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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Dec. 12, 2022) from the Fisev Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) extravaganza scheduled for late next month in San Antonio.
Advertised for tonight: There will be two separate number one contender matches for the Raw women’s championship and the United States championship, respectively. In the former, Alexa Bliss takes on Bayley to decide Bianca Belair’s next challenger while in the latter, Seth Rollins takes on Bobby Lashley to decide Austin Theory’s next challenger. Plus, Candice LeRae vs. IYO SKY, and a whole lot more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog will kick off once the show starts on USA Network. It will be below this line here. Reminder: GIFs and pics allowed, but no links to illegal streams, please.
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR DEC. 12
At a point below zero, there’s no place left to go. Six hundred unknown heroes were killed like sleeping buffalo, but me? I’m just here to liveblog this pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with the intro video.
Becky Lynch attacks Damage CTRL at their entrance and takes Dakota Kai and IYO SKY out to clear the way for Alexa Bliss and get a modicum of revenge!
Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley (WWE Raw Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Bianca Belair comes to ringside to watch this one.
Bayley with a front kick and a mat slam for two, charging elbow, whip across, Bliss gets a boot up and hits the Yoshi Tonic for two! Bayley to the floor, Stunner over the middle rope, putting boots to her, Alexa fires up with a pair of Lou Thesz Presses!
Role Model cuts her off with forearms, whip across, duck a lariat, a crossbody for two! To the floor, Bayley puts her into the post and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Bayley in control, snapmare into a cover for two. Trading forearms, Bayley sets her up top, jockeying for position, diving Frankensteiner connects, follow it with an inside cradle for two! Bayley scoops her, schoolboy for two! Lariat follows but she cant keep Alexa down!
Fighting to the floor, Bliss with a flurry of kicks, cannonball senton off the apron! Back inside, headed up top, Bayley cuts her off, jockeying for position, Yoshi Tonic reversed into a spinebuster into the turnbuckles! Sunset flip powerbomb into the turnbuckles, tight cover in the corner but Alexa kicks out!
Bayley-to-Belly in the middle of the ring... NOT ENOUGH! Bianca Belair complains about a removed turnbuckle, Bayley gets kicked to the floor, Stunner over the middle rope, duck a dropkick from Bliss and she takes a swing at Belair but gets blocked! Elbow to Alexa, jawing with the champ, back inside, shotgun dropkick!
Bliss goes up top...
Alexa Bliss wins by pinfall with Twisted Bliss, becoming #1 contender to the WWE Raw Women’s Championship.
Post-match, Bianca gets in the ring and something comes over Alexa as she hooks her for Sister Abigail, but she breaks the spell before connecting!
We get a recap of Kurt Angle’s birthday celebration.
Footage from earlier of American Alpha being interviewed follows.
Chad Gable doesn’t appreciate Byron Saxton’s moronic milk puns and says Kurt Angle isn’t good enough to be in the ring with them and poor Otis has been washing milk out of his beard all weekend.
The OC roll up.
They’re laughing about a video of the milk bath that Karl Anderson sent them while he’s in Japan taking care of business. Chad says AJ Styles is a dinosaur just like Angle and Styles challenges him to a match.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get an Austin Theory hype reel.
AJ Styles vs. Chad Gable
Mat grappling to start, side headlock, Styles shoots him off and dropkicks him down! Backbreaker follows, Gable with chops in the ropes, AJ back body drops him to the floor but he lands in the safe arms of Otis, who declares that he is “a load.” Chad blasts Styles into the steel steps and we go to break.
Back from commercial, AJ on the comeback, Ushigoroshi gets two! Gable with rolling German suplexes, Otis declares that “he’s got the hips, baby” and Styles lands a Pele kick! Chad gets back on the horse and hits the third German suplex! Ankle lock, AJ reverses to the Calf Killer, Gable reverses back to an ankle lock!
Northern lights gets two but Styles won’t stay down! Jackknife pin, hang on after the kickout, Styles Clash... IT’S OVER!
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Styles Clash.
