wrestling / TV Reports
Acero’s WWE RAW Review 12.4.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...It’s beginning to look a lot like…..ROYAL RUMBLE SEASON!!!!
It’s Monday…you know what that means
Drew McIntyre is out to start RAW proper. He and his sword make their way to the ring. He’s facing Sami tonight, and it looks like we might open with that.
Drew welcomes us to RAW. He says it feels like everyone hsas lost their minds recently. Liars, hypocrites, cowards, just plain idiots. Apparently, you can talk crap and leave the company, do what you want, come back, and you’re instantly forgiven these days. Look at our champ, trying to pull a fast one on Drew. He headbutted Seth in his stupid face. Speaking of Jey, he ran to Orton with his tail between his legs. Apparently, he’s capable of an apology. There is someone he is forgetting…Sami Za—
Spek of the bearded devil.
Sami Zayn makes his way down the ramp and into the ring. He is curious as to what Drew has to say about Sami, and he may as well say it to his face.
Drew does. Last wek, Sami tried to compare them two, but they are nothing alike. Drew has something to say, and it’s the truth. Sami is the one person in the world who deserved to get screwed over by The Bloodline. Sami was part of The Bloodline, their little lapdog. He joined them, then screwed them over. What did Sami think was going to happen? He deserved it.
Sami says Drew is right, theya re not alike. He is not a delusional person. There is a. big difference. When Sami lost in front of his family and let everyone down, he stayed hungry, driven, motivated, and it carried him to victory in the main event of Wrestlemania. Sami got redemption, and made his family proud. Does Drew think that he is making his family proud?
Drew takes offense, says one of them is not walking out on their own tonight. He wants a ref and the bell.
Drew McIntyre vs Sami Zayn
Drew with a quick belly to belly. He chops Sami across the chest. Another drops Sami on his ass. They end up outside and Drew sends Sami ito the apron, then tries to post ihm but Sami slips off and shove Drew into the ringpost. Drew sends him back into the ring. Sami hits the ropes and dives over onto Drew!
We return to a chop-a-thon, and Drew wins that with ease. He stomps Sami down a bit then hits Sami with a big boot as soon as he stands. Drew stomps the leg, focusing on the knee. Drew corners Sami, Sami hits a back elbow. Sami to the top, kicks Drew. Sami drops an elbow to the top of the head. Sami is walking with a limp. He kicks, locks t he head, lifts the arm, tries for a suplex, but Drew holds on, lifts Sami, Sami counters, Drew lifts, Sami lands behind him. Drew rushes the corner, Sami moves and Drew is posted. Kick from Sami, locks up, SUPLEX TO DREW! Sami blocks a right, hits one of his own, another, another. Whip is reversed but Sami slips under and spins for a DDT! Cover! 1….2…NO!!! Sami to the apron, then to the top rope. Drew is up! Elbow attempt but Drew catches him and hits a Belly to belly! Another to Sami!
Drew kips up, Sami is laying in wait, he rushes forward with a clothesline and Drew is knocked out of the ring! Sami springs himself over the toponto Drew. Drew catches him! He tosses Sami aside like a sack of potatos over the announce table!
WE COME BACK to Sami hitting a posion rana, gets a cover for 1..2..NO!!! Spinebuster from Drew!!! 1..2…NO!!! Sitout powerbomb from Drew! 1…2…NO!!! Daaammmnnn Sami! Drew lift Sami, to the shoulders, Drew climbs the corner, Sami slinks down the back of Drew and is able to sunset flip into a powerbomb! Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Sami tries for a Blue Thunder Bomb, but cant lift Drew. Sam beats down on the back of Drew a bunch of times to try again, but Drew stays planted and hits Glasgow Kiss. Drew up. Sami slow to stand. Claymore attempt but Sami with a HUGE KICK! BLUE THUNDER BOMB! PIN! 1..2….NO!!! Drew chops Sami a few times, Sami tries to get one of his own in. Drew stops him. Sami with a kick. Another, whip Sami hops over Drew, lands on his bad leg, drops to the floor. Drew tries to attack but the ref holds him back. Right hand from Drew. Sami sends Drew outside.
Sami wants the ropes but he cant run. He drops to one knee, cant even stand. Drew smells blood. He enters the ring. Sami stands and Drew with a chop block! CLAYMORE!@ Cover! 1…..2….3!!!
Winner: Drew McIntyre
This was GREAT. A great story, great wrestling, and a much needed physical proof to the verbal promos Drew has been cutting. He no longer cares. No compassion, no empathy. This wasn’t overboard or over the top, but worked well. The match itself was solid as well.
Total Rating: ***1/2
Match Time: 20:05
Backstage, Shayna Baszler is getting ready with Zoey Stark. In comes Byron to ask her about Nia. Shayna says it was her who put Nia on the shelf two years ago, and she will remind her of that tonight limb by limb.
Jey Uso gets a nice little video package/promo making sure to note that his brother is who hurt him, and he is starving and ready to eat. It’s just him now, and tonight he proves to the whole world, Seth, his family, and himself why they call him Main Event Jey Uso.
We are backstage with Ms Interviewer, but here comes Drew sending Sami flying. He beats him down, screaming that he is nothing like Sami. He yells that Sami brought this on himself, then steps on his ankle, possibly breaking it just as agents and refs come.
When we come back to RAW, Jey Uso is checking on Sami. He says it’s going to be alright, tho.
Becky Lynch is backstage with Byron. He is about to ask something, but here comes Nia Jax to suck the air out the building. Becky tells Nia she had forgotten about her, but then she showed up in one of her interviews, and Becky still owes her a receipt. Nia says once she is done squashing Shayna, she is all Becky’s.
Shayna Baszler vs Nia Jax
Shayna starts with kicks to the legs. Nia punches her then tosses her across the ring with ease. She smashes Shayna in the corner. Nia shoves Shayna a few times then tosses her across the ring again. Another splash but she misses. Rising knee from Shayna. She locks the fingers of Nia, then climbs the corner and sits on her shoulders. Shayna tries for an arm bar to break it again but Nia with a sitout powerbomb. Nia works the arm on the outside. Shayna drops off the shoulders and shoots her into the post. Shayna leaves the ring to break the count then gets to the apron and hits a punt kick. Shayna tries to stomp the elbow on the apron, but Nia trips her up. Leg drop to the back of the head of Shayna.
WE come back to the show, and Nia has Shayna’s head in a grip. Shayna escapes, corners Nia, hits some rights and gets dropped with an STO like move from Nia. Nia posts Shayna. She hits a hip attack on the apron, smashing Shayna’s head into the post. Nia covers. 1..2..NO!!! Nia corners Shayna, hits a chop to the chest, then slaps Shayna around a bit. Shayna fights back, tho, hits some rights, hits the ropes. Side slam from Nia. Nia lifts Shayna and lams her down head first, again, sits down for a pin getting 1….2…NO!! Nia works the head again, trying to submit Shayna. Shayna escapes, hits a right, another, Nia stays standing, Nia misses a clothesine. SAMOAN DROP OFF THE ROPES! Nia tries for a hip attack, misses, Shayna trips her up and Nia’s head hits the buckle. Shayna with a running knee. Cover fro 1..2.NO!!!
Shayna with kicks over and over. Nia up! SMASH AGAINST THE ROPES! Running senton! Pin! 1..2…..NO!!!! Nia to the top rope for her finisher, but Shayna is up for a ROUGH looking GERMAN! Nice. Shayna with The Clutch! Nia is fading! Shayna is on her back! Nia is on all fours. She pushes herself up to one knee but collapses!
Nia turns onto her stomach. Shayna still has the hold. She is back on all fours, to her feet, stands! She drops Shayna hard on her back! Nia to the 2nd rope! ANIAlator! Cover! 1..2….3!!
Winner: Nia Jax
Probably one of Nia’s best matches of all time, although that is not sayin much. Shayna did a lot of…heavy lifting here, and Nia looked good for the first time ever.
Total Rating: **
Match Time: 12:09
After the match, Becky Lynch comes out to chase Nia out of the ring.
We get a CM Punk video package and cole is sure to say that there is a bidding war for him between RAW and Smackdown, where he will appear next.
2 out of 3 Falls Match
DIY vs Imperium
Ciampa and Ludwig to start. He corners Ciampa and the ref breaks them up. Kaiser misses a right, Ciampa corners him with a chop, a right, another. Whip from Kaiser, stops a boot, slaps Ciampa hard. Tag to Vinci. He gets a headbutt to the gut. Stomps to Ciampa. An uppercut. Ciampa with a right, Vinci hits his own. They trade blows. Ciampa whips misses a right, and Vinci flies off the ropes with a crossbody. Damn. That came out of nowhere. Vinci with an uppercut into the corner. He corners Ciampa and attacks the kidneys. Tag to Kaiser. He grabs the boot of Ciampa, and punches the gut. Stomp to the sides of the head. Kaiser trips up Ciampa and covers for 1…NO! Ciampa tries for a tag, but Ludwig ohlds on. He finally gets it off a missed right hand. Gargano comes in with a dropkick, rolls Vinci away and kicks him in the side of the head. Whip to Kaiser, ducks under a right, spins for a rana, planting Kaiser face first.
Gargano out the corner, rushes Kaiser, gets lifted to the apron, hgihg kick to kaiser, another kick to Vinci, a slingshot spear to Kaiser! Tag to Ciampa! They…MEET IN THE MIDD—NO!!! Vinci drags Gargano outside. Kaiser rolls Ciampa up! Holds the tights! 1..2…3!!!
Imperium wins first fall at 4:43
We are BACK and Gargano has Kaiser in the middle of the ring. He hits a right hand, but Kaiser shoots him to the ropes, and when Gargano comes back, Kaiser flips him onto his face down to the mat. He sends Gargano to the corner and hangs ihm upside down then both he and Vinci hit double dropkicks to the hanging Gargano. Vinci is the legal man, he cinches the traps. Gargano escapes, hits a right hand, knocks Kaiser down, Vinci with a right, sets up for a finish, but Ciampa holds the boot of Kaiser, allowing Gargano to hit a sunset flip into a pin for 1..2…3!!!
D.I.Y. Wins second fall at 10:02
We are 1 and 1 and Ciampa is currently handling a 2-on-1. He hits a clothesline to both men, then a DDT to both. Kaiser is left alone. Tag to Gargano. He an d Ciampa meet Vinci in the corner. Back suplex/spear combo from DIY and a cover for 1..2.NO!! Kaiser stops the pin. Gargano sends Kaiser outside of the ring. Gargano fakes a kick, kicks the knee, hits the ropes, tilt a whirl backbreaker from Vinci! Kaiser to the top rope, he flies, Gargano with a right hand, hits the ropes, but Kaiser hits a rolling DVD. PK to Gargano and a tag to Vinci, who hops to the top rope, hops over to the adjacent ropes, then hits a beautiful moonsault. Cover for 1..2..NO!!! All four men in the ring. Gargano kicks, Vinci chops Ciampa, clothesline from Kaiser, Gargano with a knee, kick from Vinci! DDT from Gargano! All four men down! Ciampa makes it to his corner, as does Kaiser. We get tags to both. Kaiser runs in, hits an uppercut, boot from Ciampa. He sits Kaiser on the top rope and climbs, lifts Kaiser to the shoulders. Ciampa flies off the top rope with a White Noise like move. Tag to Gargano! Vinci drags Ciampa out of the ring, Ciampa sends him into the steps. Gargano runs, Kaiser rolls him up for 1..2.NO!!
Tag to Ciampa! Right! Kick from Gargano, a kick from Ciampa! MEET IN THE MIDDLE TO KAISER! COVER! 1……2……3!!!
Winners: D.I.Y.
Goodness, this was great and highly needed for all four of these men, as Kaiser, arguably, seems to be the standout star, leaving the other three in the dust. This match allowed for them to “catch-up” and show that they belong, particularly Vinci, and he did just that. That moonsault was beautiful.
Total Rating: ***1/2
Match Time: 15:09
Backstage, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven run up on Tegan Nox and Natalya to tell them that they were going to leave but heard that Tegan and Nattie have a match tonight, so they’re going to stick around. Green tells Nattie this will not be her meal ticket and Nattie looks to attack before they break away and she calls her a mutt.
We are backstage where Judgment Day is tired of R-Truth’s antics. JD tells Truth he is not in The Judgment Day and will never be a part of it, get out of his clubhouse. Truth says they need to tighten up on security.
Damien Priest talks about Drew after Truth leaves, saying Drew can get dealt with. Dominik Mysterio says no one is to touch Drew, as per Rhea’s orders. Priest tells them Rhea isn’t here, and neither is Finn, so he will take the lead. He tells Dom and JD to handle business against The Creed Brothers tonight.
Tegan Nox and Natalya vs Kayden Carter and Chance
Kayden and Tegan to start. Tegan with a quick tag to get Nattie in, who rolls across Kaydens back and locks her head. Tag from Chance who rolls Nattie up for 1…NO! Nattie drops her with a shoulder tackle.
Chance and Carter double team Nattie in the corner. Chance is the legal woman, gets a tag, Nattie doesn see it, Kayden drops her with a facebuster. Nattie reaches for a tag, n early gets to it. Turns, kicks Carter, backs into the ropes for no reason. Tegan gets a blind tag and Nattie kicks Kayden before getting to the apron. Nox with a clothesline, another, locks the head, tries for a suplex, Kayden shoots her off, enziguri. Tegan to the corner. Uppercut from Tegan. Tag from Chance. Cannonball from Nox, she heads to the top rope. Cross turns, Kayden with a front flip onto Carter, but here come Chance to roll Nox off of Cross. Nattie attacks, runs back to the apron, gets. A tag, codebreaker from Chance! Nattie is able to slam both girls down off the top rope then cover Cross for 1..2.NO!!! Nattie fights Cross into the corner ,bounces ger off the ropes, Carter with a roll up into a kick to the face. Cross lays Nattie down then tags in Kitana.
Chance to the shoulders, gets dropped onto Nattie. She gets a cover. Nox is in and gets kicked right out. Cover gets the 1..2..3!!! I guess that move is called the Keg Stand? Cool.
Winners: Kayden Carter and Kitana Chance
Short and to the point, thankfully. The right team won.
Total Rating: *
Match Time: 4:48
Cody Rhodes here to talk about whatever we want to talk about.
Cody says the first time he laid eyes on the poisoned mist, he was a little boy. He was terrified of the man who did it, a man named The Great Muta. Now that he has experienced is as a man, he can say that his fears as a kid were justified. He will not cast blame. If it’s anyone’s fault, it was his own. He should have paid attention to Nakamura, to the hints that were dropped. He knows he has a bullseye on his back, but he is ready. Shinsuke has his attention, all of our attention. There are two things we can do; he can come out and explain himself to Cody, or he can come down and they fight right now.
Shinsuke Nakamura shows up on the tron. He says last week, he made Cody’s eyes burn but tonight, he will open them. He will show cody what he is not seeing. The path they’ve taken is the very same story. Like Cody, Shin climbed the mountain. Both won a rumble, went to Mania. Like Cody, he could see the top. Like Cody, he sliped and tumbled and fell into a bottomless pit.
