Post WWE Raw 1/20/2025 Show Discussion Thread

Venue: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)

Attendance: ~13,800

Winner Loser Match Finish Stipulation
Rey Mysterio Kofi Kingston w/ Xavier Woods Roll-Up holding Kofi's boot
Nia Jax Bayley An-nia-lator
Penta Pete Dunne Penta Driver
Damage CTRL PFC w/ Sonya Deville Over the Moonsault
Seth Rollins Drew McIntyre Backslide Pin

  • Kick-off with Nia-Jax ambushing Rhea Ripley as she arrives to the building, forcing her against a fence and attacking her until officials rush to pull her off. Pearce calls for medics but Rhea shoves him aside and says she's fine.

  • Jey Uso makes his way out through the crowd and down to the ring, he says this weekend he's taking home the big one but is quickly interrupted by GUNTHER making his entrance. GUNTHER says he can guess what Jey is going to say next about beating him and taking his World Title. Jey says that's right. GUNTHER calls him a funny little man for acting like it would happen on Saturday. Last week Jey said every morning he wakes up and looks in the mirror and bets on himself, and GUNTHER even admits he believed it all the way until tonight where he saw him coming out acting like a complete dork. He calls Jey a company mascot and at this point it doesn't matter he may as well be facing Jimmy Uso. Jey tells him to re-think what he's saying but GUNTHER asks what he'd do. He says Jey never backs up what he says, he'll only stand on his own until Roman, Sami, or Cody need him and he's just a useful idiot. His words and actions don't align, while GUNTHER's do. He vows to expose Jey on Saturday as a flash in the pan who doesn't deserve a shot at the World Title. Jey says everything GUNTHER said was right again, he is the mascot and these fans are his team and they're gonna rally around him when he beats GUNTHER for that title. He demands GUNTHER put some respect on his name because there is only one of them who main evented Wrestlemania, and it isn't GUNTHER. GUNTHER strikes Jey and goes to beat him down but Jey fights back, sending GUNTHER to the outside with a Superkick before holding up the World Heavyweight Championship and lays the title down and challenges GUNTHER. Gunther retieves his title from the ring and goes back up the ramp.

  • Backstage The New Day run into someone who they say will finally understand, JBL! John says he's happy to see them and Kofi says they're glad he'll be out there commentating during their match against the so-called locker room leader Rey Mysterio. Kofi stuffs some money in JBL's pocket as Woods talks about how JBL knows where they're coming from when he cut the deadweight to go on his own. JBL thanks them and doesn't know why Big E was loved more despite him being bigger, having charisma, loved the world over. Kofi and Woods scoff at him and Woods says he'll see Layfield out there. After they leave JBL asks if he can keep the $2.

  • Bayley is interviewed backstage, she announces that she is officially back on Raw where her WWE career all began. She also declares herself for the 2025 Royal Rumble and looks to win in back to back years. As she's going over the champions she could face Nia Jax interrupts and says she's gunning for Tiffany and warns Bayley to keep a close look at what she did to Rhea earlier.

  • As The New Day make their entrance Woods and Kofi shout at the production team to turn off their music and screens because they aren't using that crap anymore. As the crowd chants New Day Sucks Kofi says this is really pissing them off, they have been doing this for too long to be treated like this and they are real hall of famers unlike JBL sitting here and takes his money back. Woods introduces Rey Mysterio as the man about to get the brakes beat off him by Kofi Kingston because New Day Rocks.

  • Following Rey's victory Xavier attacks Rey from behind and him and Kofi beat down Rey. The LWO run in to make the save with the New Day escaping through the crowd only to sneak back in and attack Wilde and Del Toro.

  • Backstage Chad Gable is livid and trying to get American Made into shape before being interviewed, he says it's clear that he has a problem facing luchadors which is why he talked to an expert to fix his gameplan, Dominik Mysterio. Ivy Nile announces that she's looking to take the Women's Intercontinental Championship, as Julius and Brutus says their names should have been on those tag titles long ago not some team at the end of their career. Gable says American Made is going to be dripping in gold in 2025.

  • Sami Zayn is in the ring, he says he isn't going to beat around the bush an announces he will be in the 2025 Royal Rumble. Last week Seth Rollins told him he spent too much time helping other people and he has to help himself, it got him to think about himself. He thought about himself at 14, and the millions of other people who had the same dream as him to be a WWE superstar, he thought of the thousands of professional wrestlers around the world, those lucky enough to make it to the WWE, and the select through in the upper echelon of WWE and Sami says he is in their group but he is the only one to never held a World Title. Sami says he's had a great life and career and doesn't need a World Title to complete him and says the fan's support means more to him than any World Title could ever mean. He doesn't need the title but damnit he wants it! Sami says 14 year old him steps in the ring with him every week and vows to take it. Kevin Owens comes out holding the Winged Eagle Championship! Sami says he knew it was only a matter of time before he'd come and asks how he wants to do this. Kevin asks what he means as Sami says everyone saw what he did to Cody for teaming with Roman so he's been expecting it. Kevin says when he saw Sami team with Roman he was upset but he realized it wasn't the same since Sami and Roman had some history. He says Roman did a lot of terrible things to Sami that he chose to overlook, the same way Kevin did a lot of terrible things that Sami chose to overlook before saying it is more like Sami forgave Roman and himself. Kevin says despite everything Sami is still his best friend and he believes he can win the Royal Rumble and they can complete one more dream together. They main evented Wrestlemania together and won the Tag Team Titles, but they've never main evented one on one for the WWE Championship. Kevin says they can achieve that dream as long as he walks out of the Royal Rumble as WWE Champion and Sami wins the Rumble but he is sure both those things will happen because Kevin will have Sami's back, just like he knows Sami will have his back as his brother. Kevin drops the mic and walks out.

  • Sheamus is interviewed backstage, he says some people would say he had the perfect WWE career backwards by winning the WWE Championship 6 months in, the ironic thing is the Intercontinental Championship is what drew him in and it's still the last title he's never won and is going to beat the tan off of Bron Breakker to get it. Bron walks in and tells Sheamus this is as close as he'll get to winning this title and promises to break Sheamus like the old man he is and tells him to just retire right now. Sheamus shoves Bron who laughs it off and walks away.

  • During Bayley vs Nia Jax, Roxanne Perez is sitting in the front row and Bayley taunts her after diving to the outside. Rox goes to slap Bayley but her slap gets grabbed before it connect. Roxanne tries to jump the barricade but is pulled away by security. Following Nia's victory Rhea Ripley makes her way out and rushes the ring and takes the fight to Jax. She drives into the corner and clobbers her with blows until security runs in to pull them apart. Nia powers through her security and splashes on Rhea and her security before being pulled away and Rhea does the same. Nia goes to the outside and pulls Rhea to the floor before slamming her head off the announce table. Nia places Rhea on the table but security pulls her away, allowing Rhea to recover and hits a Senton off the table. Rhea stands back on top the table and grabs a mic before challenging Nia to a match at Saturday Night's Main Event.

  • In the Clubhouse Chad Gable asks Dominik for anything he can offer to help him with dealing with luchadors, Dom hands him a piece of paper and says this is the guy. Gable thanks him and says he's off to learn the dark arts of lucha libre. JD tells Dominik to focus since they've got a tag title match against the War Raiders but Finn is still laid up so they have to follow Dom's plan. Liv says she hopes this plan is better than the one for her Women's World Title match. Dom says he thought she wasn't mad. She tells her little Dommy-bunny that she isn't as she twirls is hair and the two leave together.

  • Lyra Valkyria says last week she made history by becoming the first Women's Intercontinental Champion, but now it is time to build and that is by being a fighting champion.

  • Backstage Sami Zayn tells Seth Rollins that he appreciated his talk last week and that he needed to hear that. Seth thanks him and says he is almost rooting for Sami but when push comes to shove he is throwing Sami out of the Royal Rumble but Sami says not if he throws Seth out first.

  • Logan Paul will debut on Raw next week.

  • CM Punk makes his entrance from out on the concourse before being interviewed at the top of the stands. He's asked what makes this Royal Rumble different to all the ones he's faced before, Punk says history. 3 weeks ago he made history by winning the main event of Raw's Netflix debut and he's looking to make history once again. He says the lights are bright and the stakes are at their highest and that is when he's at his best. He says he doesn't see John Cena throwing him out, Roman needed his help to handle his family business, he says Sami Zayn isn't on his level, and says if Hulk Hogan wanted to enter then he'd throw his dusty ass over the rope and kill Hulkamania for good. And the end of the night there's only going to be one winner, C M Punk.

  • Drew goes to continue to attack Seth after the main event, Seth tries to fight back but doesn't have enough left and Drew gains the upper hand once again. Drew places Seth's head against the ringpost and goes for the Claymore but before he can execute the move Sami Zayn runs down to stop him and checks on Seth. He goes after Drew again but Drew lays him out with the Glasgow kiss before turning his attention to Seth. Drew props Seth up in the corner and tells him they should be on the same page when Sami enters the ring and runs to deliver the Helluva Kick but Drew ducks and Sami hits Seth instead.

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