WRESTLING RECAP: Playtime Williams breaks down WWE Raw from 03/23/15

(www.PlaytimeCares.com) - I love blogging about wrestling, but the March 23, 2015 episode of RAW had potential, but left me disappointed. From my previous recaps, you know to accept the fact that with Wrestlemania 31 (W31) only being a few days away, WWE cannot afford to have major stars injure themselves before the super bowl of Wrestling, so the show had a few good moments, but was underwhelming.  Here are the highlights of the show:

AirDate: Monday, March 23, 2015
Location: Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
Commentators:  JBL, Micheal Cole and Booker T.

• Sting steps on the Monday Night Raw stage and the crowd goes wild

1. Sting essentially thanks everyone for the warm reception
2. Stephanie McMahon comes to the ring and tears down Sting's accomplishments and career
3. Sting ignores Stephanie's words, so she tries to smack him
4. Sting catches Stephanie's arm which prompts HHH's music
5. HHH makes he way to the ring while taking off the business attire
6. HHH is stopped from getting in the ring by Stephanie so she can hand him the sledge hammer
7. Sting shows his bat and dares HHH to come in the ring
8. HHH and Stephanie retreats to the back

• WWE App Push: Vote for who will face Randy Orton

• Dean Ambrose & R. Truth VS Stardust & Luke Harper with Bad News Barret Commentary

1. Medium paced match
2. No really big moves performed during the match
3. Truth pins Stardust for the win
4. Best part of match was watching Ambrose dance at the end with Truth
5. 7 out of 10 for the match

Prediction: Luke Harper wins ladder match & become new Intercontinental Champion

•  WWE announces partnership with Special Olympics


•  Miz & Mizdow interviews Will Ferrel & Kevin Hart for their new movie

1. Funny just from the clip shown
2. See the full interview on http://www.wwe.com

• Miz, Mizdow, Adam Rose, The Ascension VS The Primetime Players, Ryback, Zach Ryder, Erick Rowan - Commentary ESPN's Bill Simmons

1. These are participants in the Andre the Giant Over The Top Battle Royal 
2. Medium paced match with no one taking high risk maneuvers
3. Crowd still loves Mizdow
4. Ryback pins Miz for the team win
5. 7 out of 10 for the match

Prediction: Erick Rowan wins the Battle Royal at W31

• Randy Orton's music hits with medium crowd pop

1. Crowd picks Orton to be in a 3 on 1 handicap with J & J Security and Seth Rollins
2. Rollins refuses to tag in at all and the crowd boos
3. Orton makes short work of J & J Security
4. Quite predictable poll results and match
5. 6 out of 10 for the match

Prediction: Orton wins W31 via DQ because of interference from J & J Security

• AJ Lee talks with Paige in the back

1. They have to decided who gets a title shot tonight against Nikki Bella
2. AJ tells Paige not to fall into their divide and conquer tactics

• Paige VS Nikki Bella - AJ Lee & Brie Bella at ringside

1. They had the slowest Diva match in recent memory
2. Accidental elbow from AJ to Paige causes Nikki pin Paige
3. AJ & Paige has to be seperated from fighting each other post match

Prediction: AJ Lee & Paige defeats the Bella Twins at W31

• WWE App Push: Vote for the referree for the match between Daniel Bryant and Dolph Ziggler

• Musical artist Snoop Dogg gets in the ring

1. Snoop talks about SnoopMania
2. Curtis Axel tells Snoop that the only Mania is AxelMania
3. Snoop states their is only 1 Mania
4. Hulk Hogan makes an entrance and the crowd erupts
5. Hulk tells Axel he is smoking something
6. Axel does the signature Hulk shirt tear and then tries to hit Hulk
7. Hulk blocks the hit attempt and floors Axel with his own hit
8. Snoop pics Axel up and throws him over the top rope
9. Snoop and Hulk does a crowd pose down

Prediction: Axel gets eliminated in the Battle Royal but will be one of the last 5 in the ring

Audio:

• Fatal Four Way Tag Team Champion ship Match is announced

1. The Usos accompanied by Naomi VS The New Day VS Los Matadores & El Torito VS Cesaro, Tyson Kidd accompanied by Natalya
2. Will be part of the 2 hour kick off before W31

Prediction: Shocker - The New Day wins with Big E & Kofi Kingstan wrestling

• Cutaway: Bad News Barrett is told by Kane that he has to give up the Intercontinental Belt for it to be hung above the ring for an upcoming match or he will be stripped of the title all together.

•  Rusev VS Jack Swagger

1. Deja Vu match
2. Predictable match ending with Rusev putting Swagger in the accolades
3. Rusev refuses to let Swagger out the finish moves which prompts John Cena to come to the ring
4. Rusev beats Cena up and refuses to let him out the finishing move
5. 6 out of 10 for this match

Prediction: Cena wins with assistance from Lana that comes back to screw over Rusev since she kicked her to the curb

• Bray Wyatt gives a nice speech pushing his match with Undertaker for W31

1. Crowd chants that they want the Undertaker often
2. Bray says he is the new face of fear
3. Bray does the Undertaker's signature kneel

Prediction: Luke Harper wins his match, Erick Rowan wins his match, and they both beat up the Undertaker when he is about to win against Bray and officially take the mantel of the new face of fear.

• Kevin Nash is introduced into the WWE Hall of Fame

Video:

• Daniel Bryan VS Dolph Ziggler

1. Fans picked Dean Ambrose to be the guest referree
2. Match was boring before Ziggler smacked Bryan in the face
3. They finally got up to mid speed and did a few high risk moves
4. Ziggler hit his finishing move out of no where
5.  7 out of 10 fr this match
6. Ambrose raises Ziggler's hand and then applies his finishing move on him
7. Ambrose grabs the ladder from underneath the ring and then tries to steal back the Intercontinental Championship Belt
8. All competitors in the match comes out and fight until everyone is left hurting in the ring

Prediction: Luke Harper wins ladder match

• Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar comes to the ring

1. Heyman does a good job selling Lesnar as a unbeatable beast
2. Roman Reigns comes down to the ring
3. Lesnar holds the title in Reign's face
4. Reigns grabs the belt from Lesnar
5. Lesnar and Reigns does a close tug of war for the belt

Prediction: Roman wins the belt...especially considering they made "The Beast" look like another "B" word for not attacking Reigns for snatching the title from him.  It now looks like Brock is scared of Reigns.