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It’s Monday…you know what that means
Seth Rollins is shown walking into the arena with his daughter, making her official (I think) debut.
We see Jinder Mahal get driven in for his title match later tonight, much to the chagrin of Tony Khan.
RAW starts properly with Cody Rhodes making his way to the ring.
Cody asks Little Rock what they want to talk about, but he doesn’t care, he’s going to talk about Collin Raye for no discernible reason. He wants to talk about the reason he came back to the WWE. The Rumble is right around the corner, and he doesn’t plan on…
Well, we don’t truly find out because Drew McIntyre is here to stick his sword where it doesn’t belong.
Drew asks Cody what he wants to talk about. But if he had been listening, he’d know…duh. Drew says they go way back.
They grew up in the WWE together. They are the same age, similar career paths, and Drew is proud of Cody. Proud of the man and performer he’s become. They were 23-24 years old, and they were tag team champions.
They were The Dashing Ones. The reason they didn’t go far as a tag team is because they didn’t embrace the opportunity. They both had to leave to get their head right and get that perspective. Outside of the WWE, they redefined what it was to be a wrestler outside of the WWE.
They became so undeniable that the WWE called them back. The last match Drew had before returning was with Cody, and he remembers what Cody told him – he said Drew would be a future World Champion, and he’s done it twice.
He’s going to tell Cody in front of the entire world, that it doesn’t matter who comes back, he’s seen it all, keep working and do what you’re doing, and Cody will be the first member of his family to raise that championship. He will finish the story.
Drew: “But not before I finish mine.”
Cody brings up that they both declared for the Rumble. Drew is right, he could win. Jey Uso could win. CM Punk could win.
Drew wants to give Cody some advice – just be yourself. He doesn’t have to wear the suits, use the big words, and stop smiling all the time. He did it, too.
He felt like he had to be the beacon of light, the leader, the big dumb smile, wipe it off. Be the real Cody.
Cody talks about stepping up, then steps up towards Drew, says he assures him that this is not an act. He smiles because this is what he loves. He appreciates the opportunities because he made them for himself.
Drew wonders if this is the real Cody, why would he bring Jey Uso to RAW knowing the trouble he could cause? What about endorsing CM Punk? Cody knows what he’s like. Cody is a kiss-ass at times, and he wishes this talk wasn’t happening right now.
If Priest wasn’t an idiot, Drew would be the World Champ and they wouldn’t be talking. Cody is standing in his way, and he will get eaten alive. He is at a different level.
He is not what’s best for business, he is this damn business, and at WrestleMania, the story belongs to Drew McIntyre.
Cody drops a lot of Ifs. Priest, Jey, there’s always an if. They are not the same. Drew is brimming with grievances. He WANTS this for Cody. The difference is, that when Cody wonders and speculates whether he’d finish the story, he doesn’t look at Drew.
He looks at two places, his heart and the crowd. If Drew wants to settle it at the Rumble, he’ll give Drew something to complain about. The last match between him and Drew? He has a question…who won?
Backstage, R-Truth is chilling with a stack of shirts. In comes Damien Priest to tell him Truth needs to stop selling merch outside the arena. Truth says he is making Hella money. He hands Priest a stack of money and then says he even made some for Tom and Nick.
Is Nick, ok? He can’t find him on Facebook. Priest allows the shirt sales, then tells Truth that in tonight’s match, not to tag in. Truth winks it off, saying he’s got Priest, then offers him a shirt.
Match 1 D.I.Y. vs Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh
Johnny gets some love from the crowd. He is starting with JD. Lockup into a wrist lock from Gargano who uses some leg work to get a near submission until JD gets to the ropes to break the hold.
JD gets a quick pin for 1. JD works the left arm, twisting it with Johnny’s back on the mat. Gargano turns into it, kips up out of it, JD kicks, whips to the corner, Gargano hops over, rolls out, whips to the ropes, and Big Rana off the ropes! JD rolls to the outside. Gargano hits the ropes, but Dom holds the ropes and Gargano tumbles out.
In comes Ciampa to knock Dom off the apron, then corkscrews over the top rope onto Dom with a crossbody! Here comes Gargano to send JD flying into the announce table!
WE ARE BACK and Ciampa and JD collide in the centre of the ring. Both men down. JD grabs Ciampa as he stands, and they trade right hands. Whip, tag from Gargano, they hit some double team moves to JD, ending with a huge clothesline. Whip is reversed,
Gargano holds on, elbow to JD, but Dom hits a cheap shot to the back of the neck.
