Day 1 brought us a new champion in the form of Brock Lesnar (see the full show review here). He’ll be kicking the show off tonight. Dolph Ziggler has a rematch for Damian Priest’s US Championship. If Priest loses his temper and gets disqualified, he’ll lose his title. AJ Styles and Omos have their match rescheduled from last week. And the fatal four-way that should have been Day 1’s main event – Big E, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bobby Lashley – takes place tonight to decide Lesnar’s first challenger.

I’m Amanda and this is the RAW review.

Match Results

Alpha Academy def. RK-Bro

Dana Brooke & Reggie def. Tamina & Akira Tozawa

Queen Zelina & Carmella def. Rhea Ripley & Nikki A.S.H.

Street Profits def. Apollo Crews & Commander Azeez

Damian Priest def. Dolph Ziggler

Omos def. AJ Styles

Bobby Lashley def. Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, and Big E

The Show

♦ Paul Heyman opened the show after the Day 1 recap, back in his position as Brock Lesnar’s advocate after being expelled from The Bloodline. Lesnar threw some steps into the ring to make himself a winner’s podium.

From the top of it, he gave a sarcastic shout-out to Roman Reigns, sitting at home with covid watching the new WWE Champion, and told him to get well soon. He also thanked Paul Heyman for everything he’s done for him.

Heyman gave us a rundown of his role in getting Lesnar into the title match and provided commentary on the other four competitors and their chances against him. There were an extra few digs at Reigns thrown in for good measure. He dismissed Rollins and Owens as potential challengers with ease. He was nice about Bobby Lashley but said he only got the best of Lesnar when he blindsided him. If Lashley wins tonight, he’ll have to face Lesnar face to face. Big E, Heyman had nothing but praise for. A lot of praise. He said if Big E wins the match tonight, it will be an honour to watch that match. Big E will lose, but it will be an honour.

Lesnar smiled all the way through and left with an arm slung over Heyman’s shoulders. I think he missed him.

♦ Randy Orton shut down Riddle dressing like Migos and tried to patiently explain again that Riddle needs to calm down, shut up, and listen to him.

Chad Gable and Otis decided to get in before the bell on RK-Bro vs Alpha Academy. Riddle and Orton were left laying on the floor at ringside, but they had most of an ad break to recover and the match was underway when we returned. Short match and Randy Orton never got in the ring. Alpha Academy kept Riddle isolated and tagged in and out to keep the pressure on. Riddle almost got free after knocking Gable off the apron and sending Otis into the post, but Gable pulled Orton off the apron.

They brawled on the outside until Otis bulldozed Orton to the floor. Riddle went for an RKO when Otis got back in the ring. Otis caught him and slammed him into the mat for the win.

♦ Sarah Schreiber interviewed MVP and Bobby Lashley about the fatal four-way tonight. MVP just commented on what a herculean task it was and walked away. Bobby Lashley said Brock Lesnar fears him.

♦ Omos kept Kevin Patrick nearby for their interview by putting an arm around his shoulders. Patrick looked terrified, which is fair enough because when he asked for Omos’ reaction to Styles’ recent comments Omos just put a hand over his entire face and said, ‘That’s how I react’.

♦ Dana Brooke & Reggie vs Tamina & Akira Tozawa – 24/7 Championship Mixed-Tag Match – was a slightly odd concept. If Brooke gets pinned, she loses her title, but with it being a mixed-tag match, only Tamina could pin her. So what purpose were Tozawa and Reggie serving? As it turned out, they had the entire match, both minutes of it. Reggie pinned Tozawa after Tamina punched him in the face for accidentally kicking her in the head.

♦ Becky Lynch talked about the new year being a fresh start and she knows that the women in the locker room have become RAW Women’s Champion as their top resolution. But hers is to stay the champion and they can’t beat her. She’s sat down and looked at her decisions over the last year and realised she’s become a work of art. She makes people feel and that’s what art does.

She told the crowd they weren’t going to do any of the things they’ve told themselves they’ll do this year, just like none of the women in the locker room will become champion. Liv Morgan broke her promise on Day One of the year, at Day 1.

