Date: January 16, 2023
Location: Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, OH
Show Recap —
There will be a six-way elimination match tonight to determine Austin Theory’s next challenger for the US title between Seth Rollins, Bobby Lashley, Finn Bálor, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz. The winner gets the shot on the 30th-anniversary show next week.
Opening segment
The Usos and Solo Sikoa entered to start the show. The Usos talked about the message they sent to Kevin Owens on Smackdown.
They also announced that every generation of the Bloodline will be on Raw next week to have a special acknowledgement ceremony for Roman Reigns. Jey Uso said they would also beat Judgment Day to retain the tag titles.
Judgment Day interrupted. Rhea Ripley told the Bloodline that they run Raw. Bálor thanked the “ex-con Dom” for taking care of business last week. (Bálor was still selling his ribs.) Damian Priest said they would take the Raw tag titles back to their show — permanently.
Priest wondered why the Bloodline never stepped to Judgment Day whenever they invaded Raw. Dominik Mysterio said they must be scared. The Usos laughed. Jimmy Uso mocked him and called him little machismo.
The Usos ran down every team they’ve beaten — including Dom and his daddy Rey Mysterio to begin their historic reign. Dom said they talked tough but they wouldn’t last a minute in the cell that he spent time in. Dom called them wannabes and the biggest wannabe was Sikoa who just stood in the background doing nothing.
Sikoa got in Dom’s face so Ripley stepped in and got in his face instead. Sikoa wouldn’t back down so Dom punched him. Sikoa took one step back before dropping Dom.
This led to a brawl and Ripley dared Sikoa to hit her. It seemed like he was about to but Mustafa Ali flew in and wiped out Sikoa. They have a match next.
Solo Sikoa defeated Mustafa Ali (5:30)
Sikoa was in firm control when the Usos decided to reappear and pose on the apron. This brought out Kevin Owens who fought off Jimmy and Jey. The distraction allowed Ali to hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall (pretty much the only offence he got). Sikoa avoided a 450 splash and hit a Samoan Spike for the pinfall win.
— Owens immediately dropped Sikoa with a stunner after the match. Owens put Sikoa on the announce table and was going to put him through it (to return the favour from Smackdown) but the Usos attacked.
Owens fought them off but Adam Pearce and a bunch of officials held him back allowing the Bloodline to back away. The crowd cheered as Owens posed on the table.
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Bobby Lashley said he would put down five others tonight with the Hurt Lock and would end Austin Theory’s reign next week.
Cody Rhodes video
There was a new Cody Rhodes video package focusing on his recovery and rehab. They showed him at the Nightmare Factory training four months after surgery.
“At the Royal Rumble: I’m back.”
The announcers put this over as a big deal.
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Elias spoke to Byron Saxton about the Royal Rumble. MVP appeared and warned Elias not to enter the Rumble because the winner was already determined. Elias thought MVP was talking about himself and told him he hasn’t been relevant in years. MVP offered Elias a match against the eventual Rumble winner and Elias accepted.
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Angelo Dawkins entered wearing a Ja’Marr Chase Cincinnati Bengals jersey.
The Street Profits defeated Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander (9:16)
MVP sauntered out before a break.
Dawkins gave Benjamin a spinebuster and Montez Ford hit a frog splash but Alexander broke up the cover. Benjamin suplexed Ford off the top but Dawkins broke up that cover. Ford wiped out Benjamin with a dive before Alexander wiped out Ford with a suicide dive. That led to Dawkins taking out everyone with a flip dive.
Dawkins hit a spinning Stinger splash in the corner (MVP was supposed to yank Alexander out of the way but he was too late and Dawkins had to sell it anyway). MVP still distracted the referee which allowed Benjamin and Alexander to double-team Dawkins.
Alexander hit a knee strike and seemed to have it won but Dawkins countered his cover into a cradle for the pinfall win.
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Alpha Academy approached Judgment Day in the back. Chad Gable said they should have been medically disqualified last week.
Dom bragged about prison and lifting weights. Gable told Dom it was no surprise he wound up on the wrong end of the criminal justice system and told him that you need a strong mind to go with a strong body but it appeared Dom had neither of those things.
Gable told Dom that if he wound up in prison again he should take an online Alpha Academy course. Dom told Gable, “you don’t even want to know what they do to guys like you (in prison).” Priest advised them to leave.
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[SECOND HOUR]
Becky Lynch/Bayley segment
Lynch entered through the crowd and called out Bayley. Bayley was taking too long so Lynch wondered if “Karen” was yelling at a manager in the back.
Bayley (wearing a San Francisco 49ers jersey) entered with Dakota Kai and IYO SKY. The crowd booed so Bayley told them to “shoosh please.” She also didn’t understand what a Karen was.
Bayley claimed Lynch didn’t have any friends. Lynch called Bayley a sour dopey-looking goof who peaked in 2015. Bayley whined about Lynch repeatedly taking her spot.
Lynch said she wasn’t called up before Bayley (years ago) because WWE saw more in her. They wanted Bayley in NXT because she was the focal point and had the spotlight. Lynch was just another body on the roster.
Lynch said she wasn’t supposed to be The Man, she wasn’t supposed to change the game and she wasn’t supposed to be the first woman to main event WrestleMania. But she did all of those things because she worked for it. All Bayley did was whine and moan.
Bayley said Lynch only became “The Man” because she got punched in the face by another woman. (She didn’t name who it was.) Lynch thought that was a lazy comeback and threatened to punch her right now. Bayley had no issue with that because she already beat Lynch once.
Lynch challenged her to a match next week and Bayley accepted. Lynch then goaded Bayley into reluctantly accepting a cage match.
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Ali approached Dolph Ziggler in the back to complain. Ziggler told him that he didn’t have time for him today. Ali decked him and asked, “do I have your attention now?”
Omos (w/MVP) defeated Elias (2:34)
Elias tried attacking Omos outside the ring but MVP got in his way. MVP also threatened to hit Elias with his cane as the referee just stood around and watched. Elias was going to hit him with his guitar but Omos knocked him down with a headbutt and smashed the guitar. Elias tried fighting back in the ring but Omos hit him with a tree slam for the pinfall win.
(Officially, Omos is in the Rumble match.)
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Saxton asked Pearce for a preview of Raw 30. Pearce wouldn’t give any specifics but did say it would be big. Akira Tozawa appeared and told Pearce he wanted in the Rumble. Pearce put him in a match. Winning wouldn’t guarantee a spot but would help his case. Tozawa psyched himself up.
Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio (w/Rhea Ripley & Finn Bálor) defeated Alpha Academy (11:01)
Corey Graves said Priest was in the ring for over an hour last week. Moments later, Kevin Patrick said Priest was in the ring for 56 minutes. (The match was not longer than 50 minutes.)
Gable gave Dom a diving headbutt halfway across the ring and made the hot tag to Otis (who the crowd was very into for the third straight week). Priest booted Otis but Otis came back with the World Strongest Slam for a nearfall. Otis also gave Priest the caterpillar (sort of — he actually just fell over on top of Priest).
Dom tried (and failed) to attack Gable but the distraction allowed Priest to chokeslam Otis off the middle rope before Gable gave Priest a Chaos Theory suplex. Dom tried to catch Gable with a surprise schoolboy but Gable countered into an ankle lock.
The crowd cheered because they wanted Dom to tap but a distraction by Ripley and Bálor allowed Priest to chokeslam Gable. Dom rolled on top of Gable to get the pinfall win.
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There was a Martin Luther King Jr. tribute video set to “Never Break” by John Legend.
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“Michin” Mia Yim (w/Candice LeRae) defeated Tag Team Champion IYO SKY (w/Dakota Kai) (4:35)
They had a back-and-forth match. Yim went for Eat Defeat but stopped what she was doing when Kai jumped on the apron. LeRae yanked her down so SKY dropkicked LeRae. This allowed Yim to hit Eat Defeat for the pinfall win.
(Yim was announced as “Michin Mia Yim” but the graphics and commentators only referred to her simply as “Michin.”)
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There was an Alexa Bliss/Uncle Howdy video package.
[THIRD HOUR]
They ran down the Royal Rumble card.
Bianca Belair/Alexa Bliss segment
Belair entered to a good reaction. Belair said she’s only been out a couple of weeks but she really missed the crowd. She knew this job had risks, like getting her face smashed against the steel steps. Despite that, Belair would happily face Bliss again and again and again and again — because with any risk came the reward of being Raw Women’s Champion.
Belair called out Bliss. Bliss entered and said, “You fear me because you don’t know what to expect from me. No one does.” Bliss was about to speak about the Rumble but Belair cut her off.
Belair basically told her that she didn’t need to enter the Rumble match because she could face her for the title on the show instead. Bliss wondered what the catch was. Belair said Bliss wanted to be in control so she was giving her the choice. Bliss accepted.
Belair didn’t want to wait to fight so she went after Bliss. Belair tossed her around ringside and beat her up in the crowd.
Belair was going to give Bliss a KOD through two chairs but froze upon seeing Uncle Howdy appear in the arena vomitorium. Bliss slipped out of Belair’s grasp and gave her a DDT.
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Bronson Reed defeated Akira Tozwa (4:20)
This was a showcase for Reed. Tozawa had a flash of offence which included a suicide dive. He tried a senton off the apron but Reed caught him and powerbombed him on the edge of the barricade, which looked brutal. Reed hit a running shoulder tackle off the apron and Tozawa took a big bump for that too. Reed finished him off with a Tsunami for the pinfall win.
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Saxton interviewed Seth Rollins who cut a very Seth Rollins promo. Rollins was focused on the Rumble but WWE officials called him and begged him to be in the Raw main event. Rollins was happy to be in Cincinnati — a town that loves to party and sing his song. He said he would win tonight, win the US title, win the Rumble, and beat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
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Raw XXX next week in Philadelphia:
- Steel Cage match: Becky Lynch vs. Bayley
- The Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony with Roman Reigns
- Raw Tag Team Title match: The Usos vs. Judgment Day
- US Title match: Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley
- WWE Legends appear — Undertaker, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Teddy Long, Jerry Lawler, Ron Simmons, Sean Waltman and Road Dogg
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Theory entered to join commentary. He had a funny comment saying he felt like he grew up watching all of these six guys.
Six-way Elimination Match: Bobby Lashley defeated Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin (w/JBL) (26:46)
- Seth Rollins eliminated The Miz (8:43)
- Seth Rollins eliminated Dolph Ziggler (16:36)
- Seth Rollins eliminated Finn Bálor (24:20)
- Bobby Lashley eliminated Baron Corbin (25:36)
- Bobby Lashley eliminated Seth Rollins (26:46)
The bell rang to start the match and they went to break 12 seconds later.
There was a tower of doom spot fairly early on which saw Lashley convincingly powerbomb Bálor, Corbin and Rollins. Ziggler gave Lashley a fameasser and Miz hit Skull Crushing Finale but Lashley kicked out. Miz put Ziggler in the figure four but Ziggler turned it over and Rollins gave Miz a curbstomp for the first elimination at 8:43.
Rollins took out Corbin and Lashley with a suicide dive, Bálor took out all three men with a flip dive, and Ziggler took out all four men with a dive off the top. Ziggler superkicked Corbin, gave Lashley a Zig-Zag and superkicked Bálor out of mid-air. However, Rollins jumped in and gave Ziggler a Pedigree for the second elimination at 16:36.
Lashley beat up everyone and gave Rollins a Dominator for two. Lashley gave Bálor a delayed vertical suplex and set up for the Hurt Lock but stopped for some reason upon seeing Omos and MVP enter. Corbin and Rollins took each other out while Bálor gave Lashley a dropkick and Coup de Grace.
Before Bálor could go for a cover, Rollins flew in and stomped him for the third elimination at 24:20.
Omos chucked Rollins over the announce table. Corbin was distracted by Omos so Lashley speared him for the fourth elimination at 25:36.
Theory hit Lashley with the title belt and tried to brag to Omos but Omos grabbed him for a chokeslam. Before he could do it, Rollins stomped Omos before knocking down Theory.
Rollins superkicked MVP off the apron and went for a stomp but Lashley speared him for the final elimination. Fun match.
Lashley faces Theory for the title next week. The announcers ran down the Raw XXX card one more time.