WWE Raw Results, Highlights, And Grades For December 24, 2018

Natalya vs. Ronda Rousey (c) For The Raw Women’s Championship

This is the big ticket match of the night, as Natalya will take on her best friend Ronda Rousey in a battle for the Raw Women’s Championship, which Rousey has held since defeating Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam. Nattie and Ronda will likely put on a show tonight, and Natalya earned this opportunity by defeating Sasha Banks in the last match of the Gauntlet main event last week.

Natalya and Ronda begin by grappling, and Nattie briefly gets the upper hand before Ronda wiggles her way free. Clearly enjoying herself with a beaming smile, Nattie gets back at it, and it’s clear that this is what she loves the most. These two are going at it with some solid technical wrestling as they test each other’s skills to a dead stalemate.

Rousey impressively had an answer to everything Natalya threw at her on the mat, clearly showing how much she knows as a wrestler and her familiarity with Nattie’s style as her training partner.

But Natalya has a full arsenal of submissions that Rousey hasn’t seen yet, and when Nattie placed her in one them, Ronda was in some trouble. She managed to fight out of it after severe damage was done, and this will be a true test of Rousey’s resiliency as a champion against an extremely resourceful and experienced foe.

Nattie’s vertical suplex on Ronda is a highlight worth rewatching, and it was another sterling example of her incredible strength in the ring. That big move only woke Rousey up, though, as she hit Nattie with a flurry of strikes in the corner before getting a nearfall with a nasty knee.

Visibly distressed by the pain she ‘s put Nattie in, Ronda didn’t lock in the armbar because of her feelings for her best friend. It nearly costed her, as Rousey came agonizingly close to losing to the Sharpshooter. Yet again, Rousey found a way to fight out of it, she locked in the armbar, and she picked up a huge win.

Grade: A+, I thought this was a must-watch match. Natalya tested Rousey like nobody else has before, and it showed. Ronda’s other matches were much more frenetic, but this was at a different pace. The grappling was crisp, the story-telling was nuanced, the execution was excellent, and the finish was fantastic. Do yourself a favor and check it out!