Date: March 13, 2023
Location: Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence, Rhode Island
The Big Takeaway —
Kevin Owens told Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes to stay out of his business. They did, and he got destroyed by The Bloodline.
**********
Show Recap —
Edge challenges Finn Balor to a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania —
This was exactly what it should have been. Edge is a level above almost everyone on the show in terms of his charisma.
Edge kicked off the show and called out Finn Balor, who entered with The Judgment Day.
Edge said he's here to put an end to his issues with The Judgment Day. He said he's running out of time on his career and he's wasted the last year of his comeback against Balor and his crew.
Edge said there's only one way to end this, and it's Edge vs. Balor Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania.
Balor said he's been to hell, and hell spit him out because it couldn't handle his demons. Balor accepted the challenge, then ordered Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, and Damian Priest to attack.
Johnny Gargano, Candice LeRae, and Dexter Lumis ran in to save Edge as a brawl broke out before a commercial break.
Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio (w/Rhea Ripley) defeated Johnny Gargano & Dexter Lumis (w/Candice LeRae)
This started during a commercial break, then ran through another break. The match was constructed well, and Judgment Day looked strong in victory.
Lumis outwrestled Priest, then tagged Gargano. Priest cut Gargano off with a snake eyes.
Dominik used Three Amigos, but missed a 619 to allow Gargano to make a lukewarm tag to Lumis. Dominik tried to pin Lumis with his feet on the ropes, but Candice pushed Priest off. Candice and Rhea had a fight on the floor, and Rhea dropped Candice head-first onto the barricade. Lumis and Ripley had a staredown.
Dom used a frog splash for a two count, with Gargano saving for Lumis.
Lumis used a head and arm choke, but Priest blind tagged himself in and hit South of Heaven to pin Lumis.
Trish Stratus, Damage CTRL, The Miz, Chad Gable backstage segment —
Earlier in the day, Cathy Kelley interviewed Miz as he arrived at the building.
Chad Gable interrupted and asked if Miz had seen Otis, who was missing.
Kelley asked Miz if he had considered a co-host for WrestleMania.
The interview was interrupted as Damage CTRL attacked Trish Stratus nearby and left her laying.
Brock Lesnar & Omos face-to-face —
This a 1995 WWF matchup that is not going to be any good, but everyone in the building went nuts for the face-to-face, and I can't wait to see the WrestleMania match.
MVP said that Brock is a talented wrestler but a terrible tactician and had made a mistake in agreeing to fight the 7-foot-3, 416 pound Omos.
Lesnar's music interrupted the promo and Brock made his way to the ring.
Brock got in the ring and the crowd chanted "holy sh*t."
Omos held a fist in Lesnar's face. Lesnar said "That's a big hand, man."
Omos offered a handshake. Lesnar accepted, then Omos refused to break the handshake. Lesnar stomped on Omos's foot, then went for a suplex. Omos fought out and tried to clothesline Lesnar over the top rope, but they botched it.
Lesnar eventually went head over heels to the floor and backed up the ramp as Omos's music played.
Cody Rhodes defeated LA Knight
A fine little showcase match for the WrestleMania title challenger, and a very good promo afterwards.
Rhodes took the first minute or so, then got cut off with a right hand as he went for a dive. They had a good brawl on the floor, then Cody went to the top rope. Knight hit an awkward superplex after jumping to the top rope, and Cody landed badly on his right shoulder before an ad break.
Cody was back in control after the break, going for a delayed vertical suplex. Knight escaped and landed a DDT.
Cody made his comeback, hitting the Goldust punch from the mat and a disaster kick. Cody avoided Blunt Force Trauma and hit a top rope springboard Cody Cutter, then his Cross Rhodes for the pin.
Cody Rhodes promo —
Cody cut a promo after the match. He said Mr. Heyman keeps warning him to stay out of Bloodline business, but that he doesn't work for The Bloodline or Mr. Heyman, and he'll fight alongside Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens if he so chooses.
Cody said Heyman tells him not to make this issue with The Bloodline personal, but that this has been personal since he debuted at 21 years old. He said he puts his suit on as a suit of armor not because he thinks he's somebody, but because he wants to be somebody.
Cody said on April 2, he ends Roman Reigns' generational run. He grew up thinking he was a prince in this business, but he has no crown. He said that he acknowledges Roman Reigns, but Roman better start acknowledging him.
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He said he becomes the first Rhodes to be Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania.
Seth Rollins backstage promo —
A video recapped last week's angle with Rollins and Logan Paul.
Rollins said if there's one thing we've learned in the last two years, it's that you can't keep Rollins down.
Miz interrupted and said next week Logan Paul will host IMPAULSIVE TV live on Raw.
Baron Corbin interrupted and asked to be Miz's co-host at Mania. Miz declined.
Corbin offered Rollins boxing lessons ahead of his match with Paul. Rollins said he'd just as soon take boxing lessons from his daughter.
Corbin said if he faced Rollins, he'd knock him out quicker than Paul did last week. Rollins said he was in a fighting mood and challenged Corbin for later in the show.
Miz told Corbin that if he beats Rollins, he'll put a good word in with Paul for him.
Bronson Reed defeated Elias
Reed won a quick squash with a Tsunami splash off the top rope.
Cathy Kelley backstage —
Kelley was outside the trainer's room waiting for an update on Trish Stratus after the attack from Damage CTRL earlier.
Gable approached Kelley with MISSING flyers for Otis.
Becky Lynch and Lita pushed past Kelley into the trainer's room to check on Stratus.
Kevin Owens promo —
Kelley interviewed Owens. Owens said he needed Sami Zayn's help against The Bloodline, and now Zayn is the one asking for his help. Owens said that given their history, he doesn't want to fight alongside Sami but he wishes him the best.
Owens then addressed Cody Rhodes. He told him to stay out of his business tonight and to concentrate on Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
Austin Theory & The Street Profits backstage —
There was a mild tease here of Ford going solo, possibly as a heel. He's overdo for a singles push. Dawkins has been working hard on his own time to improve in the ring, but I worry for his future if Ford goes on his own.
A video recapped last week's Theory segment with John Cena.
An interaction with Theory and The Street Profits from earlier today was shown. Montez Ford cut a promo on Theory with great delivery.
Theory said of course Cena was talking about him beause he's the most important thing in WWE. Theory said the Profits were probably going to be unemployed in a couple of months. He asked which of Angelo Dawkins and Ford had more fire and wanted to face him. He said he would bet it was Dawkins because Ford is just a bag of jokes.
Dawkins stepped up and challenged Theory for tonight. Dawkins and Theory walked off as Ford pondered these developments.
That match is up next.
Austin Theory defeated Angelo Dawkins
The piped-in crowd noise was notably not here for Theory's match. Dawkins looked good and Theory has good fundamentals.
This went through a commercial break so we didn't see much of the action.
Theory was in control after the break. They traded pinning combinations, then Theory won after hitting A-Town Down.
Theory put Dawkins in the STF after the match to taunt Cena. Ford ran in and chased Theory off, so The Street Profits remain united for now.
Paul Heyman promo —
A great promo that added some more heat on the road to the WrestleMania main event.
Kelley interviewed Heyman, who announced that The Bloodline has a problem and it's Cody Rhodes.
Heyman said that if Rhodes wants to acknowledge Reigns, he will give him the chance next week on Raw when Reigns is there live. He said Rhodes will get the chance to show if he's a challenger, or a problem. If he's a problem, Reigns would love to solve the problem personally.
Dominik Mysterio challenges Rey Mysterio to a WrestleMania match —
Dominik got the "What?" treatment from the crowd, but handled it well.
Rey entered for a promo and said it feels great to be back on Raw. He said he was grateful for the honor, and that the honor was not just for him but for all of us.
Dominik interrupted and said Rey deserves the Hall of Fame, because he put his career ahead of his family and a bunch of strangers ahead of his own kids. Dominik said that Rey ditched his son's 8th grade promotion for WrestleMania.
Dominik said when all his friends got Mercedes cars for their 16th birthdays, Rey got Dom a BMW that wasn't even an M Series.
Dominik said that Rey was a sad, sorry excuse for a father and a man.
Dominik said he was going to let Rey enjoy his Hall of Fame weekend, and would let him enjoy it more by challenging him to a WrestleMania match.
Rey said there would be no match and he won't fight his own son.
Dom taunted Rey for walking away, and that the ony thing Rey taught him was what not to be.
Trish Stratus, Becky Lynch & Lita backstage promo —
A very short but effective segment.
Kelley interviewed the Women's Tag Team Champions and Stratus.
Kelley asked for a Stratus injury update. Lynch said "Damage CTRL is going to get their head kicked in. That's the update."
Lita said that if Damage CTRL wants to try to divide them and conquer them, they've got another thing coming.
Stratus said she's been hit a lot harder than Damage CTRL hit her, and all they've managed to do is piss her off.
Seth Rollins defeated Baron Corbin
A quick squash to further the Rollins-Paul angle with The Miz serving as a stand-in for Paul.
The Miz was on commentary for the match.
Corbin attacked Rollins as he danced around the ring during his entrance.
Rollins made a quick comeback and sent Corbin to the floor. Rollins hit a dive and sent Corbin over the announce table.
Rollins threw Corbin into Miz. Miz tried to climb into the ring for revenge, but Rollins dropped him. Rollins used Miz as a springboard to hit the stomp on Corbin for the pin.
Chad Gable & Otis backstage with Maximum Male Models —
There have been hundreds of worse WWE comedy gimmicks than Maximum Male Models I enjoy the act. This was amusing.
Gable asked Mustafa Ali if he had seen Otis. Ali spoke in hashtags and told Gable to smile more and be positive.
Gabe found Otis posing for a photoshoot with MMM and Maxine Dupri. Mansoor said that he broke a fingernail scrolling Instagram today and that MMM were "not cosmetically cleared to compete" tonight, so their match against Gallows & Anderson was postponed until next week.
Gable and MMM verbally went back and forth. Gable broke Mansoor's camera. Mace said Gable broke it with his "ick."
Gable tried to get Otis to follow him, but Dupri called for Otis and he followed her. Gable looked sad.
Bianca Belair defeated Chelsea Green (w/Carmella)
Another quick match with a puzzling angle after. Green looked the best here that she has on this WWE run. Belair has made it a habit of being the best match for her opponents.
Belair dominated the early-going with signature offense, including a perfect standing moonsault.
Carmella used a cheap shot with the referee distracted to allow Green to take over before a commercial break.
Belair made a comeback with clotheslines, a dropkick, and a stalling vertical suplex. Carmella got bumped off the apron as Bianca went for her backflip press off the ropes.
Green used an inside cradle for a near fall. Belair rebounded and hit the KOD for the pin.
Carmella and Green attacked Belair after the bell, but Asuka ran in for the save. Asuka hit a high kick to Carmella and a backfist to Green, as she and Belair cleared the ring.
Asuka took Belair's title belt and teased handing it to her, then pulled it away. Asuka danced around with the belt and continued to tease Belair with it.
Asuka coughed up blue mist, but did not spit it on Belair. She dropped the title, then danced away.
A bizarre "mind games" angle.
Next week —
Roman Reigns appearsIMPAULSIVE TV with Logan Paul & The MizAustin Theory vs. Montez FordBianca Belair & Asuka vs. Chelsea Green & CarmellaMaximum Male Models (Mace & Mansoor) vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Kevin Owens vs. Solo Sikoa in a Street Fight is the main event, up next.
Solo Sikoa defeated Kevin Owens in a Street Fight
This was a fun brawl that we didn't get to see much of because of commercial breaks.
They quickly brawled to the floor. Sikoa sent Owens into the announce table, Owens sent Sikoa into the steps. The brawl continued before a commercial break.
After the ad break, Owens set up a chair structure in the ring. Sikoa slammed Owens off the top rop through the chairs.
Owens regained control and they fought through the crowd into the backstage area. The Usos were lying in wait, hitting Owens with double superkicks.
The Bloodline dragged Owens back to the ring, where Sikoa hit a Samoan Spike for the pin.
Owens was left laying in the ring as The Bloodline celebrated on the ramp to close the show.