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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (April 3, 2017) from the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida featuring the fallout show from the WrestleMania 33 pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza that went down just last night in the same city.
Advertised for tonight: Brock Lesnar is the new Universal champion, Roman Reigns just retired Undertaker, the Hardy Boyz are the tag team champs, 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 APRIL 3
Seven years of power, the corporation claw; the rich control the government, the media, the law. To make some kind of difference then everyone must know exactly what happened on this here pro wrestling show, hence I shall liveblog it for you.
Show opens with a recap of Reigns/Undertaker that stops just short of being actual video footage of the match.
In the arena, the crowd chants for the Undertaker for a good long while. Gradually it turns into an "Undertaker!" / "Roman sucks!" dueling chant.
Enter Roman Reigns. He heads to the ring, soaking in the crowd's ah, unique appreciation along the way. He circles with the mic as the crowd continues to chant, first for him to be DELETE!-ed and then hurling expletives in his direction. As he finally raises the mic to his mouth, the booing re-intensifies, and he pulls it away, inviting more, different expletives.
On to "Roman sucks" in the New Day cadence, then they tell him to shut up even though he hasn't said a word. Then just "Go away!", short and sweet. He finally gets on the mic, says this is his yard now, and leaves.
The Club make their entrance, their match against the Hardyz is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial we get a still-pic recap of WrestleMania.
Hardy Boyz (Jeff & Matt Hardy) (c) vs. the Club (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship)
Anderson starts off against Jeff, right in with a boot and right hands, whip, duck a lariat, shoulder block levels Machine Gun and Hardy gets an arm wringer and tags Matt in. Double-team elbows and flips get two, Matt takes Anderson into the corner to smash his face into the turnbuckle but gets caught with an elbow on a charge. Side Effect connects for a nearfall, kick to the gut, Twist of Fate blocked and he dumps Karl over the ropes
Gallows runs in and suffers the same fate and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Gallows is in control of Matt but Hardy is throwing punches and fighting. Anderson tags in, back suplex neckbreaker combo gets two and he shifts to mounted punches. Jeff knocked off the apron with a back elbow, Big Hoot clubbing and makes the tag. Boot, right hand, Matt fires back but Tex grinds the bone of his forearm across his broken brilliance's face.
Corner avalanche, there is a "F$#% that owl!" chant on Monday Night Raw, my god. Side headlock on Matt here, he fights with elbows but Machine Gun gets him in the corner for a jumping knee. Wristlock, Luke comes in, boot to the ribs, Matt fighting, Gallows takes his face off with a boot! Running elbow drop dodged and he wants the tag... Jeff's in! Right hands, whip reversed, clubbing forearm, Manhattan Drop into the double leg drop, a dropkick, and a big splash for a nearfall.
Big LG bails, Jeff follows, sets the stairs up... Poetry in Motion! Gallows set back in the ring, Brother Nero goes high risk but Anderson runs interference and they knock him down. Boot of Doom connects... NO GOOD! Hook him for the Magic Killer but Matt runs interference this time! Twist of Fate on Gallows, tag to Matt, another Twist of Fate, Jeff heads up top. Swanton Bomb!
Hardy Boyz win by pinfall with a lateral press from Matt Hardy on Luke Gallows, retaining the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Commentary promises us an appearance from Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and a Rollins/Jericho vs. Joe/Owens tag for later in the night.
We get a recap of Rollins/HHH, and Neville makes his entrance. He'll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial and Neville is on the mic.
He says he did everything he said he was going to do. Aries did a lot of talking, but he's a better talker than a fighter. You may not like his methods or respect his tactics, but Neville says you cannot deny his results. On 205 Live tomorrow they're going to have a proper celebration, but tonight he couldn't refuse the opportunity to prove us wrong.
Enter Mustafa Ali.
Mustafa Ali vs. Neville
Neville starts with a shove before the bell rings and backs Ali into the corner with a collar and elbow. Ali gets a headlock, Neville shoots him off, kip-up, handspring on a dropdown, flying headscissors, Mustafa is on a roll. Back body drop to the apron, a spinning wheel kick knocks him to the floor and Ali hits a turning crossbody to the outside. Back in the ring, Neville with a pop-up slam on a charge!
He dumps Mustafa outside like a sack of potatoes and poses for the crowd as we go to break.
