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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Feb. 13, 2017) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Fastlane pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for next month in Milwaukee.
Advertised for tonight: Charlotte defends the women’s championship against Bayley, Emmalina makes her long awaited debut (maybe), and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR FEB. 13
In the door on the floor in a paper bag, there's a shoe-shine boy with a gin-shop slag. She raised him up and she called him son and she canonized the ground that he walked upon, but me, I'm just here to liveblog a pro wrestling show, folks.
Show opens with a graphic in memory of Chavo Guerrero, Sr.
From there we get the intro video and commentary welcomes us to the show, running down our festivities for tonight, including the Festival of Friendship and the Raw Women's Championship match.
Stephanie McMahon makes an entrance. She gets on the mic and welcomes the crowd to Monday Night Raw. Mick Foley was tired and overworked last week and that's why he embarrassed himself, so being benevolent, Steph is giving him the week off to get his priorities in order.
So tonight, she's running Raw, right here in the cheap pop...
Enter Roman Reigns. He gets in the ring and says he's gonna keep it short and sweet, he doesn't want to wait until Fastlane, he wants Braun Strowman right now. Steph says it's not about her tonight, it's about what the WWE Universe wants. She polls them informally and, of course, they pop for the idea of having the match tonight.
Steph calls it the sound of ambivalence, because they don't care that they'd be putting Reigns in harm's way, but she does. Roman doesn't care what anybody thinks about him, but especially her, and Steph retorts that he's failing to see the bigger picture. Braun is already booked in a match against Mark Henry tonight!
Roman says that sounds like a hell of a match, maybe he'll come and watch it live, to which McMahon tells him if he lays a hand on Braun, he'll lose the match at Fastlane and maybe even any match he might have had at WrestleMania. He says he's not making himself clear enough...
Enter the Club. Karl Anderson says they couldn't sit in the back any longer and listen to Reigns disrespect her. Luke Gallows says it's like the Rolling Stoneskis said, you can't always get what you want. So they offer him a handicap match, and Steph says she thinks we have a match, playa, because Teddy Long, holla.
Roman slips out of the ring to beat 'em down ahead of time, throwing Anderson into the barricade and getting thrown into the apron himself by Gallows, and the match will be underway after the break.
Back from commercial and the match is, indeed, underway.
Roman Reigns vs. the Club (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) (Handicap Match)
Gallows in, throwing big rights, he tags Karl in. Back suplex / neckbreaker combo gets two, Machine Gun locks a reverse chinlock in to ground the Big Dog. Reigns fights to his feet, Anderson kicks him in the gut but gets fought off with rights and thrown into the ringpost.
Lariats drop Anderson, three in a row as is customary, then Roman goes right into the corner lariats, finishing with a slicing right for Big Hoot and a big boot for Karl. Calling for the Superman Punch, Luke distracts him, Machine Gun with a schoolboy, Superman Punch connects!
Big Dog calling for the spear, Sex Ferguson attacks him from behind, putting the boots to him alongside Anderson as referee Chad Patton tries to maintain order. They keep beating on him as the count increases...
Roman Reigns wins by disqualification.
Gallows hooks him, looking for the Magic Killer but Reigns fights out, suplex, he throws Luke out, Superman Punch, running boot to Anderson, Roman stands tall in the ring as the Club head back up the ramp.
Commentary puts Strowman/Henry and the Festival of Friendship over and we head to break on a video package of the evolution of their friendship and the List of Jericho.
Back from commercial and we get a bit of hype for the Andre the Giant documentary that HBO is making.
Big E does the deal, so it's time for the New Day to come out. Bo Dallas is in the ring and Kofi Kingston says he looks lonely, asking if he's trying to be a social outcast. Big E says New Day are here to put a smile on his face by way of the owl gimmick.
Xavier Woods says they've been working day and night to bring something special, and Big is holding the blueprints for a New Day ice cream machine, and after Kofi makes quick work of Bo, they'll share their plans with the world.
