Match Ratings For WWE Raw 1/6/20 From Sean Ross Sapp

Lesnar Rumbles

• Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come out and speculate who will challenge Brock Lesnar.
• Heyman implies that nobody is challenging Lesnar. I don’t know if that’s putting his spin on it, but it’s weird to say nobody would challenge Brock when he’s lost to Rollins twice last year.
• Heyman announces that Brock Lesnar is entering the WWE Royal Rumble match, and will be the #1 entry.
• I’m all for Lesnar in the Rumble, and no the title isn’t on the line. However, Brock Lesnar has not needed the WWE Championship at all for anything he’s done since winning it.

WWE United States Championship
Andrade (c) (w/ Zelina) defeated Rey Mysterio
6.75/10

• Andrade holds on to a body scissors/victory roll from Rey over the ropes, but gets sent into the stairs. This spot was a little too ambitious.
• An Andrade catch into a Rey spinning DDT is great.
• Bless you based Mysterio for not doing the dumbest spot in WWE.
• Rey does a sunset flip over the ropes outside, that Andrade follows up on and does a Meteora.
• Rey gets the pin, but Zelina puts Andrade’s foot on the ropes.
• The match gets restarted after the commercial. Rey gets an awesome huracanrana into the barricade, then a Code Red inside the ring.
• Rey and Andrade just casually decided to go out and have 274 awesome matches with each other over the last year or so.
• Mysterio hits the 619, but Zelina pulls Andrade out.
• Mysterio is run into Zelina and thrown into the stairs. Rey rolls out of the ring to check on Zelina.
• He returns to the ring and gets DDT’d. It seems like the placement of the finish was odd.
• Andrade unmasks Rey Mysterio. who gets covered with a towel.
• Backstage a maskless Rey beats Andrade’s ass and takes his mask back. This was good besides the camera work.

WWE Raw Tag Team Championships
Viking Raiders (c) defeated The OC and Street Profits
5.5/10

• There’s a floor routine between Ivar and Montez that I could live without. Montez then gets worked over.
• Montez is hit with the Viking Experience, but it gets broken up and we go to a commercial.
• Chants for the Street Profits, which is impressive with Viking Raiders in the ring.
• Ivar’s hot tag changes that.
• Frog Splash hits on Erik, and Anderson tries to steal the pin, but it’s broken up.
• Huge tope con hilo from Montez.
• Powerbomb and big splash win it for Viking Raiders

Becky Lynch

• Having babyfaces throw to video packages is so cheesy
• Asuka comes out and talks trash to Becky Lynch in Japanese.
• She gets smacked pretty effectively, and that’s that.

Erick Rowan crushes a jobber
SQUASH

• Mojo Rawley asks to see what is in Erick Rowan’s crate. Rowan says he’ll let him if he keeps it a secret. Mojo flips out and leaves.
• Rowan crushes a jobber. Afterwards he shoves the jobbers face in and there’s a red substance all over his face.
• The Sam Roberts looking jobber runs away.

AJ Styles defeated Akira Tozawa
SQUASH

• We see a video of Orton hitting Styles with an RKO, that match is set for next week.
• Styles vs. Tozawa? Sweet.
• Oh, Phenomenal Forearm right away.
• A draping DDT and RKO win it for Styles.
• A fan hits the ring after the match.

Lana Lashley Wedding II

• The wedding official from last week gets tackled by security trying to get in the ring. What the hell?
• Lana and Lashley are out and have an emergency wedding.
• They’re still not happy with everything.
• Rusev is in front of a green screen saying he’s on the beach for his own honeymoon.
• Rusev plays a greatest hits of the wedding last week.
• Bobby Lashley says he’s going to rip Rusev’s balls out and stuff them down his throat. Rusev says next week the Bulgarian Brute is back.
• Liv Morgan interrupts R-Truth’s interview, and says she’ll be in Rusev’s corner next week.

Charlotte And Sarah

• Sarah Logan and Charlotte Flair are going right at each other, into the barricade and over it. Logan has a look we haven’t really seen her with on Raw. Going the full hunter route.
• Glad to see they remembered she existed. It’s like they waited until they were sure Liv was doing something else before giving Logan anything to do.
• Logan destroys Charlotte’s robe. Charlotte hits a hilarious spear.
• Charlotte Flair beats Logan’s ass outside the ring and they brawl a little more.
• I’m all for this. They have to put other women over and at least have them involved in something.

Drew McIntyre defeated No Way Jose
SQUASH

• Drew kicks No Way Jose and beats up a member of the Conga Line.
• Back in the ring he finishes off No Way Jose.
• He throws Jose out onto the Conga Line.
• Drew McIntyre has the crowd ALL BEHIND HIM for another Claymore. I mean big time.
• Drew enters the Royal Rumble because he’s never got a title shot. Why didn’t he just challenge Brock?
• McIntyre is VERY over right now. This is the most charisma I’ve seen out of him, and it’s star level. He hit the Claymore, held the mic and kipped up to keep the promo going.

Aleister Black defeated Shelton Benjamin
4.75/10

• There are some really good strikes here, but I’m not buying Black outwrestling Benjamin.
• Black Mass wins it.
• Buddy Murphy attacks from behind. I wouldn’t have went about it this way. Murphy should be frustrated, but there should be some deep story in him working to get another match with Black.
• He mocks Black to end the segment.
• I really wish they’d sit on Murphy vs. Black III for a little bit.

Big Show, Kevin Owens & Samoa Joe defeated Seth Rollins & AOP via DQ
5/10

• Kevin Owens is backstage and says the enemy of his enemy is his friend. Samoa Joe says he’d prideful, not dumb and challenges AOP and Seth Rollins. He won’t tell Owens who he’s brought with him. Later, Joe shows him and Owens is happy.
• Big Show is revealed as the third man. There are “we want Big Show” chants.
• Kevin Owens is getting worked over.
• Big Show’s hot tag happens, but Rollins halts it with a steel chair.
• We get way too many goddamn camera cuts after this.
• Seth Rollins gets knocked out by Big Show, and AOP drag him out by his wrists. Hilarious image.
• A FIST FIGHT with these six is next week.
• Did…..they want us to think they immediately booked that match between 10:59 and 11:00?

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 that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!