[intro music playing]
[John Cena] Then.
[Ric Flair] Woooo!
-[glass shattering] -[The Rock] If you smell…
-[bell tolling] -[Cena] Now.
[Roman Reigns] Acknowledge me.
-[Triple H] The king of kings… -[Cena] You can't see me…
[Cena] Forever.
Together.
["Born to Be (RAW)" playing]
♪ Born to be the greatest of all time ♪
♪ This is where I draw the line ♪
♪ Can't stop my shine ♪
♪ They know it's my time ♪
♪ Let the world know I've arrived ♪
♪ I'm on the rise, unstoppable ♪
♪ Watch me do the impossible ♪
♪ Watch me do what I got to do ♪
♪ I'm too hot for you I'm not about to lose ♪
♪ I'm the greatest ♪
♪ Big smile for the haters ♪
♪ Whole world know that I made it… ♪
[crowd cheers]
[Cole] Welcome to 2024!
You are looking live at a sold-out
Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Welcome to Monday Night Raw.
Michael Cole and Wade Barrett.
Welcome to Monday Night Raw Day 1.
It is going to be a massive night.
It is going to be a monumental night.
Two championship matches,
a number of first-time-ever match-ups,
Miz TV with The Judgment Day,
and in our main event,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins, The Architect,
defends the World Heavyweight Championship
against McIntyre.
Now, Rollins hasn't been pinned
in a year in one-on-one match-ups.
Can Drew McIntyre get it done tonight for the World Heavyweight Title?
[Wade] And it is the opportunity of a lifetime
for "The Pit Bull" Ivy Nile
as she challenges Women's World Champion,
the fearsome Rhea Ripley, later on tonight.
[Cole] And ladies and gentlemen, an Internet rumor
led to this tweet by Triple H over the weekend
that took social media by storm.
We can now confirm a former WWE Champion
will be returning to Raw.
Find out who it is later tonight.
[Wade] After Shinsuke Nakamura's
rendition of an American Nightmare Before Christmas
led to a vicious brawl,
we will be hearing from Cody Rhodes
regarding where the next chapter of his story will take him.
That's later on tonight.
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
-[crowd cheers] -[bell ringing]
[Samantha] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first,
from Dublin, Ireland,
"The Man" Becky Lynch!
[Cole] And we kick off Monday Night Raw tonight with The Man.
And a match five years in the making.
["Play with Fire" playing]
[Cole] The SmackDown Women's Division is attacking Monday Night Raw!
♪ Lift your head ♪
♪ A little higher ♪
♪ Burning red with desire ♪
♪ Watch your hands ♪
♪ Where you touch ♪
♪ It's getting hot ♪
♪ Dangerous ♪
♪ Play with fire ♪
[Becky Lynch] For the last five years,
Nia and I have been linked together for this reason
Nia and I have kept missing each other.
I went on to main-event WrestleMania.
She went on to get double ACL surgery.
Then I had a child. She got fired.
But now, it's 2023.
I'm here, she's here.
[crowd booing]
Well, I'm not fired anymore, Becky.
And you know that punch?
That was a lucky swing that almost ended your career.
Imagine if I punch you with my full force.
You wouldn't even get up.
This will happen on my terms.
And after I break your face, Becky,
and you're laid up in the hospital with your little daughter,
she's going to be crying,
saying, "Mommy, why are you uglier than usual?"
[Cole] Becky Lynch has had enough.
Jax making this extremely personal.
And a cheap shot from behind.
[Nia] You need this
a lot more than I do.
[dramatic music playing]
You need me.
You need to prove to everyone here
that you're just not about that one moment.
[Becky Lynch] It is about what that night represents,
about what The Man represents.
You say I'm a main event star because of you?
I'll always be the woman who made The Man.
That is a lie I need to end.
And if I can't end that lie, then I need to end you.
[Cole] A big fight feel here tonight
to kick off Monday Night Raw Day 1.
["Not Like Most Girls" playing]
[Samantha] And her opponent, from San Diego, California,
Nia Jax!
[Cole] You know, Wade, I've been thinking about this a lot today,
and I believe this match-up is a must-win for Nia Jax tonight.
She burst on the scene a number of months ago.
She's run roughshod through the Women's Division here on Monday Night Raw.
But now it is time to take out a big gun
in Becky Lynch.
[Wade] Well, I agree with the point you made,
but I actually think this is a more important match-up for Becky Lynch.
This is a must-win for Becky.
She's the one who chased this match.
She's the one that's been walking around
with an albatross around her neck for the past five years.
-[bell ringing] -I.e., that nose break.
And she's the one who needs mental catharsis by defeating Nia Jax.
[Cole] And for the first time ever,
Jax and Lynch, one-on-one tonight.
[crowd chanting] Becky! Becky! Becky!
[Cole] And Becky Lynch…
the former six-time World Champion.
If you're Becky, Wade, what's your strategy
heading into this match against "The Irresistible Force" Nia Jax?
[Wade] Well, the concern for me is that Becky Lynch's anger and ire
is going to cause her to go head-first
-into a firefight with Nia Jax. -[Cole] Oh!
[Wade] She needs to fight smart. She needs to be elusive.
She needs to fight intelligently tonight.
And anger can take all of that away from Becky Lynch.
[Cole] But again, the power game of Nia Jax
could be insurmountable for Lynch tonight.
Well, we saw Becky Lynch punch Nia Jax a few seconds ago
and Jax just laughed.
If Jax punches Lynch, it's a smashed face.
Nia Jax, a former World Champion in her own right,
having her way in the early going against The Man.
Nia with a big elbow to Lynch.
[Wade] And I don't want to fault Becky Lynch at all
for coming out with all guns blazing.
You waited five years for this.
[Becky Lynch grunting]
[Wade] I'll tell you right now, losses suck.
I had plenty of those in my career.
Most of them fade from memory,
but I never forgot the competitors who injured me in that ring.
That is a visceral feeling.
And you always want to get even with them.
[Cole] Well, let's not forget, that was the dawn of The Man here in WWE.
That broken nose from the right hand of Nia Jax
really launched Becky Lynch into Superstardom.
[Wade] But it was really Nia Jax claiming the credit for that launch
that set Becky Lynch off on this recent path of vengeance.
[Cole] Look at Becky trying to take the fight to Nia Jax,
unloading with the right hands.
Here's Lynch with a big uppercut and now a kick.
And Lynch has Nia Jax stunned.
[Wade] Hammered Nia Jax with about 50 punches there,
-but still on her feet… -[Cole] Bear hug.
[Wade] …is The Irresistible Force.
[Cole] And Becky Lynch… Went for the sunset flip,
moved out of harm's way.
And now, Becky Lynch.
Oh! Down goes Nia Jax.
Is it enough for Lynch to put her away?
And a kick-out by Nia, with authority, at one.
[Wade] This is more like it from Becky Lynch.
This hit-and-move style.
That's what-- This is what she needs more of to topple Nia Jax tonight.
[Cole] And Nia Jax said that
Becky Lynch needs this more than she does.
That Becky Lynch needs Nia Jax.
Becky perhaps looking for the Bexploder,
but Nia Jax just too strong and too big.
[Wade] I don't think Nia Jax really wanted any part of this match-up.
Things have been going really well for Nia Jax of late.
This is potentially something that could completely derail--
[Cole exclaims]
[Cole] Becky Lynch, again, startling Nia Jax,
and now a dropkick drives Jax into the corner.
Nia sending Becky up over the apron.
And Becky going to head up top here.
[crowd cheering]
Becky, top rope! Missile dropkick.
Nia's down, Lynch into the cover!
Stacking Nia up! And a kick-out by Jax at two.
Lynch and Jax in a battle here on Monday Night Raw Day 1.
[Cole] Becky Lynch off the top rope!
-Here's the cover on Nia Jax! -[crowd] One, two!
[Cole] Two-count kick-out!
[Wade] Yeah, what a powerful kick-out it was.
I'll tell you this right now.
Becky Lynch has been utilizing a range of offense
utilizing the top rope in order to combat the disparity in size here.
[Cole] Yeah, that sunset flip powerbomb put Becky Lynch in control,
and Becky again pulling out all the stops tonight
and almost knocking off Nia Jax there.
[Wade] Yeah, a very intelligent fight it's turned into for Becky Lynch.
But once again, Nia Jax just bounces back so quickly.
[Cole] It'll take so much offense
and it takes so much out of you to take Nia Jax down.
And Becky finds an opening.
And now, Becky Lynch…
There's that baseball slide,
driving Nia Jax to the barricade.
[Wade] When you get an opportunity… Ohh!
An opening against someone the size of Jax, you better take it.
But immediately back on the offense. Oh, no.
[Cole] Nia looking for the right hand that broke Becky's nose.
And instead, she may have broken her hand.
Off the ring post.
Head-butt by Jax!
[referee] Two!
[Wade] Hand maybe needing checking by our medical--
[Cole] Went for the cannonball.
And Becky rolled out of harm's way.
[referee] Four!
[Wade] Things almost ended for good for Becky Lynch there.
Just in the nick of time, had the wherewithal to get out of the way.
[Cole] And now Becky, as she wisely, at seven,
-will break the count. Becky… -Eight!
Count of-- Count of nine now!
Nia Jax trying to beat the count. And Nia just does.
Becky almost won via countout.
[Wade] 9.99, but she made it back in the ring in time.
But for what?
[Cole] And now, Becky, top rope!
There's the leg drop, cover on Jax, for the win!
Jax kicks at two.
Becky looks for the Dis-Arm-Her,
trying to lock in the Dis-Arm-Her, the submission move,
on Nia, center of the ring.
Jax, nowhere to go!
[Wade] That is tight too, hooked in.
But Jax perhaps just too powerful.
[Cole] And just powers out of it into a pinning combination.
Forcing Becky Lynch now to roll into a traditional armbar.
And Nia Jax still a ways away from the ropes.
Becky with the armbar in, Nia Jax trying to turn things around.
Now powering Becky up!
Becky still fighting back.
Ohh! Sit-out powerbomb!
-Cover on Lynch. -[crowd] One, two!
[Cole] Becky again kicks out.
[Wade] Oh, man. Traditional moves and holds
that work against the rest of the roster simply do not work against Jax
when she is capable of a deadlift powerbomb like that.
Almost putting The Man away.
[Cole] But, Wade, the thing is, how does Becky keep kicking out?
Tremendous guts being shown by Lynch tonight.
[Wade] Yeah, it may be for nothing at this point.
Becky Lynch has barely moved since that powerbomb by Jax.
Just like a rag doll in that ring now.
-[Cole] Now, Becky dragged to the corner. -[Wade] Uh-oh!
[Cole] And Nia Jax going to climb to the second rope,
looking for the Annihilator.
Becky Lynch gonna meet her there.
Look at how Becky drives her shoulders into the back of the knee,
the hamstring area of Nia Jax.
[Wade] Got that second wind just in the--
[Cole] No, no, no! From up there!
Becky from the second rope!
She's going to attempt a Manhandle Slam, but couldn't quite get it.
[Wade] Yeah, Nia Jax knew what was coming, has a counter!
[Cole] And now Nia!
-High above the ring! Samoan drop! -[crowd exclaims]
-[Cole] Cover by Jax. -[crowd] One, two!
-[Cole] Lynch is still in it -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Nia thinks that may have been her last-gasp effort
to put The Man away.
[Wade] Just an intolerable, overwhelming amount of force
landing on this Samoan drop.
How on earth Becky Lynch kicks out here
is beyond me,
but there was nothing in that kick-out, Cole.
Becky Lynch is ripe for the picking.
[Cole] Nia's just got to get back on the attack.
Becky Lynch showing why she's a six-time World Champion,
a tag champ, and NXT Champion,
a Royal Rumble winner.
[Becky Lynch shrieks, grunts]
[Wade] Nia Jax took that kick-out personally.
And it may be squashing time, Michael Cole.
[Cole] Becky again.
-And Nia Jax dumped out to the apron. -[crowd exclaims]
And Becky now trying to drag Jax back into the ring.
And look at Becky go!
[Wade] Tapped into that unyielding rage
that has built up over the past five years.
That is the only fuel that Becky Lynch has at this point.
[Cole] And Becky-- Nia caught her with a right hand!
The right hand that broke The Man's nose has struck again!
[Wade] It landed bang on the point of the jaw this time.
Lynch may be out cold.
[Cole] And now Nia Jax to the second rope with the Annihilator.
And this time,
-Becky Lynch ain't getting up! -[bell ringing]
["Not Like Most Girls" playing]
[Samantha] Here is your winner,
-Nia Jax! -[crowd booing]
[Cole] That is a huge win for Nia Jax.
Perhaps the biggest win in years for The Irresistible Force
who made a major statement tonight.
[Wade] Make no doubt about it, Nia Jax is legit.
Nia Jax is for real.
[Cole] Becky Lynch was left beaten, battered, bruised.
Just like 2018.
-Boom! -[Wade] Oh!
[Cole] The right hand by Nia Jax.
Becky Lynch a bloody mess
as the Annihilator is hit by Jax
-to pick up the win. -[bell ringing]
Nia has been unstoppable.
[Wade] Becky Lynch once again a bloodied mess.
The question truly is, at this point,
who on earth on the women's roster can possibly stop Nia Jax?
She is surely inching closer
to an opportunity at the Women's World Championship.
And again, this win by Nia Jax
could propel her to bigger and better things.
Meanwhile, Shinsuke Nakamura
has been looking to use Cody Rhodes
to propel himself to bigger and better things.
Let's remember The American Nightmare Before Christmas.
-[sinister instrumental music playing] -[Nakamura reading]
-[both yelling and grunting] -[Cole] Cody!
[Wade] You can only imagine
the fury welling up inside of Cody Rhodes right now.
[Cole] Cody being held back momentarily by security,
and now, once again, going after Shinsuke Nakamura.
[dramatic music playing]
[Cole] Oh, and Rhodes now taking out all the security!
[Wade] Cody Rhodes has simply gone berserk
thanks to Shinsuke Nakamura's actions.
[Cole] Going for the Cross Rhodes.
And security ripping Nakamura away from Cody.
Nakamura has brought out the wild side of Cody Rhodes.
We're not done!
[echoing] We're not done!
[upbeat music playing]
[Cole] Well, two weeks removed from that American Nightmare Before Christmas.
Here is The American Nightmare After Christmas.
Cody Rhodes is here live
on Monday Night Raw Day 1, next.
["Kingdom" playing]
♪ Wrestling has more than One royal family ♪
[crowd cheering]
[fireworks explode]
♪ Every fight out of control ♪
♪ Do it all to get them off their feet ♪
♪ Crowd is here, about to blow ♪
♪ Waitin' for me to start the show ♪
♪ Out the curtain, lights go up I'm home ♪
[crowd] ♪ Whoa! ♪
[fireworks popping]
[Samantha] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
"The American Nightmare"
Cody Rhodes!
[Cole] You know, despite not finishing the story,
2023 was quite the year for The American Nightmare.
He was the Superstar of the Year in WWE.
Also voted Superstar of the Year by Sports Illustrated.
ESPN named him the number-one male in sports entertainment,
and Cody Rhodes is kicking off 2024 tonight!
♪ Hear the crowd on their toes ♪
♪ Ready for me to start the show ♪
♪ Out the curtain, lights go up I'm home ♪
[crowd] ♪ Whoa! ♪
[fireworks popping]
[Cole] And there is some energy in this house tonight.
[Wade] Goes off the charts no matter the arena
every time The American Nightmare walks out.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
[crowd cheering]
So, San Diego.
[crowd cheers]
What do you want to talk about?
I have the privilege
of being the first Superstar to come to this ring
and officially welcome you
to a special Day 1 episode of Monday Night Raw.
[crowd cheering]
It's a new year.
Folks like to talk about their goals, where they'd like to be in 2024,
but admittedly…
I'm a little stuck.
And what I've gotten stuck on
is Shinsuke Nakamura.
[crowd booing]
And don't get me wrong,
I think we all know that
Shinsuke is a force to be reckoned with in the ring,
but with his rendition of A Nightmare Before Christmas,
I was expecting something a little bit more…
[smacks lips] …sophisticated.
See, I'm not stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura
because of the things he said about my family,
that comes with the territory.
I'm not stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura
because he tried to blind me with Poison Mist.
I fought blind and I fought just fine.
I am stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura, simply put,
because this should be over.
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
This should be over.
And Shinsuke, I'm going to give you the opportunity
to finish it tonight.
[crowd cheering]
So, go ahead, bring your Poison Mist.
Bring your poison words.
Whatever makes you feel like you can stop me from where I need to be.
Because this ends, and this ends right now!
[crowd cheering]
[dramatic music playing]
Cody.
[speaking Japanese]
Cody…
[speaking Japanese]
[in English] Monday Night Raw…
[speaking Japanese]
[Nakamura speaking English]
["The Rising Sun" playing]
[Cole] Again, uh, Cody Rhodes left perplexed in the middle of the ring
after the statement from Shinsuke Nakamura,
who, Wade, seems hell-bent
on turning Cody Rhodes' dreams into a real nightmare.
Well, it might be a new year, but clearly, Shinsuke Nakamura
intends to continue his venomous ways in 2024.
You know, the Monday Night Raw
a couple of weeks ago leading up to Christmas was,
well, pretty impressive.
Remember Kofi Claus, Kofi Kingston dressed up as Santa,
sending gifts up all throughout the WWE Universe
before he was attacked by Imperium.
[Wade] Because he gave Imperium coal.
Well, luckily for Kofi Claus,
along came Jey Uso just in the nick of time,
issuing a Yeet-down to the boys from Imperium.
And later on, when…
Kaiser and Jey Uso were competing one-on-one,
Kofi Claus returned to take out Vinci,
leading to a splash and victory for Jey Uso.
[Cole] Yeah, Kofi returning the favor.
"Main Event" Jey Uso picks up the win,
and then the celebration was on.
["New Day, New Way" playing]
♪ It's a new day, yes it is ♪
[bell ringing]
[Samantha] The following is a tag-team match scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first,
representing The New Day,
from Ghana, West Africa, weighing in at 212 lbs,
Kofi Kingston!
[Cole] Kofi Kingston set for tag-team action
here tonight on Monday Night Raw Day 1.
And the Royal Rumble is presented by Cricket.
With fast and powerful nationwide 5G coverage,
you can stress less and smile more.
And by Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League,
available February 2nd on PlayStation 5.
And you cannot talk about the Royal Rumble Match itself
without talking about Kofi Kingston.
["Main Event Ish" playing]
[Samantha] And his tag-team partner,
from San Francisco, California,
weighing in at 242 lbs,
"Main Event" Jey Uso!
[Cole] Look at this place!
[Wade] Well, it's Day 1, Cole.
Time for some Day 1 ish.
[Cole] Kofi and Jey Uso team up against Imperium, live next!
[whoops]
[Cole] You know, the Royal Rumble is less than a month away,
and that means this man, who's already declared for the Royal Rumble Match,
is in WrestleMania mode.
CM Punk returns live next week to Monday Night Raw,
from Portland, Oregon.
Jey Uso, Kofi Kingston teaming together tonight.
[Wade] Two halves of the greatest tag teams of all time
in The New Day and The Usos.
["Symphony No. 9 in E Minor" playing]
[Samantha] And their opponents,
representing Imperium,
Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci!
[Cole] No Gunther here tonight.
The Intercontinental Champion celebrating his 570th day
as the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time.
[Wade] Yeah, and congratulations to The Ring General and his wife
on the birth of their son this past week.
How long until that kid
-starts jumping people, Michael Cole? -[Cole chuckles]
[Cole] And Kaiser and Vinci
were very upset a couple of weeks ago
on the Christmas edition of Monday Night Raw,
when Kofi Claus delivered them some coal in their stocking.
[Wade] Yeah, and you know what?
I feel that Kofi Kingston deserved that beating
for passing himself off
-as "The Big Man" Santa Claus. -[Cole] Okay.
[Wade] That is called stolen valor.
-[Cole] It's the Grinch, Wade Barrett… -[bell ringing]
[Cole] …here tonight on this Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw.
Kofi Kingston will start things off with Giovanni Vinci.
It is the Royal Rumble season,
three weeks from Saturday.
St. Petersburg, Florida for the Royal Rumble.
Kofi Kingston, if he is involved in the Royal Rumble Match, Wade,
will make history. It'll be his 16th.
Here's the cover, off the splash, and a kick-out.
Sixteenth Rumble match appearance.
It will move him into second place all-time.
Kane is number one with 18 Royal Rumbles.
[Wade] What do you mean, "if" Kofi Kingston enters the Royal Rumble?
You can't have the Royal Rumble without Kofi Kingston
-[Wade] Ooh! -[Cole] Look at that, Vinci.
[Cole] And speaking of Imperium, it was Gunther who set the record
for the longest Rumble appearance last year
when he entered number one, he actually eliminated Kofi Kingston.
