WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Feb. 17, 2020) from the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Super ShowDown event later this month in Saudi Arabia.
Advertised for tonight: Seth Rollins holding a sermon, Matt Hardy vs. Randy Orton in a No Holds Barred match, Rusev & Humberto Carrillo vs. Bobby Lashley & Angel Garza, 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. 17
Okay so it can’t be right, I cry and try and think and fight. Okay so I need some help but they can’t fix the way I feel. Just one day, just one second, maybe just a minute... Feel no pain, but tonight I’ve got to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you folks.
The show opens into the intro video.
Randy Orton makes his entrance.
He calls for a recap of last week’s segment to be played without further commentary. He gets on the mic and says that tonight he was supposed to face Matt Hardy in a No Holds Barred match, but after last week, that’s not what’s gonna happen. Matt’s in the back trying to get cleared, but it’s just not happening.
Enter Matt Hardy, in a neck brace.
Hardy says instead of talking about him, why not finally confess about why he tried to take Edge’s second chance away when he smashed his surgically-repaired neck between two chairs. What in the hell is wrong with you, Randy Orton? He wants to fight, but the doctors won’t clear him, but he’s a man of his word and he’s here and he’s got grit and he will not die.
You can knock guys like him and Edge down, but they’ll always get back up, and though he doesn’t know what the future holds for him, it won’t be determined on Randy’s terms, but on his own. Orton says he should have said goodbye last week while he could still leave the arena on his own two feet. Matt gets in the ring and the Viper asks what he could do about it if he decided to RKO him here and now?
He says Hardy has balls and he’ll give him that, but nobody will ever understand why he attacked Edge. He respects Matt and he always will, but he not only respects Edge but loves him like a brother. He says he’s truly sorry and leaves, head in his hands and clearly conflicted.
Orton takes his vest off when he gets to the top of the ramp and Hardy gets a steel chair from the timekeeper’s area, beckoning Randy to him. Orton heads towards the ring and climbs in slowly but surely. Matt takes a swing... AND ORTON DUCKS AND SNAPS HIS INJURED NECK OVER THE TOP ROPE! Hardy convulses on the mat in agony, clutching at his neck, but slowly rises to his feet... RKO!
Insult to injury, Orton rams the chair into Hardy again and again before waffling it across his back! He again lays Matt head-first on a chair, takes his brace off, lifts a second chair high in the air but thinks better of it. He goes to leave before running back over and yanking Hardy out of the ring! The Viper takes the top step off the steel stairs and drags Matt atop the bottom stairs.
He climbs on top of the other stairs, chair in hand... CON-CHAIR-TO ON THE STEP!
Orton AGAIN comes back... A SECOND CON-CHAIR-TO!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of what just happened, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Aleister Black vs. Erick Rowan
Black right in with a hard knee but Rowan throws him outside. Low bridge sends the big man to the floor, he sidesteps the Orihara moonsault and runs him over to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Black lighting him up with strikes but Rowan ducks a lariat and catches him with a powerslam for two! Erick following it with elbow drops, throwing Aleister into the corner and clubbing him down. Pulling Black out of the ring, he swings him into the barricade before following it up with an atomic drop over the barricade! Powerbomb lift... reversed into a Frankensteiner into the ringpost!
Referee Eddie Orengo counting, Aleister breaks the count and hits the Orihara moonsault! Back inside, boot to the face, chest kicks, back elbows to escape a hold and a jumping knee... NOPE! Black Mass caught, claw hold applied but Al hits a back elbow to get him off his back! Whip reversed, Erick with a big boot and a powerbomb for another nearfall!
Back to the claw, Black floats out and hits Black Mass! Rowan stumbles into the ropes, Aleister focuses himself...
Aleister Black wins by pinfall with Black Mass.
Commentary tells us that Charlotte Flair is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, Charlotte Flair makes her entrance.
She rolls a recap of her appearance at NXT TakeOver: Portland last night before getting on the mic.
She talks about how Rhea Ripley thought she could just challenge her and she started reminiscing about her own time in NXT. She’s bothered by the entitlement of somebody like Rhea who didn’t fight and claw and just took the title that she put on the map? She thinks Ripley is very good, but there’s a saying— pride comes before the fall, and she’s going to humble her at WrestleMania.
Everyone is the next big thing, until they’re not.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for next week’s blood money show in Saudi Arabia.