Back from commercial and Neville has Ali in a reverse chinlock but the former Freelance Champion is fighting hard, forcing the King to switch to a side headlock and then abandon the hold with a knee in passing. Whip, pop-up, Mustafa fires a dropkick off in return and drags himself up the ropes. Slip to the apron, kick to the face staggers Neville, rolling thunder neckbreaker... NOT ENOUGH!
King smashes Ali's face into the turnbuckles and chokes him across the bottom rope, back suplex but Mustafa lands on his feet! Off the ropes, Neville snaps off a German suplex and fills with rage, clobbering Ali with a lariat as he reaches his feet! Passing stomps as Mustafa rolls to the apron, Neville climbs up top and drags Ali up with him... MUSTAFA ALI SPRINGBOARD SPANISH FLY!
Trading forearms and then rolling solebutts, off the ropes but Mustafa dodges the kick and throws a superkick... POISON FRANKENSTEINER! TILT-A-WHIRL DDT! NEVILLE GETS A FOOT ON THE ROPES! ALI CLIMBS INVERTED 450 SPLASH BUT THE POOL IS EMPTY! Neville climbs up top and hops down...
Neville wins by submission with the Rings of Saturn neck crank.
Backstage in the parking area, a limousine rolls up... Mr. McMahon is here!
On that note, we go to break.
Back from commercial and commentary runs down some of the press WrestleMania received.
Mr. McMahon makes his entrance. The crowd chants "Roman sucks!" as he starts speaking, and he thanks the fans for being passionate and letting WrestleMania live up to the name of being the Ultimate Thrill Ride. But the big wheel keeps turning, so he conferred with representatives from Raw and SmackDown, and next week there'll be a shake-up around here. He uses that as a segue to toss to footage of Stephanie McMahon being knocked off the apron and through a table.
Steph is going to be out of action for some time, and the crowd cheers and Vince berates them for being insensitive and cruel. They just keep cheering, and he continues, saying the show must go on, and with no commissioner or general manager on Raw, he needs to name a new GM. The new GM was just inducted to the Hall of Fame... TEDDY LONG'S MUSIC PLAYS! Vince orders his music to be cut, but Teddy keeps dancing.
He tells Teddy it's not him, and Mr. Long is clearly bummed out. He says it was his bad and gives us a few hollas before shuffling off. Vince signals for the new GM but it takes a few tries to get the sound guy to play the music... IT'S KURT ANGLE! Vince passes the mic off and takes his leave.
Kurt soaks in the "You suck!" chants for a minute before saying it's great to be back on Monday Night Raw. It's true, it's damn true! He basks in the adulation from the crowd a bit before heading to the back to begin working on important GM business, presumably.
Commentary reminds us that Brock is here and they thank the city of Orlando for being supportive before recapping the United States Championship match and tossing us to break.
Back from commercial Big E does the deal and the New Day make their entrance. Xavier Woods and Kofit Kingston are wearing Road Warrior shoulder pads and E has a backpack that fires Booty-Os. Big talks about how the blood rushed from his head to his-- the other two cut him off. Kingston talks about the records WrestleMania set but says "you people" and Woods questions what he meant.
Kofi says they were a little upset they couldn't get in the ring and put a whooping on somebody, however, and Xavier says they're issuing an open challenge to any team in the locker room that thinks they're good enough to come and catch that cream...
SAY YEAH! THE REVIVAL ARE HERE!
New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) vs. the Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)
Woods & Dawson to start, Dash gets involved and Scott takes the lead. Wilder tags in, uppercut, clubbing blow, snapmare to an armbar, whip, Xavier ducks a few lariats and catches him with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Tag to Dawson, he plants Woods with Divorce Court as he's trying to roll Dash up, and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Dawson is in charge with Xavier still desperate for a tag. Wilder in, Scott throws Woods into his knee with his arm hammerlocked and Dash starts clubbing after. Boots in the corner, wrenching the arm over the ropes, a headbutt, he sets Xavier up top and climbs after. Woods out with a headbutt, but Dash hammers his arm and puts him back up top. Again Woods knocks him down, this time throwing a missile dropkick, hoping for separation enough for a tag.
Dawson in, he can't stop Woods from tagging Big and the belly-to-belly suplexes flow like wine. Hip swivel, Dash takes a lariat, Scott to the apron and he completely sidesteps E's apron spear! Woods got a blind tag, fighting valiantly two-on-one, haymakers for Dawson, a rolling elbow! Wilder in, he runs into a boot, Honor Roll but the Top Guys are ready...
The Revival win by pinfall with Shatter Machine on Xavier Woods.
