WWE Raw Results, Highlights, and Grades for April 8, 2019

Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor (c) for the Intercontinental Championship

Sami Zayn is back on our screens!

And so is Mojo Rawley! Except now, he has blue face paint, looks even more deranged, and is staring into a mirror that is now shattered!

Anyway, Zayn makes his entrance to a singing crowd, and I couldn’t be happier to see one of the most talented superstars in WWE!

Zayn took to the mic, and imparted some wisdom: If you’re gonna miss WrestleMania, you may as well come back on the night after WrestleMania.

He joked that his “schedule is wide open”, asking any superstar to give him a match on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw after WrestleMania. When nobody responded, he quipped, “Not all at once now…” and guess who answered?

The new Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor!

Zayn vs. Balor is about to be insane!

It also says a lot that Balor is out here accepting OTHER superstars’ open challenges, even in his first night as Intercontinental Champ!

Zayn started playfully taunting Balor with some baby slaps in the corner, as the two started grappling again in this friendly, but competitive, Intercontinental Championship matchup.

Balor had the upper hand on Zayn in this battle early, but Zayn showed off his excellent technical work after locking in on Finn’s left arm.

Finn kipped up and turned the tables on Zayn, but the latter found the right counter as the two wrestled to a stalemate, much to the crowd’s approval.

The two started feeling each other out again with some more chain wrestling, as Zayn started to use his strength before ceding some ground to the fast-thinking Finn. But Zayn is on top of his game despite being out of the ring, and he bailed on a dive attempt that Balor scouted.

A lovely dropkick from Finn led to the first pinfall attempt of the match, as Balor picked up a two-count on a slightly fatigued Zayn, who felt the impact from the latest exchange. Balor saw opportunity, locking in on Zayn’s recently repaired shoulder.

Balor hit a SICK Pele kick before the break, and this match has been an absolute treat!

Blue Thunder Bomb nearfall! It’s one of the best signatures in WWE, and Balor sold the heck out of it on the kick-out.

Balor nearly hit the Coup de Grace, but Zayn moved out of the way and NEARLY won with a roll-up. He then set up Balor in the corner with an exploder suplex, but Balor moved out of the way from the Helluva Kick attempt.

Coup de Grace, 1-2-3. Balor retains.

Zayn cut a vicious heel promo on the crowd after the match. He baited the fans, then railed on them for creating a toxic environment with their delusional criticisms. The man slammed the fans for thinking they are “the voices that should be heard”, and he calls the fans the “evil overlords of WWE”.

His goal is to hold the WWE Universe accountable. “See you in hell,” he remarked, throwing the microphone as he walked out of the ring.

Wow. I am #here for this.

Grade: A+, Fabulous return by Sami Zayn and a solid match between him and Finn Balor. I can’t wait to see more great IC Title matches from Balor and more big moments from Zayn. It’s wonderful seeing Zayn back on our screens. And that promo!