WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for December 11

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Samoa Joe One Step Ahead

Raw got started this week with a lengthy video recapping what’s been happening with The Shield over the past few weeks. After the video, Samoa Joe was already in the ring with a mic in hand, and things picked up in a hurry.

Joe went on to deliver one of the best promos of 2017. In fact, it could have been the absolute best promo of the year if not for the ridiculous cuts backstage to see Rollins, Ambrose, and Reigns watching on the monitor. It was jarring to go back and forth between a real classic promo to wacky Dean going to “find Roman.”

That minor misstep aside, Joe really brought it tonight. He’s always been great on the mic, but this was next level stuff. Everything was made abundantly clear, and you really want to see Joe tear it up with anyone in The Shield.

So, short version: Joe calls out Reigns by himself, since Joe doesn’t need anyone’s help to put him down. Roman comes down, starts to brawl, but whoops! There’s Cesaro and Sheamus, because Joe is a dastardly heel who’s also one step ahead of the competition. Rollins and Ambrose come down to try and even the odds, but by the end of the segment, the Hounds of Justice are laid out, and Samoa Joe stands tall thanks to The Bar.