As you look at this high rate of speed by Giovanni Vinci.
[Wade] Greatest crossbody in the history of the industry,
a simple move made extraordinary by Giovanni Vinci's athleticism.
[Cole] And Kofi trying to fight out of the corner.
The man who, speaking of extraordinary, Wade,
has come up with some extraordinary ways
to remain in the Royal Rumble Match over the years.
[Wade] Well, he needs some extraordinary ways
to beat Imperium tonight,
because he's getting battered at the moment.
-[Vinci grunts] -[Cole] Kingston into the corner.
-[Wade] That'll do it. -[Cole] Forearm to Vinci.
-[Kaiser] Nein! -And Kaiser with a right hand to Kingston.
Imperium is so good.
-This is my year! -[crowd booing]
[Cole] Their technical prowess makes them one of the best tag teams
on the planet today.
[Wade] Undoubtedly. Great chemistry when they're firing on all cylinders.
There have been too many miscues in the past few months,
which is part of the reason why Gunther has done his disappearing act
and told these two to fix it in his absence.
[Cole] Kaiser stoic.
Kofi Kingston, second rope dropkick.
Right to Kaiser.
[Wade] Kofi Kingston, with that cat-like athleticism,
can attack you from any angle,
but Vinci will attack you as soon as the referee's back is turned.
[Cole] And Kaiser takes advantage, posting Kingston.
Tag made. Here comes Vinci.
[Wade] Well, it's been perfection thus far from Imperium.
[Cole] There's a double team by Imperium.
-Kofi's in all kinds of trouble. -[groans]
[Cole] Imperium dominating Monday Night Raw Day 1.
[overlapping chatter]
[Cole] And we are back on Monday Night Raw Day 1,
live from San Diego, California.
Imperium dominating Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso as we speak.
It is going to be quite the night tonight.
Our main event, Seth Rollins defending
the World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre.
Rhea Ripley defends the Women's Title against Ivy Nile.
And also, a former WWE Champion
-will be here tonight. -[crowd exclaims]
[Cole] Who will it be? We will find out in just a bit.
[Wade] Wow, that was a game-changing dropkick from Kofi Kingston.
It was a textbook performance thus far from Imperium,
completely isolating Jey Uso from the match.
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] This could be the moment that life is breathed back into the team
of Kingston and Jey Uso.
[Cole] Jey wants to tag, the intense look on the face of Uso.
Kaiser realizes he's in trouble as well.
-Meanwhile, there's a medical issue. -[bell ringing]
-[Wade] Oh, wait a second. -[Cole] Well, the doctor is in the ring.
Just realizing now that the doctor is, uh…
[imperceptible]
[Cole] Well, the official called for the bell
after the doctor entered the ring.
Obviously, some sort of issue with Giovanni Vinci.
[indistinct conversation]
[Wade] The health and well-being of Superstars is always paramount.
That's why we have doctors at ringside.
[Cole] Not quite sure exactly what happened.
But again, Kaiser
and the doctor at ringside dealing with Vinci.
Uso and Kofi Kingston trying to figure out what had happened as well.
But again, to your point, Wade,
the health and welfare of our WWE Superstars always paramount.
[Samantha] Here are your winners due to referee stoppage.
"Main Event" Jey Uso
and Kofi Kingston!
[Cole] And again, a shame the match had to end that way
but, Wade, you made the point.
Obviously, the health of our Superstars, first and foremost,
here on Monday Night Raw.
[Wade] And I'll tell you from my experience in the ring,
I put my health and well-being in the hands of our great medical staff,
and I always thanked them for what they did for me.
Let's take another look at this. This was the drop kick from Kingston…
[Cole] Boom!
…that caught Vinci right on the point of the jaw,
and Vinci landing may have added to that.
He was not the same since.
Thankfully, our referee was straight on the scene
and our medical staff on the outside
keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
I have to say, what a way to start off the year.
Victory for Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso.
Things are starting to hot up right now in Royal Rumble season.
And again, social media. Keep an eye on
some sort of update on Giovanni Vinci when it is available.
Well, I want to offer a big thank you to all the WWE Superstars
who participated in the WWE Holiday Tour again this year,
spreading cheer to WWE fans across the United States.
It was record-setting.
[upbeat music playing]
[narrator] This past week, the WWE Live Event Holiday Tour
took the country by storm,
landing in multiple cities for record-grossing shows
in jam-packed arenas across the US.
The WWE Universe couldn't get enough,
seeing their favorite WWE Superstars during this joyful time of year.
Shotzi would shock everyone by getting married in Las Vegas
and then showing up later at the arena!
[cheering]
New York City!
[indistinct yelling]
[Rollins] We are packed in the most famous arena in the world!
[narrator] Madison Square Garden would shatter the gate record
for a non-televised WWE event,
with a sold-out crowd of nearly 16,000 fans in attendance,
highlighted by CM Punk's incredible return to MSG
for the first time in over a decade.
[CM Punk] This is for all of you.
[man] I love you, man!
[CM Punk] You have carried me
throughout my career to my greatest moments,
and this is one of them.
[narrator] What an amazing way to close out 2023
and kick off 2024!
[crowd chanting] CM Punk!
["I Came To Play" playing]
♪ Awesome! ♪
♪ I came to play, there's a price to pay ♪
♪ Time for you to get down On your knees and pray ♪
♪ Say goodbye to the good old days… ♪
[Samantha] Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome the host of Miz TV,
The Miz!
[Cole] Well, The Miz always seems to get all the great guests.
Here tonight, we understand that the self-proclaimed
most dominant faction in all of WWE,
The Judgment Day,
will ring in the new year on a special must see Day 1 edition of Miz TV.
How does he do it? Why don't you get these scoops?
[Wade] Nobody wants to talk to you or I. We're just commentators, Cole.
They want to speak to real Superstars like The Miz,
and he's up next. Awesome!
[Cole] Monday Night Raw Day 1
is live tonight in San Diego, California.
Rollins and McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship,
and Rhea Ripley will defend the Women's World Title
against the upstart "Pit Bull" Ivy Nile.
Rhea will put her championship on the line
against the upstart Ivy Nile
at Day 1.
["Here At The Edge" playing]
[Ivy] All my life, I've been considered the underdog.
And honestly, I love it.
I love the fact that people doubt me.
Because it makes it that much sweeter when I beat the odds.
I've pushed myself every single day,
and it's brought me to the biggest match of my career.
[Rhea Ripley] I'm the Raw Women's Champion and I'm here to stay!
[Ivy] When I overthrow Rhea
and become the new Women's World Champion…
Everybody is going to see that this Pit Bull
is a different breed.
[Cole] A lot of support for that woman, Ivy Nile.
Of course, part of The Creed Brothers, The Diamond Mine.
The Alpha Academy in her corner as well.
But, Wade, this is the biggest match of Ivy Nile's career,
against The Eradicator.
Can she get it done?
[Wade] Ivy Nile needs all the help she can get
against the most fierce champion we have in Rhea Ripley.
Championship on the line later tonight.
Ripley versus the upstart Ivy Nile.
Happy New Year!
[crowd cheering]
With that said, let's get this bad boy started.
Welcome to the most must-see WWE talk show in history.
Welcome to…
[crowd] Miz TV!
Miz TV.
And this is a first-ever Day 1 edition,
so you know it's going to be good.
Now, there are a lot of rumors
about the former WWE Champion
that will be showing up later on tonight.
And I have my speculations,
but I got to get to my special guests
because they have been begging to come onto the show.
So, without further ado,
please welcome my guests.
They are the self-proclaimed most dominant faction in WWE.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Judgment Day!
["The Other Side" playing]
[fireworks popping]
["What's Up" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Well, remember what happened last week, right?
They had the, uh, couple of weeks ago,
The Miracle on 34th Street fight, R-Truth and JD McDonagh.
Winner would be in The Judgment Day.
-R-Truth won, so I guess-- -[Wade] Hold on.
You're messing everything up. Got the week wrong.
Got this wrong. That wrong.
It was a Loser Leaves Judgment Day, and it was a joke, Michael Cole.
It wasn't real.
It was vivid delusions in the mind of R-Truth.
San Diego, what's up?
[crowd] What's up?
The most likable member of Judgment Day, R-Truth.
[crowd cheers]
Uh, Truth.
Where's everybody else?
I swear they was all behind me just now.
You, uh, seeing invisible people again?
Is Little Jimmy here?
No! No! No, no, no.
Little Jimmy is not here. Why don't you have a seat?
Not so fast, Miz.
I've been waiting all year to say this.
All rise for the Judgment Day!
[crowd cheers]
That actually works a lot better
than when Damian Priest does it. Am I wrong?
What exactly is your role within The Judgment Day?
I'm glad you asked me that.
I have many, many, many, many, many roles in The Judgment Day.
It's kind of complicated.
You see, today I'm doing PR work.
Last week, I was doing administrative work.
You know what I'm saying? There's always work to be done.
Nobody likes them.
They got a bad résumé.
So right now, I'm trying to make The Judgment Day
likable to everybody.
[JD] No, no, no. No, no.
This has to end tonight.
[crowd booing]
Truth, you are not in The Judgment Day.
You're not the AV guy for the clubhouse.
You're not doing PR for us.
And what's more, no member of The Judgment Day
would ever be caught dead on Miz TV.
We…
[crowd booing]
-We… -[booing continues]
…are the most dominant faction in all of WWE--
[Cole] They don't even like him in his hometown.
San Diego!
Y'all see what I'm saying?
Dirty Dom. He getting booed in his own hometown.
[crowd booing]
That ain't right. That ain't right, y'all.
Dom, I don't mean to cut you off,
but, JD, you're not even in Judgment Day.
Remember, loser leaves Judgment Day,
so you can be gone.
-You don't make the stipulation-- -Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Actually, he makes a valid point.
You lost the Miracle on 34th Street Fight.
The stipulation was very clear.
Loser leaves Judgment Day.
So, JD, uh, what are you doing out here?
Miz, you want to--
[crowd booing]
-You want to talk about los-- -[booing intensifies]
[speaks Spanish]
[crowd booing]
[in English] Let's talk about your 2023--
[booing continue]
Spending it on your back.
[crowd booing]
On your back.
[crowd booing]
-Getting destroyed-- -[crowd booing]
Destroyed by Gunther!
[crowd booing]
I apologize, but you have 20,000 people booing you
and I can't hear you over them.
And you have a microphone!
But, yeah, 2023 wasn't that great for me.
But I am more relevant now than I have ever been.
And through all that adversity, I have kept going
and kept doing what I always do,
and that is perform at a high, main-event caliber,
creating memories and moments that last a lifetime.
