WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for October 23

Follow along with our live WWE Raw review.

Previously on WWE Raw, The Shield came back in full force. Then everyone got meningitis or something, and TLC was awesome regardless.

Speaking of TLC, much of this week’s Raw is likely going to deal with the fallout from the show. We’ll get to that in a minute, though. Because up first is The Beast Incarnate – Brock Lesnar. The Universal Champion is set to respond to a challenge issued by WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. The Modern Day Maharaja wants to face Lesnar in a singles bout at Survivor Series. Tonight, we get Brock’s answer.

But back to TLC. In the show opener, Asuka debuted and defeated Emma. Over the course of the match, The Empress of Tomorrow showed exactly why she was undefeated in her NXT career. Although she likes to say the answer is no one, who’s ready for Asuka tonight?

There’s a new Cruiserweight Champion after TLC, as well. Enzo Amore was victorious in his rematch against Kalisto, making The Realest Guy a two-time Cruiserweight Champ. Enzo took some shortcuts over the course of the match, so it remains to be seen how long he can remain on top this time around. And will Kalisto invoke his rematch clause tonight?

In the clear match of the night at TLC, Finn Balor defeated AJ Styles in what was billed as a “dream match.” And, yes, it was just as amazing as you would expect it to be. But with Styles heading back to SmackDown and Bray Wyatt – Balor’s original opponent – still presumably out with illness, what’s next for The Demon?

And in a shocking moment, Kane – and eventually The Bar and The Miz – turned on Braun Strowman in the middle of the main event at TLC. The Big Red Machine chokeslammed Strowman through the stage and buried him under chairs. Then the whole group threw Braun into the back of a garbage truck. Master Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles survived such a fate, so Braun will be back – but what’s he going to do next?

Related Story: WWE TLC 2017: 5 Best Moments

Follow our live WWE Raw review right here starting at 8pm EDT.

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Kurt Angle Breaks Down The Survivor Series Card

The Raw GM came down to the ring after a near perfect video package highlighting the TLC main event. I mean, it was great. Anyway, Angle starts off by continuing the theme of his hype videos for TLC – every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It’s nice, but in pro wrestling there’s never really an end, is there? Look no further than last night for exhibit A.

Then Angle goes into the Survivor Series card. Once again, it’ll be Raw vs. SmackDown – literally, as literally every champion from both sides are going up against their counterpart. Miz vs. Corbin, Bliss vs. Natalya, Ambrose/Rollins vs. Usos (which is going to be so so sooooooo good), and Jinder vs. Brock. Plus the men’s and women’s elimination matches.

Before anything else can go on, The Miz makes his way out to the ring to air his grievances. He thinks Angle has been abusing his power as GM. Therefore, Angle should resign. Clearly, The Miz doesn’t understand how things work in the pro wrestling world. Either way, Miz, along with Curtis Axel and The Bar, surround the ring before Ambrose and Rollins make the save.

Even though Angle is really like an honorary Shield member at this point, there’s more abuse of power to be had. Angle makes a match for right now – The Miz, Cesaro, and Sheamus will take on Ambrose and Rollins, as well as a special guest. He just happens to be a SmackDown superstar, and he’s phenomenal. Yes, AJ Styles stuck around for another night, because reasons, but I don’t care.

Yes, that’s AJ Styles on Raw again. Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & AJ Styles vs. The Miz, Cesaro, & Sheamus

Result: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, & AJ Styles defeated The Miz, Cesaro, & Sheamus via pinfall

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I could probably write OMG 250 times for this segment, and it wouldn’t properly convey how great some of these matchups are. Styles tearing it up with Cesaro? SIGN ME UP RIGHT NOW.

But I’ll be a good critic and actually talk about what happened in the match. It’s ridiculous to segue from “I want my show to be the best” to “here’s a guy from the other show because he’s better than anyone we have,” but that’s how good Styles is. When he finally gets in the match (against Cesaro, which <3), it’s predictably great. Even Styles taking a beating is better than most other superstars.

But seeing Styles in the “Roman Reigns” role is crazy. Because he’s a much different type of wrestler, the triple team type moves the “Shield” can do tonight are way different than usual. A triple plancha to the outside? Sure, Reigns can probably do that, but it doesn’t fit. Here, it’s almost expected.

Ambrose did a great job of being face in peril for much of the match. Honestly, Dean has been great ever since reuniting with Rollins. That rebound lariat to Sheamus was nuts. In fact, the only issue I have with Ambrose is his mannerisms when he goes for a blocked Dirty Deeds. It just looks silly. But aside from that he’s better than he’s been in a long time.

The sequence leading into the second (!) commercial break was off the walls. The Miz has one of the best DDTs in WWE right now, and Rollins bumped for it like it was a literal killer move. It was all just so so good.

Speaking of good, a hot tag to AJ Freaking Styles? To go up against Cesaro again? Is it my birthday or something? Another bonkers sequence leading to the finish got us to a suicide dives in stereo from the tag champs, leaving Cesaro alone to eat a Phenomenal Forearm and a pinfall.

And just when everything was going so well, out comes Kane to ruin it. The Big Red Machine laid waste to the winners, no one knows why, and no one wants it.

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Kane Sticks Around

After the break, Kane is still in the ring. Technically, this is like one long segment to open the show – Angle’s promo bled into the long and awesome six man tag, and Kane came out art the end of that. It’s like a single, nearly hour long segment, and it should happen more often. Why does it take a major viral outbreak to get some continuity in the television programming?

Okay, so Kane says that he had heard some wonderful stories about Braun Strowman. Stories about how he was a terrible monster, who had done terrible things, who was a freak of horrible strength. But Kane went on to talk about how Strowman was just a shell. When Kane turned on him at TLC, he saw fear in Strowman’s eyes.

But Kane also saw truth. He realized that Strowman may have claimed to be a Monster Among Men, but Kane will always be Raw‘s only monster. And now Kane wants competition, or else.

Not going to lie, this was a much better promo than I was expecting. Kane is not the type of guy I want taking up valuable screen time on Raw in 2017, but if he keeps up the character work like this, it won’t be as bad as it could be.

And Kane’s challenge gets answered by Finn Balor? Heck yeah, this is one of the best episodes of Raw in a long time!

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Kane vs. Finn Balor

Result: Kane defeated Finn Balor via pinfall

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is exactly the kind of match Balor needs to follow up with his instant classic at TLC against AJ Styles. Balor has been kind of treading water for months, ever since he returned from injury in April. Lest we forget, Balor was the inaugural Universal Champion. By showing his intestinal fortitude and accepting Kane’s challenge, Finn could be trying to leapfrog himself back to world championship contention.

(Let’s not pretend that this isn’t an upgrade from the Balor-Wyatt rivalry, either.)

Balor got off to a quick start, but Kane quickly used his power to slow down the smaller challenger. It may seem strange for me to say this, but seeing Balor get overpowered is a great way to build Finn up. Wait, what? It will lead to him needing to find a way to power up to get retribution – whether Demon, or possibly finding some allies, who knows?

For what this was, it was excellent. Kane did enough to really put a hurting on Balor, but Balor got enough offense in to show that he can possibly maybe hang with much larger opponents. When Finn started his comeback, I really thought he may have a chance to pull this one out, but clearly Kane is the focal point here (boy, is that weird to write in 2017) to lead to the Strowman blowoff.

I wish Kane would have used the chokeslam from the top rope as a finish, but I guess three regular old chokeslams are good enough. And before anyone goes too crazy, FINN BALOR IS NOT GETTING BURIED, FOLKS.

Shane McMahon Stops By

Man, Shane-O-Mac looks AWFUL. Maybe he’ll stop jumping off really tall things, because he’s a broken, beaten man.

He and Angle discuss the upcoming Survivor Series matches, with both (predictably) stating their teams would reign supreme. And Angle tries to steal Styles to Raw but Shane ain’t buying. Nice try, Kurt.

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Asuka vs. Emma

Result: Asuka defeated Emma via submission

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Corey Graves is out there bending over backwards trying to put over Asuka. He’s getting a bit of help from Michael Cole and Booker T, but he’s doing the lion’s share of the work trying to get the general main roster audience to appreciate the unique talent she is.

Emma had requested this match during TLC, as seen on WWE’s YouTube channel. It’s very, very similar to the TLC match, as well. Emma spent a good portion of that match in control, and the same thing happened here on Raw. So many people are of the impression that Asuka dominated in NXT by never having to work from behind. But while she was undefeated, it was because she could work from behind.

But Asuka’s eventual comeback here was, again, very similar to last night. Lots of strikes from out of almost nowhere, quick attacks, and a big submission to end the contest. The Asuka Lock is going to be a move akin to Samoa Joe’s Coquina Clutch – it’s going to be seen as a devastating hold that can be escaped, but it’s nearly impossible to do so.

My only concern here is that Asuka had basically the same match as she did at TLC with no forward momentum. No one came out to claim they are ready for Asuka. The Empress of Tomorrow didn’t issue any challenges to other superstars. So where does she go from here?

