:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58014311/20171211_Raw_BraunKaneBrock__7fe588fc9e4b2861ab9b92689f860adb.0.jpg)
WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 18, 2017) from the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for late January of next year.
Advertised for tonight: Brock Lesnar is back to address Braun Strowman and Kane, 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. 18
You look upon the treasures of the sun. You fell beneath the earth's crawling beast. The race is on, a plague upon us, but me, I'm just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with a recap of Braun Strowman vs. Kane last week.
Live in the arena, Kurt Angle makes his entrance. He welcomes us to the show and recounts the match from last week that we just saw a recap for and points out that it did not have a decisive winner. But Brock Lesnar is here tonight and he'll determine who he's going to wrestle at the Royal Rumble before the end of the night. Until then, Angle promises--
(RRROOOAAARRR!)
Braun Strowman comes down and says he earned the opportunity to face Brock by being the only one standing last week. This brings Kane out, who contends that he's caused more destruction than anybody in WWE and there's no way that anyone steps in front of him. Lesnar's list of victims is impressive and while it includes his brother in destruction, the Undertaker, it doesn't include him.
So he's gonna get his chance at the Royal Rumble unless Braun is man enough to stop him. They square up--
Enter Paul Heyman. He says they're not going to have this discussion without input from the champion. So of course Brock comes down, circling the ring for intimidation value before joining his would-be contenders and the general manager. Kurt says before things get out of hand, he wants to make his announcement-- it's a triple threat! He gets out of Dodge and Lesnar sends Braun to the floor!
Chokeslam blocked, Lesnar gets Kane up... F-5! He and Paul take their leave as Kane sits up and Braun gets his bearings and looks on defiant to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get entrances for a match.
Jason Jordan comes out mic in hand after Seth Rollins and says he knows he's not the guy he wants to see right now. He wants Samoa Joe, but he's not the only one. Jordan's been asking for a match against Joe for the last two weeks, and he's done asking. He's got nothing but respect for Rollins, but if he has a bone to pick with Samoa, he has to pick those bones when he's throught with him.
Seth says he respects him and gets what he's doing, that he's got Angle's voice in his head putting all this pressure on him, but this isn't his big opportunity--
Enter Samoa Joe. He says they've got him feeling like the belle of the ball, all the popular boys want to dance with him! It seems they have a complex problem but he believes in simple solutions, so since they want to get hands on him so badly, why not make the match for the right to get beat down and put to sleep by him?
Rollins says that's great but the match was already made, so get down here so he can kick your teeth down your throat and Jordan can look for daddy's approval somewhere else. This gets Jordan hot and he shoves Seth to the mat, so Seth gets up and he's willing to have the match!
Jason Jordan vs. Seth Rollins
Rollins jawing at Jordan, he shoots low, grabs a waistlock, takedown, holds on, another waistlock takedown, into a pin, kickout, shift to a side headlock, Joe sitting at ringside looking on. Seth posts to one foot and stands up, shoots him off, takes the shoulder block, drop down, leapfrog, duck the lariat, low superkick, and he clotheslines Jason out to Samoa's feet to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Jordan is in charge, shoulder thrusts in the corner, whip reversed, Jason springboards into a low superkick and Rollins clotheslines him to the floor! Headed out to the apron after, Jordan catches the Kingslayer leaping off and rams him back-first into the barricade! Back in for the cover, only two, shoulder thrusts to the kidneys but the Kingslayer has fight left in him, throwing desperate chops before being manhandled back-first into the turnbuckles again.
Rear chinlock with a knee to the back, Seth starting to get fired up but again Jason with the double leg pickup stampede, ramming him back first into opposite corners repeatedly. Shoulder thrust to the midsection, cover made... NOPE! Stomps to the back, again Rollins throws chops, whip reversed into a backbreaker that gets Kurt Angle's Biological Son a nearfall.
Back to the rear chinlock, wrenching back, Seth to his feet again, throwing punches and he manages to counter a back suplex into a crossbody for a nearfall of his own! Buckle reverse STO, starting to put a rally together but Jordan catches Avada Kedavra and hits a belly-to-belly suplex to send us to commercial.
Back from commercial, Seth is rallying, slingshot guillotine leg drop on the apron, lying in wait, springboard lariat... only a nearfall! Charging forearm sends Jordan staggering but Rollins attention turns to Joe and Jason is able to catch him with a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Back suplex countered with elbows, ripcord knee countered, Rollins sends JJ to the floor, baseball slide, follows it up with a suicide dive!
Both men barely beat referee Darrick Moore's count, Rollins lands a gamengiri from the apron but his dive is caught into a northern lights suplex, rolled through into a second, bridge for the pin... NOPE! Setting the Architect up top, climbing to join him, thinking superplex but Seth punches him to the mat. Running back up, headbutt knocks him down and the frog splash connects... NOT ENOUGH!
To the floor, diving knee connects off the apron but Seth ends up facing off with Joe rather than capitalizing. Rollins throws Jordan into Samoa and superkicks Joe's head off! Rolling Jason back in, sunset flip, reversed, no good, wrist-clutch applied...
Seth Rollins wins by pinfall with the ripcord knee strike.
Rollins clobbers Joe off the apron and goes outside to beat on him before taking him in the ring. Referee Moore tries to pull him out and that gives Samoa the chance to recover and hit the big Rock Bottom! Mounted punches, more referees hit the ring to separate them and Joe takes his leave, lariating Jordan against the barricade hard on his way out for good measure.
Commentary hypes up our Cruiserweight Championship #1 contender's match and women's trios matches for later and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw because Raw is three hours long.
Rollins and Dean Ambrose are backstage with Kurt Angle and Seth says he wants his match against Joe tonight and Kurt begs off a little. Dean wants one as well and Jordan rolls up to also whine about wanting a match, so Kurt cuts the knot and makes a six-man tag-- Ambrose, Rollins, & Jordan vs. Joe and the Bar.
(Wyatt noise.)
Bray Wyatt is in the smoky room, asking what draws us to Woken Matt Hardy. Is it his voice, the words he speaks, his childish laugh? Or maybe it's all the funny faces he makes? It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and that's where he comes in. He makes sure that the right people get hurt, and the right people are Matt Hardy and all of us.
So if Hardy wants to continue on this little chess match, he wants to play! But he doesn't play by the rules. He sings a few bars about being all around and being able to see, telling Matt to tell everyone he loves that she is sorry, but the Great War must end. Run.
Finn Balor makes his entrance, he's in a handicap match against the Miztourage after the break.
Back from commercial in time for the Miztourage to make their entrance.
Finn Balor vs. the Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) (Handicap Match)
Bo starting, Finn sidesteps him and he takes a breather to talk strategy with Curtis. Dallas trying to drag Balor into their corner but he blocks, tag to Axel. Circling, collar and elbow, Axel with a waistlock, trying a takedown but Finn blocks, standing switch and he throws Curtis back into his corner. Finn with a waistlock, he catches a back elbow and Axel puts him into the corner for shoulder thrusts.
Tag made, Dallas puts boots to him, quick tag back, stomping away and breaking at referee John Cone's command.Finn throwing punches and back elbows for breathing room but Curtis has a kick to cut him off. Whip reversed, sunset flip, Balor rolls through into a dropkick and a cover for two before going to a rear chinlock. Axel gets to his feet and into the ropes for a break, Bo tries a cheap shot and Finn has him scouted but it lets Curtis clobber him!
Putting boots to him in the corner, tag to Dallas, more boots,short-arm lariat, only good for two and Bo grabs a reverse chinlock. Throwing him into the corner, boots up on the charge, Finn gets a chop in but Dallas cuts him off, ducks a lariat and takes a couple forearms. Double leg takedown into a double stomp, Axel breaks the pin up and throws a bunch of mounted punches before resuming his spot in the corner and making the tag.
