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WWE Monday Night Raw Recap & Reaction (3/20)

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Robert Lentini

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Sami Zayn Takes A Stand & Foley Says Goodbye

Mick Foley kicked off this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw and was greeted with “Foley” chants from the Brooklyn crowd. Foley had index cards and began to read off of it. Foley personally thanked Triple H and Stephanie McMahon for giving him the oppurtunity to be Raw GM. Foley apologized for shoving Mr. Socko in Triple H’s mouth. Foley announced that he was taking a leave of absence for his personal sanity for the good of Wrestlemania. Foley then ripped the index up and said that Triple H handed them to him ten minutes before the show. Foley was about to go on a rant but his microphone cut out and Stephanie McMahon stormed down to the ring.

Stephanie scolded Foley about screwing up everything and never getting anything right. Stephanie then fired Mick Foley and told him to get out of the ring. Sami Zayn’s music then hit as Foley was standing on the ring apron about to leave. Zayn said that what Stephanie doing to Mick Foley was wrong. Zayn said that Stephanie has been wrong about a lot of things but nobody has the guts to say anything to her face. Foley pleaded with Zayn to go backstage because it wasn’t worth it. Zayn then got in Stephanie’s face and stated that Foley has shown more class in the nine months as GM than Stephanie has shown in her entire life. Stephanie stated that Sami Zayn wasn’t on the level to speak to her at all. Stephanie told Zayn to go backstage and think about how he is going to make it up to her.

Sami agreed that the smart thing for him to do would be for him to go backstage. Zayn stated that he is not about doing the smart thing, he is about doing the right thing. Samoa Joe then came down to the ring and Stephanie instructed him to stop on the entrance ramp. Stephanie told Foley to leave and announced that Sami Zayn will face Samoa Joe right now. Sami Zayn flipped over the top rope onto Joe and then sprung back in the ring and the crowd erupted.

Samoa Joe Submits Sami Zayn Via The Coquina Clutch

Samoa Joe dominated almost all of this match. Joe laid out Zayn outside the ring, but Sami made it back in the ring right before the referee counted to ten. Zayn fought back and hit a Crossbody off the top turnbuckle for a two count. The action spilled outside the ring again and Zayn connected with a Tornado DDT after leaping between the ropes. Back in the ring, Joe applied the Coquina Clutch and Sami Zayn had to submit.

After the match, Sami Zayn and Mick Foley had a conversation backstage. Foley thanked Zayn for what he did for him tonight. Foley told Zayn to continue to stand up to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. Cesaro and Sheamus then thanked Foley for believing in them when nobody else would. Several members of the Cruiserweight division then thanked Foley as well. Bayley and Foley then shared a hug and Triple H showed up behind Foley. Triple H had a massive grin on his face and told Foley to “have a nice day” and Foley exited the arena.

Reaction: Foley is done as the Raw General Manager. This means that Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are back in power. The Authority storyline got old in the past. One of the things I liked about Smackdown is that Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon have for the most part stayed out of the way. However, Shane McMahon is now in a storyline with AJ Styles. Daniel Bryan is constantly arguing with The Miz. It appears that authority figures are back in full force in the WWE and I’m not a fan of that at all. I am a fan of Sami Zayn being placed in a  prominent storyline. The caveat is that he actually has to start winning matches. Zayn put up a bit of a fight tonight but once again came up short. Samoa Joe continues to look dominant and hopefully will be placed in a marquee match at Wrestlemania 33. As of now, Joe is not booked for a match at the biggest show of the year.

Seth Rollins Injury Update

Dr. Kevin Wilk stated that the knee brace saved Seth Rollins from a catastrophic injury last week. Wilk claimed that it will take Rollins several months before he is ready to compete, so the likelihood of him wrestling at Wrestlemania 33. Wilk said that if Rollins does indeed compete at Wrestlemania 33, he fears that Rollins will re-injure his knee again.

Charlotte Puts Dana Brooke In Her Place

Last week on Raw, Dana Brooke lost a match to Sasha Banks. Charlotte was disgusted in Brooke and said that she didn’t need her anymore. Dana Brooke finally had enough and attacked Charlotte. Dana controlled the beginning of tonight’s match and Charlotte rolled out of the ring to catch a breather. Back in the ring, Dana leveled Charlotte with a Clothesline for a two count. A “we want Paige” broke out in the crowd as Charlotte connected with a kick to Dana’s face for a three count.

Reaction: Dana Brooke didn’t botch anything, so that was a pleasant surprise. The ending of this match fell flat. The Raw Women’s division is unbelievably thin right now. I’m honestly just hoping that Dana Brooke gains some popularity within the WWE Universe, just so there is another female Superstar to watch on Monday nights. I’m not sure how losing to a random kick in the face will help Dana Brooke being anything but irrelevant.

Stephanie McMahon Mocks Bayley Again

Stephanie McMahon approached Bayley backstage and mockingly asked Bayley if she needed a hug. Bayley said that she used to admire Stephanie growing up. Bayley stated that all Stephanie does is abuse her power. Stephanie interrupted her and made a match between Bayley and Nia Jax tonight in a no DQ match.  If Nia Jax gets the victory, she will be added to the Raw Women’s Championship match at Wrestlemania 33.

Jericho Reveals The Real Kevin Owens & Promptly Gets His Ass Kicked

Jericho started out this edition of the Highlight Reel by showing a picture of Kevin Owens wearing a Y2J shirt at 16 years old in his parent’s basement. Jericho then showed a DM message that Owens sent him on Twitter on July 5th, 2014. Owens asked Jericho for advice and in the message said that he was worried about pissing people off in the wrestling business. Jericho then showed footage of Owens’ reaction to Jericho showing up at WWE Fastlane during his Universal Championship match against Goldberg. Jericho claimed that Owens will revert back to that 16 year old nerd at Wrestlemania 33 when Jericho’s music hits. Jericho was about to add Kevin Owens to the list but Samoa Joe came down to the entrance ramp. Kevin Owens then attacked Jericho from behind. Owens then hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb and the crowd booed. The crowd then chanted “stupid idiot” as Owens ripped up the list.

Reaction: Chris Jericho is simply awesome. I’ve always enjoyed his work more as a heel, but he can pull of anything. I really enjoyed this promo and I am also looking forward to the match between Owens and Jericho at Wrestlemania 33. The only issue I have with the feud is how it has been booked. It was obvious several months ago that this match was going to take place. The finish at Fastlane a couple of weeks ago was incredibly predictable. However, Kevin Owens and Jericho are two of the best talents in the WWE and they can turn a pile of garbage into gold. They are well on their way to doing so and I think that they will have one of the best matches of the night in two weeks at Wrestlemania 33.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/843994158620708865

TJ Perkins Crumbles Via Sliced Bread & Kendrick Mumbles Through A Promo

TJ Perkins had a quick match with Brian Kendrick. Perkins was almost shoved into the referee but caught himself. This caused Perkins to be distracted for a moment and Kendrick hit the Sliced Bread No. 2 for the victory. Kendrick then proceeded to cut a ridiculous promo about how Akira Tozawa was trapped in Japan because Kendrick had his passport.

Stephanie McMahon Stacks The Odds Against Sheamus & Cesaro

Stephanie McMahon confronted Sheamus and Cesaro backstage. Stephanie placed Sheamus & Cesaro in a 2 vs 4 handicap match against Gallows & Anderson and Enzo & Cass. Sheamus and Cesaro are apparently being punished for saying nice things about former Raw GM Mick Foley. If Sheamus & Cesaro lose tonight, they will not be competing for the Raw Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania 33.

Nia Jax Is Heading To Wrestlemania

Nia Jax faced Bayley in a No DQ match. Nia Jax pretty much dominated the entire match. Sasha Banks and Charlotte were shown backstage watching the match on separate monitors. They were both rooting for Bayley because they did not want Nia Jax to be added to the title match at Wrestlemania 33. Every time Bayley gained some momentum, Nia squashed it and launched Bayley across the ring. Bayley slapped Nia in the face and Nia immediately threw her out of the ring. Nia then swung Bayley into the barricade three times. The entire crowd started doing the wave as Nia grabbed a chair. The chair was never used and Nia Jax planted Bayley with a Samoan Drop for the victory. The Raw Women’s Championship match at Wrestlemania 33 is now a Fatal 4-Way between Bayley, Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Nia Jax.

Reaction: In my opinion, Nia Jax should have been in this match to begin with. I didn’t understand why she was left out in the first place. Once again, a champion loses on Monday Night Raw or Smackdown. I absolutely hate that champions are constantly losing on WWE television. It doesn’t make any sense at all. Also, what exactly has the Raw Women’s Championship done for Bayley? The WWE decided to put the title on her on an episode of Raw instead of waiting till Wrestlemania. Since winning the title, she has won matches because Sasha Banks helped her out and been absolutely demolished by Nia Jax every time she faces her.

Is there an actual plan here or is the WWE just throwing titles on people for shock value? If that is what they are doing, they are also failing at an all-time level at creating any sort of momentum for their talent. The women’s revolution in the WWE was needed and it was great that they main-evented a PPV. I think Charlotte, Bayley and Sasha Banks are some of the most talented Superstars in the WWE. Having said that, the Raw Women’s division is the same exact thing every week and has become a total bore. The matches feel unimportant because there is nobody that is dominant. Nia Jax lost to Sasha Banks at Fastlane and hasn’t even been featured on a bunch of episodes of Raw since the brand split.

The Raw Women’s Championship does not feel important because the title is constantly changing hands and the champion always loses non-title matches. That is not a slight against women’s wrestling, that is a criticism directed towards the WWE and how they are using their talent. The same could be said about the tag team divisions on both Raw and Smackdown. There is no emotion involved. Storylines and feuds are what make wrestling great. There really is nothing here. The WWE has dropped hints that Sasha Banks will turn on Bayley eventually. The only thing that can really be described as a feud right now in the Raw Women’s Division is Charlotte and Dana Brooke and Dana isn’t even a part of the match at Wrestlemania. The match at Wrestlemania 33 and the entire division has absolutely no momentum right now.

