5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (27 Jan - Results & Review)
1. Closing Strong
Cody Rhodes. CM Punk. Face to face. On the mic.
**Insert “Shut up and take my money” meme**
Last year, Cody and Punk had a face-to-face encounter before the Royal Rumble that tore the house down. Monday night, they stood in the ring once again and melted televisions everywhere.
After fending off Kevin Owens and eating an inadvertent Helluva Kick from Sami Zayn, Cody started to rant and rave a bit before Punk came down to ringside to take Rhodes’ temperature. He said it looked like the stress of being champion and everything that goes with it was getting to him. Punk related his struggles as champion for 14 months and suggested that what Cody was doing wasn’t sustainable.
The two men then talked about their friendship, the hectic schedule Rhodes undoubtedly would be keeping heading into the Rumble on Saturday and beyond into WrestleMania 41 if he retains. Then Punk observed that while Cody wears down under the pressure, there will be someone busting their ass to get in the best shape of their life, win the Rumble, and take the title off him at Mania.
That was the good news. The bad news? That person is Punk.
Rhodes followed by noting that when they both were in OVW, everyone was chasing CM Punk. When he came up to the main roster, Cody was again chasing Punk. Even after the Second City Saint left WWE, everyone had to endure the chants, and they all were still chasing Punk. But in 2025, that dynamic had shifted, and Punk was now chasing Cody Rhodes, and he wanted Punk to win the Rumble so he can catch up.
Had that been the mic drop and end of the show, this would have been an 11/10 segment. But they went for a bit more drama with each man stopping the other from leaving to try to deliver one more killer line, each of which felt less impactful than their previous soliloquies. So let’s knock it down to a 9.9/10.