WWE RAW aired live from the ThunderDome inside Tropicana Field. It was Legends Night on this week’s RAW and several superstars from the past made appearances throughout the show. Drew McIntyre defended the WWE Championship against Keith Lee in the main event.
WWE RAW Results (1/4)
- New Day def. The Miz & John Morrison
- AJ Styles def. Elias
- Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce def. Asuka & Charlotte Flair
- Riddle def. Bobby Lashley
- Dana Brooke def. Shayna Baszler
- Randy Orton def. Jeff Hardy
- Lucha House Party def. Hurt Business
- Drew McIntyre def. Keith Lee to retain the WWE Championship
Here are the takeaways from this week’s show:
New Day Picked Up A Win
The Miz and John Morrison kicked off RAW with an episode of Miz TV. Miz and Morrison welcomed New Day as their first guests of the new year. New Day joked that they have a new talk show called “New Day Talks” and that Miz and Morrison were their guests.
Kofi claimed he was the host and Xavier Woods was the band leader. New Day mocked The Miz by shouting “correct!” several times. The Miz finally had enough and shouted that he was sick of New Day making a joke out of his show.
Teddy Long interrupted and said that Miz and Morrison will face The Undertaker. Adam Pearce informed Teddy that Undertaker is retired and made a tag team match between Miz & Morrison and the New Day.
Kingston took Miz down to the canvas and applied a Headlock. Miz battled to his feet and broke the hold. Miz connected with a shoulder tackle but Kingston shrugged it off and hit a Crossbody for a near fall. Morrison tagged in and Kofi greeted him with a Dropkick to the face for a two count.
Kofi twerked around the ring and then leaped onto Miz and Morrison outside the ring as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Miz and Morrison had Kofi isolated in the corner of the ring. Kofi eventually escaped and tagged in Xavier Woods.
Morrison absolutely leveled Woods with a forearm to the face but Xavier responded with a forearm shot of his own. Kingston hit Miz with a Clothesline off the steps as Woods connected with a Shining Wizard on Morrison for the pinfall victory.
Orton Didn’t Light Alexa Bliss On Fire
Randy Orton was interviewed backstage and said that he couldn’t light Alexa Bliss on fire because he was changed by The Fiend and showed restraint. Orton added that he hated himself for that but he has realized that he is truly capable of anything. Randy wondered what would happen if he directed his new found hatred for himself towards someone else. Orton claimed he was going to go find some legends and remind him why he is called “The Legend Killer”.
AJ Styles def. Elias
AJ Styles faced Elias tonight on RAW. Omos and Jaxson Ryker were ringside for the match. Elias hit a Belly to Back Suplex but AJ Styles immediately applied a Headlock. Elias escaped and caught Styles with an elbow to the face. Elias knocked Styles out of the ring with a forearm to the face as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Elias and AJ were battling in the corner of the ring. Elias hit Styles with a Chokeslam and went for the cover but AJ was able to power out at a two count. AJ went for the Phenomenal Forearm but Elias countered with a knee strike to Styles’ face for another near fall.
Styles sent Elias into the turnbuckle and followed it up with a Brainbuster. AJ then connected with the Styles Clash in hte middle of the ring for the pinfall victory. After the match, Ryker tried to hit Styles with the guitar but Omos booted it away in impressive fashion. Ryker was shocked and retreated out of the ring.
Ric Flair Cost Charlotte & Asuka The Match
Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair .and Asuka faced Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans. Ric Flair accompanied Charlotte to the ring.
Flair and Royce started off the match by locking up. Charlotte connected with a slam and quickly tagged Lacey Evans in. Lacey waved at Ric Flair and Charlotte capitalized with a Headlock. Charlotte went for the Figure Four but Evans was able to get to the bottom rope.
Peyton Royce tagged in as Evans hit Flair with a cheap shot. Royce beat Flair down and tagged Evans back in. Flair hit Evans with a Backbreaker and tagged in Asuka. The RAW Women’s Champion hit Lacey with a Dropkick and delivered a shoulder tackle to Peyton Royce.
