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.
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.
Who has the best chances to win the Men’s and Women’s Royal Rumble matches in St. Petersburg?
Year after year, the Royal Rumble remains one of the most highly anticipated events on the wrestling calendar.
But despite its usual buzz and attention, the match itself hasn’t always delivered. When I say that, I’m not just pointing to the execution of the match (2014 and 2015 being prime examples), but for the purposes of this piece, I’m also looking at the lack of quality storytelling leading up to it.
Heading into the 2024 edition of the match, however, I believe WWE has actually done a good job of creating a lot of intriguing options and stories for both the men’s and women’s matches. So much so that you could make the case for anyone that has officially declared for the match as of this writing to win.
Who will earn a championship match at WrestleMania? Let’s break down the official participants’ chances:
Cody Rhodes
If we’re going to have this discussion, we must start with the winner of last year’s men’s Rumble, Cody Rhodes, who has a story he really needs to finish.
An easy path to completing said story would be to have Rhodes win the Rumble, challenge Undisputed Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, and defeat him to win back the title that was taken away from his father decades ago.
Image credit: WWE.com
Because of that, I’d say Rhodes’ chances of repeating as the last person standing — a feat only Hulk Hogan (1990-91), Shawn Michaels (1995-96), and Steve Austin (1997-98) have accomplished before him — are pretty high.
With that said, it is not necessarily required for Rhodes to win the Rumble to get a shot at Reigns, as February’s Elimination Chamber could also present opportunity if WWE chooses to go that route.
Also, you’ve got the elephant — or should I say rock — in the room known as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who could easily usurp Rhodes for that main event position against Reigns at WrestleMania.
But until that comes to fruition, Rhodes would be a safe pick.
CM Punk
Outside of Rhodes, the person most people will tap as their winner of the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble is CM Punk.
Image credit: WWE.com
Punk is back after nearly a decade of being gone, and a quick and easy way to put him on the forefront of WWE programming heading into WrestleMania is by having him win the Rumble. As of right now, it remains one of the few milestones Punk has yet to reach in his illustrious — and controversial — career.
What also makes Punk a logical choice to win is the fact that Rhodes already won it last year. Although WWE has had three people win back-to-back Rumbles in the past, it also hasn’t happened since 1998. To me, that could clear the way for Punk to take home the win this year.
Would Punk’s opponent be WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins? It sure seems like that will be the case, but with Rollins’ recent knee injury, that could change.
Shinsuke Nakamura
Despite being in some high-profile feuds as of late, Shinsuke Nakamura has come out on the short end at pretty much every turn. For me, that rules the 2018 Rumble winner out as the potential last person standing in 2024.
Image credit: WWE.com
However, I can foresee a scenario where he finally gets one over on Rhodes by eliminating the American Nightmare from the Rumble. It won’t make up for all of the losses Nakamura has taken up to this point, but it would serve as an easy way for the former Intercontinental Champion to regain at least some of his heat.
Bobby Lashley
I don’t think picking Bobby Lashley to win the Royal Rumble in any other year would be a bad choice. But there are exceptions to most rules, and I feel like 2024 is one of them.
Lashley is certainly worthy of being in the main event picture on Smackdown and maybe he will re-enter that stratosphere in due time, but he is currently embroiled in a faction war with Karrion Kross and the Authors of Pain, who are now collectively known as The Final Testament.
"The WHOLE WORLD will truly see who the REAL ALL MIGHTY actually are." ⏳
At the moment, Lashley and the Street Profits feel like they are being used as a vehicle to get the new group over, which would obviously require Lashley to take a little bit of a step back. If the plan for the time being is for Lashley and the Street Profits to get The Last Testament over, I don’t see how Lashley wins the Rumble.
Drew McIntyre
Is it me or is Drew McIntyre doing tremendous work as a heel? Unfortunately, the timing isn’t quite as tremendous.
In any other year, I think McIntyre would be a lock to win. However, with so many stars and unfinished stories at the top of the card, I don’t feel like 2024 will be the year for McIntyre to win his second Rumble match.
With that said, I think he will have a quality performance before ultimately being eliminated from the match.
Gunther
Before CM Punk arrived, I firmly believed Gunther was going to defeat Rollins at WrestleMania and become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Granted, he’d probably lose the Intercontinental title first, but you could not tell me otherwise.
Apr 2, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Gunther during Wrestlemania Night 2 at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
But Punk did, in fact, return to WWE and is now seemingly on a collision course with Rollins. So what now for Gunther? Well, a strong showing in the Rumble would be cool.
A win? Unfortunately, I don’t see it in the cards. However, I do believe Gunther will be in the world title picture at some point in 2024.
Bayley
Let’s flip over to the women’s side where fewer people have declared, but it is still a strong group of contenders.
Bayley is at the top of a lot of people’s lists, and for good reason. Bayley has never won a Royal Rumble and looks to be on her way out of Damage CTRL.
#DamageCTRL has the best seat in the house for tonight's Women's Tag Team Championship Match! 👀
What better way for her to gain revenge on her possibly soon-to-be former friends than by challenging IYO SKY for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania?
I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I’d consider putting some credits on Bayley to win.
Nia Jax
Another person that has never won the Royal Rumble is Nia Jax, who has enjoyed what has been a pretty successful run since returning to WWE last year.
Jax’s run includes a pin fall victory over 2019 women’s Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch, which is not something a lot of people on the roster can say.
However, I believe that victory will leave the door open for Lynch to gain a measure of revenge and eliminate Jax from the match.
Becky Lynch
But how far does Lynch go after that? Pretty far, I believe.
Nothing has been confirmed, but it sure looks like Lynch is being primed for a match against WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania. A logical way to get there would be to have Lynch win her second Rumble match.
But like Rhodes, winning the Rumble isn’t required to get Lynch and Ripley to that point. Plus, if my prediction of Lynch eliminating Jax comes true, I’d imagine Jax would not take that too kindly and literally knock Lynch out of the match.
Bianca Belair
Whenever Bianca Belair is involved, you can never rule her completely out.
WWE has pushed her to the moon pretty much since 2021 and she has delivered at every step of the way. In my eyes, she’s a made woman on the roster as a result. So I understand if there are some out there who will predict Belair will win her second Rumble match.
Apr 2, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Bianca Belair during Wrestlemania Night 2 at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
With that said, I’m not sure how much sense it would make for Belair to win this year’s women’s Royal Rumble. I’m basing that solely off the stories WWE has been telling the last few months. It simply feels like WWE is moving in different directions.
That is not to say Belair will not be involved in any major storylines. Like I said, WWE seemingly has complete faith in her ability and will keep her figured in. But I just don’t think it’s her turn to win it all this year.
CM Punk also had a showdown with Drew McIntyre on WWE Raw from Portland.
While we all ponder where we might be watching Raw come this fall, we know where to catch it tonight: on USA, as per usual. The show comes to us from Portland, where one matchup has our attention.
That would be Cody Rhodes vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. Everyone expects that Rhodes will be in position to “finish the story” later this spring, but he keeps getting roadblocks thrown in his way in the meantime. Nakamura has been an especially persistent one, showing his full sadistic side during this program.
Would defeating him again help end it? Probably couldn’t hurt, and with Rhodes looking forward to the Royal Rumble match later this spring, he really needs to put Shinsuke in the rear view mirror if at all possible.
Portland will also see CM Punk make an appearance, though it looks like it may just be to talk in the ring. That’s fine since he’s one of the best at that, but you figure that sooner or later, WWE will want him to actually wrestle on Raw. Probably.
We’re ready for these segments and everything else thrown our way tonight, so off we go.
WWE Raw results from Portland:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Cody Rhodes is all smiles as he enters the building ahead of tonight’s main event
Drew McIntyre has something to say, but so does CM Punk
Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano walk out toward the ring, and Ciampa calls this a “must win” match that will lead to #DIY becoming tag team champs in 2024
Tommaso Ciampa def. Finn Balor by pinfall
Becky Lynch says she thought about the bad things that could have happened in the match with Nia Jax, and she’s taking the positive view since she didn’t end up in the hospital, and that maybe this is just the beginning of a run for her
Kofi Kingston vs. Ludwig Kaiser goes to a double countout, much to the dismay of the fans; they decide to keep fighting even after the bell, and Kaiser throws one of the announcer’s chairs in Kingston’s face and then dropkicks his head into the steel steps
Asked backstage about his attack, Kaiser screams and says it’s Kofi’s fault he is carrying the weight of Imperium alone
Nia Jax and Rhea Ripley have a face to face confrontation and sling some barbs at each other
A replay of The Rock’s appearance on last week’s episode of Raw is shown
Shinsuke Nakamura assaults Cody Rhodes backstage while he’s trying to be interviewed, and Adam Pearce and officials have to hustle to pull them apart
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Due to their earlier brawl, the Rhodes-Nakamura main event is now a Street Fight
R-Truth explains why The Judgment Day is a “real family” now that he’s in and JD McDonagh is out, heh
The Judgment Day argues again about Truth, and Ripley tells McDonagh he needs to “handle” The Miz
The Miz def. JD McDonagh by pinfall, and R-Truth celebrates the win afterward, as confused as ever
Ripley goes to talk to Pearce about “our plans for next week,” and Balor and Priest agree that “this needs to end”
Seth Rollins is in the house, and he gets a visit from Jinder Mahal
Ivar def. Otis by pinfall
Jey Uso is asked if he has any plans for the new year, but Bronson Reed warns Jey not to get in his way
Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall in a Street Fight
Image credit: WWE.com
Drew McIntyre and CM Punk have a heated discussion about leadership
The Scottish Warrior says again that last Monday was all or nothing, and that he cost himself the match. He’s been thinking about it all week, and perhaps it is Drew McIntyre who is holding Drew McIntyre back.
If that’s the case, he needs to get his head screwed on straight and step away from WWE for a while. But … he didn’t lose straight up! It was because Damian Priest tried to cash in his MITB contract during the match, and due to that, he screwed McIntyre and himself.
Or maybe he can leave the company for nine years and get a hero’s reception when he returns. You know who did that? CM Punk, that’s who, and he does indeed get a great reception from the fans as he joins McIntyre in the ring.
Punk says it’s Piper Country and questions whether McIntyre is known for talking like Roddy was. If Drew has anything to say to CM, he can say it to his face, as he makes himself comfortable in the corner.
The Scottish Warrior mocks Punk for making it a month into his comeback while also suggesting he knows the “real” CM Punk. At one point in his career, McIntyre says he needed a leader to show him the way, but Punk was never that person and still isn’t. Indeed, Drew suggests he’s the one who is a leader now.
Punk retorts that he’s always led by example — including when he left the company, suggesting that gave McIntyre a blueprint to make himself better. He also disputes Drew’s assertion that he’s a demon, saying instead that he’s a nice guy but can be “Satan himself” when pushed too far.
McIntyre says what he did before, he did for the fans, but when he eliminates Punk from the Royal Rumble and heads to WrestleMania, it will be for him. Punk says the only person who can stop himself from accomplishing his goals is him, and not Drew, Seth Rollins or Cody Rhodes can prevent him from winning the Rumble. He claims he’ll throw McIntyre out last before he leaves the ring.
Image credit: WWE.com
Tommaso Ciampa outwits Finn Balor with a little help
Apparently R-Truth was responsible for this match, calling Balor a “scaredy-cat” and goading him into this matchup. There are high stakes too, since #DIY will get a title shot if Ciampa wins.
Both Damian Priest and Johnny Gargano are ringside to support their respective teammates, with Priest staring down Ciampa when they find themselves face to face outside the ring. Balor sends Tommaso crashing down into the announce table right before commercials.
Ciampa’s DDT right after the break gets him a near fall. A stomp to the chest is Finn’s answer, but he takes a running knee and Project Ciampa and has to kick out at two again.
Balor rallies but sees Ciampa roll away from the Coup de Grace, and then gets rolled up for another near fall. Priest is up on the apron, and Gargano nearly finds disaster when he gets involved.
Will Ciampa pay for halting to help his partner? He does not, as he’s able to capitalize on Gargano grabbing Balor’s foot after a suplex to get a quick three count. Turnabout is fair play, as they say.
Nia Jax has a Mami problem, or is it the other way around?
Michael Cole gets a word in the ring with Jax, who scoffs at the idea that it was “shocking” that she defeated Becky Lynch. But when she gets to the part about running through the Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley joins her.
Rhea says the people know what’s up and they know how Nia loves to talk a good game. She reminds Jax who threw her out of last year’s Rumble (it was Rhea) and warns Nia not to walk around like she owns the division, because she doesn’t.
Ripley says it’s best to keep Rhea’s name out of her mouth; Jax fires back that she’s too scared to face off one on one. But once she squashes everyone else in the Rumble, she plans on choosing Ripley. “See you soon, unstoppable champ.”
Image credit: WWE.com
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance retain after friendly fire downs the former champs
Wade Barrett suggests that even with the gold, Carter and Chance feel like underdogs coming into this title defense. Many other members of the women’s roster are shown watching backstage.
The champs go for some quick falls, trying to keep Green busy and isolated. Green finally sends Chance headfirst into the turnbuckles, and Niven tags in and treats her to a cannonball for a near fall.
