Raw Review 11/19/2018

Tonight is the Fall-Out Edition of Monday Night Raw following yesterday’s Survivor Series PPV! Will Stephanie McMahon keep her word and give Braun Strowman his match against Baron Corbin? Plus, how will Ronda Rousey respond after the vicious attack she received at the hands of Charlotte Flair. Also, how will Rousey feel knowing that Nia Jax is waiting for her? Finally, Seth Rollins picked up a win last night but his focus remains on Dean Ambrose. Will Rollins finally get his hands on Ambrose or will Ambrose continue to avoid him?

Raw comes to us from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California

Raw kicks off with us being welcomed by Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Renee Young

In-Ring Segment: Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin welcomes the WWE Universe to Raw and then praises Stephanie McMahon. Outcomes Stephanie.
Stephanie brags about Raw sweeping SmackDown. She thanks Corbin and the Raw family. She says Raw proved they are the best and tonight they will celebrate. Corbin mentions how we have some housekeeping to do. He brings up how Stephanie said his position might become permanent if Team Raw won. She says she did make some promises. Outcomes Braun Strowman.
Strowman says he held up his end of the bargain last night and now it’s time for Stephanie to hold up hers. He wants a match Corbin. Corbin says Braun can’t be serious. Stephanie says her word is her bond. She makes Strowman and Corbin official for TLC. Corbin will become the permanent Raw GM if he wins the match. If Corbin loses, he will lose all authority. Strowman says Corbin will lose because Stephanie said he can pick the stipulations and he won’t be responsible for ripping Corbin to shreds. Corbin asks about his match with WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Stephanie says the match will happen at the 2019 Royal Rumble but only if Strowman can beat Corbin at TLC. Stephanie says this is a good deal for Braun. She asks if he can beat Corbin. Strowman welcomes Corbin to Monday Night Braun and tells him to enjoy his time as Acting GM while it lasts. Strowman ends up picking a TLC match for their stipulation. Braun says Corbin will get these hands, tables, ladders, and chairs. Corbin says that’s a stupid idea because that match favors him. Corbin goes on and says if Strowman can make it to TLC. He announces Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler in a Handicap Match for tonight. Stephanie says we’re celebrating tonight and we need to one-up the match. She makes it a six-man Elias, Strowman and Finn Balor vs. Corbin, McIntyre, and Lashley.
My Opinion:
This was a huge announcement to kick off the night. I don’t know what Baron Corbin is gonna do as it seems these odds are not in his favor. You know Corbin will pull out all the stops but it won’t be easy to beat Braun it’ll be interesting to see the stipulation Braun chooses cause I think he’s gonna pick one that won’t favor Corbin. Corbin though always has some tricks up his sleeves.

Match 1: Bobby Lashley & Drew Mcintyre & Baron Corbin vs  Braun Strowman & Finn Balor & Elias:
3 on 3 Elimination Match
Corbin starts the match with Braun. Corbin toys with Braun until Mcintyre comes in the ring. Braun shows off his power and puts Mcintyre in a headlock. Mcintyre fights out and hits Braun with a slap. Braun tackles Mcintyre and the crowd then chats for Balor. Balor is tagged in, Balor flies into the ring and slams Mcintyre by throwing himself over the ropes doing devastating damage to Mcintyre. Mcintyre fights back and body slams Balor. Mcintyre takes over the match and Mcintyre throws Balor into the corner and flattens him with a boot. Mcintyre then goes to the outside and Balor gets thrown into the barricade. Mcintyre suplexes Balor and then tags in Corbin. Corbin taunts Braun and then hits Balor with a hard right and pushes him into the corner. Corbin then tags Lashley in and Lashley slams Balor to the mat. Lashley goes for the pin and Balor kicks out. Lashley then tags in Corbin and Corbin then attacks Balor. Corbin puts him into the corner and then Corbin tries to do Deep Six. Lashley is then tagged in by Corbin. Lashley Irish whips Balor into the corner and then Balor counters Lashley. Balor is able to hit a boot and tags in Elias. Elias takes the advantage by throwing Lashley into the corner and beating him Lashley from behind Lashley then runs into a boot and Lashley is kicked out of the ring. Balor goes to a daredevil mode and flies over the top rope and Balor tries to eliminate Lashley. Lashley is then thrown back into the ring to get into a pin for 2 and then Balor goes up to the top rope and Mcintyre interferes and kicks off Balor from the top rope a big Claymore kick from drew and fin gets eliminated!
As Raw returns, Lashley and Elias are attacking each other. Mcintyre is tagged back in. Elias is hit with a boot trying to counter McIntyre. Lashley hits Elias with a belly to belly suplex. Lashley then tags in Corbin and Corbin then goes into a vicious attack and Corbin throws Elias into the corner of the ring then Corbin puts Elias into a headlock and Lashley grabs Braun leg and causes Braun to fall off the ring and drew hits Braun with a big boot. Corbin gets a knee to the jaw Elias goes up to the top rope and hits him with an elbow Elias goes for the pin and Lashley breaks up the pin Elias then tries to go for Lio Rush and gets a spear in the process of trying to attack Lio and Elias starts to get counted out and he gets eliminated by a count out the match then counties with Braun the only one left.
As Raw returns, Mcintyre gets Braun on the mat and hits him with a big fist. Lashley gets the tag and wrenches on Braun using the ropes for leverage. Corbin comes back in and hits Braun with a big right hand. Corbin uses a half nelson to wrench on Braun’s neck. Braun gets to his feet and throws Corbin. Braun hits him with a big shoulder tackle and then crushes him in the corner. Braun then flattens Corbin. Braun goes to the outside and runs over Lashley. Corbin lands a shot to Braun but then gets caught. Braun slams Corbin and goes for the cover but Mcintyre breaks it up by hitting Braun with a chair. Mcintyre is eliminated. Corbin, Mcintyre, and Lashley all team up on Braun. Lashley then hits Braun with a spear on the outside. Mcintyre and Lashley then continue to double team Braun and throw him in the steps. Braun grabs Corbin but Lashley comes from behind and Mcintyre finishes it off with a Claymore kick. Lashley and Mcintyre then throw Braun into the steps once again. Corbin then hits Braun with a chair shot. They then tie Braun up with Corbin’s belt and hold him on the steps. Corbin then crushes Braun’s hand with the steps.
Winners: No Official Decision
My Opinion:
This was a pretty good match to start off the night. I was shocked by how bad Braun got beat up at the end but this could be good for him. Braun now has to battle back knowing Corbin is gonna do whatever it takes to destroy him before TLC. No doubt Braun will prevail but it’s definitely gonna be a long road to TLC for him.

In Ring Segment: Seth Rollins
Rollins says what a weekend it has been. Rollins says last night marked 6 years to the day that The Shield made its debut in the WWE. he says for the better part of those 6 years they ran this place. Rollins says after his match last night he took time to reflect and he has to admit it’s made the situation with Ambrose that much harder. He says it’s only been a few weeks but it feels like an eternity because he hasn’t come and faced him like a man. He says at TLC he doesn’t have a choice because they will face one on one for the Intercontinental Championship. He says you think you know somebody but he learned more watching the Dean Ambrose chronicles then he did all this time. He says Ambrose never picked up the phone when he tried to call. He says how Ambrose never even says the word love. He tells how Ambrose loves physicality but as of late he’s been hiding and talking. He says at TLC that changes. He then calls out Ambrose and says he is looking for a fight. Ambrose comes on the titantron and tells Rollins he is looking desperate. He tells Rollins things have changed. He says no one knows how The Shield was when the camera stopped rolling. He says they were rotten and time caught up to them. He says they are all gonna get what they deserve. He says look at Roman, for his part in The Shield he has to answer to the man upstairs. He tells for Rollins he has to answer to him. He tells Rollins to come to find him. Rollins then runs out of the ring.
Rollins goes to the back and asks around where Ambrose is. The security guard says he doesn’t know but he better get out of his face. Rollins then lays him out.
My Opinion:
I love this rivalry between these two. The war of words is fueling the rivalry and Ambrose is doing awesome as a heel. I love that they haven’t let these two fight it out yet because when we get to TLC it’s gonna make this match must see. I hope these two continue to build up this match well cause it’ll really make this something special.

Match 2: Nia Jax & Tamina vs Sasha Banks & Bayley
Banks fires with big right hands and forearms. Nia is able to knock down Banks but Banks stays on her and tees off in the corner. Bayley comes in and continues the attack in the corner. Banks comes in and does the same before tagging Bayley. Bayley is then thrown to the mat by Nia. Tamina gets the tag and hits Bayley with a headbutt. Tamina then throws Bayley into the corner and then into the opposite one. Bayley hits her with an elbow. Bayley gets her in the corner and hits her with her shoulder. Banks comes in and takes it to Tamina. Banks makes the tag and Bayley hits Tamina with an elbow in the corner. Banks comes in and stays on Tamina. Nia is then sent to the outside. Nia and Tamina regroup as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Nia has Bayley in a half nelson. Bayley is able to hang up Nia and tags Banks. Banks is lifted by Nia but Banks fights off and drops Nia hitting her in the knee. Banks hits the shining wizard but Nia kicks out of the cover with authority and it sends Banks to the outside. Tamina then lays her out with a clothesline. Tamina comes in and tries a cover on Banks but she kicks out. Nia is back in and stomps on Banks in the corner until Tamina tags back in. Tamins stays on Banks and uses a face lock to wrench on Banks. Banks hits double knees to Tamina and tags Bayley. Bayley hits Tamina but is then hit with a superkick. Bayley tries a roll-up but Tamina kicks out. Bayley hangs up Tamina and then is able to take her down off the press. Bayley goes to the top and hits a cross-body. Bayley tires the cover but Tamina kicks out. Tamina lifts Bayley but Bayley fights off and Tamina is sent into the ref. Nia takes a cheap shot. Nia tags in the dumps Bayley in the corner. Nia tries a cover after laying out Bayley but Banks breaks it up. Nia throws Bayley but is then met with big boots in the corner. Nia shoves Bayley and then hits the Samoan Drop. Nia goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3.
Winners: Nia Jax & Tamina
My Opinion:
Tamina and Nia are a very dominate duo. Bayley and Sasha definitely put up a fight but they were no match for these two. Tamina and are a force to be reckoned with and I think with Tamina by her side there is a good chance Nia could win the Raw Women’s Championship. Now Nia is a full-blown heel and we’ll see what she and Tamina do with the spotlight.

Backstage Segment:
Charly is about to welcome Corbin but Ambrose comes on the screen behind her. Ambrose tells her to find Rollins and tell him he’s right here waiting for him. He says he’ll know the spot its the place The Shield used to call home.

Backstage Segment:
Rollins gets to the door where Ambrose was and kicks it open. Rollins looks at the back of the door and in spray paint reads “Burn It Down”.

Backstage Segment:
Drake Maverick is in catering and is getting made fun of for peeing his pants last night. He asks Rhyno and Slater if there is something funny. He then asks Chad Gable the same thing. Gable tells him to not get pissed. Roode joins in and says they’re happy to see he’s in bladder shape than last night. They then laugh at Drake Maverick.

Match 3: Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Kalisto & Lince Dorado) vs The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)
Dawson chops Kalisto and stays on him. Wilder comes in and works Kalisto but Kalisto gets the advantage. Dorado comes in and they double team, Wilder. Metalik comes in and offers a hand. Kalisto takes it to Wilder but Wilder fights back and tags in Dawson. Dawson then knocks down Kalisto and works his wrist. Wilder gets the tag and stomps on Kalisto. Dorado gets the tag and hits a cross body. He then takes down Wilder. Dorado is sent to the apron but hits Wilder with a big shot. Metaik distracts Wilder and Dorado hits him with a kick. Dorado flies and gets the 1 2 3 on the cover.
Winners: Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik & Kalisto & Lince Dorado)
My Opinion:
Good win for Lucha House Party even though it was kinda unfair with 3 on 2. Either way, they seem to be over but not sure where they will go. It’s cool they get to be on Raw but I don’t know how much success they will find.

Backstage Segment:
Charly asks Rollins what’s going on. He says he is frustrated and he is gonna find him. He says Ambrose can say anything about him but what he said about Roman Reigns was too far. He says when he gets his hands on him he’s gonna asks himself why. Titus tells Rollins he was just here.

In Ring Segment: Ronda Rousey
Ronda says she understand at TLC she has to defend her title against Nia Jax but she is very aware of what Nia Jax is capable of. She says she will tap her out and when she’s done with her the next chapter of Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair is gonna be written. She says he will find her and they will finish what they started last night. She says she came here to show what a true champion is. She says a true champ stands at the top and ready to throw down anyone who tries. She says a true champion has to be ready on her worst day and this is her worst day. She says send someone out tonight her because if she can’t defend tonight then she doesn’t deserve to be champion. Outcomes Baron Corbin.
Corbin tells her that her request has been denied. He says he can not allow her to compete tonight. Ronda tells Corbin she has had 17 fights and she has never pulled out from one because that’s what it takes to be the baddest bitch on the planet. She tells him to go back there and find her a challenger. She then asks if he wants a shot at the champ. He says he tried to warn her but he will go and find an opponent. He says she will be the next Raw Women’s Champion.
My Opinion:
Ronda got a true taste of the pains of pro wrestling last night. I give it to her for coming out and having the fire in her eyes. She is doing her best to be a fighting champion and I think she’s doing well with it. Ronda has become more human as her matches go on but I think they need to let her be more dominant. To sell who Ronda really is she has to show more aggression.

Match 4: Ronda Rousey (c) vs Mickie James
Raw Women’s Championship Match
The two lock up and Rousey is able to fight off James. She hammers on James in the corner with rights and lefts. James is able to land a big kick and then continues with them. James stays on Rousey with more kicks. James then hits her with big chops and then a forearm. James wrestles her down to the mat and locks in a half nelson. Rousey throws her away and then lands big takedowns. Rousey hits Piper’s Pit and then once more to follow. Rousey then hits a third one and goes for the armbar. James taps out.
Winner: Ronda Rousey: Still Raw Women’s Champion
My Opinion:
Quick win for Ronda tonight. Mickie brought a good fight in the early going but then Ronda turned it on. This is what Ronda needed to prove she is who she says she is. Ronda needs to continue to gain momentum with wins like this because if she faces Nia Jax feeling defeated it won’t end well for her. Ronda needs to find the drive in herself and be the destroyer that she is.

Match 5: AOP (Akem & Rezar w/ Drake Maverick) vs Bobby Roode & Chad Gable
Akem takes down Gable and tees off on him. Akem stays on Gable and tags in Rezar. They double team Gable and he is hit with a big knee. Rezar is hit with rights by Gable but he stays in control wrenching on the back of Gable. Gable turns it into a choke hold but is thrown off. Rezar then plants him with a spinebuster. He then hits him with hammer fists. Gable is able to lock in an armbar off the top rope. Roode gets the tag and hits Akem and then Rezar. Roode unloads and hits a big knee. He hits Rezar with a big shoulder in the corner. He takes down Rezar and goes for the cover but can’t get the 1 2 3. Rezar brings him to the corner and tags in Akem. Roode fights back and hits the blockbuster. Gable comes in and hits a sunset flip. Gable gets the 1 2 3 on the cover.
Winners: Chad Gable & Bobby Roode
My Opinion:
Wow, I am shocked Gable and Roode pulled this off but what a huge win for them. I’m okay with this if they’re gonna do something big with them but if they had AOP lose for no reason then it doesn’t make sense. As tag champs, it’d be good for AOP to dominate for a while so I’m surprised they lost here. With the set up for the match is would’ve shown they are destroyers that Drake Maverick can throw anyone at and they will take them down. Time will tell what this win means and if it will lead to anything.

Backstage Segment:
Ambrose tells Rollins this is no game. He says he is right here waiting for him to hurt him. He tells Rollins this is about the bond between brother’s broken and crushed and shattered. He tells Rollins if he finds him he will crush him and break him and shatter his bones. He tells Rollins if he does find him there is no explanation and no apology, he’s just gonna burn it down.

Backstage Segment:
Kayla Braxton asks Rollins if he is giving up and leaving the arena. He says he has a flight to catch and says clearly Ambrose doesn’t want him to find him. He says his stupid bandana won’t help him when he stomps his face into the ground.

Match 6: Natalya vs Ruby Riott w/ Sarah Logan & Liv Morgan
Natalya lands a double leg takedown to start the match. She stays on her and Riott has to get to the ropes. Riott takes a shot and throws Natalya to the mat using her hair. Natalya is able to get out of the corner and hits a basement dropkick off the exchange. Natalya wrenches on Riott in the corner. Natalya takes her down and looks for a sharpshooter but Riott gets to the ropes. Logan runs interference and it allows Riott to plant Natalya face first. Riott is in control as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Riott is in control. Natalya is able to knock her down and tries a cover but she can’t put her away. Natalya then hammers on her in the corner. Riott hits her with an elbow and then plants her. Riott flies from the second rope and lands back first on Natalya. Riott tries the cover but can’t get the 3. Riott stomps on Natalya and goes back up top. Natalya gets up and sends her flying. Natalya hits her with a clothesline and then takes it to Logan and fights off Morgan. Natalya avoids Riott and then locks in the sharpshooter. Riott is helped by Morgan. Natalya takes out Morgan and then is able to roll-up Riott and get the 1 2 3.
Winner: Natalya
My Opinion:
A huge emotional win for Natalya. Natalya was able to overcome the numbers game and got some retribution she was seeking. I don’t think this is over though, after what Riott did you have to believe Natalya is far from finished. As for Riott, she can’t be too happy with the loss so you have to imagine The Riott Squad is gonna do whatever they have to in order to get more in the head of Natalya.

Backstage Segment:
Ambrose is on his way to the ring.

In Ring Segment: Dean Ambrose
Ambrose says this is to easy. He plays to the crowd and then tells them that anyone would’ve done the same thing with the proper motivation. He says his reasons were justified. He tells the crowd they are so emotional and the way they cheer for Rollins makes him sick. He says the smell tonight is a pile of LA garbage. Rollins is in the back and runs to the ring. Ambrose asks where he is going. Rollins runs to the ring and takes down Ambrose. He tees off and sends him to the outside. He then sends him into the barricade. Ambrose runs into the crowd and Rollins follows. Back a ringside Rollins flies off the barricade taking him out. Rollins hits him with a huge superkick. Rollins looks for the stomp but Ambrose hits him with a low blow. Ambrose then hits him with Dirty Deeds. Ambrose then hits him with a second one.
My Opinion:
This was a good way to close the show. I was liking how these two hadn’t gotten their hands on each other but this works since it was small taste. I liked that Ambrose finished on top, Rollins has the fans behind him so the more heat Ambrose can get the better it will be. Rollins is gonna have to find a way to come back there is no doubt that he will.

Final Thoughts:
Tonight’s Raw was decent but I thought it could’ve been better especially since it’s the day after Survivor Series. I was happy to see Braun get his match with Baron Corbin as he did hold up his end of his deal with Stephanie. I liked Corbin trying to take out Braun as it shows his desperation and needs to win this match at TLC. they have to have this be huge so the more Braun is down the more people will wanna see him rise. I thought Ronda Rousey made a big statement tonight, beating Mickie James so quick she showed she is a fighting champion. Rousey was put through a lot last night but she showed it won’t stop her and she is more focused than ever with Nia Jax waiting for her. There were a lot of tag matches tonight but that wasn’t too bad, I think it added a good pace to the show and gave more people the opportunity to show what they can do. Finally, I love how this rivalry with Ambrose and Rollins is shaping up. Ambrose ended tonight on top but it’s good sense it just puts more heat on him. I can’t wait to see how this continues to unfold.
Overall Rating: 6/10