Monday Night RAW Highlights
#1 – Seth Rollins defeated Finn Balor in their last face-off before WrestleMania 34 this Sunday, April 8th. This match could have been on a pay-per-view. In fact, there was a shout-out to a past match the two had at SummerSlam 2016, where they fought to see who would be the inaugural Universal Champion. In that match, despite Balor winning, Rollins seriously injured him on a very specific barricade. On RAW, Rollins was about to toss Balor into the same barricade, but Balor converted it into his running drop-kick and Rollins was the one to go through the barricade. However, the match ended back in the ring after a series of roll-ups, when Seth Rollins stomped Balor’s head into the ground and pinned him. Intercontinental Champion the Miz was doing commentary on this match throughout, talking a lot about his new baby Monroe Sky. With Rollins winning this match, Balor’s chance at gaining the belt on Sunday seems solidified because Miz will likely take a break from wrestling to take care of his baby and anyone who wins on the go-home show (Seth) is more than likely to lose on the actual PPV.
#2 – BRAINS STROWMAN, Braun Strowman’s brother, is apparently his tag team partner against Tag Team Champions, Cesaro and Sheamus, aka the Bar. Braun promised on Monday that if The Bar was willing to fight his tag team partner, he’d reveal who it is. Well, the Bar said “OK” and Braun went backstage. Then his brother “Brains” came out. Honestly, he looked exactly like Braun, but with a white hoodie and a pair of glasses. Of course when he got into the ring, he revealed himself to be the actual Braun Strowman, so his tag team partner is still a mystery.
#3 – After weeks of trying to summon the Undertaker from hiding, John Cena finally had to admit… he will be going to WrestleMania as a fan and not a wrestler. Cena decided that silence meant “no” from the Deadman, and even tossed some final insults out there hoping for a response… and still got nothing. Now, I don’t believe it but apparently Undertaker has not been signed up for WrestleMania. For me, that’s just like how Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are going to be fired from WWE if they lose against Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan on Sunday. It’s all just to keep the fans guessing.
SmackDown Live Highlights
#1 – For me, personally, was when Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn crashed SmackDown Live. Now, I thought they had been reinstated until Sunday but I guess not. The “Yep!” Movement showed up to apologize to Daniel Bryan’s family, who encouraged him to return to the ring, for what they’d do to him on Sunday and told Shane McMahon they would send him crying to his daddy, who is WWE CEO Vince McMahon. But we all know Shane will never be Vince’s boy, because according to Roman Reigns that’s Brock Lesnar. ANYWAY, Owens and Zayn kept talking until their mics were cut off, then ran off through the crowd. Daniel Bryan told the WWE Universe to take a long look at the two because it’d be the last time they’d be seen on SmackDown ever again. And I fully believe that. They aren’t going to have D-Bry job out on his first match back to WWE in over two years.
#2 – Natalya and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte had a match last night and in the middle of it, Miss Money in the Bank Carmella tried to cash in her briefcase for a SmackDown Women’s Championship match then and there. But before she handed it over to the referee, Charlotte kicked it out of her hands, so Carmella ran after Charlotte and almost handed Natalya the win. However, Charlotte made Natalya tap out to a Figure 8 Leg Lock. The Queen’s challenger at WrestleMania 34, Asuka, then came out to remind Charlotte that nobody is ready for Asuka. Charlotte cut her off quickly, and said that Asuka wasn’t ready for Charlotte.
#3 – In a match reminiscent of last week’s main event, WWE Champion AJ Styles and his opponent at WrestleMania, Shinsuke Nakamura, teamed up against Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable. They worked pretty well together despite having their match coming up on Sunday. After they beat BenjaGable though, Shinsuke was jumped by Benjamin, and fended him off. As he turned around, Nakamura saw Styles leaping toward him with his elbow up. Styles stopped short however, much like Nakamura last week, and simply patted Nakamura on the head.