Raw: Jan. 18, 2016

The League of Nations confronted WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and Chris Jericho

The WWE World Heavyweight Champion kicks off Raw demanding a confrontation with The Beast Incarnate, but Chris Jericho has other plans.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s one vs. all in the literal sense for Roman Reigns on Sunday, but given the fact that he ate an F-5 last week, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion opened Raw with his mind set on one vs. one — the other being Brock Lesnar. Of course, with The Beast booked for “The Highlight Reel” later tonight, Chris Jericho wasn’t about to let his big guest get Speared into Tuesday, so Y2J floated the idea of a super-sized “Highlight Reel” featuring both Lesnar and Reigns.

Photos:  Egos clash in Raw opening |  Watch Jericho play matchmaker

Sounds good? Sounds great! Of course, The League of Nations wasn’t about to let any of this go down without getting their two cents in, instigating a confrontation that led to Jericho seizing matchmaking powers to slate Reigns against Rusev, with himself as the special guest referee.

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns def. Rusev

Y2J takes it upon himself to officiate an impromptu bout pitting The Big Dog against The Super Athlete.

Got a League of Nations problem? Call in some Y2J support. When faced with the overwhelming presence of WWE’s resident foreign menaces, Roman Reigns leaned on a timely assist from special guest referee Chris Jericho to hand Rusev a rare singles loss in Raw’s impromptu opening contest. To Jericho’s credit, however, he didn’t abuse his powers in the zebra stripes and called the contest down the middle, right down to a glorious trifecta of ejections for the meddlesome Sheamus, King Barrett and Alberto Del Rio. Those justified calls proved to be the difference-maker, and Reigns was right there to capitalize, Superman Punching and spearing a gobsmacked Rusev to get the win.

Watch: Jericho doles out ejections like candy! |  Y2J gives Stephanie "Attitude"

Natalya def. Brie Bella

The returning Queen of Harts squares off against her "Total Divas" co-star Brie Bella.

Drama! Intrigue! Surprise appearances! And “Total Divas” technically hasn’t even started yet! In celebration of the reality hit’s impending Season 5 premiere, OG cast members Natalya and Brie Bella went to the mat on Raw, accompanied — respectively — by recent cast additions Paige and Alicia Fox. It turned out to be a happy homecoming for Natalya; despite taking a knee to the face and several kicks to the sternum, she rallied immediately to put Brie in the Sharpshooter.

Full details:  "Total Divas" premieres tonight! |  Natalya and Paige discuss their big return

The Wyatt Family def. Ryback & The Dudley Boyz

The Big Guy teams with Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley to take on three members of The Wyatt Family.

Not even a trip through a table can keep The Wyatt Family down. Unwilling to put their grudges with either The Dudley Boyz or Ryback to rest without punishing all three of them, Bray Wyatt’s original brood — himself, Luke Harper & Erick Rowan — took on the trio of The Big Guy and the Dudleys. Meanwhile, Braun Strowman provided backup for the Wyatts on the outside.

Watch:  Wyatts overpower Ryback & the Dudleys |  Photos of the Six-Man melee

The New Face of Destruction didn’t even have to get involved to give the Wyatts the win. Instead, Harper got the win after Wyatt and Rowan intervened to save him from a Dudleys/Ryback rally. Rowan in particular provided the clutch assist, breaking up the 3D and allowing Harper to discus clothesline Bubba Ray Dudley into defeat.

Big Show def. Heath Slater

The World's Largest Athlete clashes with The Social Outcasts' Heath Slater.

Give The Social Outcasts this much: They have big ambition and big heart. Big Show, however, has a big fist, which proved to be the difference in his brutally brief dismantling of Heath Slater on Raw. Though the giant’s official contest was against Slater, he didn’t stop after KO’ing the former WWE Tag Team Champion, cold-cocking Adam Rose, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas, who mistakenly thought he’d evaded a knockout of his own, only to victory-lap his way straight into Show’s path.

Mr. McMahon and Stephanie McMahon selected the first entrant for the Royal Rumble Match

The No. 1 participant in the 2016 Royal Rumble Match is chosen from the tumbler, and the unlucky recipient isn't entirely surprising.

Mr. McMahon and Stephanie McMahon have been embarrassed at every turn by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns over the past month. On Raw, they convened to select entrant No. 1 for the Royal Rumble Match — a position offering the greatest glory in victory, but also the most grueling path toward it. Guess who ended up drawing No. 1?

