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
Tonight after WWE Raw, Wade Keller will be joined by co-host Zack Heydorn to break down the show.
NOTE: Our switchboard and live stream remains inoperative at the moment.
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[HOUR ONE]
– Drew McIntyre made his way to the ring, as a video package recapping his rivalry with Cody Rhode was shown.
(1) CODY RHODES vs. DREW MCINTYRE
Drew blasted Cody with a series of chops to the chest, until Cody caught him with the drop-down punch. Drew knocked Cody off his feet with a boot to the face, a forearm to the back and a stomp to the hand. Cody sent Drew out of the ring, but Drew blocked a suicide dive attempt with a forearm strike. Cody hit Drew with a dragon screw into the ropes, setting him up for the Figure 4. Drew was able to roll out of the ring and break the hold, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Drew dropped Cody with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a two count. Drew pressed his boot into Cody’s head before pummeling him down with numerous strikes to the back of the head. Cody caught Drew with a boot to the face and a bulldog, followed by a snap powerslam and a Disaster kick for a nearfall. Cody managed to hit Drew with the Cody Cutter, but he kicked out at two. Drew blocked the Cross Rhodes with a kick to the face, only for Cody to clothesline him out of the ring, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Drew dropped Cody with a spinebuster, followed immediately by a sitout powerbomb for a nearfall. Cody blocked the Claymore with a thrust kick before laying Drew out with a Pedigree. Drew blocked the Disaster Kick with the Glasgow Kiss, setting Cody up for the Future Shock DDT and a nearfall. Cody stopped Drew atop the turnbuckle to flatten him with a superplex before nailing him with the Cody Cutter for a close two count. Jimmy Uso showed up to distract the referee while Solo Sikoa hit Cody with a Samoan Spike. Drew took advantage to knock Cody out with the Claymore.
WINNER: Drew McIntyre at 19:41
(Pomares’s Analysis: A pretty good opening contest with a bit of a shocking ending. Going in, I was certain this match would end in DQ or No Contest, but having Cody actually lose was an actual surprise. It could play an interesting part in Cody’s story while the win, even after the interference, legitimizes Drew as one of WWE’s top stars.)
– A video package recapping the rivalry between Gunther and Jey Uso was shown.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package was shown, featuring Andrade talking about his destiny and living up to expectations.
– Backstage, Adam Pearce and Seth Rollins checked on Cody Rhodes in the trainer’s locker room.
– A recap of all the women’s Elimination Chamber qualifying matches was shown.
– Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark and a returning Raquel Rodriguez made their way to the ring for the battle royal.
[Commercial Break]
– Zelina Vega, Chelsea Green and Natalya were the final participants to enter the match.
(2) LAST CHANCE BATTLE ROYAL – Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Everyone started brawling all around the ring with Maxxine Dupri pulling Chelsea Green to the apron. Dupri blasted Green with a pump kick, only for Valhalla to immediately eliminate her. Raquel Rodriguez eliminated Valhalla and put Xia Li’s body on the apron. Li clocked Green with a roundhouse kick, but Raquel quickly eliminated her with a clothesline. Isla Dawn tripped Raquel, setting her up for a Tornado DDT from Alba Fyre. Raquel eliminated Dawn with a big boot, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Raquel sent Tegan Nox’s body to the apron while Candice LeRae tried to eliminate Ivy Nile. Fyre tried to throw Natalya out, but Nox made the save. Natalya and Nox hugged, only for Natalya to turn on her and eliminate her. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark grabbed B-Fab and eliminated her together. Zelina Vega swept Elektra Lopez with a 619 to the shin before Green sent her to the apron. Lopez eliminated Vega with a pump kick before being eliminated by Raquel. Green smashed LeRae’s head into the ring post to eliminate her and managed to hold on before Indi Hartwell could eliminate her.
Indi knocked Stark away with a forearm strike, but Baszler pulled her leg down to eliminate her. Stark blocked a headscissors takeover from Katana Chance, allowing Baszler to eliminate her with a knee strike. Raquel blocked a Tornado DDT from Fyre to throw her body out of the ring and eliminate her. Natayla managed to pull Raquel to the apron, only for Nile to eliminate her with a flying forearm strike. Nile clocked Stark with an enzuigiri and Baszler with a roundhouse kick. Baszler put Nile in the Kirifuda Clutch, setting her up for a sliding knee from Stark. Stark and Baszler eliminated Nile before having a face-off with Raquel and Michin.
Michin put Stark down with a German suplex, only for Stark to retaliate with a springboard clothesline. Baszler and Stark eliminated Michin with a double clothesline over the top rope. Raquel attacked Baszler and Stark with a series of clotheslines before sending Stark to the apron. Raquel blocked a kick from Baszler to eliminate her before Baszler swept her off her feet. Stark tried to go for the mid-rope Phoenix Splash, but Raquel eliminated her with a big boot. Green tried to eliminate Raquel from behind, only for Raquel to turn the move around and eliminate her for the win.
