WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for December 18
By Bryan Heaton
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
Jason Jordan, Dean Ambrose, & Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe, Cesaro, & Sheamus
Result: Samoa Joe, Cesaro, & Sheamus defeated Jason Jordan, Dean Ambrose, & Seth Rollins via pinfall
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Something I didn’t notice in the Rollins/Jordan match earlier – no Shield gear tonight. It’s more noticeable here because Ambrose is out there in his usual jeans instead of the tactical pants. What, Roman Reigns takes a week off and The Shield is dead? At least Jordan didn’t come out in a bulletproof vest or whatever, that would have been weird.
.@WWERollins, @TheDeanAmbrose and @JasonJordanJJ seem to be coexisting quite well as they take it to @WWECesaro, @WWESheamus and @SamoaJoe on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/ybSoWobDHL
— WWE (@WWE) December 19, 2017
The vast majority of this match was just Rollins getting destroyed. Keep in mind, Rollins and Jordan had competed earlier in the night in a very long match. So Seth being out there for the lion’s share of the match minutes is no small feat. However, from a performance standpoint it puts his team at a disadvantage.
The son of @RealKurtAngle is currently learning a painful lesson at the hands of the #RAW #TagTeamChampions... pic.twitter.com/KQ5cHQwz6i
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 19, 2017
Normally, you would think Rollins would be the perfect participant to take a hot tag. But contextually, it makes sense for him to tag out on the hot tag – sell the damage he’s taken over the course of the entire night while letting someone else do the dirty work. That tag, though, never came.
Even @TheDeanAmbrose got CAUGHT in the CHAOS there...#RAW @WWERollins pic.twitter.com/yuQyeEP3N9
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) December 19, 2017
The finish was a little out of the blue. Jordan got tossed into the timekeeper’s area, incapacitating him. Rollins kept getting denied a chance to tag out, leading to him going for a suicide dive. That dive took out Ambrose, too, who apparently suffered an injury that required the ringside doctor. In the confusion, Sheamus hit Rollins with a vicious Brogue Kick, allowing Cesaro to pick up the three count.
I’m 99% sure that the Ambrose injury is a work, because that dude never gets hurt. But whatever the case, this match was definitely one of the better matches of the night. Rollins killed it for the second match in a row, even getting whupped for the majority of this one.
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
An Unexpected Arrival
Hey, Stephanie McMahon is here! (how do I put the poop emoji in here?)