Date: 01/23	7:00 PM
Views: 721

Tonight's Raw is the final one before the most fun event of the year. With no clear favourite, but most of the candidates coming from Raw, tonight could be more important than any Raw in a while. Meanwhile, Bayley and Charlotte continue their rivalry, and what of Sasha and Nia?

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Raw begins with a recap of all things Kevin and Chris. Roman Reigns then hits the ring, with the shark cage in the middle.

"In six days, the Royal Rumble rolls through the Alamodome, and there's gonna be over 40, 000 people going nuts. And in the middle of that storm, there's going to be Chris Jericho locked in this shark cage. That means I'm going to be one on one with Kevin Owens. Which means, I'm going to be holding the WWE Universal Championship over my head, baby."

Jericho and Owens come out next.

Owens: "Roman, are you okay there, buddy? Because I've got to say, you sound quite delusional, or maybe it's an overactive imagination, or something's got you confused. Wait a second, something does have you confused. Last week, I did something to you that you've had coming for a very long time. For months now, you've been powerbombing superstars and legends through that announce table. Anyone, Seth Rollins, Kane, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, John Cena, even The Undertaker. But how many people can say they did it all by themselves to you? The answer is one. I'm the one!"

Reigns: "You're about to be the one, along with your best friend, who gets your ass whooped by me!"

Chris: "You're making a lot of predictions, what are you, Nostradamus? I'm going to make a prediction: You're a stupid idiot! I might be hanging above the ring like a piece of salami at the deli, oh look, that's Chris Salamicho! Isn't that funny? You know what was funny? When I hit you with a Codebreaker a few weeks ago and took your title. Even though I might be hanging like a sexy piñata, let me rephrase that, like a very sexy piñata this Sunday, today ain't Sunday, and there's nothing stopping me from coming down to that ring right now and knocking those pearly white chicklets down your throat and teaching you another lesson, you dig?"

Reigns: "Did you just give me another rematch? Did he give me a rematch? Chris, come on down here. Teach me a lesson, and let's have our rematch for the United States Championship, tonight!"

Owens: "I got it. You want a rematch for the United States Title tonight? You know what, you got it! You got your match! You're good, you're Chris Jericho, you're going to beat him! Roman Reigns, don't plan any post-match celebrations, because I may not have your predictions, but I have a very strong feeling that, tonight, Roman Reigns is going to be locked inside that shark cage, you dig? See what I did there?"

Reigns: "I've got a feeling that I'm going to win the United States Championship tonight here in Cleveland, and I'm going to beat you for the Universal Championship on Sunday and be the one thing you'll never be here: The guy."

Match One: Cesaro vs. Luke Gallows

Lockup, Cesaro with a rear waistlock, Gallows with an elbow, gut punches in the corner, whip, Cesaro with a springboard corkscrew European uppercut for two, gutwrench suplex for two, Gallows with punches, back body drop, punch, whip, reversed, Cesaro with an uppercut train, Anderson distracts, Gallows with a shove, big boot for two, commercial.

Back on air, Gallows has Cesaro in a chinlock, Cesaro elbows his way out, whip, reversed, Gallows with a side slam for two, suplex, blocked, reversed, Cesaro clutches his back, European uppercut, another, a third, several more in quick succession, tornado DDT for two, Cesaro Swing, blocked, Gallows to the floor, shoves Sheamus, who goes to hit him, then realizes Cesaro will be disqualified, Cesaro hits a big boot instead, Sheamus hits a clothesline while the ref isn't looking, Cesaro rolls Gallows back into the ring, sunset flip into a sharpshooter, Anderson blasts Sheamus, distracts the ref, Gallows taps, Cesaro breaks the hold, charges Anderson, Gallows hits a fireman's carry flapjack for three.

Winner: Luke Gallows

As announced at the beginning of this match, these two teams will face off at the Royal Rumble kickoff show for the tag team championships, in a match with two referees.

Mick has Stephanie on speakerphone. She asks why he made the US Title match, he says they need a marquee title match. Sami Zayn walks in and asks to talk to Mick, Stephanie says she'll be put on hold. He asks how he declares his entry into the Royal Rumble match. Mick's about to say he's automatically in, Stephanie says he'll have to win his way in against Seth Rollins. She then asks to be taken off speakerphone, at which point Mick agrees to do what she requests even though he doesn't agree with it, then leaves to find Seth.

