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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 30, 2019) from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-iew (PPV) scheduled for next month in Houston.
Advertised for tonight: Lana and Bobby Lashley get married, Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy, 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. 30
Searching in the darkness, running from the day. Hiding from tomorrow, nothing left to say. Victims of the moment, future deep in doubt. Living in a whisper until we start to shout. We’re creatures of the night, and I’m here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens into the intro video.
Commentary hypes up tonight’s show.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance.
He gets on the mic and says he’s gonna kick the new year off early with some fireworks and offers a video package of last week’s events as a reason why.
He says Seth Rollins and the AOP have been running wild for weeks and he knows better than anybody because they’ve sent him to the hospital twice in a month. And guess what, he’s gonna keep calling them out and getting the hell beat out of him, and sooner or later he’s taking one of them with him. But where he has a problem is when the consequences of their action impact people that he respects and looks up to, like Rey Mysterio.
There’s not a lot of people in this industry that he respects as much as Mysterio, and last week it made him sick to see Seth Rollins hit Blackout on Rey on the stage, and he knows their actions are why he lost the United States Championship to Andrade “Cien” Almas at Madison Square Garden last Thursday, of which we get a clip. After watching that, he’s had enough of tape study and he asks Seth to come down.
Enter Seth Rollins and the Authors of Pain.
Seth says Kevin is still failing to see the big picture. This isn’t something he’s chosen, but something that Owens and people like him have forced on him. This position he finds himself in, it’s his sacrifice, and he’s been left no choice but to impose his will, and if Kevin resists he’ll have AOP do what they did to Mysterio and Samoa Joe to him.
KO rolls out and takes the fight to AOP but quickly finds himself overwhelmed! They beat him down in the corner of the ring as Rollins continues rambling about teaching him a lesson... SAMOA JOE MAKES THE SAVE! He takes Akam and Rezar out and slides in the ring to jab away at Rollins! The Coquina Clutch is locked on but AOP make the save! But Owens has recovered and has a steel chair as equalizer!
Owens and Joe together beat the heels down and the ring floods with security to pull them apart... KEVIN OWENS CANNONBALL OFF THE TOP AND TO THE FLOOR!
We go to break with the brawl raging.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw is three hours long. (Joe’s comeback was pretty cool, to be fair.)
Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens are talking backstage about how to hurt Seth Rollins and AOP when an interview rolls up.
Joe says he didn’t have a choice but to get involved, because Seth made a choice to get him involved and never be safe again and to make sure that Owens would never stand alone again. Kev says he’s known Joe for a long time and there’s nobody as bad as he is, and he didn’t think anybody would be by his side for this fight, but if he’s gonna have an ally, he’s glad it’s Samoa.
He talks about how he’s gonna be asked to leave the building again but correct him if he’s wrong, but he thinks they’ve accomplished what they set out to do tonight and they have seven whole days to think about what they’re gonna do next week. Joe says he’ll make it real simple for these goons-- touch him, and you never feel with your fingers again.
Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy
Circling, probing kicks from Black, pick the leg, back Murphy into the corner but the Aussie breaks with a shove. Side headlock, block the shoot off, second try works, shoulder block. Off the ropes, drop down, leapfrog, headscissors takeover sends Aleister to the floor. Off the ropes, Buddy sits tight to taunt Black as he gets back in the ring! Cover for two, Murphy gets passed to the floor and comes back in to find Aleister seated!
Running punt, waistlock, duck the back elbow, Black with a knee lift and a cover for one. Snap suplex, cover for one, front chancery applied. Buddy to his feet and Al knocks him right back down with a snap roundhouse kick! Body shots from Murphy, sliding kick from Black, only two. Drawing him up, pass him into the corner, shoulder thrust, chest kick, Buddy gets away, back body drop to the apron and smash Aleister’s face into the turnbuckle!
Up top, Black scouts it with a pump kick and Murphy goes limp on the top turnbuckle! Aleister climbs up with him, jockeying for position, Cheeky Nando’s blocked but Buddy knocks Aleister down to the floor to send us to break.
Back from commercial and both men are trading strikes on the apron when a pump kick from Black puts Murphy into the ringpost and he follows it with an Orihara moonsault! Back inside, leg kicks, a legsweep, off the ropes, sliding knee! Quebrada connects... NOPE! Pick the leg, upkicks from Buddy send Aleister to the floor. Murphy to his feet but lame in the left leg and barely capable of standing as he crawls to the apron.
Black kicks his head in from the floor and climbs up onto the apron, trapping him for a wicked chest kick! Perched up top, nobody home on the Owari Death Stomp and Buddy traps him in the corner for a dropkick before pinning him with his feet on the ropes! Referee John Cone sees it and calls off the count, low bridge, slingshot dropkick! Buddy off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO!
Hobbling, he throws Black back inside and climbs up top for Meteora! Slow to cover... NOT ENOUGH! Stomping away, back in the corner and Buddy hits an avalanche Gourdbuster. Roll-through into a Liger Bomb... STILL NO! Buddy draws Black up but Aleister counters with a leg snap! Basement superkick from Murphy, thinking Kamigoye but Aleister blocks. Legsweep, back elbow, kick combo, Buddy fires back in kind!
Black with a superkick, pump kick gets a knee from Murphy but Aleister hits a brainbuster... SO CLOSE BUT BUDDY IS STILL IN THE FIGHT! Al draws Buddy up with his foot but he ducks the Black Mass and hits a knee! Murphy’s Law reversed into a victory roll for two... BLACK MASS! Black hesitates and draws Buddy up for a second...
Aleister Black wins by pinfall with Black Mass.
Backstage, Authors of Pain are bickering in their native tongues and Rollins demands to know what the chatter is. They’re concerned about being kicked out and Seth says nobody is doing anything and management just politely asked them to leave. He says let ‘em try, the show will be canceled by the end of the next match, and that brings security out.
They walk off together.
Lana is getting her makeup done and Erick Rowan rolls up to ask if she misplaced his invitation or just doesn’t like him. He declares that he and his pet don’t care anyway and then kinda roars before leaving.
On that baffling note, we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary informs us that Randy Orton has been injured.
Erick Rowan vs. Francis Kip Stevens
Oh hey, Francis Kip Stevens. Nice! Anyway, this is your usual Rowan squash, complete with Kip going after Rowan’s pet.
Erick Rowan wins by pinfall with the clawslam.
Backstage, Lana is getting ready for her wedding to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Charlotte Flair makes her entrance.
She gets on the mic and begins, saying she’s here to announce her entry into the women’s Royal Rumble match. It’s exciting and surprising, she knows, and she’s not here to state the obvious or go over her bonafides, although she does that anyway. She offers up an open challenge and Natalya answers.
We go to break before any match can begin, however.
Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya
Circling, Natalya with a side headlock takeover, headscissors counter, stalemate. Back to the collar and elbow, wristlock, Flair with a cartwheel evasion, side headlock takeover, block the headscissors counter on the first try but it succeeds on the second. Kip-up escape into the strut, Neidhart with a go-behind and a ride, front chancery, reversed, Charlotte to her feet.
Reversed into a wristlock, whip to the corner, counter the tijeras, slingshot schoolboy gets Flair two. Big forearm from Nattie, off the ropes, running stomp, kip-up into a lariat from the Queen! Straight suplex, discus lariat, Neidhart back in but it’s only good for two. Slamming Flair’s face into the mat, leg picks, going for the Romero Special and she falls back into full extension!
Charlotte sits up to reverse it and blasts Nattie with a boot to the face for two! Pass into the corner, hang Natalya’s leg over the middle rope and start softening her up with kicks. Neidhart drags her out to the floor, snap suplex on the ramp! Back inside, stomp, cover for one, drawing Charlotte back up, another snap suplex. Kick to the ribs, jawing at the Queen gets a desperation forearm out of her but Nattie backs her into the corner with punches.
Dodge a shoulder thrust, elevated Boston Crab in the turnbuckles! Referee Danilo Anfibio counts and Charlotte breaks at four! The 24/7 Championship scene comes running through while Natalya is down and out and we go to break.
Back from commercial, jockeying for position in the corner, Natalya with a diving crossbody for two! German suplex, drawing her up for another but Flair nails her with an elbow and an exploder suplex! Nattie back in with a powerbomb for two, Sharpshooter blocked, slugging it out, Neidhart wailing on her with strikes, Anfibio backs her off, big boot from Charlotte, a spear... SO CLOSE!
Flair going back to work on her leg, spinning toehold but Nattie kicks her into the turnbuckles! Sharpshooter denied, Natural Selection... NOT ENOUGH! Charlotte up top, moonsault, feet are up but she was ready! Figure four reversed, inside cradle, nope, big boot connects! Flair picks the leg, figure four leglock sets it up, bridge back...
Charlotte Flair wins by submission with the Figure Eight.
Becky Lynch is interviewed backstage.
She says her match against Asuka will take place at the Royal Rumble.
We see Bobby Lashley backstage getting ready for his wedding to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get another Liv Morgan vignette.
The OC make their entrance and AJ Styles gets on the mic.
He rolls video footage of their last couple wins as proof that Raw belongs to him and his boys, and it turns out the whole promo is designed to make their case for another title shot against Viking Raiders.
Enter Street Profits.
Montez Ford gets on the mic and asks if it’s true that the OC have beaten the unbeatable Viking Raiders more than once, to which Angelo Dawkins says it’s true. The promo continues in this vein and turns out to be a vehicle for them to remind everybody that they beat the OC in their Raw debut. The two teams bicker and we’ve got a match.
Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. the OC (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows)
Ford and Anderson to start, Montez bringing the acrobatics. Working Anderson over, tag made, AJ Styles runs interference and referee Darrick Moore throws him out to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Anderson is in control on Ford. Big neckbreaker, tag to Gallows, and Big Hoot keeps him under control for quite some time. Enzuigiri connects, Karl tags bac in, Montez lands on his feet off a back suplex, tag to Dawkins! Angelo cleans house, huge overhead exploder on Machine Gun! Spinning Stinger Splashes, one-handed bulldog, only two!
Spinning spinebuster from Anderson, only two, tag back to Luke. Back suplex / neckbreaker combo for two, the match breaks down, into the “everybody do something cool” segment, Sky High from Dawkins sets up the tag...
Street Profits win by pinfall with a diving splash from Montez Ford on Karl Anderson.
Backstage, Lana is looking at flowers for her wedding to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Street Profits cut a promo about the multiverse and ending 2019 with a bang and suchlike.
Drew McIntyre cuts a promo about his handicap match, in which he calls himself the Sexy Scotsman and talks about how he’s gonna win.
Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder vs. Drew McIntyre (Handicap Match)
McIntyre beats them down before the bell and then has Hawkins in for a belly-to-belly immediately after the bell rings! Claymore! Future Shock!
Drew McIntyre wins by pinfall by covering both dudes.
Commentary promises more on Randy Orton’s injury to send us to break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes up next week’s show, which has a United States Championship rematch, among other things.
Enter Randy Orton, on crutches due to his knee injury.
He says accidents can happen to anybody that lace up the boots and it kills him to need help getting into the ring. He’s seen people give up titles due to injury and he doesn’t respect many people but he respects Edge and he had to give up his whole career due to injury. Orton talks about how he heard his knee pop and he didn’t realize how bad until the doctors looked at the MRI.
He talks about how there’s a good chance he won’t be able to come back, but no matter what happens he’s gonna do everything he can to make sure somebody gets RKO’d at WrestleMania, and that’s his promise to us.
Enter AJ Styles.
He asks if Orton means the next time they’ll get to fight is WrestleMania and mocks him for not being able to strike right now. AJ says he’s gonna do something he hasn’t done since he was five years old, and that’s the “I’m not touching you” gag. He touches Randy’s knee and asks what Orton’s gonna do before offering to put his hands behind his back so the Viper can strike.
He does so and offers up his jaw, no strings attached. He even closes his eyes before saying Orton really is hurt. He says he’ll not just tap him out at WrestleMania, but he’ll retire him, and he kicks Randy’s crutch out from under him! Orton asks if he knows the difference between them and says that Styles is patient, but he isn’t... RKO!
His knee is fine.
A promo Rey Mysterio cut after losing the title on Thursday plays, and he promises that he’ll be standing tall over Seth Rollins and AOP when this is all over.
Andrade “Cien” Almas makes his entrance with Zelina Vega at his side to send us to break.
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. ???
Squash match city, friends. After Almas hits the double knees Vega calls for him to go outside and hit the DDT on the floor but Ricochet makes the save and gets on the mic.
Ricky gets on the mic and calls Almas out for cowardice and says if he wants a fight, he should fight him.
And we go to break, with no finish announced nor hinted at, because to hell with us, I guess.
Andrade “Cien” Almas vs. Ricochet
My browser crashed and I’m having a night, folks, so my apologies but I’m taking it easy from here. Back and forth, Ricochet using his high-flying acumen but Almas and his lucha libre are strong. Andrade busts out an Ice Pick at one point, which is pretty cool. Ricochet with a corkscrew tope, Almas shoves him into the barricade after a bit of fighting on the floor.
Ramming his back into the apron, Cien drops Ricky on the concrete and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ricochet with his comeback, running shooting star gets a nearfall! Back and forth, nearfall off a cradle, spinning brainbuster but Vega runs interference...
Andrade “Cien” Almas wins by pinfall with the hammerlock DDT.
We see Lana being photographed for her wedding and go to break.
Back from commercial, Zelina Vega is walking backstage with Andrade “Cien” Almas and giving him a pep talk when an interview rolls up.
Vega says Ricochet wanted a piece of the new champ and you saw what happened, so if Rey Mysterio wants more next week, he’ll get beaten again.
The preacher welcomes us to Lana and Bobby Lashley’s wedding and introduces Bob first.
Lana then makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, the preacher continues with the wedding schtick.
He talks about the pitter-patter of little feet at one point and Lana freaks out on him, demanding he read exactly what she’s asked him to. “Rusev Day!” chants go up and she loses her mind, to which the preacher begins on some heteronormative business about man and woman being one being that were split and now rejoined and whatnot. The “Rusev Day!” chants continue and Lana freaks out more before jumping into her own vows, which mostly consist of more yelling at the fans.
She tells Lashley how lucky he is and puts herself over a bunch before hammering home the idea that this is the greatest moment of Bob’s life and she wants to make love to him here and now. Lashley reads his vows, which are all about how great Lana is. The preacher then takes back over, doing the gimmick with the rings.
And here comes the “speak now or forever hold your peace” bit, which brings out some dude?
He objects to the entire charade and calls it a sham that shouldn’t be allowed to continue. The preacher asks who he is, and he says he’s Lana’s first husband. They married the second she turned eighteen and then she left him for that son of a bitch Rusev, and then she left that son of a bitch for THIS son of a bitch, and he warns Bob that the same thing will happen to him.
Lashley, logically enough, chokeslams him to hell.
The preacher almost finishes and then another objection rings out.
It’s Bobby Lashley’s first wife Kristal! Lana blasts her off the apron!
Again the preacher asks for objections.
Liv Morgan comes out and talks about how the love of her life is in the ring, a person who gave her life meaning when she was at her lowest, and asks how they could do this to her. Lashley says he doesn’t know her and she says no, she’s not talking about Bobby. She’s talking about Lana!
They end up brawling!
Lana gets the better of her and the preacher does the quick version to marry them... BUT DOESN’T GET TO THE “I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU” BIT BECAUSE RUSEV (WEARING A JOEL GERTNER BOWTIE) IS IN THE CAKE! RUSEV BEATS LASHLEY DOWN! LIV SHOWS BACK UP AND BEATS LANA DOWN SOME MORE!
That’s... the show. Folks.
I hope y’all are okay, because I am not.
Good night, everybody. See you Wednesday.