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After a noteworthy Saturday Night’s Main Event, we had some of the fallout from it take place on this week’s Raw. During the big tag team match that opened SNME, we saw a surprise return that played into the match’s outcome. That man who made his surprise return was revealed by Seth Rollins as the newest member of his alliance along with Bron Breakker and Paul Heyman. As this new member has a brutal history with Rollins stemming from last year, Heyman provided an explanation this week on why this person was chosen in the opening segment. With his new stable stronger than ever, Rollins took that momentum into the show’s main event.
Taking on Sami Zayn and Finn Balor, Rollins had the opportunity to qualify for Money in the Bank. In addition to that, we had another thrilling Money in the Bank qualifying match, a tense segment between Jey Uso and Gunther, and special conditions added to the upcoming rematch between Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch. With Money in the Bank less than two weeks away, this week’s Raw created the right amount of excitement for it.
Penta vs. Chad Gable vs. Dragon Lee
Latest Developments:
At Backlash, El Grande Americano interfered in Penta’s Intercontinental Championship match with Dominik Mysterio and cost him the title. The following Monday, Penta bounced back and gained a measure of revenge with a win over Chad Gable. Last week, Penta teamed with A.J. Styles to take on Finn Balor & J.D. McDonagh. After Penta hit J.D. with a Mexican Destroyer on the floor, Americano appeared through the crowd and head-butted Penta with a piece of metal in his mask. This allowed Finn to hit the Coup De Grace on Penta for the win.
Penta faced Gable and Dragon Lee this week in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with Gable’s upcoming opponent for When Worlds Collide El Hijo del Vikingo sitting at ringside. At one point, Lee leaped onto Penta through the second rope as they both fell over the announce table. As Vikingo was distracted by this, Gable attacked him. Gable later backdropped Lee into the turnbuckle and as he was about to hit him with a top rope Moosnsault, Vikingo knocked him onto the top turnbuckle and kicked him in the head. Penta hit Lee with a Mexican Destroyer as he fell through the second rope and nailed a bloody Gable with a Penta Driver to qualify for Money in the Bank.
Analysis:
Hands down, this was the best qualifying match between both the men and the women that has happened so far. Even though Penta won, everybody in this match shined in one form or another. One of the best parts of the whole match was when Dragon Lee literally flew through the second rope onto Penta and they fell over the announce table. With Penta eating a few losses lately, it was refreshing to see him get a big win like this heading into a major PLE. While he likely won’t win the contract and doesn’t really need to, Penta is someone who will definitely stand out in a match like that.
Other than Penta winning, the major story that came out of this match was the interaction between Vikingo and Chad Gable. With the two of them set to face each other at When Worlds Collide and the fact that Vikingo was sitting in the front row for this, it was clear that he was going to play a role in the outcome of the match. The fact that he did so and even busted Gable open in the process now adds more heat to their match. If that hard kick to the face Gable got hit with by Vikingo is any indication of what to expect from those two, the other matches on that show are going to have a hard time topping theirs. Although Gable failed to qualify in this match, perhaps there’s a chance that El Grande Americano will qualify next week and the feud between him and Penta can continue to play out in that setting.
Grade: A
Jey Uso vs. Gunther
Latest Developments:
Two weeks ago, Gunther revealed to World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso that the winner of his upcoming title defense against Logan Paul would have the privilege of losing the title to him on the June 9 Raw. At Saturday Night’s Main Event, Jey defended the title against Paul in a match where WWE Champion John Cena pulled the referee out of the ring as Jey had the match one. A returning Cody Rhodes then appeared and attacked Cena. Paul attempted to hit Cody with brass knuckles, but Jey hit him with a Spear followed by a Splash from the top rope to retain the title. After the match, it was revealed that Jey & Cody will face Cena & Paul at Money in the Bank.
This week, Jey came out to cut a promo in the ring before he was once again interrupted by Gunther. After congratulating Jey on his win over Paul and saying he held the title a lot longer than he expected him to, Gunther told him he didn’t have the intellect to understand how to carry himself as a great champion because he cared too much about other people and said he was able to stay champion for a year because the only person he cared about was himself. He vowed to relieve Jey of his duties in two weeks and make things right by winning his title back. As he paced back and forth, Jey responded by saying he rides for those who ride for him and that what Gunther’s fighting for is less than what he’s fighting for. After saying he’s fighting for the support of the audience, he told Gunther that he’ll see him in Phoenix where he’s going to make him tap out again.
Analysis:
With these two basically feuding with each other for the last four months, this segment here was more of the same between them. While Gunther’s dialogue was great and compelling, it felt like Jey struggled with delivering some of his. From how he was pacing back and forth to the sudden pauses he was taking, his response to Gunther didn’t really hit as hard as it should have. Even with that aside, the crowd was still behind him throughout this and his momentum has shown no signs of slowing down since he’s been champion. With Jey scheduled to team with Cody to face Cena & Paul at Money in the Bank, that explains why this rematch with Gunther is happening on the Raw after.
As this has been the longest feud on Raw since the start of the year other than Punk and Rollins, this upcoming match between them really feels like the final blow off. While people were unsure of it at first and it definitely hasn’t been perfect, this feud has given us some great television over the last four months. In many ways, this match has the potential to outshine the one they had at WrestleMania as they’re likely to be given more time to work with and it’ll be the main event. In addition to that, it feels more unpredictable in the sense that there’s probably going to be a major angle that comes out of it. Regardless of what that angle ends up being, the time has come for this feud to end and to see the way it does will be must see TV.
Grade: C
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Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane
Latest Developments:
After qualifying for the women’s Money in the Bank last week, Roxanne Perez was introduced by Finn Balor as the newest member of the Judgment Day. As a peace offering, Perez gifted Dominik Mysterio with a full tray of chicken nuggets. This week as all of Judgment Day was backstage and Perez was rubbing Dominik’s shoulder, Liv Morgan appeared for the first time in a month. After shutting Perez down as she tried to introduce herself, Liv told Dominik she would address everything she heard was happening from Raquel Rodriguez while she was gone after she talked to Adam Pearce about getting a Money in the Bank qualifying match. As Liv & Raquel later walked by Women’s World Champion Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane, Liv taunted Kairi for losing her qualifying match last week, which led to Kairi challenging her to a match for later in the night.
Liv and Kairi faced each other in a match where Liv hit Kairi with a Codebreaker from the second rope for a near fall. As Kairi was on the top rope with the referee distracted by Raquel, Perez appeared and pushed Kairi off. Raquel argued with Perez for getting involved, which distracted Liv. Liv then attempted an ObLIVion, but Kairi reversed it into a School Boy to pick up her first singles win in WWE in five years. Backstage after the match, Liv told Raquel that she’s the veteran and should’ve known better before angrily walking away.
Analysis:
Even though she wasn’t gone for that long, it’s great having Liv back on the show as her presence on it was missed. While this first match back for her had its moments, there was just something about it that felt off. There was one sequence between them that went so wrong that even the announcer’s had to call it an “awkward exchange.” For the great matches that Liv was having before her break, this one didn’t seem like it clicked for whatever reason. Although this match did feel a little off, it was all an afterthought to the way it ended.
While it seemed like there’d be issues between Liv and Roxanne Perez considering their interaction backstage earlier, it now seems like Perez being involved in Judgment Day is going to create a rift between Liv and Raquel. Having Finn bring Perez into the group to cause issues for Liv and Dominik was brilliant and this is already showing signs of being one of the storylines that will carry the show throughout the summer. Despite losing the Women’s World Championship in January, Liv has still maintained her momentum and being in a major storyline like this for the second straight summer will be another example of how valuable of a character she is. With Perez already in the Money in the Bank Ladder match, Liv will likely qualify for it next week as that match will be the perfect place for this story between them to play out further. Whether Liv ends up having a power struggle with Perez over Dominik or Perez gets Liv to trust her and it leads to Liv and Raquel splitting up, the possibilities of where all of this can go are endless.
Grade: B
Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch
Latest Developments:
At Backlash, Lyra Valkyria successfully defended her women’s Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch in a match that could’ve gone either way. After the match, Becky attacked Lyra and trapped her in the Disarmher. Last week, Becky competed in a Money in the Bank qualifying match against Roxanne Perez and Natalya as Lyra appeared and attacked Becky. Lyra’s interference cost Becky the match as Perez won the match by pinning Natalya. It was revealed on Monday that Lyra and Becky will have a rematch for the women’s Intercontinental Championship at Money in the Bank.
Lyra came out this week to cut a promo that was interrupted by Becky. Becky claimed that even though Lyra won the match at Backlash, she won the night as she went home with her hot husband while Lyra went to the hospital with her weird fiancée. Lyra responded by saying Becky’s husband is the only talented thing about her and while Becky claimed she was the best thing that ever happened to her or her title, she said people were now talking about her because she beat her. Becky proposed never to challenge Lyra for the title again if she beats her at Money in the Bank but if she wins, Lyra has to look her in the eyes and raise her hand. Lyra agreed and said she’s never had a problem raising the hand of someone who was better than her, but that just hasn’t been her yet.
Analysis:
While this was one of the weaker segments between Lyra and Becky since their feud started, it accomplished what it needed to. With their rematch now set for Money in the Bank, this segment helped raise the stakes for it. Even though it seems like Becky will likely win that match, the added stipulations do make it a lot more exciting and somewhat unpredictable. While a Becky win would help elevate the title a little more and add more heat to this feud, there is the possibility of Bayley returning to cost her the match. Whether that leads to a Becky and Bayley feud or a possibly three-way feud along with Lyra over the title, this is another strong storyline (also with the women involved) that can carry the show throughout the summer.
