I'm constantly getting emails from Ticketmaster with subjects like "Pre-order Disney On Ice Tickets Now!" I delete them immediately without thinking twice about it. But a couple months ago, when they sent me an email that announced that WWE Monday Night RAW was coming to Salt Lake City, I just couldn't help myself. I booked three tickets for my brother, my wife and myself without thinking twice.
I'd been to a couple WWE "house shows" in the past. Three times, I think. But I'd never been in attendance for a show that was going to be broadcast on live television. I was going, gosh dang it, and I was going to get on TV.
Flash forward several weeks. The date is January 26, 2020. The Royal Rumble. Rumors had been swirling around the Internet that WWE legend Edge would be coming out of retirement. Lo, and behold: there he was, coming into the Men's Royal Rumble at Number 21. You see, Edge had been forced to retire due to medical concerns in 2011, but after fighting his way back to health, he is now cleared for competition. It's a pretty amazing story, honestly.
Throughout his time in the Royal Rumble match, Edge teamed up with Randy Orton, who was one of Edge's old friends from back in the day. To make a long story short (too late), Edge got the best of Orton by unsuspectingly tossing the Viper over the ropes to eliminate his former ally in this match, which is, admittedly, "every man for himself." Part of the game.
The following night on Monday Night RAW, Edge came out to talk to the audience about his recovery and his triumphant return to the squared circle. Orton came out to congratulate Edge and reminisce about their glory days as a tag team. Suddenly (as he is infamously prone to do), Orton turned on Edge, hitting him with his signature RKO and unleashing a violent attack with a pair of steel chairs. RAW went off the air with the WWE Universe stunned by the heinous act.
The stage was set for RAW in Salt Lake City the following Monday.
Arriving at the arena
There was a really nasty snowstorm in Utah on Monday. Schools closed down. People had difficulty making it in to work. There were hundreds of auto accidents on the roads and freeways. It was bad. But the show must go on! Miranda, Cody and I made sure to leave with plenty of time to get downtown. Thankfully, the weather wasn't too bad and the roads were fine. We arrived at Vivint Smart Home Arena about 45 minutes before the wrestling was going to start - half an hour before RAW went live on USA Network.
While we waited, we took a few pictures of the set-up, including the traditional "Point at the Wrestlemania Sign" picture, which was fun. We also made sure to have our wrestling sign on hand, ready to go once the show went on the air.
It wasn't the funniest sign, it wasn't the most clever sign, but it was a sign that I thought had the best chance of getting us some screen time. It was the question of the week:
"Why, Randy? Why?"
"Main Event" and the RAW preview during "Modern Family"
To get the crowd warmed up, WWE taped two matches for one of their lesser-known programs, "Main Event." We watched as "The O.C." (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) easily put down Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins, then Cedric Alexander defeated Shelton Benjamin. Decent matches in their own right. Just a taste of what was to come.
At one point, the ring announcer let us know that USA would be going live in 30 seconds to show the crowd as a preview for that night's RAW. Of course, this got everybody amped up. Gotta look good for the cameras!
I held our sign high above my head. Then I got nervous. I could see that there was a camera guy aiming right at me. I said, "Guys... We're going to be on TV."
The show went live. I could see in my peripheral vision that we were on the big screen. Here's what "Modern Family" viewers at home saw:
"Why, Randy? Why? We need to know!" Beautiful.
I held our sign high above my head. Then I got nervous. I could see that there was a camera guy aiming right at me. I said, "Guys... We're going to be on TV."
The show went live. I could see in my peripheral vision that we were on the big screen. Here's what "Modern Family" viewers at home saw:
Randy Orton Addresses His Attack on Edge
Monday Night RAW kicked off with Randy Orton coming to the ring to explain why he attacked Edge last week. "I HEAR VOICES IN MY HEAD! THEY TALK TO ME, THEY UNDERSTAND, THEY TALK TO ME!"
Randy had arrived, and I knew this was my best chance of getting on TV for the entire night. I saw the camera man get into position. Showtime.
