Jordan Huie of the Overtimer here to give you the live recap of tonight’s action! It’s WWE Raw, the penultimate episode of the year!
Kevin Owens emerges to open the show! After a video package recapping the last few weeks, Owens takes up a mic and asks us to bear with him as he has a lot to say about a lot of people. But before he can say anything, Mojo Rawley cuts him off! Mojo says the first thing out of his mouth better be an explanation for that nonsense with a steel pipe. Owens says he wasn’t even gonna talk about that at all. Mojo says he wants to say the problem about Owens, Owens says he has atleast seven but if you’d like to analyze what his biggest problem is, make it quick. Because he has a no DQ match with him up next and he can’t wait to get to it! Mojo reiterates that anyone is tough with a lead pipe in his hands and Owens isn’t a tough guy.
Christmas Street Fight: Kevin Owens vs. Mojo Rawley
Owens with a back elbow, takes Mojo to the outside, cannonball senton off the apron! Takes Mojo up, slams him into the barrier! Owens peeks under the ring, throws a ton of steel chairs into the fray. Several in the ring, several outside of the ring… a quiet “We Want Tables” immediately precedes the table being brought out to a huge pop! He slowly tries to set it up in the ring but Mojo catches him with a chair to the back! Drives it into his ribs. Slides the table out of the ring for cheap heat, charge in the corner, back elbow. Charges, Mojo with a Fireman’s Carry Press Slam onto the chairs! Nearfall. Mojo sets up a few chairs in a row, grinding Owens down with the steel to keep him stunned, big shot to the back! Four chairs set up together now.
Mojo takes Owens up onto the top rope! Pursues, wants a big superplex! Chairs are kinda far away here… Owens rakes the eyes to make him fall… but Mojo grabs him by the jaw, tosses him off the top rope and he lands viciously into the chairs! Nearfall. Can’t believe he took a bump like that in a match like this. Mojo hits the ropes, charges right into a superkick! Owens up top, Senton for a nearfall! Owens goes out and gets the table once again, slides it into the ring! Manages to set it up this time around. But Mojo takes him up onto his shoulders! Owens escapes, Stunner! Looks out into the crowd, who clearly still want that table spot! Owens pulls Mojo up, throws him to the ropes, Pop-Up Powerbomb puts him through the wood! Covers him with his knee in his face, that’s that!
Winner: Kevin Owens
Fun stuff. Didn’t go any longer than it had to, well paced scrap with a surprising moment or two.
Owens takes up a microphone and says he had a lot to say but Mojo got him into a fighting mood and he’s still got a lot of fight left in him! Knows the plan is to jump him backstage, least you could do is do it in front of these good people so someone can enjoy it! Knows it’s a bad decision but he thinks bad decisions is part of his charm. He insists they come out here to beat the hell out of him and he’s not leaving until they do! Throws the mic down. Backstage, Rollins and AOP are standing in front of a TV where the camera feed has clearly been green screened to fit the monitor.
After commercial, Rollins and AOP emerge and Rollins tries to talk Owens down. He has no mic and I can’t really make out what he’s saying but Owens is very skeptical. Rollins holds out a hand, crowd doesn’t want him to go for it. Owens superkicks him instead! Tries to grab a chair really quick but AOP are in too fast, and they beat him down. Rollins stomps him down as well. Rollins wants the Stomp but Owens double legs him to counter it, only to again succumb to Akam and Rezar. Rollins nails the Stomp, crowd boos. Heels make their leave.
R-Truth is wandering around in the streets with some invitation. Looking for the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Christmas tree to help light it. He asks someone for help. They mention that it’s actually the Rockerfeller Christmas tree and it’s already been lit. Also his invite is written entirely in Japanese. Truth is confused as to why the Rock would do this to him, until Akira Tozawa rushes up behind him and rolls him up for the pin! Tozawa takes the 24/7 Title.
Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander
Lashley with a wrist lock. Alexander flips out of it, gets him into a side headlock. Lashley just hoists him up and shoves him out. Lashley wants to drive Cedric into the corner, Cedric with a back elbow, floatover, ducks a clothesline, forearm! Lashley with a kick blocked, Cedric with a spinning back elbow. Handspring headscissor, standing dropkick takes Lashley to the outside! Cedric onto the apron, hops over a clip attempt, Asai Moonsault Press takes Lashley down! Cedric into the ring… Lana has a microphone and gets into the ring, asking Cedric who he thinks he is.
