#LAWTAKE - WWE RAW 4/15/24
Adrenalineeee… in my soul… we still have three hours to go! Sit back, relax, laugh, and enjoy this Chad Law rundown of the April 15th episode of WWE Raw live from MUUUUNTREAL, Quebec, Canada.
Rhea Ripley having to relinquish her Women’s World Title is the most babyface thing WWE could have done to keep this heel hot in the crowds eyes.
In the same year where Rhea is on record for having as many title defenses as she does credible opponents, Roman Reigns showing up whenever he wanted to defend, and Seth Rollins taking two months off until WrestleMania 40 while still being World Champion… I think it was pretty meh that Rhea had to let go of her belt.
Rhea was so flustered that she couldn’t even get her words out right.
Liv Morgan has essentially returned and the crowd has turned her heel for her. Liv Morgan Revenge Tour was the most impromptu heel turn I didn’t see coming.
WWE isn’t wasting any time deciding on a new Champion, as next week on Raw it’s been announced a new champion will be crowded. My guess? Another tournament. But not an AEW type of tournament though.
I’ll take a large order of Nia Jax as the Women’s World Champion for the next six months please.
If Liv were to win, what a way the world works. Return from a long injury, get no fan love, inadvertently injure the champion, then win the title? Wow!
It’s a shame that Rhea is leaving now because it’s no telling if Judgment Day will even be a faction when she returns.
Sheamus is back and he’s looking a little heavier than previous. I thought he would be a heel but the crowd just wasn’t having that.
Ivar didn’t stand a chance but seeing as he now spending time on NXT, challenging Oba Femi for the North American Title, you’d think he would come out of this match looking a little more credible.
Sheamus ditched the speedos for biker shorts and got his four signature moves over heavy in the meanwhile; White Noise, the Kneecap, the Belfast Beatings and the Brogue Kick.
Sheamus vs Drew Mac for the World Heavyweight Title totally makes sens… wait never mind Drew lost that belt already.
Papa Levesque makes a cameo appearance to absolutely not address Will Ospreay’s comments from Dynamite, but instead to announce brand new designed Raw World Tag Titles.
I enjoy that every Raw title belt all look in unison for a change. Those new belts are pretty crisp and feel legit.
R-Truth is a national treasure and shall be treated as such until he leaves this company. Who would have thought all that time off would lead to the return to Raw and damn near be a staple for this program?
Calling Triple H Ciampa was insanely funny. Pulling a rabbit out of thin oxygen, even funnier. Miz is 100% turning on Truth sooner than later when he gets sick of Truth’s antics. Mind you, this is the most over Miz has been in years, babyface wise.
Adam Pearce announces a TRIPLE THREAT #1 Contenders match for Awesome Truth’s belts up next. Without even announcing the names, I knew Ciampa and Johnny Sameface would not only be in it, but they’d win.
Low and behold, they did partake and win. Both beat The New Day as well as The Creed Brothers to lock in a spot for Backlash in France. I hope to God they won’t win.
We were also given some more eery static videos and cryptic messages prior to the tag match to further the idea that Uncle Howdy is on his way. Unlike my RSC cohost Blame Boogie, I’m not 100% sold on this idea. If we get a full Wyatt Family reunion with evil Alexa Bliss, Erick Rowan, and Braun Strauman.. ya’ll might have got me. I don’t see that group being heel at any point given the Bray affiliation though so the booking for that needs to be pristine.
I had a feeling WWE would not let Drew get a microphone this week following the AEW backstage footage debacle from Dynamite and voila - Drew just spent his camera time looking at footage from Punk screwing him over repeatedly before storming off before he could be interviewed. I have no clue where Drew goes as he still has month or so left on his contract according to the reports, as well as no return date locked in for Punk from his injury recovery.
The Women’s tag division gets another strange bedfellow team in Ivey Nile and Maxine Dupri. This time they were fed to Candace LeRae and Indi Hartwell, the latter who has finally given in to LeRae’s heel antics.
The Dupri pinfall over Candace is going to be a pretty big pop whenever it happens.
The Damian Priest video package was excellent. Really did a great job of showing where he came from, Punishment Martinez, overweight and homeless, to the top of the food chain on WWE Raw.
