WWE RAW Live Coverage - March 7th, 2022
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The Raw Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match to kick off Raw tonight
On The Road to WrestleMania, Alpha Academy will attempt to defend their Raw Tag Team Titles in Triple Threat Match against RK-Bro and Seth Rollins & Kevin Owens. Plus, special guesst Jerry “The King” Lawler returns to Monday Night Raw, Edge explains his vicious beat down of AJ Styles and Logan Paul returns to Raw to throw a Homecoming Party with The Miz.
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– Tonight’s WWE RAW opens up on the USA Network with a look back at Saturday’s WWE live event from Madison Square Garden, and how WWE Champion Brock Lesnar fought off WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, until he cornered Paul Heyman and was attacked from behind by Reigns. We also see how Reigns posed over Lesnar with both titles held high in the air. We go to the RAW opening video. We’re now live from the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio as the pyro goes off. Jimmy Smith welcomes us to RAW. He’s joined at ringside by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton.
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Triple Threat for the RAW Tag Team Titles: Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens vs. RK-Bro vs. Alpha Academy
We go right to the ring and out first is Kevin Owens, followed by Seth Rollins. They head to the ring together as the announcers hype tonight’s show. Rollins takes the mic and he’s excited about tonight. They go on about how they’ve had a rough year and how they keep coming close but come up short. Owens isn’t thrilled about having to wrestle in Texas at WrestleMania 38, but at least he will be with his best friend. Rollins shows us a video package of events that led to this match. Owens goes on about how they and their momentum is undeniable, just like Dallas sucks, Shorty G and Otis suck, so does RK-Bro. The music interrupts and out come RAW Tag Team Champions Alpha Academy – Otis and Chad Gable. Gable takes the mic and goes on about how last week’s win for Owens and Rollins was a fluke. Gable says tonight they will finish this crap and then waltz onto The Grandest Stage of Them All to defend their titles. We see RK-Bro backstage with Kevin Patrick, who asks for any last words before they head out. Riddle starts rambling as Randy Orton gets hyped up. Orton just wants them to win because how hard they’ve worked and how far they’ve come. Orton is fired up about winning the titles back. RK-Bro heads out to the ring as their music hits.
Orton and Riddle hit the ring as the pyro goes off. They size their opponents up and we go to a commercial break.
Back from the break and Riddle, Rollins and Gable start off as the bell hits. Rollins superkicks Gable to the floor. Rollins and Riddle go at it now. Rollins with a Slingblade for a 2 count early on. Owens tags in and they double team Riddle. Owens with a senton and some trash talking to Otis. Riddle fights Owens off but Owens blocks a kick and drops him with a DDT for a 2 count.
Owens chops Riddle against the ropes now. Riddle elbows Owens but Gable pulls Riddle to the floor for a big overhead suplex. Gable fights back in but Owens blocks a suplex attempt. They tangle and Owens nails an enziguri kick. Owens goes to the second rope for a big springboard elbow drop. Gable kicks out at 2. Owens chops Gable into the corner. Rollins tags back in for double team offense on Gable. Rollins covers for a 2 count.
Gable blocks a suplex Rollins rams him into the turnbuckles, then nails a shot to the back of the neck. Riddle runs over with a shot to the back of the neck as well. Rollins fights both off and hits a springboard crossbody to both. Owens tags in and decks Otis off the apron, Rollins does the same to Orton. Owens and Rollins unload on Gable now, then toss him to the floor. Rollins and Owens play to the crowd, then Rollins runs the ropes for a suicide dive to Riddle and Gable. Rollins rolls Gable back in and Owens nails a Swanton Bomb onto him for a close 2 count. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Riddle is unloading on Rollins with kicks. Otis comes in and levels them both, and then flattens Owens as he runs in Otis tosses Rollins over the top rope to the floor. Otis poses as fans boo. Otis whips Riddle hard into the corner and he goes down. Orton rallies for a tag but Otis splashes Riddle in the middle of the ring, and cuts the pin short. Gable tags back in and tries to put Riddle away for a close 2 count. Gable goes to work on Riddle’s leg now as fans rally for RK-Bro.