Mojo Rawley vs. R-Truth vs. Riddick Moss (c) (WWE 24/7 Championship)
Moss smashing Truth’s face into the turnbuckles, he hits a sloppy modified Blue Thunder Driver but Rawley yanks him off the cover and beats him up on the floor. Back in with Truth, he fires up, flying forearms, fall-forward Blue Thunder Driver, “You can’t see me!”, Five Knuckle Shuffle! Fireman’s carry, Mojo slips out, fireman’s carry drop, Moss from outta nowhere...
Riddick Moss wins by pinfall with a folding press on Mojo Rawley to retain the WWE 24/7 Championship.
Post-match, Mojo tries to yell at Truth but he gets eats the scissors kick for his trouble.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary tells us who’s in the women’s Elimination Chamber match this year.
Drew McIntyre makes his entrance and cuts a promo in the ring.
He says it’s 48 days to WrestleMania and he’s gotta point at the sign but Charlotte did that already so he needs to go bigger, and he invites the crowd to point at the sign with him. 3... 2... 1... POINT! Come WrestleMania, he says, we’re invading Suplex City, demolishing it to the ground, and he’s leaving as WWE Champion.
Enter Paul Heyman.
He introduces himself and then Brock Lesnar, but Brock is nowhere to be found. He apologizes and says surely Drew didn’t really think Brock was here tonight, did he? No, he just wanted McIntyre and the entire WWE Universe to hear what it’s going to sound like after the words “and still” after Lesnar beats Ricochet next week and Drew at WrestleMania.
McIntyre fires back about how he’s going to take the title and Paul E says he’s got profound respect for him and didn’t come here to debate. No sir, he happens to be a huge admirer of his talents, and he introduces Drew’s opponent for tonight, MVP.
Porter makes his entrance and lays out his grievances, stemming from last week’s edition of the VIP Lounge. MVP promises a whooping, but he’s gonna see it coming and it’s not gonna be a cheap shot. He tells referee John Cone to ring the bell and immediately proceeds to hit Drew with a cheap shot! Blasting him with a big boot and we get a bell!
Drew McIntyre vs. Montel Vontavious Porter
McIntyre drops him and rips his nasal strip off before windmilling punches in the corner! Whip across, Porter with a back elbow but Drew gets underhooks... FUTURE SHOCK! Fired up, 3... 2... 1...
Drew McIntyre wins by pinfall with the Claymore.
We get a recap of last week’s women’s championship match and Shayna Baszler’s bloody Raw debut.
Becky Lynch makes her entrance, carrying a paper bag, to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Becky Lynch gets on the mic.
She talks about how she came to this country to seek her fame and fortune and learned she’s got no use for fame, but fortune, she knows what to do with. She takes money out of the bag and says it’s her paying her fine up front for what she’s gonna do when she next crosses paths with Shayna Baszler, a downpayment on violence. Bad things are going to happen when she finds her, because only animals go for the neck.
And when they do, it’s to weaken their prey before they end them. Now, Shayna, take a long hard look at the longest-reigning Raw Women’s Champion in history! Does she look like prey to you? She’s run through a murderer’s row of champions and former champions and cut them all down because she felt she had to, and she’s coming after Baszler because she wants to.
Shayna appears on the tron and mocks Lynch for carrying a bag of money around to pay for something that she’s never going to get to do. She lays it out— she’s gonna win the Elimination Chamber match because she’s a cagefighter, and everything about it is laid out for her to be the one to take Becky’s title at WrestleMania. She says she didn’t plan on biting last week, but imagine the things that she does have planned.
Lynch thanks her for laying it out and says she’ll be rooting for her at Elimination Chamber.
Lana and Zelina Vega are interviewed backstage about a tag match teaming their boys up against their enemies, and Lana says it’s like a double date.
Vega congratulates them on their marriage and says her and Angel Garza are strictly business and not a couple. Garza asks her to calm down and says everyone knows how pretty she is and no woman can tie him down, ladies’ man that he is. And Humberto Carrillo’s about to find out that no man can measure up to him.
Rusev makes his entrance to send us to break.
Angel Garza & Bobby Lashley vs. Humberto Carrillo & Rusev
Lashley and Carrillo to start, Bob using his strength but Humberto’s able to turn the speed up and get away from him. Whip blocked, handspring caught, back elbows to Lashley, off the ropes, leapfrog and Carrillo just careems off of Bob’s torso at speed! Tag to Garza, working Humberto over, but he gets a crossbody off for some separation. Back body drop to the apron, overhand chop and a springboard lucha arm drag.
Another springboard hip toss, Rusev takes Bob out on the apron and Humberto gets a whip reversed. Up and over, dropkick from Angel and he tears his pants off and throws them at Rusev! And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, the heels are working Carrillo over with quick tags. Humberto slips out of a fireman’s carry from Lashley, desperate for the tag but Bob shoves him into the corner, roll through, tags made! Rusev in hot, duck a lariat, flapjack, clear the apron! Stinger Splash, belly-to-belly suplex out of the corner and another one on the other side but Lashley breaks the cover up!
Rusev saw him coming and lights him up with punches, Garza with a schoolboy for two and a superkick to follow... CARRILLO BREAKS IT UP! To the apron, off the ropes, baseball slide, Humberto up and over, off the ropes... CORKSCREW TOPE! SPEAR FROM LASHLEY! RUSEV WITH THE POUNCE! The Bulgarian Lion throws Angel back inside, up top, fends Bob off but Garza cuts him off.
Jockeying for position, diving headbutt from Rusev... NOPE! Back and forth...
Angel Garza & Bobby Lashley win by pinfall with a schoolboy and a handful of tights from Garza on Rusev.
Kabuki Warriors are shown walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for this week’s edition of WWE Backstage.
Kabuki Warriors cut a promo in Japanese during their entrance, breaking into English to ask Natalya if her eye is okay before saying they don’t care and Asuka will beat her in the Elimination Chamber.
Kairi Sane vs. Natalya
Collar and elbow, Natalya with a waistlock, takedown, whip into the corner and Kairi gets a double axehandle. Charging in, back body drop to the apron, shoulder thrust, up top, nobody home but Sane plays it off with a taunt. Duck the rolling elbow, forearm gets a slap and Neidhart hits a delayed vertical suplex. Leg pick, Kairi gets the bottom rope and forces the break.
Uraken connects, cocky one-foot pin for two, following it up with a reverse chinlock and dropping Nattie with a mat slam for one. Japanese stranglehold applied, Neidhart stands up but Sane hangs on until she drops her by sitting out to the mat! Back elbow nails Kairi in the face, whip reversed, marching, but she gets caught by a Lou Thesz Press for two!
Sunset flip doesn’t do it, Neidhart reverses a dropkick but Asuka runs interference and Kairi drops Nattie off the apron where Asuka lands a roundhouse kick! Referee Danilo Anfibio counting, Neidhart down and out...
Kairi Sane wins by countout.
Commentary promises us a sermon (biting my gimmick?!) from Seth Rollins, after the break.
Back from commercial, Buddy Murphy and the Authors of Pain are in the ring.
Murphy gives Seth Rollins a big intro and he makes his entrance.
He talks about how sermon isn’t a term he came up with (THANK YOU), but it seems appropriate because what he has to say is divine. He goes on and on about his vision and how phase one was completed last week when they vanquished Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and the Viking Raiders and proved that through belief you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.
He takes his responsibility as Monday Night Messiah very seriously, and phase two will not be easy, but it’s necessary for the greater good. It’s time to seek out the weak and the lesser-than, the non-compliant, find the flaws in the system and rehabilitate them if they can, and eradicate them if they must. It’s not a threat or a warning, but it comes from his heart, the gospel, if any WWE superstars remain non-compliant, they’ll suffer the same fate as the weak.
Viking Raiders hit the ring and wipe the heels out! KEVIN OWENS HITS A STUNNER ON SETH ROLLINS!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Seth Rollins and his goons run into an interview.
Rollins says it seems like his goons are the only ones that give him the respect he deserves, and if KO and the Viking Raiders want a fight, they can have a fight... against his disciples... tonight.
The OC make their entrance and AJ Styles gets on the mic.
He says he’s back, and what would WrestleMania season be without him? Luke Gallows says Uncle Allen is at his best when that WrestleMania sign is up, and they all point at the sign briefly. Karl Anderson says as far as they’re concerned, he’s the new Mr. WrestleMania, and Styles says that’s sweet and being the humble man he is, he can say he’s the greatest superstar on any roster or at any time.
But here’s the thing— when he wins his gauntlet match at Super Showdown, then nobody can say anything, except for him, and you know what he’s gonna say? Who’s next? He doesn’t care, as long as the WWE Champion is available, and that can be anybody from Brock Lesnar to Hulk Hogan to the whole nWo— Too Sweet him— but when he proves his dominance—
Enter Ricochet.
