12/16 WWE Raw Results: Keller’s report on TLC fallout, Styles vs. Orton, latest with Lana-Rusev-Lashley, more with Seth-Owens

KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
DECEMBER 16, 2019
DES MOINES, IOWA
AIRED ON USA NETWORK

Announcers: Vic Joseph, Jerry Lawler, Samoa Joe

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[HOUR ONE]

-They opened with an extended recap of Seth Rollins’ official heel turn last week with AOP against Kevin Owens.

-The Raw opening theme aired.

-The graphic said they were in Des Moines, Iowa, then Joseph introduced the show but didn’t say the name of the city. He asked who will step up to face the trio of Seth and AOP.

-Seth made his full ring entrance, now minus the “Burn it down!” at the start of his song. Lawler said the WWE locker room turned their back on the WWE locker room, and tonight we’re going to hear from the real Seth. Joseph agreed tonight Seth will push back. Seth entered the ring to boos. He introduced AOP, “the first two men who have chosen to live on the right side of history.” He said when he debuted in NXT, “the entire world was saying Seth Rollins is the future.” He said the same thing happened when he debuted on Raw. He said when he pinned Brock Lesnar’s shoulders to the mat, the entire planet said he was the future. He said it was everyone – fans, critics, wrestlers, management, everyone. He said suddenly the mood changed and people started to question his leadership as if he had done something wrong.

He said being a leader isn’t about being cool and making the popular decisions, it’s about making decisions for the sake of progress. He said it’s not easy for everyone to grasp. He said Kevin Owens is a perfect example of that. He said KO is a tragedy, but he did it to himself. He said it’s time everyone accept that he is a leader and a visionary. He said he will lead the industry into the next decade and beyond. He said, like it or not, they are coming with him begging and screaming, by hook or by crook. “I will impose my will,” he said. “And if you resist, the AOP will enforce my will.” AOP flanked him as he spoke and looked intimidating. Seth said he had something he wanted to address with everyone, and it won’t be a popular decision. He said he has a score to settle, and by the end of the night, it will be settled. He said he is sorry ahead of time for what he is going to do tonight.

-They showed the announcers who wondered what he was talking about. Joe said AOP are dangerous men and an underrated commodity. He said he’s eyed them for a while backstage. He said they’ve been run out of every gym. He said they hold onto leg locks too long and get too rough during sparring sessions. He said he has done terrible things as a means to an end, but AOP do terrible things because they like to.

(Keller’s Analysis: This was fine. Seth’s a good heel. It didn’t jump off the page as a reinvented Seth, but he seems positioned well in terms of framing his character as a heel at this point.)

-As the Vikings Raiders made their entrance, Joseph commented on freeze-frames from TLC of The O.C. challenging the Raiders. He said it ended in a double countout, and they’ll have a rematch next. [c]

-The O.C.’s Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows walked out without A.J. Styles. They said they’re the greatest tag team in the world and the only team to have scored a three count over them. Gallows called them ugly too.

(1) THE VIKING RAIDERS vs. THE O.C. (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows)

Joe said while OC say they’re the best tag team in the world, it’s going to be difficult to keep saying that without holding the gold. Lawler brought up Crown Jewel. The Raiders dominated early, but Gallows punched Erik out of mid-air on a dive through the ropes to take over. He tossed him into the barricade and they cut to a break at 3:00. [c]

Coming out of the break, Joseph said no titles were on the line, just pride. The Raiders eventually made a comeback and hit stereo dives onto Anderson and Gallows at ringside. They cut to another break almost precisely five minutes after the last one ended. [c]

The Raiders dominated after the break. At 16:00 Ivar scored a near fall on Gallows after slamming Erik into his head in the corner. Joseph said it’s been a brutal tag match. Anderson tagged in, but was soon slammed by Erik. Ivar tagged in and setup to splash him off the second rope, but Gallows distracted him briefly. Ivar then turned around and climbed to the top rope. Fans got excited. He went for a moonsault, but Gallows yanked Anderson out of the way. Gallows and Anderson then gave Ivar their Magic Killer for the win. Joe said they should be the new tag team champions because they’ve beat the Raiders twice. Joseph said that’s just the second loss ever for the Raiders in WWE.

WINNERS: Gallows & Anderson in 18:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: Good tag match. They’re doing well, but there’s something not quite hitting that main event “tag team of this era” vibe from the Raiders, even in a match like this, despite the push.)

-They went to the announcers on camera who threw to an interview with Sarah Schreiber backstage with Erik Rowan on YouTube last Monday. He asked her if she has someone she’d go to the end of the Earth to protect. She said yes. He then told her to mind her business when it came to asking what’s in his cage. Joseph said he was up next. [c]

-Backstage Styles told Anderson & Gallows that’s going to take of things on his own regarding Randy Orton. He said he is going to destroy him and end his career tonight. Gallows said he loves hearing him say that. Joseph called that “a main event anywhere in the world.” (I haven’t heard that phrase in a while. Announcers in the territory days said it a lot to indicate they had a match locally that was in demand or could headline any arena in the world.)

(2) ERICK ROWAN vs. UNNAMED JOBBER

Rowan beat a guy who didn’t geta  name. He had a flannel shirt tied round his waist as he wrestled, for some reason. The guy leaped out of the ring at the bell and poked just petrified. He crawled under the ring, then came out the other side and was about to peek under the covering. Rowan saw that and chased him down and threw him into the ring and then gave him a Claw Slam. Some fans chanted, “One more time!” He did it again and got the three count. “I’d tell the guy to stay down, but it’s unneeded advice,” said Joe. Rowan carried “his loved one” (as Joseph called it) in the cage toward the back. Lawler said he wants to see in there so badly.

WINNER: Rowan in 1:00.

-Charly Caruso interviewed Andrade. She said he’s competing tonight in a gauntlet match to try to earn a United States Title opportunity. Caruso said he’d be the favorite if not for the fact that Humberto Carrillo has defeated him twice in the last week. Andrade spoke in Spanish and walked away. Vega spoke in Spanish, then switched to English and complained that Caruso wasn’t rolling her R’s for Andrade, but was for Carrillo. She said they’re coming for Humberto, and she’ll wear high heels to make sure he hears her footsteps on the concrete and has time to repent. Andrade walked back in and spoke in Spanish some more and seemed intense and irritated.

-Joseph said Lashley and Lana were up next. [c]

-A vignette aired on Liv Morgan. She said she woke up and decided to reflect “on the girl that I’d been.” She said she had let her friends tell her who to be and how to act and what to wear. She said all she ever wanted was to be comfortable in her own skin, but she’s been so self-destructive. They showed her dropping a towel and getting into a bubble bath, with strategically placed candles to keep it PG. She said she now has no choice but to destroy herself so the real her can emerge. It said: “To be continued.”

-Bobby Lashley and Lana’s ring entrance took place. Lana said everyone has been following her Instagram feed to find out more about what her man did at TLC. She said Lashley, who is “hot, hot, hot,” destroyed Rusev.

[HOUR TWO]

Lana told the fans, as they chanted “Rusev Day!” that they are past Rusev, and it’s time to move on. Lana then asked Lashley to ask her to marry her. Lashley told lana she doesn’t like when anyone tell her what to do. Lana looked like she was about to cry. Lashley turned away, then turned back and smiled and said, “Except you.” He kneeled and said she’s the most gorgeous woman in the world and the most amazing female wrestler in WWE history and they will be the most amazing power couple this company has ever seen. “Lana, will you marry me?” he asked. She was exhilarated and said he’s so romantic, “and it was exactly like I had you rehearse.” She squealed “Yes yes yes yes yes. I will allow you to marry me. Yes yes yes yes yes.” She said it’ll be the most ravishing wedding day ever and it’ll happen on Lana Day. She put the ring on her finger. The announcers wondered what she meant about it being rehearsed. Joseph wondered if she bought her own ring.

(Keller’s Analysis: I don’t know what’s going on here.)

-The announcer hyped a new 365 Seth Rollins special on WWE Network, then shifted to a replay of what Seth said earlier in the show. [c]

-R-Truth sang his song on his way to the ring. Truth said when he was a little tyke he was inspired by John Cena’s U.S. Title Open Challenge every Saturday morning. He said he’s going to win the U.S. Title and then take that and his 24/7 Title all the way to WrestleMania. He looked around the WrestleMania sign.

