WWE RAW PRIMER 12/11: Reigns vs. Cesaro, Seth vs. Sheamus, Joe vs. Dean, will Bray Wyatt be deleted, more with Kane and Braun

RAW PREVIEW
DECEMBER 11, 2017
CLEVELAND, OHIO AT QUICKEN LOANS ARENA
By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTorch contributor

ANNOUNCED BY WWE.COM

• All members of the Shield in action: Roman vs. Cesaro, Seth vs. Sheamus, and Samoa Joe vs. Dean Ambrose
• The Big Red Machine collides with the Monster Among Men
• Bray Wyatt faces a possible “DELETION” at the hands of Matt Hardy

“THE LAND OF MONSTERS”

It’s hard to argue that the superstar with the most momentum on the WWE roster is Braun Strowman. Since his departure from the Wyatt family Braun has constantly entertained the wrestle-verse with his incredible feats of strength mixed in with his somewhat frightening intensity. One thing that Braun doesn’t get enough credit for is that he is actually an exceptional in-ring performer given his certain limitations, and has managed to have thrilling bouts with the likes of The Big Show who has been a relic compared to the athletes on the current roster.

But can he do it again? His most recent beef with the Big Red Machine dates back to TLC and seemingly came out of nowhere. Since then, Kane has “looked” quite monstrous himself defeating Finn Balor cleanly, laying waste to the Shield with ease, and nearly crippling Braun with a chair shot to the neck. Tonight the two behemoths will clash once again and add another chapter in this battle of giants.

“SQUADS”

I like many others were completely surprised by the outcome of last Monday’s main event. Thanks to a certain Samoan named Joe, Cesaro and Sheamus were able to best Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins and hold on to their prestigious Raw tag-team belts. The Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns did attempt to aid his Shield brothers, but unfortunately he showed up a little too late. That sets the stage for this evening in Cleveland, where all the aforementioned men will be in action against each other: Roman goes one-on-one with the Swiss-Cyborg Cesaro, the Lunatic Fringe battles the Samoan Submission Machine, and the Architect prepares to burn down a very battered but feisty Sheamus. Cleveland is in for some good ole fashioned slugfests.

“THE GREAT WAR”

Out of all of the current non-title storylines, none is more exciting then the WAR that is about to begin between the Eater of Worlds Bray Wyatt… and a newly WOKEN Matthew Hardy. No need to over predict what could possibly happen between these two very entertaining performers for the limits of what they can do are endless. Rumor has it that they may bring back the Wyatt compound gimmick for this feud, which in theory doesn’t sound great, but don’t forget that it was based off of the original Matt Hardy DELETION series that became a worldwide phenomenon. With Matt back to his ridiculous and crazy ways, I have all the faith in the world that we are about to be thoroughly sports entertained.

“LAY WASTE TO THE WEAK”

-Absolution continues to prove their dominance in the women’s division. Paige was able to score a decisive victory over the Boss last week thanks to an assist from her lackeys. Will Bayley and Mickie James attempt to chop down Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose? That’s what makes the most logical sense, but WWE is previewing the trio moving in on the one woman they haven’t been able to best yet…the Empress Asuka.

-The Beast and Universal Champion Brock Lesnar is not slatted to appear until next week’s Raw. Until then…his next feud seems entirely up in the air.

-Elias may have gotten off easy. Braun was seconds away from ripping his head from his body but Kane made the save. Will the drifter thank the Big Red Machine? Or will he just sing to Cleveland about how TERRIBLE the Browns are for some massive heat? I hope for the latter.

-Speaking of massive heat… Jason Jordan may be the most hated man in sports right now, and I’m not just talking about wrestling. Jordan is still a fantastic athlete, and he and Roman worked a strong 20-minute match just a week ago, but J.J.’s failures continue to send him down the card. He may have his dad Kurt Angle as the GM, but that is making life more difficult for the both of them.

-Poor poor Finn Balor. The Demon is still one of the most loved wrestlers in the WWE, and yet he’s out there barely defeating members of the Miztourage. Can’t even predict what they are going to do with him anymore, but I’m hoping for some sort of resurgence soon.

The Patriots take on the Dolphins in MNF, and since we all know how that is going to end, I’d say Raw is worth tuning in for, especially with the announced matches so far. You interested?

NOW REMIND YOURSELF OF LAST WEEK’S RAW HAPPENINGS: KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT 12/4: Reigns defends IC Title against mystery opponents, Sasha vs. Paige, Cruiserweight Fatal Four-way, Bar vs. Shield