Here are my RAW Thoughts, Facts & Stats & Rankings:
Once again, I would like to start with an apology as I didn't do my Weekly Rankings due to family issues, but will do 3 weeks next week after NXT Deadline.
I didn't comment on it last week, but the new intro is OK. I really don't care about any of that stuff, just the wrestling.
Good opening promo by Drew McIntyre & response by Sami Zayn. I like how they went straight to the match instead of waiting.
Sami Zayn VS Drew McIntyre was an awesome match. Every time they wrestle each other, they have another classic. FACTS: This was Sami Zayn's 1st 1-on-1 Match since he lost to Seth Rollins on Raw on 11/6. This was Drew McIntyre's 1st Raw since 11/20. This was the 8th 1-on-1 Match between them after 10/22/21 Smackdown, 4/8/22 SD, 4/15/22, 4/22/22 SD, 4/29/22 SD, & 8/26/22 SD, & 10/23/23 Raw, with McIntyre winning every match but 4/22, which ended in a No Contest, so now McIntyre won 7, Zayn won 0, & 1 match ended in a No Contest.
OK promo by Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark.
Incredible video & promo by Jey Uso. 14 years ago today The Usos signed with WWE. It was the same day that their Uncle Umaga died. So, today is a special day for Jey. I'm so happy that he's getting the opportunity tonight.
Wow, what an attack on Sami Zayn by Drew McIntyre. That means that Sami really didn't get hurt in their match earlier.
Jey Uso's a good friend to check on Sami Zayn while he has a World Heavyweight Championship Match to get ready for.
Becky Lynch's promo was OK but it was ruined by Nia Jax. No one wants to see Lynch VS Jax.
Shayna Baszler VS Nia Jax was awful. The producers need to stop booking her in 2 segment matches. She can't go this long. She's going to have a heart attack. Also, she needs to change her gear. It always rips during her match. We don't need to see her hole. FACTS: This was Shayna Baszler's 1st 1-on-1 Match on Raw since she wrestled Rhea Ripley to a No Contest on 10/16. This was the 1st time since she defeated Deonna Purrazzo (4/6/20) & Kairi Sane (4/13/20 & 4/20/20) that Nia Jax wrestled 3 1-on-1 Matches 3 weeks in a row on Raw. This was the 3rd 1-on-1 Match between them after Raw on 7/27/20 (DCO) & 9/20/21 (won by Baszler), so Baszler won 1, Jax won 1, & 1 ended in a Double Count Out.
Like I said earlier, no one wants to see Becky Lynch VS Nia Jax.
Cool, CM Punk is a Free Agent too. I like that idea.
Good segment with DIY, Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell, & Imperium.
DIY VS Imperium was incredible. I would have loved this match to be 3 segments. They should have cut a segment from that awful Baszler VS Jax Match. But I hate they keep talking about the rivalry between them going back to NXT, when they never feuded there. There were singles matches between them & Ciampa did feud with GUNTHER, but DIY & Imperium never feuded. FACTS: This was the 1st 2 Out of 3 Falls Match since Apollo Crews VS Carmelo Hayes at NXT Vengeance Day (2/4/23), 1st for the main roster since Ricochet VS Mustafa Ali on Main Event (5/27/21), 1st on Raw since Rey Mysterio VS Andrade (8/12/19), 1st 2-on-2 2 Out of 3 Falls Match since Moustache Mountain VS Oliver Carter & Ashton Smith (4/21/22 NXT UK), 1st on the main roster since Kofi Kingston & Seth Rollins VS Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (6/18/19 Smackdown) & 1st on Raw since Apollo Crews & Titus O'Neil VS Cesaro & Sheamus (2/26/18). This was Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano's 2nd 2 Out of 3 Falls Match in their Career & 1st since they defeated The Revival to win the NXT Tag Team Championship at Takeover Toronto (11/19/16) & Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci's 1st 2 Out of 3 Falls Match in their Career.
Horrible segment with Natalya, Tegan Nox, Chelsea Green, & Piper Niven.
For the record before he returns to Smackdown on Friday, Punk's last match on Smackdown was a 6-Man Tag with him & The New Age Outlaws in a loss to The Shield on 1/10/14.
Sorry I had to leave the room so I missed whatever happened earlier, but I love R-Truth trying to be part of The Judgment Day. Good promo by Damian Priest to JD McDonagh & Dominik Mysterio. It's interesting that Rhea Ripley & Finn Balor had the night off.
