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WWE RAW after Royal Rumble 2023 promised many big matches and returns this week. The build for Elimination Chamber kicked off right away during the show, while the winners of the Royal Rumble matches were also prepared to appear on RAW.
Carmella and Rick Boogs were among the superstars who returned to the screen on RAW. Carmella had a face-off against Asuka backstage, while Boogs defeated The Miz with ease to get back on track.
Chelsea Green also laid down a list of demands upon her return to RAW following a disappointing appearance at the Royal Rumble. She will likely get a lot of screen time in the coming months.
Austin Theory and MVP also had a face-off before Bobby Lashley looked to take down the United States Champion. Instead, Theory pulled MVP in the direction of a Spear and retreated to the back.
Take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on the episode after Royal Rumble 2023.
#5. Cody Rhodes and Rhea Ripley made their intentions clear after winning the 2023 Royal Rumble matches
Cody Rhodes kicked off WWE RAW after winning the Royal Rumble on Saturday night. The crowd welcomed the grandson of a plumber with a great reaction.
Rhodes said that WrestleMania 39 is nearly two weeks away, and he would dethrone Roman Reigns as the champion on the show. Before The American Nightmare could talk anymore, Judgment Day interrupted him.
Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Dominik Mysterio mocked Rhodes and said that he was handed the number 30 position to win. They were attacked by Edge soon after, and Rhodes joined in before the segment came to an end.
Later in the night, Rhea Ripley came out on RAW and got a brilliant reaction from fans. She recalled the time Charlotte Flair defeated her at WrestleMania and made it clear that she wanted revenge.
The Eradicator challenged Flair to a SmackDown Women's Championship match at WrestleMania. She said she would defeat The Queen to win the title at The Showcase of the Immortals.
WWE did not waste much time before allowing the winners of the Royal Rumble matches to pick their opponents for WrestleMania 39. While Rhodes' opponent was an easy pick, Ripley talked about the history between her and Flair before laying down the challenge.
#4. Seth Rollins qualified for the Elimination Chamber match
It was announced that this year's Elimination Chamber match will be for Austin Theory's United States Championship. Chad Gable and Seth Rollins competed in the first qualifying match for the Elimination Chamber match.
Gable got going early and took out Rollins with an upper hand and a senton off the apron. The two men crashed to the floor before taking the fight back into the ring.
The Visionary struck back with a buckle bomb before getting the Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Gable hit a DDT for a near fall before failing to connect with a German Suplex.
The Alpha Academy leader got hold of Rollins' ankle for the Ankle Lock, but Rollins pulled off a beautiful counter and hit a Pedigree for the win.
The match between the two superstars was great, and Gable showed once again that he is among the best in-ring workers in the world. Rollins injured his knee in the final sequence of the match but will hopefully recover for the big match at Elimination Chamber.
#3. Johnny Gargano got his momentum back and made it to Elimination Chamber
Baron Corbin and Johnny Gargano squared off in the second Elimination Chamber qualifying match on WWE RAW. Corbin took control of the contest and punished his opponent for some time.
The match spilled to the floor, where Corbin chokeslammed Gargano on the barricades. Johnny Wrestling made a comeback into the contest and hit some of his signature moves before taking a Deep Six for another near fall.
JBL tried to interfere in the match, but Dexter Lumis pulled out an axe and threatened him with it. He nearly took out the legend outside the ring while Gargano dodged the End of Days to roll up Corbin for the win.
The match was entertaining, and both superstars worked well with each other. Gargano is one of the best wrestlers in the company who has competed in several hardcore matches in the past. He will arguably be one of the better performers at the upcoming premium live event.
#2. Bronson Reed scored the biggest win of his career on WWE RAW
The third Elimination Chamber qualifier was held between Dolph Ziggler and Bronson Reed on WWE RAW. It was surprising to see Reed get such a big match soon after making it to the main roster and staying away for some time.
The former NXT star took down Ziggler early and punished him with his size and strength. Ziggler used his experience to dodge Reed at times, but he could not stay safe for too long.
He hit a DDT and a Zig Zag to Reed, but he could not put him away. The Auszilla came back with a big powerbomb and a tsunami to pick up a quick win on RAW.
Reed is extremely athletic for his size, and it looks like he will get a big push on the main roster. The company still needs to build him a bit more, and the Elimination Chamber match will give him enough exposure to compete with the top superstars of the brand.
#1. Cody Rhodes and Finn Balor put on a great show in the main event of WWE RAW
The opening segment of WWE RAW led to the main event between Cody Rhodes and Finn Balor on Monday night. Rhodes controlled the match early and hit a vertical suplex to knock the wind out of his opponent.
The Prince fought back and targeted Rhodes' surgically repaired pectoral muscle before getting a near fall. The American Nightmare sent Balor outside the ring before hitting a big dive. He also took out Damian Priest and Dominik and sent them over the announcers' table.
The two veterans exchanged some signature moves in the ring and did well to counter each other. Rhodes hit Cody Cutter but still could not pin his opponent for the three-count.
Edge laid out Priest and Dom outside the ring before Rhea Ripley attacked him. This brought out Beth Phoenix, who once again leveled Rhea with a Spear.
Finn took advantage in the ring and hit a double stomp before going up for the Coup de Grace. Edge distracted him, allowing Rhodes to counter the finisher and hit three Cross Rhodes for the win.
The two former Bullet Club members put on a great main event for fans. The match also built towards a potential intergender tag team match between Judgment Day and the team of Edge and Phoenix.
Rhea Ripley and Beth Phoenix need to get in the ring and compete against each other at least once before The Nightmare goes on to make it big at WrestleMania 39.
What did you make of RAW this week? Let us know in the comments section below.
