SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 19, 2024
ANAHEIM, CALIF. AT HONDA CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with an exterior shot of the Honda Center. Michael Cole said, “There is a big fight feel here tonight.” He noted the arena is sold out. They showed Jey Uso in the parking garage arriving earlier. Then they showed The Judgment Day arriving together a few minutes later. Cole plugged their respective matches.
(1) DREW MCINTYRE vs. CODY RHODES
As McIntyre made his entrance, Cole said they’re “starting with a banger.” They showed a wide shot of the arena with fans wrapped around in the back row of the upper deck. They went to Cole and a waving Pat McAfee at ringside. They cut off McAfee with a video package previewing this match. As Cody’s ring entrance took place, Cole plugged a Grayson Waller Effect segment interviewing Cody and Seth Rollins at the Elimination Chamber on Saturday.
The bell rang 7 minutes into the hour. A loud “Cody! Cody!” chant rang out as Cole touted the crowd of 13,264. They showed Cody has a 93 rating and Drew an 89 rating on WWE 2K24. Cody applied a figure-four mid-ring at 3:00. Drew turned over to force a break. Cody rolled to the floor gripping his knees as they cut to a break. [c]
Drew scored a two count after a Tilt-a-Whirl backbreaker after returning from the break. Cody made a comeback and hit the Cody Cutter for a near fall at 11:00. Cody set up a Crossroads, but Drew kneed out of it. Cody clotheslined Drew and both tumbled over the top rope to the floor. They cut to another break. [c]
Back from the break, Drew landed a sitout powerbomb for another two count at 16:00. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” They countered each other’s signature moves until Cody hit a Pedigree. Drew came back with a Future Shock DDT for a near fall. Cody pointed at the WrestleMania sign and was about to set up a move when Jimmy Uso charged out. Cody turned his attention to him. Drew went after Cody, but Cody countered Drew. Solo Sikoa then showed up and gave Cody a Samoan Spike. “The damn Bloodline is here!” said Cole. “Roman Reigns warned Cody Rhodes.” Drew landed a Claymore for the win.
WINNER: McIntyre in 20:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match. Even with interference, giving Drew a win over Cody gives him a bragging point.)
-They went to Cole and McAfee at ringside. Cole said Drew is a hypocrite because he’s complained for years about The Bloodline costing him matches yet tonight he took advantage of their interference against Cody. Cole threw to a video package on the set-up for Gunther vs. Jey Uso.
(Keller’s Analysis: What did Cole think Drew should’ve done after The Bloodline interfered?) [c]
-They showed celebrities holding WWE title belts at NBA All-Star Weekend.
-A promo aired with Andrade who talked about his family’s history in pro wrestling. He said his wife is a wrestler. He said his destiny is in WWE and he is in control of it.
-McAfee commented about a replay of Sikoa interfering against Cody at the end of the previous match. Cole kept calling Drew a hypocrite.
-They cut backstage to Cody gasping and clutching his throat. Adam Pearce asked how he was doing and Cody, unconvincingly, insisted he was fine. Seth Rollins walked in, looked at Cody for a few seconds, patted him on the knee, and walked away. Cody nodded.
-They went back to McAfee who said when Cody is at a truck stop taking a dump, the Bloodline could show up. (Seriously, McAfee?) Cole didn’t seem thrilled with McAfee’s continued streak of tone-deaf crude comments for the second week in a row.
-Zoey Stark made her entrance for the women’s battle royal first. Then Raquel Rodriguez made her return. Cole said she’s been on the injured list for months. [c]
-A video package hyped the six-man tag later with Truth & Miz & DIY vs. The Judgment Day.
(2) LAST CHANCE BATTLE ROYAL FOR WOMEN’S ELIMINATION CHAMBER
Ring entrances aired for Zelina Vega, Chelsea Green, and Natalya. Cole said Natalya just returned from appearing at the WWE Experience in Saudi Arabia. Cole said he visited it last time he was in Saudi Arabia and said it’s really nice. The bell rang 48 minutes into the hour. Valhalla eliminated Maxxine Dupri first. After Rodriguez eliminated Alba Fyre, they cut to a break at 3:00. [c]
Natalya eliminated Tegan Nox after the break. Later, Raquel knocked Natalya over the top rope, but Natalya landed on the ring apron. Ivy Nile knocked Natalya to the floor. Nile hit Shayna Baszler with a barrage of kicks and then put her in a Kirafuda Clutch. Zoey Stark then tossed Nile into Baszler’s backdrop, sending her over the top rope.
