Tag: Zoey Stark

WWE Raw results 06/12/23: KO, Sami battle Imperium

Also on tap for WWE Raw, the final Men’s MITB qualifier, and Cody Rhodes takes on The Miz.

Try as they might — and to semi-quote Thomas Jefferson in “Hamilton,” believe me, they’ve tried — Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn haven’t quite been able to rid themselves of the pests called Imperium. That’s good for us as fans, however, because it means they’re going to fight again tonight on WWE Raw from Wichita.

Consider Gunther and company one-up on our heroes for now. The Ring General (please hear that in Ludwig Kaiser‘s voice as you read it in your head) was able to defeat KO last week, though not without some hijinks because that’s what you get when you are embroiled in a feud with a heel stable.

So things have progressed in the way that’s most logical, meaning a tag team match. Owens and Zayn will take on Gunther and Kaiser. “Baldy” will no doubt be in their corner, and will the tag team titles be on the line? We’ll have to wait and see.

There’s more important business to settle between the ropes tonight as well. One spot is left for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, which is only a few weeks away in London. Matt Riddle and Damian Priest, two men who figure to be big threats to win said match if they get in, will fight for the right to occupy that spot.

And the American Nightmare will take on the A-Lister in one-on-one action too. Cody Rhodes laid out The Miz on his own show, Miz TV, last week. Can “Mike” get some payback, or will Cody continue to rebound from his loss to Brock Lesnar at Night of Champions?

WWE Raw results from Wichita:

  • Rhea Ripley comes to the ring and gets a shiny new title belt, now renamed the Women’s World Championship, and Dominik Mysterio helps fasten it around her waist; they’re joined in turn by Cody Rhodes, who wants to address Dom showing up on Miz TV last week, and challenges Mysterio to a match at Money in the Bank that is accepted on Ripley’s behalf — also Miz tries to sneak in a cheap shot ahead of their match

  • Cody Rhodes def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Becky Lynch gets fist bumps from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and looks like she doesn’t know what to make of Alpha Academy, who appear to be preparing Maxxine Dupri to wrestle backstage
  • Lynch says she’s never won Money in the Bank but feels good about it this year as she’s excited about the chance to have the briefcase and make the champions scared — not unlike how Trish Stratus was so scared she had to get an insurance policy in Zoey Stark; that brings out Stark and the two exchange pleasantries until Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville interrupt and we head right into a match

  • Becky Lynch def. Chelsea Green by submission
  • The Judgment Day seems to not be all on the same page, which is relevant since Damian Priest is up next for his MITB qualifier
  • Damian Priest def. Matt Riddle by pinfall to win a Money in the Bank Qualifying match; Imperium comes out afterward to lay a beating on Riddle

  • Rhodes scoffs at how The Judgment Day is gassing up Mysterio and says “good luck Dom Dom” if their match is made official for Money in the Bank
  • Natalya says being her has gotten her nowhere, and maybe she doesn’t even know how to “be me” any more; Byron Saxton moves on to KO and Zayn, who are looking forward to payback when Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser stop by, worrying Adam Pearce and causing an irritable Owens to agree to put the tag team titles on the line

  • A video package shows the best of The Bloodline saga from this past week’s SmackDown
  • Indus Sher offers Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin a proper match instead of, we guess, the beating they received last week
  • Bronson Reed def. Ricochet by DQ after Shinsuke Nakamura invades the match to attack Reed, but Nakamura and Ricochet end up joining forces for an impressive dual superplex on Reed before they resume arguing with each other
  • Zayn wants to make sure Owens isn’t too worked up, but it’s clear Imperium is under his skin even though he tells Sami he’s great
  • Pearce tells someone, probably Triple H, that the tag team titles will be on the line, but Ricochet comes in and demands a match next week against Reed and is beside himself to learn that Bronson is already booked for a bout against Nakamura, who tells Ricochet he can have Bronson “after I’m done with him”
  • Finn Balor calls out Seth Rollins, who obliges him and hears Balor talk about how the Visionary took everything from him and how he plans to take it all back at Money in the Bank; Rollins seems fine with them fighting in London but challenges Balor to bring the best version of himself and not “the guy who’s been walking around the past seven years acting like a little bitch”

  • Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall with some assistance from Ronda Rousey
  • Another tribute is aired to The Iron Sheik
  • Chad Gable def. Erik by pinfall
  • Priest and Balor try to talk things out … but also Finn was talking to JD McDonagh before Damian walked up
  • Rollins says he’s as prepared as he can be to beat Balor at MITB and he’s digging the tension between Finn and Damian, but before that, he’s putting his World Heavyweight Championship on the line next week on Raw in an open challenge
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

WWE Raw results 06/05/23: Rollins still golden, 2 more women in MITB

Get all the details on WWE Raw from Hartford, with Seth Rollins making his first World Heavyweight title defense and a pair of MITB qualifiers.

The Seth Rollins Era begins in earnest tonight on WWE Raw from Hartford, so have your singing voices ready.

Even before winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions, Seth Rollins promised to be the kind of champion we could look up to, one that would inspire others and push pro wrestling forward. That’s lofty talk, and if we’re being honest, not something over which he has full control.

But he also made it clear that a big part of it was simply being available to defend the title on a regular basis, and that begins with his faceoff with Damian Priest tonight. Why Priest? Good question! It’s because of an open challenge, ostensibly, but it’s not like he’s totally undeserving, and as The Judgment Day was the established, self-declared power on Raw, it does track that one member of the group would step up to try to topple Rollins.

And it wasn’t going to be Prison Dom.

The other big focus for tonight is a pair of Money in the Bank qualifying matches in the women’s division. After Becky Lynch battles Sonya Deville and Natalya goes up against Zoey Stark, we’ll have half the field set for the women’s Ladder match.

There’s also a common thread between these bouts, and it’s that Trish Stratus has a vested interest in both: ensuring Lynch loses and Stark wins. It would be surprising indeed if she didn’t show up and try to affect the outcomes in some way.

WWE Raw results from Hartford:

  • Seth Rollins gets his singalong to kick off the show, and says since it’s been nearly two years since there was a world title match on Raw, he wanted one tonight; Rollins says he’s psyched to take on Damian Priest tonight, and he comes out with Finn Balor but says he can take Seth on his own — and Rollins suggests he prove it by leaving The Judgment Day in the back, which Priest accepts though Balor seems unamused by the whole exchange

  • Becky Lynch def. Sonya Deville by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark watching intently from the ramp
  • A video recaps the highlights of the Bloodline drama from this past week’s SmackDown
  • Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens don’t want to say “I told you so” and also say the Bloodline isn’t their problem any more … but their current problem, Imperium arrives, and KO is bothered enough by Gunther vowing to teach him discipline that he wants to fight right now
  • A vignette plays again to promote Kayden Carter and Katana Chance
  • Gunther def. Kevin Owens by pinfall after a wild match that saw KO have to deal with the other members of Imperium and Gunther take advantage by rolling Owens up for the pin
  • Matt Riddle says he’s tired of Gunther cheating week after week, and Ludwig Kaiser gets in his face … but it’s Giovanni Vinci who ends up feeling Riddle’s wrath
  • Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler say it was destiny for them to be tag team champions together and invite anyone to take them on; coincidentally, Carter and Chance step up, and after some ridiculing, the champs accept their challenge

  • Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler def. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance by submission
  • Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura trade some trash talk and decide to settle it in the ring; also Bronson Reed says hi
  • A video hypes the return of Johnny Gargano sometime soon

  • Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ends in … a no contest, probably? Reed invades and starts beating up both men, including a Tsunami on Ricochet
  • Alpha Academy tries to get Maxxine Dupri ready to take on Valhalla, but she needs to change into something more suitable for training first

  • Cody Rhodes joins The Miz to trade quips, innuendos and other fun stuff, but they’re soon joined by surprise guest Dominik Mysterio and his mami, Rhea Ripley; Dom insults Cody as a deadbeat dad, but the American Nightmare gives better than he takes, and Dom ends up slapping him and hiding behind Rhea, and Rhodes ends up knocking out The Miz as well

