It’s a rare Monday Night Raw tonight with a full lineup being announced a week in advance. Maybe times are changing, at least we can hope. WWE Raw tonight comes to us from the Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The first time WWE would use this arena would be for Hell in a Cell 2017, where Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon in the namesake structure when Sami Zayn came to Owens’s rescue. It began a heel turn for Zayn that is still going to this day. On this week’s WWE Raw, Cody Rhodes steps into the ring and much more.
WWE Raw Card and Preview (4/11/22)
For the first time in six years, @CodyRhodes will be in action TONIGHT on #WWERaw! @mikethemiz https://t.co/TbrBM2Pux1 pic.twitter.com/8GoZbz6KU1
— WWE (@WWE) April 11, 2022
Cody Rhodes Wrestles First Match on WWE Raw in 7 Years
May 2nd, 2016, was Cody Rhodes’ last match on Monday Night Raw. On this night, he was part of a Battle Royal to see who would challenge for the United States Championship; it was won by Rusev. He went on to beat Sheamus on a post-Raw WWE Network-only match to win the title.
Cody Rhodes will wrestle his first WWE Raw match in 7 years against The Miz. Last Word On Pro Wrestling has a full article on said match.
Punishment for Styles
A former ROH Pure Champion will face a former ROH TV Champion. AJ Styles faces off against ‘The Punishment’ Damian Priest. While that’s not an actual nickname WWE has given Priest, it was a clear nod gifted to him by Edge, recalling Priest’s Ring Of Honor run as Punishment Martinez. He takes on The Phenomenal One following his interference at WrestleMania costing Styles his match against Edge.
Rumors have been circulating about how Edge is looking to create some sort of new group with two other names being rumored in Rhea Ripley & Tommaso Ciampa. With enough time, AJ Styles and Damian Priest can give us a fantastic match.
.@reymysterio goes one-on-one with @VeerMahaan tomorrow night on #WWERaw!
📺 8/7c @USA_Network https://t.co/p5a4o1f7dz pic.twitter.com/SdXDyCGof7
— WWE (@WWE) April 11, 2022
Veer Mahaan is Here
After a lot of months, Veer Mahaan has finally arrived on Monday Night Raw. He attacked Dominik & Rey Mysterio last week and will now take on the legendary masked wrestler in his re-debut match. It is now time to truly see what Mahaan is truly capable of and what he’s been able to cultivate over the last near-200 days we awaited for him. Unfortunately, it’s at the cost of Rey Mysterio.
Another Break-Up
We already discussed Rhea Ripley potentially joining Edge’s new group. However, she’s slated to wrestle tonight, for a championship no less. Somehow, despite losing one of WWE’s ever-loved “Championship Contender’s matches” with Liv Morgan against new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Naomi & Sasha Banks, Ripley was able to secure an actual title match.
This came after said loss to the champions with Morgan at her side. Ripley displayed frustration in the ring by brushing Morgan’s shoulder and walking off. Later in the show, she apologized and informed Morgan of the title match. Morgan, on her own, was able to go to SmackDown and actually pin the former Women’s Champion and current half of the Tag Team Champions, Banks. However, we know how this song and dance goes. With the rumors circulating, and the need for a strong new challenger for Bianca Belair, it seems inevitable that Ripley will branch off from Morgan and turn on her.
.@TheGiantOmos & @The305MVP will address their attack on @fightbobby this Monday from the VIP Lounge. #WWERaw https://t.co/WYba7OCBqq pic.twitter.com/p1v6JSjGg7
— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2022
Omos in the VIP Lounge
As MVP noted last week, Bobby Lashley was able to give Omos his first pinfall loss in the WWE without him. As such, MVP felt slighted and turned on his long-time associate to join and manage the 7 plus foot Colossus, Omos. MVP will now host his talk segment, The VIP Lounge, with his guest being his new client.
MVP’s association with Bobby Lashley dates all the way back to their days in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2014. MVP brought Lashley in what would be the original incarnation of the group known as The Beat Down Clan.
The Usos Are Coming
While not promoted, Friday Night SmackDown concluded with Roman Reigns instructing Jimmy & Jey Uso to go and collect the Raw Tag Team Championships that are currently held by Randy Orton & Riddle, RK-Bro. The Tribal Chief wants to see the same unification treatment for the tag team titles that is being done with his WWE & Universal Championship titles.
We’ve seen RK-Bro vs The Usos several times already. From Survivor Series, to the labeled ‘Wrestlemania Raw‘ and a trios match just last week. We’ll now have to see how this story pans out and if it will get expanded tonight on Raw.
Other Details
Austin Theory has repeatedly been able to pin United States Champion Finn Balor several times over the past few weeks. We’re more than likely on our way to a title match. The question would be, when.
Bianca Belair may be injured at the moment, but that doesn’t mean we can’t see who can be placed as her first challenger. Will we go back to Becky Lynch right away? Wait for Rhea Ripley’s heel turn? Is Asuka returning? The weeks to WrestleMania Backlash tick down.
Tommaso Ciampa has been spotted in Detroit, so it would seem like he will be having his debut as an official part of Raw rather than just an NXT visit tonight.
In terms of Ezekiel thing, how will Kevin Owens follow up, if at all?
Are we getting that Reggie/Dana Brooke & Tamina/Akira Tozawa wedding?
All this and more, tonight, on 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.