Post-match they drag Kofi into the ring and assault him. Dawson traps the leg... WILDER OFF THE TOP WITH A STOMP TO THE ANKLE!
Backstage, Kurt Angle is getting his office set up when Enzo & Big Cass roll up to introduce themselves. Angle plays the straight man, agreeing with Enzo that the things he says can't be taught cannot, in fact, be taught, and telling them that he's doing great when asked, informing them of the events of his week and asking them how they're doing in return. Enzo sputters and admits they're not doing too good.
He talks about the gold around his neck and Cass says the problem is they don't have gold around their waist. Enzo asks why the Hardy Boyz were in the match, and why Goofy is treated like a human while Pluto is treated like a dog, but Kurt has no idea what he's talking about. BUT if they want to get a step closer to the titles, he can help them out. He gives them a #1 contender's match against Cesaro & Sheamus.
Cass says they're going to send Cesaro & Sheamus to Disney World, which isn't very threatening, before calling them SAWFT. After they walk off, Angle points out that's not how you spell soft.
Bayley makes her entrance, she's in a trios match after the break.
Back from commercial for the rest of our entrances. Emma is back! She climbs on the announce table as part of her entrance and berates the commentary team.
Bayley, Dana Brooke, & Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair, Emma, & Nia Jax
Dana and Charlotte to start, Flair runs the ropes and struts a little, leading Emma to tag herself in. Emma ducks a lockup, goes behind and clobbers Brooke with a forearm before sending her into the corner. Dana trying to fight back but Emma is ahead of her, mat slam, wicked dropkick, and Emma wants Bayley in.
The champion tags in, Emma locks up with her, struggle towards the corner, grabs an armbar, arm wringer, the Hugger in agony as Emma wrenches the hold a few times and flips her over for a cover. Standing armbar, whip to the corner, Bayley with an elbow up, diving arm drag, drop toehold and the champ rides her.
Distracted by Flair for a moment, Emma clobbers the Hugger and we go to break.
Back from commercial Nia is in, working Bayley over, dropping a leg on her leg. Flair tags in, hangs the champ in the Tree of Woe and puts boots to her before tagging Emma in. Emma slides under and yanks the ponytail to wrench Bayley's back! Charlotte in again, knee lifts to the hamstring, out of the Tree, big chops but Bayley starts firing back.
Shoved in the corner, back drop takes Flair outside! Desperate for a tag but Charlotte pulls Sasha off the apron and throws Bayley back in her corner, taunting Banks and Brooke. Bayley runs over and barely gets the tag... METEORA! The Boss clears the apron, tilt-a-whirl headscissors, corner knees, set up the double knees and they connect... NO GOOD!
Dana with a Wasteland on an interfering Emma, Jax tries for a save and eats a double dropkick, Bayley dives on her outside with a crossbody! Charlotte and Sasha, Natural Selection but she has it scouted...
Bayley, Dana Brooke, & Sasha Banks win by submission with the Bank Statement crossface on Charlotte Flair.
Post-match, Charlotte shoves Emma and Nia and berates them, and Jax starts beating her up. A huge biel, an elbow drop, Emma ain't got time for this and Nia heads to the apron and leaves.
Kurt Angle is in his office talking with Sami Zayn. Sami says he had a great relationship with Mick Foley, and he loves Kurt and wants to cultivate that relationship, unless Angle isn't interested, and hey, the shake-up might send him to SmackDown, so maybe he shouldn't invest too much.
Kurt tells Sami he has one of the three Is, intelligence. In the ring, he shows intensity, and by standing up to Steph, he showed the most important one, integrity. So he'll be fine. Sami thanks him and goes to leave before turning to ask if he's talked to Stephanie, because he is not one of her favorite people.
Jinder rolls up before Angle can answer, demanding justice for the Fourth Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in Memory of Andre the Giant. Sami cuts him off and they bicker, leading Angle to say that in his regime, they settle problems in the ring, and they have a match tonight.
Brock Lesnar is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial Michael Cole reminds us again of the records that WrestleMania broke this year.
Brock Lesnar makes his first entrance as Universal Champion, flanked by Paul Heyman as always. Paul does his usual introductory spiel and says he has a little something different tonight, because Brock has authorized him to reveal a bedtime story that they tell their kids at night.
Once upon a time there was a man who fancied himself a superhero, and this superhero represented all the things in life that we as a society should stand up and rebel against-- Honor, dignity, honesty, family, tradition, Paul's gonna vomit in his own mouth.