Says next week is the most important day of her life and her beautiful hot husband’s most important day of his life because he gets to marry her! Can’t have him all bruised, they’re getting married live on next week’s Raw! Asks for a classic Greco Roman match. Says she knows what she’s talking about as she’s the smartest woman in the world. Knows everyone loves her and she loves herself too but nobody loves her as much as her Bobby Lashley. Commercial.
We come back, Cedric whipped to the corner, escapes to the apron, WWE Headkick! Running kick from the apron! Drags him into the ring, standing dropkick! Lashley evades him to the apron, charges, but Cedric gets the boot up, springboards in, gets caught, Cedric escapes but a lariat flips him onto his face! Throws him to the corner, Cedric bounces out, into a spinning neckbreaker. Side headlock. Cedric with a big uppercut, hits the ropes, Lashley with a big Elevated Flatliner for a nearfall! Lashley grinds his boot into the throat of Cedric. Hoists him up, body slam, Cedric’s leg seemed to clip a rope there.
Lashley gets onto the second buckle, blowing kisses and flexing. Alexander with a dropkick to the leg tripping him to the canvas! Cedric with another WWE Headkick, Springboard Clothesline! Lashley bails, but eats a suicide dive! Cedric back into the ring, huge Tope Con Hilo! Throws Lashley into the ring, Neuralizer for a nearfall! Alexander hits the ropes, Lashley hoists him up, is strong as hell as he adjusts him on his shoulders for the Dominator! Charges for his spear, but Alexander with a low dropkick clips him! Hesitation Dropkick! Springboards in, has to roll through as Lashley ducks, big chokeslam! Hits the ropes, vicious spear and that is that!
Winner: Bobby Lashley
That was good stuff! Cedric shone for a ton of that, and Lashley’s one that can very believably win with a handful of moves, worked out pretty well.
R-Truth is chasing Tozawa through the city streets now.
Zack Ryder vs. Drew McIntyre
Exchange of shots start the match, McIntyre of course wins out on that. Ryder low bridges to send McIntyre to the floor, big baseball slide dropkick but McIntyre bounces right back for a huge lariat! Drives Ryder into the barrier and apron over and over spinebuster style! Throws him into the ring, big overhead belly to belly! Drew throws him to a corner, charges, double knees! Ryder wants a missile dropkick off the second rope but Drew just shoves him out of the air. Stalks, Claymore Kick and that’s that.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
Afterwards, Drew plants Zack with a Future Shock DDT. Hawkins rushes into the ring to defend his partner, but eats the Glasgow Kiss headbutt, Claymore Kick lays him out. Kip up, Drew demands a mic. Says that was fun! Asks Zack and Curt if they’re having fun. Knows they can’t answer right now but he knows them pretty well so he thinks they’d say that they are having fun, he’s a big inspiration to them, as big as he is jacked and obviously he’s a great wrestler for beating the both of them. He ‘cuts them off’, saying they’re verging on arse kissing but he’ll allow it. He won’t give a tired cliche about being the future, he’ll just say that 2020 belongs to Drew McIntyre.
Becky Lynch emerges. She’s had some things on her mind lately, some that she expressed last week. Since the birth of the Man, she’s learned that she does so much better when she takes things into her own hands. That’s what she’s out here to do. She has become the face of this company. And this company is trying to save her, trying to protect her. Well she doesn’t give a damn what this company wants! She says it’s been held off for too long, The Man vs. Asuka needs to happen next and she won’t take no for an answer! She will go to deep dark places to remind herself who she is. Reminds Asuka that she is the one woman to ever beat The Man fair and square and so the Man has come to collect one last dept.
Asuka and Kairi arrived. Asuka asks if she remembers TLC, we are the champions! Starts talking smack in Japanese. Calls herself Asuka Two Belts. Becky chuckles. If it takes putting the title on the line to face her, name the time and the place! And in case she can’t understand that, she reiterates it in Japanese!
Aleister Black vs. A Guy
A guy charges, Black with a leg sweep takedown, pump knee to the face! Black Mass.
Winner: Aleister Black
Afterwards, Buddy Murphy emerges to meet Black on the stage. He gives him lip on his way down the ramp.
Buddy Murphy vs. A Dude
Pump knee to the face! Lifts dude up with his foot, ala Black, hoists him up into the Murphy’s Law!
Winner: Buddy Murphy
Black gets into the ring to square off with Murphy… offers him a hand in show of sportsmanship. Murphy considers it… but then shoulder checks him as he leaves, only to get laid out with a vicious Black Mass!
Rey backstage warns Rollins and the AOP, saying they made a mistake not finishing the job last week.
