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We were always set for a stacked show tonight as Monday Night Raw emanated from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Some fantastic matches were advertised, and with just a few weeks remaining until WrestleMania 34, the build towards the showcase of the immortals continued.
Brock Lesnar returns in brutal fashion
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Kurt Angle kicked off Monday Night Raw in Dallas by stating that Roman Reigns' suspension was still in effect, so he wouldn't be there tonight. He assured the fans that Brock Lesnar would be there tonight, and just as he began to move onto the situation surrounding Braun Strowman, Reigns made his way through the crowd with no entrance music.
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Angle reminded Roman of his suspension, and The Big Dog continued to take shots at the absent Lesnar. Kurt wanted Roman to be patient and wait until WrestleMania 34, and while Reigns understood, he just didn't care. The former WWE champion refused to leave the ring until he was promised a face to face confrontation with Lesnar tonight, which caused Angle to storm to the back.
Three US Marshals came out and placed Roman Reigns under arrest, to the bemusement of the Universal Championship challenger. Reigns battled them off and began attacking the trio, and finally, this brought out Brock Lesnar. A handcuffed Reigns valiantly attempted to fight off Brock, but to no avail - as Heyman paraded the belt around ringside.
Lesnar continued to viciously assault Reigns, even returning to the scene of the crime after it seems like he was done. The champion was being audibly booed by the crowd, although this turned into minor cheers after he went back into the ring a third time. Lesnar finally headed to the back, leaving Reigns battered and broken on the canvas, only to return AGAIN as Roman was being carried out on a gurney before proceeding to flip it over.
Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss
Last week's Raw Women's Championship situation involving Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, Asuka and Mickie James was recapped in the form of a promo video.
Bliss apologised for what happened last week and claimed she shouldn't have said what she did. As she did at the Elimination Chamber, however, Alexa swerved the crowd by stating she should've said it sooner. She doesn't feel one ounce of remorse, as James laughs alongside her. Now that she doesn't have Nia to deal with, Alexa claimed she can focus on ending Asuka's streak - which brings out the Empress of Tomorrow for their match.
We came back from the commercial break with Bliss being in control of Asuka. As Bliss distracted the referee, Mickie initiated a somewhat botched attack on the Japanese sensation. Asuka attempted to fight her way back into the match, only for Alexa to resume control almost immediately. Then, however, after snapping Alexa off the top rope, Asuka began to build some momentum. A sliding knee gave Asuka a close two count, only for the tables to turn soon after courtesy of another assist from James.
Bliss pulled off a fantastic flip powerbomb from the turnbuckle for a close two. Bliss got frustrated after failing to put Asuka away, opening the door for her to come back into the match. Asuka locked in a vicious ankle lock, only for Alexa to crawl her way to the rope. Bliss seemed to feign an injury, purposely getting herself counted out and giving Asuka the win.
Asuka defeated Alexa Bliss via count out
As James and Bliss attempted to leave, Nia Jax stormed down to the ring. She managed to get her hands on Alexa briefly, only for Mickie to distract her long enough to allow Alexa to escape through the crowd.
In a backstage segment, Kurt Angle revealed to Alexa Bliss that Nia Jax will face her for the Raw Women's Championship at WrestleMania 34. Bliss looked distraught.
Braun Strowman vs. Cesaro
Braun Strowman spoke about his battle royal victory from last week, and despite Kurt Angle insisting that he needs to find a partner, Strowman is fully confident that he can win the Raw Tag Team Championships by himself.
This brought out The Bar, who said that winning the battle royal is completely different to defeating the greatest tag team in WWE. Cesaro ran down a list of things that make a tag team great, which included 'sleeping together' to the amusement of the crowd. Sheamus said that he doesn't care if Braun's partner is Black Panther or Jerry Jones because The Bar will walk in and out of WrestleMania as champions.
Strowman seemed to indicate that he will indeed have a partner at WrestleMania, before claiming that Kurt Angle said he could have a match against one of them tonight. The match began with Braun completing annihilating the Swiss Superman, with Sheamus watching on nervously from ringside.
Cesaro used his speed to try and gain an advantage over Strowman, which brought him some success. Cesaro attempted The Neutraliser, only for Braun to lift him over the top rope. Cesaro bounced back with a corkscrew uppercut, which led to a close two count.
