Monday Night RAW is coming off a pretty lackluster “Legends Night” and now the show is down it’s top star in WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, who has tested positive for COVD-19. To say this isn’t an ideal way to start the “Road to WrestleMania” would be an understatement. The show must go on, apparently, so time to enter the ThunderDome.
Triple H kicks off the show, so something serious is about to go down. He is quickly interrupted by Randy Orton. Hunter is aware that Randy was supposed to have a big match tonight. Orton thinks there is going to be a ruling made tonight. Either he is the last entrant in the Royal Rumble or he is award the WWE title right now. Hunter tells him if he wants the title he should go win the Rumble. Orton continues to make threats, but Hunter isn’t scared.
Triple H is trying to figure out how beating on legends benefits Orton. There was no benefit in humiliating Ric Flair. That was Orton just being a prick.
Orton calls himself a legend in his own time, but wants to know if Hunter still has it. Orton doesn’t want a match; he wants a fight. Hunter won’t give him the satisfaction, turning him down. Orton challenges Hunter’s manhood, so Triple H decks him. Orton takes that as a yes.
Sarah Schreiber asks Charlotte Flair about Lacey Evans flirting with her dad last week. Charlotte says Lacey isn’t the first and won’t be the last woman to flirt with him. Flair is about to have a match and isn’t happy be questioned about her dad.
Lacey tells Schreiber that Charlotte needs to calm down and then goes on the heap flattery on Ric. She dedicates tonight’s match to Ric.
Before the match, Drew McIntyre delivers a message to the WWE Universe.
Charlotte Flair vs. Lacey Evans
Charlotte tries to catch Lacey with small package, but Evans kicks out. A big shoulder block sends Evans to the mat. Flair unloads a series of chops and snaps Evans to the mat. Fair locks in a figure four head scissors and rolls Evans around the mat. Lacey rolls to the floor and Ric’s music hits. The Nature Boy is in the ThunderDome! He struts to ringside.
After the commercial break, the two are fighting on the floor. Flair is whipped in the security barrier. Lacey struts in the ring, but comes up empty on the knee drop. Charlotte with a back suplex. Flair misses a big boot and Evans rips her down to the mat by the hair. Charlotte fights out of the corner with a clothesline. She hits a neck breaker and follows with an exploder. Flair kicks Evans off the apron. She goes up top after rolling Evans back in the ring. Flair hits natural selection and covers. Ric puts Lacey’s foot on the ropes to break the pin.
Charlotte confronts her father. Evans looks for the Women’s right, but Charlotte ducks it. Flair picks up Evans for a suplex, but Ric yanks Charlotte’s foot out from under her. Evans comes crashing down on top of her. Evans covers and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall: Lacey Evans
After the match, Sarah Schreiber tries to get a word with Evans, but it seems she is heading back to the hotel with Ric.
Kayla Braxton wants to know how Keith Lee can bounce back from his loss against Drew McIntyre. Sheamus interrupts, telling him he has earned his respect. The Miz and Morrison crash the party, calling them both losers. I smell a tag team match coming.
Jeff Hardy vs. Jaxon Ryker w/Elias
Elias has some bad news; he hurt himself while recording. And the worse news for Hardy is that now he has to face Ryker. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and looks to go up top, but is distracted by Elias. Ryker rolls up Hardy and grabs the tights to get the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Jaxon Ryker
Hardy grabs the microphone and goads Elias into another match. Elias tells Ryker not to get involved.
Jeff Hardy vs. Elias w/Jaxson Ryker
We join the match in progress, and Hardy is dropping elbows. Elias counters a Twist of Fate, nearly getting a pin. Elias knees Jeff in the corner. Hardy connects with a Whisper in the Wind, but can’t get the pin. Hardy with a jaw breaker, but Elias answers with a jumping knee. He follows with a spinning suplex, but can’t get the pin. Hardy hits a Twist of Fate and he goes up top. Jeff connects with the swanton bomb. He covers and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall: Jeff Hardy
Elias can’t believe Ryker didn’t get involved, even after he told him not to interfere.
Sheamus and Keith Lee vs. The Miz and John Morrison
How long is this team up going to last between Keith Lee and Sheamus? Early on in the match, the two are a cohesive unit, teaming up to slam Morrison around the mat. Lee tosses Morrison out of the ring onto the Miz. Sheamus makes the tag and dives onto Miz and Morrison on the floor. Lee whips Morrison into the corner and pounces on him. The impact breaks the turnbuckle, causing the top rope to fall.
After the commercial break, the ring has been repaired. Morrison and Miz work over Sheamus in the corner. Morrison stops Sheamus from making a tag, keeping him grounded. Miz with a kick to the face, but it’s not enough to get the pin. Miz taunts Lee, but then runs into an Irish Curse back breaker. Lee gets the hot tag and cleans house. He launches Morrison into Miz and then slams Morrison. Miz breaks the pin, but gets hit with Grizzly Magnum. Morrison connects with a Pele kick, but then get swatted out of the air. Sheamus tags himself in and hits Morrison with a Brogue Kick. He covers to get the win.
Winner via pinfall: Sheamus and Keith Lee
After the match, the two celebrate.
Triple H tells Sarah Schreiber that he didn’t come here to fight, but Orton can’t get through his head. Orton doesn’t get that the Legends paved the way for him. Hunter takes Randy up on his challenge.
Keith Lee vs. Sheamus
During the Triple H segment, these to started fighting and now we have a match. Lee blocks the beats of the bowery on the apron, yanking Sheamus into the ring. Lee delivers a beating of his own. Sheamus with a low drop kick that sends Lee to the floor. Lee dumps Sheamus into the timekeeper’s area and barely beats the count back into the ring.