  • Zoey Stark def. Natalya by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with some help from a Stratus cheap shot from th floor
  • Paul Heyman invites viewers to SmackDown to see Jey Uso make his historic choice, which Heyman says will be to stand by his brother, Solo

  • Indus Sher vs. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin never starts as Indus Sher destroys Benjamin before the bell
  • Seth Rollins def. Damian Priest by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, despite some attempted assistance for Priest (who didn’t seem to want it) from Balor
  • Rollins and Balor had a staredown as the show went off the air

WWE Raw preview 06/05/23: Seth Rollins, fighting champ

Seth Rollins will make the first of what he hopes will be many defenses of his World Heavyweight Championship tonight on WWE Raw.

Both before and after he won the World Heavyweight Championship, Seth Rollins declared his intention to be a different kind of champ (intentionally drawing a contrast between himself and Roman Reigns, though he didn’t mention the Tribal Chief by name unless he was prompted first), one who would take on all comers. He’ll get his first chance to put his money where his mouth is tonight on WWE Raw in Hartford.

Rollins issued an open challenge for his title last week that was answered by Damian Priest of The Judgment Day. Though this kind of thing makes it look like WWE has no idea who to put against Seth in an extended program, it should still be a good contest that brings out the best in his opponent.

Money in the Bank qualifying continues to be a big focus with the event now less than a month away. Tonight’s Raw will have a pair of qualifying matches on the women’s side, where so far only Zelina Vega is officially in the Ladder match for London. Becky Lynch will battle Sonya Deville in one of them, while Natalya and Zoey Stark go head to head in the other.

Last but not least, because it’s rude to deprive the people of their chance to “Whoa,” Cody Rhodes will also be featured on the show in what WWE is calling a special edition of Miz TV. When we were kids, a special episode usually meant it dealt with a more serious topic than usual, which could also in a weird way apply here since Rhodes continues to push for a third match with Brock Lesnar.

Hopefully, a good time will be had by all in Hartford, except maybe The Miz given his luck or lack thereof as of late. We’ll be watching at 8 p.m. ET on USA, and we’ll have live results going too if you can’t do the same tonight.

WWE Money in the Bank 2023 qualifiers: Who’s in men’s, women’s Ladder matches?

See who’s made it into the field for the WWE Money in the Bank Ladder matches coming up this summer in London.

Of the various longtime gimmick matches in WWE, few capture the imagination quite like a Money in the Bank Ladder match.

The match itself is always a spectacle, with multiple wrestlers competing in a format that lends itself to some of the most inventive and eyebrow-raising spots you’re likely to see in a WWE ring.

Then there’s the briefcase, which has become iconic in its own right. And the prize inside, a contract that gives the briefcase holder the ability to demand a title shot any time, at any show, has been used to catapult a number of WWE superstars to championship gold over the years.

There’s no reason to expect anything different as the Money in the Bank premium live event heads overseas to London this year on Saturday, July 1. There are men’s and women’s Ladder matches scheduled, with qualifying matches already underway to set the fields for each one.

We’re keeping tabs on who’s in the 2023 Money in the Bank Ladder matches as wrestlers are added. Hit this post up whenever you need a reminder of who will be trying to climb for the briefcase later this summer.

(Last update: June 12, 2023, 9:15 p.m. ET)

2023 Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match qualifiers

  • Ricochet (defeated The Miz on the May 29 episode of Raw)
  • Shinsuke Nakamura (defeated Bronson Reed on the May 29 episode of Raw)
  • LA Knight (defeated Montez Ford on the June 2 episode of SmackDown)
  • Santos Escobar (defeated Mustafa Ali on the June 9 episode of SmackDown)
  • Butch (defeated Baron Corbin on the June 9 episode of SmackDown)
  • Damian Priest (defeated Matt Riddle on the June 12 episode of Raw)

2023 Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match qualifiers

  • Zelina Vega (defeated Lacey Evans on the June 2 episode of SmackDown)
  • Becky Lynch (defeated Sonya Deville on the June 5 episode of Raw)
  • Zoey Stark (defeated Natalya on the June 5 episode of Raw)
  • Bayley (defeated Michin on the June 9 episode of SmackDown)
  • IYO SKY (defeated Shotzi on the June 9 episode of SmackDown)

WWE Raw results 05/29/23: New women’s tag champs, Rollins and Styles join forces

See who emerged as the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions after a Fatal 4-Way on WWE Raw in Albany.

It’s been a tough few weeks for Raquel Rodriguez, but maybe that will change tonight on WWE Raw from Albany.

Not that Raquel has been losing too many races recently, mind you. As one half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Rodriguez hadn’t lost a tag team match since WrestleMania 39. Alas, when partner Liv Morgan was injured (during one of those victories), WWE stripped them of the titles.

Rodriguez got to be part of one of the four teams that competed for the championship tonight, but she needed a partner. Enter Shotzi, who has history with Raquel and figures to be someone who can capably fill in for Morgan even if not quite replace her.

Can they win (back) the titles? Perhaps, but a Fatal 4-Way is always a crap shoot, and the other three teams — Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville, and Bayley and IYO SKY — all figure to be serious contenders.

WWE hasn’t promoted anything else specifically for this show from Albany, but we know Money in the Bank qualifying matches are due to start. We’re expecting at least one apiece on the men’s and women’s sides.

And there will be fallout from Saturday’s Night of Champions show in Saudi Arabia, to be sure. Seth Rollins promised he’d be on hand, World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, for tonight’s Raw. It’s possible we might learn who will be first up to challenge him for the new big gold belt.

If Cody Rhodes is up for it after battling Brock Lesnar with an injured arm, he could be in the house as well. Can he pick himself back up again after experiencing another dose of adversity? And are things done between him and the Beast Incarnate?

WWE Raw results from Albany:

  • New World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins makes a memorable entrance through the crowd, and after repeating his intention to be a fighting champion, he’s joined by a congratulatory AJ Styles; their mutual show of respect is interrupted by The Judgment Day, and after exchanging insults, Rollins and Styles agree to take on any two of them tonight

  • Adam Pearce is on the phone trying to make the match approved, and both Rollins and Styles want it to happen
  • Ricochet def. The Miz by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match
  • Trish Stratus brags about doing exactly what she said she’d do in beating Becky Lynch, and she’s proud to introduce a superstar who reminds Trish of a young her, Zoey Stark; Lynch of course comes looking for both of them, which proves foolhardy as she is beaten down with a Z-360 from Stark and a big right hand from Stratus, then left crumpled in the corner with a “thank you Trish” shirt over her

  • Indus Sher def. local talent by pinfall
  • A video segment shows the Bloodline drama from Night of Champions once again, though apparently Roman Reigns’ 1000-day title reign celebration is still on for SmackDown
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are feeling pretty good tonight after the “worst night of Roman Reign’s life,” but Imperium comes out to take exception to them representing Raw, and the “new and improved” Alpha Academy (with Maxxine Dupri now part of the team) makes the champs laugh by dissing Imperium

  • Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) def. Alpha Academy by pinfall with Owens and Zayn on guest commentary; also, Valhalla chases Dupri to the back
  • Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi are asked if they’ve built up enough chemistry, a question that gets mocked by Bayley and IYO SKY before Raquel fires right back at Bayley
  • Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville and Damage CTRL (Bayley and IYO SKY) in a Fatal 4-Way match when Rousey made Shotzi tap out to an armbar to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
  • Dolph Ziggler vs. JD McDonagh goes to a double countout, to the mild displeasure of the fans, with McDonagh continuing to assault Ziggler after the bell and stomping his head on top of the steel steps
  • Left arm still in a sling, Cody Rhodes takes the ring to say he hopes Brock Lesnar isn’t satisfied with their two matches being tied 1-1 and issues an open challenge for a third fight, any time, any place, finishing by saying Lesnar wasn’t “man enough to make me tap out”

