Bobby Lashley def. Sheamus
Twenty-four hours after a grueling No Holds Barred defeat to Drew McIntyre at WWE Fastlane, Sheamus stepped up for a battle with Bobby Lashley to open Raw. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, The Celtic Warrior fought back against Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin, but The All Mighty prevailed with a Hurt Lock. As The Hurt Business unleashed on Sheamus after the match, Drew McIntyre stormed into the ring attempting to goad the WWE Champion into a fight.
Asuka def. Peyton Royce
Peyton Royce made an impassioned plea on Raw Talk for an opportunity to face Asuka a few weeks ago. The challenger nearly made the most of it with a double stomp to the back of the Raw Women’s Champion, but The Empress of Tomorrow rallied into an Asuka Lock to shut down Royce’s gritty effort. The real brutality followed after the match, as Rhea Ripley made her Raw debut and extended a WrestleMania challenge to Asuka, which the Raw Women’s Champion immediately accepted.
The Miz def. Jeff Hardy
The Miz laid down a brash WrestleMania challenge for Bad Bunny, then set out to prove his headlining status in a matchup with Jeff Hardy. The Charismatic Enigma nearly pulled off the win with a series of splashes, but The A-Lister hit a Skull-Crushing Finale for an Awesome win. After the match, Bad Bunny emerged with a smash-hit guitar strike to The Miz and an emphatic acceptance of his WrestleMania offer.
Kofi Kingston def. AJ Styles
The New Day called into question the chemistry of AJ Styles & Omos, as the two teams barrel toward a WrestleMania showdown. Kofi Kingston and AJ Styles traded haymakers in a battle of former WWE Champions, but as Xavier Woods lured Omos outside the ring, the Raw Tag Team Champion landed an S.O.S. to set up the pin.
Drew McIntyre def. Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin – 1-on-2 Handicap Match
Wary of the presence of Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin heading into his WWE Title clash with Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre made a proposal to Adam Pearce to remove The Hurt Business duo from ringside of his WrestleMania match if he was able to beat them in a Handicap Match. The Scottish Warrior matched the best efforts of both men and sent Alexander into orbit with an earth-shattering Claymore to bar the pair from ringside at WrestleMania.
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler def. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke
Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler have put Raw on notice with their dominance, and the addition of Reginald has provided a whole new wild card to their powerful reign. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke showed flashes of promise once again, but a circus act from Reginald opened the door for a Samoan Drop from Jax to give the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions another win.
Braun Strowman def. Elias
What Elias brings in showmanship, he may lack in common sense, as the artist mocked Braun Strowman’s intelligence in a pre-match number. The Monster Among Men took exception from the start, and The Strowman Express rolled to a win with a Running Powerslam. After busting the myth on Shane McMahon’s apparent knee injury, Strowman challenged Shane O-Mac to a WrestleMania clash.
Randy Orton summoned The Fiend
Armed with a can of gasoline, Randy Orton was looking to put an end to The Fiend and Alexa Bliss once and for all. Despite an RKO for the deformed demon, The Viper fell into the twisted duo’s trap, as a Mandible Claw and Sister Abigail left him staring at the ceiling, and Bliss pointed to the WrestleMania sign to set up a dark showdown at The Showcase of the Immortals.