WWE Raw live results: Becky Lynch vs. Bayley
Date: December 19, 2022
Location: Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA
Show Recap —
The show kicked off with a shot of Paul Heyman holding the WWE Universal Championship belts. Heyman introduced himself before the camera panned out to reveal Roman Reigns was there, too. The crowd cheered.
Reigns called Raw the home of Kevin Owens who was trying to tear down his island. Not only that, but Owens went and got himself John Cena. Reigns warned that Owens would need more than that. He’d need the entire Raw locker room. Reigns was going to return the favour and show Owens what he had at his disposal, then everyone would acknowledge the Bloodline.
Elsewhere, the Usos held up a camera to show that Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa were taking out Mustafa Ali (and a couple of security guards or stagehands). They said there was more to be done and went on their way.
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As the match below got underway, they cut to a live shot in the back of the Bloodline taking out Elias and Andre Chase (the announcers acknowledged that Chase was there to compete on Main Event).
The Street Profits (w/Akira Tozawa) defeated Finn Bálor & Damian Priest (w/Rhea Ripley & Dominik Mysterio) (9:01)
Bálor dropkicked Montez Ford and was about to go up for his finisher but got distracted by Tozawa getting into a confrontation with Ripley and Dominik outside the ring. Tozawa tried to chuck his drink in Ripley’s face but she ducked and it hit Dom instead which delighted the crowd, of course.
Ford then rolled up Bálor for the win.
(The action in the match was pretty good but about half of it happened during a break and the first minute was a backdrop for the backstage angle.)
— After the match, Ripley marched up the ramp and smacked Tozawa who fell on his ass. She challenged him to a fight and went to the ring. Tozawa made his way to the ring as they cut to break.
The Street Profits psyched up Tozawa who seemed unsure about getting in the ring but the bell rang and the match was official.
Rhea Ripley (w/Judgment Day) defeated Akira Tozawa (w/The Street Profits) (4:56)
Tozawa countered some strikes but stopped himself short of punching Ripley. She took advantage of his hesitation and hit a running boot for two. Tozawa tried a vertical suplex but Ripley reversed into her own suplex for two. There was a rough sequence where they mistimed a bunch of counters until Tozawa finally managed to bring Ripley down with a hurricanrana.
Tozawa set up for a suicide dive but was tripped by Bálor so the Street Profits took out Bálor and Priest with stereo dives. Tozawa dodged a Ripley charge and she went shoulder-first into the ring post. Tozawa kicked Dom off the apron and went to the top but Ripley dodged his diving senton attempt and hit Riptide for the pinfall win.
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Backstage, Adam Pearce was leaving an angry voicemail for Heyman. Cathy Kelley was there and wanted to ask about the Bloodline but first asked for an update on Bobby Lashley. Pearce wanted to keep their matter private but did say that the two men met at headquarters and he assured her that Lashley would be back soon.
MVP approached Pearce for a word. Pearce was annoyed but agreed to meet in his office. However, an official ran up to grab Pearce because there was something going on backstage. Pearce ran off with the official and Kelley followed.
After a break, Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander were all down and being checked on by officials while Pearce was on the phone. Kelley couldn’t get a comment from Pearce so she asked Ziggler what happened. Ziggler responded, “the Bloodline happened.”
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Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows (w/AJ Styles & Mia Yim) defeated Alpha Academy (9:05)
The OC was working over Chad Gable and the crowd randomly chanted “we want Otis.” Otis tagged in and they cheered but OC cleared the ring of Otis and Gable ahead of a break.
Chad Gable worked over Anderson after the break until Gallows tagged in but Otis made a blind tag and leveled Gallows with a discus clothesline. Alpha Academy hit a double-team move on Gallows but Anderson broke up the cover.
Gable went for a moonsault but Gallows avoided it and OC gave him Magic Killer for the pinfall win.
— The Bloodline jumped in and laid out Styles, Gallows and Anderson after the match.
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The Usos and Sami Zayn were still in the ring after the break. Pearce was at ringside with Shane Helms and a bunch of security guards. Jimmy Uso said they run this business. Zayn didn’t know what Pearce’s problem was because the fans certainly didn’t have a problem with them. The crowd cheered.
Zayn said tonight was nothing compared to do what they will do to Owens and John Cena on the December 30th episode of Smackdown. Pearce was about to send security into the ring but Jey said not to worry about it because they were done. Jey led the crowd in their catchphrase and they left the ring.
As Bloodline left, Styles decked Zayn but officials separated them.
