Happy New Year everyone! There is no break from WWE action on this holiday as tonight is the special Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw.
We did not need to wait long to get into some action, as the show started with a match five years in the making.
Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax
Lynch wanted to end this match quickly after the Man-Handle Slam immediately, but Jax caught her with a bodyslam. Despite that slam, Lynch responded with a flurry of strikes and a flipping stunner from the second rope. She then made her way to the top rope and hit Jax with a diving missile dropkick, Lynch then continued her aerial attack with a diving rolling senton.
Jax tried to battle back, but Lynch had all the reversals, Jax punched the ring post and cannonballed into the barricade. When Jax rolled back into the ring she was greeted with a diving leg drop from Lynch and the Dis-Arm Her was now locked in. Jax broke the hold by reversing into a sit-out powerbomb and both women now ended up on the second rope, from there Jax dropped Lynch to the mat with an avalanche Samoan drop.
Lynch tried to power back with several punches and dove from the second rope, but she was met in mid-air with a right hook from Jax. That punch left Lynch in perfect position for the Annihilator and Jax got the victory.
Winner: Nia Jax
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes has arrived in 2024 and he said he cannot advance into the new year because he is stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura. He is not stuck because of the things he said about his family or the poison mist, but he is stuck because this should be over. So, Rhodes wants to give Nakamura the chance to finish this tonight and he called him out to the ring.
Another chilling message from @ShinsukeN to @CodyRhodes!#WWERawpic.twitter.com/9XXcg4aEFu
— WWE (@WWE) January 2, 2024
Nakamura responded through the video, saying how easy it is to get in Rhodes’ head and he is happy to be the final chapter of his story. However, he said the story does not end tonight and he wants to give him one more week to dream before he finishes Cody’s story and closes his book. Nakamura then sprayed the poison mist into the camera.
Kofi Kingston & Jey Uso vs. Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci)
This very random match came to be two weeks ago when Uso and Kingston worked together to overcome Imperium’s man advantage. Imperium was utilizing teamwork to hold an advantage over Kingston and keep him isolated on their side of the ring. They hung Kingston over the ropes and sandwiched him with a double dropkick.
Kingston then caught Vinci in mid-air with a dropkick and that move legitimately injured Vinci. The doctor got in the ring and the match was called. Due to a referee stoppage, Uso and Kingston were crowned the winners, we hope Vinci is doing okay.
Winners: Kofi Kingston & Jey Uso
We now move into Miz TV and The Miz’s guests tonight were all members of The Judgement Day. However, when J-Day’s music hit they did not come out instead we cut to R-Truth’s music and he made his way out. Miz called Truth the most likable member of J-Day and asked him what his role in the faction was. Truth said he has several roles, this week he is doing PR work and trying to get more people to like them.
He was then interrupted by JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio, who wanted to put an end to Truth’s shenanigans. Truth responded by saying JD you aren’t even in J-Day anymore because he lost a loser leaves J-Day match to Truth two weeks ago. Dom tried to respond but he had 20,000 people booing him and nobody could hear a word he was saying. Miz then brought up the highlights of Dom’s 2023 which he said were getting spanked by his daddy, dragged around by his Mami and whipped around by CM Punk.
Dom had enough and demanded a tag team match right now!
R-Truth & The Miz vs. The Judgement Day (JD McDonagh & Dominik Mysterio)
Truth was baffled that he was being forced to face his J-Day stablemates because according to Truth he is a full-fledged member of the faction. Despite his confusion, Truth went into the match and he was getting beaten down by Dom and JD early on. Dom hit him with a 619, but J-Day lost control of the match once Miz entered into the ring. He hit JD with a springboard crossbody and a bulldog, but Truth then got confused again and ended up in the wrong corner.
JD decided to give Truth his chance and told him to hit Miz, but Miz ducked the shot from Truth and he hit JD instead. Truth then threw JD into a Skull Crushing Finale from Miz to get the victory.
Winners: R-Truth & The Miz
Women’s World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Ivy Nile
This was just Nile’s third match since joining Raw and her first singles match on the main roster. She got an early advantage over the champion with a diving crossbody, a hurricanrana and a belly-to-belly suplex. But Ripley battled back by throwing Nile into the barricade and delivering a standing dropkick, but Nile then reversed Ripley and dropped her with a German suplex on the floor.
Nile now gave Ripley several kicks and a tilt-a-whirl DDT, but Ripley then rocked Nile with a headbutt and a missile dropkick. Ripley went for the finish, but Nile reversed and hit Ripley with a gut-wrench suplex. The champion responded with a huge clothesline and a face-buster, both women then ended up on the top rope. From the top Nile rocked Ripley with an avalanche German suplex before going back to the top rope. Nile dove from the top and Ripley caught her in mid-air with a headbutt, she followed that with a knee and the Riptide to retain her title.
Winner: Still Women’s World Champion, Rhea Ripley
Earlier this week on X, Triple H announced that a former World Champion would be returning to Raw tonight and it was now time for that return. There have been many names circulating on social media, people were speculating it could be Batista, The Rock or even Goldberg.
Well, people were very very wrong, the returning WWE Champion was none other than Jinder Mahal. Yikes.
Mahal said he is a past and future WWE Champion, and the only thing disappointing is what has become of the United States of America. He said the country has never been so divided, it was once a superpower and is now a joke. He believes he will unify the country once again and then recited the USA national anthem in Punjabi. Mahal then mocked the fans for booing their anthem before beginning to talk in Punjabi once again. However, he could not say much before he was interrupted by another returning former WWE Champion.
For Part Two of this Report Click on the Link Below:
IF YA SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN’!
The Rock has returned to Monday Night Raw! He told Mahal he was in trouble tonight and belittled Mahal for comparing himself to The Iron Sheik. Mahal said of course The People’s Champion is back and Rock should be ashamed to represent these people. However, Rock said he is damn proud to represent them, proud to be an American and proud to say “The Rock has finally come back to San Diego!”
He then told Mahal they don’t boo him because of how he looks or the way he talks, they boo him because he’s the biggest asshole walking God’s green earth. Rock said if Mahal was one of his movies he would be Baywatch, one of his least-liked movies of all time. He then said Mahal comes out here and mocks the USA, but that is not a joke to The Rock or to these people. Rock said he may be allowed to do that free of consequence from the government, but he can’t get away with that free of consequence from The Rock.
Rock now gave Mahal a new nickname, he said he is not The Modern Day Maharaja, but instead the Day 1 Douchebag. The San Diego crowd broke into a Day 1 Douchebag chant that Rock encouraged. Rock stopped the fans because he had one last gift for Mahal, he wanted to sing him a part of the national anthem. He adjusted the lyrics to say Mahal has big muscles, but his balls still aren’t there and he has no class so he has to whoop his candy ass.
Mahal finally had enough and attacked Rock, but Rock battled back and dropped Mahal with a spinebuster. It was now time for the most electrifying move in all of entertainment as he planted a People’s Elbow on Mahal!
OH. MY. GOD.@TheRock just delivered an absolute mic drop on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/TKMfwDiHa5
— WWE (@WWE) January 2, 2024
Rock then praised the crowd and said he was going out to eat after this. He wanted the crowd’s help to pick a place to sit when he goes out. He said his options are a booth, the bar or…THE HEAD OF THE TABLE! Oh, my word! The Rock is coming after Roman Reigns and he wants his seat at the table!
Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. Natalya & Tegan Nox
Baszler and Stark were in control early as Stark tripped up Natalya and Baszler kneed her in the face. There really was not much more to this match, Stark got the win for her team after hitting Nox with a Z360.
Winners: Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark
World Heavyweight Championship Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
Both men came out hot, trading shots as soon as the bell sounded and the battle spilled onto the floor where McIntyre slammed Rollins onto the announce table. Rollins reversed McIntyre’s next attack and attempted a suicide dive, but he was caught and sent flying with a belly-to-belly on the floor.
THIS IS AWE-SOME!!! 👏👏 👏👏👏#WWERawpic.twitter.com/C5YFgfB8T9
— WWE (@WWE) January 2, 2024
Following a commercial break, McIntrye was chopping through Rollins’ chest and delivering some ground and pound. That was followed by a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and McIntyre then attempted an avalanche White Noise, but Rollins slipped out and went for a powerbomb. Unfortunately, Rollin’s back gave out and he dropped McIntyre settling for a hurricanrana. He then sent McIntyre to the floor and dove over the ropes with a tope onto the challenger.
Back in the ring, Rollins planted McIntyre with a DDT and then dove from the top rope with a frog splash. McIntyre now began to battle back and went to the top rope, but Rollins ran to meet him up there and delivered a superplex. Rollins rolled through and wanted a falcon arrow, however, McIntyre dropped Rollins with a falcon arrow instead.
As the match progressed, both men ended up on the top rope once again, this time it was McIntyre dropping Rollins with an avalanche White Noise. McIntyre was then able to connect a Future Shock DDT and he wanted a Claymore next, but Rollins caught him in mid-air into a sit-out powerbomb. Rollins then hit McIntyre with a superkick and Pedigree, but McIntyre managed to kick out at two. As Both men were down on the mat, Senor Money in the Bank, Damian Priest, made his way out with a referee and Dominik Mysterio.
CASH-IN?!?#WWERawpic.twitter.com/SuelnxKn8m
— WWE (@WWE) January 2, 2024
With the referee distracted, Priest drilled Rollins with his briefcase and then went to cash-in, but McIntyre flew to the outside of the ring and drilled Priest with a Claymore stopping the cash-in. He then threw Dom with a belly-to-belly before returning to the ring to drill Rollins with a Claymore. It looked like there would be a new champion, but Rollins got his toe on the bottom rope! McIntyre was irate and wanted to put Rollins through the announce table, but Rollins battled back and hit McIntyre with a Pedigree on the table. He then put McIntyre back in the ring to hit a Stomp and retain his World Championship! No new champion and no cash-in tonight!
