Simply days earlier than WWE heads to Perth, Australia for Elimination Chamber, it introduced a blockbuster episode of Uncooked, headlined by a premium dwell event-worthy fundamental occasion between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.
Did The American Nightmare maintain momentum on his aspect and defeat the Scot, or did McIntyre make his mark forward of the lads’s Elimination Chamber match on Saturday, when he has the possibility to earn a World Heavyweight Championship shot at WrestleMania 40?
Discover out the reply to that and extra with this recap of the February 19 episode of WWE’s flagship present.
Introduced prematurely for Monday’s present:
- Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre
- DIY, The Miz and R-Reality vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio)
- Intercontinental Championship: Jey Uso vs. Gunther (c)
- Final Likelihood Elimination Chamber Qualifying Battle Royal: Michin vs. Alba Fyre vs. Zelina Vega vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Zoey Stark
- Chad Gable vs. Ivar
Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre tore the home down on the high of Monday’s present, kicking issues off with a banger of a match.
Again-and-forth motion outlined the match, with neither man gaining a sustained benefit for many of it. The American Nightmare and Scottish Warrior traded signature strikes, strikes, and countered one another’s finishers, neither letting the opposite ship the knockout blow that determined the end result.
As a substitute, it might be the interfering Jimmy Uso who distracted the official and allowed Solo Sikoa to flatten Rhodes with the Samoan Spike, setting the 2024 Royal Rumble winner up for the Claymore as McIntyre scored the win.
The end was proper out of WrestleMania 39, the place Sikoa got here from the group shrouded in black and delivered the Samoan Spike to value Rhodes the match towards Roman Reigns. It was a pleasant callback that served as a little bit of mindgames from The Bloodline to the person who ruined its epic fundamental occasion plans for this 12 months’s present.
McIntyre appeared conflicted as he watched The Bloodline intervene on his behalf, remembering that his bitterness traces again to their involvement in his Undisputed WWE Common Championship loss to Reigns at Conflict on the Citadel in September 2022.
Nice motion and superior tales helped elevate the open to the present. Nice stuff right here from all concerned and most significantly, it made sense throughout the confines of all that we already know.
End result
McIntyre defeated Rhodes
Grade
B+
Prime Moments and Takeaways
- A terrific video package deal set the stage for the match in between entrances. A pleasant contact, as have been the notes accompanying the Superstars’ graphics, similar to McIntyre in search of his second Elimination Chamber victory.
- From the staredown firstly of the match to the lighting, digicam work, and red-hot crowd, this felt like a Premium Stay Occasion match from the beginning.
- Rhodes confirmed nice depth, firing up at one level and demanding McIntyre convey the combat to him.
- Backstage, because the babyface nursed his accidents, Seth Rollins appeared. He mentioned nothing however it was clear that he was reminding Rhodes that they’ve to stay collectively towards the Bloodline.
Contributors: Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, Raquel Rodriguez, Xia Li, Valhalla, Tegan Nox, Natalya, Indi Hartwell, Candice LeRae, Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile, Elektra Lopez, B-Fab, Katana Likelihood, Michin, Zelina Vega, Chelsea Inexperienced, Isla Daybreak, and Alba Fyre
The sixth and last participant within the Girls’s Elimination Chamber Match was decided Monday evening as Rodriguez made her return and subsequently cashed her ticket to Perth, Australia with a Battle Royal victory.
Rodriguez overcame the united entrance of Baszler and Stark, dumping them consecutively to earn her win.
The Battle Royal was enjoyable, with a handful of various tales both superior or explored inside its run time. The false end on the finish, with Inexperienced coming out from beneath the ring, solely to see her sneak assault on Rodriguez fail miserably as she was tossed to the ground, was lots of enjoyable, too.
Rodriguez is unequivocally the least fascinating option to win however the large return and dominance inside ought to have been proof sufficient that it was the route the inventive group was heading.
Comeback or not, she stands no likelihood Saturday, the place Becky Lynch ought to nonetheless be thought-about the overwhelming favourite to go away with a assured title shot.
End result
Rodriguez gained
Grade
B
Prime Moments and Takeaways
- Valhalla eradicated Dupri to proceed that story.
- Vega was massively over and Lopez garnered important warmth for eliminating her.
- Baszler and Stark impressed as a group, making their definitive losses in qualifiers that rather more complicated.
Forward of their Girls’s World Championship Match at Elimination Chamber, Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax performed a brief sit-down interview that completed nothing.
A disappointing last construct for the most-hyped match on Saturday’s card.
From there, Jackie Redmond threw to a pre-taped interview she performed with R-Reality earlier within the day. Extra hilarity ensued as Reality expressed his disappointment within the dismantling of his relationship with The Judgment Day, then wandered aimlessly in a blue poncho.
Brilliance.
Grade
D for the Ripley-Jax interview; A for the Reality interview
Prime Moments and Takeaways
- Jax’s confidence in her victory rests solely on the truth that she is larger than Ripley.
- Ripley’s storm off was hindered by the audio tools.
- Reality on his first assembly with The Judgment Day: “It was particular, like the primary time John Cena tried on jean shorts.”
For a second Monday evening, it appeared as if R-Reality would achieve a measure of revenge on Damian Priest and The Judgment Day. He exploded into the match late, taking the combat to The Archer of Infamy, whereas DIY’s Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, and The Miz, battled Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio at ringside.
An ill-fated try on the Angle Adjustment was countered, although, and Priest delivered South of Heaven for the pinfall win.