Even though she was having good matches, Lyra’s title reign got off to a cold start. Now having someone to feud with on the level of Becky and having regular interactions with her is exactly what she needed to show how much she can bring to the table. Despite this feud being far from over, Lyra has already been elevated from it. From her promos, the responses she’s thrown back at Becky, to her work in the ring, she has more than held her own throughout this. Whether she retains at Money in the Bank or she ends up losing to Becky and chasing her for a while, her work since the start of the year and in this feud have put her in the conversation as being one of the top women in the entire company.
Grade: B-
Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor
Latest Developments:
At Saturday Night’s Main Event, a returning Bronson Reed helped Seth Rollins & Bron Breakker defeat C.M. Punk & Sami Zayn. After the match, Rollins hugged Reed as he was revealed as the newest member of his alliance along with Breakker & Paul Heyman. To solidify himself as the newest member of the group, Reed hit Punk with a Tsunami from the top rope. This week, Rollins, Breakker, Reed & Heyman opened the show where Heyman said Reed did more damage to Rollins in one night than either Roman Reigns or Punk ever did to him and that having him a part of the group was a sacrifice Rollins was willing to make. Rollins vowed to qualify for Money in the Bank, to win the contract, and cash in on whomever he wants and that there’s no one who can stop him.
In this week’s main event, Rollins had his chance to qualify for Money in the Bank in a Triple Threat match against Sami Zayn and Finn Balor. As Sami hit Rollins with the Helluva Kick and had the match won, Breakker pulled him out of the ring as he and Reed attacked Sami. Jey Uso came to Sami’s rescue and fought them off with super kicks until he was Speared by Breakker. Dominik Mysterio slid a chair in the ring for Finn, but it backfired as Rollins Curb Stomped Finn onto the chair for the win and to qualify for Money in the Bank. Punk’s music hit after that match and as Breakker and Reed went to meet him in the aisle way, Punk appeared behind Rollins in the ring and hit him with the GPS before running away from Breakker & Reed through the crowd as the show ended.
Analysis:
This main event provided another strong Money in the Bank qualifying match on this week’s show. This match also gave us a great finish as Dominik’s attempt to help Finn blew up in their face and it led to Rollins winning the match. To no surprise, this is going to play into their growing issues and be another catalyst for when things finally blow up between them sometime this summer. While Sami would’ve made a great addition to the Money in the Bank Ladder match, Rollins winning here made the most sense with him being the top heel on the show right now. After Bronson Reed was revealed as the new member of his stable over the weekend, that momentum needed to continue on through this match.
With Punk attacking Rollins to end the show, this could possibly lead to Punk finding his way into Money in the Bank to counter Rollins. As it’s been over a decade since Punk has been in a MITB Ladder match and the fact that the match does need some star power, there’s a chance that he could end up in the match too. While neither one of them will likely win, having their storyline as a part of the match will make it more interesting as it will mark its first time being featured on a PLE since it started. Even if Rollins doesn’t win the contract, the position he’s right now on the show with his new stable along with Breakker, Reed, & Heyman make it feel inevitable that he’ll be the one to take the title from Jey Uso. Until that happens, it’s going to be fun to see the kind of chaos they create to get there.
Grade: B+
Other Raw Highlights:
Rusev vs. Akira Tozawa
After demanding a match against Rusev following what he did to him and his partner Otis three weeks ago, Akira Tozawa was finally granted his wish this week. Tozawa ripped his shirt off as the match started and hit Rusev with a top rope dropkick. Rusev quickly recovered and hit Tozawa with an inside out clothesline followed by a Superkick. Rusev then trapped Tozawa in the Accolade for the quick win, but refused to let go of the hold after the match. Coming to Tozawa’s rescue was Sheamus as he showed up and stared Rusev down before Rusev left the ring.
Analysis:
This match was exactly what it needed to be as it further established Rusev as a killer. In addition to that, it set up Sheamus as Rusev’s next big feud. Even though we’ve seen these two work together in the past, a feud between them now has much more intrigue considering how much both of them have improved since the last time they wrestled each other. Sheamus has arguably had the best matches of his career over the last few years and a refreshed Rusev to work with can potentially give him more matches to add to that list. While Rusev will probably win the feud, the matches we’re going to get in the process will be a treat worth indulging in.
New Day vs. War Raiders vs. Creed Brothers
This week, the New Day defended the World Tag Team Championship against the War Raiders and the Creed Brothers. In the early part of the match, the New Day and the Creeds quadruple teamed the Raiders outside the ring. Eric eventually made the hot tag to Ivar, who cleared the ring of everyone and even hit Kofi Kingston with a cross body into the LED board outside the ring. Julius Creed nailed Ivar with a running knee as he was on the top rope, but Xavier Woods rolled up Julius immediately after and pulled the tights to retain the titles.
Analysis:
This match was good for the time it lasted and having this be a three way was a much better idea than having just a regular tag title match. Despite that, this was another prime example of how cold the tag team scene is on Raw compared to Smackdown. Other than these three teams, there aren’t really many others on the show to speak of. Now that the New Day retained the titles here, there’s no fresh team for them to feud with next. Unless they call up some teams from NXT or trade a few from Smackdown, this is an issue that’s not going to get any better.
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