Sean Ross Sapp’s WWE Raw Match Ratings, Podcast Notes For 12/11/17

Opening segment
5.5/10

• Samoa Joe carries a long promo that sounds an awful lot like a Scooby Doo villain revealing their plans. Those mettling Shield kids will ruin it all.
• Cringe worthy moment backstage when Seth Rollins tells Dean Ambrose to "go get the Big Dog." Is Ambrose the errand boy?
• Joe calls out Reigns, and he gets jumped by The Bar. The Shield try to help to no avail.

Absolution (w/ Sonya Deville) defeated Mickie James & Bayley (w/ Sasha Banks)
6/10

• I wonder if Mickie's ankle is taped up after last week's attack. Maybe her flappy pants will float up and we'll have a gander at the injury.
• Really awesome of WWE to highlight Sasha and Alexa's match in Abu Dhabi, which got a good crowd response. Sasha couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. 
• Mandy Rose ended up a lot better on the mic than Sarah Logan last week. Sonya Deville is okay, but she's going to get "what" chants all over the place. 
• Mandy saves Paige from a suplex, but Paige throws her in front of a Bayley attack outside. Paige cares only for herself. Mandy Rose follows up with a nice bicycle knee. 
• I'm really impressed with Paige's presence these days. Before she left, her unhappiness came through the screen. It looked like she was just going through the motions. That's not the case anymore.
• Mickie isn't holding on to the tag rope for some reason. All her tags are illegal! Strike the match from the books! She misses a kick, but her flappy ass pants save the spot. I can't make it up. 
• Mandy wins with a kick. This was good stuff.

WOKEN

• Bray/Matt Hardy promo. I'm going to like anything involved in this. Even if it's bad, it can be. You can do literally anything there.
• That being said, this went on about a minute too long. It's like they really wanted to hammer home how weird it was. 

Backstage Crappenings

• Drew Gulak says WWE rescinded Swann's spot, which is all they needed to say. Enzo Amore accidentally brings up Nia Jax, which leads to a great exchange. Gulak is awesome, and his promo style reminds me a lot of EC3's. There's another contender tourney match tonight.
• Kane cuts a backstage promo in what could be the same boiler room from Summerslam 1996.
• Kurt Angle demands the ring be reinforced for the main event. Jason Jordan shows up wanting an opportunity, but Kurt says he hasn't really beaten anyone and Jason gets pisssaaaaaay.
• Dana Brooke is working for Titus Worldwide in Research & Development. The Good Brothers call them nerds and Braun SCREAMS HIS WAY THROUGH.

Finn Balor defeated Curtis Axel (w/ Bo Dallas)

• The banter on commentary about Curtis Axel's neck brace was A+ commentary.
• Balor gets attacked, works from underneath and pins Axel pretty quickly.
• WWE has no goddamn clue what to do with Balor.

Seth Rollins defeated Sheamus
6.5/10

• There's a lot made early on about Sheamus changing up his training and wanting the WWE Universal Championship.
• Rollins has to go a little extra on his Blockbuster
• I don't know if a Stretch Muffler is a good idea for a guy who says he has spinal stenosis. The reverse Alabamaslam was cool though.
• Rollins does an awesome Irish Curse reversal into a DDT. 
• The way Sheamus is working this leg is really awesome. He's doing different and new things. I just worry since his talk of stenosis.
• Rollins wins a good match.

Cruiserweight Contender Tournament Semifinals
Cedric Alexander defeated Ariya Daivari, Tony Nese and Mustafa Ali
7.25/10

• Good to see Sasha got Ali's gear back to him in time for Raw.
• Speaking of Mustafa Ali, he hits an insane flip dive from the top rope to the outside. 
• Daivari cracks Nese real proper.
• Mustafa Ali is special in the ring. His big DDT is the reason why. There's also a great counter of a superbomb into a frankensteiner. That Imploding 450 ain't bad, either. 
• A Spanish Fly from Cedric sets up a big Lumbar Check, and he foils Daivari trying to steal the pin!
• Every Lumbar Check Cedric does is incredible. There are a ton of great false finishes in this match. Perfect use of the Cruiserweights. 
• Afterwards Enzo goes off on Gulak for insinuating he could become Cruiserweight Champion.
• Nia Jax shows up and Enzo tries to impress him. 

WWE Intercontinental Championship
Roman Reigns (c) defeated Cesaro
8/10

• Cesaro reverses the Drive By with his own big boot during the break. And a sick Cesaro Swing into the barricade. Jesus, he's bringing it tonight.
• Reigns stole one of John Cena's slam.
• Much like Sheamus earlier, Cesaro's targeted attacks are excellent. This time it's the arm. Reigns cracks the ring post like a maniac. 
• A pop up uppercut out of a push kick, a pinfall attempt into a crossface. Cesaro is on his game tonight.
• Cesaro and Reigns have a spot where Reigns crawls up a standing Cesaro and sunset flips him, then it gets rolled into a dead lift powerbomb.
• A ton of great back and forth until Reigns gets the win with a spear out of a Neutralizer attempt. Outstanding.

Absolution RECKONED WITH

• Really odd backstage segment with Alicia Fox and a ref talking about her arm hurting.
• Instead, Absolution come out and tell Asuka to move out of the way before they make her. 
• Absolution surrounds Asuka, and when I say surround, I mean they don't actually at all. Paige walks into a flying armbar and Absolution jumps Asuka. 
• The entire locker room opens up and they all attack Absolution. Mandy Rose is pulled out like she got attacked by a herd of walkers. I really enjoyed this. 

Samoa Joe defeated Dean Ambrose
5/10

• Jason Jordan is on the ramp watching.
• I love a good dragon screw leg whip, and Ambrose delivers on one.
• Jordan distracts Joe, and helps Ambrose inside the ring. Joe starts choking Jordan out, but Ambrose breaks it up with a suicide dive.
• Ambrose "has Joe beat" with a flying elbow drop, but Jordan distracted the ref. Ambrose and Jordan are in each other's face, and Joe breaks that up with a suicide dive, then hilariously sentons Jordan.
• Ambrose gets choked out.

#1 Contender Match
Braun Strowman and Kane went to a double countout
4/10

• The Tyrannasaurus dropkick is a great name for Strowman's move.
• Strowman kicks out of a chokeslam and gives Kane his own.
• Strowman drives Kane through the barricade for a double countout. I'd be down for a triple threat. 
• A cool moment as they both pick up stairs and eye each other. The crowd wants tables and Strowman obliges. Kane recovers with a steel chair. 
• BRAUN STROWMAN SITS UP.  Powerslam through the table. 

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- Excellent, 8- Great, 7- Good, 6- Above Average, 5- Average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor