WWE Monday Night Raw 2/5/2024

WWE Monday Night Raw 2/5/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/wwe-monday-night-raw-1292024.html 

Seth Rollins comes out. Pat McAfee said everyone was talking about the WWE this weekend and it's a beautiful time to be here. Seth said he smells what's cooking, spurring a reaction and chant. He said he knows they want Cody and said he wants him too which gets boos. Seth then calls out Cody Rhodes.

He asks what we want to talk about and the crowd chants "Rocky Sucks". Seth acknowledges it, saying he didn't think he'd hear that one. We then get a "We Want Cody" chant and another "Rocky Sucks" chant. Seth said we need answers and said he needs to know if he's the best. He said he can only know that if he tests himself against the best and that's Cody. Seth asks if he will fight him at Mania.

Drew McIntyre comes out. He said he speaks on behalf of everyone and says, "what the hell?". Drew said Seth is the only person who hates Punk as much as him. Drew said he took Punk out and said him and Seth were supposed to talk about their mania match tonight. Drew then showed his shirt mocking CM Punk's failed Mania main event. Drew tells Cody not to listen to him and says he has to finish the story in a mocking voice. Drew tells him it has been going on for 2 years and he earned this moment. He said don't let everyone down and said don't let your dad down.

Seth said Drew doesn't have to be a prick and asks why Drew thinks he is getting a shot if Cody picks Roman. He said he beat Drew twice. Drew said there were outside reasons he lost and said didn't Seth lose to Cody 3 times? Drew said Seth has the true workhorse championship. He said nobody wants to fight for Roman's title as his family will interfere every time. He said Seth's title is a case of may the best man win.

Drew said if Seth was a real workhorse, he would have been shot after the first injury. He said Seth did a good job taking the title this far and it's time for Drew to take it from there. Drew headbutts Seth down and Cody gets some shots on Drew. The crowd doesn't care and we get no clarity on what Cody is doing. Drew was really good here, basically saying everything various people on the IWC said about the Cody/Roman situation.

#1 Contenders Qualifier Match - DIY vs Imperium vs New Day vs The Creed Brothers

Ciampa side headlocks Woods then shoulders him over. Woods dropkicks him and Kofi springboard crossbodies Ciampa. Kofi top rope double stomps Ciampa's arm. Ciamp face kicks Kofi then Kofi dropkicks him. Kaiser throws Kofi's shoulder into the post then Kofi takes a double baseball slide.

We go to break and return. Ciampa stomps on Kofi's back then Kofi does a springboard dropkick on Kaiser. Woods lariats Vinci then he jumping sidekicks him. Woods spinning forearms Ciampa. Woods does an honor roll lariat then superkicks him. JG slingshot spears Woods. JG then hits a sliced bread on Brutus with the help of Ciampa. DIY stereo plancha The Creed's outside. Kofi double dropkicks DIY.

Kofi is double teamed by Imperium outside then JG topes Imperium. Julius run up the buckles swantons outside. Woods and Ciampa fight on the 2nd buckle and Ciampa 2nd rope air raid crashes him on people outside. We go to breka and return. Brutus is back body dropped off the 2nd rope by Vinci onto opponents.

Vinci chops Ciampa up top then we get a tower of doom spot on Ciampa. Burtus top rope moonsaults Kaiser for 2. Brutus and Vinci lariat each other then Vinci hits a hard crossbody. Julius flying knees Vinci then JG step up enzugiri's him.

Woods fireman's carry gutbusters Kaiser then Ciampa pumping knees Woods. Brutus pounces Ciampa then Vinci springboard crossbodies Brutus. Brutus ankle locks Vinci and Julius hits belly to belly suplexes. Julius hits a double northern lights suplex and everyone breaks the ankle lock up.

Kofi crossbodies Kaiser over the top and Vinci double axe handles Kofi off the apron. Brutus hits a top rope brutus ball to the outside then hits a doomsday brutus ball on Vinci. JG hits knees then Ciampa takes a meat in the middle and is pinned.

