WWE Raw 12/14/20
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WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from December 14
- Sana Ejaz Khan
- Credit: WWE.com
'Twas the Monday before WWE TLC and all through the ThunderDome, Randy Orton watched over his shoulder, waiting for The Fiend to roam.
The final episode of Raw hit the USA Network airwaves with an episode dedicated to the last bit of hype for Sunday's Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view extravaganza. Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles wrote the latest chapter in their feud, Lana sought the biggest upset of her career against Nia Jax and the "Firefly Fun House" took a special field trip.
What went down just six nights before the final spectacular of 2020?
Find out with this recap of the broadcast.
'Twas The Nightmare Before TLC...
Credit: WWE
The final Raw on the road to TLC kicked off with a special edition of "The Dirt Sheet," in which The Miz introduced the audience to "The Nightmare Before TLC."
Miz read a story out of a book that featured an appearance by AJ Styles and Omos, and John Morrison dressed as Braveheart.
"Chivalry's dead, like your title reign," Styles said as he drove a fake sword into Morrison's abdomen. Miz seemingly wrapped up the story with Styles climbing the ladder and winning the WWE Championship...only to switch things up to a finish that sees him cash in Money in the Bank.
Sheamus interrupted the "community performance theatre," and after an exchange of trash talk, their previously scheduled match took to the squared circle as the show headed to break.
Grade
C+
Analysis
So...that was far more amusing than it had any right to be. Miz was great, ditto Styles, who was fantastic as the overconfident heel who forgot the narrator possesses the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Sheamus appeared right on cue, and true to the WWE formula over the last 10 years, the opening segment gave way to a match.
Harmless fun, formulaic booking and a match between two strong in-ring workers to kick off the broadcast? Not too shabby for the start of the go-home show to TLC.
Sheamus vs. AJ Styles
Credit: WWE.com
Before Styles could make it to TLC for his showdown with WWE champion Drew McIntyre, he encountered Sheamus in a physical battle to kick off the in-ring portion of this week's show. The Celtic Warrior was relentless in his assault of The Phenomenal One early, but Styles tied him up in the ropes and unloaded with a flurry of strikes that stunned Sheamus and left him reeling on the floor.
Sheamus recovered with a release suplex, tossing Styles with reckless abandon twice. A throat thrust halted the Irishman's momentum. Sheamus recovered and teased a powerbomb off the ring apron, only for Omos to grab hold of Styles and stare the aggressor down heading into the break.
Back from the commercial, Sheamus elbowed his way out of Styles' grasp but quickly fell prey to a stiff kick to the back of the left knee. The Celtic Warrior fought his way back into the match, delivering the Irish Curse, only to further damage his knee.
Sheamus again encountered interference from Omos before finding himself trapped in a Calf Crusher that only further damaged his left leg. He managed to deliver White Noise but could not put his opponent away. As the fight headed to the ropes, Styles wiggled out of his opponent's grasp, pulled him down to the mat and stacked him up for the hard-fought victory.
Styles and Omos tied Sheamus' feet in the ropes after the match and attacked him with a steel chair.
Result
Styles defeated Sheamus
Grade
B
Analysis
This would have been even better without the commercial interruption.
Styles and Sheamus have hellish in-ring chemistry, and the Irishman did a fantastic job of selling his left leg throughout. The injury smartly factored into the finish rather than Sheamus simply shrugging it off to hit his signature stuff, and the result was a stronger match.
The post-match beatdown essentially ensures Sheamus will not be around to interfere on behalf of McIntyre on Sunday, perhaps even clearing the way for the Money in the Bank cash-in Miz teased in the opening segment.
Good stuff here with potentially long-reaching storytelling implications, especially with McIntyre vs. Sheamus a sure thing at some point in the near future.
After all, where was the WWE champion to help his best friend?
The New Day and Jeff Hardy vs. The Hurt Business
Credit: WWE
Riddle accompanied Jeff Hardy and Raw Tag Team champions The New Day to the squared circle for a match against Cedric Alexander, Shelton Benjamin and the United States champion Bobby Lashley as the babyfaces and heels wrote their latest chapter.
Hardy, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston rolled heading into the break, even stopping to dance in a blatant taunt of their opponents.
Back from the timeout, Lashley pulled Kingston over the top rope and to the arena floor in a show of his raw strength. A suplex continued the tag champ's agony as he nursed his lower back. The braggadocios, arrogant Alexander tagged in and targeted his ailing opponent's back.
The heels beat down Kingston for several moments until the former WWE champion made a much-needed tag to Hardy. Despite Alexander cutting him off, Hardy still managed a near-fall that sparked utter chaos. The action broke down, leading to a fight on the arena floor.
In the ring, Hardy and Alexander traded near-falls. A Twist of Fate rocked Alexander, who had blind-tagged Lashley into the match. A well-timed bit of interference by Alexander gave way to the Hurt Lock from Lashley as the U.S. champ scored the win for The Hurt Business.
Result
The Hurt Business defeated New Day and Hardy
Grade
C+
Analysis
This was a relatively formulaic tag match, but that's not a particularly bad thing. WWE has mastered the layout of these multi-man tag matches, and they are typically all good-to-very good. This fell in line, previewing Sunday's tag title match between Kingston/Woods and Alexander/Benjamin.
It played up Kingston's knee injury, which he has nursed in consecutive weeks, as a potential weakness heading into the show, but most importantly, it continued to present Alexander as a breakout star of the heel faction.
The former cruiserweight champion was on here, doing the little things like arrogantly tagging himself in despite Lashley having full control of the match. He interfered to set up Lashley's win and is really seizing the spotlight this push has afforded him and making the absolute most of it.
It was interesting to see Hardy take the fall, as it no longer appears as though a date with Lashley over the U.S. title is in the works. Rather, a partnership with Riddle as "The Hardy Bros" figures to keep him occupied for the foreseeable future.
Whether you like it or not.
Lana vs. Nia Jax
Credit: WWE
Raw Women's champion Asuka offered up a pep talk prior to Lana's showdown with Women's Tag Team champion Nia Jax, but no well-wishes or motivational gibberish could help The Ravishing Russian early as she endured the wrath of an increasingly frustrated Irresistible Force.
A headscissors stunned Jax. As the heel recovered and attempted a Samoan Drop from the top rope, Lana wiggled free, took out her opponent's knee and delivered a double stomp that drove Jax into the mat. She stacked her up for a monumental upset.
After the match, Shayna Baszler attacked Asuka from behind in the backstage area before joining Jax in the ring for a two-on-one beatdown of Lana.
The tag team champions punished the victor, targeting her left leg and ankle with a vicious attack before Asuka made the save.
Result
Lana defeated Jax
Grade
C+
Analysis
That was the payoff to the last three months of television, wasted on a meaningless episode of Raw before a tag team title match no one asked for. Lana shaking off all preconceived notions to upset Jax was the money match, and in typical WWE fashion, it overbooked the story, horribly timed the payoff and will limp into TLC for a match that will only serve to overexpose the program further than it already has been.
WWE's infatuation with wrapping the entire Raw women's division up in this storyline is still mind-blowingly shortsighted, but at this point, there really is no going back.
It will not result in Lana getting over to the extent management had hoped, if only because management overthought the whole thing from the very beginning.
It is unfortunate, really, because the potential was there for Lana to finally get over as a lovable underdog babyface.
Elias Introduces His New Bodyguard
Credit: WWE
Elias returned to Raw two weeks after being electrocuted during his Symphony of Destruction match against Jeff Hardy, seconded by former Forgotten Son, Jaxson Ryker.
Ryker revealed he had a revelation, that Elias' music was the truth and he would protect the musician from attack by fellow Superstars.
24/7 champion R-Truth interrupted, drawing out Erik, Akira Tozawa, Drew Gulak and others, all of whom felt the wrath of Ryker.
He stood tall alongside Elias to abruptly end the segment.
Grade
D
Analysis
Oh, look, Ryker's back.
Insert "eye roll" emoji.
Ryker's presence with Elias does nothing to help that character. Essentially, he is a background piece to a more charismatic performer, a bland bodyguard type on a show that already has Omos alongside AJ Styles.
Throw in more lazy 24/7 title nonsense, and you had a clunker of a segment.
Handicap Match: Keith Lee vs. John Morrison and The Miz
Credit: WWE
Keith Lee promised The Miz and John Morrison the only thing they would win tonight was a coin toss. Not promising, considering the former tag team champions battled The Limitless One in a two-on-one handicap match.
The big man overwhelmed his opponents early on, but the heels seized control heading into the break. A double suplex drove Miz and Morrison into the mat coming out of the commercial, and then Lee fired up with a ferocious comeback.
He set up for the Spirit Bomb on Morrison, but The Shaman of Sexy escaped. A barrage of double-team strikes and a pileup on Lee allowed Miz and Morrison to score a big win.
Result
Morrison and Miz defeated Lee
Grade
D
Analysis
Remember that time Keith Lee jumped to the main roster and spent weeks working with Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton as the next big thing in WWE?
Pepperidge Farm remembers. WWE Creative does not.
Lee has tumbled out of favor with the company and down the card, to the point that he already feels lackluster. Whatever specialness NXT created for him has been diminished exponentially by questionable booking decisions and Vinnie Mac's apparent hate for Lee's work.
A distaste that ended with The Limitless One being Sent Back for fine-tuning, according to PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson.
The reported disconnect between Lee and McMahon was apparent in this latest bit of booking.
The 'Firefly Fun House' Invades WWE ThunderDome
Credit: WWE
Bray Wyatt presented a special live edition of the "Firefly Fun House."
He vowed that there would be no fun or games at TLC when he squared off with Randy Orton. With that in mind, he told a joke or two, complete with laughter from Huskus the Pig, Ramblin' Rabbit and Mercy the Buzzard at ringside.
Hysterical laughter gave way to an appearance from Orton on the video screen. The Viper invited Wyatt to join him for a little game of hide-and-seek. An overjoyed Wyatt accepted the challenge. "Let the games begin!" he exclaimed before heading to the backstage area.
Grade
C
Analysis
Well...that didn't work.
Without the "Firefly Fun House" set, this was just another tired WWE promo segment, and not a particularly good one at that. Wyatt was fine, but there was nothing of any depth to anything that went on, and the result was one of the lesser inspired promos from the former Universal champion in recent memory.
The idea of hide-and-seek isn't necessarily the cure for the common segment, either.
Ricochet vs. Mace
Credit: WWE
Ricochet's ongoing war with Retribution continued this week as he battled the imposing Mace in singles competition.
Despite a commendable effort by The One and Only, he was unable to thwart the interference of Slapjack and ultimately fell to Mace.
"It ends when you join Retribution!" Mustafa Ali said as his minions stood over the fallen Ricochet.
Result
Mace defeated Ricochet
Grade
D
Analysis
This was certainly a match that happened.
Beyond that, it was an excuse to get all involved on television and continue the feud between Ricochet and Retribution that appears to have no real direction to speak of. At least not a direction that benefits anyone.
Either Ricochet ultimately gives in and joins the dead-end Retribution faction, or Ali and Co. lose, which will only expedite their disappearance into obscurity.
Either one is an indictment on the writing team and the creative forces that have bungled the usage of both acts.
Dana Brooke vs. Shayna Baszler
Credit: WWE
Fresh off a beatdown of Lana that left her unable to compete at TLC, Women's Tag Team champion Shayna Baszler battled Dana Brooke in singles competition, Nia Jax accompanying her to the squared circle.
Baszler punished and beat down Brooke until Mandy Rose made the save, attacking Baszler and Jax with a kendo stick.
Asuka eventually made the save, chasing the heels off as Michael Cole and the announce team questioned who Asuka will find to be her partner at TLC.
Result
No-contest
Grade
C
Analysis
So Lana scores the big win to pay off her months-long storyline, and six days before a PPV title shot, she is written out of the match?
How WWE managed to botch as easy a storyline as this is a question better left for those with the book.
Rose and Brooke standing tall with Asuka suggests they will be refocusing their attention on the tag titles and their rivalry with Baszler and Jax. What it does not do is shine any light on who Asuka's partner may be.
Hide-and-Seek Turns Fiendish for Randy Orton
Credit: WWE.com
The game of hide-and-seek between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton culminated in the former discovering a chair he was synonymous with in a different life. Orton watched as Wyatt rocked in it and then attacked from behind. He trapped him in a wooden crate and then lit it on fire.
The Viper looked maniacal as he watched the flames roll, only to be left in stunned silence as The Fiend popped out from within and attacked him.
The Fiend put Orton down with the mandible claw to end the segment.
Grade
A
Analysis
Every time Orton thinks he is one or two steps ahead of Wyatt, The Fiend emerges to knock him down a peg or six. He has repeatedly proved that The Viper, for all of his history of playing mind games, cannot hang with him.
The question is whether Orton will manage to utilize Alexa Bliss and the rich history between them against Wyatt in time for Sunday's PPV.
If not, we could have a one-sided match on our hands at TLC.
Either way, there is no denying the cool factor of The Fiend popping out of that crate and confronting a stunned Orton.
Riddle vs. MVP
Credit: WWE
Riddle continued his rivalry with MVP and The Hurt Business as he battled the former United States champion in the night's final bout.
The Original Bro rocked his opponent with a jumping knee early, added another and delivered the Floating Bro for a quick squash-match victory.
Result
Riddle defeated MVP
Grade
F
Analysis
On a night of bloated television that saw more than one act overexposed, why even bother with this match?
The feud between Riddle and Hurt Business could have easily been covered in the six-man tag team match earlier in the night without booking a completely meaningless match with absolutely no bearing on the rivalry.
MVP was devalued, Riddle gained nothing and the match will not be remembered beyond the television timeout. Who else is glad this was added to the show?
WWE Championship Ascension Ceremony
Credit: WWE.com
Drew McIntyre joined AJ Styles, Omos and Tom Phillips in the ring for a special Championship Ascension Ceremony ahead of Sunday's Tables, Ladders & Chairs match for the WWE Championship.
Styles pointed out that McIntyre had never appeared in such a match, and Sunday he will take the WWE title. He pointed out McIntyre's loss to Orton at Hell in a Cell and questioned whether he can handle the pressure.
McIntyre issued a retort before Styles asked what if he is not the only one The Scottish Psychopath has to face at TLC.
Miz and John Morrison pounced, but the champion withstood the sneak attack and fought them off. Styles capitalized on a brief distraction by Omos and took out his foe's leg. The Phenomenal Forearm rocked McIntyre.
A beatdown with the ladder and chair continued the champion's suffering. Styles put McIntyre through a table and stood atop said ladder to close out the show.
Grade
C
Analysis
What a painfully dull close to the show.
Even with the weaponry and the star power, this was just a mind-numbing main event segment that did nothing to make the audience want to see Sunday's main event any more or less.
Part of that could be due to the tired old insistence by WWE Creative that every babyface has to be an underdog in some form or fashion. Styles illogically suggesting McIntyre cannot handle the pressure, despite the Scot enjoying a dominant six-month reign earlier this year, is blatant rewriting of history and a complete lack of respect for its own creative.
The minute the writing team tries to present McIntyre as a babyface champion forced to overcome the odds, it completely loses that oh-so-important demographic that is tired of one-dimensional babyfaces.
Driving him through a table to earn Styles some manufactured heat does not help matters, nor will it make fans want McIntyre to win any more than they already want him to.
