Happy Monday everyone, I hope you are all ready for the most highly anticipated Raw in as long as I can remember. We will have the returns of both Randy Orton and CM Punk to WWE weekly television.

The show opens up with the apex-predator, Randy Orton, he returned this past Saturday at Survivor Series as a member of Team Cody Rhodes to defeat Judgement Day in War Games. The crowd erupted for Orton and he let the world know that he is back for as long as he can stay here. He said being away gave him a lot of time to think about all his accolades, but the one thing he had never done was compete in War Games. So, when Cody Rhodes asked him to join his team, he was quick to accept the offer and to be a part of a match that Dusty Rhodes created is being a part of history.

Another reason he has come back is he has some unfinished business with The Bloodline. Orton understands what they did because he spent his whole career putting people on the shelf, but he said he never forgets and he has a receipt for every single member of The Bloodline. He promised those receipts would come in the form of the three most dangerous letters in sports entertainment, RKO!

Orton was now interrupted by the Women’s World Champion and Judgement Day member, Rhea Ripley. She welcomed him back and applauded his performance at Survivor Series, but she never thought Orton would help others and team with a guy who tried to end his career, Jey Uso. She also said his big return after more than a year was outshined by CM Punk.

Ripley and Orton face-to-face. Credit: WWE

Ripley also wanted to inform Orton that the landscape of WWE has changed and J-Day is running things now and they all drip in gold. She believes that if it wasn’t for Orton, Damian Priest would be the World Heavyweight Champion right now. Orton returned to WWE and made all these enemies, so he should stop worrying about The Bloodline because J-Day gets the job done and will put him out of action permanently.

Orton said he’s been following WWE for the past year and it’s been Mami this and Mami that, but now Daddy’s back! He knows a lot of things have changed since he’s been gone, but the one thing that hasn’t changed and will never change is that nobody tells Randy Orton what to do. Ripley laughed in his face and said she tried to give him an out, but now he is J-Day’s enemy.

Orton was now attacked from behind by JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio, they tried to beat him down, but did not do too well. Orton ended up hitting McDonagh with a thunderous RKO as Dom and Ripley ran up the ramp. He then grabbed a microphone and let Dom know that once he leaves the ring he will find Adam Pearce and get a match against Dom tonight!

The Viper is back!

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship #1 Contenders Tag Team Turmoil Match

Alpha Academy (Otis & Akira Tozawa) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)

This was all #DIY to start, but once Otis tagged in that all changed and they hit a Caterpillar. However, Otis then lifted Tozawa for a double-team, but Gargano super kicked Otis and he dropped Tozawa into a knee from Ciampa. #DIY then hit Tozawa with a Meeting in the Middle to advance.

#DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Indus Sher (Sanga & Veer)

Indus Sher used their size to overpower #DIY and they were in full control, but Gargano caught Veer in a roll-up to steal a pin.

#DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus)

Julius and Brutus were quickly in control against #DIY who was now in their third straight match. However, Ciampa caught Julius with a reverse DDT and Gargano caught Brutus with a slingshot spear. As the battle carried on The Creed Brothers hit Ciampa with a leapfrog double under hook facebuster. They also reversed a Meeting in the Middle and Julius lifted up Gargano so Brutus could dive for a Brutus Ball and knock off #DIY.

The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus) vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston)

New Day was as fresh and dominant as ever here, they were double-teaming Julius and he could not get anything going. Kingston leaped onto Julius’ back with a big crossbody, but Julius then reversed a roll-up and lifted Kingston from the mat into a power slam. Brutus deadlifted Woods from the ring apron back into the ring for a superplex and he then dropped onto him with a standing moonsault. Julius even caught Kingston in mid-air to deliver a fall-away slam and he then lifted him up for Brutus to hit another Brutus Ball. The Creed Brothers advance.

