‘WWE Raw’ Review (Feb 12th 2024)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: Jey Uso & The New Day def. Imperium
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
“Main Event” Jey Uso wanted to tangle with Intercontinental Champion Gunther in the early goings, but The Ring General wanted no part of Uso, playing mind games with “Main Event” Jey. Imperium’s game plan worked to perfection for most of the match, with The Ring General picking off the scraps left behind by Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. Jey brought his team back to life once he was tagged in, with Gunther continuing to avoid his “Main Event” problem. Eventually, The Ring General was left with no choice but to battle Uso, using vicious chops to drop him. Gunther thought he had the match won following a brutal clothesline, but “Main Event” Jey kicked out. Jey then shockingly followed up with an almighty spear, nearly pinning The Ring General, but the attempt was broken up by Kaiser just before the ref’s hand slapped three. With the action getting out of hand, The New Day and Uso combined for a 1-D capped off with an Uso Splash onto Vinci to lock up the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Bobby Lashley def. “Big” Bronson Reed
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In this colossal battle of titans, “Big” Bronson Reed pushed Bobby Lashley to his limits, using brute force to send him spilling over the barricade in the opening moments. Reed and Lashley combined to rattle the ring and the arena, sending the WWE Universe into a frenzy with their aftershocks. Lashley won the strength battle and the war, dispatching Reed with a huge powerslam off the top rope followed by a devastating Spear to qualify for the Elimination Chamber.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Liv Morgan def. Zoey Stark
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The start of Liv Morgan’s “revenge tour” started this evening as Morgan stepped back into the ring for her first singles match in nearly a year. Morgan’s tour nearly stalled before it got going as Zoey Stark started strong. After Stark missed the corkscrew splash, Morgan booked her ticket to Perth after an Oblivion.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: JD McDonagh def. R-Truth
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Finally getting the hint that The Judgment Day seek to harm R-Truth, the once confused Superstar attempted to call his friend The Miz to help him before the bell. R-Truth put up an awesome fight, hitting the Attitude Adjustment to McDonagh in homage to his childhood hero John Cena. The homages to Cena kept coming, but McDonagh got the win with the Devil Inside. After the match, The Judgment Day were thwarted in their plans to eradicate R-Truth by Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: LA Knight def. Ivar
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The road to the Elimination Chamber Match for LA Knight was nearly derailed by the sinister Ivar as each looked to punch their ticket to their first bout inside the twisted structure. In a jaw-dropping moment, Knight dropped Ivar with a huge superplex but could only get two. As Ivar looked to squash Knight with the Doomsault, The Megastar evaded and soon hit Ivar with the BFT.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Shinsuke Nakamura def. Sami Zayn
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Looking to get his Road to WrestleMania back on track, Sami Zayn took on the diabolical Shinsuke Nakamura. The two battled in an intense Raw main event, with Zayn and Nakamura countering each others moves expertly. Nakamura attempted a Kinshasa, but Zayn countered it with a Blue Thunder Bomb, coming up just short of the three-count. A Helluva Kick from Zayn also missed the mark, but Nakamura could not capitalize following a knee to the back of the neck. As Zayn looked to gain the upper hand with the Helluva Kick, Drew McIntyre distracted Zayn, and Nakamura hit a decisive Kinshasa.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
A decent week for Raw in-ring and in terms of promo – but once again, the best promos are all circulated around the Bloodline… What the hell happens when that eventually comes to an end? Anyway, in terms of wrestling, we got solid matches to open the show, a weaker mid-section and then two further solid matches to close this week’s episode. Lashley versus Bronson Reed and LA Knight versus Ivar were, honestly, the surprises of the night – for one I didn’t think Lashley’s style could gel with Reed’s and the same could be said for Knight/Ivar. But they all made it work and delivered some great action. As for the main event. Well, two vets in the ring pretty much guaranteed we were in for a good time. And they delivered!
