Incredible singles action paves the way forward for a Raw product that sorely needed a shot in the arm. What bouts brought fans to their feet tonight?
Monday Night Raw is LIVE from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH on 12/11/17!
The Highs:
In-Ring Poetry
Roman Reigns and Cesaro played a symphony for Cleveland fans. The Intercontinental Title match was everything and more.
Cesaro put on one of the best matches of his illustrious career, which is saying a lot, because he’s always on point. He had you believing that he was going to BEAT Reigns on multiple occasions, wearing him down with submissions and a focus on the right arm.
Reigns fought back and came away with the victory after a well-timed spear and he pulled this one off by the skin of his teeth. The crowd loved it and they weren’t alone. It was fantastic.
Broken Brilliance
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG1yId8FLOs&w=560&h=315]
“Woken” Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt delivered another series of promos that were tremendous. Hardy referenced walking through the gardens of Babylon with the spirit of Sister Abigail. Wyatt referenced the battle of good vs. evil.
When this comes to fruition, it’s going to be magic. The writers are really letting these two have creative freedom with their characters and the crowd is eating it up.
Plans In Motion
Seth Rollins and Sheamus put on a clinic, as did their respetive partners and stablemates in Reigns and Cesaro. These two were given adequate time to work with and they were able to put on another tremendous match on a night that featured many.
Rollins was able to hit the short-arm knee strike at the very end of things to head to the pay window after a hard fought victory.
Please Sign Cedric!
I harken back to the chant that Alexander received after his performance against Kota Ibushi in the Cruiserweight Classic.
This was a dazzling display by all four members of the contest that came about due to Rich Swann’s suspension. Ariya Daivari, Tony Nese and Mustafa Ali all had their moments, but as Drew Gulak provided commentary, we saw Alexander go into hypderdrive, nailing two Lumbar Checks and a beautiful Spanish Fly that mesmerized the fans in attendance.
It’ll be Cedric and Gulak next week with the winner going on to face Enzo Amore for the title the week after.
Absolute Progression
Mandy Rose and Paige started their night off with a victory over Mickie James and Bayley. Mandy Rose got the pin fall for her team, beating the veteran Mickie James.
Asuka was to compete later against Alicia Fox, but Fox had been injured backstage by the trio of heels.
As the vultures look to pick apart the “Empress Of Tomorrow”, the women’s roster flooded the gates and fought off the newly formed trio, showing that they’d had enough.
It was the first time that Paige, Deville and Rose had been tested since their return and subsequent arrivals, but it should lead to some great stories.
The Lows:
Balor Club Limbo
It appears as if we’re headed towards a potential feud between Finn Balor and The Miz when the former IC Champ returns from shooting his latest movie, but in the meantime, we’ll drifting along as Balor bests individual members of the Miztourage.
Tonight, Curtis Axel fell victim to Finn as the captivating talent came away with a victory. This was a fine match for time given, but it didn’t serve any purpose in the grand scheme of things.
Spoiled Brat
Jason Jordan continues to be a thorn in the side when it truly isn’t needed.
He soured a very competitive match between Samoa Joe and Dean Ambrose. Sitting in a chair atop the ramp, he eventually inserted himself into the bout, but it was unnecessary.
Ambrose lost a pinfall opportunity due to a referee distraction and Joe was able to secure the victory via submission with the Coquina Clutch. The match itself was great, the interference however, not so much.
No End In Sight
The main event was a sight to see for live fans due to the clashing of the titans once again as Kane took on Braun Strowman.
A double countout spoiled the night however as we are still left without an opponent for the Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar, at the Royal Rumble however.
“The Beast” will be live next week and we’ll either see the booking of a triple threat match or perhaps a clear-cut resolution to this ongoing stalemate between the two.
