WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Nov. 28

The Nov. 28 WWE Raw flourished because it emphatically veered off the beaten path.

Some of the night's best moments happened not in a ring, but in a parking lot, a bar and in a backstage interview. A man cried. Cesaro threw a human being threw a wall. And Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair throttled each other well outside the ring ropes. 

High stakes and inventive settings powered one of the strongest episodes all year. 

The cruiserweights still can't catch a break. WWE still hasn't figured out how to handle Rusev. But for the most part, Raw hummed.

Rivalries advanced. Wrestlers clashed over championships and contention. Banks and Flair battled in the first women's Falls Count Anywhere match.

Where did WWE leave fans feeling invigorated? Where did it stumble? Read on for a full breakdown of the last Raw of November as the company marched toward the Roadblock: End of the Line pay-per-view on Dec. 18.

Kevin Owens Appears on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel

Chris Jericho kicked off the show by welcoming Kevin Owens to the ring.

The best friends mocked Americans and Thanksgiving. Owens bragged about being champion and the face of Raw.

Jericho claimed he didn't interfere in Owens' match with Seth Rollins. 

United States champion Roman Reigns interrupted the best friends' boasting fest. He called KO a joke of a champ. As a result, Jericho put him on The List of Jericho.

Reigns proposed a non-title bout where a victory would net him a championship opportunity at Roadblock: End of the Line. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "That's a fact. None of you have made history."—Owens to the fans.
• "You know what they call that because it happens so often? He Rollins'ed."—Owens.
• "I love that show. But here's a little spoiler. By the end of the episode, I'm going to kick your ass."—Reigns. 

Grade

B

Analysis

Jericho and Owens' shtick remains one of the highlights of Raw each week. Their chemistry is great.

WWE wisely slipped in more foreshadowing of a Owens-Jericho split when the champ said he didn't need Jericho. The dissolution of that alliance promises to be a compelling tale.

Reigns' one-liners were kept to a minimum. It was smart of him to try to divide the best buds, but it's clear from the crowd's reaction that fans are yet buying this wise-cracking version of The Big Dog.

Braun Strowman vs. R-Truth

Braun Strowman plowed through R-Truth in a hurry. A running powerslam put away the babyface.

Strowman looked to attack R-Truth after the bell, but Goldust got in his way. Just when the big man was ready to devour Goldust, too, Sami Zayn rushed in to save him.

Referees and Mick Foley hurried in to prevent Strowman from tearing Zayn apart. Zayn then berated Foley for getting in his way.

Result

Strowman wins via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "He is an incredible athlete. A tremendous physical specimen."—Michael Cole on Strowman.
• "I need to be saved from you."—Zayn to Foley.
• Foley's false teeth fall out while he yells at Zayn.

Grade

B+

Analysis

WWE excelled at telling the David vs. Goliath story here. 

Strowman has looked like a sadistic monster. Zayn, meanwhile, is taking quite the compelling direction thanks to his tension with Foley. Rather than just bury Zayn under Strowman's boots, the company is allowing him to shine as a fiery, never-say-die babyface.

A longer showcase of Strowman's destruction would have made this better, but it was excellent for the time it had to work with.

Cedric Alexander vs. Tony Nese

Alicia Fox watched on from backstage as Cedric Alexander battled Tony Nese. 

Nese grounded the high-flyer early on. Alexander, though, battled back. After a brief exchange, Nese overpowered his foe.

Result

Nese wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Crowd chants "Let's go Cedric!"
• Nese lands a thunderous pumphandle slam. 

Grade

D

Analysis

WWE is currently clueless regarding the cruiserweights. Pairing Fox and Alexander isn't the way to develop the latter wrestler. Having him lose so quickly in his hometown as the audience chants his name isn't either.

The company keeps throwing these guys out there with no story and no purpose. No amount of athleticism is going to counteract that.

Seth Rollins Attacks Chris Jericho

Jericho and Owens bickered backstage. Frustrated with his best friend, Jericho said he wasn't sure if his brotherhood with KO would continue.

The scarf-wearing heel left the building in a huff. After shouting at his driver in the parking lot, he saw Seth Rollins waiting for him. 

Rollins then battered Y2J, slamming him into a steel railing and against a car. He left him lying atop the car's roof.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "Did I just make the list?"—Rollins to Jericho.
• Rollins hits Jericho with a Pedigree on the roof of a car. 

Grade

A-

Analysis

WWE hasn't done enough parking-lot brawling in recent years. This was a welcome throwback and a memorable segment that moved this story along.

Rollins' rage was clear and powerful. Jericho's was his usual grating heel self.

While Reigns and Owens go to battle, Jericho and The Architect colliding will make for top-notch entertainment.

Rusev vs. Enzo Amore

Enzo Amore and Big Cass listed off Thanksgiving foods before the former took on Rusev in a rematch from last Monday. He implied Lana wanted him sexually.

Rusev crushed Amore. A low blow ended the bout early. 

Big Cass stared down The Bulgarian Brute after the heel retreated.

Result

Amore wins via disqualification. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "She got to see the realest guy in the room in his realest form. Now she knows how I'm doing."—Amore.

Grade

D-

Analysis

WWE has melted down Lana's character to only an object of lust. She's painfully one-dimensional at this point.

Amore and Cass' charisma was wasted in the Thanksgiving-themed bit. They are both hugely popular, but nobody can make rattling off holiday dishes entertaining.  

And it's hard to understand why Rusev is the heel here. He's only angry because Amore insulted and harassed his wife. That's not villain behavior; that's being a husband. 

A feud with Cass and Rusev has major potential, but WWE hasn't shown the ability to properly utilize The Bulgarian Brute.

Noam Dar vs. Rich Swann

Cruiserweight champ Brian Kendrick sat in on commentary as Noam Dar and Rich Swann traded shots in the ring.

Dar outwrestled Swann in the early going. He grounded his foe and tagged him with hard strikes.

Swann stunned Dar, though, with a thunderous superkick.

In a post-match interview, Swann laughed at Kendrick. He reminded the champ that he has already beaten him twice. 

Result

Swann wins via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "My moral compass was thrown on the ground, stomped on."—Kendrick.
• Dar counters Rolling Thunder with knees to the gut. 

Grade

C+

Analysis

WWE would have been better off cutting the Alexander-Nese match to give this more time. It was good for Swann to get a momentum-generating win, but a longer showcase of his abilities would have had more of an impact.

Kendrick remains the deepest character in the cruiserweight division. He has the most clear motivation and personality. And his story is the most interesting thing the division has going by miles.

Swann finally got some mic time here, but came off as more heelish than he likely intended. He had a cackling-villain vibe to him. But at least we got to hear about his desire to become champion. 

Cesaro and Sheamus Get in a Bar Fight

Cesaro and Sheamus met in a bar to celebrate the end of their alliance. They bickered before some bar patrons insulted them.

Cesaro and Sheamus then began a bar fight that saw them bash the crowd with whatever they could get their hands on. After leaving the crowd stunned and beaten, the two bruisers shared a beer.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Cesaro throws a man threw a wall. 
• "Open bar!"—Sheamus.

Grade

A

Analysis

The Cesaro-Sheamus pairing delivered its best moment to date here. The segment clicked perfectly. It helped explain their alliance continuing, showed off their tenuous unity and did it all in a creative setting. 

WWE is smartly harnessing the tension and chemistry between Cesaro and Sheamus. It moved this narrative forward in unexpected fashion with this scene.

Suddenly, the prospect of the two Europeans sticking together is a lot more appealing.

Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens

Owens pounced on Reigns before the match began. As The Big Dog wobbled in the corner, KO demanded the referee start the bout.

The rivals brawled outside the ring. 

After Reigns slowed down to avoid hitting the referee, Owens took over. He slowed the match down, keeping Reigns on the mat. 

Reigns charged back, slugging it out with the champ. The Big Dog had Owens reeling with high-impact moves. A spear secured the win for the U.S. titleholder.

Result

Reigns wins via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Reigns slams Owens into the security barricade.
• Owens steps on Reigns' face before going to the top turnbuckle. 
• Reigns hits Owens off the top rope with a Superman Punch.
• "Owens' nightmare comes true!"—Cole. 

Grade

B+

Analysis

Owens and Reigns put on an entertaining, hard-hitting match here. They mesh well together as opponents. They held back enough to leave fans wanting to see more the next time around.

WWE uses the "earn a title shot by beating the champ" device too often, though. There's got to be a more inventive way to have challengers earn their shots at the gold, one that doesn't involve the champion taking losses ahead of big bouts.

Paul Heyman Addresses Brock Lesnar's Loss

An unshaven, red-eyed Paul Heyman told Michael Cole he and Brock Lesnar took Goldberg lightly. He recalled the Survivor Series match, detailing how Goldberg broke his client's ribs.

Heyman explained Lesnar's mindset following the loss. He announced Lesnar will enter the Royal Rumble next January.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "This guy's a relic."—Heyman on Goldberg.
• "From there it's fate accompli. You can't breathe; you can't fight."—Heyman.
• "Think about what a Brock Lesnar with something to prove is capable of."—Heyman.

Grade

A

Analysis

Heyman killed it here. He remains WWE's king of the mic.

This interview provided context to Lesnar's loss, added depth to Lesnar's character and provided ample emotion. Seeing how much the defeat has wrecked Heyman made the match and moment far more powerful.

The decision to let Goldberg steamroll Lesnar is still a controversial one, but the story moving forward looks to be strong. And Heyman will obviously be key to that.

The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson (Tag Team Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

The New Day talked up its chase of Demolition's record as longest reigning tag champs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson interrupted.

Anderson and Gallows took turns wailing on Xavier Woods and Big E. The champs fought back, largely thanks to Big E acting like a freight train in the ring.

The Club remained on top for a sustained stretch, however. Woods had to resort to pulling Anderson's tights to get the win.

Result

The New Day wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• The New Day pours Booty-O's cereal onto Byron Saxton.
• Big E htis three consecutive belly-to-belly suplexes. 

Grade

B

Analysis

Gallows and Anderson haven't looked this fearsome since arriving in WWE. Even in a loss, the duo came off as wrecking balls.

The New Day got another tough test en route to breaking Demolition's record. The champs fighting so often down the stretch of this historic reign has been a welcome sight. 

The ending was a bit anti-climactic. It's the second week in a row that the champs retained by cheating. A heel turn looks to be in the works.

Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks (Women's Championship)

Credit: WWE.com

Charlotte Flair mocked Sasha Banks as the bout began. The Boss quickly locked Flair in the Bank Statement and kicked Dana Brooke off the ring apron.

Champion and challenger brawled on the outside. Flair chopped Banks in the chest until the referee counted out both women.

Foley emerged to announce that after a period of rest, Banks and Flair would battle in a Falls Count Anywhere contest. The second part of the bout began near the close of Raw.

The Boss flew at the champ right away and pounded on her. 

Flair recovered to take control. She punished Banks, focusing on her foe's back. Banks fired back with a Kendo stick.

The rivals battled on the entrance ramp and in the stands. Banks bent Flair's back against a steel railing and forced her to submit.

The Nature Boy emerged to congratulate Banks.

Result

Banks wins via submission to become the Raw women's champion.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Banks does the Ric Flair strut.
• Flair hurls Banks into the security barricade. 
• "The final chapter of this historic rivalry deserves a much more historic ending!"—Foley.
• Banks suplexes Flair onto the floor.
• Flair hits Natural Selection on the floor. 
• Flair hits a moonsault off the announcers' table. 
• "She marched into The Queen's castle and threw her out of her throne."—Corey Graves.

Grade

A

Analysis

Again, two warriors collided in front of an entranced arena. Again, WWE gave Banks and Flair an opportunity to make history, and they came through in a major way.

These rivals are so great against each other. It's no wonder WWE has been so hesitant to move on from this story.

A stellar, dramatic match was hurt by it being broken up into two parts. And the number of title changes we have seen in this feud have lessened the impact of each one. It's hard to get psyched about The Boss reigning when it's not clear if she will hold onto the belt for more than a month.

It's time to let Banks find a new enemy and for Flair to climb back into contention by way of another feud.