One way or another, this has to end!

The animosity between Seth Rollins and CM Punk has them fighting like animals, so they must be locked inside a STEEL CAGE!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Jey Uso VS Grayson Waller w/ Austin Theory; Jey wins.
• Tornado Tag: The New Day VS Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee; The New Day wins.
• WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Bayley VS Raquel Rodriguez w/ Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio; Raquel wins and will challenge Lyra Valkyria for the title.
• Steel Cage Match: Seth Rollins VS CM Punk; Rollins wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Jey Uso is in the building!

The fans fire up with Main Event Jey as he is now in New York City~! Uce, please, hit his music! UH UH, YEET! The fans fire up as Jey, decked out in New York Knicks colors, makes his way into The Garden! The fans are ready to YEET and bounce already as Jey makes his way down the stairs. Jey daps it up with Pat and Maggle on his way into the ring, and the fans keep on bouncing! But it’s right to business as A-Town Down Under make their entrance. Will Jey make sure to YEET the Aussie Icon right outta The Garden? Or will Jey suffer from the Grayson Waller Effect?

Jey Uso VS Grayson Waller w/ Austin Theory!

The bell rings, Waller and Jey circle, and the fans “YEET!” The two tie up, Waller shoves Jey away, and Waller taunts Jey. Jey shakes that off, he and Waller reset and tie up. Waller headlocks, the fans rally for Jey, and Jey powers up and out. Waller RUNS Jey over, then scuffs him in the face! Waller keeps moving, but Jey ELBOWS him down! The fans fire up and Jey snarls. Jey storms up on Waller, scoops and SLAMS him, then stalks him to a corner. Jey gets in Waller’s face, then ROCKS him with a haymaker! Waller goes to a corner, but then he dropkicks Jey’s legs out! Waller rains down fists, the fans boo, but Waller lets off.

Theory soaks up that heat for Waller, but Waller CHOKES Jey! The ref counts, Waller stops, and he drags Jey up to POST him! Jey grits his teeth, but Waller stands on him! The ref counts, Waller lets off to talk smack on the fans, then he fires body shots on Jey. Waller whips corner to corner, runs up, but Jey dodges! Waller hits buckles, Jey back body blocks and ENZIGIRIS! Waller staggers around, Jey runs up him and LARIATS him out of the ring! The fans fire up as Waller staggers around. Jey says YEET and then DIVES! Direct hit at the ramp and the fans fire up! Jey gets Waller up, puts him in the ring, but Theory sneaks up!

Theory grabs Jey’s foot, Jey kicks him away, but Waller BLASTS Jey! Then Waller slides out to LARIAT! The fans boo but Theory mocks the YEET, and Raw goes to break.

Raw returns as Waller has Jey down, and hits the BALLER ELBOW! Cover, TWO! Jey is still in this and Waller is annoyed. Waller talks trash on Jey, kicks him around, and then talks trash on the fans again. Waller scuffs Jey, eggs him on, and the fans rally up. Jey rises up, and he counter punches Waller! “YEET! YEET! YEET!” Jey pops ‘n’ locks, then puts some stank on the HAYMAKER! The fans fire up as Jey then mule kicks, UPPERCUTS, and dodges for a SAMOAN DROP! The fans fire up again as Jey watches Waller go to the corner. “YEET! YEET!” HIP ATTACK! Waller flounders, Jey goes up, but Theory sneaks over again!

The ref tells Theory to back off, but this allows Waller to get away! Waller then fireman’s carries, but Jey slips free! SUPERKICK! Waller tumbles out, Jey builds speed, and he DIVES into a HOTSHOT! Waller then somersaults, DOWN UNDER! Cover, TWO! Jey survives Waller’s best shot and Waller is furious! Waller rains down forearms, then covers, TWO! Jey is still in this, the fans rally up, but Waller drags him up. Waller ROLLING- NO, Jey dodges to-0 NO, Waller kicks the spear away! ROLLING ELBOW! Waller gets moving, but Jey SUPERKICKS again! Waller falls, Theory gets up, but Jey SUPERKICKS him, too! Jey dodges Waller again, and SPEARS!! Cover, Jey wins!

Winner: Jey Uso, by pinfall

Almost a 2v1 here, but Jey comes out on top! Only for Theory to CLOBBER him from behind! The fans boo as Theory beats Jey down, then stands him up. But Jey fires back with haymakers! So Waller attacks! Now it really is 2v1 as they stomp away on Jey! The fans boo more, but Theory sends Jey up. Waller runs in, but Jey TOSSES him up and out! Jey dodges Theory, to SPEAR! The fans fire up again as Jey climbs up! USO SPLASH for Theory! BUT GUNTHER IS HERE! SLEEPER!! The fans boo even more as Der Ring General chokes Jey out! Body scissors are on tight, Jey is fading out, just like last week!

Refs rush out here, Gunther lets Jey go, but Gunther keeps his promise of attacking Jey every chance he gets! Will the World Heavyweight Champion make sure Jey stands absolutely no chance of winning the gold in Las Vegas?

The Alpha Academy checks on Jey backstage.

Jey’s got an icepack, and Otis, Maxxine & Tozawa say they saw that. Is he good? Yeah, Uce, he’ll be alright. Otis gives Jey a pat on the shoulder and kiss on the side of the head. Otis says they’ve got Jey’s back, then they head out. Will Jey need all the help he can get with Gunther constantly targeting him?

Logan Paul is here!

MSG boos The Maverick as he makes his way to the ring, anticipating AJ Styles calling him out. Logan gets the mic to tell Madison Square Garden, “Look. AJ Styles…” The fans boo louder now but Logan says AJ Styles was supposed to come out here. The fans boo so much that Logan gets annoyed. Logan says Styles wanted to call him out here, but Logan’s beating Styles to the punch. Logan doesn’t associate with guys like AJ Styles. This is Logan Paul. When you hear that name, you think of names like The Rock, John Cena, names that have transcended sports AND entertainment. Names of men who will do anything that it takes to get to the top!

The fans chant “YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!” Logan says he is so shocked Cody rejected the offer of a lifetime! It took John Cena 20 YEARS to realize that nice guys finish last. But Logan knew that since day one. Which is why, Dwayne, “The Rock,” Final Boss, consider Logan for sale. He doesn’t run away from opportunities when they present themselves. That is why he is in MSG and the “reggies” are in the crowd! You’re watching on TV and Logan’s the celebrity. That is why celebrities come to these events! Like Andrew Shultz! Real recognizes real! Andrew isn’t so sure about that… But Logan says hold on, let’s get “Shultzy” a mic.

Logan says don’t be shy, man! Tell us why you’re here tonight. Andrew says he’s here for what we’re all here for: the steel cage match. Yeah! CM Punk and Seth Rollins! Logan says yeah, those are names. But who did he come to see tonight? Shultz tells Logan that no one is here for Logan. This ain’t Cleveland, this is NEW YORK CITY! A real city, a real arena, and they like real pro-wrestlers. Shultz wants to see AJ Styles! Logan says okay, ha ha. Then he YANKS Shultz over the barriers! The fans boo but Logan puts Shultz in the ring! Logan throws off his jacket, reels Shultz in, but here comes Styles! The fans fire up as The Phenomenal One fires hands on Logan! PHENOMENAL BLITZ!!

Logan flounders, Shultz brushes himself off, and Styles gives Logan a PHENOMENAL FOREARM! MSG is all fired up, Styles and Shultz high-five, and Logan flounders away. Logan hears everyone cheering on “A J STYLES!” and Styles shouts, “Get your ass back in this ring, I’m not done with you!” Logan seems done, but Styles eggs him on. “You don’t run from opportunities. Oh, you gonna walk your sorry ass to the back? C’mon, Logan! This is NEW YORK CITY! Hey, Andrew, this is NYC! Styles & Shultz stand tall together, will Logan think things through before he’s so ImPAULsive?

Tornado Tag: The New Day VS Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee!

Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods have tried to bully the LWO, but they didn’t keep the King of Lucha down for long. Rey is back and he is bringing the Boy Wonder with him into what is sure to be a wild one! Who will stand tall when there’s nothing to hold these teams back?

Raw returns and the LWO makes their entrance. The bell rings and the brawl is on! The fans fire up as Rey has Woods and Lee has Kofi! They have the New Day in the corners, then send them to opposite corners. Rey SPLASHES Woods, Lee LARIATS Kofi, and then they each RAM the New Day. Rey & Lee then climb up, and they rain down fists! The fans count along, and both sides go to nine, before they hit STEREO BULLDOGS! The fans fire up with Rey & Lee while The New Day bails out. That won’t stop LWO, they go out to KICK Woods and RAM Kofi into the apron! Rey SMACKS Woods off the desk!

Rey coordinates with Lee, and they start looking under the ring. The fans want tables but Rey has to POST Woods first. Rey & Lee look, and there we are! A TABLE! The fans fire up but New Day CLOBBERS LWO! Woods POSTS Rey in return, and Kofi THROWS Lee into barriers! Woods chants for tables, but he puts it back under the ring! The fans boo, New Day is no longer fun. Rey fires back fists, Lee is after Kofi, and BACKDROPS him away! Rey whips Woods into barriers! Oba Femi is there and enjoying this. Lee ALLEY-OOPS Rey onto Kofi, then he DROPKICKS Woods! Rey puts Kofi in the ring and fans again want tables.

Rey & Lee hear the fans, and they bring out the table! That table is set up nearby, and the LWO goes back to Kofi in the ring. Lee electric Chair Lifts Kofi, but Woods CHOP BLOCKS Lee! Kofi CLOBBERS Rey, and then TOSSES him out! New Day then DOUBLE WHIP Rey hard into the steel steps! The fans boo, but Lee LEAPS, only to get caught! DOUBLE POWERBOMB on the floor! Lee writhes, Woods & Kofi talk trash, and Raw goes to break.

Raw returns again and Woods digs his boot into Rey in a corner. Kofi puts Lee up top on a corner, and then Woods SLIDES Rey out of the ring! The fans boo but Woods joins Kofi on the corner. They have Lee up top, CLUB away on him, then bring him up. Lee fights with body shots and forearms! Kofi staggers back, then Woods follows! Kofi comes back to ROCK Lee! Kofi goes up to CLUB away again, but Rey TRIPS Kofi up! Kofi is in the Tree of Woe, Woods ROCKS Rey! Woods JABS Lee, climbs up the outside and ROCKS Lee again! Woods climbs to get after Lee, but Lee CHOPS Woods in return! Rey climbs up, gets help from Lee, SUPER STEINER on Woods!

Lee WOE STOMPS Kofi!! Cover, TWO!! Kofi survives and Lee can’t believe it! The fans rally up as hard as they can, and Lee FLYING RANA Woods onto the table! Woods bounces off the table, it breaks, and Rey is stunned! Kofi O’Conner Rolls, TWO! Rey has Kofi on ropes and dials it up! But he has to dodge Trouble in Paradise! SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO!! Rey whips, Kofi reverses, but Rey slides under, and he RANAS Kofi back onto ropes! Redial and 619!! Kofi falls, the fans are thunderous, and Rey climbs up! DROP THE DIVE but onto knees! Cover, LEE BREAKS IT! The fans fire up again as Lee saves it!

Lee SUPERKICKS Kofi, then LARIATS him up and out! “This is Awesome!” as Lee FLIES! Direct hit and down goes Kofi! The fans are thunderous, but who is this!? FLYING RANA on Lee! And a FLYING HEADBUTT! Wait, that mask is star-spangled. Could it be…?! Rey runs out there, but this man catches Rey, SMACKS him off the apron, and GERMAN SUPLEXES! This mysterious American Made luchador says, “A THANK YOU~!” Security runs out here to chase off El Chad, but New Day goes after Rey! BACKBREAKER and DOUBLE STOMPS!! The Up Up Down Down!! Cover, New Day wins!

Winners: The New Day, by pinfall

The fans boo, but Kofi & Woods only won this thanks to that big assist from you-know-who. Will this lead New Day to a new shot at the WWE World Tag Team Championships?

Judgment Day is in the clubhouse.

Finn Balor complains about Bron Breakker. He suplexes Dominik on the outside, he slams Finn in the ring, and he spears Carlito! Is Carlito even listening? Carlito is too busy looking at his apples. Carlito says it’s crazy. He thought Cena would be a good guy forever, just like Carlito! Then Carlito asks if Raquel asked about him. No… Anyway, in step Dominik, Liv & Raquel. Dom checks if Finn is fine, and Finn says why wouldn’t he be fine. Liv says don’t worry, they have it all sorted out. For whatever reason, Bayley feels like she’s owed a Women’s Intercontinental Championship match, so tonight, it is Bayley VS Raquel!

And after Raquel beats Bayley, Raquel will get the shot at Lyra. How cool is that? Carlito says very cool. Carlito wants a fist bump, Raquel leaves him hanging. And Dom has more news. He talked with Adam Pearce about Bron Breakker. Oh, Finn figured Dom would get himself a title match. Actually, no, Dom got Finn the match. Bron agreed to it, Pearce is just waiting on Finn to make it official for next week. Finn hugs Dom! Finn thanks Dom, and Dom says he’s got you, Finn. Finn goes off to talk with Pearce now, and Liv hopes Dom knows what he’s doing letting Finn have the title shot. Dom says he trusts Finn. Finn can do this.

The Judgment Day seems to be doing better than usual, but will that fall apart like always? Or is Judgment Day finally on the same page again?

Cody Rhodes is here!

MSG fires up for The American Nightmare and sings along with the song, “WHOA~ OH~!” Cody gets the pyro, still has that black eye, but he still high-fives fans on the way to the ring. After saying his part last Friday Night SmackDown, what will the Undisputed WWE Champion have to say about John Cena and his WrestleMania main event? We find out, after the break.

