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WWE Monday Night Raw Reaction (12/12)

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Robert Lentini

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Triple Threat Raw Tag Team Championship Match: New Day (c) vs Sheamus & Cesaro vs Gallows & Anderson

New Day cut a promo before the match about how tonight they will make history and become the longest reigning Tag Team Champions. The New Day also had their locker room decked out with champagne for the after party if they wind up retaining their Tag Team Championships tonight.

Cesaro and Kofi Kingston started off the match. Kofi connected with a Crossbody but Cesaro battled back and landed a Suplex. Sheamus entered the match and beatdown Kofi in the corner. Kofi bounced back and leveled Sheamus with a Dropkick. Big E was tagged in and he immediately tackled Sheamus. Kofi got back into the match and hit Sheamus with a Jawbreaker. Karl Anderson tagged himself in and knocked down Kofi with a Clothesline.

Gallows entered the match and connected with a boot to the face on Kofi. Raw then went to a commercial break. When Raw returned, Anderson and Gallows still had control of the match. Kingston battled back and hit a Missile Dropkick on Gallows off of the second rope. Sheamus tagged himself in and beatdown Gallows. Anderson and Gallows teamed up on Sheamus and almost got a pinfall but Cesaro was able to break it up at the last second.

Cesaro entered the match and took out Anderson with an uppercut and followed it with a 619. Cesaro took out everyone outside the ring and then connected with a big Crossbody on Anderson in the ring. Cesaro then hit the Cesaro Swing on Anderson and followed it up with the Sharpshooter. Kofi tagged himself in and hit the Trouble in Paradise on Sheamus. Big E held Cesaro back and he couldn’t break up the pinfall.

Winners & Still Raw Tag Team Champions: New Day

Reaction: The New Day’s never-ending title reign continues. It comes as no surprise that they will break Demolition’s record and become the longest reigning Tag Team Champions. The match itself was short but entertaining. I’m still holding out hope that Cesaro and Sheamus capture the titles soon. They appear to be the only real contenders for the belts on Raw right now. There are several tag teams on the Raw roster but it still feels like the New Day and everyone else. Now that the record is broken, hopefully more viable tag teams emerge and the tag division becomes more competitive on Monday nights.

The Raw locker room was shown celebrating the New Day retaining the titles backstage. Stephanie McMahon proposed a toast to the longest reigning Tag Team Champions and Big E celebrated with a gigantic bowl of Booty O’s. Xavier Woods accidentally sprayed Stephanie McMahon with champagne and Stephanie flipped out and knocked the bowl out of Big E’s hands.

Braun Strowman vs Curtis Axel

Strowman applied the Torture Rack and leveled Axel with a Clothesline. Strowman then planted Axel face first into the match and pinned him. After the match, Braun Strowman stated that Mick Foley was protecting Sami Zayn. Earlier in the night, Sami Zayn sent out a tweet demanding a match with Strowman. Sami Zayn was then shown backstage demanding the match from Mick Foley. Once again, Foley refused to put Zayn in the match. Zayn stated that he didn’t want to be on Raw anymore and Foley agreed to call Daniel Bryan and work out a trade to send Zayn to Smackdown.

Winner: Braun Strowman

Reaction: This is a win-win. Sami Zayn is a much better fit for Smackdown and he no longer will waste away in random feuds with Superstars like Braun Strowman.

