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RAW Recap & Review – Episode 1345

WWE RAW
Episode 1345
#RAW

Original Air Date: March 4, 2019
Event Date: March 4, 2019
(aired live)

City: Philadelphia, PA
Venue: Wells Fargo Center

Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome

 

Ring Area
Roman Reigns heads to the ring. He says last week was the comeback, and this week he takes his yard back. There is one man who stands in his way though. That man is Seth Rollins. Rollins heads to the ring.

Rollins tells Reigns that seeing him return to RAW was one of the best nights of Rollins’ life. Rollins will take that motivation and inspiration to Wrestlemania where he will defeat The Beast. Rollins also says he knows where Reigns is coming from. If there’s anyone who deserves a shot at Lesnar as much as Rollins, it’s Reigns.

Reigns says Rollins is wrong. Reigns watched as Rollins kept RAW in line while he was away. Reigns has full confidence in Rollins and wishes him luck against Lesnar. But Reigns needs a favor: he wants to “get the band back together.” Rollins is not into the idea. After what Ambrose did, Rollins is not interested. Reigns says he gained a new perspective while he was recovering. We don’t know when we’ll be gone, so the important things in life are the relationships you make. Reigns wants to stand with his brothers one more time.

Rollins says he put that part of his life behind him, but Reigns is right. Rollins is in, so Reigns calls Dean Ambrose to the ring. After a few moments, Ambrose comes out to the stage. Before Ambrose can say anything, Elias comes out and hits Ambrose in the back with a guitar. Elias runs away as Rollins and Reigns run up to the stage. Ambrose gets up and walks away without saying anything to Rollins and Reigns.

Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Lio Rush, and Baron Corbin. McIntyre says he broke The Shield months ago. Corbin says he, Lashley, and McIntyre will remind everyone where the power lies on RAW. Lashley says something about Balor, and the men walk away together.

 

Match 1
Finn Balor (IC Champ) & Kurt Angle & Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin & Drew McIntyre & Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush
(referee: John Cone)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Bobby Lashley pins Finn Balor after a spear
Time: 7:52 (2 breaks)

Match Thoughts
Good match. The biggest portion of the match had Finn Balor in trouble. Balor survived and fought back against all three of his opponents. Lio Rush of course got involved to derail Balor’s momentum, and the ensuing shenanigans led to Braun Strowman slamming Rush through the barricade after a huge running start. With Strowman taking himself out, Corbin, Lashley, and McIntyre took full advantage of Balor. The brutality near the end of the match was fun, though, of course, I kind of wish different people had been on the receiving end of that brutality.

 

Ring Area
After the match, Corbin, Lashley, and McIntyre gang up on Kurt Angle. They ram Angle face-first into the ring steps. Nest, they focus on Finn Balor. They chokeslam Blaor onto the ring steps in the center of the ring. Then they celebrate.

Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Heavy Machinery. Caruso shows Heavy Machinery a video of The Ascension, The B-Team, and Hawkins and Ryder discussing Heavy Machinery. Everyone talks about Otis Dozovic’s looks.

In response, Dozovic says their words hurt his feelings. Knight says he’s going to go to the McMahons and request matches so Heavy Machinery can get back at each of the three teams that were talking about them.

 

Match 2
Natalya vs Ruby Riott w/ Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan
(referee: Dan Engler)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Natalya wins via pinfall with a small package
Time: 2:05

Match Thoughts
This was very short and kind of frustrating. Sometimes I wonder if the Riott Squad is ever going to be taken seriously.

 

Ring Area
After the match, Lacey Evans walks down and up the ramp. Natalya seems confused.

Video
Last week, Batista returned to RAW and attacked Ric Flair.

Backstage
Stephanie welcomes Michael Che and Colin Jost (of Saturday Night Live). They will be special correspondents for Wrestlemania. Steph explains WWE to Michael and Colin. She suggests that Colin get some security.

Video
Batista, via Instagram, says he doesn’t want to be on RAW tonight because he doesn’t like Philadelphia. Maybe he’ll see Triple H in Pittsburgh though. Maybe not. Regardless, Batista says they will play by his rules until the game is over.

Ring Area
Triple H heads to the ring. He says that last week, he had the opportunity to bring Ric Flair to the ring and celebrate him. But Triple wasn’t there for Ric Flair, he was there for the man behind Ric Flair, Richard Fliehr. Triple H talks about how close he and Fliehr have gotten over the years. Triple H wanted to bring Flair to the ring, a man who nearly died last year, so Flair could do the thing he loved one more time. But Batista ruined that.

Triple H goes on to say that Dave has his attention. Triple H, the man behind the character, will be waiting for Batista to show up.

Video
Last week, Becky Lynch was arrested, and Ronda Rousey dropped the RAW Women’s Title at Stephanie McMahon’s feet.

Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Stephanie about the situation with the RAW Women’s Title. Stephanie says WWE will do what’s best for business and drop all charges against Becky Lynch. WWE will also lift Becky’s suspension. However, Becky will be required to sign a hold-harmless agreement so she can compete at Fastlane in a RAW Women’s Title match against Charlotte Flair for the vacant title.

Backstage
Roman Reigns tells Dean Ambrose that they can talk about anything. Ambrose says he has to get ready for his match.

 

Match 3
Tag Team Gauntlet Match
Heavy Machinery vs The B-Team vs The Ascension vs Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins
(referee: Shawn Bennett)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Heavy Machinery wins
1. Otis Dozovic pins Bo Dallas after the Compacter (1:06)
2. Otis Dozovic pins Viktor after a Vader Bomb (4:31)
3. Otis Dozovic pins Curt Hawkins after The Caterpillar (5:55)
Time: 5:55

Match Thoughts
This was okay. Putting Hawkins in the match made the eventual winners not much of a surprise. I also don’t know how much this match helped any of the teams involved. It was a silly match with Heavy Machinery dominating, but not really doing a lot. It was so short that Heavy Machinery’s opponents looked extremely weak. I mean, I guess the match was kind of fun, but I would have rather had Heavy Machinery take on one team a night for the next three weeks.

Backstage
Michael Che and Colin Jost walk backstage and act funny. They encounter EC3 and Titus O’Neil. No Way Jose passes by with his conga line (Gabby Ortiz is at the front of the line).

Video
Torrie Wilson is the latest inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Charlotte Flair. Charlotte says she will put Becky Lynch on the shelf for good at Fastlane. The WWE Universe will bask in Charlotte’s glory when she becomes champ.

Backstage
Seth Rollins wants to talk with Dean Ambrose. Rollins says he and Ambrose might fight, but it’s normal for brothers to fight. Ambrose will always be Rollins’ wrestling soul mate, and they have one chance to make things right. Ambrose says he isn’t interested in a Shield Reunion. Ambrose has business to take care of tonight, and he wants to do it on his own. Rollins walks away.

Ring Area
In the ring, Elias sings a song about Philadelphia. Eventually, Dean Ambrose heads to the ring.

 

Match 4
Elias vs Dean Ambrose
(referee: John Cone)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Elias wins via pinfall after Drift Away
Time: 4:39 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It was fairly short, but it made sense. Ambrose was still hurting from the guitar shot earlier tonight, so he struggled in the match. This was an okay match for Elias, but it felt like it was more about Ambrose and his current situation.

 

Ring Area
With Ambrose still in the ring after the match, Rollins and Reigns head down the ramp and join him. Ambrose still seems uninterested in a reunion, and he pushes past Rollins and Reigns as he exits the ring. Ambrose heads out through the crowd.

Before Ambrose leaves the ring area completely, Corbin, Lashley, and McIntyre come out to the stage. Corbin and McIntyre gloat about the broken situation The Shield finds themselves in. McIntyre says he he and his friends were going to offer The Shield an epic match at Fastlane, but instead, they’ve decided to end Rollins and Reigns right now. Corbin, McIntyre, and Lashley attack Rollins and Reigns in the ring. After a moment to consider, Ambrose runs back down to the ring. Together, The Shield quickly removes their adversaries form the ring.

Reigns and Rollins put their fists together while Ambrose paces behind them. After a few seconds, Ambrose joins his fist with Rollins and Reigns’.

Backstage
Becky Lynch talks with a crew member.

 

Match 5
Tamina w/ Nia Jax vs Sasha Banks w/ Bayley (Women’s Tag Champs)
(referee: Darrick Moore)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Tamina wins via pinfall after a superkick
Time: 3:14

Match Thoughts
This was okay. After Nia Jax lost last week, it was pretty easy to guess who would win this week. There was nothing wrong with the match, but it was short and unsurprising.

 

Ring Area
Michael Che goes to the bathroom. While he’s away, Braun Strowman approaches Colin Jost. Jost asks Strowman if “any of this stuff is even real.” Strowman grabs Jost by the neck and lifts him up against the wall.

After a commercial break, officials get Strowman to release Jost. Strowman asks Jost, “what do you think?” Strowman walks off, saying that he will see Jost at Wrestlemania.

Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Aleister Black & Ricochet and asks them about people saying they don’t deserve their spot on RAW. Black says their reactions will prove that they belong. Ricochet says they are ready.

 

Match 6
RAW Tag Title Match
The Revival (Tag Champs) vs Ricochet & Aleister Black
(referee: Shawn Bennett)

Show/Hide Results

Result: The Revival wins via DQ when Bobby Roode and Chad Gable attack Dash Wilder at ringside
Time: 3:31 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
This was barely a match. It was going fine, but it was cut way short. Black dominated early, but The Revival began to take over with some nice teamwork. Then Ricochet broke the match open with a bunch of quick offense when he got tagged in. Ricochet’s streak didn’t last long though. Roode and Gable had made their way down to ringside, and they decided to get involved and end the match early.