Raw returns and Cody has the mic to ask, “So, New York City…! What do we wanna talk about?” The fans chant, “CENA SUCKS! CENA SUCKS!” Cody grins, and he says they could talk about why he’s here. This is the cathedral of sports entertainment, this is WWE’s home, this is the center of the pro-wrestling universe, this is THE GARDEN! The fans cheer that, and Cody says his opponent, John Cena… Pause for booing… “Who I know is going to be at WrestleMania 41… is not here tonight.” The fans boo that, and Cody says apparently, Cena told his inner circle of Travis Scott and The Final Boss, The Rock, that he wasn’t going to be here.

But Cena will be here for Raw next week, when they’re in Brussels, Belgium. Cody isn’t sure he likes that. This is the same Cena that won the United States Championship here in MSG. He came back from having his pec torn and won the Royal Rumble right here in MSG! And yet, he can’t be bothered to be here. It was an “easy decision.” Well, it is also an easy decision to swing on someone after you kicked them in the nuts and had back-up. Cody won’t begrudge a legend calling his shots. He won’t begrudge Cena for a part-time schedule, because Cena’s part-time is better than most people’s full-time. Fans oddly duel, “Let’s Go, Cena!” “CENA SUCKS!”

Cody says fun things happen when we’re live. Cena’s surely still watching, so let him hear you! The fans cheer and jeer while Cody paces. But what Cody will begrudge is the day after the Elimination Chamber, Cena was on social media. HE posted, “Have the discipline to do what needs to be done, even if you don’t feel like it.” What needs to be done? Remember that teacher you wanted to be challenged by? That you’d accept their lessons, even if they were spiteful and jarring? That coach that stands on the sidelines while you’re in the midst of the game, and they’re still calling plays? At a certain point, you have to look over and say, “John, sit down, you gaddamn moron!!”

The fans cheer that! Cody says, “Best for business, right? Nobody defined ‘best for business’ more than John Cena. But I dunno. There’s almost 17 THOUSAND people in here tonight!” Actually, closer to 20 thousand. But Cody says they know what’s best for business. And turns out, the business has changed. And so they know that it is tacky to tout stats, but here’s one that will never be, it is just one man’s delusion. It is the 17th world title reign. The 17th does not happen! But what does happen is Cody get the heartbreaking privilege of beating his hearo in his last chance, while he finds out what the rest of us already know

And Cena finds it out in real-time. John… Cody’s the captain now! New York, God Bless and goodnight! The fans fire up as Cody holds up the title. But will Cena be playing with a loaded deck when we arrive in Vegas?

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Bayley VS Raquel Rodriguez w/ Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio!

The Role Model has held all the gold that there’s been in the WWE, until now. But The Judgment Day want all the gold, and that can’t happen if Bayley beats them to this title. Will Ricky Desperado defeat one of the Four Horsewomen to have her shot? Or will Bayley be undeniable on the Road to WrestleMania?

The bell rings, Bayley and Raquel circle, and they tie up. Raquel powers Bayley back, puts her in a corner, and the ref counts. Raquel smothers Bayley, lets off at 4, then pie faces her. Bayley kicks Raquel in the leg! Bayley waistlocks, Raquel wrenches to wristlock, but Bayley rolls. Raquel throws Bayley down by her hair! Liv & Dom cheer but the fans boo. Raquel stands Bayley up, whips her to a corner, but Bayley goes up and out. Bayley RAMS into Raquel, then has her in the ropes. Raquel shoves Bayley down, Liv laughs at her, but Bayley grabs Raquel’s foot. Raquel stomps Bayley, then puts her int he ring.

Raquel rolls in but Bayley HAMMERS away! Bayley runs, but Raquel RUNS her over! The fans rally for Bayley but Raquel whips her to a corner. Raquel runs up, Bayley dodges and Raquel hits buckles! Raquel blocks the arm-drag, and she CLOBBERS Bayley again! And again! The fans boo but Raquel whips Bayley to a corner. Raquel runs up, Bayley BOOTS her, then BOOTS her again! Bayley goes up, and FLYING ARM-DRAGS! Raquel goes to a corner, Bayley runs up to ELBOW her! And then RAM- NO, Raquel stuffs that and SWINGS Bayley in the facelock! Raquel TOSSES Bayley away, Liv & Dom cheer but the fans boo more.

Raquel grins as she scoops Bayley, and then FALL AWAY SLAMS! Raquel steps on Bayley, goes up the corner, but Bayley YANKS Raquel down! Bayley fires off forearms, Raquel shoves her back, but Bayley KNEES Raquel down! Bayley then runs to BRONCO BUSTER! Bayley drags Raquel, Raquel BOOTS her away! Liv coaches Raquel up, but Bayley goes to the apron! GUILLOTINE ELBOW DROP! Bayley taunts Liv, then tells her to watch this! Liv still taunts Bayley with her belt, but Raw goes to break.

