WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for April 23

Photo Source: WWE.com

Rosters are set after the Superstar Shake-up. The Greatest Royal Rumble is days away. And Brock Lesnar is back. What’s in store on WWE Raw this week?

Previously on WWE Raw, things got shook up like an old Elvis tune. We bid a fond farewell to The Miz while welcoming Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, because it takes two disgruntled SmackDown competitors to equal one A-Lister.

This week, Brock Lesnar makes his return to WWE Raw for the first time since WrestleMania 34. You know, where he made Roman Reigns look like a rag doll with suplex after suplex, F5 after F5. The Universal Champ is set to once again defend the title against Reigns this Friday at The Greatest Royal Rumble — this time inside a steel cage. What kind of mood will The Beast Incarnate be in when Raw gets under way?

The flagship show also has to deal with the fallout from last week’s Superstar Shake-up. New Raw superstars include Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler, plus the aforementioned Owens and Zayn. But Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, and The Bar all went to Team Blue, so there’s some mighty big shoes to fill. Which new superstars will make the biggest impact on their new show?

Let’s not forget that Owens and Zayn are only on Raw because Stephanie McMahon overruled her general manager, Kurt Angle. Two weeks ago, Zayn and Owens fought to a double count out in a match where the winner would get a Raw contract. According to Kurt, no winner meant no contract, but Stephanie went over his head. Will the front office tension cause havoc on the Raw broadcast this week?

There’s a couple of title matches on the card for Friday’s Greatest Royal Rumble with implications for Raw. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt will face Cesaro and Sheamus for the Raw Tag Team Championships, despite the latter now being on the SmackDown roster. Seth Rollins defends the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match against The Miz, Finn Balor, and Samoa Joe. How will the participants prepare themselves for what’s to come?

Related Story: Raw Still Better Show After Superstar Shake-up

Follow along with our live WWE Raw review tonight, right here at 8 p.m. ET.

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Classy Tribute for a Classy Guy

Bruno Sammartino passed away last week at the age of 82. To call the man a legend would be a disservice. He was synonymous with professional wrestling in the northeastern United States for decades. Bruno was a megastar, selling out Madison Square Garden with regularity. When Bruno lost the world title after an unprecedented seven-plus years, the crowd was stunned. There was no concept of a World Wrestling Federation without Bruno at the top.

A ten bell salute with the entire Raw roster assembled on the stage kicked off this week’s show. I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that if it weren’t for Bruno, and the impact he had on building the WWF stronghold on the Northeast, the wrestling industry would be a lot different. If the McMahon-run promotion hadn’t succeeded in the territory days, chances are we wouldn’t be watching Raw right now. And Bruno Sammartino was a huge part of that early success.

No Bruno means no WrestleMania, even if he only appeared in non-wrestling roles in the few Manias he appeared at. His refusal to enter the WWE Hall of Fame of concerns of the content of the programming quite possibly shaped current content — sure, sponsors and going public helped, too, but how do you have a Hall of Fame without possibly the greatest professional wrestler of all time being enshrined?

Bruno finally entered the Hall in 2013, fittingly when WrestleMania was in the New York/New Jersey area. He really was the Living Legend, and now he’ll live on forever in the memories of everyone who has a hand in the wrestling business.

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And Now For Something Completely Different

In a 180-degree turn that would make a ballerina go batty, we follow up a tribute to Bruno Sammartino with the bi-annual appearance of Brock Lesnar. The current Universal Champion didn’t do much than his usual pacing early on. But Paul Heyman must have heard the rumblings that people were saying no one in WWE was a better promo than Samoa Joe, because the advocate brought his A-game tonight.

Heyman’s promo was equal parts fire and truth. It did what most great promos in the modern age do: blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality. It hit all the usual Brock boxes, like “mention UFC,” “Brock is rich,” and “[insert general description of maiming his upcoming opponent.” Maybe it went a bit too far when Heyman said Brock was sending Reigns home in multiple boxes. He’s Brock Lesnar, not John Gacy, man.

In the most baffling moment of all, Roman Reigns came down to the ring to show how confident he was heading into Friday’s championship match by, uh, not doing anything? Really? Reign’s promo was short, sweet, and sounded like it was delivered by a real human being, but it was pretty pointless. Remember when Jerry Lawler told CM Punk he’d think about accepting Punk’s challenge? This was the same thing, just without a 60-year-old man involved.

