WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 13
The march to King and Queen of the Ring on May 26 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia continued on WWE Raw with an episode centered on the tournaments and headlined by a showdown between Jey Uso and Ilja Dragunov.
Not everything centered around the tournament on Monday night, though.
Women's world champion Becky Lynch battled Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai, rekindling a rivalry that dates back two years.
Did The Man silence King Kota en route to her title defense against Liv Morgan at the forthcoming premium live event or did Kai earn a big win to catapult herself into championship contention?
Find out now with this recap of the May 13 broadcast.
Match Card
1 of 11Announced in advance of Monday's show were:
- King of the Ring Tournament match: Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
- King of the Ring Tournament match: Kofi Kingston vs. Gunther
- Queen of the Ring Tournament match: Shayna Baszler vs. Iyo Sky
- Queen of the Ring Tournament match: Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark
- Becky Lynch vs. Dakota Kai
Drew McIntyre Kicks Off Raw
2 of 11
Drew McIntyre opened Monday's show and wasted little time blaming everyone from CM Punk to Jey Uso to Damian Priest for his shortcomings over the last two months.
Priest was the only Superstar to step up to the Scot, calling him out for not taking responsibility for his losses and disappointments. He then responded to McIntyre calling him a paper champion by accepting his challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
This was a solid opening to the show that presented the world champion as a babyface, a direction things have appeared to be heading since he first told The Judgment Day that he did not want their interference in his match with Jey Uso at Backlash.
If that is the case, or even if Priest assumes more of a tweener role, it will freshen up a character who has only scratched the surface of what he is capable of as champion.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "You have a very inspirational story. You just shouldn't be the world champion," McIntyre told Priest.
- "Find a mirror, look at the reflection, and blame that a--hole," Priest told the Scot in response to him blaming everyone else for his issues.
Queen of the Ring Tournament: Iyo Sky vs. Shayna Baszler
3 of 11
Iyo Sky and Shayna Baszler tore the house down in the night's first match, delivering a potential tournament-stealing contest.
Sky weathered the punishing offense of her opponent and rolled late, seemingly having a counter for everything The Queen of Spades threw at her and putting her away with the Over the Moonsault.
This was great and a match worth revisiting if Triple H does not have stories readily available for the participants. We have seen Baszler thrive in bouts against smaller, quicker, high-flying opponents before, most notably Kairi Sane.
Going back to this one could be the spark The Queen of Spades needs to rediscover her edge and a considerable push on the main roster, all while giving Sky something meaningful to do following the end of her title run at WrestleMania 40.
Result
Sky defeated Baszler
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Two of the greatest women's champions in NXT history squared off in this one.
- Sky assumed the role of babyface, which seems odd given her part in Damage CTRL, but the in-ring dynamic worked better given Baszler's more punishing style.
- The seamless transition from the jackknife pin by Sky into the Karifuda Clutch from Baszler was impressive.
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King of the Ring Tournament: Kofi Kingston vs. Gunther
4 of 11
Kofi Kingston started hot in his King of the Ring quarterfinal against Gunther by attacking him before the opening bell and targeting his right leg and knee, avenging the brutal assault The Ring General dealt his New Day tag team partner, Xavier Woods.
However, an ill-fated flight landed Kingston in the arms of his opponent, who sent him back-first into the ring apron and the barricade. Visibly angered by his rival's attack, Gunther applied a Boston Crab on the announce table.
Both men nursed their injuries throughout the bout. At one point, though, Kingston rocked Gunther with Trouble in Paradise on the arena floor, but the heel was able to make it back into the ring before the count of 10.
The Ring General delivered a powerbomb and transitioned into a Boston Crab for the submission victory.
It should surprise no one by now, but this was another show-stealer from Gunther, who is far too often left out of the conversation for best wrestler in the world. This was a smartly wrestled contest, with an overarching story and some punishing physicality from both men.
This was great and sets up Gunther for a showdown with either Jey Uso or Ilja Dragunov. Either option would make for an extraordinary encounter.
Result
Gunther defeated Kingston
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Chad Gable continued to berate and mistreat his Alpha Academy teammates before revealing Otis will battle Sami Zayn, and Akira Tozawa will square off with "Big" Bronson Reed. He then expressed interest in training Ivy Nile while further insulting Maxxine Dupri.
- Samantha Irvin welcomed legendary WWE announcer Lilian Garcia, who introduced the next match. It was nice to see one of the voices of the Ruthless Aggression and PG Eras back if only for a night. She worked double-time to put Irvin over, too.
- Backstage, Kiana James arrived officially on Raw, interrupting a back-and-forth between general manager Adam Pearce and world tag team champions The Miz and R-Truth.
- Gunther, typically excellent at paying attention to the small details, appeared to alternate between selling his right and left knee.
Akira Tozawa vs. 'Big' Bronson Reed
5 of 11
"Big" Bronson Reed and Chad Gable will challenge Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship at King and Queen of the Ring, but first he battled Akira Tozawa in a singles match.
It went as one would expect.
Reed squashed Tozawa, defeating him in mere seconds with the Tsunami.
This was totally unnecessary. We know Reed is an unstoppable force and putting him over Tozawa was never going to change or enhance that.
Result
Reed defeated Tozawa
Grade
C-
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Karrion Kross told Kofi Kingston, "there is always time to turn things around," leaving the former WWE champion to look confused.
- Gable berated Tozawa after the match.
- Backstage, Cathy Kelley pointed out that Ilja Dragunov defeated Gunther the last time they met, that Jimmy Uso was essential to The Ring General defeating Jey Uso the last time they clashed, and Ludwig Kaiser factored into Sheamus losing to the former intercontinental champion last week. Kaiser responded by saying he would embarrass The Celtic Warrior, seemingly setting up a program between them.
Queen of the Ring Tournament: Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark
6 of 11
Former NXT women's champion Lyra Valkyria made it 2-0 on the main roster by defeating Zoey Stark in the quarterfinal round Monday night.
Tested by the intense and aggressive Stark, The Valkyrie absorbed everything thrown at her and countered the Z-360. She finished her opponent with the Nightwing for an impressive pinfall victory.
Valkyria continues to look like a star, a testament to her hard work and the connection she forged with the audience during her time in NXT. This was a great example of how her style lends itself to strong matches against opponents with different styles and backgrounds.
She now turns her attention to Iyo Sky and a match that should be extraordinary.
Result
Valkyria defeated Stark
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Adam Pearce told interviewer Jackie Redmond there will be a Fatal 4-Way match to determine No. 1 contenders for the world tag team titles featuring New Catch Republic, Authors of Pain, Finn Bálor and Dominik Mysterio, and the Creed Brothers.
- Some fans did the "woo" during Valkyria's entrance, proving they were familiar with her work in NXT. The chants of "Lyra" late on suggest she will not struggle to get over to the extent that others in similar positions have in the past.
- "I only travel as the crow flies: Straight to the top," Valkyria told Redmond after the match.
Sami Zayn vs. Otis
7 of 11
Intercontinental champion Sami Zayn continued to build momentum ahead of King and Queen of the Ring by defeating Alpha Academy's Otis.
The win was aided by loudmouth Chad Gable's berating of the big man, which distracted the super heavyweight and allowed The Underdog from the Underground to deliver the Helluva Kick for the victory.
After the match, Gable continued to berate Otis, going as far as to slap him. Instead of returning the favor and divorcing himself from Alpha Academy, Otis meekly followed his "coach" to the back.
The inevitable moment when Otis finally stands up for himself is going to turn him back into one of the biggest babyfaces in WWE, potentially on par with his run during the Mandy Rose romance.
Fans should be excited about that.
Result
Zayn defeated Otis
Grade
C
Top Moments and Takeaways
- An aggressive Otis pummeled Zayn from the opening bell.
- Gable cut off Otis from performing the worm, a distraction that ultimately cost the big man the match.
Becky Lynch vs. Dakota Kai
8 of 11
The Raw women's division is brimming with matchups and rivalries, as evidenced by the closing moments of women's world champion Becky Lynch's battle with Dakota Kai.
