WWE Raw live results: Triple threat Tag Team title match
Date: March 7, 2022
Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH
The Big Takeaway —
Kevin Owens called out Steve Austin for the “KO Show” at WrestleMania.
Randy Orton and Riddle won the tag titles in a great match. Bron Breakker made his Raw debut by teaming with Tommaso Ciampa to beat Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan were added to the WrestleMania women’s tag title match after beating Carmella and Queen Zelina.
Show Recap —
They aired clips of Roman Reigns attacking Brock Lesnar (with fake booing added) at the Madison Square Garden show.
Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins entered as the announcers ran down tonight’s show.
Owens and Rollins said they would win the tag titles tonight and pondered what WrestleMania would even look like without them. Owens insulted Dallas, Texas again. They played clips of them beating RK-Bro and Alpha Academy in recent weeks. Owens said they were “undeniable.”
Alpha Academy interrupted. Chad Gable called the match result last week erroneous. He said that they would retain tonight before going on to WrestleMania.
In the back, Kevin Patrick interviewed Riddle and Randy Orton. Orton said they would win by any means necessary because they’ve come too far and worked too hard to get here.
Triple threat tornado tag team match: Randy Orton & Riddle defeated Alpha Academy and Kevin Owens & Seth Rollins to win the Raw Tag Team Championships (27:01)
One wrestler from each team was legal at all times and you can only tag your own partner. There were no count-outs or disqualifications, which makes you wonder why anyone would stay on the apron.
Rollins wiped out Gable and Riddle with a dive before Owens gave Gable a senton for a nearfall early in the match. After a break, Otis took over and splashed Riddle but picked him up at the two count for some reason.
Orton made the (very) hot tag and he handed out powerslams to Gable and Rollins before giving them a double draping DDT. After Gable blocked an RKO, Orton hit Rollins with one instead but Owens broke up the cover. Orton backdropped Owens and Gable onto the announce table before Riddle and Orton both dropped Otis on the table.
After a second break, Riddle gave Gable a floating bro but Owens broke up the cover. Gable hit Riddle with a moonsault but Rollins broke up that cover. They did a big tower of doom spot where Otis brought down Owens and Rollins and his partner Gable with a powerbomb. (Owens and Rollins were trying to superplex Gable). This led to a brawl and a third commercial break.
Owens wiped out everyone with a dive during the break and Rollins gave Riddle a double foot stomp for two after the break. Rollins tried a rolling forearm but Riddle applied a triangle choke. Gable broke that up with a diving headbutt before handing out German suplexes to Orton, Rollins and Riddle.
Gable went for a moonsault but Orton brought him down with an RKO and the crowd popped huge for that counter.
Owens and Rollins handed out superkicks before Rollins gave Gable a buckle bomb. Owens followed with a stunner and Rollins hit a curb stomp, but Riddle chucked Rollins out of the ring and stole the pinfall for the win. RK-Bro are the tag champs again.
This was a fun match and the crowd was really into it. (Corey Graves said this might be the greatest triple threat match we’ve ever seen, which is funny.)
Owens and Riddle acted despondent after the match. (They kept showing Owens’ and Rollins’ reactions but never showed Gable and Otis.)
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Patrick interviewed Orton and Riddle in the ring. Orton said he hasn’t had this much fun in the 20-plus years that he’s been doing this. He called Riddle his friend, something he hasn’t said about anyone else in all that time. Orton was pumped that they were going to WrestleMania. (This was also very good.)
This all took up pretty much the entire first hour.
[SECOND HOUR]
They showed replays of the tag match after a break before showing a dejected Kevin Owens sitting alone in the back.
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Reggie gave Dana Brooke a good luck kiss earlier tonight. Tozawa wanted to give Tamina a good luck kiss so she grabbed him by the face and kissed him.
Dana Brooke (w/Reggie) defeated Tamina (w/Akira Tozawa) to retain the 24/7 Championship (1:43)
Brooke reversed a Boston Crab into a rollup for the pinfall win here in her hometown.
After the match, Tozawa called Tamina the love of his life. He wanted another kiss. She walked away before begrudgingly blowing him a kiss.
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Patrick tried interviewing a miserable Seth Rollins. Rollins began seething so Patrick backed away.
The Miz and Logan Paul homecoming with Jerry Lawler
The Miz was happy to be home and the crowd chanted his name. Miz was glad to finally get shown some respect. He introduced fellow hometown boy Logan Paul. Paul spoke about growing up in Cleveland and credited his city for helping him become who he is today.
Miz said Paul accomplished everything on his own and didn’t get favours from his dad like Dominik Mysterio. He called Rey Mysterio a legend but they’ve both accomplished the same things and yet Rey is cheered while Miz is booed.
Miz introduced Jerry Lawler. I believe Miz said Lawler was “born” and raised in Cleveland. Lawler wore a Browns jersey and did speak about growing up in the area in places like Lorain and Amherst, Ohio. He was also in Cleveland when the Browns won the championship in 1964. Lawler thought it would be great if Cleveland hosted a WrestleMania.
Miz didn’t like that idea and began running down the city and said he doesn’t even live there anymore. The city’s football team moved to Baltimore, LeBron James left and Odell Beckham left (and won a championship too). Miz said winners always left Cleveland and thought it was time he left right now. Miz left. Paul seemed somewhat surprised by Miz’s remarks but he left with Miz.
