A look at the full match card for the 2024 WWE Elimination Chamber event in Perth, Australia.
While WrestleMania 40 dominates the discussion with Cody Rhodes, The Rock and Roman Reigns, WWE has another premium live event to stage in between, around the world. Superstars are set to take over Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, for Elimination Chamber on Saturday, Feb. 24.
One or more Elimination Chamber matches traditionally dominate this event of the same name. With the majority of world title situations set, the focus shifts to the Women’s World Championship as the sole No. 1 contendership is up for grabs.
Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley will still defend her title against Nia Jax. Tensions have brewed between them throughout 2024, and following Jax’s clean victory over Lynch, it put her on a trajectory to challenge for the Women’s World Championship.
Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Finn Balor will also put their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship on the line against Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne. A win likely locks Priest and Balor into a WrestleMania match, perhaps against R-Truth and The Miz if tensions continue.
Elimination Chamber goes down on Saturday, Feb. 24. We’ll update this post with more matches as WWE makes them official, so check back often until the show rolls around.
Latest update: Feb. 19, 2024, 9:05 p.m. ET.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 card:
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax – Women’s World Championship match
Judgment Day (c) vs. Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne – Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match
Women’s Elimination Chamber match – Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Raquel Rodriguez (winner receives Women’s World Championship match at WrestleMania 40)
Men’s Elimination Chamber match – Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton vs. Bobby Lashley vs. LA Knight vs. Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul (winner receives World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40)
Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match (pre-show)
Lexington also saw three more wrestlers qualify for Elimination Chamber matches.
Happy pre-Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate. We’re not thinking love so much for WWE Raw tonight from Lexington, but more the opposite thing: Getting people out of our lives, or at least out of contention for the Elimination Chamber matches.
(Yes, we’re aware sometimes Valentine’s Day soul-searching leads in somewhat the same direction, but we digress.)
As of the start of this show, only two of the six men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber spots are spoken for. That will change tonight, with two men’s qualifiers and one women’s qualifier filling up more of those pods.
Perhaps the most interesting candidates right off the dome are LA Knight and Liv Morgan. Both are fan favorites, the kind of performers that will have big chunks of the WWE Universe backing them to make the Elimination Chamber bouts.
It’s also hard to see where they fit into the larger WrestleMania picture right this second. Knight has ridden his populist wave to two championship shots but hasn’t broken through. Morgan is a former champ, but has been out of action for a while due to injury and is trying to make her way back into contention.
Does that mean they might get upset tonight? It doesn’t feel like it, but it’s worth filing away in case it happens.
There’s also a fun six-man tag featuring The New Day and Jey Uso against Imperium, so this should be an entertaining Monday night. Off we go to Kentucky.
WWE Raw Results from Lexington:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
Cody Rhodes is shown heading into the arena this afternoon as Michael Cole reminds us Cody has another shot at Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
The New Day and Jey Uso def. Imperium by pinfall
Highlights of WrestleMania XL Kickoff are shown
Andrade says he needed to leave WWE to remember who he was, but now that he’s back, his direction is clear
Bobby Lashley def. Bronson Reed by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
Sami Zayn is shown coming to the rescue of Cody Rhodes after Raw went off the air last week; afterward, we see Zayn talking to Jackie Redmond about why he believes he is still a contender and will be a champion until he’s interrupted by some taunts from Shinsuke Nakamura on all the arena’s big video screens
Cody Rhodes is back on track to finish his story, but he may need some help — and Seth Rollins offers it
Cathy Kelley is backstage with a happy New Day and Jey Uso, who only get happier when they learn Uso will get an IC title shot next week
Liv Morgan def. Zoey Stark by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
Damian Priest tries to tell R-Truth the truth about his status with The Judgment Day, and it might finally be sinking in; later we see Truth desperately trying to get The Miz to join him ringside
JD McDonagh def. R-Truth by pinfall; after the bell, Truth tries to fight off all of The Judgment Day, and it goes about as poorly as you’d expect until #DIY finally comes running down with steel chairs to chase off the heels
Rhodes stops by to thank Zayn for having his back last year, and Cody also reassures Sami that he and the WWE fans all believe in him, which earns the American Nightmare a grateful hug
Becky Lynch is still locked in on WrestleMania, but both she and Rhea Ripley can’t overlook Nia Jax
Drew McIntyre is still taking credit for pushing Rhodes in the right direction and insists he’s still the underdog, and it appears he’ll be facing Cody next week
Truth thanks #DIY for the save, but thinks they are DX
LA Knight def. Ivar by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match
McIntyre and Zayn have a brief but tense run-in backstage as Sami heads for the ring
Chelsea Green asks Adam Pearce if she’s going to be in the Last Chance Qualifier for the Elimination Chamber match, angering Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, who are also in there; Green insults Shayna Baszler and Stark, who of course end up right behind her
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Sami Zayn by pinfall, with an assist to McIntyre for a timely distraction
When McIntyre and Nakamura try for a post-match beating, Rhodes hustles down to the rescue, hitting a Cody Cutter on Drew and Cross Rhodes on Shinsuke
Image credit: WWE.com
The New Day and Jey Uso prove to be a formidable team against Imperium
The crowd gets behind The New Day as soon as the bell rings, motivating Kofi Kingston to go right after Ludwig Kaiser. Jey Uso and Gunther quickly get tagged in, but the Ring General does the classic heel thing and deprives the fans of the matchup they want to see by tagging Giovanni Vinci in.
Only after Vinci takes control does Gunther tag back in to get some work done on Jey. Uso gets sent out to the floor in enemy territory, leaving Imperium in full control as of a commercial break.
That’s no longer the case on the other side, with Kingston unleashing a wide variety of offense and scoring a near fall on Vinci with a frog splash to the back. Kofi takes flight with a leaping clothesline and a Boom Drop on Vinci, but Imperium manages to send him to the outside and then into the steel steps.
Kofi kicks out after a boot to the face from Vinci, but now he’s dealing with Gunther’s methodical attack. The Ring General stops him from tagging a partner and puts him in a Boston Crab, but Jey breaks the hold with a nasty slap to the face.
After more commercials, Uso leads a furious rally, dropping both of Gunther’s wingmen and locking in on the man himself. Jey loses a battle of chops, however, and has to fight back with an enzuigiri. He hits a cross body off the top and covers for two.
A short-arm clothesline earns Gunther a two count of his own before he mocks Jey’s entrance. He pays for it by eating a spear, yet he manages to get a save from Kaiser.
After Kaiser is sent into the post, Vinci tags in and trades superkicks with Jey. The New Day returns to help pull off the 1-D, allowing Uso to hit a top rope splash on Vinci to end it.
Image credit: WWE.com
Cody Rhodes gets an offer of backup from Seth Rollins
Ever the consummate babyface, Rhodes stops to autograph some action figures for young fans on his way to the ring. The fans loudly chant his name once his music stops.
Cody says they could talk about him challenging Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40. He says the only reason he can say that is because of the fans making their voices heard, and there’s only one way he can repay them.
Though he’s a passionate guy, Rhodes says he doesn’t want to get emotional because then he’d become a crybaby, referencing The Rock’s taunt toward him. He also shows footage of The Rock on “The Pat McAfee Show” coining the term, for which Michael Cole needles McAfee.
One thing The Rock does not do well is listen, Rhodes says, because he said nothing insulting about Rock’s ancestors and he still got slapped anyway. For that, Cody vows to hit Rocky back.
That brings Seth Rollins to join the party, and the fans greet him warmly as well. Cody wants to thank Seth for coming to his aid at WrestleMania Kickoff, and Rollins thanks him before saying he understands why Rhodes made the choice he did.
The Visionary tells Rhodes he must finish his story, because if he does not, the landscape on the other side of WrestleMania is very dark. As he sees it, this is probably the last real chance anyone has to take Roman’s title and power and give it to the people.
But Rollins also has a question: What’s your plan? Because last year, Cody got screwed by outside interference form The Bloodline, and now he’s facing that plus dealing with The Rock as well. Yet Rollins says he doesn’t have to fight this battle alone, as he’s been moved by the idea of taking everything from Roman.
He also says it’s partly his own fault that Reigns is the man he is today, with Rollins suggesting he taught Roman everything he knows during The Shield days. Seth says “there’s only one man on Earth who is uniquely suited to be your shield,” heh.
“Think about it,” Seth mouths after throwing down the mic.
Image credit: WWE.com
Liv Morgan is headed to Perth after taking down Zoey Stark
Morgan tries for a quick dub as her rollup gets a two count. Liv stomps away in the corner and shrieks as the referee pulls her away. Stark’s lariat gives her control, and she does some yelling of her own as she presses her advantage.
Liv hits a hurricanrana and smashes her foe’s head into the top turnbuckle before a springboard kick lands and sends Zoey to the floor. Stark fires back with a right hand that prevents a suicide dive, then follows with a painful looking Death Valley Driver on the apron.
Both women have chances to win it right after a commercial break. Stark gets a second in quick succession following a springboard missile dropkick before verbally berating Morgan.
Liv tries for a Codebreaker but gets sent into the turnbuckles instead, though Morgan instantly turns the tables … until she runs into a head kick and has to kick out at two again.
Zoey drags Liv to the corner, but her corkscrew splash finds no one home, and Oblivion means she’s not getting back up.
Image credit: WWE.com
Becky Lynch has her eyes on Rhea Ripley, but there’s a Nia Jax roadblock first
After promising to go to the prom in 2034 with a fan who has a sign to that effect, The Man talks about how much she loves the business and how it’s given her everything, including her husband and their daughter. But her obsession with wrestling has caused her to miss important moments in her loved ones’ lives, and more recently, it’s led to some tough conversations with her daughter.
On the plus side, her obsession has kept Becky on track for her intended WrestleMania date with Rhea Ripley. Lynch says a lot of fans love Ripley and think no one can beat her, but Becky isn’t just anyone. She grabs a drink and proposes a toast to Rhea’s last few weeks as champion.
It’s not Ripley but Nia Jax who comes out in response. Jax is emotional when talking about Lynch’s example as a mother, but it all turns into a shot at Ripley, who comes rushing to the ring for a donnybrook.
Lynch catches a stray in the corner, so she decides to clear Jax out with a missile dropkick. That leaves Lynch and Ripley face to face, though Rhea rushes over to smash Jax with a boot to the face.
Image credit: WWE.com
Shinsuke Nakamura gets an assist from Drew McIntyre to outlast Sami Zayn
Sami looks ready for Shinsuke in the early going, even having time to mock his “come on!” taunt right before the first commercial break. He’s still in control on the other side, at least until Nakamura buries some knees in his midsection.
Shinsuke goes for a couple of covers but doesn’t really seem to think they’ll be enough to end it. Zayn eats some kicks to the chest, even after catching a leg, and has to kick out again at two.
Stuck in the ropes, Sami takes a kick to the back of the head and the sliding German suplex, which means he’s got to kick out one more time. Zayn finally rallies with a Michinoku Driver, earning a flash two count.
After Nakamura is sent to the floor, Zayn finds the target with a tope con hilo, and we’re off to the final ads of the evening.
They’re standing and trading forearm shots when the broadcast returns, and now Nakamura is feeling it as he emerges in position for the Kinshasa. Sami counters with a Blue Thunder Bomb, but it’s only good for two.
Shinsuke rolls out to the floor to avoid an incoming Helluva Kick, and he’s able to catch Sami with a kick to the face when he tries to dive between the ropes. A knee to the back of the neck off the top rope has Zayn looking done, but he’s able to muster one more kickout.
There’s another back of the neck shot and another kick at two. Zayn is showing incredible resilience, but can he rally to win?
A clothesline helps, as do the cheers from the fans. Open hand strikes and punches force Nakamura back into the corner, and an exploder suplex puts him right back there.
It could be the end, except that Drew McIntyre distracts Zayn. Shinsuke takes Sami’s legs out, and the Kinshasa seals the deal.
The Royal Rumble is in the rear view mirror, so it’s mash the gas on the Road to WrestleMania, right? Well, yes, but also there are some potholes on that road, which tonight’s WWE Raw from Tampa will try to pave over.
Some things we expected to happen at the Rumble did indeed take place. Bayley won the Women’s Rumble match, seemingly hammering in another plank in her plan for Damage CTRL to win all the gold. That would require her to challenge Rhea Ripley, though … and is that actually what the Role Model is going to do when she appears tonight?
No such mystery hangs over Cody Rhodes, who certainly has his eyes and heart set on a rematch with Roman Reigns. The questions instead are floating around the man who finished runner-up to Rhodes on Saturday night: CM Punk, who reportedly suffered an injury that would likely cause him to miss out on WrestleMania 40. WWE hasn’t advertised it, but Punk is expected to address his status tonight.
Plus we’ve got championship matches on the card. Gunther will attempt to put another impressive defense on his Intercontinental Championship resume when he faces Kofi Kingston. And the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship is also on the like when Damian Priest and Finn Balor contend with #DIY.
Oh, and to top it all off, Raw is going to be commercial-free for the first 60 minutes, which is fantastic for viewers but not as much for those of us who type along with the show. Finger breaks are important, y’all.
Anyway, we’re looking forward to this show and ready to capture everything that goes down.
WWE Raw results from Tampa:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
A Royal Rumble highlight package kicks off the show
Pat McAfee is on hand to join Michael Cole on commentary
CM Punk already has his right arm in a sling, telling the WWE Universe he’ll be back, but Drew McIntyre revels in his misfortune
The Judgment Day appears to be unified ahead of the tag team title match … but so do #DIY
The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. #DIY by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
Damian Priest calls for R-Truth to join The Judgment Day in the ring, which is just the impetus for an attack by JD McDonagh; The Miz attempts to make a save but ends up laid out along with Truth
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall
Cody Rhodes addresses his Royal Rumble win, but Seth Rollins gives him something to think about with regard to his WrestleMania decision
Jey Uso def. Bronson Reed by pinfall
A video narrated by Cole and McAfee puts over the return of Andrade, who is then shown signing with Adam Pearce and Raw; Nick Aldis arrives as well, a little ticked but happier once he gets a call from Bron Breakker
Gunther says Kofi Kingston will remember this match fir the rest of his life, while he will forget about Kofi and continue his record-breaking Intercontinental Championship reign
Jackie Redmond talks to Becky Lynch about what her Plan B is after losing the Royal Rumble, and The Man says it involves her not stopping until she’s back at the top
Gunther def. Kofi Kingston by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
After the match, Xavier Woods comes out to check on Kingston and gets attacked by the other members of Imperium, and that ends badly for Woods
Sami Zayn talks about his repeated run-ins with McIntyre and says he’s tired of Drew blaming others for his misfortune and promises to give him a reality check
A quick hype video shows Jade Cargill making her in-ring debut in the Women’s Royal Rumble match
Kabuki Warriors def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by pinfall
Katana Chance and Kayden Carter tell Jackie Redmond their rematch for the tag team titles is coming next week on Raw
Bayley does some gloating, but Nia Jax destroys Rhea Ripley and gives Bayley a warning
McIntyre does a quick interview with Redmond, reminding everyone that Zayn has never beaten him in a match
Drew McIntyre def. Sami Zayn by pinfall
Image credit: WWE.com
CM Punk addresses his injury, but Drew McIntyre is happy about it
As the fans chant his name, Punk looks forlornly at the WrestleMania 40 sign. “I came real close Saturday night, and I felt like I had it in the palm of my hand,” he says, explaining that he’s not mad at Cody Rhodes, congratulating him and saying Cody earned it.
Though he says he never believed in luck, he can’t help but feel a little unlucky. Punk confirms that he tore his right triceps during the Royal Rumble match and it’s not in the cards to work through it. Still, he doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him, it’s just a flesh wound and nothing compared to people who have real fights — like a cancer patient he calls a friend.
Punk says he loses more often than he wins, mentioning his unsuccessful foray into UFC. That scared him, as did coming back to WWE, not his injury. He promises he’ll keep entertaining people until the wheels come off, and he’ll continue to take inspiration from people of all walks of life who wake up and keep going.
“There’s always next year,” Punk says, before he’s suddenly interrupted by the arrival of Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior admits he’s said some terrible things about Punk and he meant them, but he relates to what Punk is saying now.
McIntyre says he’s never been a spiritual person, “but I prayed for this and it happened.” Drew says he was angry when Punk eliminated him, but he slept like a baby once he heard about the injury news. He vows to put himself into the spot Punk thinks he was going to get.
Punk walks right up to McIntyre and says he’ll rehab and eventually get to that WrestleMania main event, but before that, he’ll go right after Drew. They have a quick fight, which Punk loses and gets his already injured arm stomped. Sami Zayn comes to the rescue, driving McIntyre off.