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Alexa Bliss Speaks

Not going to lie, the prospect of four weeks of Alexa Bliss coming up with new ways to call Natalya a crazy cat lady is intoxicating. The whole “Mickie is old” thing was lame because it wasn’t true. But Nattie really is a crazy cat lady! This is going to be great.

Alexa tries to put Mickie behind her, but she’s upset that the crowds don’t seem to appreciate their Raw Women’s Champion. She points out that everyone gets chants except for her. And the best part is that somehow, Alexa gets better and better on the mic each and every week.

The Ohio native is able to take down the entire Midwest before Mickie comes down to show that Alexa can’t get rid of her completely just yet. Without a word, Mickie hits a kick to the gut and a nasty DDT – all in spike heels. I won’t go into too many details, but I’ve worn heels before and can’t even walk in them – I couldn’t imagine trying to do anything more athletic than that.

Clearly, the Mickie-Alexa thing isn’t over just yet. But as for the rest of the Women’s Division…

Oh Captain, My Captain…

Kurt Angle talks to Sasha Banks and Bayley about needing a captain for the Raw Women’s team at Survivor Series. In comes Alicia Fox, who is so good at acting like a lunatic that it’s scary. Turns out, we’ll have a triple threat match tonight, and the winner will be the captain. Angle tries to tell Fox that pins only count in the ring, and she laughs in his face and walks away.

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Elias

My god, this guy has gotten so good it’s unfair. It’s not common for a performer to be better on a large stage as opposed to a smaller one, but here we are. As bad as “The Drifter” was in NXT, he’s that good on Raw. Good for him, and that Aaron Rodgers line alone is enough to make him one of my favorites (especially since Rodgers wasn’t on my fantasy team this year).

So Elias tries to give his uninterrupted performance, but surprise! it gets interrupted. Not by an actual person, but by technical difficulties. One of my duties as a music teacher is knowing how to run the sound system for our performing arts center – mic difficulties like Elias had are my biggest nightmare.

Of course, it’s sabotage, and Jason Jordan is to blame – no produce this time, just immaturity and abuse of his position as the boss’s son. This leads to an impromptu rematch of an impromptu TLC match that ended with Elias losing after kicking out.

Elias vs. Jason Jordan

Result: Jason Jordan defeats Elias via disqualification

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Before I talk more specifically about this match, I want to say this: I want Jordan to turn heel just so Booker T can shut up during his matches. The claims of nepotism were cute at first, but now they are the most annoying parts of any Jordan match. I want them to stop so badly you have no idea.

But there’s really not much else to say about this match until we get to the end. Jordan withstands Elias’s attmepts to wear him down, and starts his comeback. He’s getting some good shots in outside the ring, using the barricade to his advantage. When he goes for a killshot of a spear, Elias uses his guitar as a weapon and it’s El Kabong for Jordan.

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Brock Gives His Answer (That Angle Already Gave Earlier Tonight)

Look, I already wrote a bunch of words about how bad an idea this match is. But thanks to Kurt Angle earlier in the night, it looks like Jinder vs. Brock is official for Survivor Series, along with a bunch of other champion vs. champion matches.

So here comes Paul Heyman to speak on behalf of Brock Lesnar. He goes on a tirade about how Jinder doesn’t understand what the word “undisputed” means in his entrance for The Beast. Heyman never mentions Jinder by name at first – simply referring to him as “someone” over on SmackDown Live. It’s a great way to subtly tell everyone exactly what he and Brock think about Mahal.

Heyman also goes into the era of trash talking, and how everyone nowadays thinks that’s how you build a fight. But Heyman astutely points out that he hasn’t done that in ages – he praises Lesnar’s opponents. Goldberg, Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman – but not Jinder Mahal.

Things get a little maybe-kinda-racist when Heyman refers to Jinder as a made-up Maharaja, and calls the Singh Brothers the Sing Sing Singh Sing-Along Brothers. But Heyman reminds everyone that the last time a SmackDown superstar faced off against Lesnar, the match had to be stopped after Brock ignored everything about the PG Era.

The challenge is officially accepted, and now the countdown to Jinder’s extermination begins. (But hearing Heyman mention Nakamura, how bad do you want to see Brock vs. Nak right now?)

Kalisto Invokes His Rematch Clause

Tomorrow night on 205 Live! Tonight there’s a 10-man tag match, but the highlight of this segment was Charly Caruso doing a good lucha thing. Adorable.

No, wait… Lucha-dorable.

