Welcome to the Raw Review for December 25, 2017. For both this and Smackdown, I will go over what the big talking points were, pick the match of the night, and look ahead to the next show.
Talking Points
A Christmas Carol
John Cena wasted no time welcoming everyone to this Christmas edtion of Raw. HE was soon intruppted by Elias, who proceeded to mock and then attack Cena. A match got started, and with no commercial interruptions, Elias and Cena put on a match that was pay per view worthy. Elias was hitting Cena with everything he had, and Cena could only muster short bursts of offense until the very end. Elias is the wrestler to watch in 2018. His puts his entire heart into his gimmick and has the athletic ability to back it up in the ring. He should be in serious title consideration in the very near future.
Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies
When it started a few weeks ago, I was very concerned about the story line with Enzo Amore and Nia Jax. Was this going to be played for laughs? Thankfully, the story line has taken a much more serious and charming path. On this night, Amore and Jax found themselves under a mistletoe and a kiss seemed to be in the cards. The moment was ruined when Alexia Bliss interrupted and dragged Jax away. The crowd let out a disappointed “awwwww” as Amore was left alone. I don’t know when the end goal is, but it will be an interesting journey.
Die Hard
After Dean Amborse had been injured and will be out up to nine months, Roman Reigns looked for revenge against the man who did it, Samoa Joe. These two started off hot and never let up. There was no clear favorite, as momentum shifted back and forth. The best thing was that Reigns was so intent on hurting Joe, he allowed himself to be disqualified when he shoved the referee away to continuing hammering Joe. Reigns didn’t stop after the bell, as he used the steel stairs and even a chair to continue the punishment. This is a Reigns people can get behind, a nasty monster whop wants to hurt people.
Match of the Night
Raw Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro vs Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan (Tag Team Championship Match) (Jordan and Rollins win by pin fall to become the new Tag Team Champions)
Seth Rollins did not want Jason Jordan as his partner, and Jordan didn’t think he needed Rollins. The unexpected team up struck gold in their first outing and the story line could be one of the hottest on WWE. The match it self was very good, as Rollins took the punishment and Jordan played the hero. The crowd was surprising for Jordan as he slammed the Bar and took submission after submission move. How this plays out in the coming weeks will determine how successful this shocking title change truly was.
Conclusion
Bray Wyatt came out to the ring, only to be ambushed by Matt Hardy. Asuka is in the Royal Rumble, and capped off her announcement with a kick to Alexia Bliss’s head. Next week, Brock Lesnar returns and Enzo Amore and Cedric Alexander meet to determine who walks out Cruiserweight Champion.
