WWE Raw Results, Highlights, And Grades For December 31, 2018

Triple H And Shane McMahon Are Here

We see a limousine pull up in the arena, and Shane McMahon and Triple H step out, with the former in his usual sneakers and casual wear and the latter buttoning up his suit. It will be very interesting to see what these two have planned for tonight.

Rumble Entrants

In addition to Drew McIntyre, Ember Moon and Finn Balor announce their intentions to enter the Royal Rumble next year.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1079916171476889600

Seth Rollins Addresses The Audience But Is Interrupted By Triple H

Seth Rollins tells the audience that “every day is a chance for a fresh start”, informing fans that he isn’t waiting for New Year’s Day…he’s ready to face Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship and get his revenge for what happened at TLC.

Instead, Triple H enters the arena to confront Rollins for the first time since losing to “The Kingslayer” (or is that Dakota Kai now?) at WrestleMania 33 in an underrated match.

We saw Vince McMahon coax the beast inside of AJ Styles to emerge last week on the Christmas Day episode of SmackDown Live, so what will Triple H do with Rollins, one of his favorite superstars?

Triple H reminds Rollins that he will not be automatically handed a rematch for Ambrose’s Intercontinental Championship, because that’s simply not how WWE runs things anymore.

He then lights into Rollins, stating that he wouldn’t be deserving of a rematch anyway. Triple H told Rollins that he once believed that Seth would be “The Man” on WWE Raw and that he truly believed in Rollins as a superstar who would “take” everything. And when Triple H stopped believing in Rollins, the latter dominated him at WrestleMania 33 to remind “The King of Kings” of his potential.

Rollins yelled at Triple H for insinuating that he is taking handouts, reminding “The Game” of his endless classic matches in 2018 against Dolph Ziggler, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, and more. Triple H told Rollins that, starting tonight, he wants Rollins to be at his craziest, and he wants Rollins to burn down the “All Mighty” Bobby Lashley tonight.

He tells Triple H that he’ll “take” Dean Ambrose, Brock Lesnar, and even Triple H’s family if he gets in his way. Shane McMahon interrupts this fiery exchange to announce a Battle Royal for Dean Ambrose’s next Intercontinental Championship challenger.

Grade: A, So this was awesome. Seth Rollins could be the next Universal Champion, pending what happens with Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman at the Royal Rumble Pay Per View. This was an awesome way of setting him up for that kind of a push, given his history with Triple H. The crowd was TOTALLY into the idea of Rollins beating Lesnar for the title when he teased it, as they’ve been solidly behind him for months.