Winners And Grades As Trish Stratus Returns

Trish Stratus made her surprise return in the main event of WWE Raw, evening the odds in the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship main event between Damage CTRL, Becky Lynch and Lita.

After running wild on Bayley, and nullifying her interference Lita won the tag team titles for her team with a moonsault on Iyo Sky.

WWE Raw advertised Brock Lesnar answering Omos’ polarizing WrestleMania challenge amid speculation that this is a Vince McMahon-influenced decision, Damage CTRL vs. Becky Lynch and Lita for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, Asuka vs. Carmella and MizTV “goes Hollywood.”

Last week’s broadcast of WWE Raw garnered 2.006 million viewers for fallout from WWE Elimination Chamber 2023.

WWE Raw Results on February 27, 2023

• Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa def. The Street Profits
• Cody Rhodes def. Chad Gable
• Asuka def. Carmella
• Candice LeRae def. Piper Niven
• Bobby Lashley def. Elias
• Johnny Gargano def. Otis
• Lita and Becky Lynch def. Damage CTRL

WWE Raw Ratings

• February 20, 2023 | 2.006 million
• February 13, 2023 | 1.812 million
• February 6, 2023 | 1.866 million
• January 30, 2023 | 2.114 million
• January 23, 2023 | 2.344 million

• WWE Raw Venue: Van Andel Arena (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
• WWE Raw Tickets Distributed: 8,868
• WWE Raw Tickets Available: 131

WWE Raw Winners And Grades

Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa def. The Street Profits

Fans chanted “Sami” to antagonize Jimmy and Solo, but when Jimmy mentioned Cody Rhodes, Rhodes received a much more massive pop and fans broke out into much louder “Cody” chants. The Sami Zayn narrative WrestleMania continues to be dead.

Jey Uso continues to do his best impression of Sting by staying neutral as the Bloodline slowly falls to pieces.

This was an excellent tag team match and the crowd helped take it to the next level. Montez and Ford and Angelo Dawkins can both be Shawn Michaels whenever the Street Profits split.

Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa vs. Street Profits Grade: A-

Brock Lesnar Accepts MVP’s WrestleMania Challenge

To entice MVP into getting in the ring, Brock Lesnar vowed not to suplex MVP, but he didn’t say anything about F-5’s.

Brock Lesnar asked MVP to give him the sales pitch for Lesnar vs. Omos, and to his credit, MVP did a helluva job hyping up this match like he was Don King. When Lesnar accepted, fans popped. Though the Internet Wrestling Monolith has spent the past week complaining about Lesnar vs. Omos, WWE (and MVP) has talked many people into it.

MVP was booed heavily when he asked to toast with champagne instead of from Lesnar’s flask.

MVP accidentally spat “white lightning” in Lesnar’s face, prompting “you f—ked up” chants that had to be edited out.

MVP VIP Lounge Grade: B+

Cody Rhodes def. Chad Gable

The ring announcer horribly mis-timed announcing Cody Rhodes as he did the announcement in the middle of Rhodes’ pyro.

Cody Rhodes tricked Otis into going ass-over-tea-kettle into the crowd.

To the surprise of nobody, Cody Rhodes and Chad Gable made wonderful music together.

Cody Rhodes was insanely over as a babyface throughout this match. He’s the best babyface WWE has had since John Cena.

Following his win, Cody Rhodes announced he’ll be on SmackDown.

Cody Rhodes vs. Chad Gable Grade: A

Asuka def. Carmella

Corey Graves spent his weekly rant against Kevin Patrick by screaming at him for stepping all over him during Carmella’s entrance.

Carmella was surprisingly competitive in this match, which spanned a commercial break and came back from break with Carmella firmly in control.

After Asuka’s win, she called out Bianca Belair, but before anything could get physical, Carmella attacked Belair. Mella will continue to figure into this WrestleMania storyline, but only as a tune-up opponent.

Asuka vs. Carmella Grade: B

Candice LeRae def. Piper Niven

Candice LeRae continues to be stalked by Nikki Cross. I love that WWE is doing deep storytelling with its midcard performers, because if they continue to give LeRae and Cross time, they’ll both get over.

Since returning to her old name, Piper Niven has been booked strong enough to where this struck me as a massive upset. I thought Cross was going to cost LeRae the win, but it was quite the opposite.

Candice LeRae vs. Piper Niven Grade: C+

MizTV With Seth Rollins and Logan Paul

This crowd was so hot, they popped huge when The Miz brought up Maryse. Miz seemed legitimately thrown off by it.

Seth Rollins referenced his big red boots and that got a pop too. Fans even tried to chant “big red boots” before Rollins stepped on it.

Seth Rollins called up Logan Paul, and in an act of shear pettiness, he trolled Paul about his brother Jake’s tough loss to Tommy Fury.

MizTV Grade: B+

Bobby Lashley def. Elias

As great as this crowd has been, they came down a bit for this match, probably since nobody believed Elias had a chance.

Bray Wyatt aired another Bobby Lashley video, this time as a remix of his “muscle man” dance with Lashley as a muscle man. It was quite entertaining, but fans seemed confused by it all.

Bobby Lashley vs. Elias Grade: C

Johnny Gargano def. Otis

Otis walked out flanked by Maximum Male Models, not Chad Gable.

The theme of this match, at least on commentary, was Superior, Wisc.

Otis and Maximum Male Models is yet another midcard storyline I think has a chance to really get over.

Johnny Gargano vs. Otis Grade: C+

Becky Lynch and Lita def. Damage CTRL; Trish Stratus Returns

Becky Lynch and Lita did a callback to the Hardy Boyz step-up splash spot, and the camera work was incredible because Lita doesn’t have the same burst she did in her prime.

I assumed Bayley’s interference would play a hand in Becky Lynch and Lita evening the odds down the line, but I didn’t expect that to mean Trish Stratus would make her return tonight.

Becky Lynch and Lita’s win is almost guaranteed to lead to Lynch and Lita vs. Rousey and Baszler, and I’m here for it.