WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Feb. 12
Just days after an explosive WrestleMania Kickoff event in Las Vegas, WWE rolled into the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky for a packed episode of Raw featuring an appearance by Cody Rhodes.
What did The American Nightmare have to say about his confrontation with The Rock on Thursday, which ended with him being slapped in the face by The Great One?
Find out with this recap of Monday's broadcast, which also included the latest Elimination Chamber qualifying matches and a gigantic six-man tag team showdown pitting Jey Uso and The New Day against Imperium.
Match Card
1 of 10Announced in advance for Monday's show:
- Cody Rhodes appearance
- Jey Uso, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods vs. Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci
- Men's Elimination Chamber Qualifier: LA Knight vs. Ivar
- Women's Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Liv Morgan vs. Zoey Stark
- Men's Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Bobby Lashley vs. "Big" Bronson Reed
- R-Truth vs. JD McDonagh
The New Day and Jey Uso vs. Imperium
2 of 10
The budding rivalry between Jey Uso and intercontinental champion Gunther was represented at the top of Monday's show as Uso partnered with The New Day's Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to battle Imperium.
The six-man tag team match had quality in-ring action throughout, with Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci controlling the pace and isolating Kingston throughout.
However, a hot tag to Uso by the former WWE champion sparked a comeback that featured the first in-ring altercation between "Main Event" and The Ring General.
Uso got the better of Gunther Monday, taking him out of the match and delivering a top-rope splash to Vinci to secure the win.
An energetic opener, it had the crowd hot throughout and brought Uso and Gunther together between the ropes for the first time on WWE television. That match, presumably at WrestleMania 40 for the IC title, will have the potential to be one of the hottest on the card.
Much of that can be attributed to the work that has been done to establish Uso as his own man and Gunther as the seemingly unbeatable champion.
Result
Uso and The New Day defeated Imperium
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "Kofi's been around for what feels like three generations here in WWE," Pat McAfee said on commentary. He's not wrong, and that's no bad thing.
- Given the history of wars between The New Day and The Usos, the idea of Kingston and Woods teaming with Jey feels surreal, but the chemistry is there.
- The crowd chanting "Yeet" will get old real quick.
- Uso made like his cousin, The Rock, and slapped the taste out of Gunther's face. Must be a Bloodline thing.
Men's Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Bobby Lashley vs. 'Big' Bronson Reed
3 of 10
Bobby Lashley will join Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton in the men's Elimination Chamber match on February 24 after defeating "Big" Bronson Reed in a heavyweight battle.
The All Mighty overcame a force of nature in Reed and put him down with a Spear to secure the win.
A mostly OK match, it highlighted Reed's ability to dominate any bout while proving that Lashley can fight from underneath and win in come-from-behind fashion.
With that said, Reed has to win at some point or the concept of him as this monster heel who can be taken seriously against top stars is null and void. Fans know how often he has these matches and, more importantly, how often he loses them.
Ultimately, the greatest attribute in his current role will cease if he does not pick up at least a quality win here or there.
That did not happen Monday night.
Result
Lashley defeated Reed to advance to the Elimination Chamber
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- A video vignette highlighted Andrade and revealed he left WWE three years ago because he needed to be reminded of who he is. Now, he's back to win titles.
- Lashley delivered a hellish suplex to Reed that turned the tide of the contest.
- Earlier, Shinsuke Nakamura cut a pre-recorded promo on Sami Zayn, inviting him to show his real self Monday night in the main event and taunting him by claiming his shot to be world champion is gone.
What Do You Want to Talk About?
4 of 10
Cody Rhodes may be challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, but he may not have to go it alone against The Tribal Chief and The Rock.
World heavyweight champion Seth Rollins interrupted his address of the WWE Universe, pledging his allegiance to Rhodes in fighting the greatest either of them have known in their time with the company.
"What exists on the other side is very dark," Rollins told his longtime rival, warning him of what happens if he fails to finish his story at 'Mania.
The Visionary said he would be Rhodes' "shield," a clear reference to his days of teaming with Reigns in the most dominant faction in WWE history.
This was a brilliant promo from Rollins, who laid out the next chapter of the story, establishing a partnership between him and the men's Royal Rumble winner, a united front in the face of The Rock and Reigns.
This is likely the setup for what was hinted at in the WrestleMania trailer, which seemed to point to Rhodes and Rollins vs. Rock and Reigns. How we get there remains to be seen.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "You put your hands on me. You slapped me in the face, in public, and what that means is...I'm going to hit you back," Rhodes warned Rock.
- "You need to finish your story for your dad, for me, for everyone here tonight," Rollins told Rhodes.
- Rollins did an excellent job of adding gravity to this situation and making the union between Rock and Reigns seem like a legitimate threat to all things WWE.
Women's Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Liv Morgan vs. Zoey Stark
5 of 10
Liv Morgan will join Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch inside the Elimination Chamber after her win over Zoey Stark in Monday's qualifier.
Stark dominated with her athleticism and intensity, but Morgan proved resilient, fighting from underneath and delivering the Ob-LIV-ion for the victory.
The big story here was Morgan's quest for revenge against Rhea Ripley, who injured her shoulder and put her out of action.
It was clear from the get-go that she was going to win to further that narrative, but the match did enough to highlight Stark as a legitimate threat.
Morgan is a former champion, with an easily identifiable goal that makes sense and provides the Elimination Chamber a potential winner outside of Becky Lynch. She is also likable and over with fans.
