7 Ups And 5 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Jan 30)

by Andy H Murray

1. Samoa Joe, The Destroyer

Samoa Joe Seth Rollins
WWE.com

The lack of Samoa Joe was one of the royal Rumble's biggest disappointments, but WWE more than made up for it last night. Seth Rollins walked into Triple H's trap like a lamb to slaughter, and Joe couldn't possibly have asked for a more impactful debut.

Rollins didn't even make it into the ring before Joe jumped him, and the beatdown was absolutely vicious. Joe obliterated Rollins at ringside before dragging him inside and choking him unconscious with the Coquina Clutch, ensuring that Raw went off the air in startling fashion, and immediately establishing him as one of the brand's major players.

WWE have a couple of options available from here. This could just lead to a Seth vs. Joe match at Fastlane before Rollins eventually faces Triple H at WrestleMania, or the former NXT Champion could just replace Triple H in the ring outright. Nobody really wants to see Hunter wrestle at this point, and introducing Joe as a surrogate makes perfect sense. It'd lead to a far better match at WrestleMania, and Joe, the Destroyer, is by far the most malevolent and destructive of Triple H's developmental products.

Samoa Joe grabbed everyone's attention last night. He has immediately been inserted into one of the company's biggest storylines, and provided he doesn't just become The Game's latest corporate stooge, he's well-placed to become one of Raw's most compelling heels. A fantastic debut.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.