SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW REPORT
MARCH 13, 2023
PROVIDENCE, R.I. AT AMICA MUTUAL PAVILION
AIRED LIVE ON USA
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Corey Graves, Kevin Patrick
[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with Edge making his way to the ring. The commentary team ran down tonight’s card while Edge posed for the fans. Edge put over the crowd before calling out Finn Bálor. The Judgment Day showed up on the ramp, with Finn asking to hear what Edge had to say. Edge accepted Finn’s WrestleMania challenge before saying that he had no time to deal with this. Edge said that Finn made the Judgment Day better while mentioning every way that Finn has ruined his life.
– He said that there’s only one way this could end and it’s inside Hell in a Cell. Finn claimed that hell couldn’t handle his demons, accepting the stipulation afterwards. Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley ran down to beat Edge down, only for Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis and Rhea Ripley to make the save, as the show went to an ad break. [c]
(Pomares’s Analysis: Fine segment to finally set up the anticipated Hell in a Cell match. I’m ready for this feud to end and I’d be surprised if that doesn’t happen at WrestleMania.)
(1) JOHNNY GARGANO & DEXTER LUMIS (w/Candice LeRae) vs. JUDGMENT DAY (Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio w/Rhea Ripley)
Back from break, Gargano pummeled Dominik with right hands, followed by a couple of arm drags. Gargano clocked Dominik with a spinning kick, forcing him to tag Priest in. Lumis and Priest exchanged wrist locks, until Priest knocked Lumis with a shoulder tackle. Priest nailed Lumis with numerous right hands, only to receive a rising kick and a dropkick. Lumis smashed Priest’s head into Gargano’s boot, but Priest quickly recovered, dropping Gargano on the top turnbuckle. Dominik tried to beat Gargano down, but Gargano sent him out of the ring with a hurracarrana. Gargano cracked Dominik with a thrust kick, following it with a cannonball off the apron, as WWE RAW went to commercials. [c]
Back from break, Priest laid Gargano out with a Broken Arrow, setting him up for Dominik’s slingshot senton. Dominik planted Gargano with the Three Amigos, but missed the 619, putting himself in position for a slingshot Spear. Lumis got the hot tag, laying Priest and Dominik out with spinebusters. Lumis nailed Priest with a back suplex and a jumping leg drop for a nearfall. Dominik tried to pin Lumis with his feet on the ropes, but LeRae pushed them away. Ripley attacked her from behind, dropping LeRae onto the barricade. Lumis appeared behind Ripley, only to receive a lariat from Priest. Priest hit Lumis with a flatliner, setting him for Dominik’s Frog Splash. Gargano broke the pinfall and blasted Priest with a thrust kick, followed by a suicide dive. Dominik knocked Gargano down with a sliding dropkick, only to get trapped in a head-and-arm Triangle. Priest got a blind tag to break the hold and finish Lumis with the South of Heaven.
WINNERS: Judgment Day in 14:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: Pretty good match here. Johnny Gargano and Dexter Lumis had one of their strongest showings on TV while Damian Priest got to look strong by getting the pinfall.)
– Earlier today, Cathy Kelley interviewed The Miz, only for Chad Gable to immediately interrupt looking for Otis. Kelley asked Miz about a co-host for WrestleMania, but Damage CTRL assaulting Trish Stratus interrupted the interview.
– Omos made his way to the ring for his Face-to-Face with Brock Lesnar. [c]
– MVP grabbed a mic to tell Brock Lesnar that accepting the match against Omos was the biggest mistake of his career. Brock Lesnar immediately interrupted, facing Omos in the middle of the ring. They shook hands, only for Omos to throw Lesnar over the ropes. Referees arrived to stop any possible brawl, as Lesnar walked away.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The crowd were loud for the visual of Brock Lesnar and Omos in the ring. Apart from that, this was a very barebones segment for a match I’m still not interested in watching.)
– Recaps of Jey Uso turning on Sami Zayn last week and the Bloodline’s brawl against Sami and Cody Rhodes from SmackDown aired.
– Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring for his match against LA Knight. [c]
– MVP grabbed a mic to tell Brock Lesnar that accepting the match against Omos was the biggest mistake of his career. Brock Lesnar immediately interrupted, facing Omos in the middle of the ring. They shook hands, only for Omos to throw Lesnar over the ropes. Referees arrived to stop any possible brawl, as Lesnar walked away.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The crowd were loud for the visual of Brock Lesnar and Omos in the ring. Apart from that, this was a very barebones segment for a match I’m still not interested in watching.)
– Recaps of Jey Uso turning on Sami Zayn last week and the Bloodline’s brawl against Sami and Cody Rhodes from SmackDown aired.
– Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring for his match against LA Knight. [c]
(2) CODY RHODES vs. L.A. KNIGHT
To start, Cody took Knight down with an arm drag, following it with a jab. Cody swept Knight off his feet, cracking him with a knee strike afterwards. Knight blocked a suicide dive with a blow to the head, only to have his head smashed into the ring post. Knight nailed Cody’s shoulder into the ring post, but Cody responded with a shot into the post of his own. Cody climbed the top turnbuckle, only for Knight to lay him out with a superplex, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break. [c]
Back from break, Knight evaded a suplex and spiked Cody with a DDT for a two count. Cody nailed Knight with a jab and a snap powerslam, followed by the Disaster Kick for a nearfall. Knight took Cody down with a back suplex, but couldn’t hit the BFT. Cody caught Knight with the Cody Cutter, setting him up for Cross Rhodes and the win.
WINNER: Cody Rhodes in 9:00.
[HOUR TWO]
-After the match, Cody Rhodes grabbed the mic and talked about the warnings to stay out of the Bloodline’s business. Cody said that if he wants to stand with Sami Zayn and fight alongside Kevin Owens, he can do it. Cody said that Heyman told him not to make this personal, but it has been personal since his return. He said that acknowledges Roman Reigns, but Roman should also acknowledge him. Cody said that he grew up thinking he was a prince with no crown before saying that on April 2nd, the sun goes down on Roman Reigns’ title run. Cody said that he waited his whole life for this moment and that it’s not because he thinks he is somebody, but because he wants to be.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Decent match, followed by a top-notch promo from Cody. The content and passion reminded of his early promos in AEW when he was feuding with Chris Jericho and MJF.)
– A recap of Seth Rollins and Logan Paul’s confrontation from last week aired.
– At backstage, Byron Saxton interviewed Seth Rollins about getting knocked out last week. Rollins said that Logan got lucky last week before saying that no one can keep him down. The Miz interrupted to announce that Logan would conduct a live episode of his podcast with him as guest. Baron Corbin interrupted to try to get a spot to co-host with Miz or to train Rollins in boxing. Rollins said that he would rather take boxing lessons from his daughter before accepting a challenge from Corbin.
– The announce team confirmed that Elias and Bronson Reed would have a match next. [c]
– Elias made his way to the ring, accompanied by Rick Boogs who was taking notes of everything Elias did.
(3) ELIAS (w/Rick Boogs) vs. BRONSON REED
Reed immediately knocked Elias down with a body block, setting him up for a splash and a running crossbody. Reed smashed Elias’ head into the turnbuckle before putting him in a headlock. Elias managed to attack Reed with a back elbow and a boot. Elias evaded a powerslam and clocked Reed with a jumping knee. Reed shut Elias down with a body block, a cyclone powerslam and the Tsunami for the win.
WINNER: Bronson Reed in 2:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: Nothing match. At least Bronson Reed is still booked strongly, but I have no idea how long this Elias and Rick Boogs’ story will last.)
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley tried to get a word from Trish Stratus outside the doctor’s office. Chad Gable interrupted to ask her if she had seen Otis anywhere. Becky Lynch and Lita passed by to enter the doctor’s office, ignoring Kelley.
– The announce team confirmed that we would see a recap of John Cena and Austin Theory’s face-off from last week next. [c]
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Kevin Owens about his match with Solo Sikoa and not asking Sami Zayn for help. Kevin said that he wishes Sami the best, but he doesn’t want to take part in it. Kevin said that he didn’t want Cody’s help because he wanted him to focus on Roman Reigns. He said that he would keep on fighting the Bloodline on his own.
– A recap of John Cena and Austin Theory’s face-off aired.
– Earlier today, the Street Profits made fun of Austin Theory, only for Theory to insinuate that the Profits would be unemployed. Theory gloated about getting what he wanted before telling Montez Ford that he always chokes when it matters. Angelo Dawkins dared Theory to face him, with Theory making fun of the Profits not having a match at WrestleMania.
– Austin Theory made his way to the ring for his match against Angelo Dawkins. [c]
(4) AUSTIN THEORY vs. ANGELO DAWKINS
Dawkins immediately knocked Theory off his feet with waist lock takedowns. Dawkins knocked Theory down with a dropkick, followed by an over-the-shoulder slam. Theory attacked Dawkins with shoulder strikes before putting him in a headlock. Dawkins cracked Theory with a jab, but couldn’t follow up after Theory smashed him into the barricade twice, as WWE RAW went to commercials. [c]
Back from break, Dawkins took Theory down with a Xploder, a pair of clotheslines and a leaping back elbow. Theory tried to roll up Dawkins before receiving the Silencer for a two count. Dawkins pounced Theory away, forcing him to roll to the apron. Theory hit Dawkins with a shot into the ropes and the rolling dropkick for a nearfall. Dawkins surprised Theory with a couple of pinning combinations, followed by an enzuigiri. Theory blocked a spinning clothesline with a forearm strike, setting him up for A-Town Down and the three count.
WINNER: Austin Theory in 9:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: Decent showing for Angelo Dawkins, though the plan seems to be clearly pointing at a Theory and Montez Ford matchup.)
– After the match, Austin Theory put Dawkins in the STF, until Montez Ford ran down to make the save.
– The announce team confirmed that we would hear from Rey Mysterio next. [c]
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Paul Heyman who immediately said that they would solve the Kevin Owens problem tonight. Heyman called Cody Rhodes a schmuck before daring him to acknowledge Roman Reigns face-to-face next week.
– The Rey Mysterio Hall of Fame video package aired.
– The announce team confirmed that Ric Flair would announce the next inductee in this year’s Hall of Fame on The Bump.
– Rey Mysterio made his way to the ring to talk about the award he would receive. He said that the world is not only for him, but for all of them. Dominik Mysterio interrupted to say that Rey earned the honor at the expense of him. Dominik said that Rey chose a bunch of strangers over him. He talked about Rey promising to give him a car, only to give him a BMW. Dominik called Rey an excuse of a father before challenging him to a match at WrestleMania. Rey declined the challenge, saying that he still loved Dominik despite everything. Rey walked away while Dominik said that the only thing that Rey taught him was what not to be.
(Pomares’s Analysis: They’ve dragged the set up for this match too long for my liking, but it’s good that we are finally getting somewhere with the Mysterios storyline.)
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Becky Lynch, Lita and Trish Stratus. They said that Damage CTRL should have finished the job because they only pissed them off.
– The Miz made his way to the ring to commentate the next match.
– A Stranger Things spoof aired, featuring Rhea Ripley as Eleven and John Cena’s voice as Papa. [c]
(5) BARON CORBIN vs. SETH ROLLINS
Corbin attacked Rollins from behind before the match even started. Once the match started, Corbin pummeled Rollins down, only for Rollins to respond with right hands of his own. Rollins clocked Corbin with a series of kicks and spinning elbow strikes. Rollins clotheslined Corbin over the ropes, setting him up for a suicide dive and a knee strike off the apron. Miz and Rollins argued before Rollins tossed Corbin into Miz. Rollins nailed Corbin with an enzuigiri and Miz with an enzuigiri. Rollins jumped off of Miz’s back to knock Corbin out with the Curb Stomp.
WINNER: Seth Rollins in 2:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: Nothing match. I’m getting tired of The Miz constantly being a part of this storyline when his involvement should have ended weeks ago.)
– At backstage, Chad Gable was still looking for Otis, only for Mustafa Ali to interrupt him to try to spread a message of positivity. Gable found Otis doing a photo shoot with the Maximum Male Models. Mansoor claimed that he broke a nail, so they weren’t cosmetically cleared to compete. Gable tried to join Otis in his poses for the photoshoot, but Mansoor, Mace, and Maxxine Dupri rejected him. Gable tried to get Otis back to his training, but Otis chose to leave with the Models.
– Bianca Belair made her way to the ring for her match against Chelsea Green. [c]
(6) BIANCA BELAIR vs. CHELSEA GREEN (w/Carmella)
Belair knocked Green off her feet with a waist lock takedown, followed by a shoulder tackle. Belair dropped Green with a backbreaker and a standing moonsault for a two count. Crarmella distracted Belair, allowing Green to sweep Belair off her feet. Carmella nailed Belair with a thrust kick behind the referee’s back, as WWE RAW went to a commercial break. [c]
Back from break, Green took Belair down with a backstabber before having her head driven into the turnbuckle. Belair laid Green out with a side slam, following it with a delayed vertical suplex. Belair knocked Carmella off the apron with a handspring into the ropes, only for Green to block the moonsault with her knees. Green clocked Belair with a forearm strike, but Belair responded with KOD for the victory.
WINNER: Bianca Belair in 8:00
– After the match, Carmella and Chelsea Green attacked Bianca Belair from behind. Asuka ran down to make the save, knocking Carmella out with a roundhouse kick while Belair put Green down with a spinebuster. Asuka grabbed Belair’s title and played with it before dropping it on the floor while laughing with blue mist on her teeth.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Decent showing for Chelsea Green. The build for Asuka and Bianca Belair has been incredibly lackluster and this post-match angle was more of the same.)
– A recap of Brock Lesnar and Omos’s confrontation aired.
– Solo Sikoa made his way to the ring for his match against Kevin Owens. [c]
– The commentary team announced what is coming next week, including a live episode of Im-Paul-sive; Montez Ford vs Austin Theory; Bianca Belair & Asuka vs Chelsea Green & Carmella; and Roman Reigns returning.
(7) KEVIN OWENS vs. SOLO SIKOA – Street Fight match
They started brawling at ringside, with Kevin knocking Sikoa down with a back elbow and a senton. Sikoa drove Kevin into the barricade, but he immediately responded with a lariat. Kevin smashed Sikoa’s head into the announce table, only for Sikoa to lay him out with a Samoan drop. Sikoa beat Kevin down with stomps and headbutts before pulling out a pair of chairs. Kevin tossed Sikoa into the steel steps, pulling out a table afterwards. Sikoa clocked Kevin with a thrust kick, throwing him over the announce table and hiding the table, as Raw went to its final commercial break. [c]
Back from break, Kevin clobbered Sikoa with a couple of chair shots before setting up 6 chairs in two rows. Kevin laid Sikoa on the chairs, but Sikoa stopped him before a top turnbuckle move. Kevin blocked a superplex, knocking Sikoa down with a series of headbutts. Sikoa launched Kevin off the top turnbuckle onto the bed of chairs for a close nearfall. Kevin smashed Sikoa into the ring post, setting him up for a cannonball into the barricade. Kevin and Sikoa brawled into the back, only for the Usos to immediately knock Kevin out with a double superkick. The Usos dragged Kevin’s body back to the ring where they blasted him with another double superkick. Sikoa took Kevin down with the Samoan Spike for the win.
WINNER: Solo Sikoa in 11:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: Solid main event, with Solo Sikoa scoring another victory. The ending felt a little empty with no major story progression after last week’s massive turn of events.)
– The Bloodline stood tall on the ramp, as the show came to an end.
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