When Drew McIntyre was forced out of his planned WWE Raw main event with Randy Orton as a result of McIntyre’s COVID-19 diagnosis, WWE felt the need to scramble to fill the void. WWE needed star power and stuck in the legendary bag that led to the first Triple H game since June 2019.
Triple H faced Orton in tonight’s main event, although the match was cut short by the involvement of Alexa Bliss, and still took revenge because Orton ‘The Fiend’ set Bray Wyatt on fire at TLC. After Triple H’s sledgehammer caught fire, followed by Triple H disappearing, Bliss ended the night by firing a fireball into Orton’s eyes. It was another weird wrinkle in one of the most unique storylines in recent WWE history. Fans will now have to wait another week for fire-related outages.
Triple H returns, Orton hits with a fireball
Triple H was ready to open the show with an in-ring promo when it was cut off by Orton, who pointed out that ‘the office’ showed up because Drew McIntyre was with COVID. Orton asked if Triple H was there to name Orton as the no. To announce 30 participants in the Royal Rumble or simply to give him the WWE Championship. Triple H asked if they were on the verge of implied threats after all these years before they said Orton had impressed him when he set The Fiend on fire. Triple H said that was exactly what he would have done in Orton’s position. However, he did not support Orton in despising legends, especially Ric Flair. As the tension increased, Orton challenged Triple H not to go to a match, but to fight instead. Triple H said no because there is no benefit to him. Orton asked if Triple H “could not get his balls” out of Stephanie McMahon’s wallet, which led to Triple H knocking him out of the ring. Later in the show, Triple H officially accepts the challenge.
Triple H vs. Randy Orton ended in a match without a match after Alexa Bliss shot a fireball into Orton’s eyes. Triple H hit Orton right at the start of the match with a right hand and knocked him out of the ring. The two wrestled until they were to the ring side where Triple H sent Orton into the ring staircase. Orton uses a thumb for the eye, but is thrown down on the announcement table. After Orton was bloody, Triple H grabbed his sledgehammer and walked to the ring as the lights in the arena began to dim. Triple H’s sledgehammer was suddenly on fire and the lights went out completely and returned to reveal that Triple H had disappeared. A distorted version of the Firefly Fun House song played before Alexa Bliss stands behind Orton. Bliss then shoots a fireball into Orton’s face and Orton stumbles around in pain, clinging to his eyes as the show goes off the air.
Almost everything about Orton, Bliss and Bray Wyatt is a matter of personal taste. For some, it’s just too chubby to see a dummy on fire and Alexa Bliss shoot fireballs. For others, it is an acceptable level of entertainment. There is no real middle ground with an angle like this. The bit we got from Triple H vs. Orton was very nice, but it’s hard not to let go a little bit every time there’s a three hour long match that does not quite happen then, especially something like a Triple H return to the ring. All that being said, the fireball is a classic broken shenanigans, so it gets a slight bump. Grade: B-
What else happened on WWE Raw?
- Drew McIntyre spoke in a short video, which addresses its COVID-19 diagnosis. He said he had no symptoms and urged everyone to take the virus seriously and take proper measures to prevent its spread.
- Lacey Evans defeats Charlotte Flair via fall after the intervention of Ric Flair. Before the game, Flair explained that her father was home and that there were no problems, even though he accidentally cost a game last week. Ric Flair’s music then hit during the match and he hit the ring. Ric blatantly helped Evans, put her foot on the ropes and Charlotte then stumbled to help Evans score the pin. Ric and Lacey hugged and left the side after the game.
- Defeat Jaxson Ryker. Jeff Hardy via val with a schoolboy pen. Elias claims that his thumb was injured and that he could not compete, and distracts Hardy’s attention by allowing Ryker to get a quick pen.
- Jeff Hardy defeats Elias via pinfall to a Swanton bomb. Hardy called Elias to fight him and said he knows Elias does not want the world to think Richer is better than him. Elias agrees and winks at Ryker not to interfere. Hardy won the match clean, after which a confused Ryker told Elias that Elias had said he would not help.
- Defeat Sheamus & Keith Lee. The Miz and John Morrison via pinfall after Sheamus hit Morrison with a Brogue Kick. The match took place after a challenge by Sheamus and Lee on stage. During the game, Lee Morrison hit the corner and dropped the top rope when the turn-buckle ‘broke’. Sheamus used a blind label to sign himself in and steal the win for his team, but Lee and Sheamus embraced and celebrated the win together.
- Defeat Keith Lee. Sheamus via penval to a Spirit Bomb. The show came out of the ad and the two were now in singles competition. After a hard match, Lee scored the pin and gave a punch. Sheamus knocks his hand away and the two exchange.
- Drew McIntyre responded to Goldberg’s challenge. McIntyre said Goldberg was one of his heroes, but he was let down by the legend who put words in his mouth. McIntyre said out of respect, he did not want to respect the challenge of a man 20 years older than him. But after Goldberg laid hands on him, his mind changed and he finally accepted the challenge.
- T-Bar defeats Xavier Woods via fall with Open Your Eyes. Woods did not have Kofi Kingston with him, and through Retribution’s distraction, T-Bar was able to achieve the victory.
- US Championship – Bobby Lashley (c) def. Matt Riddle via submission with the Hurt Lock to retain the title. Lashley attacked before the clock, getting an advantage earlier and never really looking back until he scored a fairly easy win to take revenge after losing to Riddle last week. After the game, Riddle said he could not beat Lashley, but that he could definitely beat MVP.
- Riddle def. MVP via disqualification after interference from Bobby Lashley. MVP wrestled in dress clothes, but Lashley intervened as soon as Riddle got his offense on the roll. Lashley and MVP continued to attack after the clock.
- AJ Styles defeats Drew Gulak via fall to a phenomenal forearm. Styles spoke to Adam Pearce about Pearce’s upcoming match with Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble when Gulak interrupted to announce for the Royal Rumble match. Pearce informed him that Gulak, with only 15 spots for Raw, would have to earn his place, leading to the game. Gulak was competitive, but fell short in the end.
- Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler defeat Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke via submission when Baszler locked Rose in the Kirifuda clutch. Before the game, Rose and Brooke declared themselves for the Royal Rumble, and they had none of the setbacks to Gulak. Jax and Baszler won relatively comfortably, although Jax seemed annoyed that Baszler did not enter her for the finish line.