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WWE RAW TV REPORT
MAY 13, 2024
GREENVILLE, S.C. AT BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 7,603 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 8,500.
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[HOUR ONE]
-They opened with a split screen of Gunther and Kofi Kingston arriving and then a split screen of Jey Uso and Ilja Dragunov arriving. Then they showed Drew McIntyre live walking with a sense of purpose backstage. The camera followed him to the ring. Pat McAfee said he looked like a man on a mission.
-Drew’s music played and he made his ring entrance. Fans loudly chanted “C.M. Punk!” at him. Drew said maybe if they were in Atlanta or Charlotte, Punk would show up, but not in Greenville. “He only makes the big towns, brother.” He said the greatest trick Punk has pulled is looking like a drug addict without ever taking any drugs. He said he has made the fans trust him no matter how many times he breaks their trust. “You keep taking him back,” he said. “It’s like an abusive relationship.” He said he doesn’t like talking to people like they’re stupid, “but if you’re a C.M. Punk fan, you’re stupid.”
He said Punk called him a coward, but last week he left the arena before Punk got there. He said the week before that, when he was on the stage, Punk was in the skybox, and when he went to find him, Punk was in the ring. He said he’s avoiding him. He said he’s not going to waste his time on a guy who might not get cleared for 20 years.
He said giving Jey Uso his spot in the King of the Ring tournament was b.s. and he said he’d deal with him later. He said his top priority is the World Hvt. Title. He called Damian Priest “a paper champion.” He said he’s been watching Priest backstage walking around like a big man. Priest’s music interrupted. Cole interjected that Jey had nothing to do with replacing Drew in the tournament.
Priest entered the ring and said Drew has some serious issues. He told Drew to say something to someone’s face. Drew said he’d love to do that with Punk. Drew told Priest he paid his dues, but that doesn’t mean he should be champion. He said his neighbor Dave has a very inspirational story, but it doesn’t mean he should be World Champion. Drew said Priest is the case of a title making a man, but the title is new enough it needs someone of his caliber to establish it. He then told Priest he used the briefcase because he couldn’t win an actual match. Priest interrupted and said he is blaming everyone for his failures.
Drew combated “What” chants by telling fans to say “What” if they think Priest is a b.s. champion. When fans yelled “What!?”, Drew laughed. Priest said, “I’m still a champion.” He said Drew should look in the mirror “and blame that asshole.” Priest said he wanted to cash in on Seth Rollins, and then they could’ve gone to war at WrestleMania. He said Drew stopped him from cashing in multiple times. He said he actually had the idea for Priest to cash in on him after he beat Seth. Priest said Drew finally achieved his goal, but Drew saw Punk “and you made Punk more important than yourself and more important than this championship.” He said he could’ve celebrated with his wife instead, but he made Punk more important than his wife.
Priest said if he wants a shot at his title, he’s got it. Priest stepped up and told Drew to his face that he can call him a paper champion, but when he’s done with that, he’ll eat those words. He threw down the mic and left the ring. Cole said Priest was spewing facts to Drew. Cole said Drew is obsessed with Punk.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good segment. Drew continues to land zingers on Punk, but in the end still come across as unlikable. Priest shows more promise as a babyface than a heel right now. He retorted Drew effectively. If he is fully cast as a face, I could see fans really getting behind him.)
-They went to Cole and McAfee on camera who threw to a narrated video recap of the Queen of the Ring tournament so far including Shayna Baszler beating Maxxine Dupree at a house show this weekend.
-Cole commented over footage from earlier of Damage CTRL getting in the face of Baszler and Zoey Stark in the parking lot. Cole said there’s a lot of history between Baszler and Iyo.
-Iyo Sky, with Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane, made her ring entrance. Baszler yanked her off the ring apron and stomped away at her at ringside. Referees held her back as they cut to a break. [c]
(1) IYO SKY vs. SHAYNA BASZLER – Queen of the Ring Tournament Quarter-Finals match
Cole talked about how these two battled seven years ago for the World of Stardom Championship. A QR code flashed on the screen, which Cole and McAfee briefly acknowledged. McAfee said last week it sent him to spooky images. Baszler took it to Sky at ringside, kicking her arm up against the ring support beam behind the apron. Sky made a comeback in the ring and landed a roundkick to Baszler’s head. Baszler took over, but Sky knocked her off balance on the top rope and Baszler ended up hanging upside down with her leg caught. Sky then landed a springboard moonsault onto Baszler at ringside. They cut to a break at 4:30. [c]
Back from the break, Sky worked over Baszler’s knee. Sky went for a Over the Moonsault, but Baszler lifted her legs. Baszler applied a Kirafuda Clutch out of a bridge pin attempt by Sky. Sky rolled out of it and applied an STF. Baszler escaped and kneed Sky for a two count. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Sky came back with a Dragon screw and a Meteora. She stepped on Baszler’s chest as she walked to the corner and then she hit a top rope Over the Moonsault for the win.
WINNER: Sky in 11:00 to advance to the semi-finals.
(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match. Good chemistry here between these two with different styles meshing well. The crowd was into the match and wasn’t upset Sky won despite being more heelish in her presentation.)
-Jackie Redmond interviewed Sky afterward in the ring. Sky yanked the mic away and said some words in her native language briefly, then left the ring.
-Backstage, Carlito was hanging out with Dominik Mysterio as J.D. McDonagh and Finn Balor were having a spat over a game of darts. Priest walked in. Dom said it’d be a good time to work with Carlito. Carlito said Rey Mysterio is selfish, but no one knows that more than Dom. Carlito said with Dom injured, the crew could use the extra muscle. Priest said what he’s saying sounds good, and if they want to work with him, they can, but he’s not welcome in their clubhouse. Carlito said the most stubborn minds can change and one day they can all be amigos.
-They cut to Gunther pacing in the back as Cole plugged his match against Kofi later. [c]
-A commercial aired with Miz and R-Truth plugging a new USA Network reality show.
-They showed scenes of Greenville as Cole plugged ticket sales for Summerslam in Cleveland, Ohio.
-Chad Gable told Dupri backstage that she let down the Alpha Academy over the weekend. He said it’s pathetic and she’s learned nothing. He said he talked to Adam Pearce and got Otis a match against Sami Zayn and got Tozawa a match against Bronson Reed. He said Otis is his no. 1 guy and he needs him focused and not doing dancing so he can soften up Sami for him. He then told Tozawa not to blow it against Reed. He told him not to do his dance. Dupri looked sad as Ivy Nile walked up to her and said she could’ve helped train and prepare her for her Queen of the Ring match. Dupri said Gable doesn’t want her training with anyone else. Nile told Dupri she doesn’t need to put up with Gable treating her badly. Gable interrupted and told Dupri to go train. Gable told Ivy to stop wasting her time with “Taylor Not So Swift.”
-Cole said Gable’s motivational approach isn’t effective. McAfee was upset with the way the Gable was acting.
-A video recap aired of the King of the Ring tournament so far.
-Redmond interviewed Kofi Kingston with Xavier Woods backstage. She framed him as a huge underdog. Kofi said he’s done the unthinkable before. He said there’s no room for self-doubt or failure. Xavier said everyone knows how dangerous Gunther is, but King of the Ring brings honor. He said because of Gunther, he can’t defend that honor, but Kofi is going to show everyone why New Day Rocks.
(Keller’s Analysis: The annoyance-meter registered a lower than usual level for that New Day promo. One of the lowest in a long time, probably.)
-Samantha Irvin introduced Lilian Garcia. She asked Garcia to announce the match. Garcia said she’s doing a wonderful job and they hugged. Garcia then introduced the next match, beginning with Kofi. [c]
-Backstage, Truth was chatting with Pearce. Miz walked in and asked Truth to talk to him before suggesting ideas for Pearce. Pearce told Miz they’re not defending the tag titles tonight. Kiana James walked in and kissed his ass verbally with corporate speak. Pearce was impressed. Truth was confused by her vocabulary and said he’s not even sure if what she said is PG. Cole called Truth a national treasure.
(2) KOFI KINGSTON vs. GUNTHER – King of the Ring Quarter Finals match
Gunther’s ring entrance took place next. Kofi dropkicked him off the ring apron before the bell and then dove through the ropes and tackled Gunther. He rammed his boot into the ring apron and stomped away at him. Gunther came back and whipped Kofi toward the steps, but Kofi leaped onto the ring apron and then leaped off onto Gunther. He went back to working on Gunther’s leg including wrapping it around the ringpost. The ref scolded Kofi. McAfee said Gunther might not even be able to compete. The ref called for the bell. Cole said he didn’t even check with Gunther.
The bell rang 52 minutes into the hour. Kofi landed a top rope Boom Drop for a near fall. Gunter caught Kofi on his next dive, slammed him on the announce desk, and then applied a half crab as they cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Kofi chopped away at Gunther to try to mount a comeback as Cole talked about Kofi’s previous King of the Ring participation.
[HOUR TWO]
Gunther controlled most of the next five minutes. Kofi made a comeback at ringside and landed Trouble in Paradise. The ref began counting both men out. Kofi beat the count at 8 and Gunther barely beat it just before 10. Gunther avoided a Trouble in Paradise in the ring and then powerbombed him for a two count. He shifted into a Boston Crab for a tapout win.
WINNER: Gunther in 14:00 to advance to the semi-finals.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good match. Kofi was resilient taking a beating and putting up a good fight. Gunther looked strong overall.)
-Cole narrated clips of last week’s angle with Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, and Damage CTRL with Lyra Valkyria making the save for Becky.
-Redmond interviewed Valkyria who said she’d always be there for Becky. Becky walked up to her and thanked her, then left. As Valkyria began talking about tonight’s match, Liv walked up and asked if Becky has always been such a bitch. Becky came up behind Liv. When Liv turned around, Becky slapped her and called her a bitch and said Liv is scared of a face-to-face fight. [c]
-Karrion Kross walked up to Kofi who was limping backstage. He told Kofi it was a tough loss, but there’s always time to turn things around. Xavier brought Kofi ice. He asked what Karrion wanted. Kofi said he wasn’t sure.
(3) BRONSON REED vs. AKIRA TOZAWA (w/Chad Gable)
Cole compared Gable to an overbearing little league coach. Tozawa absorbed an early Bronson attack, but when he slid under Bronson, he landed two subsequent kicks and then a top rope dropkick. Tozawa then paused to tear off his t-shirt. Gable called him an idiot. Tozawa flipped off the top rope, but Bronson caught him and turned it into a Death Valley Driver. He followed with his top rope Tsunami splash for the win.
WINNER: Bronson in 1:15.
-Cathy Kelley approached Ludwig Kaiser and Gunther backstage. Kaiser scolded her for not giving Gunther more space after his grueling victory. Kelly said Gunther used some underhanded tactics including last time he faced Dragunov. She said he used underhanded tactics against Sheamus. Kaiser sung Gunther’s praises and said he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone around there. He said if Sheamus felt he lost because of him last week, he must be delusional. He said he’s had a legendary career, but he never beat Gunther and it won’t ever happen. He said if Sheamus has any issues with him, he will put him out of his misery and expose him in front of the world. “We’re done here,” he said as he tried to calm himself down. [c]
-Redmond interviewed Pearce backstage about the tag team announcement he has. New Catch Republic interrupted and thanked him for the opportunity. Pearce said the Draft is behind them, and he said they need no. 1 contenders for the tag titles. He said he booked a fatal four-way later. Redmond said she loved it and “opportunity is in the air.” She asked why Bron Breakker wasn’t in the King of the Ring tournament. Pearce said the guns on the Raw side of the bracket earned their spots and he didn’t want to throw Breakker into the deep end. Breakker walked in and said his opponents would’ve been in the deep end and he’d have drug them under water and watched them drown with a smile. “I should’ve been in the tournament,” he said.
-They went to Cole and a barking McAfee at ringside. Cole couldn’t talk as he kept barking. Cole threw to a video package on the Queen tournament results so far.
(4) ZOEY STARK vs. LYRA VALKYRIA – Queen of the Ring Tournament Quarter-Finals match
Stark made her entrance first. Then Valkyria made her entrance. The bell rang 32 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 1:00. [c]
Cole touted Stark’s “fierce aggression.” Valkyria landed a tornado DDT at 6:00 for a two count. Stark fought back. They exchanged strikes mid-ring at 8:00. Stark went for her Z360, but Valkyria blocked it and landed her Knight Wing for the win. That sets up Valkyria vs. Sky next week.
WINNER: Valkyria in 9:00.
-Redmond interviewed Valkyria in the ring. Redmond said she is making quite a first impression. Valkyria said she is confident and she is a former NXT Women’s Champion who only travels as the crow flies straight to the top.
-A vignette aired on Dragunov vs. Jey.
-They went backstage to Jey applauding. He said they last week Balor got the Yeet-down and Dragunov is next. He said he’s going to win a new crown.
-Sami Zayn made his ring entrance. [c]
(5) SAMI ZAYN vs. OTIS (w/Chad Gable)
Otis knocked Sami down at the start with an elbow to his chest. He signaled for The Caterpillar (which McAfee called “The Worm.”) Gable stood on the ring apron and told him not to do it. Otis wasn’t happy with the order. (No one corrected McAfee, who called it “The Worm” again.) Otis did his Caterpillar and then dropped an elbow. Gable threw a fit from the ring apron. Cole called him a whiner like Rick Carlyle. Sami recovered enough to avoid a swing splash out of the corner. Sami then landed a Helluva kick for the win.
WINNER: Sami in 2:00.
-Gable chewed out Otis afterward and shoved him. Sami ran back into the ring and gave Gable a suplex into the corner. Cole said Gable deserved it. Gable avoided a Helluva Kick. Otis ran over to help Gable up. Gable blamed Otis for everything that happened and he slapped Otis hard across his face. Otis looked sad. He turned and followed Gable to the back as fans chanted, “Otis! Otis!”
-Cole plugged Becky vs. Dakota was next. [c]
-Cole hyped WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, Nev.
-Braun Strowman wished The Creed Brothers luck. He said it’s been fun watching them earn a reputation. He complimented Ivy Nile’s biceps too. McDonagh walked up to Strowman and warned him to stay out of their business. Braun mocked him when he walked away.
[HOUR THREE]
(6) DAKOTA KAI (w/Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane) vs. BECKY LYNCH
They plugged Becky vs. Liv Morgan “next Saturday” on Peacock. (I get that “this Saturday” is five days away and “next Saturday” is “the Saturday after this Saturday” technically, but they’d be more clear saying “a week from this Saturday” instead.) The bell rang three minutes into the hour. McAfee annoyingly spoiled the results of the Celtics-Cavs game out of nowhere for people who were watching Raw live and DVR’ing the NBA game. They cut to a break at 3:00. [c]
Dakota took control late in the match and climbed to the top rope. Becky met her up there and superplexed her and then applied an armbar. Becky and Dakota leveraged each other’s shoulders down for near falls twice. When Becky applied Disarm Her, Kairi and Sky attacked her for the DQ.
WINNER: Becky via DQ in 10:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Lame finish. Is Dakota really in need of being protected from losing to someone of Becky’s status?)
-Valkyria ran out for the save and cleared the ring. Liv then attacked Becky from behind and threw her into the ringpost. Liv laughed as Valkyria checked on Becky on the floor.
-Redmond interviewed Dragunov backstage about facing Jey. He said some people say it’s a dream to be in this moment, but for him, it’s not enough to just be there. He said he needs to make an impact night in and night out and become czar of the ring. He said he will bring the same fight he brought to Ricochet to Jey tonight. He said he’s a different kind of venom and a different kind of dragon. “I beat Gunther!” he announced. He said they have a long history and it is not over. Gunther walked up to him and stared at him and smiled in an intimidating way.
(7) NEW CATCH REPUBLIC (Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne) vs. THE CREED BROTHERS vs. FINN BALOR & J.D. MCDONAGH vs. AOP (Akam & Rezar w/Paul Ellering) – Fatal Four-way to earn no. 1 contendership status
Miz and Truth came to the ring to watch from ringside. Each team’s ring introduction aired. The bell rang 25 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break with AOP in control at 2:00 after throwing McDonagh onto a crowd at ringside. [c]
Bate eventually lifted Akam and gave him an airplane spin. Balor snuck in and rolled up Bate for a near fall. Bate and Dunne gave Balor their Burning Hammer. Bate dove onto Balor at ringside. Dunne punched away at him. Carlito attacked Dunne and gave him a backstabber on the announce desk. McDonagh threw Dunne into the ring. Balor landed a Coup de Gras for the win.
WINNERS: Balor & McDonagh in 10:00 to earn a WWE Tag Team Title match.
-Cole hyped Sami vs. Gable, Valkyria vs. Sky, and Gunther vs. the winner of the Uso-Dragunov match next week on Raw live from Greensboro.
-Ricochet walked up to Dragunov and said he respects him for a hell of a fight last week. He said the result will be different if they meet again. He then wished him luck getting the crown.
-Jey’s ring entrance took place. [c]
-Backstage, Priest asked Dom if he and Rhea Ripley are good. A celebrating Balor and McDonagh with Carlito barged in. Priest stared at them. Carlito said he’s not wanted and he was about to leave when Priest told him that what happened out there was cool. Priest asked if he’s going to handle his business with Rey “because the crew doesn’t roll with cowards.” He told him not to let them down. Carlito said, “Ain’t nobody scared of Rey.”
(8) JEY USO vs. ILJA DRAGUNOV – King of the Ring Quarter Finals match
Dragunov’s ring entrance took place next. The bell rang 46 minutes into the hour. Jey landed an early dive through the ropes, knocking Dragunov hard into the announce desk. Jey lifted Dragunov onto his shoulders, but Dragunov broke free and then kicked Jey in the face. He broke the ref’s count, then cleared the announce desk. He leaped off the ringside barricade with an H-Bomb attempt, but Jey moved. Jey then speared Dragunov onto the announce desk and to the floor on the other side. They cut to a break at 3:00. [c]
Back from the break, Dragunov had Jey in an abdominal stretch mid-ring. Jey gouged his eyes and hip tossed his way out of the hold. After several minutes of back and forth action, Dragunov landed his H-Bomb for a near fall on Jey at 12:00. When he charged Jey seconds later, Jey tackled him and then landed his signature Uso Splash for the three count.
WINNER: Jey in 13:00 to advance.
(Keller’s Analysis: Worthy of a TV main event and could’ve easily held the crowd’s attention if they were given even more time. This had a feeling of a match that could go either way. The tease before the match of a Gunther-Dragunov match was a clever misdirection and threw off the idea of Jey winning being most likely.)
-Gunther walked out during Jey’s celebration and approached Jey, who applauded enthusiastically and then did his arm motions in front of Gunther as Cole plugged their match next week.
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