03rd Mar2020

WWE Raw – March 3rd 2020: Results & Review

by Nathan Favel

Welcome to this week’s Monday Night Raw review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and Emperor Palpatine was a clone with the Emperor’s soul locked inside. No s—. That’s what they did in Dark Empire. Why didn’t they just say that s— in the movie? Anyway, let’s see if Vince McMahon decides to kill Ricochet’s career or not.

2018-raw-logo

Match #1: The Street Profits def. Seth Rollins & Murphy (Buddy Murphy) – Raw Tag Team Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The Street Profits have never lacked a sense of urgency, but there’s something to be said for putting it in fine print. Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins defeated Seth Rollins & Murphy to win the Raw Tag Team Titles by converting on a crucial “Now or Never” stipulation that would have barred them from future championship matches had they come up short. Rollins & Murphy certainly had the right idea, stationing AOP atop the ramp to act as an insurance policy/distraction for the referee. But Kevin Owens struck while the ref dealt with Rollins’ minions, Stunning The Monday Night Messiah to tee up a Ford Frog Splash for the pinfall on the solo Rollins.

My Opinion: 2.9 out of 5 – This was a decent match with the right winners. TSP may not be the best team around, but they were in need of a big moment to legitimize them and they got it here. The crowd was kind to both teams and gave them enough to work with for the belt change to mean some-thing.

Match #2: Riddick Moss def. Ricochet – 24/7 Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

There’s no point in sugarcoating it: Ricochet did not have his best night at WWE Super ShowDown. And while it’s understandable that the former United States Champion would want to reclaim some pride by challenging Riddick Moss for the 24/7 Title, lingering damage from Brock Lesnar’s onslaught left him unable to capitalize against the relatively untested titleholder. Not only was Ricochet a step slower than usual, but Moss, a former linebacker turned five-tool player, did not hesitate to pick on the hampered highflyer. Moss clubbed Ricochet to the ground with a kind of pop-up forearm and followed up with a unique reverse neckbreaker to end Ricochet’s challenge. The good news, of course, is that this is merely a blip on the radar, and nobody will begrudge Ricochet wanting to change his fortunes — even if seems likely that he was thinking more with his heart than his head.

My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – This was the best 24/7 strap match yet, but that’s not saying much at all. Ricochet got w——out to Moss, who has potential, but nothing going on yet. Ricochet worked hard and seeing him lose again just made him look weak.

Match #3: Aleister Black def. Karl Anderson; Aleister Black def. Luke Gallows (Disqualification); AJ Styles def. Aleister Black – Gauntlet Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

After being trounced by The Undertaker at WWE Super ShowDown, AJ Styles came to Raw with one mission: send a message to the Superstar with whom he acknowledged he’s on a collision course. So, rather than face Aleister Black straight-up as he had been scheduled to do, the two-time WWE Champion instead snuck some fine print into the match contract that forced Black to take on Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in a pair of one-on-one matches before getting to Styles. The strategy definitely worked. After Black pinned Anderson, Gallows got himself disqualified by clobbering Black off his feet. Styles finished the job with a Phenomenal Forearm, pinning a depleted Black with The Deadman’s signature rest-in-peace cover. And for Undertaker (to say nothing of Black), the message was clear. When one picks a fight with AJ Styles, one does not necessarily end it on their own terms.

My Opinion: 2.3 out of 5 – This wasn’t much, which is a damn shame, considering the fighters involved. I got a good look at Black’s ass…it’s nice. The match was not up to snuff…ran out of piano wire…die b—- die! AJ and Black was the best part of this, but it was so short. You know what? This whole match didn’t get past six minutes. Why even bother with booking this if it ain’t going long enough to feel like a match?

Match #4: Liv Morgan def. Ruby Riott (Sarah Logan as Special Guest Referee)

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

This time last year, The Riott Squad was a cohesive unit, and all three members were challenging for titles at WWE Elimination Chamber. This Sunday, they’re enemies, all challenging for a WrestleMania opportunity inside the Chamber. And of the three of them, it seems like Liv Morgan might be the one best suited to seize the moment. Given Ruby Riott’s status as the group’s ringleader, that’s somewhat surprising, but give Sarah Logan credit for potentially tipping the scales. The third Riott Squad member served as guest ref and counted a pinfall that was conspicuously fast following a confrontation with Ruby during the match. That isn’t to say Logan was making nice with Morgan, however: All three Superstars traded blows after the match, and Logan emerged as the last Superstar standing in what has become a crystal clear scenario of every woman for herself. The Squad is gone.

My Opinion: 2.1 out of 5 – This wasn’t a match worth watching. It’s a d…this sucked. It just sucked. The wrestling was slow and without thrills.

Match #5: Shayna Baszler def. Kairi Sane

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Between her savage attacks and swaggering mystique, Shayna Baszler is looking like the odds-on the favorite in the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match. Even though The Queen of Spades couldn’t mix it up with the injured Asuka on Raw, her bout against Kairi Sane served as a frightening example of what the two-time NXT Women’s Champion is capable of even when she’s not taking a literal bite out of the competition. Defeating Sane is theoretically no cakewalk for Baszler. The two had a series of classics over the NXT Women’s Title in 2018, but The Submission Magician was on another level in her Team Red debut, dismantling The Pirate Princess piece by piece before submitting her with the Kirifuda Clutch. Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, however, wasn’t overly impressed, chiding Baszler from the commentary desk for refusing to fight her head-on. Based on tonight, she might want to count that as a blessing.

My Opinion: 3.4 out of 5 – This wasn’t quite as good as other matches they’ve had in the past, but it was excellent nonetheless. Baszler dominated, which just narrowly avoided making the match a squash. This worked out pretty well for a match that wasn’t booked evenly.

Match #6: (Main Event) Rey Mysterio & Humberto Carrillo def. Andrade & Angel Garza

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

It’s a wonder what the right partner can do. After weeks of coming up short to Andrade and Angel Garza, Humberto Carrillo finally got one over on Zelina Vega’s dastardly clients thanks in large part to the help of his tag team partner for the night, Rey Mysterio. Mysterio & Carrillo’s chemistry couldn’t be overstated, and neither could Andrade & Garza’s. But Mysterio (who has his own beef with Zelina’s boys) provided a crucial assist, hitting both opponents with a 619. While Rey dispatched a stunned Garza on the outside, Humberto finished off Andrade, swooping down on the United States Champion with a soaring moonsault. Carrillo didn’t hold back on the celebrating, either; he marked the win with a joyful scream atop the turnbuckle, the mark of a man who has gotten over the hump and may finally — finally — be ready for the next step.

My Opinion: 3.6 out of 5 – This was a wild, exciting main even that went a long time and felt like it deserved to. This was lucha libre madness that was so rabid it was foaming at the mouth. Every-body worked hard to make this match worth the price of admission. I bet they gave the crowd, who was as lively as any of the best crowds in wrestling history, their money’s worth. Carrillo winning was the right way to go, while giving Rey a big victory in his own right. Overall, this was the right match for the finale.

News Of The Night:

  1. Erick Rowan’s thing in the cage was a big, eighteen inch tarantula.
  2. Drew McIntyre beat the s— out of Brock Lesnar and the crowd went crazy for it.
  3. Becky Lynch is a full-blown tweener now.
  4. Randy Orton revealed why he attacked Edge: Randy, out of altruism and ego, saw Edge’s return as inevitably doomed, so he decided to put him down before some-one who would just use him for glory did so. Randy went on to RKO Beth Phoenix (Edge’s wife) to end the best promo Randy has given since 2006 and, possibly, ever.
  5. AJ Styles fights Aleister Black in a No Disqualification Match at Elimination Chamber.
  6. The Street Profits defend the tag titles against Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy at Elimination Chamber.

Final Verdict: 2.7/5

This show was having a lot of problems until the last forty minutes. At least the last two matches delivered, as well as the build for Wrestlemania.

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