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Raw: The Man and Mami are ready for WrestleMania

Joseph Casciaro

WrestleMania is creeping closer and closer, tonight’s edition of Raw had a lot going on in connection with the big show. We opened with “Main Event” Jey Uso who is taking on his twin brother, Jimmy Uso, at WrestleMania.

Jey said he knows The Bloodline is in the building so he wanted to know where Jimmy was at. Jimmy came through the crowd with their younger brother Solo Sikoa by his side. The two brothers went face-to-face and Jey said this battle feels a bit different. He said regardless of the bad blood between them he misses Jimmy, they used to do everything together and Jey wants Jimmy to come back to him. Jimmy said he never left him, he was protecting him and it was Jey who wanted to leave The Bloodline. So, he helped him leave The Bloodline and Jey then went on to become a Raw superstar to become a Tag Champion without Jimmy.

Brother versus Brother. Credit: WWE

According to Jimmy, it was Jey who decided to leave him and Jey becoming a main event calibre superstar, the biggest moment in his career, is thanks to Jimmy. Jey said no the biggest moment of his career will be at WrestleMania when he beats the YEET out of Jimmy’s ass. He then slapped Jimmy across the face and punched Solo off the apron, but he turned into a superkick from Jimmy.

The two-on-one beatdown was on, but Cody Rhodes rushed the ring to save his former partner, Jey. Rhodes took out Jimmy and hit Solo with a Cody Cutter, he promised everyone he would hunt The Bloodline and he has helped Jey in the process.

Adam Pearce was now greeted backstage by Paul Heyman, he apologized to Pearce for two Smackdown superstars attacking a Raw superstar. He said the attack was not authorized by The Rock or Roman Reigns and Reigns has forced Jimmy and Solo to leave the arena. Heyman also said he has some official business to take care and he will also then be out of the building. However, he promised that when he handles his official business everyone will get caught off guard.

WrestleMania Tag Team Championship Ladder Match Qualifier: #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tomasso Ciampa) vs. The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus)

Ciampa and Julius began this match with some technical wrestling, but Ciampa could not match up with Julius. The Creeds were in full control, but #DIY started working together to showcase their teamwork and hit the Creeds with simultaneous dives to the outside. Brutus got himself and his brother back into the match with his strength, suplexes and slams. Both Brutus and Julius then lifted #DIY over their heads for stalling vertical suplexes followed by standing moonsaults. Brutus then sent Ciampa flying over the announce table with a pounce.

Double submissions from #DIY. Credit: WWE

Gargano put #DIY on his back to get them back in the match, he super kicked Brutus, hit Julius with a slingshot spear and then went back at Brutus with a suicide dive. Ciampa then took Julius to the top rope where he dropped him with an avalanche White Noise. Ciampa and Julius now stood in the middle of the ring exchanging slaps, this went on until both teams began exchanging submission holds. Brutus and Julius each military pressed a member of #DIY and launched them into each other. They then both hit Ciampa with a diving moonsault before attempting a Brutus Ball. However, Ciampa slipped out and Gargano super-kicked Julius into a roll-up from Ciampa to get the win. #DIY is heading to WrestleMania!

Winners: #DIY

The Judgement Day now met with Andrade El Idolo in their locker room, stating that he has impressed them and they will be keeping a close eye on his match next week. Andrade left the room and Priest called out JD McDonagh for losing to Ricochet last week. JD tried to defend himself, but Rhea Ripley said Dominik Mysterio would make things right by facing Ricochet tonight.

Kayden Carter & Katana Chance vs. Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

Chance was rolling early in this match, but she tweaked her left knee and Hartwell backed off. However, LeRae tagged herself in kicked Carter in the face and attacked Chance’s injured knee. She slammed the knee against the ring post and locked in a submission where Chance was forced to tap out. LeRae has shown a whole new personality recently, and she is becoming quite the vicious heel.

Winners: Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell

We already saw him once tonight, but it was now time for Cody Rhodes to address the crowd. He said for the second year in a row he will be in the main event of WrestleMania trying to win the WWE Championship against Roman Reigns. Rhodes is set to go face-to-face with Reigns on Smackdown Friday, but there is one issue with that, The Rock.

Cody in an all-black suit means business. Credit: WWE

Rock recently went on Instagram to trash-talk Cody and in that video, he called himself everyone’s favorite heel. However, Cody said there have been many great heels like Ric Flair, but he doesn’t see Rock as a heel, he’s just an asshole. Cody believes Rock has been whining behind the scenes for months, when things don’t go his way he just cries to the TKO board. The TKO board doesn’t tell Rock how it is, so Cody says he will do it for them.

