WWE returns to Montreal, Quebec, Canada tonight for WWE RAW at the Bell Centre. Nearly 12,000 fans will be on hand to see the next chapter in this new era as we look ahead to WWE Backlash: France on Saturday, May 4. Here’s a quick preview, followed by our detailed breakdown of what to look forward to:
Matches
- Jey Uso vs. Finn Balor
- Chad Gable vs. Sami Zayn (c) for the Intercontinental Championship
- Andrade vs. Dominik Mysterio
- Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
- Katana Chance & Kayden Carter vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven
Segments:
- WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley addresses Liv Morgan attacking her last week
- Sheamus returns for the first time since last summer
- Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes will appear
Jey Uso vs. Finn Balor
Last week, Jey Uso secured himself a future title shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which is currently held by Damian Priest. Before he vies for the title, though, Uso will test himself against Priest’s Judgment Day stablemate Finn Balor on tonight’s episode of WWE RAW. While Uso and Balor have frequently shared the ring in tag team competition, this will mark their first-ever televised singles match
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable
Ahead of WrestleMania 40, Chad Gable provided Sami Zayn with advice on how to beat “The Ring General” GUNTHER, with the expectation that Zayn would later repay Gable in some fashion. Zayn’s implementation of Gable’s advice later resulted in a triumphant victory at WrestleMania 40, as he unseated GUNTHER to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion. Following his win, Zayn has now extended an invitation for Gable to vie for the Intercontinental Championship on “WWE Raw.”
For Zayn, tonight’s title match will not only mark the first defense in his current reign, but also a homecoming, as he grew up in the Quebec province. For Gable, tonight serves as an opportunity to capture his first singles championship in WWE.
Sheamus Returns
The WWE Universe last saw Sheamus on the August 18 episode of SmackDown as he battled WWE Hall of Famer Edge in what would be their first, and last, singles match. After an 8-month hiatus, “The Celtic Warrior” will now return to WWE, greeted by a new landscape and a new era.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes Appears
After meeting face-to-face with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on last week’s episode of RAW, newly-crowned Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes is slated to appear in a promo segment of sorts tonight. While the topic of this segment has yet to be revealed, it is worth noting that Rhodes is one step closer to finding out the identity of his first challenger.
Katana Chance & Kayden Carter vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven
Following a loss to Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair on WWE SmackDown, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven have an opportunity to regain their momentum as they take on Kayden Carter and Katana Chance later tonight. These pairs last met on the January 8 episode of Raw – a month after Chance and Carter defeated Green and Piper to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Andrade vs. Dominik Mysterio
At WrestleMania 40, Andrade and Rey Mysterio defeated Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio with the help of the NFL’s Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. Later tonight, Dominik Mysterio will have the opportunity to avenge his loss when he battles Andrade in singles action.
Dominik previously attempted to recruit Andrade to The Judgment Day. Ultimately, those efforts were done in vain, as Andrade opted to align himself with the Latino World Order instead.
Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell
For the last month, Candice LeRae has directed several ill-mannered remarks toward Alpha Academy’s Maxxine Dupri. Naturally, this led Dupri’s ally Ivy Nile to stand up in her defense. On tonight’s episode of WWE RAW, this feud will seemingly culminate as Dupri and Nile square off against LeRae and Indi Hartwell in tag team action.
This tag team contest will mark the third in-ring encounter for these competitors, with each team heading into tonight with one previous victory. Who will win the rubber match?
Rhea Ripley Addresses Liv Morgan’s Attack
Fueled by the feeling of revenge, Liv Morgan brutally attacked WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley with a chair last week. On tonight’s episode of RAW, Ripley will respond. What will the champion have to say?
