Sorry, I didn't finish my Royal Rumble Update. It's hard to organize 37 years of history & add 66 Wrestlers' Records. And also, I didn't have time to finish my Weekly Column, but everything will be posted this weekend along with a preview on NXT Vengeance Day.
Here are my Raw Thoughts & Facts & Stats:
They're airing the Royal Rumble Recap out of order. The US Title Match was after the 4-Way.
Awesome, Pat McAfee is the new commentator on Raw with Michael Cole. Will Wade Barrett be with Corey Graves on Smackdown? How can that work? Graves & Barrett are both Color Commentators? Smackdown needs a Play-by-Play Commentator to replace Kevin Patrick.
Incredible heartfelt & emotional promo by CM Punk. I know some people do not like him for what he did 10 years ago or what he did in another company, but you have to feel sorry for him after hearing his comments. It really sucks that he's going to miss WrestleMania. Drew McIntyre is a ruthless, vile person. I love it. Great promo by him. I love Sami Zayn making the save to continue their feud & to set up the main event.
Good promo by The Judgment Day. Cool comments by #DIY.
#DIY VS The Judgment Day was incredible. The post-match promo was good. Poor R-Truth. He was hilarious before his beatdown. I like The Miz making the save. I guess The Awesome Truth will be next in line for a Tag Team Championship Match. FACTS: This was the 1st Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match of 2024 & 1st since Raw on December 18, 2023. This was Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano's 1st Raw match & opener since January 15. If #DIY would have won, they would have been the 1st-time Raw & Smackdown Tag Team Champions since Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso, but 1st to never be Champions since The Judgment Day & the 10th to be former NXT Tag Team Champions after AOP (Raw), American Alpha (SD, but Chad Gable & Jason Jordan won the Raw Tag Titles with different partners), Buddy Murphy (Raw), The New Day (Raw & SD), The Revival (Raw & SD), Matt Riddle (Raw), The Street Profits (Raw & SD), The Viking Raiders (Raw), & The Wyatt Family (SD). They would have been the 2nd Tag Team Champions in a row to be former NXT Champions & NXT North American Champion. This was Finn Balor's 1st Raw since January 15 & 1st Raw opener since January 8, Damian Priest's 2nd week in a row on Raw & 1st Raw opener, making him the 1st wrestler of 2024 to go from the Raw main event to the following week's opener, & their 1st Tag Team Match since they defeated The Awesome Truth on January 15. This was The Judgment Day's 4th Raw & Smackdown Tag Team Championship Defense, so if they would have lost, they would have been the 1st since The Revival who lost to Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder at WrestleMania 35 on April 7, 2019 to lose in their 4th Raw Tag Team Title Defense & the 1st since Dominik & Rey Mysterio who lost to The Usos at Money In The Bank on July 18, 2021 to lose in their 4th Smackdown Tag Team Title Defense. As of Raw, The Judgment Day's Tag Team Championship Reign has lasted 105 Days, so if they would have lost, they would have been the 2nd to lose the Raw Tag Team Championship in 105 Days after The Basham Brothers' 1st Reign (10/12/03-2/5/04) & the 1st team to lose the Smackdown Tag Team Championship in 105 Days. The Raw Tag Team Championship has never changed hands in 2024, with the last title change taking place on Raw on October 16 when The Judgment Day defeated Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso. It has changed hands 92 times in History. The Smackdown Tag Team Championship has never changed hands in 2024, with the last title change taking place on Raw on October 16 when The Judgment Day defeated Rhodes & Uso. It has changed hands 31 times in WWE History.
Chelsea Green & Piper Niven VS Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark was very short. The highlight was Samantha Irvin doing her Chelsea announcement. FACTS: This was Chelsea Green & Piper Niven's 1st Raw since January 15 & the 1st time Green teamed with the same wrestler 10 times since she & Sonya Deville in 2023 & the 1st time that Niven teamed with the same wrestler 10 times in her Career. This was Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark's 3rd week in a row on Raw, the 1st time Baszler teamed with the same wrestler 5 tag matches in a row since she & Ronda Rousey in 2022 & 2023 & the 1st time Stark teamed with the same wrestler 5 tag matches in a row since she & Io Shirai in 2021. This was the 2nd 2-on-2 Tag Team Match between them after Raw on September 18, 2023, which ended in a No Contest, so now Baszler & Stark won 1 match & 1 match ended in a No Contest.
What an incredible promo. Cody Rhodes was amazing & got me teary-eyed. Seth Rollins was excellent. I wouldn't mind Rhodes VS Rollins at WrestleMania instead of Rhodes VS Reigns. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Jey Uso VS Bronson Reed was a great match. FACTS: This was Jey Uso's 1st Raw since January 1 & his 1-on-1 Match since he defeated Ludwig Kaiser on December 18. This was the 1st time he wrestled an Australian since he defeated Grayson Waller on Smackdown on July 28, 2023, making Reed the 3rd foreign wrestler in a row that Uso wrestled in 1-on-1 Matches after he lost to Drew McIntyre (Scotland, December 11, 2023 Raw) & Ludwig Kaiser (Germany, December 18, 2023), which was the 1st time that happened since he lost to Kevin Owens (August 29, 2022 & November 28, 2022 Raw) & Sami Zayn (April 7, 2023 Smackdown). This was Bronson Reed's 1st Raw of 2024 & 1st Raw since he defeated Ivar on December 11, 2023.
I like the video on Andrade & also the one on Bron Breakker earlier. Interesting Andrade's on Raw. I would think he would be on Smackdown since Charlotte Flair's there. Maybe since Charlotte's injured, he will be on Raw first & then she can be drafted to Raw when she comes back. Interesting conversation with Adam Pearce & Nick Aldis. Wow, Nick Aldis got a phone call from Bron Breakker. I guess he's being moved up. I thought he & Baron Corbin would win the Dusty Cup & beat The Family to become NXT Tag Team Champions.
