Raw

Raw: January 20th, 2024

Cody Rhodes vs Sam Rigleer! Who is Ronda Rousey's surprise mystery opponent? and a raw Superstar returns on a newsworthy episode!

#Raw

WRESTLEMANIA BACKLASH IS ONE WEEK FROM SUNDAY!

🔴 Cody Rhodes puts his WWE Title opportunity on the line: 12min*

Raw opens to The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes making his grand entrance! He addresses the WWE Universe with a tone of humility and specifically talks about his WWE Title opportunity at WrestleMania Backlash against the champion Bobby Lashley and AJ Styles. Rhodes asks WWE Official Adam Pearce to join him in the ring because he has an offer.

Last week on Raw, Sam Rigleer and Bobby Lashley argued that Cody Rhodes shouldn't get a Title Match because he only won his match against AJ Styles two weeks ago via disqualification. These words may have shed light on the situation for Cody and made it more clear.

When Adam Pearce showed up, Cody Rhodes told him that he'd like to earn his WWE Title shot fairly and not have it handed to him. The WWE Official praised Cody Rhodes' spirit and argued it was not his fault that the N1 Contenders match ended in a DQ and that he doesn't have to prove anything to Rigleer or Lashley, but the American Nightmare insists!

Sam Rigleer came out next to prey on this opportunity asking for a match with Cody Rhodes, tonight, where if Rigleer wins, he replaces Cody at WrestleMania Backlash or in Sam Rigleer's words, "when he wins tonight".

Cody Rhodes accepts!

**Still to come: Cody Rhodes and Sam Rigleer to compete one on one with WWE Title implications! + Ronda Rousey vs. Mystery Opponent in Beat the Clock Challenge. + Veer Mahan vs. Finn Balor + Mansoor faces Ali on the order of Rollins NEXT!

🔻 BACKSTAGE: Finn Balor to teach Veer Mahan a lesson tonight.

The Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor, who was pummeled by a debuting Veer Mahan on the night after WrestleMania, looks for revenge and to teach Veer Mahan a lesson about respecting those who are here before you, in an epic Championship Contenders Match tonight.

🔴 Mustafa Ali w/ Rollins vs. Mansoor: 7min*

A couple of weeks ago, while walking backstage on Raw, The Visionary and Mustafa Ali crossed paths with Mansoor who said "Hi" and shook Mustafa Ali's hand which infuriated Seth Rollins and he completely snapped and attacked Mansoor ruthlessly! Mustafa Ali watched the attack in shock!

Then last week on Raw, Mansoor was given a match with Seth Rollins where he can settle the score while Mustafa Ali watches from Rollins' corner. Rollins defeated Mansoor after multiple nearfalls where Ali did not interfere to help Rollins!

The visionary was left angry and livid at the change of attitude of Mustafa Ali despite the win and ordered him to face Mansoor this week.

Mustafa Ali defeats Mansoor without a sign of slowing down while Rollins grins from ear to ear.

🔻 BACKSTAGE: MVP & Lashley are very pleased that people need to earn a shot at the WWE Title.

The Almighty WWE Champion Bobby Lashley and his manager MVP voice their satisfaction after Cody Rhodes was removed from the WWE Title Match at WrestleMania Backlash until he earns that opportunity.

🔴 Ronda Rousey learns she'll face Sasha Banks in the Beat the Clock challenge: 6min*

This past Friday on SmackDown; WWE Official Adam Pearce announced a Beat the Clock Challenge between Ronda Rousey and Rhea Ripley where the winner gets to face Charlotte Flair for the Undisputed WWE Women's Championship at the upcoming WrestleMania Backlash event.

Ronda Rousey must defeat her opponent tonight and the time she takes to beat her, is the time Rhea Ripley must take to beat Asuka this Friday on SmackDown!

Adam Pearce calls out Ronda Rousey and announces her opponent as...

The 1/2 of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, Sasha Banks!

The two stars had a stare down as Baszler & Natalya, who are after Banks & Bliss, watch from a TV in the Locker Room.

*Still to come: Cody Rhodes vs. Sam Rigleer!! and NEXT, Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks!

🔴 Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks - Beat the Clock Challenge: 9m:31s*

The WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Sasha Banks faces The Baddest Woman on the Planet Ronda Rousey in an epic match! The clock is ticking for Ronda Rousey!

During this blockbuster match, Shayna Baszler and Natalya came out to attack Alexa Bliss at ringside therefore distracting her partner Sasha Banks.

Ronda Rousey capitalized and put Sasha Banks in an armbar to tap her out!

Ronda Rousey wins in 9 minutes 31 seconds! Now Rhea Ripley needs to beat this record when she faces Asuka this Friday on SmackDown to go on to challenge The Opportunity, the Undisputed WWE Women's Champion Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania Backlash.

🔴 Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H finally get back together to fight off Naomi & Io Shirai: 8min*

Ever since breaking up, the former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. have been trying to get back together and it wasn't easy.

First, Doudrop & Nikki reached out to The Miz, current Raw Tag Team Champion, to assist them in fixing their team on a special Miz TV Friendship Edition, needless to say it did not work out. Then, last week, Naomi and Io Shirai tried to get involved and to fix their team, they decided to have some fun in a mall.

After a long evening at the Mall, Naomi & Io Shirai just simply realized they can't fix what doesn't want to be fixed and left Doudrop & Nikki for themselves.