[HOUR TWO]
It was down to Baszler, Stark, Rodriguez, and Michin. Stark and Baszler clotheslined Michin over the top rope to the floor. Rodriquez battled against both. Rodriguez tossed Baszler out next. Baszler protected Stark from being kicked off the apron, but Rodriguez then knocked Stark into the arms of Baszler to apparently win, as Stark his the floor. Green snuck back into the ring after having not been officially eliminated but hiding out for a while. She entered, but Rodriguez easily tossed her out to win.
WINNER: Rodriguez in 14:00.
-They cut backstage to Jey Uso cutting a promo about facing Gunther later for the IC Title.
-They showed Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax backstage on split-screen awaiting their interview. [c]
-Cole interviewed Ripley and Jax. He asked Ripley if she has butterflies. Ripley said she last wrestled in Australia seven years ago on the indy scene. She said she wanted to fit in and please people and wasn’t comfortable in her own skin back then. She said she had to remind herself who exactly the hell she was and that she didn’t want to fit in and be like everyone. Jax said that was cute and it’ll make it all the sweeter to squash her again in her home land. Ripley said all the momentum is on her side and she will crumble when she hears everyone in that stadium screaming for Mami. Jax sneered at her as Ripley said she will realize she just isn’t good enough.
-They went to McAfee and Cole at ringside. Cole welcomed Netflix reps in the front row behind him. He said next year they will move to Netflix as their new home. They showed a group of people standing and clapping for themselves. McAfee said they have a big brains. (He managed to not talk about them pooping.) The Netflix logo appeared on the scoreboard ribbon in the arena.
-Jackie Redmond threw to a sit-down interview she conducted with R-Truth. It had a “Gunk on Earth” vibe to the music and production approach. Truth said when he first met The Judgment Day it was “special, like the first time John Cena tried on a pair of jeans shorts.” Redmond asked how much he blames Damien Priest. Truth said Priest broke his heart. “I haven’t cried this much since the finale of ‘This is Us.'” He said Damian was his duck, and he referenced the ducks leaving Tony Soprano. Redmond said his loyalty to The Judgment Day was genuine, so will he be able to let anyone else in again after all he’s been through. Truth said he has new friends, referring to DIY as DX. He said they can’t keep Nick Mysterio locked away without access to Facebook. He said they can’t silence people.
-As they showed The Judgment Day backstage, Cole said regarding the Truth segment, “That was somethin’.”
(Keller’s Analysis: If you’re into the tone of the Truth stuff lately, this might’ve been satisfying.) [c]
-Cole announced that TKO agreed to a five-year partnership with Honda Center which includes back-to-back WWE and UFC events this week. A camera walked from the exterior of the arena through the ticket lobby and through a tunnel into the main arena bowl.
-Irvin interviewed UFC Lightweight fighter Michael Chandler. He yelled from the front row into the mic that he’s the most entertaining UFC fighter. He called out Conor McGreggor and told him to get his “candy ass back in the Octagon.”
(Keller’s Analysis: Red-faced yelling. Hurray. This is a sign of things to come, I suspect, regarding TKO owning both WWE and UFC.)
-They cut backstage to Chad Gable who spoke about facing Ivar later. Then a promo with Ivar aired who spoke of vanquishing all members of the Alpha Academy. “Gods have chosen my path and it goes straight through you,” he growled.
(3) THE JUDGMENT DAY (Dominik Mysterio & J.D. McDonagh & Damian Priest & Finn Balor) vs. R-TRUTH & THE MIZ & DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)
R-Truth made his ring entrance. He wore a rain poncho (because California is flooding from heavy rains). Miz danced out next. Cole talked about Miz and Truth having teamed together in the past as The Awesome Truth. McAfee said Miz is a future Hall of Famer. D.I.Y., Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa, made their entrance next. The Judgment Day made their entrance next.
The bell rang 28 minutes into the hour. The babyface foursome cleared the ring of The Judgment Day, then stood together and did a DX crotch chop. [c]
As Gargano took an extended beating, fans chanted “We Want Truth!” Gargano hot-tagged in Truth at 7:00 and the crowd popped. He went into the John Cena routine, but a Priest distraction stopped it. McDonaugh headbutted Truth and they cut to a break with Truth down at ringside. [c]
Back from the break, they showed a cool camera angle of an approach to the ring from the entrance area with the ring in the foreground and the rest of the packed arena in the background. Ciampa rallied against Balor and McDonagh. Fans chanted “This is awesome!” after a flurry of action. Truth tagged back in just as Priest tagged in. Truth landed a corner splash and then a scissors kick. Fans chanted “R-Truth!” Truth avoided a corner splash attempt by Priest and then landed a faceplant for a two count at 15:00.
Priest and Truth continued to battle back and forth. Priest escaped an Attitude Adjustment and then finished Priest with a South of Heaven chokeslam.
WINNERS: The Judgment Day in 16:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Decent match, but it kinda had a house show match vibe to it. This whole show does, actually.)
-They went to Cole and McAfee at ringside. Cole noted it was Cody’s first pinfall loss since WrestleMania last year. He threw to a video recap of the Bloodline segment on Smackdown last Friday.
-They showed Becky Lynch backstage. [c]
-Redmond interviewed Sami backstage. She asked for his thoughts on losing to Drew last week. Sami said he’s been thinking a lot about it to the point of obsession and he’s going to hit the pause button on his thing with Drew. He said he’s been down this road before. He said he gets stuck when he gets fixated on one person and he can’t move forward. He said it’s WrestleMania season and he said he knows there’s a path and he needs his vision and mind clear to see it when it presents itself. He said he has to trust his gut and find a way to make a historic difference at WrestleMania. He said he will be a champion.
-Becky Lynch made her entrance. She said there’s not much new for her anymore. “Except the hat,” she said. “The hat is new.” She said in five days, for the first time in her career, she will step foot inside the Chamber with a need to win it so she can face Ripley for the title at WrestleMania. She said she is the best she’s ever been. She talked about her opponents in the Chamber. She said she doesn’t have much against them except Tiffany, “who is kind of annoying.” Liv Morgan’s music interrupted.
[HOUR THREE]
She approached the ring and said it’s “very Becky of you” that she wants to prove she’s the best. She said she doesn’t care who is the best. “This is about my revenge, my redemption, my life,” she said. She said Ripley injured her shoulder and cost her six months of her career when she was her very best. She said since she has her face-to-face, she wanted to point out to her that she was the last person to beat Ripley. She was then interrupted by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said they’re both making great points. She pointed out that Nia Jax might be the champion going into WrestleMania. She said she’s the only woman big enough and strong enough to take on either Jax or Ripley. She was interrupted by Naomi. She said she came back to climb her way back to the top “because it’s where I belong, I know that now more than ever.” Tiffany Stratton interrupted.
Tiffany said it’s Tiffy Time. She said she wants to be the center of this universe. She said the group in the ring is “been there, done that” and the future is hers. Bianca Belair interrupted. She sauntered out and said Tiffany must not be aware of where running her mouth like that is going to lead. Belair said she’s been at the tippy top for a long time. She said Tiffany will never be better than her. She said she will continue her undefeated streak this year at WrestleMania. When Liv began talking to Tiffany, Tiffany hit her. A brawl broke out with all of them. McAfee noted Belair was fighting in high heels. Jax entered and beat up everyone. She gave Naomi a Samoan Drop. She rammed Liv into the ringpost. She threw Stratton into the ringside steps. She shoved Belair down in the ring. She legdropped Rodriguez’s neck. She landed a legdrop on Lynch, then played to the camera with a proud smile.
(Keller’s Analysis: It’s tough to really connect doing this “parade of wrestlers” style segment WWE often does, but it’s an efficient way to give everyone a few seconds or a few minutes to establish their personality and their mindset headed into a big Chamber match. They did a good job creating a believable framework for Jax to beat Ripley, too.)
