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RAW Recap & Review – Episode 1335

WWE RAW
Episode 1335
#RawChristmas

Original Air Date: December 24, 2018
Event Date: December 17, 2018

City: Sacramento, CA
Venue: Golden 1 Center

Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young
Ring Announcer: Jojo

 

Video
Tonight’s episode is previewed with a Christmas poem.

Ring Area
In the ring, Elias plays his guitar while wearing a Santa hat. He talks for a bit before playing a special Christmas song about annoying children (aka Lio Rush) and how much Bobby Lashley sucks.

 

Match 1
Miracle on 34th Street Fight
Elias vs Bobby Lashley w/ Lio Rush
(referee: Chad Patton)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Elias wins via pinfall after hitting Lashley with a cello
Time: 9:31 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
This was kind of fun. It was mostly about Elias and Lashley opening the presents scattered around the ring and hitting each other with what was inside. The most fun was a box of Legos that were used like thumbtacks. So yeah, this was goofy and I liked it alright. It wasn’t as fun as the recent Holiday Feast Fight over on SmackDown though.

 

Ring Area
After the match, Elias stuffs a cookie in Lio Rush’s mouth and dumbs a bowl of eggnog on his head.

Backstage
Heath Slater’s kids want Rhyno to get his job back for Christmas. That’s what Slater wants too.

 

Match 2
RAW Tag Team Title Match
Chad Gable & Bobby Roode (RAW Tag Champs) vs The Revival
(referee: Dan Engler)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Chad Gable pins Scott Dawson with a small package
Time: 6:52 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
Very good match. This was pretty much Gable versus The Revivial. Roode barely did anything in the match, though he did contribute to some pivotal moments. The Revival were on their game, and they were a blast to watch. Gable was also in great form. This was very entertaining, and considering how the finish happened, I expect we’ll see more of this. We better.

 

Backstage
The B-Team sings to Apollo Crews and offers him a B-Team shirt. Crews declines, having already finished his Christmas shopping.

Backstage
Lucha House Party works on their list for Santa.

Backstage
Curt Hawkins wants a win from Santa.

Backstage
No Way Jose has a conga line of things he wants from Santa.

Video
Lars Sullivan, Lacey Evans, Nikki Cross, Heavy Machinery, and EC3 are still headed to the main roster.

Selfie Promo
Dolph Ziggler has a lot of things he deserves for Christmas. The thing he deserves most is the proof that he is “just that damn good” after he defeats Drew McIntyre and Finn Balor.

Video
Kevin Owens is coming back.

Ring Area
Charly Caruso asks Drew McIntyre if he’s worried about facing Balor and Ziggler at the same time. He isn’t. After he disposes of Balor and Ziggler, McIntyre will go on to win the Royal Rumble and fulfill his destiny at Wrestlemania.

 

Match 3
Drew McIntyre vs Dolph Ziggler vs Finn Balor
(referee: Darrick Moore)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Finn Balor pins Dolph Ziggler after the Coup De Grace
Time: 8:13 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
Good match. I really wasn’t sure who was going to win this match, and that made it even more interesting.

 

Ring Area
After the match, Drew McIntyre yells at Dolph Ziggler and slaps him in the face. As McIntyre moves away, Ziggle with the Zig Zag.

Video
A video package of the recent Tribute to the Troops.

Backstage
The B-Team is still singing. They screw up the lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas which upsets Bo Dallas. Bo knocks over a Christmas tree, and Curtis Axel is shocked.

Backstage
Vince McMahon-ta Claus has some presents for the WWE Universe. First, John Cena will be back on RAW and SmackDown. Second, there will be women’s tag titles debuting in 2019. And third, Ziggler will face McIntyre in a steel cage on New Year’s Eve.

 

Match 4
Dana Brooke & Alicia Fox & Mickie James vs Sasha Banks & Ember Moon & Bayley
(referee: John Cone)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Bayley pins Mickie James after the Bayley to Belly
Time: 4:49 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
Good match. There was nothing surprising here, but it was fun. The babyface team took a little while to get going, then they dominated for a quick victory.

