Monday Night Raw 2/9/2026 — Ragebait Works

AJ baits Becky into a title shot at Elimination Chamber through Bugs Bunny tactics

We’re officially on the road to Elimination Chamber, and things sure are getting interesting. Raw was in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio (stayed at home with my takeout and my good camera angles, but for those who went, I hope you had a good time 💙).

Becky and AJ face off

The show begins as most episodes of Raw do, with the walk-ins, and as we saw Punk make his way into the arena, who do we see sitting on one of the travel cases? Why, none other than AJ Lee. The two walk hand in hand, and coming up behind them is the women’s Intercontinental champion, Becky Lynch, who did not seem all too happy to see AJ. Becky, please, high blood pressure is a silent killer. You’ve gotta stay zen!

Becky opens the show by coming out to air her grievances about AJ’s presence, on top of the already mounting pressure of corrupt refs, being screwed at Rumble, and carrying the IC title as the best women’s wrestler in the world. And it’s not just her saying it!

Let’s light it up! AJ, as the concerned veteran that she is, comes out to talk to Becky. See where her head's at. It’s all in good faith. AJ didn’t set out to ruin Becky’s life. No! All she did was beat her at Wrestlepinkpoprocks, made her tap out at War Games, and helped Maxxine beat her for the IC title. That’s all. Light work, no reaction, Becky. But you know….Since AJ did all that, wouldn’t that put her in line for a title shot at that nice shiny IC title? And dare I say, AJ looks pretty good with that IC title.

Apparently, Adam Pearce also thinks AJ looks nice with the IC title because it is official. AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch at Elimination Chamber in Chicago! Will AJ skip off into the sunset as women’s IC champ or will Becky hold onto her title and put an end to her AJ nightmare? Maybe it’s the bias talking, but I’d like to see AJ with that title. If not at EC, perhaps the biggest stage of them all? Hmm? Maybe? We’ll see.

Je’Von is in the Americano Zone

Hey, uh…It’s all fun and games in the Americano verse, but can we please get Je’Von and New Catch Republic out of this? Three hoopers in this comedy story, and I think that’s just three too many. Not when the men’s IC title has no challengers, and the tag division is on life support (we’ll discuss this later). Haha, funny, two Americanos! But seriously, let those three move on to other things now.

Besides, this match showed that Je’Von is definitely bigger than this program, and just like Trick and Oba, he needs to be presented like it. So no more commercial promos, get him out of the Pumpkin Spice, Venti Latte verse, and let him and Dom go at it. Preferably at Mania. Something about Je’Von’s first year on the roster, being with him snatching that IC title, does something for me. How about you? I mean, that OG Cutter was a thing of BEAUTY.

Why not Finn?

Let’s talk about The Judgment Day. Because there was some forward movement in the dynamic between the members. Liv and Raquel seem to be on cordial terms after the Rumble, and Liv accidentally caused Raquel to lose the street fight against Stephanie. Dom is back and hopefully on the way to being able to return to in-ring competition. And Finn is looking to reclaim his spot in the world title scene. Something that goes against Dom’s advice, which was to wait until JD returns from injury and step right back into the tag division. Now…I do want to see Finn and JD vs. the Usos. I do want to see that. But in the meantime, why can’t Finn pursue the WHC? Why not, Dom? Only room for one singles champ in the clubhouse?

So later, Cole is about to interview Punk about the biggest main event in Mania history. That’s what the people are calling it. And Finn, not one to be ignored, not anymore, comes out to let everyone know that he’s tired. Tired of being downplayed, tired of being passed over, tired of not being in the conversation about world titles. And you know what? I agree! Finn Balor of 2015–2016? You would never! And it’s high time the Prinxe got back to the top. A healthy world title scene is a bustling world title scene. Get more competitors in there. And having Finn and Punk feuding right now is just the thing to hold us until we formally kick off the road to Mania. Punk told Adam he’s up for all the fights that they can throw at him. So Finn, you’ll be seeing Punk at Elimination Chamber.

Liv vs. Stephanie?

