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Welcome to the RAW before Bad Blood Preview! We're just days away from the big premium live event in Atlanta, Georgia, and in anticipation of that, WWE has advertised a stacked go-home show this week.
The fact that there are so few matches on the premium live event card is perhaps a good reason to advertise for the shows before and after. For example, RAW this week has five announced matches - the same as the Bad Blood card.
There isn't anything being promoted for Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Damian Priest, and Finn Balor, but we anticipate that there are going to be some crucial go-home segments involving that. Apart from those two feuds, here is what you have to look forward to tonight:
#7. Rey Mysterio faces Xavier Woods for the first time ever on RAW
Last week on RAW, Xavier Woods clashed with Rey Mysterio backstage over the recent World Tag Title match where The New Day lost to The Judgment Day's Finn Balor & JD McDonagh.
The loss came directly after the LWO's interference, which backfired and visibly upset Woods. Woods has been furious at both the LWO and his tag team partner Kofi Kingston, and the tensions spilled over backstage when he got into a verbal confrontation with Rey Mysterio. The WWE Hall of Famer was originally set to face Finn Balor tonight but changed plans after the altercation - setting up a first-time-ever bout against the 12-time tag team champion.
#6. Braun Strowman & "Big" Bronson Reed to end their feud in a Last Monster Standing match?
For one-and-a-half months now, "Big" Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman have clashed and made each other's lives a living hell. Both their matches ended in a no contest as things broke down backstage. Their first meeting saw the Australian star Bronson Reed hit a Tsunami on Strowman, who was lying on top of a car. Their second meeting saw the two collide into a wall - breaking it and taking each other out.
Knowing they can't be contained, it was announced that this week on RAW, the trilogy match will happen with the "Last Monster Standing" stipulation. It looks like this could be Bronson Reed's biggest moment yet if he wins the match and ends their feud on the winning side of things.
#5. Lyra Valkyria and Zoey Stark go one-on-one
Zoey Stark has been impressive and picked up a decisive win against Natalya last week on RAW. To step up and help her ally, the rising star Lyra Valkyria takes on the underrated Zoey Stark.
It isn't just a feud between two groups - it's a match that will determine who gets ahead in the women's division. Both Lyra Valkyria and Zoey Stark are looking to make an even bigger name for themselves so in that sense, this is one of the bigger matches on the show tonight.
#4. The Judgment Day faces the LWO in a six-man tag team match
The LWO and the new Judgment Day have been clashing on a seemingly weekly basis. The two factions are looking to get ahead and this week on RAW, Dragon Lee teams up with Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde to face Dominik Mysterio, Carlito, and JD McDonagh.
Dragon Lee was supposed to stand on the opposite end of Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 40, but he got taken out and replaced by Andrade - a decision that happened because of Carlito and also led him to where he is today.
Which group is going to get the bragging rights tonight?
#3. Kofi Kingston takes on Chad Gable
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods lost to American Made last week on RAW - something that led to Chad Gable rubbing it in their faces and Xavier Woods getting even more furious in the process.
This week, Kofi Kingston looks to prove a point to Xavier Woods as he takes on the impressive Chad Gable on RAW. Gable, meanwhile, will be looking to show his proteges in American Made how it's done and lead them to bigger things going forward.
So this isn't just some regular match. It looks like it could be on a premium live event, but expect big things tonight.
#2. "Main Event" Jey Uso is live!
"Main Event" Jey Uso fulfilled his goal in 2024 on RAW with three entire months to spare. He mentioned early on that he wanted to become a singles champion and found himself flip-flopping between the World Heavyweight Title picture and the Intercontinental Title picture between December 2023 and September 2024.
Finally, in an epic main event clash last week on RAW, Jey Uso defeated the rising Bron Breakker to win the Intercontinental Championship - marking one of the biggest moments of his 14-year-long WWE main roster career and 17-year-long wrestling career.
Jey Uso appears live tonight, presumably to open the show, to speak about his win. The crowd will be wild, but could Bron Breakker reappear to try and earn a rematch?
#1. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre to speak ahead of their Hell in a Cell match
It's unclear whether CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre will headline Bad Blood 2024. It seemed set to headline the show before the match was announced, but the fact that Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will be on the same side in a match makes it a tough decision for WWE higher-ups.
To many fans, CM Punk and Drew McIntyre earned the main event spot because it has been the feud of the year and this Hell in a Cell match is set to end their epic rivalry - so it justifies the final slot.
Either way, we're going to hear from both men tonight on RAW - so expect chaos before the two enter hell.
