WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from June 22

Brock Lesnar invaded WWE Raw; Seth Rollins was there with a spider web waiting for him.

Monday's show was largely a single-narrative affair. Rollins looking to convince his lackeys to do his bidding once more opposite Lesnar's hunt for the champ dominated Raw. The rest of the night mostly offered tepid contests.

Matches were set up for Battleground, from Big Show vs. The Miz vs. Ryback to a rematch between The Prime Time Players vs. The New Day, but none of that setting up led to anything memorable. A mostly dull night from an in-ring standpoint was highlighted by Paul Heyman armed with a mic, Bray Wyatt hosting a tea party and Rollins wrangling a monster. 

The following is a look at all those moments and more, complete with highlights and letter grades.

Brock Lesnar's Apology

Paul Heyman officially welcomed Brock Lesnar back to WWE. He showed a clip of Lesnar's rampage months ago after WrestleMania that got him suspended to refresh our memories of why his client hasn't been around.

The manager then revealed that Lesnar would have to apologize publicly to Michael Cole and John "Bradshaw" Layfield to get his job back. The Beast Incarnate shook JBL's hand before giving Cole a forceful noogie. 

Heyman dismissed Rollins as being protected throughout his career, promising that Lesnar would conquer the champion.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Fans welcome Heyman and Lesnar with "Suplex City!" chants.

"I'd like to issue an apology in advance for what my client is going to do to that slinky, slimy, disgusting, disreputable, repulsive, repugnant, dirty, lousy, rotten, stinking, sicko, bandit Seth Rollins."—Heyman.

"It's what's beast for business."—Heyman.

Grade

A-

Analysis

In one of Heyman's stronger interviews, he put over Rollins, selling him as a weasel-like villain. At the same time, he did a masterful job in creating anticipation about seeing his client rip Rollins apart.

Heyman will be key in making a Rollins win seem possible as he plays up the champ's strengths.

More conflict would have earned this a higher grade. That would come later in the night.

Dean Ambrose vs. Kane

Kane and Dean Ambrose traded strikes in what began as a slugfest.

Thanks to stiff right hands, the Director of Operations dominated at first. Ambrose's rallies ended quickly as Kane kicked him in the ribs or threw him into the ring steps.

Ambrose fought on, though, and eventually had Kane reeling. A series of clotheslines knocked the big man down, and he seemed to have victory in hand. Seth Rollins came to ringside to distract him, however.

That allowed Kane to chokeslam The Lunatic Fringe off the top rope for the win. 

Backstage, Rollins tried to patch things up with Kane. The powerhouse wasn't having any of it.

Result

Kane wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Ambrose bites Kane's head.

Ambrose hits a flying clothesline off the ring apron.

Ambrose flies out of the ring to nail Rollins with a suicide dive.

Grade

C+

Analysis

The bout was slow and didn't have much energy to speak of. The crowd, not surprisingly, wasn't into it.

A few bursts of action made it better than other matches featured later in the night.

This was more about Rollins and Kane's relationship. That splintering alliance is still very much in the spotlight.

As for Ambrose, it's unclear where he is heading. A full-on rivalry with Kane would be a letdown for him. It beats falling into King Barrett territory, though.

The Prime Time Players vs. The Ascension

After airing a video of Titus O'Neil winning the Celebrity Dad of the Year award, the champs went to work. He and Darren Young ganged up on Konnor in the early going.

Momentum soon shifted, though. The Ascension kept O'Neil in their corner, grounding him with wear-down holds. 

The match soon grew chaotic with each man landing big blows. Young ended it with Gut Check on Viktor.

Result

The Prime Time Players win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Big E chomps on celery as he watches the match from a monitor backstage.

Grade

C-

Analysis

The result makes sense as it gives the champs momentum. The victory was more significant than the action here. Young and O'Neil are prepping for a rematch with The New Day; more wins will make the champs look more formidable and not just two guys who got lucky one night. 

The bout, however, offered minimal entertainment. A part of that is how short it was; another was that The Ascension didn't feel like they had any shot of winning.

They have nestled into the jobber team spot since making their debut.

Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns

The announcers wondered if Roman Reigns could focus on Sheamus with his mind sure to be on Bray Wyatt. 

He looked fine early, tossing The Celtic Warrior out of the ring. Reigns turned up the intensity on his strikes. Sheamus responded with his own jaw-rattling haymakers.

The hard-fought match brought both men outside the ring, where Sheamus was hurled into the corner of the guardrail. That led to the Irishman zeroing on the lower back, hammering away at that spot.

Reigns winced as he fought back. He had Sheamus on his heels, but Bray Wyatt appeared on the big screen. Wyatt looked to be having a children's tea party. That had Reigns run out of the ring to find him.

Reigns stumbled onto a room filled with pictures of himself and the words "anyone but you, liar" written in red on the wall.

Result

Sheamus wins via count-out.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Sheamus counters Reigns' apron dropkick with a nasty clothesline.

Reigns clotheslines Sheamus onto the announce table.

Grade

A

Analysis

The match itself gets a "B+." The Wyatt elements elevate the grade.

WWE is doing a good job pushing the envelope with this storyline. Having Wyatt tease that he is going after Reigns' daughter is smart. Actually involving her would be too unsettling.

Sheamus looked vicious here. Both he and Reigns used good psychology.

The bout was building toward a climax that never came. Their chemistry suggests that a full program between the two of them is something worth turning to down the road.

Neville vs. Kofi Kingston

Neville and Kofi Kingston's athletic skills were on display early on. Leapfrogs and dives highlighted the action.

A distraction from Big E and Xavier Woods allowed Kingston to gain the advantage. It didn't last long, though. Neville roared back with his usual high-flying offense.

The Prime Time Players came out to even the numbers game. The referee threw them out and moments later did the same to The New Day. With the match now a one-on-one contest, Neville hit the Red Arrow for the win.

Result

Neville wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Woods snaps photos of Kingston putting a chinlock on Neville.

Grade

B-

Analysis

Neville and Kingston did well with the time they had here. The brief match had good energy and a few flashes of high-flying skill.

It's odd that Neville has been thrust into this feud with The New Day with no explanation. Exploring why he and The Prime Time Players are allies would add depth to this story.

As it stands, it just feels like an excuse to put Neville and Kingston in the same ring, pitting super athlete against super athlete.

King Barrett vs. Zack Ryder

Credit: WWE.com

Zack Ryder took a bad fall from the top turnbuckle early on.

That opened the door for King Barrett to dish out punishment. Barrett held his foe down with a reverse chinlock, but the babyface came charging back. Ryder couldn't complete the comeback, however.

A Bull Hammer knocked him off the ring ropes before the referee counted to three. 

Result

Barrett wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"If Barrett keeps losing, he'll be a court jester."—Micheal Cole.

Grade

C

Analysis

It's good to see Barrett get a win, even if it is against a low-rung star like Ryder. 

Barrett had to work for the victory, which allowed Ryder to make an impression despite the loss. Like many of the night's offerings, this felt like a longer story condensed into a smaller package.

It's going to take several more wins and some creativity to generate some momentum for his feud with R-Truth. For now, it just feels like filler.

John Cena Addresses Kevin Owens

Credit: WWE.com

John Cena recounted his history with Kevin Owens, talking up his foe. He wondered whether he should accept Owen's challenge for the United States Championship.

He agreed to put his title on the line just before Owens walked to the entrance ramp.

The NXT champ broke out the French to do his trash-talking. Cena shot back with French, Chinese and some loud, angry English.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"I may be signing up for a fight that I just can't win."—Cena.

"I want to make it a symbol of my excellence."—Owens on the U.S. title.

"These people are not indifferent to you because of where you're from or the language you speak. They are indifferent to you, Mr. Owens, because you are a disrespectful suckbag."—Cena.

Grade

C

Analysis

This was the least intense showdown they have had yet. Too much silliness made its way into the segment. A lack of focus hurt it as well.

The part featuring all the languages felt out of place. And there was just so much less tension between these two than we have seen before.

Owens beginning to focus on the U.S. title is a welcome sight. This is where the heart of the feud should be from now on, no "they hate me because I'm French-Canadian" moments needed.

The Bella Twins vs. Naomi and Tamina Snuka

Alicia Fox accompanied Nikki and Brie Bella. She had a front-row view of Tamina Snuka overpowering Brie. Naomi came in and took her shots as well.

When Nikki tagged in, she sent Naomi crashing into the mat. That flurry was soon over, though. Naomi and Tamina double-teamed her.

An errant Rear View hit Tamina, allowing Nikki to hit Rack Attack for the win.

Result

The Bella Twins win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Naomi drives Brie's face into the turnbuckle with a bulldog.

Grade

D+

Analysis

So much for allowing the women a little more time to work with. This bout suffered from the same timing issues that inspired the "Give Divas a Chance" movement.

This was over far too quickly to achieve much of anything.

It doesn't help that WWE has ignored the standard heel-face dynamic when it comes to the women. There was no one to root for here with villain facing villain. That hurt the energy of the action from the get-go.

And Naomi needs to get rid of the Rear View. It ranks as one of the least threatening moves in WWE history.

Ryback vs. Mark Henry

Ryback ran into a wrecking ball in the form of Mark Henry. The World's Strongest Man barreled over Ryback early on, flinging him around outside the ring.

Big Show played cheerleader as Henry continued his domination. 

The Big Guy, though, battled back. He clotheslined his opponent and then flew off the top rope for the win.

Big Show stepped in afterward to admonish Henry for losing. He then confronted Ryback backstage. A brawl sent Big Show tumbling into equipment backstage.

Result

Ryback wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Best thing The Miz can do is get out of the way before I splatter him all over Ryback."—Big Show.

Ryback hits a splash from the top rope.

"Don't go calling me, Flyback."—Ryback.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Short bursts of intensity powered a so-so match. It was over in a hurry and a commercial break cut off much of it. The backstage brawl afterward was far more exciting.

Ryback winning was the right move. Too often WWE opts to have its IC champ take a series of non-title losses.

Big Show got too goofy during some of his trash talk, but the segment achieved its goal of making things more personal between him and Ryback. Showing Ryback being capable of taking down the big man is a good move as well.

The trouble with taking on Big Show, though, is that Ryback doesn't thrive against massive powerhouses as we saw against Henry.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Adam Rose

Credit: WWE.com

Adam Rose promised to show the world what real love looked like. After kissing Rosa Mendes, he found himself at the wrong end of Dolph Ziggler's boot.

The cocky, mustached heel fought back with flair. He danced in between landing shots. The dancing didn't last long.

The Showoff landed a superkick to keep Rose down. He celebrated by kissing Lana. Rusev watched it all from backstage, going into a rage, throwing his crutches as a result.

Summer Rae helped the big brute, batting her eyes as she did so.

Result

Ziggler wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You don't get what real art is. You don't get what real passion is."—Rose to the fans.

Rose calls the fans "mouth-breathing dullards."

Ziggler superkicks Rose out of the air.

Grade

C

Analysis

Being in love is not exactly character depth, but at least Rose is getting some air time. It's hard to imagine his current storyline going anywhere. There's no electricity to his and Rosa's pairing anyway. 

The announcers playing up the importance of a win was a welcome surprise. It made the match feel more important as opposed to when the folks behind the desk joke around during the action.

Lana is going to have to do more as Ziggler's ally than just stand there during the match. She would do well to study how Paul Heyman uses facial expressions to better a match his client is in.

Seth Rollins' Apology

Credit: WWE.com

Seth Rollins spent much of the night trying to repair his relationship with Kane and J&J Security. The allies he mocked for weeks refused to forgive him.

Stephanie McMahon ordered them to hear Rollins out in the night's final segment. 

Rollins assured them he wasn't trying to get them on his side due to his fear of Brock Lesnar. He apologized to Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury. While they thought over their response, Rollins turned his attention to Kane.

He begged for the three men to take him back.

They didn't answer. Instead, Lesnar stormed down to ringside. He stalked Rollins and company. His would-be allies departed, but they all returned, trying to take out The Beast Incarnate.

They failed, leaving Rollins to suffer German suplex after German suplex.

Kane soon saved Rollins' skin, hitting a chokeslam. They then double-teamed Lesnar, focusing on damaging his left leg. Mercury later joined in. 

The reunited Authority left Lesnar laying.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Suplex City!" chants irritate Rollins. 

"Battleground may be a formality after this."—John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Kane cracks a chair on Lesnar's leg, rattling it against the ring post.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This closing segment will divide fans. Some will view Lesnar succumbing to his beating as a foolish choice. After all seeing an aging Kane and a small guy like Mercury overcome this rhino of a man was odd.

It makes sense, though, to go against expectation. It helps Rollins look crafty and dangerous.

He was the one who got his cronies to follow his lead again. He was the one going after the leg, cutting the big man down like a tree.

What follows this will be tremendous as Lesnar getting his revenge is sure to be can't-miss. This moment, however, was good, but not spectacular.