WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (April 22, 2024) from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Backlash premium live event scheduled for early next month in France.
Advertised for tonight: A new women’s world champion will be crowned in a battle royal featuring some of the top stars in the division, GUNTHER makes his return after taking a few weeks away post WrestleMania 40, Awesome Truth defend the world tag team titles against DIY, Ricochet & Andrade team up to take on The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh, and a whole lot 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 APRIL 22
Try bursting the clouds. Try not making a sound, or leaving the ground. All I create is empty space, and I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with Michael Cole and Pat McAfee in the ring.
Cole welcomes us to the show and talks about Rhea Ripley vacating the WWE Women’s World Champion and they inform us that the battle royal to crown a new champion will be our main event tonight.
we get a video package about Rhea relinquishing the title.
We see Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch making their way into the building earlier today.
“Main Event” Jey Uso makes his entrance and gets on the mic.
He says he’s got a lot to prove, and soon enough...
Damian Priest makes his entrance.
He tells Jey to take it easy, he just came to talk and he wanted to tell him that his whole presentation and vibe suits him, and he congratulates him for it. Priest says they went to war last year but he wants to talk about one specific night he’s never spoken about, and Jey can tell him if he’s lying.
Uso whooped him so bad that he went up to him in the locker room and told him he earned his respect and offered to go out, drinks on him. He doesn’t remember a lot about that night but he knows he paid the bill because Jey was on that good Bloodline stuff, and there’s something Jey said that made him proud, that they were next.
Now he stands here proud to stand with him, because he was right. Well, half right— he was next, and the title proves it, and Jey is just the first to get fed to him to prove the title looks good on him. And yeah he’s the first to fall but he’s the first to lead all the fans in making sure that all rise for el campeon.
Damian goes to leave but Jey cuts him off and asks him to come back so he can holler at him. Priest says he doesn’t know what he can say after that but go ahead. Uso asks if that’s what he sees, another tag team guy, another Uso, well that’s strong talk coming from the leader of the Judgment Day, a position he only has because Rhea Ripley got hurt, tell Mami he says him.
And all that makes him is Dominik Mysterio’s bitch. Damian did what he did, cashed in the title, made himself WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but he’s not getting fed to Priest, Priest is being fed to him, because he’s the next WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
JD McDonagh hits the ring to attack Jey but accidentally superkicks Priest!
We see Chad Gable arriving earlier today, as well as GUNTHER.
#DIY make their entrance to send us to break.
#DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Awesome Truth (R-Truth & the Miz) (c) (WWE World Tag Team Championship)
Truth and Gargano to start, circling, fists bumped, collar and elbow, Ron reverses to a wristlock. Johnny reverses back, Truth escapes, big slam, kneeling armbar applied. Side headlock, tag to Miz, stereo elbows, cover for one. Tag to Ciampa, he blocks the Reality Check but gets caught in the figure four leglock until Gargano makes the save! Passing Truth to teh floor, the A-Lister puts John to the apron and then eats a Superman Spear!
Tom to the floor, Gargano dives on Miz and DIY pose on the apron to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Truth hits a gourdbuster on Ciampa, the path is clear and he tags Miz in! The A-Lister with lariats, kicks back him into the corner, Awesome Clothesline connects and he plants Johnny Wrestling with a DDT onto the apron! Back inside, springboard countered with a rising knee... SO CLOSE!
Truth back in, shoulder block, shoulder block, fall-forward Blue Thunder Driver, “You can’t see me!” Gargano cuts him off with a superkick! Pedigree from Tom... R-TRUTH FINDS THE WILL TO KICK OUT! Small package, front kick, Tom sidesteps the Scissors Kick, kneepad down, rising knee, tag to John! Lining Truth up, Meet in the Middle... MIZ PULLS GARGANO OFF OF THE COVER!
Back in, Johnny victory roll, no deal! Assisted Skull-Crushing Finale... IT’S OVER!
Awesome Truth win by pinfall with an assisted Skull-Crushing Finale on Johnny Gargano to retain the WWE World Tag Team Championship.
Backstage, JD McDonagh apologizes to Damian Priest, who tells him he never asked for his help.