This is interspliced with each of their Mania dreams going up in smoke.
Shin says they both suffered the same humiliation. The devil in Cody’s mind whispers that he’ll never make it back there. But Cody has awoken Shin, and he is here to unburden Cody. To step into his shoes and take that story off his hands. He never got to finish his story, so now he will finish Cody’s.
Cody takes offense, saying their stories are not the same. Until Shin stands in the ring with Cody, he doesn’t rate or respect Shin. It’s never been a part of his story to run from a fight. If they are the same, prove it.
This is some top-level evil villain in an anime type shit, and I am ALL FOR IT.
Jey Uso comes into Pearce’s office to tell him he’s gonna have to get Drew again. Pearce tells him to chill, but Jey is all hyped. He leaves.
In comes Gunther who Pearce tells he has a few ideas about his future.
The Judgment Day (Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh) vs The Creed Brothers
Brutus and Dom to start. Brutus tosses Dom around a bit, then Dom asks for a test of strength, only to kick Brutus. Brutus hits a delayed suplex, though, complete with a march. Tag from Julius and he comes in to help with the delayed suplex.
R-Truth walks down the ramp and stands near JD.
Julius continues the delay of the suplex, walking around with Dom for a bit before dropping him. Dom scurries over to tag and JD runs into a deep arm drag.Julius trips JD down then hits a right. Tag to Brutus who hits a fireman’s into a slam and an arm bar. Toss to Julius who flips JD off the shoulders into the corner. Julius with a back body drop. We get a double team of The Creed Brothers, kneeing JD then dropping him onto their knees. Cover from Julius gets a 1..2…NO!!! Tag from Brutus. He hits a shoulder in th corner ,another, a third. Whip to JD and Dom gets a blind tag. Brutus gets sent over the top, Dom hits a right to Julius on the apron. JD with an Asai Moonsault!
WE ARE BACK and Dom is trying for the Three Amigos, but brutus deadlifts Dom’s ass into his own suplex. Tag to JD, Tag to Julius. He ducks under a right, hits Dom with a clothesline. Belly to belly to KD, one for Dom! Another for JD! ANOTHER FOR DOM! He hits a kip up between each one! Another for JD. ANOTHER FOR DOM!!!! GAWD DAMN!!!! JD and Dom double team, but Julius knocks them both away, whips JD to the corner and Dom to the outside. Back elbow from JD in the corner, he hops off the top rope, tries for a poison rana but Julius holds on. Brutus climbs the corner, Dom pulls him off. JD hits the rana! Tag to Dom! 619! Cover! 1..2…NO!!! Tag to JD, Julius grabs both men and hits suplexes to both! Tag from Brutus. He hits a huge pounce to Dom sending him into the announce table.
In the ring, Julius spins JD to the top of his shoulders, Brutus Ball. Cover! 1..2….3!!!
Winners: The Creed Brothers
Total Rating:
Match Time:
Backstage, Adam Pearce walks up to Seth Rollins to tell him that CM Punk will be on RAW next week, and he plans to sign CM Punk to an exclusive Raw contract.
Seth laughs this off, tells Pearce when Punk shows his true colors, Pearce better allow Seth to do what he’s got to do. But for tonight, he’s got a title to defend.
Here comes Jey Uso to tell Seth that he’s waited 15 years for this. Seth is looking at the new champion. Seth laughs, then says he will stomp Jey’s face in the first chance he gets. Jey says that’s cool, because he’s going to kick Seth’s face off the first chance he gets. They knock knuckles and Jey says this is his night.
Backstage, Dom and JD tell Priest that The Creed Brothers are the real deal and he and Finn should watch out.
Man….that was so small, but so vital. Good shit.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jey Uso vs Seth Rollins
Cole claims that this match is dedicated to Umaga. Touching.
