Super ShowDown is done (read the full review here) and we’re onto the go-home for Elimination Chamber. We’ve got a Super ShowDown rematch between Seth Rollins & Murphy and Street Profits, but that’s not the only pre-advertised match on the card. Aleister Black tries to get some payback on AJ Styles. Riddick Moss will defend the 24/7 Championship against whoever wants a go. Rey Mysterio and Humberto Carrillo face Angel Garza and Andrade. Brock Lesnar will be appearing, so Paul Heyman can gloat. And Beth Phoenix will be giving us an update on Edge’s condition.

I’m Amanda and this is the RAW review.

Match Results

Street Profits def. Seth Rollins & Murphy (TITLE CHANGE)

Riddick Moss def. Ricochet

Aleister Black def. Karl Anderson

Aleister Black def. Luke Gallows

AJ Styles def. Aleister Black

Liv Morgan def. Ruby Riott

Shayna Baszler def. Kairi Sane

Rey Mysterio & Humberto Carrillo def. Andrade & Angel Garza

The Show

♦ Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman opened the show. Heyman said it’s their job to come out and hype us on WrestleMania. But while it’s the most stacked of cards, the main event is a sham. WWE want to sell us on Drew McIntyre, but McIntyre is a hyped-up fraud.

At Royal Rumble, Lesnar massacred 15 of the top superstars then got hit in the balls by Ricochet, which left him vulnerable to McIntyre’s Claymore in the face. They make no excuses for Lesnar’s elimination, but there’s no evidence that McIntyre can pin or submit Lesnar. The next time they meet it will be over in seconds because McIntyre is no more than a stupid big bitch who’s going to get squashed.

McIntyre came out at that point, as you’d expect. Heyman was out of the ring before he’d left the stage. He got nose to nose with Lesnar, who smiled and started to leave the ring. Everyone, including McIntyre, knew he was going for a sneak attack and he was met with a Claymore. Then Drew McIntyre just walked away leaving Lesnar laid in the ring looking dazed.

The crowd chanted ‘You deserve it’ as Lesnar turned red in the face, collected his title, and struggled to leave the ring under his own power. The crowd sang him up the ramp. It’s always an interactive crowd at the Barclays Center. As Lesnar got to the stage, McIntyre reappeared, Claymored him again and held the title aloft. With ‘One More Time’ chants ringing out, McIntyre delivered the third and final Claymore.

♦ Seth Rollins & Murphy (C) vs Street Profits – ‘Now or Never’ RAW Tag Team Championship match – was the first match of the night. If Street Profits lose, they don’t get another chance. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins hyped the crowd before Rollins and Murphy came out, leaving AOP on the stage. Rollins and Murphy attacked Street Profits before the match could start and threw Ford into the barricade.

The match was excellent and very eventful. Murphy accidentally kicked Rollins in the face. AOP came down to try to sabotage Ford, and immediately got sent to the back by the ref. They argued, as did Murphy, and Kevin Owens sneaked in and gave Rollins a stunner while the ref was otherwise occupied. AOP ran off after Owens, Dawkins launched Murphy into the timekeeper’s area, and Montez Ford pinned Seth Rollins with a frogsplash.

Backstage, Rollins was struggling to walk and yelled at Charly Caruso for doing her job. Rollins said most superstars have to ask for a rematch, but he doesn’t so he’s demanding a rematch at Elimination Chamber. And Kevin Owens can name the time, place, and stipulation because when he gets his hands on him, he’ll be crucified.

The tag match was later confirmed.

♦ Riddick Moss (C) vs Ricochet – 24/7 Championship match – was decent. Riddick Moss didn’t make much of an impact on NXT, it remains to be seen if the 24/7 title will be a significant main roster launchpad. He retained it this time, with a neckbreaker after brutalising Ricochet for much of the match.

♦ AJ Styles brought Gallows and Anderson with him for his match, as ever. Before Black’s entrance, we got to see video of Styles getting dropped by The Undertaker at Super ShowDown. Styles took a few minutes to bitch about it and showed a video clip of Mark Wahlberg advising him to walk away. He’s not going to take that advice because he feels that he’s on a collision course with Taker and wants him to consider the Aleister Black match as a warning. He basically called The Undertaker past it.

When Black came out Styles said he clearly hadn’t read the contract he signed because to get to him Black had to go through Karl Anderson. Aleister Black vs Karl Anderson was good. I really like seeing Anderson in single’s action. He got knocked out with a Black Mass this time though.

Styles then announced that Black had to fight Luke Gallows as well. Before Aleister Black vs Luke Gallows started, Gallows attacked Black from behind and threw him into barricades and steps. It looked like it was going to be a simple job for Gallows, except Black wouldn’t stay down. Gallows got disqualified because he got Black in the corner and wouldn’t stop beating on him. Karl Anderson joined in, just to make sure Aleister Black was in no shape for another match.

After Black had taken a Magic Killer, Styles said he was ready for his match and Black insisted he could continue. Aleister Black vs AJ Styles should have been so much more, and will be next time with any luck. This time, Black was barely able to pull himself to his feet. He still got in a couple of kicks to Styles’ head and legs though. That enraged Styles and he pinned Aleister Black, using the Undertaker’s trademark pin, after delivering a brainbuster and a Phenomenal Forearm.

Aleister Black versus AJ Styles in a No Disqualification Match was later announced for Elimination Chamber.

♦ Charly Caruso showed Ruby Riott footage of her recent altercations with Liv Morgan ahead of her match against Morgan with Sarah Logan as the special guest referee. She asked Riott if anyone would have predicted this was how The Riott Squad would end. Riott said people make and break promises every day and prove their loyalty or disloyalty in a single breath. And now she’s just responsible for herself she can strike when she pleases. She’ll show the WWE Universe there are no friends in the Elimination Chamber.

Liv Morgan vs Ruby Riott was not unexpected, but making Sarah Logan the ref was just asking for trouble. She called it down the middle, but some of it was clearly hard for her to watch. It looked like she might come to blows with Riott in the middle when she pulled her out of the corner, and again when Morgan’s kick-out sent Riott into her. Then they started arguing when Riott thought a count was slow. Riott pushed Logan and Liv Morgan took that opportunity to roll Riott up. Logan gave a fast three count.

After the match, Riott and Logan argued again. Logan pushed Riott over and Morgan kicked her in the head, then Sarah Logan kneed Liv Morgan in the face. I guess we know where she stands now. Alone.

♦ No Way Jose and his conga line had a run-in with Erick Rowan backstage. They asked what was in the cage and Rowan agreed to show them. He pulled out a huge toy spider, bigger than his hands and with moving legs, and they all ran off screaming. It looked like a stuffed toy you might win at a fairground.

♦ Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler didn’t start until after Asuka and Sane had their say. Asuka said Baszler was lucky tonight because she is injured and Sane told her ‘I’ve got this’. It sounds like she’s still going to be in the Elimination Chamber match, although her wrist is either in a cast or super heavily strapped. As it turned out, Sane was wrong. She didn’t have it. She should have known better considering their history in NXT. In fact, she was getting her ass kicked when Becky Lynch came to the stage halfway through and went to join commentary. Sane didn’t capitalise on that distraction. Baszler chucked her out of the ring, and we got an ad break. It was good and got a decent amount of time, but it finished, as expected, with a Kirifuda Clutch. Baszler slapped the hold back on after the match just to make her point.

♦ Rey Mysterio said his and Carrillo’s rivalry with Andrade and Garza will end how and when they want it to. Rey Mysterio & Humberto Carrillo vs Andrade & Angel Garza was vicious. Andrade is clearly hyped to be back from wellness policy suspension and keen to get back into things. Things, in this case, meant kicking the hell out of Humberto Carrillo. Carrillo early wiped himself out on a suicide dive, but he survived that, and the punishment dished out by his opponents, and got to Rey Mysterio. Mysterio had everything under control, but he tagged Carrillo back in and Carrillo knocked himself sill by diving off the top turnbuckle and headbutting the barricade when Vega pulled Andrade out of the way. Take two of bringing Mysterio didn’t go any better. Garza blocked the 619. Andrade’s viciousness caused Carrillo to tag back in again and Mysterio had to break up a pin. While he was there, he delivered a double 619 to Andrade and Garza then took down Garza on the outside so Humberto Carrillo could finish off Andrade with a very pretty moonsault.

♦ Randy Orton interrupted Beth Phoenix’s medical update on Edge before she could even start. He held his hand out to her and she told him off and called him a son of a bitch. He said nothing and sat on the corner. She said she thought she might see him and if anyone needs to hear what she has to say it’s him. She’s there as a wife and mother because she needs her husband and her kids need their father.

Orton said it was a certainty that after what he did Edge will never wrestle again. He owes her an explanation and he’s going to give it. He told a story about his dad taking him to a show before he started out and Edge showing his dad respect and telling him he’s one of the reasons he got into wrestling. Edge was nice to him as well and wished him luck. It turned into a history lesson of Edge and Orton’s journey together and how Edge saved his life when he was at his lowest. What Orton did was returned the favour and saved Edge’s life. He knew Edge thought he was going to be competing again but Orton knew someone would make a name for themselves by putting him in a wheelchair or worse. He saved him from that and thanks to him Edge can be a husband and father.

He said it was Beth’s fault for being an enabler. Then he told her he loves her husband and kids more than she does, so she slapped him. They squared up. He called her a bitch. She kicked him in the gut. He RKO’d her and left. We still don’t know what Edge’s condition is.

The ring filled with a collection of superstars and officials to tend to Phoenix, while commentary spoke in hushed tones. And that was the end of RAW.

RAW had some really good matches this week and it felt like a lot less filler than normal. The Erick Rowan stuff was ridiculous. The end was intense, but it worked. Street Profits won the tag titles. And Brock Lesnar got his ass handed to him. Not bad at all.