WWE RAW New Orleans, Louisiana
The commentators are Michael Cole and Wade Barrett.
– Tonight is WWE RAW, the red show begins with Cole's welcome. We see a video from today of CM Punk and Cody Rhodes arriving at the venue.
– The music of Seth Rollins begins and the world heavyweight champion arrives with a knee brace and a limp. Rollins takes his place in the middle of the ring and the crowd sings his theme song. Seth Rollins begins to cry and the crowd chants “Thank you, Seth.” Seth welcomes us to Monday Night Rollins. Rollins says it's been a long week, so he really appreciates the fans' reaction. Seven days ago he was in the ring defending his title against Jinder Mahal. He jumped onto the cables with a moonsault, like he does in almost all of his matches, and felt his knee being pulled inward in a way it shouldn't be. He defeated Mahal, finished the match, addressed the audience and went backstage. He sat down and realized he might be on the sidelines for a long time.
Rollins said that earlier in the night he said he was stronger every time he defended his title, but he felt like a liar when he couldn't move his knee. The possibility is real that he could miss WrestleMania. The crowd chants “No.” Rollins says he did some scans and received the results mid-week. He has a torn inner ligament and a partial tear of the meniscus. The doctor told him that the operation would take 3 to 4 months. If it were up to him, he'd be here next week doing stomps in the ring because that's what he loves. But it's not just his decision. They don't really know what the future holds for him. So he takes it day by day and week by week. Imperium's music bothers Rollins.
The clan arrives and Gunther enters the ring alone. Rollins says he doesn't have time for this. So if you're here to make an example of him, you can come now. Gunther says they have a match with the New Day later, Rollins should turn his attention to him. Gunther says the two have been avoiding each other for a while, but tonight is a good time to voice his opinion about Rollins. Rollins says if that's the case, why not. Gunther says Rollins was in a tough spot. From the start, Rollins had to fight to defend his title every week. A champion who brings respect and honor to a championship. A champion that everyone here can be proud of, a champion like him. But it hurts him to see Rollins like this and he learns that Rollins may not be able to attend WrestleMania. It really makes him sad. Rollins says Gunther and his people should have let him finish. He wanted to say that he didn't care what the doctor said or how hard he had to work for his recovery. He will push his knee to the limit and take this title with him to WrestleMania! And he will do everything in his power to emerge from WrestleMania as the World Heavyweight Champion. !
Gunther says that's good, he's happy to hear that. Last week he thought he saw a fallen champion, and this week Rollins is willing to do whatever it takes to remain champion. He has a lot of respect because he would do the same thing as Rollins. Rollins reminds him a lot of himself, so since he's another good champion, he'll win the Royal Rumble match on Saturday. And he will choose Seth Rollins as his opponent for WrestleMania. But with respect he will target Rollins' knees, Rollins' back and anything else that isn't 100% to beat Rollins and become the new heavyweight champion of the world. Rollins said he appreciated Gunther's honesty. Gunther can challenge him after the Royal Rumble, but Gunther must not forget the person he will face. Gunther says Rollins needs to remember who is coming for him. The two wrestlers shake hands.
Gunther leaves the ring, but New Day arrives to attack the Empire at ringside.
– Back after the break the game begins.
Tag team match
Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci) vs. New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
At the end of the fight, the two teams face each other at ringside and the referee counts to ten.
Winner: None – Double Count Out
– After the fight, the fight between the two teams continues at ringside and in the audience. Woods crates Kaiser in the crowd. They both go up top, Woods beats him. Woods puts Kaiser on his shoulders, but Vinci steps in to stop Woods. Imperium tries to suplex Woods, but Kofi intervenes and tackles everyone, they all fall through the tables.
– Commentators present the WWE 2K24 cover featuring Cody Rhodes. Can be discovered at this link with the trailer.
– Back after the break, behind the scenes, we find this Day of Judgment. Rhea Ripley says it looks like Priest wants to fight anyone. She went to Adam Pearce and he decided that they would face DIY for the tag team titles next week. Drew McIntyre is the least of their worries. Damian Priest says he's not looking for a fight, Drew will be taken care of by him. He's not the one making a big deal about being on the cover of 2K or chatting about games with Adam Pearce. Ripley should stop this. The priest leaves and says he needs to clear his head. Ripley tells JD that DIY is long overdue. Finn Balor laughs. Ripley says it's no fun, Priest will take care of Drew alone and Balor has to accompany DomDom and JD in their match.
– Backstage, Jackie asks Ivy Nile for her comments before her match. Maxxine Dupri says Valhalla is not ready for Nil. She's not the pit bull for nothing. Nile agrees.