Image credit: WWE.com
The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) fends off a serious title challenge from #DIY
Balor and Tommaso Ciampa start the match against each other, but the challengers quickly get to work doing double team offense. Both Ciampa and Johnny Gargano dive to the floor at once and take a second to pat themselves on the back.
The champs are able to get their feet under them just in time to tag in Priest, who bounces Ciampa’s face off the apron. Balor tags back in and hits a scissor kick for a near fall.
Balor does his best to stop Ciampa from getting to his side for a tag and is able to get another two count. Michael Cole says he’s not sure who the referee is for this match, which is funny. Ciampa gets his own two count, then hits a reverse DDT and tags in Gargano for a rally ending with a slingshot spear and another two.
Balor’s response is dropping an arm across Gargano’s neck for his own hear fall, and the possible falls are coming fast and furious now. Priest kicks out of another double team move, but he’s able to power out of a Fairytale Ending attempt.
The Judgment Day does the double team thing in their own right, forcing Ciampa to kick out of a big legdrop. A powerslam has Ciampa in trouble too, but Gargano comes to make the save.
DIY hits a pair of high impact moves, including Ciampa’s White Noise off the turnbuckles, though it’s still not enough to keep Balor down for three. Finn eats the Meet in the Middle as well, yet his partner is able to drag his foot to the ropes for a break.
Ciampa and Gargano fly out to the floor to hit Priest in quick succession, but Balor is feeling it now back in the ring. Gargano evades the Coup de Grace, though, and has Finn in the Gargano Escape. Ciampa has Priest in the Sicilian Stretch too, but Priest picks him up and drops him on his partner to break the other hold.
Both Gargano and Balor could use tags, and they eventually both make them. A series of moves from all four men leaves Priest the last man standing, and he treats Gargano to a Flatliner onto the announce table. Ciampa rolls up Priest coming back into the ring, but it’s still only a two count.
With Gargano out of the picture, Ciampa takes the Razor’s Edge and the Coup de Grace, and that’s a wrap for the champs.
Image credit: WWE.com
Cody Rhodes gets an interesting proposal for his WrestleMania decision from Seth Rollins
“You deserve it” chants greet the American Nightmare before he even gets a chance to start talking. Pretty sure we know what everyone wants to talk about, though he asks Samantha Irvin to repeat her announcement of him as the 2023 and 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble matches, and she obliges.
Rhodes says the fans will never know how much he needed all of them on Saturday night, but just as he suggests they make WrestleMania 40 official, he’s cut short by the entrance theme of Seth Rollins. The World Heavyweight Champion gets a lengthy singalong as he makes his way to the ring.
Rollins agrees that Rhodes does deserve it and thinks they’ve developed a mutual respect for each other. But he wants to be real with Cody: If he chooses to fight Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, he’s making a mistake. Rollins says Rhodes should fight him instead.
Let’s hear him out. Rollins says Rhodes called himself The Guy at the Royal Rumble press conference, but neither he nor Reigns fits that description. Rollins suggests he’s The Guy and that his World Heavyweight Championship is The Title in WWE.
When Cody won the 2023 Royal Rumble, it made sense to go after Reigns, but that was when there was only one champion. As Seth reasons, Cody has been on the same ride with him since the World Heavyweight Championship was created. And it was that title that was defended all along the way.
This is a good plea, at any rate. Will Rhodes go for it? Rollins even calls his championship “the Dusty Rhodes title” as he makes his closing argument.
Rollins says he doesn’t need an answer right now, encouraging Rhodes to think about it before telling Seth what’s in his heart. “What kind of man do you want to be?”
Cody says he has an “insane” amount of respect for Seth and can’t believe they’re talking about this. He does say he’ll think about it.
Image credit: WWE.com
Kofi Kingston shows his heart again, but it’s not enough to dethrone Gunther
“That man is a machine,” Michael Cole says, as the announcers ponder what Kingston needs to do to give himself a chance of winning. Kofi ends up in an Boston Crab right out the gate, which isn’t optimal, as we get some side-by-side commercials.
Pretty much nothing has changed on the other side of that half-break, as it’s all one-way offense, as Wade Barrett would say. A backbreaker leads to another Boston Crab, which appears to be the official move to set up commercials. Well played, that.
Kingston finally looks like he’s found a foothold coming back off this half-break, and he manages to hurl Gunther to the floor with his legs as a powerbomb counter. He launches a tope suicida but gets caught and driven in the apron.
Kofi sends Gunther into the ringpost and heads back inside. This time Kingston does hit the tope suicida, not once but twice. There’s a jumping kick as well, but the Ring General has the wherewithal to roll to the outside.
Kingston keeps his edge, though, and hits a huge leaping shot to Gunther on the steps, then a Boom Drop off the top rope back inside the ring for a near fall. He wants Trouble in Paradise but gets countered, and his rollup for two is immediately answered by a clothesline.
We’re still going back and forth, with Kofi hitting the SOS for another two. Kingston walks into another nasty clothesline, plus a dropkick. Gunther powerbombs Kingston and stacks him up to secure the dub.
Image credit: WWE.com
Bayley doesn’t make her WrestleMania challenge, but Nia Jax gives her more to think about
The other members of Damage CTRL is waiting in the ring for Bayley, presumably to help celebrate her Royal Rumble win. She points to the sign as the fans chant for her.
She says she’ll give the WWE Universe a rare chance to take a picture of them, because there’s never been a group that had the WWE Women’s Champion, the Women’s Tag Team Champions and the Royal Rumble winner … and it’s all because of Bayley.
While she’s had her share of doubters, Bayley says she never listens to their opinions, and even though the roster is as stacked as it’s ever been, she came out on top. She gloats about breaking Rhea Ripley’s time in the ring too.
That brings Ripley out, who says Bayley will remain the one member of the group without gold … but then gets attacked from behind by Nia Jax. Nia beats Rhea all the way into the ring and drops a leg on her twice as Damage CTRL watches from the corner. There’s a third legdrop for good measure.
After an Annihilator, Jax tells Bayley that she can pick any other champ, because Rhea isn’t making it to WrestleMania. Bayley responds that she’ll make her decision on SmackDown, which leaves IYO SKY looking less than pleased on the outside.
Image credit: WWE.com
Drew McIntyre shows no remorse in dispatching Sami Zayn
Zayn gets an early taste of McIntyre’s power that sends him over the announce table. Drew hurls him back into the ring and takes exception of Pat McAfee talking about him, giving Sami a chance to return the favor to his foe.
After some ads, McIntyre continues to turn Zayn’s chest red with chops. They both end up on the top rope, where Zayn pulls off a sunset flip powerbomb that hints at a momentum swing.
Zayn counters the Future Shock by walking the ropes and hitting a tornado DDT for a two count. McIntyre gets a pair of pinfall attempts, including one with a sitout powerbomb, but Zayn kicks out of both of them.
The fans try to urge Sami on, but Drew just shoves him around as he tries to get back to his feet. He does lure McIntyre into flying into the post, but he has trouble getting his foe up for a Blue Thunder Bomb and eats a Glasgow Kiss.
Drew heads up top again and gets crotched for his trouble. Sami launches into a thunderous superplex, but both men are down and there’s no immediate cover.
Both men evade each other’s finishers, and Zayn gets most of a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. A “this is awesome” chant gets going, albeit briefly.
A belly-to-belly overhead throw has McIntyre feeling good as he kips up. He hits White Noise off the middle turnbuckle only to see Zayn kick out again.
McIntyre can be heard verbally berating Zayn, which only seems to fire him up until a Glasgow Kiss halts his attack. Sami goes for a Helluva Kick but Drew covers up and nails Zayn low. McIntyre follows with a Claymore to secure a victory.
There’s a big time moment of truth that will lead off tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from New Orleans.
(From the Smoothie King Center, one of our favorite venue names anywhere.)
Seth Rollins is advertised to open the show, which isn’t unusual for Raw. As World Heavyweight Champion, the Visionary is pretty much The Man on this brand.
That would normally suggest he’s in line for a big time match at WrestleMania, perhaps even one that fans have been clamoring for ever since a certain Chicago native made his return to WWE.
But there’s been a complication: Rollins is hurt, and we don’t know at the moment how it might affect his availability over the next few months.
Might another segment on tonight’s show offer a clue? CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are going to be face to face in NOLA, which should be an entertaining exchange. While no one knows exactly what will happen next, the most popular theory is that Punk will win the Royal Rumble (he’s the betting favorite at the moment), positioning him to challenge Rollins, while Rhodes has to jump through one more hoop to try to finish his story against Roman Reigns.
