WWE RAW is live tonight from Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. Here is the latest from WWE to get you ready for the show:
The headline advertised angle is Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins speaking out about heel Dean Ambrose’s latest Bane-like promo segment last week where he calls all of the WWE Universe vermin. Ambrose got the drop on Rollins last week with Dirty Deeds. We will see what transpires tonight on the TLC go home show. Rollins is also advertised to speak out against General Manager Elect Baron Corbin and what’s wrong with the state of RAW these days amidst all the bad reviews and fan angst for the show. The build for Natalya’s tables match this Sunday against Ruby Riott will continue. Last week, Riott, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan superkick-powerbombed Natalya through a table. Heath Slater will began his career as a referee one week after beating his former tag partner Rhyno, causing him to be fired. We will have fallout from Drew McIntyre’s savage attack on Finn Balor. We will also have a pre-TLC press conference with new head of the RAW Women’s Division Alexa Bliss concerning RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey’s match with Nia Jax at this Sunday’s pay-per-view show in San Jose.
RAW Opening Segment
We start right away with Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins in the ring. Rollins yells out “burn it down!” and says that will be his battle cry on Sunday at WWE TLC when he beats Dean Ambrose. Rollins goes on and calls out General Manager-Elect Baron Corbin to discuss the state of RAW. Michael Cole welcomes us to RAW as Corbin comes out. Cole is joined by Renee Young and Corey Graves.
Rollins says he has a dose of reality to acting General Manager Baron Corbin. Corbin joins Rollins in the ring. Corbin says if Rollins wants to have a conversation they can do it in private. Rollins tells Corbin to cut the crap, shut up, and listen. Rollins says he has been distracted with Ambrose the past few months so he hasn’t been able to tell Corbin what he thinks of Corbin’s performance.
Rollins says Monday Night has sucked since Corbin took over and it’s all because of Corbin. Corbin tells Rollins he knows Rollins is frustrated, but Rollins needs to watch what he says. Rollins says Corbin has all this talent in the world backstage but he has no idea what to do with it. Rollins basically parrots the IWC’s issues with RAW the past few weeks. Rollins thinks Corbin is doing this because Braun Strowman punked him out. Rollins says Corbin is so insecure that Corbin handed Brock Lesnar the Universal Championship. Lesnar hasn’t competed on RAW in 16 years but Corbin handed him the belt. Corbin appreciates Rollins’ feedback but Corbin doesn’t care what anyone thinks. RAW is Corbin’s show.
Corbin is going to make Rollins’ life a living hell when he takes over. Rollins challenges Corbin to a TLC match tonight. Corbin says no. Rollins calls Corbin a coward. Every time Corbin tries to speak, Rollins calls him a coward. Corbin agrees to the match but the Intercontinental title will be on the line.
Still to come, Alexa Bliss hosts a face-off between Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey. Also, Chad Gable and Bobby Roode get a RAW Tag Team Title shot in a 2-on-3 Handicap Match against Drake Maverick and AOP. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Dasha Fuentes approaches Seth Rollins backstage. He admits it may not have been the smartest decision to get himself into a match with Baron Corbin 6 days away from TLC but he’s just tired of it and has to take a stand for the others in the back, if he won’t then he doesn’t deserve to have the title.
RAW Tag Team Title 2-on-3 Handicap Match
Champs AOP & Drake Maverick vs. Chad Gable & Bobby Roode
Gable and Akam to start, Chad with a dropkick that gets swatted aside and the Author lays some shots in before making the tag and going for a double lariat. Rezar choking over the ropes, crossface strikes, back in the middle of the ring, clubbing blow and he clears the apron. Gable with a kick, caught and Rezar runs him over with a lariat before tagging Maverick in.
He comes up empty on a cover and tags out, leaving his boys to quick tags but Chad ducks, low bridge, and he and Bobby clear the tag champs to the floor! Double hip toss brings Drake in the ring and they quickly throw him over the ropes and into Akam and Rezar onto the floor. We go to break.
Back from commercial and Gable is isolated with one of the Authors having a neck crank locked on him in the middle of the ring. Maverick tags back in, right hand, a front kick, fired up and jawing at him but a slap only fires Chad up! Tag made, Rezar legal, he runs Gable over and makes the quick tag to Akam. Hard whip to the corner but Chad sidesteps and makes the tag!
Roode in hot, shoulder thrust, clear the apron, chops and punches, whip reversed, front kick nails Akam in the jaw! Back body drop to the apron, up top but he gets caught into a belly-to-belly suplex off the dive! Double-team Alarm Clock but Gable makes the save! Drake directs traffic, the Authors lift ‘em up, Super Collider… but Gable counters the actual powerbomb part with a Frankensteiner!
Suplex lift and the powerbomb / neckbreaker combo hits, tag to Maverick, he mocks Roode, cover…reversed! Roode gets the crucifix pin on Maverick to win the belts!
Winners: New RAW Tag Team Champs Chad Gable & Bobby Roode
We get a recap of Drew McIntyre and Finn Balor’s interactions of late and then commentary announces Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre for later tonight.
Natalya makes her entrance and we go to break.
Backstage with the new RAW Tag Champs
Back from commercial, Gable and Roode are celebrating backstage when an interview rolls up.
Bobby says there hasn’t been a lot of reason for hope on Raw lately, but he and Chad put in the work and now they’re standing here as tag champs, even if they wouldn’t have guessed they’d have won them in a handicap match. Gable says only one word describes how he feels, and they “Glorious!” together and leave.
Natalya Confronts the Riott Squad
In the ring, Natalya gets on the mic.
She says she normally walks out with a huge smile on her face because she wears her heart on her sleeve, but there’s something about Ruby Riott that she wants to get off her chest. Ruby doesn’t respect anyone or any thing in this business, and she made this personal by destroying her father’s sunglasses and tried to destroy his legacy. She keeps talking about Neidhart getting spoonfed everything because of her last name, but Nattie had to overcome all manner of struggles to get here, like how her uncle Bret Hart punched Vince McMahon in the face after the Montreal Screwjob.
She’s damn proud to be a Hart and to represent her family in WWE, and at TLC she’s going to teach Ruby about respect. And furthermore, she’s gonna dedicate her match to someone she loves and respects more than anyone in the world, her father, Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart. She takes a moment to compose herself before saying she’s gonna take every tear, every emotion, and use it to drive Riott’s ass through a table!
This brings the Riott Squad out, with Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan carrying a table-like object under a cloth. They lean it vertical and Ruby gets on the mic to mock Nattie for crying again. All she does is walk around the locker room feeling sorry for herself and she wants to come talk to Riott about respect? She doesn’t need respect, she needs a good counselor.
Ruby says no one has the guts to say it to her face, but Natalya doesn’t represent the Harts, she disgraces them. She knows she’s not gonna be invited to the Hart family Christmas but she brought a gift to pick her spirits up, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving. She removes the cloth and it’s a table with a picture of Jim Neidhart pasted on it! Ruby says everybody knows how close Neidhart and her dad were, but on Sunday when she goes through this table they’re going to be closer than ever.
The Show Off Promo
Dolph Ziggler gets a handcam promo about how he plucked Drew McIntyre from obscurity and he’ll send him back without Finn Balor’s help, which he neither wants nor needs, because he’s Dolph Ziggler.
Commentary promises us the match is next and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Drew McIntyre makes his entrance and gets interviewed.
He wants to let us in on a secret, and that’s that nobody stays undefeated forever. Not Andre the Giant, not the Undertaker at WrestleMania, and not even Drew McIntyre, but do you think that makes him more or less dangerous? Ask Finn Balor… oh wait, you can’t because he beat him up so bad and he’s going to finish the job at TLC on Sunday.
Drew berates the crowd for not listening and demands their respect before saying he’s about to kick Dolph Ziggler’s head off!
Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre
Ziggler in hard with forearms but McIntyre takes him down and draws him up for a single huge chop! Drew presses the attack, a belly-to-belly suplex gets two and we go to break.
Back from the break and Drew has Ziggler up on the top. Drew fights off a counter and brings Ziggler to the mat with a huge slam from the second rope. Ziggler kicks out. Drew sends Ziggler to the floor and follows, stalking him. Drew tries to hit a suplex on the floor but Ziggler slides out and sends him into the ring post as the referee counts.
