6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (Results & Review - 8 Jan)

2. Where Did That Brawl Come From?

As a match, Ludwig Kaiser versus Kofi Kingston was everything you’d expect in a singles bout between two tag team wrestlers who are perfectly capable of delivering whenever called upon.

The match carried some extra weight because Kingston inadvertently shoot injured Giovanni Vinci last week, and Kaiser used that as fuel during their match, which ended in a double count-out. And had the confrontation between the two ended there, this would have been an easy “down” for an average match with only moderate heat.

Then came the post-match brawl.

Kofi and Ludwig attacked each other viciously, but it quickly became a one-sided beating when Kaiser threw an announcer’s swivel chair at Kingston, flooring the former world champion. He continued to pummel Kofi before officials led him away… momentarily. Kaiser evaded to referees, raced around the ring and dropkicked Kofi’s head into the steel steps, triggering massive boos raining down on him.

Later backstage, Kaiser said Kofi brought this on himself for putting Vinci down. Tremendous stuff post-match, salvaging the entire segment and actually making Ludwig Kaiser look like a heartless killer rather than one of Gunther’s underlings. And now there’s genuine interest in seeing where this goes next.