It’s another RAW on the Road to Wrestlemania. Bray Wyatt now has The Undertaker’s urn. Will Taker respond? Brock Lesnar is also in the house. Lets just hope he doesn’t walk out this time.
Also, I have stepped down as the live RAW Reviewer for InsidePulse. I will continue my duties until a replacement is found. I’ve enjoyed doing this for almost 3 years but I need to take a break from it. I will continue to submit thoughts for the Roundtable as well as my columns. So I would like to thank everyone for reading these reviews and giving your comments and feedback.
Randy Orton Roasts The Authority
RAW started with Randy Orton coming to the ring, with the Authority already waiting in the ring. Kane said they wanted to prove to everyone that Orton was one of them. Kane welcomed Orton back into the Authority. Big Show started talking and the crowd drowned him out with boos. Show said he sees the most talented, ruthless athlete in Orton. Show welcomed him back as well. Jamie Noble started to talk but said Orton was a no good snake who couldn’t be trusted. Seth Rollins took the mic and said Noble was the sensitive one. He said they are all thrilled and asked Joey Mercury. Mercury just gave the thumbs up. Rollins said they wanted to address the rumor that Orton is just biding his time until he can get to him. Rollins said everyone must feel like huge idiots right now. Because him and Orton are standing side by side as proud members of the Authority. Rollins said they were one big happy family and shook Orton’s hand.
Rollins asked the audience to stand up and show appreciation for Randy Orton. Orton said those words were very kind and he felt it in the bottom of his hard. Orton asked what happened to the Authority. He said Kane was the devil’s favorite dumbass. Orton said Show just bitches and moans and feels sorry for himself. He’s now the most pathetic superstar in WWE history. Orton said Noble is just mad because he can’t get on the rides at Disneyland. He looked at Mercury then just walked away. Orton said Rollins has been blinded by his own ego. Orton said he has been waiting for Rollins to get safe and secure and when Rollins gets his guard down he is going to make him his bitch. Orton said when he’s done there will be no future for Seth Rollins. Orton said he was just messing around. Rollins started laughing and said that Orton had him good. Rollins said tonight him and Orton will dismantle Reigns, because that is what’s best for business.
Non Title Match? I Wonder If The Champ Will Win?
Daniel Bryan vs Bad News Barrett. Bryan hit a running knee to start. Bryan took Barrett down with an armbar. Barrett backed Bryan into the corner and elbowed Bryan. Barrett missed a knee and it allowed Bryan to go back to working over the arm of Barrett. Bryan knocked Barrett into the corner but Barrett charged back at him with a boot to the face. Barrett kicked Bryan over the top rope into commercial.
Back from break Barrett landed some knees to Bryan in the corner then hit a superplex off the top rope for two. Barrett went for Wasteland but Bryan countered with a crucifix for two. Bryan bounced right back up and hit his running knee on Barrett for the win.
WINNER: Daniel Bryan
After the match, Barrett hit Bryan with the Bullhammer Elbow. Barrett made his way up the ramp when Dean Ambrose came out for his match and clotheslined Barrett.
Who Has The IC Title This Week?
Dean Ambrose vs Stardust. Ambrose started with a shoulder tackle then a clothesline and elbow. Stardust hit a face first suplex but Ambrose bounced right back with a knee to the mid-section. Stardust came back with a kick to the face but Ambrose countered with a clothesline over the top then a dive to the outside. Stardust caught Ambrose coming back into the ring with a forearm.
Stardust had a half crab applied back from break. Ambrose escaped and fought back with a barrage of punches. He hit a forearm in the corner and followed it with a running bulldog. Stardust came back with a forearm but Ambrose bounced off the ropes to hit his clothesline and followed it up with Dirty Deeds for the win.
WINNER: Dean Ambrose
Ambrose grabbed the IC Title but Barrett attacked him after the match. Bryan came in to make the save. Stardust recovered and joined the fight as did Luke Harper and Dolph Ziggler. As everyone was fighting, R-Truth grabbed the IC Title and put it in a bag. Barrett confronted Truth and Truth gave him the bag. The bag Truth gave Barrett had one of the toy Titles in it. Truth had the actual Title.
It was announced that Connor McCormick will receive the first ever Warrior Award at the Hall of Fame Ceremony.
If Lesnar Leaves, I Hope Heyman Doesn’t Follow
Paul Heyman was in the ring. He said he came out here live to watch this video with everyone. It was Reigns hype video for Mania. Heyman said he retorts with the pain, and introduced Brock Lesnar. Heyman said that video was nothing more than propaganda and if it came out of a bull it wouldn’t look any different. Heyman said he wants to tell everyone the truth about Roman Reigns. Heyman said his family would take Reigns out and have him take out various groups of people. Heyman said Reigns will not beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania. Heyman said Lesnar will not lose the Title and if the Authority has it in their head that Reigns will get the Title so Rollins can win it because he is a cheaper option as Champion. Heyman said he knows what goes on behind the scenes and if anyone tries to pull a Montreal Screwjob on Lesnar, anyone involved will not leave the arena alive. Heyman said Lesnar is going to beat Reigns so bad that people will respect Reigns even more just from leaving the arena alive on a stretcher. The mic got cut on Heyman and he said if people in power really had any guts they would try to come out here and take the Title away from him.
Heyman said if Lesnar wants to spend his summer unifying the WWE Title and UFC Titles then he will. Or if he wants to go to Las Vegas and smack around Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao then he will. Heyman said the Title is no longer the WWE’s, it is Brock Lesnar’s. He talked about Lesnar’s recent conquests and said how the hell does anyone think Roman Reigns is going to win at Wrestlemania.
Kane and Big Show vs Ryback and Erick Rowan. Ryback had control early until Kane caught him with a boot then Big Show came in and hit a Spear. The heels dominated for a bit until Rowan got the hot tag. It ended when show accidentally caught Kane with the KO Punch, giving Rowan and Ryback the win. Stephanie McMahon came out and ripped into Kane and Show and told them to get out of the ring and leave the arena.
Miz told Wiz Khalifa that they would make a good team. Wiz introduced Wizdow, who he said was his partner.
Wiz Khalifa wasted ten minutes of my life performing.
AJ defeated Summer Rae with the Black Widow.
Sting video package/promo. The voice, it wasn’t Sting’s, said he was the bringer of retribution. He said that he controls HHH’s destiny and that he needs to be taken down. And he will do that at Wrestlemania.
John Cena confronted Rusev backstage. He told Rusev that if he says one bad word about America tonight, then they won’t need a match at Wrestlemania.
The WWE Will Never Stop Axelmania
Curtis Axel came out for his match against Rusev. Rusev caught him before the match with a kick to the gut. Axel still wanted to wrestle. He ran right into a superkick then applied Accolade to pick up the win.
After the match Rusev grabbed the mic despite Lana trying to get him to not too. Rusev said everyone in America lives in the past. He said if America had a soul, God would look down and spit on it. Out came John Cena. He charged the ring and both men brawled. Cena applied the STF. He applied it long enough for Rusev to pass out. Cena poured some water on Rusev to wake him back up then applied the STF again. Rusev started tapping. Lana begged Cena to let him go, then agreed to give Cena a US Title Match at Wrestlemania.
Some Tag Team Wrestling And A Short Women’s Match
Kidd and Cesaro vs the New Day. New Day had the upper hand early on. Big E hit some backbreakers on Tyson Kidd. He tossed Kidd into the corner where Woods kicked Kidd in the face. Cesaro made a blind tag and took out the knee of Woods. Woods ended up reversing a pinfall attempt from Kidd and picked up the win.
Naomi beat Natalya with the Rear View in a very short match.
Los Matadores then beat The Usos. Really short match with no heat that turned the crowd off, which is tough to do during an Usos match.
BOOGITY BOO
Bray Wyatt was in the ring. He said he never sleeps but is always dreaming. And he starts to see the world for what it should be. He sees city burning and governments crumbling. The buzzards guide him during these dreams. And below them lay the Undertaker. Bray said he will not worship Undertaker. He just wants to walk over his broken bones as he ascends to his throne. Bray said he will not be Undertaker’s redemption because he is the new face of fear. Bray said Taker always knew the Streak would end. He said Wrestlemania will be Taker’s final resting place. He asked Undertaker to accept his challenge. Bray turned to the urn and asked if this will bring back the dead. He opened it and it was empty. He started to talk about it until smoke started to come out. The lights went out and the gong went off. The urn went away and Bray’s chair appeared. A message appeared on the tron and Taker’s voice said that “At Wrestlemania, you will rest in peace.” A lightning bolt hit Bray’s chair and it started on fire. Bray initially sold fear then started to laugh.
Longest Face Turn Ever
Main Event time. Rollins told Orton he would start the match. Reigns took the upper hand early with some right hands. But Seth ducked a Rollins charge and Reigns went to the outside. J & J went to attack but the ref stopped them. Orton went to admonish them while Rollins tried for a tag. Rollins ended up connecting on a spinning neckbreaker. Rollins dropped Reigns on the ropes. J & J tried to get Orton to attack behind the refs back but Orton didn’t. Orton took out Noble and Rollins told them to go to the back. Reigns started a comeback but it was negated by a Rollins boot and enziguri kick to the head. Rollins went for the tag but Orton pulled his hand away. Rollins stared at Orton while begging for a tag. Orton flipped off Rollins. They moved the camera so Orton’s fingers weren’t visible. Rollins turned around into a Spear to give Reigns the win.
WINNER: Roman Reigns
Orton stalked Rollins and slapped him and tossed him to the outside. Orton tossed him into the steps and then Rollins hit a cameraman. Orton mocked Rollins and asked how he could believe for a second that he would rejoin the Authority. Orton landed a serious of uppercuts. They went through the crowd where Orton landed multiple chair shots. Rollins crawled back to ringside where Orton a DDT off the barricade. Orton tossed Rollins over the table. He literally flew over it head first into one of the chairs. Orton then hit the RKO through the table to end the show.
OVERALL
Are we sure this is Wrestlemania season? It sure doesn’t feel like it because the WWE seems to be phoning in a lot of this stuff. Randy Orton finally turns face, but it went on for too long. The 30 minutes of tag team wrestling had no heat to it whatsoever and the crowd wasn’t buying into it. The Bray Wyatt/Undertaker feud isn’t going to work with just Bray carrying it. John Cena came off as a heel. Sting/HHH is all video packages. And Roman Reigns was a complete afterthought on the show. The best part of the show was once again Paul Heyman. We also got some good action in the first hour with the IC Title stuff. The show gets a 3, and I hope I never see Wiz Khalifa on RAW ever again.
Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka
