The first episode of WWE Raw for 2020 is set to be a big one. Not only will there will be two different title matches on Raw tonight, but the 1/6/2020 Raw will also feature the long-awaited return of WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, who hasn't been seen on TV in weeks. With the Royal Rumble on the horizon, Lesnar's return is pretty significant, as we should get an idea of who he will be defending the title against at the pay-per-view.
Royal Rumble 2020 is set to take place on Sunday, January 26, though the card for the show has yet to really take shape. We know that Becky Lynch will be defending her Raw Women's Championship against Asuka, and we know that Charlotte Flair will be in the Women's Royal Rumble Match, but otherwise the red brand hasn't had much build-up for the show. Fans can expect that to change tonight.
As far as matches go, two have been announced for the 1/6/2020 Raw so far. The Viking Raiders will be defending their Raw Tag Team Championship against Street Profits and The OC in a triple threat match, with AJ Styles in The OC's corner. Plus, Andrade will defend the United States Championship against Rey Mysterio, which he won off Mysterio at a recent Madison Square Garden house show. WWE will be looking to kick the new year off with a bang, so it will be interesting to see if any titles change hands tonight.
Check back when WWE Raw starts live at 8pm ET/6pm PT for match results and more.
1. Brock Lesnar is Entering the Royal Rumble
Many expected Brock Lesnar's opponent for the Royal Rumble to be finalized on this episode of Raw, but Paul Heyman swerved us all with the reveal that Lesnar won't be defending his title at the pay-per-view. On the contrary, Lesnar will be competing in the Royal Rumble match itself, and more shockingly, he will be competing as the #1 entrant in the match. We didn't get any of the carnage that's usually associated with Lesnar showing up on Raw, but this was still a surprising twist and it will be interesting to see if Lesnar is able to win the Rumble, which would presumably culminate in a Champion vs. Champion match at WrestleMania.
2. United States Championship Match: Andrade (c) w/ Zelina Vega vs. Rey Mysterio
Winner: Andrade. The first Raw match of 2020 didn't disappoint. Rey Mysterio and Andrade put on a clinic here, with what was easily the best match between these two competitors yet. Andrade hit Mysterio with a Meteora on the floor, but Rey was able to counter much of Andrade's offense, sending him flying into the ringside barricade with a hurracanrana and smashing him into the ring post with a sunset flip powerbomb on the apron. There was a false finish where Mysterio appeared to win the US title back from Andrade, only for Zelina Vega to put his foot on the rope at the last second. The ref called for the bell, but then reversed his decision when he saw Andrade's foot on the rope.
The second half of the match saw Mysterio continue to mostly dominate Andrade, but Andrade was able to get the advantage back by throwing Mysterio into Zelina Vega. With WWE generally shying away from man on woman violence, this spot was surprising to see in the first match of Raw. Andrade then threw Mysterio into the steel steps and it may be that Mysterio is legitimately hurt. In the ring, Andrade set Mysterio up for his finish, but the referee pulled them apart. Mysterio then went outside and acted concerned about Zelina Vega before going back into the ring and taking Andrade's finish. It was a weird, botched ending that blemishes a match that was otherwise some of the best action one can expect to see from Raw.
Grade: A
3. Triple Threat Match for the Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Viking Raiders (c) vs. Street Profits vs. The OC
Winners: The Viking Raiders. Tag team segments have been dead these past few weeks, so it was nice to see the crowd actually get into this match. AJ Styles wasn't really involved in the proceedings, but that was fine because the match itself was pretty good throughout. There were some false finishes where it looked like The OC were going to pick up the win, but they actually ended up eating the pin after a powerbomb/top rope splash combo from The Viking Raiders.
Grade: B+
4. Becky Lynch Attacked Asuka
Becky Lynch cut a promo explaining that she was having some second thoughts about her challenge to Asuka. Asuka then interrupted Lynch and mocked her in the ring, but Becky attacked Asuka.
5. Erick Rowan vs. Local Competitor
Winner: Erick Rowan. This was a standard Erick Rowan squash match, but it was a little more interesting than usual because we got some advancement with the mystery of what Rowan is carrying around. After Rowan brutalized and defeated the local competitor, he took the poor kid to the outside and shoved his face into the kennel. We didn't get to see what's inside, but the jobber's face was covered in blood or some other strange liquid afterwards.
Grade: C+
6. AJ Styles vs. Akira Tozawa
Winner: AJ Styles. It's a shame to see Akira Tozawa relegated to squash matches, but oh well. AJ Styles mostly dominated this match, and he did so using some of Randy Orton's signature moves. Orton didn't do any run-ins or anything, which was a bit weird, but it seems like we won't be seeing Randy tonight.
Grade: C
7. Lana and Lashley Finished their Wedding
The 12/30/2019 Raw was supposed to feature the long-awaiting wedding ceremony of Lana and Bobby Lashley. This week, we got a quick ceremony so that the two could officially tie the knot. When that was done, Lashley issued a challenge for Rusev for next week's episode of Raw. Rusev then appeared on the Titantron, revealing himself to be on vacation on a beach somewhere, and accepted Lashley's challenge. Liv Morgan then appeared in a backstage interview segment a bit later, revealing that she would be in Rusev's corner on next week's episode of Raw.
8. Sarah Logan Ambushes Charlotte Flair
Sarah Logan attacked Charlotte Flair during her entrance, leading to a pretty physical brawl between the two. This included Logan stepping on Charlotte's robe, which didn't sit too well with The Queen. Charlotte got the last laugh in this altercation, standing tall over Logan by the end of it.
9. Drew McIntyre vs. No Way Jose
Winner: Drew McIntyre. Drew McIntyre attacked some of No Way Jose's dancing entourage both before and after the match. Otherwise, this was another squash match, with McIntyre easily defeating No Way Jose with the Future Shock DDT followed by the Claymore Kick. McIntyre continued to attack Jose after the match, while also cutting a promo that declared his entry into the Royal Rumble Match on January 26.
Grade: C
10. Aleister Black vs. Shelton Benjamin
Winner: Aleister Black. Yet another squash match on Raw. Poor Shelton Benjamin didn't take long to become enhancement talent since his return. In any case, Black made short work of him, finishing him off with the Black Mass. After the match, Black was attacked by Buddy Murphy, who brutalized Black with a steel chair and then mocked his cross-legged pose.
Grade: C
11. Six-Man Tag Team Match: Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and The Big Show vs. Seth Rollins and The Authors of Pain
Winners: Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, and The Big Show. All throughout the night, the mystery partner of Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe was teased. It turned out to be none other than The Big Show, and fans actually had a solid reaction to this surprise. Big Show hasn't been seen since November of 2018, so maybe enough time finally passed for his latest surprise return to actually have some impact. The match itself was fine, letting Show get in all his signature moves, but it ended in disqualification when Rollins attacked him with a steel chair. After the match, Show was able to hit Rollins with the WMD, though the Authors of Pain saved their leader from further harm.
Next week's episode of Raw will see Owens and Joe find another partner to help in their battle against Seth Rollins and The Authors of Pain. It will also feature AJ Styles versus Randy Orton, plus yet another showdown between Bobby Lashley and Rusev.