Credit: WINC
Tonight’s WWE RAW opens up with a graphic in memory of Jon Huber (aka Luke Harper). The wrestler also known as Brodie Lee in AEWpassed away at the age of 41 this past Saturday due to a lung issue. We go to the usual RAW intro.
– The final WWE RAW of 2020 opens live from the ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida as Tom Phillips welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by Samoa Joe and Byron Saxton. They hype Sheamus vs. Keith Lee for tonight’s opener and reveal that the winner will challenge WWE Champion Drew McIntyre next Monday night on RAW.
We go right to the ring and out comes WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. He gets the entrance pyro and then heads to the ring. Drew gets more big pyro as he stands tall in the ring. We get a replay of last week’s six-man match where Sheamus dropped Keith Lee after their six-man win. Drew pays tribute to Brodie Lee with, “It’s Monday, you know what that means… yeah, yeah, yeah.”
Drew talks about his 2020 and thanks everyone for supporting him, making him their “Chosen One” and being there, from the bottom of his heart. He talks about defending the WWE Title next Monday during Legends Night. He goes on but the music interrupts and out comes Sheamus. Sheamus apologizes for interrupting but Drew isn’t buying it because he’s always getting interrupted. Sheamus explains what happened last week and says he promised not to hit Lee during the match, and he didn’t. They talk about their history and wanting to headline against each other for the WWE Title and how it’s this close. There’s some friendly tension but Sheamus says they’re going to kick off the year right and smash each other up. The music interrupts and out comes Lee.
Lee talks about what Sheamus did to him last week and says there’s zero trust now. Lee enters the ring and says every fiber in his being wants to beat Sheamus’ face in right now but he’s decided to wait until the bell rings, then he will force Sheamus to apologize. Lee says Drew should maybe reconsider his best friends because later on, Sheamus may do the same thing and stab Drew in the back. Sheamus says all this is happening because of Lee’s mouth, for going around and telling everyone that Sheamus was going to turn on his best mate. Lee and Sheamus argue until Drew speaks up. He calls the referee down so we can get the opener going. Drew doesn’t care if it’s Lee or Sheamus, he will still be WWE Champion next week. Sheamus suddenly drops Lee with a Brogue Kick, and then another. Drew has words with Sheamus as fans boo and we go to commercial.
Keith Lee vs. Sheamus – WWE Championship #1 Contender’s Match
Lee wins a physical match with the Spirit Bomb.
Winner: Keith Lee
After the match, Lee approaches the announcer’s table and stares down Drew. Drew poses with the title.
Elias is playing guitar backstage with Ryker.
The Miz vs. Gran Metalik
Metalik rolls up Miz for the win.
Winner: Gran Metalik
Backstage, AJ Styles and his bodyguard bangs on the door of the room Elias is playing in. He’s saying his bodyguard is trying to listen to Mozart and AJ is trying to file a complaint to WWE management about the finish to his title match at TLC and says he can’t concentrate with his music. Elias pokes fun at AJ failing to win the title and says his number of chances to do so are running out.
Ryker comes to Elias’ defense and gets in AJ’s face. Elias tells everyone to calm down and still pokes fun at AJ. AJ challenges Elias to a match and says he’ll end his career tonight. Elias begrudgingly accepts.
Dana Brooke vs. Shayna Baszler
Baszler wins with the Kirifuda Clutch.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
After the match, Baszler exits the ring as her music hits. Rose checks on Brooke. Baszler comes back in and applies the Kirifuda Clutch to Rose, drops her and then leaves as the music starts back up.
– We get a video package showing last week’s RAW promo from Randy Orton after he set fire to “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt at TLC, and how Orton was interrupted by Alexa Bliss and her “Alexa’s Playground” segment. Bliss warned that if The Fiend does come back, it’ll be unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Still to come tonight, Orton has accepted an invitation to join Bliss in her playground again. Back to commercial.
Ricochet vs. Mustafa Ali
After a lot of interference, Ali wins with a Koji Clutch reversal of the 630.
Winner: Mustafa Ali
After the match, Ali says Ricochet has to learn he can’t defeat them, but he’ll give him a chance to re-write his past regrets and to join them. Ricochet tells Ali that he’s made a decision and that he will…..not join RETRIBUTION. Ricochet surprises Ali with a Recoil before escaping.
Charly Caruso is backstage with Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler now. She asks about New Year’s resolution. Jax says her first two are to end Charlotte Flair’s rise to the top before she even begins, and to get the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles back. Baszler walks off but Jax has a third resolution. She is officially entering in the 2021 Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Jax says she will throw everyone else over the top rope and when she wins, she’s going to WrestleMania 37 to face whoever the champion is. Jax wishes a Happy New Year’s to Charly and then walks off. Baszler comes back and says actually she likes that last idea. Baszler then walks off. Tom wonders if Baszler has also entered herself in the Rumble Match.
Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax
Baszler applies the clutch on Charlotte and Flair wins by DQ.
Winner by DQ: Charlotte Flair
After the bell, Asuka hits the ring to attack but Baszler and Jax retreat. Flair’s music hits as she tares Jax and Baszler down from the ring.
– We see video of The Hurt Business arriving to the building earlier today. They continue to bully and taunt the same staffer backstage. The group walks off as the announcers plug tonight’s eight-man tag team match. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and Charly Caruso is backstage with Angel Garza. She asks him to describe his first year on RAW now that 2021 is coming up. Garza says like everyone there has been ups and downs, lots of love, something else, lots of swiping left and right, but this New Year is almost here and with it comes new experiences. Maybe he will introduce himself to one of the female Legends next week. Caruso asks who the rose in his hand is for. He says a gentleman or a lover never tells but WWE 24/7 Champion R-Truth collides with him as he’s being chased through the back by potential challengers. Garza looks sad now as he picks up the broken rose. He hands it to Caruso and says it’s the thought that counts. Garza walks off and Caruso looks confused.
– We get a replay of Big E defeating Sami Zaynto win the WWE Intercontinental Title in the Lumberjack Match on the Christmas edition of SmackDown.
– The New Day is backstage when Riddle and Jeff Hardy congratulate them on Big E’s big win on SmackDown. They also mention getting the RAW Tag Team Titles back soon. Riddle says they need a new name for this four-man group. How about Little Bronies? Xavier Woodssays that idea is technically already taken and he will explain to Kofi Kingston why later. How about Positively Hard Bros? No one like that idea either and Riddle doesn’t get why. The New Day walks off as Riddle continues blurting out more ridiculous names. Hardy seems to like Baked Out Pancakes and Rainbros.
The Hurt Business come out and MVP says they have a business forecast for 2021. Lashley declares for the Rumble match.
Riddle, Jeff Hardy and New Day vs. The Hurt Business
The Hurt Business win when Lashley makes Hardy tap to the Hurt Lock.
Winners: The Hurt Business
After the match, the Hurt Business try to jump New Day, but they escape. Riddle hits the Final Flash on Lashley before escaping.
Miz and Morrison are still sulking over Miz’s loss outside the arena entrance. Adam Pearce walks by with the briefcase in hand. Miz asks him if he’s just rubbing it in and Adam says he’s actually here to return it. He concedes that Miz was right and that only the
Money In The Bank winner can officially cash it in, not Morrison. Therefore, it’s as if it never happened. Miz gets the briefcase back, Pearce wishes the two a Happy Holidays and Miz and Morrison dance in celebration.
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event segment as Alexa Bliss makes her way out with the new entrance theme. She stops in the middle of the ring and motions for Randy Orton to come out to the ring. Bliss looks to be all business. The music hits next and out comes Orton to mostly boos.
Orton takes his time getting to the ring and seems a bit cautious. Byron reminds us Bliss has challenged Orton here tonight. Orton takes the mic and asks where is The Fiend. Bliss says this is not about him, this is about her. Bliss goes to the timekeeper’s area and brings a gift wrapped in red paper and a red bow. She slides it in the ring. Bliss brings the gift to the middle of the ring and drops to her knees to open it. Orton watches. Bliss opens the gift and pulls out a can of gasoline. She walks over to Orton and places it as his feet, with a box of matches. She kicks the gift box away. Bliss says she challenges Orton to do to her what she did to “Him” before. Bliss lays down in the middle of the ring now.
Orton crosses his arms and just stares at her, leaning against the turnbuckles. Bliss gets up and pours gasoline from the middle of the ring to Orton’s feet, putting the can at his feet also. Bliss tells Orton she did the job for him, so go ahead and light the match, do to her what you did to him. She lays down again and gets emotional, “Damn it, Randy! Just do it!” She throws a fit some and gets back up. Now Bliss has poured a circle of gasoline around herself. Orton still stares her down. She says he doesn’t have the guts to do it. She says Orton thinks he’s sick, twisted and demented but he’s not because if he were, he’d light the match. She says Orton is nothing… nothing but a little b—h. Bliss takes the lid off the gas can and pours it all over herself now. Bliss seethes at Orton while covered in gasoline. Orton is still staring at her. He takes the mic now and asks Bliss if she thinks he won’t do it? Orton slowly grabs the book of matches at his feet. He asks again if she thinks he’s not capable. He wants to do it but he knows it’s what she wants him to do, so he’s trying to process the whole thing because he enjoys watching people in pain and suffer, and that’s what he wants Bliss to do, but she wants him to cause it.
Bliss wants to go to hell where he sent The Fiend at TLC, but Orton doesn’t want to give her what she wants. Fine, maybe he will set her on fire… right now… or maybe… the lights start going down in the ThunderDome crowd. It goes black but now Orton has lit a few matches. The matches shine a light on Orton’s face and he looks menacing. He acts like he’s about to drop the matches in the gasoline as the announcers beg him not to. We hear the familiar drum of The Fiend go off across the ThunderDome as Orton stares ahead with the matches lit. RAW goes off the air.
