WWE RAW Birmingham, Alabama, January 9, 2022
Commentators are Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves.
– WWE Monday Night RAW kicks off with commentators welcoming us.
– Kevin Owens enters the ring. Owens says he’ll be challenging Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble in three weeks…
Owens is cut off from the music by JBL. JBL comes along and says that people here believe Big Foot, Chewbacca and others, but nobody here believes that Kevin Owens can beat Roman Reigns. JBL introduces us to the talented Baron Corbin. Corbin says Owens has no chance of beating Reigns. Owens is a loser like Alabama to Georgia. Reigns will destroy Owens at the Royal Rumble. And if he makes it to the Rumble, he enters the match, wins it, and then becomes the WWE Universal Champion.
Owens gets discouraged in the ring. JBL tells Owens to show respect. JBL says if Owens wants to take a nap, he can put him to sleep. Owens says he’s about to go into a coma when Corbin arrives. Owens says he has no problem beating Corbin if he has to. JBL agrees.
Kevin Owens vs. Baron Corbin acc. by JBL
Late in the game, Corbin punches Owens and charges, but Owens blocks him with a kick and his stunner for the three-pointer.
Winner: Kevin Owens
After the fight, Jey Uso arrives at ringside, Owens leaves the ring to block and beat him up, but Jimmy and Solo Sikoa arrive to help Jey. Owens manages to grab a chair and fend off the Bloodline members with chair kicks.
– Back after the break, backstage, the Bloodline arrests Adam Peace. Jimmy says it was a message from the Bloodline. Pearce says there will be a tag team riot tonight and the winning team will earn a match for the tag team titles. The Usos will be gone for the rest of the evening and Sikoa will have to confront Dolph Ziggler whom he bullied.
– We present a video of last Monday’s match between Bianca Belair and Alexa Bliss on RAW. Commentators report Belair unharmed by Bliss’ attack. Alexa Bliss lands on the comment table. She says Belair might be the champion, but she’s the only one here. Belair isn’t afraid of Bray Wyatt or Uncle Howdy, but of her because she is the face of evil.
And she’s never felt better about taking control. She’s got the world in her hands and she’s not afraid to use it to tag Belair and take the title. Alexa Bliss is interrupted by a video of Uncle Howdy asking her if she really feels in control. Smoke billows from the stage and Uncle Howdy comes on stage. Hello laughs.
– Back, the wrestlers are arriving. The match was about to start, but Bayley took the mic. Bayley says she wants to text Becky Lynch. She knows Becky is watching for her with his obsession. The match will be specially dedicated to Becky. She doesn’t know if Becky is jealous because she can’t have a boyfriend. Maybe Becky is missing tonight because she can’t live with the thought of losing. Sky and Kai have been working hard so tonight she’s freeing them up to go backstage.
Bayley acc by Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky vs Michin Mia Yim
By the end of the fight, Michin has the advantage, but Bayley surprises Michin with a roll up with his feet on a cable to complete the three.
Winner: Bayley
– The commenters announce that Johnny Gargano is suffering from a sprained ligament in his shoulder and will be back very soon. Behind the scenes, Cathy asks Candice LeRae for updates on Gargano. LeRae says Gargano won’t be able to compete in Tag Team Turmoil, but he needs to come back to 100% before he can wrestle. Cathy asks what’s in store for LeRae in the future.
LeRae says the Royal Rumble is coming, everyone dreams of this moment. Rhea Ripley arrives and says that LeRae is crazy to think she can win the rumble match. She’s willing to break it into pieces to show him. LeRae says they don’t have to wait for the rumble. Ripley accepted.
– The back, Austin theory comes into the ring and takes the microphone. The theory says the champion is HERE! The truth is that he is the present and the present is forever. Where is our visionary? Where’s Seth Rollins? He thought Rollins would defeat him, humiliate him, but Rollins’ old knee wouldn’t hold up. We know what happened last Monday, Seth Rollins passed, Seth Rollins was taken to school by US Champion Austin Theory. Seth Rollins’ music begins and he arrives on crutches. Rollins throws a crutch, showing he can finally walk on a crutch. The crowd sings their theme song. The theory is that maybe the fans are singing his theme song and it’s real, but the pain is real too. Rollins wants to pretend he’s fine but he beat him last Monday. If Rollins is the mountain of business, then he is the pinnacle of business. Rollins is good but he’s past him and ready for big things. For example if he will win the 2023 Royal Rumble match. But there is more! After winning the Rumble, he will head to WrestleMania to emerge as the United States Champion and the new WWE Universal Champion.
Rollins asks him if he’s done. Rollins says he needs to give an update on his knee. The truth is his knee is not 100%. But his knee will be 100%, just in time for him to win the Royal Rumble. Which leaves Seth Freakin Rollins plenty of time to do the main event of WrestleMania. For the same reason, he came here to hear the fans sing. The fans start singing again. Rollins says they’ll see each other again at the Rumble. Rollins leaves him his crutch and leaves the ring, but the Bobby Lashley music starts! Lashley passes Rollins on the ramp and approaches the ring. The theory tells Lashley to stay out of the ring, Lashley is past. Lashley enters the ring, dodges a kickstand and spears Theory! Lashley kicks Theory out of the ring. Lashley says it doesn’t matter who’s in the Royal Rumble because he’s back. His suspension is up and he can’t wait to get all the wrestlers out of the ring.
Rhea Ripley vs. Candice LeRae
At the end of the fight, Ripley performs his Riptide on LeRae to make the three count.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
– Behind the scenes, Byron Saxton stops Bobby Lashley for his details on his participation in the Royal Rumble. MVP arrives and says he would like to speak to Lashley privately. Lashley refuses to shake hands with MVP. MVP says Lashley should thank him for bringing him back to RAW. He wants everyone to come together to reflect on the good things they are all doing together. He convinced Adam Pearce to realize that RAW needed Lashley, as did Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin. Lashley says he can’t forget what happened, they’ll stay here tonight. MVP says if Lashley changes his mind, he’ll know where to find him.
– Back, commenters announce that Money in the Bank 2023 will be held in London, England (details here).
– Introducing Part 2 of the Cody Rhodes Returns video.
For the continuation of RAW click here.