This week’s episode comes in live from the KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY. This is the go-home episode week for both WWE SmackDown Live and RAW.
Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley are in the ring to start things off, to address all the superstars involved in matches at Survivor Series. Foley says that all the superstars need to find a method for them to co-exist and help RAW win this Sunday, or else there would be some serious changes. (So, more brand transfers?) They make a few matches, a six man tag team match between Seth Rollins, Chris Jericho and Brawn Strowman against the New Day. The match up next is Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns against the unlikely team of Cesaro and Sheamus. (Wasn’t Roman supposed to be the number one contender for Owens’ title? Well, we’ll confirm it tonight)
Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens vs Sheamus and Cesaro: Reigns and Cesaro start things off, with Cesaro gaining the upper hand till Reigns connects with a flying clothesline. Reigns tries to tag Owens in, but he coolly walks away (Ha!). Cesaro hits a splash on Reigns in the corner and quickly tags in Sheamus. Cesaro shoves Reigns into a shoulder block from Sheamus, only for a two count.
Sheamus and Cesaro eventually start arguing, (come on, this is getting old now!). Cesaro connects with a flying suicide dive onto both Reigns and Owens. Owens tags himself in and hits Cesaro with a tornado DDT for a two count. Reigns and Sheamus tag themselves in for their respective teams and hit clotheslines on each other.
Reigns calls for the superman punch, but Owens tags himself in. Sheamus connects with the big boot on Owens, and Reigns connects with the super man punch on Sheamus. Reigns drags Owens on top of Sheamus for the pin. More like a moral victory for Owens, a win for the two members of team RAW. A good start!
Backstage, Jericho is giving a pep talk to both Rollins and Strowman. (Weren’t Rollins and Jericho supposed to be hating on each other?).
Jericho plays the ‘mature guy’ and says that they have to put last week’s events in the past and focus on the upcoming match. Jericho claims that he is going to unify both Strowman and Rollins as a team. Jericho gives them a ‘gift’ each. They open the boxes to find ‘scarfs of Jericho’. Strowman looks at his box and says he wants the one that Jericho is wearing and not the one in the box. Jericho, taken aback says it’s a 750$ worth scarf, but will give it to Strowman if he promises to keep the unity alive. Jericho hands over the scarf to Strowman, but he rips it apart. Strowman says he does not like scarves nor does he like Jericho. Wait, no list of Jericho here?
Sami Zayn vs Bo Dallas: Zayn should win this, else he would face ‘serious changes’ in the words of Mick Foley. Dallas gets lots of offense early on and connects with boots to the corner. Dallas follows it up with a clothesline and knee strikes. Zayn retaliates with a T-bone suplex and follows it up with a big boot for the win. Thank goodness!
After the match, Saxton interviews Zayn, about his match against Ziggler at Survivor Series. Zayn says irrespective of whether he has to face the Miz of Ziggler, he is hell bent on bringing back the Intercontinental Championship back to RAW.
Chris Jericho, Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman vs the New Day: Jericho insists that he is the leader of the team and that he would be the one to start things off. New Day gets offense on Jericho, prompting Rollins to laugh at Jericho. Jericho slaps Rollins on the chest to tag him in (Ouch!). Rollins goes back and forth with Woods, connects with the Sting Blade only for a two count. Jericho immediately tags himself in, but Woods drops him with the Honor Roll and tags Big E in. Big E connects with a power slam and tags in Kofi. Jericho, meanwhile tags in Strowman, who gets in Jericho’s face. He slams Kofi.
Rollins tags himself in here. Kofi comes back with a flying knee. Strowman tags himself in and misses a spear attempt in the corner. Jericho and Xavier tag themselves in for the match. Woods connects with a tornado DDT and goes for the pin. Strowman breaks up the pin. Big E hits a clothesline on Strowman, sending him to the outside and Kofi hits a suicide dive onto Strowman. Strowman however catches Kofi mid-air and slams him. He drops Big E with a clothesline. Xavier connects with knees to the face of Strowman, only to walk into a knee from Rollins. Jericho tags himself in, again and tries to lock in the walls of Jericho but Woods is able to get out. Jericho kicks Woods on the head, and tags in Strowman, who hits a running power slam for the win.
After the match, Rollins hits a pedigree on Jericho for the win. (Now, that’s what am talking about! Continue and build the feud!)
Mick Foley and Stephanie McMahon are discussing about how well RAW has been thus far, only to be interrupted by the advocate of the beast incarnate, Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman. Stephanie mockingly asks him how he is feeling after being speared by Goldberg. Heyman retorts by saying that it only hurts when he breathes. However, he is not going to be the one facing Goldberg this Sunday. Heyman mockingly tells Stephanie that the word in the locker room is that the team for SmackDown Live is looking very strong.
Brian Kendrick vs Sin Cara: This is a continuation from a backstage event, where Kendrick tried to call himself the leader of the cruiser weight division, only to be interrupted by Sin Cara. The two had to be separated by security. Kendrick attacks Cara from behind before the bell rings. The referee gives Cara a moment to recover. Kendrick is in control of the opening moments of the match. Sin Cara connects with a northern lights suplex and a flying shoulder block through the ropes. Sin Cara goes for another move, but Kendrick avoids and throws Cara into the barricade.
Sin Cara comes back with a top rope suplex and a tilt-a-whirlwind back breaker for a two count. Sin Cara connects with a sit down power bomb for another two count. He follows it up with a spring board elbow on Kendrick for a two count. Sin Cara tries to hit a move from the top turnbuckle, but Kendrick is able to fiddle with Cara’s mask in a way that he can’t see. Kendrick pushes him down and locks in the Captain’s hook for the win.
Gallows and Anderson are talking backstage about their match with Enzo and Cass. Enzo and Cass warn them from turning against them at Survivor Series.
Now, the moment we have all been waiting for. The final showdown between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg. The ring is full of security. Brock and Heyman make their way out and Lesnar pushes his way through the security in the middle of the ring. Goldberg comes out next. Goldberg takes the mic and starts to talk, cutting off Heyman saying he has nothing to do with him and it’s all about him and Lesnar.
Goldberg says Heyman and the security should leave the ring so that he and Lesnar can get it on. Heyman adds that the security is for Goldberg’s protection and that Lesnar should be the only thing that should be on Goldberg’s mind.
Heyman runs down a list of people that Lesnar has defeated over the years. Goldberg interrupts and says he has beaten a lot of people, but he is not on the list and asks Heyman to take up the list and shove it up his ass. Heyman interrupts and says Goldberg is acting like the worst man alive and that he should think of his family.
Goldberg says next time Heyman mention his family, he is going to rip Heyman’s head apart and feed it to Lesnar. Heyman apologizes and comes up with an offer for Goldberg. He says Goldberg can back away right now and Heyman can find a replacement for him. The final nail in the coffin is when Heyman says that Lesnar is going to destroy Goldberg to the extent that Goldberg’s son will call Lesnar as dad.
Lesnar lays out a couple of security guards. Goldberg lays out the security and rips his shirt off. Lesnar too follows suit and rips his shirt off and it appears that he is warming up to face Goldberg. He teases getting into the ring, but backs off and walks up the ramp with Heyman.
- Updated card for the WWE Royal Rumble pay per view - January 28, 2017
- WWE SmackDown Results – 01/24/2017 - January 26, 2017
- WWE RAW Results – 01/23/2017 - January 24, 2017
