WWE Raw results, Nov. 21, 2016: Jericho bends the rules to keep “The Kevin Owens Show” on the air
Chris Jericho might have been banned from ringside during Raw’s No Disqualification WWE Universal Championship Match main event, but he still managed to ambush Seth Rollins and help Kevin Owens retain Team Red’s greatest prize. Also on Raw, Goldberg made a jaw-dropping announcement that could put the WCW icon in line for a World Title Match at WrestleMania.
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Raw Results : Quick Hits
- Goldberg declared for the Royal Rumble Match
- Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day def. Cesaro & Sheamus
- Cedric Alexander def. Ariya Daivari
- Rusev def. Enzo Amore
- Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson def. The Golden Truth to become No. 1 contenders to the Raw Tag Team Championship
- Braun Strowman def. Sami Zayn via Match stoppage
- Sasha Banks & Bayley def. Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair & Nia Jax
- Rich Swann def. TJ Perkins and Noam Dar to become No. 1 contender to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
- WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens def. Seth Rollins in a No Disqualification Match
Raw Results : Full Details
Goldberg declared for the Royal Rumble Match
TORONTO — The good news first, at least if you’re Goldberg: The former World Heavyweight Champion made good on that promise to beat up Brock Lesnar, dispatching The Conqueror in less than 90 seconds at Survivor Series. The bad news second, at least if you’re not Goldberg: It turns out he’s pretty flexible on that that whole “you’re last” thing. Goldberg intended to make good on his word and bid WWE farewell, but as soon as he walked through the curtain at Survivor Series, Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon dangled the possibility of one more title run before the iconic Superstar. The quickest path to that goal? A spot in the 2017 Royal Rumble Match. That turned out to be an offer too good to refuse. In other words, he’s in, and 29 other Superstars just became “next.” Here we go …
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Raw Tag Team Champions The New Day def. Cesaro & Sheamus
Cesaro & Sheamus came together in timely enough fashion to be Sole Survivors on Sunday, but they’re a ways from becoming Raw Tag Team Champions yet. Despite earning a title match against The New Day, The King of Swing and Celtic Warrior fell short against the champions, who are now determined to beat Demolition’s World Tag Team Championship record by hook or by crook.
It didn’t help that Sheamus accidentally laid Cesaro out at one point. Though The King of Swing certainly roared back with an astounding midair tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to Kofi Kingston, a Cesaro Swing beyond count (though the crowd seemed to think it was 10, for some reason) and, finally, a Sharpshooter. Sheamus even took out Big E at ringside with a Brogue Kick, but Xavier Woods both distracted the ref with Francesca II Turbo right when Kingston tapped. He then physically held Sheamus back from breaking up Kingston’s small package to Cesaro once the action resumed.
Cedric Alexander def. Ariya Daivari
Thanks to Baron Corbin, the Cruiserweight division stays on Monday Night Raw. And thanks to Cedric Alexander, the thrills just keep on comin’. After Ariya Daivari insulted Alexander on the Raw Pre-Show (in front of a smitten Alicia Fox, no less) and again in the ring, Alexander came out swinging against Daivari, delivering a dropkick in lieu of the Cruiserweight handshake. Daivari gave as good as he got, knocking him off the ropes and clotheslining him into a full flip, but Alexander rallied and slipped a clothesline to land the Lumbar Check. Rematch on 205 Live, anybody?
Rusev def. Enzo Amore
So thanks to a backstage prank by Big Cass, Enzo Amore ended up naked in the hallway within Lana’s orbit at Raw. Rusev was understandably peeved about this, and gave Muscles Marinara just enough time to put some pants on before he Accoladed him back to the 973 in a singles match shortly after the incident. The Bulgarian Brute didn’t want any part of Big Cass, however, who rushed the ring the second his partner tapped out and stared a hole through Rusev as the former U.S. Champion made his retreat.
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson def. The Golden Truth to become No. 1 contenders to the Raw Tag Team Championship
So The Golden Truth got swindled out of a Survivor Series spot, but a Raw Tag Team Title No. 1 Contender’s Match isn’t a bad consolation prize, right? Right, unless their opponents are Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson. The good brothers were in no mood for challenges of any kind on Raw, and they put Golden Truth in a deep hole early on. Goldust picked up the slack with an incredibly impressive performance, including a crossbody off the top rope, but Gallows & Anderson quickly neutralized Truth and dispatched The Bizarre One with the Magic Killer. Next up? New Day, and an opportunity to deny the champions history that truly is too sweet.
Braun Strowman def. Sami Zayn via Match stoppage
Despite a heartfelt attempt to bring the Intercontinental Title to Raw, Sami Zayn fell short against The Miz at Survivor Series. And despite being touched at Zayn’s admission that he was an inspiration, Raw General Manager Mick Foley still delivered “ramifications” — under coercion by Stephanie McMahon, apparently — to The Underdog from the Underground in the form of a one-on-one bout with Braun Strowman.
Predictably, The Gift of Destruction was peeved after being embarrassed by one underdog last night, and he wasn’t about to lose to another. Strowman bulldozed Zayn from behind during his entrance and, despite a gutty performance from Zayn, continued to pummel on the beloved Superstar until a shaken-looking Foley re-emerged to call the match off. Consider the ramifications delivered.
Sasha Banks & Bayley def. Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair & Nia Jax
Charlotte Flair was one of the Sole Survivors of the Women’s divisions last night, but that doesn’t mean Sasha Banks is content to fall in line. Still owed a Raw Women’s Championship rematch, The Boss demanded one and got it at next week’s Raw in, well, Charlotte, N.C., though Nia Jax was quick to interrupt with claims that she should be the one to get the opportunity. The confab led to a brawl that fellow Sole Survivor Bayley ultimately ended up joining, which in turn paved the way for a tag team match. Holla.
In a reverse of the previous night’s events, it was Bayley who found herself overwhelmed by the opposition, as Charlotte and Nia teed off on The Huggable One in rapid succession. Bayley eventually reached Banks, however, and the turn of the tide was swift: After she and Bayley joined together to take Jax out of the equation with a double suplex, Sasha quickly blasted Charlotte with the double-knees and locked in the Bank Statement for the win.
Rich Swann def. TJ Perkins and Noam Dar to become No. 1 contender to the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
205 Live doesn’t just premiere next week, it already has a marquee match. After weeks of gaining steam in the Cruiserweight division, Rich Swann cemented his status as next in line when he defeated TJ Perkins and Noam Dar to earn a WWE Cruiserweight Title Match against The Brian Kendrick on the first episode of 205 Live.
TJP had his eyes on Kendrick at commentary from the second he made his entrance, but with both Swann and Dar firing on all cylinders, the former champion needed to have eyes in the back of his head to even have a chance at the win. Perkins picked his spots well, and Dar played spoiler more often than not each time Perkins gained steam. But Swann picked the best spot of all when he hit Rolling Thunder on Perkins while Dar was trapped in the Kneebar. With Dar incapacitated, Swann kicked Perkins in the face and pinned him to punch his ticket to 205 Live. Cue the Lionel.
WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens def. Seth Rollins in a No Disqualification Match
No disqualification? No Chris Jericho? No problem. WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens started the night by making up with Jericho over the destruction of The List of Jericho at Survivor Series by blaming Roman Reigns. And even though he ended it facing a lawless main event with his best friend banned from ringside, Owens turned Seth Rollins back one more time to keep the WWE Universal Title in his clutches. But hoo boy, Rollins made it tough. And Jericho didn’t entirely abide by that ringside ban, but we’ll get to that.
Not having Reigns at ringside — he was banned too — turned out to be no hindrance for The Architect. Itching for a one-on-one match with KO, Rollins certainly dug deep in his attempts to deny The Prizefighter. Exploiting all the leeway a No Disqualification stipulation allowed, both Superstars were put through tables (Rollins), dropped onto chairs (Owens), flattened against barricades (Rollins again) and powerbombed through more tables (Owens again) before the fight spilled out into the crowd.
Rollins dug as deep as possible in his pursuit of victory, even scaling an entranceway for a dive onto The Prizefighter before beating him back to the ring. That’s when Jericho made his move on the edge of the audience, attacking Rollins while disguised in a Sin Cara mask and Shinsuke Nakamura hoodie, taking care all the while not to cross into the ringside area. Rollins quickly unmasked Jericho, hauled him over the barricade (into the ringside area, for what it’s worth) and dispatched him with a Pedigree on the arena floor. Owens capitalized, obliterating The Architect with the apron powerbomb and securing his ill-gotten pin.