Raw returns and Raquel runs in, goes out, but Bayley avoids the apron leg drop! Raquel clutches her hamstring, drags Bayley up, but Bayley ROCKS her, and HOTSHOTS her int he ropes! Then she KNEES Raquel and goes up for a FLYING STUNNER! Bayley drags Raquel in, but Raquel BOOTS her away! Bayley rebounds to SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Raquel stays in this, but Bayley stays on her with a clinch. Raquel fights the lift, CLUBS away on Bayley, then shoves her to a corner. Raquel TOSSES Bayley across the way! Raquel then deadlift suplexes, but Bayley slips free and O’Conner Rolls! TWO, but Bayley returns to KNEE Raquel down!

The fans fire up as Bayley goes to a corner. Bayley climbs, aims, MACHO ELBOW!! Cover, TWO!! The fans fire up while both women are down. Dom & Liv coach Raquel but Bayley clinches. Raquel scoops her and runs for a corner! Bayley slips free, Raquel hits buckles again! Bayley runs, Raquel follows, but Bayley ducks! Bayley blocks the southpaw lariat to SAIDO! High stack, TWO! The fans rally while Bayley grows frustrated. Liv coaches Raquel, Bayley hooks Raquel up, ROSE- NO, Raquel lifts for a TEJANA- NO, Bayley slips free! Bayley TOSSES Raquel out, Liv worries, and Bayley WRECKS Raquel with a dorpkick!

Bayley builds speed and she slides, but Raquel dodges this time! Raquel ROCKS Bayley, hoists her up, but Bayley slips free again! Bayley POSTS Raquel! Bayley rolls into the ring as the ring count climbs. Raquel crawls, Dom gest on the apron! Bayley builds speed, but Liv trips her up! Bayley DECKS Liv, then BLASTS Dom! The fans fire up as Bayley keeps moving, and she DIVES, but into Raquel’s arms! BELLY2BELLY on the desk! Raquel uses one of Bayley’s signatures against her then leaves her behind! The ring count is 5 of 10 but Bayley sputters and stirs. Bayley slumps off the desk at 8, rolls in at 9, but Raquel BOOTS her down!

Raquel hauls Bayley back up, for the TEJANA BOMB!! Cover, Raquel wins!

Winner: Raquel Rodriguez, by pinfall (NEW #1 Contender to the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship)

It helps when this was 3v1, but a win is a win. Will Judgment Day take the Intercontinental title from Lyra? Or will The Morrigan be ready for Judgment Day?

Backstage interview with Chad Gable.

Cathy Kelley says Gable made quite the return when he interfered during the tornado tag match, all while wearing a lucha mask. Gable says hold on, whoa. He what? No, that wasn’t him. That was not him! He saw what happened, and agrees it was ridiculous for some fan or whoever to jump the barricade and interfere in what was a great match. Cathy stops Gable there. The last time we saw him, he said he was going on sabbatical to learn the ways of lucha, and now he is saying the man out there, wearing a star-spangled lucha mask, and the exact same outfit as Gable is wearing now, was someone else?

Gable says we are in MSG, and security here is clearly pathetic. They should’ve had hands on that guy immediately, dragged the guy out of there before anything went down. Cathy says this is Gable’s chance to be honest with the fans, but Gable claims he IS being honest! Wait, who is that back there? He’s wearing the mask, a hoodie, and everything else similar to what Gable is wearing. Gable says that’s New York security for you. Pathetic. Gable leaves us all baffled. Was that really not Gable during the tornado tag match? Or is Gable just pulling off an elaborate ruse as part of his revenge on Rey Mysterio?

Michael Cole is in the ring.

Raw returns as the Voice of WWE welcomes out the NEW WWE Women’s World Champion, Iyo Sky! MSG fires up for the Evil Genius as she makes her way out here. Iyo is herself a Grand Slam Champion now, but this title will be on the line at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. The fans cheer on Iyo while Maggle hands her a mic. Maggle congratulates her on going to WrestleMania as THE Women’s World Champion. An incredible match with Rhea Ripley last week, how is she feeling? The fans chant, “You Deserve It!” and Iyo thanks them. And she says it is a dream come true to be here at Madison Square Garden as a champion!

The fans cheer, and Iyo says she proved that the impossible is possible, just as she said she would! And now, she’s over the moon to be champion going into WrestleMania! The fans cheer again, and Maggle says her work is cut out for her. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome out the Elimination Chamber winner, The EST, Bianca Belair! MSG cheers again as Bianca makes her entrance now, still recovering emotionally from everything with Naomi last Friday Night SmackDown. Bianca still manages a smile as she joins Iyo in the ring, and she gets herself a mic while the fans chant “E S T! E S T!” Bianca says first off, congratulations on last week.