It was a fun spotfest four way. Lots of highlights here, not so much selling or story. Brutus hit a brutus ball off the top, we had a top rope air raid crash and some dives.

Shayna Baszler puts on a gi in the back. She said she destroyed everyone the last time she was in an Elimination Chamber. She said she gets Becky Lynch tonight and can tear her apart limb by limb. Becky said she needs to beat Shayna as her future is on the line tonight.

Elimination Chamber Qualifier - Becky Lynch vs Shayna Baszler

SB takes her down and they trade holds. Zoey Stark is seen watching in the back. SB armdrags her then pumping knees her. SB is sent out and Becky baseball slides her. Becky is caught off the apron then SB high kicks her. SB puts her hand in the steps and kicks it.

We go to break and return. Becky spin kicks her low then flying shoulders her. SB germans her then sliding knees her for 2. Becky sleepers SB then SB throws her over. Becky top rope dropkicks her then fujiwara armbars her. Becky high kicks her from the apron then SB throws her down. SB running knees her for 2. Liv Morgan is seen watching in the back.  

Becky slices her for 2. SB rolls her up into an anklelock. Becky's arm is pulled down over the top. Becky 2nd rope superplexes her then puts her in an armbar. They slap each other. Becky evades some moves then uranage's her for the win.

It wasn't anything too special and they kind of lost some of the momentum with all of the various counters at the end.

Liv Morgan is interviewed after. She said she thinks Zoey is incredible but said none of the girls have anything to do with her business. She said she had a year taken away from her and said next week is about her revenge. She said her revenge is about Rhea Ripley and says to watch her.

We get clips of Nakamura doing a red mist on Cody at a house show this weekend in the back.

Adam Pearce and Drew McIntyre talk in the back. Adam said Drew doesn't seem to understand that Punk wasn't medically cleared. He said he's fined for attacking him and says he will double fine him for wearing the shirt with CM Punk's name on a tombstone. Rhea Ripley heads out and Drew tells him to go take care of that.

Rhea Ripley does a promo in the ring. She said Becky qualified for the Chamber but she's not here to talk about that. She said she wants Nia Jax in the ring so she can rip her head off. Adam Pearce comes out. He says this is not the time for this.

Pearce said he made a match between Rhea and Nia for the title at Elimination Chamber. Nia head to the ring and shoves Adam to the side. They trade shots and Adam is knocked off the apron. Adam calls for security as Rhea pounds on Nia. Security separates them then splashes Rhea and security. She nails security guards then banzai drops Rhea. She then slaps her. This was a good angle and it's been a good build to their match.

Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri vs Ivar and Valhallah

Maxxine and Ivar get hit to start. Tozawa tears his shirt off and topes Ivar. Maxxine tries to go up and over in the corner but botches it then step up enzugiri's Val. Max handspring backflip elbows Val and barely hits it then Tozawa is caught by Ivar off the top. Max top rope crossbodies both. Val lariats Max then Max lariats her on the floor.

Ivar spinning heel kicks Tozawa. Max distracts Ivar on the buckles and takes a pop-up headbutt. Ivar 2nd rope world's strongest slams Tozawa and wins it.

It was a short one here and they kept it moving. Max messed up almost everything she tried.

Judgment Day talk in the back. They said they don't care who they fight for the tag titles. Dom said they need to give Rhea some space. They say Rhea will keep her division on lock. R-Truth then comes in. JD says Truth is lucky he has a match right now or he'd wipe the floor on him. Truth tells him he needs to wipe off the window seals and pull his weight. Truth said he knows last week was an initiation. Finn yells at him and says he's out. Priest goes to yell at him, tells him to make himself at off and leaves. Truth then sees Judgment Day shirts with his name on them and says they need to hustle the shirts off. He then makes a face like he has an idea. I'm glad this isn't the end of Truth and Judgment Day, but I don't know where they go from here with this one after last week.