Seth and Jey lockup. Seth gets jey against the ropes. Ref breaks them up as Seth calls for his song to be sang. Jey works the arm, Seth tries to stop the spin, Jey with a go behind, Seth turns this into a side headlock. Tackle off the ropes from Seth and a cover for 1..NO!!! Jey with a side headlock, to the ropes, tackle and a cover to Seth for 1. Jey misses a superkick, Seth misses a stomp, they trade pins then we get a standoff in the middle of the ring.
We are back and Seth is hitting a springboard moonsault . He covers for 1..2.NO! Seth attacks from behind with some rights to the back. Seth locks up for a back suplex, Jey lands on his feet, and hits a floating neckbreaker. Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Jey with a right hand! He corners Seth, then walks with him to hit a backbreaker. Jey covers for 1..2…NO!!! Jey stands as Seth favors his back. Jey is sent to the apron. High kick from Jey. Jey to the top rope! High enziguri from Seth! Rollins and Jey on the apron. Rollins sets up for a Pedigree, but Jey tries for a possible back body drop, Seth lands on his feet and has jey on his shoulders, tries for a buckle bomb, but Jey escapes and hits a DDT to Seth!
We are back! Rollins with a suicide dive to the outside! Uso enters the ring and hits his own suicide dive! Seth pushes Jey into the ring, follows, they run the ropes, double crossbody in the middle of the ring! Seth is up first, he hits a right but that’s blocked. Jey with a right, another, another, another! He hits a lil jig, spit, huge right. Jey whips, Seth holds on, kicks the mid, hits a right, clothesline to Jey! Jey is down! Seth rushes the corner, hits a splash, bounces off the buckle and misses a right, Jey with a kick to the chest! Uppercut to Seth! Jey kicks, gets caught, spinning eniguri! Seth down in the corner. Jey with the hip attack! Jey to the top rope! Seth is on his stomach! He hops up! Jey jumps, roll through, slingblade from Seth! To the top! Seth dives! FROG SPLASH! COVER! 1…2…NO!!! Seth is up, Jey is on his knees. He stands, turns, Seth kicks, locks up for a Pedigree. Jey back body drops him, Seth holds onto the legs, Jey sits for a pin! 1..2..NO!!! Superkick from Seth! SUPERKICK FRO MJEY! Rolling right from Seth! SUPERKICK AND SETH GOES DOWN!! Jey to the top! USO SPLASH! COVER! 1…2…NO!!! Jey to the top rope! Seth runs up the corner! SUPERPLEX! Another suplex! Cover! 1..2..NO!!! PEDIGREE OFF THE PIN! 1…2……NO!!! Rollins is up. He wants the Stomp. He tries for it, Jey moves. Hits the ropes. SPEAR!!!!! 1…2……NO!!!!
We got four minutes left. Jey pulls himself up in the corner. Seth is slow to stand. Jey waits, Seth turns, Jey goes for another spear, Rollins kicks, lifts Jey up for a Buckle Bomb! He hits it! Jey bounces out of the corner….SPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE!!! Jey to the top rope! HE FLIES WITH A SPLASH! COVER! 1…2….NO!!!! Both men take their time to get some breath in. They stand, staring at each other.
Jey is finally up, with the crowd firmly behind him. Superkick to Rollins. Jey hits the ropes, goes for a spear, but Seth hits a pedigree! STOMP TO JEY!! COVER! 1….2….3!!!!
Winner: Seth Rollins
GREAT MATCH. They danced in that bitch, man. Back and forth, tit for tat, matching moves, stealing moves. They had a hard job making us think it was possible for Jey, even though we know it wasn’t happening, and they did it for the most part. Great match.
Total Rating: ****
Match Time: 22:41
Jey and Seth show some respect to each other. Seth holds his title up high. Jey takes a breather outside the ring, with his hands on his knees and from out of nowhere…
CLAYMORE!!!! Seth with a suicide dive but Drew tosses Seth aside! He grabs Jey and tosses him onto the announce table!!!
End Show
