#130: AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho vs. Cesaro, WWE Raw (4/4/2016).
This is a Fatal 4 Way Match, where the winner will face Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Payback.
Sami Zayn was originally supposed to compete, but Kevin Owens attacked him backstage and kept him from coming out. Owens, Jericho and Styles were among the men to place their name in the hat to be Roman Reigns' first challenger post WrestleMania, so Shane McMahon - in charge of Raw for "one night", made this 4 Way to determine the #1 contender.
Replacing Sami Zayn? Cesaro, who's returning from a shoulder injury suffered in November of 2015. He comes out in suit and sunglasses, but quickly rips his suit away to reveal his ring gear. What a badass. The post WrestleMania crowd popped hard for his return.
Cesaro and Owens go at it, and Styles and Jericho throw hands as the bell sounds. Nice upper cuts by Cesaro. He throws Owens to the outside. Styles throws Jericho to the floor.
We get a staredown between Styles and Cesaro that ends with a huge dropkick from Styles. Cesaro responds with a pendulum backbreaker to Styles that gets a 2 count.
Back from commercial, Owens and Cesaro go at it on the floor, and Jericho suplexes Styles. Cesaro Irish whips Owens into the barricade, and Owens hilariously screams "Ow!" Jericho drives his knee into Styles' neck.
In the Ring, Cesaro uppercuts Owens, and gets sent to the floor by Jericho. Styles unloads with strikes in the corner to Jericho. Standing dropkick by Jericho. The crowd chants "this is wrestling."
Jericho places Styles on the top rope and chops him. Owens is back in, and he goes to the top to help Jericho in a prelude to their friendship. Cesaro comes in, and does the Tower of Doom spot, dropping all three to the mat, and Styles takes the worst of it. Hey, it wasn't as bad as Lockdown 2006.
Cesaro with uppercuts to Jericho, and Owens boots him. Cannonball to Jericho, and Styles kicks his head. Cesaro with a lifting uppercut to Styles, who kicks out. More uppercuts to Jericho, who responds with a thumb to the eye. He clotheslines Cesaro to the floor.
Owens with a release package piledriver Slam to Jericho for a nearfall. Jericho blocks a Cannonball attempt, and follows with a running bulldog. Jericho goes for the Lionsault, and Owens gets his knees up. Styles with a springboard 450 splash, and Cesaro breaks up the pin.
Owens hits a neckbreaker on Styles, and he kicks out. Cesaro hits a springboard crossbody to Styles, and Owens breaks up the pin. Dueling uppercuts in the corner by Cesaro to Owens and Styles. Jericho comes in and eats one as well. Now he's in the corner, so Cesaro continues the uppercut party!
Jericho blocks one, and he goes to the middle rope. He dives off, but Cesaro catches him in the Cesaro Swing! 10 rotations later, Owens superkicks him. Pop Up Powerbomb to Styles, and Jericho breaks up the pin.
Jericho blocks a Pop Up Powerbomb and hits the Code Breaker to Owens. Cesaro breaks up that pin attempt. Jericho chops Cesaro, who responds with an uppercut. Jericho applies the Walls of Jericho to Cesaro.
Cesaro reverses it into the Sharpshooter, homage to his former partner Tyson Kidd! Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm to Cesaro! Owens rolls up Styles for a nearfall. Pele Kick to Owens, and he walks into a Code Breaker by Jericho, but Styles kicks out!
Jericho slaps Styles in frustration. Styles goes for a back slide, but transitions into the Styles Clash! He pins Jericho, and he's the #1 contender!
This was a super fun Raw main event, with everyone getting their shit in, and Cesaro in particular looking good in his return match. There was definitely a shift in program with this match, a nice indie flair for WWE. Oh, and Chris Jericho was there. This match would help lead WWE into "The New Era" led by Shane & Stephanie McMahon, one that would eventually led to a new Brand Extension that summer.
The action was fast and furious, and everyone was able to pop off at least one fun sequence. The real surprise was that Styles won. I certainly didn't expect him to be challenging Roman Reigns this early into his WWE run, but I wasn't complaining. This match led to an overbooked first match at Payback, but then they would have an instant classic at Extreme Rules the following month.
Great action, a surprise return, and a fan favorite winner. Can you say "Raw after WrestleMania?"