Corey Graves announces he sat down with Bayley and Charlotte earlier. He shows the interview with Bayley, who says "wow" is the word she'd use to describe it. Corey asks why she thinks Charlotte is using Bayley's lifelong fandom as a negative thing. She says she doesn't get it either and talks up how happy it made her. He asks about her status as a role model, she says she remember what it was like when she was a fan interacting with wrestlers, and she wants to give everyone that feeling. He asks if she can beat Charlotte, she says a lot of people think no, but yes.

Backstage, Mick finds Seth, tells him about the match, it's next, says he thinks it's about hyping the friend vs. friend aspect of the Rumble, but then tells him that it's for Rollins' own spot. Seth says he knows what he has to do, win the match, the Rumble, and the main event of Wrestlemania to throw it in Stephanie and HHH's face.

Match Two: Royal Rumble Qualifying Match: Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn

Lockup, Seth presses Sami to the corner, Sami forces him to the middle of the ring, rear waistlock, reversed into an armbar, Sami rolls through, Seth keeps in a one-armed knuckle lock, rollup for one, staredown, Greco-Roman Knuckle Lock, Seth locks in a side headlock, Sami whips out, Seth with a shoulder tackle, rollup for two, lockup, Sami goes for a straightjacket hold, settles for an arm twist, armbar, Seth rolls through, rollup, reversed into a rollup for two, staredown, lockup, Sami twists an arm, Seth with a punch, another, Sami double-legs him, mounted punches, reversed into mounted punches, Sami with a clothesline, Seth rolls to the floor, Sami goes for a suicide dive, Seth catches him with a clothesline, tosses him to the floor, suicide dive, commercial.

Back on air, Seth has Sami in an armbar, Sami to his feet, punches, Seth with a whip to the corner, Sami presses him to the apron, Seth hits a swinging kick, goes up top, misses the knee, Sami with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two, Rollins with punches in the corner, Sami with an elbow, goes up top, boot, crossbody, reversed into a rollup for two, Sami with a Michinoku Driver for two, goes up top, Rollins goes for a superplex, Sami with punches, leapfrogs, Seth springs up top and hits a Blockbuster for two, clinch, knees, suplex, blocked, Sami with a rollup, reversed into a superkick for two, Seth with a Falcon Arrow for two, drags Sami up, forearm, Sami responds in kind, trading forearms, Sami gets the better of it, Rollins with a bicycle knee, Slingblade, Pedigree, reversed into a chop to the chest, Tornado DDT, misses a Helluva Kick, Seth goes for a Pedigree, reversed into a back body drop to the floor, Sami goes up top, Seth rolls back into the ring, enziguri, goes for a GODDAMN PEPSI PLUNGE, Sami with punches to the back, sunset flip for two, half and half suplex, reversed into an enziguri, Sami hits an exploder suplex to the middle turnbuckle, Sami goes for a Helluva Kick, Seth rolls to the apron, Sami goes for a Helluva Kick from the apron, Seth with a kick to the gut, Pedigree from the apron, slowly rolls Sami into the ring, goes for a cover, HHH's music hits! Seth starts looking everywhere for HHH, Sami rolls him up for three.

Winner: Sami Zayn

An interesting choice, but ultimately, Rollins can afford not to be in the Rumble while Zayn would suffer exclusion. If, that is, they go all the way with not having Rollins in it.

Seth Rollins heads toward the back to look for HHH.

That was a fantastic match as far as the storytelling abilities of both wrestlers, and I'm loving the slow build of Rollins/HHH. A year ago, if you'd told me HHH would be a man we'd eagerly await every appearance of, I'd have laughed, yet here they are.

They announce Shawn Michaels for the Royal Rumble kickoff show, then recap the 1995 Royal Rumble where Shawn Michaels won from #1.

Cedric vs. Neville is official for tomorrow's 205 Live.

Backstage, Seth Rollins is looking for HHH. Mick says he doesn't know anything, he's not saying it was Stephanie, but it had to be someone. He then vows to get answers.

They show a video package for Mustafa Ali before his upcoming match. It's weird, they start off with his uncomfortably heel "I'm a heel because I rightfully call out the crowd for being racist" gimmick, but then transition into portraying him as a stereotype breaker.