After a distraction from Sheamus, Strowman rolled to the outside and knocked The Celtic Warrior to the ground. Cesaro attempted to battle back, but his dive from the top rope was met with a powerslam by Braun Strowman. The Monster Among Men picked up the victory.
Braun Strowman defeated Cesaro via pinfall
We saw a clip from The Hardy Compound ahead of The Ultimate Deletion later in the night. Reby, Senor Benjamin & King Maxel made appearances.
The Revival vs. Titus Worldwide
Neither team received an entrance. Things got off to a quick start as The Revival took control, cutting off the ring from the word go. Dana Brooke, as always, was at ringside managing Titus & Apollo. O'Neil managed to connect on the hot tag, as Apollo took out both members of the former NXT tag team champions. Dawson and Apollo traded tough right hands, with a small package getting a close two count for Apollo.
Apollo continued to shine as the star of the match with his acrobatics, as Dawson almost managed to pick up a cheap victory after rolling through from a crossbody. Following a quick tag, The Revival hit the Shatter Machine for the win.
The Revival defeated Titus Worldwide via pinfall
The duo was asked about their path to WrestleMania in the post-match interview, and they claim no team is more deserving than them when it comes to challenging for the Raw Tag Team Championships. The Revival claim they'll be the first team in history to win the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at Mania.
The official video package for Mark Henry's Hall of Fame induction was revealed. Numerous superstars commented on Henry's career throughout the video, including Big Show, Xavier Woods and The Rock. Mark received a great ovation from the crowd after the cameras cut back to the audience.
Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose
Cole, Coach and Graves previewed the WWE 24 special 'Empowered' which followed Monday Night Raw. After Bayley's entrance, Sasha Banks came out with a microphone and stated that she was always taught you need to fix your problems face to face. She attempted to talk Bayley round, claiming at Elimination Chamber, it was every woman for herself. Banks went off on Bayley, before saying that she forgives her for what she's done over the last few weeks.
Bayley revealed that she can't get over what Sasha did at Elimination Chamber, because of how she did it. Bayley goes into detail about how Sasha smiled after kicking her down from the pod. Before Banks could respond, however, Absolution came down to the ring. Paige said that Rose & Deville were going to show the duo how real women settle the score.
Banks and Deville kicked off the match in what was a fast-paced start as Absolution took control. After the break, Rose and Bayley were in the ring, with Mandy also dictating the tempo of the bout. Sasha began to show some more fire, but Deville wound up back on top as Banks attempted to make a tag to Bayley. Absolution continued to cut off the ring, preventing Banks from doing anything of note as the build to the hot tag went on.
Bayley finally found her way into the match and began unloading on Deville. Due to an accidental interference from Banks, Bayley's roll-up on Deville wasn't seen by the referee. Bayley started shouting at Sasha, allowing Deville to take advantage and nail Bayley with a boot before sealing the win for Absolution.
Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose defeated Sasha Banks & Bayley via pinfall
John Cena taunts The Undertaker
John Cena said that he gave The Undertaker a choice - yes or no. Cena went on to claim it's amazing that Taker has been in hiding for so long. Cena said that as long as there is a WWE, the name Undertaker has meaning. Cena asked the Dallas crowd if they want to see Taker at Mania, to which they cheered extremely loudly. Cena said Taker not responding to his challenge is the biggest mistake he's ever made, and said it's extremely disrespectful.
Cena's frustrations grew and grew, as he demanded that Taker should just say no if he's retired. John said he's no longer the god which the fan created, and he called The Phenom a coward. The fans chanted "do something", and after no response, Cena said that Taker had let everyone down who ever believed in him.
This brought out The Undertaker's brother Kane. Cena asked The Big Red Machine if it's a yes or a no, to which Kane responded by chokeslamming Cena in the middle of the ring. The Undertaker was nowhere to be seen for yet another week.
The commentators reviewed the opening segment between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. Cole stated that Roman Reigns is under observation at the hospital and will not be released tonight, followed by Coach previewing a segment which involves a look at Ronda Rousey's WrestleMania journey up to this point.
The Miz & The Miztourage vs. Balor Club
The Miz went on a rant about how he wasn't featured on the WrestleMania magazine graphic art, which followed on from his videos on social media in recent weeks. The Awesome One, alongside The Miztourage, continued to repeat the phrase 'no respect'. Miz then criticised Dallas & Axel for not being present during last week's segment, before calling Rollins and Balor by their independent names Tyler Black and Prince Devitt.
