In their home country, New Catch Republic reunited with Bate & Pete Dunne facing off against New Day on Monday’s episode of Raw in England. Bate & Dunne had momentum on their side until Kofi Kingston interrupted their double-team offense by pulling Bate off the apron. Kingston & Xavier Woods then got the win by hitting Daybreak on Dunne.
This was Bate’s first match since July 2024, when he underwent surgery after suffering a torn pec on NXT. Bate & Dunne defeated Hank Walker & Tank Ledger in the match where Bate’s injury happened.
It was confirmed weeks ago that Bate was cleared to wrestle and awaiting his return to television. The 28 year old is a former NXT UK Champion and Heritage Cup Champion, along with holding Tag Team titles in both NXT and NXT UK. He has yet to win championship gold on the WWE main roster.
Kingston & Woods challenging The War Raiders for the World Tag Team titles looks to be the plan for WrestleMania 41. New Day have been demanding a title shot — and a confrontation between the two teams took place today after Kingston & Woods defeated Bate & Dunne.
New additions have been made to the lineup for Monday’s edition of WWE Raw.
On Sunday, General Manager Adam Pearce published a video announcing a tag match pitting Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker & Penta against Judgment Dayâs Finn Balor & Dominik Mysterio. This comes after Judgment Day interfered in last weekâs Intercontinental title match between Breakker and Penta.
Pearce also revealed that New Dayâs Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods will be in action, though their opponents have yet to be named.
Pearce says in the video:
“Off of the chaos of last week, the Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker teams with Penta to take on Judgment Dayâs Finn Balor and Dirty Dom Mysterio. Plus Jimmy Uso, one-on-one with the World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. And after running their mouth in my office last week, New Day will be in action tomorrow night live at the O2. Plus AJ Styles, Logan Paul and John Cena face to face with Cody Rhodes. What will happen? Find out tomorrow night, itâs Monday Night Raw.”
Two WWE ID showcase matches have been added to WWNâs card on December 15. Aaron Rourke will take on Marcus Mathers, while Aaron Roberts will face Jordan Oasis.
AEW/Other Wrestling
Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo celebrate their daughterâs first birthday on his vlog.
Toni Storm announced on Instagram that she wouldnât be appearing on December 13 for CMLL, saying she doesnât have it anymore and is suffering from âa torn labia.â
A fanâs choice match between Bobby Fish and Alex Kane has been added to MLWâs One Shot event on December 5. Fans can vote by going to MLWâs X page and choose between a UWFI Rules match, a Kickboxing match, or a Taped Fist match.
Masked Republic announced that they, along with Trioscope Studios, will adapt the comic book Vampiro: Rockabilly Apocalypse for TV.
This weekâs TNA Xplosion, featuring Trent Seven vs. Sami Callihan.
Violence is Forever vs. Matt Cardona & Broski Jimmy has been added to GCW Ransom on December 6.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including tons of thoughts on RAW with the awesome New Day segment, where it could be going leading into WrestleMania season, the Punk and Sami and Seth promo, AEW Dynamite and NXT line-ups, health updates and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Big E penned a column for The Players Tribune reflecting on 10 years of New Day.
Tonight’s episode of WWE Raw will feature a tribute to the group despite the recent dissension between Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston. E says he’ll always be grateful for their “life-changing” run together.
“Iâm someone who spent a lot of his past not being able to picture a future,” E wrote. “And I think about that so much when I look back on the story of our group. I think about all the different things weâve accomplished, and been through, and come to represent. Things Iâm truly proud of. Not in a self-aggrandizing way, or a self-important way â never that. But in a way that is just, likeâŚâŚ LIFE. Some of itâs crushing failure. Some of itâs wild success. Some of itâs deeply silly. Some of itâs quite serious. Some of itâs cringe as hell. Some of itâs cool as hell. Some of itâs painful. Some of itâs joyful. And every now and then, if you get really lucky, some of itâs meaningful.”
E wrote about Xavier Woods approaching him about pitching management on a group featuring them and Kofi Kingston. Woods’ initial idea was to re-create The Nation of Domination.