But what if Rollins says he’s too injured and relinquishes his title? That isn’t what we expect to happen, but if it does, that would potentially change everything less than a week out from Royal Rumble.
These are the kind of intriguing nights wrestling fans live for, and we’re anxiously awaiting it as well. Off we go!
WWE Raw results from New Orleans:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are shown walking into the arena earlier today, hyping up their “confrontation” later in the show
Seth Rollins is determined to stay the course for WrestleMania, but Gunther’s sights are set on Seth’s world championship
The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) goes to a no contest after they end up in a wild brawl that ends up with all four men going through tables together out in the crowd
The Judgment Day has a little tension going on, with Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley especially heated, and Finn Balor says he’ll do Rhea a favor and display his vicious side tonight
Maxxine Dupri says Ivy Nile is ready for her match tonight … which happens to be next
Ivy Nile def. Valhalla by pinfall
Jey Uso daps up The New Day, who tell Jackie Redmond that if people think they can’t stand on business just because they’re entertaining a lot of the time, they’re sadly mistaken; to that end, Kofi Kingston challenges Gunther to a title match next week on Raw
Nia Jax, Becky Lynch and Bayley all explain why they will win the Royal Rumble
Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz by pinfall; not only does Balor assist in the victory, he attacks Miz after the bell, but #DIY comes to the rescue
Priest is about to talk about his match with Drew McIntyre when he has to stop and tell R-Truth that this isn’t the right time; Priest then turns back to McIntyre and says he will receive his punishment tonight
Bronson Reed warns Jey Uso that their paths are eventually going to cross, so they might as well get it out of the way, and he challenges Jey to a match next week
Ivar def. Chad Gable by pinfall, thanks in part to some assistance from Valhalla
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk discuss the past … and the uncertain future that starts this Saturday
A video package features Hulk Hogan talking about the birth of Hulkamania and how he sees some of it in current stars, and he also discusses the Royal Rumble matches and his favorites in each one
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell by pinfall; after the bell, the Kabuki Warriors attack tag team champs Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, who were watching from ringside
Drew McIntyre has nothing to say about the Rhodes-Punk confrontation, but he does have some tough talk for Priest, who he says isn’t ready to be world champion
Damage CTRL is feeling good, but Adam Pearce stops by and has to intervene when Natalya and Tegan Nox take exception to them, and Dakota Kai says if he has a problem with them, Pearce needs to take it up with Nick Aldis; Pearce turns and sees Indus Sher behind him, and he agrees to have a chat with Jinder Mahal
A second Royal Rumble By the Numbers package is shown with more fun tidbits and stats
Drew McIntyre def. Damian Priest by pinfall, aided largely by some very unfortunate timing on the part of R-Truth
Seth Rollins isn’t missing WrestleMania, but that might mean dealing with Gunther
The World Heavyweight Champion is serenaded by fans as usual as he heads to the ring, though there’s something unmistakably different about him: the brace on his left knee. It’s over his dress pants, though, which seems like a bit of a show, and the fans deliver a loud “thank you Seth” chant.
Rollins shows his appreciation for the love he’s receiving before going into an explanation of when he hurt himself a week ago facing Jinder Mahal. Seth says while doing a moonsault, he felt his knee “go in” in a way it’s not supposed to, but it took until he got to the back to sink in that he might be seriously hurt.
The champ goes on to say that it made him feel like a bit of a liar that he says he is always better and stronger, and he also says it crossed his mind that it was a real possibility that he might miss WrestleMania. Rollins says his MRI results were not great: grade 2 MCL tear and partially torn meniscus. It will mean four months off if he gets surgery, so he’s taking it day by day for now.
While that’s sinking in, Gunther’s music hits and Imperium makes its way to the ring, with the Ring General joining Rollins. Seth says he doesn’t have time for this and Imperium should just get an attack out of the way if that’s the plan.
Gunther says no, and that he’s really just out there to tell Rollins what he thinks of the world champ. As Gunther puts it, Seth has been in a tough position right from the start, expected to be a workhorse and living up to the ideal of a champion everyone can be proud of — just like Gunther.
It kind of pulls on Gunther’s heart strings seeing Rollins like this, he claims, and even saddens him to think Seth might not make it to WrestleMania. Rollins says Imperium should have let him finish, as he insists he will take the title to Mania and do everything in his power to leave that way too.
Gunther says he admires that, saying that as one great champion to another, he plans to win the Royal Rumble and choose Seth as his WrestleMania opponent. After he does that, the Ring General will target Seth’s knee and his back on his way to becoming World Heavyweight Champion.
Rollins replies that he appreciates the honesty, and both men say they better remember who is coming for them. Also Gunther said the Rumble is Sunday, so a graphic and Michael Cole quickly remind us it’s really Saturday.
Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, Bayley make their Royal Rumble cases
Jax asks for a mic so she can point out that the first time she went one on one with Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch, she squashed both of them. Nia says she understands why the two of them want to fight at WrestleMania since neither of them can beat Jax.
So this Saturday, Nia plans on killing both of their dreams. That boast brings out Lynch, who tells Jax to shut up. Becky says she knows she has a target on her back in the Royal Rumble match … but not as big as the target on Nia. After all, the locker room never agrees on anything, but they do agree that no one likes Jax.
Lynch says she’s not sure what she will enjoy more, winning the Rumble match again or watching Jax lose. That brings out Bayley, who says “both of you idiots are going to lose.” The Role Model was looking for Ripley but says this is almost better.
Bayley wants to make it clear: She’s winning the Rumble and will be the one to point at the WrestleMania sign. Both Lynch and Jax start beating on her, then throwing hands with each other. Lynch hits a Manhandle Slam on Bayley but gets thrown out by Jax, who drops a leg on Bayley.
Will Cody Rhodes and CM Punk still be friends after the Royal Rumble … or even after tonight?
Punk suggests they take a second to enjoy the moment, as even though they’ve taken very different paths to get here, they’ve done it. He hopes they will still be friends come Sunday morning.
Rhodes asks both the crowd and Punk what they want to talk about, and the latter says he wants to talk about Cody’s dad. He says this is a story he’s never told, one about Dusty asking Punk to keep an eye on his son. Punk says he didn’t know Cody or think he needed a guardian angel, but when the American Dream asks for a favor, you say yes.
The job was easy, as Cody didn’t fall into any vices or get into much trouble, and Punk says he was proud of Cody. Alas, that means Saturday he’s going to feel like he’s breaking a promise, as in the Royal Rumble he’ll be looking for Cody and do whatever he needs to do to win.
Cody responds that Punk is hardly alone among people who are talking to him but thinking of Dusty. It’s a very large shadow, but Cody says he’s done everything in his power to be the light in that shadow and subvert expectations. He remembers his OVW days and appreciates Punk treating him like a peer, and later a friend.
That makes it bittersweet that in the Rumble, there are no friends. What about Sunday morning, Punk asks, wondering if Cody can separate business from personal. And he goes a step further suggesting that with his electrician dad, he’s more of the American dream than Punk.
Cody responds by bringing up the famous Pipe Bomb interview, saying that when Punk left after that, he picked up the ball and lived what CM talked … so he’s more CM Punk than the man himself.
Punk hints at a much bigger superstar coming to take Cody’s story away, but sadly he means himself and not The Rock. The American Nightmare says the only way he can go from here is forward, meaning through Punk. When Cody goes to leave, CM grabs him and spins him around, and the two men are literally nose to nose for a few tense moments.
Fans chant loudly for both men until they finally separate, with Cody leaving the ring and Punk on the other side of it.
Damian Priest gets some Truth at the wrong time against Drew McIntyre
Considering they are snarling at each other before the bell even rings, it’s no surprise that it doesn’t take long for them to lock up. An evenly fought opening few minutes finally leads them to battle on the floor, where Priest is able to run McIntyre into the post. A Broken Arrow onto the announce table is next, leaving the Judgment Day stalwart in good shape going into a commercial break.
Priest is still knocking McIntyre around after the break, scoring a near fall after a running lariat. A chinlock keeps the Scottish Warrior grounded for just a sec, but simultaneous big boots leave both men on the canvas.
McIntyre kips up and hears some cheers as he looks for a Claymore, but Priest sidesteps it only to be caught by a spinebuster for a two count. Priest responds with a flatliner of sorts that gets him two right back.
A series of kicks from Priest is answered by a Glasgow Kiss. McIntyre heads up top but gets caught by a kick to the back of the head, and Priest turns some counters into a Broken Arrow and another near fall.
Priest hits his feet on the top rope but still pulls off a somersault plancha, but R-Truth shows up and distracts him at a critical moment. That allows McIntyre to hit the Future Shock, and he lines up again for a Claymore attempt.
Truth is on the apron now, and takes a right hand from McIntyre. Priest hits the South of Heaven, but the ref is occupied with Truth and the money scattered all over the ring.
You know what’s coming next: a Claymore from McIntyre, giving Scottish Warrior the win.
Tonight’s WWE Raw will also kick off with Seth Rollins addressing what’s next in the wake of injury reports.
We’re now just five days away from the 2024 Royal Rumble, and to say the anticipation is building would be an understatement. Heck, there might be more entrants with a decent chance of winning that at any time in recent memory. There’s plenty of business to take care of first, however, and that’s what has our attention for tonight’s WWE Raw from New Orleans.
What will CM Punk and Cody Rhodes want to talk about?
As it stands right now, CM Punk is the betting favorite to win the Men’s Royal Rumble match. Right behind him? Why it’s WWE 2K24 cover boy Cody Rhodes, of course. And only one of them can actually be the last man standing in St. Petersburg to punch a ticket to WrestleMania.
That’s going to be an issue, because both men really want to win the Rumble. For Rhodes, it’s the most direct way to try to finish his story. For Punk, it’s a way to catapult himself right back into the main event scene just months after returning to WWE.
The thing is that each of them knows that about the other as well. It should be really interesting when the two of them are in the ring together, especially considering the next item on our list of things to watch for …
Is Seth Rollins going to be able to fight through injury?
Seth Rollins is hurting. That’s nothing new for any top level wrestler, but the World Heavyweight Champion is reportedly nursing some serious knee ailments. The question is whether he will be able to work through them, and that’s likely what we’ll find out tonight.
The guess here is that Rollins will gut it out for a few more months if at all possible, with WWE using him sparingly in the ring if need be. Then he’ll take time off to have surgery or rehab, whatever is needed.
There’s a lot of hope for a Punk vs. Rollins match at WrestleMania. If Rollins says tonight he’s out, that changes things considerably — and may even call for him to relinquish his title.
Can Drew McIntyre get some satisfaction by defeating Damian Priest?
While Drew McIntyre has been doing some of the best character work of his career the past few months, we didn’t see Damian Priest getting drawn into his web of people blamed for his current status quo. Like everything else McIntyre has done, though, it makes perfect sense.
The only way the Scottish Warrior has been able to reconcile some of his misfortune is by taking it out on the people responsible for the perceived wrongs. Will Priest be like Rollins and fight McIntyre off, or will be end up a victim?
Also advertised for WWE Raw from New Orleans:
Ivy Nile takes on Valhalla
Chad Gable faces Ivar
The Miz goes up against “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
The last Raw before Royal Rumble heads our way starting at 8 p.m. ET tonight, and we’ll be recapping it live as always here at Wrestling Junkie.
With less than two weeks to go until the Royal Rumble in Florida, it’s time for some of the top talent on WWE Raw to get their current programs finished and turn their attention to securing a spot at WrestleMania.
Cody Rhodes might have the first half of that plan finally checked off after he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura again last week, so he can finally put all his effort on winning the Royal Rumble match. Or we think that’ll be the case anyway, since WWE says he’s kicking off the show tonight.
What if we’re wrong, though? Is it possible Rhodes has one more in a seemingly ceaseless string of hurdles placed in his way? TBD.
Seth Rollins knows he can’t worry about Royal Rumble just yet, as he has a World Heavyweight Championship defense to attend to this evening. Plus it’s against the man of the hour, Jinder Mahal, not something we expected to be typing as recently as two weeks ago.
There would seem to be little chance WWE would put this title on Mahal, especially given the time of year we’re in. Things need to be cemented, not chaotic. Right?
Normally, we’d say yes. But there’s that little matter of Elimination Chamber in Australia, where WWE will need to put on a big show next month. Roman Reigns probably won’t be there, and while the Chamber matches are attractions in their own right, a world title match doesn’t seem like too much to ask for.
So we’re just putting this out there: Maybe Mahal wins tonight and Rollins has to win it back from him at Elimination Chamber. Or a certain Straight Edge Superstar could snag it there and go into WrestleMania making Seth chase him.
Or, you know, Rollins could just win tonight and speed on down the Road to WrestleMania. That’s why we watch, which we’ll be doing starting right now.
WWE Raw results from Little Rock:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
A tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. starts the show
Are Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre more alike or different?
Damian Priest takes R-Truth to task for selling Judgment Day merchandise in the parking lot, but Truth is making a killing off the gear, and Priest relents while also telling him not to tag in during their tag team match tonight
#DIY def. The Judgment Day (Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh) by pinfall
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven interrupt a conversation between Adam Pearce and Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, which Pearce turns into a match between those two teams tonight
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall
Rhea Ripley sees a Nia Jax hype video and leaves to “address her division,” while the rest of The Judgment Day takes Priest to task about the R-Truth situation; Damian shows the money he’s been bringing in and suggests to McDonagh that he may not get a cut because “your name’s not on the shirt”
Gunther is back and offering rare praise for Ludwig Kaiser, who gets a challenge from a vengeful Xavier Woods
Ludwig Kaiser def. Xavier Woods by DQ after Woods uses a steel chair, though he ends up getting it kicked into his (already bloody) face afterward
Bronson Reed says there is a champ right now who is unaware his championship will soon belong to Reed … though he doesn’t name which champ he’s talking about
Byron Saxton tries to get a word with Woods, but Kaiser attacks him until Jey Uso puts a stop to it
A video package shows us how we got to a Seth Rollins-Jinder Mahal world title match
Akira Tozawa def. Ivar by pinfall, though after the bell, Valhalla assaults Maxxine Dupri after the bell and Ivar hits a moonsault on Tozawa
CM Punk and Rhodes will be face to face next week on Raw
Ivy Nile says she will look for Pearce to deal with Valhalla; Chad Gable says he will teach Ivar a lesson next week too
Rhea Ripley addresses her division and ends up in a showdown with Becky Lynch
Seth Rollins says the only way to head to WrestleMania is to continue to be a fighting champion, a workhorse champion, and he knows this is the best version of Jinder Mahal and he wouldn’t have it any other way
Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. The Miz and R-Truth by pinfall
Jinder Mahal says everyone is divided but his focus is singular, and everyone will be unified when he defeats Rollins to become World Heavyweight Champion
Apparently Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t done with Cody Rhodes, which is interesting
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by submission, with Baszler making Natalya tap out
Seth Rollins def. Jinder Mahal by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
Image credit: WWE.com
Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre bicker over who will finish their story first
Rhodes asks Little Rock what they want to talk about, giving some options. He’s about to launch into his “I’m on my way to Royal Rumble” routine when he’s interrupted by the arrival of Drew McIntyre.
The Scottish Warrior turns Cody’s question around on him before reminiscing about how they came up the first time in WWE together. McIntyre says he’s proud of Rhodes as both a man and performer and also reminds him they were tag team champs together as The Dashing Ones.
Drew mentions that both of them had to leave WWE to find themselves and “become verbs.” He believes in Rhodes now too, saying he will finish the story … but not before Drew finishes his.
Rhodes says Drew could win the Rumble, but so could Jey Uso. So could CM Punk. You can’t count anybody out.
McIntyre tells Rhodes he should just be himself and doesn’t need to smile all the time and try so hard. Cody seems irritated by that, insisting that he smiles when he comes out because he is grateful for his second chance while Drew stands and complains about his.
Undeterred, McIntyre claims Rhodes is standing in his way, and at WrestleMania, the story belongs to him. But the American Nightmare says McIntyre is still blaming everyone but himself, and if he wants to keep bringing up the last time they wrestled, he has one question: Who won?
Image credit: WWE.com
#DIY closes in on a tag team title shot with a victory over the champs’ teammates
The framing here is that #DIY is stringing together wins to get closer to a tag team title shot, and this is a victory that would surely help considering it’s the other two Judgment Day men who hold the gold.
Tommaso Ciampa takes flight with a corkscrew plancha, and Johnny Gargano does the same to send McDonagh over the announce table. They do their sitting on the apron and clapping thing as commercials arrive.
With some timely rulebending and double teaming, Mysterio and McDonagh take charge after the break. Wade Barrett calls out Dom’s fuzzy boots, which are, in fact, incredible.
Gargano is isolated and taking a beating far from his own corner. He finally hits Dom with his slingshot spear, and he nearly dives for the tag before Ciampa gets hauled off the apron by McDonagh.
Ciampa is the legal man after a second commercial break so must have gotten himself back in position while we were away. Gargano prevents a double team and Ciampa nearly rolls up Mysterio for three.
McDonagh saves his partner from another close call seconds later. Big shots start flowing in every direction, eventually leaving all four men down. The fans approve, starting a “this is awesome” chant.
Also awesome: McDonagh’s standing Spanish fly and top rope moonsault, leaving Ciampa in need of a save from his partner. Mysterio’s attempted 619 is foiled and he gets sent to the floor by a hard knee shot.
McDonagh looks like he’s in trouble now, and he eats Meet in the Middle, leaving him helpless as Gargano covers for three.
Image credit: WWE.com
Gunther is … happy with Ludwig Kaiser? Xavier Woods definitely is not
Ludwig Kaiser does his usual ring intro for Gunther, who is back from IRL paternity leave. Giovanni Vinci is hurt, so this is all the Imperium we get.
The Ring General says he can smell the desperation this close to Royal Rumble, which he reminds us he was close to winning last year after a record-setting time in the ring. This year, he plans on winning and main eventing WrestleMania. As one does.
But for now, he wants to focus on Kaiser, reviewing what’s been happening while Gunther was gone. The champs likes the grit, confidence and courage Kaiser showed in his attack on Kofi Kingston and gives him a hug as a sign of his happiness.
Not as happy? Xavier Woods, who is here and hot for some payback. He challenges Kaiser to a match, taunting him for needing to ask his “daddy” for permission.
Kaiser accepts and says what he did to Kingston is nothing compared to what he’ll do to Woods, who comes right after Ludwig, leaping off the apron and hammering him on the floor until a ref finally calms him down.
Mami vs. The Man? Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch tease Mania showdown
Mami makes it simple: This is her division, which is why she is the champion. As such, she says the Royal Rumble winner will be wasting a WrestleMania opportunity if they choose her. It’s just going to go the way it did last year, because Mami is always on top.
Some familiar music hits as an answer, and Bekcy Lynch joins Ripley in the ring. The Man says they are two very different people but with two very similar journeys.
Lynch says they’re the two very best to do it, but the voice in her head keeps her awake asking if perhaps Ripley is better than she is. Becky says she needs to prove that Rhea is not, and to do that means taking the title, and to do that means winning the Royal Rumble match.
Ripley says she really does want Lynch to win the Rumble and will see her at WrestleMania.
Image credit: WWE.com
R-Truth gets some harsh truth from Damian Priest and Finn Balor
Truth is not only in The Judgment Day’s entrance video, he also walks out behind them despite being on the opposing team. He then proceeds to spill cash all over the ring before the bell. Miz is basically pleading with his partner to convince him they’re on the same team. Funny stuff.
Truth ignores Priest’s suggestion earlier in the show that he not tag in, earning him a beating from Balor as commercials arrive. Nothing has changed after the break, really. Priest tags in but is immediately outmaneuvered by Truth, who get Miz in for his first extended action.
Miz fights Balor to the floor and sends Priest over the announce table. The A-Lister is rolling, but only until Balor counters away from a Skull Crushing Finale, and Truth tags himself in for a scissor kick to Balor. Priest blasts Miz with a kick but manages to stop Truth, who ends up kicking Balor and then taking South of Heaven from Priest.
Balor crawls over and pins Truth for a chaotic win as boos rain down from the fans.
Image credit: WWE.com
Seth Rollins overcomes chaos, retains against Jinder Mahal
Indus Sher accompanies Mahal to the ring, giving Rollins potentially one more thing to worry about. Seth has got plenty to worry about from Jinder himself in the opening minutes, though he connects on a flying knee off the apron to get a foothold in things. Damian Priest wanders out casually with his MITB case, and Rollins has a grim look on his face heading into commercials.
After we return, Mahal is treating Rollins to some pain inside the ring. Seth finally battles free of an abdominal stretch for the obligatory exchange of strikes, which the champ wins thanks to a healthy clothesline.
Rollins is tossed over the buckles, then comes flying back in with a cross body for a near fall. A second rope moonsault gives Rollins another near fall, though the announcers wonder if he tweaked a knee or ankle.
Both men want suplexes, but Rollins wins the day by pivoting to a Falcon Arrow. Seth is thinking Stomp but runs into some head kicks, though he perseveres for a Pedigree … sort of, as his knee gives out, and his cover is thwarted by Indus Sher’s timely assistance.
Rollins dives onto one of Mahal’s wingmen on the floor but misses a splash back into the ring. Priest is up on his feet as both combatants are down, but Drew McIntyre is there to throw hands with him.
While the ref is distracted by their brawl, Mahal follows a cheap shot by Indus Sher and comes darn close to stealing the world title. A chair is slid into Mahal, and dealing with that allows Indus Sher to get in a briefcase shot. Mahal hits the Khallas … but Rollins kicks out.
As Mahal tries for a second Khallas, Rollins evades it and hits a Stomp, closing the show by retaining his world title.
Also, will R-Truth finally reach the end of the line with The Judgment Day this week on WWE Raw?
Not sure if you’ve noticed or not, but Jinder Mahal is having what you’d call a moment. Even though he’s a former world champ, he’s arguably never been quite as much at the center of pro wrestling discourse as he is right now. And with a big title shot coming up tonight on WWE Raw from Little Rock, Arkansas, that shouldn’t change.
Where is WWE ultimately going with Jinder Mahal?
Let’s get this out of the way up front: No one expects that Mahal will upset Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship tonight on Raw. That’s nothing against Jinder at all, just a reflection of where the world title situation is with just a few months to go until WrestleMania 40. Rollins seems destined for a match so big that it might be one night’s main event.
But there’s no question that all the attention Mahal has garnered of late, regardless of where it started, means WWE is suddenly playing with found money with him. It’s going to be really fun watching what might happen to him, especially if he shows out during his time in the spotlight on Raw.
Is this the night The Judgment Day finally runs out of patience with R-Truth?
Speaking of found money, R-Truth has added delightful new dimensions to The Judgment Day’s story arc on Raw. He’s just a wonderful performer who commits to his persona so completely.
Alas, The Judgment Day are supposed to be badass heels, and they can’t let Truth keep making them look silly forever. In fact, it kind of feels like maybe Damian Priest is jeopardizing his spot on the team by letting Truth go for this long. But regardless, Truth will team with The Miz to face Priest and Finn Balor in Little Rock, and … it just feels like it might be a bad night for Truth.
How will Gunther feel about what’s transpired during his time away?
The Ring General missed a few weeks of Raw for one of the best possible reasons: He just became a father. His return will see him back on his more familiar patriarchal role as the leader of Imperium, but he might not love everything that’s happened while he was away.
In fact, with Giovanni Vinci on the shelf for a while with injuries, who knows if there even is much of an Imperium right now? Gunther might instead be busy with a new challenger for his Intercontinental Championship, whoever that turns out to be.
Also on the schedule for Raw tonight:
Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh take on #DIY
We’ll be back to work tonight at 8 p.m. ET to recap this show and anything that happens, so join us back here at Wrestling Junkie if you need somewhere to follow along.
We made it, folks. While WWE hasn’t officially announced it yet, the Christmas Day episode of Raw is expected to be a “Best of 2023” show, meaning tonight’s edition from Des Moines, Iowa will be the last live Raw of the year.
(And more than that, probably the last live televised WWE show of 2023, since the Dec. 22 SmackDown was taped last Friday and the Dec. 29 episode is likely to be pre-taped too.)
Happily, that doesn’t mean that WWE is just going to send 2023 out with nothing interesting happening.
Can The Creed Brothers ride their hot streak all the way to gold?
Calling The Creed Brothers impressive since they received their main roster callup would be a little bit of an understatement. They’ve defeated a number of more established teams, and their combination of power, athleticism and teamwork makes for good entertainment every time out.
The Creeds have even defeated two members of The Judgment Day, but let’s face it: They were the weakest duo you could make out of the four male members. It’s a different story altogether going for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship against Damian Priest and Finn Balor, and we’re not quite sure WWE thinks we fans are ready to believe the brothers can take down those two clean. We’ll find out tonight.
Will it be the ultimate party for Kayden Carter and Katana Chance?
WWE has followed some of the same blueprint it used for the Creeds with Kayden Carter and Katana Chance, albeit not spending quite as much time in doing it, establishing them as legitimate tittle threats with victories over several other teams. It would be fun to see them break through and win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship if only because the titles have so rarely been held by an actual tag team as opposed to two singles wrestlers thrown together.
That goes for current champs Chelsea Green and Piper Niven too. Yet it’s hard to deny that Niven has come alive since she’s been paired with Green, who is a sparkplug that lights up any segment she’s in. Maybe WWE shouldn’t make a title change here right now, even if Carter and Chance deserve it at some point.
We’re set to recap all the action in this last live Raw of the year tonight at 8 p.m. ET, so join us back here at Wrestling Junkie at that time if you need a way to follow along.
Seth Rollins still has his title, but an angry Drew McIntyre is trouble for him and everyone on WWE Raw.
Will Seth Rollins regret giving Jey Uso a chance to defeat him for the World Heavyweight Championship? That’s what we’re about to find out in what should be the main event tonight on WWE Raw from Albany, N.Y.
Not that Jey doesn’t deserve the opportunity, mind you. He’s been pulling his weight and fighting the good fight against heels like The Judgment Day ever since he joined the Raw roster.
But not only could he potentially defeat Rollins, there’s also every chance certain interested outside parties could disrupt things. Drew McIntyre, for one, who would be livid if Jey won the world championship. The Judgment Day certainly hasn’t forgiven Uso or Rollins for the loss they helped hand the group in WarGames.
The other members of that team (minus Randy Orton, who decided to sign with SmackDown) also have their hands full tonight. Sami Zayn will battle McIntyre after trying to help his mental state last week. The thanks we get sometimes.
Cody Rhodes has a new problem after it was revealed that the person Shinsuke Nakamura has been stalking was him. Originally it looked like they were going one-on-one tonight, but now apparently we’re just getting a Cody appearance of some sort.
Plus there’s a potentially important women’s division matchup between Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, and The Creed Brothers taking on two-fifths of The Judgment Day. Plenty of good reasons to watch, so let’s see what this night brings.
WWE Raw results from Albany:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Drew McIntyre says what he thinks to Sami Zayn, who touches a nerve with his response
Drew McIntyre def. Sami Zayn by pinfall
Shayna Baszler says it was her that put Nia Jax on the shelf a while back, and she’ll remind the world of that tonight
Jey Uso explains in his own words why it hurt so much for his twin brother to sabotage his last world title opportunity against Roman Reigns and how Cody Rhodes convinced him to make his own legacy
Not content with beating him in the ring, McIntyre finds Zayn backstage and beats him down some more, yelling Sami he brought it on himself
Medical personnel check on Zayn as Uso tries to tell him it’s going to be alright
Becky Lynch is asked by Nia Jax if she’s on The Man’s list, and when Becky confirms she is, Jax promises “I’m all yours” after she’s done with Baszler
Nia Jax def. Shayna Baszler by pinfall, then takes a powder when Lynch comes down to the ring
A package of reactions to CM Punk’s return is shown
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell wish #DIY good luck and manage to turn around Imperium’s efforts to mock them; Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci tell each other they better not mess this up
#DIY def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) 2-1 in a 2 out of 3 Falls match
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven taunt Natalya and Tegan Nox just for fun, then bounce
The New Day congratulates The Creed Brothers for being the No. 1 contenders for the tag team titles, and Alpha Academy offers to help train them; Ivy Nile gets props for her strength, but Maxxine Dupri proves she’s no slouch by squatting Akira Tozawa
R-Truth befuddles The Judgment Day until they kick him out of their clubhouse, and Damian Priest gives Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh a pep talk
Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by pinfall, angering Green for some reason, who gets blasted off the apron by Chance
Cody Rhodes gets an explanation for Shinsuke Nakamura’s behavior from Shinsuke himself
Uso asks Adam Pearce for an update on Zayn, saying he’s going to have to handle McIntyre too if needed and talking about how fired up he is; Gunther also stops by to discuss his next challenger
The Creed Brothers def. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh by pinfall
Pearce tells Seth Rollins he invited CM Punk to Raw next week and intends to sign Punk to a contract; Rollins says that’s fine, but when it all blows up, everyone needs to stay out of his way; Jey drops by too, and it quickly becomes clear they’re going to be respectful but very competitive
Priest wants an explanation, and his teammates tell him that the Creeds are legit
Seth Rollins def. Jey Uso by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
After the match, McIntyre attacks Uso and puts him through the announce table as the show goes off the air
Sami Zayn touches a nerve with Drew McIntyre
The Scottish Warrior says it feels like everyone’s lost their minds recently, because you can leave the company, do whatever and come back and you’re instantly forgiven. The crowd starts a “CM Punk” chant but McIntyre insists he could be talking about anybody.
Sarcastically, Drew goes in on a few people, including Jey Uso, before arriving on Sami Zayn, whose music hits and brings him to the ring. Zayn asks for McIntyre to say what he wants right to this face. Drew says Sami is the one person in the world who deserved to be screwed over by The Bloodline.
After all, Sami joined The Bloodline, then screwed them over. Zayn admits McIntyre was right about one thing: They’re nothing alike. Sami says he’s not delusional and not one to blame others for his own shortcomings. When he failed to grab the brass ring in front of friends and family, he stayed hungry and driven, eventually finding redemption in the main event of WrestleMania.
Zayn says he made his family proud, but did McIntyre? An angry Scottish Warrior says get a referee now because one of them isn’t walking out of there …
Drew McIntyre doesn’t let compassion stop him against Sami Zayn
The announcers remind us that McIntyre told the world that he let his empathy take over for a second when he took on Seth Rollins for the world championship and it cost him, so he won’t do it again. Wade Barrett also says Drew is upset about being left off the Royal Rumble poster.
He’s all over Sami after an early commercial break, and even though Sami halts Drew’s momentum with an elbow shot off the top, he lands hard on his ankle. Zayn persists with a tilt-a-whirl DDT to earn a near fall.
The fans get behind Sami, chanting his name as he tries another top rope elbow, which is caught and countered by a belly-to-belly, then another, then a neckbreaker. McIntyre kips up and shakes the ropes, drawing a mixed reaction from the fans and allowing Zayn to get in a shot with his back turned.
Alas, when Sami takes flight to the floor, Drew catches him and effortlessly slings him over the announce table. McIntyre is still in control after a second set of commercials, with Zayn taking a series of power moves and needing to dig down and keep kicking out.
McIntyre heads up to the middle rope with Zayn on his shoulders, but Sami counters with a sunset flip powerbomb for a two count. Sami also counters a Claymore with a kick and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb, only to see Drew kick out again.
An exchange of chops and kicks goes surprisingly well for Zayn until his injured leg flares up on him. Drew takes full advantage with a chop block, leading to a Claymore that ends things for Sami.
“The truth will set you free,” McIntyre says into the camera.
Nia Jax outlasts Shayna Baszler but has Becky Lynch’s full attention
Baszler tries to attack Jax’s legs with kicks, which isn’t a bad idea. Nia is able to mostly shrug those off, but Shayna keeps up her efforts to stick and move.
An attempt at an armbar up over the top rope goes for naught as Jax powerbombs Baszler and presses her advantage on the outside. Shayna tries going after Nia’s left arm but gets her legs swept out from under her and nailed with a legdrop.
Jax is still dominating her foe after a commercial break, and it seems like there might not be another rally coming for Baszler. She’s finally able to roll out of the way of a move in the corner, and Shayna connects on a running knee for a two count of her own.
Will some kicks keep Jax at bay? Nope, as she smashes Baszler along the ropes and hits a running senton … yet Shayna kicks out again.
That only means it’s time for the Annihilator, but Baszler suplexes Jax off the second rope instead. Shayna lands hard too, so she can’t cover right away. She tries for the Kirifuda Clutch instead, but Jax powers up and falls backward to crush her opponent against the mat.
Up goes Nia for the Annihilator, and that’s that. Good game, good effort from Baszler.
After the bell, Becky Lynch comes to the ring, but Jax decides this isn’t the time for a confrontation.
Imperium stays united, still falls to #DIY
You know by now that the imperium peeps have been having issues staying on the same page, but Wade Barrett reminds us of that again just in case. Kaiser looks like he’s confident starting things out, and Vinci takes over to keep the pressure on Tommaso Ciampa.
