Welcome to the Raw review for January 7, 2019. For this and Smackdown, I will go over the talking points and pick the match of the night.
Balor Club
While the new year brings discussion on who might ascend to the next level, Finn Balor has been quietly making quite a push. For the last few matches, he has been shown to beat other major stars. This continued as it was Balor who rescued Seth Rollins and John Cena from a beat down. He was on fire in the following match. If you are not betting on Balor in 2019, you might be backing the wrong horse
Gene
Hulk Hogan returned stateside to offer a tribute to “Mean” Gene Okerlund. Hogan was the perfect choice as many of his iconic promos had Gene playing straight man. The package was outstanding, showing some of the best moments from the legendary career. Okerlund was so good because he was never above putting the story over, even at his own expense. The voice of our childhood has been silenced and as Hogan did one last promo, it was a reminder of how many people from that era we have lost.
A Moment of Bliss
Alexia Bliss debuted her new talk show with Ronda Rousey as her first guest. Talk shows are a mixed bag in pro wrestling, but Bliss is a naturtal fit for the role. The purpose is to advance the story and the arrival of Nia Jax and Sasha Banks did just that. Bliss can also come back to this once she gets back in the ring.
Match of the Night
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins (Falls Count Anywhere for the Intercontinental Championship) (Ambrose wins by pinfall)
It feels like forever since we saw a falls count anywhere match on Raw. Ambrose and Rollins showed that while their first battle was a bit of a disappointment, the war is still entertaining as hell. Using everything at their fingertips, the two former friends tore into each other. Lashley attacking Rollins was perfect and the crowd booed him hard. Rollins might have lost his chance to reclaim the belt, so where does he go from here?
Conclusion
Banks beat Jax to become the number one challenger. Ember Moon and Apollo Crews beat Jinder Mahl and Alicia Fox. The Reveval lost to Gable and Roode, but not without some controversy. Corbin got revenge on Elias.