  • Gunther tells Matt Riddle he wants him to win the Money in the Bank Ladder match and cash it in on the IC title just so he can have fun beating Riddle
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Bronson Reed by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match
  • Rhea Ripley tells Byron Saxton she destroyed Natalya at Night of Champions, and the Judgment Day won’t tell him which two members will face Rollins and Styles
  • A video package pays tribute to the men and women who have given their lives in defense of the U.S. to commemorate Memorial Day
  • AJ Styles and Seth Rollins def. Damian Priest and Finn Balor by pinfall

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results: Rollins, Asuka win gold, Bloodline drama continues

Keep up with all the action with the latest WWE Night of Champions results to start a busy weekend in pro wrestling.

WWE Night of Champions doesn’t have every title in the company at stake, but a number of them will be as a big chunk of the roster heads overseas to Saudi Arabia. In fact, on a seven-match card, championships are up for grabs in five of the bouts.

Though WWE has humorously (to us) promoted the show as having a “triple main event,” two of those three matches also have gold up for grabs. The match that has been the subject of the most discussion will see Seth Rollins and AJ Styles compete to become the inaugural holder of the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The winner will take their gold exclusively to Raw, at least for the time being.

That’s because Roman Reigns has set up shop on SmackDown, but he’ll be vying for another championship in Saudi Arabia as well. He and Solo Sikoa are looking to take the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, even though that pursuit has exacerbated the fissures in the Bloodline even more.

And the highest profile non-title match is part of this group of three as well. Cody Rhodes has suffered several vicious attacks at the hands of Brock Lesnar, including one this week that left him with a left arm that Dr. Triple H says was broken (wink, wink). He’s determined to fight Lesnar anyway, even though tangling with the Beast Incarnate can be foolhardy enough with all one’s limbs functioning.

Because the show is overseas, it means an early start time for fans in the U.S.: afternoon on the east coast and late morning in the west. Join us back here starting at 1 p.m. ET for the latest WWE Night of Champions results, updated as they happen all day long.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results:

(click any match with a link for full details)

  • Seth Rollins def. AJ Styles by pinfall in the tournament final to become the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion, and has the belt handed to him by Triple H after his victory
  • Cody Rhodes is shown getting checked on by a doctor, with a wrap or brace of some sort on his left forearm
  • Trish Stratus def. Becky Lynch by pinfall after Zoey Stark emerged from under the ring to assist
  • Gunther def. Mustafa Ali by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Sami Zayn tells Kevin Owens how crazy it is that they’re there and that even if it ended tonight … KO asks why it would end tonight, because he’s sick of hearing about Roman Reigns’ 1000-day reign and vows that Roman and Solo Sikoa will lose tonight
  • Asuka def. Bianca Belair by pinfall after raking Bianca’s eyes with mist on her fingers to become the new WWE Raw Women’s Champion
  • Rhea Ripley def. Natalya by pinfall to retain the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship, with help from Dominik Mysterio as a ringside distraction
  • Rollins tells Byron Saxton that he will be on Raw on Monday and every Monday moving forward, just with World Heavyweight Championship things on his mind
  • Brock Lesnar def. Cody Rhodes by submission as Cody passes out while in a kimura on his injured left arm
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, after The Usos, who initially arrive to beat up the champs, end up accidentally superkicking Solo and then intentionally (from Jimmy, anyway) superkicking Reigns

WWE Raw results 05/22/23: Cody Rhodes is determined to fight Brock Lesnar

Other big happenings on Raw included Raquel Rodriguez finding a new tag team partner and Matt Riddle aiding Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

HERSHEY, Pa. — As a fan in Section D of the Giant Center said in realization at the end of WWE Raw on Monday night, “We never got to do the whoa.”

He was talking about a certain part of Cody Rhodes‘ entrance theme, “Kingdom,” and if you’ve been watching WWE programming any time over the past year, you know the cue. It comes right after the line “Out the curtain, lights go up I’m home.”