Vinci hits a nasty cross body and Ciampa is still in trouble in the enemy corner. Ciampa gets inches away from Johnny Gargano before finally making the tag. He picks up the pace against Kaiser, smashing a head kick from the apron and a slingshot spear.
The faces want Meet in the Middle, but Vinci drags Gargano out to the floor and Kaiser pulls the tights while rolling up Ciampa for three.
As you might expect, #DIY evens the score at 1-1 when there’s some confusion between Vinci and Kaiser. They have all the momentum now as Ciampa is taking it to both members of Imperium at once.
Gargano is isolated against Vinci and has to kick out of a pinfall attempt. Imperium looks for their double team finisher, and even though Gargano escapes it, Kaiser hits him with a DVD.
Vinci tags in and hits a moonsault, but Ciampa hustles to break up the pin. All four men are in the ring trading shots until they’re all down on the mat.
The fans start the “this is awesome” chant as the two teams slowly get things back on track. Ciampa hits a leaping backbreaker off the top, and they’re set up again for Meet in the Middle. Imperium tries the same tactics from the first time but they backfire, and after Vinci is sent into the steps, Kaiser takes the Meet in the Middle and is pinned by Ciampa. #DIY wins 2-1.
Cody Rhodes finds out why Shinsuke Nakamura has been stalking him
Rhodes says that the first time he saw the poison mist he was just a kid, and he was terrified of the Great Muta as a result. But Cody says it’s his fault, because he should have listened to the clues Shinsuke Nakamura was dropping.
That said, Shinsuke has his attention now as well as the attention of the WWE Universe. So they could do this two ways: Nakamura could emerge for an explanation … or they could fight right here and now.
The lights go out, leaving only a spotlight on Rhodes. Nakamura appears on the big screen to promise he will open Cody’s eyes, saying they’ve walked the same path. Shinsuke notes that he had a title shot at WrestleMania and came up short, just like Cody.
Since their stories are so similar, Nakamura says he will finish Rhodes’. Cody says he appreciates the explanation but says he doesn’t respect Nakamura until he proves they’re the same.
The Creed Brothers keep rolling, take down Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh
It would be a mistake to match the Creeds strength for strength, but Mysterio and McDonagh have another problem as R-Truth is out at ringside and has Dominik’s title belt. The Judgment Day has the momentum, however, going into the commercial break.
When we return, it’s Brutus Creed powering out of the final leg of Dom’s Three Amigos and slamming Mysterio to the mat. Tags are made both ways, with Julius suplexing dudes left and right and kipping up after each one. Michael Cole can’t believe himself at the announce table.
It looks like JD might get the Brutus Ball, but Dom drags Brutus off the top rope. McDonagh takes flight to the floor and Mysterio hits the 619 for a near fall.
Julius suplexes both of his opponents at once, because why not? Mysterio gets hurled over the announce table, meaning McDonagh is the one who takes the Brutus Ball as the Creeds wrap up their win.
Main Event Jey Uso earns the name, but Seth Rollins retains
Both men smile as they anticipate locking up. Uso runs over Rollins with a shoulder tackle and they both go for quick covers before ending up in a staredown.
Jey is in some trouble after the first commercial break, with Seth hitting a running kick from the floor. The champ hits a springboard senton followed by a moonsault to earn a near fall.
Rollins hits a kick to the spine as Uso tries to gather himself. A belly to back suplex gets another two count for Seth.
Uso finally manages to fight back, driving Rollins into the corner and lifting him for a backbreaker. Jey covers and finds only two, with the announcers figuring it was more of a heat check cover.
Rollins stops Uso from going up top, knocking him to the apron before following him there. They battle with counters until Uso finally hits a DDT on the floor, bringing more commercials.
The battle leads to simultaneous cross bodies leading to both men being down. Uso recovers first, but Rollins meets his aggression with a clothesline.
Uso does his Umaga tribute with a hip attack, and Rollins answers with a top rope splash. Seth looks for a Pedigree, but Jey counters with a back body drop for two.
Uso’s kicks leave Rollins in position for an Uso Splash, and he hits it flush but still can’t keep the champ down for three. The fans chant for Jey as he climbs again, only to be met by Rollins who hits a superplex rolled into a Falcon Arrow for a close near fall.
A Pedigree is next, but Uso kicks out of that too. We’ve hit the “What will it take?” portion of this one now. Seth wants the Stomp but is met with a Spear … and Rollins somehow kicks out.
Jey hits another spear and an Uso Splash, and Cole’s voice goes up an octave yet it’s still not enough to finish off Rollins. A superkick lands, but Rollins manages to answer immediately and hit a Spear.
The Stomp is next, and that finishes the match, finally.
The origin of Marvel Comics’ Avengers references a “day unlike any other.” We have those on a semi-regular basis in pro wrestling, but CM Punk’s equally electrifying and implausible return to WWE Saturday night at Survivor Series was right up there among the most memorable.
Wisely, WWE isn’t waiting too long to trot him back out in front of fans on live TV. Will CM Punk be on Raw going forward? Will they set up anything with him tonight in Nashville in terms of his first program back with the company he parted ways with on far less than amicable terms in 2014?
More to the point, does it even matter?
People will certainly be tuning in tonight to see what happens next, which is kind of the point. It’s hard to recall an episode of Raw in recent memory with this much anticipation around it, and WWE has already shown signs that it’s very aware, declaring that the full first hour will be commercial-free.
Not to be overlooked, Randy Orton has been promoted for tonight’s show as well — though interestingly, WWE’s official preview has no word on what to expect from the Viper. His comeback has almost been overshadowed by the frenzy over Punk, but make no mistake, many fans are excited to see him back in the fold as well.
On the actual in-ring wrestling side, there are big things going down in tag team land, with a women’s tag team title match and Tag Team Turmoil to decide a No. 1 contender duo for the men’s belts still held by The Judgment Day. Plus big men will collide when Bronson Reed faces Ivar.
Buckle up, here we go.
WWE Raw results from Nashville:
(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)
The broadcast begins with a highlight package of the Men’s WarGames match from Saturday night, which includes the return of Randy Orton … and CM Punk
“Daddy’s back!” Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley discuss the changing landscape of Raw since he’s been away, but that could mean bad news for Dominik Mysterio
The teams entered in Tag Team Turmoil meet special guest Jelly Roll, whose name confuses R-Truth and inspires a new Akira Tozawa dance
The Creed Brother win the Tag Team Turmoil match, earning a shot at the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
Damian Priest is upset about letting The Judgment Day down, but Ripley tells him they all rise and fall together, and Finn Balor says he should relax because they’re still tag team champs … but Rhea cracks a bit of a grin as Damian and Finn go to check on McDonagh
Cody Rhodes talks about what’s next, meaning the Royal Rumble, but Shinsuke Nakamura is on his trail right now
Bronson Reed vs. Ivar ends in a double countout, and their continuing battle into the crowd includes a ridiculous cannonball by Ivar
Earlier today, Nia Jax comes to talk trash to Zoey Stark, who tells Shayna Baszler she’s got it and challenges Nia to a match
A highlight package shows reactions to CM Punk’s Survivor Series return and tours its social media impact
The Judgment Day discovers R-Truth in the clubhouse and is stunned when he volunteers to join them for WarGames, unaware that the match has already happened
Nia Jax def. Zoey Stark by pinfall
Highlights are shown of Gunther’s defeat of The Miz at Survivor Series; afterward, Gunther visits the rest of Imperium to sort things out with Adam Pearce, and The Miz arrives to challenge the Ring General again, which draws a respectful but amused reaction from the champ
Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre’s mutual admissions of respect turn violent after Rollins informs McIntyre he’s giving Jey Uso the next title shot
Sami Zayn catches up with an angry McIntyre and tells him he’s not the only one who’s had disappointment around here, but the difference is that Sami keeps picking himself up and moving forward; Zayn says McIntyre is acting like a spoiled little brat and he’s better than that, which seems like it made an impression … except it ends with Drew saying he’s going to act Pearce for a match next week with Sami
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Uso finds Orton to apologize and tell him that he’s trying to do right, and Randy says as long as Jey is out of The Bloodline, then they’re good
Becky Lynch is asked about the epic battle at WarGames, but she wants to talk about tonight and says there are some fights on the horizon, one more pressing than the others
Randy Orton def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall, with a tiny assist from Jelly Roll
Yes, he’s back on Raw: CM Punk is on the mic for his welcome back promo
