Match Ratings For WWE Raw 1/28/19, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp Of Fightful.com

Opening segment

• Seth Rollins gets a gigantic pop for his entrance. The crowd chants “you deserve it” at him.
• Rollins says he promised he wasn’t going to point at the sign, but oh well.
• Triple H comes out and says he knows this is Rollins’ dream. He puts over Seth Rollins and says that Becky Lynch is going to make her Rumble decision tomorrow night.
• Triple H is giving Rollins until the end of the night to decide, because the machine moves fast and they have to move. Daniel Bryan and Brock Lesnar will both be here for the decision.
• Dean Ambrose comes out and says HHH and Rollins have a father-son dynamic that makes him sick, because HHH never believed in Rollins when they were driving around Florida.
• HHH and Ambrose are nose-to-nose, going back and forth about whose business it is. Ambrose says Rollins has never been able to beat him without Corporate Kane or J&J. He wants a match right now. 
• Ambrose gets in Triple H’s face and asks if he needs permission from his father-in-law first. “Yes he does,” chants before Triple H demands a referee.
• These chants are great. That Ambrose-Triple H interaction was great. That’s the best promo Ambrose has cut in ages.

Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose
5.75/10

• The action spills outside pretty quickly, where Rollins hits a clothesline off the barricade. Back in the ring, he misses a stomp. 
• Ambrose applies a nice STF before going to the kitchen sink knee. Later, Ambrose even employs a Glam Slam. 
• Back from a commercial to see them both on the turnbuckles. Rollins, still selling his ribs from last night’s announce table attack, hits a flying body press, a lame Slingblade and a suicide dive series. 
• Rollins misses a frog splash big time, but kicks out of the la majistral cradle.
• Rollins fires off a Buckle Bomb and telegraphs the Stomp, but hits it. Ambrose sells it masterfully. That’s a wrap. 

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Nia Jax & Tamina defeated Mickie James & Alexa Bliss
4.5/10

• Dean Ambrose has a chair and is on the microphone, but is interrupted by Nia Jax and Tamina.  Nia and Tamina get in Ambrose’s face, and Nia attacks him. Dean practically no sells it. 
• I am all for qualifying matches for Elimination Chamber.
• Alexa and Tamina isn’t a great exchange, but Alexa has added a little bit to her offense. She’s also added to the side of Mickie’s face when Nia runs into her. 
• Poor Alexa in this match in her second match back. She gets ragdolled and Nia shoves her ass in Bliss’ face.
• “RKO” chants at Nia.
• Bliss is the babyface in peril and goes through a second sunset flip spot. 
• Mickie gets the hot tag and a flying Thesz Press on Tamina, followed by a corner head scissors and a neckbreaker. 
• Nia gets tagged in and stacks Mickie and Alexa both up for a Samoan Drop and the win. The finish was good at least. I liked the heel vs. heel dynamic too.

Baron Corbin defeated Kurt Angle
5.25/10

• Kurt Angle is interviewed backstage about his time off.
• I thought Baron Corbin did a pretty good job setting the stage for underdog, old Kurt Angle.
• Angle eats a Bossman clothesline but hits rolling German Suplexes.
• Michael Cole is blaming terrible Raw ratings on Baron Corbin, which is kind of hilarious and frustrating. 
• Commentary is bitching and moaning about Corbin to a distracting level. 
• Angle applies an ankle lock, but Corbin gets out and hits a Deep Six for a win.
• Angle takes a pretty great End of Days after the match.

Balor and Bobby

• Finn Balor comes out and puts himself over for his losing performance against Brock Lesnar.
• Lashley and Lio Rush interrupt, and Lio says that Balor never should have even had the opportunity. 
• Lio says that Lashley is better, bigger, stronger, faster. Balor makes a joke about how long Lashley lasted in the Rumble.
• Lashley then kicks his ass and slams him repeatedly. 

The Revival defeated The Major Brothers
5.25/10

• I love the look back at Hawkins and Ryder’s former accomplishments. I also love these two being paired back together. They’re both really entertaining guys. 
• A dropkick suplex hits for the Revival. Shew boy that belly-to-back suplex from Scott Dawson is a good one. 
• Ryder counters a Wilder suplex with a neckbreaker.
• Curt Hawkins gets a hot tag and acts like he’s been waiting for two years to get his shit in.
• Well a Shatter Machine pushes his shit in. Quick win for Revival, but this was good. 
• I don’t much mind tag matches being short if they’re like that one was. To the point, action packed and fun. Advanced some things.

