RAW Results and Recap: A Fresh Start
As the steel cage descends to kick off this week’s Monday Night RAW in Detroit, Michael Cole announces that Drew McIntyre will be an entrant in the men’s Royal Rumble match. The road to WrestleMania officially begins on January 27, 2019.
Drew McIntyre def. Dolph Ziggler, in a Steel Cage match
After Dolph Ziggler took the pinfall in last week’s Triple Threat match between himself, Drew McIntyre, and Finn Balor (who pinned Ziggler), McIntyre made clear just how much he resents his former tag team partner. So this match is just the icing on the cake, adding even more insult to injury. But Ziggler starts the match off by actually just trying to escape the cage with his quickness, a strategy that only ends in McIntyre rocking him to his core and then toying with him, screaming “YOU WANTED THIS.” That is actually true.
So McIntyre gives him the beating he basically asked for, and while Ziggler is able to get momentary bursts of offense, he’s cut back down to size just as quickly. At one point, McIntyre even tries to win the match by escape, seemingly done playing with his food, but Ziggler pulls him back in and bangs his head into the steel cage multiple times… before McIntyre kicks Ziggler’s leg out of his leg and crotches him. But then Ziggler gives it right back, and they’re both crotched. Not exactly where anyone thought this match would go, is it?
After this, McIntyre is back in charge and back with the trash-talking and the teasing. (Backstage, Finn Balor watches on.) Ziggler eventually gets his momentum back and even hits McIntyre with a superkick, but it’s only enough for a two-count. After that, Ziggler tries to crawl out the door, but McIntyre pulls him back, and both men end up headbutting each other at the same time. Again, Ziggler tries to escape from the door… and again, he’s pulled right back in. But Ziggler makes sure to hit McIntyre in the head with the door as it happens. These men are just breaking themselves right now, and at the very least, the WWE Universe appreciates it. “THIS IS AWESOME,” they chant. It’s true. And McIntyre eggs Ziggler on to fight, which allows a last-gasp ZigZag… which only gets the two-count again. And before you know it—as Ziggler is about to bust out another superkick—Claymore Kick!
One more Claymore Kick, and that’s all she wrote. But after the match—after a delirious Ziggler screams, “Is that all you’ve got!?”—another Claymore Kick is… even more what she wrote. (This Claymore Kick comes with a steel chair because Drew McIntyre is a psychopath that way.) As if that’s not enough of a statement, McIntyre then makes a literal statement, announcing his Royal Rumble news to the WWE Universe. He also announces that he’ll finally fulfill his “destiny” when he wins the Universal Championship at WrestleMania because he is “the king of the RAW jungle.” McIntyre then starts to leave until he sees Ziggler get back up, which leads him to go finish the job with another Claymore Kick.
Shane McMahon and Triple H are here now, which possibly explains why no authority figure of any sort stopped McIntyre’s destruction. You know, Baron Corbin might as well still be in charge with that kind of leadership…
But after dealing with Baron Corbin’s temper tantrum last week, Seth Rollins has his eyes on a “fresh start” and back on the prize this week. Specifically, getting back his Intercontinental Championship from Dean Ambrose. However, as the McMahons noted the other week and Triple H reiterates this week, there are no longer automatic title rematches, so he’ll have to get in the back of the line. Triple H actually “not sure” Rollins deserves the rematch anyway. In fact, he says wants to see “the old Seth Rollins” come out, the man he used to believe in. “The guy that took what he wanted.” He calls current Rollins a “shell” of that man, asking for things instead of taking them.
But Rollins points out he’s been carrying RAW on his back in 2018. “You want that ruthless bastard. You want that soulless guy who will do whatever it takes to get what he wants?” Triple H does want that, and he wants Rollins to burn it all down—starting with Bobby Lashley tonight. Rollins says he will burn Lashley down, then Ambrose (on his way back to
Apollo Crews won the Battle Royal (to become the #1 Contender for the Intercontinental Championship)
The first competitor in the over-the-top-rope battle royal is Finn Balor, who exchanges a Too Sweet with Triple H as they cross paths. And out last? Baron Corbin, who literally no one in the match is excited to see enter the ring. (Backstage, Dean Ambrose watches the match.) Unfortunately, Corbin ends up eliminating Balor, right when Balor is on a roll too. The final three are Corbin, Apollo Crews, and… Curt Hawkins? Corbin literally laughs at that fact, but Hawkins brings the fight to him and actually almost eliminates him—which fires up the Detroit crowd—but nope. But as if Baron Corbin’s 2018 couldn’t get any worse, he’s ultimately eliminated by Apollo Crews (making that Crews’ eighth elimination in this match).
Post-match, Charly Caruso interviews Crews in the ring, and he tells her this is the opportunity he’s been begging for all year. And tonight is the night he wins the Intercontinental Championship.
Drew McIntyre isn’t the only one with the Royal Rumble on the brain: Natalya announces in a backstage interview with Dasha Fuentes that she’ll be an entrant in this year’s women’s Royal Rumble match. And when she wins, she will challenge her friend Ronda Rousey to a rematch for the RAW Women’s Championship.
However, there’s someone who doesn’t believe this will happen: Nia Jax. And she makes that clear, allowing Tamina to jump Natalya from behind in the process.
Baron Corbin is still out in the ring post-battle royal, complaining about how hard his job was and how he actually deserves a “fresh start” and “a reward,” not all
Bayley, Sasha Banks, & Ember Moon def. The Riott Squad (Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan)
Liv Morgan and Bayley start off this match, and they just beat the crap out of each other. Why? Well, Bayley is pissed and Liv simply has no problem fighting back.
Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Ember Moon are pretty good about quick tags to start things off, but The Riott Squad
While Bayley and company end up getting back on a roll, that momentum all ends up shifting—unfortunately for the legal Sasha Banks—once The Riott Squad
Bobby Lashley def. Seth Rollins, via Disqualification
Before the match, Lio Rush says there’s no man hungrier for a “fresh start” than “The All Mighty” Bobby Lashley. In fact, he also says Triple H “hand-picked” Lashley, because he’s a fighter. And he’s going to both beat and dominate Seth Rollins right now. “Dominate. Dominate. You get in there, and you dominate,” Rush tells Lashley. Let’s see how this domination goes down.
Rollins immediately comes for Lashley, full of aggression, but that’s something that might get him into trouble. He’s fired up, and he’s doing well… until he allows Rush to distract him on the outside. That puts Lashley in control. Rush actually hits some offense on Rollins on the outside too when the referee is distracted. Lashley then continues to dominate, slowing down the pace, but once Rollins finds an opening, he takes it. And it looks like he’s going to burn it all down, as promised. But a very desperate Lio Rush pulls his leg when he’s about to go for the stomp, and that puts Lashley back in control.
Rollins gets momentum going again, and then again Rush interferes—this time running away, with Rollins taking the bait. But once Rollins catches up to him, he makes him pay. And then Lashley is able to attack Rollins from behind, an action that only leads to a “crazed” Rollins beating him with a chair.
Steel chairs must be all the rage tonight—despite the fact that TLC has already come and gone—as Seth Rollins loses this match because he attacks Lashley with one. He then goes after Lio Rush with the chair, before putting him down hard with the stomp. Guess the old Seth Rollins is back.
Jinder Mahal & The Singh Brothers (Samir & Sunil Singh) def. Heath Slater & Rhyno, in a Handicap match
After last week’s Santa surprise, Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers hope to get some revenge on Heath Slater and Rhyno. (In a handicap match, which feels more like a Baron Corbin decision but alright. Also: This is not my beautiful 3MB.) And wow, The Singh Brothers are actually competing. Actually, they’re mostly dancing, but still. It doesn’t help that Mahal is more about delegating from the corner from actually getting in on the action. Eventually, both Singh Brothers are out of commission, so Mahal tags in to go against Rhyno. But a Singh Brother distraction allows Mahal to get the upper hand and end Rhyno.
Backstage, Dean Ambrose talks about all of these “fresh starts” everyone’s talking about. He says he doesn’t need one, but clearly, Seth Rollins does—look how angry he was, after all. And Ambrose promises he’ll still burn everything Rollins holds dear down. As for Apollo Crews, there will be no “feel-good moment” or fresh start.
Dean Ambrose (c) def. Apollo Crews, for the Intercontinental Championship
Apollo Crews keeps his momentum from earlier tonight, starting this match off hot against Dean Ambrose. And he has Ambrose out of sorts, which isn’t surprising, considering how worried Ambrose actually looked once Crews made his way to the ring in the first place.
And Crews is all over Ambrose in this match, getting plenty of the nearest of falls but unfortunately falling short. Ambrose doesn’t seem to have an answer for Crews until he rakes his eyes. But he can’t hit the Dirty Deeds, and Apollo Crews is able to hit his own sitout powerbomb. Ambrose isn’t able to kick out, but he is, however, able to grab the bottom rope to stay alive. Crews then goes for a big Frog Splash, but there’s no water in the pool, and that then allows Ambrose to hit the desperate Dirty Deeds for the win.
Backstage, Alexa Bliss officially announces she’s no longer running the RAW Women’s division (in case you forgot she was doing that for a few weeks). But she will be making history next week with her very own talk show: A Moment of Bliss. And her first guest? The RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey. (Also, Bliss takes a moment to insult Piper’s Pit. Rude.)
Ronda Rousey & Natalya def. Nia Jax and Tamina
You can read more about Ronda Rousey and Natalya’s (#RowdyHart) team-up against Nia Jax and Tamina in the main event here.