After commercials, Carter gets her first chance for some extended offense, including a near fall on Green. A springboard legdrop is good for another. A top rope Frankensteiner by Chance forces Green to kick out yet again, but the champs are really rolling.
Green finally scores with a Roughrider on Carter and her own near fall. Niven tags back in, using a senton on Carter that means Chance has to save her partner. A uranage sends Carter down, but Chance pulls her partner out of the ring, and Niven hits a Vader Bomb on her own partner. Oh dear.
After getting Niven out of the ring, the Keg Stand on Green seals it up for the champs.
Image credit: WWE.com
Seth Rollins fights off Jinder Mahal … no, really
The World Heavyweight Champion reminds Portland that Royal Rumble is close and after that, we are on the Road to WrestleMania. While Seth says his Mania record is pretty good, he says he’s never taken a world title into the event. He’s never been on the marquee, but he says that will change this year.
But the question is who he’s going to beat on the Grandest Stage of Them All? That starts a somewhat unorganized CM Punk chant, to which he responds by saying “in his dreams, maybe.” Instead, Jinder Mahal comes down the ramp.
Mahal suggests he was more of a Visionary in five minutes last week than Rollins has been his whole career. He also gripes that Seth is giving out opportunities to others less deserving than him, which … not sure that’s true but OK.
Seth says Jinder is right and that he’s been overlooked — but it’s been on purpose, until last week when he showed up “and The Rock put your balls in a vice.” He does admit that Mahal was able to rebound from that and show back up, but he’s not crazy about Jinder coming out and interrupting his segment.
The champ tells Jinder to take a swing, but he chooses to take a cheap shot instead. Rollins easily repulses his attack, however, and is the one standing tall in the ring.
Image credit: WWE.com
Cody Rhodes might finally be done with Shinsuke Nakamura after winning a Street Fight
It doesn’t take long for these two to fight up toward the stage, then back toward ringside where Rhodes is fully in charge. He bounces a water bottle off Shinsuke’s face as the crowd chants for tables.
Rhodes goes up top but sees his foe escape, then pop back up using a broom as a weapon. A kendo stick is next to be brought to bear, and Rhodes has to head for the floor for a respite.
Nakamura is bossing things after a commercial break, paintbrushing Rhodes and toying with him a bit. He kicks Rhodes in the face, then the back of the neck.
Shinsuke switches gears, looking for a half crab. More kicks land too, but Rhodes fires himself up with a forearm shot off the ropes and a powerslam. A Disaster Kick follows and earns a near fall.
Nakamura gets some nunchaku out and puts them to good use over by the announce table. But his attempt to spray his mist misses Rhodes and hits the timekeeper right in the face instead. While Cody asks for help, Shinsuke attacks him with a steel chair, and more ads arrive.
He’s still going to town with that chair when we return, though now both men are back in the ring. Rhodes is able to turn the tables with the fans urging him on, and he meets Shinsuke for an exchange of strikes that he wins with a pair of Bionic Elbows.
The American Nightmare sets up a table but is greeted by a headbutt. Rhodes ends up on the table and takes double knees to drive him through it. Nakamura covers but only gets a two count.
Shinsuke gets another table out from under the ring, smiling as he goes about setting it up. They battle into a corner, and Nakamura hits his sliding German suplex. Off the second rope comes Nakamura with a knee strike, yet Rhodes manages to kick out again.
In the middle of the ring, Rhodes delivers a Pedigree for his own near fall. A Cody Cutter is next, but it’s still not quite enough to end it.
Nakamura counters a Cross Rhodes attempt and looks for a Kinshasa, but Cody sends him into the corner table. Cross Rhodes doesn’t miss this time, and the American Nightmare is triumphant.
A former WWE Champion rumored for Raw Day 1 surely did make an appearance in San Diego.
With all due credit to The New Day, it’s a new year, yes it is. And what better way to kick it off than with a WWE Raw Day 1 show from San Diego, chock full of championship matches and other goodies? Nothing, that’s what.
WWE has every reason to put on the best possible show since it took a rare break from all live programming between Christmas and New Year’s. Both Raw and SmackDown were year in review episodes last week while the wrestlers and crew got a well deserved holiday break.
Now it’s time to come out with the pedal down, which is exactly what Day 1 is looking to do. Both the World Heavyweight Championship held by Seth Rollins and the Women’s World Championship held by Rhea Ripley will be on the line, in addition to a first time ever meeting between Becky Lynch and Nia Jax.
If that isn’t enough for you, Triple H has hinted that rumors of a former WWE champion appearing on Raw Day 1 may indeed be true. There’s been all kinds of speculation about everyone from Batista to The Rock, so that’s another big reason to be locked in to what goes down.
Alright 2024, what have you got for us?
WWE Raw Day 1 results from San Diego:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Michael Cole and Wade Barrett start the show in the ring hyping up the card, including a “former WWE champion” appearing on the show
A video package takes us through the buildup of the Becky Lynch-Nia Jax feud
Nia Jax def. Becky Lynch by pinfall
A replay is shown of Shinsuke Nakamura’s “An American Nightmare Before Christmas” and their ensuing brawl
Cody Rhodes wants to end things with Shinsuke Nakamura, but Nakamura wants him to squirm for one more week
Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by referee stoppage after Vinci appears to suffer a mid-match injury after taking a particularly stiff dropkick
A hype video is shown for the Rhea Ripley-Ivy Nile title match later tonight
Miz TV welcomes The Judgment Day, which turns into an argument between R-Truth on one side and JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio on the other, which in turn leads to a tag team match
The Miz and R-Truth def. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh by pinfall
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven invade the club to threaten Kayden Carter and Katana Chance that they’re going to Adam Pearce to get a rematch, but not only do the champs not mind, they throw some beverages in the faces of the former champs
Rhea Ripley def. Ivy Nile by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship
After teasing fans by bringing out Jinder Mahal first, The Rock makes a triumphant return while also teasing a Roman Reigns showdown
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by pinfall
A video recap takes us back through the issues between Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins ahead of the main event
Seth Rollins def. Drew McIntyre by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship despite Damian Priest’s ultimately thwarted plan to cash in his MITB briefcase during the match
Nia Jax beats, bloodies Becky Lynch in first ever meeting
After reminding us that this is the first time these two have ever wrestled one on one, the announcers frame this as a bout in which Lynch will have to keep her temper in check if she wants to win.
Jax is hitting all the early offense, talking to her prey while she does so. Lynch fights back with a jawbreaker and keeps moving between forearm shots. An uppercut and a kick to the midsection land too, and Lynch manages to evade a legdrop and score a cover that’s only good for a one count.
A dropkick drives Jax back into the corner, and a missile dropkick is also on target to earn a near fall. Jax scores with a Samoan Drop during picture-in-picture action and generally stays in control until the full broadcast returns, but it’s Lynch scoring a two count right after that.