SPEND MY DAY WORKIN HARD ON THE GO

• For some reason Elias (while getting “Walk With Elias” chants) tries to go heel.
• He says the crowd should be on their feet, because they’re in the presence of greatness. They agree and chant “We’re not worthy.”
• Jeff Jarrett interrupts Elias yet again, as does Road Dogg to a giant pop. Road Dogg says if Elias wants to play songs for himself, he should play with himself on his own time.
• “Holy shit” chants that Road Dogg tells people not to do, and it makes it worse. 
• WWE is short on time for hour 3 and they’re performing a song from WWF The Album VOLUME 2.
• Elias beats them up with a guitar. Jarrett got some offense in, but it is to no avail.
• I’m shocked that Elias as a babyface didn’t work when they had him lose to Corbin twice in a row.

Backstage Crappenings

• Mojo Rawley cuts a promo on himself in a mirror. Mojo Rawley is legit one of the best actors in WWE

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Riott Squad (w/ Ruby Riott) defeated Natalya & Dana Brooke
4.5/10

• Dana tries to pep talk Natalya. Dana says Ember got hurt, but she’s better than Ember and Natalya both. 
• Dana Brooke clotheslines Liv Morgan into the apron.
• Sarah Logan pulls Brooke into the turnbuckle in a nasty spot.
• Riott Squad get an inverted powerbomb/flying facecrusher. 
• Riott grabs Natalya’s foot, and then gets knocked off the apron during a Sharpshooter on Liv.
• Dana is sent into Natalya, allowing Liv to roll the latter up.
• This had some time cut from it. Natalya isn’t happy with Dana after the match.

WWE Raw Women’s Championship
Ronda Rousey (c) defeated Bayley
6/10

• Ronda Rousey talks about her dreams, and gets booed. She’s not Becky.
• Bayley answers the open challenge. 
• Rousey immediately throws Bayley to the ground and moves to scarfhold.
• Rope hung stunner for Bayley, then Rousey’s knee gives out and there’s an awkward spot.
• Bayley song chants. In Phoenix. That’s cool.
• Bayley goes to work on the leg of Ronda Rousey.
• This is not a smooth match. This is called on the fly. Rousey gets a Superman elbow. 
• Bayley snags a kneebar out of nowhere for the spot of the match to this point off of a kick attempt. Rousey rolls out of it to the outside of the ring. 
• Bayley to Belly into the barricade before the commerical.
• Bayley slugs Rousey with a FILTHY flying elbow drop. That was a big one. She applies the Banks Statement, but Rousey gets out. 
• A super flying armbar from Rousey gets the tap. This was sloppy and on the fly, but ended up being fun.
• Ronda Rousey helps up Bayley and they shake hands. Bayley SHOULD have held her four fingers up right before Becky’s music hit.

The Man

• Becky Lynch comes out with a giant knee brace on, limping. 
• Becky says Ronda Rousey’s called herself the Baddest Woman On The Planet, but the last time she was on Raw Ronda got dropped backstage.
• Lynch challenges Rousey. She says she’s going to kick Ronda Rousey’s ass in front of the world. 
• Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship is set for WrestleMania 35.
• Ronda says she wants to beat the best version of Becky, and cuts a pretty lame promo about Nia breaking her face.
• Rousey talks about her accomplishments and talks about how she was on Mania while Becky was on the kickoff show. Rousey is pissed and throws down the mic. 

Braun Strowman defeated Drew McIntyre via DQ
5/10

• Braun Strowman sees Seth Rollins backstage and endorses him, saying that he earned the Rumble win. 
• Strowman tries to mow Drew down before the break but Drew chop blocks him.
• Braun scores a side slam and a clubbing blow to the chest of McIntyre.
• Drew posts Braun, but Braun arm whips Drew off the apron to the floor.
• Baron Corbin comes out and attacks Strowman before he can hit Drew with stairs. 
• Braun punches the chair and takes out Corbin. Strowman then mows down Drew….and Corbin again. 
• Braun is about to stomp Corbin out on stairs, but McIntyre flies out of nowhere with a Claymore. 
• I’d be fine with a Drew-Corbin team. If Drew isn’t getting a main event push, it’ll make Baron matches more interesting.

THE DECISION

• Daniel Bryan is backstage with Rowan and says he’ll end Rollins’ WrestleMania hopes tonight.
• Brock Lesnar’s music interrupts Seth Rollins’ intro. Heyman says Rollins needs to challenge Bryan.
• Rollins comes out and attacks Lesnar, but gets F5’d four times. A fifth hits on the title.

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5.The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!