The April 22, 2019 edition of WWE RAW took place at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA.
– Triple H comes out to the ring to kick off tonight’s show, and then WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins comes out to the ring to join him. They hug in the ring and they’ve both got microphones. They talk about Rollins’ victory over Lesnar at WrestleMania, and Triple H says he thinks Lesnar is still in Las Vegas licking his wounds. U.S. Champion Samoa Joe then comes out to interrupt, and announces on the mic that our United States Champion has arrived on RAW. Joe steps in the ring and says he likes Becky’s idea about having two belts, and he wants Rollins’ belt. Rey Mysterio then comes out to interrupt and says he’s not the only former SmackDown star looking to make an impact on RAW. Baron Corbin interrupts next, and then AJ Styles interrupts, and they both want shots at the Universal Title. AJ gets a big pop from the crowd. Rollins speaks up and says he’s ready for all comers and any challenger. Rollins’ music hits and everyone leaves, except for Rey, AJ and Joe.
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– Still to come: Rey Mysterio vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe, and the winner competes for a Universal Championship Opportunity.
– Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Rey Mysterio: Joe starts off strong with strikes on Rey and AJ. AJ and Rey team up and dump Joe outside, then AJ and Rey start going at it. AJ drops Rey and then kicks Joe off the apron. AJ gets back in the ring and hits a suplex on Rey. Rey fights up and brawls with AJ until Joe gets back in the ring and drops them both. AJ misses a shot on Joe and Joe hits a side suplex on him. AJ fights up and trades strikes with Joe in the middle of the ring now. AJ ducks a shot and answers with the Pele Kick, but Rey breaks up the pin. Rey hits a bulldog on AJ, then he looks for the 619 on Joe but Joe rolls out to ringside. Rey hits a suicide dive on Joe at ringside, then he climbs back in the ring to the top rope. AJ meets Rey on the corner, then Joe runs in and joins them on the turnbuckle. Joe hits a back body drop on both Rey and AJ off the top rope down to the mat, and all men are down now. Joe dumps AJ outside, then Rey hits a hurricanrana on Joe, then a tornado DDT. Joe tries to come back with the Coquina Clutch on Rey, but AJ comes flying off the top rope with a shot on Joe. Joe looks for the Clutch on AJ, but AJ breaks free. AJ hits the Pele Kick on Joe, then he turns his attention to Rey. Rey fights back with a hurricanrana on AJ, and then he nails Joe too. Rey comes flying off the top, but AJ catches him. AJ gives Rey the Styles Clash on top of Joe’s body for the three count.
Winner: AJ Styles
– Still to come: Becky Lynch vs. Alicia Fox
– Billie Kaye vs. Naomi: Peyton Royce is at ringside for this one, and The Iiconics cut a promo before the match. Billie starts off strong off the opening bell, but Naomi quickly turns it around and rolls up Billie to steal the pin after a very short match.
– We once again see the video segment looking at the doll house and creepy doll sitting on a rocking chair in front of a black smokey background.
– Drew McIntyre vs. Baron Corbin vs. The Miz: Corbin and Drew look to team up on Miz early on, but then Baron drops Drew with a cheap shot. Baron and Drew brawl out to ringside, then Drew blindsides them. Back in the ring, Drew hits a big suplex on Miz, then clotheslines Baron down. The Miz starts fighting back now and hits a double axe handle off the top on both Drew and Baron. Miz goes up top, but Drew pushes Corbin into Miz to knock them both down. Drew climbs the turnbuckle with Miz, but then Corbin powerbombs them both off the turnbuckle down to the mat. Drew and Baron start brawling out to ringside now, and then The Miz hits a dive out of the ring on to both of them. AJ Styles is shown backstage watching on a monitor, as he will face the winner of this match later tonight. Back in the ring, Drew looks for a kick on Miz, but Miz dodges it and puts Miz in the Figure Four Leg Lock. Corbin breaks it up, and he looks for a spear on Miz at ringside, but Miz dodges him and Baron crashes into the ring steps. Back in the ring, Drew drops Miz for a two count. Miz comes back with a DDT for a two count of his own, and then Corbin gets back in the ring. Corbin looks for the End of Days on Miz, but Miz escapes and hits a DDT on Corbin for a two count. Drew comes back with the Claymore Kick on Miz now, but then Corbin immediately knocks Drew out of the ring and steals the pin on Miz. Corbin scores the three count, and Drew looks furious at ringside.
Winner: Baron Corbin
– AJ Styles does an interview backstage while Corbin is still celebrating in the ring. AJ talks about his plans to go through Corbin and meet Rollins for the Universal Title.
– Sami Zayn comes out to the ring next. Sami steps in the ring and talks about how people think he became a “bitter person” while he was out for his shoulder surgery and recovery. Sami says he’s the opposite, he’s a happy person, and he shows us some photos from his vacations around the world. He calls the fans delusional maniacs, and says their mob mentality won’t keep them safe from Sami Zayn. He says he would rather be anywhere else on earth than depressed Des Moines, Iowa. Sami tells them all to go to hell, then he leaves. Cedric Alexander makes his entrance for his match as Sami is leaving, and they have a brief stare-down on the ramp.
– Cesaro vs. Cedric Alexander: Cesaro starts off strong in this one and overpowers Alexander. Cedric tries to fight back, but Cesaro shuts him down with a powerslam and an elbow drop. Cedric starts to fight back, but Cesaro catches him in mid-air and hits a backbreaker. Cedric finally fights back and hits some kicks to the face. Cedric looks for the Flatliner, but Cesaro powers out of it. Cesaro dodges a shot from Cesaro, and then hits a Michinoku Driver on Cesaro for a two count. Cedric dropkicks Cesaro out to ringside and then hits a somersault suicide dive on him. Back in the ring, Cedric climbs the top rope and goes flying, but Cesaro knocks him out of mid-air with a European Uppercut. Cesaro immediately pins for the three count.
Winner: Cesaro
– The Usos are backstage for an interview and they talk about how happy they are to be on Monday Night RAW. The Revival interrupts, and they exchange words. The Usos welcome The Revival to the Uso Penitentiary, then walk off.
– The Viking Raiders vs. Lucha House Party: Ivar and Erik attack all three House Party members before the opening bell. Erik picks up one House Party member in the fallaway slam position, and another above him in the powerbomb position, and he slams them both down. The Raiders then double team Lince Dorado and leave. We go to replays, and this one is over before it ever began.
Winners: No contest
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– RAW Tag Team Champions Hawkins & Ryder are backstage talking about the Vikings. Ryder says the Vikings are new, and Ryder and Hawkins have the experience to beat them. Ryder calls them “smelly, horny, woolly mammoths.”
– Becky Lynch comes out to the ring and gets on the mic. She talks about her run-in with Lacey Evans, and it looks like she wants revenge on Lacey. She says she’ll tap out Alicia or anyone else who gets in her way. Lacey Evans interrupts and talks trash from the ramp, saying Becky is too emotional and Lacey is in control of herself. Becky says she’s happy to be Champion but she’s not content, and she’s ready to fight.
– Becky Lynch vs. Alicia Fox: Lacey heads backstage as Alicia enters. The opening bell sounds and Alicia starts off on the offensive until Becky shuts her down with a kick. Becky dumps Alicia outside, then follows her out and throws Alicia into the barricade and the ring apron. Alicia fights back and puts the boots to Becky on the floor. Alicia tries to slam Becky, but it goes poorly and they fall down. Becky looks for the Disarm Her, but Alicia fights out and knocks Becky out to ringside. Becky throws Fox into the barricade at ringside, and then back into the ring. Alicia and Becky trade strikes in the ring, then Becky hits a flying forearm shot. Becky hits two exploder suplexes, then she looks for a clothesline in the corner, but Alicia ducks and rolls up Becky for a two count. Becky comes back with the Disarm Her on Fox, and Fox immediately taps out.
Winner: Becky Lynch
– Immediately after the bell, Lacey Evans runs in the ring and hits Becky with a couple right hands.
– We see Baron Corbin backstage warming up for his match tonight. He does a brief interview saying he doesn’t care about greaseballs sitting in their basement complaining on their computer, and he’s going to prove those idiots wrong about him and make Seth Rollins pay. He says he’s looking straight through AJ Styles tonight.
– Robert Roode vs. Ricochet: Bobby Roode comes out as “Robert Roode” tonight, and he’s rocking a new mustache. Graves says there is going to be a spike in pregnancies in Iowa tonight from women looking at Roode’s mustache. The opening bell sounds and Roode starts off strong. Roode drops Ricochet with some knees to the body. Ricochet comes back with a hurricanrana and a dropkick. They fight out to the apron and Ricochet dumps Roode outside. Ricochet then runs up the turnbuckle and flips off of it down onto Roode at ringside. Back in the ring, Ricochet goes up top, but Roode knocks him down and pummels on him. Roode takes control of the match now and keeps Ricochet grounded. Roode connects with several knee strikes and Ricochet is down. Ricochet starts fighting back and hits a standing shooting star press for a two count. Roode comes back with a slam for a two count of his own. Ricochet fights back and looks for a splash off the top, but Roode rolls out of the way and then slams Ricochet into the corner hard. Roode follows up with the Glorious DDT for the three count.
Winner: Robert Roode
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– Next Week: Alexa Bliss announces the RAW participants in the Men’s & Women’s Money In The Bank ladder matches.
– We see a pre-taped video segment of Bray Wyatt in a bright-colored “Firefly fun house.” He shows us the buzzard in the cardboard box, the puppet from the rocking chair, and then a cardboard cutout of his old look. Wyatt takes a chainsaw to his cardboard cut out.
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– Baron Corbin vs. AJ Styles: Corbin makes the ring announcer give him an extended ring introduction, listing all his accolades. The opening bell sounds and AJ starts off strong with chops to the chest of Corbin. AJ follows up with leg kicks on Corbin, but Corbin stuns AJ with a right hand. AJ fires back with a dropkick, then he pummels on Corbin against the ropes. AJ misses a shot and Corbin drops him with right hands now. AJ tries to fight back, but Corbin drops him on the apron and they fight out to ringside. AJ appears to be selling a leg injury, and Corbin gets the upper hand at ringside by dropping AJ face-first into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Corbin continues the offense on AJ. AJ finally fights back with a leaping forearm shot, then he looks for a fireman’s carry, but Corbin escapes. They trade strikes until Corbin grabs AJ by the throat. Corbin looks for the chokeslam backbreaker, but AJ escapes and rolls up Corbin for a two count. AJ looks for the Styles Clash but Corbin kicks out. Corbin comes back with the Deep Six, but AJ kicks out at two. AJ fights back and puts Corbin in the Calf Crusher, but Corbin fights out. Corbin misses a shot and AJ capitalizes with the Phenomenal Forearm for the three count.
Winner: AJ Styles
– AJ Styles will now get a shot at Seth Rollins’ Universal Championship. We go to replays as AJ gets to his feet. Seth Rollins comes out to the ring and shares a tense handshake with AJ in the ring as RAW goes off the air.
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