It's funny, the only moment
or memory that I have of you from last year
is you getting spanked by your daddy.
[crowd cheers]
Don't bring that up.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
I want to give it the respect it deserves.
Dragged around by your mami.
And if you want more recent,
how about the WWE Holiday Tour
where you got whooped around the country by CM Punk?
[crowd exclaims]
Miz, I'm done--
[crowd booing]
I'm done talking.
[crowd booing]
We're going to continue your losing streak in 2024!
[crowd booing]
With me and JD versus you and Truth right now!
Would you all like to see that match right here, right now?
[crowd cheering]
Well, it looks like 2024 is full of comebacks,
because it will be Dirty Dom and JD
versus the reunited Awesome Truth!
Let's go!
[crowd cheering]
Hold up. Wait! Wait, wait, wait.
I'm in Judgment Day. Am I tagging with Dom?
[splutters] No.
I'm not tagging with JD.
You are tagging with me, Truth!
You and I are tagging together!
Okay, I… I get it.
This is one of them strange bedfellows tag-team test, right?
So, okay, I get it.
I'll follow your lead, Dirty Dom.
I'll tag with Miz.
On behalf of The Judgment Day, we accept!
[Cole laughs]
Well, there goes JD McDonagh.
The Awesome Truth is reuniting.
Truth has no idea what planet he's on.
[Wade] He has no idea who his tag partner is at this point.
[Cole chuckling] This tag match gets underway when we come back.
[indistinct arguing]
[Cole] So the delusional R-Truth
called this "a strange bedfellows match."
He's teaming with The Miz tonight against JD McDonagh
and Dominik Mysterio.
The Judgment Day, now,
you realize R-Truth is in the neutral corner
because I guess he believes he's neutral in this match. And that tag--
[Wade] He doesn't know which team he's on. That's the problem.
That's an illegal tag and your buddy…
[Cole] And McDonagh.
[Wade] Big thumbs to the referee, actually called it correct here.
I mean, R-Truth probably thinks he's in Green Bay, Wisconsin right now.
He's absolutely clueless as to the inner workings
of what's supposed to be happening in this match-up.
[Cole] Well, he did win. And here's the cover by McDonagh.
I mean, by all rights, McDonagh lost the Loser Leaves Judgment Day Match,
so he should be out of the group and R-Truth should be in.
[Wade] No paperwork, no paperwork involved, nothing was signed.
The only person who agreed to it was Damian Priest
-who agreed to it tongue in cheek. -[Cole] And Miz!
[Wade] But anyway, R-Truth was never in The Judgment Day in the first place.
How can he be in a Loser Leaves The Judgment Day Match?
Doesn't makes sense.
[Cole] Did you not hear what Truth was saying earlier?
He does PR, he does all the administrative duties.
[Wade] He is a Walter Mitty character who is suffering from severe delusions,
and people like you are encouraging it.
[Cole] He's a great athlete in the ring. There's a leg drop now to JD McDonagh.
I mean, R-Truth has sort of become the fixer, so to speak.
The image consultant for the, uh, The Judgment Day.
[Wade] He's tearing them apart from the inside,
even though he's not on the inside.
If that makes sense.
From the outside, pretending to be on the inside,
but he's tearing 'em apart.
[Cole] And McDonagh now misses with the clothesline.
R-Truth… Oh, look at that little corkscrew crossbody.
Takes out JD McDonagh
Remember Awesome Truth
The Miz and R-Truth tag team
that raised a lot of hell around here about a decade ago?
[Wade] Held WWE hostage back in 2011.
[Cole] Cover. Hook of the leg, and a kick-out.
Had a number of run-ins with Triple H.
[Wade] As much as I enjoy laughing at R-Truth and his antics,
if you are the butt of his jokes, it is grating.
He used to come out in a Burger King crown
when I was King of the Ring and it completely ruined my reign.
So I have a lot of sympathy with the members of The Judgment Day right now.
[Cole] Miz is just trying to figure out what is going on here,
as we all are.
JD McDonagh now in control, looking to punish R-Truth.
JD said the the farce is over tonight.
"Truth, you're not in the group."
[Wade] Well, here's the problem.
Truth seems to like all of Judgment Day except for JD McDonagh,
so he's not going to listen to the words of McDonagh.
Now, this is going to be interesting, because Truth
thinks Mysterio is his friend.
[Cole] Oh, 619!
Of course, stealing that from his dad, Rey Mysterio.
Judgment Day in control live on Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] We are back live on Monday Night Raw.
Miz and R-Truth, Awesome Truth reunited tonight
to take on McDonagh and Mysterio of The Judgment Day.
And Miz is rolling.
Yeah, and Miz finally got his way into the match
after Truth suffered a huge beatdown, and this might be it!
[Cole] Crossbody, hook of the leg.
Kick-out by McDonagh at two.
[Wade] And this is The Miz back to his very best.
Remember, about 13 years ago, Miz was…
-[R-Truth] I'm in Judgment Day! -No, you're not!
-I am! -Get outta here!
-[Miz] Truth, what are you doing? -He's not in Judgment Day!
I'm in Judgment Day!
[Cole] Truth still confused over whether or not he's actually in Judgment Day.
There's the bulldog by Miz. Here's the cover.
Is it enough to put McDonagh away?
And Dominik Mysterio breaking things up.
[Wade] Regardless of the result of this match,
at the end, we need to see R-Truth put in a straitjacket.
-Oh! -[Cole] And a head-butt by McDonagh.
[Wade] From the biggest head in the business. That is dangerous.
-Oh, dear. -[Cole splutters]
[Cole] And R-Truth just tagged himself in as a member of Judgment Day's team.
The official waved the tag off.
I'm in Judgment Day! You're not.
-You're in Judgment Day? -I'm in Judgment Day.
He's in Judgment Day.
-I'm in Judgment Day. -[JD] All right.
-This is your moment. -[Dominik] All right.
Do it. Hit him!
[Wade laughs] Brilliant, JD.
Checkmate.
[crowd cheering]
-I'm sorry, Miz! -[Dominik] Hit him!
[mouthing] I love you!
-[Cole] Oh! -[Wade] Come on!
[Cole] I'm not sure Truth if actually meant to do that or not, but…
[roars]
[Cole] And now, double team action.
Skull-Crushing Finale from the Miz!
[crowd] One, two, three.
[bell ringing]
["I Came To Play" playing]
[Samantha] Here are your winners,
the team of R-Truth and The Miz!
[Wade] I don't get it. I don't get it, Cole.
How does somebody in R-Truth, who consistently gets everything wrong,
always, come up smelling of roses?
[Cole] Uh…
[Wade] I'm sorry.
[Cole] This is a little a flashback to HBK and The Nature Boy.
R-Truth sending JD McDonagh
into the Skull-Crushing Finale.
[crowd] One, two, three.
[bell ringing]
[Cole] And Truth still looks confused.
[Wade] It's all jokes, isn't it, Cole?
-It's all fun and games. -[Cole] No.
No, Wade, it's not jokes.
R-Truth really believes he's part of Judgment Day.
There's no joking when it comes to Truth.
You want to know what I believe? I believe R-Truth is dicing with danger.
And this is going to come back to bite him
in the form of a brutal attack from The Judgment Day.
The only thing we do know about Judgment Day
is Finn Bálor and Damian Priest are the Tag Team Champions.
On the women's side of things, we have new Women's Tag Team Champions.
Let's take it back to a couple of weeks ago here on Raw.
Piper Niven, Chelsea Green
defending against Katana Chance and Kayden Carter.
[Wade] And that Keg Stand almost got victory for the challengers
until Chelsea Green's intervention.
Attempted an Unprettier that backfired.
And here we go.
The challengers doing what they do best, with the After-Party.
And we crowned ourselves
new Tag Team Champions in the Women's Division
in the form of Carter and Chance.
[Cole] What a victory.
Making their mark here on Monday Night Raw.
[wailing] No!
[upbeat music playing]
You! Excuse me!
-Don't touch me. Do not touch me. -[indistinct chatter]
You look like a giant light bulb. Ugh.
VIP, coming through. Beep, beep.
Oh, look, we heard the Twinkle Twins were gonna be here.
Listen, don't get too comfortable with our titles.
That's right. Because we are bypassing the corrupt Adam Pearce.
And we are going straight to Nicholas Aldis to get our rematch.
Whoa, whoa, Big Red, take it easy.
Don't come over here doing all that.
Don't come here killing our vibe.
Yeah, because we are gonna be fighting champs.
And we would love to go to Pearce and get a rematch.
-It'd be great. -But tonight, it's about us.
[shrieking]
-[upbeat music playing] -[imperceptible]
[Cole] One of the greatest things I've ever seen happen to Chelsea Green.
[Wade] I want to go partying with Carter and Chance.
You're not invited, by the way.
["World of Ivy" playing]
[Cole] Time now for the Women's World Championship match.
The Creed Brothers…
[imperceptible]
…wishing Ivy Nile luck
in what is the biggest match of her career.
Can Ivy Nile do the unthinkable?
And dethrone the seemingly unstoppable
Women's World Champion, Rhea Ripley?
We'll find out as "The Eradicator" Ripley collides with Ivy Nile
for the Women's World Championship live,
next on Raw.
[Cole] We're back live on Monday Night Raw Day 1.
Ivy Nile looks to win the Women's World Championship tonight.
Her first one-on-one match on Monday Night Raw,
but this is who stands in her way.
[Rhea Ripley] 2023.
The year where Rhea Ripley and The Judgment Day
took over Monday Night Raw.
And anyone who dared stepped in my path
found themselves eradicated.
And now, as the calendar flips to 2024,
and we head into Day 1,
another fool thinks that they can step up to me.
[Cole] Be very careful…
[Rhea Ripley] Ivy Nile, you're going to discover
what every other woman on this roster already knows.
This is my division,
and you are nothing in my world.
["Demon In Your Dreams" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[fireworks explode]
[Cole] She is a Superstar
oozing with confidence.
The Women's World Champion, Rhea Ripley.
And Wade, there is no doubt about it.
2023 was the year of the Eradicator.
[Wade] Undoubtedly.
The Matriarch backed up the words of all of us for years
who have said this woman has potential to be
the absolute number one
in the entire world of the women's competition.
She proved us all right. She did that.
She got to the top and she has stayed there ever since.
And it starts to…
starts to make you ponder
who on earth will ever be able to take that championship
away from Mami.
I do not have the answer to that.
[Cole] The total package.
Rhea Ripley has it all.
[Wade] On paper, what a mismatch this is.
