WWE ~ The Bidding War of 2024

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The wrestling world is in a boom period and it's time to see if WWE can deliver for WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.

We begin Night 1 of 2024 with a blockbuster Monday Night Raw!

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~ Raw roster

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~ Smackdown roster

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~ NXT roster

(this BTB will only highlight major events for NXT)

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~ Champions and Title History

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~ PLE schedule and the next card

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~ FREE

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~ POST!

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JANUARY 1, 2024

Raw begins with a rundown for tonight including 2 title matches:
Rhea Ripley(c) vs. Ivy Nile for the Women's World Championship
Seth Rollins(c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship

Judgment Day's theme hits but instead of the whole group it's just R-Truth! R-Truth comes out to announce a celebration that he put together for the entire Judgment Day group. R-Truth invites the group out, which everyone but Rhea Ripley shows up. Dominik tries saying Truth isn't in the group but he gets booed and R-Truth doesn't hear him. Truth starts unveiling the gifts that are portraits drawn up by an artist:
~ An enlarged "Mami" Rhea Ripley literally on top of a tiny Dominik Mysterio
~ Finn Balor holding his shoulder as Seth Rollins stands in the background laughing
~ Damian Priest with his hands on his head as Rollins holds up the Money in the Bank briefcase and the world title

R-Truth begins recognizing he didn't approve of these drawings and gets to JD McDonagh where he says JD didn't get anything because he's not in the Judgment Day. Everyone shake their head but Damian Priest is irate because of the paintings, while Truth continues to go on like he's apart of Judgment Day. The straw that breaks the camel's back is Truth asking, now that he's in Judgment Day, who is the leader and who he needs to answer to. Damian Priest snaps and says he's the leader. Balor, Dom, and JD all look at Priest with a puzzled look before he makes the match: R-Truth versus JD McDonagh. If McDonagh wins, he takes Truth's place in Judgment Day. Truth fights back on it saying he should get something if he wins. After a little back and forth, R-Truth decides he wants JD McDonagh's spot in the Royal Rumble if he wins. Priest agrees but McDonagh is pissed. Priest shrugs his shoulders and the match is official.

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After Judgment Day gets to the back, JD McDonagh and Damian Priest are having words before Priest outshouts McDonagh. Priest says he won't have to worry about R-Truth anymore if he finishes the job tonight. Priest even brings up the idea if McDonagh does lose back-to-back matches against R-Truth, maybe he's not worthy of being in the Judgment Day anymore. Balor is about to speak up for McDonagh but there's a hush that comes across the Judgment Day locker room when R-Truth barges back in with some popcorn to watch the first match of 2024 and McDonagh storms away.

MATCH ONE - CREED BROTHERS versus IMPERIUM (Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser)

This is a huge tag team match for Imperium to get back on the same page or the Creed Brothers to continue their momentum but the Creed Brothers secure a win after getting Vinci in the sky for their finisher as Brutus comes crashing into Vinci and Kaiser can't break up the pin in time.

Gunther, the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all-time, watches in disgust backstage before Cathy Kelley approaches the Ring General. Kelly brings up the fatal-4 way match tonight featuring Bronson Reed, Ivar, Johnny Gargano and Kofi Kingston for an opportunity at his Intercontinental Championship. Gunther avoids the question from Cathy Kelley because there's important Imperium business that demands his attention, not a silly question.

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Adam Pearce receives a special guest in his office, from SmackDown, Zelina Vega. Pearce says he's glad Zelina showed up. Vega confirms her contract expired at midnight this morning and wants a fresh start away from the LWO drama. Pearce smirks and says he has the contract ready for her to sign.


MATCH TWO - CANDICE LeRAE & INDI HARTWELL versus NATALYA & TEGAN NOX versus SHAYNA BASZLER & ZOEY STARK

Michael Cole and Wade Barrett speculate the winner of this match will elevate themselves into the women's tag team title picture in early 2024, but
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven are due for a rematch against Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. The three teams battle but Tegan Nox gets caught in a Rear Naked Choke by Baszler and can't handle the pressure so she taps out before anyone can save her from the count.