Backstage, Dexter Lumis and Johnny Gargano are brainstorming what to do with all his money when Candice LeRae rolls up.
She asks what’s happening, they explain, she goes to go get ready for her match but points out they have everything they need and the holiday season is time for giving.
Gargano has an idea and tells Dexter to grab the cash and come along.
Judgment Day make their entrance and send us to break.
Back from commercial, Tozawa and the Street Profits are interviewed in Gorilla.
Montez Ford explains they came to Akira’s aid because he’s Akira Tozawa and nobody deserves to have salt poured on their wounds. Angelo Dawkins says Judgment Day act like they run things but it’s the Profits and Tozawa who run things. Akira yells about wanting the smoke and drinks his whole cup in one pull.
Akira Tozawa & Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio, & Finn Balor)
Dawkins and Priest to start, whip reversed, big elbow from Damian and Angelo is on the wrong side of town. Judgment Day with quick tags, Balor ends up on the back foot when Tozawa tags in full of spit and vinegar! Big kick, Finn rams him into the corner, big chop, whip across, chop in the corner!
Tijeras sends Finn to the floor, Priest runs interference and a fearless Akira chops the big man! Balor takes him out with a lariat and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Ford tags in, kick combo, dodge South of Heaven, off the ropes, shoulder block wobbles Priest but he roars! Montez with a slap to the face, running blockbuster, back body drop puts him on the apron, enzuigiri follows, take care of Balor and Mysterio on the apron!
Damian runs around the corner and pounces Ford over the announce desk! Back inside, Priest with a lariat for two! Tag to Dominik, choking Montez in the ropes, quick tags, Ford manages to get the tag but referee Danilo Anfibio is distracted and he doesn’t see it!
The heat segment rolls on, Balor with a backbreaker for two! Ford gets away, tag to Dawkins and this time he comes in a house afire! Right hands for everybody, whip reversed, leapfrog, corkscrew elbow wipes Finn out! Spinning Stinger Splash, gamengiri, Drill Bit... DOM BREAKS IT UP!
Tags made, Tozawa in on Mysterio, big right hands from the Stamina Monster, a knee, whip across, rolling solebutt, looking for a back suplex but Dom shrugs him off! Missile dropkick connects, kick to Balor, Ford off the top with a crossbody! Priest with a thrust kick, box Dawkins’ ears, Rock Bottom and South of Heaven but Akira dumps him over the ropes!
Mysterio with a schoolboy for two, Tozawa passes him to the floor and dives on him! Back inside, up top, nobody home, front kick and a DDT on Finn! DDT for Mysterio! Akira up top, Priest grabs him... CRUCIFIX POWERBOMB INTO THE RING! Dom takes advantage...
Judgment Day win by pinfall with a lateral press from Dominik Mysterio on Akira Tozawa.
Dexter Lumis and Johnny Gargano roll up to concessions and buy all the merch at the booth. Johnny says they’re gonna need something to carry it all in and he’s got an idea. They walk off to the ring and Dexter gives a kid a teddy bear on his way through.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Johnny and Dexter are delivering their gifts, loaded in a red wagon.
Gargano talks about how they have a lot to be thankful for as Lumis starts throwing gifts out into the crowd. They make their way around ringside handing out gifts, Kevin Patrick gets a shirt but Corey Graves does not, and once Johnny pops up on the announce desk, Dexter gets out the t-shirt cannon and hands it off to him.
A hooded man ambushes them and pushes Lumis into Gargano! It’s Miz, who has “sneaked in like the Hamburglar” according to my beautiful and charming wife, and he grabs his bag of money and runs away...
...right into Adam Pearce, who commands Miz to turn around and give the money back. The A-Lister gets in the ring and demands a microphone. He says this is his money, Lumis goes off to get his axe but Adam says they’re gonna handle it right now so things don’t break down into chaos.
Pearce demands Miz give him the money back, and Miz says he’s desperate and he’ll do anything, even earn it back in a rematch. Gargano calls him Mike, Miz gets upset about it, and Johnny ignores it and says that if Adam is okay with it, Dexter will give him a chance to win his money back next week.
