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With this week’s Raw being the go-home show before this weekend’s Elimination Chamber, we were treated to some fiery back and forth promos and great action in the ring. The match where that stellar action stood out the most was in the show’s main event. For as successful as Bianca Belair & Naomi have been as women’s Tag Team Champions, they faced their toughest challenge this week. Motivated by the footage they saw of Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez at the scene of Jade Cargill’s attack, the champions were out for revenge on the suspected attackers. While Liv & Raquel seem like the prime suspects on paper, perhaps they aren’t as guilty as the footage would lead people to believe.
By the end of the night, one team held up the titles in victory while the other could be heading for an ugly break up. In addition to that, we saw a heated segment between C.M. Punk and Logan Paul, Gunther sending another brutal message to Jey Uso, and Seth Rollins sharing the ring with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes for the first time since last year’s WrestleMania XL. If the Elimination Chamber PLE didn’t have people amped up before this week’s Raw, it definitely does now.
C.M. Punk vs. Logan Paul
Latest Developments:
At the Royal Rumble, Logan Paul shattered C.M. Punk’s dreams of being in the main event of WrestleMania when he eliminated him from the Royal Rumble match. Punk gained a second chance at the WrestleMania main event when he defeated Sami Zayn the following Monday in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match. The following week, Punk was in the ring cutting a promo when he was interrupted by Paul. After Paul pointed out how he eliminated him from the Rumble, Punk told him that he hoped that he won his Chamber qualifying match so that he could be the one to put him to sleep in it. Later that night, Paul qualified for the Chamber by defeating Rey Mysterio.
This week, Paul opened Raw to cut a promo before he was interrupted by Punk. Paul said that Punk was jealous of him because he succeeds in everything he does outside of the ring, while Punk’s career has just been a series of him failing upwards. After calling out Paul for doing stupid things for attention and vowing to go on to WrestleMania to face Cody, Punk told Paul he’s going to find out in the Chamber that he’s Satan himself and in this business, Paul is a nobody. Paul slapped Punk and ran away before Punk could get to him as he mocked him in the aisle way. Punk told him to run while he can and promised that when he gets his hands on him in the Chamber, he’ll understand why the people chant his name.
Analysis:
This was one entertaining segment that really sold this weekend’s Elimination Chamber match. With John Cena not around, Seth Rollins occupied elsewhere, and Drew McIntyre and Damien Priest being on Smackdown, it was on these two here to really drive home how important that match on Saturday is. In their second segment together in two weeks, Punk and Paul displayed how great their chemistry is in settings like this. For as obnoxious and unlikeable as Paul is, Punk is the perfect person on the mic to put him in his place. After what we saw here, it made you eager to see what happens between them in the Chamber match.
While one might think that this segment was a tease for a potential WrestleMania match, a match between these two is something that will likely happen later this year at another PLE. For the great year Punk has had, the only acceptable match for him to be in at WrestleMania is the main event. Between him and Cena, it will likely be one of those two who comes out of the Chamber as the winner. From what we saw here between Punk and Paul and considering all the star power in this Chamber match, it has the potential to be the best one we’ve seen in the match’s two-decade history. For as much as this segment succeeded in crowd investment and building tension between Punk and Paul, it succeeded the most in making you excited to see what happens this weekend.
Grade: B
Penta vs. Pete Dunne vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Latest Developments:
Ever since Penta’s debut, he’s defeated Pete Dunne and Ludwig Kaiser in separate singles matches. Last week, Penta once again faced Dunne in a match where Kaiser appeared at ringside. Despite Dunne telling Kaiser to stay out of his business, Penta bumped Dunne into Kaiser as he stood on the apron and that led to Penta hitting the Penta Driver for the win. After the match Kaiser attacked Penta from behind until Dunne pulled him out of the ring and they traded shots. As this was happening, Penta leaped over the top rope onto both of them and left them laying.
