WWE RAW Flops and Hits: Brock Lesnar dream match confirmed for Royal Rumble, epic reunion with Paul Heyman (January 3rd, 2022)

The first episode of WWE RAW in 2022 was quite an interesting one. The show had several positive highlights, including big returns and the much-awaited dream matches. There were also a handful of flaws that affected the show tonight. Overall, the red brand did well to set the right tone for the Royal Rumble season.

Here, we look at some of the biggest flops and hits from WWE RAW this week. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#1 (a) Hit on WWE RAW: Bobby Lashley earns a title shot against Brock Lesnar

The opening segment of RAW featured Brock Lesnar reunited with his advocate, Paul Heyman. The Beast Incarnate defeated Big E, Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, and Seth Rollins in the main event of Day 1 to win the WWE Championship. He was added to the match at the last minute after his title bout with Roman Reigns was canceled as the latter tested positive for Covid-19 before the premium live event.

The main event of WWE RAW saw Big E, Lashley, Owens, and Rollins engage in a Fatal Four-Way match to determine Lesnar’s next challenger. All four superstars engaged in a brutal match that saw them all take turns to assert their dominance. There were several jaw-dropping moments in their battle which prompted “This is Awesome” chants from the live audience.

It is worth noting that the chemistry between Rollins and Owens was off the charts during this match on WWE RAW, as they genuinely helped each other throughout the match. In the end, Bobby Lashley prevailed after delivering three consecutive spears.

The Almighty pinned Owens to win a shot at Lesnar’s WWE Championship, and the two superstars will now battle it out for the title at Royal Rumble. This match has been in the making for a long time, and it will be exciting to see how the build-up unfolds on WWE RAW for the rest of the month. Oh, and lest we forget, Lesnar will pay a visit to Roman reigns on SmackDown later this week.

#1 (b) Hit on WWE RAW: Brock Lesnar reunites with Paul Heyman on WWE RAW

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman are among the most iconic duos to have ever been a part of the pro-wrestling world. The latter was recently fired as Roman Reigns’ special counsel after the Universal Champion questioned his loyalty. Heyman sought redemption on WWE RAW tonight as he reformed his alliance with Lesnar.

The split between Reigns and Heyman and the latter’s alliance with Lesnar could very well be a long con by the Tribal Chief. But for now, let’s take things at face value and watch the popular duo conquer WWE RAW one giant at a time.

Heyman cut an extended promo to put over Bobby Lashley and Big E. He also painted Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens as jackals and suggested moving to SmackDown to target Roman Reigns, who is “vulnerable” without his trusted counsel.

Brock Lesnar has been nothing short of brilliant since his return and is having fun with his current gimmick. It will be exciting to see how his alliance with Heyman will affect his title run on WWE RAW in the coming months.

#2 Flop on WWE RAW: Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley's current equation

On WWE RAW, Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley attempted to win the Women's Tag Team Championships once again. Unfortunately, the duo fell short against the reigning champions, Queen Zelina and Carmella.

While Nikki and Rhea Ripley losing the title match isn't a bad thing, the manner of their defeat is bound to raise eyebrows. Once again, we saw the former lose the in-ring encounter in an underwhelming fashion.

Another loss via a roll-up pinfall on WWE RAW made Nikki look weak, and it begs the question if the creative team is using this angel to plant the seeds of her split with Rhea Ripley. While The Nightmare would be great as a singles competitor, there's a massive problem with this booking if a split is in the works.

Apart from Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H., there's no other women's tag team on WWE RAW or SmackDown who can compete for the titles. Thus, splitting them will effectively leave the champions as the only active competitors in the women's tag team division.

This reeks of poor planning, and the writers desperately need to establish new women's tag teams before they split up the only potential challengers for Queen Zelina and Carmella.

#3 Hit on WWE RAW: The Alpha Academy rise to the challenge

This week’s WWE RAW saw RK-Bro face their next title challengers, the Alpha Academy. Previously, Otis and Chad Gable lost their respective singles matches against Randy Orton and Riddle. Tonight, the duo was determined to prove a point.

The four superstars locked horns in a tag team match on WWE RAW tonight as the Alpha Academy hoped to beat the champions and earn a shot at their titles. It was an excellent in-ring encounter that gradually picked pace.

While Orton and Riddle looked strong, but their opponents did the homework. They isolated the champions and took on them one at a time to gain the upper hand over RK-Bro.

Otis and Gable took Orton out of the equation towards the end of the match by attacking him at ringside. Back inside the ring, Riddle attempted to take down Otis with an RKO, but the latter countered mid-air. He then slammed The Original Bro into the mat and pinned him to pick up a significant victory for his team on WWE RAW.

It is evident that Alpha Academy will be the next title challengers for RK-Bro. However, tonight’s loss will also force Randy Orton to talk to Riddle, whom he has repeatedly warned against being over-ambitious inside the ring. It will be exciting to see how the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions successfully navigate their way out of their next title feud.

#4 Flop on WWE RAW: Omos's clean victory over AJ Styles

AJ Styles and Omos were last year's WWE RAW Tag Team Champions, but the duo recently fell out. Tonight, the Phenomenal One returned on the red brand to settle the old score with his protégé once and for all. This is one of the most familiar stories unfolding inside the squared circle, but the writers dropped the ball with this booking.

AJ Styles faced Omos in a one-sided battle that saw the latter pick up a victory. It makes sense to present the Giant as a commanding force, but he lacks the right skill-set to appear like a legitimate threat on WWE RAW.

Omos looked strong because Styles is a master of his craft and can make all his opponents look good. It will be challenging for the Giant to replicate the same credibility in the upcoming weeks.

The biggest silver lining from this match is that AJ Styles' involvement in this tag team run is finally over. He can now return to become a singles star on RAW – something that fans have been waiting for a long time. The Phenomenal One will make for an exciting addition to the WWE Championship picture, and he has a lot of potentially classic feuds awaiting him on the red brand.

#5 Hit/Flop on WWE RAW: Damian Priest defends title, heel turn delayed?

This week on WWE RAW, Damian Priest put his United States Championship on the line against Dolph Ziggler. If the champ had disqualified himself from the match, he would have lost his title.

Both Ziggler and Robert Roode tried every trick in the book to force Priest into switching to his brutal personality mid-match, which often distracts him from the task at hand. It was a good match, but it also had its fair share of mistakes.

Ziggler didn’t have the proper build-up to dethrone the champion, but he has been in the business long enough to get that kind of momentum at the drop of a hat. Priest is a strong champion, but his current title reign on WWE RAW has certainly become monotonous now.

Losing the championship due to a recurring mistake could have prompted Priest into turning heel on WWE RAW. Following that, he would have turned into an interesting prospect ahead of Royal Rumble and an excellent addition to the world title picture.

It wasn’t the worst decision to have Priest successfully defend his title as a babyface, but it is not the best call either.