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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (April 12, 2021) from the ThunderDome at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida, featuring all the fallout from the WrestleMania 37 pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza that went down over the past two nights at Raymond James Stadium.
Advertised for tonight: All the fallout from the big show, as Bobby Lashley celebrates retaining the WWE championship over Drew McIntyre, Rhea Ripley starts her reign as Raw women’s champion after defeating Asuka to win the title, whatever is next after Alexa Bliss cost The Fiend his match with Randy Orton, 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 12
Yesterday has been and gone. Tomorrow will I find the sun or will it rain? Everybody’s having fun, except me, I’m the lonely one, and I have to liveblog this here pro wrestling show.
The show opens with WWE Champion Bobby Lashley rolling up to the arena and signing an autograph.
Matt Riddle scoots up and challenges him to a match tonight, and Bob tells him he’s out of his mind. Riddle says he wore a tinfoil hat to school for a year, Lashley says he went to war last night and he’s not going to compete against someone lesser. Matt keeps talking and brings up some stuff Lashley said in the last month up but Bob lays him out and moves on.
Bobby Lashley and Montel Vontavious Porter make their entrance.
Byron Saxton introduces his two new partners at the commentary desk, Adnan Virk and a returning Corey Graves.
Bobby Lashley vs. Matt Riddle
Lashley cuts Riddle off during his entrance and beats him up against the barricade! Fireman’s carry, ramming him face-first into the ringpost, but Matt recovers and gets in the ring and referee John Cone calls for the bell!
Bob smashing him into the turnbuckles, delayed vertical suplex, he goes and throws Riddle’s scooter into the crowd! Pressing the attack, back to the floor, Lashley press slams him over the barricade and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Lashley well in control and beating Riddle down further in the ring. Reverse chinlock, Matt fights out with punches but Bob fires off knees and then a short reverse STO into the turnbuckles before hitting the full reverse STO in the middle of the ring... NOPE! Choking Matt in the ropes, neck crank, a big lariat, Riddle fires back with a series of roundhouse kicks!
Going for the moonsault, Lashley catches him...
Bobby Lashley wins by submission with the Hurt Lock.
Rhea Ripley is interviewed backstage after a recap of her WWE Raw Women’s Championship victory plays.
She talks about her self-confidence and how it allowed her to challenge and then beat Asuka and establish a brutal new order in the women’s division, and she’s going to start by beating Asuka again.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, the Viking Raiders make their return!
Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Ivar and Alexander to start, Cedric lights him up but Warbeard throws him into the corner and hammers him with body blows of his own! Quick tags and double-teams, Benjamin tags in and nails Erik with a knee strike that almost ends the match! Scoops and slams, big exploder suplex, only two! Alexander back in, working the big man over until he gets decked by a forearm!
Whip across, Erik grabs a head-and-arm triangle, Cedric with overhead elbows to break it, and a tag to Shelton. Trading strikes, Benjamin with the Olympic Slam... NOPE! Judo throw from Erik into a knee strike, both men are down and out but the path is clear! Tags made, straight-up brawling, and Ivar lays him out with shoulder blocks, side slam, freight train crossbody!
Banzai Drop follows, cartwheel double lariat, tag to Erik, double-team takes Shelton out in the corner, pop Cedric up...
Viking Raiders win by pinfall with the Viking Experience on Cedric Alexander.
Asuka is interviewed backstage.
She says last night, Rhea Ripley brought the fight, but now it’s her turn, and she punctuates that with a bunch of Japanese. Losing to Rhea was a nightmare, but tonight she’s ready and she’s gonna win the title back.
The match is up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, we get a photo recap of WrestleMania.
Charlotte Flair makes her entrance in a terrible outfit.
She gets on the mic and talks about not being booked for WrestleMania, and she knows some of us are thinking that it’s only one WrestleMania, but she’s a franchise player and a genuine superstar, and what she does in the ring is sacred. Furthermore, it wasn’t her fault she wasn’t on WrestleMania, it was because she got suckered into teaming with Asuka, her dad was acting like a fool, Lacey Evans got pregnant...
She even challened Asuka right here on Raw and Asuka didn’t respond! But kudos to Rhea Ripley for being the biggest snake in the locker room. She’s incredulous about Asuka getting a next-day rematch before saying karma’s a bitch and she’s that bitch. She calls out the rest of the roster that got booked on WrestleMania and says none of them compare to her.
For the first time since signing her contract seven years ago, she realized she doesn’t steal opportunities, she IS the opportunity. She’s not gonna apologize for being that damn good, and we’re all going to bow down to her. (Yes’m.) And further, show some respect to what she’s brought to this industry— she’s given years of her life to this business, and what have any of us given her in return?
Exactly.
Asuka makes her entrance and we go to break.
Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley (c) (WWE Raw Women’s Championship)
Brawling around the ring, Ripley stops herself short from going into the turnbuckles on a drop toehold and biels Asuka across the ring! Clubbing her down, back and forth, Asuka gets a victory roll, chest kicks, flying armbar but Rhea gets the ropes! Forearms from the champ, passing Asuka into the corner, setting her up top before dropkicking her off and to the floor to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Ripley is in control but Asuka recovers, reverse roundhouse, sliding knee, cover for two! Rhea cuts her off, stomps into the inverted cloverleaf, the Empress gets the ropes but Ripley drags her back and and smashes her into the mat for a cover! Cravate knees, snapmare into a dropkick, duck the sliding knee, short electric chair suplex!
Electric chair into a fireman’s carry, Asuka tries for a crucifix driver counter but both women get hit and no cover! Fujiwara armbar applied, looking to transition into the Asuka Lock, Rhea fights to her feet and rams her into the turnbuckles to block! Electric chair facebuster, no good! To the apron, jockeying for position, Asuka puts her into the post, hip attack, DDT into the apron!
Charlotte runs in and attacks...
No finish is announced but she kind of attacked both of them at once so that’s probably a no-contest.
Post-match, Flair beats Asuka and Ripley down at length.
Miz is hanging out with Maryse backstage when John Morrison rolls up confused as to why she’s here. Miz says she’s their guest on MizTV and a confused Morrison goes with it.
Commentary hypes up Alexa’s Playground and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler watch Mandy Rose’s slip and fall over and over again, laughing heartily about it.
Mandy rolls up to ask if they’re done and she gets it, it WAS really embarrassing, but also really funny, and it’s funny when things happen that you don’t see coming, like how she hauls off and slaps Nia and Dana Brooke arrives to help knock her down!
Backstage we get an episode of Alexa’s Playground.
She says that WrestleMania was so much fun and we’re probably wondering why she did what she did. (I’m wondering WHAT she did since she in no way made that clear, but that’s a different story.) She tells a story about a girl being nurtured by the darkness until the darkness one day went away and she realized she never needed the darkness in the first place.
How do you think she felt when she realized she could do everything on her own? Was the darkness helping her or just standing in her way? Why else would she use what she was taught to destroy the darkness? Is it true that the female of the species is deadliest? We may never know, but we know for sure that she unlocked something truly evil along the way.
Meet her new friend, Lily, a deranged looking doll on the swing next to her. Their fun is just getting started.
The Miz makes his entrance, flanked by Maryse and, moments later, John Morrison, to send us to break.
Back from commercial Miz welcomes us to MizTV and explains that Maryse is here to hype the new season of Miz & Mrs.
Morrison wants to pitch them on adding him to the show full-time but Miz cuts him off and reminds him that he’s on this week’s episode and they talk about how great the commercial they made is. Miz takes credit for bringing Bad Bunny into wrestling and they throw up some highlights of the match in still picture form.
Damian Priest interrupts, taking issue with them taking the credit for Bunny’s performance, explaining that Bad trained day and night to have that match. Back and forth, Miz challenges Priest to a match, Morrison says he wanted to challenge him, Maryse yells at them and says they can both fight him. Damian says he sees what’s going on but they’re idiots.
They want a handicap match? Fine, we’ll make a headline right now, Damian Priest beats Miz and John Morrison. Miz and Morrison beg off and we go to break.
Damian Priest vs. the Miz & John Morrison
Priest boots Miz down, punches in the corner, Morrison gets up on the apron but he clobbers him down. Miz takes advantage, putting boots to him, catapult into a forearm, elbow drop from a freshly-tagged John for two. Kick into a reverse chinlock, trying to grind Damian down, Priest recovers, Broken Arrow on Morrison, kicks into a rolling elbow, Miz ducks a lariat but eats the Shinjiro Ohtani spinning wheel kick!
Sitout chokeslam, Morrison breaks it up, Damian hits a lariat and goes up top but Johnny Raw rolls out of the ring! Charging over, tope con giro wipes both heels out! Headed up top, jockeying for position with Morrison, spinning wheel kick off the top... NOT ENOUGH! Hit the Lights on Morrison but Miz was legal, full nelson, Priest reverses but Maryse saves her man!
Maryse still on the apron, jawing, Priest makes nice to ask her to leave but Miz scoots over...
The Miz & John Morrison win by pinfall with a schoolboy from Miz with his feet on the ropes for leverage.
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler are interviewed backstage about Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke attacking Jax earlier.
Nia complains about replaying something that happened 20 minutes ago (you and me both, sister) to embarrass her, but regardless Mandy got her attention, and after the beating they’re gonna hand out, nobody’s going to be talking about either of them.
Sexy Muscle Friends make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get another pictoral recap of WrestleMania.
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler vs. Sexy Muscle Friends (Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose)
Jax slips on her way into the ring and Rose and Brooke giggle about it.
Nia starts the match against Dana with a vengeance, beating her in the corner, bieling her across, tag made and double-teams ensue. Stretch muffler applied, swinging Brooke into the turnbuckles, Nia legal again for an elbow drop, only two. Cobra Clutch, jawbreaker to escape, tilt-a-whirl shrugged off, Dana with an enzuigiri but Jax tags out.
Tag to Rose as well, perching up top, missile dropkick, big lariat, flapjack, shoulder thrusts in the corner, sidestep the boot, pump kick puts Baszler in the corner, underhooks, Angel’s Wings blocked and the Kirifuda Clutch is locked on! Mandy gets out of the ring, Nia puts her back in but slips off the apron, everybody laughs, Sexy Muscle Friends leave and take the loss...
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler win by count-out.
A recap of Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre follows.
We’re promised an All Mighty address, after the break.
Back from commercial, Montel Vontavious Porter is in the ring with an official announcement from the Hurt Business.
On Saturday, Bobby Lashley retained his title and he just wanted to come here today and celebrate but Matt Riddle screwed it up. So first off, Drew McIntyre is a warrior, one of the most dominant WWE Champions ever, and a fearsome individual, but he took his eye off the target for one second and it’s okay to be number two when Bobby Lashley is number one.
Drew McIntyre passed out in the Hurt Lock, and if he can’t handle the pressure of the Hurt Lock, no one can.
Enter Drew McIntyre.
He says he doesn’t have excuses, and MVP was right about the Hurt Lock— it went on and he passed out, boom. But there’s not a man on this earth that can humble Drew McIntyre. Keep making that money and kissing that ass, because he wants Bob on the biggest pedestal you can fight when he gets his rematch, so when he finally connects with that Claymore, he falls as far as possible before looking at that new WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre.
Enter Braun Strowman.
MVP tells Drew to take his ass to the back of the line and asks Strowman what he’s doing here. Braun says McIntyre lost and he won his match, so he’s going to step to the front of the line.
Enter Randy Orton.
He says the Fiend and Alexa Bliss are finished so no more mind games for him, and now he has all the time in the world to focus on what he’s truly great at, and that’s being the Legend Killer, the Apex Predator, the Viper, and most importantly, being WWE Champion once again.
Five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce comes out and says everyone is making excellent points, which makes his decision simple— the three challengers in the ring will fight tonight and the winner is #1 contender for WrestleMania Backlash.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Drew McIntyre runs into Braun Strowman backstage.
McIntyre says he saw what Braun did to Shane McMahon but a triple threat isn’t a steel cage match and tonight will be different. Strowman complains about having his intelligence insulted and says he knows how bad Drew wants his rematch but he’s standing in his way and that means he’s got a monster-sized ass-whooping coming his way.
Elias is in the ring with Jaxson Ryker to sing us a song, which he dedicates to Shane McMahon for his “unmatched bravery.”
Every time he goes to play a trombone sound plays and the Drifter is very confused until suddenly the trombone plays the New Day rhythm.
New Day come out and Kofi Kingston calls them out for getting their asses whooped all around WrestleMania by one man, Braun Strowman. Elias points out that “a colossal whooping by one man” also describes the way Omos treated the two of them. Xavier does a little Lemongrab “UNACCEPTABLE!” shrieking and New Day pledge to beat them here tonight.
Elias & Jaxson Ryker vs. New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
Ryker and Woods to start, Xavier sidesteps, back body drop to the floor, dumping Elias out too, stereo topes con giro from New Day to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Woods back and forth with Elias when Ryker slips in to hit a spinebuster! Falling chops, right hands, double-teams and Elias hits a release Death Valley Driver for two! Reverse chinlock, inset ad for a movie, tag back to Jaxson. Straight suplex, keeping Woods isolated, extended heat segment, finally the tag to Kingston!
Pop-up stomp for two, Boom Drop, calling for it, Ryker up on the apron, right hand takes him out, dropkick from Woods, Trouble in Paradise ducked, Elias with the electric chair, Kofi slips out, tag made, setting him up...
New Day win by pinfall with Up Up Down Down on Elias.
Randy Orton cuts a promo backstage.
He says he’s been distracted for the past six months but all of that ended last night. The Fiend and Alexa Bliss have disappeared (she was literally on the show earlier?) and now he’s back on track and ready to go through Drew and Braun tonight.
Commentary promises us Firefly Fun House after the break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for tonight’s episode of Raw Talk.
Firefly Fun House begins now.
We see all the puppet pals hanging around and Rambling Rabbit welcomes us to the show and hypes the return of Bray Wyatt.
Wyatt indeed walks through the door, waving and giggling as usual. He says he’s glad to be back and chides Abby the Witch for being rude. Rabbit says it’s going to be lonely without her and Bray kisses him and throws him across the room. Wyatt hypes this up as a brand new start with new friends and a new him, and he feels reborn. He heals Huskus and Mercy and banishes Abby while church revival music plays.
He promises a big, bad, strong Fun House and waves goodbye.
Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman make entrances for our main event and we go to break.
Braun Strowman vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Orton bails and Strowman beats McIntyre down in the corner! Randy returns and helps Drew suplex Braun, action to the floor, Strowman goes for the freight train but McIntyre clocks him with the steel steps! Orton back suplexes Drew into the announce table and we go to break.
Back from commercial, McIntyre and Orton work together to take Strowman out and then Randy thumbs his temporary partner in the eye! Garvin Stomp, the match breaks down, action to the floor as Orton beats McIntyre up and throws him over the announce table! Braun out of nowhere, running the Viper over, dorking Drew in the head with the steel steps before pulling Randy to the apron to club him down.
Steps in hand, he smashes Orton with them and then McIntyre again! Back inside, Orton hits the hanging DDT on the monster among men! Randy goes to that special place... RKO! Cover... DREW BREAKS IT UP WITH A BASEMENT CLAYMORE! IT’S OVER!
Drew McIntyre wins by pinfall with the Claymore on Randy Orton to become #1 contender to the WWE Championship.
Drew leans into the camera and says WrestleMania was just the beginning.
Montel Vontavious Porter comes out to the stage to stare him down but T-Bar and Mace attack from behind and lay Drew out!
That’s the show, folks.