WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 2

The talking-heavy edition of WWE Raw on March 2 was a demonstration of how the company's storytelling skills can be both incredible and incompetent.

WWE found a fitting role for Jon Stewart on the show, brilliantly tweaked Curtis Axel's gimmick and made The Miz and Damien Mizdow's impending split even more exciting. Unfortunately, along with all those hits, Raw also had its share of dribblers.  

The hunt for the Intercontinental Championship has become a Looney Tunes cartoon. And how WWE is handling John Cena and Daniel Bryan's path to WrestleMania is baffling.

The show had a split personality, but it didn't have much in-ring action. Most of the battles fought in New Jersey Monday night were verbal ones.

For a show that Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns opened and closed, the following is a recap, report card and breakdown.

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns Collide

Rollins warned Jon Stewart not to come to Raw. He bragged about his drawing power, claiming everyone in the crowd paid to see him.

Roman Reigns interrupted him, grinning as he prowled toward Mr. Money in the Bank. Their banter centered around Reigns' upcoming match with Brock Lesnar. Verbal blows soon turned to physical ones as Reigns ran over Rollins and his henchmen in a short brawl.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Unless you're on your way here to get down on your knees and beg me for forgiveness, you should probably just turn right back around and don't show up here."—Rollins to Stewart.

"This is no Jerry Lawler—Andy Kaufman situation."—Rollins.

"I just wanted to come out here and hear everyone tell you 'You suck!' live."—Reigns to Rollins.

"I can out-talk Jon Stewart. I can out-rap Wiz Khalifa."—Rollins

Grade

B

Analysis

Some fabulous work from Rollins shows off how much he has mastered his heel role. His cockiness gets more grating each week. 

Reigns is making progress with his own mic skills albeit at a much slower pace. He seemed to be having fun which made him come off as more natural. He's still not fluid, though. It's surprising that WWE doesn't just limit him to shorter, punchier lines.

As much as Rollins is trying to make an enemy out of Stewart, he is still in limbo until Randy Orton turns on him.

Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose

R-Truth sat in on commentary as Bad News Barrett clashed with the man who stole his Intercontinental Championship.

Barrett was distracted for much of the action. He barked at R-Truth and held up his title. R-Truth stole the belt, but Luke Harper snatched it from him.

That was distraction enough to allow The Lunatic Fringe to roll Barrett up for the win.

Result

Ambrose wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Ladders? You have to climb them?"—R-Truth.

Ambrose goes on a chop frenzy, while Barrett is tied up in the ropes.

Grade

C-

Analysis

It's odd that WWE went with the same exact gag that we saw on last week's SmackDown and the clip from that show that aired on Raw.

On the plus side, letting R-Truth be himself and show off his funny side has allowed him to come to life.

The story around the IC title has felt silly. It's something that feels as if it should have a laugh track. There isn't enough to juxtapose all the comedy elements.

And Barrett's reign has been the biggest joke of all. With yet another non-title loss on his resume, it would be hard to make him look weaker heading into WrestleMania.

The Miz's Commercial Premieres

The Miz invited the roster to watch the premiere of his new commercial. Damien Mizdow warned him not to show it, but the self-proclaimed A-lister blew him off.

The ad was for Niagara, a Viagra spoof. It embarrassed The Miz, pitting him as the man in need of the drug. 

Everyone watching laughed. The Miz exploded, slapping Mizdow. They squared off, but Mizdow backed down, apologizing instead of fighting.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"I will have you know that this general has plenty of bullets in his arsenal."—The Miz.

Grade

A-

Analysis

The Miz continues to shine as one of WWE's most entertaining heels. He plays the bullying-jerk role perfectly.

WWE is smart to save this collision for WrestleMania. Turning up the volume on The Miz's abuse and Mizdow's frustration will only make the climax more explosive.

A powerful WrestleMania moment awaits these two men.

Bray Wyatt Calls Out Undertaker Once More

Bray Wyatt taunted Undertaker again. Beaming with pride, he showed off a wooden coffin he built for The Deadman. 

He set it on fire and watched gleefully as it burned.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Have the hands of time finally ripped him apart?"—Wyatt on Undertaker.

"Fire has no prejudice. It has no feelings. Fire just has this urge to destroy everything and anything that is in his path. Just like me."—Wyatt.

"Where I come from, everything burns."—Wyatt.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This speech was one of Wyatt's best as it was focused and featured a lasting image of flames reflecting in his eyes.

With it being so short and not having Undertaker around brings the grade down some. Wyatt is doing his best to carry this feud, but there's only so much he can do. Without someone to direct his threats toward, without the possibility of violence happening, these segments are limited. 

It's a one-way dialogue, and it has been from the beginning.

The Usos and Naomi vs. Cesaro, Tyson Kidd and Natalya

A quick bout saw some brief flurries between the tag champs and The Usos. When the women went to work, Natalya hurt her ankle on a flip. She tagged herself out.

