Raw: Cody Rhodes has a Shield in Seth Rollins

Joseph Casciaro

Raw: Cody Rhodes has a Shield in Seth Rollins

We are full speed on the road to WrestleMania and the card is beginning to take shape. Cody Rhodes has decided to face Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship at ‘Mania, so Seth Rollins’ challenger will be decided at the Elimination Chamber. Rhea Ripley’s WrestleMania challenger will also be declared in the chamber and tonight’s edition of Monday Night Raw will have qualifiers for both matches.

Raw kicked off with some six-man tag action.

The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) & Jey Uso vs. Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci)

Kingston and Woods began this match by double-teaming Kaiser, hitting him with strikes, springboards, and stomps. Uso followed that with a running hip attack before Imperium used a distraction to attack Uso from behind. Gunther drilled into the chest of Gunther with a chop before putting a big boot right between Uso’s eyes.

New Day helped get their team back into the match and Kingston hit Vinci with a diving crossbody and a Boom Drop. However, the fight then spilled to the outside and Kaiser threw Kingston into the steel steps. Gunther now hit Kingston with a chop and locked in a Boston crab, but Uso broke that up by slapping Gunther across the face. Uso eventually got back into the match and he was on fire, he was hitting everyone with superkicks and Samoan drops. He even caught Vinci in mid-air from a springboard with a superkick, but Uso didn’t go for the win because he wanted Gunther.

A big victory for this trio. Credit: WWE

The Ring General entered the match and exchanged strikes with Uso, but Gunther then hit Uso with a brutal short-arm clothesline. Gunther then went to the top rope to attempt a splash, but Uso got his knees up and then speared Gunther. Luckily for Imperium, Kaiser broke the pin and Gunther tagged in Vinci. However, Vinci entered the ring to be hit with a double 1D and a Uso Splash to give New Day and Uso the victory.

Winners: The New Day & Jey Uso

A vignette aired for Andrade, who returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble. He recently signed with the Raw roster and seems to have big plans for himself.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed

This was a battle of big meaty men and they were both throwing big blows to begin this match. Lashley took Reed off his feet with a clothesline, but Reed then dove off the apron with a shoulder tackle that sent Lashley into the timekeeper’s area. Lashley battled back with an impressive suplex, however, Reed planted him not long after with a Death Valley driver. Reed landed one of the worst sentons I’ve ever seen when he dropped all his weight on Lashley’s midsection. He then went for a Tsunami, but Lashley pushed him off the top rope and hit a spear to qualify for the chamber. Lashley joins Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton in the chamber match to determine who will face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania.

Winner: Bobby Lashley

Sami Zayn sat down with Jackie Redmond to talk about his path to ‘Mania and he said he still believes he will be a champion one day. He believes he can still main event a WrestleMania and be the face of the WWE, but he was then interrupted by Shinsuke Nakamura.

Nakamura was demanding for Zayn to let his real emotions out and steal the spotlight, saying that if he cannot he will steal Zayn’s soul to continue his warpath forward. They meet in tonight’s Raw main event.

Cody Rhodes now had the chance to address the crowd, he is heading to WrestleMania to face Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship. He spoke about his pride and the fans demanding Cody, but he then turned his focus to The Rock who called the fans “Cody crybabies.” Rock tried to assert some dominance and put himself in the main event of ‘Mania. However, Rock did not get his way and at last week’s WrestleMania press conference, Rock slapped Cody across the face. Cody said that slap meant that he is going to hit Rock back.

Finish the story. Credit: WWE

The World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins, now made his way out and he said he wanted to face Rhodes at ‘Mania, but he understands his decision. Rhodes needs to finish his story, for himself, for his dad, for Rollins and for all his fans. If Rhodes cannot defeat Reigns, the landscape of WWE will be very dark following WrestleMania. Rollins believes this is the last chance somebody has to take all of Reigns’ power away and give it to the people.

Rollins was curious what Rhodes’ plan is because at last year’s WrestleMania he was screwed by The Bloodline against Reigns. Now this year the bar has been raised because he now also has to deal with The Rock. Rollins said the reason he came out here was to tell Rhodes he doesn’t have to fight this battle alone. When Rhodes said he wants to take everything from Reigns, Rollins felt that and he is sick of all these entitled guys trying to call the shots.

There is also some guilt in Rollins’ voice because he used to be tight with Reigns and he taught him everything he knows. He said nobody expected the monster Reigns would become and he is now a two-headed monster with Rock by his side. However, Rollins said there is nobody better to be Rhodes’ SHIELD than Rollins himself.

