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.
RKO! 👏👏👏@RandyOrton wants a match with @DomMysterio35 TONIGHT on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/FS3fwh4TMx
— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2023
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.
MONDAY NIGHT MEAT#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/vsT7f40cM2
— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2023
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:
Gunther was chatting with his Imperium stablemates backstage when he was approached by The Miz, the man he beat at Survivor Series. Miz said he is sure he can beat him and that they both know it, but Gunther said all he knows is that Miz is no threat. However, Gunther did praise that Miz came prepared Saturday and he proved he belongs in the ring, just not with him.
Sing his song, it is time for the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins! The fans instantly began chanting CM Punk at Rollins, but he said he doesn’t want to spend another second talking about that hypocrite. He instead wants to talk about the title that he has brought to glory and he is starting to get the itch to be a fighting champion again.
Drew wants another shot. Credit: WWE
Rollins was about to discuss who his next challenger would be when he was interrupted by Drew McIntyre, who has been in a terrible mood for weeks now. He lost to Rollins at Crown Jewel in a match for the title and lost in War Games. McIntyre wanted to shake Rollins’ hand to congratulate him for his victory at War Game. He then threw J-Day under the bus for their loss Saturday and he wants to put Jey Uso on the back burner so he can focus on the World Heavyweight Championship.
McIntyre then asked Rollins if he recalls what he said to him prior to Crown Jewel, that if McIntyre lost he would have nobody to blame but himself. He said that Rollins was exactly right and he then recalled their match at Crown Jewel, specifically when he dropped Rollins on his back and then felt sympathy for attacking his injured back. He said he cannot feel sympathy when facing someone like Rollins and he wants a championship rematch!
Rollins agreed that McIntyre deserves a rematch, but there are a few people who deserve a shot before him. He then announced that he would be defending his title next week on Monday Night Raw against Jey Uso! That announcement pissed McIntyre off and he hit Rollins between the eyes with a Glasgow Kiss before beginning the beat down.
WELP…#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/sI0XnVAEhN
— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2023
He threw Rollins around the ring while saying that this was personal and that he beat Uso last week. While he was yelling, Uso ran out from the back to make the save and he delivered a superkick to McIntyre’s jaw. Despite Uso facing Rollins next week, tonight they stood side-by-side to take out McIntyre.
Sami Zayn chased McIntyre down backstage following his attack to critique his actions. He said everybody has had their shortcoming, but they don’t let it destroy them and he needs to look back on his good times like him being a two-time WWE Champion. McIntyre heard him out and said maybe it is time he worked his way back up to the top. He wants to begin his journey next week with a match against Zayn!
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Chelsea Green & Piper Niven (c) vs. Tegan Nox & Natalya
The challengers were looking great to begin this match, Nox hit Niven with a PK and Natalya followed that with a diving crossbody. Natalya then planted Green with a sit-out powerbomb before tagging Nox in. Nox was on fire as she hit Green with an uppercut, a headbutt and a face-buster. She then dove onto Green with her signature rolling senton landing on her chest, but Niven then snuck a tag. With Niven in, Green gave Nox a codebreaker and held on so Niven could land a senton onto her while on Green’s knees.
This match then made its way to the floor, Nox and Natalya suplexed Green into the barricade and Niven dove off the apron onto Nox and Natalya. Niven then brought Nox back in the ring to hit her running crossbody and retain the titles.
Winners: Still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Chelsea Green & Piper Niven
Jey finds Randy. Credit: WWE
Jey Uso found Randy Orton backstage to thank him for War Games and discuss the receipts for The Bloodline Orton was talking about earlier. Orton said he’s seen the respect Uso has earned and the way he has had so many people’s backs, so with that he can let everything with Jey go and they’re good! He did say he will be coming for the other members of The Bloodline though, so as long as Jey is out, he is good.
Randy Orton vs. Dominik Mysterio w/JD McDonagh
Dirty Dom seemed like no match for Orton as he was getting toyed with from the opening bell. He was looking to drop Dom on the announce table when Dom flipped out of it and threw him into the steel steps. Dom was getting his first bit of offence in, but it did not last long. Before we knew it Orton hit his signature snap power slam and rope-hung DDT.
Jelly Roll getting into the action. Credit: WWE
Orton was calling for an RKO, but McDonagh pulled him out of the ring and they were trying to escape the arena. However, they were stopped by singer, Jelly Roll, who was sitting front row and he pushed Dom and JD back towards the action. Orton now dropped Dom with two side suplexes onto the announce table and gave JD a rope-hung DDT before finally giving Dom an RKO!
Winner: Randy Orton
CM Punk Returns to Monday Night Raw
Look in my eyes.
What do you see?
The cult of personality.
CM Punk is back in WWE. Credit: WWE
It is time for the return of CM Punk to Monday Night Raw, after nearly a decade away, Punk returned to the WWE at Survivor Series this past Saturday. After all his ELITE issues in the last couple of years, it is nice to see Punk back in WWE, where he swore he would never return.
Punk began by saying it looks like hell froze over because this is him back in a WWE ring on Monday Night Raw with a live microphone. He said he has really begun to feel like himself again after Saturday, and an American Dream once told him to speak from the heart. He then put his feelings ever so simply.
“I’m home.”
"I'm home." – @CMPunk#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/Apkcthr0iT
— WWE (@WWE) November 28, 2023
Punk said this is where he belongs and even though he’s been gone 10 years, the fans never forgot him and that is powerful. People all over the world, no matter the country or arena, people continued to chant his name and that is why he’s back. He loves the fans and missed them, he wishes he never had to leave, but to get the most out of this place he had to leave and come back again.
He said this return has been nothing but hugs and everybody is happy to see him, even asking about his wife, AJ Lee. Punk said the former Women’s Champion is fabulous and sends her regards.
Everybody is happy to see him, except some people who are scared because he just raised the bar. The best in the world has been gone for 10 years and he’s now back. The best in this ring, on the microphone and even on commentary is back.
The Best in the World. Credit: WWE
The best in the world is back in a ring on Monday nights and his name is…
CM Punk!
TOP PHOTO: CM Punk is hyped at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Monday, November 27, 2023. Photo by John Arezzi