WWE Raw Results, Highlights, and Grades: December 16, 2019

Ricochet vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Humberto Carillo vs. R-Truth vs. Matt Hardy vs. Andrade [United States Championship #1C Match: Gauntlet Match]

R-Truth comes out first and cuts a promo about how John Cena was his hero for proposing United States Championship Open Challengers. As the current 24/7 Champion, he promises to hold onto both that championship and the United States Championship all the way to WrestleMania 36. He humorously points at the WrestleMania sign, which has not been put up yet.

Akira Tozawa comes out to wrestle R-Truth first. They start with some ground based offense. R-Truth rallies with some shoulder blocks and elbow strikes. He shouts ‘What’s Up’ to the crowd and charges at Tozawa in the corner, but Tozawa moves out of the way and Truth runs face first into the steel post.

Tozawa delivers a senton bomb to R-Truth from the apron outside the ring and sends him back into the ring to deliver a Missile Dropkick. R-Truth goes for the scissors kick but Tozawa rolls up R-Truth for the three-count and victory.

R-Truth then runs out of the ring and into the crowd as most of the jobbers from the Raw locker room chases after his 24/7 championship. Tozawa advances to the next round of the gauntlet, and his next opponent is former United States Champion Ricochet. The show goes to commercial.

Back from commercial, Ricochet and Tozawa perform some aerial based offense and Ricochet delivers a dropkick to Tozawa. Ricochet was going for a suicide dive but Tozawa runs in to deliver an Enziguiri to Ricochet and deliver two suicide dives to Ricochet outside the ring.

He goes on the top rope and flies but runs into a mid air dropkick by Ricochet. Ricochet conserves his energy with some ground-based offense on Tozawa but Tozawa rallies back with some key submission holds. Ricochet wiggles out of and delivers an Enziguiri. After plenty of swift counters between these two superstars, Tozawa delivers a German Suplex to Ricochet for the two-count.

Ricochet delivers an Enziguiri from the ropes and a flying clothesline from the ropes. As soon as he is about to deliver a standing shooting star press, Tozawa counters with a superkick and goes to the top rope for the senton bond.

However, Ricochet hits on the ropes to stop Tozawa and delivers the Recoil to Tozawa for the three-count and the victory. Ricochet advances to the next round of the gauntlet, and his next opponent is Matt Hardy. The show goes to commercial.

Back from commercial, Matt Hardy delivers a quick Side Effect to Ricochet for the two-count. Meanwhile, the backstage camera shows Rey Mysterio watching the match and shining up the United States Championship. Hardy delivers a suplex to Ricochet for the two-count.

Ricochet rebounds off the ropes but runs into a back body drop by Hardy for the two-count. Ricochet rallies back with an elbow and goes on the top rope but Hardy grabs him and delivers a high cross powerbomb for the two-count.

Hardy charges at Ricochet at the corner turnbuckle but Ricochet counters with an Enziguiri and a Dropkick. He rebounds off the ropes, Headscissors Takedown, headbutts into the mid section of Hardy at the corner turnbuckle, and delivers an Enziguiri from the apron.

Ricochet springboards off the ropes for a clothesline, but Hardy counters with a mid air Side Effect for the two-count. Hardy goes on the top rope for a Moonsault, but Ricochet moves out of the way and delivers a Standing Shooting Star Press for the two-count.

Ricochet goes on the top rope for the 630, but Hardy moves out of the way and attempts the Twist of Fate. Ricochet counters the Twist of Fate into a small package roll up for the three count and the victory. Ricochet advances to the next round of the gauntlet, and his next opponent is Humberto Carillo. The show goes to commercial.

Back from commercial, Humberto Carillo helps Ricochet up like a good sportsman but Ricochet rolls up Carillo out of pure desperation after being in two matches already.

They perform some aerial based offense to start things off and Carillo takes control with an arm drag takedown. Ricochet rolls out of the ring and Carillo performs a suicide plancha to Ricochet outside the ring.

Carillo then focuses on Ricochet’s arm. Ricochet tries to rally back but Carillo counters with a swift kick to Ricochet. Carillo keeps Ricochet grounded with more focus on Ricochet’s arm. He performs an arm drag and continues to lock in the arm bar.

Ricochet rallies back and gets on the apron with a head butt in Carillo’s gut and a Falcon’s Arrow for the two-count. Zelina Vega then pops up at the stage area to watch this match closely as the show goes to commercial.

Back from commercial, Ricochet springboards off the ropes for a flying clothesline and a Standing Shooting Star Press for the two-count. Ricochet attempts another Falcon’s Arrow but Carillo counters, hangs Ricochet on the side ropes, and delivers a missile dropkick from the top rope.

Carillo places Ricochet in the center of the ring and goes on the top rope to deliver his signature moonsault, but Ricochet moves out of the way and delivers an Enziguri and clotheslines Carillo outside the ring. The ref counts to nine, and both men get back in the ring.

Ricochet charges at Carillo, but Carillo counters with his feet and goes to the top rope. Ricochet stops Carillo on the top rope with some knife edge chops and a flurry of punches. They are both on the top rope brawling it out. Ricochet grabs Carillo and delivers a picture perfect Superplex for the two-count.

They now have a punching contest and Ricochet takes advantage with a Northern Lights Suplex and a Vertical Suplex. Ricochet goes to the top rope, but Carillo stops Ricochet with an Enzigiuri and delivers a reverse Hurricanrana to Ricochet.

Ricochet lands on his feet, but Carillo delivers a sunset flip powerbomb and moonsault for the three-count and the victory. Humberto Carillo advances to the final round of the gauntlet, and his next opponent is Andrade.

He attacks Carillo from behind and delivers two double knee stomps to Carillo at the corner turnbuckle. He then tosses Carillo outside the ring and rips off the mat outside the ring to expose the concrete.

He picks up Carillo and delivers the Hammerlock DDT to Carillo onto the concrete. Rey Mysterio runs in to stop Andrade as Andrade and Vega escape through the crowd and Mysterio checks up on Carillo.

Result: No Contest

Grade: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Analysis: Great Gauntlet Match! Pacing was a tad slow at times, but it was overall solid technical wrestling. It is quite surprising that the result was not inconclusive, but it was great to see Andrade stand out here and show that he should be taken seriously in the WWE.

That Hammerlock DDT was incredibly dangerous and Andrade now looks like a legitimate threat to Rey Mysterio’s United States Championship. Maybe we will get a triple threat title match amongst Mysterio, Andrade, and Carillo? We shall see.

Carilllo is taken away on a stretcher so he is probably not going to medically cleared to compete anytime soon so it might be a straight championship match between Mysterio and Andrade in the near future.

Seth Rollins and AOP then come out to attack Mysterio, who gave a pipe to Kevin Owens last week on Raw. As Rollins said, anyone who resists him will pay for it. He says that Rey Mysterio owes him one and curb stomps him to close the segment. Seth Rollins and AOP are interviewed backstage as Charly Caruso questions his motives.

He says that he is leading by example and challenges Rey Mysterio to a United States Championship match next week. What was the point of this gauntlet then? Camera then shifts to Randy Orton cutting a promo on AJ Styles for their match later tonight in the main event.