Raw is live tonight as we get closer to the WWE holiday break.
We kick off with Judgement Day sounding off on the Diamond Mine, who are challenging for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship and World Women’s Championship upcoming. This is all fine and dandy until R-Truth comes out.
Now far be it from me to editorialize, but Truth coming into the picture against your supposed main event heels make the group look worse. I appreciate Truth’s comedy, much more than Tozawa, but it just doesn’t sit proper against J-Day.
R-Truth vs. JD McDonagh (Loser Leaves J-Day Miracle on 34th Street Fight)
We get this match every year and every year it’s a groaner of a crap battle.
Usual stuff, including a candy Singapore cane, Truth paying tribute to his “childhood hero” John Cena (a joke that should’ve left with Truth’s injury) and other chicanery that just isn’t amusing. In the end, both men go through a table and Truth weakly covers JD.
Winner: R-Truth
Is this stipulation going to stick? Tune in next week to find out!
Backstage time! Nia! Party People!
Nia Jax is out for promo time and it doesn’t take long for Becky Lynch to make her presence felt. Usual stuff here, with Becky beckoning a fight only for Jax to tease and leave. Becks doesn’t let bygones be gone and a brawl erupts. The two will square off at Day One.
More backstage time! Kofi (I guess Woods is injured again)! Gargano! Ciampa! Miz! Redmond!
GUNTHER vs. The Miz (IC Title Match)
Miz gets some good ground action early including a side leglock, but Gunther fights out before Miz can transition to a Figure 4. Going into commercial Gunther gets a powerbomb to the apron after nearly dropping Miz on his head.
Back from break Gunther destroys Miz with a Mafia Kick. More kicks from Gunther and Miz’s chest is looking like it’s been raked by a cheese grater. More strikes from Gunther and I’m reconsidering my vote for Male Superstar of the Year.
Miz tries to fight back but it’s useless. Miz gets a bit of hope but Gunther turns it around quickly. This would be ugly but there’s not a lot that’s actually brutal here. On the outside, Gunther misses a chop and slams into the post going into a second break.
Back from break Miz is fighting back but can’t sustain offence. Miz tries to block a crab by reaching for Gunther’s hand but Gunther goes into a series of submissions including a reverse Crossface. Miz breaks out with a basement DDT. Gunther fights back soon after though and hits a big Powerbomb. Miz breaks but Gunther transitions to the Boston Crab.
Miz tries to fight back again but Gunther gets the Sleeper. Miz reverses into a pin for two. Soon after hits the SCF… for two.
Slugfest results with Gunther on top, then heading to the top rope. The two fight on the ropes. Miz goes for the SCF from the second rope and hits but he can’t cover as Gunther evades by heading tot he outside.
Gunther gets back in the ring and hits a Lariat-Powerbomb sandwich to win. Great match once again from Gunther and Miz has lots his last chance at the IC gold.
Winner: Gunther
For Part Two of Raw: Holiday fun and heartache click the link below:
Back to the back! Kofi! Kaiser! Vinci!
Elsewhere Nakamura reads The American Nightmare Before Christmas” until Cody attacks. The backstage brawl actually looks pretty impressive and ends up in the arena. Security ends up coming out to keep the men apart. Solid segment.
More backstage garbage with Tozawa and Pearce before Chelsea and Piper try to talk their way out of their tag team women’s title match.
Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro vs. Chelsea Green/Piper Niven (Women’s Tag Title Match)
Boring stuff from Kayden Carter. Catanzaro is more athletic but she doesn’t look plausible in the ring. Better than Riho, but that’s not saying much.
This match is a crapfest. Niven hits a Vader Bomb on both women in a spot that should’ve finished this abomination.
Back from break and the action is still crappy. Carter just isn’t polished at all. Springboard spinning Boomdrop gets two. Seriously. Carter is like a less talented Naomi.
Rough Ryder by Chelsea gets a pair or twos. Weird double team action looks horrible and nonsensical. I can’t even describe.
Keg Stand gets two for Catanzora. Green comes in and eats an After Party. TERRIBLE MATCH!
Winners: …. and NEW Women’s tag team champions … Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro
Triple H with new champions Kayden Carter and Kacy Catanzaro. Twitter photo
Back to the backstage. Alpha! Ivy! Ivar! Nattie! Zoey! Kofi! Shayna! Tegan! BAD!
Ivar vs. Tozawa
I don’t wanna. This is so terrible.
This goes nowhere good for way way WAY too long. Tozawa gets the Senton Bomb for two but Ivar retaliates in short order. Ivar crotches Ivar to counter the Moonsault. Tozawa goes for the Huricanrana but is stopped. Ivar hits the second-rope front powerslam for the duke.
This was bad.
Winner: Ivar
Seth Rollins is out next. Starts to talk up his Day One match against Drew McIntyre but this brings the Scotsman out. Passionate promo by McIntyre. Not surprisingly it ends in a battle on the outside with Rollins eating the worst of it with an Alabama Slam on to the steel stairs in a nice visual.
Kofi is out to toss tees out to the WWE Universe but he’s assaulted by Kaiser and Vinci. Jey Uso saves Kofi in a moment I don’t think most people expected.
Jey Uso vs. Ludwig Kaiser
JIP match with Kaiser in firm control. A little outside help from Vinci helps Kaiser get a two. Soon after clotheslines Uso to the outside. Kaiser poses as we go into the break.
Back from break, Uso is in better control. Various strikes including the Umaga squash gets a two count for Jey. Kaiser comes back with the Kaiser Roll for two. Shenanigans from Vinci leads to Kaiser getting an Enziguri for two. Kofi comes out to even the odds and takes out Vinci. Distraction helps Hey hit a Spear and Uso Splash for the duke. Good match hampered by the interference.
Winner: Jey Uso
Backstage, JDay converges with JD told he’s still in J-Day.
Creed Bros. vs. Judgement Day (Undisputed Tag Team Championship Match)
Even stuff to start with a lot of feel-out heading into the first break.
Back from the break and the faces start in control. Priest takes over on the outside on Julius. Brutus comes in on a mildly warm tag and takes Balor apart. Samoan Drop gets two. J-Day turns the tide and with Brutus on the outside, Priest steamrolls him over the announce desk. We go into a second break.
Third segment in and Julius is rocking. Standing Shooting Star gets two. They setup for Brutus Ball but it’s blocked. Julius gets the better of most of the interactions. Ivy is attacked on the outside by Rhea but turns the table on the assault. Creeds setup for the Ball and nail it but Priest breaks the pin at two.
Priest goes for South of Heaven but Julius fights out of it and the two are in the outside. Balor goes for the Coup de Gras. This is quickly turning into a schmozz. Priest eats a Buruts Ball but Balor breaks up the pin with Coup de Gras. Crowd chants Holy S**t without true reason. South of Heaven on Julius gets three seemingly out of nowhere. Really anticlimactic finish.
Winners: Judgement Day
Until next year, Stay classy.