Tonight, Naomi & Io Shirai asked Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H out to the ring and told them to move on, and that their friendship can not and will not be fixed. However, this only made Nikki A.S.H and Doudrop angrier. As a result of this mocking, A.S.H and Doudrop joined forces and attacked Naomi & Shirai to send a message to the WWE Universe.

🔻 BACKSTAGE: AJ Styles is set out to win the WWE Title at WrestleMania Backlash.

Whether it'll be Cody Rhodes or Sam Rigleer, AJ Styles is bringing out a side of him that no-one has ever seen before at WrestleMania Backlash and will take the WWE Title from Lashley in the scheduled three-way match.

🔴 The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler: 7min*

At WrestleMania Backlash, Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode are set for a championship rematch against AWE-MOS for the Raw Tag Team Titles.

Tonight, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler reignite their singles rivalry in one-on-one action with Omos and Robert Roode barred from ringside.

Dolph Ziggler wins! Will Ziggler & Roode keep their momentum going until Backlash?

🔻 BACKSTAGE: Seth Rollins rejoiced now that Mustafa Ali's vision is no longer blurred.

During a backstage interview with Kevin Patrick, The Visionary reveals that he is relieved Mustafa Ali finally sees a clearer image as they put Mansoor behind them.

🔴 Theory falls in the mercy of a returning Riddle: 8min*

A-Town Down! Theory, a very controversial figure in WWE, makes his entrance on Raw to address the rumors that Riddle is returning to Raw very soon.

Theory attacked his former tag team partner two weeks in a row and said it was his mentor Vince McMahon's idea. Always get rid of dead weight.

Ever since that day, Riddle has been out of action. However, rumors are circulating online about a return date for the King of Bros Riddle.

While Theory mocks Riddle for being naïve, incompetent and a scum, he returns to drop his teeth out of his mouth, literally!

Riddle is back! and it's bad luck for Theory!

🔻 VIDEO: The Story of Lacey Evans - Chapter 5.

Lacey Evans talks about how her father lost his battle with mental health and addiction, overdosing just months before her WWE tryout. She recalls how she lost other another family member to suicide as her WWE journey got going, and then the suicide of another family member shortly before her first WWE NXT match.. She didn’t know how much more she could take but she decided to do what was best for her, her family, and her mental health. Instead of feeling excited about her first WWE match, she was completely broken. She wiped her face and had her first WWE match in front of her daughter. She went to the hospital after the match and faced the inevitable.

Evans gets emotional as she goes on about how it’s now her time, her time to show her daughters what you can be capable of, and how it’s now time to break the cycle. She wonders what the WWE Superstars can do to her that hasn’t been done already. Evans then repeats part of the same lines she’s used in her recent vignettes, about how what she’s been through in life has made her a motivated, ready for anything, confident, mother, wife, sister, daughter, U.S. Marine, and a WWE Superstar, but this time she ends it with calling herself soon to be Women’s Champion.

🔴 Veer Mahan vs. Finn Balor - Championship Contender's Match: 8min*

The Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor faces the brutal Veer Mahan in a Championship Contenders Match live on Raw!

Will the Indian native back up his attacks in a one-on-match? Or will the champion prevail?

Veer Mahan defeats Finn Balor to the shock of the WWE Universe!

🔻 BACKSTAGE: The New Day almost win the 24/7 Title in backstage calamity.

Last week, The New Day helped R-Truth avoid a wave of superstars hunting for the 24/7 Title. Tonight, they may have got a little greedy.

The New Day attempt in multiple occasions to pin R-Truth for the 24/7 Title in the wild 24/7 Title chase calamity!

🔴 Ezekiel & Nakamura vs. Owens & Corbin: 9min*

Last week, Ezekiel and Nakamura may have had the upper hand but can they do it again tonight? Or will Owens & Corbin correct their mistakes from last week and win?

Owens and Corbin win!

🔴 Becky Lynch announces she's returning to in-ring action next week: 7min*

After losing the SmackDown Women's Championship in a Winner Take All WrestleMania Main Event to Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey, The Man Becky Lynch has not been seen since.

Last week, Big Time Becks addressed the WWE Universe ambiguously, claiming she hit the 'rock-bottom' and doesn't know if she can do it anymore!

And on this week's Raw, Becky Lynch claims that when you hit 'rock-bottom' you can only go up from there and next week she'll prove it in her first match since losing the SmackDown Women's Title at WrestleMania!

🔻 BACKSTAGE: Sam Rigleer says the Nightmare will end tonight!

Moments before a highly anticipated rematch with huge championship implications, Sam Rigleer continues his mind games and says that The Nightmare ends tonight when he defeats Cody Rhodes!

⭕ MAIN EVENT: Cody Rhodes vs. Sam Rigleer - If Rigleer Wins, He Replaces Rhodes at WrestleMania Backlash: 15min*

A huge clash of the heavyweights where Sam Rigleer & Cody Rhodes vie for a championship opportunity at WrestleMania Backlash!

The American Nightmare gives THE fight to Sam Rigleer who has a counter for all Rhodes' offence!

However, it was The WWE Champion Bobby Lashley who played the X Factor in this main event when he tried to hit Cody Rhodes with his title. Rigleer with a smirk on his face tries to capitalize on the assist but the resilient Cody Rhodes evades the championship and rolls up Sam Rigleer for the win!

Cody Rhodes will still challenge for the WWE Title at WrestleMania Backlash!