Tag to Dom. Dom in to mount and punch over and over. Dom with right hands to Gargano in the corner. Uppercuts to the mid-section. Tag to JD. Kicks drop Gargano to the mat. JD with a stomp to the chest.
Tag to Dom. Dom with some cross faces then a cravat on the mat. Johnny turns into the hold, kicks Dom out the corner, right hand to JD, hops over Dom, sends him rolling then hits a kick to the face. Tag to Ciampa, but JD has the ref distracted. Dom drags Gargano to the corner and stomps over and over.
JD stomps too as the ref holds Ciampa back. Tag to JD and they double team, but Gargano kicks off the ropes, sends JD outside, then launches himself into a spear to Dom!
Gargano goes to tag, but JD pulls Ciampa off the apron! Dom with a dropkick! Cover! 1..2….NO!!!
BACK AGAIN and Ciampa is double handling both JD and Dom. Double clothesline sends Dom out. Reverse DDT to JD. Cover for 1.2…NO!!! Ciampa lifts JD and double underhooks, goes for it, but JD slinks out, and tags to Dom, Ciampa misses a splash in the corner,
JD trips him up, Dom flies over the top rope and drops an elbow, they double team but in comes Gargano to stop a suplex! Ciampa ends up with a pin for 1.2.NO!! Big right to Dom. Tag to Gargano. They double team and Dom gets stacked up for a pin, getting 1..2..NO!!
JD stops the pin! Ciampa and JD trade right hands. Gargano hits a superkick to Dom, Dom hits one of his own, Gargano with a clothesline! All four men down. Little Rock likes the match as all four men struggle to stand. Ciampa and JD roll to the apron, and Gargano and Dom each go for a tag.
They get it, JD and Ciampa meet in the middle ducks under, hit the ropes, and Spanish Fly from JD! MOONSAULT FROM
JD! HE SITS FOR A PIN! 1..2…NO!!! Gargano with a kick breaks it up. Dom runs in, they go at it, and dropkick to Gargano!
Dom tries for a 619, Gargano catches his feet, and Ciampa kicks Dom out of the ring! JD tries for a pin, Ciampa hits a DDT! Tag to Johnny! They are on either side of JD! MEET IN THE MIDDLE! COVER! 1…2….3!!!
Winners: Johnny Gargano and Tommaso CiampaThis was a little too long for my liking, with the first third having little going for it. But….the crowd LOVED it the entire time, so maybe I’m just total jaded
Rating: ***
Backstage, Indi Hartwell and Candice LaRae are telling Adam Pearce that 2024 is their year.
In comes Chelsea Green and Piper Niven who say that the ref was the worst in the world because he counted so slow. They deserve a rematch. Pearce makes the obvious tag match, and what’s next.
Match 2 Chelsea Green and Piper Niven vs Indi Hartwell and Candice LaRae
Piper and Indi to start. Piper dumps her upside down and hits a shoulder breaker. Tag to Green and Indi drags her to the apron. Green tries to swing a kick but Indi trips her up and then kicks the side of the head. Indi rolls into the ring,
Piper gets a tag.
Indi swings, misses, and kicks, Piper catches, and hits a headbutt. Whip to the corner and Indi hits it chest first. Piper stomps the chest and then heads to the 2nd rope. She flies off but Indi rolls forward and Piper crashes and burns.
Tag to Candice who hit a bunch of rights, kick, step up enziguri. Senton to the back! Another! A third, but this time Green is in so Candice hits Codebreaker AND falls onto the back of Piper! Indi is off the tag! SPINEBUSTER TO GREEN!!!
Piper tries for a crossbody, but Indi dodges her. Tag to Candice. Green tries for Unprettier. Indi grabs her, hands her over the ropes and holds on as Candice hits a lionsault! Cover! 1.2….3!!!
Winners: Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRaeNot the greatest, as there seemed to be a lot of miscommunication, but they got to (re)start somewhere
Rating: *1/2
We come back to Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser coming to the ring. Gunther is here to remind everyone about one thing. Last year, he entered the Rumble as #1 and made it to the end.
He was one elimination away from winning. He lasted longer than any man. So, this year, The Ring General will be in it and the main event is Mania.
Gunther switches gears to Ludwig and we see a recap of last Monday where Kaiser took the beating to Kofi Kingston. He will be out “several days,” says Cole.
Gunther is all smiles. He loved it. Kaiser showed a side of him Gunther has always wanted to see. Grit, confidence, courage. Well done.