[bell ringing]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the Women's World Championship!
[crowd cheering]
Introducing the challenger,
from Knoxville, Tennessee,
Ivy Nile!
And her opponent,
representing The Judgment Day,
from Adelaide, South Australia,
she is the Women's World Champion,
Rhea Ripley!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] For those of you not familiar with Ivy Nile,
she has an MMA background,
she's trained in jujitsu, CrossFit,
and she claims that she's an artist
who is, quote, "Fighting on my canvas."
That is what Rhea Ripley defends against tonight.
So if you're Ivy Nile, in the biggest match of your career…
-[bell ringing] -…what do you do
to try shock the world tonight, Wade?
[Wade] It's incredibly simple.
Ivy Nile needs to remember to breathe, first and foremost.
I remember my first-ever championship match in WWE.
My body felt like lead for the first five minutes
simply because I forgot to breathe for that much time.
There's so much pressure and spotlight on you.
You're not used to it.
Ivy now needs to, first and foremost, get past that.
[Cole] That was an interesting start.
Collar and elbow tie-up, the strength being shown by Rhea Ripley.
Ivy Nile, however, holding her own.
[Wade] I'll tell you this. Nile, a couple of weeks ago--
[Cole] Look at this! Ivy Nile now with Rhea up on her shoulders!
And an elbow by Rhea Ripley.
But you just saw the power of Ivy Nile.
Nice dropkick by the champion.
[Wade] Yeah, don't underestimate that power of Nile.
We saw a couple of weeks ago.
Ivy Nile reversing an electric chair-type slam against the apron
and hitting Mami with that,
much to the surprise of the champ.
[Cole] Ivy Nile up over the top, stops-- Oh!
And catches Rhea with the right hand.
Reversal now. Nile sent across the ring.
But catches Rhea with a boot.
[Wade] Nile as tenacious as they come.
Here's what you're going to remember, Cole.
And this is a pretty nice start here from Ivy Nile,
who hasn't been eaten up by the moment.
Ivy Nile, since arriving on Raw, has been in two matches.
A Battle Royal and a multi-woman tag match.
[Cole] Crossbody, lateral press. Cover now.
And the champion, kick at one.
[Wade] This is Nile's first singles match since arriving on Raw--
-[Cole] Oh! -[Wade] Women's World Championship
against the unstoppable Rhea Ripley.
[Cole] Ripley, with a boot, takes down Ivy Nile.
Nile, a powder keg. Short bursts of strength.
When you talk pound for pound, you need to be--
You think you're strong? You think you can fight?
You're in my ring!
You will not win!
[Cole] Pound for pound,
Ivy Nile, one of the strongest in WWE today for her size.
She goes 5'2".
She often trains with 100-lb sandbags
to warm up before a match.
Rhea, though, having her way…
with Nile.
Ivy sent across the ring, and now Ivy Nile!
Sending Ripley toward the corner.
Rhea misses with a kick, Nile… Nice power!
And Rhea Ripley gonna take a breather.
Women's World Championship on the line, live.
You're kidding me!
[Ivy] No! [straining]
[Cole] We are back live on Monday Night Raw.
Rhea Ripley defending the Women's World Championship against Ivy Nile.
Is this the way you expected this match to go so far, Wade?
[Wade] But the only thing that surprised me,
as we take another look at the sheer dominance of Rhea Ripley
during the commercial break,
is that Ivy Nile has lasted as long as she has.
I thought she was going to get eaten up by the moment,
but hats off to Nile.
She is making a game fight of this
and that is no easy task against Rhea Ripley.
[Cole] Ivy Nile trying to fight back.
Now, Rhea, though, with a standing dropkick,
knocks Nile out of the ring.
And now, Ivy Nile realizes what she's in the ring against.
And there's a reason Rhea is called The Eradicator.
[Wade] I'll tell you.
There was an element of hubris around Rhea Ripley
coming into this match-up,
taking Ivy Nile a little lightly.
That has changed during the course of this match-up.
[Cole] And now, Nile able to slip down--
And German suplex to the champion!
Now, remember, champ's advantage.
So Ivy's got to get Rhea in the ring for pinfall or submission
to win the gold tonight. Countout does not help.
[Wade] I'll tell you this. Rhea Ripley did not think
she'd have to get out of first gear this evening.
She thought this was going to be a walk in the park.
Well, there is your shocker, Rhea Ripley.
That is your wake-up call. Ivy Nile is a danger.
[Cole] And Rhea back into the ring.
Nile now, kicks to the legs of Rhea Ripley.
Nile spins around and catches Rhea with a kick to the face.
And now, Nile has the champ
-in a bit of trouble now! -Come on!
[Wade] Growing in confidence and self-belief.
Nice kick in the corner.
[Cole] Rhea Ripley was not expecting this, Ivy Nile…
Oh! Down goes Ripley! For the cover!
Perhaps… A near fall for Nile.
[Wade] We're seeing some shades of Ivy Nile
that made her catch fire during her time in NXT.
Now, she does have a dragon sleeper
that she has put away the entire roster in NXT with.
If she hits that,
it could be a very, very interesting few moments in this match-up.
[Cole] Ivy Nile again. Now delivers the DDT.
Cover, on the champion to win gold.
Is it enough? No! And a kick-out at two and a half.
[Wade] Rhea Ripley is now having to dig deep
thanks to this kind of offense from "The Pit Bull" Ivy Nile,
who is turning this match-up and her opponent on its head.
[Cole] Wade, one of the things we're seeing as this match progresses
is the confidence level continuing to rise in the upstart Ivy Nile.
[Wade] Yeah, undoubtedly, it's about getting through those
first few minutes in a match-up like this.
If you get through those,
you can start to believe that the champ can slip on a banana peel
-and you can pull off a miracle. -[Cole] Ooh!
[Wade] But what a nasty landing that was for Ivy Nile.
[Cole] The longer you hang around,
the better off the opportunity against the champion.
-Oh, what a head-butt! -[Wade] Oh! That was horrible.
Referee smartly taking a close look at the challenger
because that was a game-changer.
[Cole] And Rhea goes up to the top rope now.
Ivy Nile stunned.
There's the missile dropkick by the champ.
Rhea, cover.
Wisely hooks the leg near the rope
and forcing Nile to kick out at two.
Ivy showing some fight tonight.
[Wade] What great athleticism
for someone so big and powerful as the champ, Rhea Ripley.
Just a textbook missile dropkick connecting perfectly.
And you see the frustration on the face of the champ now,
who feels like this one should be long over.
[Cole] Yeah, Rhea was not expecting this fight out of Nile tonight.
[Wade] Just been so dismissive of Nile
in the previous couple of weeks,
electing to put her gold on the line.
[Cole] And now, Rhea Ripley looking to lift Nile up, went for the Riptide.
Ivy Nile, though, able to catch Rhea with a kick to the ear.
And now Ivy Nile, gutwrench. Down goes Rhea.
-For the win and the championship! -[crowd] One, two…
[Cole] Forcing Rhea to kick at two.
[Wade] It's a small package.
But what a lot of power it holds for Ivy Nile.
[Cole] This is for the Women's World Championship.
Ivy Nile, Rhea Ripley.
Later tonight, Seth Rollins defends the World Heavyweight Title
against Drew McIntyre.
In a matter of moments, we're joined by a former WWE Champion.
Who will it be? We'll find out here on Monday Night Raw.
Rhea Ripley, kick to the midsection on Nile,
stomp of the toe.
And face-first into the knee.
And now, Rhea Ripley… dominating.
[Wade] Yeah, Rhea Ripley just ripped up the plan for this match-up
and went all-out aggression.
[crowd exclaims]
[Cole] Just slamming Nile face-first.
-Cover by the champ. -One, two…
[Cole] And Nile stays in it.
[Wade] Yeah, just opens the playbook of someone like Rhea Ripley.
Huge clothesline to the jaw.
When you're in there with someone as small as Ivy Nile,
you can just pull off the kind of moves you cannot pull off
against a lot of the women on the roster,
and we're seeing that now from the champ.
[Cole] Rhea has settled in now
after that flurry of offense from Ivy Nile a bit ago.
[Wade] Shows how tenacious Ivy Nile is.
That attitude, that "never say die" approach.
Survival. That has been the game plan for Ivy Nile in this one.
Last as long as you can,
and just hope you can pull off the unimaginable.
Ivy, top rope.
Rhea Ripley now will join her at the second rope.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Rhea Ripley looking to hoist Ivy Nile up.
Precarious situation for both women here.
Nile, though, fighting back.
[Wade] She knows she needs to get out of this one in a hurry.
[Cole] And blocking the right by Ripley.
Ivy Nile, still with fight in her.
[Wade] Don't try anything pretty when you're up there on the top rope.
You scramble and you get the hell out of Dodge.
[Cole] Nile went for the sunset flip into a powerbomb.
Rhea able to hang on.
Nobody home on the right hand.
Champ bounced off the turnbuckle.
Nile, German suplex off the ropes.
Champ's in trouble.
Ivy Nile gonna crawl to the cover.
Can this be a miracle
-here tonight on Monday Night Raw? -One, two…
[Cole] Hook of the leg. Champion kicks at two.
[Wade] Oh, the champ was completely rocked
on the elevated second rope German suplex.
Take another look at this.
Just when Rhea Ripley had the upper hand, innovation from The Pit Bull.
Followed by this.
Textbook German suplex
And Rhea Ripley simply had no clue where she was.
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Cole] WWE fans loving it.
"This is awesome."
Ivy Nile now.
[Wade] Nile with the wind in her sails.
Clearly, the body has been beaten, but it's not broken.
The Pit Bull still… still believes.
[Cole] Yeah, Ivy Nile trying to make it to the top rope yet again.
What's Nile going to do?
Ivy Nile, top rope.
-Oh, my goodness! -[crowd gasps]
Went to a crossbody.
Rhea Ripley with a massive head-butt
followed by a knee.
Thanks for coming, Ivy Nile!
Riptide by the The Eradicator.
[crowd] One, two, three.
[bell ringing]
["Demon In Your Dreams" playing]
[Samantha] Here is your winner,
and still
the Women's World Champion,
Rhea Ripley!
[Cole] Wade, that was a career-defining performance by Ivy Nile tonight.
But in the end, Rhea reigned supreme.
[Wade] Why is Rhea Ripley so good?
Moves like this out of nowhere we haven't seen before.
As devastating as they come.
The match was over right there,
but Riptide was the exclamation point.
Mami is still on top.
Who could possibly dethrone this woman?
[Cole] 2024 begins the way that last year ended.
