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We got a great episode of RAW tonight with CM Punk addressing a former WWE Champion while Seth Rollins was confronted by another former champ. The women's tag team champs managed to retain their belts while we got a big street fight in the main event.
- Tommaso Ciampa def. Finn Balor
- Kofi Kingston vs. Ludwig Kaiser ended in a double count-out
- Kayden Carter & Katana Chance def. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven to retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles
- The Miz def. JD McDonagh
- Ivar def. Otis
- Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura
Cody Rhodes was seen walking backstage before Drew McIntyre kicked off WWE RAW in the ring. Drew said that he really needed to win the Heavyweight title and was going to be taking some time off from WWE to 'get his priorities right.'
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Drew said that he should leave and took a jab at CM Punk before the latter walked out. Punk got on the mic and said that Drew should say whatever he had to say to his face.
Drew instead congratulated Punk for his return and said he didn't care about what CM Punk said outside the ring, but when McIntyre needed help, the self-proclaimed leader of the locker room was nowhere to be seen.
McIntyre said that he was the leader now, and CM Punk reminded him that the GOAT was not there to make friends but to win the Royal Rumble and go to WrestleMania. Drew said that his title reign was about stepping up during a crisis and that he would go on to beat Punk at the Rumble.
Punk said that he should leave the ring before he punched Drew's teeth out, and no one, including McIntyre, Rhodes, and Rollins, could stop him from winning the Rumble. He even offered to eliminate Drew last as a friendly gesture from one leader to another.
WWE RAW Results (January 8, 2024): Finn Balor vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Finn Balor got a big dropkick early on before sending Tommaso Ciampa outside. The latter came back with a lariat and an inverted DDT before Balor came back with a double stomp and took him down.
Ciampa came back with a running knee before getting Project Ciampa, but Balor kicked out of it.
Ciampa went for a crucifix pin before Damian Priest interfered from the apron, and Johnny Gargano stepped up to take him out. The distraction allowed Ciampa to get the win off a sudden pin.
Result: Tommaso Ciampa def. Finn Balor
Grade: B
Becky Lynch was backstage and said that despite losing to Nia Jax, she was still able to get up and declare her Royal Rumble entry. She has already managed to win the Rumble once, and she will do it again before main eventing WrestleMania 40.
Kofi Kingston vs. Ludwig Kaiser on WWE RAW
Kaiser was in control early on, but Kofi Kingston came back with a big takedown as the crowd cheered the former WWE Champ on. Ludwig Kaiser was sent outside, but Kofi's dive was met with an uppercut.
Kaiser sent Kofi into the barricades outside before tossing him at the ring post. The referee was counting as the two fought outside the ring, and the match ended in a double count-out.
Result: The match ended in a double count-out on RAW
Both men refused to stop the fight, and officials came out to break it up before Kaiser tossed an office chair at Kofi and took him out.
Kaiser dragged Kofi onto the steel steps, where he was about to hit a big move but then seemed to retreat. However, Ludwig ran back to ringside and hit Kofi with a dropkick to the head against the steel steps.
Grade: B-
Nia Jax was named as the crowd favorite to win the women's Royal Rumble and said in an interview that she wasn't shocked with the win last week over Becky and threatened to break Michael Cole's face.
Rhea Ripley came out and said that last year, she eliminated Nia before the latter reminded the champ that after Jax came back, she took Rhea down.
Cody Rhodes and Shinsuke Nakamura started a backstage brawl on RAW, and it led to tonight's main event being turned into a street fight from a normal match.
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (c) vs. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven - WWE Women's Tag Team Title match on WWE RAW
Kayden Carter and Chelsea Green kicked off the match, and the latter was isolated early in the match as the champs worked her over in the corner. Back on RAW after a break, Carter got a near fall before getting a springboard leg drop.
Chance came in with an avalanche Frankensteiner before Piper Niven was finally tagged in. Piper cleared the ring and got a big uranage on Katana Chance before Green was tagged back in.
Niven came back in and accidentally hit her own teammate with a Vader Bomb. The champs took Niven out with a codebreaker before getting the win on Chelsea with the Afterparty.
Result: Kayden Carter & Katana Chance def. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven to retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles
Grade: B
R-Truth showed up in a promo and said that he wanted to be a part of The Judgment Day since he was a child and showed some photoshopped pictures of himself with the group.
The Judgment Day was watching from backstage, and Damian Priest said that he would take care of Truth when the time comes.
The Miz vs. JD McDonagh on WWE RAW
Miz got some big moves early on as R-Truth came out and joined Dominik Mysterio at ringside. JD McDonagh came back with some strikes but was taken down again before almost being caught in the Figure Four.
Back after a break on RAW, JD got some moves in and got a near fall before The Miz took him into the corner and hit a big clothesline. JD was caught in the Figure Four leglock but managed to get out before a distraction allowed The Miz to hit the Skull Crushing Finale and pick up the win.
Result: The Miz def. JD McDonagh on RAW
After the match, R-Truth got in the ring and celebrated with The Miz as the rest of Judgment Day argued backstage about what to do about him.
Grade: B-
Seth Rollins was out next and said he had never taken a championship into WrestleMania. He wondered who he would face on the big night before Jinder Mahal made his entrance.
Mahal said that The Visionary was only there to further the degeneracy of the fans. He said that Rollins and the crowd overlooked a former champion like him and reminded us that he beat Randy Orton.
Jinder said that he would not tolerate the disrespect anymore, and Rollins said that people had been overlooking Mahal on purpose, and everyone was trying to forget he existed.
Seth still gave him credit for showing his face back on RAW after being taken out by the Rock. He told Jinder to take a swing at him before starting to turn around when Mahal attacked the champ from behind.
Rollins managed to block the Khallas, but Jinder dodged the stomp as well before retreating.
Otis vs. Ivar on WWE RAW
Otis caught Ivar off a dive and hit the World's Strongest Slam before Ivar went for a powerbomb and got a near fall.
Otis set Ivar up for the caterpillar and hit the move for a near fall before Ivar got a massive heel kick. Ivar went for the moonsault off the top before picking up the win.
Result: Ivar def. Otis
Grade: C
Jey Uso was backstage and said that he planned to win his first singles title this year before Bronson Reed came up to him and set up a feud after calling him 'Jimmy Uso's little brother.'
We got an update from WWE on X that Kofi needed medical attention following the attack from Kaiser.
Cody Rhodes vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - Street Fight on WWE RAW
The match headed ringside right away, and Shinsuke Nakamura was driven into the barricades on the entrance ramp. The crowd chanted for tables as Nakamura hit back with a broom and then a Kendo Stick.
Rhodes took the weapon and beat Nakamura before the latter got a takedown. Cody Rhodes got a powerslam before hitting the disaster kick for a near fall. Nakamura hit Cody with nunchucks and a steel chair before trying for the mist but got an official instead of Rhodes.
Back after a break on RAW, the two traded strikes before Cody got the Bionic Elbow before Shinsuke set him up on a table in the ring and put him through it with a top rope knee drop.
Nakamura got another table and set it up in the corner before Rhodes blocked the Kinshasa and hit a pedigree for a near fall. Rhodes got the Cody Cutter before Nakamura countered the Cross Rhodes.
Shinsuke went for the Kinshasa but was sent through the table in the corner before Cody hit the Cross Rhodes and picked up the win.
Result: Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura on RAW
Grade: B+
