WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from March 16
The coronavirus pandemic again forced WWE television to the confines of its Performance Center Monday for an episode of Raw featuring "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's celebration of 3:16 Day and a contract signing between AJ Styles and The Undertaker for their proposed WrestleMania 36 showdown.
What else went down on the unprecedented episode of WWE's flagship show, and how does it affect the company's build to a Showcase of the Immortals that will take place under similar circumstances, as announced earlier in the afternoon?
Find out with this recap of the March 16 broadcast.
Edge Kicks Off The Night
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In front of an eerie Performance Center, Edge kicked off the night's show, throwing to a recap of the horrific last month for him and wife Beth Phoenix.
He mentioned the common connection he and Randy Orton had in growing and evolving: Mick Foley. Foley taught him grit, something The Viper never learned.
"This isn't love. You don't love me, Randy. You're jealous because you can't do what I do and that tears you apart," Edge said, referencing his comeback after nine years away.
Staring through the camera and into the soul of his rival, he issued a challenge to Orton for a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania.
Grade
B+
Analysis
If there is one thing that has not skipped a beat, it is Edge's uncanny ability to cut a promo that sucks the audience in and has them eager to invest going forward.
Like Orton and Phoenix before him, his contributions carried the feud forward and added to what has already been months of stellar storytelling.
The Last Man Standing match stipulation was probably unnecessary, but it allows for a No Disqualification setting that will hide any of The Rated-R Superstar's ring rust and lets the performers to bring the intensity and violence one expects out of a rivalry this personal.
Strong work to kick off the show.
Undertaker and AJ Styles Sign the Contract for Their WrestleMania Match
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Driven by anger and frustration, The Undertaker hit the ring and tore apart the table set up for his contract signing with AJ Styles.
Following a commercial break, Tom Phillips revealed there was no contract present, further infuriating The Deadman.
Devoid of the theatricality, a black knit cap on his head, it was clear the veteran in the ring was not The Phenom fans had become accustomed to over the years. Pacing like a caged animal, he watched from the ring as Styles' music played twice but no Phenomenal One entered.
He appeared on the video screen and revealed he had the contract in hand. He called Undertaker a shell of his former self and even offered to pay for his assisted living facility after WrestleMania. The heel signed the contract and then asked a reluctant Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to take it to The Deadman.
They did and quickly fell prey to the violent onslaught of WWE's last outlaw. Undertaker beat them around ringside and left them lying before signing the contract and shoving it in Anderson's mouth.
Grade
C
Analysis
This was the first time the lack of crowd was really felt on the show.
An audience likely would have been red-hot for Undertaker and his beatdown of Gallows and Anderson. As it was, it was a solid effort aimed at building more heat for The Deadman vs. The Phenomenal One on April 5.
The only problem? Undertaker has been presented as so dominant throughout the early weeks of this storyline that there is no reason to believe Styles has a chance of beating him on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
This did nothing to change that sentiment.
Non-Title Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade
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Rey Mysterio battled United States champion Andrade in the night's first match.
The aggressive champion attacked from the opening bell and caught a soaring Mysterio with a dropkick to the midsection heading into the break.
Back from the commercial, the resilient Mysterio fought his way back into the bout and set up for the 619 while Asuka watched on commentary. Andrade blasted the masked luchador with a nasty back elbow and earned a two-count.
The future Hall of Famer again came back and this time delivered the 619 before earning the victory off a top-rope splash.
Result
Mysterio defeated Andrade
Grade
C+
Analysis
This was a paint-by-numbers version of the matches Mysterio and Andrade have had before and done much better. The performers were essentially handcuffed because of the lack of audience to feed off, and it showed.
Still, a lower-end Mysterio-Andrade bout is better than most. With The Master of the 619 picking up the win here, one has to wonder if a United States Championship match is in his future and whether it will also feature Humberto Carrillo and Angel Garza.
The Man Takes Over Raw
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Raw women's champion Becky Lynch arrived at the arena earlier in the day in a huge 18-wheeler truck. She took to the squared circle ready to address Shayna Baszler ahead of their WrestleMania 36 clash.
The Man said the idea of her drives Baszler mad because The Queen of Spades has bullied her way to the top for so long. The champion said she was the one woman tired of being the hunted and turned it around on those who preyed on her.
Lynch vowed to defeat Baszler and retain her title on April 5, all while her top contender watched on a monitor backstage.
Grade
A
Analysis
For the second consecutive week, Lynch hit the ball out of the park with a short, sweet promo that added to the story and heat of her upcoming match with Baszler.
The limitations of the production made it so that she would deliver another promo in the same vein as last week's, but she again managed to leave the comedic and sarcastic side of her character behind and strike the right tone before what should be an intensely physical match at WrestleMania.
Kevin Owens Issues a WrestleMania-Sized Promo
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Taking the microphone from Charly Caruso, Kevin Owens looked directly into the camera and issued a challenge to Seth Rollins for a match at WrestleMania.
Citing the Performance Center as the perfect setting for the bout because of his history at the facility and the wealth of knowledge he gathered there, he capped off the impassioned promo by promising to add another treasured memory of the venue by defeating The Monday Night Messiah there.
Grade
A
Analysis
When Owens is engaged and motivated, no one can touch him on the mic. Here, he delivered and, in the process, made fans genuinely want to see a match between two guys who have wrestled each other countless times over the years.
That is a sign of a talented performer whose passion has not waned, even when the creative behind him has not always been the strongest.
'Stone Cold' Celebrates Austin 3:16 Day
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WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wrapped up Monday's show by celebrating 3:16 Day.
He drank beer and ran down a list of what 3:16 Day means, including four-letter words being acceptable. Byron Saxton scored each one, to which Austin claimed it was a "tough crowd."
Stone Cold invited the commentator to the ring for a toast with some Broken Skull IPA beer. He then dropped Saxton with a Stone Cold Stunner, popping Tom Phillips and Jerry "The King" Lawler.
Suddenly, Lynch's music played and she joined The Texas Rattlesnake in the ring. She stepped on and over Saxton before joining Austin for a toast of their own.
The top babyface in the company and the returning legend closed out the show by saluting the viewing audience with some adult beverages.
Austin dropped Saxton with one more stunner for good measure.
Grade
B-
Analysis
If there was ever evidence of just how much Austin feeds off live crowds, this was it.
The promo material was so-so, something he can usually make up for. The stuff with Saxton scoring everything didn't come off well, and the stunner could be seen coming from a mile away.
What this did do to great effect was incorporate Lynch into the proceedings, sending a message loudly and clearly to the WWE Universe that The Man is the top star in the industry entering WrestleMania. Her spot with Austin is one typically reserved for guys like John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker and other industry icons.
Lynch has become one of those, the face of the current era of WWE and a star Vince McMahon feels absolutely comfortable putting in that position. It is a testament to her work and the evolution of McMahon's mentality when it comes to female talent.
