WWE RAW
Episode 1349
#RAW
Original Air Date: April 1, 2019
Event Date: April 1, 2019
(aired live)
City: Washington DC
Venue: Capital One Arena
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Ring Area
Stephanie McMahon comes out to the stage. She announces that the match between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch will have both the RAW and SmackDown titles on the line. One woman will take both titles in a Winner Take All match.
Ring Area
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman head to the ring. Heyman likes what Stephanie just said about the winner taking all. He says the winner in the Universal Title match (i.e. Brock Lesnar) will take everything Seth Rollins can give, and the winner will take the Universal Title with him. Lesnar took the streak from The Undertaker. Lesnar took everything Roman Reigns had last year and came away the winner. This Wrestlemania will be no different. Heyman says that Lesnar will violate Seth Rollins and desecrate the good name of Wrestlemania.
Rollins heads to the ring. Rollins says this is the biggest match of his career, but even if he doens’t realize it, it’s the biggest match of Lesnar’s career as well. Rollins tells Lesnar that nobody wants him here. Not the wrestlers in the back, and not the fans. Rollins knows that beating Lesnar might be improbable, but it’s not impossible. Rollins says he will beat Lesnar and take the title, and there’s nothing Lesnar can do about it.
Lesnar smiles and pushes his way past Rollins to leave the ring. Rollins grabs Lesnar, kicks him in the groin, and attacks him. Lesnar fights back, but Rollins hits another low blow. Rollins hits Lesnar with a curb stomp before leaving the ring.
Backstage
Charly Caruso tells Rollins that he’ll be disqualified on Sunday if he does what he just did to Lesnar. Rollins shrugs it off. He says Lesnar had it coming.
Match 1
The IIconics & Nia Jax & Tamina vs Sasha Banks & Bayley (Women’s Tag Champs) & Natalya & Beth Phoenix
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Beth Phoenix pins Peyton Royce after the Glam Slam
Time: 7:46 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. This was very character-driven which makes sense this close to Wrestlemania. This match was a way to shine a spotlight on Beth Phoenix and put over her power. Jax and Tamina didn’t do anything, and The IIconics were basically used as props for their opponents. For what it was meant to do, it was good, though I fear for what will happen to The IIconics on Sunday.
Backstage
Batista arrives at the arena.
Ring Area
Batista heads to the ring. Before he says anything, Batista points to the tron. A video plays showing Batista beating up Triple in a bunch of matches.
In the ring, Batista tells Triple H to kiss his ass. He drops the mic, poses, and leaves.
Outside the Venue
Elias is standing outside of MetLife Stadium. He says that after his performance at Wrestlemania, everyone will be talking about Elias.
Match 2
Jinder Mahal w/ The Singh Brothers vs Apollo Crews
(referee: Rod Zapata; at ringside: The B-Team, Titus O’Neil, Heath Slater, Rhyno, Tyler Breeze, The Ascension, EC3, No Way Jose Lucha House Party)
Result: Apollo Crews wins via pinfall after a frog splash
Time: 1:36
Match Thoughts
This was super short. The match was just an excuse to get a bunch of superstars competing in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal down to the ring.
Ring Area
After the match, the Andre the Giant Battle Royal trophy is placed on the edge of the ring. Apollo Crews poses with it, and that brings everyone at ringside into the ring. Everyone brawls. People get thrown out, and Apollo Crews ends up being the last man in the ring.
Backstage
Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio talk to each other.
Ring Area
Kurt Angle heads to the ring. Angle says “thank you” to the fans for everything over his career. Mike Rome then introduces a video tribute to Angle’s career.
Back in the ring, Angle gets emotional. Then Baron Corbin comes out to the stage. Corbin says the man we just saw in the video is not the same man who is standing in he ring. Corbin says Angle can’t hang with today’s superstars.
Angle suggests the he and Corbin have an exhibition match right here tonight. Corbin walks down to the ring, but he doesn’t enter. Corbin decides to wait for Wrestlemania. As Corbin walks away, Rey Mysterio runs down to the ring. Corbin and Rey both enter the ring.
Rey says that someone needs to teach Corbin a lesson in respect. Rey suggests that Corbin face him tonight. Corbin doesn’t want to do that either. Corbin punches Rey, but Rey and Angle both attack Corbin and send him out of the ring.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Charlotte Flair. Charlotte seems confident that she won’t be losing her SmackDown title at Wrestlemania. She’s also not worried about tonight’s tag team match.
Match 3
RAW Tag Title Match
Ricochet & Aleister Black vs The Revival (RAW Tag Champs)
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: The Revival wins via Count Out when Ricochet gets counted out (after Scott Dawson trips him from under the ring)
Time: 8:42 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
This was pretty fun, but I still don’t like how weak they’re making The Revival seem. This whole title run has been weak for them, and this match was no exception.
Ring Area
After the match, Aleister Black hits each member of The Revival with Black Mass. Ricochet then hits Dawson with the 630 senton.
