00:00 CM Punk and Drew McIntyre clash on Raw! Roman Reigns WWE plans pulled!
00:06 And Pete's review of Monday Night Raw! I'm Oli Davis, and this is the WrestleTalk
00:11 News. Some people think I talk about CM Punk a bit
00:21 too much. That I obsess over his every Instagram story, and count the long, depressing nights
00:27 when I don't get to cover him on the WrestleTalk News. Well, it's been a whole 21 days since
00:31 I last led with a CM Punk story. December 19th, back when Dominic Mysterio trolled him
00:37 with an AEW botch clip. Do you know how hard that is for me? My Christmas was ruined!
00:42 So thank you Drew McIntyre, and whatever deep-rooted personal issues you have with Punk that you're
00:47 working through in a wrestling program. McIntyre has frequently name dropped Punk,
00:51 in a bad way, since Punk returned at November's Survivor Series. This led to their first in-ring
00:56 confrontation on the 8th January Raw, where Drew hinted at real backstage heat in their
01:02 past - from the seven years between 2007 and 2014, when they worked in WWE at the same
01:08 time. I'm one of the few people on this roster
01:11 that travelled the world with you for years. I know the real CM Punk. I've seen what
01:17 you're truly like, and I've had so many things happen to me, caused by you. Remember
01:22 you were champion and you used to refer to yourself as 'The Leader'? You would actually
01:27 walk into the locker room and say 'As the Locker Room Leader' because the leader has
01:31 to announce he's the bloody leader. 2010's Locker Room Leader Punk is 2024's
01:37 main event Jey Uso. Drew went on to say how, back then, he needed
01:40 a leader. He was just a kid with personal issues going on and a career in tailspin.
01:46 From Vince McMahon's Chosen One to a comedy act in 3MB.
01:50 I could've done with a real leader to tell me it was going to be ok to help me navigate
01:54 this place. But you saw me as a threat, and that was never going to happen.
02:01 McIntyre revealed he's spoken about this time since to Randy Orton, who admitted he
02:05 was wrestling with his own demons at the time. Punk, however, is straight edge, and should
02:10 have helped Drew. He doesn't have demons. He is the demon.
02:15 CM Punk still on as AEW's Devil confirmed. And at the start of the interview, McIntyre
02:20 also said that Punk "is costing a lot of people a lot of money the longer you stick
02:26 around." This appears to be a worked shoot, wrestling
02:30 parlance for a fictional storyline using real life motivation.
02:34 As under two months ago, Drew was storming out of WWE's last major 'premium live
02:39 event' allegedly because Punk turned up. Punk made his shock return to WWE at the end
02:45 of Survivor Series, following Drew's team's loss in the main eventing WarGames match.
02:50 PWInsider reported following the match, Drew stormed out of the ring, stormed into the
02:55 back, slammed his locker room door, thrown a hoodie, and immediately left the Allstate
03:01 Arena. This was corroborated by Fightful and Wrestling Observer Radio, with their sources
03:06 claiming Drew's anger was because Punk had returned to WWE.
03:10 Apparently, earlier that day, Drew "was very upset when he was told Punk would be
03:15 making his return, but as the night went on, he got less upset."
03:19 This was said to not be a work, like Seth Rollins having to be restrained while shouting
03:23 at Punk. Later, Fightful Select would add "Drew was legitimately upset, but about
03:28 things broader than CM Punk." But it could still be connected to corporate
03:33 money Punk, as Drew's other main story since the Summer is how he reportedly "still hasn't
03:38 re-signed with WWE" with his contract set to expire after WrestleMania.
03:44 Perhaps Drew's line about Punk costing "a lot of people a lot of money" is how Punk's
03:49 WWE return has affected his own spot, with Punk now almost certainly set to be Seth Rollins'
03:56 WrestleMania match. What do you think about Drew's Punk promo?
03:59 Let me know in the comments down below because I'll be replying to people FROM OUTTA NOWHERE.
04:04 Speaking of FROM OUTTA NOWHERE, Randy Orton is getting a future singles match FROM OUTTA
04:10 NOWHERE. Roman Reigns is set to defend his UU Championship
04:16 against AJ Styles, Randy Orton and LA Knight at the Royal Rumble.
04:20 But according to Dave Meltzer, the original plan was for a straight singles match between
04:24 Reigns and Orton, when some parties involved voiced concern about Randy losing a major
04:31 match so quickly after returning from injury. This is why Styles and Knight were added,
04:36 so WWE can build a bigger Orton vs Reigns match later down the line.
04:40 Hot tag to Pete with his review of Monday Night Raw.
04:44 And now it's time for my review of Monday Night Raw… in about 5 minutes.
04:48 This show started with Cody walking backstage and the commentators hyping his match against
04:52 Shinsuke Nakamura tonight. But no more time for that, Drew McIntyre was in the ring and
04:56 he had some things to say. As Oli covered earlier in the news, he called
04:59 out CM Punk and had a fiery back and forth with him, and it was excellent. Punk promised
05:03 to eliminate Drew last in the Rumble, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's exactly
05:07 what happens. I loved this way to start Raw, with no intro,
05:10 Drew being more important than it. I also very much enjoyed out the Punkverse, with
05:14 multiple people coming after him and casting his Rumble chances in doubt. A lot of the
05:18 people involved in this feel like real people with real motivations. It's not just Punk
05:23 and Seth, which I think is the plan for WrestleMania. It's Drew, it's Sami, it's Cody, all
05:27 these people who are vying for their shot in the Rumble. This year's Rumble feels
05:30 genuinely unpredictable, and I love that. Finn Balor faced Tommaso Ciampa next in a
05:35 very fun match. Ciampa cut a promo before the match as he and Gargano walked to gorilla
05:39 position which is great, I'm all for people cutting promos in different environments.
05:43 Damian Priest started to get involved in the match, so Gargano equalised, tripping Finn
05:47 as he went for a suplex, allowing Ciampa to roll up Finn for the win. Big thumbs up from
05:51 me. Becky Lynch backstage cut a promo hyping herself
05:54 back up after a loss to Nia Jax last week, saying that last time Jax broke her face,
05:58 this time Lynch got to pick herself back up and walk to the back, so she must be getting
06:02 stronger. It was a nice way to reheat Lynch after her loss and a solid promo.
06:06 Following Giovanni Vinci's unfortunate injury last week, WWE has certainly made the best
06:10 of a bad situation. Kofi Kingston faced Ludwig Kaiser this week in a really heated match.
06:15 The two fired hits on each other, hard shots and slaps, it was great. The match ended in
06:19 a double counter, which could be seen as a bad thing, but the pair got the crowd back
06:22 on side with a fantastic post-match brawl. The two were being pulled apart, but Kaiser
06:27 launched a commentary chair into Kingston's head, set him up on the steps and looked like
06:30 he was going to be pulled away, but ran the long way around the ring and dropkicked Kofi's
06:35 head into the steps in a great spot. Kaiser backstage cut a fiery promo saying that Kingston
06:39 took Vinci's head, so he took Kingston's. A great way to cap off a fantastic little
06:44 segment that made Kaiser look like a million bucks. I also want to give props to Michael
06:49 Cole in this segment, he genuinely elevated everything happening at ringside.
06:53 And speaking of Cole, he introduced Nia Jax in the ring next, who cut a great promo about
06:57 the possibility of her winning the Rumble, and she said the magic words and called out
07:01 Rhea Ripley. So out came Rhea, and it says a lot for how much last week's win over
07:05 Becky elevated Nia that I now want to see this match. Rhea warned Nia to not make an
07:10 enemy out of her and said to keep her name out of her mouth, and Nia said that when she
07:13 wins the Royal Rumble, she's going to pick Rhea.
07:16 This was another very effective segment, and built the Rumble match even more. Both Rumble
07:20 matches are getting a lot of build here, and there are loads of possibilities they can
07:23 take. I love it.
07:25 After a recap of Rock's return from last week, Cody Backstage was attacked by Shinsuke
07:28 Nakamura, and their match for later in the night was changed to a street fight.
07:31 Katana Chance and Kayden Carter defended their women's tag belts against Piper Niven and
07:35 Chelsea Green in another very fun match. It's crazy how much difference a hot crowd makes,
07:40 and that goes for the whole show, so thank you Portland, Oregon.
07:42 Piper Niven accidentally Vader Bombed Chelsea Green after she was switched out by Carter
07:46 and Chance, and they somehow didn't make it look convoluted. The champs retained. Thumbs
07:50 up.
07:51 R-Truth then had a video package about his lifelong dreams of joining Judgment Day. Now
07:54 I've been down on R-Truth's shenanigans in the past, but this was legitimately f***ing
07:59 hilarious. The dramatisation, the photoshopped images, Truth's performance, this was brilliant.
08:04 Judgment Day backstage had mixed reactions, with Priest finding it hilarious, and JD McDonough
08:08 being quite annoyed. They also spoke about all the enemies they've made with Drew,
08:12 Nia and DIY, and I really enjoy their platter of feuds laid out like this.
08:16 And on the subject of Judgment Day, The Miz faced JD McDonough next in a fine match, filled
08:20 with much R-Truth. The Miz won in the end with the Skull Crushing Finale. Seth Rollins
08:24 came out to the ring next, hyping himself up as still the champion, and says he's
08:28 never taken a title into WrestleMania. He asked the crowd who he'll face at Mania,
08:32 they chant CM Punk, Seth says "in his dreams". Tiny little moment, but it's all that's
08:37 needed to keep that plate spinning. And it's important to remember that that is the destination,
08:41 Punk vs. Seth, because Seth was then interrupted by Jinder Mahal of all people. Jinder said
08:46 that everyone has been overlooking him, including Seth, who hasn't given him a title shot
08:49 when he's a former WWE Champion. Seth said, yeah, he has been overlooking him. On purpose.
08:55 He dares Jinder to take a swing, and Jinder doesn't, only taking a cheap shot when Seth
08:59 turns around. They brawl, and next week it's going to be Seth vs. Jinder Mahal for the
09:03 world title. I didn't have that on my 2024 bingo card.
09:08 Shinsuke was backstage next getting ready for the main event, and with this and the
09:11 Judgment Day room, where did all the smoke come from?
09:14 Otis faced Ivar in a big meaty meat match ne-
09:17 Otis faced Ivar in a big meaty meat match men. Whoa. That's not words. That's not
09:22 the words that it's supposed to be.
09:24 Otis faced Ivar in a big meaty meat man match.
09:27 Otis faced Ivar in a big meaty meat man match next. That was the first take, I promise.
09:33 And at one point, Otis straight up caught Ivar off a dive and hit a World's Strongest
09:37 Slam. Like he actually caught him. A strong man, that Otis.
09:41 Ivar won the match with a moonsault, and both of these guys are awesome. Ivar looked amazing
09:46 coming out of this.
09:47 Jey Uso backstage was interrupted by Bronson Reed, who warns him to not get in his way
09:50 because both of them want singles gold in 2024. I like both of these men, and I want
09:54 them both to get singles gold. Yes please.
09:57 And then we had our main event of Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Cody Rhodes in a street fight.
10:00 Now this feud hasn't been perfect, there's been a lot of filler to get here, but this
10:04 match regardless was still so much fun. It was plunder heavy, kendo sticks, chairs, even
10:08 nunchucks. Shinsuke spat the mist into the timekeeper as Cody dodged, and Cody being
10:13 the babyface he is, got distracted trying to get help for him. He's so earnest and
10:17 good natured it's disgusting and it works.
10:20 Cody pulling out a table from under the ring I think got the biggest pop of the match after
10:24 the crowd had been chanting for it, and it played into the finish, where Shinsuke was
10:27 going for a kinshasa, Cody dodged and pushed Shinsuke through the table in the corner,
10:31 and then hit a crossroads for the victory. A nice win for Cody in an okay feud, helping
10:35 to build him up for the Rumble in just a couple of weeks.
10:37 Aside from a couple of segments that were just fine, I thought this Raw was a home run
10:42 show. Exciting from start to finish, great wrestling and moments, fantastic intrigue
10:46 and build to the Royal Rumble, which if it delivers on its hype, will be in contention
10:50 for PPV of 2024, and all round everyone on this show looked better coming out than when
10:55 they went in. This Raw, despite its very small floors, is a 5/5 show. And again, thank you
11:00 Portland for being an amazing crowd.
11:02 And let's continue that Royal Rumble hype, on PFK right now is a video of Luke running
11:06 down 13 pointless Royal Rumble facts, but they're also fun. Click the video on the
11:10 left to watch it now.
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