Match Three: Drew Gulak, Tony Neese and Ariya Daivari vs. Mustafa Ali, TJ Perkins and Gentleman Jack Gallagher

Gallagher is now billed as Gentleman Jack Gallagher, and I dig it. But isn't the feud between him and Daivari supposed to be over as a stipulation?

Gallagher and Daivari start off, Gulak in, Jack with a snapmare, side headlock, Gulak presses him to the corner, boot, whip, Jack does a handstand, tornado bulldos, side headlock, Gulak whips his way out, Perkins in, top rope crossbody, Black Widow submission, into a rollup for two, Gulak with a punch, knee drop, Neese in, misses a shoulder tackle, Perkins with a dropkick, drops Gulak off the top rope, Neese crotches him, hits a boot to the gut, gut breaker, mounted punches, body scissors, Perkins punches his way out, Neese with a dropkick to the leg, springboard moonsault, Ali in, hurricanrana, blocks a boot, hits a spin kick, whip, reversed, Ali with a kick from the apron, neckbreaker through the apron for two as both opponents break the count a brawl breaks out, the faces win quickly, Ali goes up top, reverse 450 for three.

Winners: Mustafa Ali, TJ Perkins and Jack Gallagher

After a commercial, The New Day come out.

Woods: "Now, before we were so rudely interrupted last week--"

Kofi: "And the week before."

E: "And the week before that."

Woods: "We were explaining how we, the--"

All: "New Day!"

Woods: "Were going to win the Royal Rumble and become your WWE Universal--"

Enzo and Cass come out. "My name is Enzo (etc.)."

Cass: "This Sunday at the Alamodome, I'm going Stallone in '87, because I'm throwing 29 bodies over the top! Because I am officially entering the Royal Rumble match! And I'm going to prove that there's only ONE word to describe--"

Rusev and Jinder come out. Rusev: "Alright, enough of this! Big E, Big Cass, more like big goofs! The one thing I never understood is, why do you need to put 'Big' in front of your name? We get it, you guys are big, I understand. (USA chants) This is not about USA, this is about their stupid names! We get it, you guys are big, it's pretty obvious. But it's like putting 'handsome' in front of my name, I don't call myself 'Handsome' Rusev. Everybody knows you're big, everybody knows I'm handsome, and now everybody knows I'm officially entering the Royal Rumble match. That means one of you is going to come second, but I don't really care about you, because Rusev Machka!"

Titus comes out. "Now I'm not here to cause trouble, because unlike Titus brand, all of you are already in the Rumble."

E: "Last week, you promised to never annoy us again! And here you are right here!"

Titus: "I'm not here to cause you any disrespect."

Woods: "You've interrupted us every week, of course it's disrespectful! Why don't you catch me outside, how about that?"

Titus: "What does that mean?"

Woods: "It means what I just said? Catch me outside, how about that?"

Titus: "I don't understand what that means."

Kofi: "It means meet him outside, and he'll do what he has to do."

Titus: "We don't even have to go outside. I've just been informed that we have ourselves an eight-man tag match. All four of you against all four of us."

Woods: "First of all, there's five of us. And there's four of you, but one of you is Lana. And as much as we all want to see that, Lana, you fine, but no disrespect. Who is the fourth man on your team?"

Braun Strowman comes out.

Match Four: The New Day, Enzo and Cass vs. Rusev, Jinder Mahal, Titus O'Neil and Braun Strowman

Rusev and Kofi start off, Kofi with a crossbody for two, Rusev tosses him to the corner, Jinder in, beats him around the ring, Titus in, stomp for two, bear hug, Kofi with a punch, jawbreaker, goes for a tag, blocked, Titus hits a dominator, punch to Big E, Kofi drops him to the floor, Braun rolls Titus back into the ring, Jinder in, Cass in, pair of body slams, punches in the corner, tosses Jinder across the ring, avalanche, big boot, Enzo in, Bada Boom Shacka Lacka, Titus breaks the count before it starts, E hits him with a belly to belly, tosses Rusev to the apron, Rusev hits a boot, Big Cass returns the favour, Kofi with a suicide dive, Enzo with a rollup for two, goes for a boot, caught, hits an enziguri, Braun tags in, Enzo hulks up, Braun hits him with a tackle, running powerslam, blocked, Enzo with a boot, tornado DDT, reversed into a running powerslam for three.

Winners: Braun Strowman, Rusev, Jinder Mahal and Titus O'Neil

Big Show comes out, and Michael Cole informs us that he's in the Royal Rumble match. They stare each other down, circle each other, then Strowman leaves, saying it'll happen on his time.