Charging over with a stomp, putting Balor in the corner, setting him up top, climbing after but Finn is able to knock him down and perch up top... only for Bo to come over and knock him down. They start putting boots to him, John Cone's had enough...
Finn Balor wins by disqualification.
They continue putting boots to the Real Rock & Roller... HIDEO ITAMI MAKES THE SAVE?! ELBOWS FOR AXEL! KICKS LAY HIM OUT! ROLLING SOLEBUTT FOR BO, FINN HOLDS HIM UP AND ITAMI KICKS HIM DOWN!
To break!
Back from commercial we have an impromptu tag match!
Finn Balor & Hideo Itami vs. the Miztourage (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel)
Itami tags in on Dallas, double axehandle, shoulder armbreaker, tag back to Balor. He grabs a standing armbar and Bo rakes the eyes with Cone distracted and lays Finn out with a lariat before tagging Axel in. Off the ropes, backbreaker into a chickenwing neck crank, transitoning into kicks, snapmare and a knee to the back and right back to the chickenwing neck crank.
Hard to the corner, tag made, Dallas in with lariats and a double-team knee from Curtis, only a nearfall. Putting Finn in the corner, but he sidesteps a body avalanche and crawls for the tag! Itami clears the apron, kicks Axel's head in, tornado DDT over the ropes goes a bit awry but he follows it up with a diving lariat for a nearfall. Whip reversed, kick to the face, KENTA Rush, off the ropes, Busaiku Knee Kick... DALLAS BREAKS IT UP!
Finn with a Sling Blade, he runs Bo out of the ring, hesitation dropkick, shotgun dropkick from Finn puts Bo into the barricade as Hideo calls for it, fireman's carry... GO 2 SLEEP!
Finn Balor & Hideo Itami win by pinfall with the Go 2 Sleep from Itami on Curtis Axel.
Commentary hypes up our two announced trios matches and we go backstage for an interview with Cedric Alexander. He says he wants to be Cruiserweight Champion so bad he can taste it, he wants to show everyone on Raw what the cruiserweights are made of, but he can't do that all in one night. But his mantra remains the same, he got a second chance and he's not wasting it.
As far as Drew Gulak goes, the only time he'll be overlooking him is when he's standing above him in victory, anticipating his Cruiserweight Championship match.
We go to break on a house ad for NXT.
Back from commercial we celebrate the Rock getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Enzo Amore makes his entrance, he does the deal. He says tonight we're going to see a showdown between Drew Gulak and Cedric Alexander that will rival anything in the new Star Wars movie. But seeing as he's the last Jedi around here and the G-force is growing strong in Drew, he's going to hand his microphone over to Gulak.
Drew thanks him and says if they're gonna talk Star Wars he's always considered himself Jar-Jar Binks, a true hero. This is the biggest match of his life and he owes it all to Enzo, so he's created a very special Powerpoint... but of course Cedric's entrance cuts his presentation off.
Cedric Alexander vs. Drew Gulak (WWE Cruiserweight Championship #1 Contender's Match)
Collar and elbow, Alexander backs Gulak into the corner and breaks clean. Drew picks a leg and Cedric reverses to a side headlock, transition to a takeover, Gulak shoots him off, misses an axehandle, catches the handspring Frankensteiner, dropkick sends him to the floor and Alexander throws a tope con giro that wipes him out! Back inside, cover gets two and Cedric shifts to his striking game, throwing chops in the corner.
Gulak with a waistlock, reversal to a front chancery, reversed back to the waistlock, reversed again, Drew gets a chancery of his own... SUPLEX TO THE FLOOR! TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Gulak in control, arm wringer to a hammer whip, overhead elbow, another hard whip followed up with a corner lariat but the cover's only good for a nearfall. Chop, another hammer whip but Alexander is able to sidestep the followup and go for Lumbar Check but his back goes out on him! Lariat from Drew gets a nearfall, kneeling surfboard follows it up, moving from a knee to the back to a foot for added pressure.
Cedric gets to his feet and breaks with elbows, a huge slap, a boot to the face and a back elbow stagger Gulak but he charges in and eats a back body drop on top of it all. Lariat, elbow, throwing chops, Drew grabs a side headlock, gets shot off, sunsetflips, no good, trading pins left and right here... RUNNING SPANISH FLY! ALMOST! Alexander takes the pads off, uppercut, rolling solebutt, handspring gamengiri... GULAK CATCHES THE BOOT!
Stepover toehold chinlock, rolling over onto his back but Cedric gets the ropes! Alexander heads to the apron as Enzo leaves the commentary booth looking at his phone. Enzuigiri from Cedric gets a forearm in return, chop, struggle over the ropes, Cedric catches a boot and fires off a backfist! Springboard lariat and he's fired up, back suplex clutch...
Cedric Alexander wins by pinfall with Lumbar Check, becoming #1 contender to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.
Commentary hypes up our women's trios match, but first, Asuka will be in action against Alicia Fox after the break.
Back from commercial, Enzo is walking backstage staring at his phone when he runs into Nia Jax. He says he got her DM and she says she thought they could finish their conversation as long as he doesn't have to check on his friend Drew. Amore takes issue with the idea that Gulak is his friend and he says he thinks the answer is right at the tip of her tongue.
Drew Gulak comes up out of breath with gauze jammed up his nose apologizing saying he wanted to break the news firsthand that he lost. Enzo says it was okay but Drew isn't having it, saying he let him and the Zo Train down and they need to talk about it. Jax says she's gonna let them handle their business and she'll talk to Enzo later. Drew says he needs to review the tapes but he thinks he knows what went wrong and if they go over it together maybe--
Amore erupts and yells at him that he did a lot of things wrong and storms off.
Alicia Fox gets a picture-in-picture promo, talking about how Absolution spoiled her rematch last week but lightning will not strike twice, and she'll use what she's learned to break Asuka's streak or she'll freak out.
Alicia Fox vs. Asuka
Fox keeping her distance, ducking a lariat and backing off into the ropes for her own safety. Asuka catches a front kick, waistlock, shift to a side headlock, Alicia with a right, shoots her off and takes the shoulder block. Off the ropes, drop down, Asuka taunts her, passes her by, takes her down by the arm but Fox has the ropes and forces a break!
To the floor for a breather, Alicia heads back in and gets a kick off from the apron. Big boot lays Asuka out, only a nearfall, wild crossface blows, arm wringer sets up the bridging northern lights suplex for two and she grabs a reverse chinlock after. Adding a noogie in, Asuka posts to her feet and breaks out only for Fox to swat her away.
Right hands fire Asuka up, she returns them in kind, whip reversed, to the second, missile dropkick, running hip attack, snapmare, buzzsaw roundhouse kick, rolling through...
Asuka wins by submission with a cross armbar.
Commentary tosses to a sneak peek at this week's episode of Total Divas and hypes up our six-man tag team match to send us to break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances.
Jason Jordan & the Shield (Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins) vs. Samoa Joe & the Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus)
Sheamus and Rollins to start, but Jordan tags himself right in. Circling, he knocks Joe off the apron, lights the Celtic Warrior up with rights, gets put in the corner, clears house a little... and gets run over with a lariat. Samoa tags in and puts boots to him before drawing him up for jabs that rock him to the mat where he follows it with a choke. Tagging Cesaro in, big uppercut and a quick tag to Sheamus.
Putting the boots to him, distracting referee John Cone while his teammates take their shots, off the ropes with a knee drop for a nearfall and he tags Cesaro in for a stomp off the top that gets two. Single-arm cutthroat choke, Jason escapes and lands a back suplex, rolling for the tag and Seth tags himself in. Diving lariat, duck on from the Swiss national, Sling Blade, trading pins, Avada Kedavra finds home... NOPE!
