Match Ratings For 3/9/20 WWE Raw From Sean Ross Sapp
BITCH!
- Stop making these babyfaces throw to videos. It’s so dorky. Play the video before the segment. Play it during the entrance.
- Also, every main event women’s feud on Raw has a promo that ends in “…..BITCH.” Either way, Becky Lynch is still over big time. Big Becky chants.
- Becky calls Shayna a constipated looking robot from NXT.
- Becky confirms that Shayna is her biggest threat, and mentions beating Ronda Rousey.
- Lynch leans into the fact that Shayna ran through Asuka, even though it took Becky years to get her win. I’m glad that this helped give some value to Asuka’s.
- This was a good opening segment.
Rey Mysterio defeated Angel Garza (w/ Zelina)
6/10
- Hahahah that woman was about to turn in to that Garza kiss.
- Garza is tearing up Mysterio with kicks. Out of a corner headstand, a pop up, even in the corner against the buckle.
- Garza hits a sweet inverted slingshot suplex and a superkick.
- A Destroyer gets turned into a 619, then Rey wins with a springboard elbow drop.
- I hit this at rec’d viewing because it provided some finality to what we’ve seen from these two.
BRUTALITAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
- They show Rhea Ripley in Raymond James Stadium. It’s a good video, but weird that they had her say she’s the first NXT wrestler on WrestleMania.
- Charlotte talks about the video package. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN DID YOU SEE THAT PACKAGE?!” Hah. She says Rhea is overhyped.
- Ripley comes out and when Charlotte cuts her off from talking, she punches Charlotte and leaves. This got a pretty good reaction.
Bobby Lashley defeated Zack Ryder (w/ Curt Hawkins)
SQUASH
- Hawkins is out with Ryder. It doesn’t matter.
- Ass whipping. They’re calling the Yokosuka Cutter the Dominator.
- Cool.
Backstage Crappenings
- We see a Heyman/Drew McIntyre video. A good way to buy another week.
Drew McIntyre defeated Rowan
SQUASH
- Oh we’re not just dropping the Rowan thing. Ok,
- Haha, nevermind. Drew’s gonna kill him.
- “Whatever’s in that cage?” We saw it last week, TOM!
- Drew smashes the cage with stairs.
- Rowan gets mad and gets Claymored.
- This was so stupid that I loved it.
Kabuki Warriors defeated Natalya & Liv Morgan
5.25/10
- God damn, the Kabuki Warriors are so great. They cut a loud promo about Asuka’s wrist.
- Liv Morgan and Natalya teaming. Okay.
- Liv has some good offense. Sure wish I got to see more of it.
- Ruby Riott is trying to see more of it, apparently. She’s come down to ringside. Sarah Logan is next.
- Kairi has a great axe kick.
- Asuka pulls a bunch of submissions out.
- Ruby and Sarah fight outside, and Liv dives off the top onto them.
- Kabuki Warriors take advantage and beat down Nattie for the win.
A Challenge
- Another promo, another throw to video. Both have garnered reactions, so I doubt it’ll stop happening.
- AJ Styles says Undertaker keeps sticking his nose in his business, and he should have retired ten years ago. Now he’s just a broken down Mark Callaway.
- AJ Styles says he knows Michelle McCool keeps bringing him back, and she plays him like a fiddle.
- AJ will help Michelle McCool run him into the ground. He’s going to make sure Undertaker dies at WrestleMania.
- I think AJ Styles just implied he’s going to inject Undertaker with the Coronavirus at WrestleMania.
- The one-on-one challenge is made.
- If Undertaker can’t have a good singles match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania, that will probably be the point I never need to see another Taker singles match again. I’ve already been at that point a couple times, though.
WWE 24/7 Championship
Riddick Moss (c) defeated Cedric Alexander
5/10 (Short)
- Moss does a wild Fallaway Slam into the buckle.
- Cedric lands his swinging flatliner.
- A big spear in the corner and the Moss Neckbreaker win it.
UR WIFE!?
- MVP says he’s becoming a manager, and he wants to manage Edge.
- He’s babbling a little bit.
- Edge shows up on the Titantron pulling up and he’s mad.
- Edge gets a huge pop. He calls out Orton.
- MVP says he’s too worried about Orton, just like his wife was.
- Orton comes out and Edge beats up MVP.
- Someone over the past year got mad about someone else talking their wife in front of Vince McMahon and he’s made it the crux of like 200 angles since then.
- Edge taking one out of that Jake Hager playbook with the standing arm triangle.
- RKO from Edge on the chair, then a Conchairto on MVP.
- The crowd chants for “one more time,” and Edge obliges.
- Another good week of angles leading to Edge/Orton
Aleister Black defeated Seth Rollins (w/ Buddy Murphy) via DQ
Disciples defeated Street Profits and Viking Raiders
5.75/10
- Kevin Owens throws his luggage at the Disciples and attacks, but quickly gets beaten down. Owens throwing that suitcase was amazing.
- Seth Rollins tries to recruit Aleister Black to the Disciples. Black declines.
- The action is very Monday Night Raw-ish, and that’s not bad for a match like this these days. It just seems like WWE burns through every potential first time match on TV.
- Murphy causes a DQ. AOP help the beatdown.
- Viking Raiders come to help. Then the Street Profits come out. For sure needed more Street Profits and Disciples. I didn’t see it enough in the last two weeks.
- This is the fourth match involving Street Profits, Murphy and Rollins in twelve days.
- 8-Man tag, and Black just…….disappears.
- Montez Ford has a nice dropkick.
- King says “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” like he hasn’t seen Erik pick up Ivar every week. He sounded shocked at Montez’s nickname for Rollins, too.
- Erik is caught by Akam on a suicide dive and they stare each other down. Murphy takes advantage with a Meteora.
- How can I get invested in the action here when I’ve seen every combination of this match every single week at this point?
- Dawkins hits a nice spear when the action picks up. Erik does a Freak Accident to Rollins.
- Ford with a Frog Splash on Rollins, but Murphy breaks up the pin.
- Ford does a great tope con hilo, and they’re really focusing on his battles with Rollins.
- Rollins stomps Ford on his way back in and pins him.
- Kevin Owens comes back and beats up Rollins, but he gets jumped.
- Owens takes care of AOP and Murphy, but gets stomped.
- Rollins makes Murphy leave the ring. Another Stomp lands
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 that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!