We are officially one sleep away from the Royal Rumble, and Straight Shoot is not easing into it. This Friday morning, early, the newsletter hits your inbox loaded with everything you have come to expect and a little more on top.

The biggest headline is the launch of our weekly OVW interview series, starting strong with an exclusive sit down conversation you are going to want to hear before the rest of the wrestling world catches on. Real talk, real stories, and real access to the next generation. This is not a quick promo run. This is the beginning of something bigger for Straight Shoot.

Layered on top of that, you have the Rey Mysterio giveaway everyone has been blowing up our inbox about, Darrion bringing the heat with another unfiltered Drop, full Raw and NXT coverage, and all the energy, perspective, and memes that make these drops hit different.

Early morning. Royal Rumble weekend. Straight Shoot in full stride.

If you are reading this, you are exactly where you are supposed to be.

P.S. Want to listen instead? Hit Listen Online at the top right of your email or browser!

Yes, this is the card everyone has been asking about.

Holy moly. We picked up a wave of new subscribers this week, and as we head into Friday’s newsletter drop, the inbox has been flooded with the same questions. So let us clear it up right away.

YES, new subscribers receive 5 bonus entries into this giveaway.
YES, this is the exact card one lucky reader will be taking home.

Now let us talk about Rey.

With rumors circulating around Rey Mysterio and a potential injury, fans have been watching closely. But Rey was just spotted on the flight to Riyadh with Penta and Dragon Lee ahead of the Royal Rumble, looking locked in and ready. Hopefully he is healthy, because that image screamed one thing loud and clear. Rey still looks ready to rumble.

The giveaway card is a Topps Chrome Green Refractor Rey Mysterio, serial numbered 75/75. This is a true end of print piece featuring one of the most iconic luchadors of all time. The green refractor pops, the image is classic Rey, and the numbering makes this a legitimate collector card, not a throw-in.

This card was generously donated by our friends at MAKSPAKS, and it is being given away as a real thank you to the Straight Shoot community.

Why this card matters:

• Rey Mysterio is a global wrestling icon
• 75/75 means the final copy printed
• Topps Chrome refractors remain highly collectible
• Subscriber-only entries keep this fair and exclusive

Want more ways to win?

By watching MrTeshk’s live streams, you will hear about additional entry opportunities, giveaway updates, and exactly when the draw is happening. If you are already subscribed, you are already entered. If you just joined, those bonus entries are already working in your favor.

This Friday’s drop is just the start.
Keep your eyes on the inbox and stay locked into the streams.

There is a strange feeling settling in across the wrestling internet right now, and it is not shock. It is validation. Throughout 2025, many fans criticized WWE for erratic booking, abandoned stories, and a growing disconnect between who was being pushed and who was actually connecting. Those critiques were often brushed off. Fans were told to relax. Fans were told to just enjoy the show. Fans were told to be fans.

Then WWE Unreal happened.

Instead of pulling back the curtain in a way that made the company look calculated or brilliant, the series unintentionally confirmed many of the fears fans had been voicing all year. Reddit threads and blog posts exploded almost immediately, not with outrage, but with recognition. This was not a conspiracy anymore. It was right there on screen.

One of the most discussed moments online was the admission that SmackDown’s head writer had no real direction for Chelsea Green. At the same time, Truth was seen as expendable. That landed hard with fans because Chelsea has consistently delivered character work, crowd reactions, and versatility, while Truth remains one of the most reliable performers in WWE history. The reaction online was blunt. If this is how talent is being evaluated, no wonder momentum keeps dying.

LA Knight’s situation hit even harder. Across the IWC, the consensus has been building for months that Knight has done everything asked of him. He shows up. He cuts strong promos. He connects with live crowds. Yet Unreal framed him as someone who needed to be reined in rather than elevated. Reddit comments were not subtle about it. Many questioned how a performer can do everything right and still feel like an inconvenience to the system.