Anyway, one day this superhero took his spear and his jackhammer and decided to go into town. This superhero was Goldberg, and he was known as the baddest dude in the village. All the villagers would run around talking about how Goldberg is a bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad man.
Brock whispers in Paul's ear and he continues. Once Goldberg took the Universal Championship away from the villagers, he took a left turn into south central Suplex City, where all those values are not respected, and what happened to the superhero? He got his ass kicked by the Beast.
But Heyman doesn't want the kids being tucked into bed to worry, because there's a happily ever after... and that's that you won't be seeing Bill Goldberg around here anymore. So, yes, "thank you Taker," and thank you, Brock.
Paul continues saying his client is looking for new challenges and new challengers. So let's go down the list-- Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar? Matt Hardy vs. Brock Lesnar? Jeff Hardy vs. Brock Lesnar? Both Hardyz vs. Brock Lesnar? Accept into your hearts that Brock will not be a champion that cherishes and savors every single moment he has the title, ladies and gentlemen, Brock Lesnar is the disruptor of the status quo.
And that's why it's time here and now to talk about the two in 23-2. History demands those two go one-on-one to determine whose yard this really is. He's talking about Roman Reigns, you see. Roman Reigns who is spending the whole night barking orders to the locker room. The crowd, at this point, decides they really want Finn Balor.
So what becomes of this situation? If Roman Reigns is the Big Dog, then Brock Lesnar is animal cruelty. Before they came out, Brock also authorized Paul to say that it's time to give the Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania crowd something they'll never forget, which means it's time to deliver that one-on-one.
Why wait? Why not right here, right now?
(RRROOOAAARRR!)
Enter Braun Strowman. He gets right in the ring, no preamble, and squares up with Brock. He says he sees Roman has his attention, but when Braun is finished with Roman, maybe he'll have Brock's, because Brock has damn sure gotten Strowman's. Lesnar stares coolly at the monster among men and a smile cracks his face.
He sets the Universal Championship on the mat and steps back, inviting Braun to cross the line! Strowman pops his shoulders a few times and backs away, telling Brock he knows where he's at.
Backstage, Chris Jericho is interviewed. At Payback, he gets his rematch against Kevin Owens, but first he has a tag match. He puts the post-Mania crowd over and says beach ball mania is running wild. This is his crowd, his buddies, his amigos, his mates, and a bunch of other international terms, the Friends of Jericho.
So this is the perfect place for him to start getting his revenge on that stupid idiot Kevin Owens. The first piece of his revenge is the tip of Kev's finger that allowed him to win last night, by the skin of his teeth. Jericho proceeds to put the tip of Owens' finger on the List.
KO blindsides him! Clubbing blows, he throws Y2J into some road cases and Samoa Joe comes over to help! They beat something unholy out of Chris and powerbomb him through a table!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kurt Angle is walking backstage and he runs into Seth Rollins. He asks how bad shape Jericho is in, and Angle says he's in no shape to wrestle, but promises that he'll find Seth a partner.
Cesaro & Sheamus vs. Enzo & Big Cass (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship #1 Contender's Match)
Enzo and Cesaro start, trading headlocks, Amore shoots him off but Cesaro knocks him down. Off the ropes, Enzo with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and a cover, he goes back ot the headlock and eats a back suplex even as he's trying to block with punches.
Sheamus tags in and so does Cass, they lock up, Big shoots him off and knocks him down. Back to the collar and elbow, he forces Sheamus in the corner and they jockey for position, trading blows. Whip reversed, Stinger splash dodged, Sheamus does his wild charging spinning wheel kick and snaps Cass' neck over the top rope.
Diving lariat misses, Big with a scoop and a slam, tag to Enzo. Cesaro runs in, Enzo is thrown into him and then the Celtic Warrior in quick succession, and then into both of them on the outside as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Sheamus has Enzo in a reverse chinlock but the smaller man fights to his feet and throws punches. He fends them off in the corner, big dive for the tag but the Celtic Warrior turns it around with a Finlay Roll. Cesaro in, double stomp, tag right back to Sheamus.
To the corner, Enzo ducks the charge, sidesteps Cesaro, and Cass heads out to throw hands with the Swiss Superman but Sheamus has a slingshot dropkick for him. Fireman's carry, Amore reverses to a DDT, Cesaro tags back in. Uppercut train knocks him loopy with one and Enzo goes for a swing!
