RAW: Randy Orton summons the Fiend; does not end well

With Fastlane in the rear view mirror, the road to WrestleMania is free of any more stops. The biggest story for RAW will be the return of the Fiend, and it looks like he has been through some stuff. He did help Alexa Bliss pick up a win over Randy Orton, so the Viper will be looking to avenge that loss. Drew McIntyre dispatched Sheamus in their match, leaving him the chance to only focus on Bobby Lashley and the WWE title. Also, RETIRBUTION may have broken up, or at least they have dumped Mustafa Ali as their leader. Let’s head into the ThunderDome.

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Bobby Lashley w/MVP vs. Sheamus – Non-Title Match

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Sheamus is still showing the effects of last night’s No Holds Barred match with Drew McIntyre. During the match, Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin make their way to ringside. Cedric jumps to the apron to give Lashley advice, but the champ tells him to get down. Sheamus nearly steals a pin with a roll up on the distracted Lashley. Sheamus traps him on the apron to deliver the 10 beats. He follows by coming off the top turnbuckle with a clothesline to Lashley on the floor. Sheamus connects again in the ring, but Lashley kicks out. The champ fights his way off of the shoulders, but catches a knee strike. Sheamus misses a Brogue kick and then gets distracted by Alexander. Lashley drives Sheamus into mat with a spine buster and the applies the Hurt Lock. Sheamus taps.

Winner via submission: Bobby Lashley

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After the match, Alexander and Benjamin beat down Sheamus outside the ring. Drew McIntyre runs down to make the save. He tosses Cedric over the barricade and dares Shelton to do something. Drew then faces Lashley, who holds the title high in the air. MVP holds the champ back. Drew dares him to do something. MVP reminds Lashley this is business. Save it for ‘Mania.

In the back, Lashley wants to know what that display was after the match. Alexander says it was the Hurt Business. Lashley tells them that it was a one on one match. He didn’t need or want help. MVP admonish the two for tarnishing the image of Lashley, by making it look like he couldn’t beat Sheamus on his own. MVP wants to know what they are going to do to make this right.

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Asuka vs. Peyton Royce – Non-Title Match

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Royce demanded this match a few weeks ago on RAW Talk. Be careful what you wish for, right? Peyton puts up a good fight, dropping the champ into the turnbuckle and hitting a snap suplex. Royce’s quickness keeps her out of harms way and using it to yank Asuka out of the ring after dodging a hip attack.  During the break, Asuka nearly gets the pin, but is able to turn the momentum. Asuka with a hip attack in the corner leading to another near fall.

Royce blocks a missile drop kick and follows with the Widow’s Peak, but it still isn’t enough to get a pin. Peyton picks up Asuka, who nearly applies the Asuka Lock. Royce fights free, only to eat a face buster. Peyton goes up. She hits the double stomp to back of the neck of Asuka, but still only gets a two count. Royce is frustrated, arguing with the ref. Asuka takes her down with an arm bar. She transitions into the Asuka Lock, forcing Royce to tap out.

Winner via submission: Asuka

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After the bell, it finally happens. Rhea Ripley makes her RAW debut and it looks like she wants Asuka. And since Charlotte Flair isn’t at RAW; tweeting that she has a positive COVID test and is resting at home.

I know everyone has been wondering where I have been. I tested positive for COVID and have been home resting 🙏

Thank you everyone for your love ❤️

👸🏼

— Charlotte Flair (@MsCharlotteWWE) March 23, 2021

Ripley decides to fill the void and issue a challenge to Asuka for a RAW Women’s Title match at Wrestlemania. Asuka accepts, but tells Ripley that she isn’t ready for Asuka.

Adam Peirce wants to know what Drew went out to help Sheamus earlier. He didn’t want to stand by as Sheamus was jumped by two men. Peirce informs Drew that Alexander and Benjamin have requested a two on one handicap match. Drew will take the match, on the stipulation that if he wins those two are barred from his title match at WrestleMania.

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Miz TV

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Miz is upset that he was mocked by Damien Priest and Bad Bunny. He puts Bunny over as a great musical act, but isn’t please with him hanging on and showing him zero respect. Miz points out he is the only two-time grand slam champion in WWE history. They just want respect, and boy do they feels disrespected not being on the WrestleMania poster. You know who is though? Bad Bunny. Last week was the final straw and now Bunny has his attention.

Miz wants his attack on Bad Bunny with a guitar serve as a warning to any artists that thinks they can come into the WWE and waltz all over people. Next week on a special edition of the Dirt Sheet, they will debut a new music video dedicated to Bad Bunny. We get a sneak peak.

Miz challenges Bunny to a match at WrestleMania, where he will end his career.

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The Miz w/John Morrison vs. Jeff Hardy

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Miz is hoping Bad Bunny is watching, as this will serve as a preview for WrestleMania. Before the match, Hardy calls out Morrison for always being at ringside to help and wants Miz to cut him loose for tonight. Miz obliges; Morrison heads to the back.

Hardy takes Miz corner to corner, smashing him into each turnbuckle. Hardy finishes with a jaw breaker. Miz fights back with boot to the chest. Miz unloads with another kick, this time to the face. Hardy staggers Miz with right hands and drops him with a clothesline. He lands the leg drop to the lower abdomen. Hardy gets his boots up in the corner and hits a splash from the middle turnbuckle. Miz kicks out.

Miz blocks a Twist of Fate, sending Hardy crashing into the ring post. Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale and covers to get the pin.

Winner via pinfall: The Miz

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After the bell, Bad Bunny attacks Miz from behind with a guitar. Bunny heads to the top of the ramp and accepts Miz’s WrestleMania challenge.

Riddle zooms by AJ Styles and Omos on his scooter. Styles tells Omos that they are going to make the New Day look really bad.

Out in the ring, Styles hypes up Omos’s debut at WrestleMania. He is tagging with one of the greatest, AJ himself. Styles is so excited, and they can’t lose.

The New Day has something to say about that. They cite the lack of experience of the Styles-Omos team and AJ may be trying to overcome his size. They call out AJ for hiding behind Omos. And then tell Omos that AJ will bring him down. Xavier and Kofi try to drive a wedge between the two, saying AJ doesn’t know anything about Omos.

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AJ Styles w/Omos vs. Kofi Kingston w/Xavier Woods

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Hopefully Omos does more come WrestleMania. All he does here is just stand at ringside as his partner takes the “L”. Okay he does stop Woods from helping Kingston on the floor, but is that really doing anything? Woods jumps on the apron as Styles looks for the Phenomenal Forearm. The Trombone distraction allows Kofi to block and hit the SOS for the pin.

Winner via pinfall: Kofi Kingston

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After the match, Omos chases Kofi out of the ring.

Your next WWE Hall of Fame inductee in the class of 2021 is Eric Bischoff.

Backstage, Sheamus tells Kevin Patrick that he accepted Lashley’s challenge tonight because he lives for a fight. He asks about Drew McIntyre coming to his aid. Sheamus calls that respect, even though he didn’t asks for it or want it. Riddle zooms on in, asking Sheamus all sorts of questions about Ireland. Sheamus has a question about the scooter. Riddle lets him try it out, but then Sheamus hits him with it.

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Drew McIntyre vs. Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander – 2 on 1 Handicap Match

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McIntyre fires away on Benjamin, beating him into the corner. He follows with a vertical suplex into a pin. Shelton kicks out. He brings in Cedric the hard way, and sending him flying with a back body drop. Benjamin with a waist lock take down. Drew runs into an elbow in the corner. Benjamin whips him into the corner, but McIntyre explodes out with a clothesline. He looks for the Claymore, but Cedric pulls his partner out of the ring.

Drew gives chase and slams Benjamin into the ring post. He then drops him onto the barricade. Alexander makes a blind tag back in the ring. He hits Drew with a chop block and Shelton knocks him out of the ring. Alexander connects with a suicide dive. He teams up with Benjamin to slam Drew into the barricade as we go to commercial.

After the break, Alexander is desperately holding onto a head lock. Drew breaks free, but Cedric drop kicks him in the knee. Benjamin tags in, hitting a knee strike. They can’t pin Drew, though. Benjamin pounds McIntyre into the mat, before applying a head lock. McIntyre forces his way to the corner, opening up some space. Benjamin connects with a spin kick, but Drew responds with the Glasgow kiss head butt.

