WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction, Highlights from May 22

The May 22 edition of WWE Raw was the final live stop before Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. In a sold-out Giant Center in Hershey, PA, the big stars were out.

Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar would be in the same arena, likely not to wait until Saturday to brawl.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens found themselves in the crosshairs of the top stables in wrestling. Before fighting The Bloodline again at Night of Champions, they would need to find a partner to battle Imperium.

The most likely help would be Matt Riddle,. who has worked with them previously. Mustafa Ali also had a vested interest, as he is set for an Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther in Saudi Arabia.

Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus would sign the contract for their long-awaited match, and we were also certain to hear from Seth Rollins ahead of his battle for the World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles.

This show was certain to be action-packed while featuring the top names of the red brand.

Paul Heyman, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Speak Ahead of Night of Champions

Paul Heyman stood in the ring to hype Roman Reigns' match at Night of Champions. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn arrived, which sent The Wise Man running.

The undisputed WWE tag team champions talked about their future matches until Imperium arrived. Matt Riddle ran in to even the odds against Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. A brawl ended with the champs and The Original Bro standing tall.

It is always better to start with action over words, but that is rarely the red brand's modus operandi. It was smart at least to start hot.

In particular, KO delivered in spades on the microphone Monday night. After speaking his piece to The Tribal Chief on SmackDown, Zayn let Owens show out.

It looks like the expected partner for KO and Zayn has been set. If WWE does not have some twists throughout the night, it hardly makes sense that it took a week to announce Riddle as their help.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• The show barely started before Brock Lesnar got his hands on Cody Rhodes backstage, throwing him around and smashing his arm with a metal keg.
• Heyman did not take credit for Lesnar's attack. He merely stated he was invited back because his appearance was so well-received last week.
• Owens cheekily dedicated his and Zayn's future win at Night of Champions to The Usos.
  

Ricochet vs. Bronson Reed

Ricochet fought with fire, but Bronson Reed was on another level. He kicked out of a standing shooting star press at one.

The One and Only hit his best shot, but he fell decisively to a snap powerslam and the Tsunami.

An unnecessary commercial break just minutes in cut this match down a bit, but that did not stop these two from maximizing their minutes. They have some spectacular chemistry that Raw can rely upon.

Ricochet showed out through his move set. Mr. Nice Guy focused on presentation, including a memorable kick-out. He sold well without ever looking weak.

WWE has always been best at creating monsters, and Reed is coming along to the point that he can genuinely stand up to the big names.

Result

Reed def. Ricochet by pinfall.

Grade

B

Notable Moments

• WWE aired a pre-taped interview with Reed, who blamed Ricochet for costing him a shot at the Intercontinental Championship.
• Ricochet showed some trepidation as Mr. Nice Guy headed to the ring. That paid off quickly as Reed blasted him into the barricade off an apron dive.
• When Mr. Nice Guy went for another apron dive, The One and Only hit him with a perfectly timed knee lift.
  

Seth Rollins Interview and Other Backstage Segments

WWE continued the phenomenal interview series between Seth Rollins and Corey Graves, and The Visionary made some pointed comments about Roman Reigns' reign.

Later, he finished the interview by calling Saturday's World Heavyweight Championship clash with AJ Styles his most important title match as he finally had the crowd behind him fully.

While it would be nice to see more of Rollins in the ring, the presentation has made the build unique for the contest with The Phenomenal One.

It would have been helpful to set up Styles for a similar interview format, though. Right now, he is lagging behind Rollins in terms of presentation.

Grade

B+

Notable Moments

• Rollins stated that he "loves" Reigns but does not "like" him. He brought up their shared connection through The Shield but questioned his recent methods.
  
• Dominik Mysterio interrupted an interview with Apollo Crews to let Rhea Ripley call out Natalya for Night of Champions. This set up a match for later.
  
• Byron Saxton interviewed Finn Bálor and Damian Priest, who were not happy with Shinsuke Nakamura's disrespect last week.
• WWE showed a video package highlighting the accomplishments of Styles across the world, including his time before arriving in the company.
  

Zoey Stark vs. Candice LeRae

Zoey Stark took advantage of every opening in this match.

She charged Candice LeRae before the bell and used an unplanned distraction from Nikki Cross to set herself up. She finished it off with the Z360.

This was a squash through and through, but the number of shortcuts Stark needed for this short a battle did not make her look that strong. She could have beaten The Poison Pixie legitimately given LeRae's limited credibility.

This did continue to set the stage for the story of LeRae and Cross. With Indi Hartwell arriving on the red brand, it is more likely Cross will turn on The Poison Pixie after this dynamic spirals.

This story will, hopefully, elevate both women.

Result

Stark def. LeRae by pinfall.

Grade

D+

Notable Moments

• WWE showed a hype vignette for Stark ahead of the match.
• Cross came out to cheer on LeRae but got too excited and grabbed her at ringside at the wrong time. Stark sent both of them into the steel steps.
  