Into the Sharpshooter, Amore screaming agony but Big breaks it up with a boot. One for Sheamus, he runs around into position for the tag and gets it. Shoulder block, Stinger splash, another, side slam, off the ropes with the Empire Elbow. Big boot, Enzo tags in but Sheamus stops the Rocket Launcher with a Brogue Kick and throws Enzo...
Cesaro & Sheamus win by pinfall with an assisted Swiss Death on Enzo Amore, becoming #1 contenders to the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Commentary hypes up the question of who Seth will be teaming with and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Michael Cole addresses the idea that the Undertaker has retired, in very general terms.
Jinder Mahal vs. Sami Zayn
Jinder attacks Sami during his entrance and puts boots to him outside! He throws Zayn into the steps and sends knees and fists into him against the barricade before throwing him into the steps again. Mahal throws him in the ring and the bell finally rings.
Mahal laying leaping knees into Sami's head before choking him against the bottom rope. Right hand, whip, back elbow, off the ropes for a dropkick but Zayn has fight left in him. Knee to the back, rear chinlock, wrenching it in, Sami to his feet and Mahal throws him to the mat before dropping a few more knees.
Reverse chinlock this time, Sami out, whipped, jumping knee cuts him off and he stumbles in the corner. Jinder charges in and gets caught with the corner exploder suplex, Zayn’s calling for it...
Sami Zayn wins by pinfall with the Helluva Kick.
Our tag team main event is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, we get the entrances from our confirmed participants in the tag team main event. Kurt Angle's replacement for Chris Jericho is... FINN BALOR!
The match begins after the break.
Back from commercial in time for the bell to ring.
Finn Balor & Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens & Samoa Joe
Owens and Rollins start, circling, collar and elbow, KO goes behind, waistlock, Seth reverses with a wristlock, Owens rolls through, side headlock and he takes a knee. Rollins to his feet, shoots him off, eats a shoulder block, drop down, leapfrog, low superkick, float over on a suplex, dodges the Avada Kedavra, stalemate!
Kev tags Joe in and he and Seth go for hockey punches, Samoa jams him in the corner and starts throwing hard jabs. Rollins back in with chops and forearms but Joe clobbers him with a kick and tags KO back in. Gut punches, over and over, chop in the corner, whip across, the Architect catches him with the reverse STO into the turnbuckles and tags Balor in!
Staredown, ducks a lariat, throwing punch combos on Owens, out of a sunset flip into a dropkick, side headlock, Owens shoots him to the corner and he hops to the apron. Enzuigiri, up top but KO rolls outside. Around the ring, shotgun dropkick into the barricade!
Finn throws Kev back in the ring and hooks an arm wringer, tagging Seth back in. Trying to double-team the US Champion, he bails and Rollins throws a suicide dive! Back in as Samoa gives chase and checks on Owens, tope con giro this time! Back in the ring, KO catches a boot and kicks his leg before planting him with a DDT for two.
Knee to the back, Joe tags in and throws a headbutt to back Rollins in the corner for punches. Forearm for forearm, whip reversed, big back splash and the corner enzuigiri gets Joe two. Dragging the Architect up and putting him in the corner, Owens tags in and plants a kick to the ribs, grinding his boot in.
Taunting Finn with Too Sweets, punching Seth in the head over and over, stomping his torso, the running senton gets a nearfall. Reverse chinlock applied, Seth stands up and fights out but Owens drops him to the mat and tags Samoa in. Disdainful kick, right hand, spinning toehold applied.
Rollins kicks him away, forearms, desperate for the tag, up but Joe counters with a sweet over-the-shoulder kneebreaker and tags Owens in. A quick bit of abuse and Joe comes back in with a senton but Seth rolls away from a second, reaching for the tag. Joe yanks him off the ropes and into the Coquina Clutch but Rollins uses the ropes to escape and lays him out with an enzuigiri!
Tags made! Balor off the ropes with forearms, he knocks Joe off the apron, strike rush on Owens, dropkick, draws him up for chops to back him in the corner, whip across, another chop, again and again but KO gets an elbow up and heads up top. Cut off with a gamengiri, a Penalty Kick for Joe, Finn climbs up top for the double stomp but KO dodges.
Off the ropes with a crossbody, Kev catches him and swings him around for an Air Raid Crash! Off the ropes, Sling Blade, Finn sighting him in but Joe comes in with Coquina Clutch! Diving knee from Rollins! Superkick from Owens! Shotgun dropkick...
Finn Balor & Seth Rollins win by pinfall with Coup de Grace from Finn on Kevin Owens.
Rollins and Balor celebrate in the ring.
That's the show, folks.