Gunther wants a hug. They embrace.
Xavier Woods doesn’t take too kindly to the lovefest.
He comes out, pissed, and says that they have a problem. Last week, Kaiser took it ten steps too far.
He spoke to Kofi earlier, and Kaiser is the reason Kofi isn’t here tonight. Unfortunately, Woods IS here. He will extract his pound of flesh, so tonight, they in a match, or does Ludwig have to ask his daddy for permission?
Ludwig questions Wood’s decision. After what he did to Kofi last week, Woods dares to challenge him. What he did to Kofi last week was nothing compared to what he will do tonight. He will take Woods’ head as well.
Kaiser tries to cheap-shot Woods, but Woods dodges it and sends Ludwig flying off the apron. Woods hops off the apron and drives a knee into Kaiser, then mounts for some punches. Here comes a ref to pull them apart and give time for the actual match.
Match 3 Ludwig Kaiser vs Xavier Woods
We come back and the match is already going down. Kaiser has Woods in the corner, but Woods fights out of it and tries to hit some shoulders. Then he gets a few then chops.
Kaiser hits his own, Woods fires back, right other faces of Woods.
He kicks Woods and he stomps Woods down. Kofi attacks, mauling Woods in the corner. Big uppercut and a pin from Kaiser. 1.. 2..NO!!!! Kaiser attacks the back of the head with right hands then punches from an elevated position a few times.
Kick to the back of Woods. Right hand from Ludwig! Clothesline! Kaiser sends Woods into the other corner the hard way, and Woods hits the post and then hangs upside down. Kaiser with a running dropkick!
We come back to both men chopping the hell out of each other. Woods gets the upper hand, cornering Kiser and hitting chop after chop and stomp after stomp. A Clothesline sends Kaiser to the outside.
Woods hits the ropes; the dropkick sends Kaiser over the table. Woods is bleeding from the mouth, but he is hyped. Kaiser grabs a chair, tries to shoot it at Woods, but Woods ducks under and sits Kaiser on the table and beats him down.
Kaiser fishhooks the face!! Woods grabs the chair! He drops it hard on the back of Kaiser causing a DQ!
Winner: Ludwig Kaiser via DQT hese boys went balls to the wall with the punishment, looking like an all-out fight on multiple occasions.
We may very well be building up Kaiser as a force to be reckoned with, and I’m all for that.
Total Rating: ***
Xavier Woods isn’t done! He grabs a chair from the timekeeper's area. He goes to swing, but Kaiser dropkicks the chair into the face of Woods!
Kaiser grabs Woods and drags him over to the stairs
He sets up for the running dropkick, but Woods is up!! DROPKICK TO THE CHEST!!! Woods lifts the steps! He walks over to Kaiser and runs to smash Kaiser! He tosses the steps, but Kaiser ducks and the steps hit the post!
Bronson Reed is standing in all-black backstage. He says there is a man right now who holds a title in the WWE who doesn’t realize that sooner or later, it will belong to him.
We return to the show and Byron walks up to Xavier Woods to ask where his emotions are at. Woods is about to let Byron know but here comes Ludwig Kaiser to attack!!! Jey Uso runs up to stop him, and Kaiser backs down. He leaves and Jey checks on Woods.
Match 4 Ivar vs Akira Tozawa
Ivar with a huge clothesline drops Akira down with ease. Akira rolls to the corner. Ivar lifts him and smooshes his face a few times. Akira with a right hand out of the corner.
Akira ducks a right, hits a spinning kick to the face, and tries to whip, Icar holds on, lifts and Akira catches the head and hits a DDT! Akira rips his shirt and hits the ropes, but Ivar with a spinning power slam to Akia.
Running crossbody smashes Akira on the mat. Ivar drags Akira to the corner and climbs.
Maxxine is on the apron for the distraction, so Akira hits an enziguri. Akira with a sunset flip into a pin! 1..2….3!!!!
Winner: Akira TozawaWelpTotal Rating: NR
Akira and Maxxine celebrate but Valhalla flies onto screen with a huge right! Valhalla sends Maxxine into the ring, and Akira follows.
Spinning heel kick to Akira as Valhalla fishhooks Maxxine then springs her up and hits a headbutt to the chest. Valhalla kicks Maxxine out of the ring. Ivar drags Akira to the corner. He climbs and hits a moonsault.
Backstage, Chad Gable is helping Akira. He will challenge Ivar next week. Meanwhile, Ivy Nile will challenge Valhalla.
