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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 3, 2018) from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming TLC pay-per-view (PPV) set for later this month in San Jose.
Advertised for tonight: Ronda Rousey & Natalya vs. Nia Jax & Tamina, Dean Ambrose will be live, 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. 3
This place is haunting me, jump through the rope, let’s make it credible. When blood is all we see, life is impossible. Death is coming ‘round like a hurricane swirling, we’re on the clock and the needle’s turning fast. The misery’s killing me slowly, give me a spine to work it out. No funeral. No pyre that’s burning, this body’s dust in the wind that’s hurling past. The misery’s killing me slowly, give me a spine to work it out. I guess I will just leave things the way they are, and liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a ten-bell salute for deceased former president George H. W. Bush.
Thence to the “Then. Now. Forever.” bumper.
We get entrances for Natalya & Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax & Tamina when the Riott Squad come down with a table. Nia and Tamina with the sneak attack, Ronda fights them off at first but That Damn Numbers Game sets in and they ram the Raw Women’s Champion into the steel steps! Nattie fighting the Riott Squad one on three but she gets thrown into the apron!
Rousey into the ring, again she gets cut off and Jax drops the leg on her! Riotts have Neidhart up, Ruby with a kick... POWERBOMB OFF THE APRON AND THROUGH THE TABLE! Referees swarm ringside to check on Natalya while the heels retreat and enjoy the chaos they’ve caused and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
We go backstage where Ronda Rousey is walking with Natalya but Nattie’s hurting and has to sit on a road case for a breather. A pair of medics roll up and begin tending to her as Rousey fumes.
Back in the arena proper, Alexa Bliss makes her entrance. She gets on the mic and says she was appointed to lead the women’s division and she promises to work hard every week to give us the best the division has to offer. That said, her open forum didn’t go to plan last week, and they’re going to try again.
And so Bayley and Sasha Banks make their entrance and take seats in the ring. Bayley interrupts before she can get to picking questions and asks how many questions before Alicia Fox, Dana Brooke, and Mickie James jump them again. Bliss apologizes and says she’s reprimanded the three of them before tossing to the floor for a question about all the comments on social media as to how Banks is using Bayley.
Sasha is mock upset and says that Bayley wasn’t supposed to find out about how she’s about to get stabbed in the back, before saying that she’s her best friend and they’re tag partners for life. Next question is if they could have a match against any female superstar from any era, and they answer Trish & Lita at WrestleMania at the same time. Next up, if they could have any super power, what would it be?
Bayley says it’s easy and she’d make things disappear, starting with Alexa, for which she takes a quick victory lap around her chair. Bliss complains that just when she thought they were getting somewhere she disappoints her again, and Charly Caruso goes on the prowl for another question while Sasha says she’d pick the same power. Next, what changes will they bring to the women’s division in 2019?
The Hugger says they had a great all-women’s pay-per-view but she knows for both of them they want to be the first-ever WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. Alicia, Dana, and Mickie run down but the babyfaces have them scouted and Alexa dresses them down, telling them if they’re so eager, there’ll be a tag team match tonight-- James and Fox against the Boss & Hug Connection... right now!
Or, well, after the break.
Alicia Fox & Mickie James vs. Boss and Hug Connection (Bayley & Sasha Banks)
Match in progress, Bayley puts a knee into the turnbuckles and James takes advantage, landing a boot to the forehead. Into the corner, putting boots to her, tag to Fox, bridging northern lights suplex... NOPE! Reverse chinlock follows, taking the Hugger back down when she rises to her feet and then putting her face into Mickie’s foot ahead of the tag.
Wristlock knee to the midsection into a half nelson chinlock, Bayley out with elbows but James throws her into the corner and runs interference so Dana Brooke can get some cheap shots in. Tag to Alicia, malfunction at the junction and she decks Mickie with a boot! Bayley floats over a slam and makes the tag! Banks in hot with lariats, a dropkick, hard kick, charging in, Foxy up and over, sunset flip but the Boss maneuvers her into the Bank Statement crossface... JAMES WITH THE SAVE!
