Monday Night Raw TV Report for December 28th, 2015
Introduction Segment: Welcoming
The regular Raw video starts off, as does the pyro blasts and greetings from Michael Cole and Byron Saxton. They go over the announced match of Del Rio VS. Cena, but do not say if the championship is up for grabs.
Segment #2: Arena Promo
“No Chance In Hell” blares the speakers and ring announcer Tony Chimmel asks the fans to welcome “The Chairman Of The Board,” Mr. McMahon! The boss struts to the ring and tells us he wanted to deal with a certain person last week, but he was out of action for medical reasons. This time, he is ready though and demands WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns join him.
The champion obliges, and as he walks through the crowd replays of last week’s Raw involving him are shown. Vince warns Roman that Triple H will decimate him when he comes back for the attack he was given by Reigns; he also reminds Roman of his actions against both himself and Stephanie. Mr. McMahon tells Reigns “I own you,” but Roman calls him a “rich snob.” In the line of the night, so far, Vince retorts “I’m not a ‘rich snob,’ I’m a freakin’ billionaire okay; there’s a big difference; big, big difference!” Reigns tells Vince he doesn’t own “this,” referring to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but that the fans do.
McMahon wonders how long Roman thinks he will be champion, but as Roman speculates on what Vince will do, the crowd disrespectfully yells out “Daniel Bryan,” and “C.M. Punk;” Vince yells out “shut-up!” (Thank you!) The boss goes on about Roman’s lineage; he talks about how he used both Wild Samoans – Afa and Sika (his Uncle and Father, respectively) – for a decade and took their money. Reigns pushes Vince to the canvas, and Vince starts to complain about his neck and wants help.
Stephanie walks out with “officers” and orders them to arrest Roman for shoving her “defenseless, 70-year-old, geriatric, father!” (Her line, not mine!) The police refuse, and turn the situation around, telling both McMahons they will be the ones in handcuffs if they don’t stop. Vince grabs the speaking officer, which leads to the rest holding him and arresting Vince! Stephanie begs them not to, but they haul him through the fans with Steph in tow. Roman holds his WWE Championship high back in the ring.
Commercials.
Segment #3: Video Promo
Replays of Mr. McMahon being taken away by the cops is shown, as is him being driven in a car backstage with Stephanie continuing to protest. The announcers tell us there have been no charges made public yet.
Match #1: Single – Kevin Owens VS. Adrian Neville
Prior to the contest, highlights of Neville’s abilities air, showing why he was “Breakout Superstar Of The Year.” Owens begins to lunge at “The Breakout Star,” but Neville moves and goes to the top immediately. Kevin trips him up and goes for his Pop-Up Powerbomb, but is quickly reversed as Neville victory-rolls him for the sudden victory!
Winner via Pinfall: Neville
Post-match, Owens is angry and assaults “The Man That Gravity Forgot” until referees break him apart.
Ads.
Neville is still being helped by referees when Owens continues his attack. He screams “you think you’re the ‘Breakout Star?’ You think you’re the ‘Breakout Star?’ I’m going to break your damn neck!” He sets up Neville for the Pop-Up Powerbomb against the ring apron, but Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose’s music plays and he charges out for the save. He fights with Owens for a bit until Kevin hightails it through the crowd.
Commercials.
It is announced by Michael Cole that The Rock made an announcement with his Instagram that he will be at WrestleMania XXXII!
Segment #4: Backstage Promo
Jojo interviews Becky Lynch about her upcoming match with Sasha Banks. She asks Lynch if there is an animosity between her and Divas Champion Charlotte, especially since Charlotte will not be in attendance to give Becky the chance to succeed, and if it is a drawback, since Naomi and Tamina will be in at ringside with Sasha. Lynch denies Jojo’s theories and says that she is all about fighting it through, and is happy to be in Brooklyn.
Team Beautiful And Dangerous make their way to the ring; Sasha and Naomi cut a quick promo ripping on both Brooklyn and Becky. To get extra heat, Banks and Tamina put on the NFL’s New England Patriots headwear. Becky enters and the bout is next!
Ads.
Match #2: Single – Sasha Banks (with Team B.A.D. members Naomi and Tamina) VS. Becky Lynch
They lockup and Sasha rolls Becky through. She goes to the outside for a break and “unity” with Team B.A.D. another elbow-collar tie-up, then Sasha is whipped into the ropes, but gives Lynch a shoulder-block. They roll around again, and then Becky gives Sasha a couple of armdrags. She clasps on a hammerlock, which Banks works out of, but Becky turns it around into a wristlock. Sasha reverses that into another shoulder-block, amid “NXT” chants from the fans. She covers, but Lynch pushes up with a bridge, and front-dropkicks Banks.
Becky waistlocks Sasha, then armdrags and wristlocks her again. Banks runs up the ropes and arm-whips Lynch, but is caught with a dragon-screw leg-spin, but is also turned into a pin combo for a quick count by Sasha! “The Boss” is quickly swept up and turned over into a reverse-Figure-4! Naomi hops the apron to distract the referee while Tamina gets Sasha to t ropes. Banks whips Lynch off the ropes, but “The Lass-Kicker” kicks back, and gives Naomi a baseball-slide dropkick too! She puts Sasha to the floor, then ascends the turnbuckle and soars off the top with a crossbody on all three members of Team B.A.D.!
Commercials.
Lynch reverses a whip in the corner and kicks Sasha, then puts her to the canvas with an armlock. She whips Sasha into the opposite corner, but Sasha tosses her over. Becky lands on the apron and both climb the turnbuckle, but Banks gets the better and delivers double-knees to Becky’s back as she was laying over the top ropes.
Sasha chokes Becky against the middle rope with her knee, then knees her in the head. She gives her multiple kicks in the corner to her gut, then chokes her with her foot. Banks knees Lynch in the stomach and slams her face against the mat, then stretches her with a stand up-surfboard. Sasha turns it into another version of the surfboard with her foot, and continues to dominate. Becky starts to make a comeback with a couple of clotheslines and a jumping-calf-kick, then whips Sasha into the ropes and catches her, but Banks drives her into the middle rope. Sasha follows with a drive through, but Lynch moved and Sasha landed on her partners!
Lynch follows up with slugs, but Banks turns one around into the Backstabber and almost locks on her Bank Statement; she can’t quite get it but does punish Lynch with another submission around her head. Becky gets out of it and necklock-suplexes her into the corner! This time, Tamina hops the apron and distracts both Lynch and the referee, allowing Naomi to kick Lynch. Sasha takes advantage with one more Backstabber and her Bank Statement, but Becky rolls into a pin, then her Disarmer! Banks quickly reveres into a roll-up and clutches Lynch’s tights for the 1 – 2 – 3!
Winner via Pinfall: Sasha Banks (with Team B.A.D. members Naomi and Tamina)
Segment #5: Arena and Location Promo
Cole tells us that Vince been officially booked in a Brooklyn jail, and goes to Rene Young outside the building. She tells us that accusations against Mr. McMahon may include “assaulting an officer” and “resisting arrest.” Young also informs everyone that Stephanie and their attorney, Jerry McDevitt, have shown up.
Tag-Team Champions The New Day are out and Kofi will be in action, next!
Ads.
Before this next match, the trio cut a promo about winning the Tag-Team Championship at SummerSlam in Brooklyn, then want to sing a song. They deny us the pleasure though, as we did not vote for them for “O.M.G. Moment Of The Year.” They make fun of The Usos and Lucha Dragaons, as well as the category itself.
Match #3: Single – Tag-Team Champion/New Day member Kofi Kingston (with Tag-Team Champion/New Day members Big E. and Xavier Woods) VS. Kalisto (with Lucha Dragons partner Sin Cara)
Kofi goes to measure him, but Kalisto turns a waistlock into a wristlock. Kingston flips out of it into wristlock himself, but Kalisto gets out of it and they trade flips and kicks! Kalisto slaps Kofi on the chest a couple times, then springboard-armdrags Kingston from the middle turnbuckle! He clamps on a headlock, but Kofi gets to the ropes for a break. He boots Kalisto down then pounds away on his chest.
