WWE RAW
Episode 1279
#RAW
Original Air Date: November 27, 2017
Event Date: November 27, 2017 (aired live)
City: Knoxville, TN
Venue: Thompson-Boling Arena
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T
Ring Announcer: Jojo
Video
Clips chronicling he feud between Kane and Braun Strowman up to Kane driving a chair into Strowman’s throat last week.
Ring Area
Roman Reigns, the new IC Champ, heads to the ring. His reaction from the crowd is mixed to negative.
Reigns talks about his eventful week. He finally joined Ambrose and Rollins in a match, and he took advantage of an opportunity at one of the few titles he hadn’t won yet. He also shows footage of himself powerbombing Miz on the stage after RAW went off the air. He says Miz won’t be seen for a while. Reigns also says he’s a fighting champ, so anyone who wants a shot just needs to come take it. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel come out to the stage.
Dallas and Axel think it’s an injustice that Reigns has the IC Title. They bring out someone who can see that justice is served: Elias. Elias tells Reigns that tonight, he will take the IC Title. Reigns tells Elias that he might need a neck brace like Axel’s after tonight.
Match 1
Seth Rollins vs Cesaro (RAW Tag Champ)
(referee: John Cone)
Result: Seth Rollins wins via pinfall with a jumping knee strike
Time: 11:25 (2 breaks)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Cesaro dominated most of the match, expertly working on Rollins’ back and ribs. Most of Cesaro’s moves focused on that area of Rollins’ body, and the chains of moves he put together were great. He also showed his uncanny strength and his willingness to take shortcuts when opportunities presented themselves. Rollins looked good as well, fighting from behind and showing a lot of determination. I kind of figured who would eventually win the match, and I kind of wish it had gone the other way, but it was still a highly entertaining match.
Ring Area
Charly Caruso enters the ring and asks Rollins if The Shield is headed in different directions. Rollins says they aren’t. Reigns winning the IC Title will only bring them closer together. When Ambrose returns from his honeymoon next week, they’ll invoke their rematch clause for the RAW Tag Titles.
Backstage
Cedric Alexander, Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa, and Mustafa Ali all want a shot at Enzo Amore. Kurt Angle isn’t completely sure what’s going on in the cruiserweight division, and he doesn’t know what a “Zo Train” is. Regardless, Angle decides to set up a series of matches to decide a new number one contender for the title.
Match 2
Titus O’Neil w/ Apollo Crews vs Samoa Joe
(referee: Rod Zapata)
Result: Samoa Joe wins via submission with a Coquina Clutch
Time: 2:30
Match Thoughts
This was interesting. Titus came out swinging and hit Joe with a lot of strikes. Joe was very defensive in this
Ring Area
Apollo Crews enters the ring and goes after Joe, but Joe avoids Crews’ attack and puts him in the Coquina Clutch. Joe walks away while O’Neil and Crews are left lying in the ring.
Backstage
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows shill for Cyber Monday on WWEShop.com.
Ring Area
Sasha Banks heads to the ring for a six-woman match, but her partners, Mickie James and Bayley, don’t follow her. Instead, Paige, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville come out to the stage. Paige shows some footage on the tron.
Backstage
Mickie James and Bayley, both in separate locations, are in pain and being attended to by referees and medical staff.
Ring Area
Alexa Bliss quietly exits the announce table while Paige talks about single-handedly erasing the word “diva” from the WWE dictionary. She heads down to the ring with Deville and Rose. She announces her trio as “Absolution.” Mandy Rose says that Paige was here before many of the current female wrestlers. Deville says she and Rose are allied with Paige because of her contributions to the division. Paige asks Sasha if she’s going to pledge allegiance to Absolution as well. Sasha doesn’t so she gets beaten up.
Backstage
Bray Wyatt is here.
Ring Area
Bray Wyatt heads to the ring. He’s frustrated that people haven’t listened as he’s tried to warn them. He finally sees everyone for who they truly are. Everyone is dead.
Match 3
Bray Wyatt vs Matt Hardy
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Bray Wyatt wins via pinfall after a Sister Abigail
Time: 3:31 (joined in progress)
Match Thoughts
An okay match. It wasn’t very surprising and not terribly exciting, but it was solid enough for a TV match. Kind of unremarkable though. I really think this was just a way to get Bray some momentum and for Matt to fall even further. He seems close to breaking.