Dominik Mysterio rolls up arm in a sling, with Santos Escobar. Priest asks what the deal is, Dom says he’s banged up and he was supposed to tag with JD but Santos agreed to step in. Damian isn’t happy about it but tells Escobar to handle it, to which he says not to worry about it.
Dom tries to apologize and Damian tells him to go handle his business and stay out of his. JD tries to make nice but Priest isn’t having it and tells them to get it done.
Imperium are shown walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get a video package announcing NXT Battleground going to the UFC Dome or whatever in Las Vegas.
Imperium make their entrance and GUNTHER gets on the mic.
He says he took time away to digest everything that happened and he wants to say he elevated the Intercontinental Championship to heights never seen for 666 days and became the greatest champion in its history, and his name will forever be embedded in the history of the title.
For almost two years he was walking around with a target on his back and the pressure that goes with that, so he thanks Sami Zayn because now he’s not a target anymore, and this is a new era for him and he officially declares his participation in the King of the Ring.
After he wins it’ll be up to him to decide what title to go after, whether it’s back to the Intercontinental Championship or any other title. Fair warning, as a champion you will be targeted and hunted by a challenger who can not only win, but hold on longer than anyone.
Already the general of the ring, soon to be the King of the Ring, GUNTHER!
Enter New Day.
Xavier Woods points out he’s the reigning, defending King of the Ring, and that makes GUNTHER a pretender and a usurper, and he intends to become a two-time King of the Ring. GUNTHER calls him a clown king and says after he wins he’s going to reestablish the image of King of the Ring and Xavier will be remembered as a guy who was a little weird and pretended to be a champion.
New Day mock him for not holding a title anymore, GUNTHER shuts them down and says this is beneath him and tells Giovanni and Ludwig to take care of it.
New Day accept the challenge and say they’re gonna beat their cheeks, and we go to break.
Imperium (Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser) vs. New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
Kingston and Kaiser to start, Kofi on the wrong side of town, Vinci in, tag to Woods. Diving axhandle, overhead elbows, quick tags from the New Day. Kingston again gets isolated and worked over, Xavier taken off the apron and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Kaiser drawing Kingston up, Kofi fights out with body blows, tags made! Woods with lariats, whip across, leg lariat, whip reversed, float over, snap suplex to Giovanni! Clear the apron, drop toehold into the ropes, slingshot senton gets Vinci, tornado DDT... SO CLOSE!
Kofi back in, Giovanni turns him inside out with a lariat! New Day get him into position...
New Day win by pinfall with Up Up Down Down on Giovanni Vinci.
Post-match, an angry GUNTHER throws his chair into the barricade and glowers at Kaiser on his way out. Ludwig goes to the ring to comfort Vinci and help him to his feet and out of the ring... WHERE HE THROWS GIOVANNI INTO THE APRON! Penalty Kick follows!
Taking him around to the announce desk, continuing the beatdown, putting him on the steel steps and Jason Jordan and Shawn Daivari lead a brace of referees to stop him... KAISER BREAKS AWAY AND RUNS AROUND THE RING FULL-SPEED TO DROPKICK VINCI INTO THE STEEL STEPS!
We follow Kaiser as he goes back to Gorilla and meets with a smiling GUNTHER, telling him he said he’d get it done.
Drew McIntyre is walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get a hype reel for WWE Speed.
Andrade el Idolo gets a video package where he runs down Judgment Day for trying to make him a fool, saying they didn’t want a business partner, they wanted a servant.
Drew McIntyre makes his entrance and gets on the mic.
He sits crosslegged in the ring in response to CM Punk chants and warns the camera operator not to shoot up his kilt (c’mon Drew, the proper here is to wear cute panties and let ‘em look) before asking the crowd why they chant for him with all the evidence that he actually hates the fans, and the only person he hates more is himself.
He talks about how professional wrestling doesn’t love him as much as he loves it. He complains about losing out on the #1 contendership before saying he’s not complaining and he’s entering King of the Ring.
Enter Sheamus.
