WWE Raw: Braun Strowman and Kane miss out on shot at Brock Lesnar's title
Tuesday 12 December 2017 11:58, UK
Braun Strowman and Kane missed out on a shot at Brock Lesnar's Universal title when their Monday Night Raw match ended in a stalemate.
It had been declared prior to the Raw main event that the winner would receive a championship opportunity at the Royal Rumble in January.
But no clear winner was established, as both men were counted out with the match having descended into a chaotic brawl.
The fighting continued after the bell too, with the pair attacking each other with the steel steps before Strowman hit his running powerslam on The Big Red Machine through a table.
The draw means Lesnar's opponent for the January pay-per-view remains to be decided, with the Kane-Strowman programme also nowhere near a decisive conclusion.
Two out of three for The Shield
All three Shield members were booked in singles matches and there were victories for two of them, with Roman Reigns beating Cesaro in a superb match and Seth Rollins getting the better of Sheamus.
Reigns' Intercontinental title was on the line against the Swiss Cyborg and such was the quality of the match, both competitors were getting cheered towards the end.
Samoa Joe prevented the Shield clean sweep with a win over Dean Ambrose after the referee stopped the match.
Joe had Ambrose locked in the Coquina Clutch and he appeared to pass out, taking defeat in a match where he had been on top prior to interference from Jason Jordan.
Alexander takes Swann's place against Gulak
With Rich Swann suspended, another fatal four-way match was booked to establish Drew Gulak's opponent for the right to face Enzo Amore for his Cruiserweight title.
After 13 minutes of fast-paced action, it was Cedric Alexander who came out on top, hitting his Lumbar Check finisher on Ariya Daivari to progress from a match which also included Tony Nese and Mustafa Ali.
Absolution meets Nia Jax
After continuing their Raw winning streak with a tag team victory for Mandy Rose and Paige over Mickie James and Bayley earlier in the show, Absolution then turned their attention to Asuka.
The Empress of Tomorrow briefly withstood a three-on-one attack but then fell victim to the numbers game before the rest of the women's division hit the ring to even the odds.
Then it was Absolution's turn to beat a hasty retreat, but not before Nia Jax had sent Rose crashing to the canvas with a running charge.
