WWE RAW Results: January 1, 2018By Cassidy| January 2, 2018 WWE Raw Previous Page Detailed Results The first RAW of 2018 kicks off with an individual who had quite the memorable 2017, RAW General Manager Kurt Angle. Kurt says that, if they thought 2017 was great, then 2018 will be even “greater”. The GM then plugs the 25th anniversary of RAW in three weeks as well as the Royal Rumble before making the bombshell announcement that sixteen-time former World Champion and two-time Royal Rumble Match winner John Cena has officially declared that he will be an entrant in the 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble Match! This brings Kurt to the Women’s Royal Rumble Match as the GM reveals that the Women’s Royal Rumble Match will have the same rules as the Men’s Royal Rumble Match, meaning that there will be thirty women from RAW and SmackDown LIVE in the match! Kurt continues, saying that eliminations occur when a Superstar is thrown over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor with the winners of the respective Royal Rumble Matches earning a championship match at WrestleMania. The GM then says that he expects a RAW Superstar to win both matches. Kurt is then interrupted by the team that lost the RAW Tag Team Titles to the unlikely team of Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan last week as Cesaro & Sheamus make their way to the ring. Sheamus claims that they were “robbed” of the titles last week before Cesaro says that they can’t stand “favoritism”, saying that what Kurt Angle did after the match was “too much”. Cesaro then shows WWE.com exclusive footage from last week where Kurt Angle would hug his son, Jason Jordan, following the main event. Cesaro says that Jason Jordan did not “deserve” a shot at the RAW Tag Team Titles before Cesaro says that they want their rematch for the titles tonight. However, the GM says that Cesaro & Sheamus will get their rematch when he says so. This brings out one-half of the new RAW Tag Team Champions Jason Jordan, saying that his opportunity last week came about as a result of his “track record”. The GM then makes an impromptu match between Cesaro and Jason Jordan but, with the match about to get underway, the other half of the new RAW Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins comes out, saying that Jason Jordan has a lot to learn about being a team. Seth then tells Jason that what Jordan does affects the both of them, saying that Jason needs to stop being so “self-absorbed”. Seth then says that he will be in Jason’s corner but, the way he sees it, he’s only out there to see Jason “lose”. In a match made by Kurt Angle moments earlier, the opening match of the night would see new RAW Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan, with Seth Rollins in his corner, face Cesaro, with Sheamus in his corner. Throughout the match, Cesaro would target the left leg of Jason Jordan but Jason would somehow fight through the pain and, with Seth Rollins taking care of Sheamus on the outside, Jordan would hit the lifting neckbreaker on a distracted Cesaro, pinning Cesaro to pick up the win as Seth Rollins applauds his tag team partner. In the midst of his bizarre rivalry with “Woken” Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt was in action on RAW as “The Eater of Worlds” would go one-on-one with Apollo Crews, with Titus O’Neil and Titus Worldwide’s statistician Dana Brooke in his corner. During the match, Dana Brooke would get on the ring apron but Bray Wyatt would scare Dana off of the apron and Dana would fall onto Titus O’Neil on the outside. Apollo Crews would then try to take advantage but Bray would counter, hitting Apollo with Sister Abigail and pinning Crews for the win. After the match, “Woken” Matt Hardy would appear on the Tron with a message for Bray Wyatt. Matt says that he will “devour” all of the darkness that Bray conveys in WWE and turn into “light”. Matt then says that he is all around Bray Wyatt and, once Sister Abigail’s powers are no more, he will “delete” Bray before Matt laughs maniacally at Bray, leaving “The Eater of Worlds” looking unnerved about Matt’s address. After getting dropped by Asuka with a kick to the head last week, RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss would face “The Empress of Tomorrow” Asuka in a non-title match. At the end of a hotly contested matchup, it was Asuka locking in the armbar on Alexa Bliss, making the RAW Women’s Champion tap out to pick up the win. In an effort to try and teach Heath Slater how to be tougher, Rhyno, with Heath Slater in his corner, would go one-on-one with “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman. Throughout the match, Heath Slater would offer words of encouragement to his tag team partner. However, Braun would look to prove a point, exiting the ring and telling Heath