Ricochet vs. Tony Nese
Ricochet will a roll-up, quick kickout. Side headlock, Nese shoves him off, Ricochet with a flip over, Nese responds with one of his own, Ricochet catches a kick, gets a chop in. Nese reverses a whip, Ricochet flips over him, back handspring headscissors, standing dropkick, cover for a 1 count. Nese with a Running Hot Shot, springing moonsault for a nearfall! Bodyscissors. Ricochet escapes, couple of charging forearms, hurricanrana. Charging thrust in the corner, WWE Headkick! Ricochet with a springboard, Nese with an uppercut cuts him off! Nese charges, Ricochet springs up, superkick! Recoil for the win!
Winner: Ricochet
Kinda can’t believe they had him wrestle again after being out there for like 40 minutes in the gauntlet earlier in the same night but if anyone was up for it, it was Ricochet.
Truth chases Tozawa around, Akira hides in the Christmas trees.
Charlotte Flair out, and like Asuka ‘last week’, she’s going up against a rarely seen NXT woman, Chelsea Green who gets a vignette hyping her up, much like Deonna Purrazzo got.
Charlotte Flair vs. Chelsea Green
Lock-up, Charlotte wins out and takes Chelsea into a corner. Clean break, lock-up, trip, Charlotte kips up for a woo. Tying up once more, Charlotte with an arm wringer, wants to take her down but Chelsea gets to the ropes to force her away. They shove each other, green with a shot to the shin, she does the roll-up-into-the-buckle spot but there’s clearly no contact. So she kicks her into the second buckle instead! Cover for 2. Green hits the ropes, basement dropkick right to the side of the head, got her good! Cover for a nearfall. Chinlock. Charlotte fights to her feet, elbows her way free, knife edge chop, big boot! Figure four turned into a Figure Eight for the submission!
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Basic but nice.
Tozawa and R Truth run into a street Santa. Santa asks Truth to check out his sleigh, then rolls up Tozawa for the win! Santa Claus just became 24/7 Champion. Truth returns to say Santa has a boot on his sleigh. Tozawa and R Truth then agree that they must take out Santa.
Liv Morgan vignette, talking about how if you rely on other people’s affirmations, you give them all the power. Says she was young and impressionable in the past. It’s up to her to find out who she is, and she says she is anything but typical.
Randy Orton & The Viking Raiders vs. The OC
Anderson and Ivar start us off. Side headlock. Ivar tosses him away. Body block. Tag to Erik, waistlock takedown to Anderson. Quick tags, Erik gets his big reverse hip toss and knee lift, Ivar covers for 2. Erik tags back in, body slam, cover for 2. Arm wringer. Gallows with a blind tag, cheap shot, Anderson with a neckbreaker on his way out. Gallows nails a roundhouse kick to the head of Erik. Gallows distracts the ref as AJ gets a cheap shot of his own in on the outside! AJ tags in, rains down punches, Erik tries to fight out of the corner but AJ cuts him off. AJ grinds him against the second rope, Anderson with a kick from the apron. Anderson tags in, side headlock takedown. Spinebuster for a nearfall.
Tag to AJ, they try for a double team back body drop but Erik escapes this, knocks both away with heavy forearms! Simultaneous tags to Orton and Gallows! Orton With a poke to the eyes of Gallows, wants his elevated DDT but Gallows with a back body drop stops that and takes Orton to the outside. He lands on his knee, which is already bandaged up. Commercial break! We come back to see Orton being worked over in the corner now. Tag to AJ, Gallows holds Orton for a kick. Orton with a punch, but AJ kicks the bad knee out from under him. AJ hooks Orton for a suplex, Orton reverses it! But he’s favoring that knee.
Erik tags back in, drives through Gallows, Exploder to Anderson! Pumphandle Suplex! Tag to Ivar, body block, pendulum side slam to Gallows! Basement Crossbody! AJ rushes in, gets driven into the corner, Erik throws Ivar into AJ! Anderson eats the Viking Experience! Erik covers, Gallows breaks it up! Ivar clotheslines Gallows! Pele kick from AJ, enziguri to Erik, Orton blind tags in, AJ hits a standing dropkick to Erik! Orton sneaks up behind, AJ tries to reverse but Orton goes for the Draping DDT! AJ shoves him away, Anderson sneaks up behind him but eats an RKO! Wants another on Gallows, but Gallows shoves him off – right into the Phenomenal Forearm from AJ! That is that.
Winners: The OC
Everyone here already had a full length match tonight and I think they were a bit tired, but some real good action nonetheless.
Truth and Tozawa pursue Santa, they actually get into matching horse carriages but they’re going so slow that they decide against it, Santa bails and keeps running on foot.