Wristlock, Cesaro with a back elbow, back body drop to the apron sets up the slingshot guillotine leg drop and a plancha takes Cesaro out on the floor to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Sheamus is in control on Rollins, backing him into the corner with elbows to the kidneys, working his previously injured back over. Choking him over the ropes, tag to Joe, he comes in clubbing, drawing Seth up for knee lifts and jabs in their corner, snapmare to a single-arm cutthroat choke but the Kingslayer is able to counter with a jawbreaker in relatively short order.
Samoa bulldozes him with a back elbow for a nearfall and tags Sheamus back in. Tag to Cesaro, Demolition Decapitation, no good, choking Seth over the ropes, Sheamus adds a kick and nearly takes it! Celtic Warrior back in, Rollins gamely fighting back but he gets caught by the Irish Curse! A second absolutely ragdolls the Shield man but he flips out of a third and counters into a reverse STO!
Joe tags in, clobbers Seth, back elbow / enzuigiri combo in the corner but Jordan breaks it up and beats on Samoa! The Bar dump Kurt Angle's Biological Son and Joe goes back to work, tagging Sheamus in. Thinking White Noise, countered to a sunset flip for two, sidestep the charge and the Celtic Warrior takes the post shoulder-first at speed! Dean fired up, but Cesaro tags in and cuts the Architect off with a front chancery!
Seth charging hard, he wants the tag but Cesaro is not going to give it him without a fight, dumping him to the floor! Joe and Sheamus put boots to Rollins, Dean and Jason come around and we've got a brawl! Ambrose puts Sheamus into the post, Samoa puts Jordan into the barricade, Seth back body drops Cesaro! Dean rolls his partner back in and reaches for it, Rollins swimming along the mat... CESARO KNOCKS AMBROSE TO THE FLOOR WITH A BOOT!
Seth puts Cesaro on the floor, passes Joe outside, gets to his feet, off the ropes... suicide dive! Referee John Cone calls for a medic to look at Ambrose, Cesaro covers Seth off a kick...
Samoa Joe & the Bar win by pinfall with a lateral press from Cesaro on Rollins.
Jason Jordan stares Joe down from the barricade to the ramp.
We then get a recap of our opening segment, because Raw is three hours long.
Backstage, a limo drives up and Stephanie McMahon gets out to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Matt Hardy is staring at a chessboard. He moves the rook across the board and declares checkmate, much like he did at the Loo of Water! But there's no need for the foul language, and we pan over to reveal that Napoleon is currently incarnated in a goldfish. He does, however, accept a WONDERFUL rematch the next time he has a human form.
Matt says WWE is much like a chessboard, every move strategic and precise, and a wrong move can result in ANNIHILATION. Bray might not realize it yet but they've been doing their twisted tango since the dawn of existence, and his light is brighter than any shadow his darkness may cast, and now that the battlefield has been set he'll stand side-by-side with his Woken Warriors.
Bray Wyatt and Sister Abigail must be stopped, they must be... DELETED!
Backstage a medic is still checking Dean Ambrose when Joe and the Bar charge in and attack Seth Rollins! Samoa tells Rollins he’s never safe... JOE SLAMS A ROAD CASE ON DEAN'S INJURED ARM!
Message sent, we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw because Raw is three hours long and also it was pretty crazy. We're then informed that Dean was taken to a local medical facility for treatment.
SAY YEAH! The Revival are back!
Beauty and the Man-Beast (Heath Slater & Rhyno) vs. the Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)
Wilder and Rhyno to start, collar and elbow to a side headlock, Dash shoots him off and gets run over, arm wringer, tag to Slater, double whip into double back elbows, only two on the cover. Backstage Titus Worldwide are watching as Wilder turns the tide and tags Dawson in. Whip reversed, Slater with a flying forearm, hard whip across but Scott sidesteps and lays him out with a short-arm lariat!
