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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 16, 2019) from the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, featuring all the fallout from the TLC pay-per-view (PPV) that went down just last night in Minneapolis.
Advertised for tonight: AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR DEC. 16
All the people, tell me what would they say, if they knew her, how she hides it away. Locked inside, there’s the start of a flame and the feelings that she never will tame. Ooh, as she’s walking around like a mystery, there’s a woman that nobody sees livin’ inside. Thrills in the night, far from the light, passion taking over. Prices she pays, all through the days, no one really knows her. But me? I’m here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of Seth Rollins’ journey to this most recent heel turn.
Thence to the intro video.
Seth Rollins makes his entrance.
He gets on the mic and introduces the first two men who have chosen to live on the right side of history, the Authors of Pain. They come down, and he continues, saying when he debuted for NXT, everyone said Seth Rollins was the future, and also when he showed up on Raw with the Shield, and they kept saying it all the way up until he did the unthinkable and beat the unbeatable not once, but twice, and pinned Brock Lesnar’s shoulders to the mat.
That’s not just one or two people, that’s everybody, fans and critics alike, but then the mood changed and people started questioning his leadership as if he’d done something wrong. He wants to explain, being leader isn’t about being cool and making popular decisions, it’s about making decisions for the sake of progress. Kevin Owens is a perfect example of that, and what happened to him was a tragedy.
Kevin resisted progress and he became an example, and Seth has some truth to lay on us right now. He is a leader, he says, and bigger than that, he is a visionary. He’s going to be the man that leads this brand and this industry into the next decade and beyond. Whether we like it or not, by hook or by crook, we’re coming with him. If we resist, the Authors of Pain will enforce his will.
And now he has a score that he has to settle and by the end of this night, one way or the other, it will be settled. We’re not gonna like it, though, and for what they have to do tonight, he’s sorry.
Commentary talks about what we just saw.
Viking Raiders make their entrance, they’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial, the OC get on the mic during their entrance.
They want us to shut up and listen, and they’ll be the first to admit that the Viking Raiders are the most unstoppable tag team to hit WWE in decades, but there’s only one tag team that’s beat them, and that’s the OC. Last night, the Viking Raiders sacrificed themselves with risky dives to avoid losing twice in a row to them, and they might be the tag champs, but the OC is the best team in the world.
The OC (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Gallows and Ivar to start, big boy clubberin’ and Luke tags Anderson in. Erik tags in, hard knee to the face, another knee to the torso, Warbeard tags back in, scoop and a slam and then Erik slams him onto Karl. Crossface strikes, clubbing blows, working Machine Gun over and making quick tags. He gets away and tags Big Hoot in, whip across, up and over, Erik rolls through, off the ropes, duck a lariat, drop down, right hand knocks Luke to the floor!
Rowe with a dive, Gallows cuts him off with a right hand and fallaway slams him into the barricade to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Anderson is in control and working Erik over. Tag to Gallows, body blows in the corner and a big boot, locking the straight edge viking down with a reverse chinlock. Clubbing blows, back suplex, tag to Anderson. Grinding Erik across the middle rope, but he gets away and tags Ivar. Warbeard in hot, freight train crossbody, cartwheel into the lariat!
Ivar fired up, but Karl cuts him off with the neckbreaker. Tag to Big Hoot, double teams, fighting to the floor and the Vikings dive to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Ivar is fighting back on Gallows, who tags Anderson in. Fireman’s carry, thinking Boot of Doom and they get it! Cover made... NOPE! Karl has him lined up but Warbeard flattens him with a Banzai Drop and tags Erik in! Strike combos, Erik fired up and screaming, tag to Ivar. Rowe with the shotgun knees and then he slams Warbeard into Luke for two.
Tag back to Erik, powerbomb lift but Big Hoot slips out and tags Anderson back in. Snap Erik’s neck over the top rope, big running uppercut, but when he goes for the pump kick Rowe catches him and powerbombs him! Warbeard up top, fending Gallows off... BIG MAN MOONSAULT BUT NOBODY’S HOME! Tag made, they hook him...
The OC win by pinfall with the Magic Killer on Ivar.
We get video of Erick Rowan being interviewed about his pet last week and telling us to mind our business.
He’s shown walking backstage with his animal pal’s cage in hand to send us to break.
Back from commercial, AJ Styles joins his OC buddies in crowing about their victory.
He says he’s been looking forward to fighting Randy Orton for weeks and he’s gonna end his career tonight!
Dante Leon vs. Erick Rowan
Leon makes a break for it and goes under the ring, coming out the other side and hesitating next to Rowan’s animal pal, but Erick blasts him before he can lift the burlap off...
Erick Rowan wins by pinfall with the clawslam.
Andrade “Cien” Almas and Zelina Vega are interviewed backstage.
Vega talks about how she’s gonna wear heels so Carrillo can hear her coming.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a Liv Morgan vignette talking about how she has to destroy herself.
Bobby Lashley and Lana make their entrance.
They get on the mic and Lana begins, saying she knows we’re real busy scrolling through her instagram, but if you missed her hot boyfriend’s very important match she’ll help us relive history. She talks us through his match against Rusev and asks everyone to be quiet so they can move on when “Rusev Day!” chants break out. She says Rusev Day is dead and puts Lashley over, saying she wants him and we need to shut up and listen to her.
She says she wants the world to know how much Bobby loves her, and she asks him to propose. He says he doesn’t like it when anybody tells him what to do... except for her, and he gets on one knee and proposes to her with the ring she brought. She says it’s so romantic just like they rehearsed and does the big bouncy yes. They start making out again and leave.
We get a recap of Seth Rollins’ promo, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, R-Truth makes his entrance and cuts a promo.
He talks about watching his hero John Cena when he was a little child and seeing his United States Championship open challenge every Saturday morning, which is why he’s gonna become the first ever United States’ 48/7 7/11 I48 South Television Champion, and he’s taking both titles all the way to WrestleMania.
Akira Tozawa vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Matt Hardy vs. Ricochet vs. R-Truth (WWE United States Championship #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match)
Truth starts with Tozawa, Akira with a side headlock, shot off, he hangs in the ropes. Truth with a front kick, whip reversed, hang up in the ropes and Ron shows off his slick dance moves before hitting a back elbow. Sidestep the charge, Truth eats the post hard, Akira with a cannonball off the apron, perched up top, back inside with a missile dropkick but it’s only good for two!
Rey Mysterio watches backstage, Truth off the ropes, scissors kick misses, Akira is ready...
R-Truth is eliminated by pinfall with a folding press.
The 24/7 Championship scene comes rushing out as soon as Truth’s title is legal again.
Ricochet is out third but we go to break before the match continues.
Back from commercial, Tozawa takes it to Ricochet in the corner, whip reversed, up and over, off the ropes, drop down, leapfrog, Akira with a lucha shove, roll over, backflip into a tijeras and a dropkick sends the Stamina Monster to the floor! Off the ropes, jockeying for position, suicide dive, Tozawa in again, another dive and he’s fired up.
Back inside, Akira with a kick from the apron, he perches up top for a dive but Ricky cuts him off with a dropkick! Ricochet with an octopus hold, clubbing blows, wristlock and he grabs a back to back bow-and-arrow before spinning out into a cover for two. Jockeying for position, Tozawa with the octopus hold but Ricky slips out and hits an enzuigiri!
Back suplex, Akira lands on his feet, goes under, snap German suplex, Ricochet lands on his feet and goes for a kick but Tozawa gets the waistlock... EVEREST GERMAN SUPLEX NEARLY DOES IT! Waistlock again, Ricochet with back elbows, chops, Akira passes him to the apron and gets kicked in the face. Springboard Axe Bomber, running shooting star press but Tozawa gets the knees up and a small package for two!
The Stamina Monster heads up top, nobody home, roll through, Ricky with a superkick...
Akira Tozawa is eliminated by pinfall with Recoil.
Matt Hardy is out next, but we go to break before the match can continue.
Back from commercial, Hardy plants him with Side Effect... NOPE! Forearms, backing Ricochet into the corner, hammer whip, smashing Ricky’s face into the turnbuckles over and over again! Matt choking him over the ropes, off the ropes for a seated senton for punctuation and a two count. Clubbing away, straight suplex, only a two count. Ricochet off the ropes, back body drop gets two.
Grounded punches, cravate applied, passing Ricky into the corner where he gets an elbow up. Matt gets under him... SPLASH MOUNTAIN FOR TWO! Ricochet gets back in with a dropkick, right hands, duck a lariat, off the ropes, tijeras connects and he’s feeling it! Charging in, shoulder thrust, kick in the corner, springboard... CAUGHT WITH THE SIDE EFFECT A SECOND TIME WITH THE SAME RESULT!
