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WWE Monday Night Raw Preview and Schedule: January 2, 2023

Alexa Bliss will challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship, while Seth Rollins will continue his quest to win back the United States Championship.

Raw Womens Championship Match set for this weeks Raw (image courtesy Twitter)

Bengaluru, January 2: WWE Raw brand is all set to kick things off for 2023 with a championship night where both the current top titles from the male and female roster will be on the line.

Alexa Bliss will challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship, while Seth Rollins will continue his quest to win back the United States Championship.

Also, like the last episode of Smackdown, WWE's flagship show could witness a couple of huge returns to shake things up when the January 2 episode emanates from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Here is what's in store for the first episode of WWE Monday Night Raw in 2023:

Raw Women’s Championship Match

Raw Women’s Championship Match

After a long time, one of the top female roster members of Raw, Alexa Bliss has received an opportunity to challenge for the singles title of the red brand, that's the Raw Women's Championship.

It took her a win in a Triple Threat Match and then the number-one contender's match against Bayley on the December 12 episode to book herself against Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair for the title, tonight.

Good vibes between these two names have been erased in recent times as Bliss tried to hit Belair soon after receiving the title match opportunity with the Sister Abigail finisher under a trance by none other than Bray Wyatt.

Then two weeks ago, Wyatt again caused her to hit Belair with a flower vase on the head. This was a hint of Bliss possibly turning heel and getting herself aligned with Wyatt for the second time in her career possibly with the red-strapped women's title by her side.

United States Championship Match

United States Championship Match

The heated feud between Austin Theory and Seth "Freakin'" Rollins goes way back in October as both the men had their eyes fixed on the United States Championship. Now, they will battle for the title, once more on tonight's Raw.

Theory has held the United States Title since capturing it in a Triple Threat Match against then-champion Rollins and Bobby Lashley at Survivor Series. This win came just a few days after he had an unsuccessful Money in the Bank cash-in of his title match contract.

Then on the December 12 episode of Raw, Lashley and Seth Rollins went one-on-one in the main event in a number-one contender's match for the US Title.

Lashley's uncontrollable aggression cost him the match as Rollins got the win by countering a Spear with a Pedigree to cement his title shot. That being said, The Visionary has one more chance to win a match and become a three-time US champ.

Speculations around multiple returns

Speculations around multiple returns

Speaking of the US Title match, there're rumours that Cody Rhodes could possibly be waiting to make his impending return on Raw to cost Rollins his title match opportunity and thereby resume the 2022 feud of the year.

It should be noted that Rollins was the one to sideline Rhodes with a Sledgehammer attack from behind, the night after Hell in a Cell after he came up short against The American Nightmare inside the Cell structure.

The same US title match capacity could also witness returning Bobby Lashley who was apparently fired by WWE Official Adam Pearce just after his contender's match against Rollins on December 12 Raw for attacking the referees.

However, Pearce has since clarified that Lashley was reinstated on the Raw roster and it's a matter of time before he should be back on TV. Match no.3 against Brock Lesnar could also be waiting for him at Royal Rumble upon his return.

WWE Hall of Famer Edge is also being rumoured to make his return on Raw to seek revenge against Judgment Day as they attacked his wife Beth Phoenix at Extreme Rules to write him off TV.

A gimmick match between Edge and Judgment Day leader Finn Balor has been reported in recent times and we'll have to wait and see whether the builds for this match start on this week's Raw.

Story first published: Monday, January 2, 2023, 14:44 [IST]
Other articles published on Jan 2, 2023
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