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On Saturday, Brock Lesnar became WWE champion after being inserted into a fatal five-way at the Day 1 pay-per-view. That was a result of Roman Reigns testing positive for COVID-19. Now an unexpected champion, Lesnar was in need of a challenger at the upcoming Royal Rumble event.
That challenger was determined during Raw on Monday night. The men originally scheduled for the Day 1 match — Big E, Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens — competed for the right to face Lesnar on Jan. 29. It was Lashley who emerged victorious, setting up a first-ever clash between two of WWE’s biggest powerhouses.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
The show opened with Paul Heyman welcoming his client, Brock Lesnar, to the ring with new WWE championship in hand. Lesnar said that he knew Roman Reigns was at home watching “the real champion,” before thanking Heyman for pulling strings to get him in the WWE championship match at Day 1. Heyman then confirmed that Lesnar would defend the title later in the month at Royal Rumble, facing the winner of the fatal four-way that would be taking place later in the night.
Bobby Lashley def. Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and Big E to earn a shot at the WWE championship. The match went from the ring to ringside and eventually through the crowd and into the upper concourse. Big E was put through the announce table but later put Owens through a merchandise table. Rollins and Owens worked together for much of the match, having already agreed that they’d help each other so that one could beat Lesnar at Royal Rumble and then they’d face each other in the main event of WrestleMania. Both kept to their word, not breaking pins by the other man. In the end, Lashley managed to hit spears on all three other men before pinning Owens to secure his title shot at the Royal Rumble. When asked for a comment after the match, Lesnar simply said to tell Roman Reigns that he’d see him at SmackDown on Friday.
Raw was, on the whole, a terrible show. That said, it opened and closed strong, with Lesnar and Heyman officially reunited and a chaotic four-way match. Interestingly, we are finally going to see the long-awaited showdown between Lesnar and Lashley. Reigns’ COVID diagnosis threw things into a bit of chaos between Day 1, Raw and Royal Rumble, but WWE seems to be making the best of it, even if Big E is ultimately the victim of some panicked booking decisions. Again, a terrible edition of Raw but with strong segments around the WWE championship and that’s what we’re grading here. Grade: B+
#WWEChampion @BrockLesnar knows he’ll be defending his title against @fightbobby at #RoyalRumble … but he plans to see @WWERomanReigns this Friday at #SmackDown?!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/DJjF1rKKik
“Tell @WWERomanReigns I’ll see him THIS FRIDAY on #SmackDown!”@BrockLesnar#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/hQ9ocXXPkd
GIF reactions ⤵️ https://t.co/paaPcP3XMP
IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!@BrockLesnar vs. @fightbobby FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER at the #RoyalRumble!#WWEChampionship#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/uANPFStSpK
SPEAR!!!!@fightbobby#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/FTjWtX0DlW
pic.twitter.com/8Cg2NdYWfl
😲😲😲
😲😲😲
😲😲😲@FightOwensFight#WWERaw#Fatal4Way pic.twitter.com/3QuficozZE
#NewYearsEvil pic.twitter.com/1GNezaMavh
.@FightOwensFight takes a trip to the merchandise stand in this #Fatal4Way on #WWERaw!@fightbobby pic.twitter.com/GIln6KMpAy
UH. OH.@fightbobby @WWEBigE#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/jQqVIQr2bz
Barricades, tables … EVERYTHING is getting broken in this high-stakes #Fatal4Way main event!#WWERaw @WWERollins @FightOwensFight @WWEBigE @fightbobby pic.twitter.com/QSdpxlHGC7
THEY DID IT!!!!!@FightOwensFight@WWERollins#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/YEf0Vu4W8m
OH BABY! HERE WE GO!@fightbobby#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/Coz2i420Xc
🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩
🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩
🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩@fightbobby @WWEBigE#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/0KVJlqamvF
See you soon @AJStylesOrg 🤣#WWERaw #WWENXT @WWENXT pic.twitter.com/OLWlIeKVmN
Who will challenge #WWEChampion @BrockLesnar at the #RoyalRumble?
Find out NOW on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/Mjl54nPWrL
Should @WWERollins & @FightOwensFight work together in this #Fatal4Way Match on #WWERaw? pic.twitter.com/MBLiz5F3Nt
I’M BACK and I’M NOT LETTING UP!
I earn MINES.
2022.
❗️Next MONDAY❗️
EST vs. LIV
…vs. Dou Dou🤔🤷🏽♀️🙄 https://t.co/I5nJCqCOdd
Starting off my 1st #WWERaw of the year by pinning another former world champion! In another title defense! Only a matter of time. 🤘#AndStill #LiveForever https://t.co/InE84oUmpu
GIF reactions ⤵️ https://t.co/eWxuIUI5Mn
NEXT WEEK@AlexaBliss_WWE‘s journey back to #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/5ekBUiy1Qf
GRIT COUPLE vs. IT COUPLE@EdgeRatedR & @TheBethPhoenix take on @mikethemiz & @MaryseMizanin at the #RoyalRumble!https://t.co/swmiE42oER pic.twitter.com/knvZb6BCmy
UP NEXT on #WWERaw
Who ya got? pic.twitter.com/vWzpLT6BrW
NO ONE’S COLOSSUS.@TheGiantOmos defeats @AJStylesOrg on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/yFuD58Xf0h
What should @AJStylesOrg try next?@TheGiantOmos#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/onWPkysZAJ
Can @AJStylesOrg SOMEHOW chop down @TheGiantOmos?! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/DyqskGYRDS
Phenomenal PUNISHMENT!@TheGiantOmos#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/33aUEqctmu
HERE WE GO!@AJStylesOrg vs. @TheGiantOmos RIGHT NOW on #WWERaw. pic.twitter.com/IGDS9Cnxbr
NEW YEAR , NEW TEAM.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/XWZcjPVQhI
UP NEXT on #WWERaw@AJStylesOrg vs. @TheGiantOmos pic.twitter.com/CXPylRMmip
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