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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (April 22, 2019) from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for next month in Hartford.
Advertised for tonight: A new era begins with a new roster, Seth Rollins needs a title challenger, 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 22
We’ll sew these eyes, you’ll peel them back. We’ll frame these words... Oh dear, I just need some time. You’ve earned the right. You’ve earned the right to know why I need this time away. You need to feel right. Fool yourself, surprise your friends, raise a toast to everything we once had. And I’m still afraid to be alone, but fortunately I get to liveblog this here pro wrestling show with all of y’all, folks.
The show opens with--
(Behold, the king!)
(The king of kings!)
(On your knees, dog.)
Triple H makes his entrance.
And immediately after he gets to the ring, Seth Rollins makes his entrance.
They shake hands and hug, and Rollins begins. He talks about how surreal it is to be in his home state, after everything they’ve all been through together, to be standing here as Universal Champion. Two weeks ago at WrestleMania he was in the fight of his life and he did what he said he was going to do, slayed the Beast, and brought the title home!
Hunter agrees, saying Seth walked in a Kingslayer and walked out a certified Beastslayer, stomping Brock’s head into the ring three times in the process. But now the landscape has changed, and now since Rollins is the standard-bearer and the measuring stick, as champion the whole world is gunning for him. Seth says he knows that, and he knows that Money in the Bank is right around the corner, and if anybody knows about that contract, it’s him.
He’s cashed the contract in and had the contract cashed in on him, and if everybody’s gunning for him that’s fine because he’ll never let it happen again. Triple tells him not to put the cart before the horse, because he needs to worry about who he’s defending the title against on the pay-per-view. Rollins guesses that Brock wants a rematch, but HHH says he hasn’t heard from Paul Heyman or Brock Lesnar.
So what’s next? Hunter says we’ll find out tonight and the best of the best have landed here tonight and they’re going to do two triple threats that will feed into a main event #1 contender’s match for the right to face Seth at Money in the Bank.
Enter Samoa Joe.
He says he wants this to be a reminder that he does what he wants, when he wants, and your United States Champion has arrived on Raw. He’s gotta admit, our girl Becky Lynch has a real interesting concept with this double championship, and as you can see his shoulders are plenty wide, with room for one more. (One more, place at the table, there’s always room for one more!)
Enter Rey Mysterio.
He says Joe isn’t the only former SmackDown superstar looking to make an impact on Raw, and he didn’t come here just to hang out and drop knowledge, he came here because he had a match in mind, and after tonight, he sees Mysterio vs. Rollins at Money in the Bank.
Enter Drew McIntyre.
He wants to make himself perfectly clear that he doesn’t give a damn what they think they deserve or what the people are excited about, he’s spent a year cleaning this place up and getting rid of the dead weight with zero title opportunities, and now it’s his time! Hunter said Seth is the measuring stick, but the only reason he’s champion is that he got to Brock before Drew could.
You know what he’s capable of, and he’s going to win tonight and beat Rollins at Money in the Bank to finally be Universal Champion.
Enter the Miz.
He starts off by saying that the A-Lister is back on Raw and the more things change, the more things stay the same. Like how Seth Rollins has something he wants, but he’s had something of a reboot thanks to a man who calls himself the Best in the World, and he’s not the same guy that Seth remembers. The last few months have shown him that he can be a certain man, a man worthy of the Universal Championship.
And he can’t think of a more must-see match for Money in the Bank than Seth Rollins vs. the Miz.
Enter Baron Corbin.
He says he’s the most deserving to challenge Seth, because at WrestleMania he may have slain the Beast, but he retired a legend. And has McIntyre ever beaten a gold medalist in his farewell match at WrestleMania? Or has Miz? Or Rey?
Enter AJ Styles.
He says everybody seems to have forgotten that he’s on Raw now, but he’s going to win tonight and face whoever wins the other triple threat and show them why SmackDown was the House That AJ Styles Built. So at Money in the Bank, it’ll be him vs. Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship.
Seth say he’s ready and it doesn’t matter which one of them he wrestles at Money in the Bank, because he’s Seth freakin’ Rollins, and he’s going to burn it down.
Our first triple-threat will be after the break!
AJ Styles vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Samoa Joe (WWE Universal Championship #1 Contender’s Match Qualifying Match)
Joe piefaces Mysterio and swats Styles away, kicking AJ in the back to follow up. Rey with a kick to stagger Samoa and back him into the corner, Styles whips him hard across and to the corner, leaping lariat on Joe, charging into a boot from Mysterio. Pop-up into a Frankensteiner, Samoa careens out of the ring and it’s Styles vs. Mysterio! Whip reversed, Rey slides low but gets caught by an STO backbreaker!