Watch: Mr. McMahon draws the number |  Royal Rumble Match preview

If you picked Reigns, congratulations. But even Mr. McMahon knows a coincidence when he sees it, so he ceded to a second pick from the famed Rumble tumbler to prove the process’ fairness. It was Reigns again. And again, after a third pick from the tumbler to display beyond all doubt. It’s a bona fide Royal Rumble miracle. Either that, or Reigns was the only name in the tumbler. But that couldn’t possibly be. Could it?

One Vs. All:  The Royal Rumble Match by the numbers

Becky Lynch def. Tamina

As Becky Lynch awaits Charlotte's response to her Divas Championship challenge for the Royal Rumble event, The Irish Lass Kicker battles Team B.A.D.'s Tamina.

Sheamus isn’t the only one with a fiery Irish temper. Becky Lynch has been on a tear lately, targeting Charlotte with brutal efficiency and coming within spitting distance of the Divas Title in the process. The Irish Lass Kicker continued her run on Raw by knocking off Tamina, but the real money came after, when she successfully goaded Charlotte into a title match at the Royal Rumble. She did so mainly by insulting Ric Flair instead of the champion herself, thus provoking “The Nature Boy” into accepting on his daughter’s reluctant behalf. That’s some good wheelin’-dealin’ right there, Becks.

WWE.com Exclusive:  Becky discusses her strategy

U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio & Sheamus def. Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose & Kalisto

The Lunatic Fringe teams with the gravity-defying Kalisto to square off with two members of The League of Nations.

Kevin Owens is pretty convinced he’ll keep Dean Ambrose down long enough in a Last Man Standing Match to regain the Intercontinental Title at the Royal Rumble. Alberto Del Rio, similarly, is confident he can stave off Kalisto to retain his recently reclaimed U.S. Title. They both may have their work cut out for them, though: The Lunatic Fringe and The King of Flight teamed up to take on League of Nations stalwarts Del Rio & Sheamus on Raw and, if not for some lucky breaks, may have emerged victorious.

Match preview: Ambrose vs. Owens at the Rumble |  Can Kalisto win the rubber match?

Del Rio was lucky enough to be within kicking distance after Sheamus suffered what would have been a match-ending Salida del Sol. Similarly luckily, Owens was seated at commentary and occupied Ambrose’s attention long enough for Del Rio to take him out. Kalisto went for a second Salida, but Sheamus strung him up in the ropes to set up the Brogue Kick. Done. But it was close.

WWE Tag Team Champion Big E def. Jey Uso

Jey Uso faces Big E in this exciting Raw matchup.

Francesca, you have been avenged. After Xavier Woods’ beloved trombone was shattered by Chris Jericho last week, The New Day took their rage out on Y2J’s accomplices in the act — The Usos — by sending Big E after Jey Uso, though not before sending Francesca off in proper, solemn fashion. Even though Jey hung tough, an outside-the-ropes collision between Jimmy Uso and Kofi Kingston took both of them out of the equation, which meant Big E had extra muscle in Woods and Jey did not. So when Woods went to thwart Uso’s top-rope splash, no one was there to stop him and all that was left was the Big Ending to seal it.

Royal Rumble:  New Day and Usos confirmed to clash |  New Day educates Rich Brennan

Neville, Mark Henry, Titus O’Neil & R-Truth def. Tyler Breeze, Stardust & The Ascension

Eight-man tag team action explodes on Raw.

What do you get when you take four of the Royal Rumble Match’s under-the-radar entrants and team them together? A pretty efficient, if motley-on-paper squad, perfect for knocking off three supervillains and a supermodel. The victors? Neville, Mark Henry, Titus O’Neil & R-Truth, four great Superstars who each put their unique skills to the test to defeat the wily Tyler Breeze and the combined might of The Cosmic Wasteland. Neville and Breeze took it down to the wire after a salvo from each Superstar, with The Man That Gravity Forgot sealing the deal via a World’s Strongest Slam–Red Arrow combo.

‘The Highlight Reel’ descended into chaos

Chris Jericho invites longtime rivals Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar to "The Highlight Reel," which quickly becomes a chaotic preview of what to expect in the 2016 Royal Rumble Match.

Chris Jericho promised the biggest, baddest “Highlight Reel” of them all. If he meant in terms of Superstars involved, Y2J certainly delivered. He didn’t get much of an interview out of Brock Lesnar, though. Instead, he got a conversation with Paul Heyman that only brought out The Beast after Jericho got hostile. Roman Reigns arrived shortly after, Spearing The Beast to instigate a brawl that came to include The League of Nations — dispatched swiftly by Lesnar — and, shockingly, The Wyatt Family, who downed both Reigns and The Conqueror with their collective power. Maybe Jericho is right: Things really never will be the same again.