Tyson Kidd, though, soon looked to avoid getting a superkick in the mush, and so he tagged her in again. The injured Diva was vulnerable; Naomi took advantage with a schoolboy pin.

After the loss, Natalya and Kidd argued before hugging it out.

Result

The Usos and Naomi win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Cesaro hits a high knee to Jey's chin.

Grade

D

Analysis

A hurried match and story didn't accomplish anything other than Kidd and Natalya having more martial issues. There is a real missed opportunity here to escalate the tag-title feud.

A lack of story will hurt that rivalry going forward.

John Cena Talks WrestleMania

John Cena talked of climbing, of resilience. He talked up WrestleMania before announcing he would enter the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. 

Stephanie McMahon had other ideas. She pushed back, refusing to let him in. She cut into him before saying he wasn't going to be a part of WrestleMania unless Rusev changed his mind about facing him.

Curtis Axel came out, kissed some McMahon butt and said he would be ready to face Rusev at WrestleMania if given the chance. McMahon booked him and Cena in a match on Raw instead.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Miz did it. Fandango did it. Adam Rose did it. That's not exactly murderer's row. I think you got some spots open for me."—Cena to McMahon on declaring for the Battle Royal. 

"I'm often imitated, but never eliminated."—Axel.

Fans chant "Axelmania!"

Axel pulls a Hulk Hogan and rips his shirt off. 

Grade

B-

Analysis

This was all over the place.

The Axel portions were highly entertaining. WWE has found a fitting role for him as a wrestler who grossly overvalues his skills and popularity. Keeping this up is going to give him momentum he hasn't had since he was paired with Paul Heyman.

It's everything else about the segment that drags it down.

For one, it only served to belittle the guys already in the Battle Royal. It makes no sense either that a 15-time champion has to prove himself, especially against a guy like Axel.

Teasing that Cena might not be a part of WrestleMania is a waste of time. No one is going to buy that scenario, no matter how tyrannical The Authority is.

John Cena vs. Curtis Axel

Cena dominated. Showing off a more aggressive side, he punched Axel in the mouth. An Attitude Adjustment and an STF later and the match was over.

Rusev and Lana came out to mock Cena. Rusev again refused Cena a rematch.

The Russian flag hung over the ring as Cena stewed.

Result

Cena wins via submission.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Axel mugs to the crowd, chanting "Axelmania."

"It's not your decision; it's mine, you ignorant Americans."—Rusev to the fans.

Grade

C-

Analysis

Some good improv from Rusev bumps up a grade that would be even worse. He made the most of the crowd's reaction to his speech.

It was the match that stunk. It offered no highlights other than Axel's boasting.

Why does WWE feel the need to always build up Cena? He doesn't need to roll over Axel to prove anything; he's been a top star for years.

This felt pointless as a result.

Triple H Demonstrates Control

Triple H proclaimed that he would beat Sting. He talked more about the WWE-versus-WCW dynamic that this match is being built around. 

The Game then invited Booker T in the ring. He tried to push Booker around, but the former five-time champ talked up how powerful Sting was and that no one could control him.

After rambling on, Triple H fired Booker, or at least pretended to. As Booker left the ring area, Triple H said he was just messing with him.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"I will make sure that it is as if Sting's career never existed."—Triple H.

"You're like these little kids on the Internet, thinking they know the ins and outs of this industry."—Triple H to Sting.

"We're talking about WCW's finest. We're talking the last man standing."

"That was just an example of what control is."—Triple H on pretending to fire Booker.

Grade

B-

Analysis

As good as Triple H is in the mic, this feud is suffering from him having to carry so much of it. Sting isn't around, and the result is a mostly one-sided rivalry.

Bringing in a WCW star like Booker into the story sounds good on paper, but it didn't click. Had Triple H attacked Booker rather than toyed him with, it would have been more powerful, giving Sting more incentive to come at him.

Paige vs. Nikki Bella (Divas Championship)

Paige dominated the early going. She had Nikki Bella in retreat mode before the champ shifted things in her favor with an Alabama Slam.

When Paige went on offense again, Brie Bella tried to distract her, but she took a kick to the chin instead. Paige then had Nikki in the PTO. Brie made sure her sister retained by interrupting the match.

The Bellas beat up on Paige after the bell. AJ Lee returned to fight them off, working side-by-side with Paige.

Result

Paige wins via disqualification.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Both women attempt a clothesline, leaving both champion and challenger on their backs. 

Paige superkicks both sisters in a row.

"A common enemy makes weird alliances."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Grade

B

Analysis

With fans watching anxiously to see if the #GiveDivasAChance movement had an effect, the Divas division got a touch more spotlight than normal.

The announcers focused more on the action than they normally do. Gone was the banter that normally takes up these bouts, and instead the commentary team did well in calling the action.