A knee cuts Joe off and Styles stalks after Rey, drawing him up for a snap suplex. To the outside briefly and back in, thinking about the Styles Clash but Mysterio struggles into the ropes and sits up for a Frankensteiner... JOE BREAKS IT UP! Throwing Rey into the turnbuckles, whip for AJ into back elbow that knocks him loopy. Styles fighting back with kicks out of the corner, whip reversed but he gets caught by the big corner Rock Bottom for two to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Mysterio comes off the ropes into a snap scoop powerslam from Joe but Styles breaks it up! Palm strikes from Samoa but AJ fires back with an enzuigiri that gets a deep cover and forces Rey to break it up! Whip reversed, Mysterio has the back body drop scouted, la casadora bulldog puts Styles into the mat and he hits the drop toehold on Joe!
Off the ropes, Samoa bails but Rey improvises with a slingshot tornillo! Mysterio up top, AJ meets him, they jockey for position, Joe rushes over... DOUBLE BACK BODY DROP OFF THE TOP BUT SAMOA PAYS THE PRICE AS WELL! We go to break waiting for them to recover.
Back from commercial, Joe with a lariat on Styles for two! Mysterio drops Samoa for a nearfall, knocks AJ to the floor, Joe comes from behind with a club. Scoop him up, Rey reverses to a tornado DDT! Coquina Clutch applied, Styles springboards in, Joe switches to him, AJ reverses to a pin for two and hits the Pele kick! Got Rey in the electric chair, he reverses to a headscissors that sets the Phenomenal One on the second... 619!
Looking for the springboard senton... AJ CATCHES HIM AND STYLES CLASHES HIM ONTO JOE! IT’S OVER!
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Styles Clash on Rey Mysterio to advance to the WWE Universal Championship #1 Contender’s Match.
A bloodied Samoa Joe stalks his way back up the ramp while AJ Styles celebrates.
Commentary recaps John Cena’s guest host spot on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Naomi makes her entrance, she’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances.
The Iconic Duo, of course, get some promo time, and Billie Kay says what Naomi did last week can be summed up in the words “Thank you, next”, and they debate who sings the song of the same name for a bit before settling on it and running Naomi down as living in the past when the future is... you know.
Billie Kay vs. Naomi
Kay in with a front kick, mat slam, cover for one and into a grounded Cobra Twist, jawing all the way. Naomi posts to her feet, Billie catches her with a knee, Naomi returns a roundhouse and off the ropes with a lariat, corkscrew elbow, corkscrew facebuster, kip-up, bulldog into Peyton Royce! Slingshot...
Naomi wins by pinfall with a sunset flip.
We get another one of the creepy dollhouse vignettes.
The Miz makes his entrance for his qualifying match and we go to break.
Baron Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre vs. the Miz (WWE Universal Championship #1 Contender’s Match Qualifying Match)
Miz brings the fight right to McIntyre with right hands, boot up when Corbin comes in, schoolboy but Drew pulls him off so he gives him some of the same and bails when the Scotsman overpowers him! Fast and loose, making them chase after him, back in, off the ropes, slingshot dropkick but Baron decks him with a right hand and puts boots to the A-Lister!
McIntyre brings him back in and chops him down as Corbin returns and draws the Miz up himself, but the A-Lister fights back and it takes both heels clubbing him down to subdue him again! Baron off the ropes, right hand to the midsection, he holds Miz in place so Drew can do the same but it’s a fakeout and he sucker punches McIntyre! Dumping the A-Lister to the floor, the Lone Wolf rams him into the barricade but a second try gets reversed!
Drew steamrolls Miz and throws him back inside for a suplex that gets two. Baron back in, begging off, leaving McIntyre to chop and club at Miz. Fighting back in the corner, ducking and dodging, Corbin nails Drew with a lariat but nearly gets pinned for three by the A-Lister! Hard into the post after, Miz is starting to see his opening, punches in the corner, kicks, clothesline to McIntyre and the A-Lister comes in with a springboard double clothesline!
