WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from November 30

WWE Raw limped along all night.

On a show that will undoubtedly continue Raw's streak of low ratings, a dragging main event capped things off after ample disappointment. TLC didn't get a boost from Sheamus and Roman Reigns meeting in a handicap match. Success was hard to come by throughout the show.

Monday's Raw missed the mark in the ring, on the mic and in the writers' room.

WWE didn't do anything with Ric Flair's guest appearance. It leaned too heavily on The New Day threatening to overexpose the trio. Rusev and Lana reunited with some lip-locking on live TV.

On the plus side, Tommy Dreamer surprised the Pittsburgh crowd, and Sheamus formed The League of Nations, which is an alliance of hard-hitting foreign heels. The former moment was the show's peak. The latter hinted at a interesting direction for Sheamus down the road.

Read on to see a recap of the night's events that's complete with highlights and letter grades. It's not a report card WWE is going to want to hang on its fridge. 

Sheamus' Championship Celebration

With confetti raining down on them, The New Day danced in the ring and celebrated. They passionately introduced Sheamus. 

The Celtic Warrior, decked out with a corporate look, berated the fans, thanked The Authority and mocked Reigns. He gloated about holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and taking down Reigns.

Reigns' surprise Superman punch soon knocked Sheamus down. The Big Dog left with the title in hand.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Big E wipes his sweat off with a Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel.

"That Irish jigging, Brogue Kicking, Mohawk-wearing, shamrock-shaking, championship-taking, ginger-giant, Sheamus!"—The New Day welcoming Sheamus.

"Roman Reigns' championship run can only be measured by a microscope."—Sheamus.

"Sheamus 5:15 means I just kicked your arse."—Sheamus.

Grade

B-

Analysis

WWE was smart to try and have some of what The New Day has cooking rub off on Sheamus, milking the company's hottest act to better a champion many have been down on from the get-go.

Sheamus shouldn't have danced, though. He quickly went from being a sellout bruiser to a gyrating goofball. 

While Reigns stealing the title is a bit of a repetitive move, it's a welcome sight that he only spoke with his fists. The more he plays the steamrolling badass and less a poor man's version of John Cena, the better.

Tyler Breeze vs. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler outwrestled Tyler Breeze early on. Prince Pretty responded with some mat work of his own.

After Ziggler hurt his shoulder, he was in pain as the battle unfolded. He and Breeze each landed big moves, exchanging near-falls in a close contest.

In the end, a superkick was enough to keep Breeze down.

Result

Ziggler wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Dolph has to feel like he's wrestling himself at times."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Some solid action here, but it didn't feel all that important. The stakes weren't set up effectively beforehand and could have used a brief promo from either man to give it some context.

Breeze didn't attack Ziggler's shoulder enough. He had a chance to look more vicious and predatory by zeroing in on the injury more.

And this is another case of 50-50 booking hurting everyone's momentum. Breeze should be going on a little streak here, not just trading wins every other match.

Rusev on 'Miz TV'

The Miz tried to talk up Rusev returning to form, but The Bulgarian Brute interrupted. Rusev then explained that Lana was the only person who supported him during his recovery from injury.

The Miz brought up all the issues Lana and Rusev had.

The couple talked about getting back together. Rusev promised to break his opponents and love Lana.

Ryback walked out to cut things short, challenging the heel to a match.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Well, everybody wants Lana, but Lana is mine. She's my wife, so shut up!"—Rusev.

"For the record, I did not go all the way with Dolph Ziggler."—Lana.

Grade

C-

Analysis

This was clearly an attempt to transition between the story of Lana and Rusev as enemies and shoving them back together as partners. This was as good as that process was going to get. The sudden change in narrative that Lana and Rusev's real-life engagement has led to promised awkwardness like this.

WWE is doing their best to salvage the storyline, but it's far too heavy on the love angle.

Focusing more on Rusev as a destroyer is the way to go. Making The Ravishing Russian more of a manager is the smart move. Having them smooching on stage isn't must-see TV; Rusev being WWE's Ivan Drago is.

Ryback vs. Rusev

The match moved to the outside early on. Ryback drove Rusev into the steel steps. The blow knocked Lana over.

Rusev attended to Lana as the referee counted to 10. After the bell, he walked Lana back to the trainer's room and barked at Ryback.

Result

Ryback wins via count-out.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Ryback hits a missile dropkick.

Grade

F

Analysis

A commercial break cut out much of the action. The end of the bout does create a touch of animosity between the two, but there was no momentum to be had here. Neither Ryback nor Rusev looked stronger, thanks to the match.

This was a missed opportunity to return Rusev to his monstrous ways or give Ryback a tough opponent to overcome as he climbs back into contention. Instead, this just felt like hurried filler.

And is WWE dropping Rusev being a part of The Authority already? As much of a fit as he is with Lana, Rusev was set to gain major traction as part of the corporate stable.

The Dudley Boyz and Tommy Dreamer vs. The Wyatt Family

With tables lined up in the ring, The Dudley Boyz recalled the recent beatings courtesy of The Wyatt Family.

Bubba Ray Dudley called out his enemies, saying he and his brother would get revenge. He and D-Von revealed that they had each of The Wyatt Family members' names on a set of tables.

Bray Wyatt soon led his crew out. He accepted the challenge. 

D-Von announced that Tommy Dreamer would be fighting alongside him. Dreamer came out with a trash can full of weapons. He helped The Dudley Boyz keep the heels away.

Once the match began, Erick Rowan, Luke Harper and Braun Strowman beat up on Dreamer. The action quickly turned chaotic.

The referee called for the bell. The Wyatt Family laid out the babyfaces and looked to drive them through a table, but Bubba Ray fought back, and he and his brothers slipped out of the picture.

Result

Match ends in a no-contest.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You guys didn't get the job done!"—Bubba Ray.

"Thou shalt not mess with The Dudley Boyz."—D-Von.

"You got our family, and we got ours!"—D-Von.

Bubba Ray pushes Wyatt off the ring apron onto a table.

Grade

B+

Analysis

The biggest surprise and funnest moment of the night was Dreamer marching out to the ring. It was what the crowd most reacted to all night.

It's odd, though, that The Wyatt Family was afraid of Dreamer despite his age and still owning a three-on-two advantage in this situation.

WWE pushed the feud between the two teams along. This was a fresh take on their recent collisions and gives The Wyatt Family plenty of reason to be angry moving forward. It was not a great match, but it was some smart booking overall.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Goldust

Zeb Colter told fans that Alberto Del Rio was the only man capable of beating the hate out of them. Alberto Del Rio's open speech stopped short, thanks to Goldust slapping him.

Goldust had a brief offensive flurry, but Del Rio dominated. He stomped Goldust's chest to get the three-count. After the bout, Del Rio clamped on the cross armbreaker until Jack Swagger ran down and chased him away.

Result

Del Rio wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You're more concerned with social media, rats on Mars and Anne Hathaway's baby bump."—Colter.

"Take your pictures. Put it on your phone. No one is going to take that title from Alberto Del Rio."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Grade

C-

Analysis

Colter is getting meaner. His rhetoric is moving close to true heel territory. The act still needs work, though.

This anti-hater gimmick isn't clicking like Colter's xenophobic work with Swagger in the past.

That match itself was nothing memorable; just a win for Del Rio.

The Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos (No. 1 Contendership Match)

The New Day watched on from the announce table as the teams battled for the right to face them for the tag team titles. 

Kalisto and Sin Cara dominated early. They leaned on high-flying moves to gain the early advantage.

The New Day soon interrupted. The trio attacked both teams and bragged about no one earning the right to face them.

Result

Match ends in a no-contest.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You don't respect your momma, but you want to give demands like you're our daddy."—Kofi Kingston to Michael Cole.

Grade

D

Analysis

The New Day overdid its antics on commentary. It bleated and blared to the point that it was hard to follow the action. The trio is in danger of putting its shtick into overdrive too often.

The match itself was too short and lacked drama. Why not tease the audience with more near-falls before The New Day ripped the rug out from under the two teams? 

This way, it all felt rushed and didn't have nearly the impact it could have otherwise.

Brie Bella vs. Sasha Banks

Brie Bella started off strong. Sasha Banks, though, punished Brie with an unrelenting attack.

Team B.A.D. superkicked Alicia Fox. That had Fox in need of medical help backstage and left Brie alone with three enemies at ringside.

Brie made a comeback, but distractions from Naomi and Tamina Snuka opened the door for Banks. The Boss clamped on the Bank Statement for the win.

Result

Banks wins via submission.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Banks mocks Brie's "Brie Mode" taunt.

Grade

B-

Analysis

The focus on Banks among the Team B.A.D. members continues. She earned a solid win, complete with underhanded heel tactics. Too bad, though, that they came against another group of heels.

Brie's never going to be on Banks' level in the ring, but she did well here. Banks excelled in taunting her opponent. 

It's not clear if WWE has just dropped the burgeoning feud between Natalya and Banks. If that's still on the table, this was a good way to keep Banks looking vicious and willing to do anything to win. It's Natalya's turn next time to get herself a significant victory.

Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)

Earlier in the night, Triple H announced that Roman Reigns had to beat Sheamus in under five minutes and 15 seconds to earn the world title. And if Reigns failed, both he and Dean Ambrose would lose out on their title matches at TLC.

The Usos' shot at facing The New Day was on the line, as well.

With that in mind, Reigns pounced on Sheamus early, trying to score a three-count early. The Celtic Warrior slowed the bout down, forcing Reigns to watch the clock tick down on the big screen.

Reigns slammed Sheamus' head into the ring post and then dragged him into the ring. He attempted a spear, but Alberto Del Rio, King Barrett and Rusev attacked Reigns to end the match.

Sheamus dubbed his allies, "The League of Nations." The Usos and Dean Ambrose joined up with Reigns to even things up.

Result

Reigns wins via disqualification. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Sheamus throws Reigns over the announce table. 

"Sixty seconds before the dream dies."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Grade

B-

Analysis

WWE had all the right mechanisms in place: high stakes and a ticking clock. The match wasn't a thriller, but those elements made this bout matter.

Too bad the ending wasn't nearly as good as the setup, though. It was an unsatisfying finish to something WWE spent much of the night building toward.

Still, the new heel faction has potential. Rather than have them serve as henchman for The Authority, this way Sheamus and company can stand on their own.

Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch

The two allies decided to have a friendly match. Ric Flair stood in Charlotte's corner, and Paige sat in on commentary. 

The action stayed on the mat early. Becky Lynch and Charlotte stuck to technical wrestling as they traded near-falls.

Charlotte feigned a tweaked ankle. That and Flair standing on the apron distracted Lynch. Charlotte rolled Lynch up for the win.

Result

Charlotte wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"I don't need my family to get here. I will fight whoever I need to."—Paige.

Paige threatens to put Byron Saxton in her submission hold.

Grade

B

Analysis

There was nothing special in terms of in-ring action, but the unexpected matchup created some spark. It was a nice change of pace. And Lynch and Charlotte's alliance forced the match to deviate from the standard in-ring arc.

Charlotte showed a hint of her character shifting and maybe she and Lynch breaking up down the road.

This left the audience interested in where this story is going. That in itself means this match was a success.

The Usos, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns vs. The League of Nations and New Day

The New Day showed up, announcing The Authority allowed it to join the match. 

The babyfaces fared well early on. The Usos led a stampede on Xavier Woods in their corner.

Jimmy Uso hurt his leg, shifting the momentum toward The Legion of Nations and The New Day. Alberto Del Rio and company beat up on him. Officials eventually took him into the back.

Roman Reigns chased Sheamus around the ring. It was then his turn as the heels' victim.

Things soon turned chaotic. Sheamus ended it all with a Brogue Kick to Dean Ambrose. The New Day and The League of Nations then beat down on Reigns and Ambrose. 

Result

The League of Nations and The New Day via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Where's your cousin now?"—Sheamus to Jimmy as he pounded on his chest.

Reigns hits both Kofi Kingston and Woods with a double Drive-By.

Ambrose hits a flying elbow drop onto all of The New Day.

Grade

D

Analysis

One of the most boring, energy-deficient main events on Raw in a long time.

The match was too too crowded and not focused enough on building toward Sheamus vs. Reigns. Adding The New Day to the contest only cluttered things.

WWE failed to give fans reason to invest in that upcoming WWE title match. It threw out a match that felt like the show-ender to SmackDown. It overshadowed The League of Nations' arrival by cramming in The New Day into the mix.

It's getting harder and harder to stay positive as a fan. WWE seems to be going on cruise control until WrestleMania season kicks off.