The RK-Bro-nament finals – Street Profits vs Rey & Dominik Mysterio – were supposed to take place tonight. However, a couple of hours before the show, WWE announced they’ve been postponed for two weeks due to injuries to both teams. The only thing listed on the official preview is Bobby Lashley addressing his recent actions.

I’m Amanda and this is the RAW review.

Match Results

Otis def. Riddle

Bianca Belair def. Doudrop

Bobby Lashley def. Kevin Owens

Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler def. Finn Balor & Damian Priest

Queen Zelina def. Rhea Ripley

Bobby Lashley def. Seth Rollins

Bobby Lashley def. Big E

The Show

♦ Bobby Lashley and MVP opened the show after a recap of Lashley’s recent shenanigans. Lashley said he showed everyone what happens when you disrespect The Almighty, then handed over to MVP.

MVP talked about how utterly terrifying Lashley is, and about problems with respect in the Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens generation. They whine, complain, and backstab to get into title matches. Lashley makes statements. Last week he made the statement that it’s imperative he be added to the title match at Day 1.

Kevin Owens came out and denied being disrespectful, he hasn’t even paid attention to them for two years. He and Rollins earned their way into the title match and Lashley can’t weasel his way in. He needs to become champion to finally give the WWE Universe a champion they can be proud of.

He was threatening to go to Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville when Seth Rollins turned up. Rollins agreed with Owens even though he despises him. He doesn’t think Owens should be in it either though.

Lashley told them they could get in the ring and do something about it if they don’t want him in the match. They decided Lashley couldn’t take them both but Big E arrived while they were arguing about who should go first.

Big E reminded Lashley he took the title from him and beat him inside a Steel cage. He’s got no problem doing it one more time.

Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville came out and threatened to fine or suspend anyone who got physical. They like the idea of the Fatal Four-Way at Day 1, but if Lashley wants in on the match he has to beat Big E, Rollins, and Owens in one-on-one matches tonight.

MVP accepted.

Backstage, Deville explained it was down to them to keep Lashley out of the match if they didn’t want him in it. She told Owens he had to go first as he was added to the match last. Rollins bitched about it then went off to get changed. Big E said he’d still be walking out of Day 1 as the WWE Champion

♦ Riddle and Randy Orton had a discussion backstage earlier in the day. Riddle was still full of wild ideas. Orton was still trying to make him focus and getting increasingly annoyed. He needed him to focus on his match against Otis, so he tried bribing him with a promise to let him wear the broadcaster’s blazer again in the far future.

Riddle, with Randy Orton, vs Otis, with Chad Gable, was the opening match. Orton and Gable sat either side of the announce desk. When Riddle was thrown out of the ring, Gable stood up, but Orton was there before he got more than a step. There was nothing he could do about Otis smashing Riddle’s spine into the corner of the barricades though.

After a break and back in the ring, Riddle was suffering. His comeback came via Otis’s shoulder colliding with the ringpost and a knee to his head, but Otis caught him when he came off the top. It looked like Riddle had momentum on his side when he went for the RKO, but Otis slammed him and pinned him.

Randy Orton tried to RKO Otis post-match but failed. He RKO’d Gable but Otis dropped him with an elbow.

♦ Before Bianca Belair vs Doudrop, Belair said Doudrop only walked away last week because she knows she can’t beat her. Doudrop is planning to take the spotlight she thinks Belair keeps stealing. I disagree. Belair has earned everything, but Doudrop has paid all kinds of dues and she deserves some of that spotlight too.

A good match that got long enough to go through an ad break. Belair sustained an injury to her eye heading into it after Doudrop grabbed her feet when she went for the handstand kick and kicked her in the head.

Belair was in trouble for a while, but she got Doudrop up for a powerbomb after smacking her head against the turnbuckle. A 450 Splash finished the job for her.

Doudrop attacked Belair from behind after the match while Belair was bouncing on the stage and was still stalking her when the cameras cut away.

♦ WWE have signed a bunch of athletes to WWE Next in Line. Gable Steveson was in the crowd. He signed a while ago but has yet to appear anywhere.

♦ Kevin Owens told Kevin Patrick the whole situation is trash. The good news is he gets to put an end to it straight away. Then he’ll win the title at Day 1.

Kevin Owens vs Bobby Lashley, with MVP, was brutal. Owens might have got counted out after he missed with a cannonball off the apron, but Lashley broke the count to run through him and they got back in the ring. Owens put together a superkick, cannonball, and senton, but it wasn’t enough. Neither was the tornado DDT.

Seth Rollins and Big E watched separately backstage. Big E was scribbling notes. Owens dodged The Hurt Lock a couple of times, but the moment it became clear he couldn’t get away, he tapped. Lashley didn’t even have the hold on fully and he was unhappy about not getting to put Owens out.

Sonya Deville told a frustrated Seth Rollins he was next to face Lashley.

♦ Veer Mahaan is still Coming Soon, but with no announced date.

♦ Becky Lynch’s outfit had the weirdest spiky shoulders. She talked about last week’s match but quickly moved on to how fickle the crowd are and how opinionated people who have never stepped in the ring are. They wanted her back, now they boo. They would have done the same to Liv Morgan if she’d won. She showed a picture of a disappointed fan and said Liv fans are going to have to get used to it because she’s keeping the title for a long time.

Morgan appeared and showed a picture of her own, Lynch holding the ropes to pin her. She thinks the only thing Big Time Becks is the best at, is cheating to win. She cried after last week’s match. It was disappointing, but she snapped out of it because she knows she can beat her. She’s never going to stop until she makes the title mean something for people like that disappointed fan. And if Lynch is really Big Time Becks, then she’ll accept a rematch at Day 1.

Lynch said she didn’t cheat because she had to, she did it because it was easy. Liv not being ready for it proved she’d not ready and she doesn’t have the killer instinct.

Morgan rushed the ring and leapt at her. When she followed Lynch out of the ring, Lynch threw her into the steps then trapped her arm between the steps and post and stamped on it. With a few flippant comments about Morgan having injured herself, and needing to put some ice on that, she accepted the rematch.

♦ Sarah Schreiber spoke to AJ Styles about his relationship with Omos. He admitted they’ve not been working as harmoniously recently, but he’s not ready to give up on them. He’s never seen anyone like Omos in all his years in the business and he genuinely wants to see him succeed.

Omos arrived and put an arm around his shoulder. He asked if they were good. Styles told him he’s not giving up on their team. Omos agreed.

♦ Dana Brooke and Reggie were out walking earlier today. He offered to help her in any way he could and invited her for hot chocolate. She accepted. He helped her evade R-Truth and Akira Tozawa, but she had to get away from Tamina herself. She managed, and they ran off. Tamina shouted at Truth and Tozawa. Truth and Tozawa shouted at each other.

♦ Finn Balor & Damian Priest vs Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode was interesting. Balor and Priest as a team was probably a one-off to deal with a shared problem, but what an intriguing team.

Ziggler banged his head on the apron as he was thrown from the ring, but he was up in time to be put down by Priest going into the ads. Balor had everything under control after the break and almost pinned Ziggler, but Roode got there in time. Priest tried to deal with Roode and took a spinebuster on the outside. Roode and Ziggler got hit by a flying Balor as he sailed over the top rope.

Back in the ring, Balor was about to deliver the Coup de Grace when Austin Theory jumped on the apron for a selfie. Balor clotheslined him to the floor and immediately got pinned off a ZigZag.

Theory got his selfie with the just pinned Balor after the match, and was too quick for Priest to catch him.

♦ Nikki A.S.H. is still despondent about her recent losses. She feels bad about letting Rhea Ripley down all the time. Ripley reminded her why they’re tag team partners. That she saw a fire in her, and that she’s beaten Charlotte Flair which Ripley hasn’t even done. She wants that Nikki back. Nikki thanked her for trying to cheer her up and said she’ll always have her back.

Rhea Ripley, with Nikki A.S.H. vs Queen Zelina, with Carmella, started with Vega being horrible about Ripley, A.S.H., and the crowd. Nothing worth reporting. Carmella tried to be a distraction immediately. Nikki chased her so Carmella got in the ring and superkicked her. Vega kneed Ripley in the head while she checked on Nikki, and pinned her.

Nikki looked horribly guilty and Ripley was furious. The whole thing took less than a minute.

♦ Migos will be at Day 1.

♦ Owens told Rollins it was smart to tap out rather than risk getting injured. He offered to go out and help him beat Lashley to end the problem. Rollins declined.

Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley gave Lashley a brief opportunity to take out some of the frustrations Owens left him with. Rollins took a break at ringside. Kevin Owens ran down and attacked him. Lashley was disqualified.

Pearce and Deville ruined Owens and Rollins’ celebrations. They said it was clever, but no. Not only did they restart the match, they made it and any other match Lashley has tonight, No DQ. Rollins’ suffering was nearly over though. He took a spear and got pinned.

♦ Austin Theory interrupted Vince McMahon’s meeting with Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez to show him the selfie. McMahon was unimpressed with the offering and pissed at Theory being overfamiliar. It’s all still very odd.

♦ Maryse hosted Miz TV with The Miz as her guest. He’s proposing he’s inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame next year. The endorsement came complete with a long promotional package. They toasted to beating Edge at Day 1 and sending him back into retirement, permanently this time.

Edge joined them to make the exceptional point that people would give Miz all the praise and applause he craves if he just Shut Up. He is that good, but he’s also insecure. Miz has been told he’s not good enough so many times there’s part of him that believes it, and he overcompensates by being an arrogant sanctimonious jerk. He’s not taking their match lightly, but he’s going to have to teach Miz a lesson at Day 1. And he’s going to knock the stupid constipated look off his face.

Something he said hit home. Miz and Maryse threw their drinks in Edge’s face and Miz punched him. Edge dropped him with a DDT and made room for a spear, but Miz pulled Maryse in front of him. Edge managed to stop and Miz put him down with a Skull Crushing Finale, but he had bigger problems.

Maryse was fuming. She screamed at him for putting her in harm’s way when they’ve got two kids now, slapped him, and left with him trailing after her begging her to talk to him.

♦ Big E told Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins to stay ‘Far Away’ from the ring during his match.

♦ I’m not sure RAW needs a three-minute SmackDown recap. Paul Heyman is in trouble with Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn got his ass kicked by Brock Lesnar again, if you’re interested.

♦ Sarah Schreiber asked MVP and Bobby Lashley how they felt about Bobby Lashley vs Big E – No Disqualification Match. MVP said what Lashley has done is already extraordinary. When he makes it three for three there will be no doubt we are in The Almighty Era. No DQ means Lashley is free to do as much damage as he wants. Lashley said everyone’s New Year’s Resolution should be to bow down to him as the new WWE Champion.

Big E signalled the intent for the match to get messy early on, when he dragged a table from under the ring. MVP put it back under the ring. Big E got it back out again and this time got it in the ring and propped in a corner.

Lashley propped a chair between the ropes in another corner. Big E sent him into it to put us into the break. When we came back, Big E delivered a splash on the apron but got bounced off the ringpost from Lashley’s shoulders. Lashley almost went through a table he set up at ringside, but met Big E’s charge with a knee in the face and put him through another table in the ring.

Big E moved some steps set by flinging Lashley’s body into them then slamming him on the bottom layer. Lashley came close to getting The Hurt Lock in, but Big E struggled free. Lashley delivered a spear, but Owens and Rollins jumped him before he could pin the champ.

They paired off to fight. Lashley put Rollins through a table inside the ring while Big E put Owens through the one at ringside. That got rid of them and left Lashley staggering. MVP hit Big E in the back of the knee with his cane while he was waiting for Lashley to get up. Lashley delivered a spear and got the pin.

Big E will now defend the WWE Championship in a Fatal Four-Way at Day 1.

The episode of RAW flew past compared to some recent ones. Day 1 is looking like it’s going to be a strong start to the WWE year, and there are still three weeks left to build it up.