Chest kicks with both guys kneeling, fired up, Drew ducks the buzzsaw but Baron eats it! McIntyre with the headbutt! Scooping Miz up, setting him in the corner, jockeying for position, hammering away at each other, Corbin underneath... POWERBOMB / AIR RAID CRASH TOWER OF DOOM SENDS US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Drew and Baron are slugging it out on the floor as Miz sees his opportunity and climbs the turnbucklews... DIVING DOUBLE LARIAT TAKES BOTH HEELS OUT! The A-Lister runs Corbin into the timekeeper’s area and takes McIntyre back inside only to get cut off with elbows. Inverted Alabama Slam connects... NOPE! Sidestep the Claymore and the figure four leglock is in!
Pushing up, adding the pressure but Drew shoves referee Chad Patton and his beard out of the way and thumbs Miz’s eye! Limping, he charges and Miz tosses him to the floor! The A-Lister stalks as Corbin returns... DEEP SIX CAN’T PUT HIM AWAY! Baron charges around, gets put into the steps, Miz with a pin on Drew... NOPE! Spinebuster into a jackknife pin... BUT MIZ WON’T STAY DOWN!
Future Shock reversed, Miz hits the basement DDT... STILL NO! Baron back in, End of Days, reversed, another basement DDT... MIZ IS GOING TO HAVE TO GO DEEPER! Corbin hunched over, he blocks the full nelson so Miz clotheslines him to the floor, off the ropes... CLAYMORE! Baron steals it...
Baron Corbin wins by pinfall with a lateral press on the Miz to qualify for the WWE Universal Championship #1 Contender’s Match later tonight.
AJ Styles is interviewed about tonight’s main event.
He says it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but rather of the fight in the dog and he likes to think of himself as a bulldog that has a lot more fight in him than Baron Corbin, who demands to be introduced by all the accolades across his career. All that’s true, but he’s got a few of his own, from the United States Championship to the WWE Championship and he’s beat up John Cena on a regular basis.
But it’s not about comparing accolades, this is him picking a fight with the biggest bully in the yard and winning, and he hopes Seth Rollins is watching so he can hear him be announced as the winner along with everyone else.
Sami Zayn makes his entrance, and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a hype reel for WWE’s partnership with Make-A-Wish.
Sami Zayn gets on the mic and cuts the crowd off mid-theme-song.
He says for the past few weeks he’s done something nobody else has had the courage to do, tell us the truth about ourselves. Nobody wants to hear about how they’re incessantly negative, so of course we engaged in denial and deflection and built this false narrative about Sami becoming bitter, but he can squash that for us right now. He’s the opposite of bitter, he’s jubilant!
In fact, his ten months away was the happiest time of his life, but he can show us how beautiful life can be outside these prison walls, and he shows us a few pictures from his Instagram account. He repeatedly focuses on how happy he was before talking about how the closer to coming back, the closer the dark cloud of anxiety came back, and what about WWE was making him sick?
The corporate structure he doesn’t agree with? His egomaniacal, delusional, entitled coworkers? But he kept digging and digging and got to the root of it and figured out that the problem is us, the fans. He encourages them to boo and suggests that it feels good because it’s easier to blame him than hold ourselves accountable for our roles in all this.
So he’s going to hold every single one of us to account even though he’d rather be anywhere else on earth than depressed Des Moines, Iowa. And if we’ve got a problem with that, he suggests we take a page out of his book and take a trip. He leaps around the ring asking if that sounds nice and says we can all go to hell!
Cedric Alexander makes his entrance as Sami leaves and we get a video package hyping up his move to heavyweight to send us to break.
Cedric Alexander vs. Cesaro
Cesaro shoves Alexander into the corner and waits for him to get back up. Collar and elbow, armbar, to a wristlock, Cedric rolls through and reverses, side headlock, trying the takeover but the Swiss Superman blocks and Alexander has to float out so he cracks him one. Uppercut in the corner sets up chops, whip across, up and over, handspring into a headscissors, dropkick sends Cesaro to the floor!
Cedric fired up, off the ropes, Cesaro slides back in and slams him! Rear chinlock applied, Cedric out, boot up in the corner, dive... CAUGHT INTO A TILT-A-WHIRL BACKBREAKER FOR TWO! Forearms to the back of the neck, reverse chinlock applied, Alexander escapes, off the ropes and he runs into a boot for two! Karelin lift follows, again just a two count!
Back to the reverse chinlock, again Cedric gets free, sunset flip for two, chops, forearms, staggering the Swiss Superman! Off the ropes, catch the boot this time, back elbow, dropkick to the knees and a basement dropkick to follow! Kip-up, fired up, charging in, back body drop to the apron and a boot through the ropes to set the springboard reverse STO but Cesaro catches him!
