6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (Results & Review - 22 Jan)

1. Cody. Punk. That Is All.

From the moment the face-to-face confrontation was announced last week, fans were salivating at the prospect of CM Punk and Cody Rhodes coming nose-to-nose in the middle of the ring. Whereas under the previous regime, one might worry about WWE screwing this up, you just knew they were going to nail this one Monday night. And they did.

Punk and Rhodes started out with a handshake and talked about their respect for each other, but that veneer quickly gave way to backhanded condescension in a manner that can only be described as masterfully captivating. Punk talked about Rhodes being wrestling royalty, traced his own blue-collar roots and proclaimed himself more of an American Dream than Cody.

Rhodes countered by noting that Punk delivered a pipebomb that laid out the template for a revolution, and then walked away from the business completely, leaving no heir apparent. Cody recounted picking up that mantle, started his own revolution and did what Punk only talked about, making Rhodes more of a CM Punk than the Second City Saint himself.

Things continued to escalate from there, with the tension rising, but it never boiled over. That’s for a peak moment in the Royal Rumble on Saturday. For now, this was a phenomenal “shut up and take my money” moment, a must-see segment that made the Rumble a can’t-miss event. No notes, highest praise.