“Actually, Woodsâs initial idea for The New Day was to reboot the Nation of Domination, the Attitude Era group that The Rock got his start in. The Nation was a faction of Black militants. And while it had a lot of cool moments (and those guys are all legends) ⌠Woods, Kofi and I are not militants. But I think that just tells you what itâs been like at times to be a young Black wrestler trying to make it. You pitch based on what you feel will get you on TV. And what you feel will get you on TV is probably whatâs gotten on TV before. And whatâs gotten on TV before is a very narrow definition of Blackness.”
New Day debuted as babyfaces with a gospel-type gimmick, which E says was tough.
“I played around with a bunch of different deliveries. And the one thing they liked was when I started using this voice that was kind of this Apostolic style of preaching â the style I grew up with. Then I guess the office heard it, and decided, you know, Letâs lean into the gospel!!! Because for some reason they were enamored by the southern Black church. That was a tough one. Black gospel is not who I am, and itâs definitely not who Kofi and Woods are. But we werenât really in a position to push back on it.”
After being booed by fans as babyfaces, New Day turned heel and began leaning into things they couldn’t as babyfaces. Then, what they were doing resonated with so many people that they turned babyface again, but they were able to do so in a way that E says felt more authentic.Â
“I grew up thinking that Black lit had to be this one thing, or maybe these one or two things, way over here. And then I realized, no, thatâs not true. It could also be this thing. And if it could be this thing ⌠Well, then, I guess it could also be this thing, and this thing, and this, and this, and this. And you just keep going and going until the world isnât so small anymore. Until suddenly itâs a lot more than just books that can be anything. Music can be anything. Movies can be anything. Anime can be anything. TV can be anything. Gaming can be anything. Culture can be anything. Blackness can be anything. Xavier Woods the weird dude from FCW playing âNew York, New Yorkâ on his trombone in front of 15,000 people at Barclays Center can be anything. Wrestling can be anything. The New Day can be anything. The New Day can be anything. THE NEW DAY CAN BE ANYTHING!!!!!!”
“You know what I mean?? You realize three Black wrestlers contain multitudes and all of a sudden there is a universal language. Itâs being seen. Thatâs what wrestling is â thatâs what culture is. Thatâs what fandom is. S*** is infinite.”
E suffered a severe neck injury on the March 11, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown and hasn’t wrestled since. It’s unclear if he’ll ever wrestle again, but E is excited about what the future holds both in WWE and outside the company.
“You know that thing I said earlier â how Iâm someone who spent his past not being able to picture a future? I can picture one now. Which is ironic, I guess, since I broke my neck and canât wrestle. But Iâm at peace. And if thatâs truly a wrap on my in-ring career⌅. Iâm excited to explore the paths that are opening up for me in its wake. Whether itâs working for WWE outside of the ring, or itâs hosting, or acting, or voice work, or filmmaking, or so many other things. I feel like there are still so many parts of myself for me to discover. I feel like Iâve spent the last 10 years with Woods and Kofi on this amazing, life-changing project: trying to perform a version of wrestling thatâs in the image of all the things we love. And now I want to find out how far I can stretch that project past wrestling. I want to see if I can actually create some of those things we love.”
E also opened up about a new relationship in his life, a partner named Kristen, whom he has been with for a year. Kristen is Michin’s sister, and their first date was at the Hulu premiere for Montez Ford and Bianca Belair’s reality series.Â
“I just felt an energy with Kristen Iâd never felt before. We were at this premiere with all these beautiful people, all these famous actors and entertainers, and none of them even registered. For me, there was only one other person in the room that night. And whatâs crazy is, I knew I wanted to see her more after that â but if I hadnât been out with my broken neck? I probably would have been too busy to make it happen. Instead, itâs like it all just fell into place. Now weâre planning to get married ⌠we bought a home together in Oakland ⌠I donât know, man. Itâs a good feeling. Iâm excited about whatâs possible.”
“And maybe thatâs the best thing I could say about this last decade â about this journey Iâve been able to go on with Woods, and Kofi, and (somehow) millions of people around the world. I donât know if The New Day saved my career, or my life. But I know it turned them both into things where anything feels possible. And Iâll always be grateful for that.”
Big E, Xavier Woods, and Kofi Kingston debuted as a trio on the November 28, 2014, episode of WWE SmackDown. Their accomplishments in the decade since will be honored on the December 2, 2024, episode of WWE Raw and WWE social media platforms.
In addition to “a live tribute to their incredible decade of accomplishments during Raw,” WWE’s YouTube channel will air a compilation of New Day’s best matches and a sit-down interview with Big E, Woods, and Kingston. A 10-year photo gallery featuring some of the group’s best moments will also be part of the celebration.
“WWE will honour the 10th anniversary of one of its most popular factions, The New Day. Since their epic debut in 2014, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E have captivated fans worldwide with their electrifying energy and the power of positivity.
On December 2nd, WWE invites fans to join in the celebration of a decade of positivity with a special tribute to The New Dayâs legacy on Monday Night Raw.
The New Day have made their mark in WWE history as they held multiple Tag Team Championships between their unforgettable time on Raw, SmackDown and NXT, including the then-longest reign in WWE history at 483 days.
Fans can reminisce on 10 years of The New Day with exclusive content available across WWE platforms:
A 10-Year Photo Gallery: Take a trip down memory lane with a photo gallery The New Dayâs evolution, featuring iconic moments, and historic championship victories.
The New Dayâs Best Matches: Relive their most spectacular matches in a compilation on WWEâs YouTube channel.
Exclusive Sit-Down Interview: Hear directly via YouTube from Kofi, Xavier, and Big E as they reflect on stories from their legendary experience.
The celebration kicks off with a unmissable episode on December 2nd where The New Day will be honoured with a live tribute to their incredible decade of accomplishments durig Raw. Fans wonât want to miss the excitement as WWE commemorates their journey and looks ahead to the future.”
As the group prepares to celebrate 10 years together, they have been showing signs of dissension. They dropped their last match to the Viking Raiders on the November 3 edition of WWE Raw.
Kofi Kingston hopes Big E will be able to make an appearance during The New Day’s 10-year anniversary celebration.
While there are not many details yet, WWE announced earlier this month that there will be a celebration for New Day’s 10th anniversary on an upcoming episode of Raw. The group debuted in 2014 but is currently going through a breakup angle with Woods on the verge of turning against Kingston.
Big E has not been able to wrestle since suffering a broken neck in 2022. His in-ring future remains in doubt, but he has worked for WWE in other roles including as a panelist for PLE pre-shows and post-shows. Kingston told the New York Post that he hopes Big E will be available to make an appearance when their anniversary celebration happens.
“I donât think that we can have a New Day celebration without Big E there. It wouldnât feel right. It wouldnât taste right, you know? So Iâm hoping heâs available,” Kingston said. “But like I said, man, heâs busy doing a lot of things out there. I donât know what his schedule is gonna look like, but hopefully he will be there. It would feel incomplete if he was not involved in The New Day 10-year anniversary in some way.Â
“He had so much to do with the foundations of The New Day and what people think of when they think of The New Day. Thereâs still people to this day that when they see us, you know, like, ‘Hey, New Day.’ They put their hand on their head. They put their hand on their hip as they twirl their hips, just like he did, you know? So, yeah, yeah, I would be willing to bet heâs going to be a part of it in some way, shape or form.”
Kingston said the key to New Day’s longevity has been the real-life connection they share. When one member of New Day succeeds, they all succeed.
“All of us, we really strive to push our brothers, to lift our brothers up,” he told the New York Post. “Thatâs what The New Day is all about. Itâs all about brotherhood. And we really believe that to our core.”
The three New Day members recently reunited for an episode of the WWE digital series Break It Down, looking back at some of their past gear.
Amid the group’s ongoing breakup, WWE is planning to celebrate 10 years of The New Day.
WWE will be celebrating New Day’s 10th anniversary with a special episode of Raw. The announcement was made in a post-Raw video last night, but details on when the episode will be taking place were not provided.
“Ten years as New Day, it’s time to celebrate, man. You guys are one of the most decorated tag teams in WWE history. Because of that, if it’s cool with you guys, I actually wanted to dedicate a special episode of Raw to celebrating you,” Raw general manager Adam Pearce told Kofi Kingston.
Kingston agreed that it was a good idea and said he thought this celebration could help fix the “rough patch” that he and Xavier Woods are going through. Pearce said he would start making arrangements for the episode.
Woods was not present for the segment with Pearce and Kingston. Pearce said he had wanted to talk to both of them and didn’t want to assume anything, but Kingston thought Woods would be fine with the celebration.
A split within New Day has been brewing on WWE television with Woods growing insecure about his place in the team and his lack of success as a singles wrestler.
On Raw last night, New Day lost to The War Raiders after Woods tagged himself into the match while Kingston was closing in on a victory.
New Day debuted as a faction in November 2014. Whether Big E will be involved in their anniversary celebration has not been announced. After suffering a broken neck in 2022, Big E is currently a broadcaster for WWE PLE pre-shows and post-shows. He said this September that he would be getting new scans on his neck in the next 3-6 months.
After not appearing tonight, CM Punk will be back on WWE Raw next week.
Punk was off tonight’s Raw selling the effects of the beatdown he took from Drew McIntyre last week. WWE has announced that Punk will return to the show next Monday, appearing for the first time since it was confirmed that Punk vs. McIntyre in a Hell in a Cell match will take place at Bad Blood 2024.
Their Hell in a Cell match was announced tonight by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce, who told McIntyre that the feud between him and Punk needs to end. Upset over losing to Punk in a strap match at Bash in Berlin, McIntyre attacked Punk in an angle on Raw last week — causing Punk to get taken out in an ambulance. McIntyre also destroyed Punk’s bracelet that had the names of his wife and dog on it.
Bad Blood is taking place on Saturday, October 5. Punk and McIntyre have a 1-1 record against each other heading into the PLE.
The Moda Center in Portland, Oregon is the venue for next Monday’s Raw. A World Tag Team title match between Finn Balor & JD McDonagh and The New Day is also set. It will be the first televised title defense Balor & McDonagh have made since becoming champions in June.
Date: February 12, 2024 Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
**********
Show Recap —
Cody Rhodes was shown arriving at the arena earlier today as they announced he will indeed face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
A rare occurrence: Raw is starting with a wrestling match.
Six-man tag team match: Jey Uso, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods defeated Intercontinental Champion Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci (19:44)
Gunther avoided getting physical with Jey Uso until he was sure his team was in control â or until he could get in a cheap shot. Jey tagged out after a break and New Day ran wild on Vinci until a distraction allowed Kaiser to drive Kingston into the ring steps. Gunther put Kingston in a Boston Crab, so Jey straight-up slapped him in the face. The referee separated them ahead of another break.
Jey made a hot tag after a break and hit Vinci with strikes as the crowd chanted âYeet.â Gunther looked on in disgust. Jey handed out running hip attacks and superkicks Kaiser and Vinci. Gunther finally did tag in and chopped Jey down but Jey came back with an enziguri and flying crossbody for two. Jey tried a spear but Gunther blocked it and chopped him before also knocking New Day off the apron. Gunther hit Jey with a Rainmaker for a nearfall.
Gunther mocked Jeyâs pose and tried a splash off the ropes but Jey got his knees up. Jey speared Gunther but Kaiser broke up the cover. Vinci tagged in but New Day and Jey laid him out with a 3D. New Day wiped out Kaiser with dives while Jey hit Vinci with an Uso Splash for the pinfall win.
This was what it needed to be.
********
There was a video package recapping the WrestleMania press conference.
There was an Andrade video package. He spoke about winning the NXT and United States Champions when he arrived in WWE. Titles werenât enough and he had to leave to remember who he was. Now his direction was clear.
********
B-Fab and the Street Profits accompanied Lashley to the stage but returned to the back for the match.
Elimination Chamber qualifier: Bobby Lashley defeated Bronson Reed (8:41)
Lashley entered and waited almost ten minutes for the match to start. When it finally did start, they went to break 90 seconds later after Reed drove him over the barricade.