Mickie tags in, putting boots to Sasha, she fires back with forearms, knucklelock, step-up, James counters and puts her face into the turnbuckles, following with a kick and a cover that the Hugger breaks up! Back suplex on Fox, take Dana off the apron, Mickie dumps her to the floor and Banks is in with a schoolboy! DDT blocked, tag to Bayley, lungblower sets it up...
Boss and Hug Connection win by pinfall with the Bayley-to-Belly from Bayley on Mickie James.
Commentary hypes up a Dean Ambrose appearance as well as acting general manager Baron Corbin’s actions of late and the Drew McIntyre appreciation night he’s holding, and we go to break.
Back from commercial a country music superstar is shown in the front row.
Alexa Bliss is walking backstage when she runs into Ronda Rousey, who yells at her about the Riott Squad crossing the line. Alexa says she sent the Squad home and she’s going to address their situation next week. Rousey says she’s gonna get Nia Jax and Tamina sometime tonight, some way, and Bliss says she can’t let that happen and she’ll find Ronda a tag partner. Rousey doesn’t trust this and storms off saying she’ll find her own tag partner.
A video package covering Baron Corbin’s career as an authority figure follows.
Backstage, Bobby Roode and Chad Gable roll up on Corbin to demand a rematch against AOP, with the tag titles on the line. Bobby also wants hands on Drake Maverick, and Baron says he gets it, but they lost and they’re owed nothing. But hey, he’s a fair guy and they can have a title match if Roode beats Drake Maverick tonight. Bobby asks what the catch is and Corbin says there’s no catch, just both Gable and AOP are banned from ringside.
Lucha House Party make their entrance, they’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial in time for our heel entrances.
Scott Wilder begins his promo saying they’ve got a failure to communicate and something’s lost in translation, and he thinks it’s a lack of human decency and common courtesy and Lucha House Party don’t respect tag team wrestling. But none of that matters because he’s gonna make it plain and simple, if they can’t respect his lessons in tag wrestling, he’ll teach ‘em a lesson in a singles match!
Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik, Kalisto, & Lince Dorado) vs. Scott Dawson (Lucha House Rules)
Metalik to start, Dawson in with rights, sidestep a handspring but he eats a dropkick and a slam. Tag to Dorado, tag to Kalisto, off the ropes with the pop-up splash, Lince with a splash of is his own, only two! Off the ropes, back elbow, Dorado back in and Scott takes him out with a lariat and follows with elbow drops and a headbutt for one!
Up in the Gory Special, wrenching Lince’s arms and mocking the “Lucha!” chant but Dorado reverses to a sunset flip. Trying for the tag, blocked, back suplex, lands on his feet, Gran flips in, superkick from Lince, Metalik takes Dash out! Kalisto follows it up, Brillo Kalisto! Dorado diving crossbody, tags to Kalisto and Metalik, Salida Del Sol sets it up...
Lucha House Party win by pinfall with a ropewalk senton atomico from Gran Metalik.
Baron Corbin is flipping through the books backstage when a crew member rolls up with something. He berates the poor guy for being late but opens the box and he’s very satisfied and tells the guy to go prepare for Drew McIntyre Appreciation Night.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for Titus O’Neil making the Ebony Power 100 MVPs list.
Baron Corbin is in the ring and says in just two short weeks when he beats Braun Strowman by forfeit he’ll be permanent general manager, and what a journey it’s been! He says he’s living proof that if you’re born better than everyone else you can achieve anything, but he can admit he’s had some thorns in his side-- the Shield, Finn Balor, Kurt Angle, and Braun Strowman.
But one man has helped make his journey easier, and that’s Drew McIntyre. We get a Drew McIntyre Appreciation Night video package at this point, and then Baron gives him a big introduction. He continues after Drew gets in the ring and thanks him for all of his hard work and his unwavering support that proves that he’s on the right side of history.
Corbin then presents him the box from earlier, which contains a medal, which Baron explains is Raw’s Gold Medal of Excellence. McIntyre gets on the mic and thanks him before denigrating the roster for being there just to play video games and collect a paycheck, which is why he’s reformed Raw in his image as the home of the strong and of the mighty (but not of the Mighty, presumably), and he’s doing a very good job.
He wants to talk about Finn Balor, saying he likes to think of himself as the voice of these pathetic people but the truth is Finn is nothing more than a boy in a man’s world, and at TLC he’s going to hurt him, break his spirit, and continue--
(Record scratch.)
Enter Dolph Ziggler. He says he thinks Drew is having memory problems because they had a deal, an alliance, and he brought him to Raw but he’s not in the video package? He doesn’t get it, they took everybody down and yet his invitation to this little party got lost in the mail. McIntyre scratches the back of his head awkwardly for a beat and says the truth is Ziggler was never invited.
He’s sorry but Dolph doesn’t quite meet the height requirement, for one. And he was saying he was the brains a minute ago, but no, McIntyre was the whole damn package, and their business relationship was working for him, but not anymore. If Dolph wants to know his role, it was to get him in a prominent position, and look at him now! So from himself, Corbin, and the WWE Universe, he thanks Ziggler and tells him he can leave any time.
Dolph doesn’t budge and Drew asks if his thanks aren’t good enough and if he’s going to cry before saying he should kiss his feet for making him relevant for the first time in ten years. Ziggler waves it off, drops the mic... and throws punches! Tilt-a-whirl... ZIG ZAG! He goes to leave and Baron yells at him, telling him if he wants a fight, he’s got it, and it starts right now!
Well, after the break, y’all know how this works.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre
McIntyre yelling at Ziggler in the corner but Dolph fires back. Superkick caught, leg trip, stomping away, partial giant swing into a catapult into the post and Ziggler falls to the floor! Drew follows after, big chop, fireman’s carry, up the steps and McIntyre drops him into the ring. Stomps to the hand and shoulder set up a kneeling armbar, which he converts into a mat slam when Dolph looks likely to escape before locking it right back on.
Ziggler posts to his feet, leg kick for the escape into right hands, punches and chops, off the ropes, big DDT turned into a release northern lights suplex! Drawing him up again, McIntyre with a big chop in the ropes and the action spills outside where the Scotsman demands a microphone. He says he feels like he’s going easy so he’s going to pretend Dolph is somebody he doesn’t like, Finn Balor.
Ramming him into the barricade and the apron in turn, thrust spinebuster connects and Drew poses for the crowd. Back inside, telling Ziggler to fight and blocking his punches with ease. Finn enters to the stage and makes his way up the ramp as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ziggler’s fighting back with chops and leaving the Scots giant staggered. McIntyre charges into an uppercut and then a boot before landing a back elbow and the inverted Alabama Slam... NOPE! Drew draws him up, suplex lift into the turnbuckles is followed by chops. Jockeying for position, Dolph dives... and connects with the big DDT for two!
Both men slow to recover, dragging themselves up the ropes and Dolph has the back elbow and passes McIntyre to the floor. Following it up, diving lariat off the apron into mounted punches, chop against the barricade, smashing his face into it but Drew clocks him with a hard headbutt! Atomic drop crotches the Show-Off on the barricade and McIntyre draws him up after to throw him back inside and into referee Chad Patton!
With the distraction, Balor hits a pump kick that sends Drew into the barricade! Patton counts... AND MCINTYRE MAKES IT BACK IN! Dolph is ready for him...
Dolph Ziggler wins by pinfall with a superkick.
Commentary hypes up Ronda Rousey’s mystery tag partner as well as Dean Ambrose’s appearance before walking us through a recap of Elias getting beat up last week.
We cut to Elias walking backstage and go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a video package for AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan.
Drew McIntyre is walking backstage when he runs into an interview. He says Dolph Zigger was never his friend, just an asset, and now he’s an enemy. You think he’s celebrating? He’s terrified, because he knows how sick and twisted he can be. And as for Finn Balor, he’s a marked man.
Elias is in the ring to sing us a song. He plays a few bars instrumentally before running Bobby Lashley down and saying he won’t be able to hide at TLC. He has a new song for us and he launches into it--
Enter Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley. Lio hypes his guy up and says as much as we’d love to hear a song, the spotlight belongs to the All Mighty. You saw and felt the power of the big man last week, but at TLC he’s going to feel it again and again, because Bob has the most magnificent body in the world. Rush calls a few poses, including the butt pose, which gets the Drifter to come up to the stage.
Lashley gets the better of him at first but Elias turns it around on him and puts him into the LED board! He collects his guitar and runs Lio off, which gives Bob time to retreat to the back. Rush somehow ends up back on the stage... EL KABONG!
The camera pans and we see that Finn Balor is the one that threw Lio on stage, and he Too Sweets at Elias.
Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers are backstage with Baron Corbin. Jinder butters him up and says tonight he wants to take care of Finn for him. Baron says he loves the sound of that and as far as Braun Strowman goes, he’s a one-armed man.
Beauty and the Man-Beast roll into his office next and he says he’s been crunching some numbers and he’s come to a conclusion. He doublechecks as Heath Slater and Rhyno wait, at which point he says that there’s only room on Raw for one of them. His suggestion is that one of them quit to save the other one’s job. Slater says he’s got kids, and Rhyno says he’s worked hard and can’t just quit.
Baron invokes Kurt Angle and says tonight they have a match wherein the loser is fired.
Commentary hypes Roode/Maverick up and we go to break.
Back from commercial in time for entrances.
Bobby Roode vs. Drake Maverick
Maverick throws his vest at Roode but runs right into a right hand! Bobby draws him up for punches in the corner, putting boots to him, and the Authors of Pain are shown on the tron beating Chad Gable up backstage, throwing him into pallettes when Baron Corbin informs them that the match is now a three-on-two handicap match!
Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) & Drake Maverick vs. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable (Handicap Match)
Roode trying to make short work of Drake before AOP make it down, Glorious DDT... AUTHORS BREAK IT UP! Rezar raining hammerfists down on Bobby, tag to Akam and the stomp Demolition Decapitation connects! Mounted punches, more stomps, knees and Gable has made it to ringside! He marches into the ring and gets bieled inside only to fight them both off with leg kicks, chops, and forearms!
Manhattan Drop and a boot take him out, Roo’s recovered only to eat a corner body avalanche. Powerbomb lifts... SUPER COLLIDER! Drake wants the tag and his men oblige him...
Authors of Pain & Drake Maverick win by pinfall with a lateral press from Maverick on Bobby Roode.
We get a video package recapping Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins’ issue and we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary talks up John Cena winning the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.
An air raid siren goes up and six men dressed in black, wearing gas masks enter and take positions on the ramp. The siren continues playing as Dean Ambrose makes his entrance wearing a matching gas mask over what is best described as a low rent riff on Bane’s outfit from The Dark Knight Rises.
He breathes for a long beat through the microphone before beginning, still wearing the mask. He apologizes for the drastic measures but says you can’t be too safe in a dangerous slum like Houston, Texas. He needs this not just to protect himself from whatever diseases are in the arena, but to protect him from that madman, Seth Rollins.
He takes the mask off and says last time he was in the ring, Rollins attacked him unprovoked. Well, okay, maybe a little provoked, but he’s surprised that a guy that calls himself the Architect would be so easy to rile up. But the truth is Seth is just like these people, needy and emotional. He complains about people asking for pictures, sticking their phones in his face, and he asks if they have any idea what it’s like living with somebody who’s always gotta be right.
