WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Mar. 11, 2024) from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, featuring the latest build to the WrestleMania 40 extravaganza early next month in Philadelphia.
Advertised for tonight: A Gauntlet match will determine who moves on to challenge GUNTHER for his Intercontinental championship at the biggest show of the year, as Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, Chad Gable, Ricochet, Bronson Reed, and JD McDonagh do battle. Elsewhere, The Kabuki Warriors defend the women’s tag team titles against Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark while Liv Morgan gets her shot at taking on Becky Lynch. All that, and more!
Come right back here at 8 pm ET when the Raw live blog will kick off once the show starts on USA Network. It will be below this line here. Reminder: GIFs and pics allowed, but no links to illegal streams, please.
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR MAR. 11
I look at you and my blood boils hot, I feel my temperature rise. I want it all, give me what you got, there’s hunger in your eyes. I’m getting closer, baby hear me breathe. You know the way to give me what I need. Just let me love you and you’ll never leave, but me? I’m just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with WrestleMania hype and the now-usual cavalcade of arriving stars, including Travis Scott, who meets with “Main Event” Jey Uso on his way into the building.
Drew McIntyre makes his entrance and gets on the mic.
He calls Seth Rollins a junkie for accepting the WrestleMania night one tag team match against the Rock and Roman Reigns before talking about the bigger picture to loud CM Punk chants. He says the bigger picture is the Rock, and hear him out. Think about the history of our industry, from carnivals to armories to sold-out stadiums.
What is the next evolution? It’s working together with one of the most powerful people on planet earth. He says he’s going to win the title and be a champion you can invest in and be proud of—
Enter Seth Rollins, wearing an incredibly sparkly red quilted suit over a ruffled sheer black blouse.
He says now that WrestleMania is in the bag he’s been thinking about how Drew almost has his full attention, and maybe one more Claymore will get all of it, right here, right now. (Van Halen is kicking ass in America?) He asks McIntyre what’s under his kilt and kneels in front of him for it, before remembering that he’s a coward and obligingly turning his back on the huge Scot.
Drew says he just wants Seth to actually hear him for once and tell him he’s right. Rollins told him before their last match that he’s gotta get over the Bloodline. Seth says Drew is reminding him of someone with lots of tattoos from Chicago but makes a show of not being able to remember CM Punk’s name until the crowd fills in the blank.
He says he used to think Punk was the biggest hypocrite in the world until he met McIntyre, who does all this whining and crying about the Bloodline but now it’s like he’s trying to be an honorary member of the Bloodline, and he makes his case by pointing out all the times recently that Drew has gotten help from them.
Seth lays it out for him— night one, he and Cody Rhodes are taking the Bloodline down, then night two, when it’s just the two of them, one-on-one, the same thing is going to happen that always happens, he’s going to stomp Drew’s head into the mat and pin his shoulders and the last thing he’s going to hear is the people singing his song.
McIntyre says he’s not going to swing on him before WrestleMania and nothing he can say will provoke him, and he storms off. Seth turns and has one more thing for him, and says he hasn’t paid much attention to him on this Road to WrestleMania, of all the threats, the Rock, Roman Reigns, his broken back, his blown-out knee... at the very bottom of the list, the thing he’s worried about the least, is Drew McIntyre.
And just like Detective Columbo, the trap is set and Drew storms back to the ring. He manages to stop himself short and leaves, clearly stressed out by the effort.
We see pretape of Damage CTRL arriving at the arena.
Becky Lynch makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for Chad Gable.
Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
Feeling out, Lynch taking her corner-to-corner, to the floor, Morgan with a dive that goes a little hinky and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Morgan in control, Lynch on the comeback, out and back in and Liv cuts her off with a Codebreaker! Trading elbows, Becky with the advantage, uppercut, springboard Codebreaker from Morgan... ONLY TWO! Jockeying for position on the apron, back elbows from Liv, big boot, Lynch stumbling, sunset flip powerbomb to the floor takes her out!
Back inside, cover for two! Manhandle Slam, Liv rolls to the floor, stalemate, and we go to break..
Back from commercial, Lynch busts out a Danielson Special! Morgan reverses into a Rings of Saturn, Becky counters with a pin, Liv counters back, float over DDT spikes Lynch into the mat! Oblivion connects but Becky rolls out of the ring! Liv off the second, she gets caught...
Becky Lynch wins by pinfall with the Manhandle Slam.
Post-match, Rhea Ripley makes her entrance as Liv makes her exit, and Morgan steps up to her and jaws at her.
Rhea gets in the ring with Becky, mic in hand, and congratulates her on beating Liv Morgan and asks if it was all worth it, because every week she’s getting into these fights and leaving everything in the ring, and every single week we get closer to WrestleMania.
But deep down Becky knows that Rhea is better than her, so she accepts all these matches so she has an excuse as to why she won’t be able to beat her. If she loses she won’t be the Man, she’ll be nothing but a disappointment.
Lynch offers back that when people believe in her she’s good, but when people doubt her, she’s great, and if it’s her against the world, well the world doesn’t stand a chance.
Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis make a huge announcement.
At WrestleMania XL, Judgment Day will defend their tag titles against five teams in a six-pack ladder match. Over the next few weeks teams will compete to win a spot in the match.
Judgment Day react to the news backstage and get up upset and fired up to go talk to Pearce about it, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get footage of John Cena naked at the Oscars and old man Michael Cole talking about how when he was young streaking was the hot new thing.
Travis Scott is shown in the front row.
Candie LeRae & Indi Hartwell vs. Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri
Nile and Hartwell to start, LeRae with a cheap shot and a tag, Ivy shrugs her off, uppercut, double lariat, both women down and out! Dupri in, reverse Caterpillar, Candice gets in her face and tells her she looks stupid and people are booing her because she doesn’t belong her and if she thinks the internet hates her she should hear what the girls in the locker room say.
Maxxine shoves her aside and tries to leave in tears but Indi blasts her with a boot...
Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell win by pinfall with a big boot from Hartwell on Maxxine Dupri.
We see Cody Rhodes arriving at the arena and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we see Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce chatting when Judgment Day bust in to ask what the hell is going on around here.
They’re upset about defending their titles in a ladder match and Finn Balor says everyone knows he doesn’t like ladders. Damian Priest says they’ve already proven they’re the best and demand to know whose idea this was. Finn complains that no one listens to his ideas, and Adam admits they got the idea from Miz and R-Truth.
Priest wants a match with them, Pearce says they’re doing media, Truth rolls up and is shocked to learn that it’s Monday and he’s supposed to be doing media. Damian demands a match against him and leaves.
Michael Cole is in the ring and tosses to a recap of SmackDown’s Bloodline segment before introducing “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes for an in-ring sitdown interview.
Cody asks Cole what he wants to talk about, and Michael asks why he slapped the Rock after he made it clear that he’s the boss and Cody may never get another title shot if he doesn’t win this one. Rhodes says he’s not sure the Rock is actually his boss, but if he is, well... it feels good to slap your boss.
And Rock knows exactly what that slap was, it was a receipt. Cole asks why he accepted the tag match given that Seth has made it clear he wants to be the most important champion in WWE, and how can he trust him? Cody says people change and reminds Michael about the Cole Mine and says he went off in the distance and smashed the throne and now the man sitting on that throne has become his closest ally in this business.
Seth has always had his respect and he will happily go to war with him, and besides, this is his one shot at getting a fair fight night two. He wants to answer a question Michael Cole posed the last time they were in this ring together, about whether or not the repeated failure will be his story, and he says it’s a good question.
Another good question is, is he nervous, and he is. He can’t say he’ll get Roman next year because he’s already said that, but now the story isn’t just about him and Roman and the title anyway, it’s about all of us that followed us to the ends of the earth, about a young blind girl who came here to cheer for him, his friend who just had spinal surgery and wanted the weight belt, the sister Rock didn’t mention who rode shotgun with his dad.
Or his mother, the only one he’s got left, and he can’t hand the title to Dusty Rhodes but he sure can hand it to Michelle Rubio. He breaks down with tears in his eyes as the crowd chants for him, and he continues, saying his number one fan, his wife, Brandi Rhodes, the most beautiful woman on earth who took a chance on him when he was wearing a goofy mask and taking RKOs every night.
The story is beyond him, but it’s up to him, and he speaks directly to Roman Reigns. Last year Roman said they were in the third inning, and now he’s saying they’re in the last inning, and he’s glad they got this moment, because at WrestleMania XL, Michael Cole will get to say for the first time that a Rhodes is WWE Champion.
He’ll get to say that Cody Rhodes finished the story.
Hype reels for Ricochet and JD McDonagh follow.
Kabuki Warriors make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Becky Lynch walks up to Liv Morgan and shakes her hand, and then Nia Jax comes literally screaming in and blindsides both of them, throwing Liv through some road cases and chokeslamming Becky through a table!
Some cowboys who have a reality show and probably wouldn’t like me very much are shown in the front row.
We get a pretape of Shayna and Zoey talking about how they’re gonna win the tag titles.
Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Baszler and Asuka to start, Empress soon with the chest kicks, Shayna catches one into an ankle lock! Shifting gears, double wristlock, tag to Sane! Drop down, lariat, cover for one! Stark with a dive wiping the champions out and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Zoey with a Stinger Splash on Kairi, putting her up top, trading punches, Sane knocks her down, double stomp... SO CLOSE! Tags made, Baszler takes her down, she pops right back up, strike rush, tag to Sane, running blockbuster, tag back to the Empress!
Tag to Stark, fireman’s carry, Asuka slips out, ducks a kick, German suplex connects! Tag to Kairi, Zoey slips out, superkick connects! Tag back to Shayna, Z360 connects, Shayne with a running knee... ASUKA BREAKS IT UP! Baszler takes her down into the Kirifuda Clutch, reversed into a pin, kick out, roll through, back to it!
Dakota Kai pulls Shayna into the ropes to force the break! Tag to Asuka, buzzsaw roundhouse kick, tag back, inverted headlock...
Kabuki Warriors win by pinfall with the inverted DDT / diving elbow drop combination on Shayna Baszler, retaining the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
Andrade el Idolo meets with Judgment Day backstage and after he leaves Finn Balor says he’s known him for a long time and he’s worth considering, and Rhea Ripley agrees while Damian Priest chafes.
R-Truth makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get hype reels for Shinsuke Nakamura and “Big” Bronson Reed.
Damian Priest vs. R-Truth
Truth is laid out before the match even begins and Priest goes to town on him. To the floor, #DIY show up to cheer their buddy on, he slips out of the Razor’s Edge, off the apron with a diving lariat and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Priest with a nearfall off a reverse STO, Truth ducks a lariat, flying shoulder blocks, fall-forward Blue Thunder Driver, “You can’t see me!”, Five Knuckle Shuffle connects! Attitude Adjustment... DAMIAN KICKS OUT! STF applied, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh appear to attack #DIY and Truth breaks the hold to cut them off with a plancha!
Priest takes advantage of the distraction...
Damian Priest wins by pinfall with South of Heaven.
Post-match, Judgment Day run roughshod on the babyfaces.
We see “Main Event” Jey Uso walking backstage and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we see Rhea Ripley and Buddy Matthews at UFC 299, although Buddy isn’t named.
Logan Paul and his posse are shown as well.
In the trainer’s room, Becky Lynch cuts a promo challenging Nia Jax to a Last Woman Standing match next week.
“Main Event” Jey Uso makes his entrance and Pat McAfee says he’s “yeeting all over himself.”
Here I thought this was a PG show.
Moving on, Jey gets on the mic and calls out his brother “Big” Jim Uso. He says he came to Raw for a fresh start, but the Bloodline won’t let him go, so he wants brother vs. brother, twin vs. twin, blood vs. blood, Uso vs. Uso, Jimmy vs. Jey at WrestleMania!
We get a video package hyping up GUNTHER’s Intercontinental Championship reign.
Jackie Redmond interviews GUNTHER backstage.
He says he’s focused on his legacy and the responsibility of being champion. Tonight the creme de la creme of Monday Night Raw will step in the ring and leave it all out there for the right to compete for this great prize, and it’s a great affirmation of the work he’s put in.
He wishes whomever wins the match tonight luck.