A back-and-forth contest climaxed with The Man trapping Kai in an armbreaker, only for Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane to get involved, drawing the disqualification victory for the champion.
Lyra Valkyria made the save, clearing the ring of the heels and staring down Sky, whom she will battle in next week's Queen of the Ring semifinals.
Liv Morgan appeared from out of nowhere, sent Lynch into the ring post and escaped to the arena floor.
The match between Lynch and Kai was solid and featured some quality counters, but it was the post-match that really left an impression.
Raw currently has Damage CTRL attempting to re-establish dominance, a rivalry between Lynch and Morgan over the title and a surging Valkyria, all of whom are building blocks for the red brand moving forward.
This should have fans enthused and result in some great in-ring action along the way.
Result
Lynch defeated Kai via disqualification
Grade
B-
Top Moments and Takeaways
- JD McDonagh warned Braun Strowman to stay out of Judgment Day business, and The Monster Among Men didn't exactly take the Irishman seriously.
- Distractions from Sane and Sky allowed Kai to take control of the match.
- Kai answered everything Lynch threw at her with a strike that stunned The Man and kept the heel in the match.
Tag Team No. 1 Contenders' Match
9 of 11
New Catch Republic's Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne, The Judgment Day's Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh, The Creed Brothers and The Authors of Pain battled it out in the night's penultimate match for the right to challenge Awesome Truth for the WWE World Tag Team Championship.
A wild contest concluded in the closing seconds as Carlito attacked a surging Dunne and delivered a Backstabber on the announce table, allowing Bálor to roll him in the ring and deliver the Coup de Grace for the win.
Carlito may well have proved valuable to The Judgment Day in his attempt to forge a partnership with the faction, especially by taking Bálor and McDonagh one step closer to reclaiming tag team gold.
What that means for him in his pursuit of a reciprocal arrangement remains to be seen, but the look on the winners' faces suggests they have been won over by the second-generation star's willingness to ensure their victory.
Result
The Judgment Day defeated New Catch Republic, the Creed Brothers, and Authors of Pain
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- AOP decimated the field, overpowering them and driving them into the mat ahead of the commercial break.
- WWE does multi-team matches as well as any company. They are almost always good, if not significantly better, and they walk the fine line between action-packed and chaotic nonsense.
- Bate's pure strength was on display as he spun the massive Akam around in an airplane spin. It was nothing short of extraordinary.
King of the Ring Tournament: Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov
10 of 11
We won't see Gunther and Ilja Dragunov rekindle their NXT rivalry in the semifinals of the King of the Ring tournament, thanks to Jey Uso defeating The Mad Dragon in a phenomenal headliner Monday.
Dragunov lost nothing in defeat having delivered the same tenacity and hard-hitting offense that is a trademark of his in-ring work. He was great and clearly the better wrestler in the match.
However, Uso caught him with a Spear late and delivered the Uso Splash to set up a rematch with Gunther on next week's show.
In their first encounter, Uso fell short of winning the Intercontinental Championship thanks to interference from his brother, Jimmy. With him out of the picture, it will be interesting to see if WWE capitalizes on Uso's popularity and books him in the finals or if Gunther rolls to Saudi Arabia, one step closer to claiming the crown.
Result
Uso defeated Dragunov
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The fireflies are definitely a fixture in Uso's entrance after Backlash in France.
- Dragunov tried for the H-Bomb off the guardrail and through the announce table, but Uso rolled out of the way. Jey responded by rushing around the ring and driving The Mad Dragon into the table.
- Some may argue that he oversells, but Dragunov does a great job of putting his opponent's offense over and is not afraid to consistently sell injuries from earlier in the match.
- A closeup showed blood emerging from the ear of Uso, who appeared to have his earring torn off.
Overall Grade
11 of 11While the majority of the focus was on the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, this episode of Raw gave us so much more.
It laid the groundwork for a future world title match between Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre, highlighted the top-tier pieces in the women's division, spotlighted Lyra Valkyria, focused on reestablishing Gunther as a marquee name with the brand and gave us a few incredible in-ring contests.
That's all that you can ask from a pro wrestling show, even if it could still stand to be two hours as opposed to three.
Overall Grade: B+
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