5 Biggest Takeaways from Monday Night Raw (February 14th, 2022)
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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We have officially entered the home stretch for the Elimination Chamber and WWE has once again done a great job of building up a card that has the potential to deliver a memorable show. Raw was able to move some things forward in their go home show while also delivering more great matches, which is becoming a much more common occurrence on the show.
We were treated to an RKBROGA party to celebrate the Quiz Bowl victory last week, but Randy Orton decided not to attend. These segments would feed into not only the Alpha Academy feud that is ongoing but also the split of Orton and Riddle that is right around the corner. MIz was a thorn in the side of the Mysterio’s yet again and the contestants of the WWE Title match, that will take place inside the Chamber, had one last meeting before the big matchup on Saturday that ended with Austin Theory getting taken to Suplex City.
What else happened? Let us find out as we jump into the 5 biggest takeaways from Monday Night Raw!
5: Vincent Van Goat
Becky Lynch continues to show the world why she is the best female professional wrestler in the world today. There is an argument to be made that she is just as good, or better than Roman Reigns with the way she presents herself and the stories she is able to tell. The current story with Lita is just a prime example of how well Becky can adapt to deliver the best program possible. Since her return, she has been the arrogant champion that knows she is on a level above everyone else, while at the same time showing that she is scared of the hurdle that awaits her(Bianca Belair) that she was able to escape from months ago. With Lita, Big Time Becks has switched it up again and is putting over Lita in a way nobody saw coming.
Mood.@BeckyLynchWWE #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/jOOw3XWcla
— WWE (@WWE) February 15, 2022
Lita is somebody that Becky Lynch looked up to when she was younger and has even credited Lita as the reason we have a “Becky Lynch” today. She is showing that she is unsure of herself for the first time as she is almost star struck at her “hero” and even had to be baited into accepting this challenge to begin with. On Raw, she showed up looking like a bum and not her usual extravagant self. She didn’t know how to handle how Lita manhandled her the week before and she delivered a big time performance yet again. Do we know Becky Lynch is going to win at Elimination Chamber? Yes. But her ability to be able to sell a match and get people invested is second to none at this point and she continues to prove why she is the Vincent Van Goat!
4: Monday Night Ciampa
Tommasso Ciampa has been a mainstay in NXT for a very long time. So much so that the thought of him appearing anywhere else at this point just seems foreign. There was even a time where he had said he would rather retire and become a trainer than to leave for the main roster.
Well now that he is entangled in a feud with Dolph Ziggler, it seems like that time in NXT is coming to an end. After weeks of dark matches on Raw and Smackdown, Ciampa appeared on Raw during Dolph Ziggler’s match and even got involved at the end. He confronted Ziggler on NXT last week when Dolph showed up on his show and now he has followed him to Monday Nights. With a freshly dyed beard and an appearance on the main roster, Ciampa has finally arrived. It will be interesting to see what kind of treatment he will receive and if that crowd respect he has been getting down in Orlando for years will translate to the main roster and their audience.
3: The Return of Rhea Ripley
Will the real Rhea Ripley please stand up? I repeat, will the real Rhea Ripley please stand up.
This has been what the fans have been yelling for almost a full year now. Even with a Raw Women’s Championship run, Rhea Ripley has not looked like that version we fell in love with on NXT. It was the unlikely duo of herself and Nikki A.S.H. that would help Rhea find herself again and on Monday Night, we got the return of the Nightmare.
What a performance by @RheaRipley_WWE in this #GauntletMatch…
— WWE (@WWE) February 15, 2022
Can she complete the final stage by defeating @BiancaBelairWWE?! #WWERaw #WWEChamber pic.twitter.com/LKvHWSQu7c
WWE has been known to produce fantastic gauntlet matches in the past and Monday Night Raw was no different when they hosted a gauntlet match to determine who gets to enter the chamber last on Saturday. Rhea Ripley went in at number one and delivered in match after match after match until she reached the very end in which she would finally fall to Bianca Belair. After the match, the two shared a moment in which Rhea still managed to look like a star after defeat. This was the kind of performance that makes you take a step back, look at what they have going on and think that they might go ahead and change plans moving forward. Bianca has been the favorite for Wrestlemania for a good minute now, but after what Rhea Ripley gave the fans Monday Night, it is a real possibility that we may see Ripley step in and take that position for herself at the show of all shows.
2: Alexa Bliss Enters the Chamber
The therapy sessions for Alexa Bliss have finally come to an end. The doctor has claimed Alexa is now cured and all it took was to take the leftover stuffing from the original Lilly and place it inside a new doll. Alexa hasn’t reverted back to the “fiend” like character that we have come accustomed to. I think I speak for most when I say that I am happy to see these sessions are over. As good as Alexa is with the acting, these segments have been a big miss and the only thing good that has come out of it is that we are getting Alexa Bliss back.
Job well done, doc!@AlexaBliss_WWE#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/dy5qXY0CSf
— WWE (@WWE) February 15, 2022
After her final session, Alexa referenced the last open spot in the women’s elimination chamber match. She then decided to claim the spot for herself and fill out the number one contenders match. This now adds to the growing list of potential winners that will go on to challenge Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania. Bianca was the front runner until Rhea showed out earlier in the night. And now that Alexa has announced her return for this match, it makes you wonder if they are really going to have Bliss lose her first match back after the long hiatus. This makes for an exciting match with an outcome that is not as predictable as it was 2 weeks ago.
1: Texas Sized Return
Last week, Kevin Owens was informed he might not be a part of Wrestlemania in Dallas, Texas. Owens pleaded with Adam and Sonya, the fans of Texas would riot if he was not there to perform. After a week of Texas fans trashing him on Twitter, Owens was singing a different tune this week. He hates Texas, despises the fans and even calls them the “ass” of the United States. But why is Kevin feuding with the state of Texas leading into Wrestlemania? It seemed a bit weird and out of place… at the time.
WWE has “made an overture” to try and get Stone Cold Steve Austin for a possible WrestleMania match, per @SeanRossSapp pic.twitter.com/KA7e2vR1Pr
— B/R Wrestling (@BRWrestling) February 15, 2022
Fast forward a little bit later and a bombshell of an announcement was made. WHAT? Somebody would be returning after almost 20 years away from the ring. WHAT? The state of Texas now has a representative to stand up for them against that dastardly Kevin Owens. WHAT? That’s right. Stone Cold Steve Austin is now rumored to have a match at this year’s Wrestlemania. Whereas I usually don’t try to feed into rumors like these, the pairing of this with Kevin Owens odd “feud” are just too coincidental. Whether or not this happens is yet to be seen but with this being the first Wrestlemania with a full crowd in over 2 years, you know WWE is wanting to pull out all the stops to make this one a memorable one and having it in the home state of none other than The Texas Rattlesnake is a match made in professional wrestling heaven. And that’s the bottom line ’cause Jimmy Bay Bay SAID SO!
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