The Road to WrestleMania continues forth as WWE makes a stop at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina for tonight\'s episode of WWE Raw.
Here are the 4 matches (and 1 segment) announced for Raw, followed by our detailed preview of each one:
- Last Woman Standing: Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax
- WrestleMania 40 Tag Team Qualifying Match: The Miz & R-Truth vs. Indus Sher (Veer Mahaan & Sanga)
- WrestleMania 40 Tag Team Qualifying Match: The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)
- WrestleMania 40 Tag Team Qualifying Match: Alpha Academy (Otis & Akira Tozawa) vs The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
- Gunther and Sami Zayn contract signing
Here\'s what you need to know heading into this week\'s WWE Raw:
Last Woman Standing Match: Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax
While Becky Lynch has seemingly forged a truce with Liv Morgan, the same cannot be said in regards to Nia Jax.
Following her victory over Morgan last week, Lynch extended her hand to Morgan backstage, signaling a peace offering, Unfortunately, as the two then shook hands, they were ambushed by Nia Jax. After throwing Morgan into one of the nearby chests, Jax sent Lynch crashing through a table.
Later in the evening, Lynch challenged Jax to face her in a Last Woman Standing match on this week\'s episode of Raw. For Lynch, this will mark her second encounter with the stipulation, as she previously outlasted Charlotte Flair at WWE\'s 2018 Evolution event. For Nia Jax, tonight will be her first time competing in a Last Woman Standing match.
WrestleMania 40 Tag Team Qualifying Matches
Last week, WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and WWE SmackDown General Managers Nick Aldis announced that Damian Priest and Finn Balor would be defending their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships in a six-pack tag team ladder match at WrestleMania 40. Given the raised stakes, WWE has organized a series of qualifying matches to determine which five teams will be challenging them for the titles at WrestleMania.
Tonight, six teams from the red brand will vie for the first three spots in the WrestleMania ladder match. The respective qualifying matches are as follows:
The Miz & R-Truth vs. Indus Sher (Veer Mahaan & Sanga):
While the last decade has seen them on opposite sides of the ring, veteran R-Truth and The Miz have since reunited, namely in an effort to counteract attacks from The Judgment Day. Tonight, though, they have an opportunity to put themselves in line for a tag team title shot, as they take on Veer Mahaan & Sanga of Indus Sher.
The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa):
Paired with their mesmerizing athleticism and stately displays of strength, Brutus and Julius Creed have made quite an impression since moving up to WWE\'s main roster last October. With a high-stakes WrestleMania 40 spot on the line, the Creed Brothers now look ahead to veterans Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa, whom they will face on tonight\'s episode of Raw. These teams faced off once before, as the Creed Brothers defeated DIY in November 2023.
Alpha Academy (Otis & Akira Tozawa) vs The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods):
You can\'t have a tag team qualifier without one of the most decorated WWE Tag Team Champions of all-time. As such, it is only fitting that the New Day\'s Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston also have an opportunity to secure their positions on the WrestleMania 40 card. For this occasion, they will be squaring up with Alpha Academy\'s Otis & Akira Tozawa.
IC Title Contract Signing
Following a hardy performance (and victory) a number one contenders gauntlet match, Sami Zayn will come face-to-face with the man he is now slated to battle on The Grandest Stage of Them All -- Intercontinental Champion Gunther.
With his win last week, Zayn has earned the right to challenge Gunther for his title at WrestleMania. Before they can lock up there though, the two must make this match official with a contract signing.
