Wrestling Lockup With Brandon 1/9/18: RAW Memphis Recap

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

It's the beginning of the week and time to kick things off in wrestling with Monday Night RAW!

Last week on RAW, Roman Reigns survived Samoa Joe and retained the WWE Intercontinental Championship, Asuka defeated the WWE RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss in a non title match and The Balor Club, Finn Balor, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson reunited. Brock Lesnar and Kane battled it out in a face to face that seen Lesnar survive and laugh at a Kane choke slam. We're getting closer to the Royal Rumble as RAW was live this week in Memphis, Tennessee.

** Monday Night RAW Card **

- Bayley and Sasha Banks battled Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville.
- Woken Matt Hardy battled Curt Hawkins.
- WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore defended his title against Cedric Alexander.
- Sheamus and Cesaro battled Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews.
- Samoa Joe battled Rhyno.
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns and WWE RAW World Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan battled The Balor Club in a Six Man Tag Team Match.

** RAW Highlights **

- The Big Dog Kicks Off The Show: Roman Reigns kicks off RAW with a promo. Reigns says he silenced Samoa Joe last week and if you mess with anyone in The Shield, you mess with the entire group. Jason Jordan interrupts and hits the ring. Jordan says Reigns proved that the yard is his and thanks Reigns on behalf of he and Seth Rollins. Rollins interrupts and hits the ring next. Rollins tells Jordan that he still has a lot to learn and Jordan has to work on his timing because he's interrupting Reigns' moment. Jordan says they're all champions so it's all their moments. Reigns interrupts and tells Jordan to knock off the "we" stuff. Jordan says they're not The Shield but they're a dominant group. The Balor Club suddenly interrupt and hit the ring next. Balor says that Jordan isn't apart of the most dominate group, the only real group in the ring are The Balor Club who have been running things for ten years. Luke Gallows calls Jordan a nerd, forcing Jordan to slap Gallows. RAW GM Kurt Angle interrupts before a fight breaks out and announces The Balor Club vs. Reigns, Rollins and Jordan in the main event tonight.

- Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville: The first match of the night saw women's division tag team action. Sasha and Bayley continued their feud with Absolution, taking on Mandy and Sonya. The match closes out with Bayley accidentally distracting the referee after getting knocked off the apron, allowing Sasha to get hit with a cheap shot. Bayley knocks Sonya off the apron as Sasha traps Mandy in the Banks Statement submission and gets the tap out win. 

- Woken Matt Hardy vs. Curt Hawkins: The second match of the night saw Matt Hardy debut his "Woken" gimmick against the winless Curt Hawkins. The match closes out with Hardy making quick work of Hawkins with the Side Effect and the Twist of Fate for the pinfall. After the match, the lights go out and Bray Wyatt appears behind Hardy. Bray and Hardy go face to face and laugh at each other.

- Miz TV with The Miz, The Miztourage and Elias Samson: Elias Samson began with a concert, singing about Elvis, how horrible Memphis is and then welcoming back The Miz. The Miz and The Miztourage arrive to kick off Miz TV. Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas fight over who missed The Miz the most until Miz tells them to sit down and shut up. Miz says he didn't forget about The Shield taking him out two months ago or Roman Reigns taking his WWE Intercontinental Championship. Miz says that 2018 will see the birth of his daughter and also Miz getting back his WWE Intercontinental Championship from Reigns and becoming the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in history.

- "WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match": Enzo Amore (c) vs. Cedric Alexander: The third match of the night saw Enzo defend his title against Alexander. Enzo was originally supposed to defend the title last week, but the flu kept Enzo out of action. Before the match, Goldust wished Alexander good luck backstage. The match closes out with Enzo taking a shot to the face from Alexander, busting open Enzo around his eye. Enzo gets sent to the floor where Alexander sentons over the ropes onto Enzo. Enzo appears to seriously injure his ankle and can't stand to beat the ten count, giving Alexander the win by countout. Enzo retains the title, as titles don't change hands on countouts.

- Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Titus O'Neil and Apollo Crews: The fourth match of the night saw the #1 Contenders, Sheamus and Cesaro, take on Titus Worldwide in tag team action. The match closes out with Cesaro getting sent to the floor. Sheamus tries to Brogue Kick Crews off the apron, but Crews counters by moonsaulting off the apron and on to Cesaro. Titus rolls up Sheamus and scores the upset pinfall.

