411’s RAW Talk Report 02.25.18: Cena Searches for Answers While Reigns Spoils WrestleMania

411’s RAW Talk Report: 02/25/18

-Welcome to what may be the final RAW Talk as with all the shows going forward being co-branded, it seems this show is going the way of many other Network shows I have covered. Elimination Chamber was a fun, if predictable, show and it still amazes me that they book Braun how they should have been booking Reigns from the start.

-Renee Young (looking amazing) welcomes us to the show and she is joined by Peter Rosenberg. She talks about the performance from Braun, but Rosenberg is all about Roman Reigns. He jokes that he knows the internet and twitter are exploding because of the complaining, but he puts over how good Roman is. They discuss the Woman’s Chamber Match and put over everyone involved. Rosenberg loved seeing Sasha and Bayley going at it and wants to see them have a match at WrestleMania.

-Our first guest is John Cena and he is just a tad depressed here. For some reason I have been digging this Cena storyline even if the idea that he has no chance at a Mania match is insane. They are basically touching on the storyline they did after his loss to The Rock, but back then he was still winning matches and headlining PPVs. This time he is losing high profile matches while trying to balance everything else he is doing and the self doubt should be creeping in. Cena kind of babbles on in a solemn tone at first and reiterates that he is still ready to go mentally and physically. He tells Rosenberg that by no means is he done. He has lived a fantasy for a decade and a half. He talks about being 41 and eventually time catches everyone. He is juggling a lot and that is his choice. “Every second I stay away from here, the pulse gets weaker.”

-He remembers being at Mania XIX at Safeco Field and how he was grateful for just being on the preshow even without a match and doing a rap. He was just so happy and now he is looking at Mania this year without being able to help. He talks about there being Manias before him and how there will be Manias when he is gone, but he’s not finished yet. He feels he is in the best shape of his career, but the cards aren’t falling his way. “I may not have an opponent, but I may have a plan. It may involve me stepping outside the proper etiquette we have in the WWE.” Rosenberg then questions him on what me means and Cena ends by saying “I’ll figure it out.”

-Renee and Rosenberg are kind of baffled and do their best to figure out what to make of what Cena said and his demeanor. It seems we all know where this is heading for Cena and so far I am enjoying the story being told.

-Stephanie McMahon is our next guest and she wants to talk about the entire PPV, but Renee gets down to Rousey putting HHH through a table. Steph says everyone needs to be managed and she wants an apology from Angle tomorrow and she thinks Rhonda got a little carried away. She says that she is the boss and now that Rhonda has signed a contract she is her boss and she will have to educate her.

-Rosenberg brings up having Rhonda in the company and Steph says they are proud having her in the fold. She hasn’t talked to Rhonda yet, but she knows everything will be smoothed over. She admits that Rhonda will need to be tamed, and she will figure things out. Renee talks about the Woman’s Chamber Match and Steph puts the match over and puts over what the men did as well.

-Stephanie takes her leave as Renee and Peter discuss the Rhonda/Angle/Steph/HHH fallout. Obviously, this is leading to a match between the 4 at Mania as I assume they couldn’t get clearances from The Rock. That kind of sucks for Rollins as it seems every opponent he has been rumored to face at Mania has been injured or now seemingly filling in for someone else.

-A quick note as they discuss the woman’s division and Rosenberg mentions that Asuka still gets to pick which Champion she wants to face at Mania. I mean, we all assume it will be Alexa, but I guess the door is still open for a match with Charlotte.

-Our final guest is Roman Reigns and he says that he is hurting physically. He puts over the brutality of the Chamber and talks about it being his first Chamber match. He puts over Braun for being a great competitor, but he got the job done today. Rosenberg talks about how Reigns and Braun keep crossing paths and if that frustrates Roman as it keeps taking a physical toll on him. Roman compares him and Braun to Batman and Joker as they are seemingly destined to do this forever. Hey, that’s KO and Sami’s gimmick.

-They talk about WrestleMania and Reigns says they don’t have to wait until then. He will be in Anaheim tomorrow though he suspects only Heyman will be there. He jokes that all Heyman can do is give him a twinkie or directions in New York.

-Rosenberg brings up Reigns predicting he would win the Chamber and asks for another one at Mania. “It’s not a prediction,” Reigns says. “It’s a spoiler. I am going to WrestleMania. I’m beating Brock Lesnar and I am taking the Universal Championship.”

-Renee congratulates Roman one more time and that means we are out of time as this episode ends.

-Normal RAW Talk stuff as for some reason Talking Smack always seems to be better. Hopefully we get one of those after Fast Lane in 2 weeks. Steph and Roman did fine in hyping their new angles while recapping things, but the star of this show was Cena and where he goes from here with his quest to get a WrestleMania match.

-Thanks for reading.