Raw Deal - Raw recap for February 26, 2018

Alexa Bliss and Mickie James show up to start tonight's show. Alexa says that last night was a historic moment, and that she somehow amazes herself having retained the Raw Women's title last night. She says she defied the odds and set a new standard, and says her victories will be talked about for years to come. After saying that people will call last night the night that Alexa changed the game then, now and forever, she gives credit where credit is due to Mickie James. She admits they have had their difference, but Alexa says she has so learned so much from her and that the rest of the locker room can, too. She then says Absolution (Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville) is good, but not good enough to be champion, and calls Bayley "a sad situation." As for Sasha Banks, she capitalized on her massive ego, and says this is her year, not Sasha's, as she goes on to WrestleMania. Alexa points at the sign and admits she enjoys doing it, but the feeling is nothing compared to breaking Asuka's arm. She knows Nia Jax wants to get her hands on Asuka again, but Asuka will regret winning last night as she will finish the job. Suddenly, Asuka shows up and walks straight to the ring. Alexa says she finds it really funny that Asuka walked out like she was healthy, but she is not fooling anybody after how Nia Jax crushed her. She says that Nia Jax deserved to be in the Raw Women's title match, but after one slip-up, it was all over. Alexa then says Asuka's English is not great, but her body language is saying very differently. She then tells Asuka to wipe the smile off her face before "she" does. "She" ends up being Nia Jax. As Nia shows up, Asuka kicks both Alexa and Mickie in the face, but Nia Jax bowls her over. Nia goes for a choke bomb, but Asuka makes it a triangle hold. Alexa and Mickie get back in the ring and stomp Asuka, but Sasha Banks and Bayley fight them off. Asuka tries to fight off Nia Jax again, but Alexa lays Asuka out with a big right hand before she and Nia Jax leave.

Bayley, Sasha Banks and Asuka beat Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax and Mickie James. During the match, Bayley drops down from the apron after Sasha Banks tries to tag her in following how Sasha booted her from the top of the pod last night at Elimination Chamber, and Sasha has to tag in Asuka to get the win. Bayley gets back in the ring, but only to hit the Belly-to-Bayley on Alexa.

John Cena shows up. Cena admits that last night, he failed, and in the moment of failure, he was thrown in front of a microphone and made to be felt demoralized. He says failure is tough, and is something you go through alone. He knows where he is at, and that a person's character is put to the test when their back is against the wall. For him, that time is now. He spent five minutes feeling sorry for himself, and from then, he began to move forward. He said he would figure out his road to WrestleMania after failing at Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber. For five minutes, he thought it was over. He says the most difficult failure is admitting to it, because once it happens, the disappoint is on the one who admits it. Cena says he thrives on failure, and says the two choices are either staying down and getting up. He says he has gotten up, and now he is going to do something he should have done a long time ago: put out a WrestleMania challenge to The Undertaker. The crowd goes absolutely insane before Cena says there have been nine WrestleManias between them and they have never met in a match at the grandest stage of them all. He then says that match is not happening. Cena says he does not make the matches, and that he has been told the match is impossible. He then says the fans understand the disappointment of failure, but he has gotten back up. He plans to go to SmackDown Live tomorrow night to do whatever it takes for a WrestleMania match.

Tomorrow night on Mixed Match Challenge: Finn Balor and Sasha Banks vs. The Miz and Asuka!

Bray Wyatt decimates Heath Slater before their match can begin, and Rhyno is also laid out by Bray in the process. Afterwards, Bray Wyatt says "Look what you made me do! You made me hurt these innocent men...this is your fault, Matt Hardy! You led them to slaughter! The Great War is far from over, my friend. You...will...face me again...you will face me again, but this time...I will make sure your woken eyes stay shut forever!" Bray then laughs. He then tells Matt that he is coming for him, and that he should run.

The Miztourage (The Miz, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel) shows up. The Miz says they are 45 minutes away from Los Angeles, California, but instead, they are in Anaheim, California, which he calls "a bonafide suburb." He says that General Manager Kurt Angle takes his stars for granted, and in 62 days, he will be the longest-reigning and greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. Miz then says as big as he is in the WWE, he is even bigger in Hollywood with his roles in the Marine franchise and his reality show Miz and Mrs. with Maryse. Miz then says he is treated like any other Superstars despite his accolades, and complains that he has no merchandise and that his face is not even on pay-per-views. He then says he should be taking on Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania to become a dual champion. Unfortunately, Miz feels that he was made to start the men's Elimination Chamber Match with two men who did not deserve to be there, and says he was punished for winning his qualifying match with ease. He is tired of the disrespect, and says his dream will live on at WrestleMania, for he has the WWE Intercontinental Championship. He tells the fans to take a look at it, for it is WWE's most prestigious title. Since he has the title, he has been wanting to know what the Intercontinental Champion is doing at WrestleMania. He is then told that his opponent might determine who he faces at WrestleMania. Miz says he has held the title and Raw itself on his back for the past year, and that he has been in the WWE for 12 years. He is irritated that "might" is all he is getting. He then wants to know who his opponent is. His opponent is none other than Seth Rollins.

Seth Rollins beats The Miz with a top rope frog splash three-quarters of the way across the ring. After the match, Finn Balor shows up before Seth Rollins leaves.

Finn Balor beats The Miz by disqualification after The Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) attack Finn...almost. Gallows & Anderson (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) run in and fight The Miztourage, then General Manager Kurt Angle appears on the TitanTron. He announces that The Miztourage and Gallows & Anderson will be ejected. He then announces that there must be a winner or The Miz will not go to WrestleMania.

Finn Balor beats The Miz. After the match, Renee Young interviews Seth Rollins backstage, saying Finn Balor is trying to be the man by upstaging him, but Seth says his 65-minute performance last week is how you do it. Seth goes on to say there is more than one road to WrestleMania, and he knows how to pave the way. He wants The Miz and the WWE Intercontinental Championship, and he wants them both at WrestleMania.

We look back to last April when Braun Strowman destroyed the ring with a Superplex on Big Show, courtesy of Progressive Auto Insurance.

WrestleMania is 41 days away!

Roman Reigns shows up. Roman says he is a man of his word, and says he would win the men's Elimination Chamber Match...and he did. Roman says that when he says he is going to WrestleMania and beat Brock Lesnar, he is telling the truth. Roman says that "truth" is a funny word, then says that Brock Lesnar is not here tonight. He says that up until 30 minutes ago, he thought Brock would be here, but he knows he is not. He then calls Brock Lesnar "an entitled piece of crap who hides behind his contract." He is incensed that Lesnar is not here and that he was taking pictures on social media with Dana White while in Las Vegas, Nevada, and says he does not respect him, the fans or the locker room. Roman says everyone in the back is sick of it. Roman says he and the guys in the back show up every night and bust their asses, while Brock only shows up when the time and city is right. Roman says that when he will be somewhere, he will be there. Roman expects Paul Heyman and Lesnar to say they are businessmen, but he was born in the business and he knows the difference between business and respect. He does not respect Lesnar, and he "damn sure don't fear that bitch." Roman says he's said all he has to say, and that he is going to the back and getting the chewing out he deserves, because he cares about the WWE. Roman then heads up the ramp to the back.

We hear from Braun Strowman. He is tired of Elias' "noise pollution," and tonight, he is going to compose a symphony of destruction that he says will be a smash hit.

WWE celebrates Black History Month by showing the Superstars' trip to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee and its exhibit on the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott.

