WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for December 25

Absolution (Paige, Mandy Rose, & Sonya Deville) vs. Bayley, Mickie James, & Sasha Banks

Result: Absolution defeated Bayley, Mickie James, & Sasha Banks via pinfall

Rating:

Last week, these two teams faced off in the main event. It quickly devolved into a chaotic mess, ended in a disqualification, and Stephanie McMahon saved the day by being the best thing in the women’s division and announcing the first ever women’s Royal Rumble. (Can you detect the heavy sarcasm in that sentence? I’m trying to lay it on super thick.)

In a rematch here, Sasha Banks spends much of the match getting the stuffing kicked out of her. She took a particularly brutal lariat on the ringside floor from Sonya Deville that put her in a bad way. Exceptional team work by Absolution kept Sasha in trouble, isolated from her partners.

It’s great to see an Absolution match actually get to have a finish, since the actual trios matches they’ve participated in have been cut short or not started. Getting through this one and looking impressive in doing so helps the group establish itself as not only opportunistic, but a legit threat when the playing field is level.

The Bayley hot tag was tremendous – and Paige gets a lot of credit for selling the fast paced offense like a champ. Rose and Deville saving Paige after a Bayley to Belly suplex triggered a brawl outside the ring. Once back inside, Paige connected with the Rampaige for an impressive – and clean – victory.

Samoa Joe Doesn’t Care For Your Concern

Real jerk move by Joe, insinuating Dean Ambrose is at home with his loved ones for the holidays – while being interviewed by Dean’s wife Renee Young. Hell 101, baby – being a jerk is okay.

But Joe has no remorse for contributing to an injury that could keep Ambrose out of action for nine months. Man, what a jerk. (He’s so good at what he’s doing, I love it.)