We kick off the show with the arena going to black. When the lights turn on, Paul Heyman is standing in the ring. And he says he’s here to introduce his client, Brock Lesnar. He says all this with a visible smirk. Lesnar comes out and he chucks the steel steps into the ring. He stands on top of it and Heyman hands him the microphone. Lesnar says he’d like to give a shoutout to his good friend, Roman Reigns. He’s probably sitting at home, tuning into Monday Night RAW and the new WWE Champion. He also tells him to get well soon. He then tells South Carolina to acknowledge him.
Lesnar also wants to acknowledge his advocate for advocating his free agency, the strings he pulled on Saturday and for helping him become the WWE Champion. Heyman says there’s a lot of things that go on behind the scene. He thought the only thing that would have been better than a fatal four way was the fatal five way with Brock Lesnar. Lesnar gets to enter that match, and now, what does Lesnar does as WWE Champion? He concentrates not only reigning but defending. At the Rumble, Lesnar will defend against the Fatal Four Way match. First, there’s Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens and they have to be lumped together because they are a team, where everyone is for themselves. They are jackals, hyenas and go onto the lion of the jungle. Seth tells everyone that he’s a visionary, but he’s wrong because Lynch will leave Rollins if he can’t beat Brock. And Owens can’t beat Lesnar.
One week without Heyman, Roman Reigns already got COVID. You can get over the rona, but karma can be really bitchy. Bobby Lashley is a formidable challenger. They’ve never met before. The two have avoided each other seemingly, but neither of those men have avoided anyone. The first time these two met, Lashley speared Lesnar through that wall. And then he got damn near pinned. And he also put him into the Hurt Lock. It didn’t look like Lesnar was going to get out. But that’s a testament to how good Lashley is. Except, Lashley was only hitting him from behind. So if Lashley wins tonight, he’ll have to face Lesnar face to face and that’s a different story between jacking someone from behind and going down in history as the All Mighty Brock Lesnar wannabe.
We have nothing bad to say about Big E. He deserves applause because that’s a great champion and is a credit to WWE, the company, to the audience, to the WWE universe, to the people at home and the lineage for the championship. And he’d still be champion if he didn’t have to face Lesnar. No matter who wins the Fatal Four Way, they will all pale in comparison to Brock Lesnar.
Backstage, Orton and Riddle are talking and Riddle proposes being a rapper and Orton doesn’t approve. Orton takes Riddle’s chain and his glasses and Riddle asks if he’ll try it on. Orton says he doesn’t know how he has all these connections but what he wants to know is what happened to the New Year’s Resolutions they talked about. Riddle remembers one of them was listening to Randy. Orton reminds them that their name is RK-Bro and that’s why they’re still the champions.
RK-Bro vs. Alpha Academy
Alpha Academy picks up the victory when Riddle goes for an RKO on Otis and he reverses it into a powerslam.
Winner: Alpha Academy
Backstage, Bobby Lashley is with MVP. MVP says that Lashley has a herculean task in front of him tonight but it’s nothing that he can’t handle. MVP’s attention is diverted before Lashley says Brock Lesnar fears him.
We get a recap of the Omos/AJ Styles dissension.
Omos is asked a question backstage and is asked a question and before they can finish, Omos puts his hand on his face and he says that’s how he reacts.
Akira Tozawa and Tamina vs. Dana Brooke and Reggie – 24/7 Title Mixed Tag Team Match
Reggie and Dana Brooke win when Reggie gets a front flip on Akira.
Winners: Reggie and Dana Brooke
Out comes Becky Lynch. A new year inspires a lot of hope of people. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve failed in the past, but when the clock strikes midnight on a new night, they can all turn it around, and perhaps even become RAW Women’s Champion. Ambition is admirable, but Becky’s resolution is to remain champion. THe last 3-4 years have proven that she is the consistent homeostasis in this company. Many have tried, and many have failed and they will continue to fail. But she’d be remiss if she didn’t take the time to reflect on the decisions she’s made and if she always made the right decision.
