WWE Monday Night Raw 1/18/2021

WWE Monday Night Raw 1/18/2021

Last week's show with pics and gifs is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2021/01/wwe-monday-night-raw-1112021.html

 

We got a promo with Orton wearing a face mask and having burnt skin. Orton said he couldn't sleep due to the burns and said he didn't blame Bliss, but blamed the Fiend. He wasn't happy that he spared Bliss but ended up getting burnt. Orton said The Fiend did this to stop him from winning the Rumble and said the locker room was probably very happy about this. Orton said he enjoyed the pain and it fuels him. Orton when said he would win the Rumble and go onto Mania, then blew out a match.

The idea wasn't bad. But Orton should have been at home recovering and they shouldn't have had videos playing behind him at the exact right moments because it doesn't make sense.

They announced The Dirt Sheet with Miz, Morrison and Goldberg and Asuka vs Alexa Bliss.

We saw Ric Flair and Lacey Evans arriving. The interviewer wanted more info. Lacey wasn't interested and told her to watch her mouth. Lacey said Flair is the dirtiest player in the game and last week, he lived up to his name. Lacey said she was learning from the greatest man who has ever stepped in the ring.

Peyton Royce vs Charlotte Flair

Peyton Royce jumps Charlotte during her entrance and we go to break. They rolled outside where Charlotte hit some chops. Charlotte missed a chop and hit the post then had her head driven into the post. They go back in and Royce keeps control. Flair hit a nice forearm and as Royce was on the middle rope, she neckbreakered her down. Ric Flair then came down with Lacey Evans, who was in a Ric Flair robe. Royce then spin kicked Charlotte and got a 2 count as we go to break.

Back from break and Royce hits a sidekick. Royce gets like flatlinered into the top turnbuckle and then is face kicked off the arpon. Flair tried to hang Royce's leg on the rope but it kept slipping and Royce kept it there. Royce came back with forearms and kicks for 2.

Flair chopblocks Royce and then puts her into the Figure 8 for the win. This was sloppy and the leg on the ropes spot was awkward. Flair leaves the submission on after the bell.

The Hurt Business arrives in the back and runs into Riddle. Riddle said they dressed nice though they were backhanded comments kind of. Lashley said he liked Riddle's flipflops but said they were bad for his feet. Riddle didn't know why, then he stepped on his feet. Riddle said Bobby would see these feet later as they would go "right up your @ss".

LHP asked Riddle if he would be ok. Riddle said his foot was run over by his cousin in high school and he still made it to prom.

Ali said he wants to break Kofi's heart and spirit, along with Kofi's jaw that is broken. He said he will do it by breaking Woods today. He said he hopes Kofi misses Elimination Chamber and Wrestlemania.

Xavier Woods vs Mace with Retribution

Woods was playing his trombone. Woods nails Ali to start and Retribution holds Ali back for...reasons. We go to break and return. Woods get chokeslammed for 2 and fishhooks Woods. Woods comes back with some elbows to the back of the head and does a headspring into a Mace throat grab. Woods ends up baseball sliding Ali while he was under Mace and Retribution starts to surround the ring. Mace hits a jumping side kick and does some odd botched slam to win. There was nothing interesting going on here.

Asuka gets interviewed in the back. She said she didn't know what to expect concerning getting invited to Alexa Bliss' playground. 

Triple H and Stephanie were dressed up as news anchors with a Wrestlemania Report. They introduced Roman Reigns as Sunny McCloud. He wasn't interested in and they announced Wrestlemania at Raymond James Stadium. They had Sasha Banks as Hailey Mary announcing Mania at JerryWorld in 2022. The Hugh Kantseeme, which was John Cena said Wrestlemania 2023 would be in Los Angeles.