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Patrick interviewed Tommaso Ciampa and Bron Breakker. Bron was excited to be on Raw for the first time and was taking it all in. Bron called it a dream come true to compete on Raw and couldn’t wait to get his hands on Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. Ciampa planned on beating them again.
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The announcers congratulated Gable Steveson on his third Big Ten championship.
Sarah Schreiber interviewed the Street Profits and wondered if they had a path to WrestleMania. They reminded her that they beat the RK-Bro last week and said they should be next in line for the titles.
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They aired a video package for Bron Breakker as he entered.
NXT Champion Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa defeated Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode (9:37)
Bron gave Roode a delayed vertical suplex early in the match. Roode gave Ciampa a spinebuster and the heels took over ahead of a break. Ciampa hit a knee strike before tagging in Bron who gave Ziggler a big overhead suplex and spinebuster. Bron ran into a Ziggler kick but came right back with a clothesline. Roode distracted Bron and Ziggler used a schoolboy for a nearfall.
Ziggler followed with a Zig Zag but Ciampa broke up the cover before taking out Roode. Bron finished off Ziggler with a military press powerslam for the pinfall win.
After the match, Ziggler told Bron and Ciampa he planned on winning the title tomorrow on NXT.
(Bron’s offense looked good and he received a modest pop from the crowd.)
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Omos told the disembodied voice of Sarah Schreiber that he planned on taking a spot at WrestleMania.
Omos defeated Apollo Crews (w/Commander Azeez) (2:42)
Omos won with a tree slam.
After the match, Omos and Azeez had a brief staredown before Omos left.
[THIRD HOUR]
Edge segment
There was a very dramatic video package of Edge’s turn last week. They said that AJ Styles suffered a severe neck contusion.
The lights were off and Edge’s Alter Bridge music hit but the music faded out as Edge entered. The arena was dimly lit with blue lights as Edge, wearing a suit, slowly entered the ring without music. (There was a mixture of cheers and boos and fake boos.)
Edge said he knew Styles was watching at home and suggested that he put his kids to bed for this. Edge said he did Styles a favour. Edge said he felt the freedom to fly last week. It was a side of him that he’s never seen before and a side that he’s fallen in love with.
Edge felt in full control over everything that he does, everything that happens in the ring, and everything that will happen in this industry. Edge was standing on top of a mountain of omnipotence and the view was “phenomenal.”
They cut to black and a few moments before the lights turned back on and they moved on to the next thing.
(In hindsight, I’m not sure why he thought AJ’s kids shouldn’t have watched this.)
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Patrick interviewed Owens in the back. Owens said he wasn’t as distraught as Rollins because he had an epiphany and this idea would be his ticket to WrestleMania. Patrick wanted to know what it was and Owens said he would reveal it tonight.
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They aired the Reigns/Lesnar MSG footage again. Graves said this was the most-watched video on WWE’s Instagram page.
Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan defeated Tag Team Champions Queen Zelina & Carmella in a non-title match (9:04)
Carmella kicked Ripley into the steps which allowed her team to take control through a break. Morgan eventually made a tag and hit Zelina with a missile dropkick for two. Zelina fought back but had no one to tag because Carmella was busy chatting with Graves.
Morgan gave Zelina a codebreaker and Ripley followed with Rip-tide for the pinfall win. Carmella wasn’t even paying attention when the fall happened.
With the win, Ripley and Morgan have been added to the tag title match at Mania.
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They announced Vader’s induction into the Hall of Fame.
They aired a clip of Vince McMahon offering Pat McAfee a match at WrestleMania and Austin Theory’s announcement on Smackdown.
Non-title match: United States Champion Finn Bálor defeated Austin Theory via DQ (8:40)
Bálor was in control before a break but Theory went on offense when they returned. Bálor fought back and set up for a Coup de Grace but Damian Priest showed up out of nowhere and attacked Bálor for the DQ. Priest laid out Bálor with a Razor’s Edge.
Theory gave Bálor an ATL and took a selfie.
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Patrick asked Bianca Belair if she planned on using her hair as a weapon at WrestleMania. Belair said she and Becky Lynch were both WrestleMania main eventers and they should fight with respect, but she used her hair as a weapon last week only after Lynch tried using it against her. Belair said she would win at WrestleMania.
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Main event segment with Kevin Owens
Owens said he wanted to have the biggest, most stupendous KO Show in history at WrestleMania. Because of where it’s being held, his guest should be someone from Texas.
He could choose a blowhard like JBL but the bullhorns on his car would be more interesting. He could choose Booker T but Booker was a hypocrite — a Texan who spent most of his career in a team called Harlem Heat and who spoke with a fake British accent. He could choose Shawn Michaels but Owens was a proud Canadian and, out of respect of Bret Hart, he wasn’t going to do that.
Owens wanted a guy who we haven’t seen in a long time. A guy who has probably let himself go after years of drinking beer. A guy who probably couldn’t even walk to the ring because he spent so many years wrestling in knee braces. Owens wanted to drop this person and pour a glass of milk over his lifeless body. “The bottom line is, I’m calling you out — Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
(They played Austin’s music which surely made people think for a second that he might be coming out but it was just done to air the graphic for WrestleMania.)