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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (April 1, 2019) from the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., featuring the go home show to the upcoming WrestleMania 35 pay-per-view (PPV) this coming Sunday night in New Jersey.
Advertised for tonight: A six-woman tag team match, Brock Lesnar is here, Kurt Angle’s final Raw match, 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 1
These are the hard new pills, gotta take ‘em as prescribed. Soon as the colors started coming back, you missed the black and white. Remember those cheap thrills? It’s time to pay full price. These are some hard new pills. You’ll be swallowing ‘em dry , but me, I’ve got to liveblog this here pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with Stephanie McMahon making her entrance to give us her special announcement with regards to the main event of WrestleMania.
She says she’s going to be the fourth competitor in the match before waving it off as an April Fools joke and says the main event is going to make history. And when Ronda Rousey faces Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch... ALL TITLES WILL BE ON THE LINE! One woman will bring home all the gold on the Grandest Stage of Them All when three of WWE’s greatest athletes put their bodies on the line and leave their hearts and souls on the mat... winner takes all!
Brock Lesnar makes his entrance, flanked by Paul Heyman as always.
Heyman does his usual introductory spiel and seizes on Steph’s line about winner takes all, saying Brock is going to win and take everything Seth Rollins has to offer, both in the ring and in life in general. He talks about how Lesnar took Roman Reigns’ hopes and dreams last year when we all thought his victory was fait accompli, and Rollins will be just the same.
Sunday will be for those of you who watch car races for the crashes and football for the riots, because Brock is going to violate Seth Rollins and desecrate WrestleMania. And then, with a foot on his chest and the title high above his head, Lesnar will define the saying that life is what you make out of it, because he and Brock will go out to dinner after and discuss what’s next.
Because, you see, Seth is just an afterthought to--
BURN IT DOWN!
Enter Seth Rollins.
He says Brock can’t come in here and make demands and push everybody around, he doesn’t understand that nobody wants him here, not Seth, not the locker room, not the fans, we’re all sick and tired of Brock Lesnar. And Rollins winning on Sunday might be improbable but it’s not impossible. Seth says on Sunday he’ll beat him and take his title and there’s not a damn thing he can do about it.
Lesnar is all smiles and steps through Rollins, bumping into him with his shoulder! Seth kicks him low and fires off forearms but Brock recovers, German suplex, stumbling, up for the F-5, Rollins slips out, another low blow! Avada Kedavra connects... BLACKOUT!
Brock writhes in pain, clutching his title and his gentleman’s area as we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Seth Rollins walks into an interview backstage. Asked about what he just did to Brock being a DQ in an actual match and says Brock had it coming and besides, he’s not a champion... yet.
Boss and Hug Connection (Bayley & Sasha Banks) & Divas of Doom (Beth Phoenix & Natalya) vs. Iconic Duo (Billie Kay & Peyton Royce) & Samoan Slaughterhouse (Nia Jax & Tamina)
Phoenix and Royce to start but Banks tags herself in on the legend. Collar and elbow, Peyton backs her into the corner, right hands after the break and Sasha gives her right back in kind! Knucklelock, step-up lucha arm drag, springboard arm drag, Boss a little shaky tonight but she makes the tag to Bayley. Double whip into a double elbow drop for two and the Hugger follows with an arm wringer and a tag back to Banks.
Double whip into an assisted dropkick and Royce tags Kay in. Sasha with a drop toehold, smash into the corner, tag to Natalya. Snap suplex, handful of hair and a tag to Beth! Double whip, double hip toss, Billie lands on her feet and tries to get away but takes a double Russian legsweep! Knuckle lock into the elevated wristlock, Peyton makes the save and Banks steps in as the match breaks down and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Bayley’s running hot with forearms but the Iconics manage to run interference and Kay boots her off the apron and to the floor! Royce tags in, drags her back in, cover for two, tag to Billie. Wristlocks, double kicks to the head, taunting in a rather iconic fashion and Kay’s cover gets two. Quick tags, but Jax refuses to tag in and she and Tamina hop off the apron.