Rhea Ripley is here to break our hearts and bust our balls.
She is sick and tired of people like Nia Jax running their mouths, claiming that this is their division.
It’s hers, and that’s why this is her title.
This is a warning to the winner of the Rumble. If you decide to wish your Mania, then choose Rhea. If they don’t want to waste it, then choose someone else. It will end up just like last year.
Becky Lynch is here with a smirk on her face.
So here they are, the best to ever do it, both going from being afterthoughts to becoming the faces of the industry.
There is a nagging voice in Becky’s head, and it keeps saying to her that she thinks Rhea might be better than her, but she needs to prove that she is not. To do that, she needs to take the title from Rhea and to do that, she needs to win the Royal Rumble, point to the sign, and declare that at
Mania it will be Mami vs The Man.
Rhea says there is only one person who wants Becky to win more than her…and it’s Rhea. She’ll see her at Mania.
Seth Rollins gets some mic time backstage to give Jinder some props, calling him deserving, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He is Steh Freakin Rollins.
Before the next match, R-Truth hands out the cuts to JD. He hands money over to Finn then Dom but not JD, telling him that he’s got to be a member. Miz tries to talk sense to Truth. Truth tells Miz he wants to start and the bell rings.
Match 5 The Miz and R-Truth vs Damien Priest and Finn Balor
Finn with a surprise right to Truth. Shoots to the corner, Truth ducks under a right and hits one of his own. Truth apologizes to Finn and says his bad.
Finn shoots the legs and stomps the chest.
Truth rolls outside. Truth tells Priest to tell Finn to take it easy. It’s not supposed to hurt. Remember? Wink wink
We BACK and Finn has a side headlock on Truth. the truth turns into it. Tag to Priest. He hesitates to enter, finally does, and looks over to Finn. He grabs Truth,
Truth with a jawbreaker, but he doesn’t realize it’s Priest. Tag to Finn.
Finn grabs the boot; Truth kicks him back. Tag to Miz! Miz with a clothesline! Another! One for Priest sends him outside of the ring.
He sends Finn to the apron, slides under the legs, pulls his leg down then sends Priest to the table! Over the table! Miz sends Finn in, and Dom distracts.
Miz pulls Finn into the ring with double knees to the chest. Miz calls for the end, Nelson, but Finn escapes. Clothesline in the corner, tag to Truth. He kicks Finn, hits the ropes, and scissor kick Finn.
Truth apologizes to Dom on the apron. Truth drops JD, Miz drops Dom. Priest kicks Miz out of the ring.
Truth is behind Priest, he is about to swing, but Priest stops him.
He asks if they are a team, what happened to the team? Finn rolls Truth, Truth with a heel kick! SOUTH OF HEAVEN TO TRUTH! Priest rolls out of the ring. Finn covers. 1..2…3!!!
Winners: The Judgment DayThe Truth saga continues, and although I am interested to see where it goes, the match was so-so
Rating: **
We head backstage where Jinder Mahal is sleeping standing up. Or meditating.
He says absolute clarity for himself, a seven-year drought, but the whispers are pouring in.
He is the most talked about star of 2024. Everyone is divided, but his focus is singular. 12 years in the making narrowed down to one night. Tonight, everyone is unified when he beats Seth and becomes World Heavyweight Champion.
Shinsuke Nakamura gets a quick promo about the Rumble. Last week, he couldn’t get the desired result. This made him angry and left him hungry. Cody should keep an eye open because their story doesn’t end until he says so.
But now, he turns his hunger towards the Royal Rumble. A hungry Shinsuke is a dangerous Shinsuke. 29 other men, all hoping to make it to the top. 29 men, he will feast on their dreams.
Match 6 Natalya and Tegan Nox vs Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
Zoey drops Tegan with ease, then kicks her around, toying with her. She sits Nox in the corner and then tags Shayna in, who comes in to stomp the midsection. Shayna covers for 1…NO! Tegan fights from below, but Shayna drops an elbow and then chokes her up with the shin across the throat.
Zoey stomps Nox a few times off the tag.
Tag to Shayna. Right hands to the mid-section. Tag to Zoey. Hop to the chest. Nox crumbles to the mat. Another chop Nox fights back, right after right after right. Zoey with a knee. Headlock sends Nox to the corner.