Sheamus berates him for whining like a coward and says Drew is the only person here who won’t take responsibility for his own mistakes. Sheamus says he should be standing here with the world title around his waist but over a meme and a t-shirt he threw it all away like that.
Sheamus says they’ve partied and they’ve fought and as his friend he needs to tell him the hard truth— a one-armed CM Punk kicked his ass. Drew says Sheamus knows how CM Punk has affected his career and Sheamus says the obsession is going to take his career down.
Drew says if he wants hard truths, well, before Sheamus was hurt it was banger after banger but now it looks like it’s been burger after burger. The Celtic Warrior does a “he got me!” smile and nod and laughs it off before giving him credit for getting real good at the one-liners.
But the thing is he can lose the weight, but McIntyre can’t lose stupid, so stop blaming everyone else for your mistakes. Drew talks about how everyone mocks Sheamus backstage, Sheamus says he doesn’t care and McIntyre says he does because they’re friends and he doesn’t want to fight anymore unless it’s worthwhile and this isn’t, but he’s still there for him.
He’s gonna go ringside and stand by the table and he’s going to watch Sheamus’ back.
Shinsuke Nakamura makes his entrance and we go to break.
Sheamus vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Sheamus going right for the Beats of the Bodhran, Nakamura fights him off, Good Vibrations, laying in wait, Celtic Warrior backs him off with elbows but Shinsuke returns kicks of his own and staggers him! Off the ropes, Sheamus clobbers him with an axhandle! To the apron, knee pad down, Celtic Warrior blasts him with a Knee Trembler!
Shinsuke with a kick on the floor, setting him on the announce desk, guillotine knee drop across the back of the neck and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Irish Curse connects, a second one, Nakamura with an enzuigiri, roundhouse kick in the corner sets up the sliding German suplex! Sleeper hold applied, Sheamus reverses, White Noise off the top... NOPE! Kinshasa countered into a powerslam, big knee, only two! A little back and forth and...
Sheamus wins by pinfall with the Brogue Kick.
Sami Zayn is interviewed backstage.
He says he’s angry and he’s hurt and he’s biting his tongue until he hears Chad Gable speak later tonight but he doesn’t see how he can defend his actions from last week.
“Big” Bronson Reed appears to tell Sami to worry about him instead, and Zayn offers a title match, any time, any place. He turns back to answer another question and Reed blindsides him and throws him into road cases before telling him he’s lookin at the new Intercontinental Champion as Kenn Doane and Petey Williams roll up with some referees to break it up.
Alpha Academy make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a clip from the Pat McAfee show where Charles Barkley unloads on Chad Gable.
Gable is in the ring and gets on the mic and says what he did was justified. They tore the house down and Sami walked out as champion, and it was a great story that he could accept, but it wasn’t good enough and Zayn had to rub it in by waving the title in front of his face, but Chad took it in stride and gave him his moment, but that wasn’t enough.
Zayn went and celebrated with his wife when he knew that was Chad’s moment, but he’s wasted his time training Sami Zayn and a bunch of freakin’ losers. Gable runs his Alpha Academy students down and says Maxxine is pretty as a prince but dumb as a box of rocks, and don’t even get him started on Otis, his prize pupil, his number one guy.
He’s proven himself, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to be the biggest disappointment of them all. But this is why they signed up for the academy, right? They have to step up and get on the same page and understand that they’re gonna focus on Gable, and they’re all gonna win his Intercontinental Championship together, and they’re gonna help him no matter what.
He gets in Otis’s face and says he didn’t hear him and he needs to say it, and a dejected Dozer says “no matter what.”
Dominik Mysterio rolls up on Ricochet, who laughs him off but says nobody is more upset that Dom isn’t cleared than he is, because he was looking forward to beating him, but he and Andrade will settle for his little homeboys, and Ricochet will embarrass JD on Speed, too.
Mysterio mocks Ricochet’s name as he leaves and turns to see Liv Morgan rolling up as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Nia Jax cuts a promo about how she’s the only monster in a match of females tonight and she’s going to terrorize each and every one of them until she wins the title.
Andrade el Idolo & Ricochet vs. JD McDonagh & Santos Escobar
El Idolo and Escobar to start, Andrade in control, tag to Ricochet, stereo dropkicks, cover for one! Back handspring into a tijeras, dropkick takes Santos off his feet, nearfall. McDonagh tags in, “Shave your moustache!” chants for Dominik, he gets a cheap shot in and the heels turn the tide as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ricochet ducks under a lariat, tag to el Idolo! Dragon screws on Escobar, off the ropes, flying forearm, corner knees connect... NOPE! Both men down, tags amde, Andrade and JD hammering each other with forearms in the middle of the ring! Snap suplex from el Idolo, he wants the Three Amigos but Santos cuts him of and the heels double suplex him!
Up in the turnbuckles, all four men jockeying for position...
Andrade el Idolo & Ricochet win by pinfall with La Sombra from el Idolo on JD McDonagh.
Post-match, Damian Priest attacks and lays both babyfaces out before turning to Dominik Mysterio and yelling at him in Spanish. JD asks what he just said, and Damian says he doesn’t need anybody, they need him.
We see Natalya getting ready for our main event and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a Zoey Stark hype reel.
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell are interviewed backstage.
LeRae isn’t having any talk of underhanded tactics but she gets cut off by a brawl between Liv Morgan and Nia Jax in the next loading bay over.
Referees pull them apart as Becky Lynch rolls up to take the mic.
She says it’s pure chaos and it’s about to get more chaotic. She walks up to Maxxine Dupri and tells her to show everybody why this might be her first time fighting for a world title but it won’t be her last. She walks through the back and says the Man came here for a fight and makes her entrance to send us to break.
WWE Women’s World Championship Battle Royal
Chaose early, brawling, kick, punch, struggle in the corner, Candice LeRae gets eliminated by Maxxine Dupri! Indi Hartwell blasts her with a boot, but Dupri eliminates her too and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Katana Chance sends Shayna Baszler across the ring with a tijeras! Zoey Stark gets into it, Shayna back body drops Chance into Kayden Carter and Stark eliminates both of them! Nia Jax dumps Ivy Nile, Maxxine confronts her in the aftermath, Dupri puts her into the ropes with kicks but Jax cuts her off and eliminates her!
Becky Lynch eliminates Piper Niven after a struggle, Piper pulls her through the ropes and puts her hard into the steel steps! Jax trying to eliminate Chelsea but Niven pulls her through the ropes and they brawl on the floor... ROCK BOTTOM PUTS PIPER INTO BECKY ON THE DESK!
Nia gets under Niven... SAMOAN DROP INTO LYNCH AND THE TABLE! Green eliminated by Natalya but the referees don’t see it and she pops right back up on the apron and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Chelsea tries to powerbomb Nattie over the ropes but gets headscissor’d to the apron, trading right hands, Green with a pump kick, Zoey eliminates Chelsea and Neidhart both! Standing tall with Shayna, final five with them, Nia, Liv, and Becky down on teh floor, Stark Gallon Throws Morgan into a knee from Baszler!
Sleeper hold on Jax, she puts Stark on the apron and eliminates her with a punch! Shayna charges, Nia back body drops her to the apron and knocks her to the floor with a shove! Becky returns to the ring, forearms aplenty, Liv with La Mistica on Nia, dropkick into the ropes!
Codebreaker blocked at first but Lynch completes it by hitting a neckbreaker on Morgan! Liv put on the apron, Nia puts Becky there with her, double Stunner, working together, double suplex reversed! Nia drags her into the corner, Lynch powers up and knocks her to the apron!
Back and forth, Liv with a Codebreaker, Becky drops a leg and Nia Jax is gone! Lynch and Morgan getting into it, Becky off the top, nobody home, pass Liv to the apron, she blocks a forearm, pulls her to the apron too, hooking her, trading shots, Becky cuts her off, jockeying for position over a suplex, front kick, Codebreaker, Oblivion blocked!
Lynch hooks her, Manhandle Slam off the apron...
Becky Lynch wins, last eliminating Liv Morgan to become your new WWE Women’s World Heavyweight Champion.
Becky Lynch celebrates with the title.
That’s the show, folks.