Reverse to a vertical suplex, Cedric floats over... MICHINOKU DRIVER FOR TWO! Backslide reversed, Neuralyzer connects and Cesaro spills out of the ring! Alexander calls for it, off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO! Back inside, springboard... RIGHT INTO SWISS DEATH! IT’S OVER!
Cesaro wins by pinfall with Swiss Death.
Backstage, the Usos are interviewed.
They say they’re happy to be here after locking SmackDown down and they’re gonna line ‘em up and knock ‘em down, from the Lucha House Party (party’s over!) to the Viking Raiders (they look like they came off the set of Braveheart) to the tag team champions (who collect toys) to... the Revival roll up and interrupt. Scott Dawson says the Usos are the greatest tag team in the history of SmackDown, but Raw is Top Guy territory and they’re not locking anything down.
The Usos feign being asleep briefly before welcoming the Revival to the Uso Penitentiary!
Viking Raiders make their entrance, they’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial, Vikings attack before the bell and beat the Lucha House Party down!
Erik takes Dorado out with a knee, catches Metalik, Ivar puts Kalisto on him... HE POWERBOMBS KALISTO AND WORLD’S STRONGEST SLAMS GRAN AT THE SAME TIME! Raiders call for it... THE POP-UP POWERSLAM IS CALLED THE VIKING EXPERIENCE!
Backstage, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder are interviewed about the tag division.
Hawkins say we all saw the Viking Raiders go absolute berserk out there and Ryder adds that they felt what they can do last week, but they’re new, and the tag champs have been around for years. Curt says they deserve them now as much as they did back in 2008, and Zack says they’re not going to let these horny woolly mammoths take them away.
Becky Lynch makes her entrance, she’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial, Becky Lynch gets on the mic.
She says there’s something in the air tonight in Iowa and she thinks it’s the Superstar Shake-Up. New challengers, and she didn’t have to wait, finding out last week that it’d be Lacey Evans, the woman who likes to sucker punch The Man. But she doesn’t mind being sucker punched, and she’s made a career out of slapping bleach blondes who’ve “curried favors” from management, so Lacey’s really just a new version of an old approach.
So while Evans is in the back trying to further her career, she’s out here ready to fight anyone to cement hers, so if Alicia Fox would come on--
Enter Lacey Evans.
She says she can’t understand for the life of her why Becky constantly allows her emotions to get the best of her. Maybe it’s that she’s Irish, or that like a typical man she has to be the center of attention. So, lesson one, a lady is always in control of her emotions, lesson two, a lady is never a showoff, and lesson three, she’ll teach The Man how to respect a lady with the Woman’s Right and take her titles home.
Becky laughs her off and says after all the people she’s beat to get here she’s just been trying to enjoy the last few weeks and this absolute plank is getting on her last nerve. So you talk about her Irish emotions, well they want to slap Lacey’s head right off her shoulders! And she’s new around here, so don’t confuse her happiness with contentment, because she’ll dismantle her at Money in the Bank because she can and it’s time for The Man to go back to collecting her debts.
Alicia Fox vs. Becky Lynch
Circling, collar and elbow, Lynch with a side headlock, into the takeover and Fox reverses into her own side headlock from there, wrenching it in. Shot off, shoulder block, bridge out of the cover and the double champ is fired up! Off the ropes, drop down, leapfrog, sidestep the kick, rolling solebutt sends Alicia to the apron and she bails to regroup.
Baseball slide cuts Foxy off, Becky drags her around ringside, smashing her face into the apron but Alicia returns the favor into the barricade as referee John Cone counts but they return to the ring and break the count, whereupon Fox gets a cover and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Lynch with a whip, Fox with a pair of kicks, cover for two. Trying the cover again, same result, into the reverse chinlock, off the ropes, a tilt-a-whirl goes south, Dis-Arm-Her denied, through the ropes and after a beat she follows after and Becky pounds on her. Elbow in the corner, battering ram forearm, rolling solebutt, exploder suplex connects!
A second exploder, charging in, nobody home, roll-up for two! Take her back down...
Becky Lynch wins by submission with Dis-Arm-Her.
Immediately post-match Lacey Evans is in the ring to clock Becky with the Woman’s Right! She collects herself and puts her hat on before decking Lynch again!
Baron Corbin is shadowboxing backstage when an interview rolls up about his main event tonight.
He scoffs at the idea that he’s defying the odds and says he’s not looking past AJ Styles, he’s looking straight through him.
