WWE Raw – March 23rd 2020: Results & Review
Welcome to this week’s Monday Night Raw review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have more sick people…being sick? I hope you are all well during this panic and not crappin’ your pants. Frank Zappa wants you to not eat the yellow snow while you watch Monday Night Raw.
Match #1: Andrade & Angel Garza def. Ricochet & Cedric Alexander
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Road to WrestleMania has a few more daunting challengers, as Andrade & Angel Garza are set to take on The Street Profits for the Raw Tag Team Championships. And the pair a got off to a hot start on their path to the big dance, defeating Ricochet & Cedric Alexander in a match that cranked the intensity and speed up to 11. With The Street Profits watching from commentary, Andrade & Garza put in an impressive performance, matched by the incredible chemistry of Ricochet & Alexander. The two high-flyers worked in near perfect sync, but Andrade’s timing carried the day, as he caught Alexander with a rolling elbow to the dome to seize the victory.
My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was a nice, long match that offered the best outing from the empty arena era of the WWE, by far. The action was good and consistently so, with a nice mixture of many different styles and techniques. In many ways, this was like a long demo tape for why these guys deserve the push from Vince. Maybe this match ought to happen again before Wrestlemania (Falls Count Anywhere might be fun).
Match #2: The Street Profits def. Shane Thorne & Brendan Vink
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
One demonstration unfolds, and another follows it, as The Street Profits answered their WrestleMania opponents’ victory with one of their own. The champs’ conquests were none other than NXT’s Shane Thorne and Brendan Vink, the latter of whom is an absolutely gigantic man who nonetheless got caught unaware by an enziguiri from Montez Ford. Ford’s quick strike enabled the Profits to finish off Thorne with the combo of Angelo Dawkins’ spinebuster and Montez’s Frog Splash. For all the ink rightfully devoted to their buzzy challengers, it’s becoming clear that one shouldn’t sleep on the Profits. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever.
My Opinion: 2.3 out of 5 – Montez Ford and Thorne were quite good in this, but the match itself wasn’t much. This was too short to get going, but it at least looked cool while the engine got revved.
Match #3: (Main Event) Aleister Black def. Leon Ruff
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Aleister Black’s next fight is on the horizon, and he won’t be going in cold. Coming off the announcement that The Ominous Man From Amsterdam will be facing Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania, Black got himself in fighting shape by dispatching a prospect named Leon Ruff with swift and ruthless efficiency. Lashley will likely pose a greater challenge, which isn’t to say Black will be taking it any easier on him.
My Opinion: 0.8 out of 5 – This was a squash…f—. Squashes suck and Black deserves better. Ruff was a fun lamb to slaughter, but why does such a top prospect for the most profitable league in wrestling need to tread water when he could walk on it instead?
News Of The Night:
- Aleister Black fights Bobby Lashley at Wrestlemania.
- Andrade and Angel Garza will fight The Street Profits for the Raw Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania.
- The Undertaker will fight AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match at Wrestlemania.
- Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman addressed Drew McIntyre in another great promo from Heyman.
- Becky Lynch attacked Shayna Baszler with a chair.
- Seth Rollins confronted Kevin Owens and lambasted his Wrestlemania record in a fine promo.
- Randy Orton accepted Edge’s WrestleMania challenge for a Last Man Standing Match in an excellent promo.
- The Charlotte Flair/Asuka Wrestlemania 2018 match was shown in its entirety.
- The Brock Lesnar/John Cena/Seth Rollins WWE World Title Match from Royal Rumble 2015 was shown in its entirety.
- R-Truth regained the 24/7 Title from Riddick Moss on a side-walk.
Final Verdict: 3/5
I’m giving this a 3 because there were two great old matches and one excellent tag match that went well with some solid, smart promos.