This brought out The Club, followed by Balor. Seth Rollins, the third man involved in the Intercontinental Championship match at Mania, came out to join the commentary team. After the break Team Balor was in control, with Finn trading blows with Axel and then Dallas. On commentary, Rollins stated that he believes he'll thrive under the pressure of competing against two of the very best on the grandest stage of them all.
As Cole and Rollins took a stroll down memory lane for Seth's WrestleMania 31 triumph, the Miztourage gained momentum and turned the tide on Balor. Finn tried to fight back but to no avail. The two teams traded blows back and forth, with the leader of the Balor Club making some noise with a leap over the top rope to the Miztourage on the outside.
Following some poor judgement where Miz collided with Axel, Finn rolled up the former WWE champion to claim the victory for his team.
Finn Balor & The Club defeated The Miz & The Miztourage via pinfall
Miz, Axel and Dallas laid a beat down on Balor and The Club after the match. Just as the trio were about to conduct a trademark Shield triple powerbomb, Rollins came down from commentary and saved the day for Balor. The two men then had a staredown over Miz's prone body, with Cole reminding the audience that it'll be every man for himself in New Orleans.
After the break, Corey Graves revealed that John Cena will take on Kane next week on Raw in Cleveland. A recap promo of Ronda Rousey's journey in WWE was then debuted, which featured an exclusive interview with both Ronda and her WrestleMania partner Kurt Angle.
The Ultimate Deletion
We cut to the Hardy Compound, where Bray Wyatt was shown walking up to the gates with his trademark lantern. Vanguard 1 was there to greet Bray, as a digital version of Matt told Bray to follow the music. We then cut to the outdoor ring, where Reby was playing the piano as Wyatt slowly approached Matt, who was stood waiting for him. Hardy proclaimed 'Bray Wyatt, I knew you'd come'.
Cole previewed the beginning of the Ultimate Deletion by calling it 'different and obnoxious' before stating he was 'sorry' for what we were about to watch. Back at the Compound, the referee called for the bell as the 'match' got underway. The two men began their war of laughter as they circled each other in the ring. Matt stated the time for laughter was over before Vanguard 1 issued an attack on Wyatt.
Bray and Matt traded blows in a frantic opening, with both countering the other's finisher. Wyatt called himself a god and stated that he forgot to give Matt a housewarming gift. Wyatt brought a chair into the ring, only for Vanguard to initiate 'broomstick protocol' which set off numerous fireworks. Bray: 'What the hell is that?!'.
Hardy then hit Bray with the chair multiple times, before following him outside of the squared circle. The two then entered the Dilapidated City, when Hardy stated 'Does this remind you of anything?'. The building behind them was reminiscent of Wyatt's home, which was burned down by Randy Orton prior to WrestleMania 33 last year.
Bray's frustrations took over, as he began having flashbacks to the destruction of his humble abode. Wyatt followed Matt into The Land of Obsolete Men, where they seemed to play a game of human whack-a-mole. Bray slammed Matt's head into what appeared to be a garage door before they entered the Dome of Deletion inside which had another ring.
Matt then struck Bray with a ladder multiple times, before debating whether or not to use the chair of wheels or the mower of lawns. Hardy got on the lawn mower, and as he approached Wyatt, the former WWE champion pushed himself into his crab walk position which allowed him to take over. After slamming Matt on the ring apron, Wyatt attempted the first pinfall of the match which led to a close two count.
Wyatt then dragged Hardy away, as Vanguard 1 tracked their movements towards the Lake of Reincarnation. As Bray attempted to connect with Sister Abigail, Vanguard tried to attack, only for Wyatt to state he'd 'deal with you later'. Then, out of nowhere, Senor Benjamin appeared and gifted Wyatt with a globe before singing 'he's got the whole world in his hands' - as Brother Nero,aka former world champion Jeff Hardy made his first on-screen appearance.
Matt Hardy capitalised on the distraction, securing the pinfall before sending Bray into the lake. Hardy commanded Benjamin to retrieve Wyatt's carcass from the Lake of Reincarnation, but he wasn't there. Hardy proclaimed that The Great War was over, and that Wyatt had been deleted.
'Woken' Matt Hardy defeated Bray Wyatt via pinfall
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