Credit: WINC
Drew takes the mic and says it feels so good to be back on RAW. He thanks everyone for their well wishes while he was out with COVID-19. He talks about getting lucky with no symptoms and says he’s back at 100%. His match on Sunday is dedicated to everyone who has the coronavirus. Drew says we’re all going to get through this and beat it. Drew says speaking of things he’s tired of, Sunday’s match will be against WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg. Drew talks about watching Goldberg since he was a teenager, how he built up his impressive streak, ran through The Rock and other Superstars until he just disappeared, for years. Drew says the last thing to go in a heavyweight fighter is their power, and Goldberg returned a tough fighter like he had been. Drew talks about how Goldberg has continued to win and win, but that ends this Sunday as Drew will end the other streak and remain WWE Champion. Drew goes on but the music interrupts and out comes The Miz and John Morrison as fans boo.
Miz and Morrison taunt Drew over the match and speculate that he or Goldberg may end up injured before the end of the match. Then what could happen? Miz says whoever is left standing at the end of the match will be a sitting duck as he and Morrison will hit the ring and beat the holy hell out of the champion. Fans boo them as they enter the ring. Miz says then he will cash in his Money In the Bank briefcase and be announced the new WWE Champion. The music interrupts again and out comes Goldberg as Drew looks on. Miz and Morrison watch from the apron.
Goldberg hits the ring and gets in Drew’s face, telling him he’s next on Sunday. They drop the mics and stare each other down as Miz and Morrison run their mouths from the apron. Drew suddenly yanks Miz in while Goldberg yanks Morrison into the ring for a big pop. Goldberg drops Miz with a Spear and Drew then levels Morrison with a Claymore. Drew and Goldberg go back to facing off in the middle of the ring for a pop. Drew raises the WWE Title in the air as they have words. Goldberg’s music starts up as we go to replays. Goldberg marches up the ramp as Drew watches him, stopping to toss the Money In the Bank briefcase out of the ring.
– Still to come, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Asuka defends her RAW Women’s Title against Alexa Bliss. Also, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair faces Shayna Baszler. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Charlotte Flair is with Charly Caruso is in the back. Flair talks about performing well under pressure in regards to Shayna Baszler. Flair mentions defending her titles with Asuka this weekend and entering the Women’s Rumble. Flair is also asked about her father, WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, and Lacey Evans. She is aware of Evans’ intentions but isn’t worried as tonight she is focused on Baszler.
Charlotte Flair vs. Shayna Baszler
Flair wins by DQ when Nia Jax interferes.
Winner by DQ: Charlotte Flair
After the match, Jax and Baszler jump Flair before Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose come out to brawl with them.
Lacey Evans, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler vs. Charlotte Flair, Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke
Initially, the match ends in countout when Baszler can’t make the count. However, during the commercial, Adam Pearce restarts the match and Jax and company win when Jax gets a senton on Brooke.
Winners: Nia Jax, Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke
Slapjack vs. Xavier Woods
Xavier Woods wins with the shining wizard.
Winner: Xavier Woods
After the bell, Woods stares down Ali and exits the ring as his music starts. Mace rushes the ring and distracts Woods, who is already on the floor. T-BAR runs over from the side and levels Woods with a big boot to the side of the face. RETRIBUTION brings Woods in the ring now and Ali watches as T-BAR and Mace hit a big double chokeslam. Ali sends Slapjack out to get a steel chair now. T-BAR, Mace and Slapjack hold Woods while Ali yells at him and hold the chair. Ali goes to swing it at Woods but he stops. Ali sets the chair up and takes a seat. Reckoning brings him the mic. Ali says all Woods’ talk about wanting to be King of the Ring, and he sure looks like a peasant right now. Ali says like a real king, he will show mercy upon Woods and for that, Woods will do exactly what he says by delivering a message to Kofi. Ali tells Woods to tell Kofi that he heard the sad unfortunate news about how Kofi will not be in the Royal Rumble Match, but tell Kofi not to fear because a replacement has been found and his name is… Mustafa Ali.
– Riddle is walking backstage when he stops at WWE 24/7 Champion R-Truth. Truth heard The Hurt Business is throwing him a surprise party tonight, even though his birthday was last week. Truth heard about some kind of surprise party on The VIP Lounge, where they got him something like 24 carats, or what might be carrots in Truth’s mind. Truth tells Riddle to keep the party a secret and he might split the carats/carrots with him. Truth walks off and Riddle is all smiles as we go back to commercial.
MVP talks about how good the Royal Rumble After Party is going to be. He also brings up Riddle and tonight’s Gauntlet Match, saying Riddle may be a brain dead moron but they need to focus on the task at hand. Lashley talks about how good they all look with their gold, and says this is just the beginning. MVP agrees. Shelton starts talking but Cedric interrupts. Cedric says they have been a roll lately and it’s all because of MVP. Lashley says because of that, they collected on some outstanding debts as a token of appreciation to MVP. MVP is presented with a gold chain that says “THB” in diamonds. Lashley says this is so he can be draped in gold like the rest of the group. MVP puts the chain on and says The Hurt Business is in business. Fans boo them. MVP says he’s not often at a loss for words, but he doesn’t have the words.