Lashley fought back after the break and hit an impressive vertical suplex for two. Reed hit a Death Valley Driver for two and Lashley hit a spinebuster for two. Reed blocked a spear and hit a uranage and senton. He went up for the Tsunami but Lashley brought him down with a slam and followed with a spear for the pinfall win.
This was fine. The crowd liked Lashley.
********
Sami Zayn/Shinsuke Nakamura segment
Like last week, Jackie Redmond interviewed Sami Zayn in the stands before the show. Zayn said there was a feeling of embarrassment in sports when you say youâre going to do something but fail. Heâs had that feeling many times in his career but the difference now was that he had an overwhelming feeling of self-belief. His belief last year is what drove him to WrestleMania. He planned on becoming champion and that was a promise.
In the middle of this sit-down interview, Shinsuke Nakamura appeared on the screen with a (pre-taped) promo. Nakamura compared him to Cody Rhodes and said he was swindling people by trying to gain their sympathy to stay in the spotlight. Zaynâs chance was over and Nakamura would continue on his warpath.
********
[SECOND HOUR]
They aired the WrestleMania âtrailer.â
Cody Rhodes/Seth Rollins segment
(This went more than 18 minutes. Long story short, Rhodes has unfinished business with The Rock and Seth Rollins offered to help.)
Rhodes entered to a big reaction. He said he was facing Roman Reigns in the main event at WrestleMania. It took him a while to be able to say that but the reason he could say it now was because of the fans. He spoke about the social media reaction last week and, right on cue, the crowd chanted, âWe want Cody.â
Rhodes wasnât sure how he could repay them, but maybe there was one way (he looked at the sign). Rhodes admitted he was getting emotional because of how much he cared. He didnât want to get too emotional though because maybe heâd be a âcrybaby.â The crowd booed and chanted âRocky sucks.â
There was one man who did not want Cody and that man was perhaps the most famous person alive, a potential presidential candidate and the original peopleâs champion. Rhodes played a clip of Rock on Pat McAfeeâs show cutting a promo on Rhodes and his fans. (There was a line where Rock said the fans ate chicken nuggets and shoved them up their ass while complaining online.)
Rhodes said promos were different now than when The Rock was first around and mocked Rockâs line about chicken nuggets. Rhodes said he was a fan of the Rock but one thing Rock did not do well was listen. Rhodes said nothing to defile his ancestors but Rock still took his words personally and slapped him in the face. Rhodes saw malevolence in Rockâs face. Rock put his hands on him and that meant, âIâm going to hit you back.â
Seth Rollins interrupted. Rhodes thanked him for coming to his aid at the press conference. Rollins was looking forward to defending his title against Rhodes at WrestleMania but he understood his decision. Rollins knew that Rhodes and millions of fans wanted him to finish his story.
Rollins told Rhodes that he needed to finish his story. For himself, for his dad, and the fans. If Rhodes does not beat Reigns, the landscape after WrestleMania will be very dark. Reigns would get more power and would defend his title even less. The glass ceiling would get even thicker. This was probably their last chance to get that title back and give it to the people.
Rollins wanted to know what Rhodesâ plan was. Rhodes got screwed last year thanks to the Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman. The deck was stacked again and now he had to deal with the most influential man in the industry, The Rock.
Rollins told him: âYou do not have to fight this battle alone.â Rollins really felt it when Rhodes said he wanted to take everything from Reigns. Rollins was sick of people like Reigns always getting away with what they wanted.
Part of who Reigns has become was partially his fault. Rollins spoke about their debut together but said he couldnât imagine the monster that Reigns would become. Now that monster had two heads because Reigns found the one man who was as entitled and selfish as him.
When it comes to fighting the Bloodline and Roman Reigns, there was only one man on earth who was uniquely suited to be Rhodesâ shield.
(Rollins went on for too long and his dialogue about Reigns was really over the top.)
********
Cathy Kelley informed Jey Uso and the New Day that Jey would be getting an IC title match against Gunther next week. Jey and New Day were all pumped to hear the news.
********
There were pre-taped by Liv Morgan and Zoey Stark ahead of the next match.
