WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 15

The WWE Raw that followed Money in the Bank celebrated two beastly men, when it wasn't trudging through midcard drivel.

Kevin Owens put on another display of his ability to steal the show. After he was done battling in the ring, he attacked Machine Gun Kelly, ending a concert and creating a wealth of buzz with an act of villainy.

Later on, Brock Lesnar returned. His wordless arrival is a prelude to him challenging Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

It was in between those moments and Rollins' cockiness that Raw limped along. Poor in-ring action, stories that took only tiny steps and the usual issues with the show's three-hour format tempted fans to go take a peek at the Stanley Cup Final instead. 

Seth Rollins' Celebration

A triumphant Seth Rollins celebrated his win over Dean Ambrose at Money in the Bank in grating fashion. He recounted the bout with a smirk on his face, patting himself on the back.

The champ pulled a list out of his pants of people he would like to thank. His name was listed first, second and third.

Rollins riled up the fans by dissing Johnny Manziel, who sat in the audience, and LeBron James. When Dean Ambrose came out to shut him up, a brawl broke out, the two men continuing their fight from Sunday night.

Rollins retreated; the Lunatic Fringe set up a chair and promised not to leave until his foe returned.

Backstage, the champion bickered with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. They revealed that Rollins would find out who his next challenger was by the end of the night.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Welcome to Monday Night, Rollins!"—Rollins.

"Who else would I thank? Certainly not Dumb and Dumber, aka J&J Security. I didn't need them. I certainly wouldn't thank the devil's favorite dinosaur."—Rollins.

Grade

A-

Analysis

More excellent heel work from Rollins here. He has become a braggart extraordinaire.

Not trotting out The Authority for the same old promo is a refreshing move. The more Rollins separates himself from that group, the stronger he has looked and the more compelling he's become.

More tension between him and The Authority signals a dramatic split down the road. 

It's also welcome news that WWE didn't immediately push Ambrose down to midcard status. He may not challenge Rollins again soon, but he appears to at least be hovering around the world title picture.

Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose

With the Money in the Bank briefcase in hand, Sheamus charged down to the ring to battle Dean Ambrose.

The fan favorite fought with a bad wheel, his left knee still hurting from his ladder war with Seth Rollins. That injury helped The Celtic Warrior take the advantage. The bruiser overpowered Ambrose early.

Ambrose fought back valiantly, but his bad leg slowed him down. Even so, he had Sheamus reeling, to the point that the Irishman looked to retreat.

Randy Orton's arrival distracted him; Ambrose used a schoolboy pin to take advantage and get the win. Orton followed up with a flurry of his signature moves.

Result

Ambrose wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"The difference between me and you is I'm a winner and you're a loser."—Sheamus to Ambrose.

Sheamus grips Ambrose in the Brock Lock.

"I don't think Ambrose gives a damn about his own well being."—Michael Cole.

Ambrose hits Sheamus with his own Beats of the Bodhran.

Grade

B

Analysis

The match was more about story than action. It was another display of guts and heart from Ambrose. Portraying him this way is smart. It's a surefire recipe for generation sympathy from the crowd.

As for Orton and Sheamus' burgeoning feud, WWE would be wise to give them more clear reasons to have so much bad blood. The fact that their previous brawls got intense is a good start, but the more personal their issues become, the more potential this rivalry will have.

King Barrett vs. R-Truth

R-Truth entered wearing a paper crown, a sheet for a cape and a plunger in place of a scepter. He sat down at the commentary table, not realizing he was in the match.

King Barrett bashed him a few times before R-Truth rolled him up for a quick win. Barrett went on a post-match tirade that saw him knock out the rapping wrestler and berate his opponent for not respecting him.

Result

R-Truth wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Who? I don't even know him."—R-Truth after Michael Cole said it looked like he took his cape from the Hyatt.

"I feel like I'm watching a LARPing event."—Byron Saxton.

Grade

C+

Analysis

R-Truth made the most of his minutes here. He was funny and made a goofy angle work. 

Even so, the short match, like the feud itself, feels inconsequential. The story is built around Barrett's anger over losing, but he loses all the time. And it's hard to take an enraged Barrett seriously after he's been booked so poorly for so long.

There's potential for this to be a solid midcard offering, but it could just as easily descend into ridiculous territory. 

Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

Recalling what happened after his match with John Cena at Money in the Bank, Kevin Owens said it was Cena's fault that Owens attacked him. The NXT champ felt disrespected, and so he responded with violence.

He demanded a rematch, this time with the United States Championship on the line.

Owens then issued an open challenge. Dolph Ziggler answered it to the fans' delight in Cleveland. Owens made it clear this would not be for the NXT title.

The Showoff soon suffered a senton to the ribs, getting suplexed onto the ring ropes and a boot to the gut. Owens dominated, punishing his foe, focusing on his midsection. 

Ziggler fought back with rapid strikes and a superkick that floored Owens. He nearly knocked off the bruiser with a Fameasser and later a Zig Zag. Owens, though, kept kicking out.

A pop-up powerbomb ended Ziggler's flurry and his chance for victory.

Later in the show, Owens met Machine Gun Kelly onstage after the rapper finished his set. The NXT champ delivered a powerbomb that sent him flying off the entrance ramp.

Result

Owens wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"This city has scratched and clawed for a chance at a championship, and I'll be damned if I don't give them one right now."—Ziggler.

Owens hurls Ziggler over the guardrail into the timekeeper's area.

Owens hits a Brock Lesnar-like release German suplex.

Grade

A-

Analysis

Owens is on an impressive roll. Each time out, he has added to his collection of standout matches. This hot start is sure to force casual fans to take notice.

He would benefit, though, from more heelish behavior in the ring. Whether it's eye-scratching or holding the ropes for leverage, Owens would boost his character by taking shortcuts more often, helping to differentiate him from the John Cenas of the world.  

The attack on MGK is most certainly vicious, but in a way, it only serves to make the diehard fans (who resent these kind of celebrity appearances) like him more. The fact that WWE chose Owens for this role, though, is a sign of just how highly it thinks of him.

Randy Orton vs. Kane

Right hands and surprisingly quick kicks gave Kane control of the bout early on. The Director of Operations methodically then attacked until Randy Orton used a series of clotheslines to get back into the match. 

Sheamus entered mid-match. Kane announced that the bout would be a No Holds Barred contest. 

That allowed The Celtic Warrior to hit a Brogue Kick and for Kane to take advantage by pinning Orton.

Backstage, Kane squabbled with Rollins. The world champ riled him up by mentioning his family and jabbing him with insults.

Result

Kane wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Sheamus is not a forgiving person."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Grade

D

Analysis

The best part of this by far was seeing Kane snarl at Rollins backstage. That's the Kane people care about. His diluted, corporate self is a drag to watch right now, especially when there are few times that his matches are anything noteworthy anymore.

It's looking more and more like Sheamus is working his way into The Authority. That's an intriguing move. This energy-lacking bout leading up to it was the opposite of that.

The Miz vs. Big Show

Ryback sat in on commentary as his two foes locked horns in front of them.

Big Show chased The Miz around the ring. He faked a leg injury to distract The Miz long enough to start cracking chops against his chest. 

When the fight moved to the outside, Big Show and Ryback barked at each other. That allowed The Miz to slip back into the ring to just beat the referee's 10-count. The Miz went into full celebration mode.

Result

The Miz wins via count-out.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"He likes to be a joker of all trades."—Ryback on The Miz.

Fans chant, "This is awful!"

Big Show throws The Miz into Ryback.

Grade

C-

Analysis

All of the decisions WWE went with here are logical. Of course, The Miz weaseled his way to a win. Of course, tensions between Ryback and Big Show are growing with another showdown between likely on the horizon.

The journey there has just not been entertaining. 

The Miz isn't great in the ring, but asked to go up against Big Show, he has no shot of pulling out anything special. The lack of chemistry between those two spells doom for the Triple Threat match likely to happen with all three of these men.

Roman Reigns-Bray Wyatt Confrontation

Flustered, Roman Reigns demanded a shot at Bray Wyatt before Battleground. Wyatt only appeared on the big screen.

The Eater of Worlds explained that he attacked Reigns at Money in the Bank because he felt like Reigns stole his chance at that briefcase weeks ago. He ranted on about saving the world and destroying Reigns, while the babyface seethed.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"I could have changed things. I could have been the beacon of hope this world desperately needs."—Wyatt.

Wyatt sings, "I'm a Little Teapot," while holding a picture of Reigns' daughter.

Grade

B+

Analysis

For once, Wyatt's motivation is clear and logical. Reigns prevented him from going to the Money in the Bank match. That's a fine starting point for their animosity; WWE now has to find ways to keep escalating it.

Wyatt bringing in Reigns' family is a surefire way to do that. There's an emotion-laden narrative awaiting the company down that path.

There was too much silence from Reigns here, with Wyatt taking up the majority of the airtime. For future collisions, it would be better to allow the powerhouse to be more physical. He stands no chance in a war of words.

Paige vs. Nikki and Brie Bella

Backstage, Paige tried to rally the women's division to push back against the Bella sisters. She found no allies in the group. No one trusted her.

A smirking Nikki Bella arrived just in time to see Naomi, Summer Rae and others leave Paige standing on her own.

Once the match began, Paige managed to fend off both women for a short while. The numbers disadvantage soon took its toll. Brie and Nikki took turns pounding on Paige.

Paige fought back, but eventually fell victim to the Rack Attack.

Result

Nikki and Brie win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You must be crazy if you think you can boss me."—Naomi to Paige.

Paige sends Brie crashing into Nikki, the Divas champ flying off the ring apron. 

Grade

C+

Analysis

This will eventually will lead somewhere, likely the debut of an NXT Diva, but for now the story is solid rather than spectacular.  

It feels awfully familiar to the story that brought AJ Lee back the last time around. That makes this feel less fresh, even with the addition of the backstage rally.

The New Day vs. Neville and The Prime Time Players

A speedy exchange between Darren Young and Xavier Woods kicked things off.

The babyfaces dominated. Kofi Kingston still suffering from the aftereffects of Roman Reigns sending him through a ladder on Sunday didn't help. 

The New Day managed to turn the bout around during the commercial break. That is until Neville came into the bout. He blasted the former tag champs with dropkicks and a variety of high-flying moves.

Young landed a gutbuster to Kingston's injured ribs; Neville followed up with the Red Arrow for the win.

Result

The Prime Time Players and Neville win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Neville flies over the top rope onto Woods and Big E. 

Big E hits Young with Snake Eyes, while Kingston lands a kick to the head.

Grade

B-

Analysis

The action was fun and fast-paced. Having Kingston sell the damage from Money in the Bank is smart. And it's good to see Neville get some spotlight and another win.

It's odd, however, how little WWE capitalized on the story of The Prime Time Players dethroning The New Day. Nothing was added to their rivalry here other than another victory for the good guys. The narrative didn't develop; there was no incentive to see where this feud heads next.

The tag team division often gets minimal effort from the writing team, though.

No. 1 Contender Announced

The Authority opened by apologizing for Kevin Owens' attack on Machine Gun Kelly. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon then nixed the idea that Joey Mercury, Dean Ambrose and others would challenge Rollins.

A grinning Rollins came out after that news, ready to hear who would be his next opponent. McMahon said the champ had something left to prove. Triple H talked about needing to see what Rollins does under pressure.

Out came Lesnar, stunning Rollins. The Beast Incarnate stared down the champ; Rollins looked close to passing out.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Do you crumble, or do you become the diamond we have invested in?"—Triple H.

"Brock Lesnar just got reinstated. Oh my God! Hell just opened up."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Fans chant, "Suplex City!"

Lesnar stares at Rollins; says nothing.

Grade

A

Analysis

Fans could see the reveal coming, and there wasn't great energy early on in this segment, but none of that mattered. Lesnar's return created a compelling moment and leaves the audience thrilled about what's next.

It's an exciting turn of events that Lesnar's next crack at the title is coming before SummerSlam. 

WWE now has a good chunk of time to amp up the anticipation for this battle. Seeing Paul Heyman sell this will be a thrill ride. Rollins demonstrating his cowardice will be the same. The company just needs to remember to shine a light on the champ's strengths and not just make him feel like an underdog with no shot to survive.