Greg DeMarco tuned into WWE Raw–on delay! What did he think of the show, and more importantly…how much time did he save???

WWE Raw is live from The Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, a city I really need to visit. Just ask Brittani Nikole, she’ll tell you! The next WrestleMania that comes to New Orleans, Greg DeMarco is there!

But Raw was there tonight, with more King Of The Ring action, Sasha Banks, and from what I saw on the Twitter, a United States Champion Among Men. We’ll see if Twitter led me astray…..

Timestamp: 00:00, Stopwatch: 00:00

Sasha Banks Kicks Off Raw

• I don’t care what you think, I enjoy when Michael Cole tells me that IT’S BOSS TIME!
• Oh hey, Corey Graves is back! Hopefully we get some Carmella tonight, too
• FAST FORWARD the video package
• Not gonna lie y’all, Sasha looks amazing. Best she’s ever looked
• So Sasha Banks didn’t care about a WrestleMania match teaming with Bayley?
• So like I told you on Driving With DeMarco, Sasha Banks just admitted that this had nothing to do with the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, but about the fact that three women were in the WrestleMania main event and she wasn’t one of them.
• Sasha’s been taking promo lessons from Charlotte Flair
• She isn’t bad, but I was so happy to hear Natalya’s music hit
• So no match? We’ll see. I feel like they’ve done enough to sell a match for next week
• Yo, Fit Finlay got OLD!

FAST FORWARD commercials, and The Street Profits

Timestamp: 16:26, Stopwatch: 7:52

King Of The Ring First Round Match: Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre

• No offense to both men, but I decided to FAST FORWARD their entrances and promos
• I love watching Drew toss smaller dudes around
• LOVE that backbreaker on the ring barrier, followed by the dive toward the apron
• FAST FORWARD the commercials
• I listened to a portion of Ricochet’s 2016 interview with Steve Austin earlier today, so I can’t help but root for ol’ Trev here
• Fantastic match going on right here
• That headbutt? Awesome
• I feel like we’re setting up an upset
• SUPERKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK! #SteveCorino
• Mark my words: Ricochet will be a world champion in WWE
• And I kinda hope he wins it from McIntyre. These two match up really well
• RIC WINS!
• You can put that match in front of 80k and call it WrestleMania and it would be remembered forever

Ricochet pins Drew McIntyre to advance in the King Of The Ring – ****1/4

FAST FORWARD all sorts of stuff

Timestamp: 42:34, Stopwatch: 20:09

King Of The Ring First Round: The Miz vs. Baron Corbin

• The Miz is over, but it’s time for me to FAST FORWARD the entrances!
• …and the commercials
• …and the talking
• …and the Baron Corbin entrance
• Shit eating grin Baron Corbin would make a great King Of The Ring
• Corbin spoke to WWE Digital earlier today? Who is hiring for those positions?
• FAST FORWARD the commercials (2 for 2 on matches with commercials tonight)
• “The Sharknado phase of his career” was one hell of a line, Corey! (Directed at Miz, btw)
• Big Breakfast can’t keep the reality star down, and he’s not happy with the official.
• Corbin kicks out of the Skull Crushing Finale! Matt Davis, get to work!
• John Cone just gave the signal, we’re going home!
• No, I won’t tell you what it is
• It wasn’t on the replay
• End of Days = End of Match, and it was a good one
• There just so happened to be a microphone on the throne?
• Corbin as King looks fantastic…heat galore!

Baron Corbin pins The Miz to advance in the King Of The Ring tournament – ****

FAST FORWARD…like a TON! Was it intermission or something?

Timestamp 1:13:19, Stopwatch 32:37

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Nikki Cross vs. Smackdown Women’s Champion Bayley

• WILDCARD BITCHES, YEEEEEEHAWWWWWW!
• This is basically babyface vs. babyface, which would be important if the face/heel dynamic mattered at all.
• It doesn’t.
• Corey calling Renee “Gold-digger” is all kinds of hilarious.
• Nikki’s loyalty to Alexa is still a huge part of the story, and I love that.
• Because it means Alexa Bliss will turn on her at some point!
• THE TREE OF WOE!
• I am sad that no one on commentary called the Tree Of Woe. C’mon, Cole!
• If Matt Riddle did it, it would be The Tree Of Bro.
• If Samoa Joe or Roman Reigns did it, it would be The Tree Of Joe.
• If Konnan did it, it would be The Tree Of Yo.
• If Matt Kennedy Gould did it, it would be The Tree Of Schmo

Bayley pinned Nikki Cross while I was having fun – ***1/2

Not gonna fast forward Kayla Braxton. Because it’s KAYLA BRAXTON.

Timestamp: 1:25:15, Stopwatch: 38:59

Tag Team Turmoil – The Viking Warriors vs. The B-Team

• This is just a Gauntlet Match, not sure why we don’t just call it that.
• Yeah, you know what happened here.

The Viking Raiders eliminated The B-Team to continue

• Here comes The OC, and this could be really good.
• I love love LOVE Gallows’ body shots.
• FLY FAT ASS FLY!
• And we just eliminated both teams.
• I don’t hate that booking

The OC and The VIking Warriors eliminated by double DQ

• A new Bobby Roode Tag Team?
• Seeing Robert Roode by the King Of The Ring throne makes me sad. He’d make a PERFECT King.
• Can we get a robe for Dolph Ziggler?
• FAST FORWARD the commercials
• So it’s Roode & Ziggler vs. The Lucha House Party’s Gran Metallik & Lince Dorado (the most underrated man on the roster)
• I like this.

Dolph Ziggler & Bobby Roode eliminate The Lucha House Party

• NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
• Roode & Ziggler vs. The Revival? This shit ain’t fair.
• This is like a House Show Dream Match
• Remember when Dolph was leaving?
• Me neither.
• “90 seconds”
• Sling Shot Suplex by Tully Dawson!
• That’s some shit right there.

Dolph Ziggler & Bobby Roode eliminate The Revival and I am sad

• FAST FORWARD the commercials
• Glorious Showoff vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
• And that was fast!

Dolph Ziggler & Bobby Roode eliminate The Major Brothers

• And team #8 is Heavy Machinery? Well I guess we get Roode & Ziggler as Clash Of Champions challengers for Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman! It’s Patrick O’Dowd’s worst nightmare!
• You can’t call time out!
• At this point, I am really tired!
• FAST FORWARD Heavy Machinery, and they win!

Dolph Ziggler & Bobby Roode win Tag Team Turmoil Guantlet over Heavy Machinery – ***1/2 overall rating

FAST FORWARD the talking

Timestamp: 2:02:58, Stopwatch: 58:27

Sasha Banks vs. Natalya

• I was on board with Sasha staying dressed as she was earlier
• THAT GERMAN SUPLEX
• That’s a German Suplex that would make Brock Lesnar proud
• Crafty veteran Sasha sliding out of the ring to take out Natalya’s arm
• Crafty Heel Sasha is the best Sasha
• I mean, of course Sasha wins!

Sasha Banks beat Natalya in her return match – ***1/2

FAST FORWARD!

Cedric Alexander vs. Cesaro

• Great match to start, but what do you expect.
• Ohai, commercial! (FAST FORWARD)
• Hearing Cole the Michinoku Driver is ….. slightly odd
• Great psychology all throughout this match
• That pinfall into a Half Crab is brilliant
• BRILLIANT
• FAST FORWARD the resthold
• Cesaro loves that Half Crab!
• So do I
• LUMBAR CHECK FROM OUTTA NOWHERE!

Cedric Alexander pins Cesaro with the Lumbar Check – ****

FAST FORWARD highlights, commercials, Roode & Ziggler, The Street Profits, more commercials, Firefly Funhouse highlights, entrances, intros…

Timestamp: 2:47:38, Stopwatch: 12:21:02

United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Braun Strowman

• I fear Twitter was right on this one…
• Strowman is so strong that the wind from him running by Styles takes AJ off of his feet!
• Duuuuuuuuuuuuuude I thought Braun was gonna win with the Chokeslam right there.
• FAST FORWARD the commercials!
• AJ shouldn’t add that Lionsault to his arsenal.
• “More perfectly”
• Calf Crusher is definitely the equalizer against a monster.
• That’s A Monster Among Men to you!
• Haw Braun Strowman ever tapped?
• Let’s see how long Braun sells the leg.
• Aaaaaaaaaaaaand there goes the ref.
• LOW BLOW!
• NO REF!
• Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here comes The OC.
• No Rollins, no Becky.
• TWITTER LIED TO ME! THANK GOD!

AJ Styles beat Braun Strowman by disqualification to retain the United States Championship – ***

Overall 8/10

• Final Timestamp: 3:00:11
• Final Stopwatch: 1:30:47
• Time saved: 1:29:24

Honestly this was a good edition of WWE Raw. No Becky Lynch, No Seth Rollins, No Roman Reigns, No Alexa Bliss. The wrestling was good, and the big focus was on advancing towards Clash Of Champions. Both King Of The Ring matches were crazy good. We have a new tag team. AJ Styles didn’t lose his championship to Braun Strowman. Good show!