Bo Dallas vs. Kofi Kingston
Kofi leading a "We want ice cream!" chant, Bo charges in and eats a dropkick that sends him outside, where the other two New Day men laugh at him. Dallas dances along but it was a ploy! He steals the ice cream blueprints... AND TEARS THEM IN HALF!
Kingston with a tope con giro to wipe him out, he throws Bo back in the ring but gets cut off with a knee when he tries to come in, Dallas hits a rope-hung neckbreaker but it's not enough to put Kofi away. Back elbow in the corner, off the ropes but Kingston is ready for him...
Kofi Kingston wins by pinfall with the SOS.
New Day pour Booty-Os over Bo and down his throat after the win and celebrate, clearly having gotten over their ice cream plans being destroyed.
Backstage, Neville is interviewed. He stops the interview, saying already she's spoke for longer than it's going to take him to beat Jack Gallagher, and that TJ Perkins is a bigger threat to him than Jack. Gallagher rolls up and asks if he may quote Shakespeare, but the King denies him and tells him to go take a long look in a mirror.
He says he's not on his level, but Gallagher tells him they'll find out at Fastlane and maybe he's just a bit of a "bloody pillock."
We then go to break on another one of the video packages for the Festival of Friendship.
Back from commercial with some cruiserweight action.
Jack Gallagher vs. Noam Dar
Circling, collar and elbow, Jack forces Dar into the corner and breaks clean. Knucklelock first, Gallagher turns it over, side headlock, shoots him off, Noam grabs an ankle lock and Gallagher escapes. Pick the leg, ankle lock of his own, escaped in turn, front chancery but Dar kicks his leg out of his leg!
Left hand, shove in the corner, shoulder thrusts, he drags Jack in by the leg and drops an elbow on the knee before working a stepover toehold, then another elbow and it's time to pose for the crowd. Gallagher in with punches but Dar throws a kick and an uppercut for a quick cover before grabbing an armbar.
The gentleman to his feet, forearm to the jaw, Noam whips him, turnbuckle headstand evasion, dropkick, another, Jack with a whip, Dar goes under but Gallagher is ready with that headbutt, he waits for Dar to draw himself to his feet...
Jack Gallagher wins by pinfall with the running corner dropkick.
Neville comes out after to raise the title over his head and look imposing.
A limousine rolls up outside and Samoa Joe exits alongside Triple H. Michael Cole promises us an interview, and we go to break on the promise of Emma finally making her re-debut as Emmalina after the break.
Back from commercial we get another Festival of Friendship video.
In the arena, Emmalina does indeed make an entrance, played totally straight. For seventeen weeks, we've waited, she says, and now she's here. And now we'll see the makeover from Emmalina to Emma, on which note she leaves.
I... sure.
Backstage, Bayley is interviewed as to whether she's ready for her first main event title match. She says she's nervous, but it's a good nervous, being in the same position Lita and Trish Stratus were. She's in the main event of Monday Night Raw!
Speaking of Steph, she's constantly doubting her and Charlotte is constantly reminding her she's the last of the Four Horsewomen to make it, but she believes in herself. At the Royal Rumble she came close, but this time she's gonna win the jackpot and achieve her dream!
Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens are backstage somewhere else. Jericho asks if KO's ready, and he says he can't wait. HHH rolls up and asks if Owens has a second to talk and Chris says he's got a festival to prepare for.
Commentary puts Henry/Strowman over as up next after the break.
Back from commercial and we get some footage of HHH and Owens discussing something with no volume, and then it's time for our Man Event.
Braun Strowman vs. Mark Henry
The two goliaths stare each other down, jawing. Collar and elbow, neither man can get an advantage and they break. Circling, back to the lockup, and again a stalemate. Henry jaws at Braun and Strowman throws hands, clobbergin Mark with a big right that puts him in the corner but Henry comes back with punches of his own.
Shoulder thrusts in the corner, Strowman with another right and then off the ropes for a lariat. Mark trying to stand, Braun hits him more, dropping him with a headbutt and again with a kick to the midsection, openly laughing at the idea that Henry is the World's Strongest Man before grabbing a rear chinlock.