Seth Rollins’ injury angle became another lightning rod. Fans had already criticized it as rushed and hollow. Seeing how quickly it was hot shotted for attention only reinforced the idea that long term storytelling is being sacrificed for short bursts of buzz. The same criticism resurfaced around John Cena’s heel turn. What should have been a carefully layered moment instead felt like a headline grab with no meaningful follow through. Blogs were filled with the same question. If there is no payoff, why do it at all.

What made the reaction even sharper was the irony. WWE leadership and talent have openly criticized fans for questioning creative decisions. Yet here was a Netflix series openly showcasing confusion, indecision, and short sighted thinking behind the scenes. Fans were not speculating anymore. They were watching it unfold.

To be fair, there is also cautious optimism. Some fans believe WWE is starting to course correct. Certain recent shows have felt more focused. Some characters are finally being given clearer direction. That goodwill exists, but it comes with conditions.

The Royal Rumble is days away, and the build has been thin. There is still a sense that major moments are being saved without properly laying the groundwork. The same patterns are still visible. Momentum builds, then stalls. Stories start, then pause. Talent shines, then waits.

The IWC is not asking for perfection. It is asking for intention.

The Drop?
WWE Unreal did not damage WWE because it showed too much. It damaged WWE because it confirmed too much. Fans were not wrong. They were paying attention. If WWE truly wants to move forward, it cannot keep telling fans to stop questioning the product while simultaneously proving that the questions are justified. The fixes are possible. The talent is there. The audience is still invested. What is missing is consistency, humility, and a willingness to admit that the fans might not be the problem.

Monday, January 27, 2026
From Toronto, Ontario, Canada

RAW in Toronto felt like a major stop on the road to the Royal Rumble, with strong promos, excellent in-ring work, and a main event that should have been historic but instead ended with a finish that will divide the audience hard.

For most of the night, WWE had momentum. The show was paced well, the crowd was engaged, and the Rumble season finally felt present. Then the final moments arrived, and WWE chose shock over payoff.

🎤 AJ Styles Opens RAW and Raises the Stakes

AJ Styles opened the show carrying the weight of his career in every word. He acknowledged retirement plans, the threat Gunther poses at the Royal Rumble, and framed this phase not as fear but as urgency. This felt real, grounded, and earned.

CM Punk interrupting elevated it instantly. Punk spoke as a peer, not a challenger, questioning why AJ would put his career on the line at all. Once the crowd demanded a fight, the segment took off.

AJ ups the stakes by tying his future to Gunther. Punk ups it again by offering the World Heavyweight Championship tonight.

Handshake. Crowd locked in. Electricity.

Segment rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
A premium opening segment that felt emotional, dangerous, and worthy of a main event slot.

🥊 Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, and Stephanie Vaquer vs. Judgment Day

This was fast, clean chaos done right. Everyone had a role, the tags were tight, and the match never stalled.

Vaquer looked every bit like a champion. Iyo remained a walking highlight reel. Ripley’s hot tag woke the building up instantly. Judgment Day played their parts well, especially Roxanne’s timing and Liv’s pest work.

Ripley closing it out with the Riptide was the correct call.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A strong multi-woman tag that showcased depth and kept the division feeling important.

🧠 The Vision Confront Adam Pearce

Heyman framed The Vision as inevitable, Pearce owned his mistake, lifted Bron Breakker’s suspension, and reset the board by throwing the group into the Royal Rumble.

Pearce booking Theory against Rey as “redemption” was transparent but effective, especially knowing what was coming next.

Segment rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Solid authority segment that advanced plot without overstaying its welcome.

🥊 Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio

This match deserves more credit than it will get. Rey was flying, Theory worked focused and aggressive, and the chaos at ringside supported the finish instead of drowning it.

Theory winning with The Stomp mattered.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A strong TV match with a finish that actually moved Theory forward.

Post-match, The Vision’s beatdown made them look dominant, but the lack of security response continues to stretch logic.

🏆 Number One Contender Four-Way Tag Match

Creeds vs. Los Americanos vs. Alpha Academy vs. New Day

This overdelivered. The pace was fast, the chaos was clean, and Tozawa looked like he had something to prove.

