WWE Raw live results: The Survivor Series go-home show
The Big Takeaway: HHH is now a member of Team Raw, replacing Jason Jordan. HHH made his first Raw appearance since the WrestleMania go-home show in an apperance that totally destroyed Jason Jordan’s hope for getting over as a babyface, as if it had any left. Earlier, Jordan defeated Bray Wyatt, but Wyatt “injured Jordan’s knee” after Jordan tweaked it during the match. After losing, Wyatt rammed the knee into the post. Angle was about to remove Jordan for fear of his own “son’s” safety when HHH showed up to tell Jordan he was out. How HHH knew that Jordan would hurt his knee before tonight is a question I’ll leave you to answer. HHH gave Jordan a Pedigree, for good measure. Also, the Shield will face the New Day at Survivor Series.
Show Recap:
Stephanie McMahon started things. She said she needed leaders to execute the important decisions she has to make on a daily decisions, which means she needed leaders in the right positions. Stephanie brought out Kurt Angle and asked him how the New Day got into the building last week? Kurt said he didn’t know. Stephanie said at least he was honest. Then Stephanie asked was their actually a raid? Kurt told he was prepared for a raid. Stephanie again asked was there a raid? She said for the 25th anniversary of Raw, she could show a compliation video from the time Shane McMahon leader Under Siege, then Angle leading the entire Raw roster out for a raid of nothing. Then Stephanie asked Kurt who was the 5th member of Team Raw. Angle said Jason Jordan (name was booed louder than hell). Stephanie derided Angle for putting his son on his team. Meanwhile, the 5th member of the SmackDown team is John Cena (mixed response), a 16-time world champion. The last time Stephanie saw Cena, he was on Raw. Stephanie said either Angle chose Jordan over Cena, or Cena decided to join up the SmackDown team because he was embarrassed over Cena’s actions.
Sephanie asked Angle what was the first thing he was going to do at Survivor Series. Angle said he was going to break Shane McMahon’s ankle. Stephanie wondered if Angle still thinks this is the 1990s? Stephanie said Shane was too smart to go one-on-one with Angle and said she didn’t think Angle was capable of breaking anyone’s ankle anymore. She said she think she’s made a mistake making Angle team captain. Stephanie said Shane is trying to make Raw irrelevant. She said she wanted her brother’s head on a platter (why was she at the SmackDown in September when Kevin Owens laid Vince McMahon out?). She started to fire Angle when Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins came out through the crowd.
Stephanie wondered if the fans were going to chant for the Shield. Ambrose said they’ve seen leaders come and go and no one does it better than Angle. Ambrose said at TLC, Angle proved he’s still got it, which led to an obvious chant. Stephanie said Angle may still have it, but the Shield lost the tag team titles because of Angle. She wondered if the Shield even has a tag team match at Survivor Series. She said Angle made them look like fools. She asked Reigns where has she been? Reigns asked where has Stephanie been? Rollins had a blank look on his face. Reigns said they don’t do what Stephanie tells us to do, they do what they want to do. Reigns said they want to fight the New Day. So if the New Day has any balls, they will be booked for Survivor Series. Reigns said Angle will lead Team Raw to victory and the Shield would whip the New Day’s asses.
Bayley pinned Mickie James in a three-way match that also included Dana Brooke to become the 5th member of the Raw Women’s Team (7:32)
Bayley pinned Mickie James with a Bayley-to-belly. James knocked Dana Brooke out of the ring. Asuka (who was a ringside with the rest of the Raw Women’s team, Alicia Fox, Sasha Banks and Nia Jax) checked on Brooke, but Brooke gave her a forearm. Asuka chased Brooke around the ring and gave her a spin kick to the floor. Asuka got her biggest reaction since making the move to Raw. Highlight was James giving Bayley a great hangman’s neckbreaker that sent her out of the ring, leading to the Asuka spot.
Enzo Amore and Drew Gulak did some comedy prematch dialogue. Gulak’s new gimmick is he’s trying to stop fans from chanting. He’s basically doing a bitter old man gimmick. Amore finished his usual introduction by asking “How you doin?” and Gulak answered him at length. “I’m doing, well, thanks for asking…” That was actually a takeoff of a beer commercial from the 90s.
Enzo Amore and Drew Gulak defeated Akira Tozawa and Kalisto (7:47)
Enzo pinned Akira Tozawa after a Jordanzo. Tozawa had Enzo set up for the senton bomb, but Gulak started to pull Enzo out of the ring. Kalisto stopped Gulak with a somersault bodyblock off the apron. Enzo recovered to pull Tozawa into Kalisto, which knocked Kalisto off the apron. Tozawa dove through Kalisto’s legs through the ropes to deliver a tope on Amore, who didn’t make a very good catch. Kalisto hit Gulak with a somersault tope. Someone may have been shaken up because it took everyone a while to get up.
They showed tweets from the New Day where they accepted the Shield’s challenge.
Angle was backstage with Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor and Jordan. Angle said he needed proof that Balor and Joe could work together as a team, so he’s pairing them in a match against Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Angle told Jordan the only reason why he’s on Team Raw is because he’s Angle son. So to prove he isn’t playing favorites, Angle is putting him in a match against Bray Wyatt tonight. Before Angle could say anything, Strowman said he wanted Kane. Angle made the match.
The Miz, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel (wearing a neckbrace) came out for MizTV. Miz cut a promo on Baron Corbin, who has a match against Sin Cara for the U.S. Title tomorrow on SmackDown. Miz said Corbin blows opportunity after opportunity, talking about how Corbin lost his Money in the Bank briefcase and wasn’t even on SmackDown last week. Miz said he doesn’t blow opportunities, and when he isn’t given opportunities, he creates them. That actually got a crowd pop. He introduced Sheamus and Cesaro, the new Raw Tag Team Champions. The Bar will wrestle the Usos at Survivor Series.
Miz congratulated Sheamus and Cesaro on their victory last week. Sheamus said they kept their eyes on the price and they weren’t distracted by the New Day. Cesaro, who speaks with a lisp as a gimmick now, said they were 3-time tag team champions. Sheamus said the Usos won their championships on the B-show SmackDown. Crowd started chanting “You look stupid” at Sheamus. Miz did his raise the hand routine to get more heat. Sheamus said they were the A-team tag team champions, they were the flagship show tag team champions, the Raw tag team champions. Cesaro said they were going to jailbreak the Usso penitentiary. Miz said they would be taking on the original Shield for the first time in three years tonight. Reigns got more cheers because he played football at Georgia Tech in the mid-00s. Miz said the Shield had to set aside the years of fighting each other just for the honor of fighting them. Miz said this was their opportunity, their time and their victory. The Bar did their catchphrase.
Jason Jordan defeated Bray Wyatt (7:12)
Jordan pinned Wyatt after a schoolboy cradle when Wyatt attempted Sister Abigail. No word on Sister Abigail as Wyatt’s alterego, by the way. Jordan sold a knee injury after he jumped off the second rope. Following his loss, Wyatt jumped Jordan from behind to mass cheers from the crowd. Angle watched on in horror backstage as Wyatt rammed Jordan’s leg into the post. Crowd booed the hell out of Jordan and chanted “hey, hey, hey, goodbye” as he limped up the ramp.
Angle told Jordan he wasn’t 100% to compete at Survivor Series. Jordan said this was the opportunity he’s waited for his entire life. You could hear the crown groan as Jordan limped away.
Lesnar came out with Paul Heyman. Heyman explained the top five selling points of purchasing the WWE Network for this Sunday: 1. This was the Universal Champion would face the WWE Champion in history. It was the first time Lesnar would face Styles. It may be the only time Lesnar faces Styles. 2. Heyman said he wants to see Lesnar vs. Styles because no one knows Lesnar better than he does. He said Styles is elusive, his defensive is evasive, his offensive is effusive, and Styles has a speed advantage. Before he got to selling point #3, apparently a fan proposed during Heyman’s promo. The crowd starting chanting “She said yes.” Heyman said she only said yes because she’s never been up close with a beast like Brock Lesnar. He said interrupting his promo is like stepping in the ring with Brock Lesnar and said “you ain’t got a chance.” Heyman said the third point was Styles was the single most talented in-ring performer of this generation. Heyman said some would say Finn Balor, but Styles is the ultimate opponent for Lesnar. No one had more momentum in the WWE than Styles. The only thing is Styles has to come from behind and be the ultimate underdog because he has to step into the ring with Lesnar, a Georgia Bulldog eating carnivore. Heyman said Lesnar is the #1 champion in the WWE then, now and forever.
