WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for April 17

Raw, Source: WWE.com

Raw began the post Superstar Shake-Up era at The Ohio State University. Braun Strowman kicked off the show, and the build to Payback continued.

Previously on WWE Raw, the Superstar Shake-up took place. Team Red bid farewell to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, while welcoming Dean Ambrose and The Miz. Also, we learned that WWE Payback – a Raw exclusive show – would feature two title matches for SmackDown Live.

But enough about all that. The biggest shake-up from last week’s Raw was Braun Strowman literally flipping an ambulance over. Roman Reigns was inside and suffered “serious injuries,” so expect to see him kick off hour two with a band-aid on his noggin.

This week featured more build to the Payback pay per view at the end of the month. Before the show even started, Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins was added to the card. The Kingslayer has had a beef with Joe since the submission specialist debuted on Raw.

We also got to see a “dream match” between Cesaro and Jeff Hardy. The Unbroken Hardyz are defending the Tag Team Championships at Payback against Cesaro & Sheamus. With each team sending a representative into singles competition, who came out on top?

A number one contender for the Women’s Championship needed to be crowned. A fatal four way match took place tonight to make sure that happened. Sasha Banks and Nia Jax are mainstays in the Raw Women’s Championship scene. They were joined by newcomers Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. Who will take on Bayley at Payback?

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Please continue reading for the highlights from WWE Raw for April 17.

More Brains From Braun

Braun Strowman just goofed off and made himself the biggest babyface on Raw, didn’t he?

I’m constantly in awe at how good Braun is on the mic. Usually these “monster” characters are horrible at talking. But Strowman is incredibly coherent, charismatic, and flat out great.

What’s most impressive about Strowman is his attention to continuity. Lest we forget, he’s the guy who broke out video of Kevin Owens promising him a Universal Title match when he was rebuffed. Tonight, Strowman reminded everyone that he actually watches the show. He brings up that Mick Foley never listened to him when he was GM as a warning to Kurt Angle. All Angle wanted to do was – if we’re being honest, rightfully – give Braun a night off.

But nope, Strowman says he wants actual competition, before adding his favorite two words – Or Else. Last time Braun said “Or Else,” half the roster got annihilated. If Reigns truly isn’t in the building, there’s no one to stand in Strowman’s way, right? What, is Curt Hawkins going to step up to the plate?

Also: I really want the WWE Shop to release some kind of Braun Strowman shirt with “OR ELSE” incorporated somehow. Hopefully we can get something like that in time for Payback.

Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe

Result: Samoa Joe defeated Chris Jericho via submission

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Because Strowman took the show opening promo spot, Seth Rollins is relegated to talking too much on commentary instead. With a match at Payback against Samoa Joe coming up, of course the Kingslayer needs to be a part of Joe’s match somehow.

What I enjoyed about this match is that it’s proof that sometimes, the “old” guys can still go. Between the two of them, Joe and Jericho have almost 50 years of experience in wrestling. At this point, they’ve learned a thing or two about how to put on a good show.

They also understand their role in the larger picture: tonight they’re opening the show, rather than main eventing. Their job is to get the crowd read for what’s coming later tonight, while still putting on a good match and furthering a couple of different storylines at the same time. Mission accomplished.

The finish aggravated me a little, though. Up to this point on Raw, the Coquina Clutch had been beyond bulletproof. It injured Rollins, it made Sami Zayn pass out. But Jericho is able to hold out, try a reversal, get locked in even tighter, look like he’s going to reverse it again, and then tap out after like two minutes in the hold. I don’t like that – it makes Rollins, Zayn, et al seem weaker than they were, and it removes some of the mystique from the move itself.

The promos after the match were like night and day. Joe offers up an eloquent diatribe about how he was just doing what he was hired for, and he cares about his “clientele,” namely Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Rollins answers with an overused, possibly profane cliche that adds nothing to the situation. Bang-up job, Seth!

