Raw Deal - Raw recap for December 17, 2018

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon shows up to start tonight's show. Vince says that he asked himself what is going on with Raw, and says that part of the reason Raw has been around for 25 years is that it changes with the times. He then says that despite one man's vision, he cannot do it all by himself...or the fans. Vince then brings out Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, who in turn brings out WWE COO Triple H, who in turns helps bring out SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon. Stephanie says they are here tonight because they have not been doing the one thing that Vince has told them to do: listen to the fans. She says that things will change, starting tonight, and that Raw will be off to a fresh start. Triple H says the days of absentee management is over and that they are taking back control of Raw. Shane says the same is true of SmackDown Live. Stephanie says the fans will be empowered, and Triple H says they will give the fans what they want. He promises something new and fresh, and in the coming months, there will be new faces, Superstars and match-ups. From here, the fans are the authority. Vince says that as long as they give less of what the fans don't want, and more of what they do, WWE will always be then, now and forever. Suddenly, former General Manager Baron Corbin shows up. He says nobody is more excited for a fresh start than him, and while he is excited the McMahon family is running Raw, they forget to mention fairness, and what happened to him last night was not fair. After being nearly booed out of the building for minutes on end and being told that he sucks, he says he has been inspiring Superstars and it is not his fault if they cannot live up to the challenge. He also says that he was not prepared for Strowman or everyone he brought with him, saying that he should have not have been at TLC last night. Corbin asks them to overturn the ruling from last night's match, and tells them to think of what they can accomplish if they were to back him. Everyone says no, except for Vince, who says there might be away. Everyone talks with Vince, and says that maybe they and the fans are wrong and that maybe he deserves another chance at being Raw General Manager. Triple H proposes that if Corbin can win his match right now, he can become permanent General Manager, and all Corbin has to do is beat Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle shows up for the match, then Stephanie McMahon also announces a special guest referee in the form of Heath Slater. Triple H shows up soon afterwards during the match and mentions it is a handicap match, and Kurt Angle's partners are Bobby Roode, Chad Gable and Apollo Crews, who soon stom on Corbin along with Angle while Slater fixes a turnbuckle. Shane McMahon then shows up and announces that the match if officially a no-disqualification match. It is not long before Kurt Angle beats Baron Corbin following a slew of steel chair shots and an Angle Slam, keeping Corbin from becoming permanent Raw General Manager. After the match, Corbin is put through a table with another Angle Slam.

We see footage of John Cena accepting the 2018 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.

Finn Balor beats Dolph Ziggler by disqualification after Drew McIntyre gets involved in the match and lays Balor out. After the match, McIntyre assaults Ziggler and hits him with the Claymore before sliding out of the ring and doing the same to Balor.

Dean Ambrose shows up with his riot squad. Ambrose says the fans should be showing him respect and bowing down to him right now, because everything that he said would happen at TLC happened, as Seth Rollins lost control and failed the fans. Ambrose says he doesn't need respect because he took the Intercontinental Championship away from Rollins, and he is just getting started. He says that when he is done, Rollins will have nothing left, including his career and reputation. He also says he has the obligation to do the right thing and give Rollins the opportunity to be a man of character and integrity and tell him that he was right. When Rollins fails to show, Ambrose proposes an open challenge so Rollins can take his anger out on him. Rollins fails to show up, and Ambrose says Rollins is a self-righteous whiner who has to get his way or else he will fall apart, and that Rollins can't even show his face. Since nothing worked, he holds an open challenge for the Intercontinental title for anyone but Rollins. The open challenge is answered by Tyler Breeze.

Dean Ambrose retains the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Tyler Breeze. After the match, Ambrose calls his victory a performance of an Intercontinental Champion with character. As he complains about Seth Rollins, Rollins' entrance hits, but Rollins - disguised as a riot guard - attacks Ambrose from behind. The rest of the riot squad goes after Rollins, but Rollins successfully fends them off as Ambrose retreats.