Video footage from last night is shown on Raw with the Women's Tag Team Champions, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, at the ball dropping, celebrating their titles and the New Year! Chelsea Green and Piper Niven spoiled their party, sharing they've confirmed they'll get their title opportunity in two weeks on Raw. Chelsea then gets upset when the new year starts saying she couldn't kiss her husband at midnight because she was dealing with those two and Green runs off screen.

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Back on Raw from the commercial break, Candice and Indi are bummed after losing with Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Candice and Johnny share a kiss excited about the future of 2024, when Indi wishes Dexter was still there. They hype Johnny up for tonight's opportunity to gain an Intercontinental Championship match and run off for him to get ready when in the background we see Dexter Lumis behind a crate looking on at his friend group.

CM Punk's music blasts and everyone gets HYPE! The controversial figure runs out with a microphone in hand and shares an honest evaluation from 365 days ago: he didn't expect to be in a WWE ring, but here we are. Punk relates to the fans by saying there might be a lot of places you didn't expect but 2023 rocked your world. Punk admits he doesn't know where he'll be a year from now and what 2024 holds for him, but that doesn't stop him from shooting for the stars. Punk says his goal is to hold "the big gold" in 2024 and that begins at the Royal Rumble. CM Punk says he'll win the Royal Rumble match and go on to main event WrestleMania. Someone who disagrees is MVP. MVP heads out and welcomes his old friend back to the WWE, but he has someone who would disagree with that goal. Only one man can win the Men's Royal Rumble and it happens to be... OMOS! Omos heads down to the ring with MVP and Omos towers over CM Punk who is enamored by the size of Omos before backing away instead of engaging. 

A video package airs for Drew McIntyre, highlighting his career from winning the WWE Championship in front of no one, failing to capture the Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle, and then his recent heel turn. It all culminates in tonight's main event between SETH ROLLINS and DREW McINTYRE!

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Monday Night Raw returns with Gunther chewing into Vinci and Kaiser. The Intercontinental Champion is irate of their performance tonight and recently. They must redeem themselves if they hope to continue associating with the Ring General.

A recap from earlier tonight with the Judgment Day opening the show leads us to this match: JD McDonagh versus R-Truth II.

MATCH THREE - JD McDonagh (Royal Rumble Spot) vs. R-Truth (Judgment Day Spot)

JD McDonagh comes out alone, not seeing the support of his Judgment Day teammates, while he's competing for everything right now. Not only will he not be in Judgment Day, but he'll lose his spot in the Royal Rumble Match to R-Truth. Truth is having fun with this and is clearly in McDonagh's head throughout the match. McDonagh gets serious but slips and Truth almost backdoors his way to a win before McDonagh escapes at the last moment. Truth then goes on a fury before getting ready for the Scissors Kick when Dominik Mysterio rushes the ring and the bell is called for after he tackles R-Truth.

Dominik and JD have a 2-on-1 beatdown on R-Truth while Damian Priest and Finn Balor stroll down with confident smirks, dripped in gold... until Samantha Irvin announces over the intercom the official's decision is R-Truth won by disqualification. THEREFORE, R-Truth has officially qualified for the Royal Rumble Match in place of McDonagh. Michael Cole catches on, this means JD McDonagh is officially out the Judgment Day! You see the disappointment and frustration on the faces of the Judgment Day as R-Truth tries celebrating with the most of them before waving goodbye to JD McDonagh.


STILL TO COME:
Lynch vs Jax
McDonagh vs. Truth
Reed vs Ivar vs Gargano vs Kingston
Ripley(c) vs. Nile
Rollins(c) vs. McIntyre

AND PLACE:
Zelina Vega introducing Andrade
Gunther scolding Imperium