8 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (13 Jan - Results & Review)

2. Just Filling Time

WWE Raw Rhea Ripley Bayley
WWE

On paper, bringing Rhea Ripley out for a promo is like giving catnip to the fans – they’re going to cheer loudly and come to life for Mami, and then throw in an appearance from a potential opponent to get the juices flowing.

Nia Jax, visiting due to the nebulous transfer window, was the designated villain, coming out to put down Ripley and then pivot to the Royal Rumble, remaining focused on the title she just lost to Tiffany Stratton, but also giving Rhea a bit of a warning. Nia then dragged Bayley - who was sitting in the audience since this is her hometown - into the mix, triggering her to jump the barricade.

Predictably, things broke down and Jax shoved both Bayley and Rhea, only for the two to team up and send Nia flying out of the ring. So there you have it: Nia is a potential opponent for Ripley, and Bayley was seen staring at the title as well, so she could also challenge. It wasn’t offensive, but it also felt like it existed to serve as a storyline crutch for future feuds that might never materialize.

Advertisement
In this post: 
WWE Raw Penta
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.