RAW Results and Recap: LA Hallucinations

LaToya Ferguson
Seth Rollins (source: WWE)
Monday Night RAW – November 19, 2018

Sadly, Baron Corbin kicks off another RAW (this time from Staples Center in Los Angeles), which he calls “the undisputed A-show” after last night’s Survivor Series pay-per-view—and he says it’s all because of his boss, Stephanie McMahon.

And then Stephanie actually gives credit to Corbin for the RAW roster’s success, which, of course, puts him even more over the moon that he already was. But before they can talk about tonight’s show, Corbin brings up how Stephanie promised him a “more permanent” role as RAW GM… but she also promised Braun Strowman that he’d be able to give Corbin “these hands,” so, you know, “The Monster Among Men” comes to collect.

Now it’s official: At TLC, Baron Corbin will in fact, “GET. THESE. HANDS.” If Corbin wins, he gets the permanent GM gig; and if he loses, he also loses all authority. But remember, Strowman gets to pick the stipulations and “rip [Corbin] to shreds” (WWE legal is working on that one). And as for Strowman’s Universal Championship match, he’ll get it at Royal Rumble… if he’s able to beat Corbin at TLC. (The hoop-jumping, huh?)

Strowman accepts, telling Corbin, “Welcome to Monday Night BRAUN,” and that at TLC, it’ll be a TLC match. (So Corbin will now get these hands, these tables, these ladders, and these chairs.) But Corbin says that match actually favors him—I suppose that’s because he won Money in the Bank (even though he also lost his cash-in)—so does his position of power. So he books Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre against Strowman tonight, which Stephanie likes… but she likes this even more: Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, and Baron Corbin vs. Braun Strowman, Elias, and Finn Balor.


Braun Strowman, Elias (eliminated), & Finn Balor (eliminated) vs. Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre (eliminated), & Bobby Lashley in a Six-Man Elimination Tag Team match went to a No Contest

Oh god, Lashley (“LASH-LEY! LASH-LEY!”) is wearing sunglasses indoors and a leather vest now. In better news, the Los Angeles crowd wants to walk with Elias. But in weasel news, during the commercial, Baron Corbin made it so this match is an elimination six-man tag team match (shades of Survivor Series, y’all).

At first, it looks like Corbin is going to start the match with Strowman, but of course, he tags in McIntyre pretty quickly. (Never forget The Dogs of War. Or The Pack. Whatever they were officially called.) The Balor Club is also strong in Los Angeles, and the chants of “WE WANT FINN” cause Strowman to tag in his partner (then it’s time for some “TOO SWEET” chants, as well). But McIntyre definitely isn’t playing around with Balor, as much as he’s smiling while he beats him down. Balor ends up struggling to tag out while Corbin and company beat him down, but eventually, he gets past Lashley and is able to tag in Elias, the freshest man in the entire match (since he wasn’t even on the Survivor Series card).

However, after some teamwork between Elias and Balor, the latter ends up eating a Claymore from McIntyre, becoming the first person eliminated in this match. After that, Elias is the punching bag and even ends up eating a major spear from Lashley on the outside after he puts his hands on the hype man Lio Rush… and with that, he is counted out. So now it’s Braun Strowman’s one versus three.

But you wouldn’t know it, the way he decimates those three. To the point that McIntyre gets himself disqualified with a chair shot. He continues to beat Strowman down after the fact, and Lashley hits Strowman with a spear on the outside, before they work together to “finish him.” Corbin eventually decides to laugh at and mock Strowman, but he ends up getting a hand—one that chokes him—before McIntyre saves him with a Claymore Kick to Strowman. Corbin starts beating Strowman with a chair and eventually ends it all with the steel steps to the elbow. (And Elias and Balor can’t come back to help Strowman—who’s bleeding from the arm, even before the steel steps to it—why?)

When all is said and done, before he walks to the back, Strowman informs the officials he can’t feel his hand or fingers.



At TLC, it will be Seth Rollins defending his Intercontinental Championship against Dean Ambrose. But last night, it was the six-year anniversary of The Shield’s WWE debut; and tonight, it’s been four weeks since Ambrose turned his back on Rollins (and Roman Reigns). And Ambrose still has yet to come up to Rollins and talk to him face-to-face. “You think you know somebody,” Rollins says, but he learned more about Ambrose from WWE Chronicle episode than he’d known about him in six years. He didn’t know Ambrose almost died with an infection while on the shelf because Ambrose wouldn’t answer when he called him. He also didn’t know Ambrose “loved” the WWE, because he’s never heard Ambrose say “love” in the 10 years he’s known him. (Poor Renee Young.)

So now Rollins is looking for a fight—if Ambrose loves WWE so much, he should come on out here. Instead, he comes onto the TitanTron, saying Rollins is “looking a little desperate.” He also says The Shield “did more harm than good,” reminding him of how they “were rotten to the core from the very beginning,” in the times the cameras weren’t on them. Ambrose actually says they’re all going to get what they deserve: Like Roman, who’s now answering “to the man upstairs.”

