On Monday Jan 6th, Netflix and WWE enter a new era. Monday Night Raw debuts live at 8pm across all tiers of the network. The card is loaded. Lets take a look at the loaded lineup. I will also share my thoughts. We are starting to move rapidly toward the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season.
Drew McIntyre vs Jey Uso
Both of these guys are as hot as fish grease right now in WWE. I love the fact that the storytelling is grounded in reality. Uso felt a pull to help out his family, the OG Bloodline, over the past few months. McIntyre has not forgotten the carnage the OG Bloodline committed across both rosters for the better part of 3 years. That included costing him the WWE Universal Championship at last year’s Clash at the Castle.
This match ends in a DQ win for Uso. Kevin Owens interferes. He had a backstage run in with the Usos on Smackdown. That would lead to a Jimmy Uso run in. That gives us McIntyre and Owens vs the Usos at the Royal Rumble (assuming Owens loses to Rhodes at SNME). But WWE has had McIntyre running through the OG Bloodline on purpose to set up a future match with Reigns. McIntyre should win. But he wont. Jey losing will not affect his plans at WrestleMania (I think you will either see the Usos in a tag title match or a match between Sami Zayn and the Usos vs Jacob Fatu and the Tongas at WM)
Winner: Jey Uso via DQ
Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs CM Punk
I actually expect them to open Raw with Triple H, followed by this match to begin the festivities. This has been brewing for a decade and the promos between the two have been fire. Going into 2025, Punk needs the win more. I assume they will lean into the “Punk has never headlined a WrestleMania” storyline. That sets it up for Punk to get a title shot, either by winning the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber.
I’ve got Punk winning this one clean and a handshake of sorts between the two at the end. But this rivalry is far from over. One will turn heel between now and WrestleMania.
Winner: CM Punk
WWE Women’s World Championship – Liv Morgan vs Rhea Ripley
WWE has successfully allowed Morgan to carry the Women’s World title since King and Queen of the Ring. But I don’t expect her to enter WrestleMania as champion.
Remember how Morgan won the title? She beat none other than The Man Becky Lynch at the PLE, after “interference” from Dominic Mysterio. At the time it appeared to be an accident. Morgan retained the title in a rematch two days later on Raw after interference again from Mysterio.
Since then Morgan and Mysterio have attempted a successful coup takeover of The Judgement Day, butting heads with Finn Balor. This would be the perfect time for Becky Lynch to appear and cost Morgan the Championship. This would be payback to Morgan and Mysterio for making her lose the title in the first place. This would lead to Morgan, Lynch and Ripley battling up to a triple threat championship match at WrestleMania.
Winner: Rhea Ripley (New Champ)
John Cena and Logan Paul Return to WWE
Cena is scheduled to begin his farewell tour on Monday night. I expect him to come out and announce he will be entering the 2025 Royal Rumble. Cena is one win away from breaking the tie with Ric Flair. This would give him the record for most World Title reigns in history with 17. But will the WWE give him one more run? If they do, the path would start here. Logan Paul is scheduled to appear at Raw on Monday also, and I can see Paul interrupting Cena’s Royal Rumble announcement to challenge him for Saturday Night’s Main Event on Jan 25th on NBC/Peacock
New Day vs Rey Mysterio and Mystery Partner
New Day has turned full heel over the past month and they are getting HEAT from the WWE universe. Rey Mysterio helps debut new WWE signee Pentagon Jr. They win in a wild and quick match early in the card.
Winner: Mysterio and Penta Jr
Tribal Combat – Roman Reigns vs Solo Sikoa
The Winner of this matchup will become the holder of the fabled “Ula Fala” and true leader of the Bloodline. Its Tribal Combat folks. The last time we saw Tribal Combat was at WrestleMania. Everyone from Cena to Undertaker showed up to affect the ending.
A person that appeared in that Tribal Combat match was none other than The Rock. Rock put out a very interesting tweet on Sunday basically cementing his appearance at Raw on Monday. But in what capacity?
Besides having my three daughters, my Samoan High Chief Title, High Chief Seiuli is one of the greatest honor of my life.
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 5, 2025
I gave my word and made a commitment 20 years ago to his Highness High Chief Maleatoa Tunamafili II and to our people of Samoa, that I would “leave my boyish… pic.twitter.com/HekYyXoymR
Its the main event of the night. Its the first block in setting up WrestleMania. I think The Rock will interfere in this matchup. Solo will win but that’s not going to be the story here. Rock will help Solo win. Afterwards, he will ask Solo to give HIM the Ula Fala. This will make The Final Boss the leader of the new Bloodline. They will reveal The Rock has been behind it the entire year…ever since Reigns lost to Rhodes at WrestleMania.
Remember the crucial detail from last week’s Friday Night Smackdown. If Solo wins, Paul Heyman will rejoin him as his Wiseman. The Rock is returning. I think Heyman might turn on Reigns. He could side with the “High Chief” in the aftermath.
This kicks the story into overdrive. Rock challenges Cody Rhodes on the Raw after Saturday Night’s Main Event. He aims for a title shot at the Royal Rumble. Reigns enters the Rumble. Rock defeats Rhodes for the title. Reigns wins the Rumble by tossing McIntyre. The final four include Reigns, Cena, McIntyre, and Punk. We FINALLY get our Rock vs Roman main event. It’s for the title, for the Bloodline, and for everything at WrestleMania. Its a repeat of how they set up Cena vs Rock at WrestleMania 29.
Winner: Solo via interference from The Rock and Bloodline
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