Damian Priest poses with Aaron Judge at the Yankee game today, which was followed by Judge not hitting a Home Run. Hope you didn’t play that prop!
Based off reactions within the JD Club House, this group is going to be finite one by one. Poor JD McDonalds, he just got there.
Dom looked lost without Rhea already and I just see Finn being the lackey and pin cushion for Priest and his opponents before he decides he wants a World Title match for the first time in years himself.
I am confident this is not going to be the same faction Rhea comes back from injury to.
Andrade beats Dom clean as a whistle next only to be saved by Richocet. The Latin American Division in WWE is heating up! Expect another back and forth between these four, possibly ending with a tag match at Backlash just to get them on the card.
Andrade went from forgotten about in AEW while putting out some heat, to putting out some solid efforts in WWE and just floundering for a while. If it’s anyone I see going back to NXT - it’s El Idolo.
Speaking of, The Message is a lame name for Andrade’s spinning DDT.
Piper Nivven looks comical more than serious being next to Chelsea Green. I rather her have just been the serious-face body guard for Chelsea instead.
Kayden and Katana are on course for some wheel-spinning as Bianca and Jade heat up the Women's Tag division. At the least, I hope they don’t split up because that will do neither women any favors.
Chelsea Green finally picks up a W thanks to Piper’s dominance and celebrates like it’s WrestleMania. Call me crazy, if Tiffany Stratton doesn’t win the ladies MITB I’m putting Chelsea Green as the dark horse as she climbs the back of Piper to get the briefcase.
Chelsea Green seems so much more prominent than anything Matt Cardona seems to be doing nowadays that I think he returns to WWE eventually and sides with his wife. Why the hell not? He’s done all he can on the Indy’s since the pandemic.
Cody Rhodes holding the WWE Title every which way but naturally is such a great weekly rib. I hope he knows this. This week, he held the belt like a briefcase ala the early 70s/80s wrestlers held the belt in their hands when they cut a promo.
I’m telling you, Cody will RVD that belt around his neck one of these weeks just to fuck with us.
This was just a typical Cody Rhodes Cena panda-bear style promo to just let everyone know he has a title defense in France and he wants to Yeet with Jey Uso. That’s what’s up.
Jey Uso comes out after a Cody introduction for his tune-up match against Finn Balor. I am just always conditioned to shrug my shoulders with Uso matches once Jey’s entrance ends. You know how this one goes… Superkick, Spear, Crossbody, the end. Let the Balor downward spiral continue.
Judgment Day attack after but Jey outsmarts all of them and gets the upper hand. I almost feel Jey has more popularity to actually be World Champion but this is Damian’s time to sink or swim and it’s too early to take the belt off of him.
Jey vs Damian for a World Title match is as refreshing as it gets really. Do I expect a 5 star Meltzer classic? FUCK NO. What I DO expect is a gaggle of interference from Judgment Day as well as The New Bloodline.
Nia Jax is the next Women’s World Heavyweight Champion. GIVE IT TO USSSS! PAUSE.
After the W, the staredown, and knocking Judgment Day senseless, Jey goes outside to get fresh air while he meets with Sami Zayn who's just standing there staring at the outside of the building in rememberance?? Yeah word.
Sami enters through the concession stands and the crowd for his IC Title main event against Gable. Electric crowd in Montreal I gotta say. Sami got his lick back for the fuck shit that was Elimination Chamber 2023. The crowd were hype as can be.
Bronson Reed is waiting in the wings to get next up at the IC Title. Before the match even ended, I can see ANOTHER Triple Threat for the Backlash PPV forming.
Gable was the defacto heel for this match and it’s best he leaned into it. These two tore the house down with this match, including Sami giving yet another patented botched suplex. Mans gotta be careful with these moves.
Ankle in pain and a little cut above the eye, Sami Helluva Kicked Gable clean for the pin and retention. Before Sami could kiss the baby and hug his wife, Gable pulled a fast one and went 100% heel with a out-the-ring assault ending with Ankle Lock wrapped around the turnbuckle.
I give this Raw a solid 9/10. Nothing remarkable about the show other than Rhea giving up her title due to recent news that broke, Liv Morgan is getting no crowd sympathy, and Sami Zayn got a title defense and a win that mattered. What did really drive this show home was the crowd, the quality in-ring work, storylines advancing, and amazing production work as always.