Once Randy got to the ring, we wouldn't let him get a word in. It was glorious. Of course, this is exactly how Randy wanted it. It was terrific TV, and you'll find a bunch of tweets and podcasts agreeing with that statement. It solidified Randy's new role as the vile villain and made the crowd look ridiculously rowdy. Every time Randy brought the microphone to his lips, we'd boo him even more loudly. Take a look at this clip:
When the match came to an end, the familiar music of Morgan's old ally, Ruby Riott, hit. Riott had been out of action for nine months, getting double shoulder surgery, but it looks like she is back and ready to compete. She came down to the ring, to a nice ovation from the crowd (including chants of "Ru-by!"), and greeted her former tag team member. But it wasn't long before Riott swerved and laid out Liv with a series of brutal blows. For good measure, Lana hit her finisher, leaving Liv lifeless in the middle of the ring.
Grade: C
McIntyre told the current 24/7 Champion Mojo Rawley from the get-go that he'd Claymore his head off three seconds after he put down his microphone, and that prediction came true. He made quick work of Rawley, much to the delight of those in attendance. It was a quick match, but a nice way of making Drew look good and a fun opportunity for the fans to get behind McIntyre on his road to Wrestlemania.
Grade: B+
Owens struggled to make any headway in the match, as any momentum was quickly nullified by his being outnumbered by Monday night's top heels. KO got a bit of daylight and managed to eliminate Murphy with a Pop-Up Powerbomb and Akam with a Stunner. The crowd was in a frenzy as Owens pummeled AOP's Rezar, but just when it looked like Owens might pull off the most improbable of upsets, a slight distraction from Rollins gave Rezar the space he needed. After two massive chokeslams, Rezar picked up the 1-2-3. Miranda and I could be seen in the background giving two definitive thumbs down.
After Rollins and his crew cleared the ring and made their way back up the ramp, the crowd gave Owens a well-deserved standing ovation for his efforts.
Grade: A
Last week, Aleister Black promised to take the fight to the RAW locker room instead of waiting for someone to pick... a fight... with him... He didn't waste any time in messing around with Eric Young, who was bleeding from the mouth early in the match. One Black Mass kick to the head later, Black picked up the pinfall victory.
After the match, Black took the mic and cut a promo about being whatever he wants to be. He uses a lot of metaphors and figurative speech, so I am not sure I really even know what he was talking about, but he is a man of mystery and so it shall be henceforth.
Grade: C
Vega hyped up Garza as the best up-and-coming Latino talent in WWE, but the crowd wasn't having it. The crowd mocked Vega and Garza with constant "WHAT?" chants as they belittled Carrillo. Ultimately, Carrillo snatched the microphone from Garza (to which the crowd erupted into "Si! Si! Si!" chants), before being slapped in the face by Vega and jumped by Garza.
When Garza peeled back the padding at ringside in an effort to duplicate Carrillo's attack on Andrade from the week prior, the living legend Rey Mysterio came to the rescue. The crowd went nuts, and "6-1-9" cheers rang out through the arena as the show went to a commercial break. In my estimation, Mysterio's entrance got the loudest cheers of the night.
Grade: C+
Garza looks to be a promising young talent, but it cannot be understated how good Rey looked in person. As far as I can recall, Rey Mysterio Jr. was the second professional wrestler that I ever saw on TV (the first being - WOOOOO - the Nature Boy Ric Flair). Here we are, probably 25 years later, and Mysterio looks like he's hardly lost a beat.
In the end, a gorgeous middle-rope flip to the outside put Mysterio ringside. A distraction by Vega allowed Garza to land a nasty kick and nail Mysterio with a head-first Hammer-lock DDT on the exposed cement, ending the match in a disqualification.
Grade: B
The winner of the Men's and Women's Royal Rumble is guaranteed a championship match at Wrestlemania in April. While it only took McIntyre 24 hours to announce that he was going to challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, Women's Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair has yet to make up her mind. "The Queen" came to the ring, touting he championship pedigree; she has held a women's championship belt 10 times in WWE. She's beaten the RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch. She's beaten SmackDown! Women's Champion Bayley. Cue the music of NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley, who pinned Charlotte at Survivor Series in November. Charlotte didn't have time for that conversation on Monday night - but she will answer Ripley's challenge on this week's episode of NXT.