Sure they do, everybody knows something like that, and if they had any guts they’d slap that person in the mouth. But no, they don’t have guts, they have a weak character, just like Seth Rollins who they cheer for because he makes them feel important, and that’s disgusting. Take the Shield, it used to be something to be proud of but after a while, all Rollins and Reigns cared about was being role models and sucking up to the people.
This sets off a “We want Roman!” chant and Dean says sometimes life sucks and you don’t always get what you want. Seth and Roman changed, they sold out, and he’s the constant, the last man in this industry with integrity. The only thing he’s guilty of is trusting people, but no more. He’s proud to stand alone in this ring as THE moral compass of WWE.
At TLC, he could take the Intercontinental Championship by force, but that’d be too easy and he wants Seth to understand exactly what’s going to happen. Rollins is going to drop the ball, slip up and lose control, of himself, of his emotions, and the situation, but nobody worry, the title will fall safely into his hands.
(Burn it down!)
Ambrose sends his gas mask goons up the ramp but Seth is coming through the crowd and back body drops him over the ropes and to the floor! The gas mask guys rush the ring and Rollins dumps them one by one... BEFORE POWERBOMBING THE LAST ONE INTO THE REST OF THEM ON THE FLOOR! A suicide dive wipes a stray out and Dean runs away into the crowd! Seth meets him and they brawl in the crowd! Rollins dumps a trash can on Ambrose but Dean fights back and dumps him over the barricade and back to ringside!
Seth with a springboard double axhandle off the barricade to wipe Ambrose out! Back over the barricade, but Dean counters the springboard with a gas mask shot to the face! He tamps the filter back in place on the apron and hammers the mask into Rollins’ face over and over before giving way to windmill punches! Crossface strike, right hand, jawing, putting boots to the Architect!
DIRTY DEEDS ON THE FLOOR! Dean directs traffic, ordering his goons to throw Seth into the ring, where he lies in agony clutching his face. Ambrose circles, jawing at the crowd before drawing Rollins up... ANOTHER DIRTY DEEDS! Dean leaves Seth lying and heads up the ramp.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Corey Graves argues with Renee Young over her unwillingness to share any insights about Dean Ambrose’s headspace and she rightfully tells him to back off.
A recap of our opening segment is next because etc, etc.
Nia Jax and Tamina are interviewed backstage about Ronda Rousey’s tag team partner tonight, who we’re informed is Ember Moon. Jax says that’s a shame because they were both kind of hoping that Charly Caruso would be her partner tonight. That sounds ridiculous, but so does any partner, and Tamina has been jumping Ember from behind so they don’t have to look at her face.
But tonight they’re gonna see her face, and that means they’ll have to rearrange her appearance just like they did with Becky Lynch before taking it to Ronda Rousey on her way to taking back what’s rightfully hers, the Raw Women’s Championship.
Heath Slater vs. Rhyno (Loser Leaves Raw Match)
Jawing, Rhyno fires off a right hand and smashes Slater into the corner! Flurries of punches into a big chop and then a short-arm lariat! Drawing Heath up, smashing him into the turnbuckle again, big chop, whip across and a shoulder thrust in the opposite corner! Another hard whip, this time Slater slips away...
Heath Slater wins by pinfall with Miller’s Crossing, meaning Rhyno is fired.
Commentary hypes up Jinder Mahal vs. Finn Balor and we go back to break.
Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for tomorrow night’s episode of Mixed Match Challenge.
Heath Slater rolls into Baron Corbin backstage, who congratulates him. Heath asks if there’s anything he can do for Rhyno, to which Corbin says he just needs to shut up and put on his uniform. Slater is understandably confused, at which point Baron gives him a referee’s shirt and says he doesn’t have a job as an active competitor, but as a referee.
Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal
Circling, collar and elbow but Mahal rams him into the corner for shoulder thrusts before posing. Firing in with a right, blocked, Balor throws his own, kick, side headlock, shot off, duck the lariat, and a back elbow wipes Finn out! Jinder with a side headlock of his own, shifting to a Hot Shot that sends Balor to the floor as we go to break.
Back from commercial and Mahal is in control with the half nelson chinlock but Balor fights to his feet. Jinder shifts to a reverse chinlock, Finn posts back to his feet and gets a boot up in the corner. Flying forearm, duck a lariat, off the ropes, hit another forearm, charging chop, whip reversed, up and over, double leg into the double stomp and he’s fired up!
Mahal gets a boot up but Balor meets him with an enzuigiri and follows it up with the Sling Blade! Shotgun dropkick follows, Jinder’s in position but the Singh Brothers run interference and knock Finn down! Dancing on the floor toether as referee Dan Engler checks on the men in the match and Apollo Crews runs in! He press slams one Singh into the other but Jinder takes him out with a roundhouse kick!
Finn off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO! Back inside, shotgun dropkick, Mahal is in position...
Finn Balor wins by pinfall with the Coup de Grace.
Commentary hypes up our main event tag match and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Finn Balor is interviewed backstage.
He says it’s been a hell of a night-- AND GETS BLINDSIDED BY DREW MCINTYRE! THE SCOTS GIANT WAILS ON HIM WITH PUNCHES AND REFEREES TRY TO PULL HIM OFF AND FAIL! Drew backs off of his own volition before charging back in to throw more punches until five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce physically gets in between him and Finn, shielding Balor with his own body!
Commentary feeds into a video package hyping free agent Lars Sullivan up.
We get entrances for our main event and Tamina and Nia Jax attack Rousey before the bell! Ember Moon rushes down for the save and she and Ronda run the heels off before taking the fight to them on the floor! The babyfaces head back into the ring, ready for a fight as referee Chad Patton tries to restore some order and we go to break.
Ember Moon & Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax & Tamina
Jax in on Ember, well in control with a biel before taunting Rousey and tagging Tamina. Snuka in with a right, another one, whip into a hip toss but Moon reverses to an arm drag and charges in with a forearm before tagging Ronda in. Arm drag, quick tag, kick and Ember comes in with a basement reverse STO for two. Primal scream, handspring forearm, Nia running interference and Tamina cracks a superkick across her face... NOPE!
Taking Moon into her corner, putting boots to her, tag to Jax, a Facebreaker right hand to the midsection! Disdainful, jawing, Ember with elbows and Nia drops her with a headbutt before locking a cobra clutch in and swinging her around in the hold. Moon with back elbows to break, a forearm, a jawbreaker, but Jax gets her up for a powerbomb. Reversed to a Frankensteiner, so close but Nia blasts Ronda off the apron!
Referee Chad Patton has to hold her back and Tamina takes full advantage to get involved! Tag made, big headbutt, throwing Ember into the turnbuckle but Moon sidesteps another charge and Jax gets blasted off the apron by her own partner! Enzuigiri clears the way, tag to Rousey! In hot with lariats on lariats, big knee lifts, kick to the midsection and she demands Nia tag in!
Snuka tags out and Jax comes in, wary. Keeping her distance, tag back to Tamina! Ronda drags Nia back inside anyway and Snuka tries to blindside her only for the champ to hit her with a flurry of strikes in the corner. Big forearm, step-up axe kick... NIA BREAKS IT UP! Moon in, strike rush, Ronda adds a roundhouse to take Nia out and kicks out of a schoolboy when Tamina gets back in.
Arm drag, Ember off the top with the Eclipse, Rousey’s got the wristlock..
Ember Moon & Ronda Rousey win by submission with the cross armbar from Ronda Rousey on Tamina.
Ember and Ronda stand tall as Nia Jax licks her wounds and leaves Tamina lying in the aisle.
That’s the show, folks.