Backstage, Charly Caruso interviews SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon, who says that opportunity is coming to those who have not gotten them and that tough decision will have to be made. Suddenly, Drake Maverick shows up and demands that AOP (Akam and Rezar) be given a rematch for the Raw tag team titles. Shane refuses, saying the mandatory rematch is antiquated at this point, but says an opportunity can be made with a match against The B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel), The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) and Lucha House Party (Kalisto, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik) in a Fatal 4-Way Match. The winner of that Fatal 4-Way will be given a future shot at the Raw tag team titles.

We see vignettes for Lars Sullivan, Lacey Evans, Heavy Machinery (Tucker Knight and Otis Dozovic), Nikki Cross, and EC3.

Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley are on stage. Rush says Elias isn't the only one who can play sweet sounds on the guitar, and that the best sound Lashley made with one was when he smacked a guitar into Elias' back last night. Rush goes on to say that everybody came not to hear Elias play another song, but to see a real performance from Lashley, who is going to give it to them as soon as he starts posing. Rush then says that comparing Elias to Lashley is like comparing the Golden State Warriors to the Sacramento Kings as Lashley shows off his glutes, then Elias shows up and blasts Lashley in the back with a guitar.

We see a vignette for Sami Zayn, who will be returning soon.

The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) beat AOP (Akam and Rezar), The B-Team (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) and The Lucha House Party (Kalisto and Lince Dorado) in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match to earn a future opportunity at the WWE Raw Tag Team Championships. (Before the match, it is revealed that "Lucha House Party" Rules, which have allowed The Lucha House Party to participate in tag team matches as a three-man unit including Gran Metalik, have officially been banned on Raw.)

Backstage, Charly Caruso interviews Seth Rollins, who says that last night was a disaster when he let Dean Ambrose get in his head and take the Intercontinental Championship. He also says he heard the crowd last night, and says that is all his fault. He says that this isn't about winning or titles, but about his life and everything he has dedicated it to. Rollins plans to right the ship by ending Dean Ambrose. Suddenly, Baron Corbin shows up. Corbin blames Rollins for him not being General Manager and says that everything Dean Ambrose said about Rollins was true, and that if he wasn't so beat up, he would have taken the Intercontinental Championship from him. Rollins responds by punching Corbin in the face.

We look back at John Cena's surprise return in the 2008 Royal Rumble Match, courtesy of Just For Men Mustache & Beard.

"Rowdy" Ronda Rousey shows up. Ronda says she told Nia Jax she could kiss her right hand goodbye, told Charlotte Flair she was going to write the next chapter of their story, and told Becky Lynch that she was the last woman she should provoke. She also says she came here not to justify her actions from last night, but to define what a real champion is. She says a real champion is more than just a title or an object that can be held, or the victory of a match or the decision of a referee. She says a real champion represents the limit of human potential - the best of the best - and the best that the human race has to offer as well as one who lives for the challenge, and that is why she is here tonight. Ronda proposes a new tradition: the champion from last night shows up and defends their title. She says she came for a fight, and issues an open challenge for anyone who wants a shot at her. The entire Raw women's division yells at the workers at gorilla position, then Commissioner Stephanie McMahon shows up and tells them all to follow her to the stage. Stephanie says all the women with her want a title shot, but she is tired of playing favorites and announces that Ronda will defend her title against the winner of an eight-woman Gauntlet Match that starts right now. The first two opponents are Alicia Fox and Bayley.

We see a vignette for Kevin Owens, who is returning soon.

Natalya beats Alicia Fox, Dana Brooke, Bayley, Mickie James, Ember Moon, Ruby Riott and Sasha Banks in an eight-woman Gauntlet Match to earn a future shot at the WWE Raw Women's Championship. After the match, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey shows up and raises Natalya's hand in victory before hugging her, then initiates a brief stare-down before extending her hand. Natalya and Ronda shake hands, then hug again. Both women then leave together.

Next week: Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler in a Triple Threat Match! Elias vs. Bobby Lashley in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight! Paul Heyman returns! Seth Rollins vs. Baron Corbin! Natalya vs. "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey for the WWE Raw Women's Championship!

Here are the top 10 moments from tonight's show!