Winners, live scores, reactions, and highlights from February 19

Just days before WWE headed to Perth, Australia for Eliminating Chamber, they delivered a fantastic episode of Raw, headlined by a live main event worthy of a main event between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.

Has the American Nightmare kept the momentum on his side and defeated the Scot, or has McIntyre made his mark ahead of the men's Elimination Chamber match on Saturday, when he has a chance to win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40?

Find out the answer to that and more with this recap of the February 19 episode of WWE's main event.

Previously announced for Monday's show:

• Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre
• DIY, The Miz and R-Truth vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio)
• Intercontinental Championship: Jey Uso vs. Gunther (c)
• Battle Royale Qualifier for Last Chance Chamber: Mishin vs. Alba Fire vs. Zelina Vega vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Zoe Stark
• Chad Gable vs. Ivar

Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre brought the house down at the top of Monday's show, starting things off with a strong match.

Back-and-forth action defined the match, with neither player gaining a sustained advantage for most of it. The American Nightmare and the Scottish Warrior traded distinctive moves, strikes, and tackles with each other, not allowing the other to deliver the final blow that decided the result.

Instead, it would be the interference Jimmy Uso who distracted the referee and allowed Solo Sekoa to floor Rhodes with a Samoan Spike, making the winner of the 2024 Royal Rumble advance to the Claymore where McIntyre scored the win.

The finish was right after WrestleMania 39, as Sequa came out of the black-covered crowd and delivered a Samoan Spike to cost Rhodes the match against Roman Reigns. It was a nice callback that served as a bit of mind games from The Bloodline to the man who ruined plans for an epic main event for this year's show.

McIntyre appeared conflicted as he watched The Bloodline intervene on his behalf, recalling his bitterness dating back to their involvement in his undisputed WWE Universal Championship loss to Reigns at Clash at the Castle in September 2022.

The fantastic events and advanced stories helped raise the level of openness for the show. Great stuff here from everyone involved, and most importantly, it made sense within the confines of everything we already know.

a result

McIntyre defeated Rhodes

degree

B+

Key moments and takeaways

• A great video package set the stage for the match between the entrances. A nice touch, as are the notes that accompany the superstar sketches, such as McIntyre looking for his second Elimination Chamber win.
• From the stares down at the beginning of the match to the lighting, camera work and enthusiastic crowd, it felt like a special live event match from the start.
• Rhodes showed great strength, firing at one point and demanding that McIntyre bring the fight to him.
• Backstage, while The Beloved was nursing his injuries, Seth Rollins appeared. He didn't say anything but it was clear that he was reminding Rhodes that they had to stick together against the Dynasty.

Participants: Shayna Baszler, Zoe Stark, Raquel Rodriguez, Xia Li, Valhalla, Tegan Nox, Natalya, Indi Hartwell, Candice LeRae, Maxine Dupri, Ivy Nile, Electra Lopez, B-Fab, Katana Chance, Mission, Zelina Vega, Chelsea Green . And Fajro Island and Alba Fire

The sixth and final participation in the women's Elimination Chamber match was set for Monday night when Rodriguez then returned and cashed her ticket to Perth, Australia with a victorious battle royal.

Rodriguez overcame the united front of Baszler and Stark, eliminating them respectively to get the win.

The battle royal game was fun, with a bunch of different stories developed or explored over its runtime. The false ending at the end, with Greene getting out from under the ring, only to see her sneak attack on Rodriguez fail miserably as she was thrown to the floor, was also a lot of fun.

Rodriguez is certainly the least interesting option to win, but the big comeback and dominance within the team should have been proof enough that this was the direction the creative team was headed.

Whether she returns or not, she has no chance on Saturday, with Becky Lynch still considered the favorite to leave with her title shot guaranteed.

a result

Rodriguez won

degree

B

Key moments and takeaways

• Valhalla got rid of Dupri to continue that story.
• Vega finished big and Lopez got major heat to eliminate her.
• Baszler and Stark impressed as a team, which made their eventual loss in the playoffs even more confusing.

Before the Women's World Championship match at Elimination Chamber, Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax had a short interview that went nowhere.

A disappointing finale builds to the most exciting match on Saturday's card.

From there, Jackie Redmond conducted a pre-recorded interview she did with R-Truth earlier in the day. More hilarity ensued as Truth expressed his disappointment at breaking up his relationship with Doomsday, then wandered aimlessly in a blue coat.

shine on.

degree

D to meet Ripley-Jax; Interview for the truth

Key moments and takeaways

• Jax's confidence in her victory is based solely on the fact that she is older than Ripley.
• Sound equipment held back Ripley's storm.
• Truth on his first encounter with The Judgment Day: “It was special, like the first time John Cena tried on denim shorts.”

For a moment on Monday night, it looked as if R-Truth was going to get his revenge on Damian Priest and Judgment Day. He exploded late in the match, taking the fight to The Archer of Infamy, while Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, DIY's The Miz, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio fought at ringside.

