WWE Raw Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights Before SNME Tampa
Just five days before WWE invades Tampa for the latest edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, world heavyweight champion Jey Uso battled Bron Breakker in the main event of a blockbuster episode of WWE Raw on Netflix.
That reigniting of that rivalry headlined a broadcast that also featured the first two Women's Money in the Bank Qualifying Matches.
Who emerged victoriously, what else went down on the flagship broadcast, and what did it mean for those involved?
Find out with this recap of the May 19 episode, featuring grades and analysis of each segment and match.
Match Card
1 of 8
Announced in advance of the show were:
* Uso vs. Breakker
* Women's Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Kairi Sane vs. Zoey Stark
* Women's Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Natalya vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Becky Lynch
* Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller
Gunther Interrupted Logan Paul
2 of 8
Logan Paul kicked off Monday's show, eager to discuss his World Heavyweight Championship match against Jey Uso Saturday night on NBC. Interestingly, it drew the ire of Gunther, who interrupted him and came face-to-face with The Maverick.
After lulling Paul into a false sense of comradery, Gunther warned him of the fate that awaits him if he robs The Ring General of getting revenge on Uso on June 9 in Phoenix on Raw.
Paul, unwilling to let things lie, attempted to talk trash to Gunther as he departed the ring, only to turn around and eat a superkick from the world champion. Uso had a departing word or two and stood tall to close things out.
This was a solid opening promo that highlighted the moving pieces in the world title picture, both of whom Uso must keep his attention on while also focusing on his rivalry with Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker.
The tease of Gunther obliterating Paul earned a nice reaction, suggesting to the company that it is a match-up they can turn to if they ever need the former to get over as a babyface.
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* The reaction for Gunther interrupting Paul was thunderous, not because The Ring General is a beloved favorite but for the small possibility that we may witness the former world champ chop the YouTuber into oblivion.
* "To you, it's business. But to me, all of that here, is very personal. Beating Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight Championship is very personal for me. So if you take that away from me, being it's personal, will make me feel disrespected. Ask Pat what happens when I feel disrespected by non-wrestlers," Gunther warned Paul.
* "We will square off, the bell will ring, and I'm going to eat you alive," Gunther warned Paul if the two of them in the same ring together on June 7 for the world title.
Penta and AJ Styles vs. Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh
3 of 8
Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh of The Judgment Day defeated Penta and AJ Styles Monday night on Raw, thanks to interference from El Grande Americano.
He masked rudo grabbed Penta by the back of the head and delivered a headbutt, which was infinitely more potent thanks to a steel plate loaded into his mask.
Creatively, it ensures the ongoing rivalry between Americano and the real life brothers, Penta and Rey Fenix, continues while giving the Judgment Day a much-needed win over Styles, who remains one of the biggest threats to Dominik Mysterio's Intercontinental Championship.
From an in-ring perspective, this was a strong bit of business, with both teams meshing extremely well. The chemistry within both teams was undeniable and together, the two tandems created a red-hot match-up that had fans invested all the way up to the tainted finish.
Result
Bálor and McDonagh defeated Penta and Styles
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Backstage, Paul Heyman revealed to Uso that Breakker is not looking to take his title but, rather, to slow his momentum. Also, regardless of whether it is Uso, Paul, or Gunther, they are all short-term champions because the gold is going to belong to Seth Rollins.
* McDonagh's chest was 50 shades of red following a handful of chops from Penta, each one causing him to throw aimless punches in a fun, commercial break bit.
* Styles exploding into the match late off a hot tag is, arguably, the best role for him at this point in his career. He looked, for lack of a better word, phenomenal, here and the crowd was behind everything he did.
* Great tag team work from Bálor and McDonagh in this one. Quick tags, great psychology, and nearly flawless timing.
Natalya vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Becky Lynch
4 of 8
The right to join Alexa Bliss in the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match on June 7 was at stake when Natalya, Roxanne Perez, and Becky Lynch clashed in a three-way qualifying match Monday night.
A red-hot, action-packed match saw all three combatants highlighted before Lyra Valkyria made her presence felt late in the match, preventing Lynch from earning the win via Manhandle Slam to Natalya.
With those rivals brawling around ringside, Perez took advantage, delivering Pop Rox to The Queen of Harts and cashing her ticket to the June 7 premium live event in Los Angeles.
Take three incredibly talented wrestlers, give them a purpose for competing and enough television time to shine, and you will get a quality product. Such was the case in the night's second match.
This was excellent, culminating with a finish that made sense given the tension and dislike that exists between Lynch and Valkyria. They appear destined to dance once more for the Women's Intercontinental Championship while Perez heads to Money in the Bank for her first shot at the coveted briefcase and the guaranteed title opportunity that comes with it.
Now if only WWE Creative could find something for Natalya to do, fresh off her acclaimed appearances at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport over WrestleMania weekend and for NWA this past weekend.
Result
Perez defeated Lynch and Natalya
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Backstage, Rollins confronted Paul. The Visionary looking to manipulate Paul because he knows he can beat him for the world title but not necessarily either Uso or Gunther, is such a great character bit for Rollins at this point and one that is in line with this new persona.
* "Let's go Roxy!" chants from the fans in Greenville, South Carolina suggests there is a desire among fans to cheer for The Prodigy here on the main roster.
* Natalya broke out a double Sharpshooter on her opponents but could not force a submission out of either.
Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller
5 of 8
Two weeks after he set tag team partner Austin Theory up to face the returning Celtic Warrior, Grayson Waller had an unwanted shot at defeating Sheamus as they squared off in singles competition.
Despite being seemingly outmatched, Waller put up a solid fight, hanging in there with the former WWE and world champion and drawing the anger of the WWE fans. Late, though, Sheamus punished him.
Theory prevented his partner from taking the easy way out, setting him up to eat a Brogue Kick as The Celtic Warrior earned the hard-fought victory.
It was clear that Austin's actions were intentional and that his partnership with Waller is nearing its demise. This was merely the latest chapter in that deteriorating partnership and with that in mind, coupled with a solid performance from Waller, this worked.
After the match, a pre-taped interview conducted by Michael Cole and Pat McAfee with Indianapolis Pacers star Tyrese Halliburton revealed that the Indiana Pacers star will be part of the DLC content from WWE 2K25 in the Dunk and Destruction Pack.
Result
Sheamus pinned Waller
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Backstage, Sami Zayn vowed to have Uso's back at Saturday Night's Main Event and prevent Rollins, Breakker, Heyman, and anyone else from interfering on Paul's behalf.
* Elsewhere, