Almost Live, Definitely Half Assed Review of WWE Raw – 12 Nov. ’18
The WWE starts us off with a Battle Royal to determine the Raw team leaders for the Survivor Series match. Braun Strowman interferes in short order. He clears the ring quicker than the short lived match. Strowman wants Baron Corbin. He gets Stephanie McMahon instead. She ends up talking him into Captaining the Raw team by promising matches against both Corbin & Brock Lesnar with him getting to pick the stipulations. Ronda Rousey comes out and confront Stephanie. She’s ready to make an example out of Steph for Becky Lynch when Corbin finally shows up. He tries to talk up the “rivalry” with Smackdown Live. He gets hip tossed for his pep talk. Rousey walks off after that. Strowman then confronts Corbin but Stephanie talks the situation down.
Ember Moon is taking on Tamina. Moon gets in the early offense. Nia Jax causes a distraction so that Tamina can clothes line Moon. Tamina works her over. Moon flips out of a move to regain control. Moon dives onto Jax on the outside who doesn’t budge. Moon connects awkwardly with the hand spring back elbow. Moon goes for the Eclipse. Jax distracts Moon again. Tamina takes advantage and kicks her off the ropes. Superfly Splash for the win. Nia Jax attacks a prone Moon. Boooooooooo.
Corey Graves gets to interview Seth Rollins in the ring. Michael Cole usually does these. Rollins doesn’t think Dean Ambrose is a man because he won’t give a reason for his actions. Ambrose is somewhere on a car near a burning dumpster. Ambrose throws out scenarios that could be eating away at Rollins who winces at nearly all of them. Ambrose said that having to watch Rollins and Roman Reigns’s backs made him weaker. He then doses the Shield vest in gasoline and tosses into into a drum fire. I can’t believe they ask Renee Young for her unique insight and she says “It’s Dean’s story to tell. Let’s see how it plays out.” Yuck. I’m just not a fan of the way this is being handled. I thought his promo made it plenty clear what he thought. Why his wife can’t expand on that is a mystery to me.
Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are still a duo. McIntyre talks down about Kurt Angle. He saw his will to win drain from his face. McIntyre throws down the gauntlet to anyone in the back to be his challenger. Finn Balor answers the call. Balor thinks that he disrespected Angle last week. McIntyre thinks it’s because he kicked his head off last week. McIntyre says that Balor is part of the problem in the WWE. Balor challenges McIntyre to a match. McIntyre offers a match against Dolph Ziggler, who is happy to be a lackey now. McIntyre head butts Balor out of the blue.
The match starts after a commercial break. Nothing much happens before the next break. Ziggler has been working him over for the most part. Balor finally gets rolling. A Double Stomp only gets a two count. Sling Blade. Ziggler with a Super Kick as Balor charges. Swinging DDT gets two for Ziggler. Balor kicks out of a Fame Asser. Balor drop kicks Ziggler into the corner. Ziggler gets up as Balor goes for the Coup De Grace. Balor tosses both Ziggler & McIntyre outsde. Balor flip dives onto both of them. Balor goes for the Coup De Grace again. Ziggler rolls Balor up. Balor reverses and gets the win. Balor bails from the ring before McIntyre can attack.
Stephanie appoints Finn Balor to the Survivor Series Men’s team. He gets to bicker with McIntyre & Ziggler.
Ronda Rousey is amused by Becky Lynch’s rhetoric. She points that she wasn’t mocking Lynch’s past just pointing out that she was indeed learning about arm bars that entire time. Rousey calls her a “Millennial Man” who has their ego shattered at bad news. Before Rousey can give her last warning to Lynch, Tamina & Nia Jax show up to wish her luck. Any chance they cause Rousey’s first loss?
Ruby Riott gets to fake apologize for breaking Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart’s glasses. She wanted Natalya to truly feel something. He wore the sun glasses so that he didn’t need to look at Natalya. She ambushes Riott after Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan. The Riott Squad gets the upper hand. They give Natalya “The Hart Attack.” Not my favorite segment tonight.
The Tag Team Battle Royal comes down to Chad Gable & Bobby Roode against The Ascension. Moonsault/Neck Breaker combo by Gable & Roode on Viktor. Konnor tries to toss Gable. Roode comes from behind and tosses him. The Usos lead one team. Galbe & Roode are the other captains. Ouch. Tag divisions aren’t even close.
Paul Heyman & Brock Lesnar come out. He gives props to Braun Strowman for putting up with 5 F-5s and for getting himself back in the Universal Championship picture. Heyman says that Brock is focused on beating AJ Styles this weekend. Even though Styles was close to beating him last year, he still isn’t going to win this year. Jinder Mahal comes out to teach Lesnar his insights on Styles. LEsnar ends up laying waste to the Samir & Sunil Singh along with Mahal.
Lio Rush continues to be super annoying for Bobby Lashley, who stands there and poses. Elias ruins the fun. He then calls the police about Lashley “kidnapping” Rush. It’s fairly funny. Lashley challenges Elias, which he didn’t need to do since it’s already been made a match earlier in the night. Nothing much happens in the match until the finish. Lio Rush grabs Elais’s leg when he tries to get back in the ring. Lashley wins by count out. Elias attacks Rush after the match. He finishes by tossing Rush onto Lashley.
Alexa Bliss comes out to name her Raw Women’s Team for Survivor Series. Tamina, Nia Jax, Mickie James and Natalya are on the team. Bayley takes on Sasha Banks for the last spot. Bayley goes for her slide thru drop kick but Banks turns the tables. Bayley rolls up Banks otu of the blue. Bayley to Belly on the apron leads to a commercial. This match seems to be warming up finally. glad it’s getting time. Tamina, Nia Jax & Mickie James attack Bayley & Banks for the DQ. Bliss names Ruby Riott as the last member of the team.
Becky Lynch attacks Ronda Rousey back stage. Lynch comes out to confront the Raw Women’s Team. Smackdowns Women show up and start a giant brawl. Rousey comes out to make the save. Becky goes out and grabs a chair. SD Live clears everyone else out. Lynch attacks Rousey and people are cheering for more. She is so hot right now. Lynch did this while having a broken nose. She looked the part of bad ass.
Stephanie is pissed at Baron Corbin. She wants what happened tonight to be fixed on Sunday. Fun ending. – Kevin DiFrango
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