WWE Raw – November 18, 2019 (Review)

Published by Nicholas Holicki

WWE Raw – November 18, 2019 (Review)
WWE

It’s the week before Survivor Series, and I’m already over it. Not the matches, those should be great.  WWE rarely disappoints in that regard. It’s the build. The convoluted, meandering, unfocused build.

Last night’s Raw was constructed around three central matches. First, the Viking Raiders were booked to defend their Tag Team Titles against Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder. Why Hawkins and Ryder? The team whose last TV victory came on APRIL 29th? Apparently because, among the last seven months of obscurity and Main Event tapings, they won a match at a house show in Germany.

They could’ve spent a month building a cohesive narrative for a month on Raw, culminating in the underdogs earning a much-coveted title shot. But instead, likely because WWE only decided five days ago to have this match, they manufactured grounds for it to happen. It’s the radioactive spider bite of championship origin stories.

Second, Charlotte and Becky Lynch are scheduled to tag together again. Remember when Charlotte and Natalya were forming unlikely allies? And before that, Natalya and Lacey Evans? And before that, Asuka and Kairi Sane? WWE’s “it’s only the women’s tag division, who cares?” attitude has come full circle. But it’s that precise disposition that makes us indifferent towards whatever the flavour of the week is this time.

Lastly, Seth Rollins puts his Survivor Series spot on the line against Andrade. On paper, that’s  potentially a compelling story. The captain of the Raw team being forced to risk everything against a surging heel challenger. But Seth Rollins is (at best) a lacklustre babyface, and Andrade’s victories have come in rather unimpressive fashion over Cedric Alexander and Sin Cara.

Even more disconcerting though, WWE haven’t set any clear parameters for how each team is decided. Some members have qualification matches, others are simply announced. Some may even lose their qualification match and still make the team – like Nikki Cross. So, much like the Wildcard, I’m forced to ask: “What are the rules?”

Seth did nothing to earn his spot, so should I really feel bad if he were to surrender it to Andrade? Even if he did lose, are we sure he can’t just challenge someone else for their spot?

It’s safe to assume then that I’m a little disheartened by WWE’s lack of attention to detail heading into this week’s Raw. But it’s never too late to steer the ship away from the reefs of mediocrity and towards a brighter dawn. I can’t promise that will be my last terrible metaphor.

Let’s get to the review!

The Best of Raw

The Authors of Pain Arrive

In the midst of a backstage interview, Hawkins and Ryder were jumped by AOP. It’s the first time we’ve seen the two enormous bruisers outside of their little room in several months.

Admittedly, beating up Hawkins and Ryder isn’t particularly exciting – everyone’s been doing that for years. But it’s the potential for later in the night that’s intriguing. Hawkins and Ryder were meant to challenge The Viking Raiders for the Raw Tag Team Championships. With them out of action, perhaps AOP will be the ones to take their place?

I’m not sure what message it sends to WWE’s HR department if people can just assault one another to claim title shots. But without question, that pairing promises to be a far better match.

The Captaincy of Team Raw

After a shaky few months, Seth desperately needed a win. And I don’t just mean on the scoreboard either. He needed something to ingratiate himself in the eyes of the fans.

A match against Andrade would provide that very opportunity. With Seth’s spot on Team Raw up for grabs, the contest got off to a conservative start. Neither man wanted to make a mistake.

But the pace soon picked up significantly, as caution made way for spectacle. Zelina Vega was the usual nuisance around ringside, however was tossed when the referee caught her attempting a sneaky hurricanrana on Rollins.

The match continued, swinging back and forth, as finishers were routinely countered in unpredictable fashion. But suddenly the Lucha House Party ambushed Seth Rollins, violently driving him into the barricade. Helpfully, the three luchadors were wearing blue SmackDown shirts, because I had no idea which brand they were on, nor what their motivation was.

They then slid into the ring and began attacking Andrade. But Seth scampered to his opponent’s aid and together they drove of Lucha House Party.

With the match clearly thrown out, Rollins then turned to Andrade and delivered his usual “we’ll do this again, man.” God, he’s so painfully awkward. And he’s certainly done no favours by the repetitive non-finishes to his TV matches – which, in this case, ruined what was shaping up to be an excellent encounter!

A Cruiserweight Showcase

After his missed connection with Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy had a good, hard-fought battle with Akira Tozawa. There were many dives, flips and inverted ‘ranas, culminating in a Murphy’s Law and the victory.

Sadly, none of this will be remembered by tomorrow, because fans have been given zero reason to invest in Murphy other than he’s a terrific wrestler. But in an age where excellent ability is abundant, that simply isn’t enough. Hopefully this win (and the segment which followed) will mark the start of something substantial for the Australian… but I feel like I’ve said that 100 times over the past year.

Today’s Foes, Tomorrow’s Friends

Survivor Series teammates competed against one another last night, for reasons never entirely made clear. But that’s not to say that the match between Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre wasn’t entertaining.

It was a pretty beefy affair, featuring some rather nasty bumps involving the apron and ring steps. Owens, who has barely been seen since he rid WWE of Shane McMahon in early October, spent much of the match on the defensive.

When he eventually turned the tables though, it led to a series of near falls – most notably after a pop-up powerbomb. McIntyre hit a Claymore, only for KO to get a foot on the ropes. Owens hit a Stunner, only for McIntyre to get HIS foot on the ropes. It was really well done.

As if this match needed any more drama, Triple H’s music hit as soon Owens landed a second Stunner. He was supposedly “just there to talk” to Owens, which was slightly belied by the platoon of NXT wrestlers he brought out with him. Also, when did Drew McIntyre magically disappear?

Unfortunately, Triple H’s appearance didn’t go as well as the match it interrupted. More on that below.

The Worst of Raw

Becky and Charlotte: Together “Forever”

It feels like whenever Raw needs a hot start, they turn to Becky Lynch. ‘The Man’ had grown tired of “the snakes”, Bayley and Shayna Baszler, and wanted to face them head-on.

But before her Survivor Series opponents could respond, The IIconics entered the fray. The Aussies ran through their usual script, calling people “toots” and labelling the future “iconic”. I love them. Anyway, they were aggrieved at having been left off of Team Raw for this Sunday’s pay-per-view.

But Becky wasn’t there for complaints, she was looking for a fight. Lynch understood that she was scheduled to partner with Charlotte “for some reason” – WHAT REASON? – however, would prefer to tackle The IIconics by herself.

This naturally brought out accredited moment killer, Charlotte. She similarly had no idea why the “powers” had paired her with Lynch. (What powers? Why was she out there then?) Before she could delve further into the Pit of Confusion, a suit-wearing Samoa Joe (Business Joseph) interrupted proceedings.

Baszler Brings Her Friends

I have no idea what Samoa Joe said, because the show cut to commercial. But when we returned, Joe was on commentary and the bell rang to start Becky and Charlotte vs. The IIconics. After an initial flurry by the Aussie duo, Flair forced Billie Kay to submit.

While the victors made their way up the ramp, Shayna Baszler, Marina Shafir and Jessamyn Duke hopped the barricade to beat up The IIconics. Why would they want to attack Kay and Royce, who aren’t even scheduled to feature at Survivor Series? I’m not sure. Equally, I have no idea why Charlotte followed Becky back to the ring to get at Baszler and her cronies.

Regardless, the three invaders got the better of the Raw women, before exiting through the crowd. Becky and Charlotte went to pursue the trio but were stopped by security. In her frustration, Lynch punched one of the security dudes. After three weeks of run-ins, none of this served to excite me ahead of Sunday.

Humberto and Styles are still Feuding

AJ felt disrespected by Humberto Carrillo after the events of last week. So he announced that the Mexican would face-off against his fellow OC member, Karl Anderson.

Humberto soon obliged and the match began. After an initial exchange, the Street Profits came out to even the odds. I’m still a little lost as to why Humberto and the Street Profits are best friends, or why AJ is still wasting time with the man he’s beaten on three occasions in the past three weeks.

Regardless, the match continued. And it might have succeeded too if it weren’t for those meddling wrestlers around ringside. AJ distracted the referee, while Luke Gallows punched Carrillo and Anderson rolled him up in a small package. But, with the official’s back still turned, Montez Ford shifted Carrillo on top of Anderson. And the referee counted the pinfall.

Carrillo’s great, but he doesn’t gain anything from going 50/50 with The OC. Especially if he’s relying on the Street Profits to help him win. Later in the night, Charley Caruso revealed that AJ Styles would be defending the Unites States Title against Humberto Carrillo again next week.

Lana Filed For Divorce

Flanked by Bobby Lashley, Lana proudly announced that she had filed for divorce from Rusev that morning. In an entirely unnecessary display of evidence, Lana even went to the trouble of putting the relevant court order up on the Titantron. I have my suspicions that it may not have been a genuine legal document though, as it went to great lengths to make clear that the litigants were “professionally known” as Lana and Rusev. Because apparently we’re too dumb to figure out who Catherine Joy Perry and Miroslav Barnyashev are.

Supposedly she had also taken out a temporary restraining order, barring Rusev from coming within 90 miles (which Lashley immediately corrected to 90 feet) of Lana. I wish I could keep this abysmal storyline 90 miles away from my TV screen.

Lashley then had a match against No Way Jose, which he won very easily with a Full Nelson putting Jose to sleep. In celebration, Lana and Lashley made out rather aggressively.

An Unanswered Knock

Buddy Murphy knocked on Aleister Black’s dressing room door and said he was ready for a fight. When his knocks went unanswered though, the Australian chuckled and moved on.

Seconds later, Black burst out of the room and looked up and down the passage, clearly puzzled. What was the point here, other than to make the Dutchman look like a total goof? And where was he? I’ve been led to believe that he spends the entirety of Raw motionless waiting for a visitor… like a Sim awaiting user input.

After Murphy’s match with Tozawa, he again passed Black’s door. This time, the door flew open as soon as he called the Dutchman’s name, and the two men glared at one another. So perhaps this scene can be rescued – but it doesn’t explain why we needed the initial missed connection. This entire segment would’ve benefited greatly with only the second part of the exchange.