Hardy headed up top, diving moonsault... NOBODY HOME! Standing shooting star press gets the One and Only two of his own! Perched up top, nobody home on the 630, Matt has him scouted, Twist of Fate denied...
Matt Hardy is eliminated by pinfall with a schoolboy in.
Humberto Carrillo is out next, but of course e go to break before the match continues.
Ricochet looking for flash pins, no dice, Carrillo dropkicks him for two. Right hands from Ricochet, whip reversed, drop down, leapfrog, real tight tolerances, Humberto with a sunset flip, duck the kick, land an enzuigiri! Off the ropes, springboard, Ricky on the floor and Carrillo hits a corkscrew tope! Back inside, arm wringer sets up a hammerlock and he rams Ricochet into the corner!
Cover for two, knee drop armbreaker, another cover for two. Keylock applied, Humberto keeping Ricochet grounded, clubbing away when he breaks out of the hold. Ricky with chops, whip reversed, handspring and Carrillo kicks his arm out from under him! Cover for two, kneeling armbar applied, Ricochet throwing hands to break free, arm drag, Humberto with a hip toss in return.
Whip to the corner, back body drop to the apron, Ricochet shoulder thrust, sunset flip, only two! Fireman’s carry Michinoku Driver... NOPE! Zelina Vega comes down to sow chaos and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ricochet gets a nearfall as Zelina Vega looks on. Springboard Axe Bomber, running shooting star press, again just a two count! Carrillo gets him hung up on the top rope and dropkicks his back for two of his own! Dragging Ricky into position, headed up top, diving moonsault but Ricochet rolls away! Enzuigiri connects, front kick gets a dropkick! Off the ropes, Cactus Crossbody sends both men to the floor!
Referee Chad Patton counts... AND THEY BOTH BARELY BEAT THE COUNT. Humberto with a boot up, Ricochet cuts him off with a Shotei! Jockeying for position... RICOCHET HITS THE SUPERPLEX! Slugging it out on shaky legs, rising to their feet, steel in their spine, back and forth, shove off, northern lights suplex, roll into a twisting suplex... CARRILLO KICKS OUT!
Up in the corner, jockeying for position, avalanche Poison Frankensteiner but Ricochet lands on his feet! Springboard roundhouse kick... HUMBERTO HITS A FLIP PILEDRIVER! UP TOP...
Ricochet is eliminated by pinfall with a diving moonsault.
Andrade “Cien” Almas is out last, waved in by his lady.
Beating Humberto down in the corner, running knees! Drawing him up, tossing him to the floor, slapping him around over Patton’s admonishments! Whip into the barricade... HAMMERLOCK DDT INTO THE EXPOSED CONCRETE! REY MYSTERIO MAKES THE SAVE!
Presumably somewhere in there the match went to a double countout draw, even though it went unannounced.
We go to break as Carrillo lies on the floor unmoving.
Back from commercial, we see Humberto Carrillo get stretchered out.
Seth Rollins and the Authors of Pain come down, Rollins holding Rey Mysterio’s steel pipe as they back the arguable greatest of all time into the ring.
Mysterio throws the first punch and the Authors brutalize Rey before Seth gets on the mic and asks what Mysterio is doing, they’re not here to fight. Rollins gives him his pipe back, seeing as it’s his property and all, and then the Authors resume beating him down. Seth gets in his face and asks if it’s an eye for an eye before saying that’s not him.
He’s merciful, so tonight is Rey’s lucky night. But Mysterio owes him one.
They go to leave... AND ROLLINS RUNS THE ROPES FOR BLACKOUT ON REY ANYWAY!
They leave the GOAT laying and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw, I assume because WWE has a vendetta against me personally.
Backstage, Seth Rollins and AOP run into an interview about their attack.
Rollins says he’s a leader and he had a score to settle, and the more important question is why Rey isn’t in the hospital. Well, he wouldn’t be able to answer his challenge that way, and Seth challenges him to a US title match next week.
Randy Orton is in a dark room and he cuts a promo.
He puts AJ Styles over and says that tonight AJ needs to remember that this is Raw and if he has trouble remembering that, he’ll remind him.
Kabuki Warriors make their entrance.
We get a recap of last night’s TLC match and a video package about Asuka’s opponent tonight.