Alpha Academy winning was unexpected and earned. Jey superkicking Waller at ringside added a perfect punctuation mark.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fun, rewatchable, and one of the night’s best surprises.

🎤 Gunther Interview

Gunther continues leaning into his “eraser of legends” identity. Goldberg. Cena. Now Styles.

He is not chasing wins. He is chasing erasure.

Cold delivery, strong heat, and a clear mission statement.

Segment rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A sharp villain promo that reinforced Gunther as a career-ending threat.

🥊 Main Event: World Heavyweight Championship
CM Punk vs. AJ Styles

For nearly twenty minutes, this was special.

The pacing was deliberate. The strikes mattered. The crowd built organically. This was two legends reminding everyone they still belong at the top.

Then Finn Bálor interfered.

Not subtly. Not cleverly. Brutally and decisively.

The no contest finish killed the moment. If this was potentially AJ Styles’ final RAW main event before a career-threatening Rumble match, WWE robbed the audience of something meaningful.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (in-ring)
Finish rating: ❌
An outstanding match undone by a finish that prioritised shock over satisfaction.

Three Stars of the Night

🥇 AJ Styles
🥈 CM Punk
🥉 Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, and Stephanie Vaquer

Final Thoughts

RAW was good, and at times very good. The women’s tag delivered. The four-way tag was a blast. The Vision felt dangerous. Gunther stayed elite.

But this episode will be remembered for the main event finish.

WWE had Punk versus Styles, emotion, stakes, legacy, and a crowd ready to explode. Instead, they chose interference and chaos.

That choice only works if the payoff is massive.
Now WWE has no margin for error.

Final Score: 7.5 / 10

Straight Shoot Unfiltered is officially back at full throttle.

Jack O’Hara and MrTeshk are reunited, the mics are hot, and we are firing off daily YouTube drops as we race toward the Royal Rumble. Biggest stories. Loudest rumors. Real time reactions across the wrestling world. No filler. No filters. Just straight talk from people who live this stuff.

🔥 AND NOW IT GETS BIGGER 🔥

We are officially launching our weekly OVW interview series, giving fans real access to the next generation of stars and the stories you never hear on TV.

We are kicking it off strong with an exclusive sit down interview with Noelle Marionette.

This is not a quick promo hit. This is a real conversation. Career path, character work, the grind, the pressure, and what is next for one of OVW’s standout talents. If you want to know who is coming up before everyone else catches on, this is where it starts.

This marks a growing partnership between Straight Shoot Unfiltered and OVW, built to bring fans closer to the people behind the characters and the work behind the spotlight. Weekly exclusives are coming, and this is just the first shot fired.

👉 Subscribe to the Straight Shoot Unfiltered YouTube channel
👉 Daily videos on the road to the Royal Rumble
👉 Weekly OVW interviews
👉 Unfiltered wrestling coverage you will not get anywhere else

The road to the Rumble starts now. 🔥

🔥 FOLLOW NOELLE MARIONETTE 🔥
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Lock in now. You do not want to be late to this party.

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
From the WWE Performance Center — Orlando, Florida

NXT is firmly in a transition phase, and this episode made that impossible to ignore. With roster turnover accelerating and Royal Rumble week looming, the show leaned heavily on non-finishes, interference, and crowd control tactics to bridge the gap to next week’s vacant NXT Championship ladder match.

The ladder match itself feels loaded with upside. This episode getting there was uneven, cluttered, and often frustrating.

🚨 Opening Fallout: Joe Hendry Taken Out, Plans Shift

The show opened with the fallout from Joe Hendry being attacked earlier by Jackson Drake and The Vanity Project, forcing Ava to reshuffle the night.

Ricky Saints started on commentary, then quietly exited once it became clear the show was opening with tag gold instead. The confusion fit the story, but it also set the tone for a night that felt reactive instead of controlled.

