Drew McIntyre overpowered Keith Lee to retain the WWE Title, Randy Orton wreaked havoc on Raw Legends Night, and The Hurt Business suffered a number of setbacks.
Raw results: Jan. 4, 2021
The New Day def. The Miz & John Morrison
After The New Day staged a takeover of “Miz TV,” Teddy Long ceremoniously returned to grant a match between Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods and The Miz & John Morrison. Kingston & Woods were looking to bounce back from lost titles, and The A-Lister was looking to soar again as Mr. Money in the Bank. Kingston got The New Day rolling with acrobatics over the ropes, but Miz & Morrison dug into their bag of tricks to claw back. Amidst a frantic pace, Woods found his footing and landed a Shiny Wizard on Morrison to give The New Day a statement win to open Raw Legends Night.
AJ Styles def. Elias
AJ Styles and Elias reignited their rivalry after a grueling matchup last week, and the competitors came out throwing haymakers. Elias nearly secured a win after a vicious knee to The Phenomenal One, but a Styles Clash provided the final note in the duo’s second showdown. The biggest fireworks came after the match, as Jaxson Ryker attempted to smash a guitar but met Omos’ giant boot instead. The instrument shattered to smithereens, as the colossus stared daggers at the musical troupe.
Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce def. Charlotte Flair & Asuka – Non-Title Match
Lacey Evans & Peyton Royce continued to improve their chemistry, but the new tandem had their hands full once again with the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. The Sassy Southern Belle did her best to try and woo Ric Flair at ringside throughout the match, as Charlotte Flair took exception to the advances. Royce fought valiantly to stay alive in the match, but The Queen seemed poised to put the match away until "The Nature Boy" appeared to trip his daughter to set Royce up for the pin. Following the shocking conclusion, The Dirtiest Player in the Game earned a smooch from Evans but a stern talking to from his daughter to stay out of her business.
Riddle def. Bobby Lashley – Non-Title Match
The clash between Riddle and Bobby Lashley started as an absolute slugfest with the United States Champion dishing out most of the early punishment. The All Mighty paid homage to WWE Legend Ron Simmons with a Dominator in the center of the ring, and then it appeared Riddle tapped out from a Hurt Lock. As MVP argued with the official, The Original Bro rolled up the unsuspecting Lashley for a win.
Dana Brooke def. Shayna Baszler
Dana Brooke & Mandy Rose have shown they’ve been growing as a team, and Shayna Baszler found out the hard way. After The Queen of Spades crushed Mandy Rose on her walk to the ring, Dana Brooke slid in to step up to the challenge against Baszler. Brooke reversed for a roll-up win, but Baszler quickly responded with a Kirifuda Clutch after the bell in hopes of dishing out more pain. Rose was waiting in the wings and returned the favor to Baszler as the tandem stood tall in the ring.
Randy Orton def. Jeff Hardy
Randy Orton did all he could to live up to his Legend Killer reputation leading into the match, and that didn’t stop when he entered the squared circle. The Viper struck early against Jeff Hardy, but The Charismatic Enigma matched his opponent's sadistic streak with undeterred grit. A Whisper in the Wind resulted in a near-fall, but Orton rallied to deliver the three most dangerous letters in sports-entertainment to put down another WWE Legend.
Lucha House Party def. The Hurt Business – Non-Title Match
Gran Metalik & Lince Dorado were looking to deliver “Lucha Legends Night,” but The Hurt Business were out to bring more profits and pain to the red brand. Despite their talent, Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin couldn’t stay on the same page even as Raw Tag Team Champions and Dorado capitalized. The high-flyer Superkicked Benjamin and pulled off an acrobatic takedown. Lucha House Party went wild in victory, as MVP went off the handle in rage after a rough night for The Hurt Business.
Drew McIntyre def. Keith Lee – WWE Championship Match
The two heavyweights came out throwing haymakers, as Drew McIntyre and Keith Lee went to war on Raw Legends Night. Lee announced his golden intentions, as a running shoulder sent McIntyre flying over the barricade and nearly out of the WWE ThunderDome entirely. The fighting champion came charging back and put his own strength on display with an incredible toss of Lee across the ring. With WWE Legends watching in amazement, Lee nearly entered sports-entertainment lore with an earth-shattering Spanish Fly off the top rope. Fighting through bruised ribs, McIntyre reversed a Spirit Bomb at the last second and connected on a Claymore to remain WWE Champion in a classic bout. The WWE Champion’s night wasn’t over just yet, as Goldberg entered the ring and laid down a Royal Rumble challenge for McIntyre.
Drew McIntyre and Keith Lee to ring in new year with WWE Title clash
A clash of titans will usher in 2021 on the red brand, as Drew McIntyre will battle Keith Lee in a WWE Championship Match.
Lee earned the title opportunity last week on the red brand with a massive win over Sheamus. In a WWE Network exclusive interview, the larger than life Superstar guaranteed a victory over the King of Claymore Country. McIntyre has successfully kept AJ Styles and The Miz at bay in recent weeks, but Lee’s jaw-dropping mix of strength and technical prowess presents a new challenge for the new year.
Will the WWE Champion be hoisting gold once again on Monday Night? Or will Lee bring a new era to the red brand?
Don’t miss Raw at 8/7 C on the USA Network to see the colossal title showdown.
