The year is just about to close, and for the first time in a very long time, we have branded episodes of WWE Raw and SmackDown to look forward to, filling the gap between Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble. And these are not the branded episodes of old like “Raw Homecoming” or “Old School SmackDown.”
No, these are weekly TV shows engraved with old Pay-Per-View names, much like pre-pandemic IMPACT! Wrestling, and modern NXT and AEW.
WWE Raw on January 1st will be known as “Raw: Day 1,” similar to the Premium Live Event from 2022. SmackDown will add the “New Year’s Revolution” branding similarly for its January 5th edition. It was the branding of a Pay-Per-View event WWE used from 2005 to 2007 and held on the first Sunday of the new year those three times.
With that bit of trivia out of the way, let us see what’s to come on tonight’s edition of WWE Monday Night Raw.
Double Tag Team Title Night, Part 1
Can @BrutusCreedwwe & @JuliusCreedWWE dethrone @ArcherOfInfamy & @FinnBalor tomorrow night on #WWERaw … or will it be a Judgment Day celebration? pic.twitter.com/fjpF2KCWNO
— WWE (@WWE) December 17, 2023
On the November 27 edition of Monday Night Raw, The Creed Brothers were able to win a Tag Team Turmoil match over #DIY, Imperium, Alpha Academy, Indus Sher, and The New Day to secure a chance to challenge The Judgment Day for their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships.
This will be the third title defense for the tandem of Finn Balor and “Señor Money In The Bank” Damian Priest since the start of their second reign on October 16th. The Creed Brothers look to win their second set of Tag Team titles, having already won the NXT Tag Team titles. Can they defeat a team like Damian Priest and Finn Balor, who have been such an imposing fixture of WWE Raw?
Double Tag Team Title Night, Part 2
TOMORROW NIGHT is the biggest opportunity of my career. I know we can do this @wwekayden . Let’s show the world who we are 💥 #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/o34MJ0xwFT
— Kacy Catanzaro (@Katana_WWE) December 18, 2023
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are set to challenge Chelsea Green and Piper Niven for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. This is despite the fact that they lost to the Champions in a non-title match back in August.
But the duo has climbed back up. Having defeated Natalya and Tegan Nox two weeks ago on Raw, and last week, they beat the female members of the group once known in NXT as “The Way“: Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell. Surprisingly, this is the Champion’s 3rd defense in their 127-day reign. Will the gold change tonight?
The Royal Rumble Looms
CM Punk and Cody Rhodes have already thrown their names out for participating in the Royal Rumble. And though they may be the top two candidates to win, there are still 28 other spots to fill. Not to mention a completely separate Royal Rumble for the women altogether. So, there is plenty of time for others to add their names.
Closing In On Day 1
On the Day 1 edition of WWE Raw, Drew McIntyre will get the rematch he’s been chasing against Seth Rollins for his World Heavyweight Championship.
CM Punk encountered Drew McIntyre in the wake of the announcement. As the Royal Rumble draws near, there are a lot of moving parts going about, not just as people chase the opportunity to challenge at WrestleMania. But also as it pertains to who goes to the big show with the title in hand.
All that, plus The Miz has to think about Gunther’s condition for a rematch for their Intercontinental Championship. If Miz loses, he will not get another chance as long as Gunther’s historic reign continues. Will The Miz accept? All that and more will be on Monday Night Raw tonight.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – WWE – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the WWE Network and Peacock.
