WWE Raw – Nov 23rd 2020: Results & Review
Welcome to this week’s Monday Night Raw review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have, in honor of the retirement of The Undertaker, a quick excerpt of an interview conducted by Daisy Kaluska with the Duke Of Kansas himself, Skip Tumalu:
Daisy: Thank you for having me here, your Dukeness.
Skip: Don’t be so formal, m’lady. Call me Skip Tumalu; Skip Tumalu, my darlin’.
Daisy: Oh, like the song!
Skip: WHAT?! YOU STUPID B—H! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL USE MY ROYAL WHOOPIN’ STICK AND BREAK MY FOOT OF’N YOUR ASS! PREPARE TO D…
Skip Tumalu falls out a window as he swings his dildo at Daisy.
Skip: AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THI… (Skip hits ground) OWWWWW!!!!! MY DINGLE-DANGLE!!!!!!!
Well, with that out of the way, let’s…what the… Blossom: I AM BLOSSOM! I COME FROM THE NINETIES! BOW BEFORE ME AND TREMBLE AT MY FEET! Nathan: You have a huge schnoz. Blossom: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! (explodes) Nathan: I’m so glad we have this TalkTech here to record me while I talk, because I have to clean the Blossom off of the walls…and floor…and ceiling…and table…and chairs…and the review starts now!
Match #1: The New Day def. The Hurt Business’ Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The New Day finished a grueling week of competition with a championship rematch against their latest challengers, Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin of The Hurt Business. Benjamin appeared shot out of a cannon early, as the bruising Superstar brought the offense to the mat. After Alexander slyly interfered when the official’s back was turned, Kofi Kingston and Benjamin were counted out before they cold reenter the ring. As Kingston & Xavier Woods exited up the ramp, MVP proposed the match continue and appealed to the pride of the Raw Tag Team Champions. The Hurt Business’ aggression only ratcheted up another level after the match’s restart. After an Olympic Slam from Benjamin, it appeared the Raw Tag Titles were about to change hands. As The Hurt Business’ enforcer lined up Woods for a powerbomb, the fate of The New Day looked sealed, but Woods had one last gasp. A Sunset Flip roll-up from Woods caught Benjamin by surprise, and The New Day escaped with their Raw Tag Team Titles.
My Opinion: 3.8 out of 5 – This was pretty damn good and, even with the restart in the middle, the match was excellent tag wrestling that really got going about half-way through. One of the things that this bout really had going for it was this match adhered to the rules of proper tagging and I bet FTR would be proud/assholes. You get some solid ground grappling in addition to suspenseful tag attempts and intricate reversals. Remember when Katie Couric ate that panda? This match got some time, which is something that I never tire of saying. My wife is hitting me for some reason and this match was a fine prize fight that…damn it woman! Stop getting upset about what I just said and help me give this match a review of 3.8 out of 5.
Match #2: Riddle def. Sheamus – Advanced To Triple Threat Match For WWE Title Opportunity
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Earlier in the night, Adam Pearce announced a WWE Title opportunity would be given to a member of Team Raw as reward for their Survivor Series win. Braun Strowman offered a monstrous response with a headbutt to Pearce. After some recovery and a conversation with Randy Orton, Pearce proclaimed qualifying matches would take place to set up a Triple Threat Match for a WWE Title opportunity next week on Raw. Riddle and Sheamus were the first two competitors to battle it out for the coveted spot. The Survivor Series teamwork went out the window, as the rivalry between the two heated back up on Raw. Riddle soared in for a huge Broton, but The Celtic Warrior kicked out and came battling back with 10 Beats of the Bodhrán. Riddle shocked Sheamus when he kicked out after a White Noise from the second rope. When The Celtic Warrior locked in a Cloverleaf, Riddle had one last gasp to counter for the roll-up win.
My Opinion: 4.7 out of 5 – Holy Danny F—–g Kaye! This was fantastic! If you wanna see a brutal, visceral fight to the finish, then you gotta watch this! Riddle and Sheamus went full-tilt Guatemalan on each other as I jerked off to this harder than the JFK assassination. So much of this was on the mat and grinding on the ground, which is a treat for any person that wants actual wrestling skills to be displayed during a wrestling match. Dropkick! I was enthralled for the whole twenty minutes that this went for. I know…Vince let it ride. This is the kind of match we should be getting, ass-mouth. My son Bruce is very experienced at taking poles and this match set the bar high for what not just this card should give, but what this show should be doing every week.
Match #3: Asuka vs. Lana – Raw Women’s Championship Match (No Contest)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Asuka and Lana met in a Raw Women’s Championship Match. The match was quickly derailed by the presence of Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler, who attacked both champion and challenger to cause a call of “No Contest” to this championship bout.
My Opinion: 1.1 out of 5 – Eh.
Match #4: Asuka & Lana def. Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
A night after very different outcomes, Asuka and Lana met in a Raw Women’s Championship Match. The match was quickly derailed by the presence of Nia Jax & Shayna Baszler, and a tag team match ensued after their challenge. The Empress of Tomorrow did her best to fend off the Women’s Tag Team Champions, but Baszler trapped Lana in the Kirifuda Clutch. As the match seemed headed for a conclusion, Asuka swooped in to roll-up Baszler to get the win and help Lana escape without a crash through the announce table.
My Opinion: 2.2 out of 5 – Asuka and Shayna were good. The rest of this sucked.
Match #5: Keith Lee def. Bobby Lashley by disqualification – Advanced To Triple Threat Match For WWE Title Opportunity
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
It was a battle of big vs. bad, as Keith Lee and Bobby Lashley shared the ring with hopes of earning a WWE Title opportunity. The All Mighty put on a jaw-dropping display of strength by lifting Lee onto his shoulders outside the ring and ramming him into the ring post. After Lee broke his way out of a Hurt Lock, MVP rushed into the ring rather than let his client be taken out by the colossal Superstar. Lee dropped the Hurt Business leader and advanced to the Triple Threat Match by disqualification.
My Opinion: 3.9 out of 5 – You ever kill a man? I’m just making conversation. Bobby and Lee worked hard to make their debut against each other memorable. Yes dear friends, let it be known that a Bobby/Lee match will orient you towards thinking of their future matches as being part of a collection of fine china that will never have a chink or flaw in sight. There’s so much big, beefy, bruising action to behold here that you might get a boner. I wasn’t a fan of the DQ finish, but it worked for what they were doing, so that’s fine. Pilot season is when American Airlines fires its employees by throwing them out of a plane and this match was damn good.
Match #6: Alexa Bliss def. Nikki Cross
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Nikki Cross was unable to reason with her former best friend in recent weeks, so she attempted to knock some sense into her in the ring. Cross attacked Bliss from the opening bell, but the wicked Superstar wore a sadistic smile throughout. After another flurry of attacks, Bliss appeared to snap to her senses and cried out for Nikki in the ring. After Cross went in for the embrace, Bliss converted a Sister Abigail and posed over her former teammate for the pin.
My Opinion: 2.3 out of 5 – This was mostly a squash with purpose, but Cross beating the piss out of Bliss was trying to be great. I’m glad that this was handled seriously, but I wish this was more of a match instead of a bait-and-switch slaughter.
Match #7: (Main Event) AJ Styles def. Randy Orton – Advanced To Triple Threat Match For WWE Title Opportunity
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Raw’s main event was a “WrestleMania caliber” match between the 14-time World Champion Randy Orton and “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles. The Viper came out livid on the heels of losing his WWE Title last week and displayed cruel intentions for Styles. Orton nearly put Styles away with a quick strike powerslam, but Styles got a shoulder up in the nick of time. As Orton rolled outside the ring, The Fiend emerged behind the barricade and then again on the apron to startle The Legend Killer. Styles took advantage of the opening with a Phenomenal Forearm to finalize the field for next week’s Triple Threat Match.
My Opinion: 3.9 out of 5 – This was an intense fight that wasn’t quite the match I wanted it to be, but it was bursting with tremendous energy and rage. AJ and Randy were like a house on fire from the start, trading clinches like Kathy Lee Gifford when the sweatshop workers wanted a day off. Once these guys got to the ground, the match got mean, with both guys twisting each other around like pretzels. You could practically feel the heat radiating off of this one, like when you have your hand near your dog’s ass at the Nyack County Fair. Bray Wyatt got involved at the end, but it didn’t matter, this was pretty good and a fine way to end the card.
News Of The Night:
- Braun Strowman attacked Adam Pearce, so he sent him home.
- Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton appear to be feuding still.
- Riddle wants to pitch MVP on dumb ideas.
Final Verdict: 4.3/5
This didn’t have a lot of dumb s—t and had a lot of great wrestling, so this show gets a great score. If Raw was like this every week, then people would watch it more often.