This week, all three men were put up against each other in a Triple Threat match. At one point, Penta jumped from the apron to the inside of the ring to hit Dunne with an inverted Hurricanrana that landed him onto Kaiser. As Dunne was bending Kaiser’s fingers, Penta stepped onto Kaiser’s back and hit Dunne with a Mexican Destroyer. When he was about to finish off Dunne with the Penta Driver, Kaiser threw Penta out of the ring. That allowed Kaiser to hit Dunne with the Swinging DDT to get the win.
Analysis:
This was a fun match involving three great performers with a surprise finish. While this was technically Penta’s first loss, the fact that he didn’t take the pin protected him while making Kaiser look strong. From how much these three men were interacting in recent weeks, it was only a matter of time before they all faced in this type of format. Despite the loss, Penta once again looked impressive, and it helped considering he had two people to play off as opposed to just one. With Kaiser pinning Dunne and not Penta, that now sets up another match between them that could happen as early as next week.
To make that match look appealing, having Kaiser win here made the most sense. He’s proven over the last few months how valuable of a role he can play on the show and having him in a feud with someone as hot as Penta helps to maintain his presence. Although he’s mainly being used as a stepping stone for Penta, Kaiser could easily be Intercontinental Champion within the next year or so. For as great as their match was a few weeks ago, their next meeting has all the potential in the world to blow that one out of the water. Much like Gunther and Jey Uso, these matches involving these men are consistently one of the standout parts of the show.
Grade: B
Gunther vs. Jey Uso
Latest Developments:
On the Raw after the Royal Rumble, World Heavyweight Champion Gunther told Jey Uso that he would make Jey’s life hell if he chose to challenge him for his title at WrestleMania. The next week, Gunther gave Jey a demonstration of what he was talking about as he attacked him while he was making his entrance. Despite the brutal attack, Jey chose Gunther as the champion he would challenge at WrestleMania. Last week, Gunther mocked Jey by doing his entrance through the crowd. As he was about to confront Pat McAfee for saying that he hopes Jey defeats him, Jey came out and brawled with the champion before they were eventually separated.
Gunther came out this week dressed to compete and held an open challenge that was answered by Akira Tozawa, whom Gunther walked past in disgust as he saw him dancing with Otis and Maxxine Dupri in the back earlier. Before the match, Gunther told Tozawa he had the chance to do something Jey could never do, and that’s earn his respect as he constantly shoved him. Tozawa put up a fight in the first few seconds until he was hit with a big boot from the champion that knocked him inside out. While Tazawa kept on fighting and even hit Gunther with some chops, Gunther knocked him down with just one, then hit him with Powerbomb, and lifted him off the mat with a Sleeper as the referee stopped the match. As Otis checked on Tozawa after the match, Gunther trapped him in the Sleeper from behind until Jey came out to chase the champion away.
Analysis:
While on paper Gunther vs. Tozawa is a squash match, this turned out to be much more entertaining than a typical squash match would be. While it was short and the ending was a foregone conclusion, this match was fun for the time it lasted. Despite the match turning out the way it did, this was one of the most impressive efforts from Tozawa in recent memory. He really took it to Gunther throughout the match and the crowd really got behind him before Gunther ultimately put an end to any chance he had of winning. With WrestleMania still being two months away, segments like this are needed to further establish Gunther’s mean streak.
While squash matches aren’t as common as they used to be, they can still work well in situations like this. With Gunther being as vicious as he is and Tozawa being someone the audience likes; this match kept you invested despite it being a squash. After doing what he did here to Tozawa, Gunther will likely do the same to Otis in the coming weeks to send another message to Jey. With Gunther saying he’d make Jey’s life hell until WrestleMania, what we saw here was a way of showing the kind of brutality the champion is capable of. For the fourth straight week, the segment involving Gunther and Jey Uso was one of the stronger stories being played out on the show that’s showing no signs of getting stale.
