We are live for what should be an intriguing Monday Night Raw just days removed from Cody Rhodes stepping aside for the Rock on Smackdown. There has been a huge social media push with the #WeWantCody campaign. But as far as the red brand is concerned, tonight we should get a clearer picture on if Cody and Seth Rollins is indeed the match for Wrestlemania. We also will start qualifiers for the Elimination Chamber to determine Rhea Ripley’s Wrestlemania challenger.
SETH ROLLINS IN-RING PROMO
The World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins kicks us off. The mere mention of what happened on Smackdown gets huge boos followed by “Cody” chants. Seth says he also wants Cody and calls out the American Nightmare. Cody asks Seth what he wants to talk about and the crowd responds with a “Rocky Sucks” chant. What a moment. Seth says he needs the match with Cody as much as Cody does. Seth says he has to know he is the best and the only way he will know that if he tests himself against the best. Seth asks for some answers but before Cody can respond here comes Drew McIntyre. Drew says he laid it out perfectly for everyone. Cody would face Roman and Seth would face Drew. The way Drew is talking, it sounds like Cody hasn’t made any official decision. Seth says Drew lost to him twice but Drew points out that Seth lost to Cody three times. Man Drew is fantastic. Drew puts over Seth and the World Heavyweight Championship big time. Drew tells Seth it’s time for him to take it from here and hits the Glasgow Kiss. Cody fights off Drew and that’s the end of the segment. No answer from Cody, so you’re saying there’s a chance?
D.I.Y. DEFEATS THE CREED BROTHERS, THE NEW DAY & IMPERIUM
This fatal four way tag team match will determine who faces Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne on Smackdown for a tag title opportunity. If you’re going to have tag belts that encompass both shows, then things like this are a great idea. The New Day and Imperium feud dominated much of this match. Xavier Woods and Tommaso Ciampa fought on the top rope which led to Ciampa hitting a White Noise onto Woods from the top onto a pile of bodies on the outside. As the match neared it’s close everyone found their way into the ring two at a time hitting big moves. Brutus Creed locks the Ankle Lock onto Giovanni Vinci and Julius Creed goes crazy suplexing everyone that comes in for a break up. The New Day and Imperium fight on the outside and Brutus hits the Brutus Ball onto all of them to the outside. Ciampa makes a blind tag and pounces after the Creeds take out Vinci. They hit Meet in the Middle on Vinci for the win! Hectic four way that really turned up in the last few minutes.
SHAYNA BASZLER PROMO
Shayna Baszler says the last time she was in an Elimination Chamber match she destroyed everyone but then came up short against Becky LYnch. Shayna says tonight things will be different.
BECKY LYNCH PROMO
Becky Lynch says the last time she beat Shayna because her championship was on the line. Tonight she will beat her because her future is on the line.
BECKY LYNCH DEFEATS SHAYNA BASZLER (ELIMINATION CHAMBER QUALIFYING MATCH)
Shayna goes right for the Clutch but Becky is prepared with a series of reversals. Michael Cole says this would be Becky’s first Elimination Chamber match which definitely surprises me. She seems like she would thrive in that environment. Shayna continues to go for the Clutch, and at one point Shayna sticks Becky’s hand in the steel steps and stomps it. Becky is favoring the damaged hand but still is able to get a lot of her offense in. Shayna wants this one though and has counters for almost all of Becky’s moves. They trade reversals for several minutes before Becky catches Shayna with the Manhandle Slam for the win! Really good match here, just hard to believe Shayna had any chance even though they did a good job making it believable.
LIV MORGAN INTERVIEW
Cathy Kelley is backstage with Liv Morgan who has a qualifying match against Zoey Stark next week. Liv puts over Zoey but says these girls have nothing to do with her business. Liv had almost a year of her career taken from her and she is seeking revenge against Rhea Ripley.
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA & CODY RHODES VIDEO
We see Shinsuke Nakamura attacking Cody after a live event over the weekend to set up tonight’s bull rope match.
BACKSTAGE WITH ADAM PEARCE & DREW MCINTYRE
Adam Pearce is in his office yelling at Drew for not understanding what “not medically cleared” means. He fines Drew as Rhea Ripley’s music hits to Pearce’s surprise.
RHEA RIPLEY IN-RING PROMO
Rhea says she isn’t out here to talk about qualifying matches. She wants Nia Jax out here right now so she can rip her head off. Adam Pearce comes out and tells Rhea it’s not the time for this. Pearce says he has given Rhea a match with Nia Jax for the championship at Elimination Chamber. Really smart to give her a heel opponent in Perth. Nia comes out and we have a brawl! Nia gets the advantage and hits the Annihilator onto the champion, laying her out for a second week in a row.
IVAR & VALHALLA DEFEAT ALPHA ACADEMY
Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa are here for a mixed tag match against Valhalla and Ivar. Maxxine already looks much better than she did in her Rumble performance, not that that was a high bar to clear. This was a fairly inoffensive mixed tag match that ended with a top rope World’s Strongest Slam from Ivar.
BACKSTAGE WITH THE JUDGMENT DAY
We see a recap of the Judgment Day beating down R-Truth. Back in the Judgment Day lair, R-Truth comes in and thinks he is still part of the Judgment Day. Everyone leaves but Damian Priest who sighs and says “make yourself at home.” Oh my god R-Truth has worn the Judgment Day down lol
THE MIZ INTERVIEW
Jackie Redmond is backstage with The Miz. She asks him how he is approaching this situation with Truth and the Judgment Day. Miz says Truth may think last week was an initiation but Miz sees it as a declaration of war.
