Just days before heading to Elimination Chamber in Perth, Australia, WWE presented a blockbuster episode of Raw led by a top-notch live event-worthy main event between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.
Did the American Nightmare keep the momentum on his side and defeat the Scot, or did McIntyre make a name for himself ahead of Saturday's men's Elimination Chamber match when he has a chance at a World Heavyweight Championship shot at WrestleMania 40 to back up?
Find out the answer to that and more in this recap of the February 19 episode of WWE's flagship show.
Announced in advance for Monday's show:
- Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre
- DIY, The Miz and R-Truth vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio)
- Intercontinental Championship: Jey Uso vs. Gunther (c)
- Last Chance Elimination Chamber Qualifying Battle Royal: Michin vs. Alba Fyre vs. Zelina Vega vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Zoey Stark
- Chad Gable vs. Ivar
Photo credit: WWE.com
Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre brought down the house at the start of Monday's show, kicking things off with a cracking match.
The game was characterized by interplay, with neither player gaining a lasting advantage for long stretches. The “American Nightmare” and the “Scottish Warrior” exchanged signature moves and strikes, countering each other's finishers without the other being able to deliver the knockout blow that decided the outcome.
Instead, it was the intervening Jimmy Uso who distracted the official, allowing Solo Sikoa to flatten Rhodes with the Samoan Spike, setting up the 2024 Royal Rumble winner for the Claymore while McIntyre scored the victory.
The finish came straight from WrestleMania 39, where Sikoa emerged from the crowd dressed in black and delivered the Samoan Spike that cost Rhodes the match against Roman Reigns. It was a nice callback that served as a bit of a mind game for The Bloodline for the man who ruined his epic main event plans for this year's show.
McIntyre appeared conflicted as he watched The Bloodline interfere on his behalf, recalling that his bitterness stemmed from their involvement in his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship loss to Reigns at Clash at the Castle in September 2022 .
Great action and varied stories helped draw attention to the show. Great stuff from everyone involved, and most importantly, it made sense in the context of everything we already know.
Result
McIntyre defeated Rhodes
Degree
B+
Top moments and takeaways
- A great video package set the stage for the game between missions. A nice touch, as are the annotations on the Superstars' graphics, such as McIntyre going for his second Elimination Chamber win.
- From the stare at the start of the match to the lighting, camera work and red-hot crowd, it felt like a premium live event match from the start.
- Rhodes showed great intensity, firing at one point and daring McIntyre to take the fight to him.
- While the babyface was nursing his injuries backstage, Seth Rollins appeared. He didn't say anything, but it was clear that he wanted to remind Rhodes that they must stick together against the bloodline.
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: WWE.com
Participants: Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, Raquel Rodriguez, Xia Li, Valhalla, Tegan Nox, Natalya, Indi Hartwell, Candice LeRae, Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile, Elektra Lopez, B-Fab, Katana Chance, Michin, Zelina Vega, Chelsea Green , Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre
The sixth and final participant in the Women's Elimination Chamber Match was determined on Monday night when Rodriguez returned and then punched her ticket to Perth, Australia with a battle royal victory.
Rodriguez defeated the combined front of Baszler and Stark, dropping them one after the other to secure the victory.
The battle royal was fun, with a handful of different stories either expanded or explored throughout its runtime. The fake finish at the end, when Green jumped out from under the ring and saw her surprise attack on Rodriguez fail miserably as she was knocked to the floor, was also a lot of fun.
Rodriguez is undoubtedly the least interesting choice to win, but his huge success and dominance should have been proof enough that the creative team was heading in that direction.
Comeback or not, she has no chance on Saturday, where Becky Lynch should still be the overwhelming favorite to win the race with a guaranteed shot at the title.
Result
Rodriguez won
Degree
b
Top moments and takeaways
- Valhalla eliminated Dupri to continue this story.
- Vega was completely exhausted and Lopez caused quite a stir by eliminating her.
- Baszler and Stark impressed as a team, which made their final defeats in qualifying all the more confusing.
Before their Women's World Championship match at Elimination Chamber, Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax did a brief interview that went nowhere.
A disappointing finish to Saturday's most hyped game.
From there, Jackie Redmond turned to a pre-recorded interview she did with R-Truth earlier in the day. More hilarity ensued when Truth expressed disappointment over the breakup of his relationship with The Judgment Day and then wandered aimlessly in a blue poncho.
Brilliance.
Degree
D for the Ripley Jax interview; An interview with the truth
Top moments and takeaways
- Jax's confidence in her victory comes entirely from the fact that she is taller than Ripley.
- Ripley's charge was hampered by the audio equipment.
- Truth about his first meeting with The Judgment Day: “It was special, like John Cena trying on jean shorts for the first time.”
Photo credit: WWE.com
For a moment on Monday night, it looked like R-Truth was getting revenge on Damian Priest and The Judgment Day. He burst into the match late and took on The Archer of Infamy, while Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano and DIY's The Miz battled Finn Balor, JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio at ringside.
