The March 20th, 2017 edition of WWE RAW was the second-last episode before WrestleMania on 4/2, and aired live on the USA Network from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
– Mick Foley comes out to the ring to kick off RAW and read a pre-written statement apologizing for his actions last week. Foley apologizes for shoving Mr. Socko in Triple H’s mouth, and says effective immediately he’s taking a leave of absence. Foley rips up the index cards and starts freaking out. Foley cuts a promo on Triple H and Stephanie, but his microphone keeps getting cut off. Stephanie McMahon is out to the ring next. Stephanie calls out Foley for attacking Triple H, and says Foley screws up everything and that’s why they gave him index cards. Stephanie tells Foley “you’re fired” in her best Vince voice, then Foley starts to step out of the ring. Sami Zayn’s music hits and he comes out to interrupt. He tells Stephanie what she’s doing is wrong, and that Foley has more class and integrity than she ever had. Samoa Joe comes out to ringside, but before he can say anything, Stephanie McMahon sets up a match between Joe and Zayn right now. Zayn immediately hits a suicide dive out of the ring onto Joe on the floor, and we go to commercial.
– Samoa Joe def. Sami Zayn: After the bell, Joe takes charge and tries to keep Zayn grounded. Joe throws Zayn outside and hits a suicide dive of his own before taking Zayn back in the ring. Zayn fights back with some kicks and follows up with a cross body off the top for a two count. The action goes out to ringside again where Zayn hits his leaping DDT through the corner ropes on Joe. Back in the ring, Zayn goes for the Heluva Kick but Joe blocks it and slams down Zayn. Joe quickly follows up with a Coquina Clutch on Zayn, and Zayn is fading. The referee rings the bell, and Joe is the winner via submission.
– Later tonight: A special look at Goldberg vs. Lesnar, and an update on Rollins’ injury.
– We go backstage where Mick Foley thanks Sami Zayn for standing up for him. Zayn asks Foley to stay, then Foley hugs him and walks away. Foley runs into Cesaro and Sheamus next and also hugs them and wishes them well. Other members of the roster thank Foley, then he walks int Triple H. Triple H tells Foley to “have a nice day,” and Foley exits the arena.
– Michael Cole interviews Kevin Wilk — Seth Rollins’ trainer – from Birmingham, AL via satellite. Wilk talks about Rollins’ rehab, and says he’s doing miraculously well. Wilk says there’s no doctor in America who would clear Rollins to wrestle at WrestleMania. He says Rollins should take several more months off, and he’ll be scared for Rollins’ health if he competes at ‘Mania.
– Charlotte def. Dana Brooke: We open up with a replay of Dana turning on Charlotte last week. They lock up to start things off, and Dana takes control early on. Dana backs Charlotte into the corner and hits her with shoulder blocks. Dana gets in lots of offense in the opening minutes of the match, but Charlotte turns things around and works on Dana with strikes in the corner. Charlotte whips Dana off the ropes and drops her with a big boot for the win after a short match.
– We go backstage where Bayley is looking sad. Stephanie McMahon approaches her and asks if she needs a hug. Bayley complains about Stephanie’s actions on RAW, and Stephanie books Bayley in a No DQ match against Nia Jax tonight. If Nia wins, she joins the RAW Women’s Title match at WrestleMania to make it a four-way.
– United Stations Champion Chris Jericho is out to the ring next for The Highlight Reel. Jericho shows some embarrassing photos from Kevin Owens’ childhood where Owens is in a Y2J shirt with a Jericho poster on his wall. Jericho says Owens looks like a “fan of Jericho,” and says he was “marking out, man.” Jericho also shows a private message Owens sent to Jericho in 2014 asking for advice. Jericho continues making fun of Owens, and says he’s going to transport Owens back to when he was a nerd in his basement in a Y2J shirt. Jericho says he’s Owens’ idol, and that Owens is a stupid idiot. Jericho goes to write Kevin Owens down on The List again, but Samoa Joe comes out to the stage and distracts him. Kevin Owens then attacks the distracted Jericho from behind, and hits a Pop Up Powerbomb on him. Owens rips apart The List and eats a piece of it before leaving.
– Later tonight: Triple H will respond to Kevin Wilk’s injury update on Seth Rollins.
– Brian Kendrick def. TJ Perkins: Perkins dominates the opening moments of the match and hits a cross-body off the top rope for a two count on Kendrick. Perkins attempts a Detonation Kick, but Kendrick blocks it and causes Perkins to bump into the referee. Kendrick takes advantage of the distraction to grab Perkins by the hair from behind and hit the Sliced Bread #2 on him for the win. After the match, Kendrick cuts a promo on Akira Tozawa. Kendrick says Tozawa is traveling right now, but won’t get very far without his passport, which Kendrick says he stole last week.
– We go backstage where Roman Reigns cuts a promo on Braun Strowman, saying Strowman needs to stay out of his business.
– We see a video package highlighting the history of Goldberg’s career, and his rivalry with Brock Lesnar.
– Nia Jax is backstage walking towards the entrance ramp for her No DQ match against Bayley.
– Stephanie McMahon approaches Cesaro and Sheamus backstage and informs them they’ll have to earn their spot at WrestleMania all over again. She books him in a two-on-four handicap match against Gallows, Anderson, Enzo, and Big Cass. Steph says if they lose, they also lose their spot at WrestleMania.
