Monday Night
RAW
Corey Graves & Kevin Patrick welcomed the WWE Universe to the first RAW of 2023.
In ring Segment
The current WWE RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair(c) made her way down to the ring to cut a promo, in which she talked about how she wanted to continue to be a fighting champion and welcomes any and all challenges for her title. She was interrupted by the arrival of Cora Jade who told her to do two things first shut up and second to back up her words which earned her a slap from Belair who agreed to the match for later in the night.
Commercial
Match 1: Judgment Day w Finn Balor & Rhea Ripley V Chase U w Thea Hail
Hudson and Chase were able to hold their own against the duo of Damian Priest and Dominick Mysterio, well that was until Rhea Ripley caused a distraction at ringside by laying Thea Hail out. Which proved successful as it distracted both Chase and Hudson which allowed Mysterio to dropkick Hudson into Chase on the apron and then rolled the former up from behind.
Winners: Judgment Day
Commercial
Backstage Segment
WWE United States Champion Austin Theory was bragging out about how he was the greatest United States Champion in history. Which leads to him being confronted by Johnny Gargano who told him to put his money where his mouth is, but Theory just laughed and walked off.
Back to the Ring
Match 2: Nikki Cross V Liv Morgan
The resident “Twisted Sister” of WWE put an end with “You Only Liv Once” Liv Morgan with the Purge.
Winner: Nikki Cross
Commercial
RAW GM William Regal came out to the ring and cut a promo stating that the main event of the evening would be a mini rumble to determine a number contender to the WWE Universal Championship at the Rumble.
Commercial
Match 3: Akira Tozawa V Kushida V Shinsuke Nakamura
The three japanese talents tore the house down and the ending saw Nakamura hit the Kinshasa on Kushida who had Tozawa trapped in the Hoverboard Lock and pinned him.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Post-Match
Nakamura helped both men to their feet and shook hands as a sign of mutual respect from all three of them.
Commercial
Backstage Segment
The Bloodline in their locker room were talking amongst themselves then the “Tribal Chief” and current WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns told the other four members to listen up. First he was happy that the Uso’s were representing the group the right way as the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions, and gave Zayn props for doing them a solid back at Survivor Series. However it was a new year and he had tasks for both him and Sikoa, he wanted Zayn to win the battle royal and then lay down for him at the ppv while Sikoa should focus on claiming the WWE U.S Championship.
Back to the ring
Match 4: Damage Control w Bayley V Dana Brooke & Emma Dashwood
Kai tagged in Sky then laid Brooke out with the GTK while Sky knocked Dashwood off the apron. From here Sky climbed up to the top rope and hit the Over the Moonsault for the pin.
Winners: Damage Control
Commercial
Match 5: Donovan Dijak V Leo Hoyt and Matt Rivers
Dijak murdered both of the jobbers and pinned Rivers with the Feast Your Eyes.
Winner: Donovan Dijak
Commercial
Backstage Segment
RAW GM William Regal revealed that the battle royal would consist of WWE U.S Champion Austin Theory, Baron Corbin, Braun Strowman, Big E, Cameron Grimes, Cesaro, Finn Balor, Grayson Waller, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
Commercial
Main Event
Winner gets a WWE Universal Championship match at the Rumble
WWE U.S Champion Austin Theory V Baron Corbin V Braun Strowman V Cameron Grimes V Cesaro V Finn Balor V Grayson Waller V Johnny Gargano V Kevin Owens V Sami Zayn V Tommaso Ciampa
Theory trashed everyone but as soon as the bell rang Gargano hit him with a Superkick which sent him flying out of the ring.
Austin Theory is eliminated
Zayn and Owens brawled while everyone else teamed up and eliminated Corbin and Strowman who were brawling near the ropes.
Braun Strowman & Baron Corbin are eliminated
Ciampa hit Waller with the Fairy Tale Ending and then threw him out of the ring.
Grayson is eliminated
Cesaro clotheslined both Gargano and Ciampa out of the ring
Johnny Gargano is eliminated
Tommaso Ciampa is eliminated
The final five of the match were Cesaro, Cameron Grimes, Finn Balor, Kevin Owensa and Sami Zayn. Zayn poked Grimes in the eye and threw him out of the ring to score his first elimination of the match.
Cameron Grimes is eliminated
Balor kicked Cesaro below the belt and beat him down and then finished it by throwing him out of the ring.
Cesaro is eliminated
Owens laid both Zayn and Balor out with a Double Stunner and then focused on Balor who he picked up and threw out of the ring.
Finn Balor is eliminated
As Owens turned around Zayn cowered in front of him only for Solo Sikoa who was at ringside to enter the ring and kick Owens in the balls and threw him out of the ring then exited the squared circle before the ref noticed. The ref had been dealing with Cesaro and Balor who were at ringside.
Kevin Owens is eliminated
Winner & Number One Contender to the WWE Universal Championship: Sami Zayn
Post-Match
The rest of the Bloodline joined Zayn in the ring and celebrated his win but it was quite obvious that Zayn was conflicted.