WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights Before Royal Rumble
Five days before WWE descends on Tropicana Field in Florida for the Royal Rumble, Monday's Raw featured the return of CM Punk in a face-to-face confrontation with Cody Rhodes, a moment fans have been waiting for since the former's return in November.
That confrontation headlined a broadcast that also included an update on the health of Seth Rollins, who addressed his future as world heavyweight champion amid reports of a significant knee injury.
Throw in a battle of badasses between Drew McIntyre and Damian Priest, and the go-home Raw before Saturday's pay-per-view was packed with newsworthy moments.
What went down and how did things grade out? Find out with this recap of the January 22 broadcast from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Match Card
1 of 11Announced in advance of Monday's show:
- An updated from Seth Rollins regarding his future as world heavyweight champion
- CM Punk and Cody Rhodes face-to-face
- Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
- Chad Gable vs. Ivar
- Ivy Nile vs. Valhalla
- The Miz vs. Dominik Mysterio
Seth Rollins Addresses His World Heavyweight Championship Future
2 of 11
World heavyweight champion Seth Rollins told the WWE Universe he will not miss WrestleMania 40.
The Visionary vowed to do everything in his power to compete at The Showcase of the Immortals and defend his title despite his knee injury.
This, despite a new threat from intercontinental champion Gunther, who interrupted his promo and claimed he would win the men's Royal Rumble match Saturday night and challenge Rollins.
This was a perfectly booked segment which gave us the big news from Rollins at the top of the show, presented Gunther as a legitimate threat to win the Rumble and teased a potential Match of the Year contender between The Ring General and The Visionary.
That it ended with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods attacking Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci ahead of their match only enhanced the segment.
This was a great way to kick off the show.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Rollins teared up as he stood in the center of the ring, the gravity of the moment not lost on him, and nor was the love and adoration of the WWE Universe.
- "I'm hearing you may not make it to WrestleMania and that kind of makes me sad," Gunther said.
- The Ring General claimed he would win the men's Rumble and challenge Rollins for his title at The Show of Shows, where he would target his knee and the rest of his body before beating him and becoming world champion.
The New Day vs. Imperium
3 of 11
The advertised match between New Day's Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods and Imperium's Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci settled nothing as the hatred between the two boiled over into a brawl on the floor.
The double count-out was only the beginning of the action, with the fight spilling around the ringside area and into the stands before all four men crashed through a table to put an exclamation point on the segment.
WWE Creative deserves a ton of credit for taking what felt like a nice little undercard program between two talented teams and turning it into one of the more surprisingly intense rivalries in the company.
If nothing else, it has given The New Day a much-needed edge and provided Kaiser and Vinci something of meaning to do other than being cronies for Gunther.
Result
The New Day fought Imperium to a double count-out
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Triple H, the creative team and all four wrestlers involved have done a great job of building this feud into a strong tag team program. The intensity has been on point.
- Michael Cole revealed Kingston will compete in the men's Rumble on Saturday.
- The brawl that ended the contest and spilled into the crowd suggests there is likely to be a gimmick bout, perhaps a Street Fight, that settles things once and for all.
- Both teams crashed off of equipment cases, through a table on the floor in a cool spot to end the chaos.
.jpg?w=256)
Ivy Nile vs. Valhalla
4 of 11
Ivy Nile sought a measure of revenge for her friend, Maxxine Dupri, as she battled Valhalla of The Viking Raiders in a one-on-one match. Dupri accompanied Nile.
The back-and-forth contest was short-lived and concluded with Nile delivering a middle-rope bulldog, dubbed the "Pitbull" by Wade Barrett, for the win.
This was too short to be considered "good," and Valhalla did not have nearly enough time to shake off the ring rust, though her facial expressions and body language made up for it.
Above that, this was a fine showcase for Nile, who should be doing something of note in the women's division.
Result
Nile defeated Valhalla
Grade
C
Top Moments and Takeaways
- An enzuigiri sent Valhalla into the ropes, which she wrapped her teeth around as Cole labeled her "a weirdo."
- Barrett twice called out Cole's fascination with Valhalla competing in bare feet, even if it had nothing to do with what was going on between the ropes.
Nia Jax's Promo Time Interrupted by Becky Lynch, Bayley
5 of 11
Nia Jax set out to talk about her plans to dominate the women's Royal Rumble match, and she ended up showing the world what she is capable of after being interrupted by Becky Lynch and SmackDown's Bayley.
Lynch downed The Role Model with the Manhandle Slam, before Jax tossed The Man to the arena floor.
The Irresistible Force stood tall to close out the relatively one-dimensional segment that did little to further any ongoing feuds or drum up that much more anticipation for the women's Rumble.
A disappointment given the star power involved.
Grade
C
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "Shut up Nia, ya dope," Lynch said, echoing fans across social media for the last four years.
- "You've probably injured half of them," Lynch said of Jax's relationship with the women's locker room.
- "I'm going to win the Royal Rumble. I'm going to point to the WrestleMania sign," Bayley said.
The Miz vs. Dominik Mysterio
6 of 11
Rhea Ripley issued an edict to Finn Bálor ahead of Dominik Mysterio's showdown with The Miz: She wanted to see the aggressive side of the Irishman.
She got a little taste of it as The Prince dealt a cheap shot to Miz that set him up for the 619 and cost him the match.
DIY's Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa hit the ring to make the save for The A-Lister, teasing a trios match that could occur as soon as next week.
The contest itself was a perfectly acceptable one, thanks to Miz's ability to work with anyone and Mysterio's consistently improving in-ring work.
It was undone by a bit too much interference to be anything more, but it was still a solid use of everyone involved as the slow burn to the inevitable Judgment Day split continues.
Speaking of which, Damian Priest cut a promo backstage ahead of his main event against Drew McIntyre. Conspicuous by its absence? The Judgment Day gear as he wore his Puerto Rico-inspired shirt instead.
A hint of his impending ousting from the group?
Result
Mysterio defeated Miz
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Backstage, Lynch came face-to-face with Rhea Ripley, who told her to make other plans for WrestleMania 40.
- Hilarity ensued backstage as R-Truth told Miz not to "tag in" and then warned him to watch out for Tom and Nick Mysterio.
- Moments earlier, Damian Priest warned Truth that The Judgment Day would bring the hammer down on him and that he doesn't want anything bad to happen to him, further teasing the budding friendship.
- Miz broke out a springboard crossbody, proof that even this late in his career, he isn't above using new moves.
Chad Gable vs. Ivar
7 of 11
Stop me if you've heard this one before: Chad Gable and Ivar had a banger on Monday night.
Two of the more unsung performers on Raw tore the house down, winning over the New Orleans fans en route to the Viking Raider's victory.
Valhalla appeared late in the match and distracted a surging Gable, a nod to last week's show in which Maxxine Dupri cost the big man a match against Akira Tozawa.
From there, Ivar delivered a big moonsault to Gable and scored the tainted victory.
This was a fantastic bout that had the crowd biting on the false finishes, proof that putting two talented wrestlers in the ring and letting them work for the fans' attention and appreciation is still possible.
The outcome suggests the feud will continue, but one has to wonder how much life is left in it given how long the Alpha Academy-Viking Raiders program has already stretched.
Result
Ivar defeated Gable
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Backstage, Bronson Reed laid down a challenge to Jey Uso for a match on next week's Raw.
- Elsewhere, Dupri presented Gable with a "Thank Yew Crew" rally towel. Those are going to sell well.
- Gable's T-bone suplex from the top rope was incredible, especially given the risk involved.
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk Face-to-Face
8 of 11
In the most anticipated segment of this week's Raw, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes came face-to-face in the center of the ring for an explosive promo segment.
The men's Royal Rumble rivals spoke of the late Dusty Rhodes and took a few digs at each other before Punk claimed to be more like his father than his son.
The American Nightmare fired off a retort, claiming to be more CM Punk than the man standing before him.
Anyone expecting references to All Elite Wrestling or the issues that led to either man leaving the promotion had unreasonable expectations.
Instead, two great talkers laid the foundation of their story by recalling real-life history between them and while that meant inciting the memory of The American Dream, it resulted in a tense staredown that only served to intensify the intrigue surrounding the men's Rumble.
More importantly, it planted the seeds for a potential showdown between two of the top babyfaces on Raw if Seth Rollins is unable to compete at WrestleMania and WWE needs a backup plan.
Grade
A+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "When The American Dream asks you for a favor, you say 'yes,'" Punk said of Dusty Rhodes' request that he keep an eye on Cody back in 2007.
- "...we became friends, and what's what makes this so bittersweet," Rhodes said of his relationship with Punk and their impending battle in Saturday's Royal Rumble.
- "I'm more of the American Dream than you are," Punk said, citing his father's blue-collar background.
- "When you left [WWE], you didn't pass the torch, you dropped it. You know who picked it up? I did. Everything you spoke about, I did. When you talked, I walked. What's actually ironic, is that makes me more CM Punk than you," Rhodes said.
- Punk said there was a much bigger star who came back and was ready to take away the finish to Rhodes' story. He was talking about himself.
Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae vs. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
9 of 11
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark continued to stake their claim to a WWE Women's Tag Team Championship opportunity with a convincing win over Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell.
The babyfaces fought hard to improve on their winning streak, which included a victory over Chelsea Green and Piper Niven a week ago, but they were overwhelmed by the tenacity of their opponents.
After the match, champions Katana Chance and Kayden Carter came face-to-face with the victors, only to be jumped by Asuka and Kairi Sane of Damage CTRL.
The Kabuki Warriors stood tall to close out the segment and put some shine on their upcoming clash with the champions on Friday's SmackDown.
Result
Baszler and Stark defeated LeRae and Hartwell
Grade
C+, for the action packed into the short window of time
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Barrett credited Chance and Carter's title victory for breathing renewed life into the women's tag team division.
- The way Stark and Baszler are constantly on the verge of beating the life out of each other instead of their opponents helps set them apart from every other team in the division...for better or worse.
Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
10 of 11
The budding friendship between Damian Priest and R-Truth faced a major setback in Monday's main event, as the latter's unwanted presence late on cost The Archer of Infamy his match with Drew McIntyre.
The repeated distractions caused by Truth allowed the Scot to rock Priest with the Claymore and score the win, building momentum for himself ahead of the Rumble and dealing Priest an unnecessary loss at a time when patience for defeats is wearing thin within The Judgment Day.
Priest had warned Truth earlier in the night that his teammates were going to bring the hammer down on him. And after the way this main event played out, it may be Senor Money in the Bank who does it himself.
The loss furthers one of the most unexpectedly entertaining stories in WWE while providing McIntyre a much-needed victory ahead of the Royal Rumble.
Does The Scottish Warrior stand a chance at winning on Saturday? No, but WWE and Triple H have done a good enough job of presenting him as a threat that he does not appear out of place alongside the likes of CM Punk and Cody Rhodes.
Result
McIntyre defeated Priest
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- McIntyre continues to be a fixture on WWE TV despite reports that he has yet to sign a new deal with the company.
- Priest's rise since last April at Backlash has been one of the bright spots on Monday nights. His presence and raw ability are undeniable.
- The Broken Arrow from Priest to McIntyre onto the announce table was wicked and did not look like it felt good at all.
- The strikes in this match were heavy and on point.
Overall Show
11 of 11There was a lot to like about Monday's show.
Seth Rollins' announcement felt like a big deal, as did the face-to-face confrontation between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. In between we had some great brawling from The New Day and Imperium, while Chad Gable and Ivar had the best match of the night.
The Judgment Day's slow disintegration continued, the friendship between Priest and R-Truth took a step back, and the women's tag team division continued to be featured as Triple H attempts to drag that roster out of the doldrums and into prestige.
With that said, there seemed to be a lack of urgency surrounding the Royal Rumble throughout the show.
The event and the men's and women's Rumble matches were hyped in individual segments, but what should have been a major sell job felt more subdued than in years past.
Perhaps that is because Triple H and his team believe they have done a good enough job of selling the intrigue surrounding the Rumble matches themselves. Maybe it is the overly long run time of Raw that prevents that big go-home show feel.
Whatever the case, it was lacking Monday night.
Still, there was more good than bad and enough to earn the show a better-than-average grade.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=480)