As Show is walking off, he and New Day hang out with the commentary table.

Match Five: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Roman Reigns

Roman opens with a punch, tosses Jericho to the floor, follows, tosses him into the barricade, smashes his head into the apron, tosses him into the barricade again, drive-by, commercial.

Back on air, Owens has joined the commentary table, Reigns kicks out at two, Jericho locks in a chinlock, Roman eventually gets to his feet, punches, whip, reversed, Jericho with a dropkick for two, long-distance high fives Owens, kicks Reigns in the gut, slaps, Reigns with a chop, another, whip, Jericho with a boot to the face, Reigns tosses him to the apron, he goes up top, Reigns with a punch, Jericho with headbutts, leaps, Reigns with a punch, clothesline, another, whip, reversed, Reigns with a clothesline, charges Jericho in the corner, Jericho with a boot, Reigns goes for a Samoan Drop, reversed into a sunset flip or possibly just botched but either way Roman grabs the ropes, Jericho with punches, Reigns with a Samoan Drop for two, calls for a Superman Punch, eats a dropkick instead, Codebreaker, blocked, Jericho goes for a boot from the corner, reversed into a sitout powerbomb for two, Owens gets up from the commentary table and heads for ringside, Reigns goes for a spear, Jericho leapfrogs, Reigns hits a Superman Punch, Owens starts beating him down.

Winner by DQ: Roman Reigns

STILL US Champion: Chris Jericho

Owens keeps beating him down, Jericho joins in, Owens calls for the shark cage to be lowered, which it then is, Jericho rolls Reigns into the cage, Owens closes the door, Reigns pulls Owens' head into the door, then Jericho, Reigns with a boot to Owens, hits Jericho with the door, tosses Owens into the cage, locks the door, the cage starts going up, Jericho tries to pull it back down, winds up getting lifted off the ground, Reigns hits him with a Superman punch, hits a spear while Owens watches on from above.

The Resident Evil something or other moment is a video package for Bray Wyatt.

After a commercial, Jericho helps Owens get out of the cage. They take turns slamming the door, Charly Caruso hits the ring.

"Excuse me, Kevin. I've just been informed that not only will Chris Jericho be hanging above the ring, but that match will also be no disqualification."

"Are you kidding me? First he makes Chris Jericho, who has a known fear of heights, to hang in a stupid shark cage! But now he wants me to face a guy I've already beat in a no disqualifications match! Chris Jericho should not be above the ring in a shark cage, that is an unsafe working environment! I should not be defending my title in a no disqualification match, that match should be cancelled!"

Jericho: "Cancelled!"

They show Corey's interview with Charlotte. He asks what the upcoming title match means to her, she says that one of her earliest memories is watching Ric Flair win the 1992 Royal Rumble match, then says it's a tradition that Flairs dominate the Rumble while Bayley's family watches from the couch. She says she'll surpass her father this weekend. He asks about Bayley's comments that Charlotte's dad started her career with one phone call. She says she won't apologize for that, but she's proven she belongs, and she could be on top of the world in any other sport. Corey asks about Charlotte's attempts to make it personal, Charlotte says that was never her intention, she respects Bayley, but she was offended by Bayley looking at her title, and thinking she belongs in the same league. Corey asks how she sees it going. She says all eyes will be on her, and she'll hand the title to the ref knowing she'll get it back. She promises to punish Bayley for thinking she was in the same league, and vows to make Bayley's dad cry.

Match Six: Nia Jax vs. Rae Lynn

Nia presses Lynn to the corner, shoulder tackles, avalanche, bonsai drop to a seated Lynn for three.

Winner: Nia Jax

Charly: "Nia, congratulations on your victory, now--"

Nia: "Go away. I would like to dedicate my victory to the recently deceased career of Sasha Banks. Just one month ago, Sasha was your Raw Women's Champion, and now? She's largely forgotten. What difference a month makes. That makes for great TV! ESPN should do a 30 for 30 on the demise of Sasha Banks. Of course, I don't know if anyone would watch it, it'd be too tragic. Now that I broke the boss, I will definitely--"

Sasha comes to the ringside area on one crutch. She clubs Nia with it, then beats her down with the crutch until it breaks, Nia charges, Sasha tosses her to the floor, double knees from the apron.

