The Monday Night RAW 1/13 episode kicks off with AJ Styles and Randy Orton sharing some competitive banter. This takes an interesting turn when Drew McIntrye arrives to challenge a triple threat match. Best part, he winds up winning said match. The feud between AJ and Randy is apparent as it appears they were focusing more on each other than Drew. There was a moment where it teased some alliance, but that ended quick. In a twist, Orton hits the Styles Clash, not breaking AJ’s neck, but eats the Claymore.
I was legit nervous Orton would botch.
Backstage: Seth Rollins cuts his usual promo about he’s always been the hardest worker and the most underappreciated. I think a million other guys cut the same promo at their own jobs. He’s the Monday Night Messiah now. Ah huh.
Ricochet defeats Mojo Rawley – Eh, not horrible.
Backstage: The Street Profits hype up The Fist Fight
Charlotte Flair defeats Sarah Logan in an absurdly quick match. Logan looked like 100% jobber here. Charlotte’s looking like the new Roman Reigns… channel changing.
Backstage: Big Show, Kevin Owens, and Samoa Joe chat backstage.
So many backstage promos. So many.
In the ring, we’ve got Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. We get the same shtick as last week. Running down the hometown? Check. Brock entering #1? Check. R-Truth interrupting… SAY WHAT!? Yep, R-Truth comes out and cuts the silliest and best promo ever. The 24/7/48/14/I-95/European-TV champion declares himself Royal Rumble and promises to eliminate the big man himself… Paul Heyman. Apparently Truth was confused because Heyman talks a lot. Once learning it was Brock, the 24/7/48/14/I-95/European-TV champion un-declares himself from the Rumble. He winds up eating an F-5 anyway.
Xavier Woods tweeted being terrified Brock was going to win the 24/7 title.
I’m on an airplane to la. The TVs don’t have USA so I’ve paid 20 American dollars to watch raw tonight. I can tell you that nothing would have upset me more than if Brock would have pinned truth to become 24/7 champion. That would have honestly hurt my soul. Was so scared😰
— Austin Creed (@AustinCreedWins) January 14, 2020
I guess he was relived it was only Mojo Rawley who ambushed and won the title instead.
Bobby Lashley defeated Rusev in a moderately tolerable match. Is it just me, or does Lana’s face look really weird. Like overdone botox weird. Also, wearing Joseph’s technicolor trench coat? Where are Lashley’s eyebrows? So many questions, ironically, I don’t want answered. Match was in Rusev’s favor towards the end, until Lana jumped into the ring, followed by Liv Morgan coming to ringside, and boy do I love her new badassery. This altercation allowed for Lashley to capitalize and win.
Next week, we get a mixed tag match with Rusev and Liv vs. Lashley and Lana. Hoo boy.
The Viking Raiders defeated The Bollywood Boyz in a match we’ve seen many times over and over again where the Raiders squash.
Contract Signing with Becky Lynch and Asuka goes horribly wrong and I’m sure no one saw that coming. Becky is playing the role of damaged confidence, which works to gain sympathy from the live RAW crowd. Asuka and Kairi Sane are great heels. Asuka spits the green mist after the signing, and takes go down. Lynch cuts an interesting promo, acknowledging Asuka is angry and hungry, and goes as far to say she doesn’t care if “they” have kept Asuka away from the title and kept her down, but at Rumble, there’s going to be a fight and if “I go down, I’m taking you with me!”
Interesting.
Next week’s main event: Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade for the United States Championship in a Ladder Match. Well, WWE is certainly upping their game. SmackDown this week will have Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Roode in a Tables Match.
Backstage promos featuring the opponents for next week’s ladder match. Heavy on the Latino pride. Andrade and Zelina really smack down Rey verbally. Ouch. He counters in typical passionate babyface attitude.
Aleister Black defeated Buddy Murphy in another great match. I’ll take another one next week, please. The kicks were stiff and I swear neither one put a hand up to brace themselves. At one point, Murphy hit the Murphy’s Law, but Black made it to the ropes. Not sure if the end was a ref botch, but two Black Mass kicks sent Murphy to the mat. Post-match, Murphy appeared to be in a state of shock, as Erick Rowan came out for his next jobber squash. It’s 10:45 folks… Shouldn’t we be at the main event? Rowan tries to get his creature out, but thanks cameraman, we see him squish some red paint in his hand to make it look like he was bitten.
I guess we’re back to the early 90’s of jobberdom.
Seth Rollins and the AOP defeated Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and the Big Show. So Buddy Murphy still slumped at ringside had a purpose. Funny moment with Seth falling near him, making eye contact and shouting… “Buddy, help us!” While Kevin Owens ran up the RAW titantron for a dive, Rollins was being tossed around by Big Show. However, Rollins’ plea found its mark, as Murphy hit Show with a low blow, while AOP wound up table-planting Joe and Owens. Four-man gang up on Show, and it was over, rather quickly. This one wasn’t pretty, but showing the Monday Night Messiah is gathering his own flock, with Buddy Murphy as its newest member. Hopefully this will continue to push Murphy and not be used as cannon fodder like J&J Security.
The Monday Night RAW 1/13 episode was not a horrible RAW, but a lot of what felt like wasted or stalling time. Seems WWE is gradually upping the ante so-to-speak, as next week is promising some huge upcoming matches.
