On December 23rd, 2024 WWE aired the 1,648th episode of Raw live in Boston, Massachusetts inside TD Garden & can watch it on USA Network (US) & SportsNet 360 (Canada)
Note: This review will be shorter then normal as it be the last few mins of the match.
-Kicking off this week’s Raw with footage aired from last week of Sami Zayn cutting off Drew McIntyre while he was approaching Seth Rollins from behind.
-Additional footage aired from Smackdown of Jimmy Uso beating McIntyre with a crutch.
-Drew McIntyre says he was never so beat up in his life after his Hell In A Cell Match against CM Punk. He says he went home to Scotland and while he hasn’t really talked about it publicly, only one person called to check on how he was doing physically in that time. He says he was led to believe that everyone in the back was family and they were all sisters and brothers. He says that Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso & Sami Zayn would all stab him in the back in a heartbeat. He says fans forgot about him instantly when he was gone, and says he won’t give anymore for anyone. He says he’s going to start taking, and the real villains in WWE are CM Punk & Roman Reigns. He says everyone who ever wronged him sleep with one eye open.
-Zayn’s music hits and he makes his way down to the ring. He tells McIntyre that he’s spent 22 years in the professional wrestling business and he’s experienced everything McIntyre has including all the sacrifices because it’s the life that they chose as WWE Superstars. He says they’re both lucky to be WWE Superstars and every person in the live crowd and watching at home have sacrifices of their own but still continue moving forward without blaming everyone else. He says just because McIntyre is mad, it doesn’t make it special and what he & The Usos do is not McIntyre’s business. He says if McIntyre wants to be mad about The Bloodline after all this time, that’s fine but he’ll be his problem and face him in the ring.
-McIntyre says it isn’t just anger and his anger comes from a place of pain. He says what Zayn just said is his truth but he doesn’t have the luxury of being with his family back in Scotland 24/7. He reminds Zayn that he’s never beaten him and Zayn admits that what McIntyre was true. He says while he could go home and celebrate the holidays with his family but he’d rather clock McIntyre and he does just that. He sets up for a Blue Thunder Bomb but McIntyre escapes and sets up for a Claymore. Jey Uso’s music hits and he makes down to provide Zayn with a helping hand before they clothesline McIntyre out of the ring.
-We get a recapped of Kairi Sane being taken out by Pure Fusion Collective last week.
-We then head backstage and see Pure Fusion Collective approach Adam Pearce. Sonya Deville asks to be Kairi Sane’s replacement in the Women’s Intercontinental Title Tournament but Pearce declines to give her the spot and informs her that he already gave it to Iyo Sky.
Quarter Final Match Women’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament
Alba Fyre vs. Iyo Sky vs. Natalya
Iyo Sky hits a kick to Natalya off the ring apron then connects with a springboard moonsault on her & Alba Fyre. She dumps Natalya back inside the ring and sets up for the Over The Moonsault.
Fyre prevents Sky from hitting the move but Sky fights her off and hits Over The Moonsault to Natalya for the win.
Winner: Iyo Sky (8:05) (She will face Lyra Valkyria in the Semi Finals)
-Inside the Judgment Day’s clubhouse, Finn Balor vented about how he should have 2 titles yet has none. Women’s Champion Liv Morgan told Raquel Rodriguez to tell Balor that she knew this would happen. Balor told JD McDonagh to tell Morgan that she has her own problems to worry about, namely Rhea Ripley. Morgan told Rodriguez to tell Balor that she was on his case because he lost the World Tag Team Titles.
-Dominik Mysterio interrupted and said he was going to ask Adam Pearce for a match against Damian Priest. After Mysterio left the room McDonagh wished for a week without drama while saying that it’s Christmas time.
-After the break we head backstage Sami Zayn told Jey Uso that he is happy Uso is cleared and had his back. Zayn said he talked a big game and now he has to back it up. Jey said Zayn isn’t 100% but Zayn was insistent. Jey said he had next and then they did their handshake.
-We get a video package that recapped the Raw on Netflix kickoff show.
Chad Gable vs. Akira Tozawa
Akira Tozawa then looks to land a senton on Chad Gable off the top rope but Gable gets his knees up.
He connects with a series of German suplexes.
He follows it up with a powerbomb and transitions into an Ankle Lock & Tozawa taps out.
Winner By Submission: Chad Gable
-After the match Gable keeps the Ankle Lock cinched in. Otis pulls Gable off Tozawa and dumps him across the ring but Creed Brothers join Gable inside the ring. American Made then retreat and slide to the outside.
-New Day were talking backstage when Dominik Mysterio walked into the picture. New Day thought Mysterio would sympathize with them. Mysterio said he doesn’t like Big E but what they did was crazy.
Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio
Damian Priest notices a Santa dressed up in the crowd and rips off his beard to reveal JD McDonagh.
He then discovers Carlito under the ring but Finn Balor blindsides him from behind causing the disqualification.
