:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70452048/20220129_Raw_Ronda_FC__9a5cf4be04672241c5a6e837f9fd590f.0.jpg)
WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Jan. 31, 2022) from the Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, featuring the fallout show from the Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) that went down just this past Saturday night in St. Louis.
Advertised for tonight: Ronda Rousey makes her return to the red brand for the first time in years fresh off her Royal Rumble victory. We don’t know if she’ll tell us who she’s challenging at WrestleMania 38, but she’ll be in the building for something. Meanwhile, we do know that Brock Lesnar will make his choice because WWE is promoting as much. Elsewhere, Bobby Lashley is set to usher in “The All Mighty Era” once again now that he is WWE champion. All that and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog will kick off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here.
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JAN. 31
Johnny used to work after school at the cinema show. Gotta hustle if he wants an education, yeah he’s got a long way to go. Now he’s out on the streets all day, but me? I’m just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of Brock Lesnar losing the WWE Championship to Bobby Lashley and then going on to win the Royal Rumble.
Adam Pearce is in the ring and he gets on the mic and runs down the events of the Royal Rumble as they pertain to Raw, and segues to the Elimination Chamber.
Enter Bobby Lashley, flanked by Montel Vontavious Porter.
MVP complains about how Lashley shouldn’t have to defend the WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber and asks what’s wrong with Adam Pearce. Bob himself asks Adam who the hell he thinks he is and he should be out celebrating his win. He talks up his victory...
Enter Brock Lesnar, smiling and laughing.
He tells Porter to shut up before he sticks the cane up his ass and asks if Bob is gonna stand here and pretend like he’s the champion. From one athlete to another, what’s the pride in that when he knows he didn’t win? But he’s not mad at Lashley, it’s all good, but he IS mad at Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman.
Brock says they had a good contest and offers Bob his kudos before moving on to talk up his own Royal Rumble victory and the choice of champion to challenge at WrestleMania. He tells Lashley he doesn’t need to worry because he’s not picking him, he’s wrestling Reigns at Mania.
Nothing to do with him, but what it does have to do with him, is that Brock vs. Roman will be title vs. title. He wants to fight Bobby Lashley TONIGHT for the title, and that gets Bob’s anger up. MVP holds him back, Lesnar mocks him for it and tells him to take his $5 suit off.
Montel says Brock can go to the end of the line and EARN a title shot, challenge declined. Lesnar calls Bob chickenshit and the champion snaps but MVP manages to talk him down again. Brock fires a cheap shot at Montel as he leaves the ring but only clips him, and champion and manager leave together in peace.
Pearce announces that Lashley will defend the title in the Elimination Chamber and Brock says he wants in, and Adam puts him in the match!
Rhea Ripley makes her entrance to send us to break.
Nikki ASH vs. Rhea Ripley
ASH shoots in for a leg pick, Ripley tosses her aside with ease, scoop, float over, basement dropkick puts her on her knees! Off the ropes, Rhea hosses her up on a crossbody, into a delayed vertical suplex that sends Nikki crashing to the floor! Trapping Ripley up in the apron, putting boots to her and sending us to break.
Back from commercial, ASH in charge but Ripley slings her aside and clobbers her with a forearm, short-arm lariats, short-arm headbutt, snapmare, off the ropes, dropkick to the back of the head! Superkick connects, bridging northern lights suplex, only two!
Up top, jockeying for position, tornado DDT... NOPE! Neckbreaker attempt reversed...
Rhea Ripley wins by pinfall with Riptide.
We get a recap of the first round of the Academic Challenge between Alpha Academy and RK-BRO.
Backstage, Chad Gable scoffs at Matt Riddle’s tactics for this week’s scooter race and complains about losing the spelling bee. Kevin Patrick informs us the race will be 50 laps around the arena and talks up his suit he got from his speed skating friends.
Chad Gable vs. Matt Riddle (Academic Challenge Round 2: Scooter Race)
R-Truth is the special guest starter and they’re off! With 50 laps we’re gonna be at this for a while, so we cut away and go to break.
Back from commercial, Alexa Bliss is in the psychologist’s office again.
She talks about how Lilly is real and we get a bunch of old photographs and says she’d play dressup and have a sleepover with her if she was here now. The doctor has a replica of Lilly to show her, and she sits up and takes notice. Asked how she feels, she gets emotional and we cut away.
We get a recap of Edge and Beth Phoenix beating Miz and Maryse at the Royal Rumble.
The Miz makes his entrance and we go to break.
Dominik Mysterio vs. the Miz
Collar and elbow, Miz backing Mysterio into the corner and breaking dirty by ruffling his hair! Dominik with a right hand, tijeras, 619 but the A-Lister dodges! Miz fakes interference from Rey Mysterio at ringside and referee Danilo Anfibio throws Mysterio the Elder out!
Miz from behind...
The Miz wins by pinfall with Skull-Crushing Finale.
Backstage, Tamina accosts Dana Brooke but she gets away.
Matt Riddle and Chad Gable go by on lap 18 of their scooter race.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Matt Riddle literally runs into Omos mid-scooter race and stops to tell him he’s got beautiful eyes, allowing Chad Gable to pass him on lap 25.
Kevin Owens is in the ring to host the Kevin Owens Show.
He gets on the mic and says things are getting exciting because we’re on the road to the most stupendous WrestleMania of all time. You never know what’s gonna happen, and he introduces his guest, who should be our Universal Champion.
Enter Seth Rollins.
He takes a seat because he’s not at 100% and says he wouldn’t miss this for the world, and we get a recap of his match.
Kevin Owens says what Roman Reigns did to him was disgusting and Rollins is the Universal Champion of his heart. Seth thanks him and cackles, getting up to say that while he’s not here with the title he did acquire something else, and that is a permanent piece of real estate in Roman’s brain.
He can go back any time he wants, and the next time he does, he’ll bring the Universal Championship home. But that’s SmackDown business, and this is Monday Night Raw, and he’s got a special announcement about Elimination Chamber. Drum roll... he’s in the Chamber match challenging Bobby Lashley for the title!
KO says he’s not in the match and he doesn’t need to qualify, like he does, and that’s great, and they bicker over whether or not Kev is happy for him. Owens pitches him on going to Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville and demanding to put KO in the match or he pulls out. Seth balks and Kev says he’d do it for him.
Enter Austin Theory, sending us to break.
Austin Theory vs. Kevin Owens (Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match)
Owens pounding away at Theory with chops, smashing him into the corner, shot off, shoulder block, drop down, leapfrog, drop down, big elbow wipes Austin out and sets him up for a senton! Chops into the corner, whip across, putting boots to him, more chops, Theory with a rolling thunder dropkick!
Action to the floor, cannonball against the barricade! Austin spikes his back into the steel steps and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Owens with forearms, an enzuigiri, and a DDT and both men are down and out! Up top, jockeying for position, Kev knocks him down, double jump moonsault but nobody’s home! Rolling thunder blockbuster... SO CLOSE! Trading chops, forearm from Austin, crossleg brainbuster over the knee... STILL NO!
KO with his own brainbuster over the knee... NO GOOD! Kick to the gut, Stunner blocked, superkick takes Theory’s head off! Owens off the top with the senton atomico... THEORY KICKS OUT! Up top, looking for the fisherman buster, Theory cuts him off, jockeying for position... AVALANCHE FISHERMAN BUSTER BUT AUSTIN GETS A FOOT ON THE ROPES!
Kev takes him to the floor and thrashes him into apron and announce desk, but Austin ducks the apron powerbomb! Kicking the ropes into KO’s gentleman’s area, fireman’s carry...
Austin Theory wins by pinfall with ATL, qualifying for the Elimination Chamber.
Street Profits are backstage and share their beverage with Matt Riddle as he scoots past. Chad Gable asks for hydration but they deny him. Good news for him, Otis rolls up and gives him a cup full of steak sauce, which Chad spits out as the race rolls on with lap 39 of 50.
Profits make their entrance to send us to break.
Angelo Dawkins vs. Dolph Ziggler
Ziggler with a superkick out the gates for a two count! Posting Dawkins, another cover, no good, raking his boots across Angelo’s face, looking for the sleeper hold, doing a little dance to taunt him. Dawkins fires up and cracks a right hand across Dolph’s jaw! Both men down and out, referee Rod Zapata counting, they both make it up!
Angelo with lariats off the ropes, whip reversed, leapfrog, corkscrew uppercut, Olympic Slam, fired up, spinning Stinger Splash into a one-handed bulldog... NOPE! Drill Bit reversed into a schoolboy, only two, Ziggler hits the big DDT... STILL NO! Superkick countered into a backslide, Drill Bit hits this time...
Angelo Dawkins wins by pinfall with Drill Bit.
We see Gable and Riddle scooting along on the penultimate lap of their race.
A hype reel for WWE 2K22 sends us to break.
Back from commercial, Veer Mahaan is still coming and should probably get that looked at.
R-Truth is interviewed at the finish line and says he expects “the Bengals” to win this scooter race.
Riddle and Gable scooting home backstage, out on the stage neck and neck and Chad takes a spill at the base of the ramp, clutching his knee! Matt scoots lazily towards the finish... AND OTIS DOZOVIC BLASTS HIM AT THE LAST FOOT! Gable picks himself up and scoots on down, doing a lap around Riddle’s prone body...
Chad Gable wins the scooter race and earns the right to pick the third and final event of the Academic Challenge.
Riddle goes to complain and Gable shushes him, accusing him of calling him a cheater, before saying he’s never cheated at anything in his life. Chad gives him a match against Otis, which we’ll see after the break.
Back from commercial, Adam Pearce makes our next match an Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match.
Matt Riddle vs. Otis Dozovic (Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match)
Dozovic in control early, freight training Riddle, corner body avalanche, big splash, fishhooking his mouth, Matt fires up but runs into a vicious back elbow! Trying to put a rally together but Dozer just shoulder blocks him across the ring! Crossface strikes into a standing neck crank, following it up with an elbow to the ribs that leaves Deep Waters in agony!
Choking Riddle in the ropes, again with the neck crank, Matt with desperate elbows to block. Otis with a back suplex, he lands on his feet, body blows into a roundhouse kick, chest kicks in the corner, overhead exploder suplex cuts him off! Sidestep the charge, laying forearms in, go-behind, ripcord knee puts the big man on one knee and a second puts him on his back!
Riddle up top and he hits the corkscrew moonsault! Fired up, going to that special place, RKO denied! Back elbow, up top again...
Matt Riddle wins by pinfall with the corkscrew moonsault, qualifying for the Elimination Chamber.
We see AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio warming up backstage.
We get entrances and go to break.
Back from commercial, Carmella bails before the bell and puts her terrible mask that my wife hates on.
Bianca Belair vs. Carmella
Belair with waistlock takedowns out the gates, Carmella starts a shoving match before slapping her in the face! Bianca gives chase, Mella runs around the ring and cuts her off with boots under the ropes! Pressing the attack, holding court, scraping her forearm across Belair’s face in the turnbuckles and following it up with back elbow after back elbow!
Grinding in a reverse chinlock, Bianca reverses to a backbreaker for some breathing room! Straight suplex, kip-up, clubbing blows, whip across, duck a lariat, backbreaker rack...
Bianca Belair wins by pinfall with KOD.
We’re promised more Alexa Bliss, after the break.
Back from commercial, we go back to Alexa in the therapist’s office.
She tells Lilly she’s missed her so much and the doctor reminds her this isn’t the “real” Lilly, just a replica, and lets her hold her to prove it.
Alpha Academy are interviewed backstage.
Chad Gable crows about winning the race and announces that the final event of the Academic Challenge is a quiz bowl, and when RK-BRO lose, they can kiss their rematch goodbye.
AJ Styles makes his entrance to send us to break.
AJ Styles vs. Rey Mysterio (Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match)
Circling, handshake, collar and elbow and Styles rushes him into the corner and breaks clean. Mysterio with a go-behind, standing switch, waistlock takedown but Rey is right in the ropes for the break! Test of strength, sunset flip, no dice, AJ with a side headlock.
Shot off, drop down, shoulder block, drop down, Mysterio snaps off a tijeras! Up in the turnbuckles, jockeying for position, Rey with a headscissors, off the ropes, Styles catches him with a quebradora! Throwing Mysterio out under the bottom rope, he lands on his feet, back in before the plancha, dropkick puts AJ out to the floor!
Rey off the ropes, the low tope but the knees are up! Fireman’s carry reversed into a Frankensteiner that puts Styles into the barricade and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Mysterio fighting back with strikes, off the ropes, front kick, quebrada caught but he converts it into a tilt-a-whirl DDT! Tijeras connects, duck a lariat, springboard crossbody gets two! Phenomenal Forearm blocked, Rey lands a kick and both men are down and out!
Up top, jockeying for position, AJ reverses... REY BLOCKS THE AVALANCHE STYLES CLASH! Frankensteiner puts Styles on the middle rope... 619! Off the top... NOBODY HOME ON THE FROG SPLASH! Crucifix pin for two, duck a lariat, Pele Kick connects! Styles Clash reversed into a seated senton, Mysterio up top, diving seated senton but AJ rolls through...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Styles Clash, qualifying for the Elimination Chamber.
We get a recap of the women’s Royal Rumble to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for Raw Talk, featuring Eric Bischoff.
Ronda Rousey makes her entrance and gets on the mic.
She says she’s been debating whose title she wants to take at WrestleMania, Charlotte’s or Rebecca’s. She has unfinished business with both, and she could choose Lynch, but her attention is a compliment she doesn’t deserve, because she’s always the biggest fight any woman can have, and her stagnating title reign isn’t her problem.
She could pick Flair to remind Becky that’s she’s still on her undercard, and then everyone will know that the baddest big-time bitch is her.
Enter Becky Lynch.
She laughs Ronda off saying she shouldn’t call her the undercard since she’s the only one who has beaten her for the title and everyone knows Lynch vs. Rousey is the biggest match anyone could book. But she can’t blame her if she wants to pick Flair and have a little appetizer first.
She says the people want to know and extends her arm, leaving Rousey a perfect opening to judo throw her into a wristlock and say that we’ll have her answer on Friday.
Ronda storms off, Lynch grabs the mic again and calls her rude and says she must be afraid, or maybe she wants to get out of Ohio as much as she does.
Enter Lita?!
She has a mic and asks what Becky’s problem is before saying she doesn’t know how Ronda could talk to her like that, because she’s the GOAT and the women’s division has never been hotter. This gets Lynch to give her a warm reception and admit she’s a big fan. Lita says she appreciates that Becky is a fighting champion and challenges her for Elimination Chamber.
Lynch says no, Lita picks at her, Becky says she’s taking her out of context and sputters... AND ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE!
That’s the show, folks.
Loading comments...