- Brock Lesnar Sends A Message To His WWE Royal Rumble Challengers: Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman arrive for a promo. Heyman says the old school mentality of getting a challenger for the world title was one man stepping up and challenging the champion. Heyman hypes Lesnar battling Kane and Braun Strowman at the WWE Royal Rumble. Heyman wonders if Lesnar will pin Kane or Strowman or just stack them on top of each other and pin them both. Heyman announces that Lesnar will leave the WWE Royal Rumble the reigning and defending WWE Universal Champion. Kane attacks Lesnar from behind as he leaves the ring and they both brawl backstage.

Braun Strowman suddenly attacks from behind and tosses Lesnar into a production case and through a table. Strowman picks up a production case and hits Kane in the face with it. Strowman grabs a grappling hook, throws it up and wraps it around a metal scaffold wall and brings it crashing down on Kane and Lesnar. Kane gingerly crawls away and Lesnar gets stretched off and loaded into an ambulance.

- Samoa Joe vs. Rhyno: The fifth match of the night saw Samoa Joe battle ECW icon Rhyno. The match closes out with Joe making Rhyno tap out to the Coquina Clutch submission. After the match, Joe says the cracks in Roman Reigns have begun to form. Joe officially announces his entrance into this year's Royal Rumble and promises that John Cena we be the first man he eliminates.

- Nia Jax Attacks Asuka: Earlier in the night, Alexa Bliss confronted her best friend Nia and whispered in her ear something that Asuka said about her. As Asuka made her way out to the ring for her match, Nia attacked Asuka from behind and planted her with an electric chair drop. Nia then landed a senton splash on Asuka and left the emperess of tomorrow laid out.

- "Six Man Tag Team Match": Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan vs. Finn Balor, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson: The main event of the show saw the six man tag team match that was set up during the kick off the show. The match closes out with Balor charging at Jordan. Jordan dodges Balor, causing Balor to drop kick Rollins into the corner instead. Jordan gets taken out as Balor hits Coup de Grace on Rollins to score the pinfall. After the match, The Miz and The Miztourage attack Reigns while he's still outside and beat him down. Back in the ring, The Miztourage hold up Reigns and set him up for The Miz to hit the Skull Crushing Finale. Miz and The Miztourage then hoist up Reigns and plant him with the triple power bomb to end the show.

Wrestling Lockup With Brandon 1/2/18: RAW Miami Recap

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

It's the beginning of the week and time to kick things off in wrestling with Monday Night RAW! First off, Happy New Year wrestling fans, I hope 2018 is a great year for all of you.

Last week on RAW, John Cena returned as we get closer to the WWE Royal Rumble. Roman Reigns survived by getting DQ'ed against Samoa Joe, to retain his WWE Intercontinental Championship. The shocker of the show was the newly aligned team of Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan defeating Sheamus and Cesaro to win the WWE RAW World Tag Team Championship. What surprises would the New Year bring us with the first RAW of 2018 live in Miami, Florida.

** Monday Night RAW Card **

- WWE RAW World Tag Team Champion Jason Jordan battled Cesaro.
- Bray Wyatt battled Apollo Crews.
- WWE RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss battled Asuka in a non title match.
- Braun Strowman battled Rhyno.
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns defended his title against Samoa Joe. If Roman Reigns gets DQ'ed then Samoa Joe is automatically the new champion.
- Cedric Alexander and Goldust battled Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari.
- The Balor Club reunited to battle Elias Samson and The Miztourage in a Six Man Tag Team Match.

** RAW Highlights **

- Kurt Angle Kicks Off The Show: RAW GM Kurt Angle kicked off RAW to wish us a happy 2018. Angle then gets into business by announcing that John Cena has officially entered this year's Royal Rumble. Angle announces that the rules to the women's Royal Rumble will be no different than the men's. Angle goes to announce tonight's plans, but gets interrupted by Sheamus and Cesaro. Sheamus and Cesaro state that they were robbed of the tag titles last week and Angle is playing favorites by allowing Jason Jordan to team with Seth Rollins and get their title shots. Sheamus and Cesaro demand their rematch tonight, but Angle cuts them off and says they'll get it when Angle says they can have it. Jason Jordan interrupts next and a verbal back and forth argument breaks out between Jordan, Angle, Sheamus and Cesaro. Seth Rollins interrupts next and says he'll stand in Jordan's corner as Angle announces Jordan vs. Cesaro right now.

- Cesaro vs. Jason Jordan: The bell sounded to kick off the opening match, as Rollins stood in Jordan's corner and Sheamus stood in Cesaro's corner. The match closes out with Cesaro taking out Jordan's knee and then arguing with the referee, allowing Sheamus to get in a cheap shot. Cesaro applies a half crab and then turns it into a Boston Crab submission. Jordan is able to reach the ropes for the submission break. Sheamus attempts another cheap shot, but Rollins stops him and lays Sheamus out. Jordan catches Cesaro during the distraction and scores the pinfall.