If you look closely at around the :23 mark, you can see me holding up my sign in the background.
Randy left the ring without offering any type of explanation. It was a really solid way to start off the show and to keep some serious heat on Orton as the bad guy in this storyline.
Grade: A
Liv Morgan def. Lana, Ruby Riott returns
People stopped caring about the Rusev/Lashley, Liv/Lana rivalry like three weeks ago, and the match in Salt Lake City ended in an almost identical manner to the match last week, so this segment didn't move the needle much. Liv wins via pinfall.When the match came to an end, the familiar music of Morgan's old ally, Ruby Riott, hit. Riott had been out of action for nine months, getting double shoulder surgery, but it looks like she is back and ready to compete. She came down to the ring, to a nice ovation from the crowd (including chants of "Ru-by!"), and greeted her former tag team member. But it wasn't long before Riott swerved and laid out Liv with a series of brutal blows. For good measure, Lana hit her finisher, leaving Liv lifeless in the middle of the ring.
Grade: C
Drew McIntyre def. 24/7 Champion Mojo Rawley w/ Riddick Moss
It's been a great couple of weeks for Royal Rumble winner Drew McIntyre. By eliminating Brock Lesnar at the Pay-Per-View, McIntyre instantly became a hero to the WWE Universe. The Salt Lake City crowd loved seeing the self-proclaimed "Sexy Scotsman," showering him with chants of "Drew! Drew! Drew!"
McIntyre told the current 24/7 Champion Mojo Rawley from the get-go that he'd Claymore his head off three seconds after he put down his microphone, and that prediction came true. He made quick work of Rawley, much to the delight of those in attendance. It was a quick match, but a nice way of making Drew look good and a fun opportunity for the fans to get behind McIntyre on his road to Wrestlemania.
Grade: B+
Buddy Murphy & AOP def. Kevin Owens & the Viking Raiders (6-man Elimination Tag match)
Elimination Tag matches are the best. When one competitor is pinned or submits, they have to go back to the locker room, and the match continues. I have not ever particularly been a fan of the Viking Raiders, but they were a lot of fun to watch live - especially the 300-pound Ivar's acrobatic cartwheels and dives. It was that same athleticism that cost the big man his spot in the match, however. A flying splash went awry and Ivar collided with the LED board on the far side of the ring, causing him to be medically removed from the match. Some dirty teamwork from the "Monday Night Messiah" Seth Rollins on the outside of the ring led to the elimination of Erik, leaving Kevin Owens to fend for himself, three-on-one.Owens struggled to make any headway in the match, as any momentum was quickly nullified by his being outnumbered by Monday night's top heels. KO got a bit of daylight and managed to eliminate Murphy with a Pop-Up Powerbomb and Akam with a Stunner. The crowd was in a frenzy as Owens pummeled AOP's Rezar, but just when it looked like Owens might pull off the most improbable of upsets, a slight distraction from Rollins gave Rezar the space he needed. After two massive chokeslams, Rezar picked up the 1-2-3. Miranda and I could be seen in the background giving two definitive thumbs down.
After Rollins and his crew cleared the ring and made their way back up the ramp, the crowd gave Owens a well-deserved standing ovation for his efforts.
Grade: A
Aleister Black def. Eric Young
After the match, Black took the mic and cut a promo about being whatever he wants to be. He uses a lot of metaphors and figurative speech, so I am not sure I really even know what he was talking about, but he is a man of mystery and so it shall be henceforth.