Asuka connected with a Hip Attack and followed it up with a Clothesline on Royce for a two count. Lacey Evans started dancing in front of Ric and Charlotte slapped her in the face. Evans and Charlotte continued to brawl ringside as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Royce and Evans had Asuka isolated in the corner. Asuka planted Royce with a Neckbreaker and tagged in Charlotte. Lacey tagged in at the same time and Flair greeted her with a Clothesline. Flair hit Evans with a series of chops and Royce tagged in.
Charlotte connected with a Fallaway Slam and climbed up to the top rope. Flair hit a Moonsault onto Royce and Evans and tagged in Asuka. Asuka hit Royce with a kick to the face for a near fall. Charlotte tagged back in and hit Natural Selection but Evans broke up the cover.
Royce hit Asuka with a Neckbreaker on the apron and started crawling towards Ric Flair. Charlotte hit Lacey with a Dropkick and then Ric tripped up his daughter. Peyton capitalized with a roll-up for the pinfall victory. After the match, Charlotte told Ric Flair to get out of here.
Riddle Pinned The US Champion
Matt Riddle squared off against Bobby Lashley tonight on RAW. MVP accompanied United States Champion Lashley to the ring for the match. Riddle attacked Lashley in the corner before the bell rang. The match officially started and Riddle hit Lashley with a few more strikes to the midsection.
Lashley connected with a slam and then beat Riddle down in the corner of the ring. The action spilled out of the ring and Lashley smashed Riddle’s face into the ring post as RAW went to a commercial break. When RAW returned, Lashley was still in control and had Riddle in a submission lock in the middle of the ring.
Riddle escaped and booted Lashley in the midsection but the US Champion immediately responded with a Clothesline. Riddle hit a kick to the face and then a running forearm in the corner of the ring. Riddle followed it up with a Broton and went for the cover but Lashley kicked out at one.
Riddle hit the Final Flash but Lashley kicked out at one again. Lashley planted Riddle with the Dominator and applied the Hurt Lock. Riddle accidentally bumped into the referee and tapped out but the ref didn’t see it. Lashley celebrated like he won and Riddle rolled him up from behind for the pinfall victory. After the match, Lashley vowed to punish Riddle the next time he gets his hands on him.
Orton Mocked The Legends & Beat Jeff Hardy
Randy Orton intimidated retired legends backstage throughout the show. Orton got in the Big Show’s face and dared him to do something about. Randy mocked Mark Henry for showing up on a scooter and announced that he was going to be in the Royal Rumble. Orton mocked Mark for never being able to compete in the Royal Rumble again and threatened to hit Henry if he didn’t pedal his ass out of the arena.
Orton approached Ric Flair backstage and told him that his daughter ten times the competitor he ever was. Randy brought up punting his head recently and that Ric is not the man he used to be. Orton called Ric a pathetic old man and grinned in his face.
Randy Orton faced Jeff Hardy to begin the third hour of RAW. Orton stomped on Hardy’s face and then threw him to the outside. Orton went after him and bounced Jeff’s head off the announce table several times. Back in the ring, Jeff connected with a Clothesline but Orton responded with a kick to the head.
Orton paced around Hardy and stomped on his hands a couple times before applying a Headlock. Jeff escaped and hit the Twist of Fate before making his way to the top rope. Orton rolled out of the ring and Hardy hit him with a Clothesline off the ring apron as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Orton had Hardy in another Headlock but Jeff quickly escaped. Orton hit a Clothesline for a two count and went back to the Headlock. Randy went for a DDT but Hardy countered with an inverted Atomic Drop and then a Splash for a near fall.
Hardy followed it up with Whisper in the Wind and went for the cover but Orton was able to kick out at the last moment. Orton planted Jeff with a DDT and bought himself some time to regroup. Jeff went for the Twist of Fate but Orton countered into the RKO for the pinfall victory.
Dana Brooke def. Shayna Baszler
Mandy Rose was set to face Shayna Baszler tonight. As Mandy was making her entrance, Shayna attacked Mandy from behind and launched her into the barricade. Dana Brooke rushed the ring and took Mandy’s place in the match. Shayna ducked under a Clothesline and booted Dana in the leg. Shayna applied the Kirifuda Clutch but Brooke countered into a roll-up for the win. Shayna didn’t break the hold but Mandy Rose did so by beating Baszler down.
The RAW Tag Champs Aren’t Getting Along
RAW Tag Team Champions Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander faced Lucha House Party tonight. MVP was on commentary for the match. Gran Metalik hit Benjamin with a Hurricanrana and then went for another one but Shelton caught him with a massive Powerbomb. Cedric and Lince tagged in and Dorado hit Alexander with a Hurricanrana. Hurt Business isolated Dorado in the corner and started arguing over with each other. Lince capitalized and rolled up Shelton for the pinfall victory. After the match, MVP, Benjamin, and Alexander argued ringside. Cedric then left on his own.
Goldberg Challenged Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre put the WWE Championship on the line against Keith Lee in the main event of this week’s show. Hulk Hogan, Booker T, and the rest of the legends stood on the entrance ramp for the title match. McIntyre and Lee locked up to start off the action.
McIntyre drove Keith Lee to the corner and then to the ropes and the referee separated the two superstars. Keith Lee and McIntyre traded chops and punches in the middle of the ring. McIntyre brought Keith to the corner again and unloaded some more chops.
Keith Lee sent McIntyre out of the ring and then launched him over the barricade as RAW went to a commercial break. Keith Lee was still in control when RAW returned and had McIntyre trapped in the corner. Lee planted McIntyre with a slam and went for the cover but the WWE Champion kicked out at two.
McIntyre hit a chop to the chest and went for a Belly to Belly Suplex but Lee caught him with a headbutt. Drew McIntyre showed off his power and launched McIntyre across the ring to buy himself some time. McIntyre hit a Neckbreaker and set up in the corner for the Claymore.
Lee dodged the Claymore but McIntyre rolled him up for a near fall. Keith slammed McIntyre to the mat for another two count. The action spilled out of the ring and McIntyre Powerbombed Keith Lee through the announce table as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, McIntyre connected with a flying Clothesline off the top rope for another near fall. McIntyre followed it up with the Future Shock DDT but once again Keith was able to kick out at two. Lee perched McIntyre up on the top rope and joined him on the turnbuckle.
Keith Lee hit an unbelievable Spanish Fly off the top rope and went for the cover but somehow the WWE Champion was able to kick out at two. Keith went for the Spirit Bomb but McIntyre countered into a Spinebuster for a two count. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Lee caught him. McIntyre escaped and hit the Claymore for the pinfall victory. Drew McIntyre is still the WWE Champion.
After the match, Drew McIntyre grabbed the microphone but was interrupted by Goldberg. McIntyre smiled as Goldberg entered the ring. Goldberg said he was in the back and was thinking that there could not be a better representative to be the WWE Champion. Goldberg said McIntyre has got speed and athleticism, but the one thing Drew doesn’t have is respect. Goldberg claimed that McIntyre believes that he is better than everyone of the legends in their prime. Goldberg got in McIntyre’s face and challenged McIntyre to a match for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble. McIntyre said fighting Goldberg would be like fighting his own dad. Goldberg punched McIntyre and RAW abruptly went off the air.
Opinion: McIntyre and Keith Lee put on a great title match but the rest of tonight’s show was rough. The legends were mainly relegated to pointless backstage segments and I really don’t have any interest in another title match including Goldberg. Unless you are a die hard Goldberg fan, the ending of tonight’s show was nothing to get excited about. I’m assuming that McIntyre will win and will have the match against Sheamus at WrestleMania. I don’t see the appeal of having Goldberg as WWE Champion in 2021.
