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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (April 5, 2021) from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming WrestleMania 37 pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza scheduled for this coming Saturday and Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Advertised for tonight: Rhea Ripley & Asuka team up to take on Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler in a tag team title match, The Hurt Business continues to implode as Bobby Lashley wrestles Cedric Alexander in a singles match, AJ Styles vs. Xavier Woods, Drew McIntyre vs. King Corbin, 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 5
Crazy, but that’s how it goes; millions of people living as foes. Maybe it’s not too late to learn how to love, and forget how to hate. Mental wounds not healing, life’s a bitter shame, and I have to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with Drew McIntyre making his entrance, and we get a recap of the ending to last week’s show.
He gets on the mic and reminds us that it’s five days until WrestleMania and says he can’t help but think to last year, how unique Mania was and now they’re back in business and he’s fighting for the title again. So much is running through his head right now, where to begin? Bobby Lashley, the match is happening and he will not be taken out.
It’s the biggest fight of their lives and he can’t wait. The two of them have similar journeys, up and downs and roads traveled, and what makes them different? It’s sacrifice, specifically how much he’s willing to sacrifice. Bob has sacrificed a lot, missed weddings and Christmases, but Lashley makes up when he goes home where McIntyre keeps grinding.
Even when his mom was dying, he didn’t go home, he kept pushing and grinding, and how can you beat a man who will sacrifice everything?
Enter Bobby Lashley and Montel Vontavious Porter.
Lashley says he gets it but unfortunately only one of them can be on top. He talks about feeling the life leave Drew’s body in the Hurt Lock and promises it’ll happen again at WrestleMania. McIntyre admits he went out in the Hurt Lock, it’s no joke, but he mocks Bob for needing help. Lashley says he can stick around and see what he does to Cedric Alexander later.
McIntyre tries to provoke him into a fight right now but MVP pipes up and cools Bob down. Drew keeps jawing, Montel says he’s not gonna make it to WrestleMania, and—
Enter King Baron Corbin.
He agrees with Porter and says he’s gonna finish what he started last week and take McIntyre out of the title match by whipping his punk ass.
We get a tag title scene recap and go to break.
Back from commercial, Matt Riddle runs into New Day in Gorilla and babbles at them about how high they can get and other weed-related topics.
AJ Styles vs. Xavier Woods
Styles in with right hands, whip across, big hip toss, Woods comes back off the ropes with right hands but AJ catches him into the Calf Killer in the middle of the ring! Kofi Kingston gets on the mic, jaws at Omos and throws the mic at him! Kofi slides in the ring, Omos gets on the apron and referee Shaun Bennett warns him to back off. Woods capitalizes...
Xavier Woods wins by pinfall with a small package.
Backstage we see Bad Bunny and Damian Priest arrive at the arena.
Braun Strowman is walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for WrestleMania.
We get a video package for the Braun Strowman / Shane McMahon feud.
Braun Strowman cuts a promo from inside the steel cage.
He says he’s had to deal with people bullying him his entire life over their perception of who he is, and the thing that Shane McMahon doesn’t get is that he doesn’t know what he’s gotten into. He can run his mouth all he wants, but when that door closes, the running ends, and he’s fighting for everybody that’s ever been told they’re not good enough.
He continues shouting and concludes that Shane is going to get These Hands.
Enter Shane McMahon.
He asks Braun what he ever did to him and says picking the stipulation was a test to see how far Strowman came since the third grade, and he has to say, a steel cage match is not that stupid of a choice. On paper this match favors Braun, but since he’s a McMahon, he’ll outwit and defeat Strowman inside the cage and make him look in the mirror and admit that he’s stupid.
Elias and Jaxson Ryker make their entrance and we go to break.
Braun Strowman vs. Elias & Jaxson Ryker (Handicap Match)
Strowman in easy control early, dumping Ryker and beating Elias down in the corner, scoop lift, Jaxson returns to the ring and holds Bruan down long enough for the Drifter to nail him with a knee! Double back suplex, diving headbutt from Ryker, Elias goes up top, diving elbow... BRAUN KICKS OUT WITH EASE! McMahon advances on the ring, Strowman recovers, he backs off, scooping Ryker up for a powerslam!
Elias goes up as well...
Braun Strowman wins, pinning both men at the same time.
Miz and John Morrison are interviewed backstage.
They’re carrying paint cans and beg off by claiming that they’re artists and they have a masterpiece to create.
Indeed, they walk over to Bad Bunny’s Bugatti and get to work streaking it with red paint all over before sending us to break.
Back from commercial, Bad Bunny is mad, bunny, and walks until he finds his car, still smeared with red paint all over.
