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RAW Recap & Review – Episode 1386

WWE RAW
Episode 1386
#RAW

Original Air Date: December 16, 2019
Event Date: December 16, 2019
(aired live)

City: Des Moines, IA
Venue: Wells Fargo Arena

Commentary: Vic Joseph, Jerry Lawler, Samoa Joe
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome

 

Video
A look at how Seth Rollins ended up standing with AoP against Kevin Owens.

Intro Video
“Legendary” by Skillet

Ring Area
Seth Rollins heads to the ring. He introduces Akam and Rezar who both head to the ring as well. Rollins starts his monologue by talking about how everyone called him “the future” until something suddenly changed. Rollins talks about being a leader and how it’s not about being cool. Not everyone understands that, and Kevin Owens is a perfect example. Rollins says Owens resisted his leadership, so Owens became an example. Rollins calls himself a leader and a visionary, and we will all come along with him whether we like it or not. Resistance will be met with the AoP.

Moving on, Rollins says he has a score to settle tonight. We might not like it, but it has to be done. With that, Rollins leads AoP away from the ring as they all head to the back.

 

Match 1
Viking Raiders (RAW Tag Champs) vs Karl Anderson
(referee: Eddie Orengo)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Karl Anderson pins Ivar after Magic Killer
Time: 12:37 (2 breaks)

Match Thoughts
Good match. The match went back and forth, but The OC were able to keep the Viking Raiders from ever really getting some lengthy sustained offense. Even so, as the match went on it seemed like the Raiders could win with just a few big moves. Anderson and Gallows were smart though, and they pushed the Raiders into a fun final few minutes.

 

Video
Last week on YouTube, Erick Rowan got upset when Sarah Schreiber asked him what’s in his cage.

Backstage
Erick Rowan carries his cage as he walks.

Backstage
Anderson, Gallows, and AJ Styles celebrate. Styles also vows to end Randy Orton’s career tonight.

 

Match 2
Erick Rowan vs Dante Leon
(referee: John Cone)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Erick Rowan wins via pinfall after two iron claw slams
Time: 2:55

Match Thoughts
Squash. Leon didn’t even get to look inside the cage (even though he tried).

 

Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Andrade and Zelina Vega. Andrade gets slightly annoyed when Caruso mentions Humberto Carrillo. Vega issues a warning to Carrillo.

Video
Liv Morgan takes a bubble bath. To be continued…

Ring Area
Bobby Lashley and Lana head to the ring. Lana talks about Lashley winning at TLC. Lana then asks Lashley to ask her to marry him. Lashley fakes being annoyed, then a gets on one knee and asks Lana to marry him. She says yes. A lot. Then they kiss. That’s the whole segment.

 

Match 3
US Title Number One Contender Gauntlet Match
R-Truth (24/7 Champ) vs Akira Tozawa vs Ricochet vs Matt Hardy vs Humberto Carrillo vs Andrade w/ Zelina Vega
(referee: Chad Patton; watching in the back: Rey Mysterio)

Show/Hide Results

Result: the match ends in a No Contest
1. Tozawa pins R-Truth with a sunset flip (2:10)
2. Ricochet pins Tozawa after The Recoil (6:06)
3. Ricochet pins Matt Hardy after a schoolboy (6:29)
4. Carrillo pins Ricochet after a diving moonsault (14:55)*
5. Andrade attacks Carrillo with a hammerlock DDT on the floor before the final matchup can begin
* = 1 break
Time: 33:04 (4 breaks)

Match Thoughts
This was really good up until the final pair. Andrade attacked Carrillo then left, which caused the match to end in a no contest. Why? I understand that Andrade doesn’t like Carrillo, but why wouldn’t he take advantage of the grueling match Carrillo had with Ricochet? Why wouldn’t Andrade take the win over Carrillo and THEN try to injure him on the floor? Andrade was even yelling the the US Title is his, so why wouldn’t he actually try to get a title shot. It makes zero sense and it ruined the match for me. I did like all the matchups before that though.

 

Ring Area
As Carrillo is being wheeled up the ramp on a stretcher, Seth Rollins and the AoP come out. Rey has been attending to Carrillo, so Rollins and his friends approach Rey in the ring. Rey is attacked.

With Rey down, Rollins drops the pipe that Rey gave Owens to beat up AoP. As Rey goes for the pipe, he is attacked again. Afterwards, Rollins says he is a merciful leader. Rollins begins to leave, but he turns back and stomps Rey’s head. Then Rollins leaves for real.

Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Rollins for a comment about why he attacked Rey. Rollins says he leads by example. The better question is why Rey isn’t in a hospital right now. If he were, then he couldn’t answer Rollins’ challenge. What challenge? A challenge for a US Title match next week on RAW.

Backstage
Randy Orton says he is going to remind Styles how to spell RKO.

 

Match 4
Asuka w/ Kairi Sane (Women’s Tag Champs) vs Deonna Purrazzo
(referee: Rod Zapata)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Asuka wins via submission with the Asuka Lock
Time: 4:12

Match Thoughts
It was interesting seeing Purrazzo on RAW since she hasn’t been on NXT in a very long time. Purrazzo started string with a pre-match attack, but Asuka quickly began to dominate once the match actually started. The match was short, but I enjoyed it fine.

 

Backstage
Charly Caruso sits down with Becky Lynch. Becky says she hasn’t been herself over the past few months. She thought “the powers that be” might have been trying to bury her by pulling her out of singles competition and putting her in tag situations. Instead, she realized they were trying to protect her. From Asuka. Asuka has had Becky’s number, and Becky needs to prove to herself that she can beat the Empress of Tomorrow.

Backstage
Rey Mysterio accepts Rollins’ challenge to a US Title match next week.

 

Match 5
Randy Orton vs AJ Styles
(referee: John Cone)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Randy Orton wins via pinfall after the RKO
Time: 12:29 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
Good match. Styles had a great game plan. Styles went after Orton’s leg, so Orton was hobbled throughout nearly the entire match. Oton struggled to get back into the fight, but we all know he’s only one move (and three letters) away from a victory. Regardless of the sudden ending, I really enjoyed this main event.

 

Ring Area
After the match, Anderson and Gallows come out to attack Orton. The Viking Raiders come out to even the odds, but The OC quickly takes control and stands tall as the show ends.

 

Show Impressions
This show felt like it was dominated by the Gauntlet Match. That would’ve been a good thing had that match ended in a way that wasn’t totally dumb. I liked the opening and closing matches though, and the Asuka/Purrazzo match was fun even if it was super short. This wasn’t a great show, but it had some fun moments.

Match of the Night
AJ Styles vs Randy Orton
I really enjoyed seeing Styles focus on curring Orton down by the legs. His progress was undercut by an RKO, but regardless, I like the action up to that point.

 

Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2019-12-16

 

 

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