Credit: WINC
The post-Elimination Chamber edition of WWE RAW opens up on the USA Network with a video package of highlights from Saturday’s big event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We’re live from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina as Jimmy Smith welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton.
– We go right to the ring and out comes new WWE Champion Brock Lesnar as the fans pop and the pyro goes off. Lesnar greets fans at ringside on his way to the ring. He hops up on top of the announce table and raises the WWE Title in the air to another big pop. Graves hypes the Winner Takes All match at WrestleMania 38 between Lesnar and WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Lesnar is all smiles as he enters the ring and the music stops. Fans chant “Suplex City!” now and Lesnar nods along. Lesnar says it’s getting hot in here as he takes his jacket off. Lesnar thanks everyone for the chants and introduces himself as the new WWE Heavyweight Champion of the World, live in South Carolina tonight. He goes to thank the crowd again but Paul Heyman interrupts from the stage and the boos start up. Lesnar isn’t happy. Lesnar says the stage is as far as he should go if he were Heyman. Lesnar chants along with the “you suck!” chants. Heyman says the special counsel to The Tribal Chief does not suck. Heyman says he’s the only special counsel to the only real heavyweight champion in WWE. Heyman goes on with a quick introduction for Reigns.
Heyman says he didn’t come out to be disrespectful, but out of their love and their 20+ years of business and friendship together, he knows Lesnar is so myopic looking at the WrestleMania 38 match, but there is a roadblock in Lesnar’s way, farm boy, and he may not make it to WrestleMania as WWE Champion. Heyman says he always took care of the small details for Lesnar, such as him having to defend the WWE Title on Saturday, March 5 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Heyman says this means Lesnar won’t make it to WrestleMania as champion. Heyman thanks Lesnar and says to just let him know if he needs any more information. Fans boo Heyman. Lesnar says he can still appreciate Heyman, even though he’s such a dick. Lesnar mentions already knowing where he needs to be. Heyman asks Lesnar if he knows he has to defend against Bobby Lashley at MSG, but if Lashley can’t pass concussion protocol, Heyman will still make sure he has a worthy opponent. Heyman says he will see Lesnar at MSG.
Lesnar cuts him off and says newsflash – he’s doing just fine without Heyman. Lesnar points at his title. Lesnar thanks Heyman for telling him where he needs to be. Lesnar will now tell Heyman where he will be on Friday night – in a ring in Hershey, PA, next to his little Tribal Chief demanding some acknowledgement. Guess where Lesnar will be Friday night? Heyman says Saskatchewan. Wrong. Lesnar says he’s coming to SmackDown to introduce Heyman and Reigns to the new WWE Champion. Lesnar drops the mic as fans pop and the music hits. Heyman walks to the back. Lesnar raises his hat to the crowd as they cheer him on.
– Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens are talking backstage when Kevin Patrick interrupts. He mentions how they are top stars but their path to WrestleMania 38 isn’t clear. Owens scolds Patrick and says they do have a plan. They go on and reveal that they went to WWE officials and when they beat RK-Bro again tonight, they will be added to the RAW Tag Team Titles match against RK-Bro and Alpha Academy in just two weeks. Then the possibilities for WrestleMania will be endless. Rollins laughs and leaves. Owens tells Patrick that getting to team with his friend as champion at WrestleMania will almost make it bearable that he has to perform in such a hell-hole like Texas.
The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy
Montez Ford goes for a scoop slam on Otis, but he loses his balance and Otis lands on top of Ford. Gable holds Ford’s foot down while making the pin for the victory.
Winners: Alpha Academy
Backstage, Ciampa says Ziggler started everything by coming into his home and disrespecting NXT. He intends to get payback by defeating him and Roode as a bonus, and he knows the perfect partner. It’s a returning Finn Balor. He says that his home is RAW now, but he won’t forget where he came from. He used to stand face to face with Ciampa, but now he will stand shoulder to shoulder.
Tomasso Ciampa and Finn Balor vs. The Dirty Dogs
Ciampa gets the win for his team with a sunset pin on Roode.
Winners: Tomasso Ciampa and Finn Balor
– After the match, Ciampa and Balor begin to celebrate as Ciampa’s music hits. Ziggler and Roode seethe at ringside. Balor and Ciampa stand tall together in the ring.
– The announcers plug WrestleMania 38 tickets and go over the card so far.
