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Welcome to another edition of Monday Night Raw! Last night was the January 20th edition, and we’re officially on the road to the Royal Rumble! My favorite event of the year!
We opened with Rhea Ripley backstage until Nia Jax appeared out of nowhere. Jax slammed Ripley into the fencing sparking a frenzied pull-apart brawl. Producers and agents swarmed the scene, barely containing the chaos. Ripley’s seething glare said it all: the champion was far from done.
Cathy Kelley caught up with Bayley backstage for her big announcement: she’s officially back on Raw and entering the Royal Rumble. Just as the crowd began to cheer, Nia Jax entered the frame, promising to win the Rumble herself. Bayley, never one to back down, dared Jax to throw hands right there, but Nia smugly walked off ahead of their match,
Nia Jax vs. Bayley
With Roxanne Perez watching from ringside, this grudge match kicked off with Bayley taking the fight straight to Jax. A quick flurry of strikes led to Bayley attempting the ten-count punches in the corner, but Jax powered out, tossing her like a rag doll. Jax’s brutal offense a pop-up headbutt and a vicious hip attack against the ropes. Bayley showed resilience, countering with a back suplex for a near-fall and a daring suicide dive that sent her face-to-face with Roxanne.
Tensions escalated as Roxanne threw a cheap shot, leading to a scuffle that saw Perez dragged out by officials. The distraction allowed Jax to regain control, battering Bayley with a body slam and a leg drop to the arm. Bayley, fighting one-armed, evaded Jax’s running senton and countered with a sunset flip into the ring post. However, Jax’s relentless targeting of the injured shoulder proved decisive. After avoiding a Bayley-to-Belly, Jax delivered a devastating Samoan Drop and a crushing senton, sealing the win with her signature Annihilator.
Winner: Nia Jax
As Jax celebrated, Rhea Ripley’s music hit, and the arena erupted. Ripley wasted no time, charging the ring and smashing Jax into the corner. Security intervened, but chaos reigned as Jax broke free to hit a running splash. Ripley retaliated with a flipping senton off the announce table, cementing her dominance. Grabbing a mic amidst the carnage, Ripley laid down the challenge: “YOU. ME. SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT.”
A video package highlighted Lyra Valkyria, fresh off her victory for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. With an eye on building her legacy, the spotlight is firmly on what’s next for this rising star.
DAMAGE CTRL (Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky) vs. Pure Fusion Collective (Zoey Stark & Shayna Baszler w/ Sonya Deville)
Shayna and Dakota opened with a technical showcase, but the pace quickened as Zoey Stark entered, demolishing Kai with a springboard missile dropkick. Damage CTRL rallied with Sky’s hitting a suicide dive and a shotgun dropkick off the top rope.
The match’s turning point came when Sonya Deville’s interference allowed Stark to hit a pumphandle suplex on Sky for a near-fall. Despite the chaos, Sky capitalized with a dazzling moonsault to secure the win.
Winners: Damage CTRL
Glad to see PFC back on Raw, it seems like we keep hitting the same issue of timing on Raw despite the third hour being back. We’re officially in Rumble season, sound off in the comments below with who you want to see make their return!
