‘WWE Raw’ Review (Dec 19th 2022)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly… Let’s see what went down this week!
Match #1: The Street Profits def. The Judgment Day
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After making their recent return, The Street Profits squared off with a team they had never faced in Finn Bálor and Damian Priest of The Judgment Day. Backed up by Akira Tozawa, The Profits controlled most of the matchup. The pace quickened to a frenetic degree after Priest hit Angelo Dawkins with a South of Heaven before he succumbed to a Frog Splash from Montez Ford. Dominik Mysterio, sporting sunglasses after Asuka’s blue mist attack from last week, had his eyes injured yet again after Tozawa threw liquid into his eyes. In the chaos, Ford took advantage and put away Bálor with a rollup to gain the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #2: Rhea Ripley def. Akira Tozawa
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Enraged after her “Latino Heat” Dominik Mysterio had his eyes splashed with liquid, Rhea Ripley convinced Akira Tozawa to step inside the ring with her. Tozawa put a good fight, hitting a hurricanrana and evading a Riptide. Tozawa nearly had the match won with a top-rope senton, but Ripley moved out of the way, then hit the Riptide to put away Tozawa in the impromptu match.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: The O.C. def. Alpha Academy
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Amidst all the chaos being caused by The Bloodline, The O.C. and Alpha Academy collided in the ring. The two teams bombarded each other, but The O.C. were able to pick up the win with a Magic Killer on Chad Gable. After the match, The Bloodline attacked The O.C., leaving them down on the mat.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Sami Zayn def. AJ Styles
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Infuriated by The Bloodline’s beatdown of his friends, AJ Styles took on Sami Zayn seeking retribution. The two put on an impressive performance with Styles hitting multiple elbows and Phenomenal Forearms to try to put down The Honorary Uce. A huge rack bomb from Styles nearly put Zayn away, but Zayn struck back with a maniacal suplex. Styles kept up the pressure by snapping on a Calf Crusher as Solo Sikoa made his way down to the ring. Sikoa proved to be the deciding factor, hitting Styles with a Samoan Spike before Zayn sealed the win with a Blue Thunder Bomb.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: The Miz def. Dexter Lumis
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With a bundle of money swaying up high, Dexter Lumis and The Miz competed in one of the most bizarre Ladder Matches in WWE history. Lumis, competing in his first WWE Ladder Match, used the corrugated steel to help him hit a huge superplex on The Awesome One. The ladder, much like the match, swung back and forth like a pendulum with Lumus and Miz both within grasp of taking home the cash on multiple occasions. Not to be content with just ladders, The A-Lister equipped himself with chairs, burying the bizarre Superstar with a host of chairs and even a desk chair. Johnny Gargano, backing his friend Lumis, was taken out from a ladder attack before Lumis got back into the match by hitting a uranage on Miz. Dexter Lumis attempted to hit a huge leg drop from the top of a ladder onto The Miz, who was lying on a table, but The Awesome One moved out of the way to send Lumis crashing through the wood. Lumis incredulously got back up and nearly won the match, but a returning Bronson Reed emerged on the scene! The colossal Reed yanked Lumis from the ladder and crushed him with a gargatuan splash to help Miz get the win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #6: Bayley def. Becky Lynch
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Becky Lynch attempted to try to get in the head of Bayley before the match, encouraging her to leave behind Dakota Kai and IYO SKY. Her plan did not work, as both were at ringside. Even though the two had not squared off since 2019, they quickly renewed their rivalry. Bayley thought she had the match won after hitting a Bayley-to-Belly Suplex, but The Man kicked out to the shock of the Des Moines WWE Universe. Lynch pulled out the stops, hitting a Diamond Dust but could not garner the win. Damage CTRL stopped The Man from hitting the Manhandle Slam until they were ejected from ringside by the official. The commotion caused quite a stir, and Bayley smacked Lynch from behind with a TV monitor to capture the victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Kevin Owens & Seth Rollins def. The Usos
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Kevin Owens reunited to take out a common enemy in the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos in a non-title match. Rollins and Owens were incensed after The Bloodline ran rampant backstage, assaulting multiple WWE Superstars and nearly taking out The Visionary before Owens came to his rescue. The WWE Universe in Des Moines was firmly behind their hometown Superstar Rollins, singing along with him as he superkicked Jimmy Uso. The unlikely duo nearly got the win after a tremendous Frog Splash from Owens got a close two-count. Owens’ attempt at a Swanton Bomb was thwarted by the hard knees of Jimmy Uso. The O.C. and Solo Sikoa both got involved in the matchup but were negated by Jey Uso and Rollins, respectively. The interference wouldn’t end there as Austin Theory clobbered The Visionary with the United States Title, leaving Owens by himself. Owens took on the challenge valiantly, withstanding the onslaught from The Usos, hitting Jimmy Uso with a Pop-up Powerbomb to get the much-needed win. After the match, Zayn and Owens had a staredown before The Honorary Uce left the ring.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
When you rely on the same set of performers to bring you good wrestling then you know there’s a problem. And that’s what it looked like for the WWE this week. Average match after average match, this week’s Raw opened incredibly weakly. Thankfully the Sami/AJ, Bayley/Becky and KO & Rollins/Usos matches saved the day. But you really can’t keep having these same folk be the backbone of the show every week can you? I mean it makes for good TV but storylines have to end eventually don’t they?! What a weak end to Raw’s 2022…
