We are now less than five weeks away from WrestleMania 34 and things are really starting to ramp up, especially on Raw. Even before the latest edition of WWE's flagship show we knew what the Universal Championship match would be in New Orleans on April 8th and let's be honest, we've got a fairly good idea of what some of the other matches will be too. As we inch ever closer to the biggest show of the year you can rest assured that the moments on Raw will get bigger and better, and here are five of the biggest from this week's show.
5. Mandy Rose Delivers A Knockout Knee
Bayley and Sasha Banks used to be the best of friends, now the two of them aren't exactly seeing eye to eye. Absolution leader Paige reminded Bayley of that fact as she accompanied Mandy Rose to the ring for her match with The Huggable One on Monday night. With the rest of Absolution circling the ring Bayley likely wished that she had a little back up of her own. That wish would have probably intensified when Rose delivered a knee to her opponent that looked like it could have made Bayley forget Banks altogether. It wasn't enough to win the match though and Bayley succumbed to the numbers game post match following her win as the rest of Absolution rushed the ring and made her pay.
4. Nia Takes Asuka For A Spin
At Elimination Chamber Nia Jax was unsuccessful in her plight to be the first woman in WWE to defeat Asuka. She certainly left her mark on The Empress however, leaving her in a pile of rubble after the match when she slammed her through the barricade. Asuka would not have wanted their rematch on Monday night to end the same way and she made sure that it didn't. The WrestleMania bound Superstar locked in an arm bar on Jax and refused to let go until she tapped. Jax got her licks in before that though and Asuka will likely be a little battered and bruised following their latest encounter. Jax's arsenal included the innovate move featured above where she spun Asuka around and around before tossing her aside.
3. Anything Rollins Can Do, Balor Can Do Too
There's no getting around the fact that Seth Rollins and Finn Balor are pretty similar. Their physiques, their move sets, it's no wonder that their paths cross so often and they're destined to compete at WrestleMania together. That much was confirmed by Kurt Angle on Monday night when he booked a triple threat match for The Miz's Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania this past Monday night. That came after The Architect and The Irishman defeated the champ and his Miztourage in a handicap match. Balor and Rollins seemed intent on trying to outdo each other which is how the acrobatics above came about. Rollins took out Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel via a suicide dive, then moments later Balor took them out via a flip over the ropes. We get it guys, you're good wrestlers.
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2. Ronda Rousey Finally Gets Physical With Stephanie McMahon
The tension between Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey has been growing every time the four of them are under the same roof. It was bound to reach a boiling point sooner or later and that's exactly what happened on Monday night. Angle challenged Triple H but was told by Stephanie that he wasn't in the building. Once Rousey joined the festivities and challenged McMahon to a WrestleMania match, The Game showed his face, however, as he came to the ring to try and calm things down. Unsurprisingly he was unsuccessful. Instead he wound up getting himself an ankle lock while Rousey finally got her hands on his wife and laid her out via a Samoan drop. WWE's resident power couple better get training for that match on April 8th.
1. No Bass Is Safe
Somehow Elias has found himself with a very powerful enemy, and that enemy is of course Braun Strowman. The two Raw Superstars continue to clash and last week The Drifter managed to escape the clutches of The Monster Among Men after he sprayed him in the eyes with a fire extinguisher. This week Elias' escape attempt wasn't a success and he was forced to compete in a symphony of destruction match against Strowman. That basically meant Strowman had a litany of instruments to punish his opponent with. As was the highlight of Raw the last time these two went head to head musically it was the big bass that provided the high point of the match. Strowman once again opted to smash it over the back of Elias which was one of many things that led to the former NXT star leaving the arena on a stretcher.