Match Ratings For WWE Raw 2/18/19, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Triple H

• Triple H is out and runs down Elimination Chamber. He also mentions the DX induction in the Hall of Fame.
• HHH announces several NXT names are making their debuts tonight. Keep in mind, several of their previous call ups haven’t done anything yet. 
• Ricochet, Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black and Tommaso Ciampa are all debuting. None of them got any really good pops.

Tables Match
Braun Strowman defeated Baron Corbin
5.25/10

• These two brawl outside the ring, but Braun’s ribs give way and Corbin attacks.
• Strowman reverse a suplex on the ramp, then throws Corbin into the LED boards on top of the ramp. 
• We end up going to commercial before anything can happen.
• Kind of funny that Corbin is just doing to Strowman exactly what Strowman did to him at TLC with a lot of people attacking. 
• Strowman ends up hitting Corbin with the stairs.
• Corbin avoids hitting the table in the corner with the Bossman spot. 
• So where were Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley this time around?

Reigning, Defending

• Paul Heyman appears on the ramp and Braun Strowman threatens him as they cross paths.
• WWE has to go to a commercial as Heyman sells.
• Heyman throws to a video running down the history of Brock Lesnar, as narrated by Heyman himself. Sometimes you do forget all that has happened with Brock Lesnar.

Ricochet & Finn Balor defeated Lio Rush & Bobby Lashley
6/10

• Finn Balor says that he grew up watching Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Ric Flair as Intercontinental Champions and will carry that on.
• Lio Rush comes out to distract Finn Balor long enough for Bobby Lashley to attack.
• The double team is on. Ricochet shows up and makes the save, and the match is going down.  
• Lio Rush and Ricochet are insane together. Ricochet handsprings out of a huracanrana in an impressive spot. 
• Ricochet/Lio Rush is my Low Ki/Amazing Red 16 years later. 
• Ricochet impresses against Lashley, too. 
• Balor comes in and ends up beating down Lio Rush pretty thoroughly. 
• Looks like Lashley had some blood fly off of him on that Balor kick after he stopped a Coup De Grace on Lio. 
• This goes through a couple of commercials, with Balor getting worked over. 
• Ricochet gets the hot tag and Lio Rush sells like a million  bucks for him. A Fosbury Flop hits for him. 
• Ricochet moonsaults over Lashley outside, and Balor dropkicks him.
• 630 gets the pin on Lio Rush. This was really good. 
• Finn Balor gives Ricochet the spotlight backstage so he can cut a “LIVE YOUR DREAMS” promo.

Lucha House Party (w/ Kalisto) defeated Major Brothers
5/10 (short)

• We see an interesting camera angle before this match.
• Ryder and Hawkins get beaten up early until Ryder scores a double neckbreaker to tag in Hawkins.
• Hawkins is actually getting some offense, including a Michinoku Driver. The pin is broken up, though.
• Hawkins lands a kick, but walks into a huracanrana pin from Dorado after the Metalik distraction.

Backstage Crappenings.

• Heavy Machinery cut a really generic promo from Tucker, and Otis does the loud doofus gimmick. Lacey Evans comes out and then Heavy Machinery try to impress her by….walking down the ramp? Huh?
• We see another Kevin Everyman Owens promo. He’s disappointed about movie theater costs.
• DX are going into the Hall of Fame. Wouldn’t be mad if they just inducted the six DX members, the Legacy & Warrior inductees and no one else.

DIY defeated The Revival
6.25/10

• Chad Gable and Bobby Roode confront DIY about getting a crack at The Revival fresh on Raw. The Revival come out and throw out some pretty rough dialogue. This shit is not in character for almost any of them. Dialogue is ass.
• Gargano has a great showing early in the match, which leads to DIY bouncing Wilder off the stairs. 
• Ciampa lands several German suplexes and does a hilarious back body drop where Wilder gets hung up on the ropes. 
• The strikes get REAL STIFF between both sides. Ciampa reverses a Shatter Machine and almost gets a pin. A Johnny Wrestling slingshot DDT doesn’t get it done, either. 
• The action is fast and furious, and frankly, the ref has a little trouble keeping up. Wilder knees a slignshotting Johnny in a great spot.
• Steiner Bulldog from Revival gets two! 
• This crowd is all kinds of ASS.
• Slingshot spear on Dawson and the DIY finish wins it.
• This would have been rated higher, but the crowd was total garbage.

Women’s Tag Titles

• Sasha Banks and Bayley come out to crickets, but the crowd wakes up for “you deserve it” chants. 
• They put over their accomplishments and friendship and throw out their catchphrases. This was cringey.
• Nia Jax & Tamina come out and threaten Boss & Hug, and bring up how Sasha Banks always loses her title on the first defense.
• They get run off. This was real, real lame. They at least established that these titles are across all brands. 

Drew McIntyre defeated Dean Ambrose
SQUASH

• Drew McIntyre asks Triple H for Seth Rollins backstage, and gets Dean Ambrose, who slaps him. Triple H has a funny quip at the end.
• Ambrose getting jobbed out REAL PROPER.
• This is quick. Claymore. Wrap.
• Dean Ambrose walks up on Seth Rollins cutting an interview and asks where he was. Rollins says “have you lost your mind?” and Ambrose shrugs his shoulders. 

Aleister Black defeated Elias
5.75/10

• Elias is out in the ring, clearly set up for Aleister Black to show up. 
• That happens, and they’re gonna have a match. Michael Cole says Black is MOODY.
• Cameraman wasn’t familiar with Aleister Black’s spot.
• Can’t think of many more ways to kill steam on Aleister Black than having him sell a bunch in a midcard match straight out of the gate. 
• There’s zero heat to this, even when Black has some great strikes and a moonsault. 
• Elias’ intercepting knee was fantastic. He gets pinned with Black Mass, though.
• A good TV match with a super dead crowd. 

WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Ronda Rousey (c) defeated Ruby Riott (w/ Riott Squad) 
4.5/10

• Hip throws right out of the gate. 
• Riott regroups and hits an STO takedown, which is more offense than last night.
• Knucklelock takeover, but Rousey almost transitions into an armbar. 
• We come back from commercial to see Ruby get some strikes and a spear for 2. 
• Ronda Rousey has one of the all-time misses for a punch ever. It was terrible.
• Riott gets a senton and Riott Kick for two, but Rousey plants her with a gutwrench slam.
• Rousey gets yanked off the top rope into another Riott Kick, but kicks out. Ruby’s facial expressions are great.
• Riott Squad save Ruby, and Ronda does a sloppy ass dive onto them.
• Bammaslamma, Armbar and a win. She beats up Riott Squad after.
• Ronda’s work in this was NOT GOOD. One of her worst performances.

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!