However, a failed Attitude Adjustment attempt was countered and Priest delivered South of Heaven for the pinfall victory.
The contest was a high-energy eight-man day that also featured Ciampa well, but ultimately it was all about the truth and his quest for revenge. Thanks to a vigilant priest, he didn't receive it that night, but all signs point to Truth and Judgment Day mixing it up again soon, perhaps as early as WrestleMania 40.
After all, what better way to keep the competition at bay than to capture their tag titles on the biggest stage?
Result
Judgment Day defeated Truth, Miz and DIY
Degree
b
Top moments and takeaways
- UFC star Michael Chandler called out Conor McGregor before the match and used the WWE platform to bring attention to the MMA world. Not a bad idea considering both companies fall under the TKO umbrella.
- Truth's commitment to John Cena being his “childhood hero” is great. He continues to use the shoulder blocks, the side slam and the five knuckle shuffle.
- The hot tag to “Truth” got the crowd into an uproar and caused a huge bang.
- Ciampa ran through the ropes and in and out of corners for what seemed like an eternity, earning the respect of fans who appreciated his cardio.
- “There were 16 abs colliding in the middle of the ring,” Pat McAfee shouted after a double-down between Ciampa and Balor.
Photo credit: WWE.com
Becky Lynch entered the ring for the go-home promo segment before Saturday's Women's Elimination Chamber match.
She reiterated her desire to win the match and challenge Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship at WrestleMania, which attracted Liv Morgan, who reminded fans of her need for revenge against Ripley.
Raquel Rodriguez, Naomi and Tiffany Stratton all followed suit, shooting at their opponents before Bianca Belair blew up the roof of the Honda Center.
Before the six women could come to blows, Nia Jax appeared and proceeded to knock each of them down before standing up – a strong response to Ripley's claims that she simply wasn't good enough to beat them.
This was an interesting creative idea in that Jax looks like an absolutely unstoppable force, but it came at the expense of six women who should have been protected when it comes to determining the No. 1 contender.
Does it really hurt any of the chamber's competitors? No, but in what universe did Jax have to wipe out the entire field by himself?
Degree
C+
Top moments and takeaways
- Belair reminded fans of her undefeated streak at WrestleMania, which appears to be laying the groundwork for it to be used in the future.
- Morgan told Lynch that she was the last competitor to beat Ripley, reinforcing the idea that she could win on Saturday and set up a one-on-one title fight to avenge the injured shoulder that left her took a break for six months.
Photo credit: WWE.com
The months-long rivalry between Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders continued in singles on Monday as Chad Gable took on Ivar.
The match was very good, as was the in-ring action recently, with Gable fighting from below. He absorbed everything his increasingly larger and stronger opponent threw at him and managed a comeback, taking advantage of the opportunity presented by Ivar's missed moonstorm.
A German suplex, a moonsault of his own and an ankle lock ended the fight and gave Gable the victory.
Both guys often fly under the radar and are candidates for the most underrated superstar pick.
Result
Gable defeated Ivar
Degree
b
Top moments and takeaways
- Ivar's side sent Gable back-first into the timekeeper's guardrail.
- Gable repeatedly teased a German suplex and finally paid off with one that had the crowd popping.
- The babyface seamlessly transitioned from a pinfall to an ankle lock, a great example of his flexibility as a competitor.
Photo credit: WWE.com
Gunther narrowly defended the Intercontinental Championship against Jey Uso in the main event of Monday's show, not because he earned it, but because Jimmy Uso made it happen.
Towards the end of the fight, Jey uncorked five consecutive spears, knocking the wind out of the champion. From there he added a top rope splash, but the ring bell rang prematurely.
It was Jimmy who stopped his brother from achieving individual glory in the form of the IC title. Jey would have another chance, but he opted to take out his brother at ringside, but another splash attempt failed at the knees of Gunther, who rolled him up for the win.
After the match, Jimmy attacked Jey with multiple splashes to end the show.
And with that, it seems like we're in for a sibling fight at WrestleMania 40.
The match itself was fantastic, Jey's best singles match to date. It has earned its place in the main event of this show.
Result
Gunther defeated Uso to retain
Degree
A
Top moments and takeaways
- McAfee paused when Gunther gave him a look and stopped engaging in Uso's pre-match antics
- Uso delivered a punch to Günther, lighting a fire in the champion that led to him brutally attacking and beating him during the commercial break.
- The challenger could turn things in his favor as he entered the final break of the night with a tope suicida.
- Uso delivered a spear for a great near fall. Gunther followed with a splash of his own for two.
This was the best episode of Raw in months, with new production values and a sense of urgency. Everything seemed to have a purpose, from the opening match to the main event. Nothing seemed useless or unimportant.
The only goal was to spice up Elimination Chamber and also create the storytelling elements to properly build up to WrestleMania.
The opener and main event were fantastic matches and everything in between was mostly good.
Just as it should be. WWE's creative process always thrives this time of year, and tonight a jam-packed three-hour show seemed relatively and harmlessly short, the hallmark of an entertaining show.
Grade: A