- Bray Wyatt vs. Apollo Crews: The second match of the night saw the eater of worlds, Bray Wyatt, battle Apollo Crews of Titus Worldwide. The match closes out with Bray in control of Crews and goes for his crab walk. Dana Brooke gets on the apron and shouts encouragement to Crews, distracting Bray. Bray scares Dana off the apron causing her to fall onto Titus. Crews hits a jumping kick on Bray and goes for the Apollo Bomb. Bray counters and hits Sister Abigail to score the pinfall. After the match, Woken Matt Hardy interrupts on the TitanTron, says he's transformed Wyatt's fireflies into his Woken Warriors and says that once Sister Abigail is gone, Bray will be deleted.

- Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka: Last week, Asuka sent a message to Alexa that she was winning the Royal Rumble and coming for Alexa. This match was made official by Kurt Angle earlier in the night. Before the match, Alexa tried to get her best friend Nia Jax to stand in her corner, however, Nia left the building to be with Enzo Amore, who was in the hospital with the flu. The match closes out with Alexa working over Asuka's rib area. Alexa unloads on Asuka in the corner and then slaps Asuka. Asuka gets fired up and unloads a series of dropkicks on Alexa. Asuka hits a corner hip attack and then a running hip attack. Asuka locks Alexa in the cross arm breaker submission and taps out the champion.

- Braun Strowman vs. Rhyno: The fourth match of the night saw #1 Contender Braun Strowman battle the ECW icon Rhyno. Heath Slater tries to distract Braun, which forces Braun to dare Slater to get in the ring and fight too. Slater does and he and Rhyno double team Braun. The match closes out with Braun hitting the running power slam on Slater and Rhyno and scores the pinfall. After the match, Braun hits three more running power slams on both Rhyno and Slater.

- "WWE Intercontinental Championship Match, If Roman Reigns Gets DQ'ed He Loses The Title": Roman Reigns (c) vs. Samoa Joe: The fifth match of the night saw Roman Reigns putting the WWE Intercontinental Championship on the line against Samoa Joe. After losing by DQ last week, the rule was set that Joe would win the title if Reigns gets DQ'ed again. The match closes out with Reigns getting warned to not to use the steel steps on Joe. Reigns hits a Superman Punch on Joe outside and another inside the ring for a near fall. Joe counters the spear and then shoves Reigns into the referee. The referee thinks Reigns hit him on purpose and goes to call for the bell, but Reigns begs him not to. Joe hits the Uranage on Reigns and gets a near fall. Joe argues with the referee and demands that Reigns should've been DQ'ed. Joe goes for the Coquina Clutch submission, but Reigns escapes and hits the spear to score the pinfall and retain the title.

- Drew Gulak And Ariya Daivari Call Off The WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari are in the ring and announce that Enzo Amore is not here tonight to defend his title against Cedric Alexander, due to the flu. Cedric interrupts and states that since Enzo is too scared to show up then either Gulak or Daivari need to take his place. They agree but only if Cedric can find a partner and make it a tag team match. Goldust suddenly interrupts and agrees to team up with Cedric.

- Cedric Alexander and Goldust vs. Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari: The sixth match of the night saw this match made official. The match closes out with Goldust unloading on Gulak. Goldust hits the bulldog on Gulak and then climbs the ropes and hits a cross body on Gulak and Daivari. Cedric tags in, hits a double springboard clothesline and then hits the Lumbar Check on Gulak for the pinfall.

- "Six Man Tag Team Match": The Balor Club vs. Elias Samson and The Miztourage: Earlier in the night, Finn Balor informed Kurt Angle that he found his tag team partners for tonight to battle Elias Samson and The Miztourage. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson appeared with Balor, reuniting The Balor Club. The match closes out with Axel getting tossed outside. Anderson nails Elias and sends him into the ring post. Gallows and Anderson hit the Magic Killer on Dallas as Balor hits Coup de Grace afterwards and scores the pinfall.

- The Year Of The Beast: Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman closed out RAW this week with a promo in the ring. Heyman talks about the WWE stacking the deck against Lesnar yet again by making him fight Kane and Braun Strowman. Heyman guarantees that Lesnar will walk in and walk out of the WWE Royal Rumble still the champion. Heyman says one on one Lesnar would beat Kane, Strowman and all 30 men in the Royal Rumble. Heyman hypes Lesnar up to victory when suddenly Kane interrupts and choke slams Lesnar. Lesnar sits up like Kane, laughs at Kane and hits Kane with the title. The RAW locker room empties out and keeps Kane and Lesnar separated to end the show.

Wrestling Lockup With Brandon 12/26/17: RAW Chicago Recap

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

It's the beginning of the week and time to kick things off in wrestling with Monday Night RAW! It wasn't just a normal Monday night this week, it was Christmas night, live in Chicago, Illinois. How rowdy would the tough Chicago crowd be on one of the most festive days of the year??

** Monday Night RAW Card **

- John Cena battled Elias Samson.
- Brian Kendrick battled Hideo Itami.
- Mickie James, Bayley and Sasha Banks battled Absolution in a Six Woman Tag Team Match.
- Kane battled Heath Slater.
- Finn Balor battled Curt Hawkins.
- WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore, Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari battled Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali and Akira Tozawa in a Six Man Tag Team, Miracle on 34th Street Fight Match.
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns defended his title against Samoa Joe.
- The Miztourage battled Braun Strowman in a Handicap Match.
- WWE RAW World Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro defended their titles against Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan.

** RAW Highlights **

- John Cena Returns: Cena kicks off the show with a Merry Christmas to the fans of Chicago. Cena talks about why he is a huge fan of the holidays when suddenly Elias Samson interrupts. Elias says he's sick of being interrupted on a weekly basis and demands the opportunity to perform tonight. Cena hands Elias a stool to sit on as Elias prepares himself and his guitar. The crowd unloads "CM Punk" chants at Elias as Elias attempts to sing. Elias sings a Christmas song then mocks the city of Chicago before getting interrupted by Cena. Cena tells Elias that he's pretty damn good, but when he starts treating the fans like jerks that's when Elias comes off as the real jerk. Elias agrees, sings the song again and praises the city of Chicago. Elias then asks Cena to finish the song for him, but then cheap shots Cena from behind. Elias says Christmas is overrated, Chicago sucks and he doesn't cater to Cena or the fans. Elias beats down on Cena some more, calls for a referee and demands his Christmas present of a match against John Cena right now.

- John Cena vs. Elias Samson: The first match of the night sees Elias get his wish from RAW GM Kurt Angle, with a match against Cena. The match closes out with Cena trapping Elias in the STF submission, but Elias escapes and knees Cena. Cena is able to lock in the STF submission a second time, but Elias reaches the ropes. Elias takes advantage and gets a couple near falls on Cena. Cena hits the running shoulder blocks and then the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena lifts Elias up and nails the AA to score the pinfall.

- Brian Kendrick vs. Hideo Itami: The second match of the night saw the cruiserweights in action. Kendrick and Jack Gallagher demanded this match with Itami to see if he belongs in the cruiserweight division or if he's just another passing fad. The match closes out with Itami escaping a Kendrick submission. Itami hits a clothesline, a kick and unloads a series of strikes. Itami drop kicks Kendrick into the corner and then hits the Go To Sleep to score the pinfall.

- "Six Woman Tag Team Match": Mickie James, Bayley and Sasha Banks vs. Absolution: The third match of the night saw Absolution continue their feud with the women's locker room, mainly Mickie, Bayley and Sasha. The match closes out with Bayley hot tagging and unloading on Paige. Bayley goes for a pinfall, but Sonya breaks it up. All six ladies start brawling around ringside now as Bayley and Paige fight in the ring. Bayley climbs the ropes, but gets crotched on them after Paige kicks the ropes. Paige hits RamPaige on Bayley and scores the pinfall.

- Kane vs. Heath Slater: The fourth match of the night saw the #1 Contender to the WWE Universal Championship, Kane, battle the one man band, Heath Slater. Slater's tag team partner, Rhyno, accompanied Slater and told Slater that this match is step number one in toughening Slater up. The match closes out with Slater getting completely destroyed by Kane. Slater is able to land a high knee on Kane, but gets grabbed by the throat on an attempted charge. Kane choke slams Slater to hell and scores the pinfall. After the match, Kane goes after Rhyno, but Rhyno unloads on Kane and goes for the Gore. Kane counters and choke slams Rhyno to hell. 

- Finn Balor vs. Curt Hawkins: The fifth match of the night saw Finn Balor answer Curt Hawkins' open challenge. Hawkins has gone all of 2017 without a single win and looked for his Christmas miracle tonight. The match closes out with Hawkins getting in some offense and a near fall. Hawkins gets frustrated and gets hit with the Slingblade from Balor. Balor drop kicks Hawkins into the corner and then hits the Coup de Grace for the pinfall.

- Bray Wyatt And Woken Matt Hardy Feud Continues: Backstage, Bray Wyatt begins his promo by stating that Sister Abigail hated the holiday season because it reminded her of people like Matt Hardy. Bray accuses Matt of using the Woken Warriors for his own personal gain and warns Matt that they are all surrounded by darkness. Bray makes his way to the ring and immediately gets jumped by Matt Hardy as the lights come on. Bray counters the Twist of Fate and escapes to the floor. Bray retreats up the ramp as Matt gets the Chicago fans chanting "Delete".

- "Six Man Tag Team, Miracle on 34th Street Fight Match": Enzo Amore, Drew Gulak and Ariya Daivari vs. Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali and Akira Tozawa: The sixth match of the night saw Enzo and his Zo Train battle #1 Contender Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali and Akira Tozawa. The match closes out with Ali hitting an inverted 450 Splash on Daivari, but Gulak stops the pinfall. Enzo tries to use a candy cane kendo stick, but Cedric catches him. Enzo escapes as Cedric unloads on Gulak with the kendo stick. Daivari gets a near fall rollup on Cedric, but Cedric comes back with the Lumbar Check on Daivari for the pinfall.

- "WWE Intercontinental Championship Match": Roman Reigns (c) vs. Samoa Joe: Samoa Joe has taken full credit for taking out Dean Ambrose for 9 months with an elbow injury. Joe stated that he'd put Reigns to sleep tonight and take his title. Reigns stated that Joe hurt one of his brothers, so Reigns would hurt Joe in return and leave Chicago still the champion. The match closes out with Joe applying the Coquina Clutch submission on Reigns. Reigns tries to fight it and escape as Joe continues to apply the pressure. Reigns reaches the ropes and rolls outside finally. Joe suicide dives Reigns into the barricade and Reigns busts his elbow on it. Joe beats on Reigns' injured elbow, but Reigns fights back and unloads on Joe in the corner. Reigns refuses to let up and gets DQ'ed. After the match, Reigns hits the Superman Punch, sending Joe outside. Reigns sends Joe into the ring post twice, hits Joe in the face with the steel steps and then hits Joe with a steel chair.

- "Handicap Match": The Miztourage vs. Braun Strowman: Throughout the night, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas had been attempting to spread Christmas cheer with the positivity of The Miztourage and The Miz. The match closes out with Strowman making quick work of Dallas and Axel with a quick squash match. Strowman hits the running power slam on Dallas for the pinfall. After the match, Strowman grabs Axel and lays him out with a running power slam as well.

- The Year Of Bliss: Alexa Bliss is in the ring and wishes everyone a Merry Blissmas and then mocks the fans for stuffing their faces over the holiday. Alexa calls 2017 the year of Bliss, she's dominated everyone, mentions the Women's Royal Rumble coming up and takes full credit for that announcement. Asuka suddenly interrupts and heads to the ring. Asuka announces her entry into the Royal Rumble, states that no one is ready for her and then stares down Alexa. Asuka suddenly lays Alexa out with the Asuka Kick to the head and celebrates.

- "WWE RAW World Tag Team Championship Match": Sheamus and Cesaro (c) vs. Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan: Earlier in the night, RAW GM Kurt Angle made the decision to put Rollins and Jordan together as a tag team with Dean Ambrose being out for the next 9 months with his elbow injury. Rollins hates the idea and Jordan doesn't want to go back to being in a tag team. Angle tells them to deal with it and wishes them a Merry Christmas. The match closes out with Sheamus and Cesaro taking out Jordan on the floor and stopping Rollins from getting a way to tag out. Jordan finally recovers and hot tags in. Jordan drives Sheamus into the corner four times, hits a corner spear  and gets a near fall suplex. Sheamus and Cesaro regain control of the match and Sheamus is able to trap Jordan in the Texas Cloverleaf submission, but Jordan holds on and reaches the ropes. Sheamus and Cesaro go for the double team, but Rollins trips up Cesaro as Sheamus plants Jordan with White Noise. Sheamus goes after Rollins, but gets sent into the steel steps. Cesaro follows and blows up Rollins with a huge uppercut. Jordan is able to hit a pop up neck breaker out of nowhere and score the pinfall to win the titles.

Wrestling Lockup With Brandon 12/19/17: RAW Providence Recap

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

It's the beginning of the week and time to kick things off in wrestling with Monday Night RAW! This week RAW was live in Providence, Rhode Island. We continue our journey to the Royal Rumble in January. What feuds will we see lead us to the first stop on the Road to Wrestlemania?

