Monday Night Raw Recap 12/19/16
Raw opens with a promo featuring Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, and Mick Foley. Mick Foley tells Jericho he will be suspended in a cage above the ring at The Royal Rumble, Foley shows Jericho the safety of the cage, “inadvertently” (yeah right) locking him into the cage, then “mistakenly” calls for it to be lifted off the ground, leaving Jericho begging for his life out of fear of heights.
Big Cass vs Rusev, Rusev wins by DQ. Meh… Best part of the match was the entrance.
Backstage, Jericho has gotten out of the cage, and Kevin Owens is trying to console him, while he is still in the midst of a full fledged panic attack from being suspended above the ring. I feel your pain bro.
Sasha Banks comes out to the ring on one crutch with a brace on her left knee, She cuts a promo about giving it her all, tapping out twice and almost getting her leg broken, going to war with Charlotte, and them making history in women’s wrestling. She says while she hurts from losing the belt, but the better woman won, asks Charlotte to come out so she can look her in the eyes and congratulate her. Silence for 30 seconds, then Nia Jax music hits, she comes to ringside staring down Sasha banks the whole way, entering the ring to look at Sasha, then cuts a promo, saying “she may be a boss of the sheep out there, but would never be the boss of her,… shes week, wounded and a nothing but a little girl”, then kicks the crutch out from under Sasha, then attacks the hurt knee of the former women’s champion. Damn.
Mick Foley does a backstage promo with Cesaro and Sheamus, about being proud of them, presents them with new raw tag team titles… as soon as they get the new titles they start arguing… Foley is called away to deal with Braun Strowman throwing refs and tables around, looking for Sami Zayn. Mick Foley asks Braun to take the night off, he threatens hes wants Sami or else.
Cedric Alexander vs Noam Dar starts, and immediately goes to commercial break. All I have learned thus far is they have heat from something that happened on the new cruiserweight show 205 Live which is exclusive to the WWE Network. This match is fast paced, Alicia Foxx is at ringside as Cedric’s girlfriend. Cedric takes control early in the match, and easily picks up the win. Bonus: Austin Aries on commentary
Noam Dar breathlessly cuts a promo from ringside, saying he wants Alicia. Ewww creepy.
So far, way more talking than wrestling…
Can’t fast forward through terrible commercials, despite pausing dvr, BOOOO
The New Day makes their first entrance to RAW without the tag belts. Cuts a positive promo about losing just means they can win again, as they get into the ring Cesaro’s music hits, followed by Sheamus’s music, they cut a promo before making their way to the ring, where of course they are arguing again… New Day Shames Sheamus for thinking they were congratulating him, they were thanking Cesaro. Sheamus doesn’t care what anyone thinks… Sheamus thinks he can hold the titles for 20 years… lol The New day has the POP (Power of Positivity) Anderson and Gallows come to the ring… Then the Shining Stars… Then a brawl breaks out, finally some fighting.
When we come back from commercial there is a spontaneous 4 team tag match with two teams on each side, The New Day, and the New Tag Champs Team Up, and Anderson and Gallows are with the Shining Stars, too much to follow to write about. I hate commercial breaks in the middle of matches too. Match ends with a spin and a sharpshooter from Cesaro on one of the Shining Stars.
Big Cass and Enzo talking in the locker room, Enzo gets a letter, He is required to go to mandatory sensitivity training tonight for “exposing himself in the workplace” on November 21st. (seriously???)
Neville comes to to the ring to cut a promo about destroying all the cruiserweights, as we totally needed to see ANOTHER promo on this episode of RAW. He says hes going to 205 live to obliterate the division. Rich Swan comes out, tells Neville he used to look up to him. Neville demands respect as “the True King of The cruiserweights” (wtf) Then Brian Kendrick comes out, cutting more promos, seriously, can you people all shut up and fight already? Kendrick and Neville team up on Rich Swan, TJP comes out to save Swan and gets his ass beat too.
Sensitivity training, Enzo, Jinder Mahal and others were sitting in a circle with a therapist. Hell I think I need one after all these promos. Does anyone fight on this show anymore?
Sin Cara vs Titus O’Neil, No contest as in the first 40 seconds Braun Strowman comes out and destroys them both. Mick Foley comes out pleading for Strowman to stop, Strowman threw Sin Cara through a tree and the pile of gifts, then knocked over the Christmas display.
Another backstage promo with Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho, sigh…
Charlotte Flair the new RAW Women’s Champion comes to the ring, hey its another promo! Bailey’s music hits, she comes out dancing. Charlotte is mad at being interrupted, Bailey just wants to congratulate her. Charlotte tells her to join the audience she should be paying for a ticket, Bailey declares she wants to begin a rivalry with Charlotte. Bailey challenges Charlotte to a fight after Charlotte says she isn’t good enough. Charlotte accepts, and calls for a ref. Finally wrestling… after this commercial break. Charlotte controls the first part of the match Bailey gains steam, another commercial break. these breaks really ruin the momentum of matches. We come back from break Charlotte is in control. Bailey finely comes back, Charlotte cuts her off regains control, but is cut short when Bailey pins her in this non championship bout.
More sensitivity training… sigh. Another commercial, Sensitivity training graduation ending with Rusev and Jinder beating the shit out of Enzo and putting him through a table.
Main Event, Seth Rollins and US Champion Roman Reigns vs Universal Champion Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho I’m exhausted from all the talking so it’s hard to pay attention and write. As much as I like the guys in the ring, I could care less about this match, so honestly its a little boring. How many times are we going to watch these guys wrestle before the rumble? This is why WWE needs to bring back jobbers, instead of jobbing regular talent. Braun Strowman ran out and attacked Roman Reigns just as the match was getting interesting, bell was rung, match is over. Boooo
While it is better than it was at times in the past, RAW still has a lot to work on, seriously 75% of this show is talking, I’d like to see them cut down on that tremendously in 2017, its really annoying.
So that was it, I don’t always watch RAW, and usually just catch PPV’s these days, but I figured since I had the opportunity I would recap it here for you!