Ricochet makes his entrance, he’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial we get a WWE.com interview from Robert Roode talking about how he shed 150 pounds of dead weight and he sees Ricochet as being a lot like Chad Gable and he’s going to expose what he’s missing.
Ricochet vs. Robert Roode
Circling, collar and elbow, into the corner and Ricochet turns it around before breaking clean. Roode with a front kick, right hand, the One and Only firing back, shot off, leapfrog denied and Robert grabs a side headlock. Knee lift on the break, big chop, roll-through, headscissors, dropkick on the button and Ricochet is running hot! Roode begs off, back body drop puts him on the floor.
Off the ropes, fakeout flip when Robert moves away and Ricochet hits the kickflip moonsault to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Roode is in control with a reverse chinlock, grounding Ricochet at length. He posts to his feet, double axehandles to the midsection, off the ropes but Robert catches him with a knee to the gut! Whip, right into a knee, straight suplex for two! Wrenching back on the One and Only’s neck, Camel Clutch applied, seated senton to break and punish Ricochet further!
Whip to the corner, boot up on the charge, rolling thunder dropkick and the King of Flight is in the fight! Trading punches, Ricochet off the ropes, lariats, flying headscissors, shoulder thrust in the corner sets up a kick to the turnbuckles that puts the padded steel into Roo’s face! Springboard elbow, running shooting star press... NOPE!
Jockeying for position over a waistlock, Robert off the ropes, schoolboy catches him for two and he returns the favor with a spinebuster... NOPE! Calling for the DDT, Ricochet blocks, fireman’s carry... spin-out Go 2 Sleep can’t quite finish him! Moving the former TNA World Heavyweight Champion into place, the One and Only climbs and lands on his feet when Rob moves away from the 450!
Into the corner, he gets caught...
Robert Roode wins by pinfall with the Glorious DDT.
We get a happy shiny video package for... Bray... Wyatt’s... new children’s show? Firefly Fun House. The weird doll is here in the logo and so is the buzzard.
Bray welcomes us to the show and tells us how much fun we’re going to have in his special place and show us what he’s learned. He puts on gloves labeled “Hurt” and “Heal” and introduces us to Mercy the Buzzard and the doll in turn. He says he used to be a very bad man but he does keep a reminder to make sure he never turns into that pathetic slob loser ever again, and the camera pans to reveal a cardboard cutout that he decapitates with a chainsaw before telling us he’ll see us next week.
AJ Styles makes his entrance and our main event will begin after the break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes up a special Money in the Bank edition of A Moment of Bliss next week, in which Alexa Bliss will announce all the entrants in both ladder matches.
AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin (WWE Universal Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Circling, Styles throws probing strikes, staying light on his feet and taunting the big man. Chops land true, kick to the leg, but Corbin blocks one and hammers him with a left. Back suplex, roll through, kicking away and hammering Baron with forearms against the ropes until referee Chad Patton and his beard warn him off. To the apron, shoulder thrust, slingshot cut off with a right hand!
Corbin putting boots to him, hard whip sternum-first into the turnbuckles, more punches to the face follow but AJ fights back and punches Baron to the floor! Slingshot to the apron, Corbin trips him up and Styles takes the barricade hard! Whip into the timekeeper’s area, he tries to launch himself over the barricade but Baron cuts him off and hangs him over the barricade to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Corbin is in charge but Styles posts to his feet and fights out of the hold with a series of back elbows to the midsection. Baron with a big tossing back suplex... NOPE! Jockeying for position in the corner, Styles slips out and hangs the Lone Wolf up! Staggering to his feet, leg kicks take the big man off his feet but he’s still got enough strength to kick AJ away! Sliding forearm, fired up, charging in, leaping lariat, fireman’s carry but he can’t hold Corbin up!
Styles Rush, backfist, caught by the goozle, bent low before the chokebreaker but AJ reverses to a pin! Folding press, standing up, but Baron kicks the Phenomenal One off! Sliding out and then back in, Styles hits the Pele kick, charging in... DEEP SIX GETS TWO! Charging lariats in the corner, AJ able to reverse End of Days into the Calf Killer! He wrenches it in but Baron slams his head into the mat to force the break!
Both men slow to rise and fighting the pain, Baron gets a boot up on the charge and hangs AJ over the ropes before climbing to the second... NOBODY HOME! Styles on the apron...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Phenomenal Forearm, becoming #1 contender to the WWE Universal Championship.
Styles celebrates briefly before Seth Rollins’ music hits.
The champion makes his entrance and squares up with his challenger. They shake hands and exchange a few words.
That’s the show, folks.