Hopefully the Greatest Royal Rumble will end the Lesnar/Reigns thing once and for all, and both guys can move on to something different. Having the feud drag out like this isn’t doing anyone any favors.

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Elias vs. Bobby Roode

Result: Elias defeated Bobby Roode via pinfall

Rating: 2.25 out of 5 stars

Look, I love Bobby Roode as much as the next guy, but interrupting Elias is a surefire way to get on my bad side. LET THE MAN SING, BOBBY.

Robbing the WWE Universe of a great musical performance aside, Roode and Elias had a pretty nifty match. It’s not going to top anyone’s end of year lists, but it was solid and helped both guys get over. Elias is being touted by commentary as a “main eventer” which I’m not totally sure I agree with, but he definitely proved tonight that he’s a force to be reckoned with. And Roode is new to Raw, and still inexplicably playing the plucky babyface, but he’s able to play his role perfectly.

One thing I wasn’t a fan of? Too many rest holds in this one. It’s not the fault of either superstar, but rather questionable direction behind the scenes. After returning from a commercial break, it was time for chinlock city as an in-program ad for the Greatest Royal Rumble aired. Seriously? Put the commercials in the commercial breaks — that’s literally what they’re there for!

The finish of the match shows there’s more to come between these two, and I’m okay with that. Elias gets a big victory over a veteran and former champion, further stating his case as a major player. He has to cheat a bit to do so, but who cares? Give me more between these two.

Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt, directed by Ed Wood

Speaking of awkward direction behind the scenes, woof. Someone missed their cue to shut the lights off when Wyatt came in from stage left, and the whole thing looked like a bad high school play. (And I’ve seen enough high school plays to know good from bad.)

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The Ascension vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt

Result: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt defeated The Ascension via pinfall

Rating: 1.75 out of 5 stars

If there’s anyone who needs to take a dip in the Lake of Reincarnation, it’s Konnor and Viktor. The Ascension have been in a slump that’s lasted almost since the day they arrived from NXT. They’re only on the show tonight, it seems, to be the “less weird” team in this match.

The best description I can come up with for the current Hardy/Wyatt tandem? Have you watched The Orville? It’s Seth MacFarlane’s homage to Star Trek. It kind of defies description, because it’s too funny to be a drama, but too serious to be a comedy. And that’s Hardy and Wyatt right now.

Everything about them is absurd (and I mean that in the most loving way possible, because I’m enjoying it!), but it shouldn’t be. But the standing ovations, applause breaks, and other antics are too much to ignore to try and take things seriously. And once you try to look at their gimmich as a comedy thing, you realize it’s not really funny all the time.

The match is fairly short, because the number one contenders for the tag titles shouldn’t struggle with 2018 Ascension. But as much as I’d like to see Konnor and Viktor keep hanging out with Breezango, I think I’m more interested in seeing them join up with the Woken Warriors. Think of the possibilities!

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Who Sponsors the Sami & Kevin Show?

Full disclosure, I’m bitter about not getting to write up Miz TV anymore. But if The Sami & Kevin Show is going to be a thing, I’ll eventually get over it. Even if this first installment was more just a big ad for the Greatest Royal Rumble at first, I like what we’re seeing.

Let’s face it, the reason this worked as well as it did is the chemistry between Owens and Zayn. When you’ve been friends for as long as they have, things just come naturally. And the contrast between the two superstars is just an added bonus, since there’s something for everybody in this segment.

Angle as the guest is obviously just a way to eventually bring Jason Jordan in to work with Owens and/or Zayn, and that’s a little sad. I don’t dislike Jordan, and JJ vs. Sami could be especially good. But it’s all a little too contrived, and the telegraph is way too clear. Braun and Lashley as a tag team, though? Ooooooooooooh, mama.

I’m digging Sami Zayn, Bingo Playing Grandma with his glasses, by the way. You know it’ll end up like everything else in WWE — overused and overdone until everyone’s sick of it. But for the time being, I look forward to Sami needing to look closer at something.

I’d Have Hired Them

Seth Rollins is propositioned by Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, and the look on the Axe Man’s face while trying to get Rollins to join the Shield fist bump was priceless. Give these two something to do, WWE.

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Apollo Crews & Titus O’Neil (w/ Dana Brooke) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre

Result: Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre defeated Apollo Crews & Titus O’Neil via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Hey, Apollo Crews got his last name back — time to print those “CREWS CAN’T LOSE” shirts!

Still not a fan of the record scratch with Ziggler’s entrance, but HOLY CRAP everything else about this whole thing rocked so hard. Drew McIntyre is a dang beast, and if he isn’s main eventing shows in the next 6-12 months someone dropped the ball big time.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/988588596494909440

I don’t know how long the plan to putt Ziggler and McIntyre together has been around, but the amount of tandem offense they’ve used is terrific. The superkick to a prone opponent into an Alabama Slam is so simple, but so effective. And as I mentioned last week, the Claymore Kick/Zig Zag is a perfect tandem finisher.

After the match, Ziggler actually doesn’t phone it in on the mic as he puts over Drew for being a beast. The “locker room is soft” talking point is a little touchy, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s McIntyre. He does look like a superstar, and whoever he goes through to prove his point is in for a hurting.

Plus, bagpipes and heavy metal — how can you hate that?

Chad Gable, Pride of America

Do you think WWE picked Nicholas at Mania just so they could do this thing with Jinder (or anyone) and Gable? Or was it a happy accident that the kid had long hair, and someone put two and two together after the fact?

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Jinder Mahal (w/ Sunil Singh) vs. Chad Gable

Result: Chad Gable defeated Jinder Mahal via pinfall

Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars

Before the match, Singh distracts Gable, allowing the Maharaja to launch a sneak attack. Gee, I wonder if Gable will be able to come back when all is said and done?

For the vast majority of the match, Jinder just beat the stuffing out of Gable. Any time Chad started to get something going, he ran into a big boot, or an elbow smash, or the floor. And even though the whole crowd wasn’t particularly loud, there was a pocket in there chanting for Gable.

Trouble is, that same pocket was chanting “USA” a whole bunch, which proves WWE still has a long way to go when it comes to building rivalries while avoiding the “evil heel” stereotype. It may have been the go-to all the way through the 1980s, and even into the 90s, but in 2018 it’s passé. Let’s try something different.

And, hey hey, look at that — Gable managed to avoid the Khallas and catch Jinder with a crucifix for a surprise victory. Poor Jinder: last year he was glorified enhancement talent on Raw, and was sent to SmackDown in the Superstar Shake-up. He went on to become WWE Champion, and now that he’s back on Raw? 0-2, and getting inside his head. Yeesh.

Riott Squad

Good for Sarah Logan, slowing down and enunciating a bit. See, a little time is all you need to fix things. But the star here is Ruby Riott, making the most of every opportunity she’s gotten.

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Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley & Braun Strowman

Result: Bobby Lashley & Braun Strowman defeated Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens via pinfall

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

I’m a little disappointed that the much-hyped Samoa Joe promo to address Roman Reigns and Backlash was a 30-second cell phone selfie thing. It was great, but come on — let the man speak.

Then Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel put the full court press on Finn Balor, even donning “OG BC” shirts. Personally, I just think they thought BC stood for Bo and Curtis. Finn shuts them down, and they go back to the drawing board (which I hope involves joining the Fashion Police).

Anyway, onto the tag match, and it’s exactly what you would expect. The heels run away until Braun outsmarts them (or maybe it was Brains?) and it’s a whooping. There was no finesse in this match whatsoever, and it was wonderful.

Seriously, this was four guys just throwing hands for like twelve minutes. Lashley looked phenomenal in his first real action since returning to WWE. Check out the belly to belly suplex where he launched Sami halfway across the ring, it’s great.

But the star of the match is Braun off the hot tag. Good god, this man is a star and a half. There isn’t a single person in the crowd who isn’t all over everything Braun does. Based solely on the events of tonight’s episode of WWE Raw, I want to see Braun Strowman vs. Drew McIntyre like, yesterday. How great would that be?

Time for details, though: did you catch Zayn holding his head while Braun had him up for the powerslam? He was upside down in Lashley’s stalling suplex for a while, so why wouldn’t he be grabbing at his head? Just small things like that can make a huge difference in storytelling.

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No Way Jose vs. Baron Corbin

Result: Match never started

Rating: N/A

Episode number three for No Way Jose, and it looks like he’s in line to be enhancement talent already. Is that a new record? Even Adam Rose lasted a few weeks before his downfall.

But when Baron Corbin makes his official Raw debut, he turns down the match. Jose isn’t on his level, plus the conga line is clearly a set-up for an unfair advantage, so why waste his time? True story, though: When Corbin called himself a “former champion,” I did a double take because I completely forgot he won the US Title at one point. Whoops!

After Corbin leaves, Jose tries to keep his party going, much to the delight of fans. Since I’ve watched wrestling before, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it does, when Corbin comes back out and clocks Jose good.

So in one fell swoop, Corbin establishes himself as a guy who has no problem issuing a beating, so long as he’s got the unfair advantage, and Jose is nothing more than a dance. Good to know moving forward!

Moment of Bliss

Bliss’s delivery reminded me of “Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey” from SNL in the 90s. It’s so absurd on its face, but presented as totally sincere. You can’t trust Alexa as far as you could throw her, but here she is trying to “stand up to bullies.”

I still don’t like the whole bullying storyline, mainly because it hasn’t really been done well. But Nia is probably going to hold the Raw Women’s Championship for a little while, so it can’t get any worse.

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Finn Balor & Seth Rollins vs. The Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel)

Result: Finn Balor & Seth Rollins defeated The Miztourage via pinfall)

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

This is already the fourth tag team match of the night, with a 10-woman tag still on tap for the main event. I wonder if this is WWE’s way to address the division after the Superstar Shake-up. All the most accomplished units all seemed to end up on SmackDown — the Usos, New Day, and Bludgeon Brothers stayed, to be joined by Cesaro & Sheamus and Gallows & Anderson.

Meanwhile, WWE Raw features Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt, The Miztourage, The Ascension, Heath Slater & Rhyno, and the Fashion Police as its top teams. Yikes. Titus Worldwide had a long stretch where they competed for the tag titles. And it looks like Ziggler & McIntyre are a permanent team for the time being. So there’s still hope.

There’s not much to write home about with this one. Balor and Rollins are two of four participants in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship on Friday. Dallas and Axel are, uh, probably in the 50-man Royal Rumble. Where does the momentum belong? That’s what I thought.

I’m glad Finn scored the victory here, because it creates the slightest bit of intrigue between Rollins and Balor. If Balor gets the win here, and Rollins “didn’t,” wouldn’t that give Balor a leg up on challenging for the title?

Strategy Session

The one thing Ember Moon never really did in NXT was live promos. Most of the time she talked, it was pre-taped and inserted into the episode. She never really spoke in the ring, either. So hearing her almost flub a line but recover admirably was actually refreshing.

But Nia wins with her PSA (insert fire emoji here). The Bayley/Sasha thing is getting a little ridiculous, though.

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Mickie James, Alexa Bliss, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, & Sarah Logan vs. Bayley, Ember Moon, Natalya, Sasha Banks, & Nia Jax

Result: Mickie James, Alexa Bliss, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, & Sarah Logan defeated Bayley, Ember Moon, Natalya, Sasha Banks, & Nia Jax via disqualification

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

The reasoning for this match? Equal treatment from the general manager. Since last week’s episode had a 10-man tag in the main event, Kurt Angle decided to give the women the same shot. Admirable, and I like the seemingly random “justification” for a match, too.

The ferocity at the beginning was something that has been sorely missing from too many matches in the division. I don’t mean in terms of aggression, because every superstar is always aggressive. No, I mean the heavy strikes from Liv Morgan, and the rag dolling carried out by Sarah Logan. That kind of unbridled passion in the attacks is a welcome change of pace.

Of course, the big faux pas here by the production team is the in-match ad for the Greatest Royal Rumble. You know, the show this Friday that women aren’t allowed to compete at. It’s a classic example of WWE not thinking things through fully before executing — and they’re far from the only company in any business or industry that does this. Tone deaf is a mild way of putting it.

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

Idiotic advertising aside, this was a great way to set the stage for various stories in the women’s division. I mean, basically the whole division was in this match, so it would have to do that. Jax getting the hot tag was a revelation; it’s not quite a Braun Strowman hot tag, but it’s still pretty good.

The biggest story is how Ronda Rousey factors in. It’s just a matter of time before Natalya turns on her, since Nattie is much better as a heel. But for now, Rousey coming to Nattie’s aid and just snapping arms left and right is a great wild card for the division. I like that Rousey caused the DQ, and feel like that’s going to be on Natalya’s list of reasons for her eventual turn.

Surprisingly, not much more on the Sasha/Bayley front. But setting up Mickie vs. Ronda, as well as planting the seeds for Ronda/Nattie, that’s more important. Lots of big things happening in the division for the foreseeable future.

Next: Natalya Perfect Post-Mania Feud for Rousey

What are your thoughts on this week’s episode of WWE Raw? Sound off below!