Backstage
Jason Jordan tells Angle he was looking forward to a rematch with Strowman, then he gets defensive when Angle asks him about his knee. Jordan wonders if beating Kane would prove he’s healthy. Angle thinks it would, so he makes the match. Jordan seems less than enthusiastic.
Match 4
Fatal Four Way
Akira Tozawa vs Noam Dar vs Ariya Daivari vs Rich Swann
(referee: Rod Zapata; watching in the back: Enzo Amore; special stipulation: the winner will face the winner of a second fatal four way to determine a number one contender for the Cruiserweight Title)
Result: Rich Swann pins Noam Dar after a Phoenix Splash
Time: 9:23 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Great match. I kind of wanted a different outcome, but I’m fine with who won. I would’ve been fine with any of them though. This match was great fun. Swann and Tozawa had a particularly nice sequence early in the match, then it all started breaking down. The match a lot of great near falls and exciting exchanges involving everyone.
Ring Area
Elias dedicates a song to The Miz. Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel join Elias. They “play” harmonica to accompany Elias’ guitar. It goes on and on. And on.
Match 5
Intercontinental Title Match
Elias w/ Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel vs Roman Reigns (IC Champ)
(referee: John Cone)
Result: Roman Reigns wins via pinfall after a spear
Time: 11:13 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. Elias looked good and pushed Reigns, but the winner was never really in question. I think this was a good first defense for Reigns, and this match certainly gives Elias a lot of momentum.
Ring Area
After the match, Samoa Joe attacks Reigns from behind and puts him in the Coquina Clutch. Jamie Noble, Fit Finlay, and a few referees try to pull Joe away, but Joe does pretty much whatever he wants.
Match 6
Asuka vs Dana Brooke
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Asuka wins via submission with an Asuka Lock
Time: 0:04
Match Thoughts
I’m not sure if you’d call that a squash, but wow, that might be some sort of record. Brooke had a game plan and went for it right away, but it backfired in spectacular fashion. I feel like these past two weeks have done more for Asuka on RAW than her entire time on the main roster before Survivor Series.
Ring Area
After the match, Absolution comes out and heads to the ring. Paige, Rose, and Deville surround the ring, but they back away and let Asuka leave. Asuka slowly backs up the ramp while Paige watches.
Ring Area
Jason Jordan heads to the ring. He addresses the speculation about his knee, saying that he hasn’t been trying to get out of any matches. Also, he’s ready to compete.
Match 7
Jason Jordan vs Kane
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Kane wins via countout
Time: 1:44
Match Thoughts
Not much of a match. Jordan powered Kane around the ring until Kane tossed him to the floor. Jordan sold his knee injury and that was pretty much it.
Ring Area
After the match, Kane continues to attack Jason Jordan. After a little while, Finn Balor interrupts the attack by coming out and heading down to the ring.
Match 8
Kane vs Finn Balor
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Finn Balor wins via DQ when Kane attacks him with a chair
Time: 2:45
Match Thoughts
This was too short to be much of a match either. These last few segments have been all about making a monster out of Kane. I feel like Balor has been a prop for other people’s stories lately, and this is no exception.
Ring Area
After the match, Kane puts Balor’s head in a chair. Kane gets ready to jump on it when Braun Strowman walks to the ring. Kane hits Strowman with a chair, but it doesn’t affect him. Strowman has his way with Kane in and around the ring. He powerslams Kane onto the ring steps in the center of the ring. He then slams Kane’s throat into a chair just like Kane did to him last week.
Show Impressions
Despite some highlights, this wasn’t a great show. It felt like people were covering for lots of people who were taking vacation time, both wrestlers and writing staff. It’s not that the show was bad, but there were a lot of underwhelming segments. Not much new happened here. The main event segment was just kind of a reversal of last week, and I’m not into Kane vs Strowman anyway. Jordan is still being a weasel. Elias took way too long in his thing tonight (though he did well in the match). Wyatt vs Hardy wasn’t anything to remember (though it might lead to something good).
Things I liked on the show: Rollins vs Cesaro, the cruiserweight match, Asuka (her match and her standoff with Paige), Samoa Joe. Everything else was kind of bland in my opinion.
Match of the Night
Akira Tozawa vs Noam Dar vs Ariya Daivari vs Rich Swann
This had the most excitement tonight. The match was great, and I got invested in it despite being cool with any of them winning. The Rollins/Cesaro match was good too, but I think the four way had more going for it. I also liked the Asuka match a lot, but it’s difficult to say a match that lasted about four seconds is better than something like this four way.