Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 4/18/2022 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw. We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on Twitter.com/Fightful and on Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
- The show began with a video recap showcasing the proceedings between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins from the 4/11/2022 edition of Raw, with Cody Rhodes defeating The Miz in his first televised WWE match in six years. After that match, Rollins challenged Rhodes to a match for WrestleMania Backlash.
- Jimmy Smith, Jerry Lawler, and Byron Saxton welcomed the audience to the broadcast, which was followed up by Seth "Freakin" Rollins coming to the ring to cut a promo. Rollins continued the introductions, welcoming the audience to "Monday Night Raw-llins", before requesting Cody Rhodes to come down to the ring for a conversation. Rhodes obliged and made his way to the ring, utilizing all the pyrotechnics for his entrance. The crowd chanted Cody's name with enthusiasm, which was encouraged by Rollins. Rhodes stated that this situation felt familiar, referencing the match of The Shield vs Cody Rhodes and Goldust from Battleground 2013. Rollins said that this was about respect and how much respect he had for Rhodes, but after Rhodes interrupted Rollins multiple times, Rollins said that he made Rhodes a star on WrestleMania 38. Rhodes requested Rollins to get to the point, with Rollins telling him that the point was that Rhodes had an unfair advantage. Rollins stated that Vince McMahon choosing a mystery opponent for Rollins was the reason why he lost, saying that he cannot live with people thinking Rhodes is not better than him. Rollins told Rhodes that he talked the talk, walked the walked, dripped the drop, and had reached the mountain top before Rhodes as reasons why he was better than Rhodes. Rhodes told Rollins that his accolades would not change the result of WrestleMania, then asked the Buffalo crowd if he was better than Seth Rollins. The crowd chanted "Yes", in response to Rhodes. Rollins requested Rhodes if he was interested in facing an opponent of his choice, to which Rhodes agreed.
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match
Sasha Banks & Naomi (c) vs Liv Morgan & Rhea Ripley.
The match began with Banks and Ripley in the ring, with Ripley hitting a dropkick on Banks. Ripley Bulldog tossed Morgan for a near fall. Naomi tagged in. she and Banks hit stereo kicks on Morgan for a near fall. Banks hit a crossbody on Morgan for a near fall. Banks and Naomi slide outside to slam Morgan to the ring post. Banks tried to hit a running crossbody off the apron on Ripley, but Ripley caught Banks. Morgan did a kick-push on Naomi onto the ring-post, all while Ripley hit the Riptide on Banks on the barricade before the commercial break.
After the commercial break, Ripley hit a lariat on Naomi before tagging in Morgan. They hit the Steiner Bulldog for a near fall. Naomi got a roll-up on Morgan for a near fall. Morgan did a powerbomb on Naomi, which led to Ripley hitting the riptide. Banks hit a backstabber on Morgan and broke up the pinfall attempt from Ripley. Naomi and Banks hit the Wheelbarrow-Codebreaker combination for the pinfall win, retaining the Women's Tag Team Championships.
After the match, Ripley and Morgan argued in the ring, which led to Ripley attacking Morgan and hitting the Riptide, with Ripley turning heel.
Winners & Still WWE Women's Tag Team Champions: Sasha Banks & Naomi (c).
- Sara Schrieber went to Rhea Ripley to explain her attack, but Ripley asked furiously what entitles her for an explanation, before leaving the ring.
- Sonya Deville made her way to the ring and explained why she challenged Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship. Deville said Belair is the EST and the B.E.S.T. in WWE, which is why she wants to win the title from her and said she saw an opportunity in Belair's open challenge and took advantage of it. Belair made her way to the ring, but Deville told Belair that there will be repercussions. Belair asked Deville if she wants the title match at that moment, but Deville said that she did not wait this long for her title match to take place in Buffalo, New York. Deville offered the title match to be in Bianca's hometown, Knoxville, Tenesee. Belair accepted and carried Deville for a KOD. Deville shouted that she would make sure Belair had repercussions if she completed the KOD, which led to Belair tossing Deville off her shoulders to the ring-post.
Veer Mahan vs Jeff Brooks
Mahan tossed Brooks into the corner before doing an over head toss. Brooks punched the midsection of Mahan, before Mahan pushed Brooks out and hit a Side-slam. Mahan hit a Lariat called "The Million Dollar arm". Mahan hit a sitting bomb on Brooks and hit the Cervial Clutch for the Submission victory. Mahan put the Clutch two more times on Brooks before WWE Officials Shaun Davari and Jamie Noble came to the ring to stop Mahan.
Winner: Veer Mahan.
- Deville reached out to Pearce in regards to the attack Belair did on Deville. Deville asked for a big fine on Belair for her actions, and Pearce informed her that she was being investigated. Pearce did reveal that she fined Belair, but Belair was doing paying one dollar for her fine. Deville was livid by this, but Pearce said he was going by the book.
- Backstage, "Hurricane" Shane Helms and Jamie Noble were seeing accompanying Jeff Brooks, who was on a stretcher, to an ambulance vehicle after his match against Veer Mahan.
- Kevin Owens hosted a special edition of the KO Show, with Owens hosting a Lie Detector Test. Owens revealed that the moderator of the Lie Detector Test was going to be Chad Gable. Gable revealed will not be biased during the Test, saying that he will beat the hell out of him if he lies. Owens invited Ezekiel to come to the ring, which Ezekiel obliged. Ezekiel re-stated that he was not Elias, before asking the crowd this: "Who wants to hear Zeke Speak?!". Gable asked the Buffalo crowd to SHOOSH, before asking Ezekiel if the sky was blue. Ezekiel said yes, and the test was working. Gable asked Ezekeil if Gable Stevenson was a spoiled brat, but Owens told him to refrain. Gable asked Ezekiel if he was Elias, which Ezekiel said no. The machine proved he was correct, and Gable asked if he was the younger brother of Elias, to which Ezekiel said yes. Owens was livid by the results, but Ezekiel said that he was tired of being called a liar. Owens said that he only cares about the truth and wanted Ezekiel to say he was Elias or else. Owens walked out of the ring before Gable attacked Ezekiel, leading to a one-on-one match between the two.
Ezekiel vs Chad Gable.
The match began with Ezequiel attacking Gable in the corner before tossing Gable across the ring. Outside the ring, Ezekiel hit a slam on Gable onto the stairs. Ezekiel hit a series of chops on Gable, but Gable hit a leg-breaker on Ezekiel. Gable continued to attack the left leg before hitting a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Gable got a half-figure four on Ezekiel's left leg before being kicked by Ezekiel. Ezekiel hit a clothesline, a punch, and a rope-assisted back kick on Gable. Gable hit a Saito-Suplex on Ezekiel. Gable went for a moonsault, but Ezekiel kicked Gable in the head before the landing. Ezequiel hit a spinebuster and put Gable in a Single-Leg Crab, but Otis attacked Ezequiel for the Disqualification victory for Ezekiel.
Winner (via Disqualification): Ezekiel.
- There was a video package showing the feud between SmackDown Tag Team Champions, The Usos, and Raw Tag Team Champions, RK-Bro, which are battling to unify to unify the WWE Tag Team Championships. The recap showed highlights of the Riddle vs Jimmy Uso match from the 4/15/2022 edition of SmackDown.
RK-Bro (Riddle & Randy Orton) vs Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins).
The match began with Dawkins and Orton locking up, with Norton transitioning to a side headlock before hitting a shoulder block on Orton. Dawkins hit a spinning elbow on Orton. Orton kicked Dawkins before hitting an uppercut. Orton and Riddle stomped on the ligaments of Dawkins before Riddle hit an assisted Bro-Derek for a near fall. Montez Ford tagged in and hit a dropkick for a near fall. Ford hit a back-suplex on Riddle. Ford went to the top-rope, but Riddle caught up and hit an Avalanche Spanish Fly before the commercial break.