Billie legal, the Hugger trips her up to the apron and she falls down and yells at Samoan Slaughterhouse a beat. Back inside, Stunner over the middle rope, the path is clear.... BETH SHOVES SASHA TO THE FLOOR AND TAGS IN! Double leg into the corner, hard right hands, snapmare, a lariat takes Peyton’s damn head off! Clear the apron, duck a lariat, scoop... TENZAN TOMBSTONE DRIVER!
Snuka clocks Beth and only makes her mad... PHOENIX SPEARS HER THROUGH THE DAMN TIMEKEEPER’S BARRICADE! Peyton drags her back inside, slaps and screaming, Beth catches her hand, chickenwing applied...
Boss and Hug Connection & Divas of Doom win by pinfall with a Glam Slam from Beth Phoenix on Peyton Royce.
A vehicle rolls up backstage and Batista steps out wearing some slick red sunglasses like he’s Scott by god Summers to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Batista makes his entrance and we get a replay of parts of Triple H’s promo from last week.
Dave silently points to the tron and a video rolls chronicling his history of defeating HHH time and again. He then takes his glasses off, stares right into the camera, and tells Hunter to kiss his ass before dropping the mic and stepping away.
We’re promised Kurt Angle coming up as we go to break.
Back from commercial, we’re shown Elias standing outside MetLife Stadium.
He says his performance Sunday will have no interruptions and he can hear the chants right now, singing a few bars of “Oh, walk with Elias” to the riff to Seven Nation Army. Jay-Z, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, they’ve all played here but after Sunday, nobody will talk about them, it’ll be all Elias. Ditto with all the wrestlers on the show, it’ll be all about him after 80,000 people decide to walk with Elias.
Apollo Crews vs. Jinder Mahal (Lumberjack Match)
Circling, off the ropes, Mahal takes charge and takes Crews down with a reverse chinlock. Apollo fights out, ducks a lariat, leaping lariat into a kip-up and he heads up top...
Apollo Crews wins by pinfall with a frog splash.
Post-match, Crews poses with the trophy for the Sixth Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in Memory of Andre the Giant, before all the lumberjacks, who are also in the match, flood the ring to remind us how a battle royal works. Slowly folks are “eliminated” until it comes down to Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews. Mahal and the Singh Brothers slide in and “eliminate” O’Neil but Apollo dumps each of them in turn!
Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle are shown chatting in the locker room as we go to break.
Back from commercial we’re informed that Yolanda Adams will perform America the Beautiful at WrestleMania.
Kurt Angle makes his entrance and gets immediately serenaded with thunderous “Thank you, Kurt!” chants.
He gets on the mic and says this is his last night ever on Monday Night Raw and he wants us to know how appreciative he is for the good times and the bad times, the boos and the cheers, and from the bottom of his heart, he wants to thank us. A video celebrating his career plays on the tron.
The second the video finishes up, Baron Corbin makes his entrance.
He apologizes for interrupting and says that video should have been in black and white because it’s ancient history and the man in the video isn’t the one standing in the ring. The guy in the ring struggles to take his jacket off, skis down the ramp, and can’t go two minutes without huffing and puffing. Fact is, Angle can’t go with the superstars of today because they’re just plain better, especially him.
And on another note, he’s getting irritated with all of us saying Kurt deserves somebody better as his last opponent in WWE. He says you need to forget the man in the video because the last you’ll see of him is a broken down old man lying flat on his back in the middle of the ring on Sunday. Angle says he and Corbin WILL square off on Sunday, but since it’s his last night on Raw, why not have an exhibition match right here?
Baron heads to the ring and steps up on the apron before stepping back down and saying that’s the old Kurt Angle intensity, but where’s the intelligence? If they wrestle now, he won’t make it to Sunday, so Baron’ll just wait until WrestleMania.
Enter Rey Mysterio, who slides into the ring and gets the mic from Angle.
He gets it, he says, but someone definitely needs to teach Corbin a lesson in respect, and on behalf of Angle he wants to throw down with Baron instead. Corbin says he’s not gonna do it and cheap shots Rey! Angle goes for the German, Baron reverses, Mysterio with the diving senton... ANGLE SLAM! Corbin is sent running up the ramp, proverbial tail between his legs.
Backstage, Charlotte Flair is interviewed.