Ricochet makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for Muhammad Ali being added to the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame class.
Commentary hypes next week’s show up, including CM Punk’s return to Monday Night Raw!
“Big” Bronson Reed vs. Chad Gable vs. JD McDonagh vs. Ricochet vs. Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match)
Ricochet and JD McDonagh start the match.
Circling, collar and elbow, arm wringer, reversed, waistlock, reversed, wristlock, Ricochet rolls through, arm wringer, leg trip, McDonagh kicks him away, waistlock, back elbow! Off the ropes, leapfrog, monkey flip, dropkick, whip reversed, Rick stops short, back body drop over the ropes and to the floor!
The One and Only off the ropes, baseball slide, nobody home! Back inside, double knee gutbuster counters a dive and JD follows it up by shoving him through the ropes and to the floor! Back inside, back elbow from Ricochet, quebradora cuts him off, cover for two!
Into the corner, whip across, Nodowa Otoshi into a standing moonsault, Ricochet kicks out! Snap suplex, off the ropes, leg drop connects! Ricochet cuts him off, shoulder block, to the apron, springboard crossbody sets up a quebrada... THE KNEES ARE UP! Sheerdrop brainbuster... NOT ENOUGH!
Poison Frankensteiner gets a Spanish Fly... STILL NO! And so we go to break!
Back from commercial, trading strikes on the apron, enzuigiri, Ricochet powers up... DEATH VALLEY DRIVER ON THE APRON! Referee Rod Zapata counting, Ricochet back in, McDonagh in at the last second and Rick moonsaults on him! Chaining a suplex into a brainbuster... STILL NO!
Up top...
Ricochet eliminates JD McDonagh by pinfall with a shooting star press.
“Big” Bronson Reed enters the match third.
Ricochet dives on him, back inside, springboard dropkick sends Reed out of the ring! Off the ropes, corkscrew tope connects! Reed with a slam, a senton, he goes up top...
Bronson Reed eliminates Ricochet by pinfall with the 747 Splash.
Sami Zayn enters the match fourth.
Passing Bronson to the floor, right after him with chops, Reed returns the favor and adds a headbutt! Sami with a moonsault off the barricade and he’s fired up as we go to break!
Back from commercial, Michael Cole points out that today is the first day of Ramadan and thus Sami spent all day fasting and that has to affect his performance here. Big slam from Reed, cover for two! Slam and an elbow drop, only two! Up top, jockeying for position, Zayn climbs down him, sunset flip powerbomb... GOT HIM!
Sami Zayn eliminates “Big” Bronson Reed by pinfall with a sunset flip powerbomb.
Shinsuke Nakamura enters the match fifth.
Reed gets a cheap shot and hits a 747 Splash on Sami for good measure! Nakamura charges in, Kinshasa reversed into a pin for two! Kick to the head, stomping Zayn, Sami rolls to the floor and Shinsuke follows! Kicking Zayn over the announce desk, we go to break!
Back from commercial, we get some Good Vibrations! Blue Thunder Driver, only two, Nakamura lines him up, Kinshasa blocked, axe kick connects, Shinsuke off the second, Sami rolls under... HELLUVA KICK OUTTA NOWHERE DOES IT!
Sami Zayn eliminates Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall with the Helluva Kick.
Chad Gable enters the match sixth.
Going hard, the gravitas clear, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, jockeying for position in the turnbuckles, back on the mat, trading heavy hands, huge wailing slaps! Boot from Sami, Chad floats over, leg pick, roll through, ankle lock applied in the middle of the ring! Zayn struggling,to his feet, Gable with a leg-trap German suplex!
Up top, moonsault, nobody home! Helluva Kick connects... CHAD KICKS OUT! SAMI KICKS OUT OF PINNING PREDICAMENT HIMSELF! Gable with an Everest German suplex, no good, right back to the ankle lock! Zayn rolls through...
Sami Zayn wins, last eliminating Chad Gable by pinfall with a crossleg victory roll pin to become #1 contender to the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Post-match, Gable pulls Sami to his feet and Zayn embraces him.
GUNTHER comes to the stage for a staredown.
That’s the show, folks.
