The WWE knows how important it is to have a great follow-up edition of Raw after an amazing pay-per-view like the 2013 Royal Rumble, and the company started the road to WrestleMania 29 off with a bang.

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New WWE Champion The Rock and Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho; oh my!

It’s clear that the next three months of programming will be some of the most entertaining all year, but the early start to these returns means the company is not just blowing out the PPVs each month, they are blowing out each edition of Raw leading up to these events.

While there were slow points in Monday’s episode of Raw—something that happens frequently during a three-hour broadcast—the fact that the biggest names in the business are back where they belong means the road to WrestleMania will be unforgettable.

 

Raw Results from Jan. 28 (via WWE.com)

CM Punk addressed the WWE Universe.

Randy Orton defeated U.S. Champion Antonio Cesaro in a Guest Referee Match.

Ryback defeated The Prime Time Players in a Make Me Laugh Challenge.

Bo Dallas defeated Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett in a Player’s Choice Match.

John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes and named his World Title challenge at WrestleMania 29; The Shield attacked.

Brodus Clay and Tensai competed in a dance-off.

World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio and Big Show’s Body Slam Challenge descended into chaos.

WWE Superstars Who Could Help Lead RAW without John Cena

Divas Champion Kaitlyn vs. Tamina Snuka went to a No Contest.

CM Punk interrupted The Rock’s championship address to the WWE Universe.

Sheamus defeated Damien Sandow in a Tables Match.

3MB crashed Zack Ryder and The Great Khali’s Karaoke Challenge.

WWE Tag Team Champions Team Hell No defeated Dolph Ziggler & Chris Jericho in a “Strange Bedfellows" Match.

Mr. McMahon performed Paul Heyman’s performance evaluation; Brock Lesnar returned.

 

Brock Is Back

The WWE Universe knows that it is now on the official road to WrestleMania 29, and the company proved it Monday night by bringing former MMA and WWE champion Brock Lesnar back to television for another run and letting him attack Vince McMahon.

Question on Everyone’s Mind: Will Triple H Stand Up for his Dad?

There is no question that Lesnar will face repercussions for attacking and breaking the pelvis of Mr. McMahon (h/t WWE.com), and the person most likely to seek revenge will be McMahon’s son-in-law Triple H. With this being the easiest way to rekindle their feud leading into WrestleMania, the fans should expect to see Triple H back on TV soon enough defending the honor of his father-in-law.

Twitter Reaction

WWE’s official Twitter account broke the news that the chairman of the WWE Vince McMahon has suffered serious injuries at the hands of Lesnar:

Nationally syndicated radio show, Ring Rust Radio, talks about what Lesnar’s appearance means and the company’s purpose behind bringing Brock back:

 

WWE Championship Scene

There is a strong contingent of fans that hate the fact that The Rock walked out of the Royal Rumble with the WWE Championship, but it is clear that the company made the right move giving the title to a man they know will do his best to sell the product.

Question on Everyone’s Mind: Will CM Punk Get Redemption?

As much as the WWE Universe would love to see Punk take the title right back at Elimination Chamber, The Rock will likely not relinquish the belt until he finally drops it to John Cena at WrestleMania 29. That means Punk will not avenge this loss against The Rock until 2014 at the earliest. That is, if he ever gets another shot at the current WWE champ.

Twitter Reaction

Despite all of the drama and chaos that follows The Rock everywhere he goes as an international superstar, the new WWE Champion took time to tweet a photograph that shows just how much this return to the WWE means for the legend:

While there is so much going on in the WWE title scene—everything from Brock Lesnar’s attack, The Shield’s alliance with Paul Heyman and the No. 1 contender CM Punk—legendary announcer Jim Ross foreshadows what should be a wild stretch of WWE programming:

 

For more wrestling talk, listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics you just can’t miss (some language NSFW).

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