Tonight’s WWE Raw: 8 Hits & Misses (November 17)

Anytime WWE steps inside Madison Square Garden, you know there are likely to be some big surprises throughout the night, and such was the case for tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw. The big focus of tonight’s episode was Survivor Series and the two WarGames matches, though this was also John Cena’s final episode of Raw during his retirement tour, so Cena and his legacy also played a substantial part in the show’s plans. We are here to break down the 8 biggest hits and misses of tonight’s WWE Raw, and let’s start with the greatest of all time’s final WWE Raw appearance.

8. Hit: John Cena’s Monday Night Raw Swan Song

It’s been an all-time career for Cena, and Monday Night Raw has obviously been a huge part of that career. It was apparent from the moment Cena stepped out onto the ramp that his last appearance on the show meant something special to him, and the crowd gave him a hero’s welcome and sendoff by the end of the opening segment.

Not only did we get a great exchange between Cena and Dominik Mysterio (along with a rematch at Survivor Series), but then some of Cena’s friends joined the fun for a 6 Man Tag Team Match that included the teams of John Cena, Sheamus, and Rey Mysterio vs Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, and Finn Balor. The match was fun and filled with fan service, including all three superstars doing each other’s moves, including the Five Knuckle Shuffle. There are only a few dates left in Cena’s Farewell Tour, and this was a great way to close out the era of Cena on Raw.

7. Hit: The Last Time Is Now Matches

Speaking of Cena, there’s also a tournament happening on Raw and SmackDown to decide who will be Cena’s final opponent at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and the field was cut down by two tonight. There were some inventive match-ups too, including a returning Dolph Ziggler vs Solo Sikoa and the NXT phenom Je’Von Evans vs the returning Ring General Gunther.

Read Next

5 Last Minute Changes That Made WrestleManias Even Better

Both of those matches felt fresh for all involved, though Ziggler and Evans received the biggest showcases. Evans is one of NXT’s brightest talents, and even when in a ring with one of the best in WWE, he held his own and showed immense potential to the WWE Raw crowd. Meanwhile, Ziggler reminded everyone why he is one of the best in the ring, and has a talent for making every single person that faces him look like a million bucks.

6. Miss: The Last Time Is Now Results

While the matches in the tournament were great, the results were a bit underwhelming. While everyone knew that Gunther was likely going to move on in the tournament, the same could not be said for Sikoa. While Sikoa has history with Cena, it’s not the kind of history that fans will be eager to explore again if he were to be Cena’s final opponent, and it’s also a shame that with both Ziggler and Matt Cardona that neither could score a win and get another match in the tournament. Overall, the results of the tournament have been fairly predictable with few surprises, and tonight was true to form in that regard.

5. Hit: Nikki Bella Puts Stephanie Vaquer on Notice

After Nikki Bella made her heel turn on last week’s WWE Raw, many expected Stephanie Vaquer to come out and address what happened and perhaps issue a challenge to Bella. That didn’t happen though, as Bella instead ambushed Vaquer once again as she was making her entrance, and decided to hold up Vaquer’s Championship and make a statement.

Bella addressed Vaquer and the crowd with her promo, thanking Vaquer for reminding her who she really is and telling the Champ that she must face her at Survivor Series for the Women’s World Championship. Nikki has stepped right back into what made her so great as a heel originally, and she’s the perfect foil for Vaquer at the moment. These two attacks have helped re-establish Bella as a threat, and now it’s up to the match itself to deliver and keep this storyline moving forward.

4. Hit: Becky Lynch Dethroned, The Maxxine Dupri Era Begins

The Women’s Intercontinental Championship was on the line tonight, and it’s benefited from one of the stronger David vs Goliath stories in recent memory thanks to the efforts of Becky Lynch and Maxxine Dupri. The two have put on multiple stellar matches to this point, but tonight was the night that Dupri finally took down Goliath, with a small helping hand from AJ Lee.

Dupri impressed throughout the entire match, and Lynch made everything look like a million bucks as well. When the match reached a turning point, AJ Lee made her surprise return and distracted Lynch just enough to allow Dupri to capitalize, but it was Dupri who sealed the deal and earned the win. Not only did this signal a new era for Dupri as a Champion, but it also felt like a genuine celebration of the hard work she’s put in over the past few years, and all while moving the story between Lynch and Lee forward. It was a win across the board, and once again makes the Women’s Intercontinental Championship feel like a major deal.

3. Hit: Women’s WarGames Storyline

The decision to have Charlotte Flair ditch the Women’s WarGames match didn’t exactly click with me last week, but thankfully, it was just a temporary issue, as after a heartfelt but direct promo from Alexa Bliss, Flair would return to help her friend, as well as Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. The execution was effective here as well, as Flair came in with a Kendo Stick and absolutely wrecked the other team.

She got a warm reception from Bliss and the crowd, and to top it all off, there was a hilarious moment that actually momentarily made Flair break when she hugged Bliss, and then Ripley and Sky responded with their own hug, causing everyone to smile. It was delightful, and now we have the main group locked in, but WWE did one better before the end of the night, showing Ripley approaching AJ Lee and teasing a WarGames team-up. If that’s the case, then Becky Lynch is likely to be the other team’s fifth member, and that lineup is as top-tier as you get.

2. Miss: New York Crowd What Chants

Something that didn’t sit well with me was the fact that Bliss had to deal with constant What chants from the New York crowd. Granted, she dealt with them effortlessly, and Nia Jax seamlessly addressed them later as well, but if there is one thing I can’t stand in WWE, it’s no context What chants.

If this were Logan Paul or Solo Sikoa, it makes sense, and even with Jax being a heel, it makes sense, but having these happen while Bliss is talking to her friend in a storyline that fans have loved makes no sense whatsoever, and it always makes the crowd look bad in the process. I’m honestly over What chants at all, but especially when the crowd uses them when nothing has actually called for them.

1. Hit: Roman, Brock, and Men’s WarGames

The final segment of the night was focused squarely on the Men’s WarGames match, with the two teams still missing their fifth and final members as the episode began. That all changed in the final few minutes, as Brock Lesnar would make his return to TV and take up that fifth spot on The Vision’s team, which now includes Lesnar, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, and Drew McIntyre.

To balance things out, the OTC Roman Reigns made his long-awaited return to TV as well, taking down Lesnar and completing the babyface WarGames team. That team now includes Reigns, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, and Cody Rhodes, and the lineup alone makes the Men’s WarGames match must-see TV. Between WarGames and Royal Rumble matches, the Women’s Division usually surpasses the Men’s matches, but this year, the men have a real shot to take the top prize, though we’ll have to wait and see how the match goes down.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

The post Tonight’s WWE Raw: 8 Hits & Misses (November 17) appeared first on ComicBook.com.