WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for January 2

Cesaro vs. Karl Anderson

Result: Karl Anderson defeats Cesaro via pinfall.

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

New year, same Cesaro, which is a great thing. He’s fantastic to watch in the ring and incredibly powerful, something that’s not an unknown fact. He looked like a star.

Sheamus said he wouldn’t get involved, but after Luke Gallows interfered, this led to one half of the Raw Tag Team Champions coming down to the ring. He ended up inadvertently costing Cesaro the match, which set up a top rope neckbreaker from Anderson, a unique finisher. The Machine Gun hardly gets wins in singles matches, so this was somewhat of a twist.

This likely sets up Cesaro and Sheamus vs. Anderson and Gallows for the Raw Tag Team Championship. It’s somewhat surprising that New Day isn’t around the belts after just two-plus weeks, but that’s been the case before with the tag titles; WWE tends to cycle out the No. 1 contenders quickly or the former title holders.

To finish this off, Byron Saxton getting destroyed by the commentary team for his Paula Abdul reference was GOLD. He had nothing to say afterward.