What has she become? She’s realized she’s become a work of art. Say you go to a museum, and you see a famous Vincent Van goh and you stare at it and you can’t look away. You can’t understand the detail, but it makes you feel. Becky makes us feel because that’s what good art does. They make you feel. The other thing about fine art is that it reveals the truth. She stands as the Vincent Van Goat to let people know that you won’t lose those 10 pounds, you won’t get that job promotion and you’re not going to get out of South Carolina. All those girls in the back are not going to win the RAW Women’s Championship. Liv Morgan is proof of that by breaking her to all the fans. Out comes Liv Morgan.
New year, new ugly jacket and same delusional Becky. Liv says there’s no one harder on Liv than herself. But she was thinking and she knows just how close she was to winning that title. She got one thing wrong. The only thing Liv ever promised herself was that she’d leave everything she has in the ring, and that’s exactly what she did. Becky says there’s only one big time woman and it’s not Liv. Out comes Bianca Belair. Bianca tells Becky that she’s sick of acting like she’s untouchable. Bianca doesn’t trust her as far as she can throw her. Actually, that doesn’t make any sense because Bianca can throw Becky pretty damn far. She may have taken a Doudrop detour and stepped aside for other people to catch up, but the EST of WWE is back in line for Big Time Becks. Becky says both of them has fallen victim of Beat, Sleep, Repeat.
Liv says she hasn’t been in the Becky in the locker room in years so she wouldn’t know what goes on there. She also tells Bianca to leave because they were in the middle of something. Bianca tells her they have longer history so she needs to go somewhere. Becky says both of them need to start a support group and go settle their issues. Bianca and Liv jump Becky. Liv and Bianca fight. Bianca goes for the KOD before Lynch knocks her from behind and hits the Man Slam. Becky stands tall.
– Kevin Owens is backstage with Seth Rollins now. Rollins is glad Owens showed up so he can help him decide what to do with this Paul Heyman problem. Staple his mouth shut? Owens likes that idea but they can figure it out later, but first they need to figure out what to do in tonight’s main event. Owens proposes one of them wins tonight, the other helps the winner beat Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble, and then they go on to headline WrestleMania 38. Rollins loves the idea, it’s a great plan. They agree that they can trust each other, and they’ve got a plan. Rollins walks off laughing. Owens yells and asks to make sure Rollins isn’t lying.
Queen Zelina (C) and Carmella (C) vs. Nikki A.S.H and Rhea Ripley – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
The champions retain when Queen Zelina pins Nikki with an inside cradle.
Winners: Carmella and Queen Zelina
The Mysterios announce their entry into the Royal Rumble match, and will prove that while it’s every man fro themself, the Mysterios are an unstoppable duo.
The Street Profits vs. Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez
Dawkins sends Azeez to the floor but Azeez pulls him out by his legs. Azeez goes to run Dawkins into the ring post but Dawkins counters and sends Azeez into the post. Ford tags in and drops Crews, then hits the big Frogsplash for the pin to win a fairly short match.
Winners: The Street Profits
– After the match, Ford and Dawkins celebrate as we get replays of Ford’s Frogsplash. The Profits continue celebrating with the crowd.
– We see recent happenings between The Dirty Dawgs and WWE United States Champion Damian Priest. Schreiber is backstage with Priest now. Priest says Ziggler wants the Damian side of him, but if he can keep the Priest side going tonight, he will retain. It’s up to Ziggler if Priest wins with mercy or with a beating to Ziggler. Either way, either side, Priest says he will remain the champion tonight.
Damian Priest (C) vs. Dolph Ziggler – United States Championship (Ziggler Can Win By DQ or Countout)
Priest turns and knocks Roode off the apron with the chair instead. Ziggler takes advantage and levels Priest with a Zig Zag.
Priest kicks out just in time and Ziggler can’t believe it. Priest slowly gets back up and is close to snapping again. Ziggler superkicks him but Priest takes it and nails The Reckoning for the pin to retain.
Winner: Damian Priest
– After the match, Priest stands tall and takes the title as his music hits. Roode is down at ringside as Priest poses in the corner with the title.
– WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon is backstage on the phone when Austin Theory walks in. Vince dodges a hug. Vince says he didn’t tell Theory to come in, he just asked who was at the door. Theory apologizes but Vince goes on about how apologizing is a weakness. Theory came to ask about his rematch to Finn Balor. Vince says it doesn’t matter because he lost to Balor, but he did then beat the holy hell out of Balor. Vince says that’s an admirable quality in a man, to always find a way to beat someone. Theory goes on about expecting the unexpected and how he surprised Balor, and Vince likes that. Vince tells Theory to take a seat. Vince announces that Theory will be in the 30-Man Royal Rumble and if he wins,he will go on to main event WrestleMania against the champion of his choosing. Theory is at a loss for words.
– We go back to the ring and out come The Miz and Maryse. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and The Miz is in the ring with Maryse. We see what happened at WWE Day 1 with WWE Hall of Famers Edge and Beth Phoenix. Miz takes the mic to boos now. Miz says he and Maryse are outraged over the outcome at Day 1. He was one Skull Crushing Finale away from defeating Edge, which would’ve gotten him the respect he deserves. He reminds us he’s the only two-time Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. The boos continue. Miz says that puts him ahead of his peers, but he still has to prove himself in a match against Edge, who is a one-time Grand Slam Champion. Miz says there were also questionable referee calls in the match. He saw the look of defeat in Edge’s eyes, the look of someone needing their mommy, or in Edge’s case, his wife.
Miz says Beth allowed Edge to steal a pathetic victory. He says we all know Edge deserved to lose, for what he did to them last week. Miz shows us how last week’s wedding vow renewal ceremony ended. Miz rants at the fans for enjoying what happened to them last week. He goes on and says this doesn’t effect them because they know true love always wins. Miz goes on and Maryse talks him up. She then says she would punch Phoenix in the face if she were here tonight. The music interrupts and out comes The Glamazon. Beth stops on the stage and then Edge makes his way out to a bigger pop.
Edge and Beth head to the ring together, stopping on the entrance-way to pose as the pyro goes off. Beth asks Maryse to repeat herself. Edge says that’s what they thought. Edge says most people would take the loss and move on, but unfortunately he knows Miz better than that. Edge knew Miz would come out and whine and make excuses for the loss. They go on and Beth says what happened was all her idea. Edge says he would’ve won at Day 1 if Beth was involved or not, but he and Beth are crazy enough to give Miz and Maryse what they want. Fans pop. Edge proposes a mixed tag team match at the Royal Rumble. Fans chant “yes!” and Miz asks if they’re serious. Miz puts his wife over and Beth tells him a simple yes or no will do, so what’s it going to be? Miz says they accept the challenge but Maryse is not happy. Beth approaches and drops Maryse. Miz tends to Maryse in the corner but Maryse just rolls out of the ring, still seething. Maryse storms to the back as Edge’s music starts back up.
– Kevin Patrick is backstage with Big E. He says being WWE Champion meant a lot to him, and to other people, and losing to Brock Lesnar is not a bad thing, but we don’t wallow in self pity and we don’t stay down, we make sure our next chapter is our best. Big E says he has the chance to right all his wrongs and tonight he starts the path back to reclaiming his WWE Title, and there’s not a soul on Earth who can stop him. Big E storms off.
AJ Styles vs. Omos
AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm again but Omos easily swats him out of the air. Omos takes AJ to the top turnbuckle and talks some trash in his face. Omos scoops AJ on his shoulders, then takes him to the middle of the ring, presses him in the air, then slams him down into the mat.
Fans boo as Omos stands tall. Omos grabs AJ again and delivers a big chokeslam bomb. The boos continue as Omos pins AJ in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Omos
Back from the break and it’s announced that we will see the beginning of Alexa Bliss’ journey back to RAW next week. We go back to the ring and out next comes former WWE Champion Big E for the main event. Seth Rollins is out next. Out last is Bobby Lashley with MVP. Lashley hits the corner to pose as the pyro goes off. Back to commercial.
Big E vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens – Fatal Four Way Number 1 Contender’s Match
Bobby Lashley spears all three other men towards the end and pins Owens to win the match.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
Backstage, Brock Lesnar is asked if he has a comment. And his comment is that he looks forward to seeing Roman Reigns Friday night. Back in the ring, Lashley celebrates as RAW goes off the air.