Ziggler makes it back into the ring while Drew is still down on the floor. Drew makes it back in at the 9 count, barely beating the count. Ziggler goes to deliver a superkick but he collapses as his leg goes out. Drew laughs at him. Drew yells at Ziggler and taunts him to get back up. Ziggler kicks Drew’s leg down and nails a Zig Zag for a close 2 count. Ziggler looks to be going for a superkick but McIntyre levels him with a Claymore Kick for the pin to win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
After the match, Drew grabs Ziggler and sends him into the ring post as the music stops. Ziggler rolls to the floor. Drew takes apart the steel ring steps and goes to put Ziggler down on them but officials run down to stop him. Drew backs off but turns and delivers another Claymore to Ziggler’s face while he’s down. McIntyre laughs some more and stands tall. Drew looks on from the stage as his music starts back up. Ziggler tries to get up at ringside.
The announcers show us how Rhyno was fired last week and how Heath Slater was demoted to the role of referee.
Still to come, Corbin vs. Rollins in a TLC match. Also, Alexa Bliss moderated a face-to-face between Rousey and Jax.
Bayley vs. Alicia Fox
We go to the ring and out comes Sasha Banks. Bayley is out next and they head to the ring together. Back to commercial.
Circling, collar and elbow, Bayley backs Fox into the corner and breaks clean at referee John Cone’s behest. Alicia returns the favor with forearms only to get caught with a tornillo and dumped to the apron. Stunner denied, neck snap over the top ropes and Fox hits the flipping neckbreaker for two before grabbing a reverse chinlock. Charging in, jockeying for position, Bayley clawing up the ropes before firing forearms off.
Back suplex connects, the Hugger’s fired up and puts Alicia into the corner for a running boot. To the apron, Stunner over the middle rope, adjust the ponytail, Singhs run interference and Fox lands a boot of her own! Apollo Crews makes his entrance to even the odds, back body drop for one Singh and he eats a Meteora from Sasha Banks after! Crews beats on Jinder and throws the other Singh into him!
Banks wants Crews to Press Slam her into Mahal. Apollo obliges and takes everybody out. Bayley takes advantage of the chaos with a Bayley-to-Belly on Fox for the victory.
Winner: Bayley
Heel Bane/Dean Ambrose is shown stewing backstage in his coat and we go to break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes TLC up some.
Backstage with Heel Bane/Dean Ambrose
Dean Ambrose is interviewed backstage and berates Charly Caruso for calling him “the Lunatic Fringe” and then he digs into Rollins, calling him a madman that can’t think straight, not the Seth Rollins he knew. He got himself into a TLC match and why? His big fat ego. He always has to be the man, and he stepped on him and Roman Reigns to be the Architect, and Dean cuts himself off before swearing on TV.
Ambrose says if Seth is still champion on Sunday, he’s taking the title and showing him, but he scoffs at a question about how Reigns would feel, asking who cares, and that feeds into a video package about the dissolution of the Shield, 2018 edition upon which he’s asked his opinion and just kind of stews for a long beat before leaving.
Elias is shown preparing for a performance backstage as we go to break.
Back from break and …
Ladies and Gentleman, Elias
The Drifter is in the ring to play us a song.
He plays a few bars instrumentally and talks about a radio interview Bobby Lashley did earlier today about moving all the local sports teams somewhere better, running him down for it, of course, before launching into his usual “Walk With Elias” spiel. He says tonight he’s got a match with Lio Rush and he’s got a lesson to teach him, but first he has a song to share with all of us.
The Drifter begins playing and the song is about how he’s been looking for something to bring him back down to earth and about how bad Bobby Lashley sucks.
Enter Bobby and Lio. Rush will be in action… after the break.
Back from commercial, Heath Slater makes his entrance as your referee for this contest.
Elias vs. Lio Rush
Rush running away, off the ropes, ducking and dodging, he tries a front kick, it gets caught, back flip, off the ropes and Elias pops him up and lets him fall! Elevated knucklelock to follow, Lio tries to escape a second with a sunset flip but gets bieled out of the corner for his trouble! Chops in the corner, Rush screaming agony and he gets whipped hard enough into the corner to fall to the floor.