He fumes and shouts, and Miz and Morrison blindside him and beat him down! They throw him into another car and Johnny Raw welcomes him to WWE! Miz says he doesn’t respect his music, his car, or him, and he’ll ruin him at WrestleMania.
Five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce rolls up with fellow road agent Pat Buck in tow and runs them off. Damian Priest comes to his friend’s aid and a medic shows up as we cut away.
We get footage from earlier of Rhea Ripley working out as an interview rolls up.
She says she’s not saying anything about her strategies but she knows exactly what she’s doing. She and Asuka have to get along tonight or they’re gonna get ripped apart, and Asuka will have to wait until Sunday to get whatever payback she wants.
She makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of Miz and Morrison painting Bad Bunny’s car and then beating him down, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Asuka & Rhea Ripley vs. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
Asuka and Baszler to start, collar and elbow, Shayna looking for a wristlock, the Empress reverses, side headlock applied. Shot off, shoulder block, a shove when Baszler doesn’t drop, off the ropes, shoulder block knocks her down this time! Wristlock, stepping on Shayna’s face, arm wringer into wrenches, Asuka wants the tag but Ripley refuses it at first!
Tag made after Baszler steps away, Shayna with a waistlock, Rhea with the standing switch, scoop and a slam! Jax tags in, clubbing blows, float over the slam, tag back to an indignant Asuka! Asuka with a flurry of shots, rolling solebutt, octopus hold applied in the middle of the ring! Nia shoots her off, shoulder block, cover for two.
Asuka gets away, tag to Ripley, Baszler legal too, Reginald gets up on the apron and Shayna takes advantage, kicking Rhea’s leg out of her leg! She falls to the floor, Jax works her over, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ripley is down and out while the tag champs work her over in an extended heat segment. Baszler working her leg over, and finally she gets the tag! Asuka in hot, hip attacks and a roundhouse kick, German suplex dumps Shayna on her neck, sliding knee... NOPE! Up top, Rhea knocks her down and then puts her face-first into the apron!
Rolling her back inside, Baszler capitalizes...
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler win by pinfall with a running knee from Baszler on Asuka.
We get a recap of the Hurt Business breakup.
Montel Vontavious Porter is on the phone backstage when Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin roll up. Cedric grabs him by his lapels and berates him for calling them an embarrassment and say he’s just a crippled past-up has-been and says he’ll give Bob a scar to remember him by and he can’t wait for Drew to kick his teeth in and expose him for the fraud that he is.
MVP is immediately interviewed and takes credit for their relevancy until Bobby Lashley rolls up and says he’s gonna break Cedric’s ass in half.
And on that butt-shattering note we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of the finish to the last match, because WrestleMania season, etc., etc.
Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and Reginald run into an interview backstage.
The rest of the tag division rolls up before they can get much of anywhere and they all banter ahead of the four-way #1 contender’s match at Mania. Billie Kay walks through at one point, even.
We get a video package for the WWE Championship title scene and Lashley makes his entrance to send us to break.
Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander
Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander jump Lashley before the bell and beat him down! Bob powers up and dumps Shelton and we get a bell!
Alexander with a go-behind, Lashley clubs him down, scoop and a slam, shoulder thrusts in the corner set up a swinging neckbreaker! Biel across the ring, another one, the beatdown continues and Bob takes him to the floor to throw him into the post and send us to break.
Back from commercial, Alexander starts to fire up with body blows, rolling solebutt, a knee, a dropkick, off the ropes and Lashley catches him with the reverse STO! Action back to the floor, fireman’s carry, Benjamin pulls Cedric off and that’s enough distraction to put Bob into the steel steps! Suicide dive follows, Lashley recovers and throws him back inside but Alexander hits the Neuralyzer!
Enzuigiri from the apron, headed up top, missile dropkick connects for a nearfall! Bob recovers, Yokosuka Cutter connects, Shelton yells for him to stop, MVP jaws back at him from commentary, off the ropes and Lashley hits a big spinebuster! Hurt Lock applied...
Bobby Lashley wins by referee stoppage with the Hurt Lock.
Post-match, Shelton Benjamin attacks again but Bob lays him out with the reverse STO before grabbing the Hurt Lock!
We see Bad Bunny and Damian Priest backstage as we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a little hype for WrestleMania’s global impact and WrestleMania week festivities.
A video package for the Randy Orton / Fiend feud follows.
Bad Bunny and Damian Priest make their entrance and we get another recap of Miz and Morrison painting Bunny’s car.
Priest gets on the mic and says Miz is so concerned with Bad Bunny that he can’t even hold the WWE Championship for more than a week, and it’s easy to beat a man down two on one, so he wants to even the odds and make this a tag match, Miz and Morrison vs. himself and Bunny at WrestleMania. Bad gets on the mic and says he just came here following his dreams because he loves this business.