** Monday Night RAW Card **

- Seth Rollins battled Jason Jordan.
- Finn Balor battled The Miztourage in a Handicap Match.
- Finn Balor and Hideo Itami battled The Miztourage.
- Drew Gulak battled Cedric Alexander in a #1 Contenders Match.
- Asuka battled Alicia Fox.
- WWE RAW World Tag Team Champions Sheamus and Cesaro and Samoa Joe battled Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Jason Jordan in a six man tag team match.
- The Revival battled Heath Slater and Rhyno.
- Bayley, Mickie James and Sasha Banks battled Absolution in a Six Woman Tag Team Match.

** RAW Highlights **

- Kurt Angle Announces The WWE Universal Championship Match For The Royal Rumble: RAW GM Kurt Angle kicks off RAW and gets interrupted by Braun Strowman. Strowman feels he deserves the title shot against Brock Lesnar since he was the last man standing last week. Kane interrupts next and feels that he deserves the title shot because he's caused nothing but destruction the past 20 years in the WWE. Kane says he's facing Lesnar unless Strowman thinks he can stop Kane. Paul Heyman interrupts next and introduces Brock Lesnar. Angle announces a Triple Threat Match between Lesnar/Strowman/Kane at the Royal Rumble. Angle escapes the ring as the three big men stare each other down. Lesnar sends Strowman over the top rope. Lesnar counters a Kane choke slam, unloads and lays Kane out with the F5. Lesnar and Heyman leave as Kane sits up and stares down Lesnar.

- Jason Jordan Interrupts The Show: The first match of the night was supposed to be Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe, however, Jason Jordan interrupts and confronts Rollins. Jordan tells Rollins that he's been wanting a match with Joe the past few weeks and keeps getting denied. Jordan says he's fighting Joe tonight and Rollins can wait for his opportunity. Rollins says this isn't Jordan's opportunity or his big chance. Samoa Joe interrupts next and finds it funny how everyone wants a piece of him. Joe proposes Rollins fight Jordan and the winner face Joe later. Jordan shoves Rollins to the mat and Rollins accepts the new challenge.

- Seth Rollins vs. Jason Jordan: The match is made official with the winner meeting Samoa Joe later tonight. Joe distracts Rollins and talks trash. Rollins sends Jordan into Joe. Joe goes after Rollins, but eats a super kick. Back in the ring, Jordan gets a near fall on Rollins after Rollins finished talking trash to Joe. Rollins with the high knee on Jordan and scores the pinfall. After the match, Joe attacks and beats down Rollins until officials pull Joe away from Rollins.

- "Handicap Match": Finn Balor vs. The Miztourage: The second match of the night saw Finn Balor continuing his feud with Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel in a handicap match. Axel unloads on Balor and climbs the ropes with him. Balor sends Axel to the mat, but Dallas knocks Balor off the ropes going for the Coup de Grace. Dallas and Axel two on one attack Balor and the referee calls a DQ on The Miztourage. After the match, The Miztourage continue their attack until Hideo Itami arrives and helps Balor clear the ring.

- Finn Balor and Hideo Itami vs. The Miztourage: The third match of the night saw Kurt Angle make this match official after the way the handicap match ended. Itami with a near fall flying clothesline on Axel. Itami unloads on Axel as Balor takes out Dallas. Balor drop kicks Dallas into the barricade as Itami hits the Go To Sleep on Axel for the pinfall.

- "#1 Contenders Match": Drew Gulak vs. Cedric Alexander: The fourth match of the night saw Gulak battle Alexander to see who would go on to battle WWE Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore. Enzo is on commentary, but doesn't seem interested as he's spending his time texting someone on his phone. Alexander lands a kick on Gulak, fights off Gulak on the apron and hits a springboard clothesline. Alexander hits the Lumbar Check on Gulak and scores the pinfall.

- Asuka vs. Alicia Fox: The fifth match of the night saw the undefeated Asuka battle Alicia Fox. Alicia with a near fall kick on Asuka and then a near fall northern lights suplex. Asuka unloads on Alicia, hits a drop kick and then forces Alicia to tap out to an arm bar submission.  

- "Six Man Tag Team Match": Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Jason Jordan vs. Samoa Joe, Sheamus and Cesaro: The sixth match of the night was made official by Kurt Angle after Rollins, Ambrose and Jordan all told Angle they wanted Samoa Joe tonight. Angle gave them all Joe in a six man tag team match. Rollins suicide dives onto everyone and accidentally hits Ambrose, hurting Ambrose's arm. WWE Medic check on Ambrose as Rollins is distracted. Cesaro capitalizes, nails Rollins and scores the pinfall. After the match, Ambrose and Rollins are attacked in the trainers room by Sheamus, Cesaro and Samoa Joe. The trio slam a production case on Ambrose's injured arm and send Rollins into the concrete wall.

- The Woken Warriors: Woken Matt Hardy continues his head games with Bray Wyatt. The Great War is upon us, Matt will stand by his Woken Warriors, Bray Wyatt and Sister Abigail must be stopped and they will be deleted.

- The Revival Returns: The seventh match of the night saw the return of Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, as they battled Heath Slater and Rhyno. Wilder gets tossed outside as Slater and Wilder trade shots. The Revival end up hitting the Shatter Machine on Slater to score the pinfall.

- An Elias Samson Concert: Elias is in the ring with his guitar and mocks New England Patriots QB Tom Brady. Elias says he's held his own against the top stars and Kurt Angle should be scared. Elias claims he's winning the Royal Rumble and then sings about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Sasha Banks interrupts and heads to the ring. Mickie James and then Bayley interrupt Elias from continuing his song about Rhode Island, forcing Elias to give up and leave.  

- "Six Woman Tag Team Match": Sasha Banks, Bayley and Mickie James vs. Absolution: The main event of the show saw women's division action. All hell breaks loose in this one as the ladies brawl it out. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose double team Sasha in the ring, forcing the referee to DQ Absolution. After the match, Sasha continues to get beat down. Nia Jax hits the ring and shoves away Absolution from attacking her. Nia kicks Sonya and headbutts Mandy. Nia lays out Sonya and Mandy with a double Samoan Drop. Paige chop blocks Nia and unloads on her. Absolution three on one Nia until Alicia Fox, Bayley, Dana Brooke, Mickie James and Alexa Bliss all hit the ring. Stephanie McMahon suddenly arrives and everyone stops fighting. Stephanie announces that since all the ladies want to fight then it's time to make history again. For the first time ever at the Royal Rumble we'll see an all women's Royal Rumble match.

Wrestling Lockup With Brandon 12/12/17: RAW Cleveland Recap

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

It's the beginning of the week and time to kick things off in wrestling with Monday Night RAW! This week RAW was live in Triple Threat CLE's hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. The Shield and The Bar continue their feud, Woken Matt Hardy has finally arrived and Absolution continue to target the women's division. Great way to start off the week!

** Monday Night RAW Card **

- Bayley and Mickie James battled Mandy Rose and Paige.
- Finn Balor battled Curtis Axel.
- WWE RAW World Tag Team Champion Sheamus battled Seth Rollins.
- Tony Nese, Mustafa Ali, Cedric Alexander and Ariya Daivari battled in a Fatal Four Way Match with the winner battling Drew Gulak in a #1 Contenders Match.
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Roman Reigns defended his title against WWE RAW World Tag Team Champion Cesaro.
- Dean Ambrose battled Samoa Joe.
- Braun Strowman battled Kane in a #1 Contenders Match.

** RAW Highlights **

- Samoa Joe And The Bar One Up The Shield: Samoa Joe kicks off RAW and brags about having The Shield's number, he'll deal with Dean Ambrose later, but wants Roman Reigns right now. Joe continues his rant until The Shield are show backstage and Reigns heads to the ring. Sheamus and Cesaro attack Reigns from behind and beat him down on the ramp. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins run out next and brawl with Sheamus and Cesaro. Joe goes for the Coquina Clutch submission on Reigns, but Reigns escapes. Sheamus, Cesaro and Joe beat down Rollins and Reigns until Ambrose tries to make the save, but gets beat down too. The Shield are left laid out as Sheamus, Cesaro and Joe celebrate in the ring.

- Bayley and Mickie James vs. Mandy Rose and Paige: The first match of the night saw Absolution continue their feud with Bayley and Mickie James in tag team action. Sonya Deville tries to interfere, but gets knocked off the apron by Mickie. Bayley unloads on Paige in the corner until the referee orders her back. Mickie goes for the Mickie DDT on Mandy, but gets kicked and knocked out by Paige. Mandy covers Mickie and scores the pinfall.

- The Bray Wyatt And Broken Matt Hardy Feud Continues: Bray Wyatt says it's always been good vs. evil. Woken Matt Hardy appears on the TitanTron and says there's a Great War coming. Bray calls Matt the ying to his yang. Matt and Bray go back and forth again and Bray says that only one of them can survive. Matt says that Bray will be deleted. Bray and Matt laugh hysterically at each other to end the segment. 

- Finn Balor vs. Curtis Axel: The second match of the night saw Balor battle Axel. Axel is looking for revenge for Bo Dallas after Dallas lost to Balor last week. The Miztourage attack and beat down Balor before the bell. Balor tells the referee that he's alright and the match starts. Balor with the Slingblade on Axel and then hits the running drop kick into the corner on Axel. Bo Dallas attempts to interfere, but changes his mind and steps back. Balor with Coup de Grace on Axel and Balor scores the pinfall.

- Seth Rollins vs. Sheamus: The third match of the night saw Rollins battle Sheamus with The Shield, Cesaro and Samoa Joe banned from ringside, after what took place earlier. Rollins hits a Falcon Arrow on Sheamus for a near fall. Sheamus counters the high knee from Rollins and ends up hitting a senton on Rollins. Sheamus can't connect with the Brogue Kick on Rollins, allowing Rollins to hit a super kick. Rollins hits the high knee on Sheamus and scores the pinfall.

- "Second Chance Fatal Four Way Match": Tony Nese vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Cedric Alexander vs. Ariya Daivari: Due to Rich Swann's arrest and suspension over the weekend, a new Fatal Four Way Match was announced to determine who would face Drew Gulak in the #1 Contenders Match for a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Nese pulls down the knee pad and hits a running knee on Cedric, but Ali stops the pinfall. Nese and Daivari double team Ali until Ali dumps Nese outside. Daivari with a near fall rollup on Cedric. Cedric counters a Daivari clothesline and nails a kick. Cedric sends Nese flying off the apron and then hits the Lumbar Check on Daivari to score the pinfall. Cedric will battle Drew Gulak next week with the winner facing Enzo Amore for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. 

- Roman Reigns Defends The WWE Intercontinental Championship Against Cesaro: The fifth match of the night saw Roman Reigns defend his title against Cesaro in a one on one match. Both men unload shots while on their knees until the referee steps in, allowing Cesaro to get a near fall rollup. Cesaro argues with the referee and then unloads uppercuts on Reigns. Cesaro continues the series of uppercuts as the referee warns Cesaro to back off. Reigns counters the Neutralizer with a back body drop on Cesaro. Reigns drills Cesaro with the spear, scores the pinfall and retains his title. 

- Absolution Goes To War With Asuka: The past two weeks, Absolution have been eyeing Asuka but not making any moves. Asuka was supposed to battle Alicia Fox, but instead again gets surrounded by Absolution. Asuka sends Mandy Rose flying with a kick. Sonya Deville and Paige try to two on one Asuka. Asuka traps Paige in an armbar submission, but gets attacked by Mandy and Sonya. Paige hits a knee on Asuka and the three on one beat down begins. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Dana Brooke, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, Mickie James and Alicia Fox suddenly all hit the ring and go after Absolution. Absolution avoid the beat down and escape the ring. 

- Dean Ambrose vs. Samoa Joe: The sixth match of the night saw Ambrose battle Joe. Earlier in the night Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns defeated Sheamus and Cesaro. Ambrose looked to hit the trifecta for The Shield. Also earlier in the night, Jason Jordan again tried to get a match against Samoa Joe, however, RAW GM Kurt Angle denied Jordan's request. Jordan arrived during the match and watched from the ramp. Jordan gets on the apron and distracts Joe and the referee both. Ambrose tries to pin Joe, but Jordan distracting the referee stops it from happening. Ambrose goes after Jordan, but Joe suicide dives on to both of them. Joe hits a senton on Jordan and then chokes Ambrose unconscious with the Coquina Clutch submission for the victory.  

- "#1 Contenders Match: Braun Strowman vs. Kane: It was announced earlier in the night that the main event of the show would be Strowman vs. Kane with the winner advancing to the WWE Royal Rumble and battling Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship. Kane and Strowman both hit choke slams for near falls. Kane rolls outside where Strowman follows. Kane sends Strowman into the crowd, but Strowman running tackles Kane right through the barricade. Both Kane and Strowman are counted out with no official #1 Contender. After the match, Strowman attacks Kane. Both Kane and Strowman grab the steel steps and charge at each other with steps in hand. Strowman grabs a table next as Kane lands a steel chair shot. Kane unloads on the neck and back of Strowman with the chair. Strowman fights back until both men go down. Kane and Strowman both sit up and stare at each other. Kane tries to choke slam Strowman through the table, but Strowman fights it. Strowman scoops up Kane and puts him through the table with the running power slam to end the show.