Slater that he can either stand on the floor and be quiet or come “get these hands” like Rhyno. Heath Slater would decide to help out his tag team partner and, in an apparent impromptu Handicap Match, Braun Strowman would easily deal with Heath Slater before picking Rhyno up and planting Rhyno with the running powerslam, pinning Rhyno for the win. After the match, Heath Slater would try to get the jump on Braun Strowman but “The Monster Among Men” would decimate Slater with the running powerslam before Braun would pick Rhyno up, planting Rhyno with a second running powerslam. At the behest of the crowd, Braun would then lift Heath Slater up a second time, planting Heath with a second running powerslam as well! This leaves Braun standing dominant over the former tag team champions but, when Strowman sees Rhyno moving, “The Monster Among Men” would pick Rhyno up for a third running powerslam before doling out the same punishment to Heath Slater, making a clear statement ahead of the Royal Rumble! In a rematch from last week, Roman Reigns would defend the Intercontinental Championship against Samoa Joe and, this time, if Roman gets disqualified, he will lose the Intercontinental Title. During another hard-hitting match between the two bitter rivals, Roman Reigns would send Samoa Joe into the steel steps on the outside before picking up the steel steps. However, the referee would remind Roman what would happen if he gets disqualified and the champion would resist the urge to use the steps as a weapon. Shortly after this, the action would return to the ring and, in an attempt to get Roman disqualified, Samoa Joe would shove Reigns into the referee. However, Roman is able to keep the referee from calling for the bell before Joe takes advantage of the distraction with the uranage but Reigns kicks out. The challenger then argues with the referee before looking for the Coquina Clutch, but Roman fights out before hitting the Spear, pinning Samoa Joe to successfully retain the Intercontinental Title. With Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore unable to defend the title due to the flu, the #1 Contender for the Cruiserweight Title, Cedric Alexander, would form an unusual team with “The Bizarre One” Goldust to face Drew Gulak & Ariya Daivari in tag team action. In the end, it was Cedric Alexander hitting Drew Gulak with the Lumbar Check, pinning Gulak to pick up the win for himself and Goldust. After recent troubles with The Miztourage, Finn Balor would need to find himself some teammates to face Elias & The Miztourage in a 6-Man Tag Match and Finn would look to his past for a couple of good brothers for backup as The Club would get back together with Finn Balor and Gallows & Anderson facing Elias & The Miztourage! In the end, it was Gallows & Anderson hitting Bo Dallas with the Magic Killer with Finn Balor following it up with the Coup de Grace, pinning Bo Dallas to pick up the win for himself and Gallows & Anderson. Four weeks before he defends the Universal Championship in a Triple Threat Match against Braun Strowman and Kane at the Royal Rumble, Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman would make an appearance on RAW. Paul Heyman says that WWE’s New Year’s Resolution is to get the Universal Title away from Brock Lesnar before the advocate explains the rules of the Triple Threat Match, pointing out that Brock Lesnar does not have to be involved in the decision to lose the title. Heyman then says that Brock will successfully retain the Universal Title at the Royal Rumble, saying that Brock Lesnar would defeat Braun Strowman and Brock would defeat Kane. Heyman continues, saying that Brock could defeat any and all of the thirty participants in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match before saying that Brock fears no “challengers”. Heyman then concludes by saying that he’s had a talk with “the guy down below” and the devil’s favorite is Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar & Paul Heyman then start to leave the ring before they are halted by the arrival of “The Big Red Machine” Kane. Kane makes a beeline for the ring and Brock Lesnar steps forward, coming face-to-face with Kane. Kane does not hesitate, grabbing the Universal Champion by the throat and planting “The Beast” with the chokeslam! However, in a role reversal from a couple of weeks ago, Brock Lesnar would sit up with a big smile on his face before Brock charges at Kane, blasting Kane with the Universal Title belt and sending both big men over the top rope in the process! This is when several RAW Superstars and referees would rush out to break it up, restraining Kane and forcing “The Big Red Machine” to the back as Brock Lesnar proudly holds up the Universal Title at ringside. What did you think of the first RAW of 2018? Post your comments in the box below.