Rollins will have to answer to Ambrose, who’s backstage right now—all Rollins has to do is come and find him, which he obliges.


…and you know what? “Staples Center security” are kind of jerks. They’re all getting real fresh with Rollins, who’s just looking for Ambrose. (Kind of like Renee Young is acting toward Michael Cole and Corey Graves, especially as they push the idea that she must know more about her husband Dean Ambrose’s state of mind than she lets on.)



Nia Jax & Tamina def. Bayley & Sasha Banks

Alexa Bliss is on guest commentary for this match, putting words into Michael Cole’s mouth and changing up certain narratives to make herself look good.

This match itself is a tag team match between Sasha Banks & Bayley and Nia Jax and Tamina. Sasha immediately starts the match just going after Nia, and Bayley continues the beat down, but Nia overpowers her soon enough, and then Tamina’s in this match. Sasha and Bayley have been a tag team longer and have that chemistry, so Tamina doesn’t exactly have the advantage it would seem. But Nia and Tamina are able to capitalize with distractions and cheap shots, even though Bayley and Sasha clearly out-wrestle them.


Charly Caruso is prepared to introduce Baron Corbin as her next guest, until Ambrose shows up on the screen behind her, to alert Rollins he’s right here waiting for him, at “the place The Shield used to call home.”


…but all there is is a “BURN IT DOWN” spray-painted on a door, no Ambrose.


Oh great, everyone’s mocking Drake Maverick because he peed his pants last night. Even Rhyno and Heath Slater. Chad Gable and Bobby Roode also show up to make pee jokes. This is my life now.


Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik, & Kalisto) def. The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson)

For some reason, all three members of Lucha House Party are allowed to face off against The Revival. This is apparently “Lucha House Rules,” but why exactly The Revival would agree to that is unclear. Honestly, poor Revival. Especially once the piñatas get involved.

Also, Corey Graves admits his love of Eyes Wide Shut-type masquerade parties at one point, which has to be pushing TV-PG. This is a bizarre match.


Rollins is still looking for Ambrose, and now Charly Caruso approaches him about Ambrose’s “mind games.” Rollins doesn’t just want to get his hands on Ambrose for himself but instead for what Ambrose said about Reigns. Unfortunately, Rollins misses Ambrose walk right behind him—a point Titus O’Neil makes seconds later.


Ronda Rousey (c) def. Mickie James, for the RAW Women’s Championship

Following her brutal beating at the hands of Charlotte Flair last night at Survivor Series, Ronda Rousey decides to remain a fighting champion and defend her RAW Women’s Championship tonight. You can read more about this championship open challenge here.


Bobby Roode & Chad Gable def. AOP (Akam & Rezar)

Do you think the AOP really care about defending the honor of Drake Maverick? They probably care a little bit they’re getting the chant “A-O-Pee-Pee.” Wow.

Bobby Roode and Chad Gable put up a good fight, but… wait, Chad Gable wins this match with a roll-up! Yes, Roode and Gable have just pinned the RAW Tag Team Champions!


Ambrose says he’s “not playing games,” though it’s been fun to watch Rollins run around “like a lunatic.” He calls Rollins (and the WWE Universe) “whiny,” because this isn’t about Roman—it’s about the bond of brothers being broken. He says there will be no explanation, no apology; he just plans to “burn it down.”


But instead, it looks like Rollins is just going to leave—he’s got a red-eye to catch—and wait until TLC to take out Ambrose.


Natalya def. Ruby Riott

Last night at Survivor Series, both Ruby Riott and Natalya were removed from the RAW women’s traditional Survivor Series team because Ruby attacked Natalya. So now Natalya is even more furious with Ruby than she was before. Ruby, on the other hand, just looks like she’s having fun inflicting emotional and physical pain on Natalya.

Natalya is all piss and vinegar—and heart—in this match, but Ruby is just venom… and the numbers advantage, as The Riott Squad on the outside make sure to distract Natalya and the referee when things look dire for Ruby. But while Ruby eventually gets the tights in a roll-up, Natalya is able to reverse that roll-up for the win.

Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan have to hold Ruby Riott back after the fact.



Ambrose is still in the building, and he’s headed to the ring. Ambrose says the rest of the members of the WWE Universe in Los Angeles would’ve done the same thing as him… and they make him sick for cheering for Seth Rollins. And he hates the smell of them, “phony LA garbage.”

But whoops, Rollins didn’t actually leave. And he’s running to the ring… which means Ambrose is considering running away. But instead, he gets Rollins’ hands… and then he runs away. But Rollins isn’t done yet, no matter what WWE officials try to do to stop him. Rollins goes for the stomp but misses, and Ambrose instead hits him with a low blow, then says, “I WAS TRYING TO TALK TO YOUR PEOPLE!”

He also tells him to never interrupt him again, before hitting him with the Dirty Deeds. He starts to leave but then returns to hit a second Dirty Deeds, yelling at an unconscious Seth to “talk now.”



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