It’s a packed preview for tonight’s go-home show to Backlash, but it looks like a really talky show. Christian will be making an appearance to host a special Peep Show featuring Edge. New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks are paying RAW a visit. Rey Mysterio might, or might not, retire. Bobby Lashley will be MVP’s guest on the VIP Lounge. The Viking Raiders and Street Profits’ ‘Anything you can do we can do Better’ series continues with a decathlon. And in an actual match, probably, Asuka faces Charlotte Flair in a rematch, one day after Flair lost her NXT title and a few days before Asuka is set to defend her title against Nia Jax.
I’m Amanda and this is the RAW review.
Match Results
Asuka & Charlotte Flair def. The IIconics and Sasha Banks & Bayley
Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo def. Murphy & Austin Theory
Andrade def. Angel Garza and Kevin Owens
Bobby Lashley & MVP def. The Viking Raiders
Charlotte Flair def. Asuka

The Show
♦ Asuka vs Charlotte Flair looked like it was going to kick off the show. Asuka made her entrance but Sasha Banks and Bayley appeared instead of Flair.
They talked about themselves for a while. Asuka tried to kick them out of her ring. Charlotte Flair turned up while they were telling her to back off. She told them to make their victory lap quick because the people want to see her match with Asuka. Then the IIconics turned up and revealed they’ve got a tag title shot at Backlash in a triple-threat tag match, with Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross as the final team. Flair told Banks and Bayley it didn’t matter how many titles they hold they will still be garbage, and it descended into chaos. The IIconics beat on Asuka, Bayley and Banks beat on Flair, then Asuka and Flair cleared the ring when the others started arguing.
To no one’s surprise, Charlotte Flair & Asuka vs Bayley & Sasha Banks vs The IIconics started after the break. Asuka and Flair weren’t exactly on the same page, Flair refused to tag Asuka in when she called for it and looked less than pleased when Asuka tagged herself in. The IIconics looked pretty good, dealing with Bayley and Banks, but it was the Asuka and Flair tag shenanigans that dominated the match. The final one came when Asuka tagged herself in as Flair went up for a moonsault and tapped Billie Kay out with an Asuka Lock. Flair attacked Asuka during the post-match celebrations and reminded Asuka she still hasn’t beaten her. Their one on one match takes place later in the show.

♦ Seth Rollins kicked Byron Saxton off commentary so he could join the desk for Rey Mysterio’s interview. Mysterio is healing but he doesn’t know when he’ll be medically cleared to compete. When he is, he’s going to kick Seth Rollins’ ass. Rollins babbled on about the ‘sacrifice’ Mysterio made for the ‘greater good’ and invited him to come to RAW with Dominik next week and bow out as a legend. Aleister Black was clearly as annoyed by Rollins’ wittering as everyone else because he flew over the desk from nowhere and we went to the ads with him pounding on Rollins on the floor.

♦ Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo vs Austin Theory & Murphy happened after the break. They do seem to like throwing Aleister Black into random tag combinations, but at least he’s on tv. He got the win for his team in this one, with a massive kick to Murphy’s head.
Seth Rollins came out after the match to Rey Mysterio’s music and wearing a Mysterio mask. Theory and Murphy attacked Black and Carrillo while they were distracted and Rollins joined in. Carrillo was kicked out of the ring but Aleister Black took more punishment while Rollins yelled at him about getting involved in his business. A Stomp drove home the point.

♦ Randy Orton asked Charly Caruso if Edge was due to be the only guest on The Peep Show. She said yes and he told her that, just between them, there may be two guests.
Edge and Christian together will never be anything other than wonderful. Christian said he was genuinely happy for Edge’s comeback and the WrestleMania moment but he thinks he’s running on fumes. He doesn’t think Edge could pull off the greatest wrestling match ever in his prime. Those are lofty expectations and he doesn’t think Edge can live up to them.
Edge told him to stop and consider what he’s going through, the pressure he’s under. It’s like being told to climb Everest with no crew, so pardon him if he’s different and has some self-doubt.
It got quite heated when Christian said all he was hearing was excuses. He was clearly trying to fire him up. He talked about Edge’s mom and how much she believed in him, real-named him and told him if Edge isn’t going to show up at Backlash, then step through the ropes and go home. Edge was furious and crying. Christian smiled and said that was what he was looking for. We believe in him. He has the anti-venom. We have confidence and we think he can have the greatest wrestling match ever.
Randy Orton interrupted via the big screen. He tried to undo all the good work Christian had done, ending with, ‘This Sunday, the redemption of Edge is over’.
Edge said, ‘No it’s not’, and left the ring with one glance back and nod at his best friend.

