WWE Raw 22nd of January 2024

In-Ring Segment: World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Rollins limps out on the stage with his knee in a brace. As the crowd goes nuts and chants, Rollins limps to the ring. Before Rollins can speak, the crowd sings his song and a “thank you, Seth” chant breaks out. Rollins has tears in his eyes as he welcomes the crowd to Monday Night Rollins. Rollins admits it’s been a long week. Seven days ago while defending the championship he injured his knee. After beating Jinder Mahal last week, he went to the back, sat down and it sank in that he may be out for a while. In that moment he realized he may miss WrestleMania. After seeing his MRI results, he has several tears in his knee and with surgery he may be out three to four months.
If it was up to him, he’d be out here next week stomping head, but it’s not up to him. Rollins is taking it day-by-day. Before Rollins can finish his thought, IMPERIUM interrupts. Gunther gets in the ring and snears at Rollins. Rollins tells Gunther if they are here to make an example out of him, to just go ahead and do it. Gunther tells Rollins to focus on him alone. They have been avoiding each other all this time, and tonight seemed like a good time to tell Rollins what he thinks of him. Gunther puts Rollins over for being a fighting champion. Gunther says he’s sad that Rollins won’t make it to WrestleMania.
Rollins tells Guther he should have given him a minute to finish. He doesn’t give a damn what the doctors say or what he has to do. Rollins promises to carry the championship into WrestleMania an walk out as champion. Gunther says he admires that. He would do the same. Gunther notes Rollins reminds him of himself. Rollins perks up. Gunther proclaims he is going to win the Royal Rumble and he WILL challenge Rollins for the World Heavywieght Championship. It doesn’t matter what it takes.
Gunther promises to target Rollins knee, back, and whatever else. Rollins tells Gunther to remember who he’s coming after. Rollins holds out his hand for a handshake. Gunther tells Rollins that he should remember who it is coming after him. Rollins and Gunther shake hands. Gunther starts to leave the ring as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods hop the barricade and attack Luwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. IMPERIUM (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci)
Vinci and Kingston trade strikes. Springboard dropkick by Kingston. Woods and Kingston unicorn stomp Vinci. Kaiser and Vinci work over Woods. After the break, Woods manages to tag in Kingston. Kingston clears the ring. Double dives by Kingston. Vinci and Kaiser double team Kingston. Woods takes out Vinci and Kaiser with a dropkick through the ropes. The referee counts both teams out.
No Contest
After the bell, all four men brawl outside the ring and in the crowd. Woods tries to suplex Vinci off a road case. Kaiser breaks it up. Vinci and Kaiser try to double suplex Woods off the box. Kingston makes the save. All four men fall off the crate through a table.

Backstage, The Judgement Day are watching the monitor. Ripley gets hot at Damian Priest for agreeing to a title match next week. Priest goes off on Ripley for butting her nose in his business and having a big head because she’s on the cover of WWE 2k. Priest storms off. Ripley lays into Dominik and McDonagh for not taking care of #DIY last week. Bálor snickers. Ripley asks him what he’s laughing about. Bálor straightens up. Ripley tells Bálor he has to watch Dominik and McDonugh’s back.

Ivy Nile w/Maxxine Dupri vs. Valhalla
Valhalla counters a Samoan drop by Nile. Valhalla traps Nile against the ropes and lands a flurry of strikes. Nile tumbles to the mat. Valhalla runs over Nile and tries to pin her with her feet on the ropes. Dupri points it out, even though the referee was right there and could see it clearly. Valhalla goes up top. Nile slams Valhalla’s head on the ring post and hits a bulldog off the top for the win.
Winner- Ivy Nile

Backstage, Jey Uso brings Kingston and Woods a few icebags. Jackie walks in and asked The New Day about IMPERIUM. Kingston issues a challenge to Gunther for an Intercontinental title shot next week. Jey adds a Yeet for affect.

In-Ring Segment: Nia Jax
Jax notes that the first time she faced off with both Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch she crushed them. Everyone expects her to come out here and complain, but no. Jax understands that Ripley and Lynch want to face each other because either of them can beat her. Becky Lynch interrupts. Lynch congradulates Jax on beating her since that gives her something new to talk about for the next five years. Lynch says Jax has a bigger target on her back then Lynch does. The locker room doesn’t agree on much, but they all agree that no one likes Jax.
Lynch doesn’t know what she will enjoy more: winning the Royal Rumble for the second time, or watching Jax lose. Bayley’s music hits and she was down to the ring. Bayley says she came here to find Ripley, but this was too good to pass up. Lynch and Jax are both going to lose. Bayley is here to make one thing clear: she’s winning the Rumble. Bayley attacks Lynch. Jax tosses Bayley. Lynch drops Bayley with the Manhandle slam. Jax tosses Lynch out of the ring and leg drops Bayley.

Dominik Mysterio w/JD McDonagh and Finn Bálor vs. The Miz
The Miz and Dominik trade strikes and hip tosses. Miz telegraphs a back body drop and gets kicked in the face. Miz responded with a lariat that turns Dominik inside out. Dominik sends Miz out of the ring. Bálor gets a cheapshot while the referee is distracted. Tope by Dominink. Dominik sends Miz back into the ring and lands a senton for a near fall.
Dominik works over Miz. Miz fires up and lands his patented clothesline in the corner. McDonagh distracts Miz long enough for Dominik to land a headkick. After the break, Miz fires up again. Miz takes out Bálor and McDonagh. Springboard crossbody by Miz. It kicks by Miz. Dominik lands a splash for the win.
Winner- Dominik Mysterio
After the match, Bálor and McDonagh attack Miz. #DIY makes the save.

Backstage, Bronson Reed issues a challenge to Jey Uso for a match next week.

Ivar vs. Chad Gable
Ivar tosses Gable to the mat. Gable lands a series of strikes, followed by a swinging neckbreaker. Diving headbutt by Gable. Gable goes over the top. Ivar lands a splash off the apron. After the break, Gable lands a superplex. Both men spill out of the ring. Ivar tries a spin kick, but Gable side steps. Ivar kicks the ring post. Gable sends Ivar back into the ring. Ivar immediately hits a sit out powerbomb for a near fall. Gable rolls Ivar into an ankle lock. Ivar escapes and hits a standing senton.
Ivar gets a near fall after a second rope splash. Gable gets to his feet. Ivar tries another kick. Gable reverses it into an ankle lock. Ivar eventually gets to the bottom rope. Ivar misses a moonsault. Gable hits a deadlift German suplex. Ivar kicks out. Gable goes up to. Ivar cuts him off. Gable slips behind Ivar and hits a German suplex off the second rope. Gable goes up top. Valhalla appears and screams in Gable’s face. In the confusion, Ivar powerbomb Gable off the top. Ivar hits the Doomsault for the win.
Winner- Ivar

In-Ring Segment: Cody Rhodes
Before Rhodes can get out a word. CM Punk’s music hits. Punk joins Rhodes in the ring. Punk says they have been on very different paths to get to this point. CM Punk hops that Sunday morning, when its all said and done, they can still be friends. Rhodes asks the Nola crowd and Punk what they want to talk about. A “CM Punk” chant breaks out. Punk says he wants to talk about Rhodes’ dad. Punk tells a story about Dusty Rhodes calling him years ago and telling him he wants him to keep an eye on his kid when Rhodes went to OVW to train.
Rhodes gets emotional as Punk says he never needed to step in because Rhodes always had a good head on his shoulders. Punk tells Rhodes he’s proud of him. Punk says he mentions Dusty because as of Saturday he feels like he’s breaking a promise. At the Royal Rumble, Punk is going to look for Rhodes and he’s going to punch Rhodes in the face and throw him over the top. Rhodes notes that his father cast a large shadow. He’s done everything in his power to be the light in the shadow and be his own man.
Rhodes notes that instead of treating him poorly, Punk was his friend. That makes this all bittersweet. Punk asks what about Sunday morning. He can separate business and personal. Can Rhodes? Punk notes when Rhodes first arrived, he didn’t see a nepotisim hire, he saw someone who had the pressure that comes with being the son of a famous wrestler. Punk notes that he didn’t have a famous dad. His father was a blue-collar worker; and electrition. If you think about it, Punk is more of the American Dream than Rhodes is.
Rhodes says he knows what he wants to talk about. He wants to talk about the pipe bomb. The moment inspired so many people including Rhodes himself. Then Punk left. He didn’t pass the torch; he dropped it on the way out. Rhodes exclaims that he picked it up and ran with it. In the end, that makes Rhodes more CM Punk than Punk. Rhodes stares daggers through Punk. Punk takes off his hoodie and tosses it out of the ring.
Punk notes that Rhodes has carried this company for two years. But what happened? A much bigger star came up on the horizon and they are going to take it all away from Rhodes. That person is Punk. Rhodes says Punk may be right, but he he can only go forward and his path goes right through Punk. Rhodes walks away and bumps Punk on the way. Punk spins Rhodes around and they go nose-to-nose. Rhodes and Punk look at the crowd as dueling chants break out. Punk backs away. Both men leave the ring.

Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell vs. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
Kitana Chance and Kayden Carter are at ringside watching the match. LeRae sends Baszler flying with a few deep arm drags. Stark tags in. Baszler and Stark argue. Hartwell tags in and attacks Stark. Big boot by Hartwell. Baszler gets dumped over the top. Hartwell assist LeRae as she walks the ropes and lands a diving rana on Stark off the apron. Stark falls into Baszler. After the break, LeRae lands her senton/lung blower combo. Baszler locks LeRae in the Kirifuda Clutch. Stark gets a blind tag. LeRae reverses it into a pin, but Baszler isn’t legal. Stark pulls LeRae out of the pin and hits the Z360 for the win.
Winners- Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
After the match, Baszler and Stark have a standoff with Chance and Carter. Damage CTRL attacks the tag champs from behind.

Backstage, Drew McIntyre says he doesn’t care about anyone finishing stories. He’s the chosen one.

Backstage, Natalya and Tegan Nox yell at Damage CTRL for causing trouble tonight. Adam Pearce walks in and breaks this up before anything can happen. Pearce tells Damage CTRL he has words for them later. Jinder Mahal and Indus Sher walk in. Mahal wants to know what Pearce has planned for him on Raw. Pearce tells Mahal to meet him in his office.

Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
McIntyre floors Priest with a shoulder block. Priest runs over McIntyre. McIntyre gets up and pushes Priest. Priest knocks McIntyre into the corner. rights and lefts by Priest. Priest sends McIntyre out of the ring. McIntyre gets to his feet. Priest leaps off the ringsteps into a belly-to-belly by McIntyre. McIntyre works over Priest. Priest blocks another belly-to-belly. Priest hits a broken arrow on the announce desk. After the break, Priest and McIntyre boot each other in the face at the same time. McIntyre gets to his feet first and lands a flurry of offense.
McIntyre calls for the Claymore. Priest sidesteps, but misses a tornado boot. Spinebuster by McIntyre. Priest kicks out. McIntyre clutches at his ribs. Priest escapes a Samoan drop and boxes McIntyre’s ears. Complete shot by Priest. McIntyre kicks out. Priest tries a corner splash, but McIntyre catches him and hits a slam. Priest counters a back breaker with a broken arrow. McIntyre kicks out. McIntyre rolls out of the ring. Priest flattens McIntyre with a skywalker press. R-Truth appears and tries to give Priest his merch money. Priest pushes Truth.
Truth says he’ll put the money in the MITB briefcase. Truth doesn’t know the password so he hops up on the apron. McIntyre punches Truth and he falls in the ring. As the referee is checking on Truth, McIntyre tries the Claymore. Priest counters with South of Heaven. McIntyre is out. Priest covers McIntyre, but the referee is still caught up with Truth. Priest grabs Truth and tosses him out of the ring. McIntyre obliterates Priest with the Claymore. McIntyre pins Priest.
Winner Drew McIntyre