Sheamus and Cesaro retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships against Titus Worldwide (Titus O'Neil and Apollo). Sheamus and Cesaro get the first fall after Sheamus hits Titus O'Neil with a Brogue Kick at the very start of the match, then get the second after a double-team Irish Curse backbreaker. Charly Caruso interviews Sheamus and Cesaro after the match. Sheamus says he and Cesaro had Titus Worldwide's number, and it was zero. Cesaro then says two men walk into The Bar, then Sheamus says nobody walks into them and gets up. They brag about the teams they have beaten, then Cesaro says Dean Ambrose got up, but his arm didn't. They also imply that Jason Jordan is a nobody. Sheamus then goes on to say that he and Cesaro will be punished at WrestleMania because they are so dominant, and asks who there is to face when there is nobody left to beat. Cesaro says that is to be expected, as they do not set the bar, they are the bar.

Jarrius "JJ" Robertson, a double liver transplant survivor, longtime WWE fan and liver cancer and liver transplant advocate, will be the recipient of the 2018 Warrior Award at the WWE Hall of Fame 2018.

Before the next match, Elias says that him being in the ring is the feeling of greatness. He admits Elimination Chamber did not go as planned, but he has gone down many roads and his road to WrestleMania will not be derailed. Elias then says he was not going to treat himself to a performance and focus on his match tonight, but then he heard that Braun Strowman called his music "noise pollution." He says Strowman criticized him because he wants to be him, and he is everything people want to be. He then calls what Strowman did two weeks ago, every word that Corey Graves says and what the fans say in the crowd "noise pollution," then proceeds to play guitar and sing. Elias proceeds to sing about Braun Strowman and compare him to the crowd when Braun Strowman shows up.

Braun Strowman beats Elias by disqualification after Elias spray Braun in the face with a fire extinguisher. After the match, Elias smacks the fire extinguisher into Braun Strowman's gut, but Braun grabs Elias by the throat. Elias breaks out of the choke slam, but Braun swats Elias with a right hand before Elias gets away. Braun eventually regains some of his vision, and hits Elias in the back as he runs up the ramp. When Braun gets his hands on Elias again, he takes him to the commentary table and goes for the running powerslam, but Elias rakes his eyes and runs to the back. Braun Strowman chases Elias into the backstage area, but Elias gets away as a limousine pulls into the arena. Braun yells "I'm not finished with you!" before walking away.

Next week: Asuka vs. Nia Jax!

WWE COO Triple H and Raw Commissioner and WWE Chief Brand Officer Stephanie McMahon show up. Stephanie says that last night was supposed to be a great moment for WWE when Ronda Rousey was being signed, but it went worse when Kurt Angle said what he did, which she blames on illness. She also goes on to say that Ronda Rousey's actions towards her and Triple H were uncalled for. After a video package of what happened last night, Stephanie says that Rousey acted out of "savage instinct," and that she had to speak her language to get to her. She then says that Rousey reports to her and the WWE owns Rousey since she signed the contract. Stephanie calls for all parties responsible for last night to be in the ring, and asks for General Manager Kurt Angle to show up. Instead of getting Angle, she and Triple H get Ronda Rousey. Angle shows up to stop Rousey. Angle asks Ronda Rousey to hear him out, and tells her that her coming to WWE is the best decision she ever made. Rousey says she meant everything that she said last night, and wants this more than anything. However, she has never been slapped before in her life. She refuses to be disrespected, and she is nobody's property. Angle tells her wrestling is a different world from MMA and that she has to work within the system, and that he needs his General Manager job. He has to do what he has to do, and tells Rousey he lied last night. He says that he misheard Stephanie and Triple H and that he does not know what he said last night, and anything that he said about them was not true. He apologizes to Rousey, Stephanie and Triple H. Stephanie thanks Angle, then asks for everyone to put last night behind them. Triple H and Stephanie are about to leave, but Ronda address last night's slap and demands Stephanie apologize to her or else she will rip her arm out of its socket. Stephanie walks up to Ronda and apologizes aggressively and profusely before welcoming Ronda to the WWE, then Triple H punches Angle in the face.

Here are the top 10 moments from tonight's show!