WWE Raw Ratings Increase Slightly to 2.402M Viewers After Royal Rumble PPV

The post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE Raw on Monday featuring the return of WWE Hall of Famer Edge garnered 2.402 million viewers, according to Figure Four Online's Bryan Alvarez. 

Monday's viewership was up from last week's average of 2.38 million for the go-home episode of Raw prior to the Rumble pay-per-view.

The featured attraction of Monday's Raw was an appearance by Edge, who made a shocking return in the Royal Rumble match after nearly nine years out of action because of a neck injury that was thought to be career-ending.

Edge closed the show with a heartfelt promo that saw him talk about wanting to end his career on his terms. The Rated-R Superstar was interrupted by former Rated RKO tag team partner Randy Orton, who he eliminated in the Rumble the previous night.

The Viper teased a Rated-RKO reunion but instead hit Edge with an RKO out of nowhere. Orton then took his former friend out with one of Edge's signature maneuvers—the One-Man Conchairto.

That angle will likely allow Edge to go away for a month or so before returning with a vengeance to challenge Orton to a match at WrestleMania 36.

Monday's Raw also featured a significant opening, with men's Royal Rumble winner Drew McIntyre officially challenging WWE champion Brock Lesnar to a match at WrestleMania. After McIntyre beat Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in a handicap match, Lesnar appeared and laid him out with an F-5.

Women's Royal Rumble winner Charlotte Flair cut a promo as well, but she decided to delay announcing her WrestleMania opponent. She faced Asuka instead and won by disqualification after Kairi Sane interfered.

Additionally, Humberto Carrillo put United States champion Andrade on the shelf with a Hammerlock DDT to the cement floor after Zelina Vega interfered in their title match; Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy retained the Raw Tag Team Championships against Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe; and Rey Mysterio won a singles match against MVP, who returned in the Royal Rumble match like Edge.

The road to WrestleMania is in full gear, and next week's Raw should be a newsworthy one, too, with the fallout from Lesnar and Orton's respective attacks on McIntyre and Edge, as well as a possible resolution regarding Charlotte's WrestleMania opponent.

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