‘Moment Of Bliss’
Alexa Bliss feels Randy Orton is in a foul mood, but she understands the reason. She shows him the footage of what transpired last week. Bliss asks if he knows why exactly The Fiend did that to him. Orton says he has known Bray a long time, but he hasn’t been formally acquainted with The Fiend. Randy thinks they have a lot in common, but the main difference is all his suffering and pain is on his exterior for everyone to see. He overcomes it deep down in his gut so he can blend in.
Randy hears the voices. The Fiend understands them too. But the voices The Fiend hears are his. Wyatt never told Alexa what happened years ago when he found his vulnerability and burned it to the ground. So now he understands what to do. He has to find The Fiend’s weakness. And you know what? It looks like he has (while looking at Alexa). She asks if that’s what the voices are telling him? Or are they telling him lies?
Bliss stands up to him, who is manipulating who? The lights go out. The Fiend appears in the ring, and Randy has Bliss in his arms. The Fiend wants her back and spreads his arms out. Randy gives her back to him and escapes the ring. Who’s laughing now? Randy laughs at The Fiend. Raw begins with Randy Orton getting the upper hand in the weird mind games.
Jeff Hardy Vs. Elias – Symphony of Destruction Match
Jeff Hardy and Elias played a crude tune as the two Superstars crushed drums, guitars, violins, and many more musical instruments in a Symphony of Destruction Match. The 24/7 mob added to the early chaos as they chased R-Truth through the musical destruction. Hardy went airborne after the interlude, hoping to take out his rival, but Elias met him with a crushing guitar smash. The Charismatic Enigma eventually escaped to the outside, and a missed guitar strike resulted in an electric shock to the crooner. Hardy took to the skies one final time and connected on a Swanton Bomb through the final note’s instrument table.
The match lasted for just over 12 minutes.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Match Review: 3.25/5. I wasn’t sure what to expect when the ‘Symphony of Destruction’ stipulation was announced. Never the less, it was a fun action with a scary Jeff Hardy Swanton Bomb that ended the fight. I hope Jeff is alright.
SLAPJACK Vs. Ricochet
Ricochet picked another fight with RETRIBUTION after falling to Mustafa Ali in his most recent effort. The high-flying Superstar fought back against the horde as MACE, Ali, and T-BAR came to the aid of SLAPJACK. Dana Brooke added to the chaos when she confronted RETRIBUTION’s leader after RECKONING’s recent attack on her. The distractions proved too much, as SLAPJACK caught Ricochet by surprise and secured the victory.
The match lasted for 3:30.
Winner: SLAPJACK
Match Review: 1/5. This storyline is going nowhere. Ricochet deserves better than losing to SLAPJACK in 3 minutes. Dana’s lap to Ali was a nice touch to the story.
Asuka and Lana Vs. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler – Non-Title Match
The Women’s Tag Team Champions had been destroying everything in their path, and then the Raw Women’s Champion teamed up with the red brand’s sole survivor. After dealing them their first defeat last week, Asuka and Lana teamed up once again to take on Nia Jax and Baszler. Jax and Baszler got creative with some synchronized slams of their opponents into the barricade, but the challengers tested their chemistry throughout. It appeared the champs were headed for victory as The Queen of Spades locked in the Kirifuda Clutch on Lana, but Asuka came charging in with a sliding kick to break up the hold. Lana made the most of her opportunity and sprung into the pin to get the win.
The match was over in 9 minutes.
Winner: Asuka and Lana
Match Review: 2/5. Asuka deserves better. She is lost in the shuffle for over a month now. Lana looked fresh as usual, and she is working better in the ring, so that’s a good thing. The match followed the same formula, with Lana getting squashed before tagging-in Asuka, who took care of business.
Cedric Alexander Vs. Xavier Woods
The Hurt Business haven’t gotten their hands on the Raw Tag Team Titles, but their battle against The New Day is just getting started. Xavier Woods and Cedric Alexander went one on one in the rivalry’s latest episode in a struggle of acrobatic Superstars. Alexander was on the attack from the opening bell, but Woods responded to his intensity. Alexander struck quickly with a ferocious Lumbar Check and quickly burst into a fiery celebration in the final moments. The solo post-match theatrics from Alexander seemed to catch Shelton Benjamin and MVP’s ire as they looked on from the ring.
The match lasted for just under 6 minutes.
Winner: Cedric Alexander
Match Review: 2.75/5. A short match to put over Cedric Alexander. The Raw Tag Team is getting noticed yet again.
AJ Styles Vs. Keith Lee Vs. Riddle – “Sudden Death” Triple Threat Match for WWE Title opportunity
A WWE Title opportunity was on the line, and AJ Styles, Keith Lee and Matt Riddle met in a “Sudden Death” Triple Threat Match. The big man hurdled the early onslaught from Styles and Riddle, as Lee showed off his incredible mix of strength and agility. The action turned frenzy, as the three elite competitors traded blows and looked for the opportunity to seize the match. The savvy veteran seized the final opening, catching Riddle with a Phenomenal Forearm to book his ticket to face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at WWE TLC.
The match lasted for 13 minutes.
Winner: AJ Styles
Match Review: 4/5. WOW! The best match of the night, and it again features AJ Styles. The match was fast-paced, with everyone getting into offense equally. Riddle and Keith Lee belong at the top.
Dana Brooke Vs. RECKONING
After RECKONING’s recent attack sidelined her for Survivor Series, Dana Brooke rolled into Raw looking for payback. Brooke confronted Mustafa Ali earlier in the night, and then met her assailant in the ring. Fueled by her fury, Brooke scored a quick win, and the embarrassment prompted RETRIBUTION’s leader to lash out at RECKONING for her failure.
Match ended in 2.20.
Winner: Dana Brooke
Match Review: 0.5/5. Yawn!
Drew McIntyre and Sheamus Vs. The Miz and John Morrison
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and Sheamus made their in-ring reunion against The Miz and John Morrison. The towering tandem threw their weight around against The Dirt Sheet duo early on, but the seasoning of Miz and Morrison helped them gain a temporary advantage. The King of Claymore Country put on a display, as he stormed into the ring off a tag and tossed Miz and Morrison from post to post. AJ Styles sought to tip the scales in his favor with a Phenomenal Forearm that disqualified Miz and Morrison, but he took out McIntyre. Styles prompted The Miz to cash-in his Money in the Bank contract, but the WWE Champion recovered amid the chaos. Omos stepped in to carry The Phenomenal One from the ring, as McIntyre warned of what awaits at WWE TLC.
The match ended in 10 minutes.
Winner: Drew McIntyre and Sheamus
Match Review: 2.75/5. It was a weak RAW main event where AJ tried to make The Miz cash-in his Money in the Bank Contract but failed to do so. I can’t wait to watch Sheamus vs Drew in future.
NYK Rating of WWE Raw, November 30, 2020: 6.25/10.
Three stars of the show
- AJ Styles
- Riddle
- Keith Lee