They showed a replay of Alexa Bliss beating Bayley last week. After that, Styles was screaming at Pearce backstage. Styles wanted a match so Pearce gave it to him — against Sami Uso.
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Bianca Belair/Alexa Bliss segment
Byron Saxton sat down backstage with Bianca Belair and Alexa Bliss for an interview. Saxton asked Bliss to comment on what happened after her match last week (when she was possessed and almost attacked Belair). Belair told Bliss that she didn’t trust her.
Bliss couldn’t explain what happened but spoke about being abducted by Bray Wyatt. Bliss was left with abandonment issues and had to go to therapy which didn’t help. She said that she could only go up from here and had her eyes set on the championship.
Belair didn’t believe that Bliss didn’t know what happened. Belair knew what Bliss and Bray were capable of. Bliss told Belair to stop making this about Bray because she should be focused on her. Bliss said she was winning titles in WWE before Belair was even there and she would do it again.
They got up to leave but when Belair turned her back, Bliss smashed her from behind with a vase. Saxton checked on Belair as Bliss left.
They announced that Belair will defend her title against Bliss on the January 2nd edition of Raw.
(They technically crossed into the second hour during that interview segment.)
[SECOND HOUR]
Ladder match: The Miz defeated Dexter Lumis (w/Johnny Gargano) (19:40)
Bronson Reed returned to help Miz win the match.
Lumis gave Miz a superplex off a ladder early in the match. Lumis dropped the ladder toward a fallen Miz and it just barely missed hitting his balls. Miz was relieved but Lumis dropkicked the ladder into his dick anyway. They battled for position on top of the ladder before it toppled over and they both crashed into the top rope.
They were back on the ladder after a break. Lumis shoved Miz off but Miz pushed the ladder over and Lumis again crashed onto the rope. Miz tried grabbing the money bags but Lumis yanked him down and put him in his sleeper hold. Miz countered and gave him a neckbreaker off the apron.
Miz placed Lumis between the ladder and started dropping chairs on top of it. The crowd chanted for tables so Miz teased getting one before putting it back. Miz instead decided to boot Gargano and hit him with the ladder. (Gargano disappeared after that.)
Lumis sat up and slammed Miz on top of a ladder (which, fortunately for Miz, was covered by the thing that normally covers the announce desk). Lumis placed Miz on the announce table and tried a diving leg drop off a ladder but Miz rolled off and Lumis crashed through the table. Miz limped into the ring and climbed the ladder but Lumis recovered and chucked him off.
Lumis was about to grab the money bags to win but was attacked by the returning Bronson Reed.
Reed splashed Lumis before helping Miz climb the ladder. The crowd booed as Miz grabbed the money for the win.
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Sami Zayn defeated AJ Styles (12:54)
(Styles was alone because Gallows and Anderson were being checked on backstage.)
Styles beat up Zayn for a few minutes before Zayn tripped him off the ropes. Styles hit a rack bomb for two following a break. Zayn blocked a Styles Clash before hitting a big boot and an awesome brainbuster for two.
Styles hit a series of strikes, absorbed a boot by Zayn and hit a Pelé Kick. Zayn countered a reverse DDT and suplexed Styles into the turnbuckles. Styles blocked a Helluva Kick and applied a calf crusher but Zayn got a rope break.
Sikoa made his way down through the crowd and the distraction allowed Zayn to try a schoolboy for two. Styles fought off Zayn and set up for the Phenomenal forearm but instead went after Sikoa. Zayn tried to help Sikoa but Styles fought him off again and sent him back into the ring.
As the ref checked on Zayn, Sikoa gave Styles the Samoan Spike. Zayn followed with a Blue Thunder Bomb for the pinfall win. Good match.
— A pissed-off Pearce came out and screamed at Zayn and Sikoa to leave. Zayn was amused.
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Next week is a Best of 2022 show. Seth Rollins will face Austin Theory for the US Title on the January 2nd edition of Raw.
[THIRD HOUR]
Seth Rollins/Austin Theory segment
Rollins entered. He was pumped to be in Des Moines, Iowa and the crowd chanted “welcome home.” Rollins noted that the Bloodline were attacking everyone but him and he had a message for the Ucey boys to deliver to the Tribal Chief: Mondays don’t belong to Roman Reigns, they belong to Seth freakin’ Rollins.
Theory entered and the crowd booed him for interrupting Rollins. Theory dropped a “the champ is here” line and he told Rollins that this was just the beginning of the Theory era. Theory said Rollins was going to pass the torch to him and if he didn’t, Theory would take it from his “cold, legendary hands.”
Rollins warned him to back off or he’d end up like Bobby Lashley. Theory said Rollins was lucky that Lashley took out his frustrations on officials and not him and that was typical because Rollins’ whole career has been lucky. Rollins knew that Theory has grown up but despite being the US champion, it eats him up that he will never be Seth Rollins.
Theory asked how many times Rollins was given the ball before fumbling it, just like his Chicago Bears. Theory told Rollins that he was just the third-most successful member of the Shield. (The crowd buzzed at that line but not that loudly.)
Rollins told Theory that he didn’t just reach the mountaintop, he was the mountaintop. Rollins said the man makes the title and wanted to find out what kind of man Theory was. Rollins challenged him to fight right now.
Before Theory could respond, the Usos appeared at ringside. Rollins warned Theory that they had company and told him that they’d deal with this later. Rollins and Theory got ready for the Usos but Theory left.
The Usos attacked Rollins until Kevin Owens entered. Owens and Rollins cleared the Usos from the ring. Pearce and security ran out to back off the Usos. Rollins and Owens challenged the Usos to a match and Pearce made it official.
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Becky Lynch cut a backstage promo. Lynch wanted the best version of Bayley and that was a Bayley on her own. Lynch and Bayley both rose up and changed the game.
When Lynch rose to the top she did things on her own. Lynch knew that she had to take out those who were a threat but was disappointed that when Bayley took her out, she did it with help. Lynch asked Bayley if tonight would be one-on-one or one-on-three. Win or lose, Lynch would die on her own sword but Bayley couldn’t say the same. This was good.
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WWE congratulated themselves on reaching 20 million followers on TikTok.
Bayley (w/Tag Team Champions Damage CTRL) defeated Becky Lynch (14:27)
Bayley took control ahead of a break thanks to her friends but Lynch fired back and got a few nearfalls after the break. Lynch was mostly in control until Bayley hit Bayley-to-belly for two. Lynch blocked a Roseplant and hit a modified Angle Slam, followed by Diamond Dust for two.
Bayley tried a cover with her feet on the rope but the ref caught her. Lynch went for Man-handle slam but Dakota Kai and IYO SKY pulled Bayley out of the ring. Lynch threatened to attack them with a TV monitor and the ref tossed them from ringside.
Kai was complaining to the ref on the apron so Lynch decked her. As the ref got Kai out of the ring, Bayley hit Lynch from behind with the monitor. Bayley followed with Roseplant for the pinfall win.
(The crowd liked Lynch but they were quiet for the match. The match itself was going along well until the finish.)
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Owens approached Rollins in the back as he was getting ready. They agreed they were a great team in the past and Rollins wondered why they stopped. Owens reminded him that he tried to steal his WrestleMania spot with Steve Austin. Rollins wasn’t sure that was true while Owens was 98% sure. Rollins figured there was a 2% chance Owens was wrong but Owens was just trying to be nice — he was 100% sure.
Owens said that was all moot because tonight they had a common goal to take out the Usos. Rollins was happy with that and he laughed. After Rollins left, Owens said, “still got that laugh, huh?” Owens was great here.
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Non-title match: Kevin Owens & Seth Rollins defeated Tag Team Champions Jimmy & Jey Uso (10:50)
(I know it’s nothing new, but even more than usual it feels like they’re in the routine of having the heel side take control right before a break, always about three minutes into the match, only for the babyface to mount a comeback immediately after the break.)
The Usos took control before a break two minutes into the match and Rollins made a fiery comeback after the break, taking out both Usos with a flying crossbody.
Owens tagged in and hit Jimmy with a frog splash for two. Jey took out Rollins with a superkick outside the ring while Jimmy got his knees up on Owens’ Swanton attempt in the ring.
Sikoa appeared at ringside but Gallows and Anderson jumped him. Jey hit them with a dive before Rollins hit a dive of his own. Rollins avoided a charge by Sikoa who ran into the ring post and Rollins took out Jey with a stomp. If that wasn’t enough outside interference, Theory hit Rollins from behind with his title belt.
Owens and Jimmy battled on the ropes until Jimmy hit a superkick for a nearfall. Owens blocked a superkick and hit one of his own followed by a pop-up powerbomb for the pinfall win.
— As Owens celebrated, Zayn slipped into the ring behind him but Owens turned around in time to see him. They stared each other down until Zayn left the ring to join the Bloodline.
(The announcers plugged the Dec 30 Smackdown and Jan 2 Raw again before the show ended.)