Alexa's Playground with Asuka

Asuka tried to sit on the swingset but was told it's not her seat. Bliss asked if Asuka was okay, but she said she didn't mean here, alluding to an invisible Fiend, maybe? Bliss said she had big news and was declaring for the Rumble. Asuka said good luck. Bliss said if she wins the Rumble, she may face Asuka at Wrestlemania. Asuka said she was a big fan of hers. Shen then said "Yowie Wowie" and Bliss apologized to an invisible Fiend. Asuka then asked for her music to be hit and started dancing, then Bliss told her to stop it.

Bliss kept talking to an invisible Fiend and Asuka said it will be okay. Asuka said something about the Fiend and Bliss said not to say his name. The rocking horse in the ring then started rocking and Asuka left in fear. Then Bliss rode on the horse in a weird and unbelieveable segment.

She said she wanted to address the "viper in the room". Alexa said last week she was just coming out to talk to Randy but things got "heated". She said Orton should let her know if he needed sunblock suggestions. 

John Morrison and the Miz were interviewed in the back. The announcer wanted to know what was happening on The Dirt Sheet tonight. They said no spoilers and said what they have in store for Goldberg means controversy, and that means cash.

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler did a promo in the back.  Shayna said she made Rose tap out and threw her out. She said she would do the same thing tonight and would do the same thing to the women at the Rumble, including Nia Jax. Nia didn't like that and said then she won't be able to carry Shayna.

Jeff Jarrett did a promo. He said he picked Goldberg to win against Drew at the Rumble.

Mandy Rose with Dana Brooke vs Shayna Baszler with Nia Jax

Shayna hits a big knee early and cranks Rose's neck. Bazler kicks Rose in the back hard and goes back to the neck. Shayna puts Rose's arm around Rose's neck and stomps on it. Shayna argues with Dana and gets rolled up for 2. Rose hits some lariats and a flapjack and beats up on Shayna in the corner. Shayna grabs Mandy's arm and brings her down then taps her out with the choke. This was below average.

Nia and Shayna argued after and Dana dropkicked Nia into Shayna.

Shayna and Nia were interviewed in the back. they said they never get along and said the current Raw tag champs don't get along either. They said they should get a rematch for the tag titles since Charlotte is having issues with Ric Flair.

Charlotte was interviewed in the back. She was asked about how uncomfortable it was to Evans in Ric's robe. Flair said Evans was living off her last name and said Ric was being used by Evans. Charlotte said she had been playing clean all her life and maybe needs to change that. She said Lacey can wear her robe but not her crown.

They showed the contract signing from SD with Pearce and Reigns, which I reviewed with pics and gifs.

Adam Pearce talked to Richochet in the back. Pearce said a win against AJ could go a long way to getting Ricochet in the Rumble. They didn't bring up how others can just declare. AJ and Omos then jumped in. AJ said who would take advice from Pearce since he ran from Roman? AJ said Ricochet would lose tonight but atleast he would have his dignity. Ric said AJ has selective amnesia and forgot about TLC when he was embarassed. Ric said AJ would need more than Omos to keep him out of the Rumble.

Ricochet vs AJ Styles

AJ slaps on a headlock early. Ricochet does a japanese armdrag. Ricochet hits some headscissors and does a backflip into headscissors. Ric then sends him out with a dropkick. Ric then does a baseball slide headscissors on the outside.

Ric dives to the outside and gets caught by Omos who just drops him. Back from break and AJ hits a backbreaker on Ric. Ric flips out of a suplex and wraps around AJ into a DDT. Ric fires on AJ and hits a big lariat for 2. Ric then does his backflip into a german on AJ for 2.

Ric does an asai moonsault into an AJ forearm then AJ suplexes him. AJ then neckbreakers Ric over the knee. Aj springboards and gets caught with a single leg codebreaker. Ric goes up top and AJ runs into him, bouncing Ric off the top. AJ BOUNCES Ric off the top rope into a Styles Clash in a really cool finish to what was a good match. Not much story but the action was good and they didn't too much or have selling issues.

The Dirt Sheet with Miz, John Morrison and Goldberg

They said this would be the biggest edition of the Dirty Sheet and would be extra dirty. They introduced Goldberg and Gillberg came out. Gillberg was asked how he would prepare for this and he said he would bang his head off the wall and blow fire out his @ss. A fake and fat Drew McIntyre then came out. Fake Drew said he was there to meet Goldberg(Gillberg). Fake Drew said he would kick his butt back to 1998 and then go home and eat hagis. They cut and Fake Drew asked if they wanted to do this again.

They started arguing then Gillberg stuck his tongue out at them. Miz and Morrison said both men would lose and that Miz would cash in his MITB contract.

Lucha House Party and Matt Riddle vs The Hurt Business with MVP

Cedric hits a dropkick on Metallik and stares down his partners which concerns MVP. This is related to last week where they were fighting amongst themselves. Dorado does a hurricanrana to Cedric from the 2nd rope. Cednric asks for a tag and his partners aren't interested, then Dorado does an asai moonsault onto him.

Shelton throws Dorado hard into the corner and Dorado takes a double shoulder. Cedric tags himself in, then he argues with Shelton. Dorado handsprings into the ropes and comes back with an ace crusher on Cedric. Shelton pushes Cedric out of the ring and MVP grabs Cedric by the neck as we go to break.

Back from break and Lashley slams Dorado. Shelton throws Dorado and suplexes him. Dorado finally comes back with a crossbody from the top.

Riddle comes in and gets control. He high kicks Shelton, then misses a corkscrew moonsault from the top. Metallik comes in and runs the buckles into a hurricanrana on Shelton. He does something from the wheelbarrow position but gets slammed down. Cedric hits Metallik with a twisting suplex and Cedric argues with Shelton. Lashley then spears Metallik and taps him out with the full nelson to win. Cedric and Shelton keep arguing and Riddle sneaks in and high kicks Lashley in the head. I felt like we missed a lot of this during the commercial and most of this was to push the Hurt Business breakup angle.

Elias talked to Ryker in the back. He said he didn't mean it when he said don't get involved. Ryker said he was sorry and they got their signals crossed. Elias said this isn't Thomas The Tank Engine. Elias asked what Ryker's mission was tonight and Ryker said it was to beat Hardy until he accepts the universal truth of Elias.

Drew said he was feeling stronger than ever and said WWE gives you a little bit of everything like the circus. He said like the clowns of Miz and Morrison and lions like Drew. He said sometimes the lions eat the clowns. Drew said he respects Goldberg, but it doesn't outweight him wanting to keep the WWE title.

Jeff Hardy vs Jaxson Ryker with Elias

Ryker runs into the corner and him and Hardy get some shots on each other. Hardy bridges himself on the top turnbuckle and headscissors Ryker. Ryker does a running double axe handle to Hardy's chest then jumps on top of him and punches him. Ryker backdrops Hardy then headlocks him.

Hardy hits a twist of fate neckbreaker and gets crotched on the top rope by Elias. This got Ryker DQ'd then Ryker hit a sideslam on Hardy.

Asuka vs Alexa Bliss

 

Asuka hits a running shoulderblock early and dances. Bliss trips her and hits la magistral. Asuka slap flurries Bliss then hits a uraken. She then diving knees her. Asuka does a chicken wing to Bliss. We go to break soon after.

Back from break and Alyssa has changed clothes and is staring down Asuka. Bliss ducks some shots, gets kicked in the gut then shoulders Asuka. Bliss does Wyatt's upside down pose from the corner adn tries to put the mandible claw on Asuka. Bliss hits her with a forearm.

She then puts her hand under Asuka's chin and Asuka hits a uraken and a high kick. Bliss then does Wyatt's Sister Abigail and wins it in a bizarre match. Bliss looks at the camera, does the Fiend's bit with the quick camera cut, then changes clothes. Then The Fiend's voice says "let me in" and she mouths it.

Overall thoughts: Not a good Raw. The Bliss segment sucked. The Pearce/Ricochet segment sucked. The Flair's angle sucked.The Orton segment could have been okay, but they blew it with the tv monitors. And the Miz/Morrison segment sucked. The only highlight was AJ/Ricochet.