He remembers watching Raw and SmackDown with his dad and his brothers and his friends and family and he has a lot of good memories with WWE and now he doesn’t know how to feel or what to think. He continues talking about his history with WWE and how Miz has mistreated him and says he respects Miz, but he doesn’t respect him back.
He crossed a line, and he doesn’t know or are why, because at WrestleMania, he’s gonna show Miz how to respect him.
Miz and Morrison appear on the tron mock applauding.
The A-Lister says he’ll make it clear, Bad Bunny doesn’t belong here and he’s overstayed his welcome, so they’re gonna embarrass him, hurt him, and send him home. They accept the tag team match and drive off in a limousine.
Mustafa Ali is walking backstage when he runs into Sheamus.
Sheamus tries to warn him about Riddle but Ali cuts him off and says Matt represents everything he wants to change about WWE. They continue chatting until Riddle zooms on through on his scooter to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for tonight’s episode of Raw Talk.
A recap of last week’s developments in the field of United States Championship feuds follows.
Matt Riddle vs. Mustafa Ali
Sheamus joins the commentary desk for this one.
Collar and elbow into the corner, into a test of strength, Ali fights Riddle to the mat and grabs a wristlock that gets reversed into a triangle choke! Karelin lift follows, Mustafa reverses a second, side headlock, shot off, Ali with a big kick off the ropes that’s only good for two! Action to the floor, Sheamus with the distraction, Mustafa hits a Russian legsweep and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ali is putting boots to Riddle in the corner! Sunset flip, roll through, stomp the foot, Penalty Kick to the shoulder! Cover while Matt dry heaves, only two, bodyscissors follows, Riddle counters with a senton! Fired up, corner forearms, overhead exploder suplex, rolls away from the moonsault but the high jump senton catches him!
Reverse the pin into the Koji Clutch, Matt counters and deadlifts him into the fisherman buster... NOPE! Back into the triangle choke but Ali gets a foot on the ropes! Suplex attempt reversed into a double knee gutbuster! Back and forth...
Matt Riddle wins by pinfall with the fall-forward Tombstone Piledriver.
Backstage, Drew McIntyre is interviewed.
He says everybody can say terrible things about Baron Corbin but he’s a big dangerous guy who’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done, but even so he’s gonna lay him out with a Claymore and move on to WrestleMania.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary runs the WrestleMania cards down for us.
Bobby Lashley is interviewed backstage.
He says he’d love to beat Drew McIntyre up at WrestleMania and put him in the Hurt Lock and put his ass to sleep.
With entrances completed for our main event, we go to break.
Back from commercial, Montel Vontavious Porter has once again joined the commentary team.
King Baron Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre
Collar and elbow, struggling around the ring, Corbin with a side headlock, shot off, shoulder block, go-behind, half nelson into a cravate, side headlock applied. Baron gets him in the ropes for the break, dirty break with a forearm, off the ropes, McIntyre pounces him and Corbin falls to the floor! Back inside, back to the lockup, punches in the corner and referee Shaun Bennett counts.
Drew with right hands and kicks, whip across, back elbow into a cover, only one! Whip reversed, Corbin out and back in and he decks McIntyre with a lariat that also gets one! Choking him in the ropes, hard whip puts Drew into the turnbuckles! Ore ga Taue connects, whip to the corner, McIntyre explodes out of the corner with a lariat!
Whip across, overhead belly-to-belly suplexes follow! Jumping neckbreaker, kip-up, looking for Future Shock but he fights away and trips Drew up on the ropes! Putting Baron into the post and then into the steel steps, McIntyre is fired up as we go to break.
Back from commercial, McIntyre is in control, bridging northern lights suplex... NOT ENOUGH! Over the ropes, Baron catches him with a chop and throws him into the post! Back inside, clubbing blows, Drew fights back with rising right hands, looking for a suplex, reversed and Corbin drops him... STILL NO! Rolling into a crucifix neck crank, overhead elbows!
Short chokeslam gets another nearfall, out and back in and Drew hits a spinebuster into a jackknife pin that nearly does it! McIntyre headed up top, Baron cuts him off, jockeying for position, and Corbin hits a superplex for two! Deep Six... YOU CANNOT KEEP DREW MCINTYRE DOWN! MVP gets up from commentary to give Baron a pep talk and remind him it’s about taking Drew out, not beating him.
He passes Corbin his cane, McIntyre off the ropes...
Drew McIntyre wins by pinfall with the Claymore.
Bobby Lashley makes his entrance and stares Drew down from the stage.
That’s the show, folks.