WWE Raw live results: Seth Rollins apologizes
Date: December 2, 2019
Location: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
The Big Takeaway —
Lana and Lashley were arrested after Rusev violated his restraining order.
There were five matches on Raw that could reasonably be called squash matches. There was only one women’s match, which saw Asuka and Kairi Sane beat Charlotte Flair in a handicap match. Becky Lynch was not on the show for the second straight week and no explanation was provided.
They also didn’t update us on Kevin Owens, who was beaten up and dragged to the back by AOP.
There was also nothing plugged for the TLC pay per view which is in less than two weeks. They probably mentioned the name of the show at some point, but that’s it.
Show Recap —
Raw started with Charly Caruso waiting in the back as a black van pulled up. AOP emerged from the van (they drove themselves) and Caruso asked them why they attacked Kevin Owens last week.
They responded in Albanian and Punjabi but Caruso told them that she didn’t understand those languages. In English, Rezar told Caruso that she looked very pretty tonight and they left. Caruso didn’t like that response.
Vic Joseph, Jerry Lawler and Samoa Joe are the announcers.
Seth Rollins came out. He was booed. Rollins said his comments last week came from a good place and he just wanted the best from everyone on Raw. Rollins admitted that he may have gone overboard and apologized. He apologized to the fans, to the locker room, and specifically, to Kevin Owens. Rollins invited Owens to the ring. Owens entered.
Owens wondered if the fans smell what he smelled. It smelled like when the rodeo comes to Nashville. He didn’t buy Rollins calling them all a family. He also wondered if AOP was part of the family Rollins was referring to. Rollins said he had nothing to do with AOP’s actions. Owens clarified what he meant earlier: “That smell I was referring to is bullshit.” (It wasn’t bleeped.)
AOP came out to the stage. They challenged Rollins and Owens to a tag match later tonight. Rollins accepted. Owens figured this would probably end with the three of them attacking him, so he told them to just start the match now and get it over with. Rollins was upset that Owens didn’t trust him so he left. AOP allowed Rollins to leave without touching him.
Owens challenged AOP to fight but they backed off. Owens said he was in his gear and ready to go so he challenged anybody to a fight. As they went to break, Bobby Lashley and Lana were shown walking through the back.
After a break, Owens was still waiting. Lana’s music hit and she came out alone. She just sorta posed on the stage for a while as her music played and Owens was bored out of his mind. Lana said Raw was all about her and a very annoyed Owens interrupted her. He said he was vomiting in his mouth as she tried to continue talking.
Lana told the fans they won’t get to see Rusev because she again got a restraining order against him in the state of Tennessee. Owens said he’s never heard somebody talk so much and say so little. He said she might be beautiful on the outside but was repulsive on the inside. Lana warned him that Lashley would finish him. Owens was ready.
Kevin Owens defeated Bobby Lashley (w/Lana) via DQ (8:49)
Lashley and Lana had two police officers (wearing suits) with them at ringside. Lashley hit a spinebuster early on, but Owens came back with a frog splash from the apron to the outside, then they went to break.
Immediately after the break, Owens hit a cannonball for two. Lashley avoided a moonsault and followed with a clothesline. Owens came back later with a superkick, but Lashley responded with a swinging neckbreaker and Dominator for two. Owens avoided a full nelson and hit a pop-up powerbomb.
AOP marched out and entered the ring. Owens attacked them and the referee called for a DQ. AOP beat up Owens as the crowd chanted “Rusev Day.” AOP slammed Owens against the barricade and on the ramp, then dragged him to the back as they went to break.
After the break, Caruso interviewed Lashley and Lana in the ring. Lashley said he was about to beat Owens before AOP showed up. Lana was upset that people were booing them and talked about hiring detectives because of Rusev. As she spoke, Rusev came out through the crowd and attacked Lashley. Lana freaked out as the officers just watched.
Rusev taunted Lana before leaving through the crowd as the fans chanted for him. Lana checked on Lashley who got up and told the officers they only had one job. One of the officers told Lashley that he was a WWE fan and knew they had a restraining order, but they do things differently in Tennessee. Lashley shoulder-checked the officer as he walked passed him.
That officer grabbed him and put him in handcuffs. As they took him away, Lana got in that officer’s face, accused him of being a Rusev fan, then slapped him. That led to Lana being placed in cuffs as well. They were taken away. The crowd was really into this.
Lana and Lashley were shown being taken away in a black police car during the break. Lana threatened to sue. The Street Profits and R-Truth were nearby and seemed moderately amused.
Drew McIntyre defeated Akira Tozawa (4:10)
McIntyre easily slammed Tozawa, then got to his knees to try to match height with him. McIntyre told him to leave or else. Tozawa teased leaving, then gave him a dropkick and suicide dive headbutt. However, McIntyre caught him and gave him an inverted Alabama Slam on the black mats.
McIntyre followed with a hard chop and an overhead suplex that sent Tozawa across the ring. Tozawa came back with a low dropkick, enziguri and missile dropkick. Tozawa countered an Alabama Slam attempt into a rollup, then McIntyre killed him with a Claymore Kick for the win. The crowd seemed to enjoy this.
After the match, McIntyre said people in the back go straight to social media when they gave a complaint. A lot of them like to be really cryptic about it so we can guess what they’re talking about because they’re a bunch of bloody cowards. McIntyre was more direct about and called out Randy Orton because he had a problem with him. They went to break.
(On Smackdown, Baron Corbin vows to humiliate Roman Reigns and we find out what happened to Daniel Bryan.)
After the break, still no Orton. McIntyre decided to play some footage to show why he had a problem. It was a clip from last week of Orton poking him in the eye (after getting chopped) during the fatal four-way. McIntyre called him out again, and Orton entered.
Orton couldn’t believe this was why McIntyre called him out. He was about to leave but McIntyre yelled at him, telling him not to turn his back on him. McIntyre’s real problem was that Orton walked around there like he owned the place. He knew Orton was a future Hall of Famer, but that didn’t give Orton the right to speak to him like a child.
McIntyre said Orton might have been the most ferocious man in the past, but now, he was only the most ferocious man on social media. Today, the most ferocious man in WWE was McIntyre. He spoke slowly so the people in Nashville could understand him and let everyone know that Orton was the past and he was the present.
Orton said he’s earned the right to do what he wants, whereas McIntyre hasn’t earned a damn thing. Orton thought they could be cool, but if McIntyre still had a problem, they could settle it now. They got face-to-face before being interrupted by The OC’s music.
AJ Styles was too pissed to talk. Luke Gallows called Orton an unapologetic jerk. Karl Anderson said Orton ruined Uncle Allen’s life by costing him the US title. Anderson said Styles was handsome and charismatic, then asked him if he was okay. Styles responded, “No, I’m not okay, Karl!” Styles wanted Orton tonight.
Before Orton could respond, McIntyre said this was Orton’s problem to deal with and left. The OC surrounded Orton. Orton tried to attack but they swarmed him. Ricochet ran out to make the save but they easily stopped him. Humberto Carrillo came out next but they also stopped him easily. Rey Mysterio entered and successfully made the save.
Mysterio, Ricochet and Carrillo stood tall as Orton looked on from the outside.
The set up for this felt too similar to the opening segment. Two guys argued, a heel faction came out to interrupt, and one of the guys who was arguing just left.
Kyle Busch and Michael Waltrip were shown sitting ringside.
In the back, Mysterio, flanked by Ricochet and Carrillo, asked Orton if he was alright. Orton said he appreciated the assistance, but he didn’t need it. Orton left.
Aleister Black defeated Tony Nese (3:26)
Nese got some offense but Black won quicky with strikes and a Black Mass.
Caruso asked Buddy Murphy if he regretted knocking on Black’s door. Murphy wanted to expose Black as a man who takes himself way too seriously. Murphy called himself calm, cool and collected, but Black was a hot-head. He suggested that Black calm down, and if he didn’t want to, Murphy would do it for him. Strange.
Andrade (w/Zelina Vega) defeated Eric Young (4:36)
Joe put over Young as one of the most dangerous men in the company. Young nailed a flying elbow drop for two, then Andrade yanked him from the top and hit a running kick for two. Young used a jawbreaker but Andrade caught him with a boot. Young then hit a neckbreaker for a nearfall.
Young went to the top again but Andrade again dropped him to the mat. Andrade followed with a double knee strike in the corner and hammerlock DDT for the pinfall win. (If you’re wondering why Young got so much offense, he lives in Nashville.)
After the match, Truth was chased to ringside by some losers. Truth hid by the feet of Kyle Busch and Michael Waltrip, who helped out Truth by directing the wrestlers away from him. Truth got up and shook hands with Busch. Waltrip revealed that he was wearing a referee shirt, then Busch rolled up Truth and Waltrip counted the fall. Busch is the 24/7 champion. They left through the stage and Truth marched after them.
The Street Profits plugged WWE Shop with help from No Way Jose. This felt very forced.
Rollins appeared to be leaving the arena when Caruso approached him and asked why he didn’t help Owens. Rollins said Owens didn’t want his help. Caruso asked him about people questioning the sincerity of his apology. Rollins was annoyed. He felt like he was in a no-win situation and wondered what people wanted from him. He said everyone was a critic, but not everyone had the confidence to be a leader.
They aired a video package of Mysterio’s big night last week.
Erick Rowan spoke to the thing in the cage.
Erick Rowan defeated No Way Jose (2:07)
Some guys from Jose’s conga line got too close to Rowan’s cage so Rowan knocked them over. He chased away the others. Rowan won via pinfall after two claw slams.
Asuka and Kairi Sane were shown warming up.
Sarah Schrieber asked Rowan what was in his cage. He initially ignored her, then got upset when she kept asking. He walked away. Maybe one of these reporters can just ask one of the two guys who have now looked in the cage.
Caruso asked Asuka about Charlotte. Asuka ranted in Japanese and Sane laughed. Asuka said they would beat Charlotte easily.
Joseph read the sponsors for tonight’s show but there was a glitch and the logos didn’t show up on the screen.
[Third hour]
Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka & Kairi Sane defeated Charlotte Flair in a 2-on-1 handicap match (15:55)
Asuka and Sane attacked Charlotte before the match. The referee separated them before starting the match officially. Asuka and Sane were in control until Charlotte dodged a hip attack and Asuka hit Sane by accident. Charlotte took them out with a dive. After a break, the champs were back in control. Charlotte tried a boot but Asuka caught her and hit a German suplex.
Charlotte booted Sane off the top and knocked down Asuka. She set them up for a moonsault but they both got their knees up at the same time, which was amusing. Sane went after Charlotte but Charlotte put in her in Boston Crab. Asuka knocked Charlotte down with a kick to the head, then hit a missile dropkick for two.
Charlotte blocked another dropkick and went for the Figure Eight but Asuka countered. Charlotte blocked her submission attempt and hit a deadlift powerbomb but Sane attacked Charlotte to break up the cover.
Charlotte tried to superplex both opponents but they dropped her face-first on the mat (and she landed awkwardly), then Sane followed with a double foot stomp to the back for a two count. Asuka and Sane tried a combo strike but Charlotte just sorta moved out of the way, then speared both women before getting a nearfall on Asuka.
Charlotte booted Asuka but Sane had made a blind tag. Charlotte didn’t see it, so she put Asuka in the Figure Eight. Sane nailed Charlotte with the Insane Elbow for the pinfall win. Sane was very happy.
This was enjoyable enough but it was hard to ignore all the messy spots.
Schrieber asked Charlotte if she regretted challenging Asuka and Sane. She said “no” and kept walking.
Raw Tag Team Champions The Viking Raiders defeated Mark Sterling & Mitchell Lyons in a non-title match (1:33)
Viking Raiders won with the Viking Experience. I’m pretty sure a group of fans chanted “No more squashes!” during the match.
Ricochet, Carrillo and Mysterio cut a promo directed at the OC. Mysterio was fine but this was lame.
OC cut a quick promo before the match. They’re still pissed at Orton and looked forward to putting a beating on their opponents.
Six-man tag match: AJ Styles, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson defeated US Champion Rey Mysterio, Ricochet & Humberto Carrillo (14:36)
OC worked over Carrillo until he made a hot tag to Mysterio who took out Gallows with a 619 around the post. Mysterio went for a 619 on Styles but Anderson caught him and chucked him into the post.
OC worked over Mysterio after the break. Ricochet made the hot tag and went after Styles with a clothesline, hurricanrana, flying clothesline and standing shooting star press for two. Styles kicked out of a rollup, Anderson gave Ricochet an uppercut, then Styles hit a facebuster for two.
Ricochet hit a Codebreaker but Anderson broke up the cover. Mysterio gave Anderson a 619, Gallows booted Mysterio, then Carrillo took out Gallows with a dive.
Ricochet countered a Styles Clash into a rollup for two, then Styles gave him a Pelé kick. Ricochet fought back on Styles, then took out Anderson with a moonsault off the apron. Ricochet went after Styles but Styles caught him and gave him a Styles Clash off the middle rope for the pinfall win. This was fun, except for the announcers saying “superhero” about 50 times.
As Styles celebrated, Orton slipped in the ring and gave him an RKO. Orton posed as the show ended.
Final Thoughts —
Raw was excruciatingly average.