Cody Rhodes Picks a Losing Fight with Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar sauntered out to the ring and declared Cody Rhodes would not fight him at Night of Champions. He issued an open challenge for the pay-per-view.

The American Nightmare arrived with his left arm in a sling and marched to the ring. The Beast Incarnate trapped him in a Kimura Lock until he was satisfied. Adam Pearce demanded medical assistance.

At the end of the night, Triple H found Rhodes in his locker room to talk sense into him, certain his arm was broken. The American Nightmare refused to relent, promising he was going to Night of Champions to fight no matter what.

Assuming WWE will never delay Rhodes vs. Lesnar, this injury angle is getting a bit overly dramatic, especially given The American Nightmare's history. He played this angle legitimately in 2022 with Seth Rollins.

This is too contrived just days ahead of Night of Champions. If Rhodes actually wrestles a full match with Lesnar on Saturday, it would invalidate this angle. It could lead to a dramatic squash, though.

The story of Rhodes vs. Lesnar is make-or-break. If it works, The American Nightmare only grows more popular; if it fails, he may never get back to where he was at WrestleMania 39.

Grade

C

Notable Moments

• Pearce could not confirm or deny the damage done to Rhodes' arm by Lesnar.
  
• Mustafa Ali got serious, talking about Gunther and how little respect anyone was giving him as a challenger. Lesnar walked right past him and told him to "get a life."
• The camera got uncomfortably close to Rhodes' face to sell his pain.
• Pearce continued to scramble to get answers from The American Nightmare about his condition, but Rhodes shut everyone out of his locker room.
  

Alpha Academy (w/ Maxxine Dupri) vs. The Viking Raiders (w/ Valhalla)

Alpha Academy did not work cohesively in this match, but Maxxine Dupri distracted The Viking Raiders at ringside after she ran away from Valhalla. This allowed Chad Gable to seal a roll-up three count.

This match was fine. The wrestlers involved went through their usual motions, but Gable and Otis have hit a much higher bar in the past with limited time.

This story of Otis struggling with the advice of Dupri and Gable is keeping everyone involved relevant. However, Maximum Male Models do not even look involved anymore, which could lead to an unfortunate direction for the team.

The ideal situation is finding a path for ma.çé and mån.sôör to get TV time as well. WWE does not often do eight-man tag team matches, but Alpha Academy and Maximum Male Models together is money.

The Viking Raiders remain enablers for other tag teams' stories. WWE has shown no interest in Erik and Ivar as anything more than that.

Result

Alpha Academy def. Viking Raiders by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Dupri stood in the manager corner for Alpha Academy in a starred black-and-white outfit. She looked like she would fit that managerial role for the team long-term.
• Otis did the Worm, much to the delight of Dupri and the pain of Gable.
  

Finn Bálor (w/ Damian Priest) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Damian Priest saved Finn Bálor throughout this match until Shinsuke Nakamura lost his cool and kicked The Punishment over the barricade.

Bálor took advantage of his spot to drop kick The Artist into the barricade and got him back to the ring to seal it with the Coup de Grace.

The names involved might convince some to go out of their way to see this match, but it was fairly formulaic. The closing stretch was strong, but even that fell into the inevitable Judgment Day interference spot.

Nakamura and Bálor were looking to execute in a way that was engaging enough for the time without putting them at serious risk. In that regard, it was a success.

Assuming Nakamura vs. Priest is in the future, hopefully that will be a bolder match.

Result

Bálor def. Nakamura by pinfall.

Grade

B-

Notable Moments

• Throughout, it looked like Priest cared more about hurting Nakamura than Bálor did.
• Impressive closing counter sequence: Nakamura blocked the running dropkick with a running single-leg one. Bálor countered the Kinshasa with a double foot stomp. The Artist then hit a Kinshasa but was unable to take advantage due to exhaustion.

Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville (w/ Chelsea Green)

Sonya Deville got too cocky, and Raquel Rodriguez planted her with the Tejana Bomb to win.

Chelsea Green took a cheap shot at Rodriguez after the match, but Shotzi made the save and cleared the ring.

This never really started. Despite weeks spent building up Deville and Green as a legitimate tag team, their actual in-ring time is severely lacking, let alone the win-loss record to back up their standing.

Rodriguez is obviously a much bigger deal to Raw, but it would have hardly hurt the three-hour show to give this match an extra five minutes.

WWE has rotated tag team partners so often that Shotzi going back to tagging with Rodriguez did not have the necessary impact. She is the fill-in roster spot in this angle rather than a legitimate fresh star.

That can change, but WWE is not helping any stories grow in the Raw women's division with the lack of serious TV time.

Result

Rodriguez def. Deville by pinfall.

Grade

D

Notable Moments

• WWE did not highlight the past history of Rodriguez and Shotzi as a tag team at any point after the match.
  
• Byron Saxton interviewed Rodriguez and Shotzi, and the two confirmed they would team together next week in the Fatal 4-Way title match.
  

Becky Lynch Tears Down Trish Stratus At Contract Signing

Becky Lynch called out Trish Stratus and then refused to look at her.

After Stratusfaction ran her mouth and signed the contract, The Man coolly tossed off her glasses and ran her down on the mic, promising not to hurt her until Night of Champions.

This was everything it needed to be to sell the bout between Stratus and Lynch. WWE has rushed some of the build to Saturday's PPV, but this was always going to be must-watch.

The Man played her part perfectly, especially not reacting to the goading of Stratus. When she got the microphone, she cut her best promo in years.

The veteran cut her own solid promo but knew she would not be the star of this segment.

Grade

A+

Notable Moments

• Stratus asked for a no-contact promise for the contract signing from Adam Pearce, but he was more focused on hearing from Cody Rhodes and refused.
• Lynch came out in shades in the style of hands covering her face. They looked like a Geordi La Forge from Star Trek visor.
• Lynch thanked Stratus for being everything she never wanted to be and promised to embarrass her worse than when she "barked like a dog."
  

Dominik Mysterio (w/ Rhea Ripley) vs. Apollo Crews

Apollo Crews was rolling against Dominik Mysterio until Rhea Ripley got involved outside.

She set up her stablemate to push him into the steel steps and then threw Crews herself into the steel post.

The Nigerian Warrior made it back to the ring but rolled into the way of a frog splash from Dom, giving The Ex-Con another big win.

Mysterio is piling up wins. It was not the prettiest performance, though that has been true of his work consistently. But he knows how to play a crowd and does not look out of place anymore, just unrefined.

Crews did the work to keep the energy high, though his run in NXT did not build him up at all. He is still struggling to connect with fans and can quickly fall away into the crowd.

In many ways, these men are polar opposites in terms of direction and talent. Character work will always trump in-ring style, but Crews can do what Mysterio is doing, maybe more. He needs better creative that may never come.

Result

Mysterio def. Crews by pinfall.

Grade

C+

Notable Moments

• Dom teased Three Amigos and then transitioned awkwardly into a pinfall after just one suplex. He later missed a 619. His execution on these moves is lacking, though his frog splash was pretty good.
  
• "We want Mami" rang out throughout the arena during this match, and the two picked up the pace to keep the crowd invested.
  

Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Matt Riddle vs. Imperium

Imperium kept firm control of this match until the closing stretch.

Once Gunther was sent outside, Sami Zayn hit Giovanni Vinci with a Helluva Kick followed by Kevin Owens' pop-up powerbomb to win.

The main event was so much better than any other match on the card. This isn't surprising given the talent in the ring, but it also helped that everyone got time to deliver.

However, while Gunther was protected, Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser remain scapegoats. If WWE ever wants this to feel like a true stable, Imperium must be able to win as a group against top competition.

This was not the right moment for a change of fortunes as KO and Zayn needed momentum, following a loss last week. But this should be the last time for a while that Imperium are vulnerable.

Shame Mustafa Ali was basically dismissed after last week's big win. He is not a serious challenge to The Ring General, and only the upset-of-all-upsets at Night of Champions will allow him to correct his course.

Result

Owens, Zayn and Riddle def. Imperium by pinfall.

Grade

A-

Notable Moments

• WWE showed a vignette highlighting the dangerous side of Riddle, who promised to be ready for a fight with anyone.
• When Gunther got the tag with Riddle in the ring, The Original Bro goaded him. The commentators sold this as a future title match.
• The hottest dynamic here was Gunther vs. Zayn. The crowd went wild after The Master Strategist stood back up from a chop and delivered a Blue Thunder Bomb.
• Gunther dodged a Helluva Kick and locked in a sleeper hold. Riddle saved Zayn by hitting The Ring General with a Floating Bro. He then pulled the Imperium leader outside and sent him over the announce table.
  

Overall Show

As a go-home show for Night of Champions, this was a solid edition of Raw. WWE focused on building the big matches more than anything else. This was all about the "triple main event."

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens picked up an important hard-earned victory over Imperium, showing the difference between their approach as champions to challenger Roman Reigns (and Solo Sikoa).

Cody Rhodes was all over this week's Raw for better and worse with Brock Lesnar. His final talk with Triple H to close the night was fine but contrived, selling that The American Nightmare would fight no matter what.

Seth Rollins said his final piece before his World Heavyweight Championship match with AJ Styles. By separating the challengers by brand, this was all that fans could get.

The rest of Monday's card was lackluster but kept The Judgment Day hot despite mostly missing the Night of Champions bill. It was odd for Rhea Ripley to challenge Natalya without The Queen of Harts responding.

In fact, outside of an excellent promo from Becky Lynch during her contract signing with Trish Stratus, WWE did not put too much effort into the women's division for the night.

The moments the company attempted to create may not stick, but Night of Champions should make up for that. Overall, Raw was solid enough for its primary purpose, building the PPV to come.

Overall Grade: C+