-A Gunther soundbite aired where he introduced himself to Jey. He said he will show Jey that he doesn’t belong in the main event. [c]
-A vignette aired with Shinsuke Nakamura who spoke to Sami Zayn about how true fighters don’t whine and battle over who gets the spotlight. He said if Sami thinks he’s an underdog, he’ll show him he is right by beating him again so he can bask in everyone’s sympathy.
-They showed “King” Callum Walsh, an undefeated pro boxer, in the front row.
(4) IVAR vs. CHAD GABLE
Ivar made his ring entrance. Gable was already in the ring. The bell rang 17 minutes into the hour. Ivar took Gable down with a clothesline in the opening second. Gable leaped off the top rope onto Ivar at ringside and then yelled, “Thank you!” He followed by charging at Ivar, but Ivar backdropped him into the time keeper’s area. Ivar took over with a powerbomb onto the barricade. [c]
Back from the break, Gable dove at Ivar and they both tumbled over the top rope to the floor. Back in the ring, Gable scored a near fall with a top rope moonsault. He followed with an anklelock for a tapout win. Akira Tozawa, Otis, and Maxxine celebrated with Gable afterward. Cole called it “a massive win.”
WINNER: Gable in 7:00.
-They went to Cole and McAfee at ringside. Cole hyped the various start times for the show including midnight in Hawaii. They hyped the line-up.
-Cathy Kelley interviewed Drew McIntyre backstage who said he always tells the truth. He said Cody has been on a run of a lifetime. She asked if his win over Cody was tainted. Drew said he heard people calling him a hypocrite. He said he saw The Bloodline at ringside and his first thought was to go after them, but then he realized he is doing what he’s doing for the World Title, for Raw, and for the fans. [c]
-A promo aired with The New Day backstage. Kofi said Imperium tried to end his career. He said that put them in a state of mind they don’t want them. He said they are the industry standard when it comes to tag team wrestling. He said it isn’t over until they say it’s over. They revealed their rematch against Imperium next week is no rules.
-They showed bull rider John Crimber in the front row.
(5) GUNTHER vs. JEY USO – Intercontinental Title match
Gunther made his ring entrance first. Then Jey made his entrance. Gunther shot McAfee a dirty look when he noticed McAfee standing on the announce desk doing Jey’s arm movement dance and yelling “Yeet!” Formal ring introductions took place. The bell rang 38 minutes into the hour. Gunther shoved Jey. Jey slapped Gunther. Gunther kicked him and chopped him. He beat up Jey at ringside and they cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Jey eventually made a comeback at ringside after blocking a powerbomb onto the announce desk and backdropping Gunther and then giving Gunther a Samoan Drop onto the desk. Gunther took over again inside the ring and delivered a powerbomb into a stack cover for a two count. Jey ducked a charging Gunther, who crashed to the floor. He then dove onto Gunther at ringside. They cut to a break at 8:00. [c]
They fought back and forth rapid-fire after the break. Jey hit a spear and landed a near fall. He prepared for a top rope frog splash next, but Gunther knocked him off balance with a chop and then superplexed him. Gunther landed a top rope splash of his own for a near fall.
Jey rallied again a minute later and this time landed his top rope splash. The bell rang as the ref was counting. The camera showed it was Jimmy ringing the bell and smiling maniacally with his tongue hanging out. Cole yelled, “What’re you doing here? Get ‘im out of here!” Gunther then attacked Jey from behind. Jey scored a leverage two count, though, and then superkicked Gunther. Jey dove onto Jimmy and two security guards. Jey then went for another top rope splash, but Gunther lifted his knees and then leveraged Jey’s shoulders down for the win.
WINNER: Gunther in 19:00 to retain the IC Title.
-Afterward, Jimmy attacked Jey. Cole said Jimmy cost Jey his chance at the Undisputed Title at Summerslam and tonight it was the IC Title. Jimmy yelled at Jey that he’s always the big brother. McAfee said Jimmy is jealous. Jimmy landed a top rope splash. Cole said that helped them win so many matches when they were a tag team together. Jimmy landed another splash as Cole called him despicable. “This civil war has erupted between the brothers Uso,” he said as the show ended.
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