Tonight’s WWE RAW on the USA Network will feature more build for the upcoming WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view.
WWE has announced that tonight’s show will include an address by the returning WWE Champion Bobby Lashley, who did not appear last week. Lashley will speak on Drew McIntyre and their title match at Backlash.
The one match announced for tonight’s show will feature McIntyre and Braun Strowman teaming to face former RETRIBUTION members T-BAR and MACE. This will be a rematch from last week, which saw T-BAR and MACE win by DQ as they were unmasked.
Tonight’s WWE RAW will be the biggest episode of the year, featuring fallout from WrestleMania 37.
RAW will take place from the WWE ThunderDome at Yuengling Center on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa, Florida. This show will mark WWE’s first event under the new residency at the Yuengling Center.
WWE has not announced any matches or segments for tonight’s show but it’s likely that new red brand champions will appear – RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, RAW Tag Team Champions Omos and AJ Styles, and WWE United States Champion Sheamus.
It will be interesting to see if “The Fiend” Randy Orton appears after last night’s loss to Randy Orton, which was apparently caused by Alexa Bliss. It looks like WWE has a new chapter in that storyline to continue. An appearance by WWE Champion Bobby Lashley is also possible to celebrate his Night One win over Drew McIntyre.
The RAW After WrestleMania usually features surprises and call-ups, but there’s no word yet on what WWE has planned for this year.
WWE named Adnan Virk as the new play-by-play voice of Monday Night Raw. “I’m elated to be joining the premier sports-entertainment company in my new role with WWE,” Virk told the WWE website. “As a kid who grew up idolizing WWE Hall of Famers like Bret Hart and Ric Flair, the opportunity to call modern legends like Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair and so many others alongside Corey Graves and Byron Saxton is truly humbling.” Read the official announcement at WWE.com.
The new broadcast team is Virk, Graves, and Saxton
The story lists Tom Phillips as the new voice of WWE 205 Live and special projects for Peacock, so Michael Cole is likely to remain the Smackdown play-by-play voice, though it remains to be seen whether Graves will return to double duty by working both shows.
Samoa Joe, who has been working on the Raw broadcast team, remains listed as part of the WWE talent roster. Maybe Joe is on the verge of returning to the ring.
Tonight’s WWE RAW will feature more on the Road to WrestleMania 37 as we get closer to the big event, going into next week’s go-home show.
WWE has announced just one match for tonight’s RAW and that’s Sheamus vs. WWE United States Champion Riddle in a non-title bout.
Tonight’s RAW will also feature a WrestleMania 37 contract signing with Rhea Ripley and RAW Women’s Champion Asuka.
WWE is also teasing that WWE Champion Bobby Lashley will find someone to take out Drew McIntyre before WrestleMania 37. Lashley recently told the locker room that he will grant someone a WWE Title match if they can take McIntyre out before their match at WrestleMania.
The Road to WrestleMania 37 will pick up tonight as WWE RAW on the USA Network will feature fallout from last night’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view.
WWE has announced that Rhea Ripley will make her official main roster debut on tonight’s show. There is no word on who she will be wrestling, but there are rumors on Ripley possibly getting involved with RAW Women’s Champion Asuka.
WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre are expected to appear tonight to build to their WrestleMania 37 match. McIntyre defeated Sheamus in a No Holds Barred match at Fastlane, but Lashley did not appear.
Tonight’s RAW should also feature the Monday night return of “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt. The Fiend returned with a new look at Fastlane to help Alexa Bliss defeat Randy Orton. It’s believed that The Fiend vs. Orton will now take place at WrestleMania 37.
Rhea Ripley is scheduled to make her official WWE RAW debut on Monday’s post-Fastlane episode.
WWE announced tonight that Ripley will arrive on RAW during Monday’s show. There is no word yet on who she will wrestle.
Rhea Ripley to make Monday Night Raw debut
This is her brutality, and it has a new home on Monday Night Raw.
Over the last several weeks, the WWE Universe and the Raw Women’s Division have been warned, and this Monday, “The Nightmare” Rhea Ripley will finally arrive on Raw.
Will Ripley be looking to put the red brand on notice right off the bat?
Find out this Monday on Raw live at 8/7 C on USA Network!
Ripley has not wrestled since the 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match at the Rumble pay-per-view back in January. Ripley entered that match in the #14 spot and lasted 39:06 before being eliminated last by winner Bianca Belair. She picked up 7 eliminations in the match – Toni Storm, Santana Garrett, Charlotte Flair (with Belair), Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Dakota Kai, and Alexa Bliss. Ripley’s last WWE NXT match was the Last Woman Standing loss to Raquel Gonzalez during the New Year’s Evil episode on January 6.
Ripley is the inaugural NXT UK Women’s Champion and a one-time NXT Women’s Champion.
WWE has been airing “coming soon” vignettes on RAW since the February 22 show. You can see all 4 teaser promos below:
Tonight’s WWE RAW on the USA Network will feature the go-home build for Sunday’s WWE Fastlane pay-per-view.
WWE has announced two title matches for tonight’s show. WWE United States Champion Riddle will defend against Mustafa Ali, while RAW Tag Team Champions Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander will defend against The New Day.
WWE is also teasing that we will find out what’s next for WWE Champion Bobby Lashley now that The All Mighty Era has begun on RAW.
RAW Women’s Champion Asuka is still out of action because she’s reportedly dealing with a concussion.
Asuka lost a tooth in taking the stiff kick to the mouth from WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Shayna Baszler during the February 22 RAW show, but she also suffered a concussion during that spot, according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
There’s no word on when Asuka might be medically cleared to compete, and there’s still enough time that she might be able to work WrestleMania 37, but that is not a given.
WWE has plans for Charlotte Flair to challenge for the RAW Women’s Title at WrestleMania, but that will depend on Asuka’s health. This is the second time that Flair’s WrestleMania 37 match has been put in jeopardy as they originally had her scheduled to feud with Lacey Evans, but Evans is now pregnant.
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