RAW 1285: January 8, 2018

As Mickie James and Paige roam the ringside area, The Boss and The Huggable One take on two-thirds of Absolution. After Enzo Amore injures his ankle, Nia Jax pays a visit to her "little Zo bear." After hearing some infuriating "news" from Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax lays out The Empress of Tomorrow. Can Titus O'Neil & Apollo Crews score their first big win of 2018 against The Bar?

## Absolution vs. Bayley & Sasha Banks

Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville stole the spotlight in a Six-Woman Tag Team Match two weeks ago, but the two young Superstars might not be quite ready to go it without Paige just yet. Facing Sasha Banks & Bayley, Rose & Deville looked no less impressive, but their inexperience ended up costing them down the stretch against the two former Raw Women’s Champions despite Paige offering instruction at ringside (Mickie James flanked Banks & Bayley to even the odds).

That leaves a bitter pill for the Women’s Royal Rumble-bound Absolution to swallow, especially given how thoroughly Rose & Deville asserted themselves against The Boss while keeping Bayley isolated on the apron. The Huggable One eventually tired of the cheap shots from Deville, however, and tackled her through the ropes, sending both spilling onto the ringside floor. A single misstep by Rose allowed Banks to lock in the Bank Statement for the tapout win, much to Paige’s chagrin.

## Cedric Alexander vs. Enzo Amore

Seven days ago, a bout of “influ-Enzo” pushed Enzo Amore’s WWE Cruiserweight Title defense back a week. Now, an injury has extended his reign beyond even that. Although Muscles Marinara was feeling optimistic about his chances against his resilient challenger Cedric Alexander — who had received a “Rocky”-esque pep talk from Goldust earlier in the evening — a few early shots sent Amore scurrying for cover almost instantly.

Luckily for Enzo, he shoved Alexander off the top rope to the floor to give himself a ground-and-pound advantage, until a springboard knee from Alexander busted Amore’s eyebrow open and spurred a fantastic rally from the challenger. It ended up inadvertently thwarting his efforts, however, as an over-the-top-rope plancha left Enzo with a tweaked ankle that prevented him from beating the 10-count and left the champion so agonized in the trainer's room that not even the presence of Nia Jax could comfort him.

## The Bar vs. Titus Worldwide

Cesaro & Sheamus may have successfully negotiated their Raw Tag Team Title rematch for Royal Rumble with Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, but that was about the only good news they got on the night. Requesting that Angle supply them with some competition, The Bar got more than they bargained for when the surprise opposition of Titus Worldwide pulled off an upset of the three-time Raw Tag Team Champions.

In an effort that was all but written off even by Raw’s commentary team, Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews struggled to get out of the blocks against The Bar. Crews was brutalized by Cesaro & Sheamus, though he also allowed O’Neil the opportunity to score the upset win when he hit a moonsault off the apron that both dodged a Brogue Kick and took out an interfering Cesaro. The Big Deal sprang with a roll-up on the Irishman, and Titus Worldwide had a win in the books. The Bar, on the other hand, were left to pick up the pieces for the first time in a long time as their title rematch approaches.

## Nia Jax attacks Asuka

Alexa Bliss couldn’t get Nia Jax to back her up against Asuka last week. Nor could she convince Nia that The Empress of Tomorrow had said something less than flattering to orchestrate a potential confrontation this week (the jig was up when Nia realized that even if Asuka did insult her, Alexa couldn’t possibly have understood it, as the two Superstars don’t speak the same language). But “The Irresistible Force” made a statement out of the undefeated Superstar all the same when she attacked Asuka in advance of her planned contest. The assault left Asuka writhing in pain on the mat and earned her a match with Jax next week. But with Nia having declared for the Women’s Royal Rumble Match (inspired to pursue a title by Enzo Amore, no less), it might be time to ask if Asuka is ready for her.

## Results

* Sasha Banks & Bayley def. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville
* Titus Worldwide (w/ Dana Brooke) def. Cesaro & Sheamus