An ill-fated attempt at a stand-up was countered, and Priest delivered the South of Heaven for the pinfall win.

The contest highlighted Ciampa well as well, a high-energy eight-man card, but this was ultimately about the truth and his quest for revenge. He didn't receive it that night, thanks to an attentive priest, but all signs point to the fact that truth and Judgment Day will intermingle again soon, perhaps around the time of WrestleMania 40.

After all, what better way to stick to their heels than by taking their tag titles on the grandest stage?

a result

Judgment Day defeated Truth, Miz and DIY

degree

B

Key moments and takeaways

• UFC star Michael Chandler called out Conor McGregor before the fight, using the WWE platform to draw attention to the world of mixed martial arts. Not a bad idea considering both companies fall under the TKO umbrella.

• Truth's commitment to John Cena by being his “childhood hero” is admirable. He continues to use shoulder blocks, side kicks, and the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
• The hot tag of Truth ignited the crowd and led to an inferno of pop.
• Ciampa ran the ropes in and out of corners for what seemed like an eternity, earning the respect of fans who appreciated his cardio.
• “16 belly guys crashing into each other in the middle of the ring,” exclaimed Pat McAfee after Ciampa-Balor’s double win.

Becky Lynch hits the ring for the go-home promo segment before the women's Elimination Chamber match on Saturday.

She emphasized her need to win the match and challenge Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship at WrestleMania, which attracted Liv Morgan, who reminded fans of her quest for revenge against Ripley.

Raquel Rodriguez, Naomi and Tiffany Stratton followed suit, laying fire on their opponents before Bianca Belair blew the roof off the Honda Center.

Before a brawl broke out between the six women, Nia Jax appeared and proceeded to put each one of them down before standing tall, an emphatic response to Ripley's claims that she simply wasn't good enough to beat her.

This was an interesting creative move as Jax seems like an absolutely unstoppable force, but it came at the expense of six women who had to be protected as they competed to determine the #1 contender.

Does he do that? truly Are you hurting any of the room's competitors? No, but in what universe did Jax have to wipe out the entire field by herself?

degree

C+

Key moments and takeaways

• Belair reminded fans of her undefeated streak at WrestleMania, which appears to be planting seeds for them to use moving forward.
• Morgan told Lynch that she was the last competitor to defeat Ripley, adding to the idea that she could win on Saturday and set up a singles title match for a chance to avenge the injured shoulder that sidelined her for six months.

The months-long rivalry between Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders continued on Monday in singles action, as Chad Gable faced Ivar.

The match was very good, as has been the case with their in-ring action lately, with Gable fighting from the bottom. He absorbed everything his bigger, bigger, stronger opponent threw at him and bounced back, taking advantage of the opportunity presented by Ivar's missed moon jump.

A German suplex, moonsault, and ankle lock ended the contest and earned Gable the victory.

Both men often fly under the radar and are candidates for the most underrated Superstar recognition.

a result

Gable defeated Ivar

degree

B

Key moments and takeaways

• Ivar's side slammed Gable spine first onto the timer's guardrail.
• Gable teased the German suplex over and over again, eventually paying for it with one that thrilled the crowd.
• The babyface seamlessly transitioned from pinfall to ankle lock in a great example of his fluidity as a competitor.

Gunther narrowly retained the Intercontinental Championship against Jey Uso in the main event of Monday's show, not because he earned it, but because Jimmy Uso made sure to make it happen.

Late in the contest, Jay fired five spears in a row, knocking the air out of the champion. From there, he added a splash from the top rope, only for the bell to ring prematurely.

It was Jimmy who prevented his brother from achieving singles glory in the form of the IC title. Jey would have another chance but chose to eliminate his brother at ringside, only for another splash attempt to be met with knees by Gunter, who rolled him over for the win.

After the match, Jimmy assaulted Jay with several splashes to close the show.

And with that, it looks like we're heading into a sibling battle at WrestleMania 40.

The match itself was great, and Jay's best singles yet. She earned her spot in the main event of this broadcast.

a result

Gunther defeated Uso to retain

degree

a

Key moments and takeaways

• McAfee stopped in his tracks when Gunther glanced at him, no longer participating in Uso's pre-match antics.
• Uso hit Gunther, setting the champion on fire and causing him to brutalize and beat him as he entered the commercial break.
• The challenger will likely turn the tide in his favor as he enters the final break of the night on a high note.
• Uso threw a spear for a great near fall. Gunther followed with one of a splash for two.

This was the best episode of Raw in months, with new production values ​​and a sense of urgency. Everything seemed to have a purpose, from the opening match to the main event. Nothing feels useless or unimportant.

There was one goal: to hype up Elimination Chamber, and then, to put the narrative elements in place to properly build to WrestleMania.

The opening match and main event were two great matches and everything in between was mostly good.

As it should be. WWE's creative process always flourishes this time of year, and on this night, it made a packed three-hour show feel relatively short and inoffensive, which is the trademark of a fun show.

Grade: A