Erick Rowan vs. Tattoo Man
Tattoo Man offers Rowan a candy cane. He takes it. Slowly, the jobber slides from the ring, begging off. Rowan glares at him from the ring. He pulls out yet more candy canes and signals taking them over to his pet. Rowan contemplates this… then rushes out and attacks him from behind! Rips off the top of the apron, slams the guy facefirst onto it! Throws him into the ring, Rowan pursues, hits the ropes, big crossbody! Iron Claw. And then another, foot on the chest for the cover.
Winner: Erick Rowan
I can’t think of a single animal you’d want to feed a candy cane to. He must’ve assumed Rowan was keeping a child in that cage.
After the match, Rowan feeds the pet a cane anyhow.
Santa gets chased, trips onto the steps, Truth covers him for the title win. Tozawa rushes up… but the ref is sick of chasing them around all night, says it’s way too cold for this and rushes away! Truth and Tozawa make a truce, Truth asks how you say ‘Merry Christmas’ in Japanese… and it’s just ‘Merry Christmas’.
Rusev emerges, has a mic, big chants of “Rusev Day”. Rusev says he can’t believe it was snowing right on top of the ramp! He has some mixed emotions. Was he screwed over at TLC? Yes he was. Is he upset about it? Oh yes he is. But is he going to do anything about it, well you’re damned sure he will! But is he upset that Lana is getting married to her hot boyfriend next Monday? Of course not, it’s the greatest day of his life! The biggest punishment he can ever give to Lashley is to allow him to marry Lana! He may be single but he is not alone because Lana’s wedding will take place on Rusev Day!
Rusev vs. No Way Jose
Jose chops, Rusev no sells. Rusev throws him to the ropes, Machka Kick!
Winner: Rusev
Alrighty then. Rusev proceeds to help him to his feet… then he gets down with a Spinaroonie or a Spinarusev as Joe puts it! Rusev proceeds to enter the conga line, and he gets a few kisses on the cheek from some of the ladies, he dances his way out as yet more snow falls onto the stage.
Backstage, Interviewer Girl #1 talks with Seth and in a true heel move, for perhaps the first time this year, Rollins did not refer to Charly Caruso as ‘Chuck’. That’s my main takeaway.
WWE United States Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Seth Rollins
Rey charges, immediately gets reversed and pummeled into the corner. Rey escapes, hits the ropes, Rollins stops him with a Slingblade for a nearfall! Crucifix cradle for another. Pulls him to his feet, hooks him, Rey escapes out the back of a suplex, Rollins with a discus forearm! Stomp to the back. Rollins slams Rey’s face into the top buckle, big heymaker. Whips Rey to the ropes, Wheelbarrow Victory Roll for a nearfall. Thrown to the ropes, kick counter of a back body drop, headscissor takes Rollins to the second rope, 619 avoided, Rollins posts Rey! Pulls him out, throws him from the ring, Rey with his signature lawn dart bump! Commercial break.
We come back to see Rollins working over the shoulder of Rey, big tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! Rey fights back, Rollins throws him to the corner, floatover, headscissor takes Rollins to the floor. Rey hits the ropes, suicide dive sunset flip wall bomb! Jesus Christ! Rey throws Rollins into the ring, West Coast Pop! Wants a springboard moonsault, Rollins catches him but Rey turns it into a Tornado DDT! Cover for a nearfall! Rey with a springboard crossbody caught, Rollins turns it into a Buckle Bomb! Avada Kedavra for a nearfall! Rollins tunes up the band, goes for the Stomp but Rey avoids it, rana takes him between the ropes, 619! Rey up top, AOP attack him, Rey gets thrown from the ropes to the barricade! DQ.
Winner: Rey Mysterio (by DQ)
Good match but a shame to see it end in DQ after being such a long time coming. Kinda the only reasonable finish though. Rey driven facefirst into the barrier! AOP grabs Rey by the hands, drags him up the ramp to the stage. Strip the broadcast table. Other commentators leave but Joe stands his ground even as Akam and Rezar demand he leave. Joe tells them if he gets up, it’s not to move. If he gets up, it’s both their asses.
Joe rises, to a big pop, gets in their faces! Rollins shoves them away, says that’s not what we’re here for. Chant of “Joe” as he strips off his suit jacket! Rollins apologizes, talks him down. Rollins turns and walks off, whispering, “Finish him.” AOP swarm and assault Joe to a cacophony of boos! Akam and Rezar stomp Joe onto the stage! Seth hits the Stomp on Rey on the stage to ensure he can’t help. AOP double powerbomb Joe through the table and it explodes!
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