BRAAAAAAAUUUUUNNNNNNNN

Two things:

1. I’m glad that if Elias Samson was getting called up to the main roster, he ended up on Raw just for the Corey Graves reactions. We may not get Graves calling the Kinshasa anymore, but hating on Drifter is always welcome.
2. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Braun Strowman is a man of his word and no one can stop him.

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass

Result: Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated Enzo Amore & Big Cass via pinfall

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

If Big Cass pandering to the Buckeye crowd doesn’t make them the nerds that Gallows wanted, well, I don’t know what to tell you.

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But since Braun Strowman is the greatest thing on Raw in several years, Enzo and Cass fill in for the Golden Truth, who haven’t been in tag team action on Monday nights since **checks the record books** DECEMBER?!?! Holy cow!

It’s a real shame how Gallows & Anderson have been booked since, well, basically their WWE debut. They had a little bit of success when they were teamed up with AJ Styles, and they did have a reign as tag champs. But I have this feeling that they’ve been in a holding pattern waiting for Finn Balor to be healthy to join up with him, and we all know how that’s going. Regardless, Gallows and Anderson really deserve better, and soon.

In contrast to the first match, I really liked the finish of this one. The story during the match was the great teamwork between Gallows and Anderson. They cut the ring in half, wore down Enzo, and did everything in their power to prevent the tag to Cass. But he got in anyway, and he and Enzo almost pulled out a victory.

Here’s what I liked: Gallows sacrificed himself to take the splash from Enzo, saving his teammate. He then let himself get booted in the face out of the ring, taking Cass with him. That leaves Anderson in the ring with a severely weakened Enzo – who immediately gets planted onto the turnbuckle and pinned. The idea of taking a bullet for your partner doesn’t get enough play in WWE. It’s a brilliant strategy, and I loved the way it was used here.

Miz TV, with Dean Ambrose

WHY AM I JUST NOW LEARNING THAT MIZ’S CHAIR FOR MIZ TV SAYS “MONEYMAKER” ON THE BACK?

But I digress. I’m glad to see that Miz is still working that Talking Smack deal even though he’s on Monday nights. He put on his best Sinister Minister suit and brought straight fire to this segment. One week into the Superstar Shake-Up, and so far so good for Miz.

And I know that last week I expressed some concern about Ambrose heading over to Raw, but tonight he has me more on his side. No one in wrestling flips the switch between “wacky goofball” and “homicidal maniac” quite like Dean. In this edition of Miz TV, he did it twice.

So Miz is verbally laying into Ambrose, which is a good thing. Ambrose knows there’s a time for wacky shenanigans, and a time to just obliterate an opponent, which is good. Even Maryse got in on the game with a well-delivered barb about the man making the title. All in all, it was a great edition of Miz TV.

Strowman Meets His Match?

Braun continues his Tour of Destruction 2017 by welcoming Kalisto to Raw. It’s not the most pleasant of welcomes, but I’m not going to be the one to point that out to Strowman.

Anyway, Braun is interrupted by Big Show, because WWE is booked by the kids from Jurassic World – if you want to beat a monster, go bigger. And a match is set for later tonight.

TJ Perkins vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher

Result: TJ Perkins defeated Gentleman Jack Gallagher via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Ah, nothing is going to get a crowd interested in a cruiserweight match like making the two guys in the ring literally the least important guys in the building.

Perkins and Gallagher had a great match last week on 205 Live, so this week they get to do it again while everyone pays attention to Neville and Austin Aries at ringside. There has to be a better way to get the cruisers over than what is currently happening.

One thing I was curious about regarding Gallagher was his headbutt spot in the wake of the Shibata injury. Apparently, since the headbutt still happened, WWE has no problem with insane looking fake headbutts, despite a concussion lawsuit against them and a top New Japan star nearly killing himself doing (admittedly legit) headbutts.

The rest of the match was actually pretty good, right up to the finish. I get that Perkins is King Neville’s squire at this point, but it would have been nice to see Neville (and Aries) not get involved. First TJP tosses Gallagher into Aries, then Neville takes Austin out, and the referee has to pay attention to those two?

It was a good match with an odd finish. That seems to be the story of the night – finishes that don’t fit the rest of the match.

What Contest Did Apollo Lose?

In an effort to be a glass half full kind of guy, I want to point out that seeing Akira Tozawa and Apollo Crews interacting on Raw is kind of wonderful. We could all use a little more Dragon Gate in our lives.

But then Titus O’Neil had to come in and make it a win ruin everything. He gets props for his wordplay skills – always a fan of terrible puns and the like. But if coming to Raw is going to rehab Crews, the dad-to-be shouldn’t be interacting with Titus.

A Wonderful Hardy Segment

The sooner WWE sics their lawyers on TNA, the better. It’s painfully obvious that Matt really really really wants to do the whole Broken deal. He still can’t (or won’t) fully drop the voice – I heard that “evah” popping through. And he hasn’t undyed his hair yet, either.

On paper, I’m really looking forward to this Hardyz/Cesaro & Sheamus feud. No true heels, so it’s already got a little bit of an advantage in the rarity division. Plus, Cesaro is one of the best workers in the company, Sheamus is a hoss, and the Hardyz are in the midst of a nice resurgence and nostalgia run.

In practice, I’m afraid it’s going to be a dud. Without being Broken, the Hardy Boyz are a dull promo. Cesaro and Sheamus can talk, but they aren’t really known for it. If all of their non-wrestling segments are like this one, it’s going to be a long two weeks.

Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax vs. Mickie James

Result: Alexa Bliss defeated Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, & Mickie James via pinfall

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In the wake of the Superstar Shake-Up, I believe Raw got the better end of the deal in terms of the women’s division. Losing Charlotte is a big blow in terms of talent, but the addition of Mickie James and Alexa Bliss without losing anyone else is huge.

Bliss, in particular, is possibly the most underrated superstar in WWE. More people seem to be coming around on her, but I’ve been singing her praises since she was killing it in NXT. She’s a total package – character, talent, ability, charisma, you name it.

The early strategy in this match – throw Alexa to Nia – was a nice callback to last week. And speaking of callbacks, Sasha Banks trying to reverse the bear hug into a guillotine choke shows that she’s been studying her Bayley tapes. How many times did Bayley beat Nia with a guillotine in NXT?

The match was a lot better than you would assume based on crowd reaction. It seems the Buckeyes only cared about hometown girl Alexa Bliss, because no one else got any kind of reaction during the match. It was basically laid out almost perfectly, in my opinion. Everyone got to look good, and seem like a potential winner – and Nia didn’t kill anyone, so bonus!

Bliss winning is a nice surprise, since I think everyone assumed it would be Sasha Banks. But I think this is even better for a Sasha heel turn on Bayley, since Sasha can cost her the match instead of turning to win. We’ll see in two weeks.

Big Show

Sorry, Show – I’m Braun for life now. I don’t care what kind of shape you’re in.

Although, if you pull the plane Roman Reigns is in out of the air, maybe then we can talk.

Curt Hawkins vs. Finn Balor

Result: Finn Balor defeated Curt Hawkins via pinfall

Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars

Kudos to Curt Hawkins for playing his role so good. The guy has a fairly successful training academy on Long Island, he really doesn’t need to be back in WWE. But here he is, week in and week out, putting guys over left and right.

Kudos also go to Balor, for having the stereotypical thick Irish skull necessary to come back from a concussion so quickly. Remember, I wrote in my review last week that it would be amazing if he wasn’t concussed. Sure enough, the Jinder Mahal elbow knocked him loopy.

But apparently, tests were passed, and Finn is A-OK to face the facts. And clearly, he didn’t miss a step en route to a fairly easy victory.

Chris Jericho and Tom Phillips

I think Chris Jericho is the only superstar who could get away with a Velocity reference in 2017. That’s A+ quality, there.

And is The Drifter literally going to drift every week? How on earth did it take until he made it to Raw for that to happen? That was the biggest knock on Samson in NXT – he wasn’t really a drifter. But now that he’s on The List (saving MikeTom in the process), will he stick around in one place for a bit?

Source: WWE.com (via Twitter)

Sermon for the Snake

Has any superstar had such an abrupt turnaround like Bray Wyatt has since winning the Elimination Chamber match? I can’t think of one off the top of my head, but there would have to be very few, right?

This segment was really just a symptom of a larger problem that the Superstar Shake-Up shined a spotlight on. WWE is notorious for booking some things in the long term, and others in the short term – but there’s rarely any kind of planning to make sure they line up.

Put it this way – if you’re trying to save money for a big vacation, every financial decision you make should be made with that goal in mind. Let’s say you put away a little bit every week, and your trip is a year away. Are you going to blow a chink of change on a quick little weekend trip? Probably not.

But that’s basically what WWE did with the roster moves – some of them, at least. Right now, we have a Raw superstar challenging for SmackDown Live‘s top championship. All that money put aside for a big trip (high-profile SmackDown Live feud) sacrificed for a quick weekend trip to Utica, NY (sending Bray to Raw).

There’s no one that honestly should believe that Wyatt will leave Payback as WWE Champion. It would be great if that was an option, but it won’t happen. And the “House of Horrors” match has disaster written all over it.

Emma Blows Up Dana’s Spot

Honestly, though, it would have just been a matter of time before Alicia Fox flipped out on Dana. Emma did her a favor, if you ask me.

Source: WWE.com (via Twitter)

Jeff Hardy (w/ Matt Hardy) vs. Cesaro (w/ Sheamus)

Result: Jeff Hardy defeated Cesaro via pinfall

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Cesaro vs. Jeff Hardy is the kind of match you don’t know you want until you get it, and then you want it again and again.

Think about it: What is Jeff known for? Doing crazy, ridiculous things. And what is Cesaro known for? Doing crazy, ridiculous feats of strength. If you put the two of them together, Cesaro might throw Jeff around the ring just to see how far Jeff will fly to sell it.

And there were definitely a few spots like that in this one. Cesaro hitting the M Bison springboard uppercut had Jeff selling like he got shot. It was beautiful, honestly.

It might not have been the perfect match – Cesaro taking the Twist of Fate like it was a Stunner was awkward – but it furthered the story. I’m going out on a limb saying that next week we get Matt vs. Sheamus, because WWE.

Side note: Did anyone else catch Matt at ringside saying, “Come on, Nero,” or something to that effect? I’m telling you, the re-breaking of the Hardy Boyz is coming, and I can’t wait for it.

Those Looked Like Some Good Crackers

You know Braun Strowman is an intimidating character when Rhyno drops his crackers at the sight of the monster. What else is he supposed to put that Cheeze Wiz on?

WWE.com

Braun Strowman vs. Big Show

Result: No contest due to ring collapse

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

My first thought: No mention of reinforcing the ring was made like the last time these two main evented Raw – obviously the ring is going to explode.

Speaking of last time these guys main evented Raw, that match was an absolute hoss fight classic. This week, it was another great match between a pair of superheavyweights. I don’t know if I want to call what Big Show did a baseball slide or a basement dropkick, but it was unexpected and awesome.

Not to be outdone, Braun came back with an actual dropkick, and a pair of arm drags after a kip up. Both guys weigh in at 385 pounds – any time they leave their feet is a big deal.

Personally, I think the snap suplex from Strowman was more impressive than the scoop slam by Show. But not by much – either one requires a ton of strength.

You can say what you want about workrate, rest holds, and the like – this match was made better by the long pauses between certain moves. This was like a battle of the titans, where any move could be the last. Because of that, you need to plan your attack wisely – and resting in between is a must.

Plus, you gotta be rested for when the ring finally explodes.

It’s always a great spot, but quite frankly, the Columbus crowd didn’t deserve it. They sat on their hands all night and were dead silent. But watching referee John Cone literally bounce out of the ring was great – that’s what you get for trying to throw Braun out earlier in the night!

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What did you think about this week’s episode of Raw?