Backstage
Ronda Rousey doesn’t want to talk to Charly Caruso. She does anyway.
Backstage
Roman Reigns has a drink of water.
Backstage
Alexa Bliss tells Tyler Breeze and EC3 that she’s doing a fantastic job as the host of Wrestlemania. They all three start talking about Michael Che and Colin Jost when Braun Strowman walks up. Strowman wants to know what’s so funny, so Breeze tells him that his friends down the hallway were laughing about some SNL skit.
Strowman goes down the hallway and tells two random guys that they are Che and Jost tonight. They better meet him in the ring, or he’s going to give them his hands backstage.
Backstage
Dasha Fuentes welcomes Roman Reigns. Reigns says he is 100% ready to compete at Wrestlemania. Drew McIntyre runs up and attacks Reigns.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Becky Lynch. Becky says she’ll be taking both titles at Wrestlemania. She says that’s the best way for her to ensure that the McMahons won’t sink her after Wrestlemania.
Match 4
Riott Squad vs Becky Lynch & Charlotte Flair (SD Women’s Champ) & Ronda Rousey (RAW Women’s Champ)
(referee: John Cone; stipulation: if Ronda, Becky, or Charlotte turn on their teammates tonight, they’ll lose their spot at Wrestlemania)
Result: Ronda Rousey forces Liv Morgan to submit to an arm bar
Time: 4:21 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
The Riott squad still deserves better. However, this match was fine for the story between the women in the Wrestlemania main event. There was a lot of talking, and I liked how the after-match shenanigans started the moment the bell rang.
Ring Area
Immediately after the match, Ronda attacks Charlotte. Becky gets involved, and all three women brawl. Security enters the ring, but they don’t have much luck stopping the fight. Police enter the ring. They end up having to handcuff Ronda and Becky to get them to stop fighting. Charlotte just stands outside the ring and watches.
As Ronda is being led away, Charlotte attacks her. Charlotte is handcuffed as well.
Backstage
Police struggle to get Charlotte into a police car while Becky and Ronda still try to fight. Ronda and Becky end up in the same car, and they try to kick each other until they kick out one of the car’s windows. The police pull Becky out of the car. Charlotte gets out of her car and kicks at Becky, and while everyone’s distracted Ronda rams her car into the back of Charlotte’s car. Charlotte then knees Rousey in the end as she yells out of the broken window. Eventually, everyone is taken away.
Match 5
Chad Gable & Bobby Roode vs Heavy Machinery
(referee: Rod Zapata)
Result: Otis Dozovic pins Chad Gable after The Compacter
Time: 3:04
Match Thoughts
This was short, but it was mostly fun. Lacey Evans came out and did nothing during the match.
Video
A look at Kofi Kingston’s road to Wrestlemania.
Match 6
Brandon Scott & Elijah King vs Braun Strowman
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Braun Strowman pins both of his opponents after a double power slam
Time: 3:02
Match Thoughts
Squash.
Ring Area
In the ring, Charly Caruso welcomes Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush. Rush tells Caruso that Lashley isn’t worried about Balor. Lashley says that even if Finn Balor brings out The Demon, he’s still the same man. Lashley can beat Balor either way.
Balor appears on the tron. Balor says he’s always had demons, and this Sunday, Balor’s demons will be Lashley’s nightmare. Balor turns into The Demon on the screen. Lashley just looks angry.
Match 7
Rey Mysterio vs Baron Corbin
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Baron Corbin wins via pinfall after Deep Six
Time: 10:05 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
I like Rey, but ultimately I didn’t care for this. Corbin drags every match down.
Ring Area
After the match, Corbin walks up to the stage. He turns around to look at the crowd, and when he does, Kurt Angle attacks Corbin from behind. Angle puts Corbin in an ankle lock for a few seconds. Angle celebrates while the commentators talk about Rousey, Lynch, and Flair getting arrested as the show ends.
Show Impressions
As far as pre-PPV shows go, this was fine. it touched on a lot of the matches, but it didn’t really add much. We learned about the winner take all stipulation for the women’s match, but that was the only new thing tonight.
I don’t like that they still haven’t announced a RAW tag title match (or a SmackDown one) for Wrestlemania. Everything else was fine. Though, I was a little bummed about not getting to see Angle versus Mysterio even though it was announced last week. It’s not like we’re really going to have another opportunity to see that match (unless they do it tomorrow night).
I thought the Rousey, Lynch, and Charlotte segment was good, but it got kind of silly after a while. Watching all of them kick-fight all over the place was kind of goofy after a while, and the bumbling cops made me shake my head. It was fine, but it might have gone a little overboard.
I think, overall, my thoughts on this show are: yeah, it was fine.
Match of the Night
RAW Tag Title Match
Despite not being a huge fan of the ending, and despite wishing that they would let The Revival wrestle more like The Revival used to, I liked this match the most tonight.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2019-04-01