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Alicia Fox

Result: Alicia Fox defeated Bayley and Sasha Banks via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Obligatory for an Alicia Fox match: What a great northern lights suplex Foxy has, huh? I think it looks so good because she’s so tall, and the bridge just comes so naturally and has perfect form. But except for maybe Chad Gable, I haven’t seen a northern lights like that in a while.

Before the commercial break, much of the match was focused on how Fox was nutty, and Sasha and Bayley were trying to use that to their advantage. Alicia kept getting dumped to the outside.

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After a bit of “normal” wrestling, for lack of a better word, the crazy switch got turned up to a billion. Fox couldn’t get a victory, so she declared she “didn’t want to play this game anymore.” She tried to end the match herself by ringing the bell. Gotta admit, if you’re gonna go for it, go all the way.

After Bayley looked like she would pick up a win, Sasha broke up the cover on Fox. This led to a bit of an extended brawl between the two best friends, which continued until fox recovered. As Bayley lined up for a Bayley-to-Belly on Sasha, Fox mocked her from behind and hit her own instead.

Sasha did get Fox caught in the Banks Statement, but Fox wouldn’t tap out. She escaped, and a bit of miscommunication between Bayley and Sasha led to Alicia getting the pin on Bayley. So Alicia Fox is captain of the Raw Women’s Team for Survivor Series. Wow.

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Enzo Amore, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, Noam Dar, & Drew Gulak vs. Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Mustafa Ali, Cedric Alexander, & Rich Swann

Result: Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Mustafa Ali, Cedric Alexander, & Rich Swann defeated Enzo Amore, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari, Noam Dar, & Drew Gulak via pinfall

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Drew Gulak is a national treasure, and a saint. I hope when we finally get to see his PowerPoint presentation in full, at least one slide will discuss how to be so charismatic. I mean, you probably can’t teach that, but it would be worth a shot. Absolutely love Gulak’s proper grammar, which is so rare these days. And his dancing!

The match got off to a good start. Gran Metalik is basically guaranteed the award for “most underutilized superstar on the roster” award (yes, more so than Luke Harper). His sequence with Tony Nese was fantastic (Nese is no slouch, either).

Things, of course, came back to Gulak, who tried to warn Kalisto about the No FLy Zone. For his troubles, Gulak received a quintet of superkicks to the face. Seems uncalled for, if you ask me. But with the luchadores in full control, Raw headed to a commercial.

After the break, Rich Swann was being worked over by the Zo Train. A brawl broke out on the arena floor, with most of the match participants going bananas outside the ring.

Enzo got tagged into the match almost by surprise, but he seemed to have Kalisto ready for defeat. But the high flyers did the high flying thing – Cedric and Ali with running aerial attacks, then Swann and Metalik with some of their own. Suddenly, Enzo and Kalisto were the only ones left in the ring, and a surprise Salida Del Sol ended it for Team Lucha Lucha.

With a Cruiserweight Championship match coming up on 205 Live, it’s a big win for Kalisto, even if it hits that old trope of [WRESTLER] HAS PINNED THE [XXX] CHAMPION!

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Under Seige

Kurt Angle heads to the ring to name the participants for the men’s Survivor Series team. Before he can get to that, Shane McMahon’s music hits. The stage was empty, because the SmackDown Live Commissioner was in the stands – with nearly his entire roster of superstars.

In the ring, Angle was dumbfounded. Shane said two words – “Under seige” – and Angle ran terrified away from the ring. Shane implored the Blue Team to “Get ’em,” and the roster marched up the ramp to the backstage area.

And that’s where all hell broke loose. Titus O’Neil and Apollo Crews were just hanging out backstage, but the SmackDown stars brutally assaulted them. The Tuesday Night Titans just annihilated everyone and everything in sight – Superstars, equipment, interns, you name it, it was at risk of being destroyed.

Kurt Angle was dragged back to the ring, past the destruction caused by the Blue Team. Shane told him to bring his gold medal and what was left of his roster, and they’d finish this at Survivor Series.

As much as I really want to love this (and believe me, I do), I have problems with it. First, Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode should not be working together all buddy buddy. It undermines everything their rivalry – bad as it may have been – built if they’re palling around beating people up. Also, Nakamura as a hired hand? Come one, no way.

The bigger issue is that this falsely manufactures a rivalry between brands as if they were separate entities. As Corey Graves kept pointing out, there’s no bad blood between shows. Graves said multiple times that he’s an announcer for both – everyone gets along! So why out of nowhere does SmackDown hate Raw?

Next: WWE TLC 2017: 5 Best Moments

Although I will say that Baron Corbin stepping up to bully the intern is peak Baron Corbin. That part made all the sense in the world. What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE Raw?