It was announced that next week on Raw Gunther will be defending his Intercontinental Championship against Jey Uso!

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Liv Morgan vs. Zoey Stark

Stark started strong with some strikes, but Morgan caught her with a hurricanrana and a springboard kick. Morgan then attempted to take flight, however, Stark stopped her and dropped her with a Death Valley driver on the ring apron. As the match carried on, Morgan dove from the second rope catching Stark with a codebreaker. Despite the big move, no momentum was gained and Stark power-bombed Morgan before hitting a springboard missile dropkick.

Stark continued with a superkick before attempting a phoenix splash, but Morgan rolled out of the way. Morgan then hit another codebreaker and an Oblivion to get the victory.

Winner: Liv Morgan

JD McDonagh vs. R-Truth

Truth was as confused as ever heading into this match and Damian Priest told him that this match would be his execution because he was never a part of Judgement Day. Despite his fear of being killed he still put some effort into this match hitting McDonagh with an Attitude Adjustment. He continued his homage to John Cena with a 5-knuckle shuffle, but a distraction from Priest allowed McDonagh to hit The Devil Inside to get the win.

Winner: JD McDonagh

Following the match, J-Day attacked Truth with a four-on-one attack. Luckily for Truth, #DIY ran out with steel chairs in hand to chase J-Day off.

R-Truth and DX according to him. Credit: WWE

Becky Lynch has already qualified for the elimination chamber match and she was out to talk about the match to get herself a path to ‘Mania. She spoke about her passion for the business and what wrestling has done for her life. There are also issues with being a wrestler, missing lots of events and having to have difficult conversations with her young daughter.

Despite all that, she is obsessed with becoming champion again and winning a title she has not held in over two years. Her journey begins in the chamber and she needs to win so she can face one of the most dominant champions of all time, Rhea Ripley. Mami may be destructive, but she has never faced someone like The Man. Lynch then asked for a drink to propose a toast to Ripley, offering her cheers to enjoy her last few weeks as champion.

Bottom’s up. Credit: WWE

Lynch was now interrupted by Nia Jax, who seemed to be putting on some kind of act by crying and applauding Lynch as a mother. She continued by saying Lynch is going to win the chamber because of her passion, she then stopped the crying and said just like nothing is going to stop her from defeating Ripley. Mami now charged the ring and the brawl was on between Ripley and Jax.

Jax charged Ripley into Lynch, but Lynch responded with a punch to Jax and Ripley then booted Jax to the floor. Ripley screamed to Jax that she is going to have to kill her to get her title.

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: LA Knight vs. Ivar

Knight looked great as the match began, hitting Ivar with a DDT and taking him outside the ring to slam his head into the announce table. However, Ivar battled back dropping Knight on the barricade and then landing a running splash onto Knight up against the barricade. Following a commercial break, Knight hit Ivar with a very impressive superplex from the top rope.

Ivar then used his power once again, hitting Knight with a Bossman Slam and a powerbomb. He followed that with a spinning heel kick and then attempted a moonsault from the top rope, but Knight moved out of the way. Knight then dropped Ivar with a BFT to secure his spot in the chamber.

Winner: LA Knight

Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura was toying with Zayn early, shouting and taunting, but Zayn knocked Nakamura out of the ring and shouted right back. That riled Nakamura up and he started drilling Zayn with his knees, kicking him in the chest and even hitting an enzigiri. He then slowed things down with a chin lock before hitting his signature sliding German suplex. Zayn finally landed a reversal when he caught Nakamura with a Michinoku Driver, threw him to the outside and dove onto him on the floor.

Both men were now exchanging blows in the middle of the ring and Nakamura caught Zayn with a spinning kick. Nakamura was then looking for the Kinshasa, but Zayn reversed that attempt into a Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn now tried to go old school with his tornado DDT through the turnbuckle, but Nakamura caught him in mid-air with a kick and followed that with a diving knee strike. Nakamura continued to knee Zayn and then hit a second diving knee to the back of Zayn’s head.

Stolen win. Credit: WWE

Zayn refused to stay down and he caught Nakamura with a clothesline that turned him inside-out. He was now building momentum, he hit Nakamura with an exploder into the corner and was now looking for a Helluva Kick. However, out from the back came Drew McIntyre, the distraction allowed Nakamura to hit Zayn with a Kinshasa to steal the victory.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

McIntyre and Nakamura continued to beat down Zayn until Cody Rhodes charged out to make the save. Rhodes hit McIntyre with a Cody Cutter and Nakamura with a Cross Rhodes. The American Nightmare stands tall to end Raw.

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