– Nia Jax def. Bayley: This one is a no-disqualification match. Nia dominates this one from the opening bell and takes the fight out to the floor at ringside early on. We see Charlotte and Sasha Banks (separately) backstage watching on monitors. Bayley attempts a hurricanrana on Nia at ringside, but Nia blocks it. Nia continues beating down Bayley around ringside before taking her back in the ring. Bayley attempts to mount several comebacks, but Nia keeps shutting her down. Nia hits a running body block before locking Bayley in a cross-face chicken wing. Bayley fights out and slaps Nia across the face, so Nia throws her outside to the floor. Nia grabs Bayley by the hair and repeatedly slams her into the fan barricade. Back in the ring, Bayley hits a stunner and a running knee for a one count. Bayley hits an elbow and a running clothesline for a two count. Bayley hits a cross-body off the top for another two. Bayley goes to the second rope, but Nia knocks her off and hits a Samoan Drop for the win. Nia will now enter the Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania.
– WWE airs a video highlighting the career of Mae Young.
– Michael Cole is in the ring to introduce Triple H. Triple H comes out to the ring and says he’s having a nice day. He tells us that he’s disappointed Rollins won’t be cleared for WrestleMania. Lots of CM Punk chants from the Brooklyn crowd. Triple H says Rollins made the biggest mistake of his life when he stopped listening to him and started listening to the crowd. Triple H says Foley listened to the fans too much too, and it ruined his life and health. Triple H says the fans’ cheering didn’t work out well for Rollins last week when Triple H beat him down. Triple H says from this moment on, he’s officially done with Seth Rollins. Triple H gives Cole some WrestleMania tickets to pass along to Rollins when he sees him. Triple H is about to leave, but changes his mind, and takes the tickets back from Cole. Triple H asks Cole, what if he could find a way to face Rollins at ‘Mania? The Game says he’ll propose a contract that would allow Rollins to compete while injured and still legally protect WWE. Triple H challenges Rollins to accept his new proposal, and heads backstage.
– Cesaro & Sheamus def. Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Enzo, and Cass: This one is a two on four handicap match. Before the match, Anderson and Gallows attack their own partners Enzo and Cass. The opening bell rings and Cesaro goes for a swing on Anderson. Anderson comes back with a flying kick. Cass attacks Gallows at ringside, while in the ring Sheamus tags in and hits the Brogue Kick on Anderson for the win after a short match. After the match, Cass hits a big boot on Gallows, and Enzo hits a splash off the top on Anderson.
– The New Day members are backstage to cut a promo about what they’re most looking forward to at WrestleMania on April 2nd.
– Austin Aries def. Tony Nese: Nese jump starts things and remains in control for the opening moments. Aries manages to dump Nese outside to the floor and he follows up with a suicide dive through the ropes. Back in the ring, Nese gets Aries in a Torture Rack to slow things down. Aries gets out and Nese drops him with a running elbow to the face. Nese misses a springboard moonsault, and Aries capitalizes with a reverse neckbreaker over the top rope. Aries comes back with clotheslines and chops. Aries hits his facebuster and STO combo, then follows up with the pendulum elbow drop. Aries goes to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick that sends Nese flying back into the corner. Aries hits a running elbow shot in the corner, then a running discus forearm off the ropes for the win.
– After the match, Neville comes out with a mic and confronts Aries. Neville tells Aries he could go to the ring right now and obliterate him, but Aries is beneath him and is no threat. Aries tells Neville that was the worst interview segment he’s ever heard on Monday Night RAW. He says he’s above Neville’s level, and he’ll end Neville’s “King of the Cruiserweights” facade at WrestleMania.
– We get a WrestleMania flashback to Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar, and then another video package highlighting Lesnar’s rivalry with Goldberg.
– Braun Strowman does a brief interview backstage where he says he’s going to destroy Roman Reigns tonight. He tells Undertaker that if he wants Reigns at WrestleMania, he’ll have to scrape Reigns off the mat first.
– Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman: Just moments after the opening bell, the action goes out to ringside where Reigns attempts his drive-by dropkick on the apron, but Strowman blocks it. Strowman takes over from here, beating down Reigns around ringside then back in the ring. Strowman whips Reigns into the corner with authority then locks him in a headlock. Reigns comes back with a series of clotheslines and elbows. He goes for a Samoan drop on Strowman, but Strowman gets out and clotheslines Reigns down to the mat. Strowman follows up with a running splash on Reigns in the corner, then whips him across the ring for another one but Reigns dodges it. Reigns comes back with a kick to the face and a series of clotheslines. Strowman goes for a chokeslam on Reigns, but Reigns gets out and hits a Samoan drop on him. Strowman rolls outside and Reigns hits the drive-by dropkick. Strowman shrugs it off and throws Reigns into the ring steps. Strowman then throws the ring steps into the ring, then throws Reigns in the ring. Strowman picks up the steps, but Reigns hits him with a Superman punch and the steps falls out to ringside. Reigns goes for another Superman punch, but Strowman blocks it. Reigns hits a big boot then another Superman punch. Reigns gears up for a spear, but then The Undertaker’s gong hits and the lights go out. The lights go back on, and The Undertaker is in the ring. Strowman approaches Undertaker and Undertaker hits a chokeslam on him. The Undertaker turns around into a spear from Roman Reigns. Reigns’ music hits and he heads to the back, but before he gets to the curtain, The Undertaker sits up in the ring. Undertaker’s music hits as he gets up and stares down Reigns as RAW goes off the air.
