WWE RAW after WrestleMania went down live at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center. Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque kicked off the show. The Game thanked the WWE Universe for making WrestleMania a success. He then introduced Cody Rhodes to a massive ovation from the crowd.
The April 8 edition of RAW also featured The Judgment Day, Drew McIntyre, and Jey Uso among others. Fans got to witness great back and forth action as well. Let’s check out some of the biggest hits and misses from WWE RAW after WrestleMania XL.
Miss – WWE advertises Sheamus’ return
Sheamus hasn’t competed in a WWE ring since August 2023. The Celtic Warrior gave Adam Copeland (formerly Edge) his farewell match on the August 18 episode of SmackDown. His return was supposed to happen in November but plans changed.
WWE hyped up Sheamus’ return to television with a vignette on RAW this week. The comeback seems imminent for the former multi-time world champion who’s been out of action with a shoulder injury.
I think the vignette has spoiled Sheamus’ return to a certain extent. WWE should’ve kept his return a secret to maintain the element of surprise they have brilliantly set up during the Triple H regime. Also, the video seems to indicate Sheamus will join RAW since it aired during the show.
The Celtic Warrior was drafted to SmackDown alongside Pete Dunne and Ridge Holland as part of WWE Draft 2023. I would’ve booked Sheamus as a surprise pick for WWE Draft 2024 and have him show up at the exact moment instead of announcing his return in advance.
Hit – The Final Boss shows up on WWE RAW
Cody Rhodes survived the odds to finish his story at WrestleMania XL. The American Nightmare appeared on WWE RAW to address the crowd as their new champion. Cody’s promo was interrupted by The Rock. The Final Boss congratulated Cody for beating the Tribal Chief.
Rocky, however, reverted to his mind games by exchanging belts with Cody. He also teased a match against the American Nightmare. Rock ended the segment by handing Cody something in his hand.
A clash between these two men seems inevitable following WWE RAW tonight. Rock won’t appear on WWE television for a while. When he comes back, we might get a People’s Champion versus Undisputed WWE Champion at a major Premium Live Event.
Miss – Chair shot to Rhea Ripley’s head
Rhea Ripley retained her Women’s World Championship in a spectacular opener against Becky Lynch this past Saturday. Mami showed up on WWE RAW this week to celebrated The Judgment Day’s success.
She’d be attacked backstage by in irate Liv Morgan, who threw a chair that hit the champion right across her head. Either Rhea misjudged the timing otherwise she’d have raised her hand to protect her face and head or Liv inadvertently aimed for the head, the spot looked stiff.
Remember folks, safety first!
Hit – Huge night for NXT
RAW after WrestleMania is all about surprises. WWE pulled off a major surprise by showcasing the two top champions from NXT on the red brand this week. First, NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov made his RAW in-ring debut against Shinsuke Nakamura. The Czar beat the King of Strong Style in a short yet competitive match-up.
NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez also competed on RAW just two nights after she reclaimed the title from Lyra Valkyria at Stand & Deliver. The Prodigy defeated Indi Hartwell to mark a successful RAW in-ring debut. Following her match, Perez was confronted by Natalya backstage to tease a confrontation on NXT this week.
Miss – Jade Cargill’s in-ring debut on WWE RAW TV
Let me preface this by saying a squash match was the right way to book Jade Cargill’s singles debut. That being said, WWE should’ve kept the match for SmackDown. It’s only been less than three weeks since Jade became exclusive to the blue brand.
And she’s making her singles TV debut on Monday Night RAW? Make it make sense. I get the whole RAW after WrestleMania should be huge but SmackDown after WrestleMania needs its moments as well.
Let’s see what’s in store for Jade on the blue brand.
Hit – John Cena tags with Awesome Truth on WWE RAW
John Cena played helped Cody Rhodes fend off The Bloodline at WrestleMania 40. The Cenation Leader took out both Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. Cena, however, fell to The Rock only for Rocky to get chokeslam’d by The Undertaker.
The 16-time World Champion delivered yet another shocker with a surprise appearance on WWE RAW. Cena showed up as the third man in Awesome Truth’s 2 on 3 Handicap Match against The Judgment Day.
Truth found his “childhood hero” in his corner. All three babyfaces hit the “15 Knuckle Shuffle” on The Judgment Day followed by a triple Attitude Adjustment to score the win. Cena’s return completely caught me off guard just like it did many fans.
Hit – CM Punk ruins Drew McIntyre’s moment yet again
Drew McIntyre’s world title win at WrestleMania lasted less than six minutes. The Scottish Warrior’s obsession with CM Punk ultimately cost him the title. Damian Priest took advantage of Punk’s beat down of McIntyre to successfully cash-in his Money in the Bank contract.
McIntyre cut a fiery promo before his fatal four-way number one contender’s match for the world title on WWE RAW. The match was awesome by the way. The former world champion came close to winning the match but was denied his moment yet again by CM Punk, who grabbed McIntyre’s leg to halt his momentum.
Jey took advantage of the distraction to hit McIntyre with his superkick, spear, and frogsplash combo for the win. Punk stood on top of the commentary desk to celebrate Jey’s monumental win with the WWE Universe as the show came to a close.
Punk vs. McIntyre at Backlash maybe?
Also read: WWE Intercontinental Title Match, Andrade vs. Dominik Mysterio Set For 4/15 WWE RAW
