Monday Night Raw Review - November 19, 2018

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Braun Strowman, Elias and Finn Balor def. Acting Raw General Manager Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley in an Elimination Tag Team Match Ended in a No Contest

Before the bout, Corbin brought out Stephanie McMahon and acknowledged how she had previously promised that if Raw won at Survivor Series, he would be named the permanent Raw general manager. She then announced that he would earn the position if he could beat Strowman at TLC next month, but if he couldn't, then Strowman would get another shot at Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble. This was a well-wrestled match, but it was weird for WWE to dedicate do much time to it if they didn't plan on giving it a decisive finish. It did succeed put heel on the heels, though, so there was that.

Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins Addressed Dean Ambrose

I was surprised Ambrose was nowhere to be seen at Survivor Series on Sunday (specifically during Rollins' match with Shinsuke Nakamura), but at least it's full steam ahead going into TLC where they'll clash for the Intercontinental Championship. Once again, they had a strong verbal exchange that not only furthered their feud and hyped their upcoming outing but also gave viewers a hook for the rest of the show to see Rollins get his hands on Ambrose. My only criticism of this segment was Ambrose taking a shot at Reigns' battle with leukemia. That was totally uncalled for and unnecessary.

Nia Jax and Tamina def. Bayley and Sasha Banks

At Survivor Series, Jax generated monster heat for hurting Becky Lynch last week on Raw and that carried over onto this show. She's still atrocious in the ring, mind you, but at least she's riding a wave of momentum right now, which will bode well for her Raw Women's Championship match with Ronda Rousey at TLC. Banks and Bayley made this matchup bearable, but the outcome was never in doubt.

The Lucha House Party def. The Revival in a Lucha House Rules Match

When this match was originally announced, I hoped it would serve as a way for Revival to get back on track following their memorable performance on the Survivor Series Kickoff show. Boy, was an idiot for actually having faith in the Creative Team or what? This was contested under "Lucha House Rules," meaning all members of the group were legal. In other words, it was basically a Handicap match. The silliness with the pinata was so stupid that it made it difficult for me to care about any of this. It's already been a month and The Lucha House Party has been treated like a joke on Raw.

Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey def. Mickie James

The crowd's reaction to Rousey on this show wasn't nearly as negative as it was at Survivor Series, probably because she mentioned Jax's name who is universally hated by everyone at the moment. Her promo addressing Charlotte Flair's actions was fine and she came across like a fighting champion, but the match with James left a lot to be desired. Then again, I was expecting much from it considering James has been positioned as a loser for close to a year.

Chad Gable and Bobby Roode def. Raw Tag Team Champions AOP (Non-title)

AOP have been largely dominant on the main roster, so it concerns me that WWE is turning Drake Maverick into a comedy figure. "AOPeePee"? Really? On the bright side, Gable and Roode vs. AOP was fairly decent and I think there's potential for them to do even better. This didn't last long at all, but with more time, it can be a ton of fun. Obviously, Gable and Roode should set them up a shot at the Raw Tag Team Championship eventually.

Natalya def. Ruby Riott

Although this was a quality contest and they made the most of the time they were allotted, I simply cannot bring myself to get invested in this feud. The fact they're feuding over The Riott Squad breaking the sunglasses of Natalya's late father is ridiculous and doesn't make me want to boo The Riott Squad. I applaud them for giving the ladies a separate story outside of the title picture, but this is beyond lame.

Dean Ambrose Attacked Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins

With five minutes left in the show when Ambrose made his entrance, it was apparent this segment was going to rushed, and ultimately, it was. Ambrose is way more comfortable as a heel than as a babyface, but his material here was weak. Their brawl was well done and Ambrose standing tall was a good call, but it all felt rushed and didn't have the same intensity of their past encounters.

Overall Show

The fallout from Survivor Series was passable and I'm glad some matches have already been set in stone for next month's TLC pay-per-view, but by and large, this show was a bore. The ongoing angle with Rollins and Ambrose that took place over the course of the night was compelling, but nothing else really captured/held my interest. Raw continues to be a chore to sit through and there's a handful of issues that need to be addressed before the brand can be considered must-see TV again.