Kayden Carter & Katana Chance VS Natalya & Tegan Nox was OK. I hope this is a start of a push for Carter & Chance. BTW, Chelsea Green & Piper Niven were alright on Commentary. FACTS: This was Kayden Carter & Katana Chance's 1st 2-on-2 Tag Team Match since they lost to Chelsea Green & Piper Niven on Raw on 8/21. This was the 1st time that Natalya teamed with the same partner in 3 Tag Team Matches 3 weeks in a row on Raw since she & Lana lost to Asuka & Mickie James (9/7/20), Liv Morgan & Ruby Riott (9/14/20), & Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax (9/21/20). This was the 1st time in her Career that Tegan Nox teamed with the same partner in 3 Tag Team Matches 3 weeks in a row in her Career. This was Carter & Chance's 1st 2-on-2 win since they defeated Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green on Raw on 6/19.
Awesome segment with Cody Rhodes & Shinsuke Nakamura. I love the reason why Nakamura attacked Rhodes. This will be a fun storyline.
OK segment with Jey Uso, Adam Pearce, & GUNTHER.
The Creed Brothers VS The Judgment Day was fun. In my almost 40 years of watching wrestling, I have never seen anyone like The Creed Brothers. R-Truth was hilarious at ringside. FACTS: This was Brutus & Julius Creed's 1st 2-on-2 Tag Team Match since they defeated DIY on 11/6. This was the 1st time in his Career that JD McDonagh wrestled 2 2-on-2 Tag Team Matches back-to-back. This was the 1st time that Dominik Mysterio teamed with the same partner 2 Tag Team Matches in a row since he & Damian Priest lost to Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (7/17) & Seth Rollins & Sami Zayn (7/31).
Good segment with Seth Rollins & Adam Pearce & then Jey Uso. Wow, Rollins really doesn't like CM Punk.
Seth Rollins VS Jey Uso was incredible. What a way for Jey to celebrate his 14th anniversary in WWE & to pay tribute to his Uncle Umaga. I thought Drew McIntyre would have interfered instead of attacking afterwards. FACTS: This was Seth Rollins’ 9th World Heavyweight Championship Defense, so if he would have lost, he would have been the 1st to lose in his 9th Defense which is the Most Defenses of All-Time. As of Raw, Rollins’ World Heavyweight Championship Reign has lasted 163 Days, so if he would have lost, he would have been the 1st to lose in 191 Days, which is both the Shortest & Longest Reign of All-Time. Jey Uso joins Sami Zayn as the only wrestlers to get an Undisputed WWE Universal & World Heavyweight Championship Match in 2023. If he would have won, he would have been the 2nd 1st-time Champion in a row, the 2nd in a row to be a former Raw Tag Team Champion, but 1st to be a former Smackdown Tag Team Champion. This was the 3rd 1-on-1 Match between them after Smackdown on 7/12/13 & 7/7/16, with Rollins winning both matches.
For the record, Wade Barrett got 6 World Heavyweight Championship Matches (9/19/10 Night of Champions, 10/24/10 Bragging Rights, 11/21/10 Survivor Series, 11/22/10 RAW, 2/20/11 Elimination Chamber, & 2/19/12 Elimination Chamber.)
Here are my Raw Match Rankings:
1) Seth Rollins VS Jey Uso
2) DIY VS Imperium
3) Sami Zayn VS Drew McIntyre
4) The Creed Brothers VS The Judgment Day
5) Kayden Carter & Katana Chance VS Natalya & Tegan Nox
-1000) Shayna Baszler VS Nia Jax
Overall another great Raw. Besides 1 match with someone that shouldn't be in a wrestling ring & an OK Women's Tag, the Men's Matches were all awesome & it was hard to rank them. There's a lot of good storylines going on to end 2023.
Ends Raw Thoughts, Facts, & Stats. For W/L Records, Facts, & Stats, visit
darrenswinloss.wordpress.com/ which will be updated later this week & check out
darrenswinloss.wordpress.com/tribute/ to brush up on your Tribute to The Troops History ahead of Smackdown.
Good night. Enjoy Barmageddon with Gabriel Iglesias & Jelly Roll. I will watch both it & the Christmas Episode on NBC tomorrow on DVR.