 

Ring Area
After the match, Bobby Roode and Chad Gable continue to attack The Revival at ringside. After finishing with The Revival, Roode and Gable enter the ring. Roode and Gable complain about not getting a title rematch before attacking Ricochet and Black. Black and Ricochet easily fight Roode and Gable out of the ring. Then Ricochet and Black pose.

Video
Alexa Bliss interviews Girl Up leader Sameeha Rizvi.

Ring Area
Stephanie McMahon heads to the ring. She is holding the RAW Women’s Title and a hold-harmless agreement. Stephanie shows footage of Ronda Rousey dropping (and apparently vacating) the title. Afterwards, Charlotte Flair heads to the ring. Becky Lynch heads to the ring next. Becky is limping hard.

Stephanie says RAW needs a women’s champ. With Becky still at less than 100%, Stephanie hands Becky the hold-harmless agreement for her to sign so she can compete at Fastlane. Charlotte wonders if Stephanie doesn’t want to just hand her the title right now, so Becky says she beat Charlotte with one good leg at the Rumble. Becky signs the agreement. On the tron, we see that Ronda Rousey is in the building.

Rousey heads to the ring. Rousey says she didn’t vacate her title. She wanted Stephanie to include Becky, not to exclude Rousey. Stephanie hands Rousey the title. Steph says she still has to do business, and Becky will still face Charlotte at Fastlane. Now, instead of fighting for the title, Becky will be fighting for a spot at Wrestlemania. If Becky loses, she’s out of the title match, but if Becky wins, it will be a triple threat between Becky, Charlotte, and Ronda.

Ronda says she makes too much money for Stephanie to fire her. She says she has free reign to do anything she wants. Ronda goes off on the fans for booing her while cheering for Becky. She says she could destroy Becky and Charlotte if she wanted to, and everyone knows it. After telling off the fans, Ronda attacks Becky Lynch.

Ronda takes Becky down and puts her in an arm bar. Ronda continues to beat on Becky while Charlotte thinks about getting involved. Charlotte chooses to walk away, leaving Becky to take everything Ronda wants to dish out.

Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Stephanie about what just happened in the ring. Steph says she feels sorry for what just happened to Becky. Ronda’s attack makes Steph sick to her stomach. Ronda will get what’s coming to her though.

 

Show Impressions
This was an up and down show. The final segment was very good. The story surrounding the RAW Women’s Title is pretty convoluted when it doesn’t need to be, but the main points of the feud(s) are very good.

I still want Wrestlemania to be just Becky versus Ronda, and I want that even more after tonight’s show. Becky and Ronda have all of the animosity. Like tonight when she just watched Ronda attack Becky, Charlotte is basically an outsider sticking herself in where she isn’t needed (yes, I know Vince put her in the match, but you get my point). It feels an awful lot like how the rise of The Man really started, with Charlotte getting involved in a title match at Summer Slam that Becky had which was supposed to be one on one. I suppose that’s a bit of full-circle writing, but the whole point of that match last year was to make the result of that title match unsatisfying, giving Becky reason to turn heel (sort of) and get mean in and out of the ring. To do the same thing at Wrestlemania, even if Becky wins this time, would be less satisfying in a triple threat rather than one on one. Save Charlotte versus Ronda for Summer Slam.

The Shield reunions was fine. It felt like an easy story to come up with, but it’s what a lot of fans want, so that’s fine. I don’t mind it. I don’t know how great the six man tag match at Fastlane will be, but I’m sure it will be fine. Having the commentators mention that Ambrose has decided to not renew his WWE contract makes it feel less and less like that’s a real thing, but who knows. Maybe he’s just going to take a break for a while. Maybe he really is leaving. I guess we’ll find out.

The Riott Squad deserves better.

I feel like Heavy Machinery is going to be typecast as a funny team. Otis is using the caterpillar as a finisher now, which I’m not super into. Renee’s commentary also kind of said that Tucker isn’t great and that Otis is the powerhouse of the team. I’m not really into that either. They’re both great, and they work very well together. Yeah, I like Otis, but to make him the star seems like it will do a disservice to the team. They can have very good non-comedy matches if WWE lets them.

Speaking of tag teams, Ricochet and Aleister Black should be doing their own things. They are both superstars and should be wrestling as individuals. Them being friends is fine, though Black seems more like a loner type of character, but they should both being looking towards singles titles. I would say Ricochet should start building some wins towards an IC Title shot, and Black should insert himself in the Universal Title picture.

Match of the Night
Balor & Angle & Strowman vs Lashley & McIntyre & Corbin
There wasn’t a lot of great wrestling on tonight’s show. Most of the matches were too short to really do anything, or they were cut short before they could really get going. This tag match was the most entertaining of a very light week for RAW wrestling.

 

Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2019-03-04

 

 

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