Otis comes back in for more punishment to Riddle. Riddle comes to the apron but Otis knocks him back to the floor, then quickly stops Riddle from tagging Orton. Otis beats Riddle back down and taunts Orton some more to boos. Otis climbs up and poses to boos. He goes for the Vader Bomb but Riddle moves out of the way. Gable and Orton tag in at the same time for a big pop. Orton unloads and hits the powerslam, then one to Rollins as he charges. Orton drops Owens off the apron. He goes for the draping DDT to Gable but Rollins comes over. Orton with a double draping DDT to Rollins and Gable now. Orton is fired up now as fans cheer him on. Orton drops down and readies for the RKO. Gable blocks the RKO and takes Orton down by his leg. Orton kicks Gable to the floor. Rollins goes for the Stomp to Orton but Orton drops him with the RKO. Orton covers Rollins but Owens pulls Orton to the floor and breaks his pin up just in time
Orton takes Owens and Gable down at ringside, using the table. Otis attacks but Orton blocks him. Orton tries to slam Otis on the table but he resists. Riddle joins Orton to assist and they both slam Otis on top of the announce table now. RK-Bro celebrates at ringside as fans cheer them on. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Riddle gets rocked by Gable. Riddle counters and rolls Gable for 2. Riddle ducks Gable and kicks him down. Riddle goes up top for a Floating Bro and he hits it. Owens breaks Riddle’s pin up just in time. Owens grabs Riddle but Riddle counters, jumping on his back for a Sleeper. Owens nails a senton to Gable with Riddle on his back. Orton comes in and unloads on Owens. They trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Orton with the backbreaker to Owens. Orton covers Owens for a quick pin attempt. Otis runs in and powerslams Orton. Otis catches Riddle in mid-air and slams him.
Otis tags in to be legal now. He positions Riddle in the corner and nails the Vader Bomb as Gable tags in to hit a moonsault. Riddle kicks out just in time. Otis sends Rollins to the corner but hits the ring post as Rollins moves. Gable goes to the top but Rollins cuts him off and crotches him. Rollins chops Gable while he’s up top. Rollins climbs up but Gable fights back and headbutts him to the mat. Rollins runs back up but Gable is still resisting. Gable escapes and drops Rollins face-first into the turnbuckle. Gable climbs back up but Owens makes the save. Owens and Rollins climb up for the double superplex but Otis comes over and slams them both to the mat, with the superplex also hitting on Gable. All four Superstars are down now as we get a replay.
Riddle crawls in and looks to pin Gable but he and others are recovering from the corner spot. Everyone starts brawling around the ring now. Riddle and Gable go to the floor and continue brawling with each other. Rollins and Orton also go to the floor and brawl with each other while Otis and Owens are fighting in the ring. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and everyone is laid out at ringside. Riddle and Gable return to the ring and go at it. Riddle drops Gable and goes to the top as we see how there were high risk moves during the break. Rollins stops Riddle up top and hits a double stomp while he’s upside down now. Rollins covers for a close 2 count on Riddle. Rollins looks up at the WrestleMania 38 sign, then waits for Riddle to recover. Riddle blocks a discus elbow, taking him down into a Triangle submission. Rollins tries to power out but Riddle brings him down in the submission. Gable flies in and breaks it. Orton comes in but Gable nails a German on him. Gable blocks Rollins and hits a German on him, then a German on Riddle. Gable stands tall for boos now. Gable with another big German to Riddle.
Gable climbs to the top and flies for a moonsault but Riddle moves and Orton catches him on the way down with a huge RKO. Owens superkicks Orton down. Owens and Rollins stun Otis with superkicks, then double superkick him out of the ring. Rollins with a Buckle Bomb to Gable. Owens immediately follows up with the Stunner to Gable. Rollins with a Stomp to Gable. Riddle runs in, tosses Rollins to the floor before he can finish Gable off with a pin, and steals the pin on Gable for the title win.
Winners and New RAW Tag Team Champions: Randy Orton and Riddle
– After the match, RK-Bro stands tall in the middle of the ring with the titles as the music hits. Owens and Rollins are shocked, while Alpha Academy seethes as they make their exits. Orton and Riddle pose in the corners and look up at the WrestleMania 38 sign. A stunned Rollins walks away from the ring, and Owens sits up against the steel ring steps, looking even more shocked. We go to replays. Kevin Patrick interviews RK-Bro in the middle of the ring now, asking what the victory means. Riddle says this means they’re going to WrestleMania. Orton says he’s been doing this more than 20 years now and he’s never had as much fun as he’s having with his partner Riddle right now, and he means that from the bottom of his heart. Orton says he’s never said the F-word in 20 years but he’s going to say it now – Riddle is his friend. Orton says he doesn’t have any other friends here but Riddle, and they’re going to WrestleMania. The music starts back up and Orton celebrates with Riddle as fans cheer them on.
– Our Progressive-sponsored replay shows us how Reggie and WWE 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke defeated Tamina Snuka and Akira Tozawa last week, and both teams ended up kissing.
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WWE 24/7 Title Match: Tamina Snuka vs. Dana Brooke
We go back to the ring and out comes WWE 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke with Reggie. Dana gets a hometown reaction as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see what happened in tonight’s opening match. A devastated Kevin Owens is sitting backstage. We get a backstage video from earlier, which shows Dana asking Reggie for a good luck kiss. He gave her one and watched her head to the ring. We get another video of Tamina Snuka backstage. Akira Tozawa asked her for a good luck kiss and she hesitated, but grabbed him and planted a big kiss on him. Tamina and Tozawa head to the ring now.
The bell rings and Snuka dominates to start. Dana turns it around and hits the handspring elbow into the corner. Tamina comes right back and runs over Dana with ease. Reggie cheers Dana on from ringside but Tamina stares him down, then applies a Boston Crab in the middle of the ring.
Dana resists but finally rolls out of the hold, and uses her legs to hold Tamina down for the pin to retain.
Winner: Dana Brooke
– After the match, Dana stands tall and exits with Reggie. Tozawa takes the mic and says Dana cheated. He says the real winner of the match is the love of his life, Tamina. Tamina slowly stands up as Tozawa motions for a hug. She puts his arms down and keeps walking past him as fans boo. Tozawa looks devastated. Fans chant “kiss him!” now. Tamina shakes her head but blows a kiss to Tozawa. He catches it and that will do for now. Tamina heads to the back and Tozawa follows.
– Kevin Patrick approaches a stunned Seth Rollins backstage and asks for comments on what happened but he has nothing to say. Rollins just stares straight ahead, seething.
– The announcers hype Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and show us another still from Madison Square Garden. We will see the full MSG segment later tonight.
– We go back to the ring and out comes The Miz for a special Cleveland Homecoming Party. Miz rallies his hometown crowd up as he enters the ring and we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and the announcers hype Miz and Logan Paul vs. Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 38. Miz takes the mic now and announces that he is home. Fans chant for Miz and he says that’s what respect sounds like. Fans chant “Miz is awesome!” and he says no, Cleveland is awesome. Miz talks about the feud with The Mysterios, and shows how the challenge was accepted on RAW. Miz goes on and gives a grand introduction for Paul, and out he comes. Paul thanks the hometown crowd. He goes on and says he has nothing but respect for his city, because Cleveland made him the man he is today. Some fans are booing. Miz tells Paul to not be modest, he made himself. They talk more about The Mysterios and ask fans if they want to see a father & son team of losers or two pop icons. Logan says Rey is a legend but Dominik is just riding his coattails.
Miz says there is someone else who shares their view, and he was born & raised in Cleveland. The music hits and out comes WWE Hall of Famer Jerry Lawler, wearing a Cleveland Browns NFL jersey. The King says this is awesome, and he thanks Cleveland. Lawler talks about his history in Cleveland as a kid and says it’s good to hear Miz talk about Cleveland, and he’s glad to be here for the homecoming. Lawler says he’s looking at Miz stand under the WrestleMania 38 sign, so how about having a WrestleMania in Cleveland? Paul says that’s an awesome idea but Miz asks, really?
Miz isn’t sure about the idea. He loves Cleveland but he doesn’t see it as a WrestleMania city. Fans boo Miz now and he wants to know why. Miz says the city couldn’t even handle the WrestleMania pyro. Miz talks about how he left Cleveland when he found success, as did other athletes. He goes on getting heat from the crowd now, saying Cleveland will never host a Super Bowl or WrestleMania. Miz says it’s’ time he and Paul leave and focus on beating The Mysterios at WrestleMania, because winners leave Cleveland. They walk past Lawler and exit the ring as the boos continue.
– We see recent happenings in the Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode vs. WWE NXT Champion Bron Breakker and Tommaso Ciampa feud. Ciampa and Breakker are backstage with Kevin Patrick now. Breakker says he’s taking it all in on his RAW debut but he’s excited. Patrick brings up the NXT Roadblock main event with Breakker defending against Ciampa and Ziggler, and reveals that first there will be a tag match tonight with Breakker and Ciampa teaming up. He asks about the RAW Superstars having a home field advantage. Breakker dismisses the idea of a home field advantage and says this is a dream come true as he’s so grateful to be here on RAW, representing NXT and getting his hands on The Dirty Dawgs. Ciampa says Ziggler won’t get his hands on the NXT Title and they’ve put away The Dirty Dawgs once, and will do it again on tonight’s RAW. Ciampa and Breakker head to the ring.
The Dirty Dawgs vs. Tommaso Ciampa and NXT Champion Bron Breakker
We go back to the ring and out come The Dirty Dawgs – Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. They head to the ring and we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and the announcers congratulate Gable Steveson on becoming the seventh three-time B1G Champion in history. We see The Street Profits backstage. Sarah Schreiber mentions how it appears there is no room for them at WrestleMania 38. They say they have 4 more weeks to sprinkle their magic, and they remind her how they recently pinned RK-Bro. The Profits say Alpha Academy needs to go to the back of the line because if anyone is next in line, it’s The Street Profits. They make it known that they want the smoke. We go back to the ring and out comes Tommaso Ciampa and then NXT Champion Bron Breakker. The announcers send us to a video package looking at Breakker’s dominance. The bell rings now and Breakker starts off with Roode.
Roode and Breakker go at it, trading holds and counters. Breakker with a long vertical suplex, holding Roode in the air and finally dropping him in the middle of the ring. Breakker kips up to a pop from the crowd. Breakker holds Roode and Ciampa tags in to take over. Ciampa with chops in the corner now. Ciampa keeps control and clotheslines Roode for a 2 count. Ciampa grounds Roode with a chinlock in the middle of the ring.
Roode takes Ciampa to the corner but Ciampa fights off both opponents, knocking Ziggler off the apron. Ziggler comes back up to the apron but Ciampa knocks him off again. Ciampa turns around to a big Spinebuster from Roode. Ziggler comes in and goes for Breakker but he hops off the apron to avoid him. Breakker helps Ciampa out to safety and they regroup at ringside as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Ziggler has control of Ciampa for a 2 count. Roode and Ziggler yell at the referee. Roode tags in and works Ciampa over. Roode with knees to the back but Ciampa hangs in there. Roode talks some trash to Breakker, then in Ciampa’s face. Ciampa levels Roode out of nowhere with a big knee to the face and they both go down. Breakker waits for the tag and he gets it, as does Ziggler.
Breakker drops Ziggler and knocks Roode off the apron. Bron with a huge overhead throw to Ziggler, then a clothesline to Roode as he runs in. Bron grabs Ziggler but he gets kicked. Ziggler leaps over him but Bron picks him out of mid-air and slams him. Bron stalks Ziggler now but runs into a knee. Bron comes right back with a clothesline out of the corner. Bron is a little dazed from the knee now but he’s staying in the match. Bron presses Ziggler high above him but Roode runs in.
Bron puts Ziggler down and swings for Roode but Roode hops back to the floor. Ziggler ends up sending Roode into the ring post and hitting a Zig-Zag but Ciampa makes the save just in time before the pin. Ciampa levels Roode with a big knee to send him out to the floor. Ziggler gets up and goes for a superkick but Bron catches it. Bron presses Ziggler high in the air once again, then drops him into the powerslam for the pin to win in the middle of the ring.
Winners: Bron Breakker and Tommaso Ciampa
– After the match, Ciampa brings the NXT Title belt in and hands it to Breakker as they stand tall together. Ziggler crawls with the mic and congratulates Bron on pulling one over on The Dirty Dawgs. Ziggler liked how Bron and Ciampa worked together as a team, but reminds them there’s a Triple Threat for the title tomorrow and the second Bron looks at Ciampa, Ziggler will strike and become NXT Champion, then their world will come crumbling around them and Ziggler will be there in all his glory, with one more trophy for his case. Ziggler drops the mic and exits with Roode as the music hits, telling the “kids” he will see them tomorrow.
– We get a vignette looking at how Omos has dominated. Sarah Schreiber is backstage with Omos now. She brings up how he’s undefeated since debuting at WrestleMania last year, and asks if he’s worried there won’t be room for him at WrestleMania 38 this year. Omos asks how many victims he has to dominate for a WrestleMania match. Omos says he is not waiting for his WrestleMania moment, he is taking it, even if he has to punish every single Superstar until there is no one left. Omos heads off to the ring.
Omos vs. Apollo Crews
We go back to the ring and out comes Omos. Jimmy names Omos’ victims and wonders if Nigerian royalty will be able to stop him. Omos marches to the ring and we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and the announcers talk about what happened to Bobby Lashley at WWE Elimination Chamber. Graves says Lashley is still under “concussion protocol” but they will keep us updated. We go back to the ring and Apollo Crews is waiting while Commander Azeez stands guard at ringside. Omos stares Crews down, then points out and warns Azeez that he is next. Crews attacks with a dropkick and unloads but Omos runs over him with a single big boot.
Omos man-handles Crews to keep him down, putting a knee in the middle of his back as Crews yells out. Omos finally lets go and stares back out at Azeez. Crews is down on the apron trying to recover from the knee to the back, when Omos picks him up and decks him with a forearm, knocking him out of the ring. Omos follows and rolls Crews back in. Omos steps back over the top rope and launches Crews into the corner.
Omos charges for the splash but Crews moves, then nails a kick to the head. Crews comes off the second rope with an axe handle but Omos rocks him and nails the big Choke Bomb for the easy pin to win.
Winner: Omos
– After the match, Omos stands tall as we go to a replay. The referee checks on Crews as Omos makes his exit. Omos stops as Azeez comes in to check on Crews. Omos stares Azeez down now. They face off in the middle of the ring as fans start cheering. Azeez doesn’t back down, staring Omos up and down. Omos just laughs at Azeez and then makes his exit. Azeez and Omos stare each other down while Omos backs up the ramp to end the segment.
– Still to come, WWE Hall of Famer Edge explains his actions from last week. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we see how WWE Hall of Famer Edge snapped on AJ Styles last week. The announcers show us the WWE Digital update that said AJ suffered a severe contusion in the attack, which is a storyline injury. We go back to the ring and Edge is introduced to loud boos already. The lights are down and there’s a spotlight on the ring. Edge slowly walks to the ring as the boos drown out his theme.
Edge asks if you think you know me, but AJ does not. He says he will speak directly to AJ, who is at home, and AJ should put the kids to bed for this one. Edge says last week’s attack was for AJ, to help him. Edge needs the best AJ at WrestleMania 38, the flesh-tearing pitbull. Edge goes on and says he helped AJ last week, but AJ actually helped him, too. Edge says it was like his brain finally cracked open and finally the real Edge was free to fly, and it felt so good.
Edge says he has fallen in love with this new version of himself. Edge says he finally feels control in this ring, in control of any and everything that will happen in this industry. The boos continue and Edge looks out, staring straight ahead at the camera now. Edge tells AJ he’s standing on the mountain of omnipotence and the view is… phenomenal. Edge drops the mic and the boos get louder. He stares straight ahead at the camera until the screen goes black.
– We come back after 20 seconds or so and the announcers are reacting to Edge. They also show us what happened in tonight’s opening match when RK-Bro won the RAW Tag Team Titles.
– Kevin Patrick is backstage with Kevin Owens for comments on what happened in the opener. Owens says we don’t see him as distraught as Seth Rollins was earlier tonight, because the feeling he had when he realized they weren’t going to WrestleMania, he never wants to feel that again, and he will never have to because he had an epiphany. He has an idea and that idea will change his entire WrestleMania future. Patrick asks if Owens wants to share and he says no, not yet, he still has some details to iron out but he has a plan and he will share it later tonight.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Carmella and Queen Zelina Vega vs. Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley
We go back to the ring for a non-title match and out comes Liv Morgan first. Rhea Ripley is out next and they head to the ring together. If Morgan and Ripley get the win here, they will be added to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles match at WrestleMania 38. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see how The Bloodline took out WWE Champion Brock Lesnar at Madison Square Garden this past Saturday night. The announcers hype what is being billed as the biggest match of all-time at WrestleMania Sunday now. We go back to the ring and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Carmella and Queen Zelina Vega are already out. The bell rings and Liv goes at it with Carmella to start.
Carmella, who is wearing her face mask, takes Liv to the corner and works her over. Liv turns it around and drops Carmella as Ripley tags in with the basement dropkick. Carmella kicks out at 2. Ripley with big knee strikes to Carmella now. Vega tags in, ducks a clothesline from Ripley and knocks Liv off the apron. Ripley with a long vertical suplex to Vega now but Carmella makes the save with a distraction.
Ripley pulls Vega back towards her and goes for a sideslam but Vega turns it into a big tornado DDT, sending Ripley to the floor. Vega distracts the referee now, allowing Carmella to run over and kick Ripley’s head into the steel ring steps. Carmella talks some trash as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Vega grounds Ripley in a submission. Vega keeps control and takes Ripley to the corner, face-first into the turnbuckles. Carmella tags back in and works Ripley over for a 2 count as Liv makes the save just in time. Carmella grinds Ripley’s face into the mat, and slams her face-first. Carmella grounds Ripley now. Ripley fights back and looks to mount some offense but Carmella slams her by her hair. Liv and Carmella have words. Ripley drops Carmella with a big kick to the face out of nowhere. Ripley and Carmella crawl for tags now. Vega and Liv unload on each other with Liv taking control. Liv with a high knee in the corner, then a missile dropkick from the corner.
Vega kicks out just in time while Graves tends to Carmella at ringside, according to Saxton. Vega and Liv trade more offense. Vega tries to tag but Carmella is busy with Graves. Liv drops Vega into her knees. Ripley tags in and hits the Riptide for the pin to win and earn the WrestleMania 38 spot against the champs and their other challengers, Naomi and Sasha Banks.
Winners: Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley
– After the match, Liv and Ripley celebrate while Carmella and Vega seethe. The WrestleMania Sunday match will now be Vega and Carmella vs. Morgan and Ripley vs. Naomi and Sasha Banks.
– We see how Finn Balor won the WWE United States Title from Damian Priest last week, and how Priest snapped on Balor after the bout.
WWE United States Champion Finn Balor vs. Austin Theory
We go back to the ring and out comes new WWE United States Champion Finn Balor to a pop. Balor enters the ring and poses on the turnbuckles as the crowd chants with him. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and the announcers hype Vader’s 2022 WWE Hall of Fame induction. We go back to the ring and Balor is waiting for his opponent. The music hits and out comes Austin Theory, who stops and takes a selfie on his way to the ring. The announcers hype Theory vs. Pat McAfee at WrestleMania 38. We see how WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to offer McAfee a spot on the card, and we see how Theory confronted McAfee on SmackDown to announce their match.
The bell rings and Finn unloads on Theory in the corner. Theory fights out and drops Balor with a shoulder. Theory stomps on Balor and takes him face-first into the turnbuckle. Theory with shoulder thrusts in the corner now. Theory with a double stomp for a 2 count. Theory grounds Balor now. More back and forth between the two now. Theory ends up sending Balor into the apron, then putting him on his shoulders. Balor gets off to his feet and hits a Slingblade on the floor. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Theory drops Balor, then nails the big rolling dropkick for a 2 count. Theory grounds Balor and shows some frustration now. Balor turns it around and mounts offense now. Balor blocks a roll-up and stomps away as the referee warns him. Theory rolls to the apron but Balor stays on him. Balor goes for a suplex but Theory blocks it and drops Balor, then launches himself in from the apron with a stomp.
Theory drops Balor with a quick Fisherman’s Buster for another close 2 count. Theory points at the WrestleMania 38 sign and goes back to work on Balor but Balor ducks a shot. Theory with a big neckbreaker into his knee for another close 2 count. Theory is really frustrated now. Theory rants about WrestleMania and goes for The ATL but Balor counters and drops him. Balor with the corner dropkick. Balor goes to the top for Coup de Grace but Priest appears out of nowhere on the apron, grabbing Balor by his throat and shoving him off for the disqualification.
Winner by DQ: Finn Balor
– After the bell, the referee tries to restore order but Priest enters he ring and stalks Balor, who is clutching his throat. Priest drops Balor with the Razor’s Edge as the boos get louder. Priest’s music hits as he exits the ring, looking up at Balor and then the WrestleMania 38 sign. Theory re-enters the ring and takes a selfie, then grabs Balor for The ATL in the middle of the ring. An aggressive Theory gets back down with Balor and takes a few more selfies before making his exit as the music hits.
– We see how Bianca Belair whipped RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch with her hair last week. Kevin Patrick is backstage with Belair now. Belair says she has one simple rule – don’t touch her hair. She says she doesn’t need her hair to win, she and Becky are WrestleMania main eventers and should be out there tearing it up, but Becky got what she was asking for. Belair goes on and declares that she will leave WrestleMania as the RAW Women’s Champion.
– We go back to the ring and out comes Kevin Owens to make his big announcement. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Owens is in the ring. He says it’s official – he doesn’t have a match at WrestleMania 38, and that’s OK because he thinks he knows how he can get there, but it will depend on the answer to this challenge. Owens wants to have the biggest, most stupendous episode of The KO Show at WrestleMania 38 and because of where WrestleMania is held this year, he knows his guest has to be some lowlife from Texas. He takes shots at WWE Hall of Famers JBL, Booker T and Shawn Michaels. He gives HBK some props but says as a proud Canadian, it would be sacrilegious to have Shawn on his show, and out of respect to WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart, Shawn can’t be the guest.
Owens then brings up another WWE Hall of Famer, taking shots and predicting this guy is off drinking beer like the redneck he is. He takes more shots as fans boo, bringing up how bad this guy’s knees were. Owens says nothing would make him happier than to beat the hell out of this guy in his home state, and to give him a Stunner the world would talk about for years, and then pour a glass of milk over his lifeless body. Owens knows this person is watching and he thinks this person doesn’t have the guts to show up. Owens finally names him – “Stone Cold” Steve Austin! The crowd pops as Owens slams the mic down. Owens’ music starts up as the announcers wonder if we will see Austin. They announce The KO Show for WrestleMania Saturday, with a question mark next to Austin’s name. RAW goes off the air.
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