Purrazzo blasts Asuka off the apron with a pump kick and we go to break before the match can begin!
Asuka vs. Deonna Purrazzo
Asuka hammering her with strikes in the corner, a biel, kicks in the ropes, the Empress is fired up! Off the ropes, running hip attack, corner hip attack, thinking Ace Crusher but Purrazzo blocks and hits a Divorce Court right into the Fujiwara armbar! Victory roll for two, Asuka immediately follows with a flying armbar but Deonna keeps her hands clasped!
Pulling back, shifting to a kneebar! Purrazzo crawing, Asuka shifts again to an STF, grinding her forearm against the Virtuosa’s forehead! Stepover toehold wristlock, wrenching Purrazzo’s entire body back but she gets to her feet so the Empress grabs a waistlock. Deonna fights out, ducks the uraken, swinging reverse STO... NOPE! Face kicks, jawing at Asuka, she catches a second one, strike rush ensues!
Purrazzo charges in and eats the Alarm Clock! Kawada kicks, buzzsaw roundhouse kick and Asuka is well in control but she ain’t done! Drawing her up by the head, the Asuka Lock applied, she falls back...
Asuka wins by submission with the Asuka Lock.
Backstage, Becky Lynch is interviewed.
She addresses her loss last night by admitting that she’s been off for the last few months, she hasn’t been herself. She’s been in tag team competition and at first she thought the powers that be were burying her, but it turns out it’s worse-- they’ve been trying to protect her. She’s the golden goose and they don’t want that to end, and they think Asuka can beat her.
But she didn’t come this far to be shielded and protected, and the Raw title says that she’s the best. Asuka has beaten her time and again, and she’s trying to look at things honestly. She wants to speak to Asuka directly, and she admits that she needs Asuka. She’s the one person she hasn’t been able to beat, and Asuka’s had her number, but that needs to change.
Not for this company or for the title, but because she needs to prove something to herself.
Randy Orton makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Rey Mysterio gets a promo and says he’s got no problem defending the title against Andrade “Cien” Almas any time.
But tonight he tried to end Humberto Carrillo’s career, so words in Spanish. Then there’s Seth Rollins. He thinks he settled a score tonight, but all he’s done is started a fight and shown why nobody respects him. Rey says he’s never fought Rollins one-on-one, but next week will be the first time, because he accepts the challenge.
AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
Orton right in with punches, backing Styles into the corner, where he pulls a Yano and leans through the ropes to demand a break. Turning him around, chops in the corner, whip across, duck a lariat, Randy goes for the RKO early but AJ slips away! To the floor, Orton gives chase and AJ returns inside. Back out again, back suplex into the apron and then back inside and Randy sets in with the Garvin Stomp.
Styles hangs Orton up over the top rope but the Viper cuts his springboard off with a chop! Front chancery, AJ slips out of the hanging DDT and goes for the Calf Killer! Randy tries to block but Styles gets the full extension! Desperate and fighting, Orton crawls and reaches but AJ pulls him back in the middle of the ring. Randy blocking again but again Styles wrenches it in!
Pivoting, reaching, trying to find his escape... again Orton gets the ropes! The Phenomenal One breaks at a count of four, Randy goes outside, and AJ chop blocks him to hell to send us to break!
Back from commercial and Orton is writhing in the ring and clutching his knee. Styles prowls and keeps targeting the leg with kicks, but Randy fights back with right hands. Leg pick, dragging Orton into the middle of the ring but he pokes AJ’s eye for separation. Flapjack into the post, Randy gets a bit more breathing room and fires off punches. Styles fires back, Orton with a front kick, uppercut, but AJ kicks his leg out from under him!
Off the ropes, snap scoop powerslam catches the Phenomenal One! Up in the corner, Randy gets the back-to-back backbreaker! Again up in the turnbuckles, thinking about that beautiful superplex but AJ Slips under and catches him up! Off the ropes, chop block! Quebrada... NOPE! Right hands, hanging DDT, the Viper running hot, he goes to that special place... RKO BLOCKED! BACK TO THE CALF KILLER!
Orton kicks himself free, back body drop to the apron, AJ in position, fake out the RKO, second try...
Randy Orton wins by pinfall with the RKO.
Anderson and Gallows come down and beat Orton down! Viking Raiders make the save!
The OC manage to get the better of the Vikings... MAGIC KILLER!
That’s the show, folks.