Repeated punches to the forehead, tag to Dash, they drag Slater up and slam him down with a double spinebuster that gets two, desperate rights, Wilder returns a lifter, crossface strike into a reverse chinlock, wrenching it in, Heath to his fet and off the ropes he gets a mat slam. Tag to Dawson, he runs into a leg lariat, Wilder running interference and he gets knocked into Slater!
It was a ruse, he pulls Rhyno from the apron and distracts Slater a moment, letting Scott get the advantage in a slugfest, tag made, he slides low...
The Revival win by pinfall with Shatter Machine on Heath Slater.
Stephanie McMahon is shown talking to Kurt Angle backstage.
Commentary informs us our women's trio is up next and we head to break.
Back from commercial, Rhyno and Slater are walking backstage when they roll up on Kurt Angle. He says it was a tough loss but with the new year coming he needs better performance out of them if they want opportunities. Slater freaks out about having kids and Christmas coming up but Rhyno says they have to change their attitude, to toughen up, and he knows exactly how to do that.
In the ring, Elias is here to sing us a song. He says he and Tom Brady have crossed paths many times, with Tom saying his music is the soundtrack to his success and he listens to it while he's deflating footballs and whatnot. The Drifter runs down his accolades, and says that on January 28th it'll be the performance of the year when he enters and wins the Royal Rumble.
But as far as tonight goes, he does have a song, but it's not for New England, it's for a good friend of his, Roger Goodell-- except Sasha Banks cuts him off with her entrance. He goes to carry on... and Mickie James makes her entrance. Normally he doesn't like to be interrupted, but it ain't bad being him when all the women want to walk with Elias. Again he goes to start... and again he's cut off, this time by Bayley.
He's finally had enough and goes to leave but Bayley wants a hug... and he denies her to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for Hideo Itami's 205 Live debut tomorrow night as well as John Cena's return next week!
Absolution (Mandy Rose, Paige, & Sonya Deville) vs. Bayley, Mickie James, & Sasha Banks
James and Paige to start, Paige immediately in the ropes and seizing the opportunity for a cheap shot. James throws forearms in return, a kick, flying forearm, front chancery, tag to Banks. Double suplex, cover gets one, arm wringer, Paige with a forearm, Sasha throwing hands on the apron but she turns around to a kick and a nearfall. Into the corner, tag to Rose, putting boots to the Boss, quick tag to Deville.
Right hands, Banks fighting back but Sonya backs her right back in and tags Paige in. Boots in the corner, referee Shawn Bennett backs her off and gives Sasha a bit of breathing room until the Anti-Diva runs her over with a forearm and puts her into the corner for yet more boots. Mandy and Sonya working Sasha over while Paige keeps Bennett occupied!
Switching focus, they split up and go after Bayley and Mickie. Banks up top, diving seated senton but Mandy breaks the pin up, she and Sonya put boots to the Boss, Bennett calls for the bell...
Bayley, Mickie James, & Sasha Banks win by disqualification.
Paige gets a kick in but before Absolution can do any more damage to the Boss, Nia Jax comes down for the save! She squares off against all three women and Absolution attack! Jax throws them off, kick for Deville, headbutt for Rose, biels for both, she stacks 'em up, fireman's carry, she takes a squat for good measure... DOUBLE SAMOAN DROP!
Paige takes advantage of the moment, chop block, running knee and the three put boots to the big woman until the Raw locker room hit the ring! All-out chaos... until Stephanie McMahon's music hits and the commissioner makes her way to the ring.
She says three years ago a revolution started lead by every woman from Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young on down, and then they turned the revolution into an evolution, turning a Divas division into a women's division, main eventing pay-per-views and blowing the roof off the joint, and just two weeks ago women competed for WWE in the middle east for the first time.
The chant there was "This is hope!" as little girls at ringside had tears in their eyes and they've inspired girls worldwide, but that's not enough. What say you make history once again? Steph polls the crowd about making history and they're for it-- on January 28th, for the first time, we're gonna have a women's Royal Rumble!
That's the show, folks!