She says on Sunday the whole world is going to be blindsided when she breaks Becky’s leg and taps Ronda Rousey out, before saying Steph had to change the match because she changed the game, and she’s going to win the match and take it all home. She says she’s a professional, not a hothead or a loose cannon, but after the trios match tonight, Rousey and Lynch better stay the hell away from her or they won’t make it to WrestleMania.
Ricochet and Aleister Black make their entrance, they’ll have a tag title match after the break.
Aleister Black & Ricochet vs. the Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) (c) (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship)
Black and Dawson to start, collar and elbow, Aleister backing him into the corner, jockeying for position and breaking clean at referee Darrick Moore’s behest. Scott on the back foot, back to the lockup, Black with a side headlock, slung aside, off the ropes, drop down, leapfrog, slide low, back elbow connects and the champions are in charge. Tag to Wilder, knees and a big chop, uppercut, whip but Black hangs up in the ropes.
Legsweep, Oklahoma roll, no good, arm drag into an armbar, arm wringer, tag to Ricochet! The One and Only legal, wristlock, arm wringer, controlling ther arm, Dash gets a knee and makes the tag. Dawson putting boots to Ricochet, chops against the ropes, choking him over the ropes, tag to Wilder. Front chancery, quick tag back to Scott, double whip, duck the clothesline, flip over, double Frankensteiner!
Tag to Black, double whip, drop down, leapfrog, running knee, basement dropkick, and they hip toss Dash into Dawson for the exclamation point and the two count! To the apron, Aleister with a right hand, Scott catches him with an armbreaker over the ropes and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Dawson tags in, northern lights suplex into the bridge but Black kicks out! Stepover armbar into the Fujiwara armbar, small joint manipulation on the fingers, wrenching and tearing, shifting to a hammerlock, back elbow, Al slips out, standing switch, but his arm gives out! Tag to Wilder, wristlock, blocking the tag, right hands from Black, axe kick for the separation, tag made!
Ricochet in hot with axehandles, jumping neckbreaker for Scott, landso n his feet off a back suplex, schoolboy... NOPE! Small package... STILL NO! Duck a lariat, dropkick sends Dash into Dawson, victory roll pin... NOT ENOUGH! O’Connor roll, still not enough, Scott with a cheap shot when he gets kicked off, Gory neckbreaker... RICOCHET KICKS OUT! On the floor, Black gets double-teamed and tornado DDT’d by Dash!
The One and Only runs... OVER THE POST TOPE CON GIRO WIPES THE CHAMPIONS OUT! Referee Darrick Moore counting, Wilder rushes back inside but Ricochet’s still down and out! He gets up and runs for it... BUT DAWSON’S UNDER THE RING AND TRIPS HIM UP! IT’S OVER!
The Revival win by countout to retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Wilder jaws at the camera as Al recovers... BLACK MASS!
Ricochet throws Dawson back in the ring, Black nails him as well and gets him into position... 630 SENTON!
Commentary informs us that Corbin/Mysterio is official for later tonight.
Backstage, Ronda Rousey is shadowboxing when and interview rolls up. She cuts Charly Caruso off and says she’s not in a mood to talk and she doesn’t care what stipulations the McMahons put into place, WrestleMania’s going to be judgment day for all of them.
We go backstage with Roman Reigns as we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of the segment between Braun Strowman, Colin Jost, and Michael Che from last week.
Backstage, Tyler Breeze is talking about his new hairstyle with Alexa Bliss while EC3 stands next to them looking all abs. Bliss changes the subject to what a great job she’s doing hosting WrestleMania, to which the boys put the SNL guys over jovially until Braun rolls up to ask what they’re laughing at. They demure and say their friends over there were watching last week’s Weekend Update.
Strowman stalks off and confronts the two guys down the hallway and berates them before telling them that either they can meet him in the ring tonight or they can meet him backstage and get These Hands.
Roman Reigns is interviewed backstage.
He addresses rumors he’s not ready for singles competition and blames them on Drew McIntyre, saying he doesn’t know anything about him. And from the source, he’s 100% clear and ready to put the rumors to--
MCINTYRE BLINDSIDES REIGNS AND BEATS HIM DOWN! Referee Chad Patton and his beard show up to break it up as Drew yells at him that he should have said no and five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce joins the break-up crew. McIntyre puts Roman into some road cases and leaves Reigns to drag himself up to his feet.
Riott Squad make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Becky Lynch is interviewed backstage.
She says she’s leaving Sunday the first ever Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champion, and who cares what Charlotte has to say? And Ronda, she’s beat her months ago when she triggered Rousey’s god complex, and when she feels untouchable, she’s most beatable. So tonight they’re forcing her to tag with them and hoping she loses her cool so they can kick her out of the match, but she’s wise to their game.
She knows the only way to make sure they can’t sink her after WrestleMania is to take home all the gold, and the other two might talk about how they want to make history, well she has no choice but to make history.
Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, & Ronda Rousey vs. Riott Squad (Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, & Sarah Logan)
Flair and Riott to start, front kick and a mat slam from the Queen and she poses. Chops ensue, a strut, choking Ruby over the ropes and Lynch tags in! Mocking strut, offering her chin up for Charlotte to hit her, front kick, shot off, shoulder block and Becky Matrixes her way out of the pin! Dropkick connects, the Riott Squad flee and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Logan is in control of Lynch with her cobra clutch. Becky to her feet, whipped into the corner, boots up, battering ram diving elbow and a dropkick puts Sarah out to the floor! Back in, tag to Riott, enzuigiri staggers her into a tag right back to Logan. Wicked running knee, right into the inverted cloverleaf! Becky slings her away, tag to Morgan, Lynch running hot with lariats!
Leg lariat, exploder suplex to a running-in Logan, kick to Liv’s midsection and an exploder for her as well... NOPE! Small package gets Morgan two, Becky’s got her arm and Charlotte tags herself in! Jawing, Ronda tags herself in as Lynch steps aside. Rousey jawing with Flair, shrugging off a cover, armbar...
Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, & Ronda Rousey win by submission with the cross armbar from Rousey on Liv Morgan.
Immediately our three competitors start brawling now that they’re free and clear and security hits the ring to break them up, including former Chikara Grand Champion Juan Francisco de Coronado! The three women fight them off and police flood the ring! Ronda attacks them and gets handcuffed! BECKY PUTS THE BOOTS TO A HANDCUFFED ROUSEY AND GETS CUFFED HERSELF! FLAIR ATTACKS LYNCH AND GETS HERSELF CUFFED TOO!
The cops slowly haul them off and Ronda’s not going quietly, trying to trip them up and kicking at them from the ramp like Antonio Inoki fighting Muhammad Ali! We follow them all the way back to the squad cars in the back and Rousey manages to get one last kick at Lynch in there! SHE’S KICKING BECKY IN THE BACK OF THE SQUAD CAR AND KICKS THE WINDOW OUT! THE COPS HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PULL THEM OUT OF THE CARS AND THEY’RE STILL FIGHTING!
RONDA GOT UP FRONT AND DRIVES HER CAR INTO THE OTHER SQUAD CAR! CHARLOTTE KICKS HER HEAD IN AS THEY FINALLY MANAGE TO DRIVE OFF! WE GOTTA GO TO BREAK!
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw, starting from Ronda kicking the glass out, because IT FRIGGIN’ RULED!
Bobby Roode & Chad Gable vs. Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight)
Gable and Dozer to start, waistlock, Otis shrugs him off, freight trains him, tag to Knight, Bushwhacker march into the belly sandwich! Big waistlock takedown, another one, leg pick, front chancery, Chad with a northern lights suplex and he makes the tag. Roode in, whip across, knee to the face, a lariat gets two and Lacey Evans makes her entrance to do her usual amount of nothing.
Bobby with a reverse chinlock, following it up with chops in the corner, elbow up on the charge! Sidestep, tag to Dozovic and he runs Roo over! Clear the apron, whip across, back body drop scouted, Glorious DDT blocked, double leg charge into the corner! Stinger Splash... CATERPILLAR TIME! Gable breaks the pin up, ducks a lariat from Tucky, Cactus crossbody! Dozer charges in, boot up, slip out of the neckbrekaer, catch the moonsault!
Knight in...
