WWE returned to Chicago for the March 25 edition of the Monday Night Raw. Ahead of the show, ticket demand was extremely high, and the flagship show drew almost 16,000 fans (15,810). After the event, it is fair to say that the Chicago crowd went home extremely happy. From a passionate promo from CM Punk to a surprising appearance from Dwayne Johnson, fans witnessed it all.
While promos were undoubtedly the highlights of the night, it also featured some decent in-ring actions. The first match of the night between Ricochet and JD McDonagh was amazing for a non-PPV bout. However, not everything on the show hit the right chord with the fans. The segments featuring Candice LeRae, Gunther, and Sami Zayn fell flat due to a lack of proper build. So what are the talking points of the show? Let’s dive in!
Dwayne Johnson gave the beating of a lifetime to Cody Rhodes on Monday Night Raw
Cody Rhodes kicked off the show with a passionate promo. As expected, “The American Nightmare” received a thunderous ovation from the Chicago crowd and his mic work was excellent. Rhodes addressed his upcoming matches at WrestleMania 40 against The Bloodline and Roman Reigns. However, as he was hyping up the crowd, Dwayne Johnson made an unannounced appearance on the show.
What did he say??? (wrong answers only)pic.twitter.com/1wFxxLKQNK
— Julian Weeks (@JulianWks) March 26, 2024
The Rock has been extremely vicious with his promos toward Rhodes and fans expected Johnson to confront the 38-year-old face to face. But, in a brilliant heel move, the 51-year-old did not give the crowd what they wanted. Instead, he whispered something in Rhodes’ ears and left the ring. While the crowd was chanting “This is awesome” at the start of the segment, by the time it ended, they were chanting, “Rocky sucks!”
It was a magnificent piece of heel work from the veteran wrestler. Not only did he do a great job at turning the fans against him, but Dwayne Johnson also created a lot of buzz online about his message to Cody. Once asked about what Johnson said to him, the former AEW star revealed that the $800 million rich Hollywood star made a “promise” to him. But, it may be a promise that DJ may not be able to keep.
– The Rock surprised returned and had a segment with Cody
— EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) March 26, 2024
– CM Punk, Rollins & Drew gave us one of the greatest segments ever
– Vinci and Andrade COOKED
– Rhea and Becky’s segment was fantastic
– Rock beat the living hell out of Cody and gave us CINEMA
WHAT. A. SHOW.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/yHATWk7QqD
But, fans found out what the promise was before the show ended. DJ previously promised Cody Rhodes’ mother, Michelle Rubio, that he would gift her a specially made weight belt with her son’s blood on it. The Rock has kept his “promise” to “Mama Rhodes” as he brutally assaulted Cody before the show went off-air. Not only did he make Cody Rhodes bleed, but The Rock also wiped the blood with a white belt and addressed Mama Rhodes.
CM Punk’s role in Seth Rollins’ match against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 40 revealed
CM Punk made his much-anticipated WWE return at Survivor Series in Chicago last year after a 9-year hiatus from the company. While he was set to have a vital role in this year’s WrestleMania, Punk unfortunately got injured during the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble match. Although he is not going to have a match at Mania 40, it did not stop him from setting up feuds with Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre.
Hence, on his return to television on RAW, Punk roasted everybody. Roman Reigns, Dwayne Johnson, Rollins, or McIntyre, nobody was safe from the wrath of the “Second City Saint.” The 45-year-old also dropped a Vince McMahon reference during his verbal back-and-forth with “The Scottish Warrior.” In his promo, Drew commented on himself being “The Chosen One.”
DREW CAN’T SAY HIS NAME LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/3NQu0SiSJT
— V. ✨🐝 (@HaangEmHiigh) March 26, 2024
For the uninitiated, McIntyre was initially hand-picked by McMahon to be the next face of the company. Once the 38-year-old referred to that, Punk asked him to name the person who chose him. It generated quite a pop from the fans in attendance who knew what Punk was hinting at. But that was not the only highlight from the segment as the Chicago native also announced that he will be a guest commentator for Rollins’ World Heavyweight title defense against McIntyre at WrestleMania 40.
Becky Lynch delivers a passionate promo against Rhea Ripley
Amid all the chaos surrounding the men’s championship matches, fans often forget that the RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley will also feature on WrestleMania 40. She will defend her title against Becky Lynch. While Ripley’s popularity is at an all-time high due to her quirky in-ring actions, the build-up to the Mania match against Lynch has been slightly underwhelming.
Although she received a big cheer from the crowd, Rhea’s promo initially fell flat with the crowd. However, that is when “The Man” saved the day. The veteran female wrestler cut an extremely passionate promo after “Mami” referenced Lynch’s daughter. The Irish star added that her father would have been extremely proud to see the mother she has become and threatened Ripley to stop mentioning her daughter.
Becky Lynch gets emotional on #WWERAW when talking about her dad.
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) March 26, 2024
Wow.pic.twitter.com/ZBnQzyDT5U
Things became physical when Becky decided to sucker punch Dominik Mysterio. Since Lynch’s win at Elimination Chamber earlier this year, things have been underwhelming between the two superstars up until now. But Lynch’s superb mic work has heated things up and there will be a lot of excitement to see how Ripley responds in the final episode of RAW next week before WrestleMania 40.
Match results from this weekend’s Monday Night Raw
This week’s RAW featured quite a few matches. Ricochet delivered a great performance on the first match of the night against The Judgement Day’s JD McDonagh. However, Dominik’s presence also added a lot to the entertainment value of the match. But, the rest of the matches including Candice LeRae vs Ivy Nile and Sami Zayn vs Bronson Reed were disappointing.
In the main event, Jey Uso faced off against Shinsuke Nakamura. However, it was not really about the match itself. Instead, it was a plot device to develop the story further. While Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins initially saved Jey from Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso’s attacks, all hell broke loose after Dwayne Johnson and Drew McIntyre got involved. So let’s find out the results of this week’s matches on RAW.
● Ricochet vs. JD McDonagh: Ricochet won via pinfall.
● Candice LeRae vs. Ivy Nile: Candice LeRae won via pinfall.
● DIY vs. The New Day: No Contest.
● Andrade vs. Giovanni Vinci: Andrade won via pinfall.
Bronson Reed pins Sami Zayn two weeks out of Zayn’s IC title match at WM.#WWERAW pic.twitter.com/McGRvcYA2z
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) March 26, 2024
● Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed: Bronson Reed won via pinfall
● Jey Uso vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: Jey Uso won via pinfall.
What are your thoughts on this week’s Monday Night RAW? Let us know in the comments below.