WWE Raw: Early Plans for the Post-Royal Rumble Episode Revealed
Tonight's Monday Night Raw takes place in Tulsa and will be WWE's first TV program to feature the fallout from Saturday's Royal Rumble pay-per-view. WWE released a video hours before the show in which Byron Saxton confirmed tonight's episode would open with a promo from Cody Rhodes — winner of the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble. Rhea Ripley, who outlasted 29 other women to win the Women's Rumble, is expected to pick which champion she'll face at WrestleMania (either Bianca Belair or Charlotte Flair) at some point during the evening.
Ripley mulled over that decision during the post-show press conference — "I'm going to have a lot of thinking to do before WrestleMania. I'm very, very torn by this decision. I've stepped in the ring with Bianca many times and I've absolutely loved every second in the ring with her. I think we bring out a side in each other that not many people see and we really take each other to the absolute limit. But then again, it's the same with Charlotte. She also holds the SmackDown Women's Championship, so if I choose her I can not only beat her for the first time in a singles match which is something I really, really want to do, but I also become a Grand Slam Champion if I do. So I have a lot of thinking to do. I've got Bianca, someone I came up with in NXT and I have a lot to prove because she's beaten me a lot of the time and I've beaten her. And we really want to prove who 'The EST' of WWE really is."
Saxton also confirmed that next month's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view would feature Austin Theory defending the United States Championship inside the titular chamber. Qualifying matches will begin on tonight's episode with Seth Rollins vs. Chad Gable and Johnny Gargano vs. Baron Corbin.
Stay tuned for full coverage of tonight's episode. Elimination Chamber will take place on Feb. 18 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.