Heavy Machinery win by pinfall with the Compactor on Chad Gable.
A video package for Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan follows, and I have to get up and put groceries away to avoid crying.
Braun Strowman makes his entrance to wrestle the two SNL surrogates and send us to break.
Back from commercial we’re informed that Flair, Rousey, and Lynch ave been transported to a local precinct, read their rights, and booked.
Braun Strowman vs. “Colin Jost” & “Michael Che” (Handicap Match)
Big hip toss on “Jost”, one for “Che” as well, big boot and a lariat to follow, dumping “Colin” and “Michael” in turn, Strowman roars as referee Darrick Moore counts. Out at four, charging around... AND HE DESTROYS THE STAND-INS WITH A PAIR OF FREIGHT TRAIN SHOULDER BLOCKS! AROUND FOR ANOTHER SET! He tosses them back inside and returns to the ring, stack ‘em up, double Stinger Splash, running powerslams for both individually and then he hoists both of them on his shoulders at once...
Braun Strowman wins by pinfall with a double running powerslam.
A recap of the Rollins/Lesnar segment from earlier follows, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Bobby Lashley makes his entrance, flanked by Lio Rush as always, to send us to break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes up WWE’s WrestleMania Week festivities.
In the ring, Bob Lashley is interviewed about Finn Balor becoming #1 contender to his Intercontinental Championship.
Lio Rush answers for him, asking if she’s serious, calling last week a fluke and saying on Sunday, Bob isn’t gonna have to deal with dead weight Jinder Mahal and their only concern is where the afterparty will be. Asked about rumors that the Demon is showing up, Lashley says if you think he’s scared of some Irish fairytale, you’re out of your mind. They’re the same guy and he whoops and dominates Finn every single time.
Balor appears on the tron and says he’d show some concern if he was Bob, and at WrestleMania his Demon will be Lashley’s nightmare. The screen fills with fog and he’s the Demon now, hissing at the camera and sticking his tongue out.
We go to break on a video package for the Miz vs. Shane McMahon.
Back from commercial in time for entrances.
Baron Corbin vs. Rey Mysterio
Circling, Corbin backs Mysterio into the corner and shoves him into it when he tries to break out. Rey slips away, kicks and punches, probing, trying a whip, reversed, slide under, dropkick to the knee takes the big man out! Off the ropes, front kick, slide low to the floor, back in, dropkick staggers the Lone Wolf and Mysterio’s fired up! Back in, off the ropes, slide low again, Corbin picks him up and goes to powerbomb him... FRANKENSTEINER OVER THE ROPES AND TO THE LFOOR!
Right hand cuts off the dive and we go to break with Baron in control.
Back from commercial and Corbin is in charge, ramming Mysterio into the barricade on either side of the entrance. Back inside, setting Rey up top, Baron unloads with a right and tears at his mask, proving that he hasn’t watched late-era WCW. Looking for a back suplex, Mysterio lands on his feet but his knee gives out and Corbin puts boots to him until referee Chad Patton warns him off.
Rey heads to the floor and hobbles around the ringside area, Corbin follows after and throws him into the barricade again! Demanding the crowd cheer for their hero, Baron poses before taking the action back inside again. Mysterio with upkicks, struggling to his feet, rolled through and he nails Corbin in the face with a kick! Off the ropes, pop-up drop cuts him off and Baron throws him to the floor!
Corbin presses the attack on the outside before coming back in content to take the countout. Palming Rey’s head and dragging him to the apron, smashing his face into the post! Back inside, Mysterio fights through, sleeper hold applied, he gets thrown off, drop down puts Baron into the turnbuckles! Headscissors takeover, off the ropes, satellite DDT!
Setting him up... 619! Headed up top... NOBODY HOME FOR THE FROG SPLASH! Recovered, Corbin looking for a powerbomb but Rey fights back and turns it into a seated senton! Off the ropes... DEEP SIX GETS HIM!
Baron Corbin wins by pinfall with Deep Six.
Corbin heads up to the stage and poses... KURT ANGLE FROM BEHIND WITH THE ANKLE LOCK! Wrenching it in, Baron taps!
We get another recap of the cop car brawl that sent Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey off to get arrested.
That’s the show, folks.