A dominant Rhea Ripley.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Well, still to come tonight,
the Men's World Heavyweight Champion.
That man, The Architect, Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Well, he defends the gold against a determined Drew McIntyre.
It's time for McIntyre to put all the excuses to bed
and finally do what he said he's going to do,
and that's win the World Championship tonight.
Rollins, McIntyre for the World Title in our main event
on Monday Night Raw Day 1.
[Wade] We've all seen the rumors circling on social media
for the past 24 hours.
Well, the rumors are true.
A former WWE Champion is returning to Raw,
but who's it going to be?
You do not want to miss this,
because it's up next, right here on Raw.
[Cole] Well, WWE New Year's Knockout Week continues tomorrow night here on USA.
It's NXT New Year's Evil,
a special Best of 2023 The Bump,
Wednesday on Peacock.
Also on Peacock Thursday night,
Best of 2023, and the Preview Special of 2024.
And SmackDown this coming Friday,
it's New Year's Revolution.
And coming up next week on Monday Night Raw,
we are live in Portland, Oregon, less than a month from Royal Rumble.
This man is already declared.
The controversial, the best in the world!
CM Punk returns live to Raw next week.
[Samantha] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the return
of a former WWE Champion!
["Sher" playing]
[crowd booing]
[Cole] Well…
[Samantha] Jinder Mahal!
[Wade] Oh, this is exactly who I was hoping for, Cole.
[Cole] Well, honestly, not quite what I was expecting tonight.
[Wade] It's even better than what you were expecting, right?
[Cole] But Jinder was a former WWE Champion.
[Wade] One of the GOATs.
[Cole] He's now managing, a spokesman for Indus Sher.
[Wade] What a triumphant return it is for the great Jinder Mahal.
[Cole] The funny thing is, is looking around at this sold-out crowd in San Diego
and just the look of disbelief
on the faces of many of these WWE fans who are here tonight.
[Wade] Severe lack of respect from these people in San Diego,
who have no class.
Welcome back. Jinder.
[crowd booing]
You have the audacity to be disappointed?
Disappointed at the return of The Modern-Day Maharaja?
Let me remind you.
I'm a past and future WWE Champion.
Thousands of Superstars have competed in this ring.
Fifty WWE champions,
and my name is at the top of that list.
[crowd] What?
The only thing disappointing…
[crowd] What?
…is what has become
of the once-great nation of the United States of America.
Disgusting!
"United"? Look around.
This is unity?
Do you feel united?
You people have never been this divided.
Your politics, your news,
your social media. It's all the same.
Ignorance. Misinformation.
[crowd chanting] USA! USA! USA!
USA! USA!
Shut your mouths.
[crowd booing]
This country was once a superpower
and now it's a joke.
But I will unify you.
I will unite you.
I am your unifier!
If you don't believe me,
shut your mouths and listen.
[speaking Punjabi]
[crowd booing]
[in English] Exactly my point.
Finally, all of you are united on one thing.
You people stood loud and proud and booed…
your own national anthem in Punjabi.
Congratulations. That was your national anthem in Punjabi.
That's a new low even for you, San Diego. Congratulations.
[crowd booing]
You boo me because I look different.
Because I speak different.
And unlike The Iron Sheik
or other WWE Superstars
that have exposed America,
I am different.
I speak with intelligence,
I speak with class, and I speak the truth!
So once again, I will speak in Punjabi,
but this time, not about the national anthem.
I will tell you what the entire world is thinking about you.
[speaking Punjabi]
["Electrifying" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Yeah!
Yes.
Yes. Yes.
[Cole] Absolute pure electricity.
A true one of one.
[crowd roaring]
[Cole] There is no one on the planet
like The Rock.
[speaking indistinctly]
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
[crowd cheers]
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
[music fades]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
Oh, you are in trouble tonight.
[crowd cheering]
But before that, let The Rock make something perfectly clear to you.
You're right about one thing,
is you are not The Iron Sheik.
Rest in peace, Sheiky.
Because The Rock knows The Iron Sheik.
The Rock loved The Iron Sheik.
We all loved The Iron Sheik.
[crowd cheering]
And if The Iron Sheik were here right now,
this is what he would say.
Oh, Rock bubba,
who is this no good, dirty son of a bitch,
-Jabroni bastard? -[crowd cheering]
Of course you're here, Rock.
The man who magically appears
any time the WWE Universe is being insulted.
The People's Champion.
[crowd cheering]
The champion to all you jingoistic people.
[crowd booing]
That's a real word. You can look it up.
Like I said, The People's Champ,
if I were you, I'd be ashamed of myself.
I'd be disgusted with myself to represent these people.
[crowd booing]
Well, The Rock is not ashamed.
As a matter of fact, The Rock is damn proud
to be The People's Champion.
[crowd cheering]
And The Rock is damn proud to be an American.
[crowd cheers]
And The Rock is especially damn proud to say…
Finally…
[crowd and The Rock] The Rock has come back
to San Diego!
[crowd cheering]
You come out here and you run your mouth about the truth,
about the truth and why they boo you.
Let The Rock tell you some truth.
They don't boo you because of how you look.
They don't boo you because of how you talk.
They don't boo you because you speak Punjabi.
No, no, no.
They boo you because--
What? I'm sorry. What's that, Sheik?
Yeah, no. I'm going to get-- One second.
Going to get to it in a second. You took the words--
No, I'm going to tell him. Tell him right now.
They boo you because you're the biggest asshole
walking God's green Earth!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
There's that look.
There's that face, that angry face that you have all the time.
We're all familiar with the resting bitch face.
-[crowd laughs] -[Cole chuckles]
But what this is…
This is the raging asshole face.
[crowd cheering]
Why are you so angry? Angry all the time?
If The Rock had to guess why you're so angry,
it's probably because nobody likes you and you're not funny.
[crowd cheers]
As a matter of fact,
if you were one of The Rock's movies,
you would probably be Baywatch.
[crowd laughs]
Thankfully, thankfully, I've never seen Baywatch.
Well, nobody else did either.
Shut your mouth when The Rock is talking to you.
It doesn't matter. Here's the thing. Wait, I'm sorry.
You actually didn't see Baywatch?
I've never seen--
It doesn't matter if you didn't see Baywatch!
[crowd cheering]
The only thing that matters is you come out here
and you have the gall
to actually say America is a joke.
[crowd booing]
I said it. I said it!
Well, it ain't a joke to The Rock.
And it ain't a joke to all these people.
And it damn sure ain't a joke to every American watching home right now.
You know what else isn't a joke? That you--
[crowd chanting] USA! USA! USA!
[Jinder speaking imperceptibly]
Well, here's what else isn't a joke.
The fact that you could come down here, grab a microphone,
and run our country down free of consequence from our government.
It's called freedom of speech.
But here's the thing, Jack.
You can't ever come out here
in the people's ring, in front of the people,
with The People's Champ in the building,
run our country down
free of consequence from The Rock.
Enough! I'm The Modern-Day Maharaja!
Oh, The Rock-- The Rock-- The Rock knows.
You are The Modern-Day Maharaja.
Sure, absolutely.
But tonight, and from here on out,
you're not The Modern-Day Maharaja.
No, no, no.
You are the Day 1 douchebag.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Day 1 douchebag! Day 1 douchebag! Day 1 douchebag!
I'll tell you what.
You see, we work in sync.
They just gave The Rock an idea.
What's that?
So we're… So you call yourself the unifier?
That you're the only man to unify all these people?
The Rock, as The People's Champ is going to show you what unifying means.
Here's the thing. In about ten to 15 seconds,
here's what's going to happen.
This whole side of the arena
is going to chant "Day 1."
And this whole side of the arena is going to chant, "Douchebag."
Are you ready?
[crowd cheering]
He's not answering me. Are you ready?
[crowd cheers]
-Are you ready? -[crowd cheers]
Day 1.
Douchebag.
[crowd] Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
-Douchebag! -[speaking imperceptibly]
[crowd] Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Day 1!
Douchebag!
Oh, okay. Okay.
Okay, okay.
My God, that was fun.
[crowd cheering]
But we got one last gift for you.
It's a special gift
since you love our national anthem so much.
The Rock is going to sing you a little verse
from our national anthem.
And this is what we call
The People's Welcome.
And it goes like this.
♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪
♪ San Diego's aware ♪
♪ That you are jacked as hell ♪
♪ But your balls still aren't there ♪
[crowd laughs]
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
♪ You're an angry, toxic douchebag ♪
♪ Who clearly has no class ♪
♪ So you've left The Rock no choice ♪
♪ But to whoop your candy ass ♪
[Cole laughs]
Mahal, though, went right after The Rock!
-Jinder being disrespected out here. -[crowd booing]
And Mahal taking it to The People's Champion!
[Wade] Well, take it to The Rock before he takes it to you.
Smart move, Mahal.
[Cole] Jinder has no sense of humor. None. Zero.
-And here comes The Rock! -[crowd cheering]
The People's Champ unloading on Mahal!
Spinebuster!
Oh, here it comes!
Here it comes!
[crowd cheering]
The Most Electrifying Move
in All of Entertainment!
The People's Elbow!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
San Diego.
[crowd cheers]
I love you.
[crowd cheers]
Happy New Year.
[crowd cheers]
Oh, by the way, one more thing.
Tonight, after all this ass-kicking,
The Rock is going to go out in San Diego.
I'm a little hungry.
I'm going to go get something to eat.
When The Rock goes out to get something to eat tonight,
in San Diego,
should The Rock sit…
in a booth?
Or should The Rock sit…
at the bar?
[crowd cheers]
Yeah, The Rock loves the bar too.
Or… should The Rock
sit… at the head of the table?
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
I love you too, San Diego.
And that's what I thought.
[crowd and The Rock] If you smell…
what The Rock is cooking!
["Electrifying" playing]
[Cole] My hair is standing up on my arms!
I've got goose bumps!
An electrified appearance by The Rock tonight,
but what about the last statement
from The People's Champion?
[Wade] Paul Heyman,
call Roman Reigns!
[Cole] Well, The Rock has won a World Title
eight times in his career.
Tonight, Drew McIntyre looks to win a third.
No more excuses for The Scottish Warrior.
He needs to get it done
or he has no one to blame but himself.
The Visionary,
the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins,
who has not been pinned in a one-on-one match in a year,
takes on Drew McIntyre.
It is our main event tonight,
live on Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] Moments ago, we were promised a former WWE Champion,
and we got one. Jinder Mahal.
-[speaking Punjabi] -["Electrifying" playing]
[Cole in English] But he would be interrupted by…
The People's Champion.