AJ tells him to hold up, he was just joking when he mentioned his name. He was being nice to a lot of people in that list, and no one believes Ricky’s ever gonna be WWE Champion. What has he done to deserve a match in the first place? Nothing. Ricochet says he’s not even mad, but the fact is he’s earned his match and he’s planning on doing the impossible and beating Brock Lesnar.
But since the OC don’t seem sold, he’ll prove it in a match against AJ Styles right now!
The OC give him the big repeating “whoa” and tell him to simmer down. Anderson says there’s no way he can allow AJ’s first match back on Raw to be against this ungood brother, but since he’s handing out challenges, he’ll fight Ricochet.
Karl Anderson vs. Ricochet
Anderson with a whip, Ricochet flipping up and over, backflip tijeras and a dropkick sends Karl to the floor! Off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO SENDS US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Anderson’s in control but Ricochet gets a small package for two! Schoolboy, nope, Karl hits a neckbreaker for two and folls it up with a reverse chinlock. Boot up in the corner after his escape, Ricochet hits a dropkick and convulses on the mat briefly before shaking the cobwebs out and getting to his feet. Block a punch, throw his own, body blows, whip reversed, flying forearm connects!
Fireman’s carry, Machine Gun slips out, up and over to the apron and Ricky hits him with a kick! Springboard crossbody, running shooting star press... STILL NO! Up top, 630, nobody home but he lands on his feet and hits a boot on Karl! Off the ropes... SPINNING SPINEBUSTER ALMOST PUTS RICOCHET AWAY! Suplex, Ricky lands on his feet, superkick, fireman’s carry...
Ricochet wins by pinfall with Recoil.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of tonight’s opening segment, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Liv Morgan is interviewed backstage.
She says she was excited as anyone was to see one of her closest friends, Ruby Riott, return from injury. But she’s not a puppy on a leash as Ruby described, and she’s found a home in her own skin and looking to the future with an open eye, and she’s stepping into the Elimination Chamber, eliminating Riott, and moving on to WrestleMania.
We get entrances for our main event but go to break before it can begin.
Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) & Buddy Murphy vs. Kevin Owens & Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Owens with a dropkick on Murphy at the bell! Vicious punches in the corner, crotch chop, quick tag to Ivar. Warbeard working Buddy over, tagging Erik in. Thus the trend continues, but eventually he gets away and tags Akam in opposite Erik. Big lads action, clubbing away, forearms on forearms, tag to Ivar and they double-team the Author.
Whip reversed, snap scoop powerslam... NOPE! Erik legal again, Akam with a front chancery, tag to Rezar and now it’s the heels’ turn to work a babyface over at length. Murphy working a reverse chinlock, Erik tries to break free with elbows but gets isolated by the Authors anyway. Erik passes Rezar to the floor and hits a hard knee on Akam, opening the path for a tag!
Owes tags in, house afire on Buddy, senton connects! He runs into a boot and we go to break rather abruptly.
Back from commercial, an Author is waylaying Kevin Owens, punching away unmerciful. Murphy tags in, KO with a Shotei and a superkick and Buddy is down and out but the heels are able to cut him back off and keep him isolated. Buddy off the ropes, Owens drops him with a forearm and tags are made! Ivar on Rezar, clearing house, freight train crossbody, Banzai Drop, cartwheel lariat and the viking man is fired up!
Warbeard tags Erik, shotgun knees and he slams his partner into Akam! Tag to Kev, senton atomico... NOT ENOUGH! Tag to Murphy, off the top, roll through, KO hits him with the pop-up powerbomb but Akam breaks it up! The match breaks down, Vikings dump the Authors and run the ropes... STEREO BIG MAN TOPES! Kick to the gut, Stunner... SETH ROLLINS BREAKS IT UP!
Kevin Owens & Viking Raiders win by disqualification, presumably, although no finish is announced.
Rollins and his goons beat Kevin Owens down.
Seth gets on the mic and says he told Owens this is what would happen if he stood in the way of progress before kicking him a few times. He says KO has crucified him again and again and now they’re gonna crucify him— STREET PROFITS MAKE THE SAVE! They get Rollins cornered about as the Viking Raiders recover and return to the ring, and Seth beats a hasty retreat, leaving his goons to get beat down by the babyfaces.
Rollins sputters indignantly while the babyfaces stand tall.
That’s the show, folks.