Liv Morgan arrived and told Lynch she couldn’t be harder on her than she is on herself, but they both know how close she came to winning the title. Lynch got one thing wrong though. The only thing Morgan promised herself was that she’d always give in one hundred percent and she did that.

Lynch said Morgan might win the title once she’s retired, then Bianca Belair joined them. She’s not buying Lynch’s hype any more than Morgan is. She stepped aside to deal with Doudrop and give other people a chance to step up, but now she’s back in line for Big Time Becks.

Lynch said no and suggested they start a support group for people she’s beaten, then said that was called the women’s locker room. Morgan asked her how she knows as she hasn’t been in there in years. She asked Belair to leave so she and Lynch could finish their business. Belair said her score with Lynch predates hers, so she should leave. Lynch told them both to leave and figure out between them who would face her.

Together, they threw her out of the ring, then faced off and got into it with each other. Becky Lynch came back and shoved Morgan off Belair’s shoulders before the K.O.D. could be delivered, then nailed Belair with a Manhandle Slam.

♦ Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens discussed what to do about Paul Heyman. Stapling his lips shut or ripping his tongue out were the main contenders. Rollins dismissed castration as he didn’t think Heyman ‘Uses it much anyway’. Owens said they can figure that out later and they hatched a plan to remove the obstacles of Big E and Bobby Lashley so one of them wins tonight. Owens said it doesn’t matter who wins because the loser helps the winner beat Lesnar then the two of them fight for the title at WrestleMania. Rollins agreed, but Owens was already doubting him as he walked away.

♦ Queen Zelina & Carmella vs Rhea Ripley & Nikki A.S.H. – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships Match – wasn’t even mentioned until almost an hour into the show. Since when do WWE not class title matches as important enough to add to the official preview? Anyway, I hate the way they’ve filled Nikki’s character with self-doubt as a result of bullying. At the risk of sounding like a bully myself, Carmella’s latest mask is black leather and maybe just a little too gimp mask.

Unsurprisingly, Nikki A.S.H. took all the punishment in this super-short match. Vega knocked Rhea Ripley off the apron before she pinned Nikki with a roll-up. Ripley wasn’t even close to getting there in time.

Nikki looked distraught and was clearly apologising profusely. This time, Ripley looked like her patience might be wearing thin.

♦ Johnny Knoxville is entering the Royal Rumble. He’s got a Jackass movie coming out in February.

♦ Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins officially entered themselves into the Royal Rumble before Street Profits vs Apollo Crews & Commander Azeez. Another stupidly short match. Azeez started but tagged in Crews after taking an enzuigiri from Ford, then got shoved into the ring post by Dawkins. Montez Ford finished it with a huge frog splash.

♦ Rey and Dominik Mysterio are entering the Royal Rumble.

♦ An enraged Doudrop demanded Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville explain why she and everyone else has been overlooked so Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan get chance after chance. She demanded her first chance.

Sonya Deville gave her a triple-threat next week. She’ll compete against Liv Morgan and Bianca Belair and the winner will face Becky Lynch at Royal Rumble.

♦ Sarah Schreiber asked Damian Priest about the DQ losing the title stipulation. He said if Ziggler fights him like a man there’ll be no problem, but Ziggler knows what will happen if Damian comes out to play. Either way, he’s planning to remain United States Champion.

Damian Priest (C) vs Dolph Ziggler – United States Championship Match – was decent. Ziggler was alone, which vastly increases the chances of a fair match, but he was trying to make Priest snap from the start. He had the upper hand going into the break, courtesy of a DDT in front of the announce desk.

Inevitably, Robert Roode appeared and interfered when Priest went to the top. He knocked him down without the ref seeing and Priest took a Famouser. He kicked out, and Damian made an appearance. A clothesline put Ziggler down hard enough for Priest to go and pound on Roode. No DQ for that, but he nearly missed the count and got back in the ring with a chair at eight.

Ziggler yelled at Priest to hit him and get disqualified. Roode got up on the apron to do the same, so Priest threw the chair at him. He took a ZigZag for the distraction, but, once again, he kicked out. With the wild-eyed Damian look in his eye, Priest grabbed Ziggler as he charged at him and delivered The Reckoning for the win.