The Drifter throws him back in the ring and gets into it with Lashley but that gives Lio a chance to recover and nail him with a seris of kicks. Duck a lariat, more kicks, whip reversed, up and over, caught into an electric chair and Elias drops him with the powerbomb… Lashley attacks, but Slater isn’t calling for the bell. Corbin has influenced him! Lashley warns him not to do it for good measure and sends the Drifter off the ropes for a huge spinebuster!
Bob hits him with his guitar for measure, Lio makes the cover and hitting a lateral press for the win.
Winner: Lio Rush
We see Alexa Bliss discussing matters with a crew member backstage and are promised the face-to-face between Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey after the break.
Back from break and we’re…
Backstage with Heath Slater
Heath Slater is backstage conflicted when Baron Corbin rolls up to tell him he did good but he has to get over his stuff and he’s got another match to referee tonight.
Alexa Bliss Press Conference with Nia Jax & RAW Women’s Champ Ronda Rousey
Alexa Bliss makes her entrance, followed shortly thereafter by Nia Jax and Tamina.
Jax gets on the mic and says she has a statement to make before they take questions. She says this Sunday she’s going to become the Raw Women’s Champion at the direct expense of Ronda Rousey. If Ronda had half a brain left, she’d walk out here tonight and lay the title at her feet so as to avoid the beating and humiliation she’s getting at TLC.
Nia realizes Rousey comes from a world where you have to talk trash to hype up a fight, but she doesn’t talk trash. She’s a six foot tall, 300 pound Samoan woman, and the embodiment of the anti-Rousey. And her secret? She clenches her fist and says that fist broke Becky Lynch’s face and she did it with one punch. On Sunday, when the bell rings, Ronda’s gonna come directly for her and get punched in the face, but she’s not stopping at one.
She’s going to punch Rousey in the face over and over until she submits to the punches! She’s not just the most imposing force in WWE women’s history, she’s also a strategist, and Ronda has held a variety of different titles, so if by chance she ducks the punch and gets her arm, Jax is going to open the fist and pry her hand off before creating distance and breaking her face.
She’s going to erase the myth of Ronda Rousey at TLC.
Enter Ronda Rousey, mic in hand. She says she didn’t come here to hit her poses and talk about fighting, she came here to fight! Nia, Tamina, and Alexa bail, but soon Jax and Snuka are doing a pincer and Ember Moon makes the save as we go to break.
Tamina vs. Ember Moon
Back from the break and the match is underway. Ember Moon counters and dropkicks Tamina Snuka into the bottom rope. Jax pulls Snuka to safety. Moon faces off at ringside with Jax and Ronda Rousey comes over to stand with her. Jax backs down from Rousey. They come back in and Ember rolls Snuka up for a 2 count. Snuka comes back with a big kick, sending Moon back out to the floor.
Moon makes it back in at the 5 count but Snuka goes right to work on her as Jax cheers her on from ringside. More back and forth in the ring now. Moon unloads with kicks, taking Snuka down with a sweep to one knee. Moon drops Snuka on her face and covers for a 2 count.
Snuka comes back with a powerslam for a 2 count. Rousey cheers Moon on. Moon counters and drops Snuka with knees to the face. Moon goes to the top but Jax gets on the apron. Rousey pulls her off and sends her over the barrier. Moon goes back up and hits The Eclipse on Snuka for the pin to win.
Winner: Ember Moon
After the match, Rousey hits the ring to raise Moon’s arm as the music hits. Jax and Snuka look on from ringside.
We get a look at Seth Rollins preparing for the main event backstage. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Charly Caruso approaches Baron Corbin in his office. Charly asks about an abuse of power and Corbin jokingly asks if she’s trying to get sent to SmackDown. Corbin says the WWE Universe would have been deprived of seeing him use a table, ladder or chair if he didn’t accept the challenge tonight. Caruso asks about rumors of Braun Strowman showing up at TLC on Sunday and he dismisses them. Corbin says this may be his first TLC match but he will give Seth just a taste, then he will experience more when he’s permanent General Manager.