The fourth point was if you want to see a Rocky movie come to life, I give you Styles. Crowd started chanting Styles. Heyman said Styles is the ultimate underdog because he’s beaten Cena, Shane, and Jinder Mahal this year. Except selling point F-5, this is no Rocky movie. This is the Survivor Series because Styles can’t survive the F-5. Heyman looks forward to seeing Styles this Sunday and get beaten, victimized and conquered by Lesnar.
The Shield defeated The Miz and the Bar (15:05)
Reignspinned Miz after the Triple Power Bomb. Reigns gave Miz a spear, Ambrose gave Miz Dirty Deeds and Rollins did a springboard knee. Miz made a blind tag from Cesaro, who Reigns tried to pin after a Superman punch. Miz immediately tried to pin Reigns with a schoolboy cradle while holding the trunks, but got only two. Very good match. Cesaro attempted the Gotch Neutralizer after hitting a springboard uppercut, but Rollins jumped in to block it. Ambrose appeared to injure his elbow following a tope on Sheamus. Earlier, the Shield sent Miz running to the back when Sheamus and Cesaro were down. During the Shield’s ring entrance, a fan got roughed up by security when he snuck through and nearly got to Reigns from behind.
Kane did a promo backstage saying even someone as sick and depraved as he is can smile when he could hear the sound of the garbage truck crushing Strowman’s body. Tonight, he would show Strowman there are worse things in life than death, and that’s him.
Angle was back out. He said earlier, Stephanie said that being the Raw GM meant making tough decisions and this was one of those times. Earlier tonight, Jordan suffered a knee injury against Wyatt and now he needed to make an announcement regarding the Raw team. Jordan limped out urging Angle not to replace him. The crowd booed the hell out of him again. Angle said Jordan had his whole career ahead of him and the Survivor Series wasn’t worth it. Jordan said he emulated his father and his father had won the gold medal while injured (he even did it in Atlanta, which he didn’t mention). Poor Jordan was dying out there as he said he knew that Angle didn’t pick him because he was his son, he picked him because of his ability. Stephanie came out and said “give me a break. Either Kurt tells him or she will.” Kurt started to make an announcement.
Then HHH’s music hit and HHH came out to a massive pop. HHH got in Angle’s face and said either Angle will tell Jordan or he will. HHH announced the 5th man on Team Raw would be him. Then Jordan looked on helplessly, watching his career pass in front of him, waiting on the inevitable. Sure enough, HHH glared at him, said something to Angle and gave Jordan the Pedigree, putting himself in the usual position of being the biggest babyface and the biggest heel, all at once.
Finn Balor and Samoa Joe defeated Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows (12:54)
Balor pinned Anderson after the Coupe de Grace after Joe delivered a uranage. Joe and Balor did the partners who don’t get along deal. It’s an improvement because last year, it felt like the entire buildup of the Survivor Series was nothing but teams not getting along with each other. Joe shoved Balor down before the match. Joe did a elbow suicidia on Gallows at the finish. Joe stormed to the back immediately after Balor got the pin, showing he didn’t want to be partners with Balor any longer than he had to. Balor worked most of the match and Joe was only in for the hot tag sequence.
Charly Caruso did an interview with Alexa Bliss about facing either Natalia or Charlotte at Survivor Series. She teased being in Charlotte and interfering. She said SmackDown started being the B show when she left it, called herself the Goddess and said regardless of who she was facing at Survivor Series, she would prevail.
Kane and Strowman made their ring entrances. For whatever reason, even though they stared each other down in the middle of the ring, the referee never called for the bell. So their “match” was simply a brawl around ringside. Kane used some chair shots to Strowman’s back, then set up a table that was never broken. At one point, the two fought on the top rope and Strowman teased giving Kane a superplex to the floor through the table. It ended with Strowman delivering the running powerslam to Kane, and the slam put a hole in the ring. Neither man emerged from the hole.