Post by Slade on Feb 13, 2022 15:50:46 GMT -5
Live from T-Mobile Arena in
Las Vegas, Nevada
On Monday, January 31, 2022
WWE Commentary Team: Mauro Ranallo, Tony Schiavone and Corey Graves
WWE Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
WWE Backstage Reporter: Mean Gene Okerlund
***
This week’s show began with the first in-ring promo by the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, who entered the ring to say that he is happy to be home in WWE. The started talking about his plans to quickly establish himself as the best wrestler in the WWE Universe and won’t be waiting long to enter the World Championship title picture. The Bruiserweight Pete Dunne came out to say that Michaels needs to win some matches before he can start chasing titles. Michaels said he was ready to start racking up the wins tonight, and if Pete Dunne wants to be his first victim, he's more than welcome. Dunne said that he was going to put to rest the notion that the new kid is ready to compete for titles. Heartbreak Kid vs. Bruiserweight in tonight’s main event!
Eddie Guerrero defeated Booker T by pinfall at 14:57 to retain the RAW Intercontinental Championship. Guerrero had momentum on his side, which led him to execute the Three Amigos. Afterwards, he went up to the top rope and went for the frog splash. Booker moved out of the way. They got up at the same time and Booker dropped Guerrero with a roundhouse kick, which he followed up with an axe kick and the spin-a-roonie. Booker grabbed Guerrero to give him the Bookend, but Guerrero managed to counter it into a crucifix pin that got a 2-count. Once back to their feet, Guerrero took Booker down with a hurricanrana, holding it for the pin, he got another 2-count. Booker went for a clothesline. Guerrero ducked it and dropkicked Booker into the turnbuckles. Then, he gave him a snap brainbuster and made the pin to get the 3-count.
Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Ricky Steamboat and Keith Lee, the former RAW Tag Team Champions, about their title rematch next week, and wondered whether they remain on the same page after Lee eliminated Steamboat in the Royal Rumble last night. Both men said that this rematch for the titles was long overdue. They reminded us that they were cheated out of the gold by the Heenan Family and vowed to get the belts back from FTR. Should Bobby “The Brain” Heenan have a scheme to cheat them again, vengeance would be coming for his entire family. As for what happened last night, Lee said, it was just business. It was an everyman for himself contest and he would expect Steamboat to do the same thing to him if he had the chance. Steamboat said he had no hard feelings. As far as he’s concerned, the past should stay in the past, and he’s looking forward to the future when they are once again the RAW Tag Team Champions.
Jordynne Grace defeated Sarah Logan by pinfall at 6:31. Grace got the win after she blocked a punch and hit Logan with a spinning back elbow to stun her, right before executing the Grace Driver on her.
Little Guido stood in the ring with Chuck Palumbo, Johnny Stamboli, and Big Vito of the Full Blooded Italians. Guido said that his boys deserved an automatic bye because there were not enough teams signed up for the tournament. That’s when Tony Schiavone stood up and announced that an eighth and final team was found for the tournament and they were coming out right now to compete. It was The Hardy Boyz!
The Hardy Boyz defeated Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli of the Full Blooded Italians by pinfall at 8:14 to advance to the next round of the tournament to determine which team will face the UWA Tag Team Champions at WrestleMania II. They got the win when Jeff Hardy pinned Stamboli after his brother Matt gave him a Twist of Fate and he dove off the top to execute a Swanton.
RAW World Champion Triple H is accompanied to the ring by Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Adam Cole, and the RAW Tag Team Champions, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. Heenan tells all the humanoids in the building that they need to shut up and listen to what their World Champion has to say. Triple H boasted about having had to defend his title against every member of the Bullet Club over the last two months. He started with Karl Anderson and beat him. Then, he faced Doc Gallows, and beat him, too. He faced Finn Balor in a TLC match at the TLC ppv and showed him up. At Day 1, he took care of the biggest member of the Club. He embarrassed Bad Luck Fale so much that he ran back to Japan as soon as the match was over. Then, last night, he defeated AJ Styles again. Heenan said that should silence any of the doubters. The Bullet Club isn’t good enough to compete against Heenan Family. Next, he handed the mic over to Harwood and Wheeler, who said that Ricky Steamboat and Keith Lee were a joke and their match next week would probably go down in history as the easiest title defense of their entire title reign. Heenan said that you were looking at a collection of champions, but there was just one problem – there was no gold around Adam Cole’s waist. Cole said that wouldn’t be a problem for long because he had his sights set on the Intercontinental Championship. The clock is now ticking on Eddie Guerrero’s title reign. The Intercontinental Championship belongs around the waist of Adam Cole Bay-Bay! Heenan added that was undisputed.
“Ravishing” Rick Rude defeated Duane Gill by pinfall at 2:53 after he gave him the Rude Awakening. Rude insulted the fans in attendance by calling all the men a bunch of fat grease monkeys who couldn’t get a woman if they tried. After getting the win, he hit on a woman in the front row and got into a shouting match with a man sitting next to her. He handed the woman a backstage pass and told her to use if she wanted to have a good time tonight.
Mean Gene was backstage with “Macho Man” Randy Savage and the lovely Miss Elizabeth. Mean Gene wanted Savage’s reaction to just barely missing out on the opportunity to compete for the UWA Universal Men’s Championship at WrestleMania II. The Macho Man said that it was a real bummer to not get the title shot, oh yeah, but just because he came close and lost out doesn’t mean that things aren’t looking up for the Macho Man, oh yeah, because the world’s best manager, Miss Elizabeth right here has entered the Macho Man in the 8-team tournament for a chance to compete for the UWA Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania II, oh yeah! Sheamus and Cesaro crashed the interview to tell Savage that he’s going out in the first round because he and whatever loser he finds for a partner have to face The Bar. Savage tells them not to count their chickens so fast because a little birdie told him that he has the best tag team partner anyone could ever hope for. They asked who that was and Miss Elizabeth said that it was Samoa Joe! Next week, The Macho Man and the Samoan Submission Machine take on The Celtic Warrior and the Swiss Cyborg in tag team action!
Shawn Michaels defeated Pete Dunne by pinfall at 25:41. It was a long match with many near falls. Every time Michaels went for Sweet Chin Music, Dunne hit the mat and rolled away, retreated, or blocked it. He had the move well-scouted. Consequently, Michaels had to try other things to get the win. A slingshot suplex failed to do the trick. A diving elbow drop got a 2-count. He even busted out the teardrop suplex, but Dunne even managed to kick out of that. While Michaels struggled to put away Dunne, he didn’t struggle to get out of the Bitter End. He escaped the pumphandle a few times, leading Dunne to abandon his finisher and try other high impact maneuvers to put him away. He executed a Michinoku Driver, but that couldn’t get a 3-count. He executed a vertical suplex sit-out powerbomb that got a 2-count. He turned to the submission game and applied a Kimura lock, but Michaels managed to get a rope break, albeit just barely. Following a slow break of the hold, Dunne was stuck in an argument with the referee. This allowed Michaels to get to his feet. Using the ref as a shield, Michaels was able to land a Sweet Chin Music under Dunne’s jaw and pin him for the count of three.
***
Next week on RAW
RAW Tag Team Title Match
FTR {c} vs. Ricky Steamboat & Keith Lee
"Macho Man" Randy Savage & Samoa Joe vs. THE BAR
Toni Storm vs. Raquel Gonzalez
Adam Cole vs. Al Snow
And more!
RAW Tag Team Title Match
FTR {c} vs. Ricky Steamboat & Keith Lee
"Macho Man" Randy Savage & Samoa Joe vs. THE BAR
Toni Storm vs. Raquel Gonzalez
Adam Cole vs. Al Snow
And more!