Match Ratings For WWE Raw 4/15/19, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Opening Segment

• Stephanie McMahon comes out
• Shane McMahon tries to have Mike Rome re-introduce him in French, but he doesn’t speak French.
• Shane trolls the crowd about their dialect.
• The McMahons put over the shakeup and the fact that anyone can change brands and that teams can be broken up.
• Shane shows pictures of Miz’s dad, who he beat up. Miz comes out to attack Shane, and loses the upper hand before hitting him with a chair.
• Miz sends Shane packing.

The Viking Experience & The Revival defeated Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Aleister Black & Ricochet
5.75/10

• I would like my wrestling commentators a lot more if they gave answers instead of questions. Because of last week’s booking mess, we have no clue if someone appearing on Raw tonight actually means they’ve moved to Raw.
• Ricochet & Aleister Black — WHAT BRAND ARE THEY ON?
• No sir we sure as shit do NOT know Ivar, Erik or the Viking Experience. What the fuck is this name change?
• They really have to hammer the new name home. Oh boy.
• Ricochet and Aleister Black are more impressive as a team in 8-man tags than standard tag team matches.
• What is the point in not clearing up where Black & Ricochet are?
• Viking Experience do their assisted slam, and Revival do an assisted leg drop.
• Zack Ryder gets the pop of the match for his tag in, and gets great offense, including a second rope Rough Ryder.
• Ricochet and Dawson are way off key on a moonsault outside that ends up looking more like a Dawson German suplex.
• Fallout wins it.

Other callups and stuff

• Cedric Alexander is coming to WWE Raw.
• The Miz and Eric Young are both official.
• We get more big creepy Bray promos.

Andrade (w/ Zelina) defeated Finn Balor
6/10

• Andrade and Zelina are on Raw. She cuts a pointless promo about English being a second language in Montreal. Andrade then talks trash in Spanish.
• Andrade gets cracked with a giant dropkick from Balor.
• During the commercial, Andrade uses Zelina as a shield and gains control.
• Almas scores a nice flip kick and a double moonsault — but Balor gets his knees up.
• Thank God Balor didn’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe (Del Rio stomp).
• Almas lands his back elbow and there’s a great exchange out of the hammerlock DDT attempt
• After a tope con hilo from Balor, Zelina ranas him into the barricade. Hammerlock DDT from Andrade wins it.
• This was good.

Elias, Rey, Lars

• Elias counters Undertaker chants by saying he’ll be ready for him next time.
• He gets big chants, but is interrupted by the latest legend, Rey Mysterio.
• Mysterio botches a huracanrana but ends up hitting a springboard body scissors.
• Lars Sullivan comes out. Rey puts up a fight but gets laid out.
• Lars finishes with a running powerbomb
• Lars Sullivan against Rey Mysterio is a fantastic first feud and opponent if they go that route.

Usos defeated Gable & Roode
5.75/10

• Gable and Jordan talk trash and invite everyone out to make an impression. The Usos answer.
• Usos cutting promos on Raw is GOING TO WORK.
• Graves brings up Jimmy Uso being split from his wife on the road could lead to less success for him.
• Gable and Roode get control outside the ring.
• This is a “best of” for the Usos side of things, but Gable and Roode are going above and beyond with their double team German Suplex and a rope hung armbar.
• Superkicks all around. Uso Splash wins it.

A Moment Of Blizz

• Sami Zayn is brought out to an all-time fantastic ovation from the crowd.
• They keep playing his theme song and he dances to it over and over again. This is great.
• He gets OLE chants going.
• He eventually trolls the crowd and gets a great heel reaction.
• Alexa Bliss seems like she is babyfacing the crowd, but Sami Zayn gets annoyed and dips out.

Naomi & Bayley defeated The IIconics
N/A (Short)

• Corey Graves says Sasha Banks lost her ball and quit the game.
• Naomi is on Raw. A good move.
• Naomi counters the assisted facebuster and tosses Peyton into a Bayley to Belly.
• Naomi wins with a split legged moonsault.
• Three sets of champions have lost on the Shakeup. That’s how you establish someone!

Braun Strowman didn’t face EC3

• EC3’s facial reaction was great.
• Strowman mows down EC3 and beats the living shit out of him.
• EC3 is thrown into the LED boards. Braun Strowman chokeslams him through the stage.
• Why did they just Muhammad Hassan EC3?

Becky Lynch defeated Ruby Riott (w/ Riott Squad)
5/10

• Becky Lynch’s hip throws aren’t as pretty as Ronda Rousey‘s.
• It feels special to watch Becky Lynch wrestle. After the physical style on Raw over the past year. , I wouldn’t mind seeing her lay in dropkicks and clotheslines a little more.
• Riott gains control and the heat of the match isn’t there. She hits a great senton bomb.
• Riott Squad save Ruby from an armbar, but eat a body press. Disarmher gets the submission.
• I really think it would be of Becky’s best interest to make heavy additions to her arsenal. Keeping heat as champion isn’t easy. It seems like she was making those additions based on the post-match beat down of Riott Squad.

Top Contender Match
Lacey Evans defeated Natalya
5.25/10

• Natalya comes out to the ring, where she and Becky wait through a commercial AND a promo. Like, what were they doing the whole time?
• Natalya congratulates Becky Lynch and says she’s coming for the title.
• Becky cuts a great promo saying she knows overlooked talent is coming for the title, and says it’d be a pleasure.
• Lacey Evans comes out and Becky calls her a dope. Lacey says she’ll be facing Natayla for a shot at Becky’s title, and calls Becky classless.
• Lacey’s promo was pretty good.
• Natalya cracks Lacey with a big discus clothesline.
• Rolling to a commercial break 30 seconds into someone’s Raw debut is something.
• Natalya has worked with Lacey quite a bit on the live events lately.
• I don’t know that Lacey slowing things down with resting Cobra Clutches are gonna get over in the ring. She drops a good knee off of it though.
• Sharpshooter is applied, and Lacey Evans makes it to the bottom rope after fighting through it.
• Lacey is sent into the barricade.
• Woman’s Right connects. Oh holy shit that moonsault was filthy. Lacey BOUNCED off of Natalya’s ribs.
• This wasn’t bad, and Natalya’s the right person to have against Lacey.

AJ Styles, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins defeated Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin (w/ Lio Rush)
5.75//10

• The whole heel team cuts a promo making light of the Shakeup and their future opponents.
• Reigns and Rollins joke with Charly that she has to wait and see who their teammate is.
• AJ Styles is now on Raw. There was nothing more he could do on Smackdown.
• Ironically, in Styles’ last WWE Raw match, he teamed with Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.
• AJ Styles welcomes himself to Raw with a big dropkick.
• Baron Corbin is running full speed ahead. He has really great agility for his size. His ripcord slam on Rollins is great.
• Rollins is flipping and flying everywhere.
• Styles gets some good offense, but eats a Claymore. Drew also throws around Reigns.
• Lashley hits a version of the Deposit on Styles, but Rollins Curb Stomps him mid-pin. GREAT spot.
• Spear. Phenomenal Forearm. Win.

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5.The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!