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WWE RAW TV REPORT
APRIL 15, 2024
MONTREAL, QUEBEC AT BELL CENTRE
AIRED LIVE ON USA
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 11,480 tickets had been distributed; arena set up for 12,189.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with Rhea Ripley making her way to the ring wearing an arm sling. Ripley announced that after last week’s attack from Liv Morgan, she was stuck on the bench for quite a while. Ripley angrily confirmed that she was told to vacate the Women’s World championship. She said that the championship meant the most to her and that’s why it felt painful.
– Ripley laid her title on the mat before calling Liv out for blindsiding her from behind. Ripley warned whoever won her title that she would return for blood. She said that she would go to the back and take care of Liv, even if they took her to prison. Liv showed up to taunt Ripley, as security guards arrived to stop a confrontation from taking place. As Liv walked to the back, Ripley knocked one of the guards out with a headbutt.
(Pomares’s Analysis: An incredibly unfortunate injury for Rhea Ripley who seemed to be entering into a brand new chapter after defeating Becky Lynch at Mania. Ripley cut a great promo and already set up her first major feud once she returns. Based on the way they handled Liv Morgan here, it seems like she has a real shot of becoming champion while Ripley is out.)
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Rhea Ripley vacating the Women’s World championship was shown.
– Backstage, Judgment Day cheered Rhea Ripley up, as she left the arena.
(1) SHEAMUS vs. IVAR (w/Valhalla)
They started the match shoving each other away with shoulder tackles, until Sheamus knocked Ivar off his feet. Ivar pulled Sheamus’ head into the top rope and climbed the top turnbuckle. Sheamus stopped Ivar atop the turnbuckle, setting him up for an avalanche White Noise, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Sheamus dropped Ivar with a powerslam, followed by the Beats of Bodhran. Ivar blocked a power move and nailed Sheamus with a leg lariat, setting him up for a diving splash and a two count. Ivar caught Sheamus with a knee to the abdomen, only for Sheamus to block his springboard crossbody with a pump knee. Sheamus put Ivar down with another pump knee before finishing him with a Brogue Kick.
WINNER: Sheamus at 8:21
(Pomares’s Analysis: A solid match to reintroduce Sheamus to the mix in a victorious manner. It’s good to see Sheamus back after so long and I’m interested to see what his near future looks like with Gunther no longer holding the IC title and the Draft coming soon.)
– A recap of Chad Gable training Sami Zayn for his victory over Gunther at WrestleMania was shown.
[Commercial Break]
– Triple H made his way to the ring to put over their recent success over the past few weeks while a podium with a covered title belt stood in the middle of the ring. Adam Pearce recapped how at WrestleMania they entered with one set of tag champions and came out with two new ones. Pearce introduced Awesome Truth to the ring and Triple H congratulated them for their win.
– Triple H announced that the Awesome Truth would be known as the World Tag Team Champions and presented them with a new set of belts based on the World Heavyweight championship. Truth put over Triple H’s magic trick, until Miz told him that he wasn’t a magician. Truth confused Triple H with Tommaso Ciampa, until Miz explained Truth what just happened in French. Triple H walked away while Pearce announced that a triple threat match to determine new contenders would take place now.
(Pomares’s Analysis: An okay segment to introduce a much needed update to the tag belts design. It definitely went on for much longer than it needed to and Truth’s comedy doesn’t do anything for me most of the time. As for the new design, I’m not the biggest fan of reusing the World Heavyweight one, but it’s still an improvement over the past design.)
– DIY made their way to the ring, ahead of the tag team triple threat to determine new title contenders.
[Commercial Break]
– During the New Day’s entrance a QR code was briefly seen on-screen. The code led to a secret message: “WWE.COM/UEDNJ51A.”
