Monday Night Raw
Date: November 27, 2017
Location: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T.
We’re finally out of Houston and on the road to the Royal Rumble. The big story coming out of last week is Roman Reigns winning the Intercontinental Title for the first time and issuing an open challenge after the show went off the air. Other than that we have the continuing issues with Kurt Angle, HHH and Stephanie McMahon as we flash back about seventeen years. Let’s get to it.
The opening recap looks at Kane vs. Braun Strowman, including Kane injuring Strowman’s throat last week.
Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro
Dean Ambrose is on his honeymoon so Rollins is on his own. Cesaro works on a wristlock to start but gets stomped down into the corner without much effort. Seth gets sent outside though and we take a break.
Back with Cesaro working on the ribs by dropping some knees for two. Seth’s high crossbody is countered into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and we hit a waistlock. Rollins tries an abdominal stretch of his own but gets hiptossed down without much effort. The Blockbuster works a bit better and Cesaro falls outside for a suicide dive.
Back from a second break with Rollins getting two off a Falcon Arrow. A poke to the eye sets up a small package for two on Seth and it’s off to the Sharpshooter. Rollins makes the rope though and gets two of his own off the low superkick. The wind-up knee is enough to end Cesaro at 18:23.
Result: Seth Rollins b. Cesaro – Wind-up knee (18:23)
Post match Seth says the Shield isn’t going their separate ways because it’s time to invoke the rematch for the Tag Team Titles.
We look at the end of last week’s 205 Live with the Zo Train losing but beating down the good guys anyway.
Kurt Angle is with the four good cruiserweights and says it’s time to determine who gets the shot. Tonight there’s going to be a four way and next week there’s going to be another one. The winners of those matches will face off for the next title shot.
Titus O’Neil vs. Samoa Joe
Titus charge at him in the corner but gets headbutted away without much effort. An early Koquina Clutch is broken up and it turns into a chop off. A kick to the shoulder gives Titus two but a right hand takes him down. The Clutch makes Titus tap at 2:30.
Result: Samoa Joe b. Titus O’Neil – Koquina Clutch (2:30)
Apollo Crews tries to go after Joe and gets choked out too.
We recap Paige and company invading last week.
Paige/Mandy Rose/Sonya DeVille vs. Bayley/Sasha Banks/Mickie James
Alexa Bliss is on commentary……and there’s no Mickie or Bayley. Paige and company come out and laugh off the idea of Sasha having no partners. We cut to the back where Mickie is holding her shin and Bayley is holding her neck. Paige laughs this off and says she’s tired of hearing about her interfering last week. Last year, she was THE woman in WWE and helped erase the word Diva from WWE.
Now she and her friends, named Absolution are here to take things back. Rose and DeVille talk about how everyone has tried to be the next big thing but they remember how Paige started all of this. Paige offers Sasha a spot on the team but she forearms Paige off the apron. The beatdown is on in a hurry with everyone hitting a finisher. No match of course.
Bray Wyatt is here. Post break he’s in the ring for a chat. Bray talks about never having a childhood. He never got to do all the usual things that children do. Your entire world exists inside the confines of a cardboard box. They tell you what to do and who to love. It’s pathetic really, just like everyone here. Their suffering brings him joy and he can see them for who they truly are. Bray says we’re all dead and starts cackling.
Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy
Joined in progress with Bray running Matt over without much effort. The backsplash gets two but Matt drops him without too much effort. The middle rope elbow doesn’t work so Matt settles for the Side Effect for two. Matt’s moonsault misses and Bray spider walks up, followed by Sister Abigail to give Bray the pin at 3:30.
Result: Bray Wyatt b. Matt Hardy – Sister Abigail (3:30)
Post match Matt sits in the corner and starts screaming while doing the DELETE motion. Cole: “Are we witnessing the beginning of a Matt Hardy…..breakdown?”
We look at Strowman getting hurt last week.
Jason Jordan wants to face Strowman again this week but since Braun is hurt, he’ll face Kane instead.
Rich Swann vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari vs. Noam Dar
One fall to a finish and winner goes on to a one on one #1 contenders match in two weeks. It’s a brawl to start with Tozawa fighting off a double teaming but Swann flips over him. They trade some rollups for two each until the villains take him outside. Swann hits a big flip dive onto all of them with his knee hitting Tozawa square in the face. He seems ok though as Swann heads back inside for Rolling Thunder, only to be caught by Daivari’s spinebuster.
Tozawa comes back in and is double whipped into the corner. A double suplex drops Swann on the floor and we take a break. Back with Swann still on the floor as Tozawa hits the standing backsplash on Daivari. The top rope version is broken up but Swann comes back in for the Tower of Doom. Dar breaks up the Phoenix splash but Tozawa takes him out with a dive.
Daivari’s frog splash gets two on Swann, only to have Tozawa catch him with a Shining Wizard. The top rope backsplash crushes Daivari with Dar sending Tozawa into the post. Dar’s running kick to the head drops Tozawa so Swann pulls Tozawa outside. A regular kick to the head sets up the Phoenix splash to give Swann the pin and the spot in the #1 contenders match at 12:37.
Result: Rich Swan b. Akira Tozawa, Ariya Daviari and Noam Dar – Phoenix splash to Dar (12:37)
Here’s Elias for his Intercontinental Title shot but first, a song about how sad the Miztourage is to not have their leader around. Dallas and Axel join in on harmonica and do give quite a performance. Elias offers them some praise but the fans cut him off with a WE WANT ROMAN chant. That’s cut off by a NO WE DON’T chant and we’re FINALLY ready to go.
Intercontinental Title: Roman Reigns vs. Elias
Elias is challenging. They trade shoulders to start with Elias getting the better of it and slapping on a reverse chinlock. Elias gets two off a clothesline and we hit a regular chinlock. Back up and the Miztourage offers a distraction so Elias can get in a hard knee for a near fall.
We come back from a break with Elias getting kicked in the face, only to have Reigns stop and take out the Miztourage instead of following up. The distraction lets Elias take Reigns down and drop a top rope elbow for a rather near fall. A sitout powerbomb gets the same but Reigns is right back with a Superman Punch for two of his own. Back up and the spear retains the title at 14:48.
Result: Roman Reigns b. Elias – Spear (14:48)
Post match Samoa Joe sneaks in and chokes Reigns out.
Asuka vs. Dana Brooke
Brooke says she’ll be all over Asuka at the bell. A cross armbreaker makes Dana tap at five seconds.
Result: Asuka b. Dana Brooke – Cross armbreaker (0:05)
Post match Absolution comes out and surrounds the ring, only to let Asuka leave in peace.
Jason Jordan vs. Kane
Before the match, Jordan talks about how he’s an athlete and knew his knee was banged up last week. Kane actually gets powered into the corner a few times to start but the suplex is broken up. A hard toss sends Jordan outside where he comes up holding the knee again. That’s enough for a countout at 1:42.
Result: Kane b. Jason Jordan via countout (1:42)
Post match Kane stays on the knee until Finn Balor comes out for the save. They stare each other down and we take a break.
Finn Balor vs. Kane
Kane wastes no time in whipping Balor into the corner and we’re into an early chinlock. Balor dropkicks him outside and hits a dive as the announcers talk about what a big deal a win over Kane would be. Kane hits him in the ribs with a chair for the DQ at 2:44.
Result: Finn Balor b. Kane via DQ when Kane used a chair (2:44)
Kane beats on him with the chair and wraps it around Balor’s throat until Braun Strowman comes out for the save. A chair to the back has no effect on Strowman and the beatdown is on. Strowman destroys him with the steps and a chair, including a powerslam onto the steps. Kane gets his throat crushed on the chair and staggers into the crowd to end the show.
Results
Seth Rollins b. Cesaro – Wind-up knee
Samoa Joe b. Titus O’Neil – Koquina Clutch
Bray Wyatt b. Matt Hardy – Sister Abigail
Rich Swann b. Ariya Daviari, Akira Tozawa and Noam Dar – Phoenix splash to Dar
Roman Reigns b. Elias – Spear
Asuka b. Dana Brooke – Cross armbreaker
Kane b. Jason Jordan via countout
Finn Balor b. Kane via DQ when Kane used a chair