A high-energy eight-man tag, the competition highlighted Ciampa properly, too, however this was finally all about Reality and his quest for vengeance. He didn’t obtain it on this evening, because of an alert Priest, however all indicators level to Reality and Judgment Day mixing it up once more shortly, maybe as quickly as WrestleMania 40.
In any case, what higher solution to stick it to the heels than by taking their tag titles on the grandest stage?
End result
Judgment Day defeated Reality, Miz, and DIY
Grade
B
Prime Moments and Takeaways
- UFC star Michael Chandler known as out Conor McGregor earlier than the match, utilizing the WWE platform to convey eyes to the MMA world. Not a foul concept contemplating that each firms fall beneath the TKO umbrella.
- Reality’s dedication to John Cena being his “childhood hero” is excellent. He continues to make use of the shoulder blocks, aspect slam, and 5 Knuckle Shuffle.
- The new tag to Reality ignited the group and resulted in a hell of a pop.
- Ciampa ran the ropes and into and out of the corners for what felt like an eternity, incomes the respect of the followers who appreciated his cardio.
- “16 abs simply bumped into one another in the course of the ring,” Pat McAfee exclaimed following a Ciampa-Balor double-down.
Becky Lynch hit the ring for the go-home promo section forward of Saturday’s Girls’s Elimination Chamber Match.
She reiterated her have to win the match and problem Rhea Ripley for the Girls’s World Championship at WrestleMania, which drew out Liv Morgan, who reminded followers of her quest for revenge towards Ripley.
Raquel Rodriguez, Naomi, and Tiffany Stratton all adopted go well with, taking pictures at their opponents earlier than Bianca Belair blew the roof off the Honda Heart.
Earlier than a brawl between the six girls may get away, Nia Jax appeared and proceeded to put out every certainly one of them earlier than standing tall, an emphatic response to Ripley’s claims that she was merely not adequate to beat her.
This was fascinating inventive in that Jax appears like a completely unstoppable power however it got here on the expense of six girls who ought to have been protected as they compete to find out the No. 1 contender.
Does it actually damage any of the chamber opponents? No, however in what universe did Jax need to wipe out the complete discipline by herself?
Grade
C+
Prime Moments and Takeaways
- Belair reminded followers of her undefeated streak at WrestleMania, which would appear to plant the seeds for it to be utilized transferring ahead.
- Morgan instructed Lynch that she was the final competitor to defeat Ripley, including to the concept that she may win Saturday and arrange a one-on-one title match for the chance to avenge the injured shoulder that sidelined her for six months.
The months-long rivalry between Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders continued Monday in singles motion as Chad Gable squared off with Ivar.
The match was superb, as has been the case with their in-ring motion of late, with Gable combating from beneath. He absorbed every part his greater, bigger, extra highly effective opponent threw at him and mounted a comeback, seizing on the chance introduced by Ivar’s missed moonsault.
A German suplex, moonsault of his personal, and ankle lock ended the competition and earned Gable the victory.
Each guys typically fly beneath the radar and are candidates for essentially the most underrated Celebrity consideration.
End result
Gable defeated Ivar
Grade
B
Prime Moments and Takeaways
- Ivar aspect suplexed Gable spine-first onto the timekeeper’s guardrail.
- Gable repeatedly teased a German suplex, lastly paying it off with one which popped the group.
- The babyface seamlessly transitioned from a pinfall into an ankle lock in an awesome instance of his fluidity as a competitor.
Gunther narrowly retained the Intercontinental Championship towards Jey Uso in the primary occasion of Monday’s present, not as a result of he earned it, however as a result of Jimmy Uso noticed to it.
Late within the contest, Jey uncorked 5 consecutive spears, driving the air out of the champion. From there, he added a top-rope splash, just for the ring bell to sound prematurely.
It was Jimmy, stopping his brother from reaching particular person glory within the type of the IC title. Jey would have one other alternative however he opted to take out his brother at ringside, just for one other splash try to be met with the knees of Gunther, who rolled him up for the win.
After the match, Jimmy assaulted Jey with a number of splashes to shut out the present.
And with that, it seems we’re headed to a sibling battle at WrestleMania 40.
The match itself was implausible, one of the best of Jey’s singles run thus far. It earned its place in the primary occasion of this broadcast.
End result
Gunther defeated Uso to retain
Grade
A
Prime Moments and Takeaways
- McAfee stopped in his tracks as Gunther shot him a look, now not participating in Uso’s pre-match antics
- Uso smacked Gunther, igniting a hearth within the champion that noticed him brutalize and pummel him getting into the business break.
- The challenger doubtlessly turned issues in his favor getting into the ultimate break of the evening with a tope suicida.
- Uso delivered a spear for an awesome near-fall. Gunther adopted with certainly one of his personal off a splash for 2.
This was one of the best episode of Uncooked in months, with new manufacturing values and a way of urgency. Every little thing felt prefer it had a function, from the opening match all over the primary occasion. Nothing felt prefer it was ineffective or didn’t matter.
There was as singular aim to hype up Elimination Chamber and, past that, put the storytelling items in place to correctly construct to WrestleMania.
The opener and fundamental occasion have been implausible matches and every part in between was largely good.
Appropriately. WWE’s inventive course of at all times thrives presently of the 12 months and tonight, it made a jam-packed three-hour present really feel comparatively and inoffensively brief, the trademark of an pleasing present.
Grade: A