Cody said Rock is a Mount Rushmore wrestler, but he is also a whiny bitch and The Rock needs the locker room more than the locker room needs him. Rock said he was going to hand Cody’s mom a weight belt covered in her son’s blood, but Cody assured us that his mom is not even a little bit afraid of The Rock. Cody now took it to ‘Mania and how he doesn’t know what’s going to happen, saying he may not even finish the story. He said on April 6, Rock is going to get in that ring for the first time in a long time and nobody knows if he even still has it. Rock calls himself the final boss, but at WrestleMania Rock will be nothing more than Roman Reigns’ side-chick.

Paul Heyman now made his way out to the ring, he began by trying to reason with Cody with an apology about the police he brought to Raw a few weeks back. Cody didn’t ask for an apology and welcomed Heyman to join him in the ring, however, Heyman was fine on the apron as he had a message from Reigns. He announced that this Friday Reigns will go face-to-face with Rhodes and there will not be a single other member of The Bloodline in sight, except for himself and he is no physical threat. Heyman gave Cody, Roman Reigns’ word that he would show up alone. If Reigns really is coming alone, Rhodes said they have a deal.

However, Heyman now realized he had forgotten an important point, if Reigns is coming to Smackdown alone, Cody has to come alone too. Without hesitation, Cody said deal and shook Heyman’s hand, Smackdown is going to be something that’s for sure.

Ricochet vs. Dominik Mysterio w/JD McDonagh

Dom was trying to get back at Ricochet for last week, but he didn’t start too well. Ricochet hit him with a corkscrew plancha to the outside, however, JD then got involved and Dom was able to get in control. Dom got some offence in before attempting the Three Amigos, but Richochet reversed into a brainbuster. He then hit a spinning heel kick, a superkick and a dropkick to JD off the apron. Ricochet finished Dom off with a Recoil for the victory. JD tried to attack him after the match, but Ricochet kicked JD and quickly escaped.

Winner: Ricochet

Gable doesn’t believe in Sami. Credit: WWE

Sami Zayn, the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship at ‘Mania, caught up with the man he beat last week backstage, Chad Gable. Zayn wanted to praise Gable for their match last week, but Gable didn’t seem to want to hear anything from Zayn. Gable said last week and that ‘Mania means more to him and Zayn tried to plead his case that he has a family and people watch too. However, Gable said there’s more to it, he believes Zayn cannot beat Gunther.

Despite Gable making that comment to Zayn, it’s time to make the Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania between Zayn and Gunther official with a contract signing. Adam Pearce was mediating this signing, but Gunther quickly degraded Zayn by saying he dressed like a bum to this prestigious event. Zayn clapped back by saying Gunther’s smug face pisses him off and Gunther has beaten everyone that’s come his way. He also knows Gunther doesn’t believe in him and a lot of other people don’t believe in him either.

Last year nobody thought he would main event WrestleMania and nobody thought he would end The Uso’s longest Tag Team Championship reign in history. He proceeded to say he will make history again this year by ending the longest Intercontinental title reign in history. Gunther said Zayn should listen to Gable because even the fans that cheer for him don’t think Zayn can win and Zayn himself knows he can’t beat Gunther. Gunther promised that at WrestleMania, Zayn’s dreams will meet reality, he then signed the contract and tried to leave.

However, Zayn said if Gunther looks into his eyes and sees someone that doesn’t believe he can win Gunther needs to look again. Zayn said Gunther is looking into the eyes of the man who is going to beat him at WrestleMania.

WrestleMania Tag Team Championship Ladder Match Qualifier: The Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. Indus Sher (Veer & Sanga)

Truth wanted no part of Indus Sher early, so he left Miz to be beaten down by the two massive men. Truth seemed nervous early, but he got that hot tag and took out Veer with the John Cena special. He hit him with a Five Knuckle Shuffle and locked in an STF. The hold was broken and The Awesome Truth hit Veer with a Skull Crushing Finale-Little Jimmy combination. However, nobody went for the pin, that was until Sanga elbowed Truth in the jaw knocking him out on top of Veer and getting him the pin. Truth and Miz are off to ‘Mania.

Winners: The Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth)

Zayn now chased down Gable backstage once again because he wants to know why Gable thinks he can’t beat Gunther. Gable said Zayn waits for his opportunity to strike and looks for moments of weakness, but Gunther doesn’t have those moments and he is just a different beast.