The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus) vs. Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci)

#1 Contenders. Credit: WWE

Imperium charged into the ring and began giving The Creed Brothers a beatdown, Vinci hit Julius with a springboard crossbody in the ring and Kaiser whipped Brutus into the announce table. Julius tried to battle back, but Vinci caught him with a spinebuster and Kaiser followed that with a PK. Luckily for The Creed Brothers, Imperium started to disagree with each other and this allowed Brutus to tag in. Brutus started laying into both of his opponents, but Kaiser then chop-blocked him from behind in the knee.

Despite Imperium being in control most of the match, Julius kept coming back for more and he delivered a double belly-to-belly suplex to both his opponents. He then delivered a big powerbomb to Kaiser and lifted him for another Brutus Ball, but Kaiser raked Julius’s eyes and Vinci pushed Brutus off the ropes. Imperium now looked for their finisher, but Julius leaped over Vinci to meet Kaiser on the top rope and deliver a superplex to him. Julius then lifted Vinci up and Brutus dove from the top rope hitting a third Brutus Ball. The Creed Brothers are officially the number-one contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships!

Winners: The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus)

We now cut to Judgement Day backstage, Ripley was preparing Dom for his match with Orton and Bálor was saying that The Creed Brothers are the real deal. However, Priest was not focusing and he was worried he was going to get victimized for losing War Games on Saturday. Nobody was angry at him though, they said they are a family and things happen, but they can move on from this. Weird that nobody seems to care about Priest taking the loss, especially considering how confident Priest was heading into the match.

The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, now made his way out, he led his team to victory in War Games on Saturday. There are so many stories stemming from this weekend, one of gratitude is his team winning and he wants to thank them all. He said Orton has been his mentor and when he let Rhodes hit Priest with the Cross Rhodes in the match his dad created, he created a big moment for him.

The other story coming from Saturday is the return of CM Punk and he welcomed Punk back to the company. He said with all this news being made and stories, he wants to make some news himself right here. Rhodes said at this point everyone knows him and there is only one destination for him, so he has declared himself for the 2024 Royal Rumble!

Nakamura’s next challenge. Credit: WWE

The lights then all went out and Shinsuke Nakamura appeared on the screen, he is finally done waiting and it was Rhodes he was talking about for all these weeks! Nakamura promised to bring chaos to Cody and he then appeared in the ring to spit red mist into Cody’s face. Nakamura is coming for The American Nightmare!

Bronson Reed vs. Ivar w/Valhalla

There was a lot of meat in this match and they were both showcasing their power. Reed was in control to start, but he was then distracted by Valhalla and Ivar splashed onto Reed against the ring apron. Following a commercial, Reed began to battle back and dropped onto Ivar with a running senton, but Ivar came right back with a power slam. Ivar now went to the top rope and dove with a moonsault, but Reed rolled out of the way and went to the top rope himself.

Reed was hoping for a Tsunami, but Valhalla got up on the apron to distract Reed and she was then ejected from ringside. Her distraction allowed Ivar to recover and this match was now taken to the floor. These two men were trading shots, but Reed slammed Ivar into chairs and the barricade with a Death Valley driver. As that happened the referee counted to ten and there was a double count-out, but even though the match was over the brawl continued. Reed and Ivar were fighting in the crowd, security tried to break them up, but Ivar leaped from a barricade with a rolling senton onto Reed. This was definitely not the final battle between these two.

Winner: No Contest due to double countout

Nia Jax vs. Zoey Stark

This was a battle between quickness and power, and to begin it was power getting the upper hand as Jax dropped Stark with a slam. However, Stark tripped Jax sending her outside and then springboarded onto her on the floor. Despite the athleticism, Jax’s power was hard to overcome, but Stark hit a superkick and a corkscrew senton.

Stark then kicked Jax in the head and followed that with a springboard missile dropkick. She now went to the top rope, but Jax knocked her off and then hit a Samoan drop. Jax delivered a senton and the Annihilator for the victory.

Winner: Nia Jax

To read part two of Raw: CM Punk is Home click on the link below:

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