Nia gets things going her way on the outside but misses both a right hand near the post and a cannonball into the apron. Lynch saved herself big time there, and she nearly wins by countout before Jax slides back into the ring. A top rope leg drop allows Becky to cover for another two.
The Disarm-Her is locked in, but Jax powers into a pinning combination for two. Lynch pivots back into an armbar but is lifted into a sitout powerbomb and just barely manages to kick out in time.
Jax drags her foe to the corner, but Lynch springs up and looks for a Manhandle Slam off the middle rope; Jax counters into an Avalanche Samoan Drop and can’t believe it when The Man kicks out again.
Becky is fired up now, but that’s not going to help when she gets caught flush with a right hand. Jax follows with the Annihilator and gets perhaps her biggest win ever.
Cody Rhodes is stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura whether he likes it or not
So, San Diego, what do you wanna talk about? Rhodes says he has the privilege of being the first superstar to officially welcome everyone to a Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw.
While people like to talk about their goals for the year, he’s a little stuck, and what he’s stuck on is Shinsuke Nakamura. Rhodes says he was expecting something more sophisticated from Shinsuke and thinks their issue should be over.
To that end, he gives Nakamura the chance to end this right now, which brings Shinsuke to the big screen. He says he never dreamed it would be so easy to get in Cody’s head, and while he plans to author the final chapter of Rhodes’ story, he wants to give the American Nightmare one more week to dream.
Shinsuke says he’ll “close your book” next Monday before spraying red mist all over the camera.
Miz TV welcomes The Judgment Day … sort of
The Miz is excited to welcome The Judgment Day to his show, but all he gets right away is R-Truth. He says he’s trying to make the group likeable to everybody, but JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio come out to play party pooper.
McDonagh says this all has to end tonight, while Dom gets shouted down and Truth has to point out his own hometown is booing him. Miz comes to Truth’s defense when he asserts that JD should be gone from the group after losing the Miracle on 34th Street Fight, and Dominik is unable to get in a rebuttal due to the crowd booing him mercilessly.
The Miz responds to what was apparently Dom ripping on him by admitting that 2023 wasn’t great for him. But he’s bounced back to be as relevant as he’s been for a long time, and he adds that his only memory of Dom last year was “getting spanked by your daddy.”
You see where this is headed: JD and Dom vs. The Miz and R-Truth.
Ivy Nile impressive even in defeat against Rhea Ripley
What a big spot for Nile, though it should be a good one for her. She tries to show off her power early on but gets dropkicked in the head for her trouble.
Nile is whipped into the corner but stays a step ahead of the champ to hit a cross body, though it only keeps Rhea down for one. Ripley starts smacking her challenger around while verbally berating her at the same time. A spinning headscissors and a followup slam halt Rhea’s momentum, and she takes a short breather on the outside during side-by-side commercials.
It’s pretty much all Ripley during the break, but Nile definitely isn’t backing off. She hits a beautiful suplex on the floor and a nice tilt-a-whirl DDT back in the ring and forces Rhea to kick out at two.
Ripley’s missile dropkick is an effective response and also good for a two count. A Riptide is countered by a head kick, and a gutwrench slam leads to another near fall for the challenger.
Nile’s face is driven into the champ’s knee, then the mat. Ripley covers but can only get two again.
With both women looking to go up top, it’s Nile who prevails, German suplexing the champ off the ropes but finding Ripley still has enough left to kick out. Ivy ascends to the top rope but her cross body is met with a stiff headbutt. A knee shot sets up the Eradicator, and Ripley is still Women’s World Champion.
Smell that former WWE champion returning? Yes, The Rock is back, teasing a showdown with Roman Reigns
To say the fans are disappointed when Jinder Mahal comes out to the ring would be a mild understatement. But the way Michael Cole is lampshading it and Mahal is referencing it makes it feel like they’re trying too hard to get us to buy into it.
Mahal starts in on a bilingual attack on America and how its people are divided. Is someone coming out to beat him up?
Yes … and it’s The Rock!
He and Jinder argue about whether he should be embarrassed to be The People’s Champ (spoiler: he’s not), and while channeling the spirit of the late Iron Sheik due to Mahal dropping his name earlier, The Rock calls him the “biggest a–hole watching God’s green Earth.”
After some self-deprecating “Baywatch” jokes, The Rock stands up for the U.S. as well and dubs Mahal the “Day 1 Douchebag,” a moniker the crowd enjoys. The Rock encourages it even more with a chant using both sides of the arena.
A new version of the national anthem that also disses Mahal makes Jinder snap, but his attack is quickly repulsed and ends with him receiving a spinebuster. The People’s Elbow is next, getting a huge pop.
And damn, does it look like The Rock is having a great time. After dispensing of Mahal, he says he’s going to grab something to eat later and wonders if he should sit … at the head of the table.
Well now.
Seth Rollins prevails over Drew McIntyre despite Damian Priest’s designs to cash in his MITB contract
The announcers tell us that this is a different McIntyre than the one Rollins defeated at Crown Jewel, but we’ll see if that is indeed the case. He’s taking it to the champ early, bouncing him off the announce table, though Rollins manages to grab the ropes to prevent an Alabama Slam on the floor … only to launch himself right into a belly-to-belly throw on the floor anyway. Welp.
After McIntyre stays in charge through most of a side-by-side commercial sequence, Rollins is able to smash McIntyre into the post, then deliver a tope con hilo. A counter tilt-a-whirl DDT also connects, as does a frog splash for a near fall.
They battle to the top rope, where Rollins hits a superplex only to have McIntyre roll through it for a Falcon Arrow and his own near fall. Michael Cole is really getting into this now.
After more ads, McIntyre has Rollins up top, and he doesn’t miss with White Noise off the middle rope. Rollins kicks out at two and both men are slow to rise.
An enzuigiri and some additional kicks have Rollins feeling like ending it. He misses a Stomp, however, and is planted by the Future Shock. McIntyre kips up and counts down … but Rollins counters a Claymore attempt with a sitout powerbomb for two.
Rollins’ corkscrew plancha misses, as does another Claymore, but the champ’s Pedigree does not. He covers but can only keep Drew down for two again.
Suddenly Damian Priest’s music hits, and he’s on his way down with his MITB briefcase. Dominik Mysterio is with him too, and Priest smashes Rollins with the case. However, McIntyre takes out Priest and Mysterio and hits the Claymore … only to see Rollins get his foot on the bottom rope.
With the match continuing, Rollins delivers a Pedigree on the announce table, somehow not breaking it. He follows with a Stomp in the ring and hears the three counted to keep him the champion against all odds.
See which set of tag team title challengers broke through on WWE Raw from Des Moines.
We’re nearly out of days in 2023, and tonight’s WWE Raw from Des Moines, Iowa very well could be the last live televised show of the year. And with that being the case, why not finish strong?
It looks like we might have exactly that kind of card tonight, with three championships on the line. One is a rematch between Gunther and The Miz for the Ring General’s Intercontinental Championship. Miz has shown the drive and form to work himself back for a second shot, but as many have found out, standing up to Gunther and defeating him are two very different propositions.
Both the men’s and women’s tag team titles are also at stake in Des Moines. In both cases, there are up and coming teams looking to prove they’ve truly arrived — The Creed Brothers and Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. Can one or both duos succeed and claim their first main roster gold?
Warm up your singing muscles, as we’ll see Seth Rollins get some microphone time tonight. The World Heavyweight Champion did some verbal jousting with CM Punk last week, but he’s got a (literally) bigger foe to worry about first in the form of a very focused Drew McIntyre. Rollins might not even make it past Jan. 1 with his title if he doesn’t keep his eye on the Scottish Warrior.
Last but not least, R-Truth has been an unexpectedly delightful monkey wrench thrown into The Judgment Day’s machine as of late. We’ll see if he can avoid taking a big ‘L’ in Iowa as he faces JD McDonagh in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight.
We’re looking forward to taking in all the action and recapping it right here for you, so let’s get to it.
WWE Raw results from Des Moines:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
The Judgment Day is in the building … and so is R-Truth
R-Truth def. JD McDonagh by pinfall in a Miracle on 24th Street Fight
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are feeling good ahead of their tag team title shot tonight
Becky Lynch can’t quite get Nia Jax to fight tonight but does get a taste of her power
Kofi Claus drops off a YEET shirt for #DIY, who give some props to The Miz before he gets a backstage interview to suggest he’s ready to finish what he started the first time he rattled Gunther
Gunther def. The Miz by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship; according to the stipulation, Miz can’t challenge for this title again as long as Gunther holds it
The other members of Imperium congratulate Gunther, but he berates the whole year as a complete write-off for them, and says he expects them to grind and impress him for a few weeks while he takes a much deserved break; Kofi Claus also stops by to give Ludwig Kaiser some coal
Shinsuke Nakamura treats everyone to an atmospheric reading of “The American Nightmare Before Christmas,” but Cody Rhodes is unamused by the personal attacks it contains and attacks him, with their battle heading all the way from backstage to the ring before WWE officials can finally separate them
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven try to convince Adam Pearce to cancel their title match but fail; Bronson Reed stops by afterward to discuss Gunther’s next challenger
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
Akira Tozawa surprises his Alpha Academy teammates by informing them he has a match with Ivar, and Chad Gable can only cringe at the thought
The new tag team champs get some props backstage before heading out to party, while some other tag teams (Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, and Natalya and Tegan Nox, specifically) discuss how Carter and Chance
Ivar def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall
CM Punk’s decision to sign with Raw and subsequent showdown with Seth Rollins is replayed
Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre speak their minds, but one person takes it to a physical level
The Creed Brothers geek out a bit after Cody Rhodes wishes them good luck and says he hopes they win tonight
Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci beat up Kofi Claus, but Jey Uso hands out some “season’s yeetings” as payback, and Uso makes it clear he wants Kaiser in the ring
Jey Uso def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall
The Judgment Day tries to console McDonagh, and he’s not kicked out of the group, and Ripley tells Priest and Balor to take care of business tonight
Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. The Creed Brothers by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
Image credit: WWE.com
The Judgment Day still can’t quite convince R-Truth he’s not in the group
After Damian Priest tells us to all rise, Finn Balor congratulates The Creed Brothers on getting to the No. 1 contenders spot. But where it’s the biggest night of their life, it’s just another night at the office for the tag team champs.
Rhea Ripley delivers a warning to Ivy Nile and promises The Judgment Day will continue to run things in 2024, but Dominik Mysterio is interrupted by R-Truth. He didn’t know they were opening the show and thinks the beatdown he got last week was his initiation into the group, even though it hurt him physically and emotionally.
Since everyone is looking for a fight, Truth needs someone to beat up on, and the fans suggest JD McDonagh. He suggests a Miracle on 34th Street Fight, to which JD tells him it’s already been booked and it’s happening right now. Truth says there’s an added stipulation: It’s a Loser Leaves Judgment Day match.
Priest likes that idea, and even though Ripley does not, McDonagh seems like he’s fine with it.
Image credit: WWE.com
JD McDonagh has a Blue Christmas at the hands of R-Truth
The announcers debate whether there really is a stipulation in effect saying McDonagh has to leave The Judgment Day if he loses. He has some assistance from Dirty Dom to try to avoid finding out.
Truth delights the crowd by getting out a table, but McDonagh plays Scrooge by dropkicking him in short order. Dom trips Truth but ends up driving Truth’s head into his teammate’s groin, and Christmas trees and a fire extinguisher also come into play.
A flurry of offense by R-Truth has JD down, and a Five Knuckle Shuffle pays homage to John Cena. McDonagh ends up atop a table, and even when he escapes, Truth ends up almost accidentally driving him through it for the pinfall. Michael Cole is excited that JD is out, but we’ll see if he really is.
Image credit: WWE.com
Becky Lynch and Nia Jax are going to fight … but not tonight
Becky Lynch interrupts Nia Jax before she can even say a word, unimpressed that she’s out to announce she’s entering the Royal Rumble.
In response, Jax suggests that the reason they’ve never had a singles match is because everyone is scared Nia would destroy the “moneymaker of the company.” The Man disagrees, saying that Jax is the one who is scared and that she’s the one whose existence is owed to others.
To prove her wrong, why not fight right there? Jax calls for a ref and Michael Cole is excited, as are the fans. But you know what’s coming — Jax backs off, saying this will happen on her terms, and in her hometown of San Diego in two weeks on the Day 1 episode of Raw.
Jax is laughing as she turns to leave, but not for long as Lynch goes firing up the ramp to attack her. That goes poorly for The Man, though, as one right hand sends Becky to the ground.
Image credit: WWE.com
No shame in defeat as The Miz pushes Gunther to the limit
If Miz loses this, he can’t challenge again for this title as long as Gunther holds it. Those are high stakes.
The champ tries to bully Miz early on, smiling after he chops the challenger down. But Miz briefly grabs an ankle lock, suggesting he’s very much up for this, and Gunther has to wiggle over for a couple of rope breaks.
After Miz misses a swinging kick to the floor, Gunther greets him with a chop and powerbombs him on the apron. It’s still the champ in control after a commercial break as the fans try to rally The Miz.
Gunther is playing to the crowd as he continues his methodical attack, and Miz’s chest is showing numerous welts. The challenger finally connects on a running clothesline, but Gunther kicks him out of midair and tortures him on the top turnbuckle.
Finally a potential break as Miz ducks a chop and Gunther’s hand smacks the post before we go for more ads. Miz breaks out of a sleeperhold when we return, trying to continue working Gunther’s hand.
The champ can’t get a Boston Crab applied but switches to a reverse crossface; Miz breaks free and hits a DDT. Miz looks confident now, executing a tilt-a-whirl DDT for a two count.
A missile dropkick leads to a powerbomb, and the champ has his own near fall. Gunther flips Miz right over into a Boston Crab, and the crowd comes alive again as Miz makes it to the ropes for a break.
As Gunther tries to hammer Miz on his knees, the challenger smiles and waves him in. Miz comes close to stealing a win, then switches to a Skull Crushing Finale and getting very close to the three.
Will that be as close as Miz gets? Gunther hits a big punch and heads up top, fighting off the challenger for a second. Miz kicks Gunther in the hand and nails the Skull Crushing Finale off the second rope. But they don’t call him the Ring General for nothing, and Gunther uses Miz’s brief delay to roll out of the ring.
When they return to the ring, it’s powerbomb/clothesline/powerbomb for Gunther, and he stacks up his foe to finally bring it to a close.
Image credit: WWE.com
Let the party commence: Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are tag team champs
Niven has a serious power advantage against both of the challengers, so we’ll see if they can use their speed and teamwork to neutralize that. Piper manages to squash both of them with a corner bomb, but it’s only good for a near fall prior to commercials.
It’s Green taking the brunt of the punishment when the broadcast returns, especially when Niven accidentally lands on her. Carter nearly pins her and looks frazzled when it’s only two.
Carter and Green go to the top rope, but nothing huge ends up connecting and Chelsea ends up hitting a Famouser of sorts for two. Niven tags back in for a running senton on Carter, who is saved by Chance.
The challengers have Niven in some trouble with the Keg Stand, but Green saves her partner at the absolute last moment. Chelsea isn’t out of the woods, though, and she takes the Afterparty and can’t kick out. We’ve got new tag team champs, folks.
Image credit: WWE.com
Drew McIntyre doesn’t want any pity from Seth Rollins
Iowa’s own gets a warm welcome from the fans in Des Moines. Rollins says things are heating up around here, and that the little “confrontation” he had last week (with CM Punk) has him more motivated than ever. Seth says he’s planning for a big 2024, and that stars on Day 1 when he faces Drew McIntyre.
Speak of the devil … er, the Scottish Warrior. McIntyre joins Rollins in the ring but is warned to “tread lightly.” McIntyre says he isn’t there to fight but instead to say he’s proud of Rollins for standing up to Punk and telling him the truth. “And that, my friend, is a real leader.”
McIntyre says the last time he went home he wondered if the sacrifices he’s made were worth it, and that Rollins might understand it because his wife, Becky Lynch, is on the same journey far from home. Drew says he doesn’t want Seth’s title, he needs it so he can find out if all the sacrifices he’s made were worth it — and he’s willing to hurt Seth to get it.
Rollins says he wants to believe McIntyre but his actions and words haven’t lined up. He does respect Drew, however, because of the way he worked his way back into title contention after Crown Jewel. But what makes McIntyre think the outcome will be any different this time? Is it just the willingness to take shortcuts? Either way, Seth muses, Drew isn’t taking responsibility for his actions.
The champs says he pities McIntyre as a result, and that finally gets the Scottish Warrior to snap. A brief scuffle leads to Drew giving Seth an Alabama Slam on the steps, leaving Rollins grasping his left arm in pain.
Image credit: WWE.com
Damian Priest, Finn Balor squeak by The Creed Brothers to retain
The Creeds look bright to start, with Brutus in command after a quick commercial break. Balor is getting double teamed and not enjoying it, but Priest low bridges Julius and treats him to a clothesline.
Rhea Ripley is doing some distracting as well, but she gets dangerously close to getting taken out. The champs stay in control through another commercial break, so the question now is whether the Creeds have another rally in them.
Brutus makes it look like he does, showing off some impressive strength by suplexing Priest. Both sides make tags, but it’s Julius hurling Balor all over the place and following with a standing Shooting Star Press for two on Finn.
Is it Brutus Ball time? Priest says no as he intercepts. Julius and Balor both clothesline each other at once, and Ripley gets into it with Ivy Nile on the outside, paying for it by getting bounced off the apron.
Balor is in trouble again, taking the Brutus Ball, but Priest hustles to make the save. A dropkick prevents a South of Heaven, but Julius responds by flying to the floor to take out Priest.
All four men might figure into this finish; Priest takes the Brutus Ball, but Balor hits Julius with a Coup de Grace to the back as he covers. Amidst the commotion, Priest is able to hit Julius with a South of Heaven, covering to secure the win.
Also tonight on WWE Raw from Cleveland, CM Punk tells the world where he’s signing.
The funny thing about revenge is that it getting it might not make you feel all the way better about what got you upset in the first place. That’s worth keeping in mind for Drew McIntyre as he gets a one-on-one match with Jey Uso tonight on WWE Raw from Cleveland.
If you’ve been watching WWE programming over the past few months, you’re familiar with McIntyre’s grievances. Headed for one of the biggest victories of his career, in front of friends and family at Clash at the Castle in the fall of 2022, the Scottish Warrior instead tasted bitter defeat thanks to The Bloodline.
You may also recall that Jey Uso was a member of said Bloodline.
Jey has made amends with most people since becoming one of the top fan favorites on Raw, but McIntyre — who arguably had the biggest and most understandable gripe of all — couldn’t forgive or forget. That truth has shaped all of his actions as of late.
The question now is whether Drew will feel like that void inside would be filled even if he beats Jey. And the guess here is that no, it probably won’t. But that’s what makes McIntyre so compelling right now.
Oh, and there’s also something big going on with CM Punk tonight: He’s going to tell the world if he’s signing with Raw or SmackDown. Wonder if a certain World Heavyweight Champion might try to influence his decision one way or another …
We’re ready for all of this. We’re even ready to yeet again. Let’s do the thing.
WWE Raw results from Cleveland:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Jey Uso welcomes everyone to Raw, is excited about having yeet back and says get well to Sami Zayn before he takes on Drew McIntyre; The Scottish Warrior says he doesn’t want CM Punk on Raw and offers a semi-apology to Zayn before explaining again why he’s justified in seeking revenge against Jey
Drew McIntyre def. Jey Uso by pinfall after using a thumb to the eye to soften up Uso for a Claymore
CM Punk’s promo from SmackDown is replayed ahead of his big decision tonight
The Shinsuke Nakamura warning for Cody Rhode is played again too
There’s finger pointing in The Judgment Day clubhouse, and plenty of blame to go around, but Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley get into it more than anyone
Alpha Academy and The Creed Brothers fire up Maxxine Dupri, and Chad Gable warns R-Truth not to keep messing with The Judgment Day as he prepares to put holiday lights in their clubhouse
Rhea Ripley def. Maxxine Dupri by submission
A video promotes Kayden Carter and Katana Chance
Adam Pearce is shown entering CM Punk’s dressing room
CM Punk makes the choice to sign with Raw, setting off a passionate confrontation with Seth Rollins
Bronson Reed and Ivar talk some asynchronous trash to each other as they get ready to do battle
Bronson Reed def. Ivar by pinfall
The Judgment Day says hi to Punk, with Priest saying he hopes Punk is the one to finish a story around here, because if he does, Damian will be the one waiting for him
The Judgment Day tries to have some fun at the expense of R-Truth
McIntyre tells Punk he doesn’t care about anything but finishing his story and that he has that figured out, and he quickly says hi to Kofi Kingston, Chad Gable and Ricochet, who Pearce wants to talk to
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell by pinfall as Chelsea Green and Piper Niven watch on guest commentary
#DIY discuss their mystery partner, not revealing his identity to Ludwig Kaiser, and Gunther stops by to wish them luck and express his skepticism over anyone teaming with them
Becky Lynch wants to “end” the lie that Nia Jax made her career, but Jax is willing to make her wait
Cody Rhodes says he’d be a lot more excited about facing Nakamura if he hadn’t been misted in the face, but agrees with Shinsuke’s assertion that he asked for this
#DIY and The Miz def. Imperium by pinfall
Gunther berates his flunkies as per usual, then turn arounds and finds Miz demanding an Intercontinental Championship rematch; Gunther grants it, but says the condition is that if he wins, Miz can’t challenge for it again as long as he’s champion, and Miz accepts it
Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ after Nakamura uses the mist on Rhodes, and a post-match attack gets in some more punishment on Cody until The Creed Brothers can make the save … but Nakamura runs down for one more shot as Rhodes is being helped to the back
Image credit: WWE.com
Drew McIntyre continues further into the shadow realm, cheating to defeat Jey Uso
Spinning out of the opening segment, McIntyre doesn’t even get his jacket off before Uso sends him to the floor and the show to commercials. After the break, Jey gets a near fall with a cross body off the top.
McIntyre fires back to pummel Uso near the ropes, dropping right hands repeatedly. A vertical suplex follows, allowing the Scottish Warrior to continue his measured attack.
Jey takes some additional punishment in the corner and while strung through the ropes. Uso finally gets an opening, and he takes full advantage with a suicide dive before ads set in again.
We return to find McIntyre in the Tree of Woe, then quickly out as he sits up and hurls Uso off the top rope. He also used the bottom of the ring as a weapon during the commercials, which made for a pretty cool replay.
Uso fights back with right hands until a Glasgow Kiss halts him in his tracks. Drew goes up top but gets caught with a superkick to the gut when Jey rolls away. A Samoan Drop is next, but McIntyre kicks out at two.
McIntyre reaches back to execute a neckbreaker, then kips up. He heads to the corner opposite Uso but his Claymore attempt is countered with a superkick. An Uso Splash is next, but it catches nothing but knees, and Jey has to dig down to kick out at two following the Future Shock.
With Uso slow to rise, McIntyre removes the turnbuckle cover atop one corner. He rushes in again but no Claymore as a spear catches him first, and Uso earns another near fall.
As the ref looks at the turnbuckle, McIntyre thumbs Uso in the eye, following up with a Claymore to get the three count.
Image credit: WWE.com
Rhea Ripley has little trouble with Maxxine Dupri
This seems like a tough spot for Dupri, though at least she has Ivy Nile out there to support her. She slaps the champ in the face early on, which seems more brave than smart.
Dupri doesn’t really pull off flinging Ripley into the corner with her legs, then gets slammed down afterward. And again. She ends up twisting Dupri like a pretzel with her knee on Maxxine’s neck, and a tapout isn’t long to follow.
Nile confronts Ripley after the bell, which is interesting.
Image credit: WWE.com
CM Punk makes Adam Pearce happy, but Seth Rollins is not so thrilled
Adam Pearce says the man who’s coming out needs no introduction but does need to make a decision. Punk joins him in the ring and says he thought he was a bit sullen until he came out and saw the fans and the signs.
Punk says “we” have a decision to make and notes that Cleveland hasn’t always been kind to him. There are a lot of ghosts in these hallways, as he remembers his debut in this building and his return as world champion. The latter incident involved him getting kicked in the head backstage by Randy Orton and being stripped of his title.
Then 10 years ago, Punk had to make the hardest decision of his life, walking out in Cleveland. If you were disappointed when he did that, Punk apologizes.
He muses about how the deal that Pearce put together was better than the other brands, but he says that when he saw Cleveland was the location of tonight’s show, his mind was pretty much made up. Ten years ago he walked out, and tonight he’s walking right back in. Yep, Punk is home on Raw.
Punk signs for a happy Pearce, but someone is not: Seth Rollins. The World Heavyweight Champion heads straight to the ring to stare Punk down, then grabs a microphone. Rollins is offended by Punk calling WWE his home, though the fans chant for CM right after that.
Rollins accuses Punk of abandoning WWE and slandering the talent over the past 10 years. “This is not your home, this is my home!”
The champ calls the other talent and the fans his family and that he’ll do everything possible to protect it from people like Punk. Rollins says he wants to ensure that Punk understands something: “I hate you.” But if he’s going to be in WWE, Rollins wants him on Raw, because this is CM’s last chance, and either Punk will self destruct, or if he has changed and has any gas left in the tank, Seth can expose him as a fraud in a title match.
“I will wrestle circles around you, and I will make you understand in real time what it means to be the best in the world.”
Punk asks if Rollins is done and says this is Seth’s one pass to speak to him disrespectfully. He also confirms he’s entering the Royal Rumble and when he wins, maybe it’s Seth he’s coming after.
Image credit: WWE.com
Bronson Reed wins battle of big men with Ivar
Big E, this one is for you! Reed gets off to a fast start, punishing his foe until a double clothesline puts them both down. They both take each other down on the outside as well, leading to commercials.
There’s more craziness when we return, with Ivar hitting a cannonball off the apron onto Reed. But the retaliation is even more impressive as it takes the form of a massive superplex, allowing Reed to get the three count.
Image credit: WWE.com
The Judgment Day wants to remind everyone who they are, but The Creed Brothers aren’t listening
Trying to get some of their mojo back, the four men in The Judgment Day say they are putting everyone, old, new and returning alike, on notice. They’re about to specifically address The Creed Brothers when R-Truth joins them.
He’s confused about the locks on the clubhouse, getting him a tongue lashing from JD McDonagh. But Damian Priest invites him into the ring, saying he wants to hear what Truth has to say.
Alas, the first thing he has to say is that he thinks McDonagh should be kicked out. Second, Priest needs to quit calling himself the boss because it makes Mami mad.
Damian says everyone likes R-Truth … except him. Priest lays him out and the others join in, but The Creed Brothers come hustling to the rescue. They’re outnumbered, but that hardly matters as they manage to clear the ring anyway.
Image credit: WWE.com
Becky Lynch wants to fight, but Nia Jax is content to make her wait
Wasting no time, Lynch says she’s here to call out Jax. While they’ve never had a singles match, they’re linked forever by the right hand that smashed Lynch’s face five years ago in a Raw vs. SmackDown battle.
After Becky gets in some barbs on Nia, Jax has heard enough and heads down to the ring. Nia says she’s right there in front of her better than ever, and says the punch was just a lucky swing … and it still almost ended Lynch’s career. Just imagine what her full force would do.
Jax claims Lynch owes her career to Nia, which Becky takes offense to as she should. It wasn’t just about a broken face but getting back up and persevering. The Man says she needs to end the lie or end Jax, which amuses Nia since she figures Becky needs to prove it to herself.
Lynch says she came looking for a fight and offers Jax a free shot, but Nia says Becky needs this a lot more than I do and walks away.
Image credit: WWE.com
Cleveland’s finest: The Miz, #DIY join forces to defeat Imperium
Michael Cole reminds us how truly unlikely the team of Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and The Miz are given the history between them. That feels like a lifetime ago now.
DIY shows off their usual excellent teamwork early, but a big boot from Gunther to Ciampa changes that in a hurry before a commercial break.
It’s Imperium’s turn to show off some teamwork now, even with the issues they’ve been having. Gargano geta a hot tag, however, and his flurry leads to a slingshot spear to Ludwig Kaiser that forces a save from Giovanni Vinci.
The Miz finally enters the fray, much to the delight of his hometown fans, hitting a cross body and some kicks on Gunther. More kicks force the IC champ back into the corner, but only until Gunther can catch one of them and lock in a Boston Crab.
Things break down as multiple men hit the ring, and Gargano and Miz both hit tornado DDTs at nearly the same time. Miz gets the Figure Four on Gunther while Gargano gets the Gargano Escape on Kaiser.
Alas, Gunther tags Vinci, who drops an elbow on Miz. But Miz gets Vinci in position for a Skull Crushing Finale, and he hits it to secure the victory.
Image credit: WWE.com
Shinsuke Nakamura proves it’s not about defeating Cody Rhodes
Is Nakamura more dangerous than he’s ever been? We’ll see here, but it is kind of crazy they’ve never wrestled a singles match before. Shinsuke is a step ahead of Cody early on, sending Rhodes to the floor with a sliding kick.
Rhodes is experiencing Good Vibrations when the broadcast returns, and his attempt to battle back is halted by another stiff kick. Shinsuke grabs a headlock as Cody shows to the ref he’s not fading.
A Cody Cutter is blocked, and Nakamura tries for an armbar, even countering out of a Cross Rhodes attempt to stay at it. Shinsuke hits his sliding release German suplex, smiling before a jumping knee off the top earns him a near fall.
A Kinshasa attempt is cut off by a low dropkick that chops out Nakamura’s legs. Rhodes hits a dragon screw with his foe trapped in the ropes, then drops him face first after lifting him in from the apron.
Rhodes administers a half crab, and Nakamura has to will himself to the ropes for a break. Both men go crashing to the outside as we break for ads one last time.
They’re back inside and slugging it out now. Nakamura wins that exchange, but Rhodes hits a flying forearm shot and a powerslam to regain the momentum. He has to fall backward, however, when Shinsuke hops on his back for a sleeper.
Both have slowed now, but Rhodes is able to catch his opponent with a Disaster Kick that’s good for a two count. Here come punches and a Bionic Elbow, and the Cody Cutter is on the mark too. Rhodes wants Cross Rhodes but gets the red mist to the face.
The ref calls for the bell, but Nakamura doesn’t care continuing his attack. A blinded Rhodes attempts to fight back, but Shinsuke drops him to his knees and hits the Kinshasa to the back of the head.
With Shinsuke wielding a chair, The Creed Brothers head down to prevent any more damage, and Nakamura decides to retreat since his job is done.
Except when Rhodes is being helped to the back, Nakamura comes running down and gets in one more shot. Thanks for nothing, Creeds.
Also on WWE Raw from Cleveland, Drew McIntyre clashes with Jey Uso, and Becky Lynch calls out Nia Jax.
It’s decision time tonight on WWE Raw from Cleveland. No, not for LeBron James, though that would be fitting given the setting, but for one of the two big names who recently returned to the company.
Will CM Punk be a permanent fixture on Monday nights?
If you watched SmackDown last Friday, you know that CM Punk did a more Punk-like promo than he did on Raw in his first appearance after his WWE return. Still, it feels like when he announces his choice between the two brands, he’s going to go with Raw.
Why? Well, SmackDown already got Randy Orton, so it’s only logical that WWE would want to balance things out by placing Punk here. But more than that, it’s expected that his first major feud will be with Seth Rollins, who is the champ on Mondays, so …
Maybe WWE throws us a curveball. Perhaps the plan is to have Punk on SmackDown for now and then win the Royal Rumble so he can challenge Rollins, as it wouldn’t matter what roster he’s on to do that. We should find out tonight.
Will battling Jey Uso help get Drew McIntyre some of the payback he desperately craves?
Drew McIntyre has well-explained reasons for his actions over the past month or two. And a big one is that Jey Uso was part of The Bloodline when McIntyre was hosed out of his moment of glory at Clash at the Castle last fall.
Conveniently, the Scottish Warrior gets Uso in the ring tonight in Cleveland. But would even beating Jey get him the closure he craves? Something tells us that no, no it would not.
Is calling out Nia Jax a good idea for The Man?
It’s clear that Becky Lynch doesn’t care much for Nia Jax and the way Nia has been running roughshod since she’s been back on Raw. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Lynch would want to call Jax out on Raw.
But to what end? Does WWE feel confident enough in Jax to make this an ongoing program that would lead up through Royal Rumble or even to WrestleMania? It will be intriguing to see where this might lead.
Also on the docket for Raw tonight:
Cody Rhodes takes on Shinsuke Nakamura
Rhea Ripley faces Maxxine Dupri
Raw is ready to battle not one but two Monday Night Football games for your attention tonight, and we’ll be ready with live results (for wrestling, not football!) starting at 8 p.m. ET here on Wrestling Junkie.
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.