Ariya Daivari vs Lince Dorado

Daivari started off the match in control. Dorado fought back and connected with a Hurricanrana. Dorado followed it up with a Crossbody. Daivari powered out of the corner and leveled Dorado with a Clothesline. Jack Gallagher then interrupted the match and came down to the entrance ramp with a microphone. Gallagher announced his intention to interfere in the match and called Daivari a scoundrel. Daivari and Gallagher traded punches and the referee called off the match. Gallagher hit a Dropkick that sent Daivari flying off of the ring apron. The segment ended with Gallagher standing tall in the ring.

https://twitter.com/WAManeuver/status/808489391593230338

Rollins Report w/ Seth Rollins

Rollins started off the promo by once again calling out Triple H. Rollins then introduced his guest on the Rollins Report and Kevin Owens came out with his own stool and sat on the entrance ramp. Rollins asked about the friendship between Owens and Jericho. Owens stated that their friendship is fine and they both will have each other’s back in their matches this Sunday at WWE Roadblock. Owens revealed that he asked Stephanie McMahon to book the New Day in another Tag Team Championship tonight on Raw. Owens revealed that the New Day will face Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens for the Tag Team Championships. Jericho then joined Owens on the entrance ramp and asked Owens if he was crazy for thinking their friendship is still fine. Owens stated that the match is already made and that Jericho should put their problems aside so they could work together tonight.

Rollins then stated that Owens was bossing Jericho around and once again called Jericho “sparkle crotch”. Jericho then made it seem like he was going to put Rollins on the list. Jericho then put the list down and claimed that he was going to put Rollins on the disabled list. Owens and Jericho then went down to the ring and began to beatdown Rollins. Eventually, Roman Reigns came down to the ring to a chorus of boos. Jericho and Owens attacked Reigns and knocked him to the mat. Rollins got back into the fight and teamed up with Reigns. Rollins and Reigns stood tall in the ring as Jericho and Rollins retreated.

TJ Perkins vs Brian Kendrick

TJ Perkins started out the match in control. Perkins barely connected with a Dropkick on Kendrick on the ring apron and Raw went to a commercial break. When Raw returned, Kendrick was in control of the match and hit Sliced Bread for the victory.

Winner: Brian Kendrick

Reaction: I found this to be bizarre since Perkins is challenging Rich Swann for the Cruiserweight Championship this Sunday at Roadblock. Kendrick easily defeated Perkins in this match. It is hard to imagine TJ walking out of Roadblock victorious.

Mick Foley announced that Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins will be joining the match for the Tag Team Championships later on in the show.

Bayley vs Alicia Fox

Alicia Fox was still upset about Bayley giving Cedric Alexander a teddy bear last weak and stated that she was going to devote her victory over Bayley tonight to Cedric. Alicia Fox controlled the entire match but Bayley connected with a Bayley to Belly out of nowhere for the victory.

Winner: Bayley

Rusev and Lana cut a promo. Rusev stated that Enzo was garbage and the crowd started to chant for Enzo. Rusev went on to say that he and Lana “took care of business” after he beat the hell out of Enzo last week on Raw. Rusev and Lana then teased that they were going to show the world what they did behind closed doors. They then pointed to the jumbotron and the video of Rusev beating up Enzo was shown. Lana then claimed that the audience was as gullible as Enzo Amore for thinking he had a chance with her.

Mercifully, Big Cass interrupted and cut a promo of his own. For some annoying reason, his entrance music was blaring throughout the entire promo. Eventually, Cass charged the ring and brawled with Rusev. The crowd was dead silent during this brawl. Big Cass got the upper hand and Rusev retreated to the back.

Reaction: The music playing throughout Cass speaking was really distracting. I’m not sure if the WWE lacks confidence in the promo skills of Cass or if this was just a technical issue. I actually hope it was a technical issue because I don’t really feel like sitting through another Cass promo like this one. This entire segment was bad and was quite an uneventful way to start the final hour of Raw.

Jinder Mahal vs Sami Zayn

Jinder Mahal controlled the early part of this match but Zayn connected with the Helluva Kick for the victory. After the match, Mick Foley announced that he had made the deal with Daniel Bryan to trade him to Smackdown for Eva Marie. Sami Zayn flipped out and demanded that Foley give him the match with Strowman. Foley then informed Zayn that there never was a trade and Foley just needed to see that Zayn had the anger inside of him to go up against a monster like Strowman. Foley then made a match between Zayn and Strowman at Roadblock.

Winner: Sami Zayn

Reaction: Honestly, I’d rather have seen Zayn moved to Smackdown but this promo was solid. I don’t envision Zayn defeating Strowman at Roadblock but I’m sure he will put up a good fight. I’ve never been a fan of the Mick Foley overly intense, in your face, shaking and screaming at the top of his lungs promo. They have been happening way too often recently. Having said that, Foley is actually one of the only people that can cut a promo and at least make it sound genuine right now. We shall see how this all plays out on Sunday, but there is finally a reason to care about Sami Zayn versus Braun Strowman.

 

Triple Threat Raw Tag Team Championship Match: New Day (c) vs Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho vs Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins

Rollins and Xavier Woods started off the match. They went back and forth until Big E and Roman Reigns were tagged in. Big E went to Spear Reigns on the ring apron but Roman blocked it with a knee. Jericho tagged himself in and continued to beatdown Big E. Owens then joined the party and continued the assault on Big E. Jericho and Owens spent the next few minutes taking turns beating the hell out of Big E.

Eventually, Big E tagged in Xavier Woods. Kevin Owens continued to be on the offensive and applied a Chinlock to Woods in the center of the ring. Owens released the hold and connected with a right hand to Rollins and he fell off of the ring apron. Big E once again got into the match and he immediately hit three Belly to Belly Suplexes on Jericho. Rollins then tagged himself in and hit a Suicide Dive onto Jericho outside the ring. Rollins followed it up by connecting with another Suicide Dive but this time onto Big E.

Roman Reigns was tagged in and he hit Jericho with a Powerbomb. Reigns hit a Superman Punch on Owens who was on the ring apron. Xavier Woods tagged himself in and hit an Elbow Drop onto Reigns and went for the pinfall but Reigns kicked out at two. Woods and Reigns traded punches but Reigns got the upper hand. Rollins tagged himself in and leveled Owens with a kick to the face. Rollins climbed to the top turnbuckle but Jericho pushed him off.

Jericho then entered the match and hit a Lionsault on Woods. Jericho followed it up with the Walls of Jericho in the center of the ring. Woods reversed the hold into a roll-up but Jericho kicked out at two. Woods went for a Tornado DDT on Woods but Owens connected with a Superkick. Owens then launched Xavier into the air and Jericho hit a massive Codebreaker. Jericho went for the pinfall but it was broken up when Rollins shoved Owens into Jericho. Owens and Jericho then argued in the ring. Jericho thought Owens did it on purpose. Rollins hit a Pedigree on Jericho and went for the pinfall. Big E dragged Rollins out of the ring and Xavier Woods pinned Jericho.

After the match, Owens and Jericho continued to argue in the ring. Roman Reigns set up behind Owens and Jericho told Owens to turn around. Reigns connected with a Spear and raised both the United States and Universal Championships above his head. The crowd booed as Raw went off the air.

Winners & Still Tag Team Champions: New Day

Reaction: The main event was a good match and the New Day retained their titles for the second time tonight. Overall, tonight’s Raw was decent. I would rather see Kevin Owens keep the Universal Championship than see Reigns capture it at Roadblock. The United States Championship has essentially been forgotten ever since Reigns won it. I don’t understand how giving Reigns another title to Reigns helps that at all. If the plan was to give Reigns the Universal Championship, I don’t get Rusev ever lost the United States title to Reigns in the first place. There are a lot of things on Raw that just don’t make sense to me. There are Superstars that seem to just be floating around every week with nothing to do. I don’t get why those Superstars aren’t fighting for a midcard title like the United States Championship. Like him or not, Roman Reigns should always be vying for the Universal Championship. The United States Championship doesn’t elevate Reigns at all and it could do wonders for 80% of the talent on Raw.  You know, the Superstars that seemingly have nothing of relevance to do every Monday night.

What did you think of this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw? Let us know in the comments below.

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