Grade: C
Angel Garza debuts, attacks Humberto Carrillo
Hot on the heels of DDTing Andrade's head into concrete, Humberto Carillo looked to make a statement in Salt Lake City. He was greeted by Andrade's manager, Zelina Vega, who has a new client - Angel Garza, who is Carillo's real-life cousin. This was Garza's main-roster debut, and should have been a big deal, but I'm not sure most of the crowd had any idea who he was, so it fell a little flat, in my opinion.Vega hyped up Garza as the best up-and-coming Latino talent in WWE, but the crowd wasn't having it. The crowd mocked Vega and Garza with constant "WHAT?" chants as they belittled Carrillo. Ultimately, Carrillo snatched the microphone from Garza (to which the crowd erupted into "Si! Si! Si!" chants), before being slapped in the face by Vega and jumped by Garza.
When Garza peeled back the padding at ringside in an effort to duplicate Carrillo's attack on Andrade from the week prior, the living legend Rey Mysterio came to the rescue. The crowd went nuts, and "6-1-9" cheers rang out through the arena as the show went to a commercial break. In my estimation, Mysterio's entrance got the loudest cheers of the night.
Grade: C+
Rey Mysterio def. Angel Garza via DQ
After a commercial break, the ref started a match between Mysterio and Garza, a showcase of the tremendous lucha libre tradition of professional wrestling and the future of the Cruiserweight division in WWE. The action was fast and furious, and a short time later, Garza was begging for a time-out, asking Mysterio to shake his hand. Mysterio declined that offer, and Garza countered by ripping off his tear-away pants and throwing them in Rey's face (one of his signature taunts, believe it or not). Garza came off as a decent heel, resorting to various underhanded tactics, event (unsuccessfully) attempting to rip Mysterio's mask off at one point - the ultimate sign of disrespect.Garza looks to be a promising young talent, but it cannot be understated how good Rey looked in person. As far as I can recall, Rey Mysterio Jr. was the second professional wrestler that I ever saw on TV (the first being - WOOOOO - the Nature Boy Ric Flair). Here we are, probably 25 years later, and Mysterio looks like he's hardly lost a beat.
In the end, a gorgeous middle-rope flip to the outside put Mysterio ringside. A distraction by Vega allowed Garza to land a nasty kick and nail Mysterio with a head-first Hammer-lock DDT on the exposed cement, ending the match in a disqualification.
Grade: B
Charlotte Flair is confronted by NXT Women's Champion Rhea Ripley
Grade: B
Asuka w/ Kairi Sane def. Natalya
I need to explain something here. I realized, about an hour and 20 minutes into this show, that loudly cheering, booing and WOOOOO-ing for long periods of time is exhausting, and it's bad for your throat. It was clear to me that the crowd was very quiet during some stretches of this match. It's not to say that these women are not supremely talented, it's just tough to maintain the level of energy we started the show with for four straight hours.
We had noticed that Natalya was pretty irritated at something during the match. Upon re-watching the show on Tuesday night, it appears that Asuka may have landed a couple hits and kicks that shouldn't have connected. At one point, Natty swears at Asuka and yells, "You want to shoot with me?" That's wrestle-speak for "You want to fight for real?" At one point, Asuka legitimately kicks Natalya square in the face, resulting in a shiner under the right eye. Just a brutal fight, from start to finish. After breaking free from a Sharpshooter, Asuka took advantage of a distraction from Kairi Sane and snapped on the Asuka Lock, causing Natalya to tap out.
Grade: B
Asuka calls out Becky Lynch
Immediately following her submission victory over Natalya, Asuka began screaming in Japanese and broken English for Becky Lynch. Lynch defeated Asuka at the Royal Rumble, but Asuka demanded a rematch, which "The Man" gladly accepted before avoiding a sneak attack by Sane and donning her "Just Deal With It" shades and making her way back up the ramp.
Despite opinions held by myself and WWE commentator Corey Graves, among others, that Becky Lynch's popularity is beginning to fade, you wouldn't have been able to tell by the reaction Becky got from the Salt Lake City crowd. The people still love her. Becky will defend her title against Asuka on next week's edition of Monday Night RAW.
Grade: B+
Ricochet def. Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins to become the #1 Contender for the WWE Championship
The truth is that we saw the high-flying Ricochet taking his spot on the entrance ramp, preparing to be introduced. The third, least popular combatant in the match was "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley, who is by all accounts a mountain of a man; the dude is jacked. But I'm not sure that anybody actually thought he had any shot at winning this match.
The main event was a nice blend of agility, technical prowess, speed and sheer force, and watching the contrasting styles of the three men was a lot of fun. With the match being contested under triple-threat rules, it meant that the match could not end in a count-out or disqualification, opening the door for the inevitable interference from Murphy and the Authors of Pain. Rollins' lackeys joined in on the action, leveling Lashley and Ricochet with no remorse. Moments later, Kevin Owens' music hit and KO and the Viking Raiders, still peeved over their loss earlier in the evening, came to even the odds. Owens and Erik pummeled the AOP with steel chairs. The brawl spilled into the crowd, through a tunnel just below our seats.
Lashley briefly took control with a flurry of shoulder blocks, spine busters and suplexes. Ricochet unleashed a variety of quick kicks and strikes. Rollins got some offense in, with a few attempted pinfalls and a turnbuckle bomb to Ricochet. In the highest spot of the match, Lashley hit a gigantic double suplex from the top turnbuckle. The crowd burst into "This is awe-some!" chants - a staple of WWE programming. Soon thereafter, Ricochet launched into his 450 Splash from the corner, hitting Lashley and covering him for a pinfall victory! Ricochet is the new Number 1 contender for the WWE Championship. This means he'll face Brock Lesnar at the company's next Pay-Per-View in the next few weeks.
Ricochet's joy was short-lived, however, as we saw a huge figure absolutely booking it down the entrance ramp. It was Brock Lesnar! The Beast, followed by his advocate, Paul Heyman. Lesnar slid into the ring and tossed Ricochet like a rag doll with his patented F-5 suplex as the show went off the air.
Grade: A
So there you have it! Overall, we had a really good time. four hours is a long time to sit in a seat, screaming your lungs out, but WWE always puts on a good show, and I think that the audience had a great time. We re-watched the whole episode on Tuesday night and had a fun time looking for ourselves in the background and watching the stuff that we didn't catch in person. If you've never given live pro wrestling a shot, give it a chance sometime. You might actually enjoy yourself!
If this wasn't enough for you, take a look at the top 10 moments from RAW, as selected by WWE's social media team in this five-minute video:
Did you catch the show? Did you see me LIVE on TV?? Do you hate professional wrestling? Let me know in the comments below. As always, you can follow me on Twitter (@atownmania and @sottunderground) or look me up on Facebook, if you really want.
And that's the bottom line...
The main event was a nice blend of agility, technical prowess, speed and sheer force, and watching the contrasting styles of the three men was a lot of fun. With the match being contested under triple-threat rules, it meant that the match could not end in a count-out or disqualification, opening the door for the inevitable interference from Murphy and the Authors of Pain. Rollins' lackeys joined in on the action, leveling Lashley and Ricochet with no remorse. Moments later, Kevin Owens' music hit and KO and the Viking Raiders, still peeved over their loss earlier in the evening, came to even the odds. Owens and Erik pummeled the AOP with steel chairs. The brawl spilled into the crowd, through a tunnel just below our seats.
Lashley briefly took control with a flurry of shoulder blocks, spine busters and suplexes. Ricochet unleashed a variety of quick kicks and strikes. Rollins got some offense in, with a few attempted pinfalls and a turnbuckle bomb to Ricochet. In the highest spot of the match, Lashley hit a gigantic double suplex from the top turnbuckle. The crowd burst into "This is awe-some!" chants - a staple of WWE programming. Soon thereafter, Ricochet launched into his 450 Splash from the corner, hitting Lashley and covering him for a pinfall victory! Ricochet is the new Number 1 contender for the WWE Championship. This means he'll face Brock Lesnar at the company's next Pay-Per-View in the next few weeks.
Ricochet's joy was short-lived, however, as we saw a huge figure absolutely booking it down the entrance ramp. It was Brock Lesnar! The Beast, followed by his advocate, Paul Heyman. Lesnar slid into the ring and tossed Ricochet like a rag doll with his patented F-5 suplex as the show went off the air.
Grade: A
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