WWE Confirms Main Events For First Raw Of 2023

Last night's "WWE Raw" had newsworthy segments stemming from interviews with top stars like Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, but when it came to in-ring action, the company highlighted the "best of" 2022. Fans that missed the superstars of "Raw" competing inside the ring this week have exciting bouts to look forward to when the red brand returns. The January 2, 2023 episode of "Raw," emanating from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, will be main-evented by two major championship matches, WWE has announced; "Raw" Women's Champion Bianca Belair will take on Alexa Bliss, and United States Champion Austin Theory will battle Seth Rollins.

In the case of Rollins vs. Theory, their heated feud has been brewing ever since late October, as both men became fixated on becoming the United States Champion. Things seemed to be looking bleak for Theory when he unsuccessfully cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase for a U.S. Championship match against Rollins on the November 7 "Raw," but that ultimately became a launching pad for Theory to portray a new, more savage character. He won back the title at Survivor Series: WarGames in November, defeating both Rollins and Bobby Lashley in a triple threat match.

Belair had one of the most dominant 2022s of any WWE superstar, reigning as "Raw" Women's Champion for the majority of the year and producing entertaining matches along the way. Bliss, though less successful, had a year of changes and self-discovery, seemingly drifting away from her connection to Bray Wyatt. In recent weeks, however, it appears that Wyatt's return at Extreme Rules 2022 has been affecting Bliss little by little, causing her more sinister side to return. Following an entranced Bliss' attack on Belair during the December 19 "Raw," the two women will collide.