Monday 8 February 2021

WWE Raw Full Show Live Streaming 8 February 2021 WWE Raw Highlights 8 February 2021

 

WWE Raw 2/8/21 February 8th 2021


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WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from February 8

Sana Ejaz Khan

    Credit: WWE.com

    The February 8 edition of Monday Night Raw continues WWE's Road to WrestleMania. With WWE Elimination Chamber just two weeks away, it was time to start building that card, deciding what championships and challengers would be fighting inside the steel.

    Haunted by the ghost of Bray Wyatt inhabiting Alexa Bliss, Randy Orton continued to try to focus on gold. Continuing his rivalry with Drew McIntyre, The Viper challenged the WWE champion in a non-title match.

    The Scottish Psychopath himself had his own goal. He wanted to address his best friend Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior had attacked McIntyre last week and then demanded a WWE Championship match. It was just a matter of the time and place.

    Lacey Evans has been tormenting Charlotte Flair for weeks since Ric Flair helped her defeat The Queen. This week, Raw gave them the ring to face each other while Ric watched on.

    This episode for the red brand needed to spark excitement. This was a show with serious stakes and expectations and little promised ahead of time to deliver on that.

AJ Styles (w/ Omos) vs. Jeff Hardy

1 OF 7

    The show opened with an In Memoriam for "The Natural" Butch Reed. Raw showed a recap of the history of Drew McIntyre and Sheamus before The Celtic Warrior attacked his best friend.

    Adam Pearce introduced Shane McMahon, who had a huge announcement to make. Drew McIntyre would fight five former WWE champions inside the Chamber: Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, The Miz and Sheamus.

    The Phenomenal One arrived to mock Pearce and send him to the back with a promise of giving the WWE Universe a preview for the Chamber against The Charismatic Enigma. Shane McMahon told The Scottish Psychopath backstage that he needed to prove his mettle by winning in the Chamber.

    Styles went after Hardy from the outset, injuring the left leg of his rival. The Charismatic Enigma limped to a comeback, but after a Twist of Fate, he missed a Swanton Bomb. The Phenomenal One made Hardy tap out to the Calf Crusher.

    Sheamus questioned Pearce backstage, calling him a "yes-man" for doing whatever Shane wanted.

               

    Result

    Styles def. Hardy by submission.

                    

    Grade

    C+

                

    Analysis

    From the announcement on, Raw set the tone for the night. The favorites on the red brand have been further established while many fan favorites are left out in the cold. Shane's appearance was a complete non-factor when something special could have been done tonight.

    The Chamber is a special opportunity to tease many potential changes before WrestleMania. It would have made more sense to set up a No. 1 contender in the Chamber rather than putting the title on the line, especially since McIntyre vs. Sheamus was already set up.

    Moreover, the lineup for the Chamber is a waste of a talented roster. Orton, Styles and Miz have gotten their shots. Hardy has not earned this. WWE wants to sell the idea of a Chamber of former WWE champions, but that just set up a bunch of familiar names.

    Styles vs. Hardy was solid, but the two have faced off many times. This was barely impactful beyond further emphasizing that The Charismatic Enigma cannot beat major wrestlers anymore.

New Day vs. Retribution's T-Bar and Slapjack

2 OF 7

    Mustafa Ali was aggressive on commentary, growling about the opportunities he and Retribution never got while New Day got its shots. T-Bar and Slapjack did Ali proud for a while by leaving some lasting bruises on Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.

    Ali continued to yell at Retibrution's representatives in the ring. However, the motivation waned for the heels as New Day came back in a flurry. Kofi and Woods hit Day Break for the victory. Ali was furious, yelling at all of the members of Retribution in the ring.

              

    Result

    New Day def. Retribution by pinfall.

               

    Grade

    B+

                

    Analysis

    This was a surprisingly fun tag team match, fueled by the venom in Ali's words. He was certainly over the top but made the most of the spotlight to sell who he is as a character. He speaks complete truth but also has his own motivation, hoping Retribution will give him a better spotlight.

    T-Bar and Slapjack are both talented wrestlers, a truth that could be forgotten beneath the masks. It would not have been hard to imagine fans getting seriously excited about Kofi Kingston or Xavier Woods vs. Dominik Dijakovic, but his evolution to T-Bar has kept fans from enjoying his work fully.

    Despite all of that, though, the athleticism in this match was off the charts. Hopefully, the next step is to give Kofi and Ali 10 minutes to showcase their talent in a full sprint.

Charlotte Flair vs. Lacey Evans (w/ Ric Flair)

3 OF 7

    Ric Flair explained that he had chosen Lacey Evans to represent him as his next protege. Both wanted to achieve a higher level through their shared respect. Despite Charlotte Flair's insistence, they explained there was no romance between them.

    The two tried to play nice with The Queen, but Charlotte was not having it. She wanted to refocus on Asuka. Both women believed they should be No. 1 contender to the Raw Women's Championship.

    A fight broke out, and The Sassy Southern Belle knocked Charlotte into the steel steps before accepting a match with her.

    The Queen hurt her left shoulder on the impact, and Evans took advantage in the match that ensued. She stomped on the bad shoulder and wrenched at it while she strutted around the ring. Ric got in Charlotte's way when The Queen seemed ready to make a comeback.

    The distractions allow Evans to do even more damage to the bad shoulder, leaving Charlotte barely able to keep up. The Queen lost it and started assaulting Evans in the corner, causing a disqualification.

    After her win, it was announced Evans would challenge Asuka at WWE Elimination Chamber.

              

    Result

    Evans def. Charlotte by disqualification.

               

    Grade

    D+

                

    Analysis

    This was another awkward segment between Charlotte and Evans, even if Ric gave a better explanation for his involvement with The Sassy Southern Belle. Working as a mentor to her is far better than being a desperate old man falling for the gold digger.

    However, Charlotte and Evans have no chemistry on the mic, struggling to deliver any kind of compelling animosity. They are better wrestling one-on-one, but without any investment, these contests lose all excitement.

The Miz Interrupts Edge; Damian Priest (w/ Bad Bunny) vs. Angel Garza

4 OF 7

    Damian Priest and Bad Bunny talked backstage. The Miz and John Morrison seemed to be laughing together with Angel Garza.

    Edge questioned if he would challenge for the WWE Championship, knowing that the title would be defended in the Elimination Chamber. The Miz mocked The Rated-R Superstar with the Money in the Bank briefcase. Edge was not impressed by Miz or John Morrison and tore into him for trying to intimidate him.

    The A-Lister and The Shaman of Sexy helped keep Garza in this match with The Archer of Infamy until Bad Bunny got the two thrown out by the referee. This allowed Priest to hit the Reckoning and emerge victorious.

              

    Result

    Priest def. Garza by pinfall.

               

    Grade

    C-

                

    Analysis

    Edge's involvement ahead of the match was completely useless. If the plan is for Edge to appear each week and talk about maybe choosing his opponent for WrestleMania, it will get tiring fast. He needs some kind of story in the meantime.

    The match that followed was fine, but Priest and Garza can do so much better. The various distractions have gotten in the way of the talent in the ring. The Archer of Infamy is getting a major rub from working with Bad Bunny, but the international star could end up stopping people from seeing Priest at his best.

    Miz and Morrison remain an oddity on Raw. They are used so regularly in stories, but they lack real credibility as heels. It is far too obvious they will lose to Priest and Bunny when the time comes.

Keith Lee vs. Riddle

5 OF 7

    Bianca Belair said she wanted the best challenge possible at WrestleMania whether it be Sasha Banks or Asuka. The Empress of Tomorrow appeared to congratulate The EST. Belair warned Asuka that she might not be ready for The EST.

    Riddle and Keith Lee talked backstage. The Limitless One told The Original Bro he should let someone else go after Bobby Lashley and the United States Championship.