Elimination Chamber qualifier: Liv Morgan defeated Zoey Stark (9:12)
Morgan fought back after a break with a Codebreaker off the ropes but Stark kicked out and responded with a powerbomb for two, followed by a missile dropkick for two. Morgan went for Oblivion but Stark hit a superkick for two. Stark tried a Phoenix Splash but Morgan dodged it and hit a Codebreaker and Oblivion for the pinfall win.
********
Backstage, R-Truth tried to accompany Judgment Day to the ring (for his match against JD McDonagh) but Damian Priest made a very clear statement to him: Truth was not a member of Judgment Day and never was. Every beating he received was a beating and not an initiation. Tonight would be his execution.
After a break, Truth was in Gorilla trying to convince The Miz over the phone to get on a plane from LA to Lexington right now. Adam Pearce was there trying to get him to go to the ring.
Truth hit an Attitude Adjustment but Dom helped McDonagh out of the ring ahead of a break 90 seconds into the match. Truth did John Cenaâs comeback sequence and set up for another AA but he stopped what he was doing upon seeing Priest ringside and McDonagh applied a cradle for two.
Truth set up for a Scissors Kick but McDonagh kicked his leg out of his leg and hit the Devil Inside (backdrop driver) for the pinfall win. (Iâm not sure McDonagh has ever won with that move on the main roster so the crowd seemed surprised that was the finish.)
â Everyone aside from Priest tried to attack Truth after the match but Truth fought them off. Priest decked Truth and all of Judgment Day put the boots to him. Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano ran out with chairs and Judgment Day bailed.
********
Rhodes approached Zayn backstage. Rhodes thanked him for coming to his aid last week. Rhodes said he believed in Zayn and the fans did too. Rhodes offered a handshake so Zayn hugged him.
[THIRD HOUR]
Becky Lynch segment
Lynch entered. She pointed out a sign from a young fan who wanted to be her prom date in 2034. Lynch said the road to WrestleMania has been confusing and unpredictable and she loved it. She has loved the business since she stepped into a wrestling ring for the first time at 15 years old.
She has been obsessed with it and that obsession has been great at times. She has traveled the world and that obsession was why a girl who once failed gym class main evented WrestleMania. The obsession is how she met her husband and why she has a daughter.
However, the obsession is also why she has missed birthdays, weddings and her own fatherâs funeral (she choked up there). Her daughter was only three years old but she already had to explain to her why her motherâs face was busted open, explain that she couldnât pick her up because she had a separated shoulder, and explain why her dad wanted to fight Maui.
Lynch was going to the Elimination Chamber and her daughter would see her body bruised by steel but she would also see the brutality that her mother was capable of. Lynch was obsessed with getting her title back for the first time in two years and that started with the Chamber. That meant facing the most dominant champion weâve seen.
Lynch knew the fans loved Mami and that they didnât think anyone could beat her. But Lynch wasnât just anyone and Rhea Ripley hasnât faced anyone like her. Lynch grabbed a drink and had the fans raise their drinks in the air. She toasted to Ripley and suggested she enjoy her last few weeks as champion.
Nia Jax interrupted. The crowd told her that she sucked. Jax tried to act sincere and told Lynch that she respected her. Jax wouldâve been lucky if her mom was half the mother that Lynch was. Jax âchoked upâ and said she wanted to be a mother like Lynch one day. The crowd booed as she spoke. Jax knew that nothing would stop Lynch from winning the Chamber.
Jax got serious and said nothing would stop her from beating Ripley to win the title and Lynch would have to face her at Mania.
Ripley stormed out and tackled Jax. With Lynch leaning against the corner, Jax squashed Ripley into Lynch. Jax dropped Ripley with a right hand before Lynch sent Jax out of the ring with a missile dropkick. Jax tried to get back in but Ripley booted her. Ripley told Jax sheâd have to kill her.
Ripley and Lynch looked at each other as the segment ended.
********
Redmond interviewed Drew McIntyre. McIntyre said he has only tried to give the fans what they wanted. McIntyre pushing Rhodes in the right direction was the real reason he was going after Reigns. McIntyre called Rollins selfish, while Rhodes should be thanking him.
