WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for December 11
By Bryan Heaton
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
Bayley & Mickie James (w/ Sasha Banks) vs. Paige & Mandy Rose (w/ Sonya Deville)
Result: Paige & Mandy Rose defeated Bayley & Mickie James via pinfall
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Before the match, Paige and the rest of Absolution have a few words for their opponents. Paige reminds us that she took out Sasha Banks last week in her return to action, while Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville put in their two cents. I’ve been impressed with Rose and Deville on the mic so far – they never really had much chance to speak in NXT, so they’re both kind of wild cards in that respect.
"We DEMAND the spotlight and we are going to continue to purge the ENTIRE division of the feeble and the unworthy!" #RAW Women's Division, take heed of #Absolution's manifesto... @WWE_MandyRose @RealPaigeWWE @SonyaDevilleWWE @itsBayleyWWE @SashaBanksWWE @MickieJames pic.twitter.com/Xo0DUwX9mw
— WWE (@WWE) December 12, 2017
Right off the bat, Bayley and Mickie take the early advantage. Interestingly, Paige threw Mandy Rose to the wolves outside the ring, leaving her to take the brunt of Bayley’s offense. With Mickie ready to attack Paige, it didn’t really matter, but the dynamic within Absolution is something to watch.
Uhhhhhh, we saw what you did there, @RealPaigeWWE...#RAW pic.twitter.com/Dk26NLrf1j
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 12, 2017
After the commercial break, there was no recap of just how Absolution took over, but there was Mandy in solid control over Bayley. Besides not letting everyone know what happened during the commercial, the camera work in this one was horrendous. Bayley started her comeback, but it was more important to show a wide shot of Sasha outside the ring than Bayley hitting a running elbow on Rose in the middle of the ring. It’s been a bit of a running theme lately, but it was really notable here.
Welcome home, @RealPaigeWWE... #RAW #Absolution @WWE_MandyRose @itsBayleyWWE @MickieJames pic.twitter.com/lDaZjXFvOg
— WWE (@WWE) December 12, 2017
Bayley spent much of the match as face in peril, but finally tagged out to Mickie James. It looked like Mickie had things well in hand, but as the referee pulled Bayley out of the ring, Paige hit a kick to Mickie’s head, allowing Mandy to pick up the pinfall victory.
Surprisingly, there was no interference of note from Sonya Deville or Sasha Banks – they were just there. Strange, but it is what it is. Not a bad match to start things off, even if a big chunk went unseen and unexplained.