Raw Deal - Raw recap for April 15, 2024

Rhea Ripley shows up with her right arm in a sling to start tonight's show. General Manager Adam Pearce is also in the ring. Rhea announces that she is injured and that she will be on the shelf for a few months, and that she must vacate the Women's World Championship. This leads to "Bullshit!" chants by the crowd, which Rhea acknowledges. Rhea states that the Women's World Championship means more than anything in her life, then lays the belt down on the mat before the fans chant "Thank You Mami!" before blaming all of this of Liv Morgan's revenge tour. She says she would have had respect for Liv Morgan if she only faced her, but she had to blindside her. She also says that she would dropped Liv where she stood, and warns whoever wins the title that when she comes back, she is coming back for blood. She also says that she will have to be put in jail after what she does to Liv Morgan, who shows up with multiple members of security trying to stop her. Rhea wants a piece of Liv, but security also stops her. After Liv leaves, Rhea headbutts a security guard.

Backstage, Rhea Ripley meets with The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh). They all have a group hug, and Damian Priest says that Rhea will make Liv Morgan pay and become more bad-ass than she is now when she returns. Rhea tells the group to stay on top.

In his first match since last August, Sheamus beats Ivar.

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque heads to the ring. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque heads to the ring. General Manager Adam Pearce is also in the ring, and so it a table with what looks like a new championship belt draped under a black mantle. Triple H says it is hard to believe that the greatest Wrestlemania of all time was only eight days ago and that kingdoms fell, nightmares began and whole new era started. Adam Pearce says that a new era started for the tag team division, and that Raw and SmackDown deserve titles worthy of that new era. Pearce then introduces The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) to the ring. After R-Truth does the splits for the fans, Triple H says "What's up?" to R-Truth and congratulates The Awesome Truth for making history at WrestleMania, and that R-Truth having his WrestleMania moment was awesome. He then says that this is a new era, and in order to represent the tag team titles in a new era, they need championships that represent that era. The WWE Raw Tag Team Championships are now renamed the World Tag Team Championships, and now have new championship belts, which are uncovered. An astonished R-Truth says he has seen plenty of magic tricks, but not one like that, then says he knows a good magician when he sees one and thinks that Triple H made the titles pop out of thin air. The Miz says Triple H is not a magician, but R-Truth says that is what a magician would see. He then mentions that he does not trust magicians after what happened to Lil' Jimmy, and asks what else Triple H is hiding. The Miz explains to R-Truth that this is what they wanted and that they are taking the titles to new heights. When he is told that Triple H is in front of him, R-Truth is convinced Triple H is Tommaso Ciampa. When The Miz explains R-Truth everything again, this time in French, he suddenly gets it. The old Raw tag titles are replaced with the new World Tag Team titles, then Triple H wishes Pearce luck before leaving. Pearce then says that opponents are needed for the World tag titles, and that a Triple Threat Match to decide them will happen right now.

The Awesome Truth watch the next match from ringside. A random QR code pops up from out of nowhere as The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) makes their entrance.

#DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) beat The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) and The Creed Brothers (Julius and Brutus Creed) in a Triple Threat Match to decide #1 contenders for the World Tag Team Championships.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Drew McIntyre. McIntyre is smiling and laughing before kicking the TV down after a replay of what happened to him last week.

Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell beat Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri after Indi distracts the referee, keeping the referee from seeing Ivy tag in and allowing Indi to hit Maxxine with a big boot before placing Candice on top of her.

We see a video package chronicling Damian Priest's road to the World Heavyweight Championship.

Backstage, Damian Priest reminds the rest of The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh) that they still run WWE. He tells Dominik Mysterio to take care of Andrade and JD McDonagh to have Dominik's back. When Finn says he and Priest should be focused on getting the tag team titles back, Priest says he should be focused on teaching Jey Uso the meaning of the word "loss" while he focuses on Backlash.

In footage from earlier today, Jackie Redmond interviews Chad Gable. Gable says that the Intercontinental Championship means everything to him and is vindication for everything that has happened to him, and he plans to win tonight against Sami Zayn like he won at the Olympics. He says that by training with Sami, he has learned Sami's weaknesses, and he plans to take advantage of them tonight.

Andrade beats "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio. After the match, JD McDonagh attacks Andrade, and Dominik joins in. Suddenly, Ricochet runs into the ring and makes the save for Andrade.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews "Main Event" Jey Uso. He says that to mess with The Bloodline is to go down a deep, dark, dangerous road, then says he needs to focus on Finn Balor tonight.

Chelsea Green and Piper Niven beat Katana Chance and Kayden Carter.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Liv Morgan. Liv Morgan says that everyone is mad at her for injuring Rhea Ripley, and asks where the sympathy for her was when Rhea injured her. She says this is karma and that Rhea got what she deserved, and that her revenge tour has only just begun and will end with her as World Champion.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. He thanks General Manager Adam Pearce for allowing him to be on Raw even though he is a SmackDown Superstar, and says that he is not going anywhere. He says that WrestleMania 40 cannot be reflected on forever when there is a contender to be found to defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against at Backlash, but there is a man who he can talk about briefly. Cody then brings up Seth "Freakin'" Rollins and his help leading up and during WrestleMania 40, thanking Rollins for his help as he watches from home. After a "Thank You Seth!" chant and addressing The Rock, saying that he has more that one last match left in him and addressing The Rock's claims that he would make him bleed again. He says The Rock may be right, but nothing he does will stop the fact that if he bleeds, The Rock will bleed with him. Cody then addresses the introduction of Tama Tonga last week on SmackDown and how Roman Reigns was nowhere in sight before bringing in someone who knows The Bloodline well: "Main Event" Jey Uso. Jey Uso heads to the ring, and Cody states that Jey Uso is #1 contender for the World title and that Raw is about to be his. He says Jey helped him finish his story, then asks to have his back like Jey had his against The Judgment Day in Jey's match tonight. Jey says that he appreciates it, but says that he has to do it on his and that he has to be himself. Cody says that he understands, and wishes Jey luck. Before he leaves, Cody tells Jey "Until we Yeet again."

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Nia Jax, who says that there are two types of people in this world: those who care for Rhea Ripley and those who want revenge against her. She says she is among neither and that Rhea was hers before WrestleMania, just like Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch. She then focuses on the WWE Draft, then says that she may face somebody she has never faced before. Nia then says there are two types of people in this world: those who fear her and those who learn to fear her. She then says that World Women's title is hers.

"Main Event" Jey Uso beats Finn Balor. After the match, Damian Priest shows up and has a staredown with Jey Uso in the middle of the ring. Suddenly, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh attack Jey Uso from behind, and Finn Balor joins in while Damian Priest looks on. Jey Uso soon fights back and flees through the crowd. Jey Uso soon fights back and flees through the crowd. He then makes his way through the concourse, much to the delight of the fans, then sees Sami Zayn, who is looking up. Sami talks about how he saw his first WWE show in tonight's venue, then says he is walking through the front door to defend the Intercontinental Championship. He then makes his way through the concourse through the crowd to the ring.

Backstage before the next match, "Big" Bronson Reed tells Chad Gable that regardless of who wins between himself and Sami Zayn will not be Intercontinental Champion for long, for they will have to answer to him.

Sami Zayn retains the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Chad Gable. After the match, Sami hugs Gable in a sign of respect, and as Sami celebrates with his wife in the front, Gable grabs him for a German suplex and attacks him at ringside. Gable then puts the ankle lock on Sami from the top rope, and referees demand that Gable let go of the hold as the show ends.

This week on Raw Talk: #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa)...and R-Truth! Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell! Chelsea Green and Piper Niven!

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