5 Biggest Takeaways from Monday Night Raw(December 13th, 2021)
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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We are now halfway through the month of December and the new show Day One is less than 3 weeks away. The card thus far is looking to be somewhat promising, and last night’s edition of Raw gave us a new match announced, a change to one match and the seeds have been planted for another. With all the crap WWE has gotten this year for the lack of effort they put in for building up shows, this is a very nice change.
The pace for Monday Night Raw last night was a bit slower than past weeks but they still delivered on continuing storylines and some fresh solid matches. My biggest complaints last night was the incredibly short match/segment between Rhea Ripley and Queen Zelina and albeit it was a good match, the rematch between Bianca and Doudrop happened too soon. And by the looks of the afterbirth, we are probably going to be seeing them go at it at least one more time. The rest of the show though, not much to be disappointed in. RKBRO’s list of challengers has grown yet again with Otis cementing Alpha Academy as a legit threat when he pinned Riddle in the middle of the ring. AJ & Omos are not done… well that’s what they are telling us and Liv Morgan is far from done with Becky Lynch after feeling cheated of the Woman’s Title last week. And Austin Theory continues the impossible journey of trying to impress Mr. McMahon!
Outside of that, let us move right into the 5 Biggest Takeaways from the rest of Monday Night Raw!
#5: Damian Priest vs Dolph Ziggler
With the United States Championship open challenge last week, we saw Damian Priest successfully defend against Roode in a great match up. Afterwards, we saw Ziggler make his mark as he attacked Priest post match and left him laying in the ring. This led me to believe we would probably be getting Ziggler versus Priest this week, but that is not what happened. Instead, they chose to pair Priest up with Balor and give us a tag team showdown between those two and Dirty Dawgs. This kind of booking tells me they want to make a small program between Priest and Ziggler and possibly have that match take place at Day One. I’m all for that and I think most fans would agree with me there. Having Ziggler get one up last week and then get a tag team victory over Priest this week is the kind of build up that makes Dolph look credible for the upcoming match. Once again, WWE has done a fantastic job at booking Priest and making him look like a star the fans can get behind and believe in. We all know what Dolph is capable of doing in the ring as well, so this potential matchup at Day One is something to look forward to.
#4: Queen Zelina
When Zelina Vega re-signed with WWE earlier this year, there were a lot of fans rolling their eyes and letting out groans of disbelief. How could she return to the WWE!? Well, since the Queen’s Crown Tournament, it is very clear that the fans who were against it have all been proven wrong thus far. Not only did Zelina win the first ever Queen’s Tournament but she has been on an absolute roll ever since. Racking up wins every week and becoming the Women’s Tag Team Champions with Carmella are just some of the perks that have come with her recent push. Not to mention that ample amount of tv time to do run that mouth and talk trash like only Queen Zelina knows how to. Last night? Zelina picked up the biggest win of her WWE career as she was able to get a pin on Rhea Ripley. Now, it was a surprise crucifix roll up that came off of a distraction, but the record books will show a win and that’s all that matters. Much like Priest, I think they are doing a bang up job at building Zelina up as a credible competitor and will make for a good first feud for Liv Morgan when/if she ends up winning the Raw Women’s Title.
#3: Here Comes the Hurt
Last week Bobby Lashley made it known that he was tired of being disrespected and he did that by making an example out of Big E, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens. This week, he doubled down on the statement of being disrespected and made it known that he wants to be in the WWE Title scene. He would be awarded the opportunity to do just that when Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville would inform him of a gauntlet of sorts. Beat all three men that are in the match at Day One in one on one matches, and he can join them. Big E would have no problem with that as he is a fighting champion, but Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens wanted no part of it. Unfortunately for them, Bobby Lashley was getting this opportunity whether they liked it or not and they would have to feel the wrath of the Almighty One.
Kevin Owens would be first up to try and prevent Lashley from invading the Day One match. The reason for him being first? He was the last man added to the match. KO would put up a valiant effort but once Lashley started to put the hooks in, Kevin would tap out and leave the ring. Saving himself to fight another day as Bobby looked on confused. Next up would be Seth and his match wouldn’t ever really get out of second gear. Kevin Owens would interfere and get Bobby DQ’d. The plan was brilliant but would not stand when Adam and Sonya would restart the match and make it a no dq match. Bobby would make quick work of Seth after this and move on to face Big E in the main event. In the main event, Big E and Bobby would beat the hell out of each other. As Bobby looked to be sealing a victory, Seth and Kevin tried to stop it but their plan wasn’t enough. Bobby would still find a way to win and insert himself into the match at Day One.
You can throw whoever the hell you want in my way and as you saw last night, it won’t matter.
— Bobby Lashley (@fightbobby) December 14, 2021
Former Universal Champ? ✅
Former 4-Time Champ? ✅
Current Champ? ✅
Same. Damn. Night.
Your reckoning comes at #WWEDay1. #AndNew @WWE pic.twitter.com/nYjpAWXyqf
Bobby Lashley was a dominant champion last year and he looks to be close to showing that level of dominance again. Building him up last night was done brilliantly and he now looks like a legit threat for the title, especially with a possible Brock Lesnar matchup in the near future. The only thing that could really put Bobby’s chances over the top is if they would ever decide to put Cedric and Shelton by his side again instead of just teasing it.
#2: Seth & Owens Coexisting
Before the Kevin Owens heel turn, Seth Rollins planted a little seed that he and Kevin were working together. That little tidbit was enough to cast doubt into Big E and would eventually be something that contributed to Kevin turning. Now, a month later and these two seem to actually be working together. Their bickering back and forth is fun to watch and it just goes to show how much chemistry these two guys have.
Nope, they can't coexist.
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2021
Ever.@WWERollins@FightOwensFight#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/all9E5w0hB
The alliance was created out of anger for Bobby Lashley getting his opportunity. It would drive them to start seeing eye to an eye and eventually start acting on the same page. When Kevin attacked Seth during his match, Rollins was angry but only for a split second before realizing what Owens had done. From there, it seemed like the two realized they would be more effective as a team as opposed to going it alone. They would try again later in the evening as they made a pitch to help Big E in his match. Once Big E turned them down, they took matters into their own hands and attacked E and Lashley. They would both get tables for their troubles, but their plan almost worked yet again. It will be interesting to see if this alliance continues past next week and right into Day One. Will they be able to coexist next week when the almost guaranteed to happen tag match of Owens/Rollins versus Big E/Bobby Lashley happens? Or will this be a short lived relationship?
#1: Trouble with Miz and Mrs?
Miz made a shocking return this month when he confronted Edge during his first appearance on Raw since being drafted. By Miz’ side was his beautiful wife Maryese which was a delight to a majority of the fans watching. Miz’ last great run was when he had her by his side so if that’s what we have to do to get Miz back to the level he was at then, so be it. Speculation would run rampant as to why Maryese was there. Are we going to see a mixed tag team match at some point between Edge/Beth Phoenix and Miz/Maryese? It would definitely add an interesting element to this feud and could help them get a few extra miles out of it. Who is going to really complain about seeing Beth Phoenix wrestle again? Not me.
This week, we would be treated to a “special edition” of MizTV. Maryese would kick the show off and introduce Miz as the special guest. Miz would use this time to put himself over and try and force himself into a Hall of Fame induction while still being an active member of the roster. This would bring Edge out and after a short confrontation, the two would finally get physical with each other. Edge would get the upper hand and eventually go for the spear but that would be foiled when Miz would pull Maryese in front of him to thwart the attempt. Edge would stop dead in his tracks which opened the door for Miz to attack and leave Edge laying with the Skull Crushing Finale.
REALLY, @mikethemiz?!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/8rVulD3iNA
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2021
All good, right? Wrong! As Miz looked to be proud of his little plan, Maryese was not too pleased. She would let Miz know how unhappy she was with what he did, stating they have a family and she is a mother to two beautiful children. Miz would try and weasel out of this predicament as he always does but would be met with a crisp slap to the face from his wife. As he looked on in shock, Maryese would leave the ring. Miz chased, still pleading his case but she would not hear it. Is this a ruse? Are they putting on a show that will eventually lead to Maryese being able to help Miz win their match at Day One? We’ll have to wait and see but that is exactly the kind of tactics Miz is known for in the past.
There you have it. I’ll leave the ending short and sweet. Agree or disagree, would love to hear from you. If I don’t hear from you, then I will see you all next week.
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