SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 27, 2023
NASHVILLE, TENN. AT BRIDGESTONE ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA
BY MAURICIO POMAREs, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
[HOUR ONE]
– This week’s episode of WWE Raw opened with a recap of Randy Orton and CM Punk’s returns at Survivor Series.
– Randy Orton made his way to the ring to welcome the fans to Monday Night Raw. Orton explained that he had never competed in War Games and accepted Cody Rhodes’ offer without hesitation. Orton said that he also returned because he has unfinished business with the Bloodline. He said that he had a bag of receipts for every single member of the Bloodline in the form of RKOs. Rhea Ripley interrupted to point out that Orton had his grand return upstaged.
– Ripley claimed that War Games was just a bump in the road and that they were still draped in gold. Ripley tried to threaten Orton if he didn’t join Judgment Day, only for Orton to simply tell her that daddy was back. Orton said that things might be different, but nobody tells him what to do. JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio attacked Orton from behind, but quickly overpowered them. Orton hit JD with an RKO and said that he would talk with Adam Pearce to get a match against Dominik.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The promo was mostly fine, but the crowd was always going to be hot no matter what Randy Orton said. I’m assuming Orton feuding with Judgment Day isn’t likely to be a long-term program.)
– Earlier today, Maxxine Dupri and Ivy Nile presented the Alpha Academy, Creed Brothers and New Day with country music artist Jelly Roll. R-Truth showed up looking for jerry rolls before telling Akira Tozawa to do his dance.
(1a) ALPHA ACADEMY (Otis & Akira Tozawa w/Chad Gable & Maxxine Dupri) vs. DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) – Tag Team Gauntlet Match
Tozawa caught Ciampa with a spinning kick, followed by a jab. Ciampa caught Tozawa with a jawbreaker, followed by an assisted lariat. Tozawa blocked a high crossbody from Gargano with his knees, reaching Otis for the tag. Otis knocked DIY down with a double shoulder tackle, followed by a pair of back elbows. Tozawa and Otis crushed Gargano and Ciampa with stereo Caterpillars. Ciampa nailed Tozawa with a knee strike and low-bridged Otis. DIY crushed Tozawa with the Meeting in the Middle for the three count.
WINNERS: DIY
(1b) DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. INDUS SHER (Veer & Sanga w/
Indus Sher immediately rammed Ciampa back-first into the ring post. Veer hit Gargano with a body block while Sanga knocked Ciampa off the apron. Sanga hit Gargano with a big boot, only for Gargano to surprise Vere with a roll-up for the win.
WINNERS: DIY
(1c) DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) vs. CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed w/Ivy Nile)
The Creeds took control over Ciampa with a pair of fireman’s carry takeovers. Ciampa managed to take Julius down, reaching Gargano for the hot tag. Gargano knocked the Creeds off his feet with a bulldog and clothesline combination before blasting Brutus with a slingshot Spear. DIY took Brutus down with a tag team Sliced bread and sliding knee strike for a nearfall.
The Creeds spiked Ciampa with a tag team double underhook facebuster, but Gargano broke the pinfall. Gargano crashed into Brutus with a Pescado while Ciampa and Brutus exchanged strikes. DIY took Julius down with an enzuigiri and a thrust kick, but Brutus saved him from the Meeting in the Middle. Julius planted Gargano with a powerbomb, setting him up for the Brutus Bomb and the fall.
WINNERS: Creed Brothers
(1d) CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed w/Ivy Nile) vs. NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
The New Day quickly knocked Julius down with a dropkick, followed by a diving double stomp to the arm. Woods and Kofi hit Julius with a leaping splash and a diving elbow drop for a two count. Julius kicked out of an inside cradle and planted Kofi with a delayed bodyslam. Woods clobbered Brutus with an elbow strike before receiving a Xploder. Brutus laid Woods out with a deadlift suplex from the bottom rope for a two count.
The Creeds crushed Woods with a standing moonsault and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Woods managed to spike Brutus with a Tornado DDT while kicking Julius out of the ring. The New Day hit Brutus with a backbreaker and double stomp combination, but Julius broke the pinfall. Brutus evaded the Trouble in Paradise, allowing Julius to catch a high crossbody and launch Kofi away with a Fallaway slam. Brutus took care of Woods before finishing Kofi with the Brutus Bomb.
(1e) CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed w/Ivy Nile) vs. IMPERIUM (Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci)
Imperium immediately stomped Julius down, setting him up for a springboard crossbody from Vinci. Vinci laid Julius out with a spinebuster, setting him up for a Penalty kick from Kaiser. Imperium laid Julius out with the Imperium Bomb, but Brutus broke the pinfall. Julius low-bridged Vinci and kicked Kaiser away, reaching Brutus for the hot tag. Brutus sent Kaiser out of the ring and dropped Vinci with a spinebuster. Kaiser saved Vinci from a power move with a chop block on Brutus. Vinci cracked Brutus with a backbreaker before putting him in a shoulder lock.
