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Csonka’s WWE Raw Review 12.02.19

December 2, 2019 | Posted by Larry Csonka
WWE Raw Kevin Owens 1202.19 Image Credit: WWE
5.5
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Csonka’s WWE Raw Review 12.02.19  

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Csonka’s WWE Raw Review 12.02.19

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Kevin Owens defeated Lashley @ 8:45 via DQ []
– Drew McIntyre defeated Akira Tozawa @ 3:00 via pin [NR]
– Aleister Black defeated Tony Nese @ 3:20 via pin [NR]
– Andrade defeated Eric Young @ 4:25 via pin [**¾]
– Erick Rowan defeated No Way Jose @ 2:00 via pin [NR]
– The Kabuki Warriors defeated Charlotte @ 15:58 via pin [***½]
– The Viking Raiders defeated Jimmy & Johnny Boots & Tights @ 1:35 via pin [NR]
– The OC defeated Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, & Humberto Carrillo @ 14:30 via pin [***½]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– The AOP arrive and Charly asks them about their attack on Owens last week. They speak some Albanian & Punjab before telling Charly she looks lovely tonight.

– Dio is still dead so Samoa Joe has joined us for commentary.

Seth Rollins Talks: Seth addresses his harsh comments to the Raw roster last week. He was coming from a place of love and the roster is his family. He’s the head of the family and was trying to motivate them. But he went overboard and wants to apologize. He apologizes to he fans, the locker room and Kevin Owens. He calls out Kevin and wants to apologize face to face. Kevin arrives and calls bullshit on Seth’s apology. He questions him about the AOP and Seth denies involvement. Kevin says he’s lying and says that it’s all bullshit. AOP arrive and challenge them to a tag match later tonight. Kevin won’t fall for it because he knows it end with the three of them attacking him. Seth leaves and AOP allows him to bail. Kevin calls them to the ring for a fight, but they leave. Kevin still wants a fight, and Bob Lashley heads to the ring. It was an opening segment, still playing into Seth as the heel and teasing the possible alliance with AOP.

– Lana arrives and Kevin looks annoyed. She says it’s all about her and Kevin tells her no one cares. He begs her to stop talking because he’s vomiting in his mouth. Rusev won’t be here because she filed another restraining order. If he shows up he will be arrested and go to jail for a long time. Kevin says she talks a lot and says nothing, and calls her repulsive. Lana runs him down for being fat and basic, and promises that Lashley will finish him.

Kevin Owens vs. Lashley: Police & Lana are at ringside. Kevin attacks at the bell and Lashley cuts him off with tackles and follows with strikes. The spinebuster connects as Kevin rolls to the floor. Lashley follows but Kevin cuts him off, and hits a frog splash from the apron to he floor. Post break and Kevin hits the cannonball for 2. The springboard moonsault misses, Lashley hits a clothesline and follows with ground and pound. Lashley lays in corner attacks and then runs into a superkick. Lashley counters the stunner into a neck breaker for 2. The dominator follows for 2. Kevin fights of the full nelson and the pop up powerbomb follows. AOP arrive and attack for the DQ. Kevin Owens defeated Lashley @ 8:45 via DQ [*½] It was like the Starrcade match, it existed with a DQ finish.

– Post match and they beat down Kevin on the floor and drag him up the ramp and to the back.

– Lashley claims he was about to beat Kevin and doesn’t know anything about AOP. Rusev arrives and attacks Bob Lashley. He beats him down and runs away from the police. The police then arrest Lashley… because they are fans. Lana slaps one of them and she gets arrested.

– The Street Profits & R-Truth watched Lana & Lashley being taken away.

Drew McIntyre vs. Akira Tozawa: Drew overpowers him and mocks him for being short before telling him to leave. Tozawa attacks, dumps him and hits the suicide dive. Drew cuts him off with the inverted Alabama slam on the floor. Back in and Drew grounds the action. He then follow with chops and an overhead toss. He lays in ground and pound, and grounds him again. Tozawa fires back, hits a missile dropkick and victory roll for 2. The claymore finishes it; Akira Tozawa was 34. Drew McIntyre defeated Akira Tozawa @ 3:00 via pin [NR] Squash.

– Drew runs down the roster post match and calls out Randy Orton. After the break, Drew runs footage from last week’s fatal four-way where he chopped the hell out of Orton. He calls Orton, “stupid, stupid, stupid.” Orton arrives and Drew asks him if the chops were loud enough to drown out the voices in his head. Drew says he won’t be disrespected and says Orton acts like he owns the place and disregards the rules. Drew says he won’t be spoken to like he’s a child, and Orton was the man in the past, but in 2019,the only thing he’s ferocious about is posting on social media. Drew is the biggest and best right now, and says he’s the future and the RKO is out. Orton says Drew has an issue with reality, and he does what he wants because he earned that right while Drew hasn’t earned anything. The OC arrive and Styles is still pissed about losing the US Title. They call Orton an unapologetic jerk who ruins lives. “Look at AJ, charismatic handsome with great hair.” Styles wants Orton tonight. Drew bails and says this is an Orton/OC problem. The OC attack, beat down Orton and Ricochet makes the save. They cut him off and beat him down. Carrillo arrives and they beat him down until Rey arrives. He dumps Styles and the faces take the ring.

– Backstage, Ricochet, Humberto Carrillo, & Rey Mysterio meet with Orton who appreciates the save, but says he didn’t need it.

Aleister Black vs. Tony Nese: They lock up and work into counters and end in a standoff. Buddy Murphy watches on from backstage as Black takes control. Black follows with strikes and kicks, but Nese fires back with chops. Black counters back until Nese stuns him off the ropes. The moonsault eats knees and Black lays in knee strikes. Black mass finishes it; Tony Nese was 34. Aleister Black defeated Tony Nese @ 3:20 via pin [NR] Squash.

– Buddy Murphy says he will expose Black as a man who takes himself way too seriously. Black needs to calm down, and he’s the man to do so.

Andrade vs. Eric Young: Vega is at ringside. HEY, Eric made it off of Main Event. They lock up and Andrade takes early control. he grounds the action but Young works into counters until Andrade unloads with strikes. The knee strike follows they work up top as Andrade delivers chops. Young fights him off and knocks him to the mat and hits the top rope elbow drop for 2. Andrade cuts him off, hits the running kick and covers for 2. He grounds the action. Young counters with the jawbreaker, clotheslines and the wheelbarrow neck breaker for 2. Young back up top and Andrade cuts him off and the double knees follow. The hammerlock DDT finishes it. Andrade defeated Eric Young @ 4:25 via pin [**¾] Andrade continues to roll in a pretty good little match, it was nice to see Young on TV.

– Truth & the 24/7 geeks arrive. And then, in a FOX/NBC Universal/NASCAR tie in, Kyle Busch wins the 24/7 title.

– I hope when Kevin Owens returns from his kidnapping, he doesn’t return with a penis painted on his face while wielding a knife.

– Charly interviews Seth and asks why he didn’t help Owens earlier. He says Owens didn’t want his help. When asked about his apology. He plays the victim and says everyone is a critic, but not everyone can be a leader.

– We get highlights of Mysterio winning the US Title last week.

– Erick Rowan talks to his pet.

Erick Rowan vs. No Way Jose: Rowan kills the conga line for looking at his pet. He slams Jose to the steps and chases the others away. The running cross body wipes out Jose and back in, he follows with clotheslines as the claw slam, pulls him up and hits it again and that finishes it. Erick Rowan defeated No Way Jose @ 2:00 via pin [NR] Squash.

If you missed it, the Trish Stratus special on the award-winning WWE Network is really good.

– Backstage. Rowan is asked about what’s in the cage, but he refuses to answer and walks off.

– Asuka is interviewed backstage, thanks to my years of NJPW coverage, here is a rough translation – “As your leader, I encourage you, from time to time and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you’re unconvinced a particular plan of action I’ve decided is the wisest, tell me so! But allow me to convince you. And I promise you, right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo … except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my heel turn or misting bitches as a negative is – I collect your fucking head. Just like this fucker here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now’s the fucking time!”

The Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte: they jump Charlotte and beat her down. The bell rings and Charlotte fires up with strikes. She’s cut off as double teams follow. Sane chokes her out and the champions continue with quick tags until Charlotte dumps Sane. Asuka puts a stop to her comeback, but Charlotte dumps them. To the floor they go and Asuka cuts her off but Charlotte whips Sane to the barricades. Asuka attacks and back in, Asuka lights her up with kicks. Charlotte cuts her off and follows with a plancha onto both. Post break and the champions are back in control as Sane hits a sliding for 2. Asuka follows with strikes but Charlotte fires back and then gets hit with a German. Sane back in. and flies into a big boot. Charlotte fires up and heads up top, but the moonsault eats knees. Charlotte shakes it off, locks on a crab on Sane and Asuka makes the save. She tags in, heads up top and the missile dropkick follows for 2. She follows with kicks, Charlotte catches one and they trade. Asuka fights off the crab and gets the triangle. Charlotte powers up and powerbombs her way out until Sane attacks. Sane up top and the insane elbow is cut off, Charlotte follows her up and Asuka tags in and joins them up top. They dump Charlotte to the mat and the double stomp follows for 2. Charlotte avoids the double teams and spears both of them and covers for 2. She attacks the knee of Asuka, takes out Sane, and Asuka gets speared Figure eight by Charlotte but Sane tagged in and hits the insane elbow for the win. The Kabuki Warriors defeated Charlotte @ 15:58 via pin [***½] You can certainly argue booking wise that it went a bit too long and Charlotte got too much in against the champions, but it was really good and easily the best thing on the show so far with strong performances from all three women.

– Backstage. Charlotte says she doesn’t regret taking the match.

The Viking Raiders vs. Jimmy & Johnny Boots & Tights: Erik starts of the assassination, Ivar kills the other man on the floor. Double teams follow and Thor’s hammer finishes it. The Viking Raiders defeated Jimmy & Johnny Boots & Tights @ 1:35 via pin [NR] Death & destruction but no direction; at least they are winning matches.

Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, & Humberto Carrillo vs. The OC: Anderson & Carrillo begin with Carrillo taking early control and covering for 1. Ricochet tags in and double teams follow on Anderson. Ricochet follows with uppercuts, but Anderson cuts off Carrillo. Styles tags in but Carrillo cuts him off and with a step up springboard head butt. The OC cut him off as Gallows attacks on the floor. Styles attacks and back in, Gallows takes control and covers for 2. He grounds things with strikes, but Carrillo battles back and tags in Rey. Rey runs wild on Anderson. Hits a RANA and Gallows attacks until Rey posts him. 619 to Gallows, RANA to Styles and Anderson cuts off the 619 and posts Rey. Post break and the OC have the heat on Rey. Gallows hits the big boot and covers for 2. Anderson then grounds things, but Rey fires back and sends him to the buckles. Tag to Ricochet and he runs wild on the OC and the running shooting star press gets 2. Ricochet takes out Anderson, cradles Styles but Anderson cheap shots him and Styles covers for 2. Ricochet fights off the clash, It breaks down and Carrillo hits a tope. PELE by Styles, they workup top and Ricochet fights him off hits the kick flip onto Anderson on the floor. Styles counters the avalanche RANA into an avalanche clash for the win. The OC defeated Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, & Humberto Carrillo @ 14:30 via pin [***½] This was a really good and fun main event to close out the show, with everyone getting some time to shine and Styles getting a rebound win.

– Post match, Orton lays out Styles with an RKO.

– Kevin Owens may be dead, we never got an update.

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The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 71. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka talks to the Cubsfan about the world of lucha libre, Jerome Cusson joins the show for a look into ROH’s complete breakdown and decline in 2019, and finally, Steve Cook talks WOW – Women of Wrestling. The show is approximately 238-minutes long.

* Intro
* Background on the Cubsfan Covering Lucha: 2:55
* Who Are The Must-See Guys in Lucha Right Now For Casual Lucha Fans?: 6:35
* What Was With Flamita’s “Deal” With MLW & Then Signing With ROH?: 10:55
* What is Bandido’s Future in ROH/NJPW?: 15:55
* How Strong is the NJPW/CMLL Relationship Heading Into 2019?: 17:55
* Where Will Dragon Lee Officially End Up?: 20:35
* General Thoughts on ROH’s 2019: 23:45
* Steve Cook Discusses Season Two of WOW – Women of Wrestling/The State of Women’s Wrestling Heading Into 2020: 1:01:00
* Jerome Cusson on His Time as an ROH Fan, What Changed, & The Decline/Institutional Breakdown of the Promotion in 2019: 2:23:30

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

5.5
The final score: review Not So Good
The 411
Hour one wasn’t very good at all, they did things but it was nothing all that interesting or good. It started to pick up in hour two with the Drew/Orton promo and OC angle with Ricochet. Carrillo, & Rey followed by Rowan, Andrade & Black maintaining momentum with quick wins, which was solid overall. Hour three started off strongly with a really good match with the Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte, another squash and a main event that was really good. It was a weird show, because on paper it feels like there was a lot going on, but at the same time, there was really nothing of note or that felt important going on as it again feels like they are stretching a possibly good two hour show into what we got here tonight. We have a PPV on the 15th and while some things have been teased, we also have nothing locked in yet.
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