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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 28, 2020) from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for next month at the very same venue.
Advertised for tonight: The only thing WWE has advertised ahead of time is wondering what Alexa Bliss will have in store for Randy Orton following their encounter in “Alexa’s Playground” on last week’s episode. We can also expect more wrestlers to declare for the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches and updated info on title pictures.
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. 28
Spaceboy, you’re sleepy now, your silhouette is so stationary. You’re released but your custody calls, and I want to be free but I have to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for the people.
The show opens up with a memorial graphic for the late great Brodie Lee.
Thence to the intro video.
Tom Philips drops an “It’s Monday, and you know what that means” as commentary hypes tonight’s show up.
Drew McIntyre makes his entrance and does the Monday gimmick as well as a “Yeah yeah yeah yeah” as he welcomes us to the show and recaps his year as WWE Champion. He thanks us for rallying behind him and motivating him every week and hypes up next week’s Legends show with his title defense against the winner of tonight’s match between Keith Lee and Sheamus.
Enter Sheamus.
He apologizes for interrupting but Drew cuts him off and says he knows he’s not sorry and he knows where he’s going, saying he asked him not to pull any BS during their match last week, and Sheamus says he kept his word... during the match. After was fair game, and McIntyre admits he should have known better. The Celtic Warrior talks about coming up together and dreaming of being WWE Champion together, and Drew says he wants the match and he knows they’re gonna make everybody in the back uncomfortable beating the hell out of each other.
Sheamus says he’s gonna Brogue Kick Keith Lee’s head off his shoulders and kick off the year the right way next week.
Enter Keith Lee.
He says Drew looks a little proud of his friend, but McIntyre demures. Lee calls Sheamus out for kicking him in the face and Drew for vouching for his friend, and there’s zero trust between them now. Keith says every fiber in his being wants to kick Sheamus’ face in right now but he’s gonna wait for the bell and force him to issue an apology, and maybe McIntyre needs to reconsider who he’s friends with.
Sheamus says he kicked Lee’s head off because of his mouth, running around telling people he’s gonna betray his best friend. Drew gets between them and says he wants to start Raw off right, and he gets where they’re both coming from, so he wants to start the match right now! And no matter who wins, the result will be the same— Drew McIntyre, WWE Champion.
A referee comes down but before the bell rings, Sheamus hits a pair of Brogue Kicks on Lee and leaves him lying as 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 see that Drew McIntyre has joined commentary.
Keith Lee vs. Sheamus (WWE Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Sheamus charges in, windmilling punches on a staggered Lee, but he gets shoved aside! Keith with knee lifts and clubbing blows, body blows in the corner knock him down and he draws the Celtic Warrior up for a suplex attempt. Countered with knees, right hands, Lee on one knee as Sheamus works on the shoulder with elbow strikes that set up an armbar with a fishhook to the nose!
Lee slings him off and puts boots to him, backing him into the corner for chops and body blows! Kick to the shoulder gets Sheamus some separation, more clubbing blows into a stepover armbar and attempted manipulation of the fingers. A leg trip fights Keith out of it, the Celtic Warrior kicks him in the face and puts boots to him before stepping on his shoulder using the leverage of the ropes!
Top wristlock applied, Lee gets to his feet and fights out with body blows. Sheamus with elbows, he charges in but Keith tosses him over the ropes and to the floor! Headed out after him, throwing him into the apron and then the ringpost, back inside and Sheamus cuts him off with a running knee that sends him to the floor! The Celtic Warrior goes up top... A DIVING LARIAT SENDS LEE INTO THE ANNOUNCE DESK AND US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Sheamus has the top wristlock in but Lee struggles to his feet and fires off body blows to break away. Knee lift, military press but the Celtic Warrior floats over and goes to the ropes. Back elbow for a left hand, Sheamus staggered on the apron and the Limitless One goes for a headlock but gets hung over the top rope! The Celtic Warrior hooks him in the ropes for the Beats of the Bodhran before snapping his neck over the top!
Up top, diving shoulder block but Lee blasts him away! Shoulder blocks, Stinger Splash, a huge biel sends Sheamus across the ring! Tossing spinebuster... NO GOOD! Keith draws him up but gets shoved away and blasted with forearms, knocking him into the corner. Whip reversed, Stinger Splash, off the ropes... POUNCE! Only a nearfall, Sheamus shifts gears, dropkick the leg, looking for the cloverleaf but he gets kicked aside!
Brogue Kick ducked, freight train crossbody connects... NOPE! Putting the Celtic Warrior in the corner, he sidesteps away and gets Lee up for White Noise... NOT ENOUGH! Disdainful slaps, Keith fires back, Grizzly Magnum, he gets Sheamus up...
Keith Lee wins by pinfall with the Spirit Bomb to become #1 contender to the WWE Championship.
Post-match, Lee and McIntyre face off.
We go backstage, where Elias is playing guitar for Jaxson Ryker when someone knocks on the door. Ryker starts but Elias tells him not to pay attention and keeps playing.
The Miz makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Lucha House Party get an inset promo where they mock Miz’s attempts to reinstate his Money in the Bank briefcase.
Gran Metalik vs. the Miz
Metalik with a schoolboy out the gates, only two, keeping it going with pinning predicaments but Miz gets away and takes a breather in the ropes! Kicks and punches, whip across, Gran with a tijeras and Miz falls to the floor! A dropkick knocks the A-Lister back down and Metalik goes up top... MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR! Back inside, Gran off the top and Miz cuts him out of mid-air with a big boot!
Forearm connects, choking Metalik over the ropes, rebounding off them for a big boot, screaming into camera about how he’s Money in the Bank before locking a seated rear chinlock on the luchador. Back suplex, Gran floats over, corkscrew facebuster, springboard dropkick! Off the ropes, rolling sunset flip... IT’S OVER!
Gran Metalik wins by pinfall with a rolling sunset flip.
We cut back to Elias playing guitar for Jaxson Ryker as someone bangs on the door. Elias finally relents and asks Ryker to open it, and Omos and AJ Styles barge in.
Styles says Big Buddy Omos is trying to listen to Mozart and he’s on the phone with WWE management and he can’t hear over the racket. He calls Elias Johnny Trash and Jaxson gets in their face over it. Elias plays peacemaker briefly before mocking AJ for not getting the job done. Styles challenges him to a match tonight and threatens to break his fingers and end his career.
AJ leaps up to chest bump Omos and they head out together.
Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose make their entrance to send us to break.
Dana Brooke vs. Shayna Baszler
Brooke catches a boot and fires off a slap, off the ropes with a shoulder thrust, forcing Baszler into the corner for more! Snapmare, handspring knees but Shayna gets her knees up! Baszler takes her to the apron and snaps her arm over it! Back inside, cover for two! Wrenching her arm, Jim Breaks Special into a top wristlock, jawbreaker to escape! Boots up in the corner, lariats with the good arm, scoop and a slam and Dana’s on the comeback!
Baszler to the floor, she blocks a baseball slide and grabs the Kirifuda Clutch on the apron! Referee Darrick Moore counting, Shayna breaks the count and traps Rose’s arm on the steps but she dodges the stomp! Dana with an electric chair facebuster on the apron, back inside, jockeying for position, victory roll pin for two! Spinning neckbreaker.... NO GOOD!
Brooke goes up top, nobody home, she rolls through but Baszler nails her with a knee strike...
Shayna Baszler wins by submission with the Kirifuda Clutch.
Post-match, Baszler also chokes Mandy Rose out with the Kirifuda Clutch and leaves the Sexy Muscle Friends lying next to each other.
We get a recap of the Fiend’s recent business with Randy Orton to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Alexa Bliss is swinging away in her playground set in the ring.
She says she can’t wait to show Him what she’s built and she hopes he comes back for Legends night next week to meet his hero, noted racist Hulk Hogan. Or he could be waiting for Randy Orton to come back to her playground, yeah yeah yeah. She calls Orton on down and his music starts briefly before cutting out.
She wonders if she did something wrong and maybe Randy doesn’t want to help find Him. She tries one more time to the same result and says Orton must not want to play with them.
Firefly Fun House kicks on and Randy walks in through the door! He says he thought he’d take advantage of the Fun House being empty and see what kinda things they had going on there. He sees Huskus the Pig and boots him before saying he was thinking about Alexa’s belief that the Fiend is coming back after what happened at TLC. Let’s say he does come back— Randy throws Mercy the Buzzard into Abby the Witch— he’ll have nothing left but Alexa.
And Orton’s going to make sure of that. He picks Rambling Rabbit up and straightens a picture of Abigail’s shed burning. He tears Rabbit’s head off his shoulders and Bliss challenges him to a match later tonight! Randy accepts!
We get a recap of Nia Jax injuring Charlotte Flair off the show back in June.
Flair is interviewed backstage.
She also recaps her last six months and says she’s ready to beat Nia Jax tonight. Asuka pops in and says that Nia isn’t ready for Charlotte.
AJ Styles and his Big Buddy Omos make their entrance to send us to break.
AJ Styles vs. Elias
Circling, collar and elbow, Elias with a side headlock, into the takeover, reversed to the headscissors, stalemate into a victory roll from Styles for a cover! Headlock takeover from AJ, Elias with the reversal and then a knee after the stalemate! Chops and punches in the corner before putting boots to Styles! Whip across, back body drop sends AJ flying and gets the Drifter a one-count!
Wristlock, stepover armbreaker, arm wringer, short-arm shoulder thrusts into an elevated knucklelock! Knucklelock with a knee to the chest afer rolling him out, back to the elevated knucklelock but Styles rolls out into a sunset flip! Drop toehold into the ropes, punches in the corner, smashing the Drifter’s face into the turnbuckles! Whip reversed, float over, dropkick right on the button!
Elias to the floor, AJ slingshots to the apron and gets caught in a fireman’s carry and dropped face-first into the apron! The Drifter throws him shoulder-first into the ringpost and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Elias lands a knee flush on Styles’ jaw for a two count! Putting him in the corner, uppercuts, knucklelock, headed up top, ropewalk Meteora... NOPE! Reverse chinlock applied, shifting to a cutthroat choke, AJ breaks with back elbows but the Drifter decks him with a forearm and throws him out of the ring! Keeping referee Rod Zapata busy, Jaxson Ryker stalks around but Big Buddy Omos gets in his face and scares him off!
Back inside, wristlock applied, wrenching it in as Styles throws punches to try and escape. Styles Rush, off the ropes, sliding forearm connects and AJ is fired up! Charging in, leaping lariat in the corner, fireman’s carry... USHIGOROSHI FOR TWO! Calling for the Styles Clash, blocked, sidestep the charge, AJ gets the boots up, springboard caught but he slips out of the fireman’s carry.
Elias maneuvers him around, Drift Away... STYLES KICKS OUT! The Drifter goes up top, Styles cuts him off and knocks him down with the Pele Kick! Both men staggering about, Elias catches him with a TKO... SO CLOSE! Slip out of a followup, an enzuigiri sends Elias sprawling, AJ charges in and gets put on the apron! Forearm connects, springboard...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Phenomenal Forearm.
We get a recap of Ricochet talking about his feud with Retribution on Raw Talk last week. He makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Mustafa Ali gets a promo about how Ricochet is just one man who can’t change everything and he belongs with Retribution.
Mustafa Ali vs. Ricochet
Ricochet with right hands into a double leg and grounded punches! Chop in the corner follows it, right hand, uppercut, whip across, charging chop, scoop and a slam! Off the ropes, elbow drop, only one! Roll under a right hand, kip-up into a dropkick, Ali kicks out! Mustafa with a handful of beard, Ricky shoots him off and back body drops him!
Ali pulls him face-first into the turnbuckles and follows it up with a neckbreaker for two! Charging in, back body drop to the apron, back elbow gets a paintbrushing, Mustafa up top, jockeying for position and SLAPJACK and Reckoning run interference so T-Bar and Mace can powerbomb Ricochet into the barricade! Ali perches... DIVING SPLASH TO THE FLOOR SENDS US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, whip puts Ricochet in the corner where Ali hits a lungblower... NOPE! Putting boots to him, reverse chinlock applied, scoop and a slam, elbow drop, cover gets two and he goes back to the chinlock! Suplex lift, float over, Ricky shoves him into the corner, up and over, back elbow, solebutt... BACKFLIP INTO A GERMAN SUPLEX! Both men slow to rise, Ricochet turns him inside out with a lariat!
Fired up, slapping his chest, drawing Mustafa up into a fireman’s carry but his back gives out on the first try! Going for it again... BENADRYLLER CONNECTS BUT MACE PULLS HIS MAN OUT OF THE RING! Referee John Cone with a warning and the count, Retribution up on the apron and Ricky takes T-Bar out with a springboard tornado DDT! Dropkick for SLAPJACK, duck Mace, back inside, to the apron, shotgun dropkick to Ali!
Duck a backfist from Mace, he hits a tornado DDT on him as well! Back inside, beat the count, Ricochet up top and perching, shooting star press.. THE KNEES ARE UP AND THE KOJI CLUTCH IS LOCKED IN! RICOCHET’S GOT NOWHERE TO GO! HE’S OUT, IT’S OVER!
Mustafa Ali wins by referee stoppage with the Koji Clutch.
Post-match, Ali gets on the mic and asks Ricochet when he’s gonna learn that he has no chance.
But he’ll give him a chance to erase all his regrets and to have a new outlook, if only he’ll join Retribution. Ricochet refuses and hits a Recoil!
He leaves the ring, talking about standing by his convictions.
Nia Jax is interviewed backstage.
She says Charlotte Flair is smart to be afraid of her, and that fear warms her heart. She’s got some New Year’s Resolutions— end Charlotte’s climb back to the top, win the tag titles back, and officially enter the women’s Royal Rumble and win it.
Shayna Baszler pops back over and says she kinda likes that last idea.
Charlotte Flair makes her entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of our opening segment tonight, because I am doomed to a lifetime of sitting through recaps.
Drew McIntyre is interviewed backstage.
He says he’s excited to see Keith Lee step up next week, and he saw a spark in his eyes tonight. Next week they’re gonna beat the hell out of each other, and this is his chance to prove to the world what he can do.
Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax
Collar and elbow, into the ropes, Jax with a waistlock and Flair picks an arm loose only to get clubbed in the elbow. Side headlock, Charlotte blocks the shoot off and Nia backs her into the corner and shoulder thrusts her a few times to force the break. Short-arm shoulder blocks, Flair to the apron, shoulder block and a boot, a proper big boot in the ring, and a dropkick sends Jax to the floor!
Back inside, Charlotte with a rolling elbow, hammering forearms, front chancery, trying to grind Nia into the ropes and dropkicking her back outside when that doesn’t work. Baseball slide sends Jax into the announce table and Flair follows after her! Asuka cuts Shayna Baszler off and lays her out with an Uraken! Flair puts Nia into the post and back inside, spinning toehold but Jax schoolboys her into the turnbuckles hard!
Nia with a corner body avalanche, cover for two and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Flair regains the momentum and drags Jax into position in the corner. Headed up top, Nia cuts her off, fireman’s carry, she slips out, folding press for two! Off the ropes, Jax hosses her up into a sitout powerbomb... NO GOOD! The match breaks down as Asuka and Baszler get into it, spinning toehold into the figure four and Shayna comes in the ring to lock the Kirifuda Clutch on and force referee Shaun Bennett’s hand...
Charlotte Flair wins by disqualification.
Nia picks Charlotte’s leg until Asuka makes the save and runs the heels off.
The Hurt Business are shown walking backstage and harassing a crew member who was distracted on his phone, sending us to break.
Back from commercial, Angel Garza is interviewed backstage.
He says his first year on Raw had ups and downs, and a new year comes with new beginnings, and maybe he’ll introduce himself to a veteran lady next week on Legends’ Night.
R-Truth blindsides him accidentally and runs past with the 24/7 title scene in hot pursuit, knocking his rose out of his hand and breaking it. He gives it to Charly Caruso and says it’s the thought that counts.
We get a recap of Big E winning the Intercontinental Championship last week.
New Day and the Hardy Bros are hanging out backstage and celebrating said victory together. New Day talk about winning the tag titles back and touching tips, and Riddle wants to come up with an atomicos team name. They’re bros and all stallions, so why not be the Little Bronies? New Day object and Riddle suggests the Positively Hard Bros, but he gets cut off by New Day’s music hitting.
The babyfaces make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, the Hurt Business cut a promo during their entrance.
Montel Vontavious Porter says that Bobby Lashley has an exclusive business forecast for their 2021 activities, and Bob declares himself for the men’s Royal Rumble.
Hardy Bros (Jeff Hardy & Matt Riddle) & New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Hurt Business (Bobby Lashley, Cedric Alexander, Montel Vontavious Porter, & Shelton Benjamin)
Riddle and Alexander to start, trading strikes, Cedric catches the Pele Kick and bowls Matt over with a dropkick. Karelin Lift, Lashley tags in, side headlock, shot off, shoulder block, catch a leapfrog into a vertical suplex slam on Riddle! Throwing him into the corner, quick tags, Riddle floats over a suplex attempt from Benjamin and gets away for the tag to Hardy.
Poetry in Motion, New Day with the quick tags and the Unicorn Stampede! The match breaks down, the babyfaces tee off on Lashley and send him to the floor and us to break!
Back from commercial, Porter is beating Riddle down and the Hurt Business are well in their heat segment, working his leg over. Matt gets a roundhouse kick off on Alexander and tags Kingston in! Kofi in like a house afire, big elbows and a dropkick, off the ropes for the leaping lariat! New Day Boom Drop, calling for it, fending Shelton off, Cedric goes for Lumbar Check but Kingston floats over and dives!
Blind tag from Woods, slingshot elbow drop, MVP comes in, Xavier dumps him to the floor, drop toehold sets Alexander up, senton / dropkick takes both men out! Catapult into the middle rope, Hardy dives to take Porter out, Woods lies in wait... DISCUS LARIAT ALA LUKE HARPER! Tag to Hardy, Swanton Bomb... BOBBY LASHLEY BREAKS IT UP! He throws Xavier into the corner, and the match breaks down into the “everybody do something cool” segment!
Twist of Fate lays Benjamin out, Lashley tags in and lies in wait but the spear is blocked with a knee! Leg-feed solebutt but Bob catches him...
Hurt Business win by submission with the Hurt Lock from Bobby Lashley on Jeff Hardy.
Post-match, the Hurt Business try to beat New Day down on the floor but they turn it around! Riddle takes Lashley out with the knee!
John Morrison and the Miz are hanging out on some stairs backstage feeling sorry for themselves when five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce comes around the corner carrying the Money in the Bank briefcase.
He says he’d love to throw it in Miz’s face but he’s here to give it back to him because the cash-in at TLC did in fact occur contrary to the rules and he’s Mr. Money in the Bank once again.
They run up the steps and celebrate like goofballs.
We get some hype for tonight’s edition of Raw Talk to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Alexa Bliss makes her entrance, not exactly dressed to fight, wearing a gauzy black dress as she is.
She beckons and Randy Orton makes his entrance, getting in the ring with her.
He demands to know where He is, and Alexa says this isn’t about Him, it’s about her. She leaves the ring and goes and gets a gift-wrapped present sitting near the timekeeper’s area, sliding it in the ring. She kneels in front of it and opens it as Randy looks on, pulling a jug of gasoline and a box of matches out of it. She corners Orton and lays them at his feet before backing away and kicking the empty box out of the ring.
She challenges him to do to her what he did to the Fiend and lays down in the middle of the ring, ready for immolation. When he doesn’t move, she promptly gets back up and grabs the gas herself, pouring a puddle in the middle of the ring and a streak leading to Randy’s feet before walking back to the puddle and standing in it. She reiterates her demand and lays down in the gasoline.
When he still doesn’t light her on fire, she goes and gets the gas and pours a bigger circle around the puddle before accusing Orton of not having the guts to do it. He says he’s sick and demented but he’s not, because if he was, he’d light that match. She says he’s nothing but a little bitch and douses herself in gasoline! Randy asks if she thinks he won’t do it, slowing kneeling and reaching for the matches.
He says he wants to do it, but he knows that it’s what she wants, so he’s trying to process the whole thing. He knows he enjoys watching people suffer, but if that’s what she wants, he’s not so sure. She wants to burn and go to hell and see the Fiend? Maybe he’ll do it. Or maybe—
The lights go down Fiend-wise.
Orton strikes a match in the darkness and stares into the camera...
The feed cuts before he drops the match.
That’s the show, folks.