Brutus and Vinci knocked each other down with big boots, allowing Julius to tag in. Julius floored Vinci and Kaiser with a barrage of belly-to-belly suplexes before laying both men with a double back body drop. Kaiser nearly beat Julius with a roll-up, but Julius retorted with a gutwrench powerbomb. Vinci shoved Brutus off the top turnbuckle while Kaiser drove Julius into the ring post. Julius jumped off of Vinci’s back to stop Kaiser atop the turnbuckle. Brutus nailed Vinci with a Samoan Drop while Julius launched Kaiser away with a superplex. Brutus crashed into Vinci with the Brutus Bomb to pick up the victory.
WINNERS: Creed Brothers at 25:53
(Pomares’s Analysis: Really good Gauntlet match to give DIY and especially the Creed Brothers a brilliant showcase. With how strong they have been booked since their main roster call-up, it’s very likely they’ll win the tag titles after the Judgment Day lost their War Games match.)
– Backstage, Finn Bálor tried to warn Damian Priest about the Creed Brothers. Priest tried to convince the rest of Judgment Day to talk about him failing as their leader at War Games. Ripley and Finn insisted that they were still family and they still had the gold. Finn and Priest walked away to check on JD McDonagh.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring to praise every member of his team at War Games. Cody mentioned CM Punk’s newsworthy return, claiming that he also wanted to make news. He said that he would be the first one to declare himself for the 2024 Royal Rumble. The lights turned off and Shinsuke Nakamura appeared on-screen to say that he was done waiting and wanted to bring Cody chaos. Nakamura appeared behind Cody to blind him with red mist before walking away.
(Pomares’s Analysis: It’s cool to see WWE already making the Royal Rumble a major priority for the roster. I’m happy to see Cody Rhodes move on from the Judgment Day, however I’m not sure if Shinsuke Nakamura would have been my first choice. Regardless, this will likely be a filler feud to keep Cody busy until the Rumble.)
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Shinsuke Nakamura blinding Cody Rhodes was shown.
(2) BRONSON REED vs. IVAR (w/Valhalla)
They immediately traded clotheslines and shoulder tackles, until Reed knocked Ivar down with a body block and an elbow drop. Ivar caught Reed with a seated senton, followed by a leg lariat and a crossbody into the apron, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Reed pummeled Ivar with a barrage of chops to the chest, only for Ivar to respond with a series of back elbows. Reed blocked a leg lariat and knocked Ivar away with a thrust kick. Reed planted Ivar with a Samoan drop and a senton for a close two count. Ivar surprised Reed with a spinning powerslam, but he managed to kick out at two.
Ivar missed a moonsault, but Valhalla distracted Reed before he could follow up. The referee ejected Valhalla while Ivar blasted Reed with a running clothesline. Reed caught a crossbody off the apron and tossed Ivar over the barricade. They continued brawling in the timekeeper’s area, until Reed floored Ivar with a Death Valley Driver into a barricade, as time ran out.
WINNER: Draw via Double Count Out at 8:33
– After the match, Ivar hit Bronson Reed with a chair shot to the back, continuing the brawl away from the ring. Reed crushed Ivar with a cannonball off a storage box before they were separated by referees and agents.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Match was solid if a bit sloppy at moments. The post-match brawl was more exciting than the match itself and was a solid setup for a future Viking Rules match.)
– Earlier today, Nia Jax mocked Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler after Stark’s loss at Survivor Series. Stark challenged Jax to a singles match tonight.
– Nia Jax made her way to the ring, ahead of her match against Zoey Stark.
[Commercial Break]
– A highlight reel of people reacting to CM Punk’s return was shown.
– Backstage, the Judgment Day found R-Truth eating jelly rolls in their clubhouse. R-Truth asked them to join their team for War Games, only for Priest to remind him that War Games already happened.
(3) NIA JAX vs. ZOEY STARK
Stark caught Jax with an enzuigiri, only for Jax to shut her down with a forearm strike. Jax crushed Stark with a corner clothesline, but Stark was able to low-bridge her and knock her down with a diving clothesline, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Stark cracked Jax with a jawbreaker, only for Jax to swing her head into the turnbuckle. Stark nailed Jax with a couple of thrust kicks, but Jax quickly shut her down with a body block. Jax crashed into the ring post, allowing Stark to hit her with a mid-rope corkscrew senton. Stark swept Jax off the top turnbuckle to blast her with a kick to the head and a missile dropkick for a nearfall. Jax tripped Stark atop the turnbuckle, setting her up for a Samoan drop, a senton and a diving seated senton.
WINNER: Nia Jax at 9:06
(Pomares’s Analysis: Fine match with no major highlight or memorable spot. Nia Jax definitely feels like Rhea Ripley’s next challenger, but I’m hoping they do it before the end of the year and not delay it until the Rumble.)
– A recap of Gunther defeating The Miz at Survivor Series was shown.