The fans in attendance did get to see Rhodes, who was shown on screen to both open and close the show. He also made it to the ring once in-between, but his music didn’t play because WWE was trying to make it look like he shouldn’t have been out there.

That’s what happens when you get jumped by Brock Lesnar while entering the arena, which is exactly what happened Monday night. Lesnar gave Rhodes a hellacious backstage beating, concentrating on Cody’s left arm and mocking him for wanting to fight at Night of Champions.

Lesnar came to the ring about halfway through Raw, claiming that Rhodes wouldn’t be able to make this weekend’s premium live event and laying out an open challenge to anyone who would step up. Instead, Rhodes came out, arm in a sling, and attempted to thrown down with Lesnar right there.

Let’s call that a tactical error for the American Nightmare, who ended up taking even more damage to his left arm after being locked in a kimura by Lesnar. The idea was that Rhodes’ arm was broken.

But that wasn’t the last word, because the night’s main event, which saw Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle defeat Imperium, ended about four minutes prior to 11 p.m. ET. It felt like something would happen, and that something was Triple H visiting Rhodes in the locker room and trying to convince him that Night of Champions was out.

Rhodes refused and said he’d fight Lesnar anyway. So there’s a built-in excuse for WWE to have Cody lose and continue the feud (to SummerSlam, perhaps). It was an unconventional but not illogical way to end the final live show before a premium live event, but we’ll have to wait until Saturday to see if it all plays out in satisfactory fashion.

Read on for a rundown of everything that happened Monday night.

WWE Raw results from Hershey:

  • As noted above, Lesnar attacked Rhodes in the back, smashing his left arm between a beer keg and a metal rolldown door
  • Paul Heyman took to the microphone to claim no responsibility for what just happened but suggested that was just a taste of what would happen to Rhodes at Night of Champions
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn said they were feeling pretty good about their upcoming title defense at Night of Champions, but there was also business to attend to tonight … and that business found them, with Imperium surrounding the ring, but Matt Riddle arrived to help run them off and become their partner for the main event
  • Adam Pearce refused to confirm or deny to Byron Saxton that Rhodes suffered a broken arm
  • Bronson Reed def. Ricochet by pinfall
  • Apollo Crews got his interview crashed by Dominik Mysterio, who ended up talking his way into a match, and Rhea Ripley, who warned Natalya she would end her career at Night of Champions
  • Part 3 of Corey Graves’ interview with Seth Rollins aired, including Rollins saying he loves Roman Reigns but doesn’t like Roman Reigns
  • Finn Balor had some fighting words for his opponent tonight, Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Zoey Stark def. Candice LeRae by pinfall, despite some ringside encouragement from Nikki Cross
  • Mustafa Ali was more serious than he has been recently, discussing the opportunity he has coming up this weekend … until Lesnar walked by him on his way to the ring, telling Ali to get a life as he passed
  • Barging by Adam Pearce and other officials, Rhodes made his ill-advised attempt to confront Lesnar in the ring, which ended with him in even more pain
  • A promo vignette was aired to promote Indus Sher
  • Alpha Academy def. Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Finn Balor def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall thanks to some assistance from Damian Priest
  • Raquel Rodriguez def. Sonya Deville by pinfall, then got saved from a two-on-one post-match beating by Shotzi
  • Trish Stratus proposed a “no touch policy” for her contract signing with Becky Lynch, but Pearce declined …
  • … but Stratus and Lynch mostly just trade insults during their contract signing anyway
  • Pearce gives someone a phone call to update them on the Rhodes situation
  • Rodriguez offers Shotzi a chance to be her tag team partner to try back the women’s tag team titles
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Apollo Crews by pinfall, with the usual assist from Rhea Ripley
  • The final segment of the Graves-Rollins interview aired, focused largely on Seth discussing why he wants to win the World Heavyweight Championship so badly
  • Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle def. Imperium by pinfall
  • Triple H tried to talk Rhodes out of competing at Night of Champions, but to no avail

After the show went off the air, Imperium attempted to come back for some revenge on Owens, Zayn and Riddle, but that backfired as Ludwig Kaiser ended up going through a table.

WWE Raw results: KO, Sami run into unholy alliance

Find out what went down on the May 15 episode of WWE Raw from Greensboro, with Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch and more.

Sometimes when you want to leave something in the past, it just keeps running to keep up with you. And sometimes that thing running at you also finds you, pulls you out of a match, destroys you outside the ring and then challenges you to a match so that the whole world is waiting for you to respond on WWE Raw.

If that sounds like your personal story, my condolences. It definitely applies to Cody Rhodes, who made the logical assumption that once he defeated Brock Lesnar at Backlash, that would be the end of things between them.

Alas.

Now WWE says we will hear from the American Nightmare tonight in Greensboro, giving his answer about whether he will accept Lesnar’s challenge to fight again at Night of Champions. As the Magic 8-Ball might say, signs point to yes.

Someone who hasn’t had to fight anyone in a little bit is WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther since he’s newly arrived on the Raw roster. Tonight’s show will feature a battle royal to find him a No. 1 contender, which should definitely be interesting.

There’s big happenings in the women’s division as well. Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will defend their titles against the annoying but no less dangerous threat of Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville. And Becky Lynch is scheduled to appear after surprising Trish Stratus last week, and you know she isn’t coming just to talk if Stratus is in Greensboro in person.

Update: Morgan was apparently injured last week so the tag team title match is said to be off. We’ll see how that plays out.

WWE Raw results from Greensboro:

  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn see the title challenge from Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa as a gift as it gives them a chance for revenge on Reigns, but a visit from The Judgment Day inevitably turns to fisticuffs

  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Adam Pearce confirms Liv Morgan was injured on SmackDown so the tag team title match is postponed, but because of the griping from the challengers, Chelsea Green is going to have a singles match with Raquel Rodriguez
  • Corey Graves introduces his previously recorded interview with Seth Rollins, who talks about his desire to effect change all the way back to his NXT days … and of course, the chair shot heard ’round the world that ended The Shield
  • Gunther figures an introduction might be necessary considering he started his impressive Intercontinental Championship reign on SmackDown, and says one man has a chance to both become his next challenger and earn his respect; press ‘X’ to doubt that last part

  • Mustafa Ali wins a Battle Royal to become No. 1 contender for the WWE Intercontinental Championship that includes Ricochet, Apollo Crews, Bronson Reed, Matt Riddle, Chad Gable, Otis, Baron Corbin, Von Wagner, Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, JD McDonagh, Riddick Moss, Elias, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, Mace, Mansoor, Humberto, Angel, Eri, Ivar, Akira Tozawa and Xyon Quinn; last eliminating Reed and Ricochet

  • Becky Lynch says “Thank you Trish” for hitting her and calling her daughter stupid, because that turned on a light in Becky that had been off for a while … and she’ll show how thankful she is when she kicks in Trish’s head at Night of Champions

  • Rhea Ripley and Natalya have a difference in opinion about respect, and the SmackDown Women’s Champion says she will end Nattie’s career if she ever sticks her nose in the champ’s business again
  • Ali doesn’t want to hear any negativity from Alpha Academy, but Gunther says he feels regret for him for traveling halfway around the world to lose and get the beating that goes with it
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods by pinfall
  • A video promo hypes JD McDonagh, who says the Irish Ace is here to stay; he also says live that he attacked Dolph Ziggler during the battle royal to make a statement
  • Indus Sher deg. Local Talent by pinfall, and Jinder Mahal tells the announce team their future is written in gold
  • Imperium pays a visit to KO and Sami, who tell them they’ll fight next week
  • Cody Rhodes tells the story of the scorpion and the frog, accepts Brock Lesnar’s challenge for Night of Champions and says that Brock isn’t the Next Big Thing any more — he’s simply in Cody’s way
  • Candice LeRae takes exception to the way Zoey Stark is talking about Nikki Cross and Candice’s “family” and the two women agree to settle things in the ring next week
  • Raquel Rodriguez def. Chelsea Green by pinfall … but Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler arrive afterward to beat down Rodriguez on the stage
  • Paul Heyman has been talking to Imperium, that can’t be good