(3a) R-TRUTH vs. AKIRA TOZAWA – Gauntlet Match for a U.S. Title shot

The announcers talked more about Lana and Lashley. Joseph noted that the 24/7 Title rules were suspended as long as Truth was active int his match. Tozawa won by avoiding Truth’s scissors kick and then rolling him up for the three count. No Way Jose and Curt Hawkins chased Truth to the back.

ELIMINATED: Truth via Tozawa.

-Ricochet made his ring entrance. [c]

(3b) AKIRA TOZAWA vs. RICOCHET – Gauntlet Match for a U.S. Title shot

They showed Rey Mysterio watching backstage. Tozawa leaped off the top rope, but Ricochet avoided him and then connected with a superkick and his Recoil finisher for the win.

ELIMINATED: Tozawa via Ricochet in 5:00.

-Matt Hardy made his ring entrance. [c]

(3c) RICOCHET vs. MATT HARDY – Gauntlet Match for a U.S. Title shot

Hardy hit a quick Side Effect at the bell and scored a near fall right after the break. After five minutes and back and forth action, Hardy hit another Side Effect for another two count. In the end, Ricochet countered a Twist of Fate for a three count. Fans booed for some reason. The announcers seemed confused, although Hardy left the ring as if he lost. The ring announcer finally announced he had been eliminated. Weird.

-Carrillo made his entrance. [c]

ELIMINATED: Hardy via Ricochet in 7:00.

(3d) RICOCHET vs. HUMBERTO CARRILLO – Gauntlet Match for a U.S. Title shot

Ricochet helped a tired Ricochet up out of the corner where he was resting. Ricochet surprised Humberto immediately with a small package for a two count. He rolled up Carrillo for another quick two count. Carrillo came back with his own roll-up. Lawler said that was a sign of desperation by Ricochet who has already been through two tough battles. Joe said he is definitely feeling it. They slipped on a showy armdrag. Carrillo then corkscrew dove onto Ricochet at ringside. After seven minutes of battling, Zelina walked onto the stage. The announcers wondered what she was up to. [c]

Back live, the battle continued with Ricochet scoring a quick two count. Vega kept watching from the stage. A couple minutes later they both tumbled over the top rope and splatted at ringside. Vega smiled at the damage done to both potential opponents for Andrade. Ricochet superplexed Carrillo off the top rope. Ricochet rolled slowly onto Carrillo and scored a two count.

[HOUR THREE]

A couple minutes later Carrillo picked up the pace and rallied after landing a springboard roundkick to Ricochet’s head. He Then he gave Ricochet a nasty looking sunset powerbomb followed by a quick top rope moonsault for the win.

ELIMINATION: Ricochet via Carrillo in 18:00.

(3e) HUMBERO CARRILLO vs. ANDRRADE (w/Zelina Vega)

Andrade attacked Carrillo from behind as his music began and Carrillo looked at the stage for him to come out. Lawler said Vega wasn’t just scouting, she was a decoy. Andrade landed running knees in the corner twice. Andrade lifted the ringside mat and DDT’d Carrillo on the concrete as Vega laughed a few feet away. Rey Mysterio saw enough and ran to ringside. Joseph asked when the line gets crossed. Joe said, “I think we have our answer right here.” He said that wasn’t about a U.S. Title opportunity, it was about vengeance. Rey kneed to check on a knocked out Carrillo as Joseph asked, “What the hell have we just witnessed?”

WINNER: No decision announced. [c]

-They showed Carrillo being rolled on a gurney to the back as Rey walked by his side. Seth’s music played, this time with “Burn it down!” at the beginning. Joseph said he can’t believe what they’ve just witnessed. Seth and AOP walked out with a steel pipe and eyed Rey, who walked backward. Rey entered the ring and then attacked AOP as they entered. AOP smothered him, though. Seth told Rey they were just walking out to return something of his they found last week. Seth set the pipe down. Rey reached for it. Seth stepped on it. Then AOP attacked Rey again. Seth stood over Rey and said he’s a merciful leader, so tonight is his lucky night. He told Rey to please remember this night, though, because he owes him one. He took the pipe and tossed it out of the ring. It appeared he was about to leave, but then turned and gave Rey a Stomp. Joe said AOP and Seth are to be met by full and complete force. He called on the locker room to rise up against them. Joseph said Seth vowed to enforce his will and his will was just enforced.