Mark fires up, getting to his feet but Braun throws a knee and clubs the Strongest Man in the World to the mat! He hooks him for it a second time but Henry grabs the hand and hits a pair of shoulder armbreakers, right hands, boxes the ears and staggers Braun!
Stinger splash, again, scoops the monster up for the World's Strongest Slam but Strowman is able to counter into a crossbody! Back elbow... DROPKICK FROM THE BIG MAN! He hoists Mark Henry up on his shoulder...
Braun Strowman wins by pinfall with the running powerslam!
Roman Reigns enters post-match now that he doesn't have to worry about losing his pay-per-view bookings for the next couple months. Braun meets him at the apron and drops him with an elbow smash, beckoning him in the ring! The Big Dog snaps his head over the top rope... Superman Punch!
Another drops Strowman to one knee! Reigns calling for the spear! Braun catches him and counters with a running powerslam! He tells Roman that he can't win before leaving.
Commentary puts over the Raw Women's Championship match and we cut backstage where Samoa Joe is getting prepared for his interview with Michael Cole, which is after the break.
Back from commercial a sportsballman is shown in the front row.
We cut backstage where Cesaro & Sheamus are getting Bayley ready for her title match. Enzo & Big Cass roll up and Cesaro and Sheamus look more sick of Enzo's shit than any human being in history. Sheamus reads him the riot act for screwing up their rematch last week and Cass says he's always got his partner's back, which Amore claims the Europeans know nothing about.
Cesaro & Sheamus agree they'd like to beat Enzo & Cass up and Enzo asks if they want to do something about it, to which Cesaro gets in his face. Enzo gently switches places with Cass and plays hype man to the idea of the match.
And now Michael Cole's interview with Samoa Joe. He says he didn't come here to curry favor and garner respect, he came here to hurt people, and the only person whose opinion he cares about is HHH. Cole asks why HHH chose now to move him from NXT, and Joe says his results speak for themselves.
Michael says there's no denying that, but some folks say it's because HHH is scared of Seth Rollins. Samoa says HHH doesn't have to justify himself, he's given a lot of people opportunities, but none of them have been on his level. For eighteen years he carved a path of destruction across the world and WWE were scared.
He's a dangerous man, and Seth Rollins is a perfect example. He was the crown jewel of Raw for how long, and he couldn't last two minutes with Joe. And because of Joe, for the second year in a row, Seth is going to miss WrestleMania. Cole asks about Seth's plan to come back, and Joe wonders if the interview is about him or HHH.
But if Rollins does come back, Samoa has no qualms about putting him right back on the shelf. Joe says he beat Roman Reigns, in two weeks he beat the Man and he beat the Guy. He can't stress it enough, he's here to change everything, to wreck shop and take everything from people, and Roman Reigns is just another instance.
He's no Sami Zayn, just happy to be here, he's here to make a difference, and nobody can stand toe-to-toe with him. Cole says there have been others put in this position by HHH-- Shawn Michaels, Batista, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins. All had a relationship with the Game that went sour and they got left behind.
Joe says the major difference between him and those men is that they all needed to be propped up by HHH, needed his help to get the job done, and he does not. He comes in here and gets the job done on his own, and finally HHH has someone he can rely on that knows what's best for business.
If anybody gets in his way, they'll learn why the Creator unleashed the Destroyer, and he ends the interview on that note.
In the arena, Sami Zayn makes his entrance, he has a match after the break.
Back from commercial in time for Rusev to enter opposite Sami.
Rusev vs. Sami Zayn
Jockeying for position early, Sami breaks away early and then they're back at it, trapped in the corner where referee Chad Patton has to disentangle them. Rusev throws a big roundhouse kick but Zayn ducks it, the Bulgarian grabs a waistlock and takes him down before shifting to a front chancery and looking for a pin.
Double wristlock, Rusev grinds an elbow into Sami's face before shifting to a reverse chinlock. Zayn to his feet, but Rusev takes him down and locks a side headlock on. Sami to his feet again, he throws Rusev off and starts chopping the big man but he comes back at him with strikes of all kinds.
Whip across, Sami springboards, standing dropkick sends Rusev outside, Zayn with the tope con giro! Back in the ring, Sami goes for a springboard and Rusev knocks his head off with a thrust kick to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Rusev throws Zayn into the ropes to get a free shot on his kidney with a forearm. Whip... BEAR HUG! I CAN HARDLY BEAR IT! Sami fights out with punches to the face, comes off the ropes for a crossbody but the big Bulgarian catches him and traps him against the ropes for knees to the ribs and then a fallaway slam.
Rusev sets the Canadian on the top turnbuckle and keeps throwing rights before stepping up to meet him. Zayn fights out with wild punches and headbutt, leaps over Rusev and gets caught flush with a roundhouse kick that nearly ends the match. Corner avalanche, Sami throws a desperate overhand chop and Rusev is just pummeling him, crushing him in the corner again.
Zayn ducks another avalanche and Rusev spills outside. Sami goes for a kick off the apron but gets caught, yanked down, and dropped with a lariat. Rusev sends him back inside, but he lags a little climbing in and Sami's ready for him...
Sami Zayn wins by pinfall with a Helluva Kick.
He's interviewed on the ramp and says there's no doubt that winning tonight has helped make up for losing last week. He had momentum coming in and losing that sucked. Tonight was a huge win over a huge opponent and that's what he's all about, getting beat down but not staying down.
He heard Joe's little comment earlier and you're damn right he's no Sami Zayn. Sami Zayn doesn't clean up other people's messes, he doesn't take shortcuts, and he sure as hell doesn't sell out. And this time of year, nothing's on a WWE superstar's mind like WrestleMania...
Samoa Joe's music plays and Sami looks at the entrance intently... Joe blindsides him from the side! Samoa really laying a beating in here, punching him against the LCD boards and throwing him into them! He bids Sami to say his name right before he locks the Coquina Clutch on and chokes him out!
Backstage, Charlotte Flair is getting ready for her title defense, and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get our Hall of Fame package for Teddy Long.
Akira Tozawa makes an entrance, and Brian Kendrick has joined the commentary booth for his match.
Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari
Circling, collar and elbow, Daivari grabs a headlock, Tozawa shoots him off but eats a shoulder block. Block a punch, throw a chop, trading chop for chop, Ariya gets his hands up on the big right so Akira fakes him out for a slap. Big senton gets two, charge in the corner but Daivari drops down and trips him up.
Pepsi Twist connects for two, Ariya with mounted punches to follow, a knee drop, Tozawa's fired up! He takes a chop, gets whipped, ducks a few lariats and gets caught with a sleeper hold. Out with elbows, he snaps a Frankensteiner off as Daivari comes off the ropes and then knocks him off the apron with a forearm!
Suicide dive! Tozawa up top, Ariya dodges, Akira goes under...
Akira Tozawa wins by pinfall with the snap bridging German suplex.
The Festival of Friendship is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial we get a house ad for Tyler Bate defending the WWE United Kingdom Championship against Trent Seven, which my god, typing that still feels crazy.
In the arena, Jericho is on the tron to welcome us to the Festival of Friendship. A lot of pyro goes off and some game show music plays as a cavalcade of showgirls enter. Jericho is behind them, in a very sparkly blazer and hat, and he introduces Kevin Owens.
KO follows behind, a little skeptical of the whole endeavor. Chris links up arm in arm with two of the showgirls but Owens declines and plays caboose to our train of friendship. Kev seems bemused by the whole deal as Y2J shuffles his way into the ring. In the ring there's a TV set up and a few things under red cloth.
Jericho bids the fun begin and says there's a lot to do and talk about and a lot of gifts to give to prove how much Owens means to him. So first he wanted something made that would epitomize their friendship. He connected with Ralph Guggenheim, a Norwegian artist, who made a piece of art to represent their friendship.
Chris takes the cloth off the Art of Jericho and it's a double helix figure of two people embracing. Owens is confused and Chris explains it, and says it cost him seven thousand dollars. KO stops himself and says it was a steal, and Y2J introduces the next piece, saying it requires no explanation.