The Miz is interviewed backstage. He said Truth still thinks he is in Judgment Day. He said he doesn't know if that makes him crazy or a genius. He said Truth walks a crazy line between crazy and genius and that's why they love him. Miz said Truth getting beaten up last week was a declaration of war. He said Judgment Day don't know what's coming for them.

JD McDonagh vs The Miz

 

JD nails Miz and stomps him. JD back elbows him. JD gets caught then is catapulted into the buckle. Miz lariats him. Miz back body drops JD then lariats JD over the top. JD is thrown into the rails then Miz suplexes him on the floor. JD's head is banged off the commentary table. Dom grabs Miz's leg then Miz is knocked off the apron onto the commentary table.

Miz boots him out of the corner. JD hits a uranage and standing moonsault for 2. JD gets on the 2nd rope then R-Truth comes out. Truth hands out Judgment Day shirts. JD gets distracted and takes a double boot off the moonsault.

Miz hits shots on JD then Miz hits chest kicks. Miz flying corner lariats JD then springboard crossbodies JD for 2. JD is thrown out then Miz dropkicks Dom through the ropes. Miz hurricanrana's JD onto the floor. Truth puts a shirt on Dom, tying up his arms. Miz face kicks Dom. JD top rope moonsaults Miz for 2. Truth gets on the apron to hand JD money from the shirts. JD takes it then Miz hits a skull crushing finale. The money goes flying and Miz wins.

I didn't like this as Truth screwed up again nearly the same way he did last week. The match was fine though otherwise.

Truth celebrates with Miz after, and I have no idea what to make of this one.

Kaiser and Vinci talk to Adam Pearce in the back. Kaiser asks if everything is prepared for Gunther's celebration for 600 days as champ tonight. Kaiser said this is important and it has to be perfect. Adam says it will be as they discussed. Bron Breakker then comes in. Adam asks if they met him then Imperium leave. Adam says he will beat whatever Nick Aldis promises him in order to sign the contract. 

We see video of CM Punk getting surgery.

 

We have a celebration for 600 days of Gunther as Intercontinental Champ. Gunther said he doesn't want any more celebrations going forward. He said 700, 800, 1000 days is a given as he will stay champ. He said he is running out of competition and said no one is worthy of challenging him.

Jey Uso's music hits and he comes out. Gunther said he eliminated him from The Royal Rumble and said this is not the way to have a word with him. He said he senses some disrespect. Jey said he put in his dues. Gunther said Jey held the record for the longest tag champ of all time but only had to put in 50% of the work for it. He said he doesn't get how they see eye to eye as he did all the work on his own in singles competition. Jey said Gunther is about to get 100% of this work then. Jey tells the crowd to say yeet if they want him to be the new IC champ. Gunther said he finally developed the guts to achieve something for himself after 15 years in the shadow of his family. Gunther says he's not the first or the last to ride his coat tails. He said he will beat him worse than his own family did. He said he will wish for the good ole day when people couldn't tell him and his brother apart. Gunther calls him uce, shoulders him then Jey spears him. Jey is 3v1'd then The New Day come out to make the save. Woods says he wants a 3v3.

Shinsuke Nakamura does a promo. He said it's fine if Cody wants to fight him so badly. He said Cody chose the bull rope match because it gave him an advantage. Nakamura said it will bring embarrassment to his family name. He said he sees people saying "we want Cody". Nakamura says "I want Cody". 

Women's Tag Titles - The Kabuki Warriors vs Kayden Carter and Katana Chance

The Warriors winning the tag titles really makes no sense since Damage Ctrl is half-split up now, and them holding all the titles means nothing.

Chance hits forearms on Asuka. Asuka shoulders her over and we see a bunch of girls watching this in the back. Chance slaps her then Asuka hits Kawada kicks. Asuka throws her back. Chance slides through her legs and bridges out of a high kick. Chance spin kicks her in the gut. Asuka gets stuck on the 2nd rope and is pulled out.

Asuka is thrown into Sane outside then Chance is popped up into a crossbody on The Warriors. We go to break and return. Carter takes a kick combo that ends in a bulldog and basement dropkick. Asuka misses a corner charge and tags out. Sane comes off the top and mostly misses a move. Carter kicks her. Chance gets in and sliding facebusters Sane. Chance dropkicks her then hits corner stomps.

Chance knees her over the 2nd rope and 2nd rope double stomps her for 2. Chance takes a headhunter from Sane then a sliding kick + forearm for 2. Chance gets a 2 count on Asuka and hits her in the gut. Asuka is on the 2nd rope and Chance is popped up into a double knee drop on her. Asuka takes a neckbreaker + 450 afterparty for 2. The faces for the keg stand and Sane interrupts it.

Carter goes into the steps then Asuka buzzsaw kicks Chance. Chance takes a top rope elbow + reverse ddt. Sane gets the win.

Not real sure what the point was of having Carter and Chance lose again, especially them losing clean. There were some highlights but also some sloppy moments here. Chance almost ended up on her head on the interrupted keg stand. 

We see Jackie Redmond interview Sami Zayn earlier in the day. He said he had a good year and got to fight Roman, but lost. He said he learned to let that not eat him up. He said Triple H pulled him aside after and said he has nothing to be done about. He said Triple H called him Rocky. Sami said Rocky doesn't beat the champ in Rocky 1, but makes a name for himself.

He said he is not an underdog anymore and is a contender now. He said he will be a champion. He said it's about proving to people in the seats that it wasn't for nothing. He said he wants to prove them right. 

Bullrope Match - Cody Rhodes vs Shinsuke Nakamura

I really don't get why we need this one. Cody already won the blowoff match a month ago and the feud was over. They said they are using the same bullrope from Dusty vs Superstar Graham in 1977.

Cody puts the bullrope on. SN throws it at him and attacks with knees. They trade forearms and Cody knees him in the gut. SN slides out. He goes over the rail but is pulled into it. Cody then rakes SN's face. We go to break and return.

SN is pulled into the post via bullrope. SN stops a disaster kick. SN hits kicks then does his foot shake thing in the corner. SN knee drops his neck then hits him with the rope. SN knees him while he's on the top rope. SN enzugiri's him then Cody dropkicks him in the knee.

Cody figure fours him and we go to another break. We return and Cody hits a flying forearm. Cody powerslams him then hits a disaster kick for 2. Cody takes a sliding german off the 2nd rope. Cody hits a Cody cutter. They trade shots and Cody hits the bionic elbow. SN back kicks him and slaps him with the rope off of it. Cody takes a reverse slam.

Cody pedigrees him for 2. Cody rings the cowbell on the bull rope then SN red mists him. Cody hits cross rhodes despite being "blinded" for 2. SN hits him with the bull rope then Cody pulls the rope up into SN's crotch. Cody hits a cross rhodes and wins it.

It was okay but nothing real memorable. They didn't do anything too wild here and like usual, the red mist meant nothing. SN does another job, killing off whatever heat he head left and Rhodes won as expected.

Drew McIntyre nails Cody from behind then hits mounted punches. Drew hits a claymore kick and stands over him.

Overall thoughts:  The four way tag was the best thing on the show and the main was okay, but not great. I thought Drew was good here and I liked the Rhea/Nia brawl. I thought they could have done better with the Truth/Judgement Day stuff and I thought they could have came up with a better idea for the main than reviving the dead Nakamura/Cody feud. Like many others, all I really wanted here was to know what Cody was doing at Mania. We found out nothing in regards to that and were told to watch the press conference on Thursday to hopefully find out more, which was disappointing. And for that reason, I don't recommend this one.