Welcome to the WWE Raw Review for January 29 2018. For both this and Smackdown, I will go over what the big talking points were, pick the match of the night, and look ahead to the next show.
Talking Points
Another First
Stephanie McMahon was out first to celebrate the first Women’s Royal Rumble. She said it was historic, but it was still not enough. She announced that at the Elimination Chamber, the women would get their own match, and Alexia Bliss would be part of it. The Goddess was not happy, but the match was made. This could be a brutal match and the added stipulation that it would be for the title makes it a must watch. The winner might have the belt, but they will then have to face Askua at Wrestlemania.
Qualify
In regards to the men, Kurt Angle announced that there would be matches with the winners getting a spot in the Elimination Chamber match. The winner of that match will face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. Elias was able to pin Matt Hardy, with an assist from Bray Wyatt. Finn Balor came up short in his match against John Cena. The biggest match was Braun Strowman vs Kane in a Last Man Standing match. The Monster destroyed the Big Red Machine with chairs, and finally pinned him under an entire part of the stage. The Elimination Chamber is a brutal match and Strowman looks like the favorite as of right now.
Still the Champion
Roman Reigns got his rematch for the Intercontinental Tile against the Miz. The match might have been better then the previous two. The Miz went after one of Reigns legs the entire match, but it still looked like Reigns power might be too much. Miz tried to expose a turnbuckle like last week, but was caught by the referee. The Mizterouge took Reigns’ focus off Miz long enough for a roll up and the victory. Reigns now looks to the Chamber, while a new challenger needs to step up to the Miz..
Match of the Night
Askua vs Sasha Banks (Askua wins by submission)
Sasha Banks challenged the winner of the Woman’s Royal Rumble to a match at the beginning of the show. What followed was probably one of Askua’s and Banks best efforts. Hard hitting with spots such as Askua being whipped over the ring and Banks being thrown around the ring. What made this match special was the honest question if Askua was going to lose. Askua can not lose, but it is matches like this that make her look amazing.
Conclusion
Apollo Crews and Titus gave the Bar everything it could handle in a surprisingly competitive contest. The Revival ran over Heath Slater and Rhyno. The Dudley Boys are headed to the Hall of Fame. We will get more qualifying matches next week and find out who is joining Bliss in the first ever Women’s Elimination Chamber.