Our WWE Raw Results for tonight include the semi-final round of the Last Time is Now Tournament, which kicks off when former World Heavyweight Champion Gunther clashes with Solo Sikoa and Jey Uso battling LA Knight, and AJ Styles and Dragon Lee defending the WWE World Tag Team Championships against The New Day. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
WWE Raw Card:
- WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: AJ Styles and Dragon Lee (c) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
- The Last Time Is Now Tournament Semi-finals: Gunther vs. Solo Sikoa
- The Last Time Is Now Tournament Semi-finals Jey Uso vs. LA Knight
WWE Raw Results:
Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore kick off the show from the crowd. After a brief back and forth, they throw to a highlight package from Survivor Series WarGames.
Brutality of the SKY
Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY are all smiles in the ring. Ripley welcomes the crowd to “Monday Night Rhea.” They are both a little banged up, but they won the war. The fight isn’t over. SKY and Ripley want revenge on the Kabuki Warriors. Their revenge starts by taking the tag team championships. Charlotte Flair‘s music hits. Flair and Alexa Bliss walk to the ring. Flair and Bliss want their tag titles back. This leads to SKY accepting Bliss’ challenge for a tag match later tonight.
Grade: B
Has there ever been this much main event talent involved with the tag team championships? The renewed focus on the women’s tag titles is great to see. It’s a great mechanism to get people like Flair, Bliss, Ripley, and Asuka away from the singles titles. This allows the Maxinne Dupri‘s and Chelsea Green’s of the world to hold titles. Having real feuds around the tag titles just makes them mean more, or even better, mean SOMETHING.
Backstage, Ivy Nile wants a shot at Dupri’s Women’s Intercontintental Championship. Raw GM Adam Pearce agrees and says Dupri wants it as well.
The Last Time Is Now Tournament Semi-finals Jey Uso vs. LA Knight
Knight almost hits the BFT as soon as the bell rings. Jey narrowly avoids it. Knight and Jey trade strikes. Jey low bridges Knight, sending him over the top. Jey lands a dive.
Knight avoids a superkick and lands a burning hammer. Jey kicks out. Jey surprises Knight with a Spear. Knight kicks out. Jey lands another Spear, followed by a Uso Splash! Knight kicks out and immediately rolls up Jey with a crucifix for the win!
Winner- LA Knight
After the match, Jey goes nuts and destroys the area outside the ring.
Grade: B-
Fun match and the right person won.
Mysterio!
The new Intercontinental Champion and AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio heads to the ring with The Judgement Day. Dominik gloats about beating the greatest of all time. That makes him the greatest Mysterio of all time, the greatest Luchador of all time, the king of the Luchdors, and the greatest IC Champion of all time. Dominik says he couldn’t have done it without the Judgement Day, and especially Liv Morgan. Morgan joins The Judgement Day in the ring.
Morgan gloats about costing Cena the IC title. Everyone celebrates. Morgan says that since she’s been gone, she’s been hearing that The Judgement Day is weak and falling apart. All of that changes now because Liv Morgan is back. They are coming for everything that is theirs. As of right now, The Judgement Day officially run Monday Night Raw. Morgan then slaps Dominik and gives him a hug.
WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: AJ Styles and Dragon Lee (c) vs. The New Day w/Grayson Waller
Kingston and Woods attack Styles from behind. Woods and Kingston work over Styles in the corner. Styles is sent flying with a monkey flip. Lee tags in and catches Kingston with a slingshot dropkick. Lee sends Kingston off the apron onto Waller and Woods! After the break, Styles sets Kingston on the top rope. Lee dives off the top and double stomps Kingston. Kingston bounces off the ropes into a Styles Clash from Styles!
Winners and STILL World Tag Team Champions, AJ Styles and Dragon Lee!
Grade: B
Fun match. Super creative finish. Don’t think we’ve seen a double stomp Styles Clash before. With the renewed focus on the women’s tag division, the men’s division needs a bit of an overhaul as well. Beyond the New Day and The Judgement Day, who else can Styles and Lee feud with?
The Vision
Paul Heyman is in the ring with Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed. Heyman gives shoutouts Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, and the rest of his WarGames team. On Jan 5th, on the first anniversary of the Netflix Raw debut CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against the uncrowned champion, Bron Breakker.
Breakker says he’s pissed about how easy it was to pin CM Punk at WarGames. Standing across from Punk at WarGames. Breakker no knows Punk is nothing but a soft-a$$ bitch. Breakker goes on a rant and proclaims himself the real best in the world. Breakker slams the mic and storms off. The rest of the Vision clap for Breakker as he stomps up the ramp.
Grade: B
Great promo by Breakker. Breakker is going to win on Jan 5th. The only way that doesn’t happen is if Seth Rollins is magically healed by then.
The Last Time Is Now Tournament Semi-finals: Gunther vs. Solo Sikoa w/Tala Tonga
Sikoa and Gunther trade take downs and shoulder blocks. Neither man can get the advantage. Sikoa runs through a Gunther chop and lands a shoulder block that floors Gunther. Gunther leap frogs over Sikoa and catches him with a big boot. Sikoa rolls out of the ring to collect himself. After the break, Sikoa and Gunther trade big moves. Gunther lands a superplex. Sikoa and Gunther trade chops. After another Sikoa drops Gunther with a Samoan Spike. Both men are down. After the break, Gunther surprises Sikoa with a lariat.
Sikoa counters a powerbomb with a back body drop. Gunther hops back to his feet and lands another nasty lariat. After a series of reversals and with Gunther working over Sikoa’s thumb, Sikoa finally lands a Samoan drop. Sikoa calls for the Spike. Gunther counters with a series of chops. Gunther hits the ropes and runs into Spinning Solo. Sikoa flattens Gunther with a Uso Splash.
Gunther kicks out! Sleeper by Gunther. Sikoa gets to the ropes. Gunther German suplexes Sikoa. Tonga gets on the apron. Tonga boots Gunther in the face. The referee catches Sikoa and Tonga attempting to double-team Gunther. Gunther kicks Tonga in balls. While the referee is distracted with Tonga, Gunther shrugs and kicks Sikoa in the balls. Powerbomb by Gunther. Gunther pins Sikoa.
Winner- Gunther
After the match, LA Knight comes to the ring and jaw-jaws with Gunther.
Grade: B+
This was the definition of what a big man match should be. It wasn’t slow, and both men laid in their shots. So many stiff chops and big power moves executed to perfection. Gunther even got to play the face here, which doesn’t happen often. Last time we saw that, Gunther was defending against Dominik Mysterio.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY
Flair tries to boot SKY, but ends up knocking Ripley off the apron. SKY rolls up Flair and lands a double stomp. After the break, Ripley has Bliss in the Prism trap. Ripley takes this moment to boot Flair off the apron in retaliation for earlier. Flair tags in and has a staredown with Ripley. Ripley and Flair trade strikes.
Ripley drops Flair as she sets up a Razor’s Edge. After the stumble, Ripley hits the move. SKY follows that with a dropkick. Flair and Bliss both DDT Ripley. Everyone lands a big move. Sane and Asuka hit the ring and attack everyone. The referee calls for the bell.
No Contest
After the match, Asuka and Sane clean house. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria make the save. Liv Morgan hops the barricade and trips Valkyria on the commentary desk. Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez attack everyone who isn’t already laid out. Morgan hands Perez and Rodriguez the tag titles, and they hold them high in the air.
Grade: B
Good tag match. With so many established teams vying for the championships, we are entering into new territory here. Does… does the WWE actually care about women’s tag team wrestling now?
WWE Raw Review:
Tonight’s show didn’t change the landscape in the way Triple H hinted, but we did get movement in a more positive direction. Bron Breakker is officially challenging for the World Championship, the women’s tag division is being highlighted, and the finals of the Last Time is Now tourney are set. Gunther vs. Sikoa won match of the night honors, with the women’s tag main event being a close second.
Rating: B
Read More: Stephanie McMahon Reveals Role At John Cena’s Final Match
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