Monday Night Raw TV report for 04/18/2022

Arena: Key Bank Center
City: Buffalo, NY

Jimmy Smith announces Byron Saxton and Jerry “The King” Lawler as Seth “Freakin” Rollins makes his way to the ring.

Rollins immediately calls out Cody Rhodes for a chat, Cody’s music hits and he comes to the ring. After playing with the crowd a few times every time Rollins started talking, Cody asks Seth to get to the point. Seth says he had an unfair advantage at WrestleMania because he was Mr. McMahon’s special opponent. Seth continues by saying he is better than Cody.

Cody says he learned something about mediation in his previous management position and says let the fans decide and he asks the fans if they think he is better than Rollins and they cheered.

Rollins then challenged Cody to a match later tonight against an opponent of my choosing. Cody says he did not come back to WWE to run from challenges so absolutely YES.

Naomi & Sasha Banks VS. Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Sasha and Naomi team up to do some double team maneuvers on Ripley and Sasha rolled her up for the pin.

Winners and still Women’s Tag Team Champions Naomi & Sasha Banks

After the match Ripley attacks Liv after an argument. Ripley ends with giving Liv a Riptide and walking out with Liv laying in the middle of the ring.

They show what Sonya Deville did to Bianca Belair last week.

Rhea Ripley is asked why she attacked Liv Morgan and Ripley says what intitles you or anyone else of an explanation? And walks away

Sonya Deville in the ring saying she heard some have been saying she has been abusing her power and she said she did not ask to be put in this position she was forced into it.

Sonya goes on to say she wanted to be in the ring with the best and Belair needed an opponent, so she gave her one. Belair comes out, Sonya stops her and reminds her that she is standing there as a WWE official and if she puts her hands on her there will be repercussions.

Belair says she is ready how about having their match right here tonight. Sonya says how about next week in your hometown of Knoxville. Sonya continues to talk down to Belair and Belair picked her up for the KOD, but Sonya yelled she would make sure she is stripped of the title and fined and Belair tossed her down.

Veer Mahon VS. Jeff Brooks

Mahaan dominated the match. Cervical Clutch and an immediate tap out.

Winner: Veer Mahaan

After the match Mahaan back on Brooks with the clutch and required multiple officials to break it up.

Adam Pearce is shown in the back on the phone. Sonya asked what he is going to do about it. Pearce said Belair is being fined and he personally handled it. But Pearce said she needs to worry about herself, and the higher ups are looking into her conduct. Belair comes in and Deville tells her to leave, and Belair said she is there to pay her fine and gets out and hands Pearce $1 and Deville looked at Pearce and said he went by the book and walked away.

Kevin Owens is out to conduct a lie detector test on Ezekiel.  Chad Gable is in the ring with Owens.

Ezekiel came to the ring and said he really wants to take the lie detector test but has one question to ask the people of Buffalo “who wants to hear Zeke speak?”. Owens quickly shuts him down and Gable then begins asking him questions.

Gable asks if Ezekiel was his real name, he says yes, and Gable says he is telling the truth

Owens said he is going to admit he is Elias or else and Ezekiel says or Else what? And Gable attacks Ezekiel.

Ezekiel VS. Chad Gable

Gable went for a moonsault but got hit with Ezekiel’s foot, Ezekiel hits a spine buster then yells who wants to speak with Zeke and puts Gable in a one leg lock but is attacked by Otis.

Winner by DQ: Ezekiel

R-K Bro VS. The Street Profits

As Riddle was going for the RKO on Dawkins, Ford on the apron was waving his arms like calling someone out. The Usos’ music hit causing a distraction and both Orton and Riddle are now looking at the entrance. Ford comes in and dropkicks Orton off the apron. Dawkins gets the upper hand on Riddle and picks him up on his shoulders and tags Ford in who hits the off the top rope neck breaker for the pin.

Winners: The Street Profits

Edge and Damian Priest are shown, and Edge officially challenges A.J. Styles at Wrestlemania Backlash.

A.J. Styles is shown and accepts Edge’s challenge then the lights start to flicker, and he gets attacked by Edge and Damian Priest.

Finn Balor VS. Theory for the United States Championship

Balor clotheslines Theory over the top rope and then dove over the top rope after him but due to damage sustained in this match to his neck he was moving slowly and throws Theory into the ring and went for a Coup de Grace, but Theory moves and hits his A Town Down and pins Balor.

Winner and New United States Champion Theory

After the match A bunch of Superstars come to the ring and put Theory on their shoulders as the celebration continued, Mr. McMahon’s music hits and McMahon comes out to congratulate Theory who takes a selfie with Mr. McMahon as McMahon raises his arm in the air.

Seth Rollins is interviewed backstage and says yes, he has found an opponent for Cody Rhodes and is asked if he would share who it is with the WWE Universe and Rollins says no. “I waited in that ring at WrestleMania and had no idea until he came out, and Cody is going to feel that exact same way tonight.”

The double wedding ceremony is up next.

R-Truth welcomes everyone to the ceremony, as he first announces Dana, he calls her Dana Brookes and Dana stopped him by telling him it is just Brooke.

Dana begins by reading her own vowels, and the crowd did a lot of “What” chants during this. When it came to Tamina, she said “what she said,” Tozawa said “same.” R-Truth asks if there any objections or forever shut your trap. Tamina objected and pulled Reggie to her and pushed Tozawa toward Dana, then she pulled Tozawa to Reggie and went to stand beside Dana. Truth yells that he’s going to get fired because he don’t even know if that’s PG! They move back to where they were at the beginning and Truth says you are now all committed get your smooching on.

As they go to kiss Reggie rolls up Dana to win the 24/7 championship but is quickly pinned by Tamina. Tozawa pinned Tamina. Dana jumps off the top rope and hits Tozawa and pins him.

Dana ends up with the 24/7 championship and was given a piggy-back ride from R-Truth to the back.

Bobby Lashley is interviewed but MVP and Omos is shown and says Lashley wanted all the spotlight to himself and now he is on to bigger and brighter things. Then challenges Lashley to an arm-wrestling match. Lashley says to get to MVP, he needs to go through Omos. And Lashley accepts the arm-wrestling challenge for next week.

Cody Rhodes VS. Kevin Owens

As the match is going on and has spilled outside, Seth Rollins music hits and he makes his way back out. Owens hits a frog splash, Cody kicks out, then Owens hits a senton but again only got a two count. Owens goes for the pop up powerbomb, but Cody hits a hurricanrana then a superkick, Owens turns and hits a superkick of his own. Both go down.

Owens hits a sit down powerbomb again for only a long 2 count. After a few exchanges with Owens on the top rope, Owens hits a fisherman’s suplex off the top but again 2 count as Rhodes gets his foot on the bottom rope to stop the count.

Rhodes dumps Owens over the top rope and Rollins kept telling him to get back in there as the referee hit 7 Rollins says, “Get your fat ass back in there,” at which point Owens said this is your match not mine and walked out and Rhodes wins by count out

Winner by Count Out: Cody Rhodes.

After the match Cody gets on the ropes to look out at the crowd and Rollins strikes and dumps Cody over the top rope onto the floor. As we go off the air.