This certainly lasted longer than last week's 31-second farce, but much of it was during the commercial break. The match led somewhere and created a fun moment.

In this case, progress wasn't drastic, but it was progress nonetheless.

The Daily Show with Seth Rollins

With Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury laughing and clapping at all his jokes, Rollins sat at a mock setup of The Daily Show.

Rollins poked fun at Jon Stewart hosting the Academy Awards and his movie Rosewater. After Rollins took several shots at him, Stewart stumbled into the ring.

The two traded barbs, Stewart name-dropping legends and playing to the crowd. The TV host questioned Rollins' integrity and reminded him that he isn't fighting for the title at WrestleMania.

That angered Rollins, inspiring him to stalk Stewart in the ring. Mr. Money in the Bank closed in, but it was not before Randy Orton distracted him.

Stewart took a few cheap shots before scurrying out of the ring.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Much like the audience when he hosted the Oscars last year, he's been dead silent."—Rollins on Stewart.

"It is quite difficult to do a phony news show with your jaw wired shut."—Rollins.

"You're just proving to the world that you can barely read."—Stewart to Rollins.

"How could I make a fool out of a man dressed like a swat-team stripper with Lady Gaga's hair?"—Stewart to Rollins.

Stewart calls the Curb Stomp a Jersey brunch.

Stewart nails a low blow on Rollins.

Grade

A

Analysis

Stewart fit right into the nutty world of pro wrestling. So often, celebrity guests don't mesh with the product, but that was far from the case here.

Stewart clearly knows and appreciates the business, as seen by his wrestling-style promo. His presence allowed Rollins to be a bigger star and a bigger jerk.

WWE gets the advantage of the buzz he will bring. Rollins gets a memorable moment added to his collection.

Luke Harper vs. Daniel Bryan

Luke Harper forced fans to go from chanting for Daniel Bryan to being concerned about him. He threw him around the ring, focusing on his head and neck.

Harper took things to the ground which proved to be a mistake. Bryan slipped on the Yes! Lock for the win.

Bad News Barrett took back his Intercontinental Championship from Harper. Dean Ambrose took it from him. R-Truth sneaked in and stole it, only to find Harper towering over him.

A clothesline allowed Harper to take it as far as the entrance ramp where Dolph Ziggler was waiting for him there with a superkick.

Result

Bryan wins via submission.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Harper dumps Bryan over the top rope. 

Grade

C+

Analysis

Great vicious work from Harper. He maximized his minimal minutes. Too bad WWE treated this like a throwaway bout by giving it such little time and having half of the action happen during the commercial break.

The IC title shenanigans are an odd, ill-advised way to hype the belt. It turns it into a comedy routine, not challengers striving to earn something valuable. 

The buildup has been cluttered, but the Ladder match it leads to will be one of WrestleMania's best.

Paul Heyman Shoots from the Hip

Credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman promised that Lesnar would be at WrestleMania. He talked up his client's destructive power and put Reigns over as a "badass Samoan with a chip on his shoulder."

Heyman laid out the scenarios for how The Beast Incarnate would hurt Reigns.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"My client Brock Lesnar will be anywhere he damn well pleases before WrestleMania."—Heyman.

"Obviously our sound guy is from New Jersey."—Heyman after his mic briefly goes out.

"It's about time you did something right."—Heyman to Lilian Garcia.

"Brock Lesnar simply Ronda Rouseys your ass."—Heyman.

Grade

A

Analysis

Heyman is simply the best in the business. 

He doesn't need someone opposite him. He doesn't need anything to actually happen in the segment. He doesn't even need a working mic.

WWE was really wise to address the whispers that Lesnar may leave WWE. Heyman brought an especially powerful energy to his delivery here, thriving as he painted Lesnar as a monster and Reigns as a mighty hero.

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins

Credit: WWE.com

Rollins began the bout cautiously, keeping his distance from Reigns. That paid off as he soon controlled the action. 

Moments later, Orton came out to watch the action. Previously, he offered Rollins his help with the match.

In the ring, Reigns went on a flurry, but J&J Security, Kane and Big Show continually aided Mr. Money in the Bank. Reigns withstood interference from all sides until Orton did his part.

He nailed Reigns to allow Rollins to get the win.

That set off Reigns. The Juggernaut then attacked anyone in sight, leaving the majority of The Authority writhing in pain.

Result

Rollins wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Where does he get this energy from? He was just out. Roman Reigns is on fire."—Booker T.

Reigns lifts Rollins off the ground and powerbombs him.

Reigns dives over the top rope onto The Authority.

Reigns spears Rollins as he comes off the top rope.

Grade

B+

Analysis

A chaotic, fun brawl followed a forgettable match. These two have done far better against each other in the past.

The Authority interfering angle was overdone this time around.

Reigns did look good at the end, exciting the crowd by steamrolling the bad guys. WWE needs to show Reigns in this light more often and stop asking him to joke around on the mic so often.