Bianca knows they haven’t always seen eye to eye, but she is excited that it is them going to WrestleMania. Maggle must ask, Bianca was there at ringside last week. She got into it with Rhea, but if Bianca wasn’t out here, wouldn’t Rhea still be champion? Bianca says she wasn’t planning on doing anything with drama. She’s had enough of that as it is. She just wanted to see who the champion was gonna be. Bianca apologized to Rhea, she did not mean to disrespect her, but if Rhea thought she was going to put hands on Bianca and get away with it, she doesn’t know Bianca at all. The fans cheer that.

Bianca says right now, she wants to focus on WrestleMania. But wait! Rhea is here! MSG fires up for Mami, and Maggle decides to exit the ring. Rhea slaps her mic awake and says cut the music! So Bianca, what was the reason? Bianca says she won Elimination Chamber, that’s why. Then what was the reason for being ringside? She just said! Rhea says she doesn’t need Bianca’s excuses. That was a championship match! What would Bianca have wanted? To help Iyo because you’re afraid of Rhea and know you can’t beat her? Because there was NO reason for Bianca to be out here. Maybe Bianca should’ve let Rhea handle her business while Bianca handled hers.

Bianca says, “Really, Rhea? I got all this going on, you wanna bring that up?” Then let’s be real. Rhea is not mad that Bianca didn’t clap for her. She’s just mad Bianca clapped for Iyo, too. This whole thing is a defense mechanism because Rhea knows she can’t beat Iyo and is looking to blame Bianca. Iyo tries to keep the peace, but Rhea brushes her aside! Rhea says Bianca is hiding behind Iyo, just like she did behind Naomi and behind Jade! Bianca says nobody is hiding now, so what’s Rhea gonna do about it? Iyo tries again to stop this, but now Bianca pushes her aside! The fans get fired up, and Iyo SLAPS Rhea! And then she SLAPS Bianca!

The fans fire up as the champion will NOT be disrespected! Iyo says they’re the ones chasing her, not the other way around! Iyo storms off, will no one, not even Rhea and Bianca, overshadow her?

Steel Cage Match: Seth Rollins VS CM Punk!

There has been tension between these two for years, but things really heated up ever since Survivor Series: WarGames in Chicago. The Second City Saint’s return to the WWE has been gnawing at The Visionary, and from this year’s Royal Rumble to Elimination Chamber, it became too much! The steel won’t hold these two back, it’ll only contain them! But who walks out of Madison Square Garden under their own power?

Raw returns as Rollins paces inside the cage, and fans are already chanting for “C M PUNK! C M PUNK!” Punk’s music hits and the fans all sing along with Cult of Personality. Punk lets us know, “IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME~!” Punk then joins Rollins inside the cage, and the brawl is on! The bell rings, the fans fire up, and Rollins fires off fists! Punk turns things around to fire back, but Rollins RAMS Punk into another corner! Rollins and Punk fire shots, Punk CHOPS and ROCKS and pulls hair, but so does Rollins! Rollins grinds his forearm into Punk’s face, shoves him, but Punk fires hands while the fans cheer him on!

Punk runs Rollins at the wall, but Rollins stops short to ELBOW Punk away! Rollins tries but Punk stops from hitting steel! Punk fires hands, Rollins fires back, and the fans duel. Rollins RIPS Punk’s shirt away to CHOP! Punk gets in Rollins’ face, then ROCKS him! The shots go back and forth, the fans are thunderous, and then it just turns into a SLAP fight! SLAP after SLAP after SLAP, wild shots from both men, but then Rollins ducks a roundhouse! Rollins fires a windmill of haymakers, but Punk gives them back! The fans are loving this slug fest! Both men stop just a moment, and then Rollins CHOPS! Punk CHOPS Rollins in return!

Rollins fires a haymaker! Punk fires a haymaker! Rollins fires back, both men lean on each other, but then Punk ROCKS Rollins! And ROCKS him again! And again! Rollins staggers, but he comes back to ROCK Punk! Rollins snarls while Punk shakes out the stars. Rollins storms up, but Punk fireman’s carries! Rollins slips free, goes to a corner, and he stops Punk’s Shining Wizard! Corner to corner, BUCKLE BOMB into the steel cage!! Punk slumps down and gets scraped up, and Raw goes to break!

Raw returns again and Rollins CLAWS Punk’s face in the corner. Punk fights back, fires hands, but Rollins kicks a leg! Rollins THROWS Punk into the cage, then GRINDS him into the steel! Punk can only endure as Rollins stands on his head! Rollins steps off and paces while Punk sputters. The fans rally and duel, but Rollins drags Punk back to stomp him in the gut! Punk reaches at Rollins, but Rollins drops an ELBOW! Rollins paces, tells the refs to open the door, and the door opens. Rollins dares Punk to leave? Rollins says Punk should just take the easy way out! Punk flips ROllins off! And then they fire hands again!

Punk backs Rollins down, whips him, but Rollins reverses to kick low! Rollins reels Punk in, hoists him up, and POWER- RANA! Punk sends Rollins into steel now! And then fireman’s carry! GO TO SLEEP!! Both men fall back, the fans fire up, but what will Punk do? Punk drags himself up with the ropes, watching Rollins do the same on the other end. Punk runs up, SHINING WIZARD against the steel! Rollins stays up thanks to the ropes, and Punk GRINDS Rollins’ face into the steel! The fans fire up as Punk then runs to BLINDSIDE SHINING WIZARD! Rollins flops back, Punk calls for the door, and now Punk dares Rollins to leave!

Rollins flips Punk off in return, so Punk runs up, SHINING WIZARD in the corner! Punk turns Rollins for a NECKBREAKER! The fans rally, Punk drops an ELBOW on Rollins. And then another ELBOW! And then a third ELBOW! Rollins sputters, Punk goes to a corner, and he climbs up top. Hail to the king, MACHO ELBOW!! Punk grits his teeth but he still smiles. Punk goes back to the corner, climbs up again, and says F you, Rollins. MACHO ELBOW!! Rollins sputters, fans want that “ONE MORE TIME!” Punk stands, and he figures why not. Punk climbs the corner, and then MACHO ELBOWS again!! Cover, TWO!!

Rollins is still in this, and Punk is a bit surprised. Punk goes back to the corner, but then he climbs the cage! The fans fire up as Punk stands on the very top, 20 off the ground, and he looks back down! But Rollins hurries to the ropes! Rollins climbs, Punk meets him there with kicks! But Rollins trips Punk up! Rollins joins Punk, the corner came watches them brawl up there! The fans rally as the punches and CHOPS and KICKS go back and forth! Punk stands and he KICKS at Rollins again and again! But Rollins kicks the legs out! Punk still throws hands! Rollins dangles off the cage on the inside, and Punk kicks at him more!

Rollins drags Punk back inside for a SUPER DUPER PLEX!! The fans are thunderously losing their minds as Rollins crawls to a cover, TWO!! Punk survives and “This is Awesome!” Rollins and Punk crawl around, and they find each other. Rollins fires a haymaker! Punk fires back! Rollins fires another, so Punk fires back! They both stand, throw hands, and then Punk ROCKS and JABS on repeat! But Rollins fires a flurry in return! Rollins eggs Punk on, so Punk fires more hands! Punk fireman’s carries, but Rollins fights free! Rollins underhooks, but Punk fireman’s carries through! GO TO SLEEP!!! Cover, TWO?!?!

MSG is in disbelief and Punk is frustrated, but Rollins survives! Punk points to the WrestleMania sign, then says night-night! Punk drags Rollins up, fireman’s carries again, and while looking at the sign, GO TO- NO!! Rollins snatches the leg, drags Punk down, S T F!! Rollins is using the move John Cena won with! Rollins shouts at Punk to just pass out already! Punk endures, but he’s fading! Rollins squeezes as tight as he can and says Punk needs to go to sleep! Punk finds new life, pries free, and has the ANACONDA VICE!!! Rollins flails, Punk tells Rollins to stop, and Rollins grabs ropes! No ropebreaks in a cage match!

Rollins KICKS, KNEES, and CLAWS Punk into letting go! Then CURB STOMP!!! Rollins flounders to a cover, TWO?!?!? Rollins is beside himself, but MSG is thunderous again! Punk survives and the fans rally up for him again. Rollins snarls, goes back to a corner, and he says this is what Punk wants. Rollins goes up the corner, but Punk YANKS Rollins down! And fireman’s carries! GO TO SLEEP!!! Cover, TWO!??!?! HOW?!?!? MSG cannot believe this, Punk is seething, but now Rollins’ song starts to rise up! “WHOA~ OH~ OHH~!” Punk goes to a corner, watches Rollins as he stirs, and runs to steal the CURB STOMP!!!

The fans go nuts as Punk uses Rollins’ move, then covers, TWO!!!! Rollins survives his own move and now Punk is just pissed. Punk calls for the door, then heads that way. The door opens, but Punk hesitates. He didn’t take this way out before, will he really take it now? Rollins dares him to do it! If Punk wants to take WWE from Rollins, then he needs to earn it! So Punk SHINING WIZARDS Rollins! Punk reels him in for a fireman’s carry! But Rollins slips free, and fireman’s carries!! And steals GO TO SLEEP!!! And then a CURB STOMP on top!!! Cover, TWO?!?!?!? Now Punk is the one that’s shocked MSG!