Emmalina is still premiering soon.

Match Seven: Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann vs. Noam Dar (non-title)

Dar is now accompanied to the ring by Alicia Fox.

Swann with an arm drag, springboard arm drag, dropkick, Dar hits the floor, Swann goes for a suicide dive, Dar uses Fox as a human shield, Swann kicks him in the face from the apron instead, rolls Dar back in the ring, Dar hits a dropkick for two, commercial.

Back on air, Swann escapes a chinlock, hits a clothesline, then another, spin kick to the gut, double foot stomp to the back, charges, Dar with a boot from the corner, Swann with a super hurricanrana, spin kick for three.

Winner: Rich Swann

Swann: "Neville! Neville! Where you at? You claim to be a king, I think you're a jester! Come on out here, Neville! We ain't gotta wait until this Sunday! Come on out here!"

Neville comes out, gets one foot in the ring, then leaves. Swann hits a suicide dive, mounted punches, rolls Neville into the ring, Neville bails while Swann seethes.

Backstage, Charly Caruso asks Cedric Alexander about his match tomorrow night. He says with all this Dar/Fox stuff behind him, he can focus on being champion. Fox and Dar walk in, Fox says he'll be nothing without her, he points out that she didn't help Dar. Dar asks if they're good for stealing his girlfriend. Cedric says they're good for that, but then shoves him for attacking him last week. Fox says he's jealous and that he almost made Dar cry.

In addition to the tag match, Sasha vs. Nia is official for the kickoff show.

Goldberg hits the ring, busting his head open by headbutting a door on the way out. "So! Here we go! Okay, let's go for it again. We all know that the path to the WWE... engh, here we go. You guys have really made me screw up here! That's what happens! Hey, let's go for the third time! We all know that the WWE Universal Championship runs right through the Royal Rumble match. Okay? Now, this Sunday at the Alamodome, there'll be 29 other competitors, 29 other fighters, 29 other men that'll be gunning for the same thing I've been gunning for, and that is to earn an opportunity at either Kevin Owens or Roman Reigns. Now, let it be known that I will stop at nothing to obtain that WWE Universal Championship, I will stop at nothing. And if it means that I have to spear and Jackhammer 29 other guys this Sunday, then dammit, that's what I'm going to do. So all 29 other guys in the back, you are--"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Paul Heyman hits the scene. "Ladies and gentlemen, and Goldberg too, my name is Paul Heyman, and I was compelled to come out here tonight and address Mr. Goldberg's oh-so-astute observations. Being the marketing genius that I am, I think they should rename the Royal Rumble the Royal Rumble: Imagine the Possibilities. Because like a can't-lose lotto ticket, no matter which number is drawn, imagine the dream scenarios. You could see that man against Randy Orton, you could see that man, Goldberg against Braun Strowman, you could see that man, Goldberg, against any of the surprises they pull out of their tuckus every year. You could even see that man, Goldberg, against Undertaker. Or you could, just maybe, see that man, Goldberg, against the beast, the conqueror, the Goldberg-eating carnivore, Brock Lesnar!"

Lesnar hits the ramp alongside Heyman. He stares down Goldberg while Heyman holds him back.

Heyman: "Behold, Mr. Goldberg, the object, the instrument of your demise. Because this Sunday night, in the Royal Rumble match, you will be beaten, victimized, emasculated, embarrassed, victimized, conquered, Mr. Goldberg. And only then, only then Mr. Goldberg, you will be tossed over the top rope and eliminated. Not just eliminated by any man in the Royal Rumble, but by your subjugator, Brock--"

Goldberg: "Yeah, yeah, Brock Lesnar, we get it! Are you going to get in this ring? Or are you just going to sit there like a dumbass?"

Lesnar heads toward the ring, then circles it as Heyman tries to hold him back. He steps into the ring, stares down Goldberg, and the lights go out. When they come back on, The Undertaker is in the ring! Heyman gestures frantically for Lesnar to leave the ring, the gong keeps going as the arena is bathed in blue and the show fades to black.

And that is why this might be the greatest Rumble of all time. Like the classic stories interwoven through the Rumble, Reigns/Authority last year, Benoit vs. the world in 2004, Randy Orton struggling not to get fired in 2009, Lesnar vs. Goldberg is a match on its own sandwiched into another match. But unlike all of those, as the Deadman just showed us, it will be swallowed up by an avalanche of significance.