Viewership data is in for Monday’s live WWE RAW and despite stiff competition from the college football BCS National Championship game on ESPN, RAW rang in 2013 with a very strong showing.

Monday’s WWE RAW featuring the return of The Rock and CM Punk vs. Ryback in a TLC match drew 4.42 million viewers. This is up a sharp 900,000 viewers from the previous week’s (taped) New Year’s Eve broadcast, making it the most-watched RAW since August 27th.

Hourly viewership was as follows:

Hour 1: 4,290,000
Hour 2: 4,320,000
Hour 3: 4,650,000

As you can see, RAW finally broke the streak of losing viewers in the third hour of the show. What’s even more impressive is that the BCS National Championship game drew a staggering 26.38 million viewers.

* Backstage News On The MAJOR Returns Planned For Next Week’s RAW & The ROYAL RUMBLE

– Here’s this week’s edition of “What Was Cut From Raw on Hulu,” courtesy of Kaleb Perkins:

* The Eve Torres vs. Kaitlyn Divas Title match.
* The backstage segment with Santino Marella, Ricky Steamboat, and Wade Barrett.
* Matt Striker interviewing Randy Orton, which gets interrupted by 3MB.
* The entrances of Team Hell No for their match against Rhodes Scholars.
* The Heath Slater w/3MB vs. Randy Orton match.
* The Wade Barrett vs. Santino Marella w/Ricky Steamboat match.
* Matt Striker interviewing Sheamus, which gets interrupted, once again, by 3MB.
* The Antonio Cesaro vs. The Great Khali w/Hornswoggle and Natalya match, with The Miz on commentary.
* The backstage segment with Paul Heyman and Brad Maddox.
* The Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal w/3MB match.
* The video package highlighting the CM Punk vs. Ryback feud.
* The Kofi Kingston vs. The Big Show match.

– Here’s this week’s episode of WWE Inbox:

Who has a tattoo The Prime Time Players compared to a messed up map? Watch this edition of “WWE Inbox” to see who made the list of best and worst Superstar tattoos. Plus, why did Arn Anderson go off on Tag Team Champion Daniel Bryan?

* New PICTURES of JOHN CENA On The Box Of FRUITY PEBBLES & COCOA PEBBLES

Cable television ratings from Monday night were delayed this week and should be available later today (Wednesday afternoon).

In what has to be seen as a good sign for WWE, the college football BCS National Championship game that aired on ESPN opposite RAW was a blowout and their ratings reflected it. The show peaked at a 20.0 rating at the 9:30pm (EST) hour, but then dipped to a 15.0 rating by 10:00pm. This is when the game clearly became a blowout – and it’s when WWE aired the TLC match for the WWE Championship featuring CM Punk vs. Ryback.

After the blowout BCS game returned from halftime, their rating dipped from a 16.0 to a 13.0 by the time RAW was over. The show-closing segment featuring CM Punk vs. The Rock was going up against the lowest-rated quarter hour of the BCS game (13.0 rating), so hopefully RAW’s ratings reflect a strong showing by WWE.

* SmackDown opens with CM Punk and Paul Heyman at Sun Life Stadium. Punk puts on The Rock’s college football jersey. The stadium The Rock played college football at (the Orange Dome) is gone and the WWE that The Rock used to wrestle for is gone too. At the Royal Rumble, Punk is going to show The Rock that you can never go home.

* The Rock comes out for a promo. Flo Rida is in the house. The Rock is back on The Rock’s show, SmackDown. Rock talks about his college football days. Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes come out. They say they are going to be champions soon and The Rock doesn’t deserve this time. Rock says Cody has a dead caterpillar on his lip and makes fun of his lisp. Sandow has a wager for The Rock. Sandow says if Rock can answer 3 questions, he can stay. If not he leaves. Rock says bring it. Question 1 – who was the 19th US president. Rock says Rutherford B Hayes, bitch. Cody asks what movie won Best Picture in 1993. Rock says Schindlers List & he’s right again. Question 3 – Rock says now it’s his turn to ask a question. What happens when you combine a geological aggregate of minerals with its lowest form. Sandow says that’s easy – you get Rock Bottom. Rock grabs him and gives him a Rock Bottom! Cody gets in Rock’s face and gets a spine buster and then a People’s Elbow. Rock celebrates.

* Lilian Garcia introduces SmackDown General Manager Booker T. Booker announces Antonio Cesaro vs. Randy Orton. The Rock will be in this very ring tonight. Also Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio. Show comes out and confronts Booker. He gets a microphone and says his match with Del Rio is because Booker T has a personal vendetta against him. Big Show says Del Rio is only getting the match because they’re in Miami and Del Rio is Latino. There are no more Latino heroes, no more Irish heroes, no Viper heroes. Del Rio runs out and attacks Big Show and clears him out of the ring. Loud chant for Del Rio.

* Backstage segment with Booker, Rhodes and Sandow.

* A pre-recorded video from Antonio Cesaro announces he will be in the Royal Rumble.

* Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro is next. Cesaro comes out with the US flag. As Orton was in control and getting ready to hit the RKO, The Shield ran down and destroyed Orton & hit the 3-man power bomb.

* Show vs. Del Rio for later tonight will be a Last Man Standing match.

* Matt Striker interviews Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre backstage about the Rumble. They have a score to settle with Sheamus tonight.

* AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler vs. Natalya and The Great Khali is up next. Hornswoggle and Big E Langston are at ringside. AJ pins Natalya in a short match after hitting Sliced Bread. After the match, Langston levels Khali with his body tackle. Ziggler hit the leg drop on Khali and Langston hit his finisher on Hornswoggle.

* Sheamus vs. 3MB in a Handicap Match. 3MB runs away as soon as the match starts. Slater runs back and attacks Sheamus from behind but gets hit with a Brogue Kick. Sheamus gets the win.

* Kane and Daniel Bryan vs. Darren Young and Titus O’Neil is up next. Team Hell No win a quick match. Bryan’s knee was taped up and he was limping after the match.

* Show vs. Del Rio in a Last Man Standing match is next. Del Rio came out in a Lamborghini. Big Show put him through a table on the outside. Del Rio starts using a chair on Show in the ring. Lots of back and forth. Show hits a choke slam and Del Rio gets up after 7. Outside the ring, Big Show slams Del Rio through the ringside barricade. Del Rio gets up after a 9 count and the crowd goes nuts. Back in the ring, Big Show nails Del Rio with the WMD knockout punch. Del Rio makes the count by rolling out of the ring at the last second and standing up. Big Show tries to hit Del Rio with ring steps but it backfired and he hits himself. Del Rio hits Big Show with the ring steps 3 times and Big Show is hurt. Del Rio turns the announcers table onto Big Show and gets the 10 count for the win. And new World Heavyweight Champion – Alberto Del Rio! Del Rio celebrates in the ring and in the crowd.