Just because WrestleMania is less than four weeks away doesn’t mean that WWE weekly TV grinds to a halt. On the contrary, now that the biggest matches for Philadelphia are finalized, there’s a lot of work to fill in the rest of the card, and some of it will be done tonight on WWE Raw from Houston.
In one of the show’s featured bouts, the women’s tag team titles will be on the line. The Kabuki Warriors have them now, but Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark have more than earned a shot at them. Would WWE consider a title change here, or might this be a feud that goes all the way to the Showcase of the Immortals?
Another big order of business is finding Gunther a WrestleMania challenger for his Intercontinental Championship. Many have tried and failed, but the fact that there are six men in the Gauntlet match tonight vying for a shot means he hasn’t quite cleaned out the division.
It’s a mix of former champs, up and comers and Chad Gable, who has made his quest to get a rematch with Gunther a personal one. Can the Alpha Academy leader climb a very tall mountain and get his WrestleMania moment?
Plus, since you know WWE isn’t going to let even one show go right now without keeping its top storylines on at least a low simmer, Michael Cole will have an interview with Cody Rhodes. Maybe he can talk about how oddsmakers think he and Seth Rollins will lose the tag team match on Night 1 of WrestleMania, making his rematch with Roman Reigns that much harder on Night 2.
We’ll have to wait and see. But not long because we’re off and running from the Toyota Center.
WWE Raw results from Houston:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
- Several wrestlers and Travis Scott are shown on their way into the arena before the show
- Drew McIntyre chides Seth Rollins for not listening to his own advice, but the Visionary claims Drew is the least of his problems
- A video package shows Chad Gable talking about his chance to rewrite history if he can make it through the Gauntlet
- Becky Lynch def. Liv Morgan by pinfall
- Right after the match, Rhea Ripley walks by Morgan and gets in the ring with Lynch; Mami accuses Lynch of knowing that Rhea is better than her, taking on a number of pre-WrestleMania matches to use as an excuse when she loses in Philly, but The Man says she’s even better when everyone doubts her so doesn’t mind if the world is against her
- Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis make their announcement: At WrestleMania, The Judgment Day will defend their tag team titles against 5 other teams in a Six-Pack Ladder match; teams will be able to win their way in over the next few weeks
- The Judgment Day reacts angrily to the above news and vows to find Pearce to … complain, we guess
- Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri by pinfall, in large part because LeRae decides to say some very hurtful, personal things to Dupri to throw her off her game
- Finn Balor leads The Judgment Day into the GMs’ office and lodges a complaint, and Damian Priest demands to know whose idea it was; they’re really upset when it turns out that it came from The Miz and R-Truth, and Truth is there even though he is supposed to be doing media with Miz, so Priest asks Pearce to make a match between them
- Michael Cole talks to Cody Rhodes, who explains that it’s not his story alone he needs to finish
- We hear from Ricochet and JD McDonagh, also entrants in the Gauntlet match later tonight
- Lynch finds Morgan backstage and offers a handshake which is accepted, but both of them are assaulted suddenly by Nia Jax, who drives The Man through a merch table
- Kabuki Warriors def. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship;
- Andrade stops by to see Dominik Mysterio, but since he’s not here, Ripley tells him they can talk business next week, and he seems amenable to that
- Shinsuke Nakamura and Bronson Reed get their say before the Gauntlet match
- Damian Priest def. R-Truth by pinfall, though the match also pulls in #DIY and Priest’s teammates; after the match, The Judgment Day beats up on #DIY
- Logan Paul has a major announcement to make on ImPAULsive tomorrow
- Meanwhile, Lynch says it’ll be her vs. Jax, Last Woman Standing next week
- Jey Uso says he wants to holler at his brother Jimmy Uso, proposing they fight at WrestleMania and promising to “knock the yeet out your ass!”
- After a tribute plays to celebrate his record-breaking title reign, Gunther tells Jackie Redmond that the idea of people thinking he’s become overconfident is silly, and that while he finds it flattering that six men are going to all this effort to challenge him, he clearly thinks whoever it is will be fighting an uphill battle against him
- Gauntlet match for Intercontinental Championship title shot at WrestleMania
Seth Rollins says he’s not sweating Drew McIntyre
The Scottish Warrior wastes no time starting right in on Seth Rollins, accusing him of not being able to leave well enough alone and agreeing to compete on both nights of WrestleMania. McIntyre adds that he also has been thinking about the bigger picture, scoffing when the crowd starts a “CM Punk” chant.
No, McIntyre says the bigger picture involves The Rock, and that pro wrestling should be working with someone who is one of the most powerful people in entertainment. Drew thinks when he’s champion, WWE will actually have a champion the company can invest in and be proud of, but that brings Seth Rollins out to join him.
Rollins gives McIntyre the chance to get a shot in, mockingly turning his back since he says Drew is a coward. The Scottish Warrior insists he just wants Seth to listen, and that he was right: Rollins was the one who told him he needed to get over The Bloodline, because for a champion, that’s all you should care about.
McIntyre says he pleaded for Rollins to heed his own advice but he would not. Seth replies that Drew is starting to remind him of CM Punk, because he used to think Punk was the biggest hypocrite in the world and now he’s not sure. Wasn’t it Drew that had such an issue with The Bloodline? Because recently it seems like he’s been getting plenty of help from that group.
Rollins vows that he and Cody Rhodes will take down The Bloodline on Night 1 at WrestleMania, and on Night 2, the same thing will happen that always happens when they face off: Seth will stomp his head into the mat, pin him and the people will sing his song.
Before he walks out, McIntyre claims there’s nothing Rollins can do to provoke him. Before he can get up the ramp, though, Seth says that of all the things he has to worry about for WrestleMania, Drew is at the very bottom of the list. McIntyre is obviously angry and makes it back as far as the ropes, but he eventually turns and stomps off.
Becky Lynch gets a legitimate battle from Liv Morgan but prevails in the end
It’s kind of fun that these two fan favorites have legit beef with each other without either one turning. That should be possible with good writing.
Morgan proves to be every bit as savvy as Lynch early on, even hitting a suicide dive right before a commercial break.
Lynch is fighting back big time after the ads, hitting several suplexes and a baseball slide kick to the floor. Becky comes off the apron and nails Liv as well, but her attempt to come off the middle rope back in the bring is answered by a Codebreaker that leaves both women down.
A series of kicks by Lynch is answered by a springboard Codebreaker, forcing The Man to kick out at two. They battle to the apron, where Morgan is able to prevail and hit a sunset flip powerbomb to the floor. She returns to the ring and covers, but Becky once again kicks out at two.
Lynch hits a Manhandle Slam amidst some back and forth, but Morgan rolls to the floor to prevent a cover as more commercials slide in.
Turnabout, as they say, is fair play, and Lynch shows it by rolling outside after Morgan connects with Oblivion. Liv tries to come off the second rope but is caught with another Manhandle Slam, and this time it’s enough to seal the deal.
Michael Cole gets Cody Rhodes to call it the ninth inning
Before he summons the American Nightmare, Cole introduces a full replay of the segment featuring Rhodes, Rollins, Roman Reigns and The Rock on last Friday’s SmackDown. You may remember that ended with Cody slapping The Rock, though the show quickly ended after hand hit face.
Cole cuts to the chase by asking why he slapped The Rock after he trumpeted the fact that he’s Rhodes’ boss. Rhodes isn’t so sure that’s really true but says if it is, it feels good to slap your boss. He says The Rock was a wrestler before he was all the other things he is today, and a great one at that.
Things take a turn as Cole points out that maybe Rollins wants to be the one to beat Reigns. How can Cody trust Seth? People change, Cody says, before rolling a clip from last October and another conversation with Cole.
It was about finishing his story, of course, and Rhodes admits he’s scared because he can’t say “I’ll get him next year” again. However, Cody says the story is not about him but all the fans who have been along on the ride with him, as well as his family.
Rebuking Paul Heyman’s famous quote about what inning The Bloodline story is in, Rhodes suggests we’re in the last inning, ending by telling Cole he’ll have the chance to make this call: “Cody Rhodes has finished his story.”
Dakota Kai tips the scales as Kabuki Warriors barely retain their gold
Asuka and Stark are first to enter the fray, with Zoey getting a quick two count on a dropkick. Baszler tags in and absorbs some kicks before grabbing Asuka’s ankle, but Kairi Sane is in not long after to spell her teammate.
The challengers subject Sane to some double team offense, and Zoey goes flying to the floor as well before a commercial break.
The announcers keep putting over Zoey’s athleticism, and rightly so, as she keeps taking it to Sane. Kairi headbutts Zoey into the Tree of Woe and hits a double stomp off the top buckle. Stark barely manages to beat the three count.
