‘WWE Raw’ Review (Jan 23rd 2023)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly… We’re on the road to the Royal Rumble AND this week’s episode is a special 30th anniversary show. Let’s get into it!
Match #1: Raw Tag Team Championship Match – The Usos def. The Judgment Day
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Winners of a Tag Team Turmoil for the chance to challenge The Usos for the Raw Tag Team Championship, Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest started off hot, grounding Jimmy & Jey. As Finn Bálor tried to get involved, he was swiftly ejected by the WWE Official. This allowed Jimmy to hit a huge splash, but he could only garner a two-count. Late in the fight, Jimmy suffered a knee injury, and Sami Zayn tagged in for the injured Jimmy, which WWE Official Adam Pearce allowed. With immense pressure as the entire Bloodline watched, Zayn performed admirably by kicking out of a huge South of Heaven from Priest. After a 619 and top-rope splash from Mysterio to Jey, Zayn once again proved his worth by breaking up the pinfall that likely would’ve gotten three. Zayn and Jey ended the tense matchup by connecting with the 1D on Dominik, seemingly getting The Honorary Uce back in the good graces of The Tribal Chief.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Seth “Freakin” Rollins & The Street Profits def. Imperium
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With Special Guest Referee Kurt Angle officiating and Special Guest Commentator Jerry “The King” Lawler calling the action, Seth “Freakin” Rollins & The Street Profits took on Imperium in an old-school fight. Gunther got in the face of Angle, allowing Rollins and The Street Profits to gain the advantage. Gunther struck back with a brutal powerbomb on The Visionary, earning a close two-count. With Angle watching, Rollins hit a beautiful Angle Slam in tribute to the Hall of Famer. Rollins and The Profits continued to roll, and Rollins wrapped up the match with a Stomp on Giovanni Vinci.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: Bianca Belair def. Sonya Deville
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite Sonya Deville “not even going here,” she took on Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair in a pre-Royal Rumble tussle. Belair made short work of Deville, dispatching her with the K.O.D.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: United States Championship Match – Austin Theory def. Bobby Lashley
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Bobby Lashley dismantled Austin Theory from the get-go, leaving the champion in dire straits. Fitting for a Philadelphia No Disqualification Match, the table made an appearance, but Lashley locked in the Hurt Lock before Theory could use it. In a desperation move, Theory blinded Lashley with a fire extinguisher. At the final stretch, Lashley tossed Theory through a table, but Brock Lesnar exploded back onto the scene! With the WWE Universe at a fever pitch, The Beast F-5’ed Lashley and Theory, leaving Theory on top of The All Mighty, which allowed him to retain the U.S. Title. An incredible Raw 30 concluded with Lesnar standing tall and the WWE Universe in utter disbelief.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This special episode of Raw opened strong with the epic Bloodline promo and the fantastic tag team match. After that? Pretty much everything you’d expect from a show that featured veteran wrestlers alongside modern talent. Hey, saying that at least the vets didn’t bury the current roster in this show… That’s usually the case in these kinds of celebratory episodes! In fact, it felt like LESS was made of the vets in this show than in previous years and the show, thankfully, focused more on the current storylines and the plot threads laid down leading to the Royal Rumble.