Winner By DQ: Damian Priest
-After the match Judgment Day continues to beat down Priest until World Tag Team Champions War Raiders’ music hits and they run down to the ring to even the odds. Priest superkicks Finn Balor in the ring and fires off stomps on him then stands tall with War Raiders in the ring.
-Footage aired of Jamie Redmond’s sit down interview with Seth Rollins that was listed as being recorded over the weekend. Redmond asked Rollins what the source of his disdain for CM Punk is. Rollins said he’s tried to explain it many times but he feels like he’s talking into the wind. Rollins said Punk needed WWE, WWE did not need Punk. He said the level of hypocrisy eats at him.
-Rollins said his match with Punk will be a fight. Rollins said it’s the biggest fight in the industry and he needs it now. He said he wanted to throw his remote control through his television when he saw Roman Reigns put his finger in the air while Punk did his GTS signal. Rollins said the match will be raw, visceral, and violent. Rollins said he needed to cut the cancer out of his brain. Redmond plugged Rollins vs. Punk for the Raw on Netflix debut on January 6th.
Dexter Lumis vs. The Miz
Dexter Lumis sends Miz crashing into the mat and ascends to the top rope but Authors of Pain appear at ringside.
Lumis flies to level them but Karrion Kross appears at ringside.
He clocks Lumis causing the disqualification.
Winner By DQ: Dexter Lumis
-After the match Scarlett joins the rest of The Final Testament and they surround Lumis in the ring until the rest of The Wyatt Sicks come to Lumis’ aid.
-Backstage Damian Priest told The War Raiders that he appreciated their help. Ivar said they haven’t always seen eye 2 eye but there’s always been honor amongst them. Erik said Priest had their backs last week and they owed him one this week. Priest said they’re at war with Judgment Day and he’d go to war with them.
-After the break the latest 0 with a slash through it symbol was shown along with a pentagon. This was followed by a Raw on Netflix logo.
-Joe Tessitore & Wade Barrett spoke at ringside about Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods turning on Big E. Footage aired of fans booing the New Day duo on a recent show. New Day showed up at ringside and confronted the broadcast team.
-Woods asked what happened to unbiased journalism. Kingston said their job isn’t to have an opinion, it’s to tell the truth. Woods said Barrett and Big E aren’t man enough to lace up their boots again.
-New Day entered the ring while the crowd booed them loudly. Kingston said it was supposed to be a homecoming for him. He pointed out that his mother flew all the way from Ghana and was seated in the front row. Kingston blamed the fans for ruining her experience.
-Woods said they gave the fans 10 of the best years of your lives. New Day went to ringside. Kingston apologized to his mother and said she didn’t deserve it. Kingston said he didn’t understand why the fans were doing this.
-Kingston asked his mother for a hug. Kingstons mother stood up and then asked what was wrong with him. Kingston’s mother grabs her coat and belongings and left the ringside area while Kingston called for her.
-After the break New Day were walking backstage when Rey Mysterio approached them. Woods asked if they were going to pile on too. Mysterio said no and said he thought about what Kingston told him last week and he apologized while saying he could have handled things better.
-Mysterio said what they did to Big E was out of pocket and foul. Mysterio suggested they apologize. Kingston said they wouldn’t apologize because they didn’t do anything wrong. Mysterio told them not to say he didn’t try. Mysterio said they are on their own He told them to get used to hearing New Day sucks.
Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn
Drew McIntyre sets up for Claymore Kick but Sami Zayn catches him with a clothesline and an Exploder.
He sets up for the Helluva Kick but his back gives out and McIntyre catches him with a Claymore for the win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
-After the match McIntyre rains down right hands on Zayn. Jey Uso’s music hits and he makes his way out taking down McIntyre with a spear and ascending to the top rope. Tama Tonga pushes him off as Jacob Fatu & Solo Sikoa join him in the ring. McIntyre heads up the ramp as The Bloodline continues beating down Jey in the ring. Fatu sets up for a hip attack on Jey but Jey moves out of the way and fires off right hands on Fatu.
-Sikoa connects with the Samoan Spike on Jey then looks to hit a 2nd one. Zayn grabs his hand before he can but Tama beats down Zayn in the corner. Fatu hits a Hip Attack to him and delivers a moonsault off the top rope. Fatu places the Ula Fala around Sikoa’s neck and The Bloodline stands tall holding up the 1 symbol to close out this week’s Raw.
Next Week’s Raw
Semi Final Match Women’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament
Dakota Kai vs. Zoey Stark
Semi Final Match Women’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament
Lyra Valkyria vs. Iyo Sky
Otis vs. Chad Gable
6 Man Tag Team Match
World Tag Team Champions War Raiders (Erik & Ivar) & Damian Priest vs. Judgement Day (JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio & Finn Balor)
Want to discuss wrestling further? Join our Discord community by clicking here!
If you enjoy Bodyslam’s content, you can help donate to the site here. You can also visit our PWTees store and buy Bodyslam official merchandise here.
You can listen to all of Bodyslam’s podcasts by following us on Spotify and subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Twitch, Apple, Google, or any of your favorite podcast platforms.
Follow us on Twitter: @BodyslamNet
