WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 20
Welcome to Bleacher Report's coverage and recap of WWE Raw on March 20.
We are just under two weeks away from WrestleMania 39, so WWE has been scrambling to tie up every feud that will be featured on the card.
Roman Reigns made an appearance this week to address his upcoming match with Cody Rhodes.
We also saw Logan Paul host an episode of Impaulsive TV, and Montez Ford took on Austin Theory in singles action.
Let's take a look at what happened on Monday's show.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Make a Challenge
1 of 8Raw opened with a reunited Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens making their way to the ring. They joked about the crowd liking both of them after getting a very warm welcome at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
After talking about how far they have come, both men looked up at the WrestleMania sign. That is when The Usos came out to try to rain on their parade.
It didn't take long for KO to issue a challenge for the tag titles at The Show of Shows. The Usos accepted before rushing the ring to begin a brawl. Jimmy barely saved Jey from taking a Helluva Kick. They grabbed some steel chairs, but a number of officials came out to break up the fight.
Backstage, Solo Sikoa was shown arriving with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. The Usos went to the back to end the segment.
This played out exactly as everyone expected it to, but it was still fun. Both teams played their roles well. This is going to be a great match at WrestleMania.
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Owens and Zayn have had so many breakups and makeups, but this one is definitely the best. The crowd was so excited to see them together.
- The Usos did not get nearly as much heat as expected when they came out.
Montez Ford vs. Austin Theory
2 of 8After defeating Angelo Dawkins last week, Austin Theory had to battle the other Street Profit on this week's show.
Montez Ford came out by himself just like his teammate did last week.
These two men battled inside the Elimination Chamber for the U.S. belt in February, but this was a non-title encounter. Even so, if Ford won, he would have a good argument for a future championship shot.
Theory was aggressive right out of the gate and took control for the first few minutes by grounding Ford so he couldn't use his speed or agility.
As the match progressed, Ford was able to get in more offense. This ended up turning into a highly competitive fight between two of the best young athletes on the roster, but Theory ended up scoring the win in the end.
Winner: Austin Theory
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- Theory's entrance looks cool, but he needs new music. His song might be designed for him, but that doesn't make it good.
- Ford stomped a mudhole in Theory in the corner. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin would be proud.
- The crossbody Ford hit right after the commercial break was nuts.
Mustafa Ali vs. Omos
3 of 8After a video package hyping his match against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, Omos came out for a contest against Mustafa Ali.
Ali tried to reason with Omos, but the big man shoved him to the floor and turned him inside out with a clothesline. He finished the match with his signature two-handed chokeslam.
This was the definition of a squash, which is about all we get out of Omos most weeks. It's just too bad Ali was subjected to this.
Winner: Omos
Grade: Incomplete
Notable Moments and Observations
- Ali's silver gear was cool.
- Dolph Ziggler was shown watching the match from backstage.
Impaulsive TV
4 of 8The Miz tried to approach Logan Paul before he went to the ring for his talk show, but the social media star had no interest in speaking with him.
The crowd seemed to have little interest in anything Paul had to say and gave him quite a bit of heat. He complained about feeling a lack of respect from the WWE Universe.
Paul began having issues with his mic, but Seth Rollins revealed he was in the production truck messing with his audio. He played his own entrance music before heading to the ring.
Instead of yelling at the YouTuber, The Visionary tripped him by both legs and began beating him down. They fought at ringside until several officials got between them. Rollins dove onto a few security guards before Paul put him down with a right hand.
This was fine for what it was. Paul was annoying, but the brawl was fun. This felt like filler before their match at 'Mania.
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Did we really need a five-second intro for his show?
- Admittedly, the Steph/Seth Curry joke was kind of funny.
Johnny Gargano vs. Dominik Mysterio
5 of 8Dominik Mysterio was out with Damian Priest by his side for a singles match against Johnny Gargano, who had Dexter Lumis in his corner.
They started with a fast-paced exchange to give Johnny Wrestling the upper hand, but Mysterio was able to take control right before the show went to a commercial.
We returned to see Gargano starting to show some life again. He countered a few of Mysterio's moves and began to build up a head of steam. He came close to winning with a beautiful superkick, but his rival was able to kick out at the last second. He eventually put Johnny Wrestling away with a Frog Splash.