But he wants to raise the stakes, literally, and make it a ladder match! And further, Miz has to put his own money in, double or nothing! Miz protests that he’s not liquid right now because his wife controls the bank accounts. Johnny laughs, Miz yells, and Gargano admits that Candice does control his money too.
Miz admits that he’s got an allowance, we talk about his balls again for no good reason, and Johnny tells him to go ask Maryse for an extension. Miz calls him crazy but says he’ll figure out a way to get the money, don’t worry. Gargano has one more condition— Miz has to help them hand out the rest of the merchandise...
...dressed as Santa’s little elf.
Pearce makes it official over Miz’s protests.
We go backstage with IYO SKY and go to break.
Candice LeRae vs. IYO SKY
Bayley joins commentary for this one but some technical issues leave her without a headset for a while.
SKY with a front kick, blocked, sidestep, arm drag into an Oklahoma roll for two! Whip reversed, duck a dropkick, LeRae with a senton and a cover for two! Enzuigiri, IYO with a hair pull and she throws Candice to the apron! LeRae cuts her off with a knee, Bayley gives up on the dream of being on commentary and joins Dakota Kai at the apron as we go to break.
Back from commercial, SKY in control with a Japanese stranglehold, Candice out, IYO with underhooks, countered to a back body drop! Back inside, LeRae running hot, corner knees, up to the second for a tornado DDT! Dropkick sends Candice to the floor, SKY off the ropes, suicide sunset flip blocked, duck a kick, electric chair... LERAE REVERSES TO A POISON FRANKENSTEINER ON THE FLOOR!
Back inside, cover... NOPE! Shotei, German suplex with the bridge... STILL NO! Back up top, jockeying for position...
IYO SKY wins by pinfall with the moonsault.
We get a recap of Matt Riddle’s “injury” that’ll leave him out for six weeks.
Kevin Owens is interviewed backstage.
He says Solo Sikoa is a very dangerous man, and—
Elias rolls up. He wants to chat with Kev and asks him to be in his corner against Solo Sikoa tonight. Owens scoffs and reminds him of the months and months of mental torment Elias put him through. Elias insists it was his brother but KO points out the last time they were in the ring together he got smashed over the head with a guitar.
Elias tries to sell him on it but Kev is increasingly bewildered by his arguments and walks off.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Elias is set up in the ring with a portrait of Matt Riddle behind him and his bongos on a table.
He plays a few bars before informing us this is a Matt Riddle tribute concert. He talks about going through Riddle’s stuff and he found something, a rolled up paper... that he unrolls to reveal lyrics. Elias plays the song, which is a simple poem about how Elias is Riddle’s bro.
Impressively he gets through the lyrics and is about to play a solo when, well...
Enter Solo Sikoa, flanked by Sami Zayn.
Elias vs. Solo Sikoa
Elias in hot with forearms and chops, Sikoa grabs his head and throws him in the corner but the Drifter comes right back at him and keeps throwing hands! Solo cuts him off with a chop and a headbutt, pressing the attack until Elias low-bridges him and nails him with a dropkick through the ropes!
Solo frustrated, he storms off and grabs a chair but Sami Zayn talks him down as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Elias with forearms, whip across and Sikoa catches him with a Samoan Drop for two! Neckbreaker blocked, Samoan Drop denied, Drifter with that jumping knee and he hits the hangman’s neckbreaker... NOPE! Superkick in the corner sets him up...
Solo Sikoa wins by pinfall with Spinning Solo.
Post-match, Solo picks Elias up and drops him with the Samoan Spike! Sami Zayn taunts Elias as Sikoa goes and gets a steel chair and brings it into the ring, horsecollaring him and beating him down in the corner... KEVIN OWENS MAKES THE SAVE BEFORE SIKOA CAN CRUSH ELIAS’ NECK!
Zayn holds Solo back from attack an enraged Kevin Owens, smashing chairs around the ring! The Bloodline leaves, Elias puts a hand on Owens’ shoulder... STUNNER!
John Cena narrates a video celebrating twenty years of Tribute to the Troops.
Asuka makes her entrance and we go to break.
Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley
Ripley with a shove, Asuka fires back with leg kicks, leg pick, Rhea with a front chancery but the Empress breaks away with more strikes! Looking for an armbar takedown, denied, big right hand from Ripley! Asuka smashes her into the turnbuckles, flying armbar blocked and Rhea puts boots to her!
Another attempt at the armbar, powerbomb counter reversed and Ripley gets a foot in the ropes to force the break! Sidestep Asuka through the ropes, pull her out to the apron, jockeying for position, hip attack puts Rhea into the post and a Codebreaker sends her crashing to the floor to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Ripley in control, kick to the back, Asuka rolls away from a dropkick and lights her up with a chest kick only to get struck down by another kick to the head! Stomp to the back, bear hug applied (I can hardly bear it!), Empress with a sunset flip escape but another kick to the head staggers her!
Double pumphandle into a suplex lift, Asuka reverses to a small package! Trading roundhouse kicks, both women down and out! Asuka with leg kicks, uraken, front kick, reverse roundhouse, Rhea kicks out of the cover! Empress fired up, more kicks, palm strikes, buzzsaw roundhouse, off the ropes, sliding kick... SO CLOSE!
Asuka charges in, hip attack sends Ripley crashing to the floor! Asuka gets into it with Dominik Mysterio and Rhea charges her! Back inside, duck a kick, pumphandle, Asuka reverses and she’s got the Asuka Lock! Falling back, Rhea struggling for the ropes, Dom pulls her into the ropes and forces the break!
Asuka mists Mysterio and Rhea takes advantage...
Rhea Ripley wins by pinfall with Riptide.
We get a recap of Rollins/Lashley business and see the All Mighty warming up backstage to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype for tonight’s episode of Raw Talk.
Dominik Mysterio is in the trainer’s room being examined, in pain and howling about how it burns and he can’t see. The medic struggles to get eye drops in but nothing helps.
Where’s Kurt Angle and his beloved milk now, eh?
Dolph Ziggler cuts a promo about what the United States Championship means to him and to everyone in the back.
He tells Austin Theory that he better put the show on his back and do the work or he won’t be worthy of the title.
Bobby Lashley makes his entrance to send us to break.
Bobby Lashley vs. Seth Rollins (WWE United States Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Lashley hot out the gates, beating Rollins down in the turnbuckles until referee Chad Patton admonishes him. Seth comes back with forearms of his own, off the ropes and Bob casually swats him away with a shoulder block and clotheslines him to the floor!
Seth puts Lashley into the ringpost and dives a knee at the All Mighty! Back inside, Bob throws him to the floor again! Back body drop over the barricade and into the crowd and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Lashley with a delayed vertical, putting Rollins up in the turnbuckles after, jockeying for position, Seth bites him and knocks him down, crossbody follows, only two! To the floor, Rollins dives on him and dives again, back inside, Falcon Arrow... NO DEAL!
Bob bails to the floor, Seth goes out after him, Lashley with a fireman’s carry and he rams Rollins into the ringpost! Back inside, Walking Armageddon’s got him in his sights, Rollins leapfrogs the spear! Schoolboy gets two, superkick... NOPE! Seth goes up top... FROG SPLASH CAN’T PUT THE ALL MIGHTY DOWN!
Looking for Blackout, Bob steels himself and refuses to be stomped, powerslam connects, Hurt Lock is in but Seth backs him into the corner! Chad Patton goes down with a leg injury, Lashley hits the spear but he’s slow to count... AND SETH ROLLINS KICKS OUT!
Charging back in, Seth counters...
Seth Rollins wins by pinfall with a Pedigree, becoming #1 contender to the WWE United States Championship.
Post-match, Lashley confronts Patton and turns around and knocks referee Eddie Orengo out when he tries to pull him off!
Adam Pearce comes down to tell him he told him about putting hands on an official, Bob shoves him... ADAM PEARCE FIRES BOBBY LASHLEY!
That’s the show, folks.
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