For that reason, she was the right one to go over here, no matter how good Stark is at this point.
Result
Morgan pinned Stark to advance to the women's Elimination Chamber
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Having Stark and Shayna Baszler, top contenders to the women's tag team titles, lose in consecutive weeks says a lot about where that particular championship stands in terms of importance.
- Backstage, Damian Priest told R-Truth they are not friends and it's not funny anymore, just moments before Truth battled JD McDonagh.
R-Truth vs. JD McDonagh
6 of 10
With the threat of a beatdown at the hands of The Judgment Day lingering, R-Truth squared off with JD McDonagh in singles competition.
Despite controlling the majority of the match, it was McDonagh who was able to put him down with his new finisher, The Devil Inside, for the win.
A post-match beating by Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Bálor concluded with DIY's Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa making the save for Truth and furthering their rivalry with the heels over the tag team titles.
The match was mostly forgettable, with Truth's character work taking center stage before the impressive finisher from his opponent.
The arrival of Gargano and Ciampa suggests there is still unfinished business that may present itself in the form of a six-man tag as soon as next week's show.
Result
McDonagh pinned Truth
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Truth calling The Miz and insisting he gets to Louisville from Hollywood in time for his match was fun.
- Truth calling back to his insistence that John Cena is his "childhood hero" by using his signature moves is still a fun shtick.
Becky Lynch Promo
7 of 10
Becky Lynch insisted she would win the women's Elimination Chamber match and go to WrestleMania 40 to challenge Rhea Ripley.
Except, the women's world champion still has to get past Nia Jax, something The Irresistible Force reminded The Man of.
Ripley took exception, though, and rushed the ring. A scuffle ensued, ending with Lynch and the Australian clearing Jax out of the squared circle and teasing a tense staredown.
This was a fine way to continue building to what feels like an inevitable Lynch-Ripley title match while keeping fans invested in the idea that Jax may throw a wrench into the proceedings.
Lynch was fantastic here, bringing real emotion to the promo as she reiterated how devoted to the industry she is, despite what it has occasionally cost her.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Lynch got emotional as she recalled missing her father's funeral because of her dedication to professional wrestling.
- She discussed the conversations she had with her young daughter about her injuries and how they have affected her role as a mother.
- The crowd erupted for Ripley's arrival, evidence of how much of a star they believe she is.
Men's Elimination Chamber Qualifier: LA Knight vs. Ivar
8 of 10
LA Knight will compete for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship in Perth, Australia via the Elimination Chamber, thanks to his victory over Ivar.
The Viking Raider showed out, as he has countless times during this singles run. He proved he could hang with a legitimate main event-caliber opponent and came within seconds of beating The Megastar.
However, a failed Doomsault from the top rope opened the door for Knight to deliver Blunt Force Trauma for the win.
It would not have been a surprise if AJ Styles had gotten involved and cost Knight the win given the babyface's role in The Phenomenal One's downfall Friday night, but he survived Ivar to ensure his place in another high-profile main event.
Result
Knight defeated Ivar
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Backstage, Jackie Redmond revealed that Drew McIntyre will square off with Cody Rhodes next week before catching a few words with the Scot. He referred to himself as the underdog, the sort of heel justification that makes those characters so engaging.
- Ivar hurled himself at Knight, smashing him into the timekeeper's barricade ahead of the commercial break.
- Knight leapt to the top rope and delivered a big superplex to his big opponent.
Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
9 of 10
Sami Zayn's quest to prove himself as a legitimate contender for the world title took a hit Monday with another big loss, this time to Shinsuke Nakamura and some outside interference.
Zayn fought his way back into the match on more than one occasion, showing the trademark gutsiness that has helped make him one of the beloved Superstars of his generation.
Late in the match, an appearance by Drew McIntyre allowed Nakamura to capitalize on the distraction. He delivered a Kinshasa to the back of Zayn's head for a win in a match that may not have replicated their 2016 NXT classic but was still a quality main event.
The post-match beatdown by the heels and the arrival of Cody Rhodes as a backup for Zayn was a nice touch and added heat to The American Nightmare's showdown with McIntyre on next week's show.
Result
Nakamura defeated Zayn
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Zayn flew over the top rope and wiped Nakamura out, but he also landed hard and nursed his left arm for the remainder of the bout. Hopefully, no damage was done.
- Triple H continues to feature Zayn, Nakamura and McIntyre in main events, building their credibility and ensuring depth behind Rhodes.
- Next week on Raw: Jey Uso vs. Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship, Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre, DIY and R-Truth vs. The Judgment Day, and a Last Chance Battle Royal to fill the final spot in the women's Elimination Chamber match.
Overall Grade
10 of 10This was another quality episode of Raw. Some stories were executed very well, there was some quality in-ring content and a great promo segment involving Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
Stories were advanced, the stars were highlighted appropriately and the focus was on the building to Elimination Chamber and then WrestleMania 40.
The show has a creative focus that has not always been there on these marathon three-hour broadcasts, but Triple H and his creative team appear to have found a stride that is making the flagship as good as it has been in quite some time, thanks to a clear plan.
Rhodes, McIntyre, Rollins, Zayn and Nakamura are the core competitors for the red brand and have been at the forefront of the show for weeks now.
As long as The Game can continue that, and remember to continue focusing energy in creating stars out of the underutilized, the show will be fine. If not, he risks overexposing his most important names.
Luckily, that has not been a problem under his guidance to this point.
Overall Grade: B+
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