WWE Raw: Results, Analysis, Highlights, and Grades for March 26

Follow along with our live WWE Raw review as WrestleMania gets closer and closer.

Previously on WWE Raw, Bray Wyatt was DELETED by Matt Hardy. John Cena challenged the Undertaker again, but Kane showed up instead. And Brock Lesnar finally showed up to a television taping – but only after Roman Reigns was handcuffed.

This week, there’s a whole lot of stuff going on when Raw hits the airwaves. It’s almost like WWE waited until right before WrestleMania to start trying!

The main story of the week is Cena and Kane. After last week’s appearance, Kane is looking to follow up his surprise attack with a victory. He’ll take on Cena in a singles match. Will Cena overcome the Big Red Machine – and get the Undertaker’s attention in the process? Or will the future mayor of Knox County, TN, put the brakes on Cena’s drive towards NOLA?

Speaking of NOLA and WrestleMania, there’s a ton to sift through as the big show gets closer. Braun Strowman still needs a partner, though he doesn’t want one. Nia Jax is a woman possessed, and Alexa Bliss is in her crosshairs. Roman Reigns took a hell of a beating last week from Brock Lesnar – will he be at 100 percent come Mania? And are Triple H and Stephanie McMahon ready for Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle?

Outside the realm of WrestleMania, Matt Hardy came out the victor in the Ultimate Deletion. Bray Wyatt disappeared in the Lake of Reincarnation after the end of the match. Now that the Great War is OVAH, what’s next for the Woken Warrior? And what kind of state will Wyatt be in – if he made it out of the lake?

Related Story: WWE Bold Predictions, Week of Mar. 26

Please follow along with our live WWE Raw review for Mar. 26, starting at 8 p.m. ET.

The Mistake By The Lake Becomes Suplex City

So, Brock Lesnar is at Raw this week. Moving on…

Kidding, of course. But even a Brock mark like me has to be sick and tired of the same old same old when The Beast Incarnate is on television. Even Paul Heyman must be running out of different things to say, since he’s just out in the ring putting himself over. Yes, Mr. Heyman, you are a great orator – but best? There’s a couple of guys who might beg to differ.

Regardless, after Heyman puts himself over, he cuts to a recap of last week’s beat down of Roman Reigns. Amazing that what took twenty minutes last week could be boiled down to 90 seconds or so with nothing really lost in translation.

Then Heyman drops two unsurprising tidbits – Reigns is no longer suspended, but he’s also not in the building. Yeah, sure. Then it’s a detour out of Suplex City into the Toxic Masculinity Township – Heyman implies that a guy who got stretchered out isn’t a “real man” because he’s not in the building.

I get the goal of this segment – Roman’s problem with Lesnar is his inability to show up when advertised, and the absence tonight makes him a hypocrite. SO GO WITH THAT. Leave out the whole “not a real man” part of the argument. It’s unnecessary and outdated. Evolve with the times, it’s possible.

Of course, Reigns is here – he comes through the crowd with a steel chair and gets beaten down again. I guess he was trying to defend the honor of the “US Marshals” from last week after Heyman outed them. There’s a little bit of fight from the Big Dog, but this segment is pretty much all Lesnar.

Things are getting a little heavy on trying to make Reigns an underdog, but that’s what happens when you spend three years making the guy unbeatable heading into this Mania match. Superman movies have been generally poorly received because he’s got no weaknesses. Batman movies are better because there’s vulnerability. Three years of Roman as Superman means there’s no drama when he faces Brock’s Doomsday – unless he dies while beating him, but I don’t see that happening. Give me a guy like Balor, or Rollins, or someone who hasn’t been made so unbeatable that you have to resort to almost murdering the guy two weeks in a row.

Nia Jax vs. Mickie James (w/ Alexa Bliss)

Result: Nia Jax defeated Mickie James via pinfall

Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars

Before the match gets under way, we get to see Reigns leave the ringside area. Yay? Commentary makes a big deal that he’s leaving under his own power, but big whoop. Then there’s our second video recap of the night – this time from two weeks ago, when Jax caught Bliss and James disparaging her backstage.

Then it’s time for a commercial break! Sometimes the most tedious part of watching a three hour Raw isn’t the three hours, but the pacing. There’s great flow between segments some weeks, but others – like tonight so far – are just very disjointed and tough to get into a flow. Thirty seconds of offense in your first match before the ad break is ridiculous.

Once things finally get going, it’s a classic two heels vs. one babyface kind of affair. Bliss provides a distraction so James can attack the leg. You kind of had to know coming in that James was really just cannon fodder – and she probably knew that too, despite being a six-time Women’s Champion.

But Nia makes her grand comeback by showing off her strength. If there was an award for most improved superstar, Nia has to be top three, easily. The progress she’s made since the draft two summers ago is quite noticeable and impressive – remember when she almost killed Charlotte? Those things don’t happen any more.

A gorilla press into a Samoan drop seals the deal with this one, and Bliss tries a sneak attack to no avail. Words are exchanged, and I’ll forgive Nia going to the tried and true “b**ch” because, well, Alexa’s actions kind of warrant it lately.

Respect The Authoritah

Words cannot express how much I love this segment. And I swear on my life I am 110% serious.

When it boils down to it, this is just the modern version of Vince McMahon’s training video from 1999. There’s less overt comedy, but it’s still there with Triple H and Stephanie. “We’re here because Kurt Angle is an idiot”? Line of the night.

But the reason this video works is because it’s very clearly supposed to be ridiculous. Watching their personal trainer come on screen to vouch for their preparation is like the rich kid bringing his ski instructor to the big race to save the rec hall. Like, Triple H just knows that no one will believe him because he’s so evil, so he brings his coach to say, “No, seriously guys, they’re sooooooo jacked.”

It’s like the most clever self-parody WWE has done in years. We all know that – in kayfabe – Triple H and Stephanie honestly believe that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Hell, maybe in real life, they really feel the same way. But by going all in on this delusion, WWE is acknowledging they’re in on the act, and they know exactly what the perception of the authority figures is.

I am so ready for this match – as long as it isn’t the main event.

Cedric Alexander & Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak & TJP

Result: Cedric Alexander & Mustafa ALi defeated Drew Gulak & TJP via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

CATCH POINT REUNION, PEOPLE!

Somewhat surprisingly, this is the first time the cruiserweights have been on Raw since the championship tournament started. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the 205 Live crew get the short end of the stick by having their match start during the commercial break.

What was aired, though, was pretty good. I’m super glad creative decided to avoid the obvious choice of “Ali and Alexander CAN’T COEXIST BECAUSE THEY’RE OPPONENTS AT WRESTLEMANIA” booking. What was done instead was so much better because of the subtlety. The blind tag by Ali may have frustrated Alexander, but he didn’t turn on his partner, or outright whine about it.

Commentary made a good point – Alexander looked like he was disappointed, but out of respect. That sounds strange and not possible, but it’s like losing a contest to a friend. You put in your best effort, but your buddy gets the glory – so you’re happy for them even though you’re upset you didn’t win.

Drake Maverick on commentary does a fantastic job of selling the division, too. This “new” 205 Live is something to keep your eyes on, and I think the less frequent use on Raw will enhance the product by making it seem more special when it happens.

Hope That Wasn’t a Miz-Take

Man, Daniel Bryan gets cleared to compete, and The Miz just turned it up a notch again, didn’t he? Within two minutes, he had believably denigrated his hometown, ripped into the Miztourage, and referenced the greatest gimmick in NXT history (I’m still a Bo-Liever, thank you very much). I’m so ready for Bryan and Miz to throw down at Barclays at SummerSlam.

But let’s focus on WrestleMania, since that’s less than two weeks away. Miz is angry with the Miztourage for “failing” him, so he lets them know. It’s great – because it seems so believable. As Rollins and Balor come out to egg everything on, the ring becomes one big powder keg.

It all ends up being a swerve, but those few minutes where Miz seemed to be on the verge of flying solo again were tense. So much about the whole segment was fire, you know? Miz is at his best when he’s shooting (or improvising, I guess), so this was right in his wheelhouse. Rollins and Balor pulling Jedi mind tricks on poor Bo was great, as was Seth’s snarky “Hey, Mikey” line before the big reveal.

Oh, and Axel’s “I just smelled poop” face when Miz said he was better than Mr. Perfect was Oscar-worthy.

I’ll say this about the whole segment – not only did this make me want to see the WrestleMania match, I need to sit down and watch The Marine 5 to see the actual acting job these guys pulled off.

Asuka vs. Jamie Frost

Result: Asuka defeated Jamie Frost via pinfall

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (okay, really like 1.0 out of 5 stars, but you get my drift)

Before Asuka headed down to the ring, Kane cut a weird backstage promo about John Cena. He’s basically implying that the Undertaker is a demon, which would be obvious to anyone who’s paid attention for the past 30 years. How else do you explain everything about Taker’s history?

Then, while Asuka made her entrance, lady Ellsworth got to speak to the WWE Universe. She’s got a bold strategy – make your debut against an undefeated powerhouse, and luck into a win because you’re the great unknown.

Instead, her offense was brushed off and she lost after a single kick to the face.

Here’s my main question about Asuka and WrestleMania: Is she going to jump ship to Team Blue? I’m working on the assumption that she’ll win against Charlotte – making her the SmackDown Women’s Champion. Is she just going to bring the title back to Raw? Or is she going to be a victim of the Superstar Shakeup? Too many questions, and I need answers.

Michael Cole is a Mule? I Can See That

Matt Hardy celebrates his victory in the Ultimate Deletion by officially entering the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. But let’s focus on Michael Cole being obnoxious, because that’s always fun.

I like that Corey Graves is so passionate about what he does that he will go off on Cole for dismissing anything. The Ultimate Deletion was definitely interesting, and unique (for WWE), but Cole practically buried it at every turn. I’m sure that whole Hardy Compound will come back again at some point, so maybe Cole can come around.

Well, So Much for the Slow Burn

It’s been a long time coming – months, really – but apparently the friendship between Sasha Banks and Bayley is finally over. My big problem with this: By truly “breaking them up” before WrestleMania, the entire focus of the Women’s Battle Royal is going to be squarely on these two.

It’s not necessarily the worst thing in the world, but it’s unfair to everyone else in the match. The whole point of having a battle royal on the card is to give everyone a relatively story-free spot on the show. Maybe there’s a “you can’t eliminate this superstar” type of story here or there, but things shouldn’t really be centered around any one or two superstars.

Instead, all eyes are on Sasha and Bayley. It also cheapens the big blowoff to their rivalry – what kind of followup are we going to get to really let these two go at it? If things happen in the battle royal, any future match will be less impactful, in my opinion.

But the way we got to the “breakup” was pretty satisfying. Bayley standing up for herself – even if it was a little on the whiny side – is the most character development she’s gotten since (checks calendar), uh, NXT? Bringing the Women’s Championship into the discussion – and Sasha’s inability to successfully defend said title – was the perfect trigger to blow up.

Well done on the actual brawl, even if the battle royal is going to kind of tamp it down a bit.

Braun Strowman vs. Sheamus (w/ Cesaro)

Result: Braun Strowman defeated Sheamus via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Before the match, The Bar try to get Braun to reveal his partner. I love Braun’s nonchalant response – maybe I’ll tell you, but only if you get in the ring and beat me. Not playing around, I see. I can appreciate The Bar’s frustration, too – two weeks away from a big WrestleMania title match, I’d want to be able to prepare for my opponents. I don’t like not knowing what I’m having for dinner early in the day – imagine having two weeks of waiting around.

Like Mickie James vs. Nia Jax earlier in the show, this was a decent little two heels vs. one babyface type of match. Cesaro attempted to create a few distractions, but ultimately to no avail. And Strowman managed to overcome a tweaked knee to power through this match,.

The sheer strength of Strowman is ridiculous. It looked like Sheamus sandbagged him a bit on the powerslam at the finish (maybe not intentionally, but he definitely looked like dead weight). Did it matter? Nope. Braun just picked him up and slammed him down. Sheamus is a big man, so that’s an impressive feat.

Couple that with the speed Braun has, and you have one of the most legitimately terrifying superstars in WWE history in the ring. By virtue of the victory, we still don’t know who’s crazy enough to team with Braun – or maybe who’s smart enough? Gotta figure if you’re Strowman’s partner, you’d be safe from the ambulance flips and dumpster tosses.

Welcome Back to Raw, Ronda

Serious question: Does Kurt Angle only own one suit? I feel like I’ve only ever seen this Violet Beauregard shade of blue with the varied T-shirts under it. I’m not suggesting he needs to be in Armani all the time, but maybe throw on a black blazer or something once in a while.

Leaving aside my Mr. Blackwell notes, Angle brings out Rousey to hype a match that needs no hype. Well, at least not since the stellar video highlighting Triple H and Stephanie. But Rousey struggles through her lines, getting to the end of her schtick before Paige storms the ramp with Absolution.

Wait, what?

Somewhere in all the “baby girls” Paige dropped, she offered Rousey a spot in Absolution – because in WWE, you need to have friends, and Angle is a bad choice for the only one Rousey has. Rousey politely declines, which causes Paige to sic Deville and Rose on her. And it doesn’t go well for Absolution.

Look, I’m not doubting Rousey’s ability to be a decent if not great pro wrestler. If it’s something she’s always wanted to do, and she’s putting in the time to train, she’ll be fine. But maybe have her be the strong silent type, and give her a mouthpiece?

Holy hell, though, how about the ease with which Rousey took out Absolution, though? Not for nothing, I kind of got a gender-swapped Black Widow/Hulk vibe when Angle tried to talk Ronda out of snapping Rose’s arm. You know what I mean:

It’s clear that Rousey has her first post-Mania feud lined up, too. It’s a shame Paige likely won’t get cleared for a match, because Rousey/Paige would be fantastic.

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel

Result: Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

More from Daily DDT

• It’s time for Adam Cole and MJF to drop the ROH tag team titles
• Tom Lawlor talks MLW return, AEW opportunity, CM Punk’s WWE return and more
• Eddie Kingston stands to gain the most from the AEW Continental Classic
• Trish Stratus on WWE NXT would help elevate that women’s division
• Randy Orton signs with SmackDown to go after The Bloodline

If anyone on the Raw roster needs WrestleMania season to be over more than these four guys, I’d like to know who they are. The Miztourage have their thing going with Miz, but Gallows and Anderson – even though they’re part of the Balor Club – are just in a holding pattern.

It’s the same kind of thing that happened with them after Finn got hurt and it seemed like “Balor Club” was in the cards. Remember, they were the Raw Tag Team Champions at one point, but only kinda by default.

It took forever for Balor to join up with them, but now it seems like there’s nothing important outside Finn’s IC Title match at Mania.

Despite the non-existent crowd reaction, this wasn’t a bad match. I think the crowd was fooled/upset by the non-finish after the Boot of Doom. After that, there was nothing until the actual pinfall.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/978455181930065921

But Gallows is pretty good for a big man, and Karl Anderson is quite possibly the most underrated superstar in WWE. His spinebuster is a thing of beauty, and he’s just so good at the little things in his matches. It shouldn’t be surprising – the guy’s a former NJPW G1 finalist.

Once we get to post-Mania, things should pick up for the Good Brothers.

Elias vs. Rhyno (w/ Heath Slater)

Result: Elias defeated Rhyno via pinfall

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The weirdest part of Raw every week usually falls between 10:15 p.m. and 10: 45 p.m. ET. You would think that as the show got closer to the end, matches would have higher stakes, or feature the more high-profile superstars. But instead, Raw gets booked almost like a pay per view every week.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/978459402960162817

There’s more focus on the top of each hour than anything else – at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., something big will happen to snag some of the channel changers. Then before the main event, random matches with little to no point fill the time. As much as I like Elias, just look at this match. Rhyno? Seriously?

The best part of the segment is the song – Elias is hitting Miz-like levels of crowd heat/Cleveland insults. He’s not wrong about the sports teams – the Browns are awful (I barely even watch football and I know that). More LeBron stuff would have really hit this out of the park.

The match itself is very meh. What do you expect? Rhyno is on the back 9 of his career, and Elias has steadily improved but will never be a super great worker. I’m surprised Elias hasn’t declared for the battle royal yet – still a chance he’ll be Braun’s partner, I guess.

John Cena vs. Kane, No Disqualification

Result:  John Cena defeated Kane via pinfall

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Not going to lie, this is not the kind of match I would have figured to get close to a half an hour. Kane is running for political office, and he’s been MIA for several weeks. His stamina isn’t what it used to be. And we all know Cena’s reputation as Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect – but not a 5-star machine unless his dance partner is similarly going to excel.

With that thirty minutes-ish to go, this one just screamed “TEDIOUS!” Even the no DQ stipulation couldn’t make me hyped for this one, because – besides the perceived match quality – this was set up as the most predictable match in the world. It’s the classic John Cena Match Bingo Card™ – John has another goal in mind so he doesn’t pay attention to this match; John’s opponent continuously gets the upper hand; and John DEFIES THE ODDS and NEVER GIVES UP and wins the match.

And, ho ho ho, looky here: Kane controls the majority of the match, right up until the end – when Cena somehow hits an AA through a table. There was a lot of chaos in this one – ring steps, security barricades, exposed turnbuckles. Cena even pulled a few pages out of Taker’s playbook en route to victory by sitting up, doing the throat slash, and rolling his eyes.

When all was said and done, Cena got on the mic and gave pretty much the same spiel as he’s done since officially challenging Taker at WrestleMania. It’s starting to get old, because it’s so heavy-handed that there’s no way to not have Taker at Mania, but there’s been nothing in the “feud” that should convince Taker to end his unofficial retirement. All it is now is “Cena whines to try and get his way, Taker ignores,” and that’s no way to build a story.

In fact, this is the only match on the Mania card (from the Raw side, at least) that has a pretty terrible build. The mixed tag match is doing gangbusters, all four title matches are super hot right now, and even the battle royals are picking up steam. But Cena vs. “Taker”? Meh.

Next: WWE WrestleMania 34: Predicting Match Results

Speaking of “meh,” the wrestling action on this week’s WWE Raw was pretty meh. But the storytelling aspect of the show was fantastic. One more Raw until WrestleMania!