[crowd cheering]
♪ So you've left The Rock no choice ♪
♪ But to whoop your candy ass ♪
[Cole] And Jinder Mahal would be…
Well, he… I guess he felt embarrassed and humiliated
and he went right after The Rock.
But The Brahma Bull, The People's Champion,
would turn things around,
and The Rock hasn't missed a step.
As the WWE Universe went wild here tonight in San Diego…
The spinebuster
followed by the iconic,
Most Electrifying Move in All of Entertainment.
The People's Elbow!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd and The Rock] If you smell
what The Rock is cooking!
[Cole] But it is what The Rock said
at the end of all that
that has stirred up the world.
Cole, The Rock said he wants to sit at the head of the table.
["Limb by Limb" playing]
[Cole] We regroup now
with an important match
in the Women's Tag Team Division.
["Cut Above the Rest" playing]
[bell ringing]
[Samantha] The following is a tag-team match scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first,
the team of Shayna Baszler
and Zoey Stark!
[Cole] We mentioned earlier tonight
that we have new Women's Tag Team Champions.
Katana Chance and Kayden Carter.
Well, the rematch is coming up
between Chelsea Green and Piper Niven in that group,
but other teams jockeying for position in the Tag Team Division.
[Wade] Yeah, exactly. That entire division has been turned on its head.
And all the women in the locker room smell opportunity.
They want to jockey, get themselves as high up the ladder as they can.
And then, pending the result of next week's Tag Team Championship match,
perhaps they'll be next in line.
["Blue Marvel" playing]
["New Foundation" playing]
[Samantha] And their opponents,
the team of Tegan Nox and Natalya!
[Cole] Wade, I've been impressed
with this team of Natalya and Tegan Nox
over the past couple of months that they've been together.
[Wade] Yeah, no doubt about that.
Natalya, of course, has already done it all ten times.
But the great thing about Natalya, she's a unicorn.
She's a veteran who is as hungry as a rookie.
And then, you've got the up-and-coming Tegan Nox,
someone who has wowed us in the past in NXT,
and she really had a breakout performance
against "The Man" Becky Lynch on Raw a couple of months ago.
I think the world has reawakened to just how good Tegan Nox is.
I'm expecting big things out of both these two teams.
[Cole] Zoey Stark will start things off against Natalya.
Nice deep arm drag by Natalya.
The team of Stark and Shayna Baszler works as well.
[Wade] Yeah, it does. Both really aggressive, both feisty.
And they bonded it a couple of months ago
after a match against each other,
realized how impressive each of them were as opponents,
and have perhaps decided to join forces
and launch an assault on the tag division.
[Cole] Tag made to Natalya.
Nox and Natalya, with frequent tags, in and out of the ring.
Again, Carter and Chance, the new Tag Team Champions.
They say they're going to be fighting champs. Baszler made the tag.
[Wade] Yeah, well, that has been their modus operandi since getting together.
-They will fight anyone. -[Cole] Cover. And kick-out by Natalya.
[Wade] You're going to have to.
There's a lot of women in this division who smell opportunity now.
[Cole] Baszler and Stark in control.
Can Natalya and Tegan Nox climb back into this match?
[Cole] And we are back live on Monday Night Raw. Tag-team action.
Tegan Nox and Natalya, against Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.
Tag made. Here comes the girl with the Shiniest Wizard, Tegan Nox.
[Wade] Yeah, needed that tag in a big way.
Tegan is completely fresh,
whereas Natalya took a heck of a beating from this duo.
Tegan looking like a dynamo in that ring now,
completely rejuvenating the hopes of her team.
[Cole] Yeah, running uppercut by Tegan Nox and she's fired up tonight.
Head-butt to Baszler.
And looking on, another team, on Monday Night Raw.
Candice LeRae, Indi Hartwell.
So many teams, as we mentioned earlier, jockeying for position.
[Wade] Yeah, everyone wants to get themselves in the mix.
-Only one way to do that. -[Cole] Oh!
[Wade] Score a victory right here.
Here's your chance, Tegan.
[Cole] And now, Nox going to head up to the top rope.
Baszler is in trouble.
Tegan Nox now. Wow!
Down goes Shayna Baszler.
Cover for the win.
Now the shoulders are down,
and Baszler has to kick at two.
[Wade] Yeah, nice move there from Tegan Nox.
Problem with the pin may have cost her.
It was a split-second away from victory.
[Cole] Now, Baszler able to tuck underneath, misses with a kick.
[commentators exclaim]
[Cole] Hear that echo through the arena.
And Natalya in to break things up
and save the match-up for their team.
[Wade] Yeah, Natalya thankfully had her wits about her,
but after that, it may be game over.
Baszler and Stark looking like they may have this one in the bag.
[Cole] And Zoey now is the legal woman.
Nice German suplex that time by Shayna Baszler.
Oh, and the Z-360!
-Cover now by Stark, for the win. -One, two, three.
-Stark and Baszler pick up the victory. -[bell ringing]
-["Cut Above the Rest" playing] -[Samantha] Here are your winners,
the team of Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark!
[Wade] Two of the most popular women in the locker room.
But that remorseless attitude in the ring is exactly what gets them victories.
And, you know, these two, Stark and Baszler,
are going to be watching next week's Tag Championship match very closely.
And perhaps earning themselves a future Tag Team Championship opportunity.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, coming up next,
it is our main event, for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Seth Rollins defending against Drew McIntyre.
The challenge laid out a couple of weeks ago.
Welcome to Monday Night Rollins!
[crowd vocalizing]
[Rollins] I am feeling more motivated than I ever have
to be the best World Champion
in this entire industry.
[McIntyre] I'm not here to fight, Seth.
I'm here to tell you…
I don't want your title.
I need your title.
I need that validation.
I have to know all these sacrifices were worth it.
Your wife is in the exact same position I am,
all the way across the world, chasing this dream,
doing whatever she can to make it happen.
Sacrificing that time with her family.
When a parent gets sick,
my mom, her dad,
and all we want to do is be by their side
and hold their hand and be there for them when they're going through it.
But they tell us, "Don't you dare come home."
"You keep chasing that dream
and you make it happen."
And that's exactly what we did.
But then suddenly, they're not here anymore.
I will do whatever it takes
to take that title from you at Day 1.
You say stuff like that,
I want to take it to heart.
I want to believe you.
But as of late, your actions and your words,
they haven't lined up.
Feels like everyone's lost their mind recently.
Hypocrites!
Jey Uso.
Liars.
Seth Rollins.
Cowards.
Sami Zayn.
Just plain idiots.
[Cole] Drew McIntyre coming after everyone who he believes has wronged him.
You brought this on yourself!
[yells]
[screaming]
Yeah, Drew, you'll do whatever it takes, right?
Except for the one thing
that you need to do to be a World Champion.
You need to take responsibility for your actions.
The only person
keeping Drew McIntyre from being a World Champion
is Drew McIntyre.
I'm looking you right in your eyes.
And, Drew, I don't hate you.
I pity you.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Cole] McIntyre went after Rollins,
and Seth fighting back now.
And now, Rollins takes out McIntyre!
And Rollins now in a fight.
[crowd gasping]
[yelling] Do I look like a man that needs your goddamn pity?
[crowd booing]
[echoing] Do I look like a man that needs your goddamn pity?
["Gallantry" playing]
[fireworks explode]
[Cole] For Drew McIntyre tonight,
it is put up or shut up time.
Drew McIntyre must get the job done
or he will have no one to blame but himself.
McIntyre knows what is on the line.
An opportunity for a third World Championship.
McIntyre, Rollins,
for the World Heavyweight Title,
live next in our main event on Raw.
[Cole] It's the WWE 2024 Preview Special,
Thursday night at 8:00 p.m., exclusively on Peacock.
We look ahead to the new year
with special guests Rhea Ripley,
now NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov,
Montez Ford and Bianca Belair.
A major announcement from Triple H
and a special appearance from CM Punk.
It's the WWE 2024 Preview Special
this Thursday at 8:00 p.m., exclusively on Peacock.
[Wade] Well, next week.
Raw comes from Portland, Oregon,
where the poisonous Shinsuke Nakamura
has accepted Cody Rhodes' challenge.
It'll be Rhodes versus Nakamura next week on Raw.
[Cole] Meanwhile, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter
with their first Tag Team Title defense.
It is a return match against Chelsea Green and Piper Niven
for the Women's Tag Team Titles in Portland next week.
[Wade] And as the Royal Rumble Match inches near,
the provocative, the iconoclast,
"The Best in the World" CM Punk returns to Raw.
It's always appointment viewing and it's next week,
Monday Night Raw. Do not miss it.
[Cole] In the ring, it is our main event, for the World Heavyweight Championship.
There's the challenger, the vicious Drew McIntyre,
who's been blaming everyone
for the reason he doesn't have a championship, including Sami Zayn.
Sami injuring himself last month in their match-up.
And this time,
Drew McIntyre showed no remorse.
[Wade] Then shortly, Sami Zayn left completely defenseless
-as McIntyre attacked relentlessly. -[Sami groaning]
[Wade] Ultimately scoring the win and then,
-continuing the attack after the match-up. -[people shouting]
[Wade] Leaving Sami Zayn on the shelf indefinitely.
[Cole] Now, Sami Zayn would return to action at the Holiday Tour last week,
but he was injured.
In this graphic footage, you can see he needed 15 staples
to close that wound in his head.
Drew McIntyre.
Kid had brought it on himself.
[Wade] McIntyre did apologize for that, to be clear.
["Visionary" playing]
[crowd vocalizing]
♪ Burn it down ♪
[crowd vocalizing]
♪ Burn it down ♪
[crowd cheering]
[bell ringing]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall
and it is for the World Heavyweight Championship!
Introducing the challenger,
from Ayr, Scotland,
weighing in at 275 lbs,
Drew McIntyre!
[crowd booing]
And his opponent, from Davenport, Iowa,
weighing in at 225 lbs,
he is the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins!
[crowd cheers]
[crowd vocalizing]
[Cole] 2023 was quite the year for Seth Rollins.
He won the inaugural World Heavyweight Championship
at the end of May,
and has held the title ever since.
The man has not been pinned in a one-on-one match-up
-since January 3rd of last year. -[bell ringing]
And Seth Rollins comes out of the box hot,
going right after Drew McIntyre.
[Wade] Yeah, after having beaten McIntyre to the punch there.
Because, you know, that was McIntyre's game plan too.
[Cole] And make no mistake about it, Wade.
This is a much different Drew McIntyre than the one
Seth Rollins defeated back in early November at Crown Jewel.