– Backstage, Gunther demanded Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci to sort out their issues with DIY. The Miz showed up to try and get a rematch, only for Gunther to tell him that he was no threat to his legendary title run.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
– Seth Rollins was in the middle of the ring, only for the crowd to chant CM Punk at him. Rollins said that he didn’t want to focus on that hypocrite and instead focus on his title. Rollins said that he had the itch to be a fighting champion again before being interrupted by Drew McIntyre. Drew congratulated Rollins on his win at War Games, complaining that the Judgment Day’s master plan didn’t work. Drew said that he wanted to move past Jey Uso and focus once again on the World Heavyweight title. He said that Rollins was 100% right in the fact that he didn’t have anyone to blame for his loss but himself.
– Drew said that he felt sympathy for Rollins and his daughter at Crown Jewel, and that he wanted a rematch. Rollins said that Drew deserved a rematch, but he believed there were other people that deserved a title match more. Rollins announced that he would defend his title next week against Jey Uso. Drew immediately cracked Rollins with a headbutt, followed by a belly-to-belly suplex. Jey ran down to make the save, nailing Drew with a double superkick alongside Rollins.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Drew McIntyre continues being the most compelling character currently on Raw. Both his promo and beat-down of Seth Rollins were excellently executed and arguably the best thing on the whole show so far.)
– Natalya and Tegan Nox made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against Chelsea Green and Piper Niven.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Sami Zayn confronted Drew McIntyre about his assault on Seth Rollins. Sami pointed out that he was also screwed out of a world title in front of his family, but he is the one that picked himself up. Sami told Drew that he was a two-time world champion and was acting like a spoiled brat. Drew said that he would talk with Adam Pearce to start climbing back to the top, starting with Sami next week.
(4) CHELSEA GREEN & PIPER NIVEN vs. NATALYA & TEGAN NOX – Women’s Tag Team Championship
Natalya knocked Green down with a back elbow and a discus clothesline, forcing her to tag Niven in. Niven crashed into the ring post, allowing Nox to hit her with a wheelbarrow stunner and a Penalty kick. Natalya crushed Niven with a high crossbody, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Green stopped Natalya atop the turnbuckle, only for Natalya to catch her off-guard with a sitout powerbomb. Nox knocked Niven off the apron and blasted Green with a running uppercut. Nox cracked Green with a headbutt, followed by a suplex into a facebuster. Green ran into the turnbuckle, allowing Nox to knock her down with an enzuigiri. Nox crushed Green with the Molly-Go-Round, but Niven broke the pinfall.
Green caught Nox with a Codebreaker, setting her up for a senton from Niven for a nearfall. Niven tossed Natalya out of the ring and Green kicked her away. Natalya and Nox caught Green and dropped her into the barricade with a double suplex. Niven took Natalya and Nox out with a cannonball off the apron before finishing Nox with a running crossbody.
WINNERS: Chelsea Green & Piper Niven at 8:40 (Still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions)
(Pomares’s Analysis: Solid match while it lasted, but the crowd wasn’t very invested and the ending felt a bit too sudden for my liking.)
– It was announced that Seth Rollins would defend his World Heavyweight title against Jey Uso and Sami Zayn would face Drew McIntyre next week.
– Backstage, Jey Uso met Randy Orton to thank him for helping at War Games and apologize for what he did. Orton said that he has been watching Jey and that as far as he was concerned, they were good.
– Dominik Mysterio made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Randy Orton.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Becky Lynch about her victory at War Games. Lynch talked about superstars rising, but some are impressing her more than others.
(5) RANDY ORTON vs. DOMINIK MYSTERIO (w/JD McDonagh)
Dominik attacked Orton with a cheap shot, only for Orton to knock him down with a shoulder tackle. Orton pummeled Dominik down and planted him with a back body drop, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Orton tossed Dominik out of the ring, but Dominik was able to hit him with a forearm to the back and a shot into the steel steps. Orton took Dominik down with a series of clotheslines, followed by a snap powerslam. Orton dropped Dominik with the draping DDT, but JD pulled Dominik out before an RKO.
JD confronted Jelly Roll in the crowd, only for Jelly to shove him into the mat. Jelly shoved Dominik away, allowing Orton to hit him with a back suplex on the apron twice. Orton nailed JD with a draping DDT before receiving a dropkick to the back and a 619. Dominik missed a Frog Splash, allowing Orton to finish him with an RKO.
WINNER: Randy Orton at 9:27
(Pomares’s Analysis: The match accomplished pretty much everything it set out to do. Randy Orton had a solid performance against a hated heel and got to hit most of his signature offense. I could have done without the random Jelly Roll interference though.)
[Commercial Break]
– CM Punk made his way to the ring to say that hell has frozen over, as he stands live in a WWE ring with a mic in hand. Punk said that he has been feeling more like himself lately and admitted that he changed. Punk claimed that he was home and that he was back thanks to all of the fans that have chanted his name for the past 10 years. He said that once upon a time to get everything he ever wanted, he had to leave. Punk claimed that everyone in the back was happy to see him, except for the few that were scared to see him raise the bar. Punk said that the best in the world was back and his name was CM Punk.
(Pomares’s Analysis: That was a masterfully delivered promo without any real substance. I get that there are things they can’t do in WWE, but after everything that’s happened and that Punk has said over the past 10 years, this felt very disingenuous. Hope things improve when he gets into an actual feud.)
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