‘WWE Raw’ Review (Jan 1st 2024)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly – the first new episode of 2024! Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: Nia Jax def. Becky Lynch
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After catching Becky Lynch with an earth-shattering right hand as The Man attacked from the second rope, Nia Jax, competing in her hometown of San Diego, followed up with the Annihilator to score a huge victory over the highly decorated former Women’s Champion.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Jey Uso & Kofi Kingston def. Imperium (Stoppage)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Jey Uso & Kofi Kingston vs. Imperium was stopped by the referee due to Giovanni Vinci’s injury
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: The Miz & R-Truth def. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In the final moments of an explosive tag team matchup, a very confused R-Truth still insisted he was part of The Judgment Day. JD McDonagh attempted to capitalize by holding up Miz and demanding Truth hit The A-Lister. Miz moved at the last second, however, and Truth clobbered JD. This paved the way for The Miz to defeat him with the Skull-Crushing Finale.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Women’s World Championship – Rhea Ripley def. Ivy Nile
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite a hard-fought effort by Ivy Nile, Rhea Ripley retained the Women’s World Championship with the Riptide.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark def. Tegan Nox & Natalya
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark overcame Tegan Nox and Natalya when they hit Nox with a German Suplex/Z-360 combination for the victory, which perhaps put them into strong contention for a WWE Women’s Tag Team Title opportunity.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #6: World Heavyweight Championship – Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Drew McIntyre
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In an incredible World Heavyweight Championship Match pitting Seth “Freakin” Rollins against Drew McIntye, Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest suddenly emerged to hit Rollins with the briefcase and set the wheels in motion to cash in his contract. Before he could, however, an incensed McIntyre took out Priest and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio. He then returned to ring and hit a Claymore on Rollins, but when he went for the pin, Rollins’ foot ended up on the rope. The unhinged McIntyre then attempted to finish Rollins by driving him through the announce table. Before he could execute, though, Rollins hit him with a Pedigree onto the table followed by a Stomp in the ring for the three-count!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- The Rock made a surprise return to Raw
Final Verdict: 3/5
A pretty good start to 2024 for the WWE, with two great championship matches and the return of The Rock to the WWE universe, after a BRILLIANT swerve of having Jinder Mahal return just before him! So much for Andrade making the instant switch to the WWE on this Day 1 special show! The opening match was good, but not great, mainly due to the fact Nia Jax still looks like she’s struggling with moves even after all these years. And such a shame about Giovanni Vinci…
