Well guys, as the site slowly returns to the norm I felt it was time to take a few hours off of tech work to cover tonight’s Post Mania Raw…. I do want to thank everyone who has taken a few minutes of their time to send their support and kind words our way as we work pretty much day and night for the last week to get the news site and forums back up and running. Everything should be up and running this week on the new server….
That said, another WrestleMania in the books and the post Raw is usually one of, if not THE best Raw of each year… Let’s see how they follow up Mania last night…
Oh, my opinion on Mania 32? In short, there was some good stuff action wise, far too heel heavy as far as winners go. Curious to see how they recover from not only Shane losing, but Reigns now working as champ.
I’ve seen rumors that read everything from two returns, to a title change, NXT stars, even the Wyatt Family taking a ‘different direction’. But the way things change, I’ll just sit back and HOPEFULLY enjoy the show.
Raw Pre-Show notes for 4/4/16…
– Preshow is live from Raw. Renee Young is replacing Scott Stanford and we have Booker, Corey Graves and Otunga… Booker says he’s glad Renee is there because he shoot doesn’t like Stanford… Wow… The videos playing for the fans in the background are LOUD and it’s hard to hear the announcers. We’re shown the music video from last night that recaps the entire Mania event.
The panel discusses Mania matches as Ryback vs. Fandango is being taped in the background for Superstars. We get a video of WWE Axxess.
Moving on to HHH vs. Reigns, Roman gets the belt…. Discussion of Shane vs. Taker…. The Divas.. A-hem, WOMEN’S Triple Threat.
Kalisto beats Bo Dallas on Superstars… Crowd was very pro Social Outcasts and booed Kalisto.
Back to Mania… The Rock, Wyatt, Cena…. thing. Poor Bray.
It’s Raw time…
The WWE Raw Report 4/4/16 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
– We kick off Raw with a quick Mania video package. Then Michael Cole is forced to mention that tonight’s audience is a “non-traditional audience” and explain that we will hear them boo people who should be cheered because “they’re having fun”. UGH. If that’s not a Vince line, then I don’t know what is…
VINCE MCMAHON / SHANE MCMAHON SEGMENT
Vince kicks things off on the stage pointing out that Shane had no chance in hell. Vince is upset Reigns won the title, but Shane is done and no longer has anything over Vince, ever again. Vince says how foolish Shane
The crowd chants shit at Vince, and Vince calls them the nuttiest crowd of the year and shrugs off their chants… Vince begins to leave when…. HERE COMES THE MONEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHANE MCMAHON hobbles out to the stage to confront Vince!!! “Thank You Shane” chants.
Shane has two things to say… Since he’s the only man in the family, he came to shake Vince’s hand, Vince won… They shake hands…
Second thing, Shane thanks the fans. Shane gets choked up as he thanks the fans and it almost sounds like a goodbye speech. Which would be very unfortunate. “You still got it” chants.
Vince blames the fans for Shane being beaten down. Shane thanks the fans again and says goodbye to the fans.
Vince stops him…. NOBODY UPSTAGES VINCE!!!
So tonight, Vince allows Shane to run RAW for tonight… Just to prove Vince’s point…. “Let him run it” chants.
Vince just gives Shane the mic and walks off… He tells Shane “lets see what you got”….
And while that makes NOOOO sense after last night… I’m all for it.
So far, so good.
New Day on the way to the ring…
NEW DAY PROMO
They talk dancing with Austin and company. Comedy promo. Woods has one of last night’s super sized Booty O’s. Crowd is eating this stuff up. Things move on to the League of Nations.
— Commercial Break —
MATCH #!: WWE TAG CHAMPS NEW DAY (w/WOODS) VS. SHEAMUS & KING BARRETT (w/RUSEV & DEL RIO)
Well, I’m trying to think positive but this really doesn’t sound like it can be very good. Shane clearly didn’t book this. League gets sent to the floor early, Big E launches Kofi out onto Sheamus…. The League take over on Kofi on the floor and continue control into the break.
Back from break, the crowd is doing the wave, which means Sheamus is boring them. Kofi gets a hot tag to Big E, who belly to bellies Barrett all around the ring. Big Splash follows. Big E sends Wade into Sheamus, knocking Sheamus off the apron. Big Ending/fling Kofi DDT double team ends this in 8:45…
Not sure how that follows the Mania booking… Sheamus on the mic and he’s pissed… They should be destroying everybody, but they’re not… There’s something wrong. You’re only as strong as your weakest link… BROGUE KICK TO BARRETT…..
Barrett is laid out… THE LIGHTS GO OUT……
THE WYATT FAMILY ATTACK THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS…..
WTF??????
Crowd sings “He’s got the whole world in his hands” as the Wyatts lay out the League…. SISTER ABIGAIL TO SHEAMUS!!!!
“THANK YOU WYATTS ” chant… lol
Follow the buzzards.
— Commercial Break —
– Renee Young interviews Vince as he’s leaving the arena… Leaving the arena? That makes sense.
– Summer Rae is in the ring cutting a promo… I know Shane didn’t book this either. WTF. Summer is pissed her team lost, then mocks Sasha Banks for losing…
Sasha Banks to the ring…
MATCH #2: SASHA BANKS VS. SUMMER RAE
Sasha slaps the shit out of Summer and the match starts. Banks dominates. Summer blocks a back stabber, but Sasha still manages the Banks Statement for the easy tapout win in 1:45-ish.
– Apollo Crews is next making his Raw debut…. Backstage we see Shane McMahon talking with Apollo. Well it’s nice to know they haven’t completely forgotten to use Shane…
— Commercial Break —
MATCH #3: APOLLO CREWS VS. TYLER BREEZE
Some flipping around the ring by Crews leads to a press slam into a powerslam for 2. Breeze takes over for a bit. Crews comes back with the Warrior Gorilla Press drop and a standing moonsault…. Spinning powerbomb gets the near squash win in 1:53. Great debut for Crews, but poor Breeze.
– Up next is Roman Reigns… Oh boy.
— Commercial Break —
ROMAN REIGNS / CHRIS JERICHO / AJ STYLES / KEVIN OWENS / SAMI ZAYN SEGMENT
Boo’s galore as Reigns comes out. Reigns heels it up in the promo. He says he’s not good or bad guy, he’s THE guy… That’s… Heelish. Reigns challenges anyone from the back to come out. NICE!
Who answers????
Chris Jericho…. BLAH. Well this segment started off with potential. Jericho calls Reigns, not THE guy, but A guy. Fans chant and drown out the promo, Jericho tells them they’re not hijacking his promo. Jericho demands Reigns put him at the front of the line of challengers…
AJ STYLES interrupts….
KEVIN OWENS interrupts….
SAMI ZAYN INTERRUPTS…
I guess that’s it…
Zayn and Owens starts to brawl…. Zayn dives outside onto Owens…
Jericho and Styles brawl, Jericho dumps AJ…. Reigns plays it up all heel
Reigns spears Jericho… Crowd boos all over this shit…. As do I.
Reigns mugs for the fans like a heel….
We’re reminded that an hour ago Shane McMahon took over Raw… And so far, I’m waiting for the payoff…
— Commercial Break —
– Backstage Reigns runs into Shane McMahon. Shane announces a Fatal 4 Way for tonight with Zayn, Styles, Jericho, and Owens… Whoever wins meets Reigns, presumably at Payback.
Baron Corbin promo from ringisde with the Andre trophy.
MATCH 4: BARON CORBIN VS. DOLPH ZIGGLER
It may be premature, but dare I say poor Dolph? Dolph goes wild with bunches and lands his dropkick, but Baron doesn’t even bump. Corbin takes over and mauls Ziggler to the apron. Dolph tries a springboard, but Baron jacks his jaw and sends Dolph to the floor as we head to break.
Back from break, crowd seems board and is amusing themselves. Both men go down. Now I’m bored. Ziggler starts his comeback spots, jumping DDT gets 2. Ziggler continues his offense until he runs into the spinning side slam, Corbin calls is Deep Six. The match goes outside. Corbin boots Ziggler into the crowd! the fight goes into the crowd, Corbin tosses Ziggler into a garbage can as both men are counted out in 8:33.
Corbin gets pissed over the decision and blames the referee for what he’s going to do to poor jobber Ziggler. Dolph tries to fight back, but END OF DAYS on the floor, and Dolph is laid out.
— Commercial Break —
WOO WOO WOO… YOU KNOW IT…. Zack Ryder promo. Lilian Garcia starts to announce this as a match, and then just stops after she realizes it’s a promo… Nice one…. “You deserve it” chants. Zack shows a picture of himself at Mania 10 holding Razor’s IC Title. Then to a pic of Mania 32 and show Razor holding Zack’s IC Title. Ryder then thanks his dad.
Miz interrupts. Miz calls Zack a flash in the pan, a one hit wonder. Ryder ruined Miz’s Mania. Zack says it sucks to be Miz.
Miz wants a title shot. Zack has nothing to prove. Miz says Zack is afraid to lose. Zack agrees to the match. And NOW Lilian, the match is booked. 😉
MATCH #5: IC CHAMPION ZACK RYDER VS. THE MIZ
Match begins, eventually Miz is sent to the floow. Baseball dropkick outside on the Miz. We go to break.
Back from break, Ryder breaks a rest hold and tries a comeback. Miz with the spike DDT for 2. Miz goes for the SCFinale, Zack escapes. Ryder misses the Rough Ryder. Ryder for a roll up gets 2. Ryder slides over a suplex into the nexkbreaker for 2…. They go up top, Miz gets knocked off. EL-BRO DROP off the top! Miz gets his foot on the rope. Miz stalls and sneaks in a Mafia kick that drops Zack.
Miz misses a charge in the corner, BRO-SKI BOOT, NO, Miz rolls outside. Ryder with ANOTHER baseball dropkick. Miz drives Zack into the apron, and then the barricade. Miz gets in the face of Ryder’s dad… Miz starts poking at Zack’s dad. Ryder’s dad SLAP MIZ… Ryder attacks Miz.
HERE COMES MARYSE… Maryse out of the crowd SLAPS Zack’s dad… This distracts Zack… Skull Crushing Finale…. MIZ PINS RYDER in 10:44… Just WHAT THE FUCK…. I hate typing that word, but seriously, WHAT THE FUCK….. One good thing comes out of Mania, and you kill it with the shittiest guy on the roster. People are changing channels everywhere, or at least in this house… My son just did.
Maryse celebrates with Miz… F U WWE. I’ve lost interest in this entire show.
– Backstage promo with Renee interviewing Owens. He’s going to be WWE Champion. He blames Zayn for costing him the IC Title, but he’s not costing KO the WWE Title. The road to KO-Mania 2 begins tonight.
– Shane is shown backstage with Ric Flair & Charlotte.
— Commercial Break —
– The VaudeVillains debut on Smackdown!!!
WWE WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP FORMAL PRESENTATION
In the ring, it’s all the WWE Women Wrestlers and Lita. Lita brings out Charlotte to present her with the new Women’s title. Out come Flair & Charlotte… Crowd doesn’t care and just chant through the promo. She calls the new championship the future… The crowd applauds to that and chants “Women’s Wrestling”. Flair loves it.
Charlotte then gives props to Ric Flair, and this becomes a heel promo. Charlotte thanks the fans for fueling her for her victory. Becky looks pissed. Charlotte mocks the ladies that have been there for 8-10 years and done less than her. WOO Woo Woo Woo… Charlotte talks trash on Sasha & Becky, and they leave… slowly ALL the ladies begin to leave the ring…. leaving Charlotte in the ring alone…. Natalya gets on the mic at ringside… Nattie wants to teach her a lesson about humility.
Nattie challenges her genetics against Charlottes. Charlotte says the title on her arm proves her family is better than Nattie’s…. SHARPSHOOTER ON CHARLOTTE!!! But Ric Flair pulls Charlotte to safety outside… Nattie’s music plays out the segment…
– Backstage Renee is with AJ Styles. He says there’s change in the air with Shane in charge… I’m still waiting to see exactly what it is that Shane does? Styles says tonight will be PHENOMENAL.
— Commercial Break —
– PRIMO AND EPICO VIGNETTE FROM PUERTO RICO. They sell Puerto Rico as a beautiful island, unlike America. OLE
TABLES MATCH
MATCH #6: THE USOS VS. THE DUDLEY BOYZ
Starts out pretty much what you expect. Brawl inside leads to a brawl outside. Then two in the ring and two on the floor. The Dudleys take control. WUZZUP HEAD BUTT…. The Dudleys go outside to get tables, but the Usos hit stereo dives outside onto them as we head to break.