Both wrestlers make tags, leaving Asuka and Baszler to slug it out. Sane tags back in and hits a blockbuster, and the champs are rolling now. A sliding knee from Asuka hammers Baszler, but Stark hustles to break up the pin.
A Baszler kick levels Asuka, but the Empress counters the Z-360 with a German suplex. A second Z-360 finds the target, and a Baszler knee looks like it might be the match-winner until Asuka makes the save.
Baszler gets the Kirifuda Clutch on Sane, but Dakota Kai pulls Shayna’s leg under the bottom rope to break the hold. The champs take full advantage, double teaming Baszler until she’s finished off by an Insane Elbow.
Gauntlet match for Intercontinental Championship title shot at WrestleMania
Ricochet and JD McDonagh kick us off, showing us off some fun mat work and evasive maneuvers. JD hits double knees as a counter to a springboard cross body, which gets him the edge as they spill outside the ring.
McDonagh is still in charge back inside the ring, with Pat McAfee advancing the idea that Ricochet gets all the way back to the title he once held if he can come through the Gauntlet. The announcers also feel this first matchup is taking too long to benefit whoever wins it.
JD has another counter ready for Ricochet and follows with a brainbuster for a near fall. A number of shots crash home in both directions until Ricochet is nearly pinned again. To commercials we go.
Ricochet hits his inevitable rally and scores his own near fall. McDonagh rakes his eyes and sends him into the post, covering for another two.
JD keeps focusing on Ricochet’s midsection, attacking the ribs. They head up top together, but Ricochet shoves his foe down and delivers a Shooting Star Press to advance. JD McDonagh is eliminated.
Bronson Reed gets greeted by a twisting plancha from Ricochet, but he responds quickly with a running powerslam in the ring for a near fall. A step-up enzuigiri staggers Reed, who recovers to shove his opponent down and hit a senton.
Reed hits the Tsunami, and that’s it for the Highlight of the Night. Ricochet is eliminated.
Sami Zayn is the next man up, though he barely gets going before we step away for ads again.
The announcers note again that Zayn needs to win this as he has put all his eggs in this basket for WrestleMania. He’s in trouble on Reed’s shoulders on the turnbuckles, but he pivots into a sunset flip powerbomb and holds on for three. Bronson Reed is eliminated.
No one gave Reed the memo, though, as he delivers a cheap shot to Zayn, then a Tsunami as Shinsuke Nakamura is slow to enter the fray. Shinsuke lines up a Kinshasa but misses, and Zayn nearly rolls him up for the pinfall.
Nakamura throws Zayn over the announce table as we step away for what’s likely the last set of commercials tonight.
Zayn sees a Kinshasa coming again, but Shinsuke nails him with a scissor kick. A Helluva Kick comes right back as an answer, and Nakamura is down for the three. Shinsuke Nakamura is eliminated.
Gable shows some sportsmanship, seeing Zayn is beaten down and telling him he wants Sami back up before they lock up. Gable gets in the first offense when they finally do battle, hitting two German suplexes and looking for the ankle lock both in and out of the ring.
Sami drives Chad’s back into the steel steps, and whoops, we were wrong, one more ad break.
We return right into a superplex by Gable that earns him a near fall. He wants a moonsault next, but Zayn meets him there, and even after getting knocked to the canvas, gets his knees up to fend off the moonsault and covers for a two count.
Zayn ends up in the grips of the ankle lock, and even though he reaches the ropes for a break, there is definitely some damage done. Sami manages to hit an exploder suplex into the buckles, but gable sees a Helluva Kick coming and applies the ankle lock again.
Sami is straining hard but gets pulled back into the middle of the ring. This time Zayn rolls onto his back, but a tenacious Gable simply won’t let go. Sami gets onto one foot but is German suplexed for his efforts. A moonsault is on the way, but Zayn rolls out of the way.
A Helluva Kick is on target, but Zayn only gets two, as does Gable when he flips the pinning predicament over.
Both men are slow to recover from that last exchange, and we’re running short on time in the show. Gable manages to get the drop, hitting Chaos Theory for another two, then transitioning back to the ankle lock. Somehow, Zayn reverses the hold into a pinfall attempt, and this time he hangs on for the three.
Gable’s disappointment is evident as he can’t believe he didn’t get the victory, but Zayn is on his way to WrestleMania. Gable picks up Zayn, who won’t let him walk away without hugging him.
A smiling Gunther comes out onto the stage just as Raw fades out for the night.