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5 Takeaways From WWE RAW (12/3)

Robert Lentini
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5 Takeaways From WWE RAW (12/3)

The December 3rd, 2018 episode of WWE RAW aired live from the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:

Bayley & Banks Want To Become Tag Team Champions In 2019

Alexa Bliss held another open forum with Sasha Banks and Bayley. Bayley asked Bliss where Alicia Fox, Dana Brooke, and Mickie James were hiding this time. The fan question this time was how do you react to people thinking that Sasha Banks is going to stab Bayley in the back.

Banks joked about it and laughed it off. They then answered that their dream opponents would be Trish Stratus and Lita at WrestleMania. Bayley added that they want to be the first ever women’s tag team champions in 2019. Dana Brooke, Alicia Fox, and Mickie James sprinted to the ring and it led to a tag match. Bayley and Banks defeated Mickie James and Alicia Fox in the match.

The open forum segment last week was absolutely terrible, so naturally, WWE decided to do it again this week. I think the men’s tag division is treated as a joke, so I find it impossible to get excited about a women’s tag team division.

Ziggler Finally Confronted Drew McIntyre

RAW GM Corbin came down to the ring and vowed to defeat Braun Strowman at TLC and become the permanent GM of RAW. Corbin announced that it was Drew McIntyre appreciate night and called Drew down to the ring.

Corbin presented him with a “gold medal of excellence” for ridding RAW of Kurt Angle. McIntyre boasted about defeating Kurt Angle with his own move and then turned his attention to Finn Balor. McIntyre vowed to break Finn’s spirit at TLC.

Dolph Ziggler interrupted and made his way down to the ring. Ziggler wondered if his invitation to the party got lost in the main and stated that they used to run RAW. McIntyre told Ziggler that he was never invited and that their business relationship is over. Drew insulted Ziggler some more and finally Dolph had enough. Dolph planted McIntyre with the Zig Zag and left the ring. Corbin announced that Ziggler and McIntyre would have a match.

McIntyre beat the hell out of Ziggler for several minutes until Finn Balor came down to the ring. Balor slammed McIntyre into the barricade while the referee wasn’t looking. Drew got back into the ring to break the count at nine but walked into a Superkick from Ziggler and then Dolph pinned him for the win. McIntyre later attacked Finn Balor backstage.

This was a good segment and an entertaining match. However, I think it would have been better if McIntyre and Ziggler separating was addressed previously and led to a match at TLC. I’d be more interested in that than McIntyre vs. Balor at the PPV. It just felt a bit rushed and the focal point of the match was Finn Balor, rather than the former team battling in the ring.

The Tag Team Division Remains A Waste Of Talent

Bobby Roode was set to battle Drake Maverick tonight on RAW. If Roode won the match, he and Gable would earn a shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships. The Authors of Pain attacked Chad Gable backstage and RAW GM Baron Corbin announced that it was now a 3vs2 Handicap match.

Roode hit Drake with the Glorious DDT and went for the cover but Akam and Rezar broke it up at the last second. Akam and Rezar beatdown Roode for a couple of minutes until Gable limped down to the ring.

AOP hit the Super Collider on Roode and Gable in the middle of the ring. Drake Maverick pleaded for a tag and then immediately pinned Bobby Roode.

Everything about this is wrong in my opinion. Bobby Roode was an awesome heel in NXT and has been completely wasted on the main roster. The Authors of Pain were a dominant force in NXT and they were led by their intimidating manager, Paul Ellering. Now, they seem like cowards and Drake Maverick is pretty much a punchline as their manager. I don’t understand the logic of making a dominant team like AOP look weak and having their manager get most of the attention.

Dean Ambrose Came Down To The Ring With A Gas Mask On

Dean Ambrose came down to the ring with a gas mask on as his personal security surrounded the ring.

Dean insulted the crowd and then took off his gas mask. Ambrose stated that Seth Rollins has a weak character and is the biggest scumbag on the planet. Dean blasted the crowd for cheering for him, which caused the crowd to chant “we want Rollins!”.

Ambrose shouted, “sometimes life sucks and you don’t always get what you want”. Dean referred to himself as the moral compass of WWE and claimed that Seth Rollins will lose control of his emotions and the Intercontinental Championship at WWE TLC.

Rollins sprinted through the crowd and launched Ambrose out of the ring. Seth took out the security team as Dean retreated through the crowd. Rollins caught up to him and leveled him with a Crossbody off the barricade. Ambrose battled back and hit Rollins with the gas mask. Ambrose planted Rollins with the Dirty Deeds outside the ring and then instructed the security team to bring Seth into the ring. Dean hit Seth with another Dirty Deeds before leaving up the ring.

Ambrose was a lame version of Bane tonight and it was bizarre to watch. I have no reaction to Dean Ambrose right now. I want to hate him but I can’t bring myself to care after watching his promos. Ambrose attacked Rollins on the night Roman Reigns announced his leukemia had returned. He should be the biggest heel on the show right now and get booed out of the building every Monday night. Instead, his promos are generic and he just blasts whatever city the arena is in. Dean Ambrose telling the crowd they smell isn’t the direction I thought his character was going when he turned heel.

The Riott Squad Slammed Natalya Through A Table

RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey and Natalya were set to battle Nia Jax and Tamina on this week’s show. The Riott Squad interrupted right before the match started and marched down the entrance ramp. Tamina and Nia Jax took advantage of the distraction and beat Rousey down outside the ring.

The Riott Squad isolated Natalya and rolled her onto the ring apron. Ronda tried to help Natalya but Jax knocked her down and hit her with a giant Leg Drop. The Riott Squad then Powerbombed Natalya off the apron and through a table.

Rousey and Natalya were then shown backstage. Natalya was holding her ribs as the trainers checked on her. Ronda then got a pissed off look on her face and stared off into the distance to end the segment.

Rousey then teamed up with Ember Moon to battle Nia Jax and Tamina in the main event of this week’s RAW. Ember knocked Jax to the outside and then connected with the Eclipse to Tamina. Ronda followed it up with the Arm Bar on Tamina for the submission victory.

They set up it throughout the show that Rousey was going to find a replacement partner for Natalya in the match. I was hoping for a surprise like Shayna Baszler, but instead, it was Ember Moon. There was honestly very little reason to care about tonight’s main event. The feud between Ruby Riott and Natalya is a little interesting simply because Riott made things personal by destroying Jim Neidhart’s glasses and now tonight’s attack.

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