WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Dec. 15
The patient fan who waded through a subpar edition of WWE Raw found a reward in the form of a Steel Cage match featuring a surprise alliance.
Normally, shows following a pay-per-view crackle with electricity. Despite Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar showing up, Monday's edition of Raw mostly fizzled.
Midcard feuds suffered from lack of effort. Short matches filled the night's card. The fans in Detroit responded with disinterest.
It wasn't until Seth Rollins and John Cena stepped inside the steel that Raw got interesting. It's an effort like this fallout show that makes it seem like WWE Creative is running low on energy as the year closes.
The following is a look at all the matches and moments from the latest edition of Raw, complete with highlights and letter grades.
Chris Jericho Opens the Show
1 of 10
The Detroit fans welcomed Chris Jericho with "Y2J!" chants. He thanked everyone for voting for him during the Slammy Awards.
He demanded that Fandango come out and face him. Paul Heyman emerged from backstage instead.
Heyman said that while he was a fan of Jericho's, he wondered why WWE didn't put him in charge instead. Brock Lesnar's advocate also had an issue with Jericho winning the Slammy for Extreme Moment of the Year.
Jericho said that Heyman owed him $200 from his ECW days.
When Heyman started to badmouth Seth Rollins, Mr. Money in the Bank himself came stomping out. He confronted Heyman, standing just millimeters from him.
Rollins called John Cena a coward and challenged him to a rematch. Before he could finish, Cena entered the ring.
Cena questioned Rollins' manhood. He said he was down for the rematch, asking Jericho to book it. Jericho made it a Steel Cage match, which sent Rollins into a complaining fit.
After Rollins questioned his skills and whether he could beat Heyman, Jericho booked a match between him and the manager for later in the night.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"I could just stand here and listen to you chant 'Y2J!' all night long."—Jericho.
Jericho sings Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
"I am the father of the extreme concept. I am the grand poobah of the hardcore."—Heyman.
"You couldn't even beat the janitor, Chris. You're out of shape; you're out of form. You couldn't even beat the popcorn salesman here in the Joe."—Rollins to Jericho.
Grade
B
Analysis
Both Cena and Jericho ventured into goofy territory too often. Jericho's routine of playing with Fandango's name is exactly what he did during their feud.
Rollins' anger came off well. He does a good job of playing the whiner.
The interactions with Heyman were fun too, but there wasn't nearly enough about Lesnar. Building up the champion and his upcoming battle with Cena should be the top priority, not bickering over the Slammys.
Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan vs. Luke Harper and Big Show
2 of 10Wearing his newly won Intercontinental Championship and clutching his Slammy Award, Dolph Ziggler sauntered down to the ring. He soon found himself writhing on the mat thanks to Big Show's clubbing shots.
Big Show dominated The Showoff, throwing him around the ring.
Luke Harper took his turn stomping on Ziggler as well. The heels pounded on him until Ziggler managed to slip away to make a tag.
The pace quickened but not for long. Big Show knocked out Rowan for the win.
Result
Big Show and Harper win via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Rowan hits a spinning kick on Big Show.
Ziggler and Harper tumble over the announce table as they brawl.
Grade
C+
Analysis
All the punishment these four men endured at TLC showed here. The action was sluggish and underwhelming.
It's clear that WWE is continuing with both the Rowan vs. Big Show and Harper vs. Ziggler feuds. The latter rivalry has more potential, as they have produced some excellent work together.
As for Big Show's battle with Rowan, it would make sense to use it to elevate the up-and-comer, but WWE looks intent on drilling him into the ground.
Nikki and Brie Bella vs. Alicia Fox and Natalya
3 of 10
Nikki and Brie Bella overpowered Alicia Fox early.
Brie grounded Fox with a chinlock but couldn't hold on for long. Fox escaped to make a tag.
Natalya charged in. After suffering a slap to the mouth, she locked in the Sharpshooter for the win.
Tyson Kidd attended to Nikki Bella as Natalya celebrated.
Result
Fox and Natalya win via submission.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Natalya hits a hard dropkick to a seated Bella.
Grade
D
Analysis
There has to be somewhere else WWE can filter to give a match like this a touch more time. As it stands, the women have to hurry to the end of a story that has little impact because of its brevity.
The only thing noteworthy about the bout is that Kidd expressed some interest in Nikki. That could easily be the route to a Natalya and Nikki feud.
The Highlight Reel with Rusev and Lana
4 of 10
Chris Jericho made a joke about Lana's outfits before welcoming her and Rusev to his Highlight Reel segment.
The Ravishing Russian reminded fans that Rusev is still undefeated. Jericho joked around with both of them, wondering aloud if they were an item.
He introduced Ryback as someone who wanted to fight him right now. The Big Guy and the U.S. champ stared each other down. Rusev barked plenty but slipped out of the ring.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"Maybe you need to show Lana your sputnik."—Jericho.
"It's the U.S. champ and the communist tramp."—Jericho.
Jericho mocks Lana after she says, "Shut up!"
Grade
B-
Analysis
Jericho's banter ranged from funny to especially juvenile, from amusing to overly harsh. It was all entertaining but nothing that fans are going to talk about much following the show.
It's the fact that Ryback is Rusev's next foe that will be the center of discussion.
Ryback's getting a good push at the moment, so it's feasible that he is the one who finally knocks off Rusev. It's a welcome sight that The Big Guy is going after the U.S. title. WWE too often has its roster members fail to acknowledge that they want to win the midcard belts.
The New Day vs. Goldust and Stardust
5 of 10
Renee Young interviewed Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E backstage. Woods was excited to be joining the action.
Woods and Big E stepped into the ring while Kingston sat in on commentary. Big E overpowered Stardust before Woods came in and continued the offense.
The New Day had good chemistry, allowing the team to control the match for a long while.
Eventually, the heels double-teamed Big E to shift the momentum their way. Woods responded with a flurry, allowing him and Big E to finish off their foes.
Result
The New Day defeats Goldust and Stardust via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"Everything in the darkness is eventually exposed by the light."—Woods.
Fans chanted for CM Punk and NXT rather than the match itself.
Stardust lands on his feet after Big E flings him in the air.
Woods dives out of the ring onto the Rhodes boys after jumping off Big E's back.
Grade
C
Analysis
It's obvious that WWE wants The New Day to challenge for the tag titles. Not only did the team get its second consecutive win over the former champs, but JBL talked about it going after The Miz and Damien Mizdow.
The issue is that the trio isn't popular enough to justify that.
The gimmick just has them looking like they are all trying too hard. It doesn't suit Kingston. Adding that much positivity to his already smiley character is like adding sugar to maple syrup.
The fans were uninterested for most of this bout. They were either chanting for something other than the folks involved here or sitting quietly in the arena.
The New Day has big work ahead to change that.
Adam Rose vs. Kane
6 of 10
Kane flung Adam Rose out of the ring in the opening moments of the bout. Rose responded with some hard right hands and an elbow to the chin.
Kane ended his fun with a big boot.
The Bunny jumped in to save Rose. Kane simply chokeslammed the both of them.
After the match, Kane hit The Bunny with a Tombstone Piledriver before storming off.
Result
Kane wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"The Bunny needs to be put down."—JBL.
Kane chokeslams both The Bunny and Rose.
Grade
C-
Analysis
As low as Kane is on the WWE food chain right now, at least he knows Rose is below him. He picks up a win to help balance out his TLC loss.
With Ryback setting his sights on Rusev, there's no obvious rival for Kane.
As for Rose, WWE didn't tease much dissension between him and The Bunny. That match looked like it did a few weeks ago. It'd be an odd choice to just shelve that idea before it went anywhere.
Chris Jericho vs. Paul Heyman (Sort Of)
7 of 10Paul Heyman tried to bribe his way out of the bout with a $200 check. Jericho refused.
A grinning Heyman revealed that Brock Lesnar was in the building.
The Beast Incarnate prowled around the ring, his eyes on Jericho. After a staredown, Jericho attacked but soon found himself tasting the mat.
Lesnar hit an F5 and left Jericho.
Result
The match never begins.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"I'm the Jew in jiu-jitsu."—Heyman.
Grade
B+
Analysis
WWE had the right idea—show Lesnar's dominance. A single move doesn't accomplish that, though.
Why not have him hit a succession of F5s or pummel Jericho with chair shots? This is too toothless of an attack for a monster.
Heyman's great acting ups the grade here. He was almost too good, though. Despite being the heel, he invoked more empathy than Jericho.
Roman Reigns Returns to Raw
8 of 10
Fandango bragged about stealing Chris Jericho's Slammy. After he and Rosa Mendes did some dirty dancing, Roman Reigns greeted him with a spear.
Big Show soon followed.
He called Reigns "pretty boy" before taking a Superman punch to the mug. That infuriated the giant, but Big Show decided to retreat.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"You come down to the ring, and I'm going to hit you in the mouth."—Reigns to Big Show.
Grade
B
Analysis
En route to Royal Rumble, Big Show and Reigns are going to collide. The tension born from their confrontation at TLC spilled over into Raw.
That interaction was solid, but Big Show certainly could have sold the Superman punch a lot more. It looked to be just a stinging blow rather than a devastating weapon.
The Fandango stuff before this was odd. WWE is reaching for storylines with Fandango trying to work his stolen Slammy into something. Reigns could have looked even better had he defeated Fandango in an actual match.
The Miz vs. Jimmy Uso
9 of 10
Anger powered everything Jimmy Uso threw at The Miz. He chopped him in the corner and peppered him with right hands.
All the while, Damien Mizdow mirrored The Miz's moves on the outside. The actor and the stunt double bumped into each other at one point, and The Miz was clearly annoyed.
Jimmy flew at The Miz as he dominated the action. He deflected a figure-four leglock attempt and even fought through a distraction from Mizdow. A shot with a Slammy Award from Jey Uso, and a splash ended the bout.
Result
Jimmy wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
"You mock what you don't understand. He's like Robert De Niro."—JBL to Michael Cole.
Grade
B+
Analysis
Mizdow is red-hot. The crowd was eating up his every move, which made this an entertaining match.
Otherwise, there was little to savor here. Jimmy's anger doesn't feel intense as it should be. His issues with The Miz's relationship with Naomi should have had him burning with fury.
Instead, he only came off as a touch more aggressive.
Having The Usos pull a heel-like move to win is an odd choice. Perhaps this feud leads to them turning at some point. That would be a challenging role for a team so well-suited to be babyfaces.
Seth Rollins vs. John Cena (Steel Cage Match)
10 of 10
Seth Rollins nearly won this by escaping in the match's opening seconds. John Cena managed to pull him down, and the two foes proceeded to slug it out.
After some help from J&J Security, Rollins briefly took control. He powerbombed the No. 1 contender into the turnbuckle, but Cena came charging back.
Throwing all of his signature moves at Rollins, Cena looked like he had victory within reach. Jamie Noble, though, held the cage door closed to prevent Cena from escaping.
A diving knee from Rollins wasn't enough for the win. Neither was Rollins driving Cena's face into the cage nor Joey Mercury slamming the cage door in Cena's face.
Cena clamped on the STF, but Rollins pulled him to the ropes and choked him. Noble and Mercury tried to drag Rollins out but settled for arming Rollins with the Money in the Bank briefcase.
That weapon couldn't keep Cena down. The former world champ soon prevented Rollins from escaping, slamming him in the center of the ring.
Brock Lesnar soon entered, immediately hitting a series of German Suplexes on Cena.
It looked as if Lesnar would attack Rollins as well, but Paul Heyman simply shook his hand. A grinning Rollins nailed Cena with a Curb Stomp and easily made his way out of the cage.
Result
Rollins wins via escape.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Cena hits Rollins with a bulldog off the top rope.
Rollins kicks out of the Attitude Adjustment.
Cena hits a legdrop to the back of Rollins' head.
"This is what you asked for. This is what you wanted."—Rollins to Cena.
Cena hits an Attitude Adjustment from the top rope.
"That is not a ghost; that is the top of the food chain."—JBL on Lesnar.
Grade
A
Analysis
An outstanding match caps off a lackluster Raw.
Despite the win not being a clean one, Rollins benefits aplenty from this. Kicking out of the Attitude Adjustment is something only a small group of men has ever done. That alone boosts him.
It's the commentary team selling Rollins as a mastermind that truly gives him momentum going forward. JBL and Company wondered if Rollins orchestrated this attack. Coming off as cunning adds to a persona that was mostly built on cowardice.
The mystery of Rollins' relationship with Heyman and Lesnar is enough to make fans want to watch next week, even if the rest of the show failed to deliver.
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