Kofi leaps off the middle turnbuckle over Kalisto, then runs at him in the corner, but The Lucha Dragon kicks back and turns him around with a headscissors! He hits a tornado-crossbody from the middle rope, and a grounding-hurricanrana! Woods distracts on the apron, but Big E. drags him off to avoid the disqualification and/or being thrown out. Sin Cara flies off the steps on to both, and Kalisto traps Kofi in a hurricanrana pin combo to take this!
Winner via Pinfall: Kalisto (with Lucha Dragons partner Sin Cara)
Post-match, Xavier is not pleased with Cara’s actions, and challenges him to a match, but swerves him and puts Big E. against The Dragon!
Commercials.
Match #4: Single – Tag-Team Champion/New Day member Big E. (with Tag-Team Champion/New Day members Kofi Kingston. and Xavier Woods) VS. Kalisto (with Lucha Dragons partner Kalisto)
Big E. is governing when we comeback, but Cara soon catches him off guard with an armdrag and a couple of dropkicks. He runs and flips over the ropes, but Langston grabs and sweeps him off the apron. He shoves him into the apron, and Cara signals that his shoulder is injured. Big mocks this, but the trainer/medical doctor checks on him. A replay off the possible injury is shown, which occurred when Cara landed on the floor. He is okay enough to continue, but is still directed for a while by the Tag-Team Champ.
Big E. stretches Cara with an abdominal stretch and punches him in the gut at the same time. He places Sin atop the turnbuckle backwards and hangs him upside down, then runs, but Cara sits up and Langston his the ring post. Cara capitalizes with a diving tornado senton, then hits a springboard tornado crossbody! He ducks a clothesline then springboards again off the middle rope with a moonsault, and somehow gives Big a rolling fireman’s-carry from the middle turnbuckle rope! He also takes out Big’s partners, but turns around and is planted and finished with Langston’s Big Ending!
Winner via Pinfall: Tag-Team Champion/New Day member Big E. (with Tag-Team Champions/New Day members Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
Up next, The Miz will be out and give us his “Year In Review.”
Ads.
Segment #6: Arena Promo
The Miz is already in the ring, but does not get past January 1 and his own “New Year’s Resolution,” as Ryback interrupts! He does not want to hear any more of Miz’s rants or MizTV, saying “the WWE Universe doesn’t care about the past; they care about the future.” He declares that 2016 will “be the year of ‘The Big Guy.’”
Goldust now joins and inquires if Miz will win any awards. New York’s own Zack Ryder also parades out, to a decent pop, and says the upcoming year will be a better one for him. Someone we have not seen on Raw in a while, Heath Slater, also is a part of this. The fans love “The One Man Band,” until he is cut short by a larger man, the also-returning Big Show! The 7-footer enters the ring, but Slater tries to put him down and himself over. Show doesn’t have any of it, knocking Heath down with a punch and takes almost everyone else but Truth and Ryback out. Instead, R punches his own face and tries to play possum, but gets a Chokeslam anyway! It is down to The Big Show and “The Big Guy;” Show wins this battle, somewhat easily throwing Ryback over the ropes.
Big is now on the microphone, and the call out “please retire.” Show gives it a quick though, but instead enters himself number one in the Royal Rumble match, proclaiming he will win it and then the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXXII!
Commercials.
Match #5: Single – The Big Show VS. Ryback
(Note: This was made during the break, as “The Big Guy” challenged Show.)
Both punch at each other, then Ryback gets the better with kicks in the corner. He climbs the turnbuckle and dives off with a double-axe-handle! He goes again, but Show counters with a chop and takes over. He kicks away at Ryback’s front, then whips him hard into the turnbuckle. show walks over Ryback’s chest, and slaps it in the corner. He runs at him, but Ryback boots back and hits him with a missile dropkick from the middle turnbuckle!
