WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for December 11
By Bryan Heaton
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
Dean Ambrose vs. Samoa Joe
Result: Samoa Joe defeated Dean Ambrose via submission
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars
Before the match really gets underway, Jason Jordan comes out to observe the proceedings. Of course, Joe did the same thing last week when Jordan faced Roman Reigns. It’s a bold strategy for the youngster, since Joe could very easily march up the ramp and destroy him before getting counted out.
https://twitter.com/WWE/status/940424636822536192
What I loved about the match is that crazy, lunatic, off the cuff Dean Ambrose is the guy who seemed to have a solid strategy in place to give himself a shot to beat Joe. That strategy? Go for the knees and take the big man down. If you’re on your back, you can’t really fight back.
.@TheDeanAmbrose's "strategy" seems to be going according to plan as he takes on @SamoaJoe for the FIRST TIME EVER on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/ASMoNScQe7
— WWE (@WWE) December 12, 2017
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For a while, the match was great – at least on par with the Rollins-Sheamus match from earlier in the evening. But after the commercial break when Jordan got involved, it took a hit, because it didn’t need the interference. Sure, it led to some great spots – like the pair of suicide dives – but it was overbooking for the sake of overbooking.
If you want to build to Joe vs. Jordan, let Jason come out after this match hits its conclusion. If Joe is beating Ambrose, does it really make that much difference if Dean loses cleanly? It’s Samoa Joe – he’s billed as a near unbeatable monster. There’s no harm in Ambrose going down, then Jordan coming down to confront Joe.
Anyway, Ambrose passes out rather than taps out, which fits his character even if it’s becoming a played out cliche of a finish. Joe is on a roll right now, and is doing some of the best work of his career.
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
Titus Worldwide
In a “oh man, these guys haven’t been on WWE Raw in weeks” segment, Dana Brooke joins Titus Worldwide as head statistician and leader of research and development. Okay. Apollo Crews is super excited, but Gallows and Anderson smell a couple of nerds and make their presence felt. Before anything goes down, everyone scatters at the sight of Braun Strowman, which is for some reason hilarious to me.