In the post-Survivor Series Raw, Braun Strowman was attacked by three men, shattering his elbow and making him questionable for TLC against Corbin.
Survivor Series was much better than many might have anticipated considering how many last-minute changes hit that card in the final days leading up to it. Could the fallout from that interesting show carry over to Raw and stay just as interesting? In some cases, yes, in others, no.
Highlighted by strong performances from Strowman, Ronda Rousey, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, here are your winners and losers for Raw, November 19, 2018.
Winner: The First Hour
it's not often you see the first hour of a Raw show dedicated to one segment. On Monday, WWE did such a thing when they focused on Team Raw's Win (sorry...Braun's win) at Survivor Series and what that meant for his future decimation of Baron Corbin. A TLC match between the two was announced and a six-man for that night followed.
The match was decent but the ending better. With Lashley, Drew McIntyre and Corbin overpowering Strowman, they took him to the outside and crushed his arm with the steel steps. Considering Strowman vs. Corbin is not much of a main event, even with the stipulation of Corbin's power on the line, WWE needed to freshen up this match. Teasing the idea Strowman is out, or at least now at a major disadvantage, is wise.
Related: Ronda Rousey’s Survivor Series Reception Proves Becky Lynch Is WWE’s True Star
Loser: AOP
What WWE is doing is the Authors of Pain is extremely frustrating. They won the tag titles in less-than-stellar fashion and now they've lost a match to Chad Gable and Bobby Roode on Raw, all in a matter of a couple weeks. The idea here should be to make AOP a dominant team that people can take seriously. It's hard to do that when they're losing to teams like this.
The only thing worse than what's going on with AOP is what WWE is trying to do with Drake Maverick. The whole 'pee your pants' joke is a fixture of the old, unfunny attitude era stuff that isn't flying in wrestling these days.
Related: Survivor Series Winners and Losers: Lesnar vs. Bryan Surprises
Winner: Ronda Rousey
There was some concern after the reception Rousey got at Survivor Series that fans had turned on her. In reality, it was more than fans were on the side of Becky Lynch and as a result, Rousey was caught in the blast area. Still, WWE was smart to have Rousey come out with vigor and challenge someone to fight. That it was Mickie James she fought after threatening Baron Corbin was smart too.
Rousey was the dominant persona everyone loves which reminded fans about why they like her. After she won, that she was confronted by Nia Jax (who is enemy No. 1 for Lynch fans right now) was a good way to get Rousey back in everyone's good graces. Rousey got in the faces of three characters everyone loves to hate. Smart booking here.
Related: Why Ronda Rousey Wasn't Given The Stretcher Treatment At Survivor Series
Winner: Closing Segment
The end of the show wasn't anything too different from closing segments we've seen in the past but there were some subtle nuances that made it effective. First, Ambrose taking the old-school heel approach by trash-talking the LA crowd was entertaining. Not too many Superstars do that effectively anymore. Second, him trying to run from Rollins only to use a low blow to gain the upper hand was also effective. Finally, his coming back to the ring to deliver one more Dirty Deeds for good measure was the icing on the cake.
When Ambrose feels motivated, he's quite good. He looks motivated right now.