Ryback gears up for the Meathook Clothesline, but Show rolls to the floor. Show walks away, saving his body; the referee counts to ten.
Winner via Count-Out: Ryback
Up next is the Six-Man Tag!
Ads.
Match #6: Six-Man Tag-Team – Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose and The Usos (Jimmy and Jey) VS. The League of Nations (Sheamus, King Barrett, and Rusev)
Preceding, Sheamus berates the people for taking joy in Vince’s apprehension; he dedicates “the greatest beatdown on The Usos and Dean Ambrose” to the boss.
Jimmy and Sheamus begin, with Sheamus elbowing out of a waistlock. He takes The Uso down with a side-headlock, but is hit with a kick, and clotheslined over the other side! Jimmy tags in Jey, and they both dropkick him from the apron to the floor. They also give Rusev a double atomic drop, then switch with Ambrose, who missile-dropkicks “The Bulgarian Brute!” The League converses on the outside, then Dean goes for Sheamus. He puts him in the ring and kicks him numerous times in the corner.
Jey is back in and chops away at Sheamus, then gives him a resounding-smacking uppercut! Rusev is tagged in and takes over. He looses momentum a little against Jimmy, but chucks him into the turnbuckle and focuses on Jimmy’s left leg.
Commercials.
The League are still in control, separating Jimmy from his team. Rusev works him over with a half-crab, but misses an elbow drop. Rusev slaps hands with Sheamus, and the Irishman kicks at Jimmy. The Twin counters and kicks Sheamus in the head, then gets the hot-tag to Dean!
Ambrose and Rusev go at it, with the Dean getting the better. He gives Rusev a bulldog, then dives through the ropes on him! Sheamus tries to pull Dean fro the apron, but Ambrose kicks off and holds the top rope down, which allows Jey to rocket over with a plancha! In the ring, Dean flies off the top turnbuckle with standing elbow drop and almost takes this! Barrett gets Ambrose’s attention, giving Rusev the chance to hit him with a big kick!
Ads.
Rusev is leading again, and actually gets the fans to do “The Wave!” He should concentrate on the match though, as he misses a splash from the second turnbuckle! Dean tags in Jey, as Rusev tags in Sheamus! Uso gets the better, but Rusev pushes Jey off a pin after a Rear-Splash in the corner. He throws Jey into the ring post, shoulder-first, then puts his brother back to the floor. Ambrose takes Rusev Out, and Sheamus misses The Brogue Kick on Jey!
Uso superkicks Sheamus and climbs the turnbuckle, but Wade diverts Jey. He still gets to the top, but Sheamus raises his knees as he flies; Sheamus follows with The Brogue Kick and a final cover!
Winners via Pinfall: The League of Nations
Post-match, Kevin Owens runs in and hurls Dean into the steel steps! He chucks monitors off the announce table, then sets up the steps beside it. Owens drags Ambrose to them and cocks his head, then powerbombs Dean through the table! Kevin looks up and seems satisfied, smiling maniacally and walking away. Referees and a trainer/doctor help Ambrose up and literately drag him to the back.
Both the main-event of Cena and Del Rio, and Rene Young keeping us posted about Vince’s situation is up next!
Commercials.
Segment #7: Video and Location Promo
Recap of how Vince landed in the slammer is shown, then we go to the confinement. Rene says that Vince has made bail; Stephanie and Vince hurry out into their awaiting SUV, ignoring all questions.
Segment #8: Arena Promo
John Cena arrives and insinuates that he wants the United States Championship, because it was a good time, for the most part, when he was the champ himself and produced the U.S. Championship Open Challenge. However, Cena tells us that isn’t going to be, as Del Rio will not do it.
Alberto answers, along with League of Nations partners Rusev, Sheamus, and King Barrett. Del Rio claims only deserving opponents wrestle him for the championship and he chooses when that happens. Cena eggs him on, but Del Rio doesn’t give in; he even predicts that Alberto will have it his way and get his cohorts to help him. Alberto eventually concedes and gives Cena his chance!