McIntyre called himself the underdog. He had to beat AJ Styles, one of the best in the world, just to qualify for the Chamber. Now he had to win one of the most dangerous matches in WWE but he was trying to do things the right way, the Drew way.
McIntyre implored Rhodes to get out of their match next week because Rhodes didnât need this right now. McIntyre warned Rhodes he may not make it to WrestleMania, just like CM Punk.
********
Truth thanked DIY for saving him earlier. They mentioned that Miz called them and asked for their help. Truth never imagined being saved by âDX.â He made some DX references and thanked them.
Elimination Chamber qualifier: LA Knight defeated Ivar (w/Valhalla) (8:37)
They went to break 90 seconds into the match after Ivar squished Knight into the barricade. With Ivar on the top, Knight leaped to the top and hit an impressive superplex. Ivar responded with a powerslam for two, followed by a sit-out powerbomb for two. Knight hit a knee strike, body slam and elbow drop for two.
Knight was distracted by Valhalla which allowed Ivar to hit a spinning kick. Ivar went for the moonsault but Knight ducked and hit BFT for the pinfall win. Knight blew a kiss to Valhalla.
********
Zayn walked through the back and bumped into McIntyre. McIntyre warned Zayn to keep his name out of his mouth and his nose out of his business. Zayn responded, âYouâre in my way.â (A line meant more ways than one.) McIntyre politely stepped aside.
********
Raw next week in Anaheim, CA:
Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre
Gunther vs. Jey Uso for the Intercontinental Championship
DIY, R-Truth & Miz vs. Judgment Day
Last chance battle royal to qualify for the Womenâs Chamber
********
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell met with Pearce but were interrupted by Chelsea Green who wanted in the Chamber. Hartwell wanted in so she could get a chance to compete in front of her family. Green wanted a singles match to qualify and not a âloser battle royal.â Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark appeared. Baszler looked forward to tearing Green apart next week.
********
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Sami Zayn (17:06)
They went to break 90 seconds into the match after Zayn chucked Nakamura out of the ring. Zayn was on offence after the break but Nakamura took control with strikes. Zayn countered a reverse exploder and hit a Michinoku Driver for two. Zayn hit a flip dive and they went to break again, less than nine minutes into the match.
Nakamura was in control after the break but they didnât show us how that happened. The crowd got into it as they exchanged strikes and the match picked up from here. Nakamura blocked Zaynâs Blue Thunder Bomb for a second time and hit an enziguri. Zayn ducked a Kinshasa and hit the Blue Thunder Bomb for two.
Nakamura went outside to avoid a Helluva Kick. Zayn went for his dive-through-the-ropes tornado DDT but Nakamura saw it coming and kicked him in the face. Nakamura responded with a stomp off the ropes for two, followed by a knee off the ropes for two. Zayn fired back with a clothesline and smacked Nakamura repeatedly before hitting an exploder in the corner.
Zayn set up for Helluva Kick but decided to turn his back on his opponent upon seeing McIntyre run down to ringside. Nakamura kicked Zayn in the back of the leg and hit a Kinshasa from behind for the pinfall win.
â McIntyre and Nakamura attacked Zayn so Rhodes ran out to make the save. Rhodes gave McIntyre a Cody Cutter and laid out Nakamura with a Cross Rhodes.
(I really donât think Zayn has to lose every match to tell a story that he needs to come from behind and he certainly didnât need to lose to Nakamura here.)
Ludwig Kaiser and Kofi Kingston went to a double count-out on the January 8 episode of Raw. The segment ended with Kaiser throwing a chair at Kingston’s head and dropkicking him into the steel steps, putting him out of action for a week. Kaiser then got disqualified in a singles match against Xavier Woods on last week’s show.
Tonight’s Raw takes place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. 8537 tickets have been distributed to the show, according to WrestleTix.