♦ NXT 2.0 are doing New Year’s Evil tomorrow night.

♦ Austin Theory interrupted Vince McMahon on the phone. He apologised and McMahon told him never to do that because it was a weakness. Theory wanted to know about his rematch with Balor and McMahon told him he admired the beatdown but not the loss. So, instead of a rematch, McMahon entered him into the Royal Rumble.

♦ The Miz and Maryse came to the ring for Miz to bitch about losing to Edge at Day 1. It was, in his mind, all Beth Phoenix’s fault. Edge was all done, with no hope left, before she turned up. He cheated fate and stole a win. Edge deserved to lose because of the vow renewal Brood Bath. With no irony at all, he asked what kind of man hides behind his wife when Maryse interfered several times before Phoenix chased her away.

Maryse said Miz would never do that because he was strong and brave and courageous and that’s when she loves him. If Beth Phoenix was there, she’d punch her in the face for stealing his moment.

Phoenix came out to give her the opportunity, and she brought her husband with her. Edge said most people would take the L and move on, but he knew Miz would have every excuse in the book. He asked if he needed to illustrate the ways Miz is a hypocrite and mocked him for being speechless. And just to clarify, Beth helping at Day 1 was her idea, not his.

But he’s going to give Miz what he wants, or they’re going to give them what they want. The Miz and Maryse versus Edge and Beth Phoenix at Royal Rumble.

Miz rambled until Beth told him a simple yes or no would do. He accepted and Maryse yelled at him. She was telling him she couldn’t fight The Glamazon when Phoenix raised her fist to her. Maryse immediately fell over with a look of terror.

♦ Big E told Kevin Patrick being WWE Champions meant a lot to him and a lot to other people too. There’s no shame in losing to Brock Lesnar but we don’t stay down and wallow in self-pity. We et up and make sure our next chapter is our best chapter. Tonight starts his path to regaining the title and no one can stop him.

♦ AJ Styles vs Omos was fine for what it was. Omos is big enough to coast with a limited move set… which is probably just as well. He got the pin this time, with Styles getting nothing significant in the way of offence, but I suspect we’ll have to watch this at least a couple more times before we can all move on.

♦ Starting next week we’re going to be following Alexa Bliss’ journey back to RAW.

♦ Kevin Owens vs Big E vs Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley, with MVP, – Fatal Four-way Number One Contender’s Match – was great. Rollins took an early trip into the ring post courtesy of Bobby Lashley. Big E was not playing either. He went for a suicide dive on Owens and barely caught him. He knocked him off the apron and left him clutching his ribs, but almost took himself out in the process.

Lashley was the first one to look dominant until Owens dodged his spear through the barricade. While he was sprawled in the timekeeper’s area, Rollins and Owens shoved Big E into the ring post, added barricades on top of Lashley to keep him down, then put Big E through the announce desk.

After a break, Lashley was up but being double teamed by Rollins and Owens. During the ads, they’d hit him with the steps and Owens had given him a frog splash. There was some great teamwork there, but it didn’t take Lashley and Big E long to get back into it. When they decided to team up, Rollins and Owens ran.

Lashley chased Rollins through the crowd and into the concessions area while Big E chased Owens. There’s no DQ or count-out in a fatal four-way, but it’s not a Falls Count Anywhere, so Big E putting Owens through the merch table might have been counterproductive.

They were fighting their way back to the ring when we came back. Owens was nowhere in sight until he came flying down from the row above the exit they were fighting round.

Owens was good as his word when Rollin tried to pin Big E. He celebrated instead of breaking it up, but Big E kicked out. Rollins also watched as Owens tried to pin Big E until Lashley pushed him onto them.

Bobby Lashley was ready to finish it. He threw out a few suplexes then speared everyone and pinned Owens for the win.

Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley at Royal Rumble will be a first-time-ever match.

Lesnar was asked for a comment after the match. He didn’t acknowledge Lashley in any way, just said to tell Roman Reigns he’d see him on Friday at SmackDown.

Too many short matches made this week’s RAW feel cluttered and rushed. The main was good though. I can’t help thinking it would have been a spectacular end to Day 1. It’s all going to be about the Royal Rumble going forward, which is invariably a fun show.