(2) DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed) – World Tag Team Championship Contender’s Match
Woods and Gargano pummeled Brutus down, only for Brutus to shut them down with forearm strikes. They exchanged numerous roll-ups, until Brutus laid Gargano and Woods out with a double clothesline. Kofi and Ciampa saved Woods and Gargano from stereo suplexes and took the Creeds out with a double dropkick. DIY sent New Day and the Creeds out of the ring before the Creeds caught their stereo Pescados. New Day crashed into everyone with stereo Topes con Hilo, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Ciampa and Julius got into a strike exchange, until Julius cracked Ciampa with a jumping knee. Julius blocked Trouble in Paradise with an Ankle Lock before receiving a pump knee from Ciampa. Brutus put Ciampa down with a lariat, but Woods took him out with a missile dropkick. Gargano caught Woods with a slingshot Spear, only for Kofi to crack him with a knee to the face. Kofi blocked a standing moonsault from Julius with his knees, only for Gargano to blast him with a thrust kick. Gargano crashed into Woods and Julius with a cannonball while Ciampa got a nearfall on Kofi with Project Ciampa. Woods caught Ciampa off-guard with a Tornado DDT and Gargano with a flipping clothesline.
Woods took care of Brutus with a discus clothesline before receiving a big boot from Ciampa. Kofi caught Ciampa with a jumping kick, setting him up for a tag team leg drop alongside Woods. Julius took care of Kofi, Woods, Gargano and Ciampa with a series of belly-to-belly suplexes and a German suplex. The Creeds pinned DIY and New Day at the same time, but everyone kicked out at two. Kofi shoved Brutus into a thrust thick from Woods. Julius put Kofi down with a superplex, only for Woods to break the pinfall with a diving elbow drop. DIY broke Woods’ pinfall with Meet in the Middle for the win.
WINNER: DIY at 10:32
(Pomares’s Analysis: A really fun match with a bunch of nearfalls at the end to start the new tag division on a strong note. I would like DIY to take the tag titles, but I think it’s pretty unlikely.)
– A recap of C.M. Punk costing Drew McIntyre his match last week was shown.
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond tried to interview Drew McIntyre about last week, but Drew simply kicked a TV set into the floor.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
(3) IVY NILE & MAXXINE DUPRI vs. CANDICE LERAE & INDI HARTWELL
Nile took Hartwell down with a sunset flip, followed by a dropkick and a strike to the knees. Dupri crashed into Hartwell with a high crossbody, followed by a fisherman suplex for a two count. LeRae distracted Dupri, allowing Hartwell to knock her down with a lariat. LeRae and Hartwell beat Dupri down, until she was able to kick Hartwell away. Dupri missed an enzuigiri, but was able to take LeRae out with a DDT. Dupri reached Nile for the tag, but Hartwell distracted the referee. As the referee took Nile back to her corner, Hartwell blasted Dupri with a big boot, allowing LeRae to get the pinfall.
WINNERS: Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell at 3:35
(Pomares’s Analysis: This was an okay next step into turning LeRae & Hartwell fully heel, but there’s only so much to talk about with only 3 minutes of action.)
– A video package recapping Damian Priest’s rise over the past 5 years was shown.
– Backstage, Damian Priest fired Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh up, ahead of Dominik’s match against Andrade. Finn Bálor told Priest that they should focus on regaining the tag titles, only for Priest to tell him to focus on his match with Jey Uso tonight.
– Andrade made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Dominik Mysterio.
[Commercial Break]
– Earlier today, Jackie Redmond interviewed Chad Gable while he trained with the Creed Brothers. Gable said that he learned Sami’s weaknesses while training with him and would take advantage of them tonight.
(4) ANDRADE vs. DOMINIK MYSTERIO (w/JD McDonagh)
Dominik nailed Andrade with a chop before hiding from his attacks in the corner. Andrade knocked Dominik down with a shoulder tackle, followed by a high crossbody for a two count. They both tried to hit each other with Three Amigos, until Andrade was able to finish the move. JD distracted Andrade, allowing Dominik to trip him off the top turnbuckle, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Andrade put Dominik down with a series of dragon screws and a flying clothesline. Andrade crushed Dominik with a double knee strike into the corner for a two count. Dominik avoided the split-legged moonsault and spiked Andrade with a Destroyer on the apron for a nearfall. Dominik knocked Andrade into the ropes with a dropkick, only for Andrade to shut him down with the fake-out back elbow. Andrade knocked JD off the apron and beat Dominik with the Message.