Rollins has no idea how this is possible, but Punk has survived both his own move and Rollins’ best move. Rollins decides to escalate, and he goes up the corner! Punk sits up, into a SUPER CURB STOMP!!! Rollins looks down at Punk, and tells him this is what he deserves. Wait, what’s going on? The fans notice someone is here! IT’S ROMAN REIGNS!!!! ROMAN DRAGS ROLLINS OUT OF THE RING, ROLLINS WINS BECAUSE OF IT!!

Winner: Seth Rollins, by escape

Rollins is shocked that The OTC is back! Rollins hurries to his feet, SUPERMAN PUNCH!! Roman lets out the battle cry, and he SPEARS Rollins down!!! The fans are thunderous for the OTC as he THROWS Rollins into barriers! Roman scowls as Rollins flounders around, and Roman lines up another shot. Roman runs up to CURB STOMP ROLLINS ON THE FLOOR!!! Roman shouts, “You wanna to take me out!? You CAN’T take me out!!” Roman looms over Roman, the fans cheer him on, and Roman says hold on, there’s more. Roman puts Rollins up against the steel steps, the same as Rollins did to him at the ROyal Rumble!

Roman says he’s gonna end it all! Roman lines up another shot, but Adam Pearce, producers, and referees rush out here! The fans boo, Roman wants after Rollins, but Pearce says no! Don’t do it, Roman! Roman then looks to CM Punk in the ring, and how Paul Heyman is by his side…? The Wise Man is helping Punk to his feet, and Roman laughs. Roman storms into the cage, and he THROWS Punk against the steel! And then more steel! And then SPEAR!! Heyman is shocked but the fans cheer on “O T C! O T C!” Will everyone have no choice but to ACKNOWLEDGE HIM!?

My Thoughts:

A great episode here, though maybe a bit more bare bones than I thought it’d be before WWE starts on their Euro Tour. Jey VS Waller was a good opening match, though fairly quick. And Jey of course won, only for Gunther to attack him again. If Alpha Academy is going to have Jey’s back, maybe they need to start going out there with him. There might even be a rather odd Six Man Tag they could put together of Jey & Alpha Academy VS Gunther & A-Town Down Under. But also, the more Gunther keeps beating Jey up and standing tall, the more I think Jey should win at WrestleMania.

Good stuff in the segment with Logan and Styles, though they also had to plug a Netflix special at the same time. Styles getting the better of Logan here was also a “feel good” moment, but I’m sure Logan will stand tall the next time. This is of course going to be the WrestleMania match, whether we like it or not. I still hope there’s something bigger planned for the midcard titles. Judgment Day has a good segment to set up things, and Finn VS Bron for the Intercontinental Championship will be great, but it wouldn’t be so bad to put Styles and Logan and a couple others in the mix.

Bayley VS Raquel was good stuff, but obviously Dom & Liv were going to interfere. Raquel VS Lyra will be a very good match, and will certainly have more interference from Dom & Liv. Maybe Bayley helps Lyra retain, and we could get Bayley & Lyra VS Liv & Raquel tag match before we do more with the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Great promo segment from Iyo with Bianca and Rhea. Something about it felt very reminiscent of when Bianca was the third wheel in the Rhea and Charlotte build a few years ago. Iyo standing up to Rhea and Bianca is great stuff, but it is about to be a Triple Threat, I can just feel it.

Very good Tornado Tag, though not quite as wild as expected. That’s probably because this was all just an excuse for Chad Gable to interfere with the match and make sure Rey lost. And c’mon, seeing security escort a guy wearing that particular lucha mask and an outfit matching Gable’s has to be a decoy. That same “mysterious luchador” will show up again, and then he will eventually be unmasked as Gable, even though we all know it’s him anyway. It’s very “Mr. American was Hulk Hogan” of them to do, but why not do it again for a younger generation that doesn’t know about any of that?

Another great promo from Cody, though maybe redundant from Friday’s. At the same time, the whole point was that Cena is too good for even Madison Square Garden, adding to the heat Heel Cena needs to have going into WrestleMania. Cena and Cody will surely have a direct confrontation for Raw in Brussels next week. And with Netflix now streaming Raw, we here in the USA can watch that in the afternoon, several hours before the normal schedule. That is going to be a very fun experience, I can’t wait.

And of course, a great Steel Cage match for Rollins and Punk. I appreciate that while the escape stipulation was still part of the match, both guys used it on the other like it was a cowardly way to win, which made things escalate even more. Now, not everyone is going to be a fan of the false finishes with the finishers, but I felt it added to things. It may not even be so much that Rollins and Punk are tougher than that, it’s that they hate each other that much. But what a great way for Roman to return, too. Roman got to demolish Rollins AND Punk, and this is definitely going to be a Triple Threat of its own, in an attempt to settle all the grudges between them at once.

My Score: 8.7/10