[Wade] Yeah, no doubt about that.
Clearly, the remorse issues that McIntyre showed at Crown Jewel
did ultimately cost him the match-up.
He will not be making the same mistake tonight.
[Cole] Seth Rollins coming off the steps
and taking out McIntyre.
The number-one trend in the United States,
for good reason tonight, Monday Night Raw.
This is our main event for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Drew McIntyre looking to win the elusive gold
from Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Uh-oh.
McIntyre now dragging Rollins off the apron.
Outside the ring, perhaps looking for an Alabama Slam.
Rollins trying to hang on.
[Wade] It's exactly what McIntyre pulled off a couple of weeks ago,
smashing Seth's arm.
Seth just about clinging onto the ring apron there
and getting out of it.
[Cole] Rollins now with a boot right to the face of McIntyre,
and now, the World Heavyweight Champion gonna fly, through the second rope.
McIntyre caught him, though.
-[Wade] Oh! -[Cole] Belly-to-belly throw.
[Cole] McIntyre has taken over.
Can he win the World Title here tonight, live on Raw?
[crowd exclaiming]
[Cole] It has turned into a chop fest
between the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins,
and the challenger tonight, Drew McIntyre,
in our main event on Monday Night Raw.
[Wade] Yeah, Seth got baited into that.
You simply cannot enter that kind of brawl with someone
as big and powerful as McIntyre.
That is not your game tonight, Seth.
[Cole] We noticed a lot during the commercial break
and here as well, the referee being very lenient.
Drew McIntyre is really taking, pushing the envelope
against the champion, Rollins.
[Wade] He knows he has to. He didn't do enough at Crown Jewel.
It cost him.
Tonight, very different story thus far.
[Cole] Remember, Rollins has champion's advantage.
McIntyre must pin or submit the champion in order to win the title.
Rollins has been a fighting champion since winning the gold back in May,
taking on every challenge.
He's never backed down from one.
[Wade] Seth Rollins has a lot on his mind outside of McIntyre right now,
including none other than CM Punk, who he's been verbally jousting.
[Cole] Oh! Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker!
Into the cover for the title, and a kick-out at two.
[Wade] Seth's reign continues.
Will it continue through to next week when CM Punk is in town?
That's the question.
Because McIntyre is inching closer and closer after moves like this,
attacking the previously injured back of Seth Rollins
that flares up occasionally.
[Cole] It'll be the story throughout the rest of Seth Rollins career.
A bad back.
Of course, it was, uh, really pointed out by Shinsuke Nakamura
during the fall of last year, and they're battling McIntyre now,
targeting it again tonight.
With Rollins up on his shoulders, second rope.
Seth Rollins, though, trying to put himself into position
for an offensive move, drops down to his feet.
McIntyre trying to hang on.
Rollins now with McIntyre up high, but not enough.
Back gave out.
And now, McIntyre with Rollins up.
Rollins sends him down.
[Wade] McIntyre wasted no time to pounce,
but he discredited the bounce-back ability of the champ, Seth Rollins.
-[thuds] -[Wade groans]
[Wade] Shoulder-first into the steel post
and that is a game-changer.
[Cole] Yeah, Rollins sidestepping the challenger.
[Wade] If, of course, Seth Rollins is in any position to capitalize on that,
as he winces, holding his lower back in the ring.
[Cole] Rollins back to his feet.
McIntyre as well.
Seth Rollins going to launch himself up over the top rope
-and takes down McIntyre! -[crowd gasps]
And again, the champion putting his body in harm's way
to try to hang on to the title.
[Wade] Just about clinging on to this match-up at times, Seth Rollins,
but perhaps putting himself back in pole position.
Really is all or nothing for McIntyre tonight
Where he goes from here if he's not victorious, I dread to think.
[McIntyre grunts]
[Cole] Rollins blocked by McIntyre.
McIntyre now trying to power the champion up.
Well-placed knee by Rollins.
And McIntyre now… Oh!
Great counter by Seth, that DDT.
McIntyre is in trouble.
[Wade] Seth looking to put this one to bed while he still can.
[Cole] Frog Splash!
-Cover to retain the World Title! -[crowd] One, two…
[Cole] McIntyre kicks at two.
[Wade] McIntyre has been living in a world of dystopian injustice
for the past few months.
This is his chance to pull himself back into the sunlight.
But with moves like this from Seth Rollins,
that becomes less and less likely.
[Cole] Let's be clear,
the dystopian injustice is in McIntyre's mind.
[Wade] That's debatable. It truly is.
McIntyre never got the opportunities
that should have been afforded to him, thanks to the--
[Cole] Okay, he's got an opportunity tonight,
so he's got to cash in on it.
And now, up over the top. Rollins lands on his feet.
Bad back as well. Sidestepped by Seth again.
McIntyre catches him with a right hand.
[Wade] Just ridiculous athleticism
from the 280-lb Scotsman.
[Cole] And now, Rollins.
Up to the top rope. Quick as a cat.
-The superplex! -[crowd exclaims]
[Cole] Roll-through by Rollins. Can he do it?
No! Oh!
McIntyre!
-For the win, and the championship! -[crowd] One, two…
[Cole] And Rollins kicks out.
World Heavyweight Title continues.
[Cole] Both of these men leaving it all out there
for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Rollins, the champion, McIntyre, the challenger.
Now, McIntyre lifting Rollins up.
What's going to happen here?
Oh, no! From the second rope!
-White Noise by McIntyre. -[crowd exclaiming]
Cover now on Rollins. Hook of the leg.
And a kick-out. Taking a page out of Sheamus' playbook.
White Noise from the second rope almost won him the title.
[Wade] Yeah, McIntyre's tasted that enough times from big Sheamo,
knows how effective it is.
Almost grabbed him the gold tonight.
[Cole] Look at this.
[Wade] High landing on Seth Rollins,
once again, nailing that spine
that has taken so much abuse.
And the frustration on that kick-out
written all over the face of The Scottish Warrior.
[Cole] And again, McIntyre showing no remorse tonight.
He has not once questioned his attack on the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Wade] McIntyre is looking for validation.
He's got family members who passed away
while he was 3,000 miles away over the Atlantic,
chasing a dream.
Victory tonight proves that was not in vain.
[Cole] Well, Seth Rollins, as he mentioned as well,
has been through the same trials and tribulations.
As has anyone that has been a part of WWE
for as many years as these two men.
Rollins now, going for the Stomp.
Nobody home. McIntyre ducks underneath.
McIntyre, Future Shock DDT.
[Wade] So much taken out of McIntyre, though.
-Whoa! -[Cole] Kip-up by McIntyre.
And now the angry Scottish Warrior is in the zone.
And I promise you, anybody else,
McIntyre would have gone for a cover
on that move right there.
He knows Seth Rollins needs an extra little bit of sauce on there,
and it's coming now.
[crowd] Three, two, one!
[Cole] Rollins going to Claymore Country? No!
Sit-out powerbomb for the win!
McIntyre at two!
[Wade] These two must be running on fumes at this point.
[Cole] McIntyre was going for the Claymore
to put Rollins away.
[Wade] Bouncing back after a Future Shock DDT
and almost grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat.
But still, this match-up hangs in the balance.
[Cole] And an incredible World Championship reign
for "The Visionary" Seth Rollins.
He does not want it to end tonight
on the first day of the year 2024 at Raw's Day 1.
[Wade] Taking a big swing here, though.
[Cole] Top rope. McIntyre went for the corkscrew
and he rolls through.
Went for the Claymore! Nobody home!
Rollins, kick to the face!
Pedigree!
-Cover by the champion! -[crowd] One, two!
-McIntyre kicked out. -[crowd exclaims]
[Wade] What a sequence.
Just counter for counter.
Two guys at the absolute top of their game.
[Cole] Critical moment in the match-up.
[Wade] Both guys looking like they need to be scraped off the mat.
[Cole] McIntyre hit the Future Shock.
Rollins hit a Pedigree.
And the match--
["Punishment" playing]
[Cole] Oh, no.
Not tonight! Not on Day 1!
Mr. Money In The Bank, contract in the briefcase
to cash in whenever he wants
for a World Championship opportunity!
And with Dominik Mysterio in tow,
Señor Money In The Bank, Damian Priest.
Maybe use it tonight.
-And Priest with the briefcase! -[crowd exclaiming]
[Cole] Off the face of the champion!
Is Priest gonna cash in?
[Wade] Rollins is out cold, Cole.
-[Cole] Here at Day 1! -I'm cashing it in!
-[Cole] Claymore by McIntyre! -[crowd exclaims]
[Cole] And Dominik!
[Wade] McIntyre will not be denied tonight!
[Cole] And now McIntyre, with Rollins in trouble! Claymore! Claymore!
-McIntyre, to win the World Championship! -[crowd] One, two, three!
[crowd gasping]
-[Cole] Wait a minute! -[Wade] Whoa!
[Cole] Rollins got his foot on the bottom rope!
[Wade] Rollins knew absolutely nothing about that!
McIntyre cannot believe it!
He thwarted the attempted cash-in by Priest.
He took advantage of the briefcase to the face.
He hit a Claymore
and Rollins with the wherewithal
to somehow get his foot on the bottom rope.
[Wade] I think that was Drew's mistake.
I think he over-rolled him. Seth is out.
[Cole] You're right, I believe, Wade.
[Wade] It's still there for the taking, though, Drew.
[Cole] McIntyre has completely lost it.
[Wade] Seth Rollins is there for the taking!
[Cole] And McIntyre going to continue to inflict more damage
on Rollins, perched on our announce desk.
Chaos and mayhem… here tonight.
Rollins, though.
Kick to the midsection.
Pedigree on the table!
[Wade] And the table had no give whatsoever.
McIntyre's skull bouncing off it.
[Cole] And now, Rollins, with McIntyre stunned,
middle of the ring.
The World Heavyweight Champion
with a Stomp to The Scottish Warrior!
-Rollins crawls to the cover. -[crowd] One, two, three.
[Cole] Seth Rollins retains the championship!
["Visionary" playing]
[Samantha] Here is your winner,
and still
the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins!
[Cole] No cash-in for Mr. Money In The Bank.
Drew McIntyre almost had it here with a Claymore,
but, Wade, to your point…
[Wade] I don't know if Seth Rollins had anything to do
with that boot on the rope.
McIntyre just took his eye off the ball. It's that simple.
Drew McIntyre cost himself there.
[Cole] Seth Rollins kicks off the new year
and heads into Rumble season as the World Champion.
[crowd vocalizing]
[Cole] More disappointment for Drew McIntyre.
Thank you for joining us