‘WWE Raw’ Review (Jan 15th 2024)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: #DIY def. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Looking for a monumental win, #DIY took on The Judgment Day’s “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh. Mysterio and McDonagh employed a wide variety of underhanded tactics, using the referee to hit cheap shots and to prevent Johnny Gargano from tagging Tommaso Ciampa. The two teams put on a show, with the North Little Rock WWE Universe chanting “This is Awesome.” Gargano and Ciampa sealed the win by blasting McDonagh with Meeting in the Middle.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Indi Hartwell & Candice LeRae def. Chelsea Green & Piper Niven
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Former WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Chelsea Green and Piper Niven continued their losing streak when they fell to former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae. After an amazing assisted moonsault, Hartwell and LeRae got their 2024 off to a hot start with the win.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Ludwig Kaiser def. Xavier Woods (DQ)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After Xavier Woods laid out a challenge to Ludwig Kaiser, the two went straight to the ring for the impromptu match. Woods’ penchant for retribution cost him, however, as he used the same chair that Kaiser used to take out Kofi Kingston, throwing it at Kaiser and being disqualified.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Akira Tozawa def. Ivar
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Akira Tozawa used the Power of Tozawa to cap off a monumental victory over The Viking Raiders’ Ivar. Tozawa pulled off the historic win with a sunset flip powerbomb. After the match, Ivar and Valhalla took out Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri, laying waste to both members of Alpha Academy.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #5: The Judgment Day def. The Miz & R-Truth
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
As the match got underway, R-Truth attempted to give Finn Bálor and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio their cut of the merchandise money he made, snubbing JD McDonagh in the process. R-Truth continued to think he was an active member of The Judgment Day, but he eventually fell to a South of Heaven from Priest, which gave The Judgment Day the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark def. Tegan Nox & Natalya
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With both teams looking to potentially earn a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark took on Tegan Nox and Natalya. The two teams viciously attacked each other with their educated feet, but Baszler caught Natalya in the Kirifuda Clutch, leaving the fast-fading Superstar with no choice but to tap out.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #7: World Heavyweight Championship – Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Jinder Mahal
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Looking to dial back the clock to 2017, The Modern Day Maharaja attempted to take Seth “Freakin” Rollins’ World Heavyweight Title. Rollins had his back was against the wall, with not only Sanga and Veer of Indus Sher at ringside for Mahal, but the arrival of Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest, who sauntered down to ringside with his briefcase. Deep into the match, Rollins went for the Pedigree, nailing it but coming down hard on his knee, allowing Indus Sher to help Mahal get his foot on the bottom rope. With both men down, Priest considered cashing in his contract, but Drew McIntyre attacked him to prevent the cash-in. During this fracas, Mahal took advantage, hitting a gutbuster for a close two-count. Indus Sher then gave Mahal a Hail Mary, hitting Rollins with the briefcase before Mahal almost captured the victory with the Khallas. Rollins miraculously kicked out at the last second, saving his championship reign with a last-gasp effort. The Visionary then hit the Stomp on Mahal to claim a hard-earned title defense.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Not even the good main event could save this week’s episode of Raw. This show felt like it was treading water somewhat, with matches that didn’t really matter clogging up the card. I certainly wasn’t a fan of how Xavier Woods was presented this week in his return – I get it, he’s pissed off but this is Xavier Woods, the dude usually rises above this kind of pettiness; this felt like a total change of character IMHO. Raw opened strong and closed trong, everything in the middle? Meh.