Good promo by GUNTHER. Also, earlier Kofi Kingston's promo was very good.
Good promo by Becky Lynch.
Kofi Kingston VS GUNTHER was an excellent match. It really looked like Kofi was going to win a few times. I liked it remained clean until afterwards with Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci. I really wish that this whole feud between The New Day & Imperium would lead to Big E returning to take on GUNTHER but that's not going to happen unfortunately. FACTS: This was the 1st Intercontinental Championship Match of 2024 & 1st since Raw on December 18, 2023. This was Kofi Kingston's 2nd week in a row on Raw & his 1st 1-on-1 Match since he wrestled Ludwig Kaiser to a Double Count Out on January 8. This was his 1st Intercontinental Championship Match since a Battle Royal for the Vacant Title at Battleground on July 20, 2014, his 1st 1-on-1 Match since he lost to Curtis Axel at Night of Champions on September 15, 2013, & 1st on Raw since he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Wade Barrett on December 31, 2012. If Kofi Kingston wins, he will be the 10th 5-time Intercontinental Champion & 1st since Jeff Hardy in 2020. It would have been his 1st Intercontinental Title Reign since he lost to Wade Barrett on Raw on December 31, 2012, marking 4047 Days between Intercontinental Championship Reigns, which is the 2nd Longest Gap between Intercontinental Championship Reigns after Jeff Hardy (3/10/08 – 8/21/20, 4548 Days), & before Christian (9/29/03 – 5/20/12, 3157 Days), William Regal (3/17/02 – 11/10/08, 2431 Days), & Big E (5/4/14 – 12/22/20, 2425 Days). This was GUNTHER’s 1st Raw of 2024 & 1st Raw since he defeated The Miz on December 18, 2023. This was GUNTHER's 20th Intercontinental Championship Defense, so if he would have lost, he would have been the 1st to lose in 20 Defenses, which is the 6th most Defenses. As of Raw, GUNTHER's Intercontinental Championship Reign has lasted 598 Days, which is the Longest Reign of All-Time. This was the 2nd 1-on-1 Match between them after Smackdown on December 2, 2022, which was won by GUNTHER. The Intercontinental Championship has never changed hands in 2024, with the last title change taking place on June 10, 2022 on Smackdown when GUNTHER defeated Ricochet. It has changed hands 185 times in History.
Great promo by Sami Zayn.
Nice look at Jade Cargill to make her a big star.
Natalya & Tegan Nox VS The Kabuki Warriors was OK. I'm interested in seeing where it goes with Natalya & Tegan. Cool, Kayden Carter & Katana Chance will get their re-match next week. FACTS: This was Natalya & Tegan Nox's 1st Raw since January 15. This was the 1st time that Natalya teamed with the same wrestler 5 times since she teamed with Tamina in 2021 & the 1st time Nox has teamed with the same wrestler 5 tag matches in a row. This will be Asuka's 1st Raw since she & Bianca Belair defeated Chelsea Green & Piper Niven on March 20, 2023, Kairi Sane's 1st Raw since she defeated Bayley on July 20, 2020, & their 1st 2-on-2 Tag Team Match on Raw since they lost to Sasha Banks & Bayley on July 13, 2020. Natalya & Tegan Nox VS Asuka & Kairi Sane was the 1st Women's Tag Team Match between 4 Non-Americans since Nikki Cross & Becky Lynch VS The Iiconics on Raw on May 27, 2019.
Solid promo by Bayley. Good response by Rhea Ripley. Nia Jax attacking Ripley made sense. They can do Ripley VS Jax at Elimination Chamber since Rhea's going to get cheered anyway in her home country.
Good promo by Drew McIntyre. I guess he saw my tweet.
Sami Zayn VS Drew McIntyre was an awesome match. They always have classic matches. FACTS: This was Sami Zayn's 1st Raw match & main event of 2024 & 1st match on Raw since he lost to Drew McIntyre on December 4, 2023. This will be Drew McIntyre's 2nd week in a row on Raw & in the Raw main event. This was the 9th 1-on-1 Match between them after Smackdown on October 22, 2021, April 8, 2022, April 15, 2022, April 22, 2022, April 29, 2022, & August 22, 2022, Raw on October 23, 2023, & December 4, 2023, with McIntyre winning every match but April 22, which ended in a No Contest, so now McIntyre won 7, Zayn won 0, & 1 match ended in a No Contest.
Tonight was the 1st Raw of 2024 that Ludwig Kaiser, JD McDonagh, & The Miz didn't wrestle on, therefore no one has wrestled on every Raw of 2024.
Here are my RAW Match Rankings:
1) Kofi Kingston VS GUNTHER
2) #DIY VS The Judgment Day
3) Sami Zayn VS Drew McIntyre
4) Jey Uso VS Bronson Reed
5) Natalya & Tegan Nox VS The Kabuki Warriors
6) Chelsea Green & Piper Niven VS Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark
Raw Exit 1 in Tampa, FL on the Road To WrestleMania was really good. All of the matches were excellent & the seeds are being planted for Elimination Chamber & WrestleMania. Next STOP: Exit 2: Smackdown in Birmingham, AL.
Ends Raw Thoughts, Facts, & Stats. For more visit
darrenswinloss.wordpress.com, which will be updated this week after Vengeance Day.
Start brushing up on your Elimination Chamber Match History, by reading this
darrenswinloss.wordpress.com/2018/02/12/elimchamber/And read your Elimination Chamber PPV History at
darrenswinloss.wordpress.com/chamber/ Finally, start reading your WrestleMania History, at
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