WWE Raw Recap time and I’m running late so let’s get to it!
We open with MizTV where Miz is alone this week, says Morrison is out making a Bad Bunny diss track. Miz brings out Drew McIntyre and doesn’t let him respond as he just goes on and on, first talking about how he’d be panicking if he was defending in the Chamber and then talking about how Sheamus betrayed him but was never his friend.
THEN Miz starts talking about how management screwed him over by not giving him a singles match against Sheamus, finally Drew gets pissed and tells him to shut the Hell up. Tells Miz if he interrupts him one more time he’ll regret it. Says he’s sick and tired – Miz interrupts to say he understands and McIntyre nails him with the Glasgow Kiss! Tosses the MITB briefcase out of spite and makes his leave.
After McIntyre leaves, Miz starts talking again saying that just a little bit of pressure and the cracks start to show.
Calls Drew ‘Andy’ for some reason and says you can’t blame him, the pressure of being a champion in the Chamber is massive. But Miz feels no pressure. Goes on a tirade about how he’s adding to the pressure and he’s in control. Says Edge wants to talk about high stakes poker, here’s a move for you. He’s removing himself from the Elimination Chamber match!
Hurt Business goes to the ring. Riddle backstage talks to Lucha House Party and makes a number of references to wacky fictional stories about former presidents. It’s not really worth transcribing I don’t feel bad about missing it.
Riddle & Lucha House Party vs. Hurt Business
Shelton starts with Lince. Whip, shoulder block. Cedric tags in, SNAP suplex for a 2 count! Lince fights back and we have a miscue where Cedric was out of position for taking a Springboard Moonsault. Tag to Metalik, dropkick, Springboard Back Elbow! Faces try for topes but the heels attack them on the way out and everyone’s on the floor as we go to commercial break. WWE Raw Recap will resume.
As we come back, Cedric nails Metalik with a dropkick, cover for 2. Abdominal Stretch. Takes him to the mat and to the heel corner, Benjamin tags in. Whip, shoulder block and Metalik spins in mid-air off the impact. MVP tags in, cover for 2. A few of them in fact! Quick tags and isolation in the corner. Shelton pulls him out for a snap suplex for 2. Metalik sidesteps a Stinger Splash, plants him with a Tornado DDT!
And there’s the tag to Riddle!
He rushes into the ring, big Pele Kick to Cedric, charging forearms to everybody, Exploder Suplex to Cedric! Broton! PK! High kick, MVP blind tags in, big shoulder tackle. MVP’s leg is bothering him. Ballin’ Elbow, Lucha House Party break up the pin. Lumbar Check to Metalik, Superkick from Lince to Cedric, Shelton with a high knee to Lince, Final Flash for Benji, Lince with a crossbody off the top to Shelton on the floor as Riddle nails MVP with a high kick and follows up with a Floating Bro off the top for the win.
Winner: Riddle & Lucha House Party
Good match as expected. But we can’t have the faces look too good in victory so Bobby Lashley rushes out onto the stage and demolishes all three of them, ending with putting Riddle in the Hurt Lock again.
The Miz backstage talking with Adam Pearce. He says he appreciates Pearce gave him the opportunity to be in the Elimination Chamber, he knows there’s no superstar quite like him, he’s the A-Lister! But he wants to give back, he wants to let a young up-and-comer come up and grab that brass ring. The person who should take his spot… is John Morrison! Pearce promises to take that into consideration, shakes his head as Miz leaves.
After a commercial break, the WWE Raw Recap continues with a replay from last week, the events surrounding Bad Bunny, Damian Priest, Miz & Morrison. Mandy Rose meets up with Bunny backstage, she has his shirt. Wishes him luck this week on SNL. Priest is interviewed, talking about what a cool few weeks it’s been for him. Bunny starts to talk about how excited he is to be here when we happened to see Akira Tozawa pin R-Truth for the 24/7 Championship. Tozawa celebrates with the title but bumps into Priest, who tosses him right into one of the metal crates. At Priest’s encouragement, Bunny pins Tozawa and, of course, Bad Bunny is 24/7 Champion.
New Day come up to Adam Pearce backstage.
They deride Miz for trying to replace himself with Morrison. Xavier says Miz won’t even give him the last in the Best of Five! They point out that Kofi is not only a former WWE Champion but held it more recently than four of the participants in that Chamber match! Miz appears and argues on behalf of Morrison. Pearce books Miz vs Kofi tonight to determine who gets the spot. Kofi and Xavier conclude the segment by railing on Miz’s Marine sequels until he ragequits the convo and walks off in a huff.
Next up on the WWE Raw Recap…
Charlotte Flair & Asuka vs. Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce
Evans on the mic says he listed to Charlotte’s daddy’s sweet, sweet words alone, really taking it all in… and he thinks she’ll become the women’s champion. She and Peyton got her a late Valentine’s Day present. Royce has a candy heart that says “Bite Me” on it. Says she should’ve gotten Asuka a gift too, but she’s on her own and she’s got something she wants anyway, the Raw Women’s Championship.
Asuka and Peyton start when the bell rings.
Side headlock takeover, headscissor counter, kip up from both and stand-off. They battle for position until Asuka nails a shoulder tackle. Wrenches at the wrist. Tag to Charlotte. She throws Royce to the heel corner and demands the tag. Lacey whispers into Royce’s ear and backs off. Flair rolls up Royce, she escapes, forearms nailed, combo of kicks, comes at her with a Crossbody but Charlotte catches her, Fallaway Slam that the cameraman had no interest in, kip-up!
Asuka tags in, kicks and chops as they pick Peyton apart. Royce blocks a back body drop attempt with a spinning high kick to the face! Cover for a 2 count. Royce pulls Asuka to the corner and stomps her. Pulls her out for a snap suplex, cover for a nearfall. Shots ducked, clothesline collision! Asuka makes the tag to Charlotte, Evans actively avoids the tag again as Charlotte runs wild. Fallaway Slam sends Royce to the outside. She goes out there with her and slams her face into the announce table!
Peyton scrambles back into the ring and tags in Lacey. Charlotte waits for her to come in but she decides to just powder right away. Evans gets on the mic and says she’s not putting her hands on her. Announces to Charlotte that… she’s pregnant. She and Ric share a look and Flair starts a-struttin’. And that’s… the finish, to this, match…
Winner: Not a soul
Fuck this angle.
Backstage interview with Sheamus. Says they had an agreement on a one-on-one but somehow it became a one-on-six. Not very good math there. He vows to win the Gauntlet and Brogue Kick everyone’s head off when he comes in last in the Chamber.
Next up on the WWE Raw Recap which unfortunately I’m still doing…
The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston
Kofi with a waistlock. Miz wrestles out, side headlock. Kofi shoots him off, Miz with a shoulder block. Kingston with a duck under, some leap frogs, flying back elbow but Miz catches him in Skull Crushing Finale position. Kofi slips free, Trouble In Paradise juuuust whiffs. Miz drives him into the corner, no clean break so Kofi shoves him away.
Boot up off a charge, Kofi goes up top. Flying axe handle, cover for a 2 count. Kingston up top again, Miz powdering. Kofi chases him around the ring, catches him with a kick from the apron! Up top once more, Flying Double Axe Handle on the outside! Throws him into the ring, cover for a nearfall. Miz whips him to the ropes for a Kitchen Sink Knee. Miz whips him to the corner, Kofi rebounds off the second rope for a Missile Dropkick, nearfall! Kingston takes Miz to the apron, Miz avoids a shoulder thrust, kick to the chest, Neckbreaker on the apron!
Commercial break, WWE Raw Recap will resume.
As we come back, Miz is in control. Snap DDT for a nearfall! Takes him outside. Pops him up and lands him on the barricade. Throws him into the ring. Miz goes up top, Flying Double Axe Handle, nearfall. Lotta axe handle on axe handle action here. Miz with a cravate. Pulls him up, knees to the face. Kofi with a hip toss. Forearm to the face. Miz side-steps a corner clothesline and Kofi nails the post, Miz with a Big Boot for a nearfall!
Kingston fights back, series of blows. Hits the ropes but Miz with a kick to the gut. Hits the ropes but Kofi with the leaping stomp to the chest! Kingston with a dropkick, leaping clothesline, Boom Drop! Starts a-clapping. Trouble In Paradise missed, Miz rolls him up for a nearfall. Kofi ducks a shot, SOS! Close nearfall. Kingston up top, Crossbody, Miz rolls through for a nearfall! Kofi wants a Shuriken, Miz blocks it and wrenches the leg over the top rope to damage the knee! Pulls him to the center for a Figure Four Leglock! Kofi makes it to the ropes, on his way back up he hits a Trouble In Paradise out of nowhere for the win!
Winner: Kofi Kingston
Well that’s certainly an improvement on Miz being in there. It is funny though that Miz teased that it should be a young up-and-comer to joke on the idea of putting Morrison in there and then, the actual replacement is Kofi.
Naomi and Lana interviewed backstage. Lana says Nia and Shayna walk around trying to be the best whereas Lana just does her best. Says every week she just wants to reach her full potential and if she wins it’s just a cherry on top. She says Naomi always keeps her in check and checks on her. Naomi says after everything she put Lana through, Nia deserved to go through that table and a whole lot more.