Single game
Ivy Nile accompanied by Maxxine Dupri against Valhalla
At the end of the fight, Valhalla pushes Nile back into the corner. Valhalla goes at her to hit and hold her, but Nile blocks her and hits a bulldog out of the corner for a three count.
Winner: Ivy Nile
– Behind the scenes we see how the new day recovers. Jey Uso comes to congratulate them. Jackie comes and asks where this Empire thing will end. Xavier Woods says they're 12-time tag team champions for a reason. Others can no longer deny it. Kofi Kingston said it was an example of what happens when you push New Day too hard. Jey isn't the only one who wants to win a title, they do too. So he challenges Gunther to an Intercontinental title match on RAW next week.
– Back, Nia Jax enters the ring and takes the microphone. Nia Jax says she beat Rhea Ripley in the first match. When she first met Becky Lynch, she was devastated. Both said they wanted to face each other at WrestleMania. She understands exactly why. Ripley wants to fight Becky because she believes she can defeat her. Ripley doesn't want to face him because she has no chance. And Becky knows that if she confronts him, she will be devastated again. So at the Royal Rumble she will shatter both of their dreams. Becky Lynch's music starts and she comes. Becky says Nia has something new to talk about in the first 5 years because she beat him, well done. Becky says she knows she has a big goal in her sights, but Nia has an even bigger goal. It's not because Nia is bigger than the others, it's because nobody likes Nia.
Becky says Nia probably hurt half the division. So on Saturday she doesn't know whether she'd rather see Nia Jax win the Royal Rumble for the second time in her career or lose. The music of Bayley begins and she comes. Bayley says the two idiots in the ring will lose. It's a great reunion in the ring, she couldn't miss it. She's here to make it clear she's going to win the Royal Rumble and points to the WrestleMania sign! There is a confrontation between the three wrestlers in the ring. Becky manages to perform her Man Handle Slam on Bayley, but Nia takes the opportunity to throw her out of the ring. Nia follows up with a leg drop on Bayley.
– We present a video of the Royal Rumble records.
– Becky Lynch is running backstage and Rhea Ripley stops her. Ripley says Becky should make other plans for WrestleMania.
Single game
Dominik Mysterio accompanied by Finn Balor and JD McDonagh against The Miz
At the end of the match, Miz blocks the 619 and pushes Dominik away. The referee is distracted by McDonagh at ringside, Balor takes the opportunity to hit Miz! Dominik follows up with his 619 and his frog splash on Miz for a three count.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
– After the match, Finn Balor begins to beat the Miz. DIY enters the ring to hunt down Judgment Day.
– Backstage, Jackie is with Damian Priest to get his comments on his match. Damian says he first congratulates Dominik on his match. R-Truth comes out and gives Priest some money, saying it's his share for the week. Priest says it's serious now, it's not the right time for it. Truth agrees to stop. Priest says Drew McIntyre likes to talk, so he'll talk too. Drew was the man in a time when the world was harsh. Now Drew can't beat Gunther or Rollins and Drew wants to stop him from becoming champion. But one day he will be champion and tonight Drew will receive his punishment.
– Back, backstage, we find Bronson Reed. Reed says he knows Jey Uso wants to be solo champion, but he knows that too. At some point their paths will cross. The sooner it happens, the better, as nothing stands in the way. That's why he wants to face Jey Uso on RAW next week!
Single game
Chad Gable vs. Ivar
At the end of the fight, Ivar launches a leg drop from the corner on Gable and covers him, but he blocks two. Ivar goes to continue, but Gable grabs his leg and applies an ankle lock. Ivar defends himself and grabs a cable. Ivar follows with a powerbomb on Gable and covers him, but he gets two. Ivar goes to the corner for a moonsault but Gable avoids it and goes for his German suplex into the bridge but Ivar gets two. Gable and Ivar will face off in the corner, Gable manages to block Ivar and gives him a German suplex out of the corner! Gable goes to the corner, but Valhalla comes in to scare him. Ivar takes the opportunity to body slam Gable. Ivar continues his moonsault from the corner for the win.
Winner: Ivar
– Back, Cody Rhodes enters the ring first for the faceoff. Next up is CM Punk. The crowd is split between CM Punk and Cody chants. Punk says take a minute to enjoy the moment. The two took very different paths and eventually met at the Royal Rumble. The crowd starts chanting again. Cody asks CM Punk what he wants to talk about. Punk says he wants to talk about Cody's dad. He doesn't know if Cody knows the story, he's never met him. In 2007, Dusty Rhodes called him and told him he was sending his son to OVW so he could begin training. Dusty warned him to keep an eye on his son. He didn't know if he was the right person for it, but when Dusty Rhodes asked him for a favor, the answer was yes.
Punk says it wasn't a hard job. Cody didn't crave vices like many others. Cody developed into a main event caliber wrestler. He's proud of Cody. He brings this story from his father because he feels like he's breaking a promise on Saturday. On Saturday at the Royal Rumble, he won't be watching Cody, he'll be looking for him. He's going to punch Cody in the face and take him out of the ring because CM Punk is going to win the Royal Rumble and go to the main event of WrestleMania. Cody says Punk isn't alone in this feeling. Through his father, he has worked with countless legends. These legends always see him as Dusty Rhodes, he's a big shadow. But since his return he has always worked to be the light in that shadow and to be his own man.
Cody says he came to OVW without any matches. And there was CM Punk, who toured the US for ten years. Punk may have treated him badly, but at that point they became friends. What makes this story bitter is that there are no friends in the Royal Rumble. Punk asks what will happen on Sunday morning. He knows there are no friends in the Rumble Match. He can separate the business from the personal, but can Cody? Cody grew up in this business, he is the son of a legend. Punk says he and Cody have different paths. He didn't have a popular father. Cody got off to a great start despite having to work hard. Yes, Cody was able to step out of the shadows and congratulations on that. Two very different paths, but a similar goal.
Punk says he didn't have the popular father. He didn't eat large meals. His father was a normal guy, an electrician. It's ironic, he's more of the American dream than Cody. Cody says he wants to talk about the pipe bomb to the American dream. Punk was on stage, he said a few words to start a revolution. He was inspired by punk at the time, but then punk left him. Punk is really gone. Punk didn't pass the torch, he dropped it. He took the opportunity to pick up the torch. He did everything Punk said. That makes him more CM punk than punk, which is ironic. Punk says he will give him the WrestleMania Adventure experience. Cody comes in and gets a spot on the cover of WWE 2K24. Just as Cody reaches the finish line, a bigger superstar arrives to take his place. And he talks about himself !
Cody says Punk might be right. Cody says his father said courage meant being afraid of death but facing it. He has to do it, there is only one direction. The path is the Royal Rumble and it goes through CM Punk ! Cody drops the mic and shoves Punk. Punk stops him and the two face each other. The two finally decide to leave the ring on both sides.
– We present a video of Hulk Hogan looking back on his career to celebrate his 40th career anniversary. Hogan also votes on his selection for the Royal Rumble with CM Punk or Cody Rhodes or perhaps a wild card. Who knows, maybe he has one more game in him.
– Back at ringside are the tag team champions to watch the next match.
Tag team match
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell vs. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
At the end of the fight, Stark turns his Z360 on LeRae and counts to three.
Winners: Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
– After the fight, the champions enter the ring to face the winners, but the Kabuki Warriors break through the crowd and attack the champions from behind!
– Backstage, Jackie is with Drew McIntyre to see if he has anything to say about Cody and Punk’s face-to-face conversation. Drew says no, he's already told them everything personally. But he listened to Damian Priest's words. Yes, the world wasn't at its best when he was champion, but the people needed a hero. He was very proud to be there for people and save lives. But Priest is not ready to become champion, he will prove it tonight.
– Back, behind the scenes, Damage CTRL is talking to each other. Natalya and Tegan Nox stop the clan and say they can't come to RAW like that. The two clans argue. Adam Pearce arrives and asks for calm. Pearce says he invited Bayley but it wasn't meant to cause chaos. Bayley says Adam Pearce will see more of the Kabuki Warriors if they win the titles.
Pearce keeps going but Indus Sher stops him. Jinder Mahal says he wants to talk to Adam Pearce about the man who feuded with The Rock and the man who hurt Seth Rollins. Pearce invites him to his office.
– We present another video on the statistics of the Royal Rumble.
– The commentators introduce the Royal Rumble card that will take place this Saturday and can be found here.
– Back, the wrestlers are coming.
Single game
Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre
At the end of the match, R-Truth comes to the ring to give Priest the money, but Priest knocks him to the floor. Priest returns to the ring, but McIntyre is waiting for him with a Future Shock DDT. McIntyre prepares for his Claymore Kick, but Truth gets on the apron to reveal the password to the briefcase to Priest. McIntyre hits the truth and money falls everywhere. Priest blocks the Claymore with a ChokeSlam to cover him, but the referee is still busy with Truth. Priest tosses Truth out of the ring, but McIntyre takes the opportunity to hit Priest with his Claymore Kick for a three count.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
The show ends with a celebration of McIntyre.
Photo credit: WWE