BRM Reviews the 12/16/2019 Raw

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Big Red Machine
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BRM Reviews the 12/16/2019 Raw

Post by Big Red Machine » Dec 16th, '19, 21:49

OPENING SEGMENT- good
Yeah… maybe booking Rollins’ turn for the week before you’re in his home state wasn’t the best idea. Could we not have held off doing the turn until tonight?
Rollins came out, then brought out AOP. He put himself over for being a leader because he makes the tough choices, even if those choices aren’t the popular ones. He said that AOP would enforce his will, then apologized to the fans because they aren’t going to like the score he has to settle tonight. Then the heels walked off, leaving us with a mystery stick around and find out the answer to. A very effective opening segment.

THE VIKING RAIDERS vs. THE OC (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson)- 6.75/10
Both before last night’s title match and before tonight’s match, the OC cut a promo explaining why they deserve a title match. Last night we had a title match that went to a double-count-out, so tonight they not only don’t add on a stip to prevent that finish from recurring but don’t have the titles on the line either? How does that make any sense? The OC picked up the win here, which would be fine except that their win doesn’t change anything. They already have an unanswered win over the champs and are the only team the champs can’t seem to beat, and they already should have been owed a title shot, so what did this match really accomplish except for killing TV time?

SARAH SCHREIBER ASKS ERICK ROWAN WHAT’S IN THE CAGE- he talks about family, then yell at her to mind her own business (though he forgot the word “own,” which actually means he is encouraging her to keep asking, as she has been tasked by her boss with finding out what is in the cage).

THE OC PROMO-
Gallows & Anderson celebrated their victory and AJ Styles vowed to destroy Randy Orton and end his career, but he told Gallows & Anderson that he wants to get his revenge alone.

ERICK ROWAN vs. ANOTHER JOBBER- squash
Okay. We get it already. Don’t touch the cage or look in it. Can we move this story forward, please?

CHARLY CARUSO INTERVIEWS ANDRADE “CIEN” ALMAS & ZELINA VEGA- great, but…
Charly tells Andrade that he would be the favorite in the # 1 contendership gauntlet match tonight except that Humberto Carrillo is in it, too, and he has beaten Andrade twice. Well then what did beating Andrade twice do for Carrillo if they both get the same opportunity. Vega managed to turn this into a great promo, but the premise is self-damaging.

LIV MORGAN VIDEO, PART 1- intriguing, although the towel-dropping felt a little gratuitous. They have established that the Riott Squad Liv wasn’t the real Liv but rather someone just trying to fit in by following her friends. The “I must destroy myself so that the real me can emerge” line has me interested to see what kind of Liv Morgan we wind up with.

LANA & LASHLEY CELEBRATION- not bad, but I’m having flashbacks to pussy-whipped Jericho from 2002 that are making me nervous.

R-TRUTH PROMO- same old boring R-Truth crap. We get it. He’s a moron. Him pointing at the non-existent sign was funny, though.

US TITLE #1 CONTENDERSHIP GAUNTLET MATCH: R-Truth vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Ricochet vs. Matt Hardy vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (w/Zelina Vega)- 7.25/10
Tozawa pinned Truth, at which point Curt Hawkins came out to chase Truth. Why? Shouldn’t Tozawa be the 24/7 Champion now?
Ricochet and Tozawa were predictably great together. Ditto for Ricochet and Carrillo. Vega came out to watch from the ramp and distracted Carrillo so that Andrade could come out of the crowd and attack him. So not only did Carrillo’s wins over Andrade land them in the same #1 contendership match, but Andrade, the guy who lost, was given an EASIER position than Carrillo.
Andrade pulled up the mats and gave Carrillo a DDT onto the concrete. Rey Mysterio Jr. came out to check on Carrillo, while Andrade walked off as if he had won even though even though nothing had happened to signify such. Did they really just make me sit though a long gauntlet match and then give me no winner? F*CK OFF. If you want to set up Rey vs. Andrade then have Andrade be declared the winner via count-out or ref stoppage. And if you want to preserve Carrillo’s undefeated streak against Andrade then DON’T HAVE THEM FACE OFF IN THIS MATCH!
Andrade was stretchered off. If they do this right, we won’t see him again until Royal Rumble.

ROLLINS & AOP ATTACK REY MYSTERIO JR.- GREAT!
Rollins and the AOP came out to beat Rey up, with Rollins carrying Rey’s pipe. AOP beat Rey up and Seth cut a promo claiming they weren’t coming out to beat him up but rather return the pipe and that they only attacked because Rey attacked them first. Rollins was GREAT here.

CHARLY CARUSO WANTS TO KNOW WHY ROLLINS ATTACKED REY- I guess she’s not paying attention. Rollins explains that he didn’t leave Rey in the hospital because then Rey wouldn’t be able to answer his challenge for a US Title match next week. Well… at least we’re getting a #1 contender to the US Title after all.

RANDY ORTON PROMO- good

DEONNA PURRAZZO VIDEO PACKAGE- meh
It was pretty much just a recycled Mae Young Classic vide package.

ASUKA vs. DEONNA PURRAZZO- 4/10
Deonna was introduced as being “from NXT” by the announcers and given an NXT graphic. If that’s the case then why is she allowed to show up on a different brand?
Deonna, ostensibly the babyface, attacked Asuka before the match for no reason. They wrestled a fine match, but the announcers framed it as Deonna not only losing, but losing against an opponent weakened by a brutal TLC match the night before. If you wanted to give Asuka a win, why did you hurt Deonna in the process by making her look like such a chump, and why would you use an NXT wrestler, whose very presence is a plot-hole? Why not just use a jobber- or, if you wanted to have Asuka show a little bit of weakness then use someone like Sarah Logan.

CHARLY CARUSO’S SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW WITH BECKY LYNCH- good stuff
Becky explain to us that she “needs” to beat Asuka because Asuka is the one person she hasn’t been able to beat.

REY MYSTERIO JR. PROMO- good
Rey seems to think that Andrade won the gauntlet match. It would have been nice to have an actual announcement of that. He cut promos on both Andrade and Rollins. Rey was very good, but it would have been nice to see him selling a bit here after the beating he took. He accepts Rollins challenge for a title match next week, and in doing so noted that this would be a first time ever matchup.

AJ STYLES vs. RANDY ORTON- 8/10
An awesome main event. When was the last time we saw a Randy Orton man where a body-part got worked over? And that finish was BRILLIANT!

POST-MATCH SEGMENT- fine
The OC attacked Orton after the match and the Viking Raiders came out to make the save. The heels won the fight. One assumes we’ll get a six-man tag soon enough.
This was a fine episode of Raw. Yes, there was some frustrating stuff, but there was also a lot of good stuff an excellent main event. Rollins is really clicking in his new role.
Hold #712: ARM BAR!

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NWK2000
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Re: BRM Reviews the 12/16/2019 Raw

Post by NWK2000 » Dec 17th, '19, 11:09

Considering people acted like the Gauntlet match was a sin against mankind, I'm shocked to hear this was a good Raw.
NWK Reviews is closed for business for now.

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Bob-O
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Re: BRM Reviews the 12/16/2019 Raw

Post by Bob-O » Dec 17th, '19, 12:03

Big Red Machine wrote: Dec 16th, '19, 21:49 CHARLY CARUSO’S SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW WITH BECKY LYNCH- good stuff
Becky explain to us that she “needs” to beat Asuka because Asuka is the one person she hasn’t been able to beat.
This was phenomenal. I'm loving the call backs and putting her frustration with being in the Tag Team Division out in the open. She REALLY put Asuke over, I'm PRAYING they don't blow this on a b-show ppv. They could build this into a Wrestlemania feud.

I'm just wondering, if they're trying to "protect" her from Asuke, why are they putting her in the ring with her at all? Lil logic gap there...
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Big Red Machine
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Re: BRM Reviews the 12/16/2019 Raw

Post by Big Red Machine » Dec 17th, '19, 12:45

Bob-O wrote: Dec 17th, '19, 12:03
Big Red Machine wrote: Dec 16th, '19, 21:49 CHARLY CARUSO’S SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW WITH BECKY LYNCH- good stuff
Becky explain to us that she “needs” to beat Asuka because Asuka is the one person she hasn’t been able to beat.
This was phenomenal. I'm loving the call backs and putting her frustration with being in the Tag Team Division out in the open. She REALLY put Asuke over, I'm PRAYING they don't blow this on a b-show ppv. They could build this into a Wrestlemania feud.

I'm just wondering, if they're trying to "protect" her from Asuke, why are they putting her in the ring with her at all? Lil logic gap there...
Not in a singles match they haven't. It makes sense.
Hold #712: ARM BAR!

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Bob-O
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Re: BRM Reviews the 12/16/2019 Raw

Post by Bob-O » Dec 17th, '19, 13:22

Big Red Machine wrote: Dec 17th, '19, 12:45 Not in a singles match they haven't. It makes sense.
"Protect" as in trying to keep the title on her makes sense, I guess.

"Protect" in any other sense doesn't. She said "burying me" I suppose, but I was still receiving this interview as kayfabe. My first thought was physical protection, as in they don't want to see their Bell Cow get hurt, which doesn't make sense if they keep putting her in tag team matches with her.
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Re: BRM Reviews the 12/16/2019 Raw

Post by Big Red Machine » Dec 17th, '19, 14:04

Bob-O wrote: Dec 17th, '19, 13:22
Big Red Machine wrote: Dec 17th, '19, 12:45 Not in a singles match they haven't. It makes sense.
"Protect" as in trying to keep the title on her makes sense, I guess.

"Protect" in any other sense doesn't. She said "burying me" I suppose, but I was still receiving this interview as kayfabe. My first thought was physical protection, as in they don't want to see their Bell Cow get hurt, which doesn't make sense if they keep putting her in tag team matches with her.
The concept can exist in kayfabe as well, and is talked about in MMA coverage.
Hold #712: ARM BAR!

Upcoming Reviews:
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ROH/CMLL Global Wars Espectacular: Day 3

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