(Keller’s Analysis: I get a wrestler was stretchered out, but shouldn’t there be some sort of ruling regarding the status of the U.S. Title match that everyone just fought the bulk of the last hour to earn?)

-They replayed what happened with Seth, AOP, and Rey.

-Charly Caruso interviewed Seth and asked why he did that. Seth said he was going to be a leader, and he also said he had a score to settle, and that was him settling a score. He said the better question is why he didn’t send Rey to the hospital, but that’s because he had a challenge to issue. He challenged Rey to a one-on-one match on Raw next week for the U.S. Title.

-The announcers reacted, then threw to a video package hyping the Raw main event of Randy Orton vs. A.J. Styles. A soundbite aired with Orton saying this is Raw, not Smackdown, and if he has trouble remembering why he’s superior, he will “remind him with the three most destructive letters in sports entertainment.”

-Asuka made her ring entrance. The announcers recapped what happened the night before at TLC in the ladders tag match as she walked to the ring. Joseph then threw to a video package on NXT’s Deonna Purrazzo showing off her armbars. Purrazzo made her ring entrance. The graphic on the screen was the NXT logo. (So another leak in the wall between brands again for no reason that was explained?) The announcers said Asuka couldn’t possibly be at 100 percent just 24 hours after TLC. (Ya think?) Lawler said at most 75 percent. Purrazzo knocked Asuka out of the ring with a surprise pump kick to the face before the bell. As Asuka recovered at ringside, they cut to a break. [c]

(4) ASUKA vs. DEONNA PURRAZZO

When the bell rang, Asuka took it to Purrazzo with a flurry of aggressive kicks. Purrazzo came back with an armbar a minute in. Asuka escaped and rolled up Purrazzo for a two count. Asuka followed with an attempt at an armbar herself. She shifted to a kneebar mid-ring. Purrazzo came back with a variation of a Sister Abigail for a near fall. Asuka came back a minute later with an Asuka lock for the tapout win. Lawler said that was impressive after what Asuka went through 24 hours earlier.

WINNER: Asuka in 4:00 via submission.

-In a sit-down interview, Caruso asked Becky what it was like to lose. Becky said the last few months she hasn’t been herself. She said she was taken out of the singles competition and put in the tag team division. She said at first she thought the powers that be were trying to bury her, but then she realized it was much worse – they were trying to protect her. She said they don’t believe she can beat Asuka, and maybe they’re right, but she didn’t come this far to be protected and shielded. She said she is the best and her performances in 2019 proved it. Caruso asked what Becky would say to those who say Asuka deserves to be champion. Becky looked at the camera and said she needs Asuka because she is the one person she has not been able to beat. “Up until now, you’ve had my number, but I need for that to change,” she said. She said she has something to prove to herself.

-Randy Orton made his ring entrance.

-A commercial aired hyping Smackdown asking what is next for Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt. [c]

-They showed postcard shots of Des Moines, Iowa.

-They went to Rey in the locker room who said he’ll defend his title against Andrade anytime. He said tonight Andrade tried to end the career of rising star Humberto Carrillo. He said Seth tried to settle a score, but what he’s really done is start a fight. He said Seth has shown why so many don’t respect him as an athlete and a man. He said he’s never had a one-on-one against Seth, but next week that changes because he accepts Seth’s challenge.

(5) RANDY ORTON vs. A.J. STYLES

Styles made his ring entrance. Orton got early control and beat up Styles at ringside, including throwing him into the ringside steps. Orton then stomped several times on Styles’s ankle back in the ring. Styles countered a draping DDT and rolled into a calf crusher attempt. Orton blocked it at first, but Styles adjusted into a leglock mid-ring. Orton tried toe scape, but Styles continued to adjust and torque Orton’s leg. Orton finally reached the bottom rope to force a break. He rolled to the floor. Styles clipped Orton’s leg at ringside. They cut to a break. [c]

Styles stayed on offense after the break for a couple of minutes.

[OVERRUN]

Deep into the match, Orton landed a draping DDT for a near fall. Orton was struggling to use his injured leg. Styles went for another leglock, but Orton kicked Styles off of him. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Orton teased an RKO. Styles then went for the Phenomenal Forearm again, and this time Orton did strike with the RKO for the win.

WINNER: Orton in 17:00.

-After the match, the O.C. attacked Orton. Then the Viking Raiders made the save. They brawled. It set up a six-man tag for next week.