Rowan’s Travelling Pet

Erick Rowan took out a jobber and the Singh Brothers, while his mystery pet sat under a cloth at ringside.

It’s complete rubbish, but I have to admit that I’m rather intrigued to find out what Rowan’s hiding in that little cage.

Triple H’s Recruitment Drive

Triple H made the same pitch to KO that he had delivered to Seth Rollins a couple of weeks ago. He reminded Owens of his championship reign in NXT and how quickly he had been discarded upon being called-up to the main roster. Triple H saw someone who doesn’t fit the mould and he loved it.

He continued by pointing to the NXT lads at ringside and posing the question why none of KO’s Raw teammates were there to defend him. It was, Hunter claimed, because none of them gave a damn about his wellbeing.

Just then, however, several wrestlers in red shirts burst out from the back to attack Triple H’s charges. With attention directed to the events playing out on the ramp, the Undisputed Era jumped Owens from behind. They were quickly chased off by The O.C.

This gives rise to several questions. Why did they attack Owens when Triple H’s words appeared to be resonating with him? Why does The O.C. (an avowed heel faction) care whether the Undisputed Era beats up KO (a babyface)? Also, why is Triple H so insistent on recruiting someone – anyone – from Raw to join his NXT “army”? Just a few weeks ago he was passionately embracing Adam Cole and Shayna Baszler as his figureheads… now suddenly he needs someone else to lead his team?

It just makes the NXT contingent feel unimportant, as if they’re a clear second fiddle to the main roster. This has the Invasion storyline of 2001 written all over it, where the Alliance could only be validated by defecting “stars” from WWF. I hated this segment and everything it stood for.

A History Lesson from Paul Heyman 

Paul Heyman delivered a fairly unengaging recap of the past two months of storyline between Brock Lesnar and Rey Mysterio, complete with video highlights. He announced that his client was 100% healthy, before suggesting that the Survivor Series match be contested under No Holds Barred rules.

We then transitioned back to Charley Caruso, who invited Mysterio to share his thoughts. Apparently his thoughts were that Humberto Carrillo is an excellent wrestler and a point of pride for latinos in the industry. I agree, but the sentiment nevertheless felt jarringly out of place.

Mysterio however thereafter turned to address his Survivor Series opponent. Rey accepted the No Holds Barred stipulation and said that he would take Brock’s WWE Championship in six days.

Natalya Gets Her Shot

Finally picking up from her tag team victory over the Kabuki Warriors two weeks ago, Natalya took on Asuka in singles competition.

Asuka once again proved just what an awesome wrestler she is, seamlessly transitioning from one move to the next. But Natalya was decent in her own right.

After several long matches earlier in the night, this was a remarkably quick bout. Natalya got distracted by Kairi Sane, rolled back into the ring and got her head kicked off by Asuka. So it seems that victory of a couple of weeks ago wasn’t designed to lead anywhere and Natalya is what she’s always been. It begs the question: “What was the point of this two-minute match or the tag contest that preceded it?”

More Invasion

Somehow the attack which befell Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder led to Randy Orton getting a tag title shot against the Viking Raiders. I’m as baffled as anyone – I was hoping to see AOP.

Orton picked Ricochet to be his tag team partner for the match, because they got along so smashingly last week.

None of this backstory was important though, as around eight or so proud, blue-shirt-wearing SmackDown wrestlers interrupted the match. After bit of a brawl, the four Raw stars were able to overcome the numbers disadvantage and turf the SmackDown representatives out of the ring.

On the outside, they were attacked by a bunch of NXT lads, before they turned their attentions to the four men in the ring. But that wasn’t the end, as Seth Rollins (in a red shirt) led out the Raw reinforcements and the show ended in a big brawl. To close, Triple H appeared on the Titantron to invite any soul brave enough to appear on Wednesday’s NXT.

What a mess.

Overall Rating for the Show (From best to worst: RawSome, Cor, AvRAWge, Poor and RawFul)

This build, man. What on Earth is going on?

Rarely can I remember a Raw which featured so many good matches, so often ended by meaningless brawls and nonsensical promo work. No fewer than four contests ended with some form of run-in by an invading force, on each occasion being less impressive than the one which came before.

Last night also marked the debut of the coloured shirt. Which became a useful tool to easily identify who’s on which brand, but also colour the motivations behind the various attacks. Because it wasn’t about stitching together coherent storylines – it’s all about the power of the shirt at Survivor Series. Alliances are formed haphazardly, as faces and heels unite for no obvious reason outside of a vague notion of “brand loyalty”.

Amongst the things I don’t understand, why is Triple H desperately searching for a Raw mid-carder to lead his team? Why are Becky and Charlotte a team? And, for the love of God, why is Sarah Logan a member of Raw’s Survivor Series team? I like her, but she hasn’t been on TV in months!

Like I said though, the wrestling overcame much of the dubious booking choices to a certain extent. I particularly enjoyed Seth Rollins and Andrade, and KO vs. Drew McIntyre. But it’s hard to excuse the surrounding nonsense. For that reason, Raw last night was AvRAWge.

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