5 Biggest Takeaways from Monday Night Raw (January 3rd, 2022)
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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Monday Night Raw has come and gone and we have officially entered the next era of Brock Lesnar as WWE Champion. If we were to scrap the 24/7 Mixed Tag title match and the Women’s Tag Team title match that added up to a grand total of about 7 minutes, this show was very strong. And even though the match itself was nothing to bat an eye at, the women’s tag title match did serve a little bit of purpose as it pushed the Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley story along just a tad. We had one hell of a main event to go along with stories surrounding the Women’s Championship, the Tag Titles and the United States Title. I can not stress enough, this was a very good show to steer the ship in the right direction after a lackluster few weeks leading up to Day One. The big show seems to have kick started the new year in a good way. So with that said, let us jump right into this week’s 5 Biggest Takeaways from Raw.
#5: Class Is In Session
Alpha Academy has been featured far better on Raw than they ever were on Smackdown. Whereas the wins haven’t been there, they have been heavily featured every week and over the past month have been built up as a legitimate threat to RKBRO’s reign. With a victory over Riddle and a strong showing against Randy Orton, Otis is finally beginning to get booked like the monster he should and after picking up the pinfall on Riddle last night to secure Alpha Academy a win over the champs, it looks like the threat just got more real.
With Wrestlemania season just weeks away we are all prepared for the split of Monday Night Raw’s best act, RKBRO. For that to happen, they obviously will have to lose those titles soon and that could very well be what kicks off the feud. Whether it is Randy or Riddle that turns is for another story, but the perfect opponent to help drive that wedge is right in front of us. With Otis and Gable, you have a real tag team that can beat people on any given night. If you add their ability, the monster style of Otis and Chad Gable’s mic work that is getting better week by week, you have a team that can not only make it look believable that they beat Riddle and Orton but also help carry the tag division as they try and bolster it back up. This one is for the Academy!
#4: Omos There
So not only did they rush the split of AJ and Omos but they seemed to have rushed the finale of that feud as well. It is over far faster than it started and now we are left to wonder what’s next for both men.
AJ Styles is still amongst the best in the world but after watching Omos manhandle him, it’s hard to think they will be using him in a major role before Wrestlemania. If we’re lucky, the AJ Styles versus Edge match can still happen but I doubt there will be any kind of stakes involved with that.
What should @AJStylesOrg try next?@TheGiantOmos#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/onWPkysZAJ
— WWE (@WWE) January 4, 2022
Omos has now been thrown to the wolves on his own, far too early and we are left to wonder if he will be able to escape this next challenge unscathed. With the way he ran through AJ Styles, one would have to be under the impression that he has something big coming up. The Royal Rumble tends to be where these big men get to shine and it will be very interesting to see how far they are willing to push the big man while still being so green. The Rumble will be a good indicator as to how much faith they currently have in him so keep your eyes glued to that if you are anywhere near as invested in his growth as I am.
#3: Triple Tret!
Becky Lynch knows how a triple tret works, she was in one at the main event of Wrestlemania.
We can look forward to that line again next week as she will surely be ringside for the triple threat match between Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan and Doudrop to decide who will be her next opponent. After dispatching of Liv Morgan, AGAIN and dealing with Bianca a few months ago it was going to be interesting to see who would be next up for the self proclaimed Vincent Van Goat. Having Bianca peak her head in is a good way to remind everyone that she’s still lurking in the shadows for her revenge. But it’s still not quite time for that with Mania coming up so she’ll have to wait a little longer. Liv Morgan has stepped up twice and fallen both times so to get a third chance at this point would be excessive and not make much sense.
Sounds like #WWERaw Women's Champion @BeckyLynchWWE is quite intrigued by @DoudropWWE…#RAWTalk@peacockTV pic.twitter.com/tarzQuPTXH
— WWE (@WWE) January 4, 2022
Enter Doudrop. Stepping up and demanding her opportunity shows that she at least believes in herself. Her record doesn’t justify it but with all the other woman on the roster tied up in one thing or the other, a Doudrop versus Becky Lynch match is a perfect idea to fill the gap between now and Wrestlemania. In the meantime, you can expect Liv and Bianca to go at each other during that time as well to set up the eventual Becky Lynch versus Bianca Belair match at Mania that will once again allow the EST to have her moment. But that is down the road and as far as the triple threat goes for next week, it shall be fun and fresh which is all the viewers really want to begin with.
#2: Friends Til the End
Ladies and gentlemen, his name is Paul Heyman. The advocate for The Beast, Brrrrrrrock! Lesssssssnarrrrrr!
Finally, things seem to be back to normal. At least for the time being as we have Paul Heyman at Brock Lesnar’s side. Like peanut butter and jelly, these two just go together. Will it last? We will see, but having Paul Heyman at Brock’s side again just felt right. Having Brock mix in some mic work of his own was a refreshing take for the duo and will definitely be entertaining in the weeks to come. With Brock still hamming it up as the baby face and Paul Heyman still in his heelish ways, the road to the end of this storyline with Brock, Paul and Roman shall be a very intriguing one. We’ll get more answers about this friendship on Friday Night Smackdown.
#1: It’s About Damn Time
We had the fatal fourway between Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Big E and Bobby Lashley taken from us on Day 1 in favor of Brock Lesnar walking in and conquering them all. Monday Night Raw rectified that by giving us that 4 way match with the winner becoming the next challenger for the WWE Championship. It would have been nice to see Big E get his rematch against Brock. It would have been a lot of fun to see Kevin Owens go one on one with Brock. Hell, having a heel Seth take on a baby face Brock could have been a nice little program as well. But I think we all agree that the best outcome from the main event had to be Bobby Lashley.
⌛️ #RoyalRumble https://t.co/hfSdlq8qvY pic.twitter.com/UK1wSPVYWQ
— Bobby Lashley (@fightbobby) January 4, 2022
Bobby has been wanting this match for a very, very long time. He is currently on the best run of his career over the last 2 years and the timing for these two to finally clash could not have come at a better time. Two big meaty men slapping meat for the WWE Title. It’s a dream come true for a lot of fans and there is no way we are not going to tune in to watch it. The Royal Rumble is one of the most beloved and looked forward to matches in all of WWE and the excitement for it is rarely topped. Bobby versus Brock has the potential to overshadow it, and that in itself is an achievement.
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Yea sooooooo slapping meat maybe wasn’t the best way to describe those two titans fighting. 🤣🤣🤣