WWE Monday Night Raw 12/4/2023

WWE Monday Night Raw 12/4/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/wwe-monday-night-raw-11272023.html 

Drew McIntyre comes out to talk. He says welcome to Raw and says it's the land where everyone has lost their mind. He said you can do whatever you want to people and you are instantly forgiven these days. He said Jey didn't deserve the title shot and he headbutted Cody for tricking him, making him think he got the title shot instead. He said Jey's time is coming then Sami Zayn came out.

Sami says Drew has a lot to say about people and so he might as well say what he has to say to his face. He says he's the one person who deserved to get screwed over by The Bloodline. He said he was their lapdog and then he screwed them over. He said he deserved it. Sami says they are not alike. He said he stayed hungry when times were tough and got to the main event of WrestleMania. He said he made his family proud and asked if Drew made his family proud. Drew said one of them is not walking out of here tonight and says to get a ref and ring the bell.

Drew McIntyre vs Sami Zayn

Drew sends him into the corner and overhead belly to belly suplexes him. Drew bangs Sami's head off the apron then Drew goes into the post. Sami tope con hilos Drew. We go to break and return.

Sami hits chops outside then moonsaults off the rails once he is whipped into it. Drew clotheslines him and hits mounted punches.  Drew chops him down twice and does the Garvin stomp on him. Sami elbows him off the 2nd rope and hurts his leg on the landing. Drew spears the post on accident then Sami suplexes him. Sami tornado ddt's him. Sami comes off the buckles then Drew belly to belly suplexes him. Drew hits another belly to belly then neckbreakers him.

Sami lariats him over the top. Sami gets caught on a plancha then is thrown onto to the commentator's table, bouncing down to the floor. We go to break and return. Drew goes for a reverse alabama slam but Sami rolls him up out of it. Drew spinebusters him for 2 then deadlift sitout powerbombs him. Drew climbs the buckles with him on his shoulders then Sami sunset bombs him out of it.

Sami clubs his back and Drew headbutts him. Drew goes for a kick and is kicked then takes a blue thunder bomb. Sami sprinboards backwards over him and holds his leg again on the landing. Drew is thrown over the top. Sami's leg gives out on him and Drew clips him. Drew hits a claymore kick and wins it.

I'm generally not a fan of long openers like this and I thought they did too much in this one. This was a PPV quality match in the opener here. I thought they could have worked Sami's injury more but at least Drew did work it some before the finish.

 Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler are interviewed. Shayna said she broke Nia Jax's arm and put her on the shelf two years ago and said she will remind her of that tonight, limb by limb.

Jey Uso does a taped promo. He said he had a chance a few months ago to be champ by beating Roman and said Jimmy Uso prevented it. He said it hurt him and he said he had to walk away due to it. He said he thought he was done until he got a call from Cody Rhodes. Jey says he's just fighting for him now. Jey said before everything else, it was just him. He said Seth fought along him and against him. He said he's hungry and ready to eat. He said he will prove to him and everyone else why they call him, "Main Event" Jey Uso.

Sami Zayn is getting worked on in the back and is about to be interviewed. Drew McIntyre then beats him up and throws him into boxes. He said he's nothing like him and said he brought this on himself. Drew then stomps his injured leg. Adam Pearce and refs come to break it up.

Jey Uso goes up to Sami in the back. He says this will be alright as Sami gets worked on.

Becky Lynch is interviewed and Nia Jax comes in. Nia asked about some of the fights she has planned. Becky said that includes her and said they never got to fighting and she owes her a receipt. Nia said she's all hers once she gets down squashing Shayna.

Nia Jax vs Shayna Baszler

SB hits some leg kicks and is thrown. Nia corner splashes her then SB pumping knees her. SB triangles her in the air and is powerbombed down. SB's head is banged off the announcer's table then she pushes Nia backwards into the rail. SB tries to stomp her hand into the apron but is leg swept. Nia legdrops her over the bottom rope.

We go to break and return. SB chinbreakers Nia then hits shots. Nia corner urange's her and sends her shoulder into the post. Nia hip attacks her head into the post. Nia side slams her then bangs her head off the mat. SB hits kicks then Nia samoan drops her. SB hits kicks to the body and buzzsaw kicks her. Nia splashes her against the ropes then sentons her for 2.

Nia goes up top and is caught with a german suplex. SB puts her in the choke. Nia drops her back to break it. Nia banzai drops her and wins it.

I thought it was actually a decent match. It went a little slow but Nia was a good hoss here and SB did a good job trying to take her down. 

Becky Lynch comes down after. Nia then leaves.

Indi Hartwell, Johnny Gargano. Ciampa and Candice LaRae talk in the back. Imperium walk in and they do the Imperium pose. Kaiser says they are a lovely couple and Vinci says they are a couple of losers. Indi then does Gunther's accent and says he might get mad when they lose twice tonight. Kaiser says not to mess this up tonight as this is important. Vinci says he's got it but says he hopes he does too.

2 out of 3 Falls Match - DIY vs Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci)

1st fall - Kaiser and Ciampa lock up. Ciampa hits punches and Kaiser slaps him. Vinci stomps and punches Ciampa. Ciampa hits shots back then Vinci hits a stiff running crossbody. Ciampa is held for a gut punch then is back elbowed. Kaiser armlocks him then is sent face first into the middle buckle. Ciampa tags out and JG rolls Vinci into a kick. JG la mistica takedowns Kaiser then slingshot spears Kaiser. Ciampa misses a pumping knee and Kaiser rolls him up with the tights to win the first fall.

2nd fall - JG hits a cannonball from the apron and Ciampa tope con hilos his opponents. We go to break and return. JG hits forearms on Kaiser then is flipped from the side slam position. Kaiser slaps Ciampa off the apron thne JG takes a double baseball slide as he hangs over the middle rope. Imperium go for a double team and Kaiser gets stopped up top. JG then rolls up Vinci and wins the fall.

3rd fall - Ciampa hits shots on both opponents then Ciampa double lariats them. Ciampa hits an sto + reverse ddt combo. Vinci takes a double team backdrop for 2. Kaiser is lariated over the top by JG then Vinci tilt-a-whirl backbreakers JG for 2. JG hurricanrana's Vinci and hits Kaiser off the buckles. Kaiser rolling death valley drivers him. Vinci is tagged in and double springboard moonsaults JG. Ciampa and Kaiser trade shots.  JG step up enzugiri's Vinci and Vinci takes a ddt off a powerbomb attempt. Ciampa hits a 2nd rope air raid crash on Kaiser. Kaiser rolls up JG with the tights for 2. JG superkicks Kaier then Kaiser takes a superkick + knee to the back of the head and is pinned.

I didn't like DIY winning here but it was a decent 2/3 falls match. Not great or memorable but it filled some time and furthered the story with the Imperium infighting.

Vinci tells Kaiser he has to explain things to Gunther after.

Chelsea Green, Piper, Tegan Nox and Natalya talking the back. Green said she had heard they have a match tonight and said it's so cute how they are making this team work. Green said Nox is not her meal ticket and nobody is buying this. Natty said they are coming after the titles after they win tonight. Natty said someone needs to buy that mutt a muzzle.

The Creed's are doing squats with New Day on their shoulders in the back. Brutus says they feel great about being #1 Contenders. Woods say they get Judgment Day next week. Alpha Academy walks in. They say the road only gets tougher here and stells them to stop by for a tougher workout. Julius says Ivy will neutralize Rhea and won't back down. Maxxine said Ivy did some impressive lifts in the gym. They then have Maxxine do squats with Tozawa on her back as everyone cheers along.

Judgment Day is in the back with R-Truth. Truth messed up their tv somehow. Truth said he got the best deal on tv's. Priest says he has to leave and Truth tells JD he has got to leave. JD says he has never been part of Judgment Day and never will be. Truth says they've got to tighten up on security. Priest wants Drew and Dom says Mami says no putting your hands on Drew. Priest says JD and Dom will handle business against the Creed's tonight and handle business. Priest then says they do need to handle business and messes with the tv more.

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance vs Tegan Nox and Natalya

Green and Piper are on commentary. Nox headflips out of a wristlock. Chance rolls up Natty and is shouldered over by her. Natty does a nice lift on her and gorilla presses her into a powerslam. Carter flips Chance onto Natalya. Carter grabs Natty by the foot then Nox is tagged in.

Nox corner sentons her then hits a flipping la silla on her. Chance rolls her off of her. Chance codebreakers Natty. Chance, Carter and Natty are all on the buckles, Natty slides down and powerbombs both. Natty gets a 2 count on Carter.

Carter rolls her and superkicks her in the face. Chance handstands on Carter's shoulder and is slammed down on Natty. Chance gets the win.

It was a short one and nobody really got that much in. What we got wasn't that bad though.

Chelsea Green got on the apron and was dropkicked by Chance after.

Cody Rhodes comes out to talk. He has no eye patch on or anything from the red mist. He said he saw the mist as a kid and was terrified of Muta. He said his fears as a kid were justified and blamed himself for it. He said he knows he has a big bullseye on his back going for the Royal Rumble. He said Nakamura has his attention. He said Nakamura can explain himself or they can fight right now. The lights go out except for a spotlight on Cody and Nakamura is on the tron. He said he made his eyes burn last week but tonight he will open them. He said he will show him what he is not seeing.

He said he climbed the mountain like he did and we see them both winning the Rumble. He said he slipped into a bottomless pit when he lost at Mania like Cody. He said they suffered the same humiliation. He said they hear in the back of their heads that they will never make it back to the Mania title match. Nakamura said he's hear to unburden him and take the story off of his hands.

He said he never got to finish his story so now he will finish Cody's story. He said he doesn't rate or respect him and tells him to prove it if he thinks they are the same.

Adam Pearce is on the phone in the back. Jey Uso goes up to him and asks how Sami is. Jey says he might have to get Drew if that problem doesn't get solved soon. Jey says tonight is his night and says we got this. Gunther walks in.

Judgment Day (Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonaugh) vs The Creeds

BC = Brutus Creed, JC = Julius Creed

BC takes down Dom then stomps around the ring while holding him in a suplex position. BC passes him over to JC and R-Truth comes down to ringside. JC suplexes Dom then fireman's carry slams JD.  JD takes fireman's carry slams from both then BC back body drops JD. BC hits another fireman's carry. Truth cheers on Dom.

JD and BC trade forearms. JC and BC knee JD in the ribs. BC is pulled over the top then Dom forearms JC off the apron. JD moonsaults both Creed's off the apron and we go to break.

We return and Dom puts the boots to BC. Dom suplexes BC twice but is deadlift suplexed on the third attempt. JC is tagged in and hits belly to belly suplexes on his opponents with kip-ups in between. JC throws Dom over the top then JD back springboards and poisonrana's JC. JD tope con hilos BC outside then Dom 619's JC. JC hits a double suplex on his opponents then BC pounces Dom onto the commentator's table. JD then takes a doomsday device brutus ball. BC picks up the win.

It was a shorter match but a decent tag with Julius having lots of highlight moments as usual. They continued the hard push of Julius here. 

Adam Pearce goes up to Seth Rollins. He said he invited CM Punk here next week and wants to sign him to a Raw contract. Seth said he should do what he has to do. He said Punk showed his true colors and he will wait for it to blow up in his face. Seth said he has to get ready for Jey Uso tonight. Jey Uso walks in and said it took him 15 years to get this chance. He says it's his night and says we are looking at the new champ tonight. Seth says he feels him but says he will stomp his face into the mat the first chance he gets. Jey said he will kick his face off the first chance he gets. They then pound fists and Jey says it will be his night.

Judgement Day talks in the back. Priest wants to know what happened. Dom says The Creed's are the real deal. Dom says to watch out for them.

World Heavyweight Title - Seth Rollins (c) vs Jey Uso

Seth backs him up and clean breaks him. Seth shoulders him over then Jey shoulders him over. Seth is rolled up for 2 and they stare down. We go to break and return. Seth hits some shots as Jay lays on the apron. Seth then running boots him in the head. Seth springboard swantons him into an asai moonsault for 2.

Seth running kicks him in the back. Seth backdrops him for 2. Jey hits a backdrop into a neckbreaker for 2. Jey backbreakers him then enzugiri's him from the apron. Seth then enzugiri's him while he's on the buckle. Seth spinning forearms him on the floor then Jey ddt's him on the floor.

We go to break and return. They trade punches and Seth spinning forearms him. Jey is knocked over the top rope and Seth topes him into the rail. They go back in, Seth is knocked over the top then tope'd into the rail. They collide in mid-air with crossbodies. Jey hits punches then Seth spinning clotheslines him. The crowd chants for CM Punk. Seth running forearms Jey then is kicked in the gut. Jey kneels down and hits him then spinning enzugiri's him.

Jey corner hip attacks him then Seth sling blades him. Seth top rope frogsplashes him for 2. They trade superkicks and Jey superkicks him. Jey top rope splashes him for 2. Jey goes up top and Seth walks up the buckles and superplexes him. Seth then hits a falcon arrow and a pedigree. Jey spears Seth for 2.

Jey runs at him and is kicked. Seth buckle bombs him then Jey no sells it and spears him. Jey top rope splashes him for 2. Jey superkicks him and dives at him with a spear but is pedigreed. Seth curbstomps him and wins it.

They didn't have the best selling here but they paced it well and kept it moving for probably close to 25 minutes. They matched up well and they put out a good performance here. I was surprised Drew didn't cost Jey the match here since it would have made sense and would have gave Jey an excuse for losing.

Drew McIntyre claymore kicks Jey on the floor. Drew then belly to belly suplexes Seth then suplexes Jey on the table. Drew says the truth will set Jey free.

Overall thoughts: It was a good show with a lot of good wrestling on it. I didn't like Cody no selling the mist here though and I thought Drew should have cost Jey the main event.