THE MIZ DEFEATS JD MCDONAGH
The Miz dominated the early part of this match until Dominik causes a distraction that allows JD to take advantage. I feel like that’s JD 101 at this point, but it works. JD climbs the top rope when R-Truth’s music hits to a huge pop. Truth is out here giving away Judgment Day t-shirts, incredible. JD goes for the moonsault but the distraction gave Miz time to get his feet up. Truth puts one of the t-shirts onto Dominik but doesn’t put his arms through the sleeves so it holds Dominik in place and allows Miz to take out Dominik. Back in the ring Truth finally gives JD his cut of the Judgment Day shirts, but that opens the door for Miz to hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the win. I really want Truth to just join the Judgment Day with no problems but this is almost certainly going to be the Tag Team championship match at Wrestlemania.
KAYDEN CARTER & KATANA CHANCE PROMO
We see a recap of the Kabuki Warriors winning the Women’s Tag Team Championships. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance say they may be known for bringing the party, but tonight they are bringing the fight.
BACKSTAGE WITH IMPERIUM & ADAM PEARCE
Vinci and Kaiser are backstage with Pearce making sure GUNTHER’s celebration is going to be perfect. In comes Bron Breakker to a huge pop and to hear Raw’s offer.
CM PUNK INJURY UPDATE
We see a video detailing CM Punk’s surgery and first week of recovery from his torn triceps. He says the mental aspect of it is much harder than the physical. Punk claims his comeback will be the greatest of all time.
GUNTHER’S 600 DAY CELEBRATION
Vinci and Kaiser are in the ring for GUNTHER’s big 600 day celebration. He has pillars, a podium and a bunch of pyro. GUNTHER says he appreciates the gesture of celebration but he doesn’t want it anymore. GUNTHER knows he will hit every mark as champion so there is no point. He drops the “running out of competition” line. Out comes Main-Event Jey Uso! Oh man let’s go. GUNTHER mocks Jey’s entrance and says he gets it “simple gestures for simple people.” Jey and GUNTHER put over each other’s accomplishments but with GUNTHER saying Jey only had to put in fifty percent of the work for his accomplishments. Jey makes it clear he is proud of his accomplishments and in 2024 he will be a singles champion. GUNTHER says Jey is not the first and will not be the last who thinks they can stand to the Ring General. GUNTHER tells Jey that he will beat him worse than his family ever did. GUNTHER pushes Jey and Jey takes GUNTHER down. The numbers game is in Imperium’s favor until the New Day comes down to run off Imperium.
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA PROMO
Shinsuke is in his red layer. He says Cody wants to fight him so bad. What? You jumped him after losing twice. Man Shinsuke I don’t know anymore.
KABUKI WARRIORS (c.) DEFEAT KAYDEN CARTER & KATANA CHANCE (WWE WOMEN’S TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP)
Asuka and Kairi Sane aren’t one hundred percent after Bayley fought them off with a pipe on Friday. Carter and Chance get the early advantage using their quickness to create double team opportunities to lay out both Asuka and Kairi. The two teams trade big tag moves before Carter and Chance hit the After Party onto Asuka. We may have had new champions if Kairi hadn’t broken up the pin. The challengers go for their Keg Stand finisher but Kairi prevents it, allowing Asuka to lay out Chance with a roundhouse kick. The Kabuki Warriors hit an assisted Insane Elbow for the win.
SAMI ZAYN INTERVIEW
Early today Jackie Redmond sat in the stands to speak with Sami Zayn. Sami says he has had a really good year. This time last year Sami had his biggest match of his life against Roman. He says Triple H told him after that match that Sami was like Rocky. Rocky didn’t win in the first movie but he went the distance. Sami says in that ring he will always fight like an underdog but he isn’t an underdog anymore. “I am a contender now.” Sami says it’s all about proving the fans right and showing them that they didn’t believe in Sami for nothing. Excellent promo from Sami, seek this one out.
CODY RHODES DEFEATS SHINSUKE NAKAMURA (BULL ROPE MATCH)
It’s wild to see a bull rope main-event Raw in 2024. Shinsuke jumps Cody to start the match and the two spill to the outside. Cody pulls Shinsuke shoulder first into the ring post. Back in the ring Shinsuke takes over and methodically attacks Cody. Finally Cody gets back on offense and locks in the Figure Four on Shinsuke, but Shinsuke uses the cowbell to break the hold. Shinsuke continues to work over Cody until Cody hits the Cody Cutter. Shinsuke connects with the exploder suplex and sizes up Cody for the Kinshasa. Cody rolls through and plants Shinuke with a Pedigree for a close two count. Cody wants to use the cowbell but Shinsuke spits the red mist into Cody’s eyes. But it doesn’t matter! Cody powers through and hits Crossrhodes. It only gets a two though and Cody is struggling to see. Cody blocks the Kinshasa with the cowbell and then uses the bull rope to hang up Shinsuke with a legal low blow .Cody hits the Crossrhodes again for the win! Cody is celebrating but Drew McIntyre comes in and attacks Cody. He hits a Claymore to Cody to end the show. Now our attention turns to the Thursday press conference. It should be an eventful night with a very vocal crowd.
