WWE RAW Review & Results (31.03.14)

Here we are then, less than a week from WWE’s biggest annual event, WrestleMania 30. This is the go-home RAW, an episode in which, most years, all matches for the big event are finalised, feuds are heated up ready for the pay per view, and fans are left with a desire to see the roster go hell for leather at the supershow.

The match results:

• Alberto Del Rio pinned I-C Champion, Big E, in a non-title match
• Summer Rae beat Natalya
• The Uso’s & Los Matadores beat Ryback & Axel & The Real Americans
• The Rhodes Brothers defeated Damien Sandow & Fandango
• Bray Wyatt easily beat R Truth
• Naomi pinned Divas Champion, AJ Lee, in a non-title match
• Roman Reigns and Kane wrestled to a no-contest
• Randy Orton and Batista went to a no-contest

The show began, this week, with The Undertaker talking about his career and how 21 men have stepped up at WrestleMania and failed to defeat him, and how Brock Lesnar will become another victim as ‘Taker goes on to make it 22-0. Lesnar interrupts with Paul Heyman beside him. Heyman says that Brock will defeat The Undertaker at ‘Mania, and that isn’t a threat, it’s a spoiler. Lesnar hits the ring and leaves “the dead man” lying with an F5.

Mid-show, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon came to the ring and Triple H talked about how he has defeated so many people who were popular, and that Daniel Bryan and the “Yes  Movement” is a fad that he will end at WrestleMania before going on to defeat Orton and Batista in the main event for the WWE World Title. Batista and Orton join The Authority and they tease the potential triple threat between the three men if Triple H beats Bryan and ‘Mania. Triple H tells them to get ready for their match against one another. This was just a hype segment for the main event and Triple H/Bryan matches and did it’s job. They didn’t have Bryan appear here. He did however appear at the end of the show, coming through the crowd and attacking Triple H, Batista and Orton. The show ended with Daniel Bryan and the fans chanting “yes”.

Except for another Bray Wyatt riddle-like promo, and the matches, the only other segment of note on this RAW was a fairly short and bland “Piper’s Pit” segment that was created to promote and hype the upcoming Andre the Giant Battle Royale at ‘Mania. Piper was joined by The Miz, Sheamus, Titus and Dolph Ziggler, who, along with a few other participants from the match, brawled for a while after Piper and Miz insulted each other a bit. Meh.

The end of RAW was cool, with Bryan attacking Triple H, but only for a short time, leaving fans wanting more, while allowing Bryan some momentum heading into WrestleMania, after being beaten up and screwed in recent weeks. This episode was fairly medicore otherwise, with little exciting happening and the matches seeming to be a little less interesting than usual. I think this was a filler show really, passing time as we head into the big event in New Orleans. They used to do “go-home” shows well, but don’t seem to these days. Still, I’m excited about the potential of WrestleMania XXX.

RAW: Best Match: The Uso’s & Los Matadores vs. Ryb-Axel & The Real Americans

RAW: Best Talker: Triple H

RAW: Dud of the Night: Women’s Matches

RAW: Surprise Moment: The 4-Way Tag Match being bumped to the pre-show

RAW: Honourable Mentions: Alberto Del Rio