WINNER: Andrade at 8:40
– After the match, Judgment Day assaulted Andrade, until Ricochet chased them away.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A decent match to continue the feud between Andrade and Judgment Day with a genuinely great spot in Dominik’s Canadian Destroyer that weirdly didn’t get much of a reaction from the crowd.)
– A recap of Solo Sikoa and the debuting Tama Tonga assaulting Jimmy Uso was shown.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Jey Uso about Jimmy Uso being attacked. Jey said that he told Jimmy to come with him before focusing on his match against Finn Bálor.
[Commercial Break]
(5) KAYDEN CARTER & KATANA CHANCE vs. CHELSEA GREEN & PIPER NIVEN
Niven shoved Carter down before receiving a series of kicks and forearms. Niven nailed Chance and Carter with a double clothesline, setting her up for an elbow strike and a lariat alongside Green. Chance tripped Green into the corner, setting her up for a double strike in the corner for a two count. Carter hit Green with a load of chops to the chest, followed by a modified flatliner. Niven took care of Chance with a Fallaway Slam while Carter took Green down with a Death Valley Driver. Niven crushed Carter with a running crossbody, allowing Green to get the win.
WINNERS: Chelsea Green & Piper Niven at 2:16
(Pomares’s Analysis: This was okay for the time given, but once again far too short to really allow anyone in this division to really stand out.)
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
– A recap of Rhea Ripley vacating the Women’s World Championship at the start of the show was shown.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Liv Morgan about Rhea Ripley being forced to vacate the world title. Liv complained about the crowd turning on her after Ripley injured her last year. Liv said that this was karma for Ripley and that it wasn’t the end of her revenge tour.
– Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring to talk about his possible challengers in LA Knight and AJ Styles. Cody thanked Seth Rollins for delivering on his claim that he would be his shield. He mentioned Rock’s training regime and said that Rock might make him bleed again, but if that were to happen, they would both bleed. Cody briefly recapped the debut of Tama Tonga before introducing Jey Uso to the ring. Cody thanked Jey for being by his side all over the past few months and told him that he would like to have his back tonight. Jey refused the offer because he wanted to do this on his own.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A well-delivered promo from Cody that ultimately felt like an excuse to have him on the show. He doesn’t have a challenger yet, so he can’t really do much to build his first program until next week.)
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Nia Jax about Rhea Ripley vacating the Women’s World title. Jax claimed that no one would take the title away from her because it was hers.
(6) JEY USO vs. FINN BÁLOR
Finn attacked Jey from behind and pressed his head into the ropes. Finn countered a sunset flip with a basement dropkick before trapping Jey in a headlock and blasting him with a chop to the chest. Jey caught Finn with a couple of jabs, only for Finn to knock him off the top turnbuckle. Finn sent Jey out of the ring with a dropkick, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Jey kicked Finn away and knocked him off his feet with an enzuigiri. Jey hit Finn with a thrust kick to the abdomen and a Samoan drop while Damian Priest left the Judgment Den. Finn evaded the hip attack and dropped Jey with a reverse DDT for a two count. Finn laid Jey out with a sling blade, only for Jey to shut him down with a superkick. Jey missed the Uso Splash, allowing Finn to knock him away with a shotgun dropkick. Finn missed the Coup de Grace before receiving a Spear and an Uso Splash for the three count.
WINNER: Jey Uso at 9:14
– After the match, Damian Priest showed up to have a face-off with Jey Uso, only for the rest of Judgment Day to attack Jey from behind. Jey caught Dominik and JD with superkicks before successfully running into the crowd. Jey gave numerous people high-fives while he passed by the fans in the concession area before reaching Sami Zayn at the arena entrance. Sami put over how much it meant to be walking into his city as champion before making his entrance for his match through the bleachers.
(Pomares’s Analysis: An alright match to maintain Jey Uso strong as he heads to Backlash. The post-match angle was just decent, but the set up for the Sami Zayn entrance was brilliantly executed and shot.)
[Commercial Break]
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