogg did the crotch chop, then Jarrett clocked Elias from behind with the guitar. The guitar didn’t break, so the crowd chanted “one more time.” They didn’t get it. Jarrett’s music played and he posed.
Backstage, Dana Brooke apologized to Natalya for their loss last week. Natalya didn’t respond, so Brooke yelled at her and said she would find a McMahon to make a match between them next week. Brooke screamed this in her ear before leaving. Turns out, Natalya was wearing earbuds and couldn’t hear anything and had no idea Brooke was even there.
They promoted that Ric Flair would be on Raw in three weeks in Atlanta for a birthday celebration. That should be something.
The announcers ran down what happened with Lynch and Stephanie earlier. Cole speculated that Lynch didn’t trust Stephanie or the doctors, which is why she’s refusing to see them.
Finn Bálor told Caruso that the Irish were stubborn when wounded, and that seems to be going around tonight. Bálor admitted he was hurt after the beatings from Lesnar and Bobby Lashley. He was told he should stay home, but he wouldn’t be pushed around or held down. He said he would take the fight to Lashley and would take his IC championship the first opportunity he got.
After Bálor entered, Lio Rush said Bálor didn’t deserve a chance at Lashley, and that Lashley can curl dumbbells bigger than him. Lashley said Bálor had a title match against Lesnar and lost, and Lashley was better than Lesnar. Lashley said he could beat Lesnar in a wrestling match, in the ring, in an octagon, and in his sleep.
Lashley said Bálor would be facing Rush tonight, and if he was entertained enough, he would considering giving Bálor a title match. Lashley then attacked Bálor. The referee checked with Bálor, who agreed to start the match anyway.
Finn Bálor defeated Lio Rush (w/IC Champion Bobby Lashley) (8:54)
Bálor put the boots to Rush and was about to attack him on the outside, but Lashley yanked him down off the apron. This was not a disqualification, but instead, the referee tossed Lashley from ringside. Rush nailed Bálor with a suicide dive and they went to break.
Bálor went up for Coup de Grace but Rush crotched him and brought him down from the top with a hurricanrana. They went back and forth (Rush used a springboard stunner in here but the cameraperson missed it), Rush missed a frog splash, then Bálor killed him with a dropkick and hit Coup de Grace for the win. Lashley ran down afterwards but Bálor left the ring.
Paige came out to a big reaction. She plugged her movie and they aired a commercial for it. They went immediately to break after that, so her appearance lasted a few seconds. There was then another commercial for the movie (which may have just aired locally).
A Moment of Bliss with guest EC3
Bliss introduced EC3, who came out his in gear (no shirt). There were light “EC3” chants. Bliss said he had everything going for him. He’s young, he’s good looking, and has a large… bank account. She said he’s been playing hard-to-get, bouncing between Raw and Smackdown. She wanted to know which brand he would choose.
Before he could respond, Nia Jax and Tamina interrupted. Jax didn’t care about this and wanted to talk about the week she had, entering the men’s Rumble and qualifying for the Chamber with Tamina when they beat Bliss. Bliss noted that Mickie James took the loss. Jax wondered what was next for her and thought about filling in for Lynch at Mania.
Dean Ambrose interrupted. “I am sorry Alexa, I don’t want to be out here as much as you don’t want me out here.” Ambrose had words for Jax. He knew she had a crush on him. Ambrose said it’s best she stays away and told her never to come near him again.
Ambrose asked Bliss who the guy was. Bliss said it was EC3. EC3 was about to respond but Ambrose smacked the mic out of his hand. Ambrose asked him a series of questions including, why is your name EC3 and where are EC1 and EC2. The crowd laughed. He also wondered why EC3 hung around backstage like a mute Chippendale dancer instead of getting in the ring.
EC3 was about to respond, then decked Ambrose with a punch. EC3 went to the ring and they cut to a break. Ambrose was a total babyface here. I mean, he was kind of a dick, but he’s Dean Ambrose. The crowd responded positively toward Ambrose but there were a few people chanting for EC3.
EC3 defeated Dean Ambrose (2:36)
EC3 won suddenly with a jackknife cover. Ambrose acted shocked at the loss and Cole put over EC3 pinning a former WWE Champion.
Backstage, Angle was warming up when Caruso asked him what it would mean to beat two guys who embarrassed him the past few months. Angle just looked at her and didn’t respond. (The crowd could be heard chanting for Ambrose in the background.) Caruso asked for an answer. Angle said he almost didn’t bring his gear tonight but had a feeling he should.
Angle said he kissed his wife goodbye, grabbed his singlet and boots and came to the arena. He said he doesn’t have to fight alone tonight. Like this was a stage play, Strowman showed up at this exact moment and said it was an honour to tag with him tonight. They finished by saying “it’s true, it’s damn true.”
Mojo Rawley yelled at himself in front of a mirror again. He’s always been told to be part of the team, from college to the NFL to Wall Street to WWE. But that hasn’t worked out for him. Rawley laughed, said, “forget the team,” because now it was all about him.
Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin defeated Braun Strowman & Kurt Angle via DQ (12:15)
Angle gave Corbin a German suplex right away. McIntyre pulled Corbin out of the ring, then Strowman tackled McIntyre. Angle gave Corbin another suplex then went for the ankle lock, but Corbin kicked him into the ropes. McIntyre headbutted Angle and they went to break 45 seconds into the match.
The heels worked over Angle for a while. He went for an Angle Slam, but McIntyre slipped out and hit an Angle Slam of his own. McIntyre applied the ankle lock and the crowd cheered for him to escape. Angle did escape and made the hot tag to Strowman who ran over McIntyre and knocked Corbin off the apron.
Corbin assisted McIntyre in dumping Strowman from the ring, then Corbin twice slammed his face into the post and drove him into the barricade. McIntyre gave Strowman a neckbreaker, then McIntyre and Corbin gave him a double back suplex. They went for a double vertical suplex, but Strowman suplexed them both instead.
Angle made the tag and gave Germans to both men, then tossed McIntyre from the ring. Angle gave Corbin an Angle Slam but McIntyre broke up the cover. Strowman knocked him from the ring. Before Strowman could attack Corbin, Corbin said he can’t do it because he’d be disqualified (because he’s not the legal man, I guess).
Strowman didn’t care and attacked him anyway, so the referee called for the DQ. Awful finish. The crowd chanted “ref you suck.” Strowman continued the attack but McIntyre cut him off with a Claymore kick. They were about to slam Angle on the steel steps, but Strowman made the save and chokeslammed both guys on the steps instead.
Strowman and Angle stood tall with Strowman’s music playing as the show ended.
WWE is advertising a segment where Kurt Angle will address his future with the company on Monday’s episode of Raw.
WWE.com announced the segment on Friday night: “Following Kurt Angle’s crushing loss last week to Baron Corbin — the very man who cost The Olympic Hero his Raw general manager role — the WWE Hall of Famer will address his future in WWE on Raw.
“It is unclear at this time just what Angle will be announcing, but you won’t want to miss whatever the four-time WWE Champion has to say.”
Angle also wrote on Instagram: “From my amazing WWE HOF career, to my work as GM of Raw, to the way things have gone down the past couple of months, I will address my future in WWE this week on Monday Night Raw. #itstrue #wwe #wrestling #thetruth”
Angle was a surprise entrant in Sunday’s men’s Royal Rumble match, coming in as entrant number four and ending up as the second person to be eliminated. Angle then lost to Corbin on this week’s Raw. Corbin laid out Angle with the End of Days after the match.
Drew McIntyre also submitted Angle with an ankle lock on Raw this past November, with Angle’s loss being described as humiliating on commentary.
Monday’s Raw is taking place at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Alicia Fox & Nikki Cross for Raw’s last spot in the Women’s Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber match has also been announced for the episode.