  • The second part of Graves’ interview with Rollins covers the time right up to his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship and his motivation for wanting to win it: to push the industry forward
  • The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Damian Priest) def. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn by pinfall thanks to interference from Imperium

WWE Raw results: Cody Rhodes’ misfortune is Seth Rollins’ gain in World Title tourney

Brock Lesnar made his presence felt on Raw in a way that directly affected the tournament.

If there’s such a thing as May Madness (and if there is, we’re likely going to hear about it from Legal), WWE’s got it for tonight’s episode of Raw from Jacksonville.

Why, you could very reasonably ask? Because the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament, kicks off tonight, that’s why. Two Triple Threat matches will narrow a field of six down to two, with the winners doing battle later this very night to determine who will go on to Night of Champions later this month to fight for the right to be the inaugural wearer of the new big gold belt.

WWE has helpfully revealed who will be in each of the first round tournament matches. One will see Cody Rhodes, Finn Balor and The Miz square off, while the other features Damian Priest, Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura. Those combinations set the stage for lots of fun possibilities for the Raw semifinal, including things like an all Judgment Day affait.

(Of course, we have our own ideas on how things should play out.)

The other segment WWE is promoting ahead of the episode is the return of Trish Stratus. The women’s wrestling icon and WWE Hall of Famer seems to have gotten the better of Becky Lynch both physically and psychologically over the past few weeks, as Lynch hasn’t been on TV for a while. But Stratus might not want to be too cocky when she appears on Raw tonight, because when The Man comes back around, there just might be hell to pay.

It’s also the first show where the post-WWE Draft rosters are in effect on Raw, so expect to see some new faces as well.

WWE Raw results from Jacksonville:

(click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Cody Rhodes says he discovered at Backlash that Brock Lesnar could be defeated, and that he’s now completely focused on the World Heavyweight Championship, so he says let the tournament begin
  • Damian Priest doesn’t really want to discuss his loss to Bad Bunny but does think he and Finn Balor will battle in the semifinal later tonight
  • Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest in a World Heavyweight Championship Tournament first round match by pinning Nakamura
  • “You’ll still be Imperium in five minutes, right?” Imperium wants Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to know Gunther is coming to Raw next week, but their insistence on not being bothered seems like it’s going to lead to a match
  • Mustafa Ali def. Otis by pinfall
  • The Miz reminds the world that he’s a history maker and will have respect put on his name when he wins the tournament\
  • Finn Balor def. Cody Rhodes and The Miz in a World Heavyweight Championship Tournament first round match after Brock Lesnar attacks Rhodes and Balor pins Miz
  • Rhea Ripley def. Dana Brooke by submission, then is confronted by Natalya but leaves without any fisticuffs breaking out
  • A video package shows all of the NXT performers who got drafted to Raw, and one of them, Zoey Stark, challenges Nikki Cross for her first Raw match
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by pinfall
  • Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green are busy getting signatures on their petition to get a rematch for the tag team titles, and The Way is nearly all back together backstage
  • Zoey Stark def. Nikki Cross by pinfall
  • Dominik Mysterio and Xavier Woods talk their way into a match later tonight, while Akira Tozawa wanders off
  • Trish Stratus is worried because Becky Lynch is missing, and says Lynch will be found but won’t be coming to “her” show … except she’s 100% wrong, and The Man gives her a quick beating before insisting she’s come around to kick Trish’s ass
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods by pinfall
  • Indus Sher says they’ve been waiting for their chance to strike; The Miz accidentally ends up with a match against Nakamura next week; Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez find out Deville and Green started their petition thinking they would be facing Damage CTRL for the tag team titles
  • Rhodes says this is the second time that Lesnar has attacked him from behind for no reason, so he says “let’s fight” at Night of Champions
  • Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor by pinfall to win the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament semifinal