WWE Raw Results 1/22 - We Hear From Seth Rollins, CM Punk & Cody Rhodes Meet In The Ring
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results for "WWE Raw" on January 22, 2024, coming to you live from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana!
Early last week, it was reported that Seth "Freakin" Rollins suffered a torn MCL during his World Heavyweight Championship match against Jinder Mahal on "Raw". In light of such, Rollins will be appearing at the top of the show to provide an update to the WWE Universe.
CM Punk sent a message to Cody Rhodes via his Instagram story last week, and dared him to meet him in the ring tonight. Although Punk didn't state his exact reason for doing so, both men have declared themselves as entrants in the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble this coming Saturday.
Ivar of The Viking Raiders is set to collide with the leader of Alpha Academy, Chad Gable. Ivar previously faced Otis and Akira Tozawa, having defeated the former on the January 8 episode of "Raw" and come up short against the latter on the January 15 edition of the show.
Ivar's ally Valhalla will be making her return to action for the first time since the July 31, 2023 episode of "Raw" as she goes one-on-one with Ivy Nile. Nile and The Creed Brothers have taken issue with Ivar and Valhalla as a result of their friendship with Alpha Academy.
Two weeks ago, The Miz defeated JD McDonagh in singles competition. Tonight, Dominik Mysterio looks to seek their retribution for his Judgment Day teammate as he squares off with "The A Lister". Elsewhere, another member of the stable will be in action as Damian Priest takes on Drew McIntyre.
The issues between Imperium and New Day have remained no secret over the past few weeks, having met in the ring on a handful of occasions, and Ludwig Kaiser leaving both Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods laid out following their matches on January 8 and 15 respectively. Tonight, the two teams surely won't hold anything back as they meet in the ring with each other once again.
We are live! Michael Cole and Wade Barrett greet audiences at home as Seth "Freakin" Rollins makes his way down to the ring.
We Hear From Seth Rollins
Rollins welcomes fans to Monday Night Rollins and says as it's been a long week, he appreciates the warm welcome from New Orleans. He says he successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Jinder Mahal seven days ago, but he felt his knee go in the way it wasn't supposed to when he landed a moonsault. He says he sat down when he went to the back, and that's when it set in that he might be out for a long time. He says he felt helpless being unable to bend his knee, and for the first time, he thought he would have to miss WrestleMania 40. He says he had an MRI, and the results came back in the middle of the week. He says he has a Grade 2 tear of his MCL and a partial tear of his medial meniscus, and he's looking at being on the shelf for the next three to four months. He says he would keep competing if it were up to him, but it isn't.
Imperium's music hits, and the trio make their way down to the ring. GUNTHER gets in the ring, and Rollins tells them not to waste any time doing what they're going to do to him. GUNTHER tells Rollins not to worry about Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser, and says they've been avoiding one another for quite some time now. He says the time has come for him to let Rollins know how he really feels about him, and says Rollins has been labeled as a workhorse champion since the beginning defending his title week in and week out. He says Rollins has been a champion everyone can be proud of like he's been, then says it tugs on his heartstrings to see Rollins the way he is. He says he's saddened that Rollins may not make it to WrestleMania.
Rollins tells GUNTHER that he should've let him finish. He says he doesn't care what the doctors tell him or how hard he has to work because he will keep his promise, taking the World Heavyweight Championship into WrestleMania and walking out still being the titleholder. He tells Rollins he reminds him a lot of himself, and says from one great champion to another, he'll win the Men's Royal Rumble this Saturday and choose to face Rollins at WrestleMania. He says that he'll target Rollins' knee and back to beat him and become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
Rollins tells GUNTHER he's more than welcome to challenge him at WrestleMania if he wins the Rumble, but not to forget who he's coming after. He offers his hand to GUNTHER, and GUNTHER tells him not to forget who's coming after him before shaking his hand.
Outside the ring, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston blindside Vinci and Kaiser.
New Day vs. Imperium
Back from the break, the bell has rung and Vinci delivers a running crossbody to Kingston. He follows it up with a chop in the corner, then delivers a boot to his face and fires off right hands. Kingston responds with a series of stomps in the corner on Vinci, then tags in Woods. Woods follows suit before he fires off several chops. Vinci sends him crashing into the top rope face first, then tags in Kaiser. Kaiser rains down right hands on him, then rocks him with a knee. Kaiser ends up on the outside, and Woods sends an interfering Vinci to join him. Kaiser drags Woods out of the ring while the referee isn't looking, and Vinci sends him crashing onto the ring apron. Kaiser then sends him colliding with the barricade.
Back from another break, Woods delivers a boot to Vinci. Kaiser and Kingston tag in, and Kingston delivers an elbow drop to Kaiser off the top. He fires off right hands on him in the corner, then clotheslines him out of the ring over the top and delivers a tope suicida. He fires off more right hands and sends Kaiser crashing into the barricade as Vinci and Woods brawl with one another. Having begun a ten count, the referee reaches ten as neither of the legal men make it into the ring in time.
Winners: N/A (double count out)
Kingston and Vinci then end up in the crowd, and Woods fires off right hands on Kaiser. Kaiser sends Woods colliding with the ring post, then dumps him into the timekeeper's area. Kaiser grabs a chair as Vinci holds Kingston in place, and Kaiser looks to hit Kingston with the chair. Woods provides Kingston with a hand. Woods, Vinci, and Kaiser end up on a road case. Kingston joins them, and spears Vinci and Kaiser off the road case and into a table next to it.
Back from the break, we head over to a video recapping what has led up to the match between Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre later tonight.
We then head over to the Judgment Day lounge, where Rhea Ripley is chewing everyone else over being unable to handle their business over the past few weeks.
We then head over to Gorilla Position, where Jackie Redmond chats with Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri. The Creed Brothers join Nile, but Nile tells them to stay in the back seeing as Dupri will be accompanying her at ringside. The pair then head down to the ring, and Valhalla follows.
Ivy Nile (w/ Maxxine Dupri) vs. Valhalla
The bell rings and Nile gets Valhalla up on her shoulders. Valhalla escapes and Nile delivers a kick to her head, but Valhalla responds with a knee to her midsection as Nikki Cross paces at the top of the ramp. The action spills out of the ring, and Valhalla delivers a forearm to Nile. She gets her back inside the ring and connects with a headbutt, then pins her. The referee catches her with her feet on the bottom rope, and Valhalla looks to land a knee on Nile in the corner. Nile ducks out of the way, and the two teeter on the top rope. Nile then delivers a bulldog for the ring.
Winner: Ivy Nile
We then head backstage to New Day and Jey Uso talking to Jackie Redmond. Kofi Kingston challenges GUNTHER to a match for the Intercontinental Championship last week as Damage CTRL strolls by in the background.
Back from the break, Nia Jax makes her way down to the ring.
We Hear From Nia Jax
Jax says the first time she came face-to-face with Rhea Ripely, she got squashed. She says the same can be said for Becky Lynch, and she knows that neither Ripley or Lynch want to face her because they're both scared. She says she'll kill both their dreams this Saturday at WrestleMania at the Royal Rumble.
Lynch's music hits and she makes her way down to the ring. She says she knows she has a big target on her back, but no one has a bigger target on their back than Jax. She says the only thing the women's locker room can agree on is that no one likes her, and she can't decide if she'll enjoy winning the Rumble for a second time or seeing Jax lose the match.
Bayley's music hits and she makes her way down to the ring. She says she came to "Raw" to find Ripley, but she couldn't resist reuniting with them and begins running her mouth. All three women begin brawling with one another, and Lynch hits Bayley with a Man Handle Slam. Jax then dumps Lynch over the top rope and delivers a leg drop to Bayley.
Back at ringside, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, and Finn Balor head down. The Miz follows.
Dominik Mysterio (w/ JD McDonagh and Finn Balor) vs. The Miz
The bell rings and the two lock up. Miz delivers a chop to Dominik, but Dominik responds with a boot. Miz turns Dominik inside out with a clothesline, but Dominik dumps him out of the ring and Balor takes a cheap shot while the referee has his back turned. Dominik then delivers a tope suicida to him and gets him back in the ring before firing off right hands. Miz responds with a few chops, but Dominik sends him crashing out of the ring.
Back from the break, Miz delivers a pair of clotheslines to Dominik. He follows it up with a swinging neckbreaker and a crossbody off the top from the apron. He goes for a pin, but Dominik kicks out and Miz fires off the Miz Kicks. He sets up for the Skull Crushing Finale, but Dominik escapes and sends Miz crashing into the middle rope. He looks to dial it up for the 619, but Miz avoids it. McDonagh captures the referee's attention, and Balor takes a second cheap shot at Miz. Dominik takes advantage and dials it up for the 619, then follows it up with a Frog Splash for the win.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
After the match, Judgment Day continues to beat down Miz, but #DIY runs down to even the odds. Miz hits McDonagh with a Skull Crushing Finale, but Balor pulls him out of the ring before anything further happens.
Chad Gable then makes his way down to the ring.
Ivar vs. Chad Gable
The bell rings and Gable wastes no time. He delivers a cannonball to Ivar, then ascends to the top and flies. Ivar catches him with a scoop powerslam, but Gable responds with a dropkick. He connects with a knee and an uppercut, then deliversa boot to Ivar's midsection and follows it up with a blockbuster. He ascends to the top and delivers a diving headbutt, then goes for a pin. Ivar kicks out and looks to deliver a vertical suplex to Gable out of the ring, but Gable hangs on and delivers a jawbreaker. Ivar then delivers a splash off the apron to Gable on the outside.
Back from the break, Gable delivers a superplex to Ivar off the top. The two go tumbling to the outside before they get back in the ring and Ivar delivers a powerbomb to Gable. Ivar gets Gable up on his shoulders, but Gable transitions into an Ankle Lock. Ivar fights him off and ascends to the middle rope, then delivers a leg drop. He looks to land a spinning back heel kick, but Gable ducks out of the way and cinches in a second Ankle Lock. Ivar makes his way over to the bottom rope to break the hold and delivers a sit-out spinebuster. Gable then hits a German suplex and ascends to the top. Ivar catches him with a right hand and looks to bring him down with a superplex, but Gable escapes and delivers a German suplex to him off the middle rope. He ascends to the top, but Valhalla appears and captures his attention. Ivar pulls him down, then delivers a moonsault off the rope for the win.
Winner: Ivar
Back from the break, Cody Rhodes makes his way down to the ring. CM Punk follows.
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk Confront Each Other
Punk and Cody shake hands before Punk says he and Cody should enjoy this moment ahead of the chaos of the Royal Rumble. Cody then asks New Orleans and Punk what they want to talk about, and Punk says he wants to talk about Dusty Rhodes. He says in 2007, Dusty called him and said he was sending Cody to OVW to begin his journey as a pro wrestler. He says Dusty told Punk he wanted him to keep an eye on Cody and while he had his reservations, he still agreed. He says he's watched Cody grow into a main event star, then tells Cody he'll do what he has to in order to win the Rumble and main event WrestleMania.
Cody says Punk isn't alone in talking to him but thinking about himself. He says people can't help but see Dusty in him, and he's done everything in his power since he left WWE to be the light in his shadow and be his own man. He says Punk could've treated him poorly in OVW, but he instead treated him like a peer. He says there are no friends in the Rumble, and Punk says he knows that. He asks about Sunday morning and says he can separate business from personal, but questions if Cody can do the same. He says they've traveled very different paths, and he had to scratch and claw to get to where he was. He says while Cody has emerged from the shadow of his father, he's more of an American Dream than Cody having had a father who was an electrician.
Cody brings up Punk's infamous pipebomb and says everything Punk said during that, he did. He says he talked where Punk walked, and that makes him more CM Punk than Punk is. Punk says Cody has carried WWE on his back over the past two years, and he was handed the cover of the WWE 2K24 video game. He says Cody was about to finish his story until he came back around to take everything from him.
Cody says he only has one direction he can go, and that's forward. He says that direction goes through Punk and looks to head to the back. Punk pulls him back, and the two stare one another down.
Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae then make their way down to the ring. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark are already waiting inside, and Kayden Carter and Katana Chance watch the action from ringside.
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark vs. Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae
LeRae and Baszler begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. LeRae delivers an arm drag before Stark and Hartwell tag in. Hartwell gets Stark on the apron, then delivers an uppercut. LeRae tags in and Hartwell sends an interfering Baszler crashing out of the ring. LeRae ascends to the top and delivers a hurricanrana to Stark that sends her crashing on top of Baszler.
Back from the break, Stark looks to fly off the ropes. Hartwell catches her with a spinebuster before LeRae and Baszler become legal. LeRae delivers a single leg dropkick to Baszler and a codebreaker to Stark landing on top of Baszler. Baszler cinches in a Kirifuda Clutch before Stark makes the blind tag in. LeRae pins Baszler unaware that she's no longer legal, opening the door for Stark to deliver Z360 for the win.
Winners: Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
After the match, Carter and Chance get in the ring to stare down Baszler and Stark. Asuka and Kairi Sane then come out of nowhere and blindside them as Dakota Kai watches on.
Damian Priest then makes his way down to the ring. Drew McIntyre follows.
Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
The bell rings and the two lock up. McIntyre delivers a shoulder tackle before Priest fires off stomps on him in the corner. McIntyre delivers a clothesline to Priest, and the two men spill out of the ring. McIntyre catches Priest with a belly-to-belly suplex, then gets him back inside the ring and delivers a chop. He follows it up with a right hand, but Priest responds with one of his own. The two end up back on the outside, and Priest sends him crashing into the ring post. He then delivers a Broken Arrow to him on top of the announce desk.
Back from the break, Priest delivers an open palm strike to McIntyre. McIntyre responds with a pair of chops, but Priest catches him with a clothesline before the two level one another with big boots. McIntyre delivers a pair of clotheslines and a belly-to-belly suplex and a swinging neckbreaker, then kips up and sets up for the Claymore Kick. Priest ducks out of the way and looks to land a spinning back heel kick, but McIntyre counters into a spinebuster and goes for a pin. Priest kicks out and McIntyre gets him up on his shoulders, but Priest escapes and sends him crashing into the top turnbuckle. He delivers an elevated flatliner and a few kicks, but McIntyre catches him with a Glasgow Kiss and ascends to the top. He looks to fly, but Priest moves out of the way and delivers a Broken Arrow.
Priest flies over the top rope and levels McIntyre on the outside, then dumps him back in the ring. R-Truth appears at ringside with Priest's share of the merch money, but Priest shoves him and looks to get back in the ring with a double ax handle. McIntyre sees him coming and delivers a Future Shock DDT, then sets up for a Claymore Kick, Truth captures his attention, and McIntyre takes a shot at him. Priest tries taking advantage and delivers South of Heaven, then goes for a pin but the referee doesn't see as he is distracted by Truth. A frustrated Priest dumps Truth out of the ring, and Priest walks around into a Claymore Kick from McIntyre for the win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre