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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Nov. 27, 2017) from the Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for late January of next year.
Advertised for tonight: Roman Reigns is expected to issue an open challenge for the Intercontinental championship, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR NOV. 27
Imagine you were at my station and you brought your motor to me. You're a burner, yeah, a real motor car! Said you wanna get your order filled, but me, I'm just here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with a video package recapping the feud between Braun Strowman and Kane.
Live in the arena, Roman Reigns makes his entrance. He says it's no surprise now, last week was a big week for him, a lot of things happened. The Shield reunited, went to Survivor Series and beat the brakes off the New Day, and the next day-- a "You deserve it!" chant breaks out and he says that means a lot to him. Anyway, the next day he cashed in and became Intercontinental Champion, and he tosses to replay from last week.
Roman tells us we're not gonna see the Miz for a while, but we're gonna see a lot of the title. Miz says a lot of stupid stuff but one thing he said is true-- the IC title is prestigious, and as long as he holds it, it'll continue to be. This is his yard and his title, and the rules are simple; if you want this, all you have to do is step up and take it.
Enter... the Miz?! No, it's Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, microphones in hand. Bo asks how dare the Big Dog disrespect the most must-see Intercontinental Champion of all time, and Curtis says the only thing worse than the pain in his neck is the pain in his heart seeing him carry that title around. They're in no place to avenge this injustice, but they know somebody who can!
Guitar rings out and it's Elias! He'll sing a song later, and after seeing these poor souls lost and abandoned, he knew he could guide them and show them the way, ignite the fire that once burned in their hearts, and tonight he's gonna take that Intercontinental Championship. Reigns says it sounds like Elias wants to walk with the Big Dog, and he's got it! But first he wants him to look at Axel.
Roman hopes he can sing with a neck brace on, because after tonight he might need one.
As Reigns takes his leave, Seth Rollins makes his entrance for his match against Cesaro. They bump fists and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of Paige's return and the ensuing debut of Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose along with a little hype for the women's trios match later.
Cesaro vs. Seth Rollins
Collar and elbow, Rollins goes behind, Cesaro reverses to a wristlock by wrenching the hand and Seth reverses that to a hammerlock. Cesaro reverses to a hammerlock of his own, transitions to a wristlock, and Seth rolls through and out but the Swiss Superman is right on him with stomps! Big crossbody into grounded punches and the Architect is still in the fight, putting Cesaro into the corner and putting a beating on him.
Chops, Cesaro gets him in the ropes, Seth fires back, referee John Cone separates them and Cesaro takes full advantage, suplexing him stomach-first over the ropes to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Cesaro is in control with an abdominal stretch locked on tight in the middle of the ring. Seth manages to slip out and try an arm drag but Cesaro is right on him and knocks him to the mat before throwing repeated knees to the ribs. Lying in wait as Rollins drags himself up the turnbuckles, the Swiss Superman lands a shoulder block and sets him up top.
Thinking avalanche Karelin lift, Seth tries blocking and eventually knocks Cesaro to the mat! Diving crossbody... Cesaro catches him and turns it into a backbreaker... NOPE! Double leg takedown into another nearfall, grounded bear hug, Rollins to his feet, firing elbows, Cesaro cuts him off with a back suplex through a bit of struggle and drops an elbow. Scraping Seth's face with his forearm, a whip, looking for the abdominal stretch but Rollins reverses to one of his own!
Cesaro with a hip toss escape, Seth heads up top and connects with a diving blockbuster! Chops and forearms, a low superkick, he charges in, Cesaro back body drops him to the apron and the Architect lands a slingshot guillotine leg drop over the back of his neck! Off the ropes and a suicide dive sends us back to break.
Back from commercial and Rollins connects with the Falcon Arrow... NO GOOD! Bit of a struggle in the corner, Cone caught up, Cesaro takes advantage with an eye poke and grabs a small package... only a nearfall! Double leg into the swing and then into the Sharpshooter! Seth digs deep and finds the ropes but the Swiss Superman caves his head in with punches!
Thinking Neutralizer, back body drop counter and Avada Kedavra finds home... NOT ENOUGH! On their knees and to their feet, Cesaro throwing uppercuts and the Architect counters one with a backslide! Cesaro ducks a lariat, springboards... RIGHT INTO A SUPERKICK! Wristlock applied...
Seth Rollins wins by pinfall with the ripcord knee strike.
Seth is interviewed after if this means the Shield are going their own directions and he says hell no, he's only running solo because Dean's on his honeymoon. Actually he should check in on him, it's been a week and he hasn't heard anything. You don't think Renee put HER credit card on the room, do you?! Anyway, Roman winning the title isn't gonna separate them, it only brings them closer together and inspires them.
And come to think of it, if he can get ahold of Deano, he'll be back next week. And Sheamus will be back next week from whatever weird Irish mohawk convention he's at, so they're going to invoke their rematch clause next week! They'll burn the Bar down and prove the Shield is strong as ever, and they'll all be champions.
Commentary hypes up Reigns/Elias before recapping last week's tag team main event for 205 Live.
Backstage, Rich Swann, Akira Tozawa, Mustafa Ali, and Cedric Alexander are talking to Kurt Angle. They want an opportunity, and Angle admits he may have let the cruiserweight division go. Enzo may be champion, but he doesn't call the shots, and it's time to decide who is number one contender. This week and next there'll be a fatal four-way, and the winner of each will go on to wrestle two weeks from now to decide who the #1 contender is.
Samoa Joe is walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews are in the ring, waiting for Samoa Joe.
Samoa Joe vs. Titus O'Neil
Frenzied into the corner, Titus rains blows down but Joe is able to get a headbutt off and grab the Coquina Clutch! O'Neil backs him into the corner to break it and throws more punches, a knee, Samoa turns it around on him and hits the corner elbow / enzuigiri combo! Jabs give way to a slap exchange and Titus once again gets Joe in the ropes and beats on him.
A big slap wakes Joe up but O'Neil remains in control with a boot, right hands, referee Rod Zapata backs him off repeatedly and Samoa cracks a punch across his face! Overhead elbows, the Coquina Clutch applied, he falls back...
Samoa Joe wins by submission with the Coquina Clutch.
Apollo Crews gets in Joe's face and throws hands but Samoa sidesteps the enzuigiri and locks him in the Coquina Clutch as well!
We get some hype for the women's trios match coming up and then toss to the Club doing a WWE Shop promo for Cyber Monday in their inimitable style. No impressions this time, but we do go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of Paige's return and the ensuing chaos again.
Alexa Bliss joins the commentary booth for the match.
Sasha Banks makes her entrance and the music for both Mickie James and Bayley plays but those two are nowhere to be found when Paige, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville enter.
Paige gets on the mic and says Sasha looks surprising good for the beating she took. But where are her friends? She asks Mandy and Sonya before remembering and gesturing to the video screen, where referee John Cone finds Mickie in pain and clutching her ankle! Cut to Bayley, who's being tended to by referee Darrick Moore and clutching her neck.
Paige figures that makes this a handicap match, but first she wants to address something. She's been hounded everywhere asking for an explanation, but it's pretty clear, a year ago she was THE woman, the one who stuck the flag in the ground and singlehandedly erased the word "Diva" from the WWE dictionary! She was the matriarch of the WWE evolution, and last week she was just making a statement to prove to every one of us who she is.
And guess what? She's back! She and her allies descend on the ring and Paige introduces her group, called Absolution. Mandy gets on the mic and says others may have forgot that before there was a Boss, the Four Horsewomen, a Goddess, or an Empress, there was Paige. Sonya says every woman has raised the game, but the fact is that nothing would have been raised if it weren't for Paige.
That's why they've pledged their allegiance, and that's why Absolution is going to turn into a whole other kind of women's evolution. Paige asks Sasha if she's gonna suffer the same fate as her friends or be smart and pledge her allegiance. You're either with us or you're against us.
Sasha drops Paige off the apron with a forearm and Rose and Deville hit the ring to put boots to her! They hold her up but the Boss has a second wind and they have to beat her down anew! Sonya hits the kick, Rose hits the Angel's Wings, and Paige draws her up... RAMPAIGE!
Commentary hypes up Reigns/Elias--
(Wyatt noise.)
Bray Wyatt is in the smoky room. He chuckles and turns to the camera to announce he's here.
(Wyatt noise.)
(Off to break.)
Back from commercial, Bray makes his entrance.
He gets on the mic and starts talking about how he never celebrated holidays as a kid, and he didn't care. But we care, and we celebrate, but our entire world exists inside the confines of a cardboard box. They tell us what to do, what to buy, who to love, and who to beat. It's pathetic, really, and we're all pathetic. He tried to show us the way, but we never listened.
So now our ignorance fuels him and our suffering brings him joy because now his eyes are wide open and he can finally see us for who we truly are, and none of us are alive. We're all dead. (News to me!) He says we're all dead a bunch more--
Enter Matt Hardy, ready to fight!
...but the match will have to wait for after the break.
Bray Wyatt vs. Matt Hardy
The match is in progress and Bray in control, hitting a headbutt and following it up with a cravate. Another headbutt and Hardy fights out with body blows, whip, off the ropes and Wyatt hits the freight train crossbody! Corner avalanche, throwing Matt aside, off the ropes for the senton but Hardy rolls away! Matt to his feet, big right hands, punches and forearms, whip reversed, sidestep the avalanche!
Corner lariats into a bulldog and now we go up! Elbow drop off the second, Bray catches him in a Rock Bottom clutch, Hardy escapes, Side Effect... NO GOOD! Kick to the gut, Twist of Fate denied, elbow up on the charge, boots on the follow-up and a mat slam puts Wyatt back down. Matt up top, he hits the moonsault... NOBODY HOME! Bray with the spider walk, deep inverted facelock applied...
Bray Wyatt wins by pinfall with Sister Abigail.
Matt sits in the corner after, clearly taking the loss hard even as the crowd chants for him. He throws out a few "DELETE!"s and yells in anguish before throwing a flurry of them as Michael Cole asks if we're seeing the beginning of a Matt Hardy breakdown.
On that brilliant bombshell (and a little hype for Reigns/Elias), we go to break!
Back from commercial we get a recap of Kane injuring Braun Strowman last week.
Jason Jordan is backstage with his biological father Kurt Angle, talking about how he's fine and he wants to silence the doubters by taking on Kane. Angle asks if he's sure, he says he is, and the match is made!
Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari vs. Noam Dar vs. Rich Swann (WWE Cruiserweight Championship #1 Contender's Qualifying Match)
Dar and Daivari take Tozawa out and focus on Swann but Akira is up and ready and goes on the offensive only to have the numbers outweigh him and Noam hold him in the ropes for chops. Tozawa and Rich manage to clear house and get into it with each other, off the ropes, trading pinning predicaments. Tozawa nails Dar off the apron, Ariya puts him off and Swann launches a tope con giro into the crush!
Rich takes it to Dar on the floor, throwing hard chops against the barricade and throwing him back inside after. To the corner, more chops, Daivari puts Akira into the barricade on the floor as Noam turns the tide to an extent only to run into a dropkick! Ariya with a big spinebuster... NO GOOD! Tozawa back in but Dar runs him off and lets out a hearty "CHOO CHOO!"
Picking Akira apart, double whip hard into the barricade, outside to tend to Rich, they both suplex him on the floor and we go to break.
Back from commercial and the Zo Train is beating Tozawa down some more, but he knocks Daivari out with a boot on a double whip and rolls through a sunset flip to hit a Penalty Kick on Dar! Senton follows on Ariya and he climbs the turnbuckles, only for Noam to cut him off. Akira's able to knock him back but Daivari's on him. Again he knocks him down but now Dar is up in time, they join him thinking double superplex, Swann underneath... TOWER OF DOOM!
