Hi folks. Apologies but there’s no play-by-play today, but I will be providing WWE Raw live results, and hope you can all join us in the comments for a viewing party. Thank you!
First Hour
Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman kick off the show. Heyman talks for Brock. He states Balor will be left laying on his back, looking up in the air saying “Oh my god! I believe in Brock Lesnar.” Vince McMahon enters. He says this match could be like David & Goliath. He tells the story, and says Finn Balor is like David reincarnated. He gets a cheap pop off the audience, before going the other way by calling them a “hillbilly town”. He says anyone who believes in Balor must also believe in fairy tales. Braun Strowman enters.
Braun says he’s gonna rip Lesnar apart like one of Vince’s limousines. Finn Balor enters, and says it’s the same old Monday Night Raw. Balor says he earned his right to go against Brock, and he knows Vince doesn’t believe in him, but the Balor Club does. Strowman says he doubts if Balor can beat Brock, but he better win it. Huh? Balor tells Strowman not to get involved with his business, and he will do what he couldn’t do and beat Brock. Balor further explains the story of David, and how no one was laughing when he showed what he was capable of by slaying Goliath.
Vince decides to book Strowman against Balor immediately, as we head in to a commercial break ..
1) Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman (w/ Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman watching at ringside) – Winner: No Contest*
*Brock Lesnar jumped in the ring and F-5’d Finn Balor. The referee did not announce a winner, so it’s safe to assume this result.
Lio Rush and Lashley are in the ring. There’s a podium set up, which Lashley stands on. Lio Rush calls him the “Almighty Bobby Lashley”. He calls for the lights to change, and commentary admirably calls Lashley a “work of art”. Apollo Crews appears and congratulates Lashley on winning the Intercontinental Championship. He says no one came to see him pose, they came to see him compete, before challenging him to a match. Lio Rush says he’s not in Lashley’s league. He says the only way he’s getting a match is to beat him in a “pose off”.
2) Bobby Lashley vs. Apollo Crews in a “Pose Off”? – Winner: No Contest
Lashley attacks Apollo for embarrassing him. Apollo fights back and throws Lio Rush to the outside on to Lashley .. but wait, there’s a commercial break. Apparently Crews won the pose off, as he’s got a match with Lashley.
3) Bobby Lashley vs. Apollo Crews – Winner: Bobby Lashley
Quick match. “Burn It Down! Seth Rollins enters. Bobby & Seth stare each other down as he heads to the ring .. and again, we go to commercial.
Second Hour
Rollins talks about Dr. Martin Luther King. He goes in to his origins and shares his passion for entertaining the WWE Universe. Seth says he’s going to win the Rumble match, which prompts Drew McIntyre to appear. Drew claims Seth’s style will work against him in the Rumble. He wants to look in to Seth’s eyes as they’re the last two remaining in the Rumble, before eliminating him to go on to the main event of Wrestlemania. They stare each other down as we go to commercial.
3) Drew McIntyre vs. Seth Rollins: Winner: Seth Rollins
Crowd popped loud for the end of the match. Backstage, The Revival ask Vince McMahon for one more opportunity. Curt Hawkins pops up and asks to enter the Rumble, but Vince decides he should referee The Revival’s match instead. Commercial.
Dean Ambrose is backstage and promises to dump both Rollins and Lashley over the top rope at the Rumble. He says 2018 was not his year as he drove his body in to the ground. He owes it to himself to win the Rumble. It will be his shining moment. He owns the road to Wrestlemania. Justice will be served.
4) The Lucha House Party vs. Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers – Winners: Lucha House Party
Gran Metalik with the pin over one of the Singhs. Jinder is furious. Ethan Carter III video package airs. EC3 is backstage, and Dana Brooke compliments him on his body and asks how he trains. Elias walks by like he’s heading to the ring. Commercial.
Elias in the ring playing the guitar. The universal truth is that WWE stands for “Walk With Elias”. Baron Corbin interrupts the start of his song, and the crowd boos. He says Elias almost got him killed last week. Corbin says he’s going to put Elias in his place. Elias tells production to cut Baron’s mic, and proceeds to sing a song about him. Corbin gets sick of it and tries getting in the ring, but Elias swings his guitar at Corbin, who turns tail. Commercial.
5) Elias vs. Baron Corbin – Winner: Baron Corbin
Corbin puts him down with The End Of Days. Royal Rumble edition of “Moment Of Bliss” next. Commercial.
Third Hour
Alexa Bliss announces all of the 30 women who will compete in the Royal Rumble match. Nia Jax comes out to join her. Alexa asks who she think will win, but Ember Moon’s music interrupts. Alicia Fox comes out .. then Mickie James, and well, it’s clear what’s happening here. More of the women come out and start bickering, but Alexa stands on a chair and grabs their attention.
She says they’re ruining her reputation as a talk show host, and tells everyone to calm down. They brawl anyways, and Moment Of Bliss is seemingly cancelled. Alexa ends by saying the women in this years Rumble are very passionate. Bliss then announces she will be competing in the Rumble. Lacey Evans makes her debut! She calls the others classless little girls, and luckily the winner of this years Rumble match will not be a little runt like Alexa Bliss, but in fact will be Lacey Evans .. a classy, sophisticated lady.
Titus O’ Neil cuts a promo backstage about him entering the Rumble .. but a backstage guy walks through his shot and Titus gets angry with him. In the ring, The Ascension waits for their opponents, making their main roster debut: Otis Dozovic & Tucker Knight AKA Heavy Machinery.
6) Heavy Machinery vs. The Ascension – Winners: Heavy Machinery
An easy win in their debut. Renee Young sticks up for The Revival before their match with the tag team champions.
7) Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (c) vs. The Revival for the Raw Tag Team Championship (w/ Curt Hawkins as guest referee) – Winners: Roode & Gable (Retain)
Curt Hawkins called it down the middle but The Revival protest the decision. They check the replays. We see three instances of them bending the rules. The Revival don’t like it and beat up Hawkins. Zack Ryder runs out and saves his old tag team partner! He takes it to The Revival and forces them out of the ring. He picks Hawkins up, and it looks like the former tag team champions have reunited after almost a decade apart.
Main Event
Ronda Rousey says she doesn’t owe Sasha Banks a thing. She’s trying to understand what Sasha wants from her. Ronda says she’s too busy living her life like a boss than focusing on becoming a champion. She emotionally promises to retain at the Royal Rumble, before making her entrance. Commercial.
Before the match, Sasha cuts a promo on Ronda in the ring. Rousey’s pissed and needs holding back by Natalya.
8) Ronda Rousey & Natalya vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley: Winners: Sasha Banks & Bayley
Natalya taps out to the Banks Statement, while Ronda was left watching the entire match. Sasha and Ronda talked trash to each other as the show came to a close.
–eWrestlingNews Monday Night Raw Results for the episode airing January 22nd 2019–
