[intro music playing]
[John Cena] Then.
[Ric Flair] Woooo!
-[glass shattering] -[The Rock] If you smell…
-[bell tolling] -[Cena] Now.
-[Triple H] The king of kings… -[Cena] You can't see me…
[Cena] Forever.
Together.
The holiday season.
♪ Hey, baby, I'm ready, ready ♪
I was told the show was here tonight,
but this… This does not look like Gorilla.
Yo, nah, nah. This got to be the place.
This is where all the TV magic happens.
-[gasps] TV magic? -Yeah.
Everything that happen within the year, it lives right here.
But, Dawkins, my eyes, they see nothing!
Yo, hold up, fam.
I think I know how to do this.
Check me out.
[Montez Ford] Wow!
Yeah! Yeah!
It's so amazing!
-Tez, you wanna tell 'em? -It's so amazing.
[both cheering and exclaiming]
Wait, wait, wait.
What? What? What?
What you're saying is, if we just think it, it'll pop up right here?
As long as we keep it PG. [chuckles]
Come on, man. You know I always keep it pretty good.
-That's what I'm talking about. -[clears throat] So, all of 2022.
-Right here. -At our fingertips.
Where do we even begin?
[upbeat music playing]
Oh, oh, oh. I know, I know.
How about one of the biggest returns of all time?
[Corey] This is surreal.
[Montez Ford] It's Cody Rhodes' return in front of 70,000 people
at WrestleMania.
Yo, what about when "The Baddest Woman on the Planet" Ronda Rousey
won the Royal Rumble?
[Corey] Ronda Rousey shocks the world once again.
Wait, Dawkins,
who could forget when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin came back
and wrestled his first match in 19 years?
[Corey] Stone Cold sharing a moment in front of the entire WWE Universe.
I love when Stone Cold walks around the ring, drinking his Steveweisers,
and flipping the--
[funky upbeat music playing]
Come on, man! PG!
They're going to be kicking us out, dawg. PG!
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That's on me, that's on me, that's on me.
I just couldn't contain my excitement like when Brock Lesnar
decided to do a bit of, uh, rearranging to ringside.
[Corey] This is one of the damnedest things I've ever seen in my life!
Although that wasn't very… Ucey.
Lately he just hasn't been very Ucey.
[crowd chanting] Ucey! Ucey! Ucey!
But you know who was Ucey?
Logan Paul when he took Roman Reigns to the limit.
[crowd cheering]
Oh, and Bray Wyatt came back.
We got white rabbits, and Bad Bunnies, and jackasses.
[Angelo Dawkins] We went to hell, we went to war,
we fought in the fight pit.
-[Montez Ford] Across the pond. -[Angelo Dawkins] We broke records.
[Montez Ford] We crowned champions.
-[Angelo Dawkins] With comebacks. -[Montez Ford] And redemptions.
[Angelo Dawkins] And betrayals.
[Montez Ford] And we had The Undertaker, and DX,
and Lita, and Goldberg, and Kurt Angle,
and John Cena, and then, and then, and then, and then…
Tez! Chill, fam.
We got a whole three hours.
We going to get to it all.
You're right, you're right. You know what?
In that case, let's not wait one second longer, partner.
And why is that, Tez?
Because this is RAW: The Absolute Best of 2022.
-And The Street Profits are up… -[both] …and we want the smoke!
♪ Greatness Yeah, it feels like greatness ♪
Hello, everybody, and happy holidays.
I'm your host, Jackie Redmond.
Absolutely thrilled to be alongside
the voice of Monday Night RAW, Corey Graves,
as we get set to take a little trip down memory lane.
'Tis the season, right?
This is RAW: The Absolute Best of 2022.
And, Corey, I'm not going to lie.
The Street Profits got me all kinds of fired up.
It's hard not to get fired up when you're talking about The Street Profits.
And just like Angelo and Montez promised, tonight, we are going to bring the smoke
as we relive the year that was in WWE alongside some extremely special guests,
including "The Scottish Warrior" Drew McIntyre,
"The EST of WWE" Bianca Belair, Cody Rhodes, and so many more.
And really, what better place to start this show
than with perhaps the greatest rivalry in WWE
over not just the past year, but maybe even the past decade?
You know what I'm talking about. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
Yes. Every time The Tribal Chief and The Beast step into a ring,
it's like watching two gladiators do battle in the Colosseum.
I'm talking epic displays of power and a symphony of carnage and destruction.
And at this year's SummerSlam,
with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line,
that symphony that you referred to
reached its crescendo in a Last Man Standing Match.
As Roman Reigns battled Brock Lesnar,
and let's just say The Beast didn't come unprepared.
[Cole] Listen, we've seen a lot of things at SummerSlam.
We saw the first-ever Boiler Room Brawl,
the first-ever Lion's Den Match, the first-ever Ring of Fire Match,
but I've never seen anyone drive a tractor to the damn ring,
unless it was those guys in the little lawnmowers.
[Corey] And The Tribal Chief is distraught.
Reigns is pacing around the ring, asking what the hell this is all about?
["Next Big Thing" playing]
I guess, under Last Man Standing rules, if you use the tractor, it'd be legal, no?
I don't want to give Lesnar any ideas.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey laughs]
That is truly a sight to behold.
Talk about intimidating.
[bell ringing]
[Rome] The following contest
is a Last Man Standing Match!
In this match, there are no countouts, no disqualifications.
The only way to win is to incapacitate your opponent
till they can't stand to the referee's count of ten.
Introducing the challenger, from Minneapolis, Minnesota--
-Shut up! -[crowd cheering]
Introducing a big-ass country boy,
weighing 285 lbs,
coming here tonight to kick Roman Reigns' ass,
and the Last Man Standing…
-Ladies and gentlemen, Brock Lesnar! -[crowd] Lesnar!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Oh, boy.
And his opponent, accompanied to the ring by Paul Heyman,
he is the Undisputed
WWE Universal Champion,
Roman Reigns!
[Corey] Oh, my God.
[Cole] Brock Lesnar didn't waste any time.
-A Thesz Press. -[bell ringing]
Off the tractor, and we're underway. Last Man Standing.
[Corey] This is going to be ugly.
-[Cole] Incapacitate your opponent-- -[Corey]Look out, Cole.
[Cole] Until they can't reach their feet by a count of ten.
And you got Cowboy Brock, you got Kid Rock,
and we're in Smashville,
and that's what Brock Lesnar's doing to Roman Reigns.
Everything is legal.
The only rule, keep your opponent down for the count of ten.
By any means necessary.
Limited only by their imagination and the laws of gravity.
[Cole] Sixteen times a World Championship has changed hands at SummerSlam.
Will it happen tonight?
The problem is, Corey, I can't imagine either one of these men
being put down for the ten count.
[Corey] We could be here all night.
-Oh, no. -[Cole] Off the steps.
Suplex to Reigns.
[referee] One!
[Cole] Paul Heyman to my left looks extremely nervous.
[Corey] Understandably so.
-[Cole] Lesnar now. -[Corey] Oh, no.
[Cole] German suplex. Suplex City has come to Nashville.
[Cole] Roman Reigns, and official Chad Patton now at a count of three.
Reigns is down, middle of the ring.
I have no idea what the hell Brock Lesnar's trying to do here.
Brock Lesnar now with that tractor.
Where the hell is he going? Corey, get the hell out of there!
Brock Lesnar just moved the entire ring with a tractor!
[Corey] I'm in Kid Rock's lap right now.
God Almighty, what the hell is Lesnar doing?
[Cole] Anything he wants.
Lesnar's lifted up the ring with Roman Reigns in it with a damn tractor!
-Reigns falls out of the entire ring! -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] This is one of the damnedest things I've ever seen in my life.
[Cole] I've never seen anything like this ever.
Brock Lesnar just lifted the ring 15 feet off the ground with a damn tractor,
and the champion rolled out of the ring and now down,
and the official's got to count.
The referee's counting.
Lesnar surveying the damage.
-[referee] Four! -[Cole] A count of four.
-Five! -[Cole] Now, a count of five.
Six!
[Cole] And Brock Lesnar is stalking… stalking Roman Reigns.
[Corey] How is Roman back on his feet?
[Cole] I have no idea.
I've seen… I've seen many, many things in my career.
I'll be damned if I've ever seen anything like this.
[Corey] It's about to get worse for The Tribal Chief.
[Cole] Hey, wait a minute.
[Corey] Jimmy and Jey Uso hit the scene.
[Cole] I was wondering when they'd show up.
No disqualifications.
The Usos now assaulting Lesnar.
Suplex to Jimmy.
And now, a suplex to Jey.
-Dumping him on his head. -[Corey] Face-first.
God, I can't see what the hell's happening.
[Cole] I can tell you this, Corey. The Usos were just wiped out by Lesnar.
[Corey] Jimmy Uso's at my feet, and he ain't getting up.
[referee] One, two…
Enough. Enough.
Oh, yeah? That's my freaking meal ticket.
My children depend on him.
I've been very good to you for 20 years.
You want these? Take it. They're yours.
New champion, Brock Lesnar!
Okay? It's yours. Leave him alone.
That's my Tribal Chief. I've done everything for you. Enough--
-[Cole] Oh, my God. -[Corey] Oh, no.
[Cole] Oh, my God.
[Corey] Heyman's mouth, Heyman's mouth cashed a check. Look at this!
Oh, my God! Heyman F5'd through the table!
[crowd cheering]
Oh, and a Spear by Reigns.
It looks like a damn…
[Corey] It's like a horror movie out here.
["A-Town Down" playing]
-[Corey] Hold on. -[Cole] Oh, my God.
-[Corey] Theory calling his shot. -[Cole] Mr. Money in the Bank.
And, Corey, there's precedence for this.
Remember WrestleMania when Rollins cashed in?
[Corey] The Heist of the Century.
[Cole] Made it a Triple Threat Match against Reigns and Lesnar.
Will it happen again?
[Corey] Reigns is down, Brock is down, Heyman's down.
[Cole] Theory's here.
What's Theory going to do?
With the briefcase? Theory attacking Roman Reigns.
Theory, it looked like he was going to cash in,
but I don't think he had an opportunity to,
because Brock just F5'd him onto the briefcase.
Twice before it's been cashed in at SummerSlam, but not tonight.
[Corey] From both sides, Jimmy and Jey drop The Beast.
[referee] Two!
[Cole] Corey, there are bodies everywhere.
[Corey] I have never seen anything like this.
[Cole] This looks like a damn demolition derby.
A count of five now from the official.
Roman's on his feet. A count of six.
Can Lesnar make it back, can Lesnar make it back to his feet?
We're at seven.
We're at eight.
Brock trying to drag himself up. Brock does.
Brock's still in this. Brock's still in this.
Spear by Reigns.
[Corey] Onto both championships.
[Cole] I have never seen carnage like this in my entire life.
Lesnar down after this massive Spear by Reigns.
Roman's like, what do I have to do?
This has been the biggest fight in his career.
[imperceptible]
Don't ever come back. You ain't welcome here.
[Cole] Again, to Lesnar. Again, Brock's down.
Chad, for the love of God, count faster.
[Corey] And now, The Usos assisting Roman in burying The Beast beneath the rubble.
[Cole] They are burying Brock Lesnar.
[Corey] The entire announce table.
[Cole] Oh, my God!
-[Corey] You're gonna kill him. -[Cole] Brock Lesnar…
What the hell?
[Cole] Lesnar can't breathe.
-[bell ringing] -It's over.
-Reigns retains. -[crowd booing]
[Rome] Here is your winner, and still the Undisputed
WWE Universal Champion,
-Roman Reigns! -["Head of the Table" playing]
[Cole] It took The Usos, it took Paul Heyman, it took Theory,
it took chairs, it took steps, it took the announce table,
it took every piece of equipment at ringside to bury the damn Beast.
And for Roman Reigns to continue his historic championship reign.
[Corey] If Paul Heyman ever regains consciousness,
he's going to be a happy man.
I have never witnessed everything that we've seen in this match.
[Cole] First, the damn tractor.
[Corey] Shifting the ring and downright turning it.
[Cole] More importantly, can somebody get out here
and get all this crap off Lesnar?
[Corey] Theory showed up as promised, attempted to affect the outcome…
but received an F5 for his trouble.
[Cole] Somebody's got to get this stuff off Brock out here.
Somebody's got to help Brock out here.
-[Corey] Some help out here. -We need to get this stuff off Brock.
[Corey] Lesnar hasn't been able to--
[Cole] Lesnar hasn't moved since he was buried by these guys.
This is a serious situation.
We need some help out here.
Somebody's got to get Brock out.
Get some people over here. Come on!
Reigns limps away,
and finally they're trying to drag this rubble off The Beast.
[bell ringing]
[Corey] The toast of the town in Smashville,
remaining the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion,
in probably the greatest
Last Man Standing Match ever.
[imperceptible]
[Corey] Now, Jackie, I have certainly witnessed my fair share
-of absolute insanity at ringside. -[Jackie] No doubt.
I don't know if anything will ever, ever, ever, ever top Brock Lesnar
destroying the ring with a tractor, by the way,
while Roman Reigns was still inside.
He brought out a freaking tractor, man!
I still can't believe it, but certainly a moment
that the WWE Universe will never forget.
And while Brock didn't exactly leave what was left of the ring as champion,
he is one of an elite few Superstars
to hit a pretty significant milestone this year, Corey.
You're absolutely right.
Brock Lesnar, along with Randy Orton and the legendary Rey Mysterio,
all celebrated their 20th years in WWE.
And we got a big name to add to that list.
A man who will be competing this Friday on the last SmackDown of 2022, John Cena.
As The Franchise will be teaming up with Kevin Owens
to take on "The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.
Yeah, what a blockbuster way to end the year for SmackDown,
but it was earlier this year on RAW
where Superstars and fans alike paid tribute
as John Cena celebrated his 20th anniversary in WWE.
A night 20 years in the making,
-John Cena to celebrate two decades. -[crowd cheering]
[cheers and applause]
[Shawn] You've always been the hardest-working guy in showbusiness.
John, you continue to be that to this day.
John, we had a lot of great times in the middle of that ring.
You are a student of this game.
[Triple H] Becoming the greatest ambassador
and truly representing what it means to be a WWE Superstar.
It was an honor to be your opponent so many times,
but even more of an honor to be your friend.
John, you have inspired a generation of millions with your dedication to them.
Sixteen-time World Champion. In my opinion, the greatest of all time.
And indeed, one of the world's biggest icons.
Congratulations on celebrating your 20th year in the WWE.
Oh, hell yeah!
-["The Time Is Now" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Cena] As I look around, people as far as the eye can see.
You can feel the energy.
-You can certainly hear the noise. -[loud cheering]
This 20th anniversary is so very important to me
because it means that you have allowed me to do this for two decades.
It's never been lost on me
that each and every single time I stand in this ring,
it is because you allow it.
[crowd chanting] Thank you, Cena! Thank you, Cena!
Thank you, Cena! Thank you, Cena!
My heart is beating out of my chest.
I… I am filled with energy and excitement.
And I need to say thank you for making me who I am.
You have made me a better human being.
So I need… I need to say this now.
Anything I do is never just me.
It's about us coming together.
This is all about "we."
You have made me who I am today.
This has always been about us.
So, if you're watching at home,
or you're under the same roof with me tonight in Laredo, Texas…
[crowd cheering]
That right there is the sound of us.
And we never give up. We're just getting started.
And if you want some, come get some!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Thank you, Cena!
[Corey] Just an absolutely electric evening with The Doctor of Thugonomics.
This Friday, SmackDown is going to end its 2022 with a bang
as John Cena competes in a WWE ring for the first time this year,
teaming with Kevin Owens to take on Undisputed WWE Universal Champion
Roman Reigns and "The Honorary Uce" Sami Zayn.
[Jackie] That's this Friday. But still to come tonight,
Bianca Belair will join us to relive her WrestleMania moment,
battling Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship.
[Corey] And up next, something we thought we'd never see again,
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin in a match at WrestleMania.
It's the return of The Texas Rattlesnake when we come back.
[Jackie] WWE Royal Rumble is sponsored by Cricket.
With fast and powerful nationwide 5G coverage,
you can stress less and smile more.
And by the official WWE Credit One Visa card.
If you want to show off your WWE pride every time you pay,
visit UltimateWWECard.com to see if you pre-qualify.
Terms do apply.
All right, let's flash back to WrestleMania
for a stunning edition of The KO Show.
[Kevin Owens] Welcome to the WrestleMania Main Event Edition
of The Kevin Owens Show!
-["I Won't Do What You Tell Me" playing] -[crowd cheering]
This ain't your show.
This is my show.
I brought you out here to challenge you
to a No Holds Barred Match right here, right now.
[crowd cheering]
If you want "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to compete in a match tonight
against this sack of…
give me a "Hell yeah!"
[crowd] Hell yeah!
One, two, three.
[bell ringing]
[Stone Cold] It's good to be back here in Dallas, Texas.
And that's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold said so.
[crowd cheering]
Stone Cold Stunners and so many Steveweisers
on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Corey, I don't see how it gets any better than that.
-I don't know that it does. -[chuckles] Yeah.
It's what WrestleMania is all about.
It was really a thrill to watch Stone Cold
compete in his first match in over 19 years.
But that was just one of so many amazing WrestleMania moments
-that we made this year. -Yeah.
[Corey] So come April 1st and 2nd, 2023, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles,
-we'll be making more. -Oh, man, I can hardly wait.
The countdown is on.
Of course, WWE Superstars always looking to have a WrestleMania moment. Right?
But how do you do that?
I mean, sometimes it's a dramatic championship clash, an improbable return,
or maybe an iconic showdown.
But once in a while, it's just about letting loose,
going a little crazy, and embracing your inner jackass.
[Cole] Welcome to the most stupendous live event.
Welcome to WrestleMania!
Johnny Knoxville takes on Sami Zayn in an Anything Goes Match.
[Sami] Johnny Knoxville thinks he can do what I do, but he can't.
[Cole] There's no countouts, no disqualifications.
The only way to win is via pinfall or submission in the ring.
This may be well beyond Johnny Knoxville's depth
to be in a ring with a Superstar like Sami Zayn.
[air horn blares]
[McAfee] Oh, blew his eardrums out.
[Cole] Playing the cymbals or the garbage can lids.
[McAfee] That's going to hurt.
-[Cole] What the hell happened? -[McAfee] Oh, whoa.
[Cole] Wee Man! Wee Man is taking on Sami Zayn!
Wee Man body-slamming Sami Zayn!
[McAfee] Seven-ten split. Who do you think you are? I am!
[electricity crackling]
The hijinks from Knoxville.
[Cole] Sami's done playing games, I think.
What the…
Knoxville just set off pyro from the ring post!
Oh, and now through the mousetrap table.
Pat, that is a gigantic mousetrap.
You don't want to be there, Sami.
[McAfee] Maybe that's where the cheese goes, Sami.
-[crowd exclaims] -[Cole] The rat is trapped.
Cover.
-[bell ringing] -Knoxville with the win.
[McAfee] How else do you explain the greatness that we just saw?
Johnny Knoxville delivered.
[Cole] In an unbelievable WrestleMania moment.
Why… Why would you show that?
I don't under… [scoffs]
Of all the things, 2022 highlights, why you…
You know, WWE management specifically told me
they would not be showing that footage of me
trapped inside that giant mousetrap ever again.
And yet, here we are.
You know, I'm not… I'm not even mad, just I'm disappointed.
But you know what? It's fine.
It's fine 'cause it's the holidays.
And up ahead, we're actually going to be looking at the best of 2022.
And you can't talk about the best of 2022 without talking about The Bloodline.
We'll be looking back at all the many wonderful moments of The Bloodline
throughout the year.
But up next is a special holiday treat from me to you.
We take a look at my dawgs, Jimmy and Jey,
The Usos,
and how they took on The New Day
en route to becoming the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions of all time.
I don't want to give anything away, but, uh, it was pretty Ucey.
[Corey] Jackie, one of the beauties of being ringside on commentary
is that every now and then,
you truly get to witness history in the making.
You get the privilege of being able to say,
"I saw the best to ever do it."
When it comes to tag-team wrestling, the facts back me up here.
There are no two better tag teams in WWE history
than The New Day and The Usos.
Honestly, you're making me jealous
because you always have the best seat in the house.
But lucky for us, we have our colleague, Cathy Kelley.
She was able to catch up with one of those teams,
the current NXT Tag Team Champs, The New Day.
-Feet on the ground? -There you go.
-Okay. -Okay?
-I'm going too. -I'm not gonna put my feet on the ground,
-I'm just gonna put my hips in the air. -Oh.
WWE NXT
World Tag Team Champions!
-No gyration from you. -The New Day.
-Gosh, you called us to this interview. -I mean--
We've been waiting all day to do it.
-Now, the time comes… -I just… I gotta…
…you don't want to gyrate with your boys!
-No. -All right, strike one.
Well, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
It is an absolute pleasure.
And congratulations on your win over Pretty Deadly at NXT Deadline.
Thank you, thank you. They are very talented.
They are very good.
And it was a hard-fought battle.
Uh, we know that in NXT, there is a ton of incredible talent.
We've had our eye on them for a while,
and that is why we went to NXT to go up against them,
because these are extremely prestigious titles.
Your boys New Day had never held them, so we had to get our hands on them.
How's it feel being the Triple Crown winners?
It feels amazing.
You know, I feel like there's a lot of goals
that you accomplish that you don't necessarily set.
You know what I mean?
When I was a kid, you had talk about, "I wanna win every single championship."
But to set the goal, "I'm going to be a Triple Crown
WWE Tag Team Champion." What the hell are we talking about?
-You know what I mean? Like… -Didn't exist.
It didn't exist, and, um, it's just, it's super cool
because it's only a small handful of people that are in that group.
For us to be in there, it's, um, it's pretty amazing. It's pretty special.
Yeah. Well, New Day has really cemented quite the legacy.
Let's talk a little bit about the evolution of New Day.
[Woods] So I had this idea that it would be better
for the three of us to come together as a unit,
and so I went to talk to E. He was down.
We went to talk to Kofi,
who we were super nervous about talking to him about this idea,
and Kofi was immediately down.
From day one, our chemistry has just gotten better and better and better.
All three of us believe that you need that to be a real team,
because you can feel that energy come right through the screen,
-into your homes, into your hearts. -[Cathy laughs]
Speaking of legendary teams, not just yourself, The Usos.
You guys have had quite the rivalry with them.
What do you think about both of your teams that bring out the best in each other?
That's exactly it.
You summed it up in a few words there.
But I feel like The Usos and us, we obviously, we go hand in hand.
We talk about the evolution of the team.
You remember where The Usos started out,
traditional Samoans coming out with the lavalavas,
and the traditional face paint,
even coming out with the traditional dance,
you know, to what they are now.
They still have loyalty to their heritage, obviously,
but they're so much more themselves.
They're in their own skin, and they're just so natural out there.
That was very much what was happening with us.
What we are now, when people ask me what The New Day is,
I have a hard time explaining it them because it's like, "Well, we come out,
we shake our hips, we like pancakes,
we have a cereal called Booty O's, uh, we have an ice cream truck,
we wear unicorn horns, we wear bright colors."
It like Lisa Frank threw up all over us. You know?
Nobody knows what we're talking about.
If you weren't with us for that journey, you don't fully understand it.
Even if you were on the journey, you still don't fully understand.
So, it's like, again, um, we found our way to what we are now,
and The Usos found their way to what they are now.
All throughout that, we're crossing paths the entire time.
It's like a sibling rivalry.
Each team wants to see their team do better than the other team.
"You guys are cool, but I want the good stuff to happen to me,"
so we're going to push each other so that, that happens.
The results of all of that
is that the people get to see an incredible, long-lasting rivalry.
Well, you're keeping the WWE Universe on their toes,
-you're keeping The Usos on their toes. -We do what we can.
-Uce… Toes… -Kofi, Xavier…
-[both laughing] -…thank you so much for joining us today.
With that, we are going to throw it to your last match with The Usos on SmackDown
for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships.
-Ring the bell. -[bell ringing]
Let's go!
Let's goddamn go!
[Cole] And Jey Uso will start things off with Xavier Woods in this match.
You still notice the taped right hand of Jey Uso.
Uso had an X-ray back on Monday.
No broken bones. Perhaps ligament damage, however.
Will that come into play in this match?
[Wade] Let's talk about that.
Not only the hand issue of Jey Uso,
The Usos had a war at Crown Jewel with The Brawling Brutes.
Twenty-four-hour travel days there and back.
New Day, though, they had a week off.
They are perfectly rested and prepared for this match-up.
[Cole] Were on action on RAW on Monday,
as was The Bloodline, but I get your point.
Nice shoulder tackle by Jey Uso.
New Day, 11 Tag Team Title reigns in their career.
2015, the first time they were crowned Tag Team Champions.
For The Usos, eight-time Tag Team Champs.
Nice takedown by Woods.
Their first reign came back in 2014 when they knocked off The New Age Outlaws.
[Wade] Yeah. Whichever way you split it, this is 1A and 1B in the tag-team ranks.
You cannot become a great tag team without a great rival.
You hark back to the likes of The Rock 'n' Roll Express
and The Midnight Express.
-[Cole] Cover by Woods. Kick-out at one. -[Wade] The Freebirds and the Von Erichs.
Well, this is this generation's version of that.
This is history in the making.
[Cole] Both these teams had defeated each other twice to win the gold.
Kofi Kingston off the top rope. Great crossbody.
Cover, hook of the leg, and a kick-out by Jey.
The New Day said earlier today in a WWE digital exclusive
that, "This is the most important match that we've had since we've been a team."
"We see ourselves as Tag Team Champions."
The Usos later on said, "We make history tonight."
"This here is for the family."
"This here is for The Ones."
[Wade] Records themselves are just so rare in this industry.
Think of your greats, think of all the Hall of Famers.
So few of those Hall of Famers hold a single record.
Well, one of these two teams after tonight is going to have a record
that will potentially last forever.
[Cole] Think about this rivalry, Wade, between these two teams. I mean…
Royal Rumble back in 2016.
How about the Hell in a Cell Match these two were involved in?
Oh, and there's Kofi with the elbow.
Catching Jimmy Uso. Cover now.
Hook of the leg, and a kick out by Jimmy.
[Wade] Just a whole list of classics.
You could put together in an old-school DVD
of these greats thanks to moves like this from Kofi Kingston.
Neither side willing to give any quarter to the opposition.
[Cole] Now, double team from Kingston and Woods,
and that basement dropkick to Jimmy Uso,
and The New Day dominating.
And Jey Uso sent out of the ring as well.
Tag made. Kofi legal.
Xavier Woods with a knee to the face.
Kofi, top rope!
Kingston with a trust fall!
Who will be the longest-reigning tag champs ever?
We find out as this match continues.
-[Kofi] Let's go! -[Jimmy Uso groaning]
[Wade] This one swinging back and forth like a pendulum.
[Cole] And Kingston off the backbreaker.
Xavier Woods now to the second rope.
Woods with a Midnight Hour to Jey Uso outside the ring.
Jey's been taken out.
Now Jimmy Uso's in trouble.
DDT.
Tag.
Get up! Get up! Get up!
[Cole] Kingston now goes up top.
And now Kofi Kingston with a Midnight Hour.
The New Day to secure their legacy as the longest-reigning champions,
and Jey Uso breaks up the near fall.
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] Man, we should know by now, right?
Never ever count out The Usos
when it looks like they are down, they are out.
New Day about to reign supreme.
Out of nowhere, quick as a flash, saving the day.
Just both teams tonight showing industrial levels of resilience.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] And the two greatest teams of our generation teeing off on each other.
Woods over the top rope.
Superkick by Jey.
[Wade] A good-old fashion scrap. Who wants it more?
[Cole] Woods sent into the timekeeper's area.
Kofi Kingston with a kick.
Right hand by Jimmy.
Jey back in the mix. Tag made. Jey's legal.
Both Usos with Kingston in trouble in the corner.
Kofi trying to fight back.
Both Usos knocked off the ropes. What's Kofi Kingston going to do here?
Kingston… caught. Oh, my goodness!
Out of midair, a 1D by The Usos to Kingston.
Here's the cover.
One and done!
-The Usos make history! -[bell ringing]
["Done With That" playing]
[Irvin] Here are you winners and still the Undisputed
WWE Tag Team Champions,
The Usos!
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, The Usos break the record
and become the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in the history of WWE.
[Corey] A huge victory for The Usos,
and just a taste of what The Bloodline has in store on tonight's show.
But still to come, we'll be joined by both "The Scottish Warrior" Drew McIntyre
and "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes.
[Jackie] And up next, The EST of WWE joins us
to let us in on what led her to where she is today.
I was in a dark place. That's when WWE came into my life.
[Belair] I am from Knoxville, Tennessee.
I was born April 9th, 1989.
I was a very, very active child.
I followed my brother around all the time.
And I was climbing trees in the front yard.
And so my mom was like, "We have to get this girl into something
before she hurts herself."
"She needs a way to get her energy out."
Got started doing track.
Track was my first love. I was on the track at five years old.
My mama used to dress me up in all these colorful leotards.
And I really stood out.
The crowd would be cheering and calling me Little Flojo.
I got very good very quickly.
[indistinct shouting]
I was obsessed with being the absolute best.
I earned a full athletic scholarship at University of South Carolina.
But I put a lot of pressure on myself.
And so I forgot that I was supposed to be having fun in the process.
I was always naturally a muscular, a bigger girl,
so I started dieting to try to get faster.
So that's when I developed bulimia.
I just got really, really lost.
And so at that point, I was like, "Okay, I need to face to face my demons."
And I went back home.
I was in a dark place. That's when WWE came into my life.
Bianca Belair is who I wanted to be as a little girl,
but I was too shy to be her.
And I feel like I'm in this environment now where I can just be me.
[upbeat music playing]
I'm the B-E-S-T and that ain't up for debate.
I was meant to be here.
I just didn't know this was my dream until it was my reality.
I want young girls to see themselves in me.
We are just getting started creating history.
They don't have to dim their light for anyone.
Now, looking back on my life,
I look at all the pieces that led me to WWE. In that whole journey,
my final destination is sitting right here on my shoulder now.
An inspiring story from The EST of WWE and RAW Women's Champion, Bianca Belair,
who I am so excited to say is joining us here on the show.
Bianca, thank you so much for the time.
Congratulations on a heck of a year, and also, happy holidays.
How do you like to spend the holiday season?
Well, Christmas is one of the biggest times of the year for us.
It's been one of my favorite holidays since I was a kid.
So my husband and I, Montez Ford, we're very festive.
We're very, very festive.
-We wrap every single gift. -Yes.
Even when I was a kid, my mom wrapped up my bicycle one time.
-[Corey] What? -So I'm wrapping everything.
That sounds impossible, but it doesn't surprise me.
The mother of The EST, of course,
Mama Belair would know how to wrap a bicycle.
Absolutely understand that. Any sort of secrets you're willing to reveal
to the WWE Universe about Montez Ford
strutting around the house with various decorative garb?
He's on a different level come Christmastime.
His inner child always comes out, but it comes out even more.
It's more like, it's red Solo cups literally everywhere for Christmas.
Part of our Christmas decorations, part of the house, but he's into it.
He loves Christmastime and I love it too.
You gotta appreciate the repurposing of the red Solo cups.
It's unique and it's environmentally friendly.
I just love that they never go away.
The red Solo cup is always present when Montez Ford is around.
I don't know, do you make the gift wrap paper as well, Bianca?
You make everything else.
Yes, I should make some wrapping paper.
It might be a new thing. You just gave me idea. [chuckles]
Well, I feel like there's nothing that you can't do.
It has been such an incredible year.
We're looking at some of the best moments.
And we have to talk about WrestleMania when you won the RAW Women's Championship.
When you think about it now, that time has passed in hindsight,
what are the first couple of moments that you go back to right away?
There's so many moments because that WrestleMania was a long time coming.
It was a year-long feud.
It goes about all the way to me winning, actually, the year before at WrestleMania,
then it goes to the whole SummerSlam 26 seconds.
Then the whole year-long of me trying to redeem myself,
to then finally Becky Lynch and I had the build to WrestleMania,
to where all of a sudden, we were cutting hair in the ring.
I mean, she brought scissors out to try to cut my braid.
I'm like, "I don't want to cut hair," but let's just get to WrestleMania.
So I just remember feeling like,
"Wow, we're finally here." I made it back here.
I've got myself all the way back to the front,
and I'm here on the Grandest Stage of Them All,
trying to redeem myself, it's my redemption story.
There was so much on the line, there were so many nerves,
but I was very excited because I had this very special entrance.
I had HBCU playing that knocked the nerves out of me
and had me dancing and feeling good.
I'm strutting down.
I'm like, "Just let me have my moment. Just let me have my moment
because as soon as I get on the ring, it's going to be all business."
I wanted to ask you really quickly because of the year that you've had,
they say we all have 24 hours in a day, but I feel like that's a lie.
Is there some sort of cheat code that you have?
Because, girl, you have done a lot.
The RAW Women's Championship defended successfully in some major, major spots.
You've got a reality show now. You make all your gear.
-What are we at, Corey? Four? -I lost count already.
You just competed in a bodybuilding fitness competition.
What's the secret?
I… So, yeah… I don't know.
We'll see how long this is sustainable as far as, like, making my gear,
and trying to do the physique competition.
But, no, I love it. I love feeling productive.
And I do it all. And I love doing it all.
I just want to use all of my talents, all of my abilities.
Though my husband, he pulls me back sometimes like, "You need to go sit down."
"You need to go to sleep. You're doing too much."
I'm like, "No, I'm not doing enough." I'm a little crazy.
Well, Bianca, congratulations on an incredible 2022.
And thank you so much for the time.
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Happy holidays!
Happy holidays to you, champ,
but don't go anywhere because while we're looking toward the future,
we have to take a minute to take a glance back to the past.
We are going to re-live the epic night that Bianca Belair challenged Becky Lynch
for the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] You can feel the tension building.
It is deafening here in AT&T Stadium.
[Jimmy] That's right. It's about who can handle and who can use that tension.
That's the big question in this match.
[Corey] We had our doubts last year, but Bianca Belair put them all to rest.
-Bianca did not crack under the pressure… -[Saxton] Look at this.
…of competing on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
[Saxton] Bianca, oh, looking for some early sportsmanship.
[Corey] This isn't about respect.
[Jimmy] Looking for the SummerSlam finish right away, the Manhandle Slam.
But, no, early KOD.
[Saxton] Belair trying to end this quickly as well.
[Jimmy] Going back to the mat. She gets it.
[Corey] There it is.
-[Jimmy] One, two… -[Saxton] Oh, no.