♦ R-Truth interrupted MVP’s backstage interview by making noise while he was trying to hide. Lashley put Truth down with a full nelson.
♦ The decathlon featured the 1600 meter dash, Archery, Flip Cup, Sword Fighting, Hurdles, Stick Fighting, Dance Off, Shotput, Turkey Leg Eating, and Pole Vault. I’m sure you can guess who picked which events. Montez Ford quit on the sword fighting. Ivar evened the score on the final event by clearing the pole vault. They’re still tied.
♦ Apollo Crews said he’s excited to defend his title against the winner of Andrade vs Angel Garza vs Kevin Owens. He didn’t get to say any more because Andrade and Garza made their entrance and Kevin Owens attacked them on their way to the ring. Unsurprisingly, once the match started properly, Garza and Andrade double-teamed Owens. Eventually, their alliance broke down and Zelina Vega got knocked over trying to split them up. She was helped away by medics during a break and the match continued. Great match, won by Andrade after he stole Kevin Owens’ pin on Angel Garza.

♦ In a backstage interview, Charlotte Flair said she didn’t ‘lose’ the title. She didn’t submit and wasn’t pinned, but she did what she set out to do she elevated the NXT Women’s Championship. She main evented TakeOver and now she’s main eventing RAW. As she was accusing Asuka of trying to steal her moment tonight, Asuka danced into shot. Flair asked her if she ever takes anything seriously. Asuka said yes she does and slapped her.
♦ Zelina Vega broke up Andrade and Angel Garza arguing backstage. She was holding her neck and staring daggers at them. She just pointed for them to walk away and they shut up and did as they were told.
♦ Kurt Angle thinks Edge will win against Randy Orton at Backlash.
♦ The Viking Raiders asked Drew McIntyre if he wanted to become a Viking. They had a nice chat and he invited them to a celebration after the show. Then he put the idea in their heads that they might want to check out the VIP Lounge… because you never know what can happen on Monday Night RAW.
Drew McIntyre crashed the VIP Lounge while MVP was trying to big up Lashley. They argued until McIntyre got bored and threatened to Claymore MVP. Lashley attempted to sneak up on him for the full nelson but McIntyre turned around. MVP tried to attack McIntyre from behind while he was talking to Lashley. He took a Glasgow kiss for it then The Viking Raiders and Street Profits turned up to swing the numbers game in McIntyre’s favour.
The Viking Raiders vs MVP & Bobby Lashley happened after the break with Drew McIntyre and Street Profits at ringside. Sadly, Ford and Dawkins didn’t join commentary. Really good match. Things got heated between MVP, Lashley, and the Street Profits going into a break, but MVP and Lashley were taken out by a flying Ivar. Lashley stared down McIntyre after he speared Ivar at ringside. An unseen tag left Erik open to the full nelson of Bobby Lashley and he had to tap.
Post-match, Ivar punched MVP and Lashley put him in a full nelson. Ford and Dawkins rushed to Ivar’s rescue, but it was a Claymore to the face from McIntyre to make Lashley let go.
Lana was interviewed backstage during the match, which I hate. It sounds like she’s thinking of an in-ring comeback.

♦ Sasha Banks & Bayley joined commentary for Asuka vs Charlotte Flair. Heading into the first break, Flair threw Asuka over the commentary desk. It settled into a very worthy main event. Charlotte Flair really has had a very busy 24 hours, but it hadn’t damaged her aggression or her arrogance. Asuka kept working on Flair’s leg to weaken it.
Chaos broke out at ringside when The IIconics attacked Banks and Bayley and slammed Bayley onto the announce desk. That was the lead-in to the next break and it was back to the match when we came back, minus Bayley and Sasha Banks.
Flair did some damage to Asuka’s leg by smashing it into the ringpost, but Asuka managed to resist and drag Flair into the post. Flair was expecting it to be over after a big boot, but Asuka kicked out and resisted the figure four attempt. When Flair delivered a spear, Asuka got her knees up, but she failed in an attempt to submit Flair off the back of it. Asuka kicked out of anther spear, and it was looking like the irresistible force versus the immovable object.
Nia Jax was the difference-maker. She appeared on the apron and Asuka turned her attention to her. She dealt with Jax with a series of blows and a hip attack, but turned around into a big boot and got pinned. Not an unexpected ending, and it preserves Asuka and Flair’s rivalry for another round.
Jax entered the ring to deliver a Samoan drop to Asuka while Flair was celebrating.

Some good matches on tonight’s RAW and Backlash looks quietly decent. There are some superstars working very hard to carry these reduced roster shows. Enjoy Backlash and join us next week for all the fallout.