The RAW after WrestleMania has become an event in and of itself. The commentators even made it a point to call out the rowdiness of the crowd at the top of the show. Most likely to cover their asses for shoddy booking?
April 4th, 2016’s edition of Monday Night RAW was no different. The crowd was hot and ready to boo Roman Reigns out of Texas, forever.
Opener:
The show started with Vince McMahon walking out to his theme music being sung by the crowd. A forced grin appears along his face as he pointed out how crazy the WWE Universe can get after WrestleMania. You can always tell when Vinnie Mac is improvising his lines. He starts smiling like crazy and just yells and waves his hands around.
He speaks to Shane’s loss at WM and how The Authority is reeling from the events of Sunday night. He admits that he gained some respect for Shane after seeing him leap off the top of Hell in a Cell onto a bare announce table (which was amazing, BTW). He saw his passion but also his foolishness. The “Shane O Mac” chants begin and Vince signs off. As luck would have it, Shane McMahon’s music hits and you hear an uproar of excitement from the fans.
Shane limps out to address Vince and the fans. He says as the only man in the family, he wants to shake Vince’s hand and admit that he lost. He also wants to thank the fans for welcoming him back with such passion and says he’ll never forget the experience he went through. He begins to leave the stage and Vince tells him to stop. Vince refuses to be upstaged and agrees to give Shane temporary control of RAW, just to see how he’ll fair. The crowd goes nuts, Shane smiles, Vince leaves and The New Day is up next.
The New Day (Kingston & Big E) V League of Nations (Sheamus & Barrett) – Tag Team Championship:
The League of Nations make their way out to heavy boos. They go for their weird 4-man wave and Alberto is resisting hard. As Rusev, Barrett and Sheamus bow all the way down and back up for their salute, Alberto half-asses it. He seems to be embarrassed in this stable. I wouldn’t be surprised if he quit soon.
Pretty standard tag team match. Nothing exciting except for the crowd’s enthusiasm with The New Day’s trombone antics. If anyone doubts how over New Day is with the fans, just think back to last year’s RAW after WM. That’s when Sheamus returned with his new look and got wrecked by “you look stupid” chants. The New Day was exciting enough to keep the attention on them and away from the miscellaneous chants the crowd resorts to when they’re bored (which always happens when Sheamus is in the ring).
The New Day come out victorious and retain their Tag Team gold. Once they dance their way out of the ring, Sheamus grabs a mic and starts bitching about how the LoN is a team of world-class athletes. He says they’re only as strong as their weakest link and then orders Rusev and Del Rio to hold up Barrett so Sheamus can deliver the Brogue Kick. I guess Barrett’s out of the team. That’s okay, I’m sure he’s going to find another stable to join/create. It’s the only way he stays relevant in WWE (which is a shame).
After the kick, Sheamus, Rusev and Del Rio stand tall until they get interrupted by The Wyatt Family. The Wyatt Family come out and makes quick work of the LoN. The crowd starts chanting “Thank You Wyatt”.
I honestly can’t believe why WWE keeps booking The Wyatt Family so poorly. They have a solid gimmick and the crowd loves them. They did not deserve that segment with The Rock and John Cena at WrestleMania. They should have had a match and they should have won that match. I hope their feud with LoN gives them the spotlight they deserve.
Backstage segment:
We see Renee Young following Vince McMahon to his limo. Vince says he’s leaving because he doesn’t want to see Shane sink the ship. I’m interested to see where this angle goes. Perhaps they’re setting up for Shane V HHH for control over RAW or SD? I heard WWE is spit-balling the idea of splitting their brands up…again.
Sasha Banks V Summer Rae
We’re back in the ring and Summer Rae is just wasting oxygen by garnering cheap heat until Banks makes her way out. Sasha Banks comes out and talks some smack before starting the match. There wasn’t really a point to this bout. It was slotted in so RAW could capitalize on Sasha Bank’s popularity post-WrestleMania. Banks makes quick work of Rae and forces her to tap via the Bank Statement.
Apollo Crews V Tyler Breeze
Up next is a squash match so WWE can showcase their next black superstar with a name derived from Roman history/mythology, Apollo Crews. He’s following the footsteps of Tony Atlas and the still-under-suspension-for-nothing, Titus O’ Neil. I can’t wait for the eventual debut of ‘Zeus Major’. Did I just make that up or is it real? No one will ever know…
Crews hits a few of his notable moves from NXT and covers for the 1-2-3.
Roman Reigns in-ring segment
The moment everyone was waiting for. Roman Reigns is up next to showcase his new title. The moment Reign’s music hits, boos erupted from every corner of the arena. WWE tries to focus on the two tiny pro-Roman Reign signs in the crowd but are overpowered by the strength of the post-WrestleMania crowd’s hate.
Despite the jeers, Roman is loving every second of it, and you know what? It works for him. Roman glows as a smug and arrogant. The character fits him perfectly. That’s who he should be! He’s the guy who knows he’s the shit and doesn’t care what people think. Everything, from his cocked eyebrows to his body language screamed IDGAF if you hate me or not, I’m the champ. Way better than that lame “I want to be the guy who tells you to never give up” shtick.
Roman is simple with his words. He says that if anyone wants a shot at his title, they should come to the ring, now. After that, we have Jericho, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn all enter the ring. They go after one another until Jericho is left standing. Roman nails Jericho with a spear and walks to the back in a shower of boos.
I’m not a fan of Roman as champ but if he sticks with this attitude, I will be.
Backstage segment
Shane runs into Roman and informs him that Jericho, Owens, Zayn and Styles will have a fatal 4-way tonight to determine a number 1 contender (because WWE’s rematch clause is as inconsistent as Big Show’s Heel/Face switches).
Baron Corbin V Dolph Ziggler
*Sigh* Here comes Dolph Ziggler so he can be made an example of.
Corbin says he doesn’t care if anyone knows who he is, he has the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale trophy and that’s all that matters.
Ziggler and Corbin have a decent back-and-forth match which results in a double count-out so Corbin can throw poor Ziggler into all sorts of set pieces. Corbin blames what he did on the referee’s decision to count them out.
The camera pans to a lifeless Ziggler and you can’t help but think that he could have been one of WWE’s top stars right now if he didn’t receive that concussion via Alberto Del Rio a couple of years back. It’s such a damn shame.
Zack Ryder V The Miz
Zack Ryder comes out to say a few words about his championship win. The crowd chants “you deserve it” and Ryder soaks it in. He says he wants to thank his father for always supporting him. The camera pans to his dad and he looks like he just banged out a couple of pushups because he’s jacked as hell.
The Miz comes out in a golden trench coat which he stole from the Gods of Egypt set. He says that the title was at his fingertips at WrestleMania. If Ryder hadn’t snuck up from behind and pushed him off at the last second, he would be the rightful champion.
Miz goats Ryder into defending his title by insulting his relationship with his dad.
Ryder and Miz put up a decent back-and-froth. Ryder gets a 2 ½ count after he nails the El-bro drop. The crowd is really behind Ryder. He’s getting the same reaction as he did back when he was US champion. I really think this will be his big break. I’m confident WWE won’t screw this momentum up…
Near the end of the match, Miz gets into Zack Ryder’s dad’s face. Mr. Ryder stiff arms Miz and the crowd loves it. Ryder is about to pick up the win when Maryse – former Diva and Miz’s current wife – storms over the security barricade and starts yelling at Ryder’s dad. She slaps him and diverts Ryder’s attention away from Miz – who nails Ryder with the Skull Crushing Finale. Miz covers Ryder and wins the Intercontinental championship!
For fuck’s sake.
History repeats itself and Ryder is on the losing end of the stick. I hope WWE is planning something because people aren’t happy.
Backstage segment:
Renee Young talks with Kevin Owens. Owens says Sami Zayn won’t leave him alone and that it took Zayn and 5 other men to strip him of the Intercontinental championship. He says he’s on to bigger and better things. He vows to win the #1 contender match.
Women’s championship ceremony:
Every WWE diva is in the ring as Lita introduces Charlotte and Ric Flair. Charlotte starts talking about how the new Women’s championship is a step forward for any woman who wants to be a wrestler. She tries to continue but the raucous crowd is singing some song lyrics and hijacking the attention.
Whenever there is an in-ring segment featuring a ceremony or crowning of sorts, no one is interested. Remember the infamous ‘championship ascension’ when the RAW crowd drowned out HHH with Daniel Bryan chants? WWE writers should really stop writing these segments in.
Back to the ceremony; Charlotte switches gears and starts bragging about how she’s new to the main roster and already accomplished so much. She talks down to all the other divas and they walk out in protest. She continues to gloat until Natalya grabs the mic. Natalya tells Charlotte that she needs to learn a lesson in humility and that if she wants to prove her genetic superiority, she should do so by facing a member of another famous family, the Harts. Charlotte says some shit and Natalya takes her down and locks her into the Sharpshooter. Flair pulls Charlotte out of the ring and they walk out.
WWE recently switched the ‘Divas’ section of their website to ‘female superstars’. Hopefully, the rise of the Women’s championship signals the end of cringe-worthy 10-female tag team matches which only last 5 minutes and mainly consist of screaming and botches.
Backstage segment:
Renee Young is back but this time with AJ Styles. Styles says there’s an era of change in WWE and that era is going to be phenomenal.
I wasn’t really paying attention. I was distracted by Style’s perfectly conditioned hair.
Primo and Epico video package:
We see a video package of Primo and Epico in Puerto Rico sniffing some damn flowers. They urge people to come to Puerto Rico and smell the said flowers.
Really? ANOTHER gimmick for Primo and Epico? Are they Puerto Rican travel agents, now? Isn’t this their 3rd try as a tag-team? Did WWE not foresee Los Matadores completely bombing?
Ugh! I love WWE but some of the decisions they make are infuriating.
The Dudley Boyz V The Usos: Tables Match
In a rematch from WrestleMania, The Dudley Boyz face off against The Usos in a tables match. This match was pretty boring. Even with tables involved!
The Usos and Dudleys fightt outside for a bit and then make their way to the ring. Usos prop The Dudleys on two separate tables so they can hit a splash from the top rope just like they did at WrestleMania. The Dudleys roll off at the last second and send the Usos crashing through the table.
Backstage segment
Sami Zayn speaks to his chance at the WWE Championship. He wants to prove that he has what it takes to make it. Unfortunately, he can’t prove it tonight because here comes Kevin Owens with a classic backstage ambush.
Oh, that dastardly Kevin Owens, what will he get up to next?
In-ring segment
Back in the ring, The Dudley Boyz are still flapping their mouths to the crowd. They’re on their way out when suddenly some familiar Italian music hits and the crowd pops like crazy.
Out come Enzo and Cass to a loud “How Ya Doin’?” chant. I never witnessed any of Enzo and Cass’s antics before but after this segment, I was pretty hooked. I can see why people love them.
Enzo and Cass rip into the Dudley Boyz and challenge them to a fight, which the Dudleys promptly refuse.
The crowd was on fire for this segment. They hung on every word coming out of Enzo’s mouth and repeated every notable line. Great stuff. A very enjoyable segment.
SAWFT!
Fatal 4-Way: #1 Contenders Match
We get all contenders out to the ring sans Sami Zayn. Lillian Garcia informs us that he is not medically cleared to wrestle after his backstage altercation. Although, they’ve found a replacement.
At this point, I was holding my breath, hoping that it wouldn’t be John Cena.
Suddenly, blood started trickling out of my ears. That only happens when I hear a high-pitched siren. Is it? YES! It is! Cesaro is the 4th contender!
Cesaro walks out in a full suit to a huge ovation. He poses a little then rips off the suit to reveal his wrestling gear. He’s ready to fight.
The match starts and the crowd is chanting for Cesaro. Remember when Vince said Cesaro wasn’t resonating with the WWE Universe? Me neither.
All men quickly go after one another until Cesaro and Styles are left in the ring. Styles hits a stiff dropkick. Cesaro returns the favor with a dizzying tilt-a-whirl slam. He screams into the crowd to a huge cheer.
Fast-forward a few minutes and the crowd has burst into a “This is wrestling” chant which I’ve never heard before. That can only be the sign of a great main event!
Jericho and Owens look to double superplex Styles. Cesaro sneaks in and adds a powerbomb into the mix. The three fallen men retrieve to individual turnbuckles and Cesaro starts his uppercut train. He nails Jericho but gets derailed my Owens. Owens runs past Cesaro and hits a corner somersault onto Jericho. Styles floors Owens and Cesaro returns to hit Styles with a pop-up uppercut for a near fall.
Jericho thumbs the eye of Cesaro and begins to work on Owens. Jericho goes for the Lionsault but Owens puts his knees up. Jericho lies flat on his back and Styles lands a springboard 450 splash out of nowhere! This match is hype!
Owens is in to work on Styles. He calls out Aj Styles’ “stupid haircut” and ducks out of the way of a Cesaro crossbody attempt.
Cesaro pretty much owns the ring for the next 2 minutes, hitting countless corner uppercuts and even locks Jericho into a Cesaro swing for 10 roations. The man’s conditioning is uncanny.
Owens hits a Pop-up Powerbomb on Styles, Jericho hits a Codebreaker on Owens and locks in the Walls of Jericho on Cesaro. Cesaro counters into a Sharpshooter and Styles breaks it up with a Phenomenal forearm! Jesus Christ. I can’t keep up.
Styles clears the ring until it’s only him and Jericho. They struggle for a bit until Jericho hits the Codebreaker for a 2 ¾ count. He argues with the ref, giving Styles enough time to hit the Styles Clash and secure the victory!
Styles is going to be facing Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight championship.
What a match!
Summary:
Overall, RAW after WrestleMania was a noteworthy affair. It could have been way better if they didn’t include the filler matches but I get they wanted to include all the stand-outs from WrestleMania. The main event was definitely the highlight of the night. You don’t often see Fatal Four-Ways where all the participants are in the ring. Usually 2 people lie on the outside for the majority. I’m also going to give it up to Enzo and Cass for sparking the crowd back up after they started to lull. But as always, the biggest winners of Raw after WrestleMania are the crowd members. They were hotter than usual and it made for an entertaining night.
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