Cover on Tozawa... NOPE! Swann follows it up with a buzzsaw roundhouse on Daivari, he climbs... and Dar crotches him up top. Akira with a Yakuza kick to knock Noam to the floor and he hits a suicide dive to punctuate! Ariya up top, Magic Carpet Ride... NOPE! Tozawa with a Shining Wizard, up top, diving senton... DAR PUTS HIM INTO THE POST AND STEALS THE PIN BUT SWANN BREAKS IT UP!
Dar dumps Rich, schoolboy on Tozawa... NOT ENOUGH! Noam with a running kick... Rich pulls Akira from the ring! A roundhouse kick finds its mark from the apron, Swann climbs...
Rich Swann wins by pinfall with the Phoenix Splash on Noam Dar, advancing to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship #1 Contender's Match.
Elias is walking backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, the Drifter is in the ring to sing us a song.
He says something's been on his mind with the Miz not hear tonight. He hopes he's healing up with his beautiful wife and his baby-to-be, so he's dedicating this one to the Miz. The crowd boo and he makes like he's not gonna do it but he decides it's more important Miz hears his song. It's about how the Miztourage haven't been able to sleep but if you follow Elias he'll guide you.
Normally he's a one man show but he's gonna do something special tonight and he introduces the Miztourage, who have been in the dark corner of the ring. They launch into another number and Bo and Curtis are on harmonica trading off solos the entire time. Elias puts them over and invites them to take a bow before launching into a third song by himself.
He stops himself short after an intro as the crowd chants for Roman, and the Drifter says right now nobody wants Roman more than him, and that gets Reigns to make his entrance.
We get introductions, but the match proper will have to wait for after the break.
Back from commercial in time for the bell!
Elias vs. Roman Reigns (c) (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Collar and elbow, Elias gets a side headlock but Roman shoves him away. Back to the lockup, Reigns grabs the headlock this time, gets shot off and hits the shoulder block. Again with the lockup, struggling in it, the Big Dog gets the headlock and the Drifter backs him into the corner and breaks dirty with a shoulder thrust. Big slicing right, punches, whip reversed and Samson gets a knee to the midsection off.
Putting Roman shoulder-first into the post, he capitalizes with a rear chinlock for a bit before hooking the nose and hitting a pair of knees to the back and going back to the hold. Reigns gets to his feet and breaks with punches, off the ropes and he runs into a lariat... only a nearfall! Elias locks him down with a reverse chinlock but Roman is able to get to his feet and break with a thrust into the corner.
Charging lariats, whip reversed and a leaping lariat puts the Drifter in the corner! Corner lariats follow, but the Miztourage run interference and Elias gets a nearfall off another knee to send us to break.
Back from commercial and the Drifter has Roman in the reverse chinlock again as he fights to his feet. Whip, Reigns catches himself in the ropes and throws an elbow, gets a boot up in the corner, back to a headlock but he's able to dump Elias to the floor to get some breathing room! Drive-By follows, Superman Punch on Dallas and the Big Dog stalks Axel... SPEAR!
Samson takes advantage, battering the champion around on the floor and rolling him inside, diving elbow drop... NOT ENOUGH! Setting up Drift Away but Roman reverses to a fireman's carry, Elias slips out and puts him into the turnbuckles, gets him up in an electric chair... AND SPINS IT INTO A POWERBOMB! ONLY A NEARFALL! Having trouble following it up, going for Drift Away... Roman counters to a small package for a nearfall!
Off the ropes, Superman Punch... NO GOOD! Calling for it... Elias gets a knee up to counter the spear! They run the ropes...