History will not repeat itself here tonight.
[Corey] And the champion's beside herself.
[Jimmy] There is early offense and then there's trying to get it over with.
This looks like someone trying to get it over with.
[Corey] It's one and the same in this instance.
Becky Lynch is an incredibly intelligent competitor.
Becky realizes when it comes to power, Belair has the advantage.
When it comes to speed, Belair has the advantage.
-[Jimmy] Inside cradle. One… -[Saxton] Belair, oh.
-[Corey] Great counter. -[Jimmy] A reversal.
-[Corey] Lynch with her feet on the ropes. -[Jimmy] Referee caught that one.
[Corey] Lynch is going to have to rely on her caginess,
but not get caught by the official.
[Jimmy] Official all over that one, but right now,
Bianca Belair has just not found her offensive rhythm yet.
[Saxton] You were saying, Jimmy?
[Jimmy] A beautiful suplex, stepping over, making it…
Look at the hang time there.
Tried to make it two in a row,
but a counter, to the cover again. One, two… Oh.
Kick-out before three from Bianca Belair.
[Corey] What Lynch needs to do right now is just keep her foot on the gas pedal,
try to maintain this pace, and eventually, Belair will wear down.
[Jimmy] You have talked about composure for Becky Lynch,
but she has talked about the fact
that she doesn't like that she has lost the crown.
She has lost the WWE Universe, that has bothered her.
[Corey] Look at Becky Lynch right now. How is that for composure?
"Big Time" Becks is completely at ease right now.
Look at this. She's about to slip into cruise control.
[Saxton] Becky Lynch now all the way to the top, looking to strike.
-Oh! -[Jimmy] Moonsault, nobody home.
Great move from Bianca-- Looking for a Dis-arm-her of her own!
[Saxton] Taking a page out of the champ's book.
[Corey] What an incredible finish this would be,
make Becky Lynch tap out to her own move.
[Saxton] Could you imagine?
[Jimmy] A slick move, right foot on the rope.
[Saxton] Bianca still trying to hold on. Lynch able to counter.
[Jimmy] Rolling into a cradle counter.
Another reversal, shoulders down.
[Saxton] Belair the aggressor here.
[Corey] At this pace, it could come down
to which of these two women makes the first mistake.
Look at the strength.
Lynch tried to counter.
-Belair just too powerful. -[Saxton] Uh-oh.
[Jimmy] Ends up on her own back. To a reversal again.
One, two… And a reversal.
No one able to get three,
but cover after cover after reversal after reversal.
[Saxton] Multiple close calls speaks to the competitive nature
of both of these Superstars.
[Corey] Lynch now using Bianca's hair to drag the challenger
now to the outside of the ring.
[Saxton] We saw what happened last time Becky Lynch did this to Bianca.
[Corey] This is all perfectly legal for the champion.
[Jimmy] We've seen her hair be a weapon, we've seen it to be a liability as well,
as she goes right into the stairs.
[Jimmy] Big risk time for "Big Time" Becks.
[Saxton] Lynch looking to go airborne.
[Jimmy] Oh! Both feet to the face of Bianca Belair.
[Corey] That's got to be it.
[Jimmy] One, two… Oh, so close to retaining!
She can't believe it.
[Corey] It looked as though Lynch wanted a vertical senton,
but instead delivered a rather… Version of a dropkick.
Watch the heel.
[Jimmy] Oh, my.
[Corey] Right in almost the orbital area.
What a match this has been.
What effort from both women.
-Oh, no. -[Jimmy] This could be it.
[Saxton] This is not where Becky Lynch wants to be.
Hanging on for dear life.
[Corey] Brilliant ring awareness by the champion.
[Jimmy] If she can get this KOD, is it going to be over?
No, flings her outside!
[Corey] It was a rough landing for Becky
but it will preserve her title for the moment.
[Saxton] Belair had to call an audible
realizing I got to get the champ back in the ring
if I want to leave WrestleMania with the RAW Women's Title.
[Jimmy] Has to win by pinfall or submission, center of the ring.
[Corey] Genius maneuver by the champion.
The veteran Lynch realizing what Belair has to do to dethrone her.
[Jimmy] Has to realize she doesn't have her wits about her
after that KOD outside the ring.
[Saxton] Lynch has gotten Bianca's braid.
[Corey] Oh! Belair is out.
The challenger melting out of the ring.
Bianca Belair is done for.
[Jimmy] Yeah, but Becky Lynch is not finished, thinking Manhandle Slam.
Oh, right on the stairs!
[Corey] That was insurance from "Big Time" Becks.
The referee has initiated the count.
[Saxton] I don't know how Bianca Belair recovers after that.
[Jimmy] Up to six. This might be a foregone conclusion.
[Corey] Byron, I don't think Belair does recover.
[Saxton] Referee up to eight.
-[Corey] What a win for-- -[Jimmy] She's up right before ten!
-[Saxton] How in the world? -[Corey] Shoulders down.
[Jimmy] One, two… Oh!
[Corey] Belair is running on instinct and instinct alone at this point.
[Jimmy] This is about the emotions of wanting to win.
That's what we're seeing, not composure.
[Corey] It's beyond wanting to win. It is needing to win.
It is your identity as RAW Women's Champion.
This is what "Big Time" Becks is.
[Saxton] Becky trying to muscle up the lifeless body
at this juncture of Bianca Belair.
[Jimmy] Trying to lift her into one more Manhandle Slam.
[Corey] I agree with you, Jimmy. One more will certainly do it.
[Jimmy] Whoa! Backflip escape.
[Saxton] Belair hoists up Lynch.
[Corey] No, no, no!
[Jimmy] KOD!
-[Saxton] Center of the ring. -[Jimmy] Shoulders down.
-One, two, three! -[Corey] No!
-[Jimmy] We have a new champion! -[bell ringing]
["Watch Me Shine" playing]
[Rome] Here is your winner,
and the new RAW Women's Champion,
Bianca Belair!
[Saxton] What tenacity!
What resolve from this young lady, Bianca Belair, The EST,
your new RAW Women's Champion.
[Jimmy] Humiliation at SummerSlam, redemption at WrestleMania.
[crowd cheering]
Twice now Bianca Belair has walked into big-time challenges at WrestleMania
and twice Bianca Belair walked out as champion.
Now, the question is, will Belair still be the champion
after next Monday as she defends her RAW Women's Championship
against Alexa Bliss?
I can't wait to find out.
While you never know when Alexa Bliss might get a little twisted,
Bianca has always shown that she knows how to capitalize
when the spotlight shines the brightest.
Which is a trait that I think she shares with a certain social media sensation.
Do you know who I'm talking about? Not you.
No, no, no.
I'm talking about the man that has taken the WWE by storm.
Logan Paul.
[Corey] The upstart social media megastar, "The Maverick" Logan Paul.
[Logan] I'm a disruptor. This is what I do.
[Corey] Logan Paul has taken to this business like a duck to water.
[Logan] Any time someone says I can't do something, I step up to the plate.
[Corey] How can you not be impressed with Logan Paul's performance?
[Saxton] Logan Paul is about to risk it all.
[Jimmy] Oh, my God!
[Logan] I've been doubted my whole life.
[Corey] Logan Paul did it.
And look where I am now.
I had someone on my podcast you guys may know.
I do have to give respect to you, Roman Reigns.
You're the GOAT right now.
Thank you for blessing us with your presence.
I have a habit of saying some pretty stupid stuff.
You put me against Roman Reigns, I think I win.
I'll say it to camera. I don't care.
Me versus Roman Reigns, one-on-one, that's my match.
[Corey] And later tonight, we'll head back to Crown Jewel,
where the disruptor, Logan Paul, left it all in the ring
in his quest to dethrone the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns.
[Jackie] But up next, it's fight night, fella,
as Sheamus and his Brawling Brutes deliver
banger after banger after banger.
[Cole] Over 60,000 WWE fans
are packed inside for Clash at the Castle.
Two of the most physical men to ever grace the WWE ring.
Gunther and Sheamus for the Intercontinental Title.
[Corey] Here we go!
[Cole] This is going to be a war.
Oh, my God!
[Corey] Gunther just kicked Sheamus so hard I lost a tooth.
[Cole] These are the looks you see on boxers in the 12th round.
[Saxton] With every hit, Sheamus can taste the Intercontinental Title.
[Cole] The back gave out as he went for the Brogue. Powerbomb!
Gunther with a wicked lariat.
-[Corey] Delivered as advertised. -[bell ringing]
The Ring General still reigns as your Intercontinental Champion.
In WWE, there are fights and there are all-out wars,
and that match between Gunther and Sheamus was definitely the latter.
Yeah, and let's be real, Corey.
We love and live for the all-out wars,
but that, seriously, was just the tip of the iceberg
when it comes to the sheer brutality that Imperium and The Brawling Brutes
put each other through over this entire year.
And joining us now is none other than Sheamus.
So, Sheamus, welcome to the show.
I have to know, how does The Celtic Warrior celebrate the holidays?
For anyone that knows Sheamy, I have two favorite holidays of the year.
One, of course, Saint Patty's Day, on March 17th, when everybody's Irish,
and of course, Christmas.
Us Irish love Christmas, mate. A very, very special holiday for us
as well as everyone else across the world.
But us Irish really embrace it.
Since I can't come back to Ireland this Christmas,
I'll be in the next best place.
I'll be here in Sheamy's Bar.
Where there is plenty of Guinness in the fridge right here.
You know what I'm saying?
Plenty of Guinness, loads of tunes going on.
A fairly decent record collection.
Got a bleeding Gremlin here who can't hold his drink.
Awful messy one, this one.
MacGruber's over there wearing a cowboy hat, as you know.
And of course, the crème de la crème,
-when the guests come over, you got to… -[clicks]
You got to meet them in style.
We're glad to hear you're enjoying yourself.
Now, once the holidays are over,
it's right back to fight night for The Brawling Brutes.
What is it that makes you, Ridge and Butch such a formidable team?
I think what makes us such a formidable team is just the fact we've got no egos.
You know what I mean? We're three hungry lads.
We're from overseas, across the pond.
It has been an unlikely pair.
An Irish lad and two English lads.
That combination shouldn't work, right?
The truth is, it does, man.
Because we share the same goal.
We live for the scrap. We live for the fight night.
That's all that matters to us.
Going out there and getting into scraps with whoever it is.
No matter how big their ego is.
It doesn't matter if you're The Bloodline or Imperium,
you step in the ring with The Brawling Brutes, oh, fella.
You are in for the fight night of your life.
Wow. Well said.
And you know, Sheamus, we have to ask you
about the Good Ol' Fashioned Donnybrook Match.
It all went down at Extreme Rules against Imperium.
What makes The Brawling Brutes so successful in a donnybrook-style match?
Anything goes in a Donnybrook Match, mate.
I actually prefer to call it Shillelaghs and Shenanigans,
because we get to use a lot of shillelaghs in there.
You get hit with a shillelagh, mate, it's a whole different story.
You might as well be getting hit with an iron bar, to be honest.
In that match, we're sprinkling in a bit of our culture into that match.
Now, especially a lot of Irish culture there.
You got loads of kegs hanging around the place.
A nice bar there, you know what I mean?
There's all sorts of different types of weapons, so it's unpredictable,
especially when we went in with Imperium.
They say that the ring is sacred
and that they're like The Ring General and everything.
You know what I mean?
You can be a Ring General all you want, but when you're in there in our match,
in our environment, in our style, where anything goes,
where anything can be used as a weapon, mate, all that goes out the window.
All right, Sheamus, thank you so much for joining us.
And let's go back to Extreme Rules as The Brawling Brutes
took on Imperium in a Good Ol' Fashioned Donnybrook Match.
[Corey] Once upon a time, hundreds of years ago,
the Donnybrook Fair was very famous in Ireland
until eventually it devolved into what we are about to see now.
[Cole] This is going to be an all-out brawl.
A street fight right in front of us, Butch and Giovanni Vinci.
And Butch taking the fight to Vinci.
-Right on our announce table already. -[Corey] Record time.
[Cole] This is insanity.
[Corey] Butch is just coming unglued on the announce table.
[Cole] Wasting little time.
Remember, Corey, the only way to win is via pinfall or submission.
Anything goes.
Oh, my goodness!
[Corey] Kaiser is rocked.
This one could end as quickly as it began.
[Cole] We got good old oak barrels set up here at ringside.
There's a bar…
And now Sheamus and Ridge have Kaiser in trouble with a large shillelagh.
And now Butch with a dropkick to the face.
[Corey] What a thunderous chop by the Intercontinental Champion.
[Cole] Gunther with a big boot, driving Holland out of the ring.
Now Vinci is going to drive Sheamus face-first into the ring post.
Corey, there's no way that Gunther and Sheamus are anywhere near 100% last night
after the war they went through on SmackDown.
[Corey] You're absolutely correct,
but you're also talking about two of the proudest competitors
in WWE, in the business.
They will stop at nothing to have their hands raised in victory.
[Cole] And Gunther looking for his patented powerbomb.
Meanwhile, Butch and Holland back into the ring.
Sheamus able to slip out, and now The Brutes,
the joint manipulation of Butch trying to break the fingers of Gunther.
-[indistinct shouting] -[Corey] Oh, no.
Oh, no.
You know what they say about payback, Cole.
[commentators] Oh!
[Cole] Who the hell is going to win this thing?
[Corey] I don't know if anyone's going to win this thing.
This is about survival.
[Cole] And Butch and Holland laying waste to Imperium with the shillelaghs.
[men grunting]
-[Corey] This is utter mad-- -[Cole] Look out.
-Corey, look out. -[Corey] Get the hell out of the way.
[Cole] Sheamus has got Gunther.
[crowd cheering]
And a Celtic Cross through the table!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Oh, my God.
[Cole] A top-shelf move by Sheamus, the Celtic Cross through the table.
[Corey] And now Vinci outnumbered by The Brutes.
[Cole] Sheamus is fired up.
[crowd chanting] Brogue! Brogue! Brogue!
[Cole] A Brogue Kick to Vinci.
-Cover by Sheamus, last call for Imperium. -[crowd] One, two, three!
-[bell ringing] -["Bring the Fire" playing]
[Irvin] Here are your winners, The Brawling Brutes!
Dare I say, Corey, certified banger, exclamation point, all caps?
Yes, absolutely certified banger.
That was one of those matches where,
when somebody in the ring got hit in the mouth,
I was grabbing my own jaw to make sure I didn't lose a few teeth.
Yeah, that's legit.
A big, albeit painful, victory for The Brawling Brutes, who of late
have found themselves at odds with our next subjects,
people you never want to be at odds with, The Bloodline.
Yeah, that's someplace you and I don't ever want to be.
So rather than discuss and speculate about The Bloodline,
-I say we do the more intelligent thing. -What's that?
Let's let Sami Zayn do the talking.
Oh, hi.
I didn't hear you come in.
I'm Sami Zayn, and welcome to my locker room.
You know, the year 2022 has really been probably the most remarkable year,
certainly in my life, but also in WWE history.
Why?
Because of the single most dominant faction of all time, The Bloodline.
A faction of which, of course, I am a proud member.
The Bloodline has dominated WWE in a way that we have never seen before.
And of course, you can't really talk about dominance without immediately thinking
of our Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns.
[rap music playing]
[Roman] The Tribal Chief is head and shoulders above everybody.
I run it all!
[Sami] If you haven't done it already, ladies and gentlemen,
it is time to acknowledge him.
You must stop and take a moment to remember the incredible debut
of the enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa.
When you talk about dominance,
you have to talk about The Usos
and their remarkable journey to become
the longest-reigning WWE Tag Team Champions of all time.
[Jey] We let everybody know who the best damn tag team in the world is, The Usos.
Oh, those Usos.
This thing was a gift, and, my God, is it great.
I've kinda needed it because half the time they're talking,
they say a lot of words that I just don't know.
-Level up. -On lock.
-Yeet. -Bet.
-Kibitz. -My dawg.
-One hundred -Ucey.
[crowd chanting] Ucey! Ucey! Ucey!
The absolute highlight of 2022 for me
was this particular night at Survivor Series at WarGames
when I fully embraced The Bloodline
and they fully embraced me in return and I became a full-fledged Uce.
It was directly responsible for making sure
that The Bloodline came out victorious.
We're going to name him Sami Uso, y'all.
If that's not one of the greatest nights of your life,
doggone it, I don't know what is.
[crowd chanting] Sami Uso! Sami Uso!
The level of dominance that you saw in 2022 from The Bloodline,
that was just a small sample of what's to come.
In 2023, there will be no question.
There will be no doubt.
Everyone else are just twos…
and we The Ones.
Happy holidays.
[Corey] And The Ones are going to be part of a big-time main event
this Friday on SmackDown,
as The Tribal Chief, the Undisputed Champion, Roman Reigns,
teams up with Sami Zayn to take on the returning John Cena
and the proverbial thorn in the side of The Bloodline, Kevin Owens.
SmackDown sending out in style this Friday night on Fox.
[Jackie] Still to come, "The Head of the Table" Roman Reigns
takes on social media sensation Logan Paul
in a match that had The Tribal Chief going viral.
But when we return, Drew McIntyre is with us
and he takes us across the pond for an awe-inspiring homecoming.
[McIntyre] It's really cool to be from the UK.
A long line of warriors, of scientists, of poets, the people that think big,
that dream big, do some incredible things.
As a kid, I did imagine I would be here.
I imagined every single day since I was six years old.
It was almost, like, unattainable,
nobody from Scotland had ever signed to WWE.
I was the kid that said I'm going to be the first Scottish guy ever
signed to the WWE, and I believed it that much.
When you're from this country,
and you've got such brave, determined figures.
The people who were told, "How are you going to pull off the impossible?"
If you've got a dream, you go for that dream, you hold on to that dream,
you make that dream happen. I'm living proof of that.
[Corey] It's been over 30 years since WWE has hosted
a stadium show in the United Kingdom.
Well, the wait is almost over.
Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, Clash at the Castle.
This is truly full circle.
This is going back to where it all began. This is going back to home.
[Corey] The atmosphere in Cardiff has been indescribable.
It's like if you're watching WrestleMania or something.
Everyone is just loud, everyone's here for the show. Everyone's excited.
I didn't think it'd ever come to Cardiff.
[McIntyre] Imagine what it's going to be like with 70,000 people from the UK
when Drew McIntyre main events against Roman Reigns.
That building is going to be shaking.
[sword clangs]
[crowd cheering]
This is something I couldn't have even dreamt about.
To actually participate in this huge moment,
it's still lost on me how big it is.
[Tyson Fury] You done your country and everybody in here proud.
That was an unbelievable fight.
Well done, mate.
People will be talking about that moment for years and years to come.
You were loud. You were passionate.
You showed the world what you're made of.
Thank you, everybody. I love you all.
Welcome back to The Absolute Best of 2022
where we are now joined by "The Scottish Warrior" Drew McIntyre.
Drew, first of all, thanks for taking time out of your day
to hang out with us for a little while.
I know you've been dealing with a few injuries.
So, first things first, how is The Scottish Warrior feeling?
The Scottish Warrior is feeling pretty good.
It's not a few injuries, it's a specific thing going on,
but it's minor, and I will say right now,
I'll be back very soon.
WrestleMania season's upon us, and I'm not going to miss it,
but it's weird.
I've actually got all my presents done early, that's really weird.
I'm ahead of schedule.
I got a start on my taxes, I'm way ahead of schedule,
I usually leave that to the last second.
I've been very productive this year.
My cats are over the moon, I've got two cats,
I'm sure everybody out there knows, if you don't, I do.
They're all over me right now. They're very happy I'm home.
Drew, as we look back at the year that was, 2022,
one event, in particular, stands out
when we're talking about Drew McIntyre.
Of course, I'm referring to Clash at the Castle.
The first premium live event WWE produced in over 30 years in the United Kingdom.
Tell us a little bit about what that event meant to you.
[McIntyre] That event is something I've dreamt about for years now.
It wasn't even a dream when I was a kid, my dream was to main event WrestleMania,
to win the title, I was very lucky to be able to do that,
but there wasn't any premier live events in the UK in any stadiums,
and we hadn't had one since SummerSlam '92.
And since the day I walked into WWE at 22 years old,
I asked management, "Why?"
There's such a demand in the UK, such a passionate audience.
We can fill a stadium easy. I was given excuses
like logistics, it's just not possible.
As the years passed, we got the WWE Network
which is now the WWE Network on Peacock,
we started producing shows all across the world.
Namely from Australia in 2018, and I brought it up again.
I was like, "Don't give me logistics. Don't give me time difference
because there's no crazier time difference than Australia."
"We can put it on at the weekend, the afternoon."
We can fill that stadium. Let's make it happen.
Eventually, it materialized, thankfully.
I'd have been happy to be on the show.
I was in the main event against Roman Reigns,
and it was absolutely unbelievable.
It's a moment, it's a night I'll never forget.
[Jackie] It's something you're obviously so passionate about,
so how important is it that we see another premium live event
overseas again in the UK,
and maybe not 30 years from now but sooner than that?
Yes, I think there should be one every year.
I absolutely know there's an audience part for it.
We've shown the world that right now from Clash at the Castle.
They were electric from the first match all the way through to the main event,
and I knew they would be.
I believe we can take it all across the world.
If there is the demand for the WWE product, we're going to be there.
Why not somewhere like Paris, France?
They have a little stadium called the Stade de France.
It can fit 80,000 people, I know we can fill that thing.
If you want WWE, if you want us to come to your part of the world,
make your voice known in social media, that's where things happen now.
You never know. You may get a gigantic WWE show there.
I love and agree with everything you just said, Drew.
It sounds to me like you're on the mend.
Your return, probably, right around the corner,
sooner than later, hopefully.
After a wildly successful 2022,
what does 2023 hold for The Scottish Warrior?
Got my eyes on Gunther, with the Intercontinental Championship,
I see the chatter on social media.
I see what happened with himself and Sheamus.
I saw the battles, I love competition.
I'm a former Intercontinental Champion, and I would love to tangle with that man.
-Drew McIntyre versus Gunther. -[Jackie] Oh!
Yes, please.
Yeah, I'm in, I'm in. Can we make that happen?
Let's put it out into the universe.
Listen, you've got as many fans as you do
because we all appreciate the work you put in,
being the workhorse of this place,
and doing everything you can to put WWE as a brand on your back,
and continue to drive us all forward.
We appreciate that, Drew, so happy holidays to you from us.
And good luck next year.
Happy holidays. Appreciate you all having me on.
Hopefully, Santa was good to everybody
and everyone else celebrating their holidays,
hopefully, it was a great time, and yeah,
I'm going to go back to watch Klaus again.
This is only the time I get to watch it
and I've watched it ten times already. Love that movie.
-[both laughing] -Ten times and counting.
And while an entire nation, Corey,
was thrilled to see Drew McIntyre main event
Clash at the Castle, there was one guy who was not, Karrion Kross.
[Kross] In the midst of chaos, opportunity tends to present itself.
[Cole] Oh, my God, from behind, McIntyre attacked!
Karrion Kross is back.
Doomsday has arrived, and the clock is ticking.
[Kross] Drew McIntyre, the chosen one.
Must be nice. They chose you, and they were wrong.
They chose you, McIntyre!
They were wrong!
Karrion Kross, if you're not jumping me from behind,
you don't have the balls to face me like a man.
Grow a set, step up to Drew McIntyre.
A match designed to inflict maximum pain.
In a Strap Match.
[Corey] Kross and McIntyre trying to destroy each other.
[crowd] Three, two, one!
[Cole] Scarlett just blinding McIntyre with a spray to the eyes.
Karrion Kross from behind with the Kross Hammer.
Thanks to Scarlett, Kross has beaten McIntyre.
This is what you wanted.
Hey, McIntyre. At Crown Jewel,
when they lock you inside the steel cage with me,
I promise you, history is going to repeat itself.
[Cole] It is electric here tonight at the WWE Crown Jewel.
Steel Cage Match featuring McIntyre and Kross.
[Wade] This is it for Drew, redemption.
[Cole] Scarlett with the mace.
Kross crawling. McIntyre won't allow it to happen.
Claymore!
Scarlett locking the door and taking the key.
[Wade] How far do you need to stack the deck in your favor?
[Cole] Scarlett's got to try and get that door unlocked.
-McIntyre wins. -[crowd cheers]
[Wade] Split-second between McIntyre managing to hit that floor
and Kross getting his foot down. That is justice.
[Jackie] Everyone loves a comeback story, right, whether you're Bayley,
Braun Strowman or Bray Wyatt.
But no one made a comeback quite like the man who joins us next,
"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes.
-[crowd] Three, two, one! -[buzzer blares]
[Corey] The Baddest Woman on the Planet!
[Saxton] Ronda Rousey is in the Royal Rumble.
And Ronda Rousey wins the Royal Rumble.
[Corey] The monster is back!
Braun Strowman has a thousand-yard stare in his eyes.
[Cole] Bayley's back.
[Corey] What the hell is Dakota Kai doing here?
IYO SKY is at SummerSlam.
We are taking control.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] The Poison Pixie is on Monday Night RAW.
Hey! Did you miss us?
[Cole] Valhalla is here.
Welcome the greatest addition to Monday Night RAW in history,
Mr. Baron Corbin.
There comes a time in a man's life when he needs friends.
[Corey] Gallows, Anderson, The O.C.!
[McAfee] Welcome to The O.C., Mia Yim.
[Santos] We are Legado Del Fantasma.
Hit me with it, Johnny. Come on, hit me!
[Kevin Patrick] Oh, it's Lumis!
[McAfee] I don't believe it!
[Kevin Patrick] Welcome to WWE, Dexter Lumis.
[eerie music playing]
[Bray] I'm here.
Honestly, Corey. Seeing Bray Wyatt's return still gives me chills
just watching it back, and not, uh, the good kind.
But you know what?
There is an epic return that we didn't see there in that package.
It was a moment that had to be seen to believed.
Now he is here with us to relive it, Cody Rhodes.
Cody, welcome to the show.
We appreciate you taking time out of the busy holiday schedule.
I want you to take a minute to reflect back
to that fateful night at WrestleMania,
as Cody Rhodes was emerging from the top of the Codyvator
in a sold-out stadium at WrestleMania, the pinnacle of our business.
What was going through your mind? What sort of emotions were you feeling?
I can tell you when I came up the Codyvator,
as you put it, and I love hearing that vernacular.
I want that to be that forever.
I truly did not know what to expect. I was overwhelmed.
I'm almost even overwhelmed talking about it now.
It was all of these stories.
What I had done while I was away,
but also what my family had done for the company,
what I had done in the first ten years I was there.
I mean, WWE being the house that built me.
I needed a minute.
And to hear "The American Nightmare" set, it was, again,
overwhelming and truly a moment that's incredibly hard to top
for me personally and meant a great deal.
Not just to me, but to my family.
I think it meant a great deal to the WWE Universe as well based on the reaction.
I mean, I was there. That crowd went insane for you.
[Cody] I'm glad the WWE Universe, I'm glad wrestling fans enjoyed it.
I really needed that, and I don't think I've ever told them that.
And I'm blessed that I got it.
Talk to me a little bit about Seth Rollins.
You guys ignited a rivalry that people are still talking about,
here we are at the end of 2022.
Why was Rollins such a pivotal part of your return?
Make no mistake about it, Seth and I are not chummy, we're not best friends,
but Seth Rollins is one of the top three wrestlers in the entire world.
And to have three matches, not just one, three matches,
it was an honor. Again, we're not best friends.
We don't exchange Christmas cards,
but there's a bond by battle there with Seth and myself that,
I don't know, I know he's probably clamoring for a fourth match.
I don't know if that's on my…
-radar at the moment. -I don't think he's the only one.
Talk to me a little further about Hell in a Cell.
We had never seen an injury that gruesome
by an active competitor in WWE to that point.
Why was it so important for Cody Rhodes to fight through the pain?
[chuckles] I tell my students at the Nightmare Factory all the time.
I say, "You will always wrestle hurt, but don't wrestle injured."
And on that night, I was a massive hypocrite.
I know a lot of people have a outlook on it.
Where it was brave, or special that I was able to fight through it, or unique.
But my outlook, I think, is a little less romantic
in a sense that I never thought of doing anything but wrestling.
The idea that I wouldn't wrestle that night,
once I had been told I couldn't hurt it any worse, just…
That's… It's a privilege to do what we do.
It is.
And I don't know if I had legends of wrestling past,
the ghost of wrestling past,
or if I had something special in there with me that night.
But to be able to compete, that means we did something right.
And again, I was very lucky to be in that spot.
See, you just started your answer by talking about how other people
kind of look at it as a romantic moment and you don't,
but your entire answer just romanticized it entirely for me.
-[laughing] -What's so incredible about it as well
is that it wasn't just millions of WWE fans that were watching,
that were going crazy over this.
This transcended, I think, WWE.
I mean, news outlets, sports outlets.
Hockey Twitter loves you.
I just want you to know.
You were a legend in the hockey world that night.
-[chuckles] -Yeah. I… I want that. I want that.
Yeah, I need to delve into that world more
because you're talking about some of the toughest competitors on the planet
and they like a gritty competition.
As me coming back in the WWE, I wanted to bring all that with me.
And I guess part of it was that moment like that where,
"Hey, I'm not all there. I'm missing an arm, essentially,
but I'm going to do this."
I think it's safe to say 2022 was a landmark year
in the career of Cody Rhodes,
so the big question is, what does 2023 hold for The American Nightmare?
I would like to pick up right where I left off,
and a lot of things have happened in my life,
not just the injury, not just what I did while I was away and my exit,
but the birth of my daughter. And…
I can't help but think about the little kid
who showed up at 4400 Shepherdsville Road,
in Louisville, Kentucky, and wanted to be a pro wrestler,
and told everyone how big his plans were,
and didn't have any idea the price that needed to be paid for what I was asking.
And I can say this with confidence and not arrogance,
I have paid the price.
It's not a sport where your tenure earns you anything.
It's what you've done for me lately.
Even though I wasn't present for a good chunk of the year,
what I was able to do I think really did register
with a lot of the WWE Universe,
and I want to pick up right back where I left off.
Right back in that little kid's shoes who had the biggest dreams
because in this time that we're in,
I have an opportunity at making that happen.
And I'm being incredibly vague here. I get it.
I think anyone who is a fan of what we do can read between the lines.
There is one thing that I came back for specifically.
One thing.
And again, a torn pec couldn't stop me.
I couldn't name anything that can stop me.
It has to be done, it needs to be done, and I want to get it done.
We are all eagerly awaiting the return of The American Nightmare to WWE.
Cody, thank you for hanging out.
Jackie, I just want to say while we still have Cody listening.
There are gritty performances, there's fighting through the pain,
but what we are about to see takes all of that to a whole another level.
As Cody Rhodes battles
Seth "Freakin" Rollins inside Hell in a Cell.
[Smith] Discolored torn pectoral muscle on the right side.
[Corey] That is as gruesome of an injury
as I've ever seen from an active competitor.
And Rollins wasting no time targeting the injury.
[Saxton] Man, this job…
[Jimmy] Cody Rhodes getting out of that Kimura trap.
[Corey] Oh. Kick right on the ear of Rollins.
[Saxton] Rhodes now again with those jabs here to Rollins.
[Corey] I can't believe it. Allstate Arena is almost aghast at the--
-Wow, disaster kick! -[Jimmy] Oh!
[Corey] Cody caught it.
Can Rhodes make something happen? No, Rollins a step ahead.
[Saxton] Rhodes able to land on his feet.
-Now… -[Jimmy] Cody Cutter!
Face-down!
[Corey] But how much damage did it do to Cody Rhodes delivering it?
[grunting in pain]
[Jimmy] Clearly in pain already from the Cody Cutter.
[Saxton] Watch this again. Cody Rhodes delivering the Cody Cutter.
[Corey] And again, hats off, all the credit in the world
for Cody for having the guts to step up
and have this match-up tonight, but this is not a smart decision.
[Jimmy] Into the Figure Four!
[Saxton] In the center of the ring.
[Jimmy] Just cracking on the leg of Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Corey] Rollins. This is a Hell in a Cell Match.
There is no forced rope break,
there is no countout, no disqualification.
[Saxton] Rhodes can hold on as long as he wants.
[Jimmy] Seth Rollins can change the angle or look for some help under the ring.
[Corey] A toolbox? What the hell's Rollins looking for under there?
[Saxton] Oh, a kendo stick.
[Corey] Directly in the injured pec and shoulder.
And again, I can't overstate.
A hush fell over Allstate Arena when Cody took his ring jacket off.
When everybody got eyes on the injury that Cody is currently suffering through,
and Rollins is focusing on.
-[Jimmy] Shocked everyone into silence. -[Corey] Oh!
[Jimmy] Seth Rollins taking full advantage.
[Saxton] It is going to take some sort of special effort,
dare I say, miracle for Cody Rhodes to overcome this.
[Jimmy] Superhuman effort to win with essentially one side of your body.
[Corey] Rollins attacking Rhodes with a kendo stick.
Focusing on the injured pectoral muscle,
connected to your chest, your shoulder. This is just ruthless.
This is gruesome.
[yelling in pain]
[Corey] Cody Rhodes, unfortunately, had to expect this.
As the news broke that Cody was less than 100%,
Cody Rhodes had to know full well
that this is exactly what Rollins was going to do.
[Jimmy] Not the kind of injury we're looking at right now
that you can cover up with makeup or a little bit of tape.
It is gruelingly obvious.
[Saxton] Rhodes with his one good arm now continuing to fight off,
fend off the attack of Seth Rollins.
[Corey] A back hand where Cody originally would have delivered a right,
but realizing you got to call an audible in these situations.
[commentators] Oh, no.
[Jimmy] Couldn't hang on to the ropes with his injured left shoulder.
[Corey] Look at the swelling on the bicep of Cody.
It's one side from his shoulder to his elbow.
Here comes Rollins.
Oh, my God!
-[Rollins yells] -[groans]
[Jimmy] A devastating structure under the best of circumstances.
And as we are seeing, this could be the worst of circumstances for Cody Rhodes.
[Saxton] Right now, Seth Rollins can do whatever he wants.
Whatever he wants to Cody Rhodes.
-Come on, Rhodes. -[screaming]
[Corey] Oh, my God!
Move it.
-[yells] -[grunts]
[Saxton] Rhodes, at this point, is just trying to survive.
-[Rollins] Come on, Cody. Come on. -[groaning]
You better be The Nightmare now.
[Corey] Oh! Superkick right on the temple. Rhodes is down.
Rollins once again ripping control of this match-up away.
[Jimmy] And thinking powerbomb.
-[Corey] Oh, no. -[Jimmy] Poised and loaded.
Right through the table goes Cody Rhodes.
[Corey] That's got to do it. That has got to be it.
-Just end this damn thing. -[Jimmy] Redemption.
One, two…
-Oh! -[Corey] Why?
[Saxton] Through the table went Cody Rhodes.
But once again, it is the heart of Cody Rhodes
that continues to power him through this match.
[commentators] Oh, no.
[Corey] Rollins with a sledgehammer.
We heard Rollins reference the throne.
Declaring that Cody Rhodes will not smash the throne that Seth Rollins has built.
[Jimmy] Now Seth Rollins looking ready to smash Cody Rhodes.
[Corey] We got to stop this thing.
Cody can't defend himself, and Rollins has a damn lethal weapon.
[Saxton] Is this how Rollins ends The Nightmare?
With a sledgehammer? No.
[Jimmy] Kick to the guts from Cody Rhodes.
[Corey] Oh, no.
[Saxton] Cody able to escape, and now Rollins, Pedigree.
Pedigree on Rollins.
[Jimmy] Shoulders down. One, two… Oh!
[Corey] My God!
[Jimmy] Crowd here can't believe it.
[Corey] Rollins was looking for the Pedigree,
a maneuver he's utilized to great effect.
I'm going to go on the record in saying, thus far,
I believe Cody Rhodes has shown us
something that no other WWE Superstar ever has.
This is next level.
[Saxton] No question about that, Corey. No question about it.
[Corey] Wait… They're both going for the sledgehammer.
[Jimmy] Who will get there first?
[Saxton] Rhodes has it. Rhodes has the sledgehammer.
[Corey] Cody won the race for the moment, but the pec…
[Jimmy] Doesn't have the strength.
[Corey] But Rollins does.
[Jimmy] Couldn't keep a grip on-- Oh!
[Jimmy] Cross Rhodes.
[Saxton] Rhodes holds on.
[Jimmy] Two in a row.
[Saxton] Powering through the pain.
[Jimmy] I don't believe it. Looking for number three.
[Corey] What is Cody looking for? What is Cody thinking? Oh, no.
[Saxton] Cody Rhodes wants an exclamation point, Corey.
[Jimmy] We said the third time would be it with him and Seth Rollins.
[Corey] Oh!
[Saxton] Sledgehammer to Rollins.
[Jimmy] Has him now on his back.
[crowd] One, two, three!
-[Jimmy] Unbelievable. -[bell ringing]
-[crowd cheering] -["Kingdom" playing]
[Rome] Here is your winner,
"The American Nightmare"
Cody Rhodes!
[Corey] Tonight, in Chicago, Illinois,
a fallen angel with a broken wing descended into hell
and survived a battle with the devil himself.
And for the third time in a row,
"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes
has defeated Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Still to come, Logan Paul takes flight as he challenges Roman Reigns
for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
[Jackie] But up next, she might be a little deranged,
but she's undeniably watchable.
Liv Morgan is here when we return
on RAW: The Absolute Best of 2022.
[Liv Morgan] I know who I've been.
The youngest of six children raised by a single mom.
[Gigi Daddio] It was hard.
I was working 60 hours a week.
Most of the times, we were above water,
but there were times when it just didn't work.
[Liv Morgan] A confused kid who couldn't find her way in life.
[Gigi] Ever since she was a little girl, it was always about WWE.
-[upbeat music playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Liv Morgan] With a dream in my head
that I couldn't articulate to the world around me,
that only I could truly understand,
but now… Now I know who I am.
[Rome] The following is the Women's
Money in the Bank Ladder Match!
[Saxton] One of these seven women are about to change their life.
[Jimmy] Liv Morgan all alone at the top
-Liv Morgan has done it! -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Liv Morgan can declare herself Ms. Money in the Bank.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Oh, my God. Are you kidding me?
It's Liv Morgan.
[Irvin] Liv Morgan is cashing in her Money in the Bank contract!
[bell ringing]
[Cole] And Ronda picked the ankle.
[McAfee] Liv Morgan has worked her ass off to get to this moment.
[Cole] And Morgan, a kick to the bad knee.
[crowd] One, two, three!
-[bell ringing] -[Cole] Liv did it! Liv's the champion!
[Liv Morgan] I dreamed about this my whole entire life.
Sometimes I felt like I'd never get here…
but here I am. [laughs]
Welcome back to RAW: The Absolute Best of 2022.
Where Liv Morgan has entered the chat.
-We absolutely love to see you, Liv. -[squeals]
We just watched the culmination of your childhood dream.
Take us back to Money in the Bank
and everything that you were feeling and thinking as that was happening.
Money in the Bank was by far the most incredible night of my whole entire life.
Fulfilled me in ways that I really can't even put into words.
I remember just looking into the crowd as much as I could
just to absorb as much of that moment as I possibly could.
I had my hand over my heart and my heart was beating out of my chest.
It was just such a crazy moment.
[Corey] There was no doubt. Liv was extremely happy.
Actually, ran into her in a casino
the night she won the SmackDown Women's Championship.
I don't know if I've ever seen a Superstar that excited.
Championship over her shoulder, a whole crowd of people following her.
She was like the Pied Piper. It was pretty spectacular to see.
-Oh, my goodness. -Yeah, I did.
I just walked around a little bit and then I literally just went to my room
and I just watched it back a billion times.
I just… Trying to remember everything
as best as I could because I just was like, "Wow. I really had done it."
"I made all my dreams come true."
Well, it was one of the biggest moments of the entire year at Money in the Bank.
So how does Liv Morgan take her game to the next level?
I think one thing about me that I am just happy that I have,
is I'm never complacent.
I know, truly, the best is yet to come.
Because I'm going to continue to evolve and grow
and get better and better and better and better.
And so I feel like the world is my oyster.
We're just going to have to wait and see,
but I'm coming for anything and everything.
And like I said, the best is truly yet to come.
So, as spectacular as 2022 was for Liv Morgan,
it wasn't without a few speed bumps or hurdles along the road.
Of course, I'm referring to "The Baddest Woman on the Planet" Ronda Rousey.
How did Ronda force Liv Morgan to step up and evolve as a Superstar?
For me to be lovable little Liv Morgan
going against this pure fighting machine,
I knew I had all the odds against me.
I knew everyone thought that
there's no possible way that I could pull this off, but I did.
Not only once but twice.
Something just triggered in me and snapped in me
and everything was very, very, very clear and I knew what I needed to do.
All right, so you talk about something snapping.
Is it possible we see you get even more extreme in 2023?
That's what my 2023 is all about, is raising the stakes.
It's being extreme, it's taking it to the next level.
I kind of love the pain.
It makes me feel alive, especially after losing my title.
You know what I mean? I felt a little bit dead inside and empty.
I was numb for a couple of weeks.
Then I realized that this excitement,
this pain, this, um…
Seeing how far I can go,
it fulfilled whatever losing the title took from me.
And so now I just have fun and I get to experiment.
I get to explore and I get to figure out all these ways that I could hurt people
and maybe potentially hurt myself in the process.
But it's a risk that I'm willing to take.
Liv Morgan spreading holiday cheer for everyone to enjoy.
[all laughing]
Liv, 2022 was awesome.
I'm excited to see a lot more of this new side of Liv Morgan.
There's really no better night to embrace that mentality than at Extreme Rules
where Liv defended her SmackDown Women's Championship
against "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey in an Extreme Rules Match.
[Cole] The SmackDown Women's Championship
in an Extreme Rules Match, where anything goes.
The champion Liv Morgan versus Ronda Rousey.
-[bell ringing] -Ronda Rousey does not need a weapon.
She is a weapon.
Morgan, baseball slide. Ronda, though, intercepted with the apron.
[screams] Come on!
[Cole] Oh, wait a minute. Fire extinguisher.
Get out of the way, Corey, geez.
Code Red, Liv to retain, and Ronda at two.
[Corey] Liv about to make the climb.
[Cole] Senton through the table!
-Kicks out at two. -[Corey] Are you kidding me?
[Cole] And now Ronda Rousey quickly turning things around. Morgan got caught.
Liv Morgan is fading.
[bell ringing]
[Corey] Liv Morgan fought valiantly.
[Cole] Ronda Rousey is the SmackDown Women's Champion.
[Jackie] Ronda Rousey is now your SmackDown Women's Champion.
But I think that loss, Corey, seems to have changed Liv Morgan.
She's edgier.
She seems to be embracing the pain and her more dangerous side.
I agree with you completely and I actually think it's a very, very good thing.
Because in this business, you need to grow.
You need to evolve if you're going to continue to find success.
And that's an attitude that's not only been adopted by Liv Morgan,
but also by another group of Superstars.
We know them as The Judgment Day.
[Corey] Darkness has descended over Monday Night RAW.
The Judgment Day is here.
[Damian Priest] All rise and show the proper respect
to The Judgment Day.
-The Judgment Day… -We do what we want when we want.
Edge, we are ready to shed the last bit of limitations
holding us back, which is you.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] The patriarch of The Judgment Day being sacrificed before our very eyes.
[roars]
[Corey] Priest, Bálor and Ripley laying waste to The Rated-R Superstar.
[Finn] The Judgment Day isn't afraid of anyone.
[Rhea Ripley] We run Monday Night RAW.
And that's been a harsh reality to the Mysterios.
I even proved to Dominik Mysterio that I really am his mami.
[laughs]
[Cole] What the hell?
Damn it, kid. What are you doing?
I made him into a man.
[Corey] The prophecy has come true.
The Mysterios really are finished.
[Dominik] I couldn't be prouder
to be standing alongside my real family,
The Judgment Day.
Mami's very proud of you.
With Dominik by our side, no one's going to stop us.
[Damian Priest] Every single person that steps to us falls.
[Corey] Beth Phoenix, that's Edge's wife.
[Priest] All the while, The Judgment Day continues to rise.
[hard rock music playing]
The future of this business will be decided by The Judgment Day.
[Jackie] When we return, a battle between Bobby Lashley and Seth "Freakin" Rollins
to determine who will face Austin Theory for the United States Championship
ends in controversy.
[Austin Theory] I am "The Now and Forever" of the WWE.
[upbeat music playing]
[crowd] One, two, three.
[Cole] Theory is the United States Champion.
[Austin Theory] Since day one, everybody's had a problem with me.
And why is that?
Jealousy.
I am the face of Monday Night RAW.
Who's the kid now?
The Austin Theory era begins now!
[crowd booing]
He is no longer the next big this or the next big that.
He is the United States Champion.
He is "The Now" Austin Theory.
And next Monday, he'll be defending that United States Championship.
But the road to that match, just full of twists and turns, Corey.
Yes. Theory's opponent for this title match
was determined two weeks ago in a number-one contender's bout
between Seth "Freakin" Rollins and Bobby Lashley.
But before we get to that, I would like to do a bit of a deep dive--
-Of course you would. -…on Lashley.
2022 was really the year of The All Mighty.
Lashley defeats Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble.
Goes on to accomplish the herculean task of defeating the 7'3", 400-lb
"Nigerian Giant" Omos at WrestleMania
and wins the United States Championship at Money in the Bank in July.
And in my opinion, Bobby Lashley really brought prominence
back to the United States Championship
and made it the premier championship on Monday Night RAW.
Only to have Brock Lesnar send it all crumbling down.
First, The Beast attacks Lashley before the title defense,
ultimately costing Bobby the United States Championship.
Then at Crown Jewel, Lashley dominates Lesnar only for The Beast
to pull out a victory at the last second.
Which has now understandably left The All Mighty absolutely irate.
Yeah, and the short fuse on Lashley's temper
definitely came into play two weeks ago
as he took on Seth "Freakin" Rollins
to determine the new number-one contender to the United States Championship.
[Kevin Patrick] Bobby Lashley wants that United States Championship back tonight.
A number-one contender's match with Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Bobby, hold up a second.
It's not like you just grabbed one of my officials,
you damn near cut him in half.
If it happens again, my hands are tied.
Just make sure nobody else stands in my way.
[Corey] Which of these two men will be the next to challenge Austin Theory?
Lashley just too strong for Rollins.
Hurt Lock!
Rollins beginning to fade.
Official Chad Patton, he had to get out of harm's way.
Spear!
Chad might have tweaked his ankle here.
[Kevin Patrick] Hook of the leg for the victory. The kick-out.
[Corey] Lashley understandably upset.
Chad was just trying to stay out of harm's way.
Pedigree!
[crowd] One, two, three!
-[bell ringing] -[Corey] Rollins is number-one contender.
Bobby, why?
Look at me. Don't try to walk away from me when I'm talking to you.
Bobby, I told you my hands are really tied.
-I told you my hands are really tied. -Why?
You are fired!
-You're fired! -What?
You are fired. You're fired.
[Corey] Now, fortunately for Lashley, cooler heads have prevailed
and WWE official Adam Pearce rescinded his termination.
Though Lashley's return to RAW is still under review,
but that doesn't change the fact that next Monday
live on the first RAW of the new year,
it will be Seth "Freakin" Rollins challenging Austin Theory
for the United States Championship.
Can The Visionary, The Revolutionary
cut short the reign of "The Now" Austin Theory?
[Jackie] It was the match that had the world talking,
Roman Reigns versus Logan Paul
for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship,
and it's next on RAW: The Absolute Best of 2022.
[Ric Flair] Ric Flair was never a character.
It's been my life, the good and the bad.
Fair to say, I'm a complicated man.
He was ahead of his time. He was very colorful.
He's unbelievably captivating.
The most prolific [bleep] talker.
The greatest World Champion of all time.
Willing to do it his way no matter what the consequence is.
People were starting to worry about him.
-Ric Flair, are you kidding me? -My dad has to slow down.
How in the hell is he doing this?
It was almost like he wanted to die.
I don't know how he survived.
People keep reminding me that I should be dead. [laughs]
Whoo!
Welcome back to the show, everybody.
You're watching RAW: The Absolute Best of 2022.
And, Corey, I got to be honest.
We're about to get to my favorite moment of the entire year.
Roman Reigns and Logan Paul at Crown Jewel.
Now, we all know this match has a moment, a huge moment, a viral moment.
I don't even know if I'm doing it justice right now,
but, really, the whole thing was just a series of the unexpected and amazing.
I completely agree.
I think after his performances at WrestleMania and SummerSlam,
we all knew Logan Paul could hang with the best,
but to expect him to go blow for blow with the absolute best in this business,
Roman Reigns, in only Logan's third match, listen, no one saw that coming.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Waistlock. Standing switch by Logan.
Nice move by Paul Logan, takedown.
Logan with an amateur wrestling background,
and a standing switch by Reigns.
And Reigns with a takedown with a bit more authority.
Logan counters. Nice fireman's carry.
[Wade] What the hell is this?
[Cole] Logan Paul is putting on a clinic.
-Oh, and a right hand will stop that. -[Wade] Oh, there you go.
Slow down, Michael Cole. All right?
We all got a little shock there from Logan Paul.
Let's not get carried away.
[Cole] Logan went wild. This is what Logan can't do.
He can't get outside of himself, Wade.
-He can't get out of control. -[Wade] We saw it already there.
He got raggedy with a wild haymaker.
[Cole] Logan's bet the farm on this.
Connecting with one big right to try to put Roman away.
[Wade] Roman was simply too quick.
He knew something like this was going to come early,
and that might have been Logan Paul's best opportunity.
Stop running, Tribal Chief.
[referee] Let's go.
[Cole] "Stop running, Tribal Chief."
That's the cockiness and the bravado we've come to know from Paul.
Again, Roman looking to power Paul back to the ring.
No doubt Roman's the more powerful of these two men.
-[Roman yells] -[Cole] Oh, and a body shot.
[Wade] Kidney shot right there.
[Cole] Roman catches him with a high elbow.
No hurry at all from Roman to go into any sort of cover here.
[Wade] I'm going to tell you. I was in the ring with Roman several times,
2014, 2015, but this now is a different Roman Reigns.
I was in the ring with him pre-God mode.
[Cole] Suplex by Reigns.
Cover now.
First one in the match-up on Paul who kicks at one.
[Logan panting]
[Cole] That was Roman just saying, "Look what I can do, kid."
[Wade] Cat playing with a mouse. It's been that easy for Roman Reigns.
He's read Logan Paul like a book.
[Cole] This is what Logan Paul had to be afraid of.
[crowd chanting] Logan!
-He had to keep his space. He had to… -I'm good.
I'm good.
…jab and jump away, but he's too close to Roman now.
Roman's going to punish him.
Paul, though, lands on his feet, and Logan with a body shot,
a right hand and a left hand.
Great strategy by Logan Paul.
If he continues to body-shot Roman,
he drops his hands, and then maybe he can hit the one lucky shot.
What a leapfrog by Paul!
Nice hip toss by Logan, and the champion is in trouble.
And look at his face.
[Logan yells]
[Cole] And Logan sends Roman over the top rope.
Heyman's surprised.
Heyman is shocked, actually.
[Wade] Logan Paul desperate to capitalize as we take another look
at the extreme athleticism of Logan Paul.
[Cole] He's going to have to do a lot more damage than that.
There, rookie mistake coming out after the more experienced champion.
Bringing the fight to Roman and it didn't work out too well.
[Wade] Yeah, notice that Roman time and again
is going for those kicks to the body of Logan Paul.
Logan Paul, a boxing specialist, no means to defend himself against kicks.
[Cole] And Logan Paul off the barricade, and a crossbody to the champion.
I'd love to get a shot of Heyman
when he had his head in his hands moments ago.
Heyman has tried to warn Reigns for the last number of weeks.
There's Paul obviously concerned because the gravy train may be in trouble.
[Wade] The cogs might be whirring in the mind of Roman Reigns.
[Cole] Oh, what an athlete and what a clothesline!
A cover for the title and at two and a half.
Logan just took the champ to two and a half.
Watch this.
[crowd] One, two…
[Cole] That was a two and a half count, Wade,
against the most dominant champion in the past 35 years.
[Wade] And now, perhaps, the panic starting to set in.
[Cole] Logan Paul sent out to the apron by Reigns.
Oh, hanging Reigns up on the top rope. Logan Paul won't go away.
Leaps off the top rope again. Oh, what a right hand!
Roman Reigns, almost a desperation right to Logan Paul, and now both men are down.
[groans, coughs]
[Cole] Can Logan Paul somehow pull off a monstrous upset?
-[Wade] It's looking unlikely. -[Cole] A Superman Punch.
Paul with a shot to the kidney.
One lucky punch!
Reigns stumbles. Reigns in trouble.
Reigns back to his feet. A Superman Punch.
Cover for the leg. Paul for the win!
-Kick-out by Reigns. -[crowd cheering]
[Heyman] My Tribal Chief! No!
[Cole] Roman Reigns had his bell rung.
Reigns has got ringing in his ears.
We've seen it in the past, Logan Paul's comfortable around tables.
[Wade] Logan Paul more prepared for tonight
than any of us could've ever imagined.
[Cole] Logan's entourage, his buddies who came with him here to Riyadh.
You're going to find me now, boy.
Logan Paul… is taking selfies.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] And he's running a video.
[Wade] Let me ask you, is this how you put away The Tribal Chief?
[Cole] I'm not sure, but Roman Reigns is on the announce table.
Logan Paul's going up to the top rope.
He's got a damn camera phone in his hand.
Logan Paul taking selfies, running a video.
This is the damnedest thing I've ever seen.
Frog splash through the table!
[Wade] I got to be honest with you, Cole.
I have no idea who the hell is winning this match-up,
but that video that Logan Paul just shot is about to go viral.
[Cole] That's the Instagram moment of the week.
Meanwhile, The Bloodline, The Usos,
Jimmy and Jey out here to check on The Tribal Chief.
Logan Paul splashing through the table.
[indistinct argument]
[Cole] So much for Logan's entourage.
The Usos are about to rough 'em up.
[Wade] They're getting street mauled.
You don't get in the face of the damn Usos.
-["It's Every Day Bro" playing] -[Cole] Uh-oh.
[Cole] Logan Paul's got backup.
The Problem Child is here.
Logan's brother Jake Paul.
[Wade] Fresh off defeating UFC great
Anderson "The Spider" Silva last weekend…
and he ain't finished yet.
[Cole] Jake Paul's not going to have any of it. We knew Jake was here.
We saw him arrive earlier at the press conference yesterday.
-Let's go… -[Cole] A right hand. Good night.
Jimmy knocked down as well.
Yeah, yeah…
Come on, Logan.
[Cole] Logan Paul back to his feet.
Tossing the champ back into the ring.
Jake telling Logan to finish it.
[Wade] We're about to witness the worst nightmare
of every wrestling purist on the planet.
[Cole] Splash by Logan.
The cover to win the undisputed Championship.
The biggest upset ever and it won't happen there.
-["Taking It All" playing] -The champ is in deep trouble,
but the champ has backup.
The enforcer of The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa.
Jake Paul squaring off, Wade.
[Wade] Two down, one to go for Jake Paul.
Perhaps the toughest of the bunch.
[Cole] You don't mess with The Bloodline, that's what Solo's saying.
Officials trying to separate these two.
[indistinct shouting]
[Cole] Keep in mind, we still got a championship match going on.
The Usos are back to their feet.
They're pissed off after what Jake Paul did to 'em.
Logan Paul going to fly.
Taking out The Usos.
-[Jake] Yeah, yeah! -[yells]
[Cole] Logan fired up.
Is this his night?
Logan back into the ring.
Roman Reigns, Superman Punch.
He caught him flush.
[crowd exclaims]
[Cole] Reigns with a Spear!
Cover.
The reign continues.
-[bell ringing] -["Head of the Table" playing]
[Rome] Here is your winner,
and still the Undisputed
WWE Universal Champion,
Roman Reigns!
[Cole] 797 days,
Roman Reigns has been a champion.
[fireworks exploding]
A sensational performance from Logan Paul,
but still your reigning, defending
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion,
"The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns.
And, Jackie, that's it.
That's the absolute best of 2022.
Yes, that is the exclamation point of our show.
Well, almost, because this Friday,
on the last SmackDown of the year in Tampa, Florida,
John Cena is not only making his return,
but dude's actually stepping in the ring to team up with Kevin Owens
as they take on "The Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn.
[Corey] And then, next Monday on RAW,
we're starting 2023 with a bang with two huge championship main events.
First, Bianca Belair takes on the twisted Alexa Bliss
for the RAW Women's Championship in a match-up
that has become extremely personal and disturbing over the past few weeks.
And then The Visionary, The Revolutionary, Seth "Freakin" Rollins
challenges Austin Theory for the United States Championship.
Can Rollins capitalize on the opportunity and dethrone the champ,
or will Austin Theory's forever reign continue?
[Jackie] Oh, my goodness, Corey. So much to look forward to,
and all of this as we get closer and closer to Royal Rumble,
right around the corner in San Antonio on January 28th.
I got to say, it has been an absolute pleasure
taking a little trip down memory lane.
Ten out of ten, I would say. It's been a good time.
It would be an eleven out of ten
because you got to spent the day with Corey Graves.
See, I thought you weren't that bad. Now, I'm starting to reconsider.
But for Corey Graves, I'm Jackie Redmond.
We appreciate you tuning in to RAW: The Absolute Best of 2022.
We wish you and yours all the best this holiday season.
Cheers. you and yours all the best this holiday season.