As for Stephanie, she can’t be sure whether she’ll see Liv at Mania. It’s hard to tell. Liv’s not in a hurry to make a decision. She’s being very smart about this, weighing her options and keeping everyone on their toes. Now, don’t tease us for too long, Liv. You don’t want the winner of the Chamber to decide for you. But in the meantime, she has her Daddy Dom to keep her spirits up and bring her flowers and chocolate. And isn’t that just the sweetest thing?

Who’s Qualifying?

There were also Elimination Chamber qualifying matches. Rhea/Lyra/Ivy and LA Knight/Penta/Austin Theory. Rhea won her qualifying match, and of course, the internet has been very normal about that. LA Knight won his qualifying match via Vision shenanigans and the return of the masked man, who is very much not Austin Theory. While I wish Penta had won, I also understand that Knight has just returned, and they want to capitalize on the momentum of that.

Big Brother Big Jim

I wanted to save the tag title match for last because again, the Usos are the topic of conversation, and once again, things are a little tense around here.

Let me start by saying: As we get closer to Naomi’s due date, it is understandable that they wouldn’t want to put Jimmy in any high-profile spots on the card because at any moment, he could need to high-tail it home to be with his wife. Something I’m sure he told them. While that doesn’t excuse his treatment over the last year, right now there’s a definite reason for it, so while I’m not mad about him not being in the EC, I understand.

Now, when the baby comes, I fully support being on Triple H’s scalp for playing fast and loose with Big Jim’s momentum. Because they have been playing, and playtime is over. One that note.

The match was pretty good. I know there were some hiccups here and there, but nothing that I would have a conniption over. But, the IWC is gonna be the IWC, so I already knew clips and tweets, and “conversations” galore. Usos are money, and that goes double for people whose paycheck is dependent on how many clicks they get on a post. (Not shade, just facts).

After what was a very hard-hitting match, and I’d just like to point out that Tozawa was the MVP of said match, props were given, and we got an interview with Byron Saxton. The big question: What’s next for the Usos? Big Jim knows what’s next for the Usos. Continue to be the best tag team in the game, that’s what! But that’s not all. In a move that seemed to surprise Jey just as much as it surprised the rest of us, Jimmy turns to his younger twin and issues an order. Focus on the Elimination Chamber, win that, take that, go to Mania, and become world champ once again.

Again, I feel like Jimmy is firmly in the driver’s seat with this tag run. Hence why Graves asked if Jimmy knew Jey was going to be in the Rumble. Also, it’s generally good manners to let your tag partner know if you’re going to pursue singles opportunities. Just a small formality. But in this case, it was Jimmy telling Jey to do so. And Jey didn’t look as if this was something that he was set on. His head snapped to look at Jimmy when he said it. And from the way Jimmy was staring into Jey’s soul while he told him to reclaim his spot at the top, Jimmy has fully given Jey a mission.

Thinking back to the promo of them rejoining the tag division, Jimmy said he saw Jey crashing out and knew that he had to step in. Big Brother Jimmy, the protector, the nurturer, the one who knows exactly what his twin needs, sometimes before he does. And if Jimmy knew that winning tag gold would help Jey regain his confidence, this shows that he knows that Jey can not only go back on the world title chase, but that they can keep dominating the tag division as well. It’s a balancing act.

For those wondering why Jimmy’s not pushing for himself as much as he’s pushing for Jey. I have an idea, a theory. Think about the main event of Mania. Who’s in it? Roman and Punk.

I think that, if Roman does win the WHC, the Usos will, in fact, be there for the post-Mania celebration. And not only that, but Jimmy will have some choice words for Roman. I don’t think Jimmy has forgotten how Roman was trying to drive a wedge between him and Jey before Crown Jewel. He also meant it when he said his coming to Raw was a rescue mission. Jimmy not only wants Roman out of Jey’s head, but he also knows that Roman with power is a dangerous thing. So, if Jimmy can get Jey’s mind right, who’s to say that Jimmy can’t also bide his time and get something for himself?

I know the possibility of Roman and Jey running back their feud is something that’s in the back of a lot of people’s minds. Mine included. But I’m also envisioning a future where Jimmy is finally having his moment with his older cousin. Something that felt like the way forward back in 2023 when Jimmy kicked Roman in the face for once again putting his hands on Jey and berating him.

That or the end goal is another Usos feud. But honestly, I think my idea is way more interesting.