Triple H Blames You For Everything

Triple H had a sit down interview with Michael Cole in the middle of the ring. The crowd immediately started chanting “CM Punk!” while Triple H tried to talk. Triple H blamed the WWE Universe for Rollins being injured. Triple H stated that Rollins started to listen to the WWE Universe, rather than listen to him. Triple H boasted about beating the hell out of Seth Rollins last week and instructed Cole to role the footage of the beatdown. Triple H blamed the WWE Universe for cheering Rollins on when he dropped the crutch and got in the ring. Cole asked Triple H if he would have done anything different and Triple H made fun of Rollins and millennials.

Triple H stated that Rollins got knocked down and couldn’t pick himself back up. Triple H announced that he is “officially done” with Seth Rollins. Triple H then handed Michael Cole a couple of tickets to Wrestlemania 33 and told him to give them to Seth Rollins. Triple H then took the tickets back and said that maybe there is a way he could fight Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania 33. Triple H then said that he is going to draw up a contract for a non-sanctioned match and challenged Rollins to show up next week on Raw to sign the contract.

Reaction: It is still unclear what will happen between Triple H and Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania 33. I’m guessing that a match will take place but there will be a bunch of outside interference to make sure that Rollins gets through the match healthy. While it still may be entertaining, I envision this being more of a glorified brawl at Wrestlemania rather than an actual match.

Cesaro & Sheamus Are Heading To Wrestlemania

Enzo and Cass fought with Gallows and Anderson right when the match started. Sheamus hit Karl Anderson with a Brogue Kick for the victory. After the match, Enzo and Cass beatdown the Raw Tag Team Champions some more.

New Day Cuts A Backstage Promo

The New Day cut a backstage promo. Big E asked if there was something that Xavier Woods wanted to tell them. Xavier Woods then discussed the match between Roman Reigns and The Undertaker. Big E, Kofi and Woods then talked about the rest of the matches that will be happening at Wrestlemania 33. It was probably a smart move by the WWE to not have Xavier Woods step out in front of the Brooklyn crowd. Personally, I would have loved to see what kind of chants Brooklyn would have come up with but it makes sense that they chose not to do so. I highly doubt that the chants will go away any time soon for Woods.

https://twitter.com/totaldivaseps/status/844012660442255360

Aries Vows To Become The King Of The Cruiserweights

Austin Aries defeated Tony Nese in a decent match. Neville came out after the match and stated that Austin Aries was no threat to him. Aries said that Neville knows that he is above his level and that Neville was afraid. Aries mocked Neville’s accent and vowed to take the Cruiserweight Championship from Neville at Wrestlemania 33.

Reigns Cannot Keep The Undertaker Down

The main event was Braun Strowman versus Roman Reigns. Braun dominated this match early but Reigns continued to fight back. Strowman launched Reigns into the steel steps outside the ring as chants of “we want Taker!” echoed throughout the arena. Reigns hit the Superman Punch on Strowman in the ring and went for a second one but Braun caught him. Reigns wound up hitting another Superman Punch anyway and geared up for the Spear. The Undertaker’s gong went off and the lights went out in the arena. When the lights came back on, The Undertaker was in the middle of the ring between Reigns and Strowman. The Undertaker Chokeslammed Strowman and he rolled out of the ring. Reigns then hit a Spear on The Undertaker and the crowd booed. Roman’s music hit and Reigns exited towards the entrance ramp. The Undertaker then sat up and stared at Reigns. Raw went off the air with The Undertaker’s music playing as Reigns and The Undertaker stared at each other.

Reaction: It is always great to see The Undertaker on WWE television. I still feel like this match is missing something. I wish that Roman Reigns would turn heel. It would add so much to the match and I believe that it would be beneficial to Reigns in the long run. We still have no idea what Braun Strowman will be doing at Wrestlemania 33. He keeps showing up in segments with The Undertaker and Roman Reigns. I wonder if Strowman will demand to be added to the match at Wrestlemania 33 since The Undertaker Chokeslammed him tonight. If not, it feels like Strowman is being wasted. He was built up as a monster and currently still has nothing to do at Wrestlemania in 13 days.

Overall, this was an okay episode of Monday Night Raw. It doesn’t feel like Wrestlemania 33 is less than two weeks away. The WWE keeps describing Wrestlemania 33 as “the ultimate thrill ride”. Personally, I feel like I’ve been waiting in line for an hour to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl. It has been a common theme for the WWE over the past few Wrestlemanias. They do not feel as important as they should be. There was no Brock Lesnar or Goldberg on this show. Instead, there were a couple of vignettes shown to hype up the Universal Championship match at Wrestlemania 33. It comes off as underwhelming. It seems pretty clear that Lesnar will defeat Goldberg at Wrestlemania 33. I cannot come up with a reason to be excited about that match and the fact that Goldberg and Lesnar weren’t even at tonight’s show doesn’t help.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw? Let us know in the comments below.

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