Cedric takes credit for working with the chain designer, and points out how this is 24 carat gold. Shelton interrupts and is about to call Cedric out on not working with the designer, but the music interrupts and out comes WWE 24/7 Champion R-Truth rapping his theme. MVP yells for the music to be cut. Truth mentions this being his own surprise party, and it’s weird for him to be performing at his own party. MVP says he’s not on the list. Truth thinks this is for his birthday, which was last week, but they correct him. Cedric says this is all about MVP. Shelton tells Truth this is not the time. Lashley speaks up and says Truth is right. Lashley forgot it was Truth’s birthday and he wants to make it up to him, but he has to come in the ring to get it. Drew Gulak, Tucker, Humberto Carrillo, and Akira Tozawa come running down as Truth retreats. Tucker rolls Truth up but the pin is broken by Carrillo as The Hurt Business attacks everyone at ringside. MVP is left alone in the ring, allowing Riddle to run in from behind and level him with a big knee. Riddle retreats to the crowd as the other members of The Hurt Business return to the ring to check on MVP. Riddle taunts them as his music hits.
– Still to come, Riddle runs the Gauntlet for a United States Title shot. Also, Asuka defends against Alexa Bliss. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and it’s announced that an injury update on WWE Hall of Famer Edge will be revealed tonight.
– R-Truth is backstage hiding from The Hurt Business when Adam Pearce approaches. Truth wants to prove himself in the Money In the Bank match. AJ Styles and Omos walk up. AJ says Truth is trying to say he wants a spot in the Royal Rumble Match, and AJ wants to help him prove he’s worthy. Pearce tells Truth to wrestle AJ tonight and he will consider it. Pearce walks on and Truth talks his usual nonsense to AJ until AJ and Omos walk off.
Sheamus vs. John Morrison
Sheamus wins with White Noise.
Winner: Sheamus
After the match, Miz immediately takes the mic and says if Sheamus really wants to prepare for The Rumble, he needs to fight in a Handicap Match right now. Sheamus accepts the challenge as the crowd pops. Back to commercial.
Sheamus vs. The Miz and John Morrison
Miz pins Sheamus with a Skull Crushing Finale from behind.
Winners: The Miz and John Morrison
We see Lacey Evans backstage with WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair. The Nature Boy is getting up close and personal to show Evans some moves. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair appears in the doorway and she looks on, not happy. She approaches and quietly orders Evans to get out. Flair isn’t happy with his daughter, mentioning how he will always be himself. Charlotte disagrees and knocks Ric for some of his bad ways as a father, like spending his money one everyone but his family.
Flair mentions how she’s the only one here to protect Ric as he’s now going from Legend to old man and she has no problem saying it to his face. They stare at each other and Charlotte says a few words to her dad as she backs away, noting that she is not the bad guy here, and this was cute when she was a kid but no more. Evans appears behind Flair and levels her with a stiff Woman’s Right as she turns around. Ric looks like he’s about to check on Charlotte but Evans pulls him away and they head off as we hear Ric telling Evans how to “Wooo!” in the hallway. Charlotte starts to recover as we go back to commercial.
AJ Styles vs. R-Truth
Styles wins with the Calf Crusher.
Winner: Calf Crusher
Back from the break and we get a look back at last week’s promo from the masked Randy Orton, who was wearing the mask due to the fireball attack by Alexa Bliss. We go backstage to Bliss now, who is swinging on a swing at her Alexa’s Playground set. Bliss looks at the imaginary person on the swing next to her, apparently The Fiend, and says last week was so much fun. Did we see what Orton’s face looked like after “we” did what “we” did? Bliss watches a replay on a TV set nearby and laughs. She agrees with the invisible person that Orton looks better. For the record on last week, Bliss says she just wanted to have fun with Asuka in her playground, but Asuka didn’t want to play nice. Bliss also watches a replay of that segment and adds that she also did not want to play nice last week. We then see a replay of last week’s Bliss vs. Asuka match and how Bliss transformed into a darker version of herself during the match, finishing Asuka off with Sister Abigail for the non-title win. Bliss asks if we liked her trick. “He” taught her the move, and “he” taught her a lot of things actually. She can’t wait to see him again so she can thank him. Bliss chats with the invisible person some more and says tonight she has the chance to win a shiny new toy, and just like last week, she doesn’t feel like playing nice.
Bliss laughs some more and keeps swinging while singing the “Ring around the rosie…” nursery rhyme. Bliss looks into the camera as we see familiar flashes of The Fiend with her face. She mouths “Let me in!” with The Fiend’s voice, to end the segment.
Riddle vs. Hurt Business – Gauntlet Match (Riddle Earns a US Title Match If He Wins)
Riddle defeats Shelton Benjamin, MVP and Cedric Alexander to win.
Winner: Riddle
After the match, Riddle stands tall and celebrates as The Hurt Business fumes. Riddle backs up the ramp and celebrates but here comes Bobby Lashley from behind. Lashley destroys Riddle with The Hurt Lock and leaves him laying. They did not announce when Riddle will get his title shot from Lashley.
– Still to come, Edge will make his return and give an update on his injury from last year. Back to commercial.
