‘WWE Raw’ Review (Mar 4th 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: Gunther def. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio talked trash during a Judgment Day confrontation with Imperium one week earlier, the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time Gunther made “Dirty” Dom tap out.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark def. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark took another huge step in their quest for a WWE Women’s Tag Team Title Match. When The Submission Magician locked Kayden Carter in the Kirifuda Clutch outside the ring, the distraction allowed Zoey Stark to pick up the quick pin on Katana Chance. After the bell, Damage CTRL vowed that The Kabuki Warriors will retain their titles on NXT before coming back for Baszler and Stark.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Nia Jax def. Becky Lynch (DQ)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a hard-fought rematch between Becky Lynch and Nia Jax, Liv Morgan suddenly dropped in on The Irresistible Force with a sneak attack that forced the official to call for the bell, but an irate Jax made Morgan and The Man pay a painful price.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Andrade def. Apollo Crews
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Andrade emerged victorious in his first Raw match in several years when he overcame former Intercontinental Champion Apollo Crews with La Sombra.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #5: The Judgment Day def. Imperium
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Finn Bálor leaped over the top rope to take down Ludwig Kaiser at ringside, allowing Damian Priest to finish Giovanni Vinci with South of Heaven.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: Sami Zayn def. Ivar
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Sami Zayn avoided Ivar’s earth-shattering moonsault off the top rope to triumph over the monstrous Superstar with the Helluva Kick. Moments after the match, Zayn suffered the wrath of “Big” Bronson Reed, who dropped Zayn with a Tsunami one week before the two battle in a Gauntlet Match for an opportunity to challenge Gunther at WrestleMania.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: Drew McIntyre def. Jey Uso
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
During a main event showdown between Drew McIntyre and Jey Uso, Cody Rhodes emerged to brawl with a disruptive Solo Sikoa. Moments later, Jimmy Uso appeared at ringside to distract Jey long enough for McIntyre to hit the Claymore for the win. In the aftermath, Jimmy picked up a chair to attack his brother. Before he could, however, World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins charged in to make the save, only to walk right into a Claymore Kick from his WrestleMania challenger.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
A better episode than last week, with at least 3 good matches but there’s still something “off” about this current run of Raw. It feels like nothing can happen, at all, in terms of major storytelling or in terms of groundbreaking wrestling, because we’re just waiting for Wrestlemania. Everything is about Wrestlemania and it feels like the weekly product, WWE’s bread and butter is being sacrificed in the name of the company’s biggest pay-per-view of the year. THat’s not how things should go, TV should drive PPVs, not be stalled by them. I get it, matches have been planned for etc. and the status quo can’t be upset until then… but still, it makes for weak weekly TV.