This was a decent match, but it seemed unnecessary to have Gargano lose while he is in a feud with Grayson Waller in NXT.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
- Seriously, who thought changing Gargano's entrance music was a good idea?
- Dom has definitely made improvements when it comes to working as a heel. He has seemed more intense in the last couple of weeks.
- Gargano's suicide dive always looks great.
- The way Dom hit the mat after taking a suplex in the corner looked rough.
Rhea Ripley vs. Bayley
6 of 8Rhea Ripley came out in street clothes and delivered a promo about her match against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania.
Damage CTRL came down and talked some trash, which led to a contest between Ripley and Bayley. Adam Pearce made it official immediately.
The Nightmare took control after a brief struggle, but Bayley was able to knock her out of the ring and yanked her shoulder into the ring post to take over.
The match had a relatively slow pace because they weren't really trying to make this the most competitive singles encounter on the show.
Lita, Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus showed up right as the show cut to a break. They watched and prevented Damage CTRL from getting involved as Ripley was able to score the win with the Riptide.
There was nothing wrong with this clash, but it didn't stand out much. Ripley looking like a dominant force is always a good thing, though.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
- Ripley's entrance music is one of the best in WWE right now.
- The look of fear on Iyo Sky's face when The Nightmare scowled at her was hilarious.
- It feels like WWE might want to test Ripley as a babyface. She always gets a great reaction from the crowd, and why else would she be fighting a heel for no reason?
- There are so many great GIFs of WWE Superstars eating popcorn, and Lynch created another one during this match.
Ricochet vs. Chad Gable
7 of 8Otis was having a spa day when Chad Gable came and got him so he could be at ringside for his match against Ricochet, who had Braun Strowman in his corner.
They started off with an exchange of holds and counters that tested both men's mat skills. Both of these guys are as versatile as it gets, so they brought a bit of everything here.
This was fast-paced and featured some technical sequences, high-flying moves, stiff strikes and some impressive chemistry from two men who haven't been in the ring together that much.
Ricochet scored the win in what was easily the most entertaining match of the night. The shooting star press he hit to end the bout was a thing of beauty.
Winner: Ricochet
Grade: A-
Notable Moments and Observations
- Otis eating the cucumbers that fell off of his eyes was such an easy joke to make, and yet it was still hilarious.
- Alpha Academy are a great team, but putting Otis with Maximum Male Models might be what saves that gimmick.
- The standing shooting star press is one of the most impressive moves Ricochet has in his arsenal.
Asuka and Bianca Belair vs. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven, Final Segment
8 of 8Earlier in the show, Chelsea Green told Adam Pearce that Carmella was unable to compete, so she had recruited Piper Niven to be her partner against Asuka and Bianca Belair.
The EST of WWE and Green started for their teams. Belair easily took control with a shoulder tackle followed by a moonsault, but Asuka tagged herself in so she was unable to get the pin.
They sent Niven and Green out of the ring before staring each other down as the show went to a break. We returned to see Asuka on defense as she began to make a comeback.
Belair was able to power up Niven to hit the KOD for the win. As soon as she was done, Asuka attacked her from behind to establish herself as the heel in their feud. The crowd is still going to cheer for her, but this was definitely villainous behavior.
The match was fine, but what came after was the only thing you need to see.
Winners: Asuka and Bianca Belair
Grade: C+
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns met in the ring for the final segment, but The Tribal Chief wasn't alone. He had Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman by his side.
Both men gave their statements and talked some trash about each other to sell the program. Reigns said Rhodes wasn't cut out for this, and Rhodes talked about how he is not his father and will knock Reigns out.
The American Nightmare said everyone would eventually leave the tribe, and that made Reigns drop the mic and walk away. Sikoa stayed in the ring and got in Rhodes' face, but The Tribal Chief yelled at him to get out of the ring.
Rhodes taunted him and countered the Samoan Spike, but Reigns stopped Sikoa before he could do anything else.
This was a decent chapter in their story, but it didn't do enough to send this storyline home. We need one more in-ring segment with both men before 'Mania to really cap this off right.
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Green continuing to refuse to learn who Pearce is gets funnier every week. She is great as this character.
- The way Asuka screamed before kicking Green in the head was great.
- Reigns and Rhodes have such an interesting dynamic. Both are generational talents, but they are completely different in every way.