The number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, Drew McIntyre, was making his way out to the ring. However, when he got halfway, the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins’ music hit and he walked right past his ‘Mania opponent. They both got to the ring and Rollins said he didn’t even see Drew there because he was too busy soaking in the spotlight. McIntyre told him to enjoy the spotlight because after WrestleMania the spotlight is all his.

Rollins laughed and told McIntyre he doesn’t like him, but that he did say something true last week. So, Rollins wanted to admit to Drew that he is a spotlight junkie. Drew was not amused saying everything is a joke with him and he is tired of all the B.S. At this point, all he cares about is the championship and the punchline will be him beating Rollins for the title. McIntyre finally got Rollins’ attention, he said this is not a joke to him and he has been doing this for 20 years. He loves the spotlight and adrenalin because coming through that curtain is everything to him. Everything involved with wrestling is the spotlight he craves.

A couple of spotlight junkies. Credit: WWE

He then wanted to get something through Drew’s thick skull, on night 1 of ‘Mania he will make The Rock and Roman Reigns his bitc*** and on night 2 with the biggest spotlight he will beat Drew again. Drew said Rollins always calls his title the workhorse title, but he had to bring up the spotlight instead of just them being great wrestlers gaining the spotlight. McIntyre said Rollins’ head is in the wrong place and all he cares about is Rollins being able to face him at night 2 so he can get the moment he has earned.

That was all Rollins needed to hear, it proved that Drew is also a spotlight junkie because his WrestleMania main event was not good enough for him because it was in an empty warehouse. However, when all the lights came back on, Drew was nowhere to be found and at WrestleMania 40 the lights will be brighter than ever.

WrestleMania Tag Team Championship Ladder Match Qualifier: The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Alpha Academy (Otis & Akira Tozawa)

Alpha Academy was off to a very fast start, Otis was showcasing his strength and Tozawa was showing us his high-flying abilities. New Day was struggling to match up with Otis, he hit Kingston with a World’s Strongest Slam and a Caterpillar. Tozawa followed that with a diving crossbody, but Woods was tagged in and he caught Tozawa with a tornado DDT. Despite that Tozawa came right back with an avalanche hurricanrana and his signature diving senton, but Kingston broke up the pin. Kingston then hit Otis with a DDT on the floor and Woods power-bombed Tozawa. Woods now went to the top rope, pointed to the WrestleMania sign and then hit Tozawa with a diving elbow drop for the win. The New Day has entered the ladder match!

Winners: The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)

Last Woman Standing Match: Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax

These two have been feuding for months and this last woman-standing match is the final culmination of this rivalry. Lynch tried to hurt Jax early with quick attacks, but one misstep led to Jax Samoan dropping Lynch into the ring post and the barricade. Lynch got back into it by using weapons, hitting Jax with a kendo stick and chair. A table was now set up on the outside and the ring was filled with more chairs. Lynch continued hitting Jax with a steel chair, but Jax then dropped Lynch onto a pile of chairs with another Samoan drop.

Lynch now reversed a bodyslam into a sleeper hold and then drove Jax’s head into a steel chair. She then went to dive off the top rope but was caught in mid-air with a chair shot and Jax followed that with more chair shots. After she finished with the chair, she began beating Lynch with a kendo stick before body-slamming Lynch on the chairs. She now set a chair on top of Lynch and sat on it to keep her down, so Lynch started hitting her with a kendo stick to get her off. Lynch was regaining some momentum, she dropped Jax with a DDT on the steel steps and brought a table into the ring.

Leg drop through the table! Credit: WWE

She then blinded Jax with a fire extinguisher and tried to spear her through a table in the corner of the ring, but Jax grabbed her and Samoan dropped her through the table. Jax was now able to hit the Annihilator and she demanded for the referee to start counting, but as the referee got to 9 Lynch made it to her feet. Jax now wanted to Samoan drop Lynch from the apron to another table set up on the outside, however, Lynch battled her way out and Manhandle Slammed Jax off the apron through the table! I thought it was over, but Jax somehow got back to her feet before a 10 count. Jax was clearly on another planet and she stumbled her way onto the announce table, so Lynch dove off a ladder leg dropping over the back of Jax’s head through the announce table. Jax could not get up from that, Becky Lynch is the last woman standing!

Winner: Becky Lynch

Lynch was trying to enjoy this victory when the Women’s World Champion, Rhea Ripley marched out to the ring. Lynch is facing Ripley for her title at WrestleMania and tonight Lynch and Ripley stood face-to-face in the middle of the ring to end Raw.

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