By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw Hits
Becky Lynch and AJ Lee: Lynch delivered a great performance while acting manic over her nemesis’s return to television. Lynch was spot on in acting so rattled that she gave in to Lee’s ultimatum that she put her title on the line or there would be no match at Elimination Chamber. The sly smile that Lee gave as she watched Lynch storm away was the perfect way to show that while she acted friendly and innocent, she played Lynch into giving her what she wanted.
Rhea Ripley vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Ivy Nile in a Triple Threat qualifier for the women’s Elimination Chamber match: Ripley going over was the right call and no surprise, but the way they got there was interesting. I suspected that Valkyria would be made to look competitive before Nile took the loss, but they went the other way. Nile has played the fall girl for months, so it was nice to see her showcased.
LA Knight vs. Penta vs. Austin Theory in a Triple Threat qualifier for the men’s Elimination Chamber match: Heavy favorite Knight won the match, but not before some outside interference made things a little more interesting. Bronson Reed and Logan Paul defying Pearce’s previous order to stay out of the match furthered the Raw General Manager’s issues with The Vision. The latest appearance by the mystery masked man was more of the same in terms of his actions, but it was interesting in that it seemingly eliminated Logan Paul from being the culprit (unless he and someone else are pulling a Billy Loomis and Stu Macher).
Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs. Otis and Akira Tozawa for the World Tag Team Titles: A fun opening match and a nice reminder of how good Tozawa is.
Je’Von Evans and The Original El Grande Americano vs. Bravo and Rayo: This was billed as Evans teaming with a mystery partner. It was predictable when Chad Gable’s version of El Grande Americano was introduced as the partner, but this was a situation where predictability was not a negative. The live crowd had fun with this, and it was the first time I’ve enjoyed something involving the Americanos since early in Ludwig Kaiser’s run as the new El Grande Americano. I really don’t want to see Evans tied up in this feud, but that perfectly executed midair OG Cutter on Bravo was a thing of beauty.
Nattie vs. Maxxine Dupri: There’s no crying in wrestling. Well, at least there shouldn’t from a babyface character who acts like a badass and yells about breaking ankles. Hopefully, the idea is that Nattie’s beating will bring Dupri back to reality, because the tough woman act was phony. Conversely, Nattie is a believable badass. I just hope we get an explanation for the change beyond “Natalya elevates, Nattie decimates.” What drove Natalya become Nattie? If she always had this in her, why didn’t she become Nattie sooner? Answering those questions can help make it feel like the character evolved rather than this being an abrupt gimmick change.
WWE Raw Misses
CM Punk, Finn Balor, and Adam Pearce segment: The performances of the three men involved were solid. The problem was the basic concept of Pearce trying to protect the WrestleMania main event by initially refusing to book the Punk vs. Balor rematch. WrestleMania is over two months away. All major companies have blown off the classic 30-day mandatory title defense rule, but the idea that Punk would go nearly three months without defending the title was a bit much, even by modern standards. Yes, boxers and UFC champions go months without defending their titles, but their contenders typically work a similar schedule, whereas it’s not uncommon for many wrestlers to have at least one match per week. It may have been passable had it come off like Pearce was alone in being overprotective of the Punk vs. Roman Reigns match, but even Michael Cole acted like Punk was crazy for wanting to defend his championship at the Elimination Chamber. Remember this segment the next time the company encourages fans to boo a heel champion for not defending a title frequently enough.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
Timely SCREAM reference there Jason.