Orton with a promo says the business between him and McIntyre, thanks to Sheamus, remains unfinished. Says he will win the gauntlet match tonight. It’s a daunting task for anyone but he will do whatever it takes. The Fiend was a problem so he solved that problem by lighting him on fire and now the Fiend is no more. Says he will not be in the ring with five opponents in the Elimination Chamber, he will be in there with five victims. Victims of the most dangerous three letters. But before he can finish saying R-K-O we cut to a very shadowy scene of the Funhouse.
Alexa’s here with her spooky eyes. Spreads ashes around. Places some candles. Says in the fire he was destroyed but in the future he will be reborn. Camera pans out and we see she’s in a damn pentagram drawn on the ground. She laughs maniacally and claps her hands.
Up next on the WWE Raw Recap…
Lana vs. Shayna Baszler
Shayna takes Lana to the mat, armbar. Contorts the arm, wrenches it back for a shoulder snap. Grinds her against the mat, knee in the back of the head, yanks her leg up high. Shoves the leg away to stomp onto her back. Lana tries to fight back but she’s Lana so a huge lariat drops her. Cranking on the head. Lana fights up, Shayna blocks a kick and shoves her to the mat. Lana tries a sunset flip in the corner but Baszler stands her ground, until she schoolgirls her into the buckle. Now Lana wants a bulldog but Shayna simply hurls her into the buckles. Goes up top with her.
Wants a Gutwrench Superplex, Lana somehow breaks the grip and hits her with forearms until she falls to the mat. Top Rope Crossbody for a nearfall. Someone told me this was a Tables match… whatever. Naomi and Nia Jax come to blows at ringside, Nia wants to Powerslam her but Naomi slips free and dropkicks her into the post. Shayna wants to grab at Naomi but Lana rolls her up for a nearfall. Driving knee for a nearfall from Shayna, directly into the Kirifuda Clutch for the quick tapout.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
This story really struggling to advance.
Braun Strowman backstage with Pearce says he better have a damn good reason for not being in the Chamber match. There’s actually not one! Pearce wants him to talk to someone else. Braun says Shane made it seem like it’s his idea. Adam can only say the idea of the match was former WWE Champions, and while he’s a former Universal Champ he’s not a WWE Champion. Braun tells him Shane needs to make this right, or else he will.
Up next on the WWE Raw Recap is the Gauntlet Match. AJ Styles is out here next. On the mic, AJ says Kofi is trying to recreate KofiMania. Somehow he found – no, he faught his way into the Elimination Chamber match. It’s almost – not Omos – but almost like it’s his destiny! But it isn’t. Because he’ll destroy his fantasy of ever becoming WWE Champion again. Not his fault, but he’s in the ring with AJ because it’s what he does.
Says he should be positive about this experience. This whole thing will make him even more – has Omos finish with – Phenomenal. AJ says his guy Joseph A. Parks worked together with Omos to crunch the numbers and he can’t lose. Naturally, No. 2 in the Gauntlet is Kofi Kingston and he’s hobbled already. after his match with Miz.
Gauntlet Match For Elimination Chamber Match Order
AJ takes Kofi to the corner, knee to the face hobbles him but AJ goes for the bum leg. Clobbers him in the corner, power whip to the adjacent corner. Kofi fighting back, knee to the gut in the corner. AJ fights out, flips him with a clothesline. Takes him to the apron, avoids a shoulder thrust, leg kick from AJ! Kofi fights back, low bridges a charge and sends him to the floor! Kingston with the Trust Fall! Xavier hops onto the announce table to play the trombone in mockery of AJ. That is until Omos grabs him by the throat!
He hoists Woods up and holds him for a silly amount of time before chokeslamming him over the barricade. Only then does Kofi rush out to confront him. The ref ejects Omos. Amazingly he doesn’t just intimidate everyone into letting him have his way this time, they got more brave with time. Kofi is checking on Xavier when AJ nails him with a chopblock.
Commercial break, WWE Raw Recap continues.
As we come back, AJ has Kofi on the mat. Kofi with upkicks and wants a rana but AJ blocks it, pulls him into a Single Leg Boston Crab! Kofi escapes, fights back, nails an SOS – but he’s too hurt to cover him! He struggles on him but Styles lands another chop block! Takes Kofi up top, Kingston knocks him to the apron, one-legged splash! Knee lands awkwardly off this, nearfall. Kofi limping badly now as he goes for blade chops, AJ ducks, blocks a kick and hits a KneeDT! Styles out on the apron, Phenomenal Forearm! Cover and…
Kofi Kingston has been eliminated. Out next is Drew McIntyre!
AJ looks scurred. McIntyre with a hard shot, big chop in the corner. Huge Overhead Belly To Belly sends him soaring across the ring! McIntyre with the Stun Gun! AJ struggles up on the apron, big boot drops him to the floor! Commercial break, WWE Raw Recap rolls on. As we come back, McIntyre with a big forearm. AJ with a drop toe hold into the buckles, chops, whip reversed and AJ takes a hard buckle! Cover, AJ grabs the bottom rope to break so Drew grabs the wrist and stomps it!
