Posted on 1/20/126 by Bob Magee
Show Recap —
Michael Cole announced a sold-out crowd in Belfast, which
hosts its first-ever WWE live broadcast.
CM Punk, Finn Bálor, Maxxine Dupri and Alpha Academy, El
Grande Americano and friends, and Penta, Dragon Lee and Rey
Mysterio were shown arriving at the arena. Bálor got a big
pop.
The show kicked off with a big fireworks display, which
doesn’t often happen.
Gunther opens Monday Night Raw in Belfast
They showed a replay of Gunther tapping on purpose last week
to escape AJ Styles’ submission and ultimately win the
match. Cole admitted it was a brilliant move.
Gunther entered and was booed and greeted with chants of,
“You tapped out.” He was in a good mood as usual lately, and
he told the fans to calm down.
Gunther said Styles made a mistake last week by being
singularly focused on trying to make him tap out, because he
was in the ring with the greatest wrestler in the company,
the greatest Intercontinental Champion ever, a two-time
World champion, the man who retired Goldberg, and the man
who made John Cena tap out.
His success would lead him straight back to the World title,
and he declared himself for the Royal Rumble.
AJ Styles entered to a huge reaction. Styles knew Gunther
wanted to move on, but Styles didn’t. Styles challenged him
to a rematch at the Royal Rumble. (The fans actually cheered
even though he didn’t make the challenge for tonight.)
Gunther said he would win the Rumble and didn’t plan on
pulling double duty. He said no.
Styles accused him of being scared. Styles said Gunter
didn’t beat him—he beat himself. Styles showed him mercy
when he should have ripped his leg off, but remember—Gunther
tapped out like a little bitch. Styles accused him of being
scared, and the crowd chanted, “Little bitch.”
Gunther said he proved he was the better and smarter
wrestler. There was no incentive to do it again, so his
answer was still no. The crowd kept chanting, so Gunther
returned to the ring. The fans called him a wanker.
Gunther had an idea. He would agree to a rematch only if
Styles put his career on the line. Gunther told him to think
if that was a hill he was willing to die on, but he wanted
an answer by the end of tonight.
********
Natalya approached Maxxine Durpi as she was warming up
backstage. Dupri was thrilled to see her. Natalya wanted to
be in Dupri’s corner against Becky Lynch, so we didn’t get a
replay of what happened last time. Dupri was happy to hear
it.
Becky Lynch entered. She cut a promo during a commercial
break. She was happy to be back and be reminded of why she
left. The weather and the food were awful. It was fine for
the locals, but she was rich and famous. Her stepfather was
actually from there, but he was smart enough to move to
Dublin.
She knew they were going through hard times, so she offered
to be their hero. Unlike Rory McIlroy, she wouldn’t lose on
the final hole. She was the greatest of all time, and
everyone was saying it, including America.
Intercontinental Championship match: Becky Lynch (c) vs.
Maxxine Dupri (w/ Natalya)
This was their fifth singles match against one another since
October. In fact, Lynch has not wrestled anyone else in a
singles match since August.
All three women (Natalya included) wore predominantly red
gear.
Dupri had the edge early on, but Lynch quickly took control
as they went to an early break. Dupri fired back after the
break with a clothesline, a boot, a corner splash, boots in
the corner, and a fisherman’s suplex. Dupri dropped her
straps and hit a big leg drop on Lynch’s back for a two
count.
They traded cradles after Dupri blocked a Man-handle Slam
before Lynch applied a Disarmer, but Dupri countered out of
it and applied an ankle lock. Lynch countered that into a
rollup for two. They battled on the ropes until Lynch hit a
superplex, followed by a DDT for two.
Lynch removed the top turnbuckle cover, but Dupri caught her
in a schoolboy for two. Dupri followed with a German suplex
and a flying crossbody, but Lynch countered her cover into a
cover of her own for two.
Dupri countered the Man-handle slam and (slowly) countered
into an ankle lock. Lynch kicked Dupri toward the corner,
but Dupri managed to avoid hitting the exposed buckle. Lynch
charged at Dupri, but Dupri moved, and Lynch bounced off the
exposed buckle.