Back from break, the Usos quickly drop the Dudleys and set up two tables as they did at WrestleMania. Dudleys take over and call for stereo powerbombs through the tables, but the Usos battle back and superkick the Dudleys outside. Usos both run across the barricades and hit stereo body attacks on the Dudleys. Dudleys put on the tables. Double Superfly Splashes, BUT THE USOS MISS… And the time keeps RINGS THE BELL…. WTF???? Lilian starts to announce the winners, but the Usos put themselves through the tables, that didn’t count… WTF…. The Dudleys chuck one of the Usos through a table in the corner. And BUBBA IS PISSED… Bubba berates the time keeper and tells him now he can ring the bell. Bubba is pissed the time keeper screwed up the finish, but the match is over in 9:30-ish. Even the announcers crap on the time keeper.
– Backstage, Renee interviews Sami Zayn…. KEVIN OWENS ATTACKS…. KO POWERBOMBS ZAYN THROUGH A TABLE BACKSTAGE. Kind of loses it’s effect when it happens 2 minutes after a TABLES match… But point is received. Owens dares Zayn show up for the main event now.
— Commercial Break —
The Dudleys are still out at ringside bitching with the fans…. When out comes…. ENZO & CASS….. They pass the Dudleys on the way to the ring… But no Carmella. Crowd cuts the promo along with Enzo. The Dudleys watch on as Enzo calls them haters, jealous haters… Enzo starts cutting jokes on the Dudleys and how ugly they are. He talks about D-Von having a lazy eye and how he’ll put it back to work. D-Von gets pissed. He mocks Bubba’s hair line. He says they will drop the Dudleys like turds. They call the Dudleys out.
The Dudleys tease getting in the ring but back off. Cass calls them S-A-W-F-T, Sawwwwft.
– They tease a new 4th mystery guy for the Fatal Four Way next, but don’t know for sure.
— Commercial Break —
– Zack Ryder gets his IC Title rematch on Smackdown. Already? Wow. And Dr. Phil will host Raw next week…. Yeah, things have really changed all right.
Lilian announces Sami Zayn is not medically cleared for this match. But replacing him is……..
CESARO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MATCH #7: CHRIS JERICHO VS. AJ STYLES VS. KEVIN OWENS VS. CESARO
All four men brawl, Owens and Jericho get dumped and crowd goes crazy for Styles vs. Cesaro… Phenomenal Dropkick by Styles, Spinning backbreaker by Cesaro… Crowd is going nuts… And we go to break!
Back from break, it’s a little bit of everybody going after each other. Not going to try and call all of this, but it’s a pretty active match. Fans chant “this is wrestling”. Owens & Jericho try a double superplex on Styles. Cesaro powerbombs them all off the ropes! From there we get Cannonballs, and enzuyigiris, and flying European uppercuts… Everyone getting a little offense. Owens misses a Cannonball on Jericho. Jericho with a bulldog on KO and the Lionsault, but KO gets his knees up.
Styles Springboard 450 on Jericho but Cesaro pulls him off the cover. Cesaro starts the uppercut train on KO and Styles from corner to corner. And an uppercut to Jericho too… A triple uppcercut train. Jericho blocks one with a boot but jumps right into the CESARO SWING!!!!!! Owens breaks it up after 11 swings, Cesaro knocked outside.
Pop Up Powerbomb on Styles, Jericho breaks up the count.
Codebreaker on Owens, Cesaro breaks it up.
Uppercuts on Jericho, but Chris gets the WALLS on Cesaro. Cesaro reverses into a SHARP SHOOTER!!!!!!! Homage to Tyson Kidd.
AJ SPRINGBOARD FOREARM TO CESARO!!!!!!
But Owens attacks AJ… STYLES WITH A PELE KICK ON OWENS!!!
BUT A CODEBREAKER TO STYLES!!! 1………2…………..STYLES KICKS OUT!
AJ COMES BACK…. STYLES CLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
STYLES CLASH TO JERICHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1……………..2…………………….3……………………
AJ STYLES WINS THE MATCH IN 16:46.
That’ll end it tonight… Still not sure what Shane did, but the main event was pretty damn good.
And for those curious, we didn’t hear back from Invision tonight about moving the forums, so we assume they’ll get back to us tomorrow.
Goodnight everyone!
