WWE Raw results, Jan. 21, 2019: The Boss and The Baddest Woman on the Planet mix it up before WWE Royal Rumble

The Extraordinary Man sends a message to those who doubt his ability to defeat The Beast Incarnate and become Universal Champion at Royal Rumble.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ready or not, Finn Bálor is facing Brock Lesnar for the Universal Title on Sunday, and the question is: Do you believe? Mr. McMahon doesn’t believe in fairytales, so safe to say he’s out of the Bálor Club. Braun Strowman is looking past the Royal Rumble to give These Hands to whomever is still standing. Lesnar and Paul Heyman are impressed with their upstart challenger, but they’re predicting “martyrdom” all the same.

But Bálor believes. Granted, that’s what happens when you beat John Cena to make it to the dance, but as The Extraordinary Man explained in a show-opening brouhaha, his self-belief was there long before he pinned the G.O.A.T. And it’s unlikely to abate anytime soon, as he promised Strowman he’d succeed where The Monster failed and take the title from Lesnar. That didn’t quite make The Chairman a believer, but it was enough to pique his interest and sanction Bálor vs. Strowman in a match he predicted would be “very interesting.”

Apollo Crews goes one-on-one with "The All Mighty" in a brutal confrontation.

The Intercontinental Championship represents hard-earned validation for Bobby Lashley, but some Superstars aren’t exactly sold on The All-Mighty just yet. Apollo Crews, who narrowly missed out on the title on New Year’s Eve when he challenged then-champion Dean Ambrose, stepped up to the imperious titleholder and goaded his way into a match by mocking Lashley in a pose-down (and atop Lashley’s custom podium, no less).

Crews certainly had the goods to hang with Lashley, flitting around The All-Mighty and even pressing him over his head (albeit briefly, as the effort left Crews with a tweaked lower back). But Lio Rush, as ever, proved to be the equalizer, catching Crews’ attention and setting him up to be bulldozed by a Spear, which Lashley administered while Apollo had The Man of the Hour pressed over his shoulders.

Even then, Lashley found himself upstaged once again: The All-Mighty’s victory celebration was interrupted by Seth Rollins, who locked eyes ominously with the champion as he approached the ring for his match with Drew McIntyre. Seth should tread lightly. If there’s a lesson to be learned from Crews, it’s that you disrespect Lashley at your own risk.

Kalisto, Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik bring the fight to The Modern Day Maharaja and his minions.

What can possibly upset Jinder Mahal’s inner peace? Thus far, The Maharaja has kept his cool through defeats, humiliations and a stressful run through the Mixed Match Challenge, but a flash defeat from The Lucha House Party seemed to finally test the patience of the former WWE Champion. The win was especially frustrating since he was teaming with The Singh Brothers, and the speed of Sunil & Samir helped Mahal keep pace with the trifecta of luchadores. But Gran Metalik stunned everybody by notching the pin with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, leaving The Maharaja fuming at ringside. Kalisto, meanwhile, was all smiles following his team’s win, and good thing too — he’ll need positive vibes when he heads into a Fatal 4-Way for the WWE Cruiserweight Title on Sunday.  

The Living Truth and The Lone Wolf collide six nights before both men compete in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that Baron Corbin is not going gently into the purgatory that has swallowed up many a deposed General Manager. In the wake of his firing, The Lone Wolf has been a persistent thorn in the side of enemies and authority alike, and Elias in particular can’t seem to shake him, despite his best efforts.

Granted, The Living Truth added to Corbin’s humiliation in song (and nearly leveled him with a guitar), but Corbin got the last laugh in the ensuing match. Despite booming chants of “You got fired” from the WWE Universe, The Lone Wolf kept his cool, jabbed Elias in the throat behind the ref’s back, and hit the End of Days for the win. He may have been fired, but Baron Corbin clearly isn’t going anywhere.

Otis Dozovic and Tucker Knight compete on Raw for the first time ever.

Last week, the WWE Universe got to see what makes Heavy Machinery unique. This week, they got to see what makes them shine. The big bulls got their first taste of in-ring action on Raw in a bout against fellow heavy-hitters The Ascension, and they didn’t waste any time besieging The Wasteland with a deluge of steaks and weights that the former NXT Tag Team Champions were helpless to stop. Heavy Machinery used their own bodies as battering rams in an unorthodox display that culminated in Otis Dozovic’s Caterpillar elbow drop and their tag-team finishing maneuver, the Compactor, which allowed Tucker Knight to score the pin. Who knows where they’ll end up in the long run, but this will certainly be fun.   

Curt Hawkins dons the stripes for an explosive Raw Tag Team Title Match

Despite finagling a Raw Tag Team Championship Match from Mr. McMahon, The Revival missed out on the titles by the narrowest of margins, thanks largely to some shenanigans involving the referee. Sounds familiar, but it’s not: While Dash & Dawson convinced The Chairman they’d fallen short of the tag titles largely due to inattentive officiating, this time they were doomed by a ref who was wise to their tricks.

That would be Curt Hawkins, who Mr. McMahon appointed as the special guest ref as a way to give The Revival an unbiased official and present the Queens native with a potential fresh start after a losing streak that had gotten too long to justify giving him a match. Hawkins was a natural in the stripes, catching not one, not two, but three attempts at chicanery from the “Top Guys” that would have otherwise won them the match. Chad Gable eventually notched the pin on Dawson with a sunset flip roll-up, and no amount of instant replay could convince The Revival they hadn’t been bamboozled.

So, the two-time NXT Tag Team Champions mugged The Prince of Queens mercilessly, leading to a surprise save from none other than Zack Ryder, who bulldozed the “Top Guys” out of the ring and helped Hawkins to his feet. Funnily enough, Ryder and Hawkins were WWE Tag Team Champions back in the day, and while Mr. McMahon slammed one door shut for the beleaguered Superstar, another may have finally opened.