The announcers go over the TLC card now. Elias vs. Lashley has been changed to a Tables Match and the guitar will be hanging above the ring as a weapon.
We see tables, ladders and chairs around the ring as we prepare for tonight’s main event. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and the announcers lead us to a new “coming soon” vignette for Lars Sullivan.
TLC Match for the WWE Intercontinental Title: GM Elect Baron Corbin vs. Champ Seth Rollins
We go to the ring and referee Heath Slater is waiting as JoJo goes over the rules. We see the WWE Intercontinental Title hanging above the ring. The music hits and out first comes champion Seth Rollins. General Manager-Elect Baron Corbin is out next before JoJo does formal ring introductions.
The match starts with Rollins unloading, sending Corbin into the corner. Corbin fights back with strikes but Rollins turns it back around. Rollins sends Corbin to the floor and follows. Rollins grabs a steel chair as Corbin goes back into the ring. Rollins with a shoulder from the apron. Rollins tries to springboard in but Corbin decks him. Corbin orders Slater to bring a ladder into the ring. Rollins nails a springboard clothesline to send Corbin back out of the ring. We go to commercial.
Back from the break and Corbin beats Rollins around with a chair. Corbin takes Rollins to the floor and sends him into the barrier. Corbin keeps control as fans boo him. Corbin brings a ladder into the ring but Rollins runs in and dropkicks it into him, sending Corbin back into the barrier. Rollins stands the ladder up under the title but Corbin comes back in and decks him. The ladder is leaning in the corner now. Corbin suplexes Rollins onto the ladder in the corner.
Corbin wedges a chair into the corner but Rollins counters. Rollins tries to send Corbin into the chair but Corbin goes under it, runs back into the ring and nails Rollins to boos. Corbin mocks Braun Strowman and wastes some time. Corbin ends up back-dropping Rollins over the top rope to the floor. Corbin positions a ladder and climbs for the title now. Rollins springboards in and lands on the ladder. They fight up high now. Corbin pulls Rollins down but Rollins kicks him in the gut. Corbin avoids the Stomp. Corbin ends up sending Rollins face-first into the ladder to tip it over.
Corbin kicks Rollins to the floor under the bottom rope now. We go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Corbin catches Rollins in a Deep Six. Corbin with a right hand and some trash talking. Corbin keeps Rollins down as referee Slater looks on. Rollins fights back in the middle of the ring. Corbin with a knee to the gut. More back and forth now. Rollins grabs the steel chair that was wedged in the corner as fans chant for tables. Rollins with steel chair shots to Corbin while he’s down now. Rollins unloads with chair shots. Corbin rolls out of the ring. Rollins runs the ropes and hits the suicide dive, sending Corbin into the barrier. Rollins runs back in and nails another dive to the floor. Rollins goes back into the ring and tries for a third dive but Corbin catches him. Corbin chokeslams Rollins through a table on the floor.
Corbin returns to the ring and climbs the ladder for the title but Rollins runs in with chair shots to the back. Rollins accidentally hits Slater with the chair. Slater ends up on the floor. Rollins is also on the floor. Corbin follows and goes for End of Days but Rollins counters. Corbin charges but Rollins moves and Corbin hits the steel ring steps. Rollins with a kick to the face. Rollins places Corbin on a table on the floor now. Rollins goes back in and goes to the top. Rollins nails a big Frogsplash through the table as fans pop.
Rollins returns to the ring and climbs up for the title. Slater returns to the ring and grabs the ladder, tipping it over as Rollins pleads with him. Slater stands the ladder back up and goes to the floor to help Corbin up. Slater rolls Corbin back into the ring and helps him up the ladder. Rollins runs back in and delivers a Buckle Bomb through the table in the corner to Corbin as fans cheer. Rollins drops Slater and then Corbin again. Rollins climbs the ladder and retrieves the title to retain.
Winner: Intercontinental Champ Seth Rollins
After the match, Rollins poses on top of the ladder with the title as his music plays. Dean Ambrose comes walking out and stares Rollins down from the stage. RAW goes off the air as Rollins and Ambrose stare each other down.