Raw 25 preview, Jan. 22, 2018: The past and present converge tonight
The celebration is Raw tonight when TV’s longest-running weekly episodic show commemorates its 25th anniversary with returning WWE Legends like The Undertaker and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Superstars from both Team Red and SmackDown LIVE, an Intercontinental Championship Match pitting Roman Reigns against The Miz and much more. Don’t miss any of the action as Raw emanates from the Barclays Center and its original home, the Manhattan Center, at 8/7 C on USA Network. And be sure to tune in to the Raw 25 Pre-Show, streaming live at 7 p.m. ET on WWE Network, WWE.com, the WWE App, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!
>Roman Reigns defends the Intercontinental Championship against The Miz
Live under the bright lights of Raw 25, The Miz seeks to reclaim the Intercontinental Championship he lost to Roman Reigns last year.
The Big Dog goes into this title rematch with serious momentum, having defeated both members of The Miztourage in a Handicap Match this past Monday on Raw despite The A-Lister’s attempted intervention. Can Reigns honor his family’s unmatched sports-entertainment legacy during the 25th Anniversary of Raw, or will Miz become an eight-time bearer of WWE’s workhorse championship?
>WWE Legends take over Monday Night Raw
“Oh, hell yeah!”
Attitude Era standard-bearer and WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is making his return to Monday night’s hottest show, and he’s not coming alone. The Texas Rattlesnake will be joined by former champions and iconic competitors from all eras of Raw, including D-Generation X, Chris Jericho, JBL & Ron Simmons, Scott Hall, Torrie Wilson, The Bella Twins and the list goes on.
The only people that don’t seem excited about WWE Legends swarming the Manhattan Center and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center are The Revival, who made it clear last week on Raw that they’re more “old school” than any of the fan-favorites returning for Raw 25. Will Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder eat their words tonight?
>John Cena and SmackDown LIVE Superstars drop by Team Red
Given Raw’s place in sports-entertainment history, SmackDown LIVE will be taking part in the festivities Monday night in New York. In addition to SmackDown LIVE Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan, WWE.com can confirm that WWE Champion AJ Styles, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, Natalya and The New Day will appear for the momentous celebration.
The intensity of brand warfare was off the charts late last year before Survivor Series, but we can only hope that SmackDown LIVE’s visit will be an amicable one … right?
Joining the brand-aligned Superstars in the house for Raw 25 will be free agent John Cena, six nights before he battles 29 other Superstars in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match.
>How will Brock Lesnar and Kane respond to Braun Strowman?
It’s been a rollercoaster week for Braun Strowman, but The Monster Among Men has been the one at the controls. When Strowman last encountered Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Kane — his competitors in Royal Rumble’s anticipated Triple Threat Match — he sent part of the Raw set crashing down on both titans, nearly causing serious injury to two of Team Red’s most feared competitors.
That heinous act got Strowman fired by Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, but his rampage that nearly destroyed a $12 million production truck and sent Michael Cole soaring off the stage got him rehired by Team Red Commissioner Stephanie McMahon. After all, it was the only way to stop him.
Less than one week before the Triple Threat Match at Royal Rumble, Lesnar and Kane return for Raw 25. How will these juggernauts retaliate against the seemingly unstoppable Strowman?
<History in the making
<MUH WYMYN'S REVOLUSHUN
Raw 25 is just six nights before the first-ever 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match, and every woman on the Team Red roster will be looking to assert her dominance before the anticipated over-the-top-rope showdown. Will new Superstars announce their participation in the match? Plus, what will WWE Legends like Trish Stratus, Torrie Wilson, Jacqueline and Terri Runnels, who will all be in attendance, have to say about this historic match?
Don’t miss any of the action on Raw 25, live at 8/7 C on USA Network, and be sure to tune in to the Raw 25 Pre-Show at 7 p.m. ET on WWE Network, the WWE App, WWE.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other digital platforms!