Dean Ambrose is ready for his WrestleMania tilt against Brock Lesnar, but first he needs to get through tonight’s RAW. (Instagram)
It’s the final WWE RAW before WrestleMania 32 and things are about to get even more dramatic, even more intense and every single storyline is about to get one last final moment of hype.
In other words, this is going to be one heck of a RAW. Read on for a complete breakdown of each match and highlights from the Monday night spectacle:
ane McMahon vs. The Undertaker..Kind Of
It wasn’t exactly a match per se. The Undertaker opened up RAW by telling fans that WrestleMania 32 will not be his last before Shane McMahon appeared and responded.
McMahon discussed his legacy – and The Undertaker’s – and was held mostly in check before The Undertaker discussed his relationship with his father in less-than-ideal terms. Then this happened:
THIS. JUST. HAPPENED! #RAW #WrestleMania @ShaneMcMahon t.co/yocAdvm6Sy
The two gave a pretty darn impressive preview of what’s to come on Sunday night and McMahon held his own, taking The Undertaker down with a monitor outside the ring.
Chris Jericho vs. Zack Ryder
Winner: Zack Ryder
Via the @AJStylesOrg distraction, @ZACKRYDER beats @IAmJericho!! #RAW
Ryder won…but he got some help in the form of AJ Styles.
After Jericho declined Styles’ WrestleMania match earlier on Monday, the star came and sat ringside during the faceoff against Ryder. It was more than enough of a distraction to allow Ryder to grab the upper hand on Jericho and it didn’t take long for him to notch the victory.
Jericho essentially lost his mind after the match, going after Ryder before Styles intervened and screaming at the crowd in Brooklyn. Then, of course, he accepted the WrestleMania challenge.
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch
Winner: Charlotte
The WWE Divas Champion just keeps notching victories before WrestleMania. Of course, when your dad is Ric Flair and camped out ringside ready and willing to distract your opponent, that helps as well. See?
Thanks to @RicFlairNatrBoy‘s help, @MsCharlotteWWE defeats @BeckyLynchWWE on #RAW!
Big Show & Kane vs. The Social Outcasts
NEVER look to make a statement at the expense of @WWETheBigShow and @KaneWWE! #RAW #AndreBattleRoyal t.co/qEKkK2gTTy
In a preview of the chaos that will undoubtedly ensue during the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle, the ring was chock full of stars as the match between Big Show & Kane and The Social Outcasts quickly fell apart.
Goldust, The Ascension, Jack Swagger, Damien Sandow, R-Truth, Fandango, Darren Young, Mark Henry and Tyler Breeze all jumped into the brawl, but in the end it came down to Henry, Show and Kane. Henry eventually took a double chokeslaw before The Social Outcasts ran back in.
They didn’t last long. Big Show and Kane hit a quadruple chokeslam and, well, that was that.
Kofi Kingston vs. Alberto Del Rio
Winner: Kofi Kingston
.@TrueKofi reverses @VivaDelRio‘s #CrossArmbreaker for the victory!! #RAW
The feud between The New Day and The League of Nations took another turn as Kofi Kingston and Albert Del Rio faced off on Monday night.
For the most part, it was a fairly even match as both Superstars went back and forth, trying to gain the metaphorical upper hand. But, just when Del Rio thought he had accomplished that, Kingston rolled him over and got both shoulders down for the victory.
The three other League members jumped into the ring, intent on beating down Kingston (much like they had a few weeks ago on RAW), but he and his fellow New Day teammates were able to get out and up the ramp before the brawl.
Kalisto vs. Konnor
Winner: Kalisto
WWE United States Champion Kalisto made quick work of Konnor in a match that seemed to end as soon as it started really.
In matches like this, however, it’s usually what happens after the final bell that matters and this one was no different.
Will size matter this Sunday at @WrestleMania, as @Ryback22 challenges for @KalistoWWE‘s #USTitle? #RAW
After the match, Viktor tried to run at Kalisto, but the Champion took him out and then proceeded to stare down Ryback who marched into the ring shouting “FEED ME MORE.”
Paige vs. Emma
Winner: Emma
Emma seized control early and, of all people, Lana snuck into the ring to drop Paige with a kick while the ref wasn’t looking. It was more than enough time to allow Emma to grab the victory.
After the match, however, another multi-star brawl broke out with “Team Bad and Blonde” taking control. Eva Marie surprised everyone by appearing – and earning some serious boos – before slamming Lana down by her hair.
In the end, the Total Divas are the only ones left standing in the ring.
Stardust, The Miz & Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn, Dolph Zigler & Sin Cara
Winner: Sami Zayn, Dolph Zigger and Sin Cara
A #HeluvaKick from @ILikeSamiZayn, and he picks up the pinfall over @FightOwensFight! #RAW #6ManTag
No one likes Kevin Owens; even his so-called teammates.
After Owens more or less much of the tag team match “coaching” Stardust and The Miz from outside the ring, the Champion finally tagged himself late into the match. But when he turned and looked for help, his teammates walked away from him.
Literally.
.@FightOwensFight‘s tag partners have left him hanging…. #RAW
The departure left Owens more than susceptible to Zayn’s attack and the former friends didn’t waste much time going after each other. Of course, Zayn had a bit of an upper hand and unloaded on the champ with a tornado DDT and a Helluva Kick for the win.
Roman Reigns vs. Triple H…and Everyone Else
So, this was not really a match. This was more a disaster. And it has got us seriously hyped up for WrestleMania.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon came out to finish their earlier speech before they were interrupted – again – by Roman Reigns. And then, well, then all hell broke loose. Check it out:
EVERYTHING is at stake for @WWERomanReigns THIS SUNDAY at @WrestleMania! #RAW #WrestleMania @TripleH t.co/FX2V1R9du0
As the entire WWE roster tried to contain both Triple H and Roman Reigns, the two men didn’t appear to get the memo, because this is what Reigns did when the champ tried to jump back into the ring:
Is it Sunday yet?
Tonight’s RAW, which will tape from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, is bringing out all of the metaphorical big guns on the WWE roster with the following stars already advertised for the event: Shane McMahon, Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, Rusev, WWE United States Champion Kalisto, WWE Intercontinental Champion Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler.
Of course, tonight’s RAW is about much more than just Superstar and Divas appearances. This is all about the set up.
Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar’s feud will, likely, reach a breaking point tonight and it’ll be interesting to see if the Lunatic Fringe will get any other “gifts” from other former WWE stars to use in his anything-goes match this weekend.
Meanwhile, the McMahon family drama is only just getting started. Roman Reigns and Triple H are expected to share some words (and maybe a bit more) tonight, while Vince and Shane continue to battle for the future of RAW. And, speaking of Shane, will his return also mark the last WrestleMania for The Undertaker? There are already rumors that this might be the end.
Kevin Owns will have to step up his game again tonight, prepping for WrestleMania’s Intercontinental Title Ladder Match as half a dozen other stars are slated to come after his title. And, last but not least, expect Chris Jericho to respond to AJ Styles‘ challenge from last week.
See? This one is going to be fun.
WWE RAW airs at 8 p.m. ET on USA.
Comments
WWE RAW Spoilers & Results: March 28