Tag to Shayna. Nox fights with rights to each girl and kicks Zoey, her knee from Shayna. She pulls her into a pin for 1. 2..NO!! Nattie is in to stop the pin! Shayna sends her right outside. Shayna sits Nox up top, spreads her legs and climbs,
Baszler tries to stand for a suplex, but Nox sends her flying, flies with a crossbody, running uppercut. Tag to Nattie. She runs in and meets Zoey, right hand, another. Nattie with a suplex. Rights in the corner until the ref holds her back. Zoey swings and misses, and Nattie shoots her with a modified bulldog.
She runs over the back and hits a low dropkick. GERMAN! Nattie spins, Zoey rolls onto her back, hits a back elbow, tries for Z360,
Nattie reverses and tries for a sharpshooter. Zoey kicks her away;
Shayna gets a blind tag. Nox with a tag. Shayna is in, locked up behind, Nattie with a discus lariat, and Nox with a running knee. Cover for 1.2.NO!!! Tag to Nattie. She lifts Shayna, Nox hits the ropes, Zoey pulls her outside.
Superkick to Nox, Nattie drops Shayna, right to Zoey, Shayna with The Clutch, Nattie turns this into a pin for 1.2.NO!!! Shayna escapes and rolls into a submission. Nattie taps.
Winners: Shayna Baszler and Zoey StarkI applaud the attempts to build the tag division for the women for what seems like the first time.
The matches aren’t lighting the world on fire, but at least we are building some teams as somewhat total viable
Rating **
Match 7 WWE World Heavyweight Championship MatchJinder Mahal vs Seth Rollins
Quickly, Jinder’s homies hop on the apron to distract. Jinder kicks Seth then drops him hard with a body slam. Fireman’s to Seth, and Seth elbows out, locks up from behind, and switches,
Jinder tries to finish it, but Seth escapes, kicks, and tries for the stomp, Mahal moves, kicks from Seth, tries for a Pedigree, but Jinder back body drops him to the outside.
Jinder to the outside, kicking Seth in the back of the head. Seth is up, chop, another, another, Jinder with a throat thrust.
He lifts Seth to the shoulders, but Seth slinks off and posts Jinder. Seth to the apron, he runs and flies with a knee to the side of the head.
Seth sends Jinder back into the ring. He looks to the top of the ramp, and here comes Damien Priest with the briefcase.
WE ARE BACK and Mahal has an abdominal stretch on. Seth escapes and hits the ropes, elbow, and right hand, Jinder hits his own, and Seth fires back.
Right from Jinder. Right from Seth,
Seth with a right, another, forearm. A HUGE lariat takes Mahal down! Seth rushes the corner, gets sent over the head and onto the apron, right hand to Jinder, to the top rope, crossbody to Jinder!
Cover! 1.. 2..NO!!! Superkick to Jinder! Seth to. The apron! Sher out there waiting. Seth pauses, springboard senton off the top! Moonsault now!
Cover! 1..2…NO!! Jinder up. FALCON ARROW FROM SETH! Seth is favouring the knee. Jinder to his feet, big kick, Seth with a superkick. Jinder is still up.
Double under hook, PEDIGREE!!! Knee is hurting! Seth didn’t land all of it. He covers! 1..2…NO!!! Seth climbs the top rope. He flies for a splash, but Jinder moves out of the way! Priest stands, wondering if this is the time.
He turns and Drew McIntyre is here in the crowd! He climbs over the barricade and Drew and Priest go at it! They fight up the ramp!
In the ring, Mahal hits a gut buster and a pin for 1.2….NO!!!! Mahal with a knee to the stomach.
He hits right after right. Jinder calls for his crew to do something. They check under the apron. Veer hops on the apron to distract, the other guy tosses Jinder a chair.
Seth hits him with a right hand. VEER WITH THE BRIEFCASE!!! He clocks Seth! The KHALLAS!!! Cover! 1..2…NO!!!!! The ref kicks out Indus! Jinder tries to finish again but Seth reverses! STOMP! COVER! 1..2….3!!!!
Winner: Seth RollinsA solid main event and Jinder did everything he needed to
Rating: ***
Overall Thoughts
Tonight’s RAW was a bit of a sine wave of quality, where the dips weren’t all that low, but the highs also weren’t too high. an average episode with some average wrestling. This is not a knock, as they can’t all be shows full of Briscoes, and with the season quickly approaching, we don’t want any injury slowing down the momentum for some of these guys. Still, it makes for a show that can feel a little…long. Jinder more than pulled his weight in the main event, and we still see forward movement, but come on, it’s The Rumble – it practically sells itself.
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