After the commercial break, Ford and Riddle exchanged strikes before Ford hit an Inseguri kick on Riddle. Riddle hit a Kick on Dawkins. Orton hit a series of lariats and a snap-bodyslam on Dawkins. Orton and Riddle hit two Elevated DDTs at the same time. Riddle went for an RKO, but was distracted by the music of The Usos. Dawkins caught Riddle before they hit a Doomsday Blockbuster for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Ford revealed that he queued the music of The Usos, telling RK-Bro that they are a team to keep an eye on. They said that they want the smoke.
Winners: Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins).
- Edge and Damian Priest were seeing backstage, with Priest that they need to be reminded of who they are. Edge said the seeds of his character had been planted since The Brood, saying that they had not reached their true capabilities. Edge was livid that he had to open a challenge for an opponent for WrestleMania. Edge said that he decided to not care on what the crowd said and that he wants to reach the top of wrestling, which he called the mountain of omnipotence. Edge said that he and Priest decided to seize the day, and that it the judgement day of AJ Styles.
- Backstage, Styles was interviewed by Sarah Schreiber, but Priest and Edge attacked Styles backstage, slamming a locker room chair on the arm of Styles.
WWE United States Championship
Theory vs Finn Balor (c)
The match began with Theory and Balor locking up, with Balor getting an arm-bar. Theory hit a shoulder block on Balor, but got hit with a chop from Balor. Balor hit a kick to the back of Theory. Balor hit an Irish Whip followed by a chop, but Theory hit a back-breaker on Balor and a series of punches for a near fall. Theory got a side headlock on Balor. Theory hit a apron-assisted neck breaker to Balor outside before the commercial break.
After the commercial break, Theory had Balor locked in the ground with a side headlock. Theory stomped on Theory's leg. Balor hit a running forearm on Theory before hitting a standing Coup de Grace. Theory hit Balor with a sideslam for a near fall. Theory hit two clotheslines on Balor, but missed the third attempt and got hit with a DDT from Balor. Theory went for a rolling Dropkick, but Balor caught him with a Powerbomb for a near fall. Balor kicked Theory, but Theory pushed Balor on the neck. Balor hit a series of stomps on Theory, followed by a sling blade. Balor hit a dropkick on Theory onto the corner. Balor went for the Coup de Grace, but Theory caught him and hit a Springrope Spanish Fly for a near fall. Balor hit the 1916 on Theory before clotheslining Theory onto the outside. Balor hit a Tope Con Hilo on Theory on the outside. Balor went for a Coup de Grace, but missed. Theory hit Balor with A-Town Down for the pinfall victory, becoming the new UNited States Champion. After the match, the Raw heels came out to celebrate Theory's victory, and Vince McMahon came out to the ring to celebrate Theory's victory. Theory walked down the ramp to meet with Mr. McMahon and took a selfie with him to celebrate winning the United States Championship.
Winner & New WWE United States Champion: Theory.
- Backstage, Seth Rollins was interviewed backstage by Kevin Egan, revealing that he had an opponent in mind. Rollins revealed that he will not announce Cody's opponent until the match happens.
- R-Truth hosted the double commencement ceremony of the couples of Reggie & 24/7 Champion, Dana Brooke, and Tozawa & Tamina. R-Truth revealed that after the wedding, championship defenses for the 24/7 Championship were going to be allowed. Dana Brooke and Tamina were accompanied to the ring, with Naomi and Sasha Banks being the Bridesmaids, reuniting Team B.A.D for the first time since 2015. Dana Brooke told R-Truth to pronounce her name correctly, as he was calling her Dana Brookes. R-Truth requested the Buffalo to not "What" him, which the crowd did not oblige. Brooke said in her testimony that Reggie was a man of honor and that their love could only grow stronger. Reggie said that Dana Brooke was a goddess, that their relationship will only grow stronger. Tamina said that she echoes Brooke's feelings with Tozawa. Tozawa said that he echoed those feelings too. The couples exchanged couples before preventing the objections. Tamina swapped Tozawa with Reggie, to the confusion of the crowd. Tamina then swapped places with Tozawa, leading to Tamina and Dana Brooke holding hands, while R-Truth stated "I don't even know if that's PG!". Tamina swapped places with Reggie to be paired with Tozawa again, back to the original positions. Reggie and Tozawa ut the rings on each other, before they each kissed their wives.
24/7 Championship Match
Reggie vs Dana Brooke
After a passionate kiss, Reggie pinned Brooke to become the new 24/7 Champion.
Winner & New 24/7 Champion: Reggie.
24/7 Championship Match
Tamina vs Reggie
Tamina hit a roll-up on Reggie for the pinfall victory, becoming the new 24/7 Championship.
24/7 Championship Match
Tozawa vs Tamina
Tozawa hit a roll-up on Tamina by getting inside the wedding dress of Tamina, getting the pinfall win and becoming the new 24/7 Champion
Winner & New 24/7 Champion: Tozawa.
24/7 Championship Match
Dana Brooke vs Tozawa
Brooke hit a crossbody on Tozawa for the pinfall victory, regaining the 24/7 Championship, before running out the ring on the back of R-Truth.
Winner & New 24/7 Champion: Dana Brooke.
- Backstage, MVP told Lashley that he had moved on from Bobby Lashley, stating that he is teaching him everything to become everything Lashley was, challenging Lashley to an arm-wrestling match. Omos stayed that the Almighty Era is coming to an end. Lashley said that he did not care about what MVP stayed, saying that he will prove Omos why they still call him the almighty.
- Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring, waiting to see who his opponent was going to be. Rollins revealed that the opponent he chose for Rhodes was none other than his tag team partner, Kevin Owens.
Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens (w/ Seth Rollins)
The match began with both wrestlers locking up, with Owens transitioning into a side headlock. Owens went for a back suplex, but Rhodes escaped and hit a slap on Owens. Rhodes threw Owens outside and went for a Tope Suicida, but Owens hit him with an elbow strike before hitting a fall-away slam to Rhodes onto the apron before the commercial break.
After the commercial break, Rhodes hit Owens with an elbow hit, a dropkick, and tried to do an arm drag; however, Owens evaded the move and hit a standing senton on Rhodes for a near fall. Owens hit a Back-breaker stretch on Rhodes, but Rhodes escaped the move. Owens hit a series of knee strikes on the back of Rhodes before punching the face of Rhodes. Rhodes hit two punches before Owens kicked Rhodes in the mid-section followed by a suplex for a near fall. Owens went for another suplex, but Rhodes countered it with a suplex-face slam on Owens. Rhodes tried to hit the Crossroads, but Owens hit him with a spike DDT. Owens went to the top rope and hit a Swanton Bomb, but Rhodes put his knees up and hit the back of Owens. Owens leaned to the commentary table, but Rhodes launched himself on Owens. After this move, Seth Rollins made his way to the ring before the commercial break.
After the final commercial break, Rhodes tried to get Owens for a Super-plex, but Owens put Rhodes down to the turnbuckle to hit a Frog Splash for a near fall. Owens went back to the top rope and hit a Swanton Bomb for another near fall. Owens went for a Pop-Up Powerbomb, but Rhodes reversed it to a Frankensteiner before hitting a lariat on Owens. Owens caught Rhodes with a pop-up powerbomb for a near fall. Owens went to the top rope again, but Cody caught him with a series of punches. Rhodes went to the top rope and tried to hit a Super-plex, but Owens caught Owens with an Avalanche Fisher Man's Suplex for a pinfall attempt, but Rhodes got a rope break. Owens tried to powerbomb Rhodes on the apron, but Rhodes lifted Owens onto the apron. Rollins tried to tell Owens to get back in the ring, but Rollins called Owens a fat-ass. This insult led to Owens walking out of the match, losing the match by count-out. After the match, Rhodes went to the top rope to celebrate his victory, but Rollins pushed Rhodes off the top rope onto the outside, with Rollins standing tall to end the show.
Winner (via Countout): Cody Rhodes.