It's the Creation of Kevin, a take on Michelangelo's painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with KO as God and Jericho as Adam. He says it'd look great anywhere in Owens' home, but KO says he has two kids, and they can't be seeing this, to which Chris says it's art, you don't need pants!
So okay, it takes a while to grow on you, that's fine, good art grows on you, but he's got one more, something really magical. He hired the king of Las Vegas magic, the Illuminati of Illusion, the Monarch of Mirage, Friendship the Magician! He pulls scarves out of his throat for Jericho but Owens doesn't want his.
Friendship turns a fireball into a rose for his next trick and Chris gets him a round of applause. Kev says he doesn't know how much this guy is charging him, but his nine-year-old son could do the same trick. Jericho agrees that it wasn't very impressive, and of course, he goes through the whole deal to put Friendship the Magician on the List.
Owens asks where he found Friendship and Chris admits he found him on Craigslist, but all this was just a preamble to the gift he should have given KO last week. Goldberg's not even gonna make it to Fastlane, he says, and he's gonna make that happen here, tonight. Jericho calls Bill down to the ring and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Jericho is still pointing at the entryway, finishing his statement that Goldberg is gonna get "it".
Goldberg's music begins playing but we don't get the whole backstage walk deal... It's Gillberg! Y2J is stoked but KO is less pleased, and he hits the ramp to put boots to Gillberg! He throws him into the apron and steps on him on his way back into the ring as Jericho claps.
Owens gets on the mic to tell Chris that he thought the whole point was to get Goldberg out here so they could beat the crap out of him together, but instead he gets Gillberg and all this art? He doesn't understand. Jericho thought the Gillberg thing was pretty funny, but he did it all for Owens and he apologizes.
It was honestly meant to show folks what being friends with Kev means to him and to tell him how fun this last year in WWE was for him. Forget about the magicians and the artwork and the Gillberg, he's going to guarantee that he beats Goldberg at Fastlane by having his back, because he's his best friend, even moreso, he's his brother and he loves him.
Owens considers it for a second and apologizes himself. This isn't what he expected, but it was obviously a lot of trouble and he did it for him, so it's great, and he loves Chris as well. He knows he's got his back against Goldberg and he's gonna walk out of Fastlane as Universal Champion, but he feels bad.
Jericho got him all this stuff and all he has is this one thing, but it comes from the heart. Y2J opens the box and says it's perfect, a new List! But on closer inspection, his name is on it. And the back says it's the List of KO... OWENS IS BEATING THE CRAP OUT OF JERICHO!
JUST KICKING THE HOLY HELL OUT OF HIM! HE THROWS THE CREATION OF KEVIN OUT OF THE RING! KO THROWS JERICHO INTO THE TIMEKEEPER'S AREA! HE'S RIPPED THE JACKET OFF AND IS BEATING HIM WITH IT! APRON POWERBOMB!
Back in the ring, Owens draws Jericho up and jaws at him a moment... he throws him into the TV! THE SCREEN SHATTERED! He leaves the ring, knocking the Guggenheim over for good measure.
We go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what just happened and then some footage of Chris Jericho being loaded into the ambulance for his trip to the local medical facility.
Enzo & Big Cass make an entrance, they do the deal. Enzo says Cesaro says he's the Swiss Superman but he comes out like James Bond, and then he takes his suit off and looks like a Baywatch lifeguard. He can take his best shot, but he's going to Swiss Miss, because he chokes a lot, get it?
Cass seems to suggest marshmallows would be an adequate hair replacement for Cesaro, and finishes up calling him SAWFT.
The match itself will have to wait for after the break, however.
Back from commercial in time for Cesaro & Sheamus to make their entrance.
Cesaro vs. Enzo Amore
Enzo ducking and diving around Cesaro but eventually he gets caught with an uppercut. Cesaro chucks him with a Karelin lift and throws him into the ropes, where Amore bails. Shoulder thrust, sunset flip, the Swiss Superman teeters but blocks it, chokebomb lift tossed up into a backbreaker!
Running double stomp, he throws Enzo in the corner for an uppercut but the train doesn't leave the station just yet, opting for a chop first. Amore cuts him off on the charge, diving DDT, Cesaro heads outside and Enzo's fired up for a dive, but Cesaro's in after him...
Cesaro wins by pinfall with Swiss Death.
Cesaro backs Sheamus off from Cass after the match.
We then get a Black History Month video package for Rosa Parks.
Charlotte runs into Sasha Banks on her way to the ring. She's glad they let her walk around but if it was her company, she'd ban her for damaging morale. The Boss tells her that she knows she got her just as good as she got got, to which Flair says she can talk the talk but she can't walk the walk, and now we go to break for real.
Back from commercial we get promised Big Show vs. Braun Strowman next week!
Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair (c) (WWE Raw Women's Championship)
Charlotte running the ropes and letting a "Wooo!" out to start. Collar and elbow, to the ropes, clean break, champion with a wristlock, forcing Bayley to the mat. Shift to a top wristlock, Bayley rolls, trying to escape, but Flair drops her to the mat.
Bayley with a schoolboy pin for one and then an arm drag into an armbar, arm wringer, both women roll as Charlotte tries to escape, challenger turns it into a pin and Flair hustles for the ropes. Side headlock applied, champion forces her in the corner for a break and earns a big right hand slap as we go to break.
Back from commercial and Charlotte is in charge, smashing Bayley's face into the turnbuckles one by one. The Hugger fires up and shakes it off, giving Flair a taste of the turnbuckle pads! Double jump springboard crossbody gets two, champion grabs a waistlock, standing switch, Charlotte goes behind and schoolboys Bayley into the bottom turnbuckle!
Cover only gets two and Charlotte slams Bayley into the mat over and over, switching to forearms before backing off and taunting. Wrenching her neck across the top rope now and kicking her into the corner, full of disdain is the self-proclaimed queen.
Chop, reverse chinlock, wrenching it in and swinging her around but Bayley gets out with a Stunner! Back elbow up on a charge but Flair catches her in an STO backbreaker / neckbreaker combo and holds the neckbreaker down, yanking Bayley's neck over her shoulder.
More elbows, a second neckbreaker to halt the escape gets two and Charlotte shifts to knee drops, with a strut to punctuate a big one. Whip in the corner, a chop lays the Hugger out, inverted facelock, standing Dragon sleeper applied as Bayley fights for the turnbuckles and reverses to her own!
Knees to the back, shotgun dropkick, whip reversed, Bayley dodges a charge but gets knocked off the apron with a big boot. A second boot on the outside sends the challenger into the barricade, giant step, Flair jaws at the fans and climbs the barricade... MOONSAULT! Just clobbered her!
Back in the ring, cover... NOT ENOUGH! Bayley back on her feet, she's taking chops but refuses to fall, big forearm smash, repeating it, takes a chop, boot to the back, duck a lariat, double crossbody! Hugger to her feet first, double axehandles, neckbreaker drop into mounted punches, shoulder thrust, tube man taunt, straight suplex connects.
To the second, adjust the ponytail, diving elbow... no good! Flair to the apron, Bayley with a stunner hung off the second rope! Charlotte in the corner, gets a knee but runs into a back suplex! Challenger up top, nearly loses her balance, Macho elbow... NO GOOD!
Flair Flip, big boot stops Bayley short, Charlotte up top but the Hugger meets her with a forearm. Climbing up after her... AVALANCHE FRANKENSTEINER! CHARLOTTE KICKS OUT! Bayley ready for the Bayley-to-Belly, but Dana Brooke is on the apron so she clobbers her!
Bayley's still in it, she has the figure four on but Dana rakes her eyes. Charlotte locks the legs, and bridges up when Sasha come down with her crutch! She takes Dana out and wallops Flair with it! Bayley hooks her...
Bayley wins by pinfall with the Bayley-to-Belly, winning the WWE Raw Women's Championship!
The Boss slides in the ring to embrace Bayley as she celebrates with the title and Charlotte weeps bitter tears outside against the barricade. Bayley takes a victory lap slapping hands and celebrating with fans.
That's the show, folks.