    MVP talked up The All Mighty on commentary as these two fought over who might battle the United States champion next. Lee absolutely stopped Riddle in his tracks with pure power. The Original Bro legitimately looked frazzled by the punches and forearms of The Limitless One.

    Riddle found his stride with a series of Brotons and then battled out of a Spirit Bomb into a triangle choke. Lee barely escaped and then planted The Original Bro running with a Spirit Bomb to win.

    The All Mighty attacked The Limitless One from behind, planted Lee with a spinebuster and then took out Riddle with the Hurt Lock. Lashley took the steel steps and blasted Lee with them.

    WWE announced Lashley vs. Lee vs. Riddle at WWE Elimination Chamber at the end of the night.

              

    Result

    Lee def. Riddle by pinfall.

               

    Grade

    B

                

    Analysis

    Riddle vs. Lee made for a far more fascinating match than it had any right to be. With no build, the two told a strong story of men with a shared desire to be the next challenger to Lashley. The Limitless One got to dominate The Original Bro as Riddle used his technical offense to stay in the fight.

    Lashley vs. Lee is a big-time match that WWE should not waste. The Limitless One is the only man left standing who could defeat The All Mighty. If WWE can be patient, that is a huge midcard WrestleMania bout.

Tables: Nia Jax (w/ Shayna Baszler) vs. Lana (w/ Naomi)

6 OF 7

    Lana was confident and focused, standing alongside her friend Naomi. However, Nia Jax quickly took away all that confidence. She stretched Lana's injured leg with a stretch muffler followed by smacking her into the steel post.

    The Ravishing Russian used a headscissors to force The Irresistible Force onto the apron and then dodged a leg drop, letting Jax hurt herself. Jax was not ready for Lana to push her straight through a table to win.

    Shayna Baszler attacked Lana, but Naomi made the save. She knocked The Queen of Spades out of the ring and taunted Baszler into an impromptu match.

    Baszler dominated The Glow early, stomping on her left elbow with violent intent. However, The Queen of Spades got distracted by attacking Lana, allowing Naomi to recover and catch her with a leg-trap pinfall to win.

              

    Result

    Lana def. Jax by sending her through a table; Naomi def. Baszler by pinfall.

               

    Grade

    C-

                

    Analysis

    Lana vs. Jax was a culmination of months of build. The Ravishing Russian finally sent The Irresistible Force through a table. It was a bad match, especially since Jax seemed consistently off, but the end result worked for paying off Lana's revenge.

    It is time to move on, but first WWE has to make a decision. Do Jax and Baszler remain champions, or do Naomi and Lana dethrone them? Both options can work, but neither fosters much excitement.

    It would be more interesting if the women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic winners got that opportunity. At this point, NXT has built more of a women's tag team division in a few weeks than Raw and SmackDown have over two years.

Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton

7 OF 7

    Raw showed a vignette on the history of Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre before the main event. That history was on display right away as the two went for an RKO and Claymore, but both dodged.

    Sheamus arrived to mock his former friend, watching McIntyre get thrown from steel post to steel post. The Viper slammed the back of the WWE champion onto the announce table. As McIntyre struggled to get back in the fight, a superplex nearly gave Orton the victory.

    The WWE champion began to find his stride through sheer force of will, but The Celtic Warrior ran in and Brogue Kicked Orton, causing a disqualification. Afterward, McIntyre caught Sheamus with a Claymore to stand tall.

              

    Result

    Orton def. McIntyre by DQ.

               

    Grade

    B-

                

    Analysis

    Especially without any awkward stipulations, Orton and McIntyre always deliver. The two have impressive chemistry and build a unique match each time around. This time, The Viper was able to dominate McIntyre with the help of Sheamus' timely distractions.

    However, at the end of the night, it did not amount to much. Sheamus got involved before the two went beyond their second gear. It seems like this contest should not have even happened if a disqualification was the end goal.

    However, DQs are an inevitability with WWE these days. It seems WWE never likes to let matches end clean anymore.

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