Cedric gets the tag, promptly running into a clothesline. He tosses him with an overhead suplex. Benjamin gets a Future Shock DDT. Drew hits Benjamin with a Claymore and then delivers one to Cedric. He covers Alexander and gets the pin.

Winner via pinfall: Drew McIntyre

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Backstage, MVP chews out Alexander and Benjamin for failing. Lashley tells them that he is going to find someone who can get the job done. He marches into the locker room offering anyone an opportunity if they can take out McIntyre before WrestleMania.

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Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke vs. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler w/Reginald – Non-Title Match

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Lana and Naomi join the commentary team. Reginald does backflips down the ramp on his way to the ring. Nia shows him off in the ring.

Mandy Rose attacks at the bell as Shayna was distracted by Nia and Reginald. Rose slams her to the mat, allowing Dana to hit a splash. Baszler answers with a back breaker. Dana gets a pin, but is nearly sent into Jax. Baszler locks in the Kirifuda Clutch, but Mandy comes in to break the hold. Jax hits Brooke with a clothesline as Rose yells at Reginald on the floor. He retreats into the ring. Dan hits Jax in the back of the leg, allowing Rose to hit a bulldog. Baszler tries to stop Brooke from going up top, but Reginald is able to distract Brooke. Baszler takes out Rose on the floor instead. Jax picks up Dana off the top rope an drops her with a Samoan drop. She covers to get the win.

Winners via pinfall: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler

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Alexa Bliss is hanging out on her playground and still in Randy Orton’s life, along with him. She tells him to be careful what he wishes for.

Shane McMahon joins Elias and Jaxson Ryker in the ring. Shane knows a lot of people are upset that his match didn’t happen with Braun Strowman because of a knee injury. Elias didn’t get the job done, and he tries to tell Shane he didn’t have time to prepare. Shane warns him not to cut him off. He and Elias then sing a song about Strowman and how stupid he is.

Probably not the best song to sing before Strowman walks out.

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Braun Strowman vs. Elias w/Jaxson Ryker and Shane McMahon

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Strowman powers Elias into the corner and beats on him. He slams him into the turnbuckle before chopping away at Elias’s chest. Strowman stares down Shane from the ring. Elias is dumped to the floor. Strowman tosses him back into the ring, but hits a jumping knee. Strowman catches Elias with a drop kick and knocks Ryker off the apron. The Strowman Express hits the tracks, and now with sounds effects. Yea, no, that’s the real stupid thing Shane. Back in the ring, Braun hits a running powerslam on Elias and covers to get the win.

Winner via pinfall: Braun Strowman

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After the match, Shane nails Strowman across the back with his crutch, with zero effect. Shane runs off in a full sprint. Looks like he wasn’t as injured as he let on. Braun challenges Shane one on one at WrestleMania. Shane accepts, any match he wants. Shane says he will win, because Braun is stupid.

Randy Orton heads to the ring after vowing to summon the Fiend. He has something with him in a bag. Orton reminisces about burning the Fiend alive in the ring. Looks like he didn’t finish the job as the Fiend returned at Fastlane. All Orton knows is that he saw an abomination. Tonight he will finish the job. After tonight there will be no more Alexa Bliss. No more Fiend.

Alexa walks on stage with a Jack in the box in her hands. She turns the crank and a tiny Fiend pops up; then the ThunderDome starts to power down. The ring posts explode with fire, revealing the burned Fiend standing in the ring. Orton retreats to the corner, pulling out his ace in the hole. A can of gasoline. Orton approaches the Fiend, who doesn’t move as Orton douses him with gas. The Viper is set to light the fire, when the Fiend moves. Orton hits him with an RKO.

Alexa Bliss runs to the ring. She stares at Orton, as the Fiend gets to his feet. Orton charges; right into the mandible claw. The Fiends hits Sister Abigail as Bliss celebrates. She points to the WrestleMania sign as fire shoots through out the ThunderDome.

 

See you next week in the ThunderDome!