WINNER: Raquel Rodriguez at 14:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: An okay battle royal with a couple of decent spots and a very obvious winner once the match started. Raquel Rodriguez is an alright choice to enter the chamber, but I have to admit that having Chelsea Green somehow get the last spot would have been very interesting.)
– Backstage, Jey Uso said that he would end Gunther’s title reign tonight.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Backstage, Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax had a sit-down interview in different rooms. Ripley talked about getting the chance to wrestle in her home country as a champion. Ripley admitted that when she first wrestled for WWE, she wasn’t comfortable and considered quitting. Jax told Ripley that she was happy the match would take place in Perth, so Ripley could go cry to her mommy when she lost. Ripley simply told Jax that her momentum would crumble after she beats her at Elimination Chamber.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A decent final build to their match at Elimination Chamber, but overall kind of unremarkable.)
– Earlier today, Jackie Redmond interviewed R-Truth about his relationship with the Judgment Day. Truth said that Damian Priest broke his heart, but his new friends in The Miz and DIY would help him get back up.
[Commercial Break]
– UFC fighter called Conor McGregor out.
– Backstage, Chad Gable told Ivar that he would end his momentum and start his own. Ivar said that he had already vanquished every member of Alpha Academy before accepting Gable’s challenge to wrestle without anyone by their sides.
(3) DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) & THE MIZ & R-TRUTH vs. JUDGMENT DAY (Damian Priest & Finn Bálor & Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh)
Miz landed on his feet off a back suplex before blasting JD with a series of kicks to the chest. They all started brawling in the ring, until Miz, Truth and DIY sent Judgment Day out of the ring, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, DIY hit Finn with a series of chops and clotheslines. Priest blasted Gargano with a clothesline, allowing Finn to put him in a headlock. Gargano sent Finn out of the ring, reaching Truth for the hot tag. Truth dropped JD with a couple of shoulder tackles, a back suplex and a Five Knuckle Shuffle. Priest tagged himself in while JD cracked Truth with a headbutt. Priest rammed Truth’s head into the ring post, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Ciampa knocked Finn and JD down with a barrage of clotheslines into the corner. Ciampa knocked Priest off the apron with a knee strike and spiked JD with the Willow’s Bell. Ciampa caught Priest with a Tope con Hilo and caught Dominik with a jumping knee. Finn tried to hit Ciampa with the reverse DDT, only for Ciampa to turn the hold around. Gargano nailed JD with a Slingshot Spear before receiving a thrust kick from Dominik. Miz clocked Dominik with a thrust kick, only for Finn to take him out with a sling blade. Finn and Ciampa took each other out with running crossbodies, reaching Truth and Priest for the tags.
Truth knocked Priest off his feet with the Lie Detector, setting him up for a corner splash. Truth blocked the South of Heaven and crushed Priest with the Scissor Kick. Priest missed a corner splash, allowing Truth to drop him with a Stunner for a nearfall. DIY and Miz crashed into JD, Finn and Dominik with stereo Pescados while Truth blasted Priest with a leg lariat. Truth countered the South of Heaven with a roll-through for a close nearfall. Priest hit Truth with the Bell Clap, setting him up for the South of Heaven and the victory.
WINNERS: Judgment Day at 15:41
(Pomares’s Analysis: A solid multi-man tag match with a really hot crowd to further the Judgment Day and R-Truth rivalry. Unless, R-Truth somehow costs the Judgment Day their titles at Elimination Chamber, he is definitely winning the belts at Mania.)
– A recap of The Rock officially joining the Bloodline was shown.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Sami Zayn about his recent loss because of Drew McIntyre. Sami said that he had to put an end to his issues with Drew, so he could focus on his path to WrestleMania. Sami claimed that despite everything, there was still a path for him to become champion at WrestleMania.
[HOUR THREE]
– Becky Lynch made her way to the ring to talk about entering her first ever Elimination Chamber match. Lynch said that her and Rhea Ripley colliding was inevitable and it would be the fight of their lives. Lynch said that she had the confidence that she was the better she has ever been. She admitted that everyone else was also the best they have ever been, putting over all of her opponents. Before Lynch could continue speaking, Liv Morgan interrupted to tell Lynch that this was about her revenge. Liv talked about Ripley and her winning the tag titles in the past before Ripley turned on her and cost her 6 months of her career.
– Raquel Rodriguez interrupted to talk about the possibility of Nia Jax winning the title before being interrupted by Naomi. Naomi said that she didn’t come back just to come back, only for Tiffany Stratton to interrupt. Stratton pointed out how everyone else was part of the past and she was the future. Bianca Belair interrupted to say that she won the Elimination Chamber in the past and would do it again. Stratton tried to confront Belair before getting into a brawl with Liv. They all started brawling, until Nia Jax showed up to beat all of them down.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A very formulaic promo format to give every woman in the chamber a shot to speak. Despite everyone getting their moment, it was still incredibly clear that Becky Lynch would be the winner. Not the biggest fan of Nia Jax attacking everyone else, kind of feels like it diminishes the chamber itself.)
– Backstage, Gunther said that tonight would be Jey Uso’s biggest night before telling him that he doesn’t belong in the main event scene.
– Chad Gable made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Ivar.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Shinsuke Nakamura called Sami Zayn out for believing that he was underdog that could be a contender, challenging him to a rematch.
(4) CHAD GABLE vs. IVAR
Gable knocked Ivar off the top turnbuckle with handspring kicks, setting him up for a diving shoulder tackle. Ivar knocked Gable off the barricade before dropping him with a powerbomb onto the barricade, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Ivar dropped Gable with a pop up facebuster, followed by a sitout powerbomb for a two count. Gable knocked Ivar off his feet with a chop block before trapping him in an Ankle Lock. Gable managed to send Ivar out of the ring with a running crossbody, only for Ivar to shove him into the apron. Ivar missed a running crossbody into the LED wall on the apron. Ivar blocked a German suplex and hit Gable with a leg lariat, setting him up for a diving seated senton for a nearfall. Gable evaded a moonsault and flattened Ivar with a delayed German suplex, setting him up for a moonsault and a two count. Gable immediately put Ivar in an Ankle Lock, forcing him to tap out.
WINNER: Chad Gable at 8:23
(Pomares’s Analysis: A really good match for the time given, seemingly positioning Chad Gable back as a threat in the singles division. It would come slightly out-of-nowhere, but Gable going back to his feud with Gunther could genuinely be a strong direction for both men ahead of WrestleMania.)
– The commentary team ran down the match card for Elimination Chamber.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Drew McIntyre about his victory over Cody Rhodes. Drew dismissed the people calling him a hypocrite for being helped by the Bloodline and focused on how he would soon become world champion.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, the New Day called Imperium out for trying to end Kofi’s career, challenging them to a Street Fight next week.
– It was announced that the New Day and Imperium would fight in a Street Fight; and that Sami Zayn & Shinsuke Nakamura would have a rematch.
(5) GUNTHER vs. JEY USO – WWE Intercontinental Championship
Gunther knocked Jey down with a series of chops to the chest before pressing his boot on Jey’s throat. At ringside, Gunther attacked Jey with more chops to the chest, followed by back suplexes on the barricade and apron, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Gunther shut Jey down with a chop to the chest, followed by a neck twist. Gunther planted Jey with a backbreaker, only for Jey to respond with a back body drop on the floor. Jey managed to hit Gunther with a Samoan Drop onto the announce table. Back in the ring, Jey nailed Gunther with a kick to the chest and an uppercut, setting him up for a running hip attack.
Gunther caught Jey with a shotgun dropkick and a powerbomb, but he managed to kick out at two. Jey went for a superkick, only for Gunther to knock him down with a lariat. Gunther put Jey in a deep Boston Crab, until he was able to crawl and grab the ropes. Jey low-bridged Gunther, setting him up for a suicide dive, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, they got into a strike exchange, until Gunther shut Jey down with a chop to the chest. Gunther clobbered Jey with more chops to the chest, but couldn’t follow up with a powerbomb. Jey surprised Gunther with a Spear for a close two count. Gunther stopped Jey atop the turnbuckle with chops to the chest, setting him up for a release superplex and a diving splash for a nearfall. Jey caught Gunther with another Spear, followed by a third Spear on the apron and a fourth one at ringside.
Back in the ring, Jey knocked Gunther off his feet with a fifth Spear, setting him up for an Uso Splash. The bell suddenly rang during the pinfall, as it was revealed that Jimmy was the culprit. Jey managed to hit Gunther with a superkick and Jimmy with a suicide dive. Gunther blocked an Uso Splash with his knees, immediately rolling him up for the three count.
WINNER: Gunther at 18:53 (Still WWE Intercontinental Champion)
– After the match, Jimmy Uso hit Jey Uso with two Uso Splashes.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Unsurprisingly, Gunther had yet another brilliant title defense, until the ending. I understand why they did the Jimmy Uso interference, but I’ve never been a huge fan of those types of finishes and Gunther matches are usually interference free. As for Jimmy vs. Jey, it’s clear it has been the plan since SummerSlam. I don’t think particularly care for the match since Jimmy’s booking has been incredibly dodgy for months now, but at least the crowd seemed to be hot for it.)
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