Sheamus drops Lee into the bottom turnbuckle and works over his left arm. Sheamus goes up top and Lee launches himself into him. The two fight atop the turnbuckle and Lee is sent to the mat. Sheamus connects with a forearm and a pump knee strike. Lee blocks Sheamus from locking in a cross arm breaker. Lee is able to pick up Sheamus and slam him to the mat. Lee follows with the Spirit Bomb and covers to get the win.
Winner via pinfall: Keith Lee
After the match, Lee goes for a fist pump; Sheamus gives him a hug instead.
Drew McIntyre addresses Goldberg, who interrupted him last week before he could thank that Legends that watched him defend his title. Drew tells Goldberg that he let him down and he has know idea what he is thinking. Drew accepts Goldberg’s challenge at the Royal Rumble.
Riddle can’t wait to face Bobby Lashley and beat him, comparing it to getting really good pizza. The Lucha House Party gets it. Riddle is hungry.
Xavier Woods vs. T-BAR w/RETRIBUTION
T-BAR is coming for the power of positivity and not in a positive way. Ali taunts Woods for being alone. T-BAR catches Woods trying to go up and over. Woods drops down only to eat a massive clothesline. Xavier breaks a head lock with a chin breaker, but T-BAR is right back on top of him. Woods gets a boot up in the corner and comes out chopping. Woods with an enziguri and goes up top. He nails a missile drop kick that sends T-BAR out of the ring. RETRIBUTION distracts Woods, allowing T-BAR to get the upper hand. He hits the Eyes Wide Shut and covers to get the win.
Winner via pinfall: T-BAR
When informed that Triple H has accepted his challenge, Randy Orton reflects on their history, but now Orton has a hatred for himself. He can harness that hate and direct it.
Riddle (challenger) vs. Bobby Lashley (champion) w/MVP – United States Championship Match
Before the bell, Lashley attacks Riddle. He connects with a clothesline, but Riddle wants to continue.
At the bell, Lashley slams Riddle into the corner, who tries to fight his way out of the corner. Riddle hits a floating Bro on Lashley on the floor. In the ring, Lashley ragdolls Riddle after catching him out of the air. Lashley applies the Hurt Lock and Riddle taps out.
Winner…and still United States Champion…via submission: Bobby Lashley
After the match, Riddle calls out MVP.
Riddle vs MVP w/Bobby Lashley
Riddle unloads with shots to the mid section, but MVP knocks him to the mat and hits the Ballin’ elbow. Riddle with a kick and a knee strike. Riddle goes up top, but first kicks Lashley in the face. Riddle hits MVP with a Bro-ton, only to get speared by Lashley. The ref calls for the bell.
Winner via disqualification: Riddle
After the match, Lashley continues the beating. MVP finishes him off with a kick to the ribs.
Backstage, AJ Styles talks to Adam Pearce about the possibility of facing him for the Universal title. Drew Gulak announces that he is entering the Royal Rumble Match. Pearce tells him to hold up; he needs to prove himself. If he beat AJ Styles, he is in.
AJ Styles w/Omos vs. Drew Gulak
AJ Styles gets the best of dueling drop kicks. Gulak bridges a suplex into pin, but Styles kicks out. Drew with a Tiger driver and Styles kicks out again. Styles escapes off the top turnbuckle but nearly get pinned on a backslide. AJ finds the mark with a Pele kick and follows witha forearm strike. Gulak is dumped over the top rope and finds himself at the feet of Omos. Styles smashes Gulak into the announces table and rolls him into the ring. Styles connects with the Phenomenal forearm and covers to get the win.
Winner via pinfall: AJ Styles
Backstage, Keith Lee offers to step in for Triple H tonight. Hunter appreciates it, but he has to clean up his own mess.
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler vs. Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke
Before the match, Dana and Mandy announce that they are entering the Royal Rumble Match.
Baszler immediately goes for the elbow stomp, but Mandy escapes and tags in Dana. Jax comes in, tossing Brooke into the corner. Mandy Rose shows some fire, taking the fight to Baszler. She hits a running knee strike, but Nia pulls Rose out of the ring to break the pin. She shoots Rose off the ropes and hits a Samoan drop. Dana breaks up the pin, only to take a knee from Baszler. Shayna tags herself in and locks on the Kirifuda Clutch on Rose. Jax was poised to come off the middle turnbuckle before the tag, and she isn’t please. Rose taps out.
Winners via submission: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax
Triple H vs. Randy Orton
Triple H and Orton start throwing haymakers. There’s no ref; this isn’t a sanctioned match. It’s a straight fight. Hunter whips Orton into the ring steps and then tosses him into the security barrier. Orton with a thumb to the eye and smashes Hunter into the announce table. Triple H slams Orton onto the table and tosses him back into the ring. Hunter grabs a sledge hammer from under the ring. Then the power starts to fail. Hunter climbs into the ring as the lights go out. The sledge hammer catches fire! The ThunderDome goes dark. When the lights come back up, Hunter is gone, replaced by Alexa Bliss. Orton stares her down. She walks up to him and blasts him in the face with a fireball. Orton is writhing in pain as the show goes off the air. See you next week in the ThunderDome!
See you next week in the ThunderDome!
Monday Night RAW 1/11/2021
The ThunderDome at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Tonight’s RAW is a step up from Legend’s Night last week. Considering that Drew McIntyre was ruled out earlier in the day, WWE did a fine job of having Hunter step in and then weave the Fiend/Alexa Bliss story into things. Plus, Orton took a face full of fire. We had more people announce their participation in the Royal Rumble Match, but poor Drew Gulak still had to qualify; he failed. Another solid wrestling effort all around. Keith Lee broke the ring and pulled double duty with Sheamus. First they teamed up and then they faced off against each other.