Raw – Jan 16

Raw – Jan 16

Listen to The Daily Wrestling News Show: 

*Live from Cincinnati, OH.

*The Usos & Solo Sikoa to the ring…they remind Kevin Owens that he can’t cross the Tribal Chief & get away with it…at Raw XXX every generation of the Bloodline will be in attendance…and the Usos will successfully defend the tag titles against Judgment Day…Judgment Day out…they run Raw & will run through the Usos…Dom runs his mouth & gets nose-to-nose with Solo…Rhea steps in between to back Solo down but Dom suckerpunches Solo & the brawl is on…Solo & Rhea find themselves alone in the ring but Mustafa Ali attacks Solo (they’re scheduled to fight tonight) as we go to break…

(1)  Solo Sikoa def. Mustafa Ali…even though Solo has the match well in hand, the Usos get up on the apron & that brings out Kevin Owens…KO wipes out both Usos at ringside & the distraction allows Ali to hit a Tornado DDT on Solo…Ali misses a 450 Splash & Solo delivers the Samoan Spike for the win (>05:27…match started during commercial)…AFTER…Kevin Owens rolls in & hits Solo with a Stunner…rolls him to the floor & slams him into the ring steps…lays Solo out on the announces desk…the Usos recover & join the fight…Adam Pearce & other agents come through the crowd to pull KO off as the Bloodline retreats.

*Bobby Lashley backstage promo…he plans to go through all 5 Superstars tonight in his Elimination Match & next week at Raw XXX he’ll take his US title back from Theory.

*Cody Rhodes vignette…announces he’ll return at the Royal Rumble.

*Elias backstage with Byron Saxton…2022 was crazy, but all things will be right when he secures his spot in the 2023 Rumble…MVP exits Adam Pearce’s office & bumps into Elias, tells him not to bother Pearce because the 2023 Rumble winner is already a lock…Elias chuckles…MVP says Elias can have a match with the Rumble winner tonight if he wants…Elias thinks MVP is talking about himself & says sure, he would love a “tune up.”

(2)  Street Profits def. Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin…botched timing by MVP to save Cedric from a corner splash by Dawkins…but MVP still gets the ref’s attention, allowing Shelton to toss Dawkins into a jumping knee by Cedric…Cedric lays back into a cover but Dawkins reverses with a Crucifix Roll Up for the win (09:37).

*Judgment Day backstage with Cathy Kelley…Alpha Academy interrupt…Gables says they snuck by them last week but won’t be so lucky this week.

*Becky Lynch to the ring through the audience…calls out (& gets) Bayley (& Damage CTRL)…a TERRIBLE verbal back & forth between two veterans who should be better…it ends (mercifully) with Becky challenging Bayley to face her next week inside a steel cage.

*Mustafa Ali approaches Dolph Ziggler in the locker room & congratulates him on having another opportunity “handed to him”…Dolph says no one gets anything handed to them…Ali drops Dolph with a right hand.

(3)  Omos def. Elias…Elias staggers the big man with 3 consecutive jumping knees but when he goes to the top buckle, Omos pulls him off into a Chokebomb for the win (02:34).

*Adam Pearce backstage with Byron Saxton…Akira Tozawa interrupts, wants to be in the Royal Rumble…Pearce says he can give him a match & if he wins, maybe he’ll earn a spot in the Rumble.

(4)  Judgment Day def. Alpha Academy…Dom is caught in an Ankle Lock by Gable…Finn Balor & Rhea Ripley get the ref’s attention to allow Priest to slide in & deliver South of Heaven to Gable…Dom covers for the win (11:23).

*Martin Luther King, Jr. video tribute.

(5)  Mia Yim def. Iyo Sky…when Dakota Kai jumps up on the apron she’s taken out by Candice LeRae at ringside…Iyo dropkicks Candice through the ropes but then turns around into Eat Defeat by Yim for the win (04:36)…AFTER…Dakota attacks Yim…Candice makes the save & clears the ring.

*Alexa Bliss video package…is she in control?

*Bianca Belair to the ring…she calls out Alexa Bliss & gets her…Alexa starts to talk about winning the Rumble but Bianca doesn’t want to wait & offers her a title shot at the Rumble…Alexa is happy to accept…Bianca heads up the aisle to attack her…they brawl into the crowd…Bianca prepares to deliver a KOD onto a pair of chairs but sees the outline of Uncle Howdy down a smoky entryway in the crowd…Alexa escapes & DDTs Bianca on the floor…she notices Uncle Howdy just as we go to break.

(6)  Bronson Reed def. Akira Tozawa…Reed hits the Tsunami for the win (04:27).

*Seth Rollins backstage with Byron Saxton…he wants it all & he wants it now.

(7)  Bobby Lashley def. The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Seth Rollins, Baron Corbin, & Finn Balor…in a 6-WAY UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP #1 CONTENDER ELIMINATION MATCH…Rollins delivers a Stomp to eliminate Miz (09:10)…Rollins delivers a Pedigree to eliminate Ziggler (17:36)…around the 25 minute mark MVP & Omos make their way to ringside, distracting Lashley momentarily…Balor hits the Coup de Grace on Lashley but Rollins follows with a Stomp to eliminate Balor (25:44)…Lashley with a Spear to eliminate Corbin (27:03)…when Lashley sticks his head through the ropes to have words with MVP & Omos, Austin Theory leaves the announce desk to blast Lashley with the US title…Omos goozles Theory, but Theory pulls Omos across the announce desk & into position for Rollins to Stomp Omos into the desk…Rollins clotheslines Theory into the timekeeper’s area, then rolls back in…Rollins dispatches MVP from the apron with a superkick & hits the ropes looking for the Stomp on Lashley…but Lashley cuts him off with a Spear to eliminate Rollins for the win (28:13)…AFTER…Lashley & Theory stare holes through one another as the show ends.

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WWE RAW –  RAW XXX  – PREVIEW – Jan. 23, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA

+ The Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony

+ The Usos (c) vs. Judgment Day – for the Raw Tag Team Championship

+ Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley – for the United States Championship

+ Becky Lynch vs. Bayley – in a Steel Cage Match

+ Legends Ric Flair, HBK, Undertaker, Road Dogg, Ron Simmons, Teddy Long, Jerry Lawler, Kurt Angle, & the Bella Twins will be in attendance…also X-Pac.