Dupri hit a spinning heel kick (she missed completely,
actually) and made the cover, but Natalya placed Lynch’s
foot on the bottom rope to break up the cover. Dupri was
stunned.
Dupri went after Lynch, but Lynch caught her with the Man-
Handle Slam for the pinfall win.
— Natalya attacked and attacked and attacked Dupri after the
match, and placed her in a Sharpshooter. Dupri tapped before
a referee broke it up. They cut back to Cole for a moment
before cutting back to the ring because Natalya attacked
Dupri again.
Match result: Becky Lynch defeated Maxxine Dupri to retain
the Women’s Intercontinental Championship (11:34)
This match was ok. Dupri looked better than usual, at least
until the end. It helps that she’s been wrestling the same
person over and over again, but this was presumably the last
time, and she’ll have to wrestle someone else eventually.
The post-match didn’t get a ton of heat. The fans only care
somewhat about Dupri, and they cared even less about
Natalya.
********
Backstage, Adam Pearce told Styles to think strongly about
Gunther’s challenge. Styles said he would go speak to his
wife.
Paul Heyman approached Pearce, and Pearce reminded him that
Bron Breakker was suspended. Pearce told Heyman that The
Vision better be on their best behaviour tonight. Pearce
also told Heyman he would be out there for their six-man
match tonight, and Heyman wasn’t thrilled to hear it.
********
Cathy Kelley interviewed the Americanos during a break. El
Grande said Je’Von Evans’ luck would run out tonight against
the greatest luchador of all time. After the interview,
Kelley told the audience it was time for more action. She
was wrong.
There was a video package for the Punk vs. Bálor world title
match.
Judgment Day (minus Dominik and JD McDonagh) met backstage,
and they were excited about the possibility of them all
becoming champions. Liv Morgan admitted to Roxanne Perez
that she didn’t like her at first, but now they were
friends, and they would become tag team champions. Bálor
said they were on his island tonight, and he was not leaving
her without the title belt.
********
Jey Uso entered the crowd (no Jimmy Uso again). He and Jimmy
were still focused on the tag titles, but he excitedly
declared himself for the Royal Rumble. He planned on
becoming a back-to-back Rumble winner. He told Jimmy and
Trinity (Naomi) he loved them and issued a warning to the
locker room.
It was time for more talking. New Day and Grayson Waller
accosted Pearce backstage. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods
said they flew all the way over on MLK Day, their favourite
holiday, to challenge The Usos for the tag titles, but
instead, Jey was out there declaring himself for the Rumble.
Pearce told them they would be in a four-way next week to
determine the next challengers for the tag titles. Kingston
and Woods were pissed.
*******
The show’s second match started 55 minutes in, and about 20
minutes after the last match ended.
Six-man tag team match: Rey Mysterio, Penta & Dragon Lee vs.
Logan Paul, Bronson Reed & Austin Theory (w/ Paul Heyman)
Pearce sat ringside to watch the match.
Logan received a lot of heat. Mysterio got a big reaction
when he tagged in (Penta got a nice reaction too). There was
a cool dive spot to send us to break. Mysterio hit Paul with
an Asai moonsault while Penta and Dragon Lee simultaneously
wiped out Reed and Theory with flip dives. However, the
Vision took control during the break when Reed clotheslined
Dragon from the apron as Theory distracted the referee.
After a break, Dragon avoided a Reed leg drop, but Reed
knocked Mysterio and Penta off the apron before he could
even attempt a tag. Reed hit a powerslam, but Mysterio and
Penta broke up the cover. Dragon avoided a senton and Theory
tagged in, so Dragon gave him a hurricanrana and made a hot
tag to Mysterio.
Mysterio kicked Theory’s leg out of his leg before hitting a
hurricanrana and ten punches in the corner, but Theory
blocked a 619. Penta made a blind tag and hit a Penta
Driver, but Reed broke up the cover. Everyone traded moves,
and Mysterio tried a sliding dive to the outside, but Logan
caught him and bounced him off the barricade. Dragon and
Penta took out Logan with a double baseball slide.
Penta and Dragon knocked Reed out of the ring with
superkicks, and Dragon wiped out Reed with a dive. Theory
gave Penta a package neckbreaker for two.
Heyman went on the apron to distract the referee, so Pearce
yelled at him (which also distracted the referee). Pearce
showed the ref that Logan handed Theory brass knuckles, and
Pearce took them away. Heyman got too close to Pearce, so
Pearce backed him up the ramp.
After all the commotion, the brass knux were left on the
apron, so Mysterio grabbed them. Logan tried to warn the
ref, but that distraction allowed Mysterio to punch Theory.
Penta superkicked Logan and gave Theory a Canadian Destroyer
for the pinfall win. (So after all those angles, Theory took
the loss here.)
Match result: Penta, Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee defeated
Austin Theory, Bronson Reed & Logan Paul (15:02)
********
CM Punk interview
Jackie Redmond interviewed CM Punk backstage. Punk got a big
reaction, even if it may have been a little mixed. Redmond
asked how Punk would deal with facing Bálor in Ireland. Punk
said he would deal with it by being the best in the world.
He was playing an away game, but he wanted the game on his
stick in overtime. This pressure is what he wanted to prove
he was the best in the world, and not just in the United
States. The same pressure that made him the best in the
world would break Bálor.
********
There was a Martin Luther King Jr. Day video set to ‘Ain’t
No Better Time’ by Chris Pierce.
********
Kingston and Woods were interviewed in the crowd during a
break. Woods noted that Styles was the former tag champion
and wasn’t even trying to win the title back, while Jimmy
Uso, the current champion, wasn’t even there.
Heyman approached Pearce backstage. He said Pearce was the
best GM in Raw history, but we’ll miss him when he’s gone.
Pearce asked if that was a threat. Heyman said no, and he
left as Pearce took a phone call. (Heyman advised him to
take the call when he saw the phone.)
********
Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY / Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez segment
Ripley and Sky entered, and Ripley welcomed us to Monday
Night Rhiyo. Sky said they would show Morgan and Perez that
Rhiyo was always on top. Ripley announced that, after
retaining their titles, they would both enter the Royal
Rumble.
Morgan and Perez interrupted. Morgan warned Sky that Ripley
would turn on her. Morgan knew this because it happened to
her. Ripley would let her selfishness take over. Morgan
laughed because that wasn’t really her problem.
Perez announced that all three Judgment Day women would also
enter the Rumble, which meant one of them was headlining
WrestleMania.
Ripley laughed. She wondered how that would work (since they
can’t all win it — even though the same could be said about
her and Sky). Before she could elaborate, she was blindsided
by Raquel Rodriguez. The three Judgment Day women laid out
Ripley and Sky. Ripley tried fighting back, but Morgan laid
her out with Oblivion.
********
Bayley was talking to herself backstage when she was
approached by Lyra Valkyria. Valkyria said she was having a
hard time staying positive lately. She hated losing and felt
like she was letting her friend down. (It seemed like
Valkyria was being a downer on purpose to get Bayley to fire
up. It worked.)
Bayley got excited and psyched up Valkyria. She said the
Rumble was up next, which meant one of them could headline
WrestleMania. They were both excited about the possibility
of winning the Rumble, and Bayley gave Valkyria a big hug.
*******
Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano (w/ Bravo & Rayo
Americano)
Je’Von Evans may have gotten injured.
Evans hit a springboard clothesline ahead of a break. El
Grande stalled by posing around ringside. He finally got
back in the ring, but referee Jessika Carr held him off.
Evans wound up outside the ring after the break. He seemed
to favour his arm or shoulder, and he was checked by the
doctor. They called the match off and declared El Grande the
winner because Evans couldn’t continue. The doctor and Carr
walked with Evans to the back.
I went back and re-watched the match. There was a
miscommunication where El Grande headbutted Evans by
accident up high, seemingly on the shoulder, so that may
have been it. Evans continued briefly before the springboard
clothesline, which was the last physical spot.
Match result: El Grande Americano defeated Je’Von Evans via
medical stoppage (6:22)
********
Finn Bálor interview
Redmond interviewed Bálor backstage. Bálor said the
magnitude of tonight was not lost on him, but perhaps it was
lost on Punk. He respected that Punk was a fighting
champion, but he questioned Punk’s judgment. They were on
Bálor’s turf, on his island, in front of his people, and
tonight in Belfast, there would be a new Irish World
Heavyweight Champion. The crowd popped big for this.
********
There was a video package for Oba Femi.
Pearce approached The Vision backstage. Pearce told Heyman
he wanted Breakker on Raw next week. Heyman figured he was
lifting the suspension. Pearce said he wanted to speak to
Breakker face-to-face. Heyman said he would be doing the
same thing if he got the same phone call Pearce got earlier.
Pearce said it had nothing to do with the call—he just
wanted to talk to Breakker man-to-man. Heyman was dismissive
and told Pearce to be on his best behaviour. The Vision
left.
Styles approached Pearce next. Styles said his wife told him
exactly what he was thinking: kick Gunther’s ass. He
accepted Gunther’s challenge. Pearce made it official:
Styles vs. Gunther at the Rumble with Styles’ career on the
line.
********
An angry Asuka confronted Kairi Sane in the locker room.
Asuka said Sane embarrassed her last week. Sane lost their
titles, and she lost last week. This hurt almost as much as
Sky turning on her. Sane apologized and promised to ensure
Asuka would win the Rumble. Sane would do anything. Asuka
called her a good girl and said, “Don’t make me yell at you
again.”
********
World Heavyweight Championship match: CM Punk (c) vs. Finn
Bálor
Punk entered to a big reaction, and the fans sang his song.
They cut to break as he made his full entrance. Once he was
in the ring, he smiled while telling a fan to get in the
ring after he puts Bálor to sleep. He told the fan he would
kick him in the teeth and put him to sleep, too.
Bálor entered last and entered to his original theme song.
He got a huge reaction during the in-ring introductions.
Punk was cheered during his entrance but was booed during
intros.
This had a big-match feel to it, despite Bálor not having a
televised win since September.
They wrestled back-and-forth, and there were duelling chants
(louder for Bálor) until Punk nailed a suicide dive, sending
Bálor over the announce table. Punk posed on the announce
table to a chorus of boos as they went to break. Bálor
avoided a count-out, but Punk took control.
Punk hit a lifting knee strike and a bulldog after the break
for two. Bálor fought back, and they traded strikes until
Bálor hit a Pelé Kick. Bálor continued with chops, shots to
the midsection, and a headlock elbow drop for two.
Bálor set up for Coup de Grace, but Punk met him on the top
rope and hit a superplex. Before Punk could make a cover,
Bálor caught him in a small package for two. Punk fired
right back with a clothesline.
Bálor dumped Punk from the ring and hit a flip dive. Back in
the ring, Bálor hit a shotgun dropkick, but Punk dodged the
Coup de Grace. The crowd booed as Punk hit a GTS, but Bálor
kicked out, and the fans popped. Punk hit a few elbow drops
before applying the Anaconda Vice, but Bálor got a rope
break.
Bálor fought out of a GTS and followed with a slingblade,
two shotgun dropkicks, and a Coup de Grace for a nearfall.
Punk went for a GTS again, but Bálor countered into a rollup
for two.
Bálor went after Punk, but Punk used a single leg takedown,
rolled over to his feet and hit a GTS for the pinfall win.
Punk retains.
— Punk helped Bálor to his feet after the match. He had a
few words for Bálor before raising his hand. The fans
applauded. Punk hugged Bálor, who nodded at Punk before
leaving the ring.
Punk posed for the cheering fans as Bálor watched from
ringside.
Match result: CM Punk defeated Finn Bálor to retain the
World Heavyweight Championship (16:14)
This was a pretty good TV title match, though nothing you
need to go out of your way to see. It was laid out exactly
as you’d expect, and it never, ever, felt like Bálor would
win despite the crowd’s enthusiasm. It’s fine doing matches
like this on TV, but it would’ve been nice if they gave
Bálor more steam going into it. It’s not like they didn’t
know Belfast was on the calendar.