WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 1

The post-Elimination Chamber edition of WWE Raw focused on a man who didn't compete at that event—Roman Reigns.

Reigns' struggle to remain in the Money in the Bank ladder match became the central narrative. The Authority played his antagonist, looking to wear down the hero with a gauntlet of challenges.

For the most part, Monday's Raw didn't offer anything spectacular. It was primarily a means to set up future stories and clashes to come. With Money in the Bank so near, there was little time to reflect on Elimination Chamber. WWE had to be in full pay-per-view buildup mode already.

That meant that, despite Dolph Ziggler, King Barrett and Neville being in action, the show offered minimal thrills in the ring. Instead, stories moved along. Rivalries intensified, teasing even more electricity in the future.

From The Authority's opening monologue to Reigns' third and final battle of the night, the following is a breakdown of the first Raw in June, letter grades and all.

Dean Ambrose's Demands

Everyone in The Authority seethed on their way to the ring.

Stephanie McMahon announced that even though Dean Ambrose stole the WWE title, he's not the champion. Triple H demanded that Ambrose come out to the ring. Roman Reigns did instead.

Reigns told the corporate heels that Ambrose wanted another title shot, this time in a ladder match.

Rollins agreed to the stipulation. Enraged, he barked about not needing The Authority. 

Triple H threatened to take away Reigns' spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match as punishment for his involvement with Ambrose's shenanigans. Reigns had to win his next bout or else be pulled from Money in the Bank.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"We're not going to negotiate with a lowlife miscreant."—McMahon on Ambrose

"I sure as hell don't need no seven-foot piece of crap."—Rollins about Kane

"You lose your hopes and dreams again."—Triple H to Reigns

Grade

B

Analysis

Rollins' anger was a welcome sight. This out-to-prove-himself version of the champion is refreshing. Hopefully that means more of a focus on him and less reliance on a whole posse.

Making the next Ambrose-Rollins contest a ladder match is an enticing move. The stipulation will allow those two to keep their feud fresh.

The segment overall was fine but would have been a lot more intense had Ambrose shown up with the stolen title. As it stands, it was a good-not-great warm-up for the rest of the show.

King Barrett vs. Roman Reigns

With his spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match on the line, Roman Reigns charged at King Barrett. He had the Englishman reeling early with a flurry of strikes and power moves.

Outside the ring, Barrett used the ring steps to get back into the match. He briefly grounded Reigns, squeezing out the powerhouse's breath with a reverse chinlock.

The action morphed into a slugfest, with Reigns landing a higher percentage of his haymakers. The two wrestlers traded signature moves before Reigns ended things with a spear.

Result

Reigns wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Reigns counters a back body drop with a kick to the mush.

Barrett kicks the ring steps into Reigns.

Reigns lifts Barrett off the mat and delivers a powerbomb.

Grade

B-

Analysis

Barrett used some smart heel moves. His psychology was good, helping to cushion the blow of another loss. Neither being intercontinental champion nor being King of the Ring has afforded him any win streaks.

Near-falls and high stakes helped make this a solid match. Reigns' victory was never in doubt, though, hurting the suspense some.

The Miz vs. Ryback (Intercontinental Championship)

Before the bout, Ryback thanked the fans for helping him win the Intercontinental Championship. Just as he and The Miz were ready to lock up, The Big Show walked in and knocked out The Miz, demanding to face The Big Guy instead.

Big Show walked away as Ryback glared at him from the ring.

Result

The match never starts.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Big Show teases punching out Ryback before clocking The Miz.

Grade

C-

Analysis

This current version of Ryback is stiff and bland. He's trying to connect with the fans with his personal story too much. He's not a good enough talker to keep leaning on that. 

It's hard to get excited about a Big Show-Ryback showdown. The giant had issues just walking up to his opponent. Expectations will be mighty low for the actual in-ring action to come.

Big Show does offer a big-name opponent to boost The Big Guy's title reign. From a booking standpoint, it makes sense to pair these two up.

Letting Ryback knock off a former world champ will be good for him; it just won't be fun to watch.

Kevin Owens and John Cena Face to Face Again

Kevin Owens recounted his biggest career highlights as fans chanted "Fight Owens, fight!" He talked about his son's love for John Cena. Owens resented the United States champ's influence on him.

He promised to beat Cena again at Money in the Bank.

The U.S. titleholder himself confronted Owens. He told the rookie to shut up. Cena played to the crowd before issuing one of his trademark rants.

Even though Cena questioned his manhood, Owens ducked out of the ring and stomped down the entrance ramp.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"What it is—is blind worship spurred on by the fact for the last decade John Cena has been portrayed as living, breathing, real-life superhero."—Owens

"Last night, I beat Super Cena!"—Owens

"You're so concerned with being a real role model, but you're not even a real man."—Cena

"You keep fighting. You never give up. You understand that?"—Cena to a young fan holding an "I'm beating cancer" sign

"This one is going to be a tough pill to swallow, homes. Because the three words that define Kevin Owens are 'never give up.'"—Cena

Grade

A+

Analysis

WWE is hitting all the right notes with this feud so far.

Owens is playing a meta angle, in that he speaks for the Internet Wrestling Community, using the same criticisms that the anti-Cena fans so often share. WWE is offering Owens as an alternative—the darker, cooler version of Cena.

Owens excelled here. Cena took the reins, though, and became the center of the show. His impassioned speech is a reminder of why WWE has kept him atop the card for so long.

Avoiding physicality here is smart. Let fans hunger to see these two fight again. Don't give it away just yet.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston, The New Day vs. Ziggler, The Prime Time Players

The New Day gleefully celebrated their title win at Elimination Chamber. Xavier Woods trashed Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Kofi Kingston promised to win the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Lana soon accompanied Dolph Ziggler to the ring.

Ziggler controlled the action early. He hit a number of high-impact moves before rolling up Kingston for a quick win.

The New Day tried to assault The Showoff, but The Prime Time Players made the save. A six-man tag team match between all these wrestlers soon followed.

The New Day ganged up on Darren Young, keeping him in their corner. When Titus O'Neil finally came into the match, he went on a rampage. He flung his foes around before getting a three-count on Woods. 

Result

Ziggler wins via pinfall. Ziggler and The Prime Time Players win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"San Antonio, you now have champions in your presence again."—Woods

Ziggler hits Kingston in the chin with a nasty dropkick.

Ziggler plants Kingston's head with a DDT.

Big E hits Snake Eyes on Young as Kingston lands a head kick.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Some good elements don't quite make up for two below-average matches.

The heel work from Woods and Co. is getting better each week. They manage to irk the crowd more effectively as they continue to get comfortable with their characters.

It's a wise move to have The Prime Time Players look so strong, especially O'Neil. This is the kind of powerhouse he should have been long ago.

There were enough exciting flashes here to expect excellence ahead. They will just have to deliver more standout ring action than this.

Roman Reigns vs. Mark Henry

The Authority forced Roman Reigns to defend his Money in the Bank spot again. This time, a tired Reigns found himself suffering hard shots from a focused Mark Henry.

Henry focused on Reigns' left eye, bashing the area with clubbing blows.

The Juggernaut fought back. He had Henry reeling and moved the fight to the outside of the ring. With Henry out cold on the floor, Reigns just made it into the ring before the referee's 10-count. Henry responded to the loss by attacking his opponent after the bell.

Reigns writhed on the mat as Henry exited.

Result

Reigns wins via count-out.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Reigns manages to lift Henry up for a Samoan Drop.

Grade

C

Analysis

Reigns' second battle in the ring didn't produce much in terms of action, but there's a decent story here. Having Reigns just barely win is the right move. Otherwise, Henry suffers from being easy-to-topple fodder. And Reigns hurting before the bout began is a boost for Barrett, making him look powerful as a result.

Still, neither Reigns nor Henry is going to include this in his career retrospective DVD. It wasn't anything memorable.

Paige vs. Nikki Bella (Divas Championship)

Nikki Bella was so confident in her latest title defense that she took time to showboat in between attacking Paige. The Divas champ showed off some new moves as she kept Paige at bay.

Nikki grew frustrated as her weapons failed to put Paige away. The challenger soon had Nikki reeling, but Brie Bella sneaked in to do their trademark "twin magic."

That helped Nikki retain her title as Brie rolled Paige up.

Result

Nikki wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Nikki does push-ups next to a fallen Paige.

"Whenever in doubt, kick your opponent real hard."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Paige hits a facebuster from off the top rope.

Grade

B

Analysis

Glad to see the announcers talk about the length of Nikki's reign. It's a waste not to use stats to boost stories in wrestling.

Nikki really improved in the ring, and this was a showcase of that. She's been adding moves and getting better at working them more naturally into the action.

WWE's constant ignoring of the basic face-heel dynamic in the women's division is hurting her, though. Nikki has gone from fan favorite to slimy cheater and back again with no explanation. Some characters blur those lines, but WWE isn't even drawing those lines in the first place when it comes to Nikki.

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus

Credit: WWE.com

Before they meet in the Money in the Bank ladder match, Randy Orton and Sheamus locked up on Monday night. Intensity palpitated between them from the opening bell.

Orton stayed in control early on, even when the two began to trade uppercuts. The match moved to the outside, and The Viper remained on top. Sheamus battled back, but Orton had a response waiting for him each time out.

A knee to Orton's jaw sent him tumbling out of the ring, but Orton hung with Sheamus in the ensuing brawl. The Celtic Warrior then smacked him with a steel chair, forcing the referee to ring the bell.

Sheamus followed up with a Brogue Kick and a post-match assault. A pack of referees had to separate the Irishman from his prey.

Result

Orton wins via disqualification.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Orton slams Sheamus onto the announce table. 

Sheamus hits a flying knee drop.

Grade

B

Analysis

WWE went the simple, effective route in building toward the Money in the Bank ladder match. Creating some personal issues between Sheamus and Orton will bolster that contest. There's a chance now to add a hearty subplot.

It was surprising to see Sheamus get pushed around so much, but his beatdown after the bell more than made up for it. Having him ignore the rules and the unspoken code of the squared circle helps make him a clear villain.

Orton was especially crisp here. Not having to work Elimination Chamber the night before this battle had to help in that department.

Bo Dallas vs. Neville

Credit: WWE.com

Bo Dallas was not his usual smiley self. He attacked Neville with ferocity, flinging him out of the ring and nailing him with a hammering clothesline.

Trying to keep Neville grounded, Dallas clamped on a European headlock. The strategy didn't work, though. Neville fired off a number of high-flying moves to shift momentum his way.

A Red Arrow ended the bout.

Result

Neville wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"I tried to help you, Neville. Now I just want to hurt you."—Dallas

Grade

C

Analysis

Dallas showed some character progression here. An angry, frustrated version of his gimmick has potential. 

He's going to have to get more time to showcase it, though. This short match follows a relatively quick loss against Neville at Elimination Chamber.

WWE is clearly just using the motivational speaker to push Neville. It's a good place to put Neville for now, allowing him to pile up some wins.

Their clashes, though, have not been anything special thus far. 

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

For the third time Monday night, The Authority forced Roman Reigns to put his spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match on the line.

Bray Wyatt dominated his weakened foe. Even when Reigns dished out punishment, injuries from his earlier bouts slowed him down.

The Authority watched on as The Eater of Worlds ripped Reigns to shreds.

Reigns managed to fight back, even while he clutched his ribs, even after Wyatt bashed him over and over again. The Big Dog was in the midst of a rally, when Seth Rollins led his men to the ring.

The distraction actually helped him as Wyatt crashed into Kane, allowing Reigns to attack with the spear for a three-count.

The Authority looked to follow that up with a beatdown, but Dean Ambrose arrived, clearing the ring with Reigns at his side.

Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds on Rollins before raising the WWE title in the air.

Result

Reigns wins via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Wyatt slams Reigns' face onto the ring apron.

"How much more can he take?"—Booker T on Reigns

Ambrose teases giving back the title to Rollins.

Grade

A-

Analysis

Wyatt looked tremendous as the predator picking on the wounded animal. It's not great for him to lose to a man who was in his third contest, but at least WWE made it a fluky win for Reigns.

Reigns benefited from playing the part of the relentless, resilient hero. WWE is clearly having him follow the path that John Cena has walked for so long.

Saving Ambrose for the end of the show was unsurprising but still thrilling. He's red-hot now, and while this may be a placeholder feud for Rollins, he continues to show himself to be one of the show's highlights each week.