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WWE

WWE's final Raw of the year started with a bang and ended with one of the most over-the-top wrestling weddings in history. It, in so many ways, encapsulated the highs and lows of what WWE brings to the table every week. It was, however, certainly a memorable way to close out the 2019 TV calendar.

Let's take a look at what went down when WWE Raw invaded the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut as we set to enter a new decade.

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Not the wedding swerve we were expecting

Lana was shown throughout the show preparing for her wedding and interacting with the roster, including Erick Rowan who was baffled by his exclusion from the invitation list. Bobby Lashley was also prepping for the moment in a tuxedo jacked with no sleeves and no shirt. Lana was shown with flowers, photographers and applying lotion her legs, all steps that were leading us to the big moment.

There was, as is to be expected, a very large, very fake-looking cake in the ring set next to where the officiant was conducting the ceremony. Lana cut the officiant off at one point when he mentioned having children, saying she would not have a monster baby making her fat. The crowd chanted "Rusev Day!" through the ceremony, leading Lana to yell at the crowd repeatedly. Lana informed Lashley that this was the greatest day of his career, life and manhood during her vows and chanting "Lana Day!" Lashley's vows were written by Lana. The two exchanged rings before the standard "if there is anyone with just cause why this man and this woman should not be married ..." bit. It was at that point where "Lana's first husband" interrupted. The man explained he married Lana when she turned 18, then she left him for Rusev. He then told Lashley that Lana would leave him for something bigger and better as she'd done to him and also to Rusev. Lashley hit him with a chokeslam, then the "speak now or forever hold your peace" part made another appearance, this time leading to Lashley's "first wife" interrupting. She said they met when Lashley was in the military but Lana laid her out before she could continue. 

Next out to interrupt was ... Liv Morgan, who revealed a relationship with Lana. Morgan and Lana then rolled around the ring while fighting. Security dragged Morgan off, and the officiant pronounced them man and wife before Rusev popped out of the cake and beat down Lashley. Morgan ran back in to smear Lana's face in the cake, and that, folks, is how the final Raw of 2019 came to an end.

I don't know what to say, honestly. A wrestling wedding can not go off without pure chaos. Lana's acting being so bad is actually an asset in a way, but this may have been too much for one segment. Between the "first spouses," a seemingly random Liv Morgan/Lana romance angle and Rusev crashing the lengthy ceremony, it just felt like an awful lot. Then again, it was pure car crash TV, and there's a time and place for that. If nothing else, it was memorable. Grade: C-

Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe team up

Kevin Owens opened the show in the ring, immediately airing a video showing Seth Rollins and AOP attacking him, Rey Mysterio and Samoa Joe in recent weeks. Owens also said it made him sick that Mysterio, who was not at 100 percent after the AOP attack, lost his United States championship to Andrade at a WWE Live event as a result. He would, of course, be interrupted by Rollins and AOP, still claiming the position was a personal sacrifice and a position he had been "put in" by men like Owens for the greater good. Rather than letting Rollins finish his rant, Owens ran from the ring to attack AOP, taking the expected beating while Rollins ordered the tag team on. It was then that Samoa Joe's music hit and he ran out in gear, laying out AOP and staring down Rollins before sliding into the ring where they brawled. AOP eventually made the save as Rollins was locked in the Coquina Clutch, which then broke down into a two-on-three fight.

With security holding the men apart, the chaos continued with Owens hitting a flipping dive from the top rope to the outside before the show hit the first commercial break. Joe went on to say he had to get involved because, just like Rollins claimed was the case, he was left with no choice, and now Owens will not have to stand alone. Surrounded by security in the locker room, Owens and Joe said they'd accomplished enough for one evening and had seven days to plan for next week.

The build in this story has been fantastic. Rollins had lost his edge, and it won't return quickly or easily, but he's getting there. The idea of Joe and Owens as a team of convenience -- with Mysterio along for the ride -- give me chills at the kinds of violence that could be coming down the road. The important thing is that every move in the story feels like it has connected to the next step and the stakes have built consistently. This is exactly how a wrestling storyline is supposed to work. And it didn't take hour after hour of building the angle through the entire show to deliver in a meaningful way. Grade: B+

What else happened on Raw?

  • Aleister Black def. Buddy Murphy via pinfall after hitting Black Mass twice. This rematch from their TLC clash was every bit as good as that outstanding first meeting. Both men brought their trademark, hard-hitting styles and put on a match that feels very specific to their pairing and difficult for any other two wrestlers to attempt to execute. Murphy came close to finding a win but was caught by Black Mass, before Black decided to hit the finisher one more time to be sure.
  • Erick Rowan def. Francis Kip Stevens via pinfall with the Iron Claw Slam. Your typical Rowan vs. local talent match where the jobber gets too close to the covered crate.
  • Charlotte Flair def. Natalya via submission with the Figure Eight. Flair cut an in-ring promo, officially announcing her entry into the upcoming women's Royal Rumble match. Flair said everyone already knew that, so why come out and state the obvious. She then pointed out she was the first woman to announce her intention to wrestle in the Royal Rumble in the new decade. She then set an open challenge, which was answered by Natalya. In the middle of the match, there was a random run in by R-Truth and the men chasing the 24/7 championship. After a solid match featuring frequent near-falls and submission attempts, Flair placed Natalya in the Figure Eight to score the submission win.
  • Becky Lynch was interviewed backstage where she confirmed she would defend her title against Asuka at the Royal Rumble. Lynch said she was able to make the match happen by refusing to negotiate her new contract until the promotion made the match, claiming she did not want to sign a big deal without proving it was "worth it" by beating Asuka.
  • The Street Profits def. The OC via pinfall when Montez Ford hit Karl Anderson with a frogsplash. The OC cut an in-ring promo, mostly focused on how they are the best tag team in the world and have beaten the Viking Raiders multiple times. The Street Profits interrupted, taunting The OC and leading to an official tag match. AJ Styles was ejected from ringside after getting involved in the match. This was the second time the Profits picked up a win over The OC -- last time led to a roughly three-minute loss to the Viking Raiders.
  • Drew McIntyre def. Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins in a handicap match. Pure squash business handling by McIntyre. Ryder & Hawkins tried to get a jump on him before the match started but Hawkins took a Claymore Kick and Ryder a Futureshock DDT for the finish.
  • Randy Orton made his way to the ring, gingerly moving on crutches while being helped through the ropes by a member of the crew. He cut a promo hinting that the knee injury suffered at the WWE Live show could be career ending. Styles came out to taunt Orton and dare him to attack. Styles said he would be patient and wait to face Orton at WrestleMania. But it was Orton who then said Styles may be patient, but he is not, before hitting a RKO and revealing the injury to have been a work.
  • Andrade def. Ricochet via pinfall after the Hammerlock DDT. Ricochet made the save for a local talent who was not named but repeatedly referred to as "Andrade's opponent." Andrade was set to hit the Hammerlock DDT on the exposed ringside concrete when Ricochet ran in and threw down a challenge. With the match official, Andrade pulled off the win after Zelina Vega shoved Ricochet off the top rope to set up the finish.