Grade: B+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins Segment
Latest Developments:
At WrestleMania XL, Seth Rollins played a key factor in Cody Rhodes defeating Roman Reigns to win the WWE Championship. Last Friday on Smackdown, The Rock made an appearance and called Cody out to the ring. The Rock revealed that he and Cody had become friends since last year’s WrestleMania and with The Rock being on the Board of Directors, he wants Cody to be his champion. Rock went on to say he could change Cody’s life if he agreed and even went as far as to say that he wants his soul. Rock told Cody to think about it and to wait until the Elimination Chamber to give his answer.
This week, Cody Rhodes came out to the ring to cut a promo and was contemplating The Rock’s offer until he was interrupted by Seth Rollins. Rollins asked Cody what he was thinking and said that not slapping The Rock on the spot last Friday was a slap in the face to him. Cody responded by telling Rollins the reason why The Rock didn’t ask Rollins for his soul is because it’s already been compromised, and then pointed out to Rollins many of his past sins. After admitting regret for them, Rollins vowed to win the Elimination Chamber and said the Cody Rhodes he wants to face at WrestleMania is the one that beat him when he first came back to the company and the one that he helped win the WWE Title at WrestleMania last year. He ended the segment by simply telling Cody that he’s not coming for his soul at WrestleMania, he’s coming for his title.
Analysis:
While the segment with Punk and Paul earlier sold the Elimination Chamber match, this segment sold the confrontation involving Cody and The Rock on Saturday. While the promo on Smackdown with The Rock and Cody was too long and strange in some parts, it does make you eager to see what happens between them at Elimination Chamber. Even if The Rocks doesn’t wrestle, having him on the Chamber show and perhaps a part of the build to WrestleMania does make things more interesting. After what we saw on Friday, it now creates curiosity as to who could possibly take The Rock up on his offer.
Considering their history with The Rock from WrestleMania last year, Rollins was the perfect person to come out and try to talk sense into Cody. Oddly enough, this was the first time Rollins and Cody shared the ring together since WrestleMania last year. For as much as Rollins has held a grudge against Roman Reigns, it’s no surprise that he would also hold those same feelings for The Rock. While some people may have thought Cody showing up here to contemplate his choice made no sense, Rollins coming out to confront him and talk about potentially facing him at WrestleMania made this work. More than anything, this segment made you anticipate what Cody’s response to The Rock will be this weekend.
Grade: B
Bianca Belair & Naomi vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez
Latest Developments:
On the January 27 Raw, Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez defeated women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Naomi in a non-title match. On the February 14 Smackdown, Nick Aldis showed Bianca & Naomi footage of Liv & Raquel at the scene of Jade Cargill’s attack three months ago. Enraged by this, the champions vowed to be at Raw the following Monday to confront them. Bianca & Jade attacked Liv on that following Monday while she was at ringside for Raquel’s match with Roxanne Perez, which caused Raquel to lose. After the match, it was announced that Bianca & Naomi would defend the titles against Liv & Raquel this week.
This week, both teams faced each other for the titles in the show’s main event and as the champions at one point were about to hit Liv with a double KOD, Dominik Mysterio came out to cause a distraction. The distraction allowed Raquel to interrupt the move and for Liv to hit Naomi with the ObLIVion, but the count was interrupted by Bianca. The champions regained the advantage and Bianca hit a KOD on Liv, but Raquel interrupted the count. Naomi & Bianca later succeeded in their second attempt to hit Liv with a double KOD and when Naomi was about to get the pin, Dominik put Liv’s foot on the ropes. Naomi kicked Dominik off the apron as he tried to get involved again and as she went for the Split Legged Moonsalt, Raquel blocked the attempt and hit her head into the post. That allowed Liv to put one arm over Naomi for the pin and to crown Liv & Raquel as the first ever three-time women’s Tag Team Champions.
Analysis:
By leaps and bounds, this was the best match of the entire night. Much like the women’s tag team match from two weeks ago, this match was a prime example of how great women’s tag team wrestling can be when given the chance. While Liv & Raquel winning the titles was the predictable outcome, the match from start to finish kept you on the edge of your seat. All four of these women worked well together and in the six years that these titles have been around, this may have been the best match where we’ve seen them defended. Despite Liv not being the Women’s World Champion anymore and her feud with Rhea Ripley being over, having a run with the tag titles with Raquel will keep her as a prominent part of the show.
Now that Bianca & Naomi have lost the titles and the likely revelation of Jade’s attacker happening soon, a split between them now feels inevitable. While their title reign was fun while it lasted, it is now going to be interesting to see where this loss and the revealing of Jade’s attacker all leads to. Being in the women’s tag division for about a year now, dropping the titles now opens the door for Bianca to possibly win the women’s Chamber match on Saturday and get back into the Women’s World Title picture. Considering everything that happened here, there’s a strong chance that we’ll see Bianca & Naomi go at it in the match and it could even come down to them as the last two. More than anyone else, the dynamic between Naomi & Bianca will be the main story to watch in the women’s Chamber match and with Jade included in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania.
Grade: A
Other Highlights
Lyra Valkyria vs. Dakota Kai
After defeating Ivy Nile last week, Dakota Kai was granted a women’s Intercontinental Championship match with Lyra Valkyria this week. Dakota gained the advantage at one point when she hit Lyra with a CannonBall from the apron onto the floor. Lyra regained the advantage with a standing Superplex from the top rope and a Powerbomb. Dakota kicked Lyra as she was on the top rope and attempted her own Superplex, but Lyra escaped and reversed it into the Nightwish to retain the title. Both women embraced after the match and as Dakota was heading to the back, she was attacked from behind by Ivy Nile. Ivy then ran to the ring and pulled Lyra from behind off the second turnbuckle, hit with a release German Suplex, and held up the title as she stood over the champion.
Analysis:
Much like their match last month where Lyra won the title initially, this was another good match from these two. The crowd was really into it in the second half and this match really served as an example of how prestigious the women’s Intercontinental Title can be when given the right attention. Ivy Nile coming out to attack them both after the match set things up perfectly for her to be the next challenger. For all the criticism that the usage of the women’s mid card titles has been receiving lately on both shows, this match and the beat down afterwards is a sign that things are possibly heading in the right direction. With Chad Gable demanding that Ivy and the Creed Brothers have titles by the time he comes back, there’s a strong chance that Ivy could be the one to dethrone Lyra when their match eventually happens.
Bron Breakker vs. Dominik Mysterio
After Bron Breakker hit Dominik Mysterio with a Spear last week that was meant for AJ Styles, the two went one on one this week. Bron had the advantage until a distraction from Carlito allowed Dominik to hit him with a Suicide Dive. Dominik then hit a 619 and as he went to the top rope for a Frog Splash, Bron hit him with a top rope Frankensteiner. When Bron set him up for a Spear, Carlito and Finn Balor pulled him out of the ring and threw him into the steel steps for the disqualification. Carlito held Bron for Dominik to run into him, but Bron back body dropped Dominik over the top rope and then hit Carlito with a Spear. As Finn tried to sneak up on Bron from behind with a chair on the mat, Bron dropped down on the mat to face him before he could do anything, and he stared Finn down before he backed away.
Analysis:
While not much of a match because of all the outside interference, everything that happened here just further established Bron as a killer. Bron basically handled all three of them by himself and from the brief face off he had with Finn, it could set things up for a potential title match between them in the next few weeks. Something else we could see coming out of this is more dissension between Finn and Dominik. Considering that Finn backed away here and he keeps shutting down Dominik’s suggestion of adding a new member to Judgment Day, all of this could lead to a scenario where Dominik is forced to add a new member behind his back. While it seemed as if Finn was going to get kicked out of the group after he lost his feud to Damien Priest, these recent issues with Dominik and a potential new member being added are going to lead to it happening by WrestleMania.
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