WWE Raw lineup for Monday, January 22, 2024:
CM Punk & Cody Rhodes face-to-face
Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre
Chad Gable vs. Ivar
Ivy Nile vs. Valhalla
The Miz vs. Dominik Mysterio
Imperium (Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser) vs. New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston
Seth Rollins will kick off Raw and address his future as World Heavyweight Champion
Two matches have been added to the lineup for tonight’s WWE Raw.
Adam Pearce announced via social media on Monday that New Day will wrestle Judgment Day in tag team action on the show.
Pearce also revealed a new number-one contender to Rhea Ripley’s World Women’s Championship will be determined tonight in a battle royal.
“Two huge announcements. First, in a tag team encounter, New Day, Judgment Day settling their score. And, for an opportunity to face Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World title, a women’s battle royal,” Pearce says in the video.
Tonight’s Raw will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
WWE Raw November 6 lineup:
The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Judgment Day
Battle royal to determine number one contender to World Women’s Championship
Intercontinental Championship number one contender’s match: Ricochet vs. The Miz vs. “Big” Bronson Reed vs. Ivar
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Akira Tozawa
đ¨ đ¨ đ¨ @ScrapDaddyAP announces a MASSIVE Tag Team Match PLUS a No. 1 Contenders Women's Battle Royal for TONIGHT on #WWERaw!
The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods returned to action on Monday’s WWE Raw after being sidelined for months due to a Kingston injury.
Kingston & Woods defeated Erik & Ivar of The Viking Raiders in their return to the ring on Monday’s Raw episode, with Woods pinning Ivar after a Limit Break to secure the victory.
Kingston suffered an ankle injury on the March 3, 2023 edition of SmackDown during an angle that involved Drew McIntyre hitting a flip dive on a group of wrestlers on the floor. The injury was such that Kingston required surgery to repair it two weeks later.
Woods continued to wrestle as a single in the first two months of Kingston’s injury absence, including challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship on the April 21 SmackDown. Prior to Monday, Woods last wrestled on a May 15 episode of Raw in a loss to Dominik Mysterio.
Kingston & Woods, along with fellow New Day member Big E, whose in-ring future is in question after suffering a broken neck on March 11, 2022, The New Day as a group have combined for a total of four Raw Tag Team title reigns, seven SmackDown Tag Team title reigns, and an NXT Tag Team title reign.
In addition, Kingston and Big E are former WWE Champions and former Intercontinental Champions, Kingston a former United States Champion, and Woods won the 2021 King of the Ring tournament among many career accolades.
Though it’s been more than two months since they’ve had any presence on WWE television, The New Day will be back “in due time.”
Xavier Woods gave an update on his status while appearing on Superstar Crossover with Josh Martinez. When asked where he’s been, Woods said he’s been focused on things outside of the ring over the last couple of months. Woods promised that he and Kofi Kingston will be back in due time.
Kingston has been out of action since undergoing ankle surgery this March. Kingston said last month that he’s been ahead of schedule for the most part and hopes to be back in the ring sooner than later.
New Day joined the Raw roster in the 2023 WWE Draft. After that, Woods was involved in a feud with Dominik Mysterio.
Woods told Superstar Crossover:
So Kofi had ankle surgery, right? So during that draft, came over to Raw, had some matches with Dom. And then, Iâve been just getting big at home, dude. Iâve been getting huge. Iâve been doing Dungeons & Dragons appearances. Weâre doing USFL appearances. And thatâs the interesting thing, so we havenât been on TV in a minute, like a month, two months? Maybe. But the thing that people donât see is all the stuff that we do outside of the ring and we have been working relentlessly on so many other things. And so weâll be back in due time. Weâll be back in due time.
If you look at wrestling, the landscape has changed and I love when it changes because it comes at like a slow pace and then all of a sudden, you see all these faces are faces that have only been there for like six months or a year or year-and-a-half. And thatâs whatâs kind of happening right now. So many people are filtering in. And so as people filter in and they get established and the crowd gets to know who they are, then all of a sudden, New Day, weâre back on the attack.
New Day’s Big E told WWE After the Bell earlier this month that he “feels great” in his recovery from a broken neck but still has no timetable for an in-ring return. Big E suffered the broken neck in March 2022.
Woods’ full interview on Superstar Crossover is available to watch below:
