WWE Monday Night Raw comes to us this week from the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN. This is the same location where Batista & John Cena defeated the team of Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr. to win the World Tag Team Championship. This would kick off their feud, culminating in their first major match in WWE at SummerSlam 2008. Despite the previous few weeks seeing Raw promote a slate of several matches and segments a week beforehand, this week only sees a variety of segments announced and just one match. Included on this week’s Raw are Randy Orton’s 20 year anniversary and a major title defense. Let’s see the line-up Raw has set up.
WWE Raw (4/25/22) Full Card
Randy Orton’s 20 Year Anniversary
Right on the dot, Randy Orton’s first appearance on WWE television was televised on April 25, 2002. Technically taped two days before on April 23 from the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois, Orton made his debut defeating Hardcore Holly, beginning a now 20 year career that has seen him win 14 world championships, win 2 Royal Rumbles, and headline 2 WrestleManias as well as having the distinction of entering every WrestleMania with every WWE Championship available to him at the time. This week, Raw celebrates Orton’s 20 year anniversary.
Given his Raw tag team partner, The Original Bro, Riddle, expect some sort of fun party to be thrown for Orton’s 20 year anniversary. Seeing the major love fans rain down on the team of RK-Bro, it will likely be a well received segment. However, we have to wonder if The Usos will pay another visit after they attacked the Raw Tag Team Champions in the middle of Sami Zayn & Drew McIntyre’s Lumberjack Match.
Who ya got tomorrow night on #WWERaw when @fightbobby meets @TheGiantOmos in an Arm Wrestling Match?!
📺 8/7c @USA_Network@The305MVP pic.twitter.com/zFCdbBOUtU— WWE (@WWE) April 24, 2022
Bobby Lashley vs Omos In Arm-Wrestling
A favorite for WWE involving strong-men, Bobby Lashley and Omos will face off to measure strength in an arm-wrestling contest. The All-Mighty One has had his fair share of these with the likes of Braun Strowman, Apollo Crews, and even with Vince McMahon. As it tends to go with these, the bad guy will seem to dominate, only for the good guy to come back, almost win and then the table flies before the heel can lose. Is that how it will go down tonight? Their rematch, despite being so clearly pushed, has yet to be officially made.
Becky Lynch Returns
After suffering her first major defeat since Money In The Bank 2019 at WrestleMania at the hands of The EST, Bianca Belair, Big Time Becks, Becky Lynch will make her first appearance on Monday Night Raw. She was very adamant about how much the Raw Women’s title meant to her and seemed to break down more and more as the pressure of her match with Bianca Belair loomed over her.
Her return coincides with Bianca’s first title defense against Sonya Deville. Is it possible that we will see yet another match between Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair, or are there other plans for The Man?
Who ya got tomorrow night on #WWERaw when @SonyaDevilleWWE challenges @BiancaBelairWWE for the #WWERaw #WomensTitle?
📺 8/7c @USA_Network https://t.co/fp4m3vgPqf pic.twitter.com/rrn1ksToc6
— WWE (@WWE) April 24, 2022
The EST’s First Defense
This is Raw’s only slated match. The EST of WWE, Bianca Belair, defends the Raw Women’s Champion against WWE Official, Sonya Deville. Yet again, the wrestler-turned authority figure uses her status to antagonize an active member of the female roster, as she did for months against Naomi. Slipping herself this title opportunity, it’s earned her no favors from the rest of the office.
The match, oddly enough, is not slated for Wrestlemania Backlash. Instead, it will take place here on Raw.
Other Things We Might See
Last week, Theory captured the United States Championship by defeating Finn Balor. Is a rematch coming, or is poor Finn Balor falling off the WWE rails again? Regardless, now that Theory has his prize on top of the favor of Mr. McMahon, what’s next?
Edge vs AJ Styles has already been confirmed for Wrestlemania Backlash. But we have to see what happens in the meantime, as well as Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
All this, and more, is set tonight on WWE Monday Night Raw.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the WWE Network and Peacock.