Segment rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A functional opening that established chaos, but it immediately leaned on disorder instead of clarity.

🥊 NXT Tag Team Championship
Darkstate (c) vs. OTM

This match was building nicely until it wasn’t.

OTM brought presence and power, Darkstate worked like champions, and the crowd was starting to settle into the match. Then Vanity Project hit ringside and the finish collapsed into another quick, assisted roll-up.

Darkstate retains with rope leverage.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️¾
Decent work undercut by a finish that felt rushed and familiar.

Post-match, the entire tag division flooded the ring, creating a brawl that felt like three weeks of storytelling forced into one segment. Spears and Vance standing tall was the clearest takeaway, and likely the real purpose.

🥊 Jaida Parker vs. Nikkita Lyons

Lyons’ first match back in nearly a year, but Jaida Parker was clearly positioned as the priority.

Short, physical, and straightforward. Parker hits Hipnotic and wins clean.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️¼
Simple and effective, with Parker gaining momentum and Lyons easing back in.

🧠 Women’s Division Absences Stand Out

While not a single segment, the absence of several key women was impossible to miss.

Jacy Jayne did not appear.
Sol Ruca was referenced but not present.
Lola Vice was announced for next week but absent.
Blake Monroe only appeared via pre-tape.

Given the timing, this feels less like coincidence and more like WWE keeping multiple women available for Royal Rumble weekend surprises while stalling their NXT presence temporarily.

Segment rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Subtle, but notable, and it will age well if the Rumble confirms the direction.

🥊 NXT Championship Ladder Qualifier
Myles Borne vs. Dion Lennox

Workmanlike match with urgency and nearfalls, but once again the finish leaned on chaos.

Ethan Page’s ringside presence mattered, and Lennox capitalized during the confusion to steal the win.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️¾
Solid wrestling overshadowed by yet another finish built on interference.

Post-match, Borne finally snapped and cracked Ethan Page with the North American Championship. That moment landed harder than the match itself and clearly set the next direction.

🥊 Lexis King vs. Tavion Heights

Short, clean, and designed to keep Lexis King moving forward alongside Stacks and Arianna Grace.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️¼
Efficient, but temperature-neutral.

🥊 Thea Hail vs. Zaria

This was one of the better matches on the show before the finish arrived.

Zaria looked powerful, Thea worked with urgency, and the pacing made sense. Then distraction chaos hit again, with Paxley and Izzi Dame spilling over and costing Zaria the match via roll-up.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Strong in-ring work undone by the most overused finish of the night.

Afterward, Zaria refusing the handshake and laying out Thea sent a clear signal. Not a full turn, but the edge is forming.

🥊 Keanu Carver vs. Andre Chase

This was more angle than match.

Carver looked intimidating, violent, and physically imposing. Although Chase technically won, the post-match assault erased that result entirely.

Match rating: ⭐️⭐️½
The result did not matter. Carver’s presence did.

🎤 Ladder Match Competitors Face-Off

This segment did its job structurally, but it exposed NXT’s current issue.

Several talented wrestlers, but not enough established voices to make the face-off feel like a true main event moment. The brawl helped. Joe Hendry returning helped more.

Carver standing tall to end the show was the correct visual.

Segment rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The chaos sold the ladder match better than the talking did.

Three Stars of the Night

🥇 Keanu Carver
🥈 Thea Hail
🥉 Dion Lennox

Final Thoughts

This was an average NXT episode with a very specific mission: get to the ladder match without breaking anything important.

Too many finishes relied on distractions, interference, and roll-ups, which drained weight from otherwise solid matches. That is a problem when the brand is asking fans to emotionally invest in new faces.

The saving grace is next week.

The seven-man ladder match has real unpredictability, real danger, and real upside. Joe Hendry’s return gives it an anchor, and Carver feels like a legitimate wildcard.

If the ladder match delivers, this episode will be forgotten quickly. If it does not, the growing pains of this transition phase are going to get louder.

Final Score: 6.5 / 10

Be Good People🤘
mr.teshk

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