 

Ring Area
After the match, The Riott Squad attacks Banks, Bayley, and Moon. The Riott Squad clears the ring and celebrates.

Ring Area
In the ring, Paul Heyman sing a version of “Silent Night” with lyrics about Strowman and Lesnar. He also talks about Braun Strowman’s Christmas as a kid when he asked for a replica title. Now Strowman wants a real title at the expense of Brock Lesnar. Heyman says there is no way Strowman will take Lesnar’s title.

Braun Strowman heads to the ring. Strowman puts a red nose and antlers on Heyman. Strowman tells Heyman that he will be healed by the Royal Rumble, and Lesnar will get his hands.

Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Natalya. Natalya says nobody knows Ronda Rousey in the ring better than her. 2018 has been a challenge, but Natalya is ready to win the title.

Backstage
Alexa Bliss doesn’t want anything for Christmas, but she has a list of things for the others in the women’s division.

Backstage
Tyler Breeze asks Santa for a speedy recovery for Fandango and some Ariana Grande tickets. Someone tells him that he can only have one thing. Breeze just wants the tickets.

 

Match 5
RAW Women’s Title Match
Natalya vs Ronda Rousey (RAW Women’s Champ)
(referee: Chad Patton)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Ronda Rousey wins via submission with an arm bar
Time: 12:39 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
This was kind of interesting. Ronda Rousey clearly didn’t want to hurt Natalya, but Natalya had few qualms about doing what she needed to in order to win. Eventually Rousey got pushed to the point of having to use the arm bar. Ronda looked quite good with her mat wrestling early in the match, and her emotions carried the match.

Of course, this match didn’t help Natalya at all. It kind of made her look like a bad friend in comparison to Rousey (Natalya smiled when she had Ronda in the Sharpshooter while Ronda clearly felt bad about all of her own submissions). It also didn’t make Natalya look like she was fighting on the same level as Ronda (Natalya got offense because Ronda was holding back).

 

Backstage
Dean Ambrose doesn’t wish Seth Rollins luck tonight, he wishes for Seth Rollins to get what he deserves in his match with Baron Corbin tonight.

Video
Sami Zayn returns soon.

 

Match 6
Heath Slater vs Jinder Mahal w/ The Singh Brothers
(referee: Darrick Moore)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Heath Slater wins via DQ when the Singh brothers attack him
Time: 1:51

Match Thoughts
This wasn’t much of a match. It was just an excuse to get all these guys in the ring for the post-match shenanigans.

 

Ring Area
After the match, a Santa from the crowd enters the ring and clears Mahal and the Singh brothers out to the floor. The Santa is Rhyno.

Backstage
The B-Team is exhausted from singing. They collapse on the floor.

Video
Still on their way to the main roster are Lars Sullivan, Lacey Evans, Heavy Machinery, Nikki Cross, and EC3.

Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Seth Rollins how he will focus on Baron Corbin with the threat of Dean Ambrose looming. Rollins says he just has to focus. Ambrose can try to take everything from him, but he can’t take Rollins’ reputation nor his heart.

Backstage
Apollo Crews wants a tank for Christmas. So he can flip it over.

Backstage
The Ascension only wishes to punish their opponents.

Backstage
Kurt Angle made Christmas merry by keeping Baron Corbin from becoming the permanent RAW GM.

 

Match 7
Seth Rollins vs Baron Corbin
(referee: John Cone)

Show/Hide Results

Result: Seth Rollins wins via pinfall after a curb stomp
Time: 9:09 (1 break)

Match Thoughts
Good match. Rollins had a ton of energy and carried this match to a fine finish.

 

Show Impressions
This was an alright episode. It felt kind of inconsequential, but I still mostly enjoyed it.

Match of the Night
Gable & Roode vs The Revival
I picked this mostly because of how much I enjoyed watching The Revival work together. I liked parts of other matches too, but this one was my favorite tonight.

 

Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2018-12-24

 

 

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