Ads.
Segment #8: In Memoriam
Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister of the British rock band Motorhead passed away today. Michael and J.B.L. talk about his musical contributions to WWE, which were Triple H’s themes “The Game” and “King Of Kings,” as well as Evolution’s them “Line In The Sand.” A picture tribute with messages from Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Jericho, and Triple H himself are shown. God rest your soul.
Match #7: Single for the United States Championship – John Cena (Challenger) VS. Alberto Del Rio (Champion)
Del Rio starts with a harsh kick to Cena’s left leg and takes over quickly. He gives John punches in the corner and snapmares him to the mat. Alberto runs and kicks Cena in the head, measures, and kicks again. On the outside, he slams John’s head into the ring post, then puts him back in the ring and dives off the top turnbuckle with a modified axe handle. He tears at Cena’s head with a chinlock and sets him up against the middle rope. He runs, but Cena moves, and Alberto lands on the floor awkwardly, maybe hurting his left knee.
Commercials.
Del Rio and Cena are in the ring, and Del Rio tries a suplex, but John reveres into one of his own. He goes for a flying tackle, but Alberto ducks and gives him an enziguri! 1 – 2 – Cena gets his shoulder up! Del Rio goes to the top again, but John counters with a dropkick! Cena runs with a couple of shoulder-tackles, then drops him with a spin-out backdrop!
The challenger is fired up and hits his Five-Knuckle Shuffle, and places Del Rio on his shoulders for the Attitude Adjustment, but Del Rio elbows out and hits the Backstabber! John reverses a running-punch and clamps onto Alberto’s leg and attempts the S.T.F. The U.S. Champ gets to the ropes for a break, then gives Cena a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for a near-fall! Alberto winds up for the Cross Armbreaker, but Cena turns it around and spins Del Rio around with a Tornado DDT out of the corner! 1 – 2 – Alberto lifts his shoulder!
John tries the Attitude again, but Del Rio reverses into the Cross Armbreaker! He holds on for a bit, but Cena lifts him up and tosses him! Cena picks up Alberto for the Adjustment again, but Del Rio holds onto the ropes and, as he is pulled back, hits the referee. Cena gets the S.T.F. locked on and Alberto gives up, but it doesn’t count!
The League now runs out, and Rusev kicks Cena! He drags Alberto over Cena and the referee counts, 1 – 2 – no, Cena elevates his shoulder! Rusev holds Cena as Sheamus goes for the Brogue, but Cena moves! Sheamus hits Rusev and then is driven to the mat with the Attitude Adjustment! Del Rio hits another Backstabber and kick-to-the-head, but John still kicks out! He attempts the Cross-Armbreaker again, but Cena gets out of it and Adjusts the champ! He covers, but The League interfere, causing the dq!
Winner via Disqualification: John Cena (Alberto Del Rio remains United States Champion)
Post-match, Rusev and Sheamus continue to beat down John until The Usos sprint out! They try, but are quickly taken out. Sheamus collects a chair, but a big cheer means that Roman Reigns is here! He delivers a HUGE spear to Rusev and Superman Punches Del Rio! He does the same to Sheamus as he tried to swing with the chair. Before the WWE World Heavyweight Champion can go further, Mr. McMahon’s music hits and he walks to the stage.
Vince informs Reigns that he will be defending the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Sheamus, and there will be a Special Guest Referee – himself! This will take place on Raw next week/year, and McMahon sarcastically wishes everyone a “Happy New Year” to close the show.
End Of Raw.
Reporter’s Rumblings
For respect to Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, as I have done when anyone associated with WWE dies, I will not give Raw a title tonight or my usual review. Instead, as always, I will write my thoughts about him.
Unfortunately, I was never a fan of Motorhead outside of WWE, so I don’t have any recollections of stories or concerts beyond his performances in WWE. I will say that his themes/music are cool and definitely fit in with Triple H’s character.
Thank you for your contributions to WWE and rock n’ roll Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister; you will be missed. May God rest your soul.