Roman Reigns wins by pinfall with the spear, retaining the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
SAMOA JOE BLINDSIDES REIGNS AND LOCKS THE COQUINA CLUTCH ON HIM ON THE RAMP! Jamie Noble and Finlay barely manage to pry him off and hold him back with the assistance of a few referees but he says he's coming for Roman! He's back on the attack choking him out with both hands but they're able to pull him off!
Commentary hypes up Jordan/Kane and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw is three hours long.
Dana Brooke gets a picture-in-picture promo about how nobody is ready for Asuka is nonsense and she's found a hole in her game. She's a slow starter, and when the bell rings, she's gonna be right on her.
Asuka vs. Dana Brooke
Dana charges in, Asuka is ready...
Asuka wins by submission with a flying armbar.
Absolution come back out and interrupt Asuka's celebration. They circle the ring poised to strike as Asuka stands her ground... and Absolution back off. Asuka smiles at them and Paige waves, and Asuka takes her leave to send us to break.
Back from commercial and commentary hypes up our tag title match next week.
Jason Jordan makes his entrance and gets on the mic. He says over the past week there's been a lot of speculation over his injured knee and how severe it is. Doubters think he was just trying to get out of his match against Braun Strowman but that couldn't be any further from the truth. Last week when he slipped out of the powerslam he felt a pop in his knee and knew he couldn't continue, but thanks to WWE's world class medical staff and a week of rehab he thinks he's at 100%.
Furthermore, he's going to do what Braun couldn't and that's shut down the Big Red Machine.
Jason Jordan vs. Kane
Circling, Kane tosses Jordan aside but Jason comes from behind with a waistlock and gets caught with an elbow. Diving lariat and he manages to pick the Big Red Machine up and ram him into the corner! Double leg into the opposite corner as well! Shoulder thrust but Kane blocks the back suplex neckbreaker and throws Jordan to the floor where he clutches the injured knee!
Referee Chad Patton counting, Jordan is trying, but...
Kane wins by countout.
Jason keeps fighting back inside but Kane runs him over with a boot and dumps him to the floor, right on the bad knee again! A lariat on the floor, back inside to put boots to him and Kane starts picking apart the leg... FINN BALOR MAKES THE SAVE!
Or, well, he'll make the save after the break, for now he's just making his entrance at usual speed and counting on Kane to not start beating on Jordan more, I guess.
Back from commercial and we have a match!
Finn Balor vs. Kane
Finn throwing leg kicks but Kane gets the goozle and lifts him up... Balor slips out and dropkicks the knee! Off the ropes, another dropkick, again and the Big Red Machine wipes him out with a lariat. Hammer whip to the corner, stomps and punches, and a side slam gets two! Another hard whip, Finn with the boots up on the charge and he pops to the apron for a gamengiri.
Shotgun dropkick sends Kane to the floor and Balor follows it with a plancha before throwing a dropkick on the floor that sandwiches the Big Red Machine into the barricade. Kane attacks with a chair...
Finn Balor wins by disqualification.
The Big Red Machine presses the attack with the chair, ramming it into him and rolling Finn inside. Waffling the chair across his back and sliding it over his neck, Kane climbs to the second rope ready to Pillmanize him...
(RRROOOAAARRR!)
BRAUN STROWMAN IS BACK! He heads into the ring and shrugs off a chairshot! Kane begs off but Braun boots the chair out of his hand and beats him down in the corner with repeated headbutts and a Stinger splash! Freight training him in the middle of the ring, Strowman heads around after him and picks the stairs up on the way to knock him out with the top step!
Picking up the base, he slides it in the ring and stalks after Kane. He puts him in the ring and whacks him with the chair before hoisting him up... RUNNING POWERSLAM ON THE STEPS! BRAUN RETURNS THE FAVOR WITH THE CHAIR TO THE THROAT, LEAVING KANE DRY HEAVING! A SECOND TIME!
A gagging, dry-heaving Kane stumbles over the barricade and into the crowd desperate to get away from the monster among men.
Braun stands tall and poses for the crowd.
That's the show, folks.