Fight spills to the outside, whip reversed and Styles flies into the steps! Drew drags him into the ring, Pendulum Backbreaker into a Michinoku Driver! Drew is just demolishing him, nearfall. Armbar, grinding the forearm into AJ’s face as he does it. Styles tries to fight back but McIntyre blocks a kick, hurls him up, Inverted Alabama Slam! Charges for a Claymore but Styles stops him with a dropkick! Charging dropkick to the outside! Tope Forearm! Styles waits for McIntyre to stand again, runs the apron for the driving knee to the face! Leaping forearm from the apron, sends McIntyre into the post! Commercial break.
When the WWE Raw Recap resumes, AJ has Drew in a headlock. McIntyre fights up and escapes, gains momentum again knocking him around, HUUUGE Overhead Belly To Belly! Running Neckbreaker, kip up! Leaps to the apron, climbs up top, goes flying at AJ but an enziguri out of the air takes him to the mat! Styles drags Drew up for a Styles Clash, Back Body Drop counter. Blocks a kick, rolls him into the Calf Crusher! Styles goes for the Phenomenal Forearm but McIntyre sidesteps, tosses him into the ropes and he whiplashes off! Claymore nailed! Pin and of course…
AJ Styles has been eliminated! Jeff Hardy is next up.
This match-up feels a little weird, we’ll see how this goes. Inset promo as Jeff slowly approaches the ring, Jeff says he has to take even more risks than before to get where he wants to go. The risks are worth it, it’s the first step on his journey back to the grandest stage of them all. Jeff comes right at McIntyre, Drew shoves him away but a sudden Whisper In The Wind, Drew was a bit out of position and it seems like the kick got him better than it was supposed to there, nearfall. Jeff kicks him to the outside, baseball slide, flying clothesline off the apron! Commercial break.
Hardy with a Reverse Enziguri as we come back! Kicks Drew to the apron. He drags himself back into the ring, fights back and the Overhead Belly To Bellies return. They lean on these a bit too much, it makes his moveset seem limited when it really doesn’t have to be. I realize they look real good, but that doesn’t mean you rely on them this much. Neckbreaker, kip up. Hardy fights back, Double Leg, Basement Dropkick, Short Splash for a nearfall. Wants a Twist of Fate, McIntyre blocks it, counters with the Future Shock DDT! Nearfall.
McIntyre goes out there, pulls Hardy up, big Vertical Suplex to the floor! Throws him into the ring, cover for a nearfall. Drew takes him up top. Big chop! Wants a superplex, Hardy fighting back. Pulls him up, nails the Superplex! Nearfall. Claymore attempted but Hardy avoids it, Twist of Fate lands! Jeff going up top! Swanton Bomb – but Drew with the knees up! Stalking again, there’s the Claymore! And the pin!
Jeff Hardy has been eliminated. Now out comes Randy Orton.
Commercial break, WWE Raw Recap will resume when the show does. When we come back, Drew and Randy are exchanging punches! Randy gets taken to the outside. Lights go out and we see Alexa Bliss’ face appearing on more and more of the ThunderDome screens. We see the ref doing his count in the background but Randy doesn’t seem to be aware of it. The ref counts him out.
Randy Orton has been eliminated, Sheamus is out now.
Orton is incensed, rushes into the ring but a Claymore sends him to the floor. Meanwhile Sheamus attacks McIntyre from behind. Stomps him into the mat. Ref is asking Drew if he wants to keep going, so they can start the match with Sheamus. Drew growls that he does. Sheamus batters him in the corner, clobbers him until he falls to his ass. Sheamus drags him up, Short-Arm Clothesline for a nearfall! Knee drop to the face!
Power whip to the buckles, cover for a nearfall. Beats of the Bowery from the mat, armbar. Drew fights up, Sheamus powers him to his shoulders, bounces him off the buckles for a big Powerslam! Nearfall. Sheamus drags him up, McIntyre surprises him with the Glasgow Kiss! Future Shock DDT! They both struggle up, fight spills to the outside, McIntyre posts Sheamus! Throws him into the ring. Sheamus with a knee to the head on the way back in, but McIntyre with an Overhead Belly To Belly! Aaand tries for the fifth one of this match, Sheamus elbows his way out, only to run into a Spinebuster! Claymore blocked, Sheamus hits the ropes, Brogue Kick for the abrupt win!
Winner: Sheamus
About what I expected to see from this match. This was atleast a good show of how much stamina McIntyre has though, which is certainly impressive for such a large man.
Sheamus on the mic afterwards. Says he did it, he beat the WWE Champion! And he’s the last man in the Chamber, making him the odds-on favorite! This Sunday he’ll prove it wasn’t a fluke and become the new WWE Champion. And that’s the show.