– We go back to the ring and out comes The Miz for another must see episode of MizTV. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and The Miz is in the ring for MizTV. He starts ranting on the crowd and getting heat, then rants on how Rey Mysterio cheated to win at WWE Elimination Chamber, using his son Dominik Mysterio. Miz goes on and mentions how he’s realized the fans can’t be trusted. Miz says he has found someone new to team with at WrestleMania 38. He says this person comes from a fighting family, he’s very “dashing” and a global celebrity. Miz made several potential teases for Cody Rhodes, which got a small pop from the crowd. The music interrupts and out comes The Mysterios. Rey knocks Miz and says no one in the back would team with him because the locker room can’t stand him. Rey says whoever this outside is, he can go right back where he came from and give his WrestleMania moment to someone who deserves it.
Miz says he knows what is best for this industry, not Rey, not Dominik and certainly not the fans. Dominik speaks up and defends his spot in WWE, and promises if Miz says one more thing about his father… Miz interrupts, taunts Dominik and says he’s proposing that he and his new tag team partner face Rey and Dominik at WrestleMania 38. Miz calls for fans to get up out of their seats and welcome his new tag team partner back to WWE – Logan Paul.
Paul comes out to mostly boos. He hits the ring and chest bumps The Miz. Paul says no disrespect as Rey is a WWE Legend, but he’s got pool toys that are bigger. Dominik says if this jackass is Miz’s partner, then they accept. Logan and Miz suddenly attack out of nowhere and beat The Mysterios down. Logan and Miz grab Rey and launch him head-first into the ring post. They then do the same to Dominik in the opposite corner as fans boo. Miz then drops Rey with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz shoves Dominik into Paul, and Paul drops Dominik with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz goes wild at the move. Paul and Miz stand tall together with their arms in the air as the music hits. They then pose in the corners and point up at the WrestleMania 38 sign while yelling out to the crowd.
– Kevin Patrick is backstage with RAW Tag Team Champions Alpha Academy. They’re asked about tonight’s main event and they say at least RK-Bro earned their title match while Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens just complained to get a chance at the titles. Chad Gable realizes their odds go down if Rollins and Owens are added to to the title match, but he and Otis are confident that they will retain regardless of who they defend against.
Rhea Ripley vs. Nikki A.S.H
Rhea wins with Riptide.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
After the match, Ripley stands tall as the music hits. We go to replays. Ripley poses and looks down at Nikki to end the segment.
– Still to come, a special look at The Undertaker’s Hall of Fame career. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and the announcers talk about Bobby Lashley being under concussion protocol due to what happened at WWE Elimination Chamber, but still scheduled to challenge WWE Champion Brock Lesnar at MSG next Saturday. They did not mention Lashley’s legitimate shoulder injury, which is rumored to have him out for 4 months.
– We get a video package on the career of 2022 WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker.
Damian Priest vs. Shelton Benjamin
Priest wins with the Recokoning.
Winner: Damian Priest
After the match, Priest gives Shelton Benjamin his due for fighting him like a man, but he’s fought athletes of his caliber and since it’s WrestleMania season, he is focused on fighting World Champion caliber opponents. He dares anyone to take the US Title from him. Finn Balor comes out and tells Priest to be careful what he wishes for, because it sounded like he was talking about him. He’ll see him next week.
Recap of Reggie regaining the 24/7 Title.
– We go back to the ring and out comes WWE 24/7 Champion Reggie. He flips into the ring and poses in the corner as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see more stills from Elimination Chamber. We go back to the ring and Reggie has a mic. He says he came out to get something off his chest and he promises he won’t be interrupted by any 24/7 shenanigans until he gets all of this out. First he would like to bring out the former champion, Dana Brooke, and out she comes. Reggie says he’s been very supportive of Dana winning the WWE 24/7 Title from the very beginning, he’s cared for her, maybe more than friends, and he gets it, all she wants to be is friends and that’s fine, but last week he lost sight of what was important, he couldn’t resist taking advantage of an opportunity but it left him with a horrible feeling in his stomach all week. Reggie apologizes from the bottom of his heart, and he wants to show Dana how she means so much more to him. He calls for a referee as Dana looks on confused. Reggie flips around and then lays down in the middle of the ring.
Reggie invites Dana to come pin him and she does. Reggie kicks out at 2 and starts laughing. Dana is upset. She tries again and he kicks out once again. Dana seethes. Reggie tells her to go ahead and do it again. Dana pins him but this time she kisses him, which allows her to get the full 3 count. The referee raises Dana’s arm with the title as Reggie gets up, happy about the kiss it appears. Dana blows him a kiss and raises the title. R-Truth runs down and gets in the ring but Reggie dropkicks him back out. Dana knocks Akira Tozawa off the apron, right into Tamina Snuka’s arms at ringside. Tozawa puckers up to Tamina for a kiss but she’s not having it, she just drops him on the floor. Tamina, Tozawa and Truth chase Reggie and Dana away, through the crowd.
– We get a video of highlights from the Women’s Elimination Chamber this past Saturday night.
– We go back to the ring and out comes Bianca Belair to a pop. She swings her hair and heads to the ring as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and the announcers hype Belair vs. RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 38. Belair takes the mic and cuts a promo on how she’s ready to run it back after making history at WrestleMania 37 last year. She mentions Lynch and then goes on about how tough the other Elimination Chamber participants were, but there can only be one EST. Belair really wants to get this point across – she is the hardest working woman in WWE, working non-stop for this WrestleMania moment so if you think she’s about to let up now, no way. She goes on and says in six weeks she will show Lynch why you can’t spell WrestleMania without a little EST. The music interrupts and out comes Lynch.
Lynch congratulates Belair on making it back to the big time, and says it doesn’t get any bigger than the two women who have won WrestleMania events. Becky says she and Belair will main event WrestleMania 38, but Belair is only getting to main event WrestleMania because Lynch did it first. Belair says that may be true but she did it better. Becky brings up how she walked out of WrestleMania 35 as Becky 2 Belts and hasn’t been beaten for this title ever since. She also recalls her 26 second win over Belair at SummerSlam. They both keep talking and Lynch accuses Belair of playing the victim. Belair points to some of her accomplishments and says she is not the victim. Lynch says that’s right because she is, she used to be The Man of the people until Belair came along. She goes on about how fans have despised her ever since she beat Belair at SummerSlam, they even gave her a huge ovation when she returned for that match, but it stopped there. Lynch says because they despise her now, she despises Belair. Lynch reminds Belair what she did to WWE Hall of Famer Lita at Elimination Chamber and warns Belair over WrestleMania. Belair threatens Lynch and says maybe she will make her a victim now. They face off until the music hits and out comes Doudrop.
Bianca Belair vs. Doudrop
Belair tries for the KOD from the corner again but Doudrop resists. Belair finally gets Doudrop on her shoulders, and she hits the KOD in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Bianca Belair
– After the match, Belair stands tall and laughs as her music hits, apparently shocked at the strength she displayed at the end. Lynch stands on top of the announce table, raising the title in the air and yelling at Belair as we go to replays. Belair points her finger at the WrestleMania 38 sign, which makes Lynch seethe to end the segment.
– Still to come, The Rated R Superstar is here.
– We get a Black History Month video that shows WWE Hall of Famer Booker T visiting kids at For Oak Cliff in the Dallas area. Back to commercial.
– Back from a break and the announcers plug the “Corey & Carmella” series coming to YouTube next Monday.
– We go back to the ring and out comes WWE Hall of Famer Edge to a big pop and pyro.
Edge says the smell of WrestleMania is in the air. He recalls being a fan and being amazed at WrestleMania 3, and goes on about getting on the WrestleMania card. Edge interrupts himself and says it’s good to be back. He talks about finally getting his spot on his first WrestleMania. He talks about stealing the show with TLC and says he’s thinking of WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley, who just had back surgery. Edge goes on about some of his other WrestleMania moments, and congratulates The Undertaker on his 2022 WWE Hall of Fame induction. He talks about retiring with a WrestleMania match but then he fought for 10 years to get back to WrestleMania, and he did that last year. As a kid he dreamed about WrestleMania, and he still does the same as an adult. Edge mentions how the fans give him the energy needed to be “phenomenal” and he even raises his eyebrow at the word, which sounds like a reference to AJ Styles. Edge says at WrestleMania he makes everything and everyone around him better. He steps up at WrestleMania.
Edge says he needs WrestleMania. He says WrestleMania 37 is being called the most stupendous two-night WWE event in history, but he says you can’t call WrestleMania that without him and as much as he needs WrestleMania, WrestleMania needs Edge. Edge issues a challenge to the locker room and says he needs someone to step up. If you want to prove yourself, stand across the ring from the man who says he is still the best going today, a certifiable legend. Edge will make you a legend forever if you fight him at WrestleMania. Edge tells the boys to step up because he will be waiting. He drops the mic and looks up at the WrestleMania 38 sign as the music hits.
– We see how Seth Rollins defeated Riddle two weeks ago, right before Kevin Owens took the RKO from Randy Orton.
Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens vs. RK-Bro
Rollins hits a Curb Stomp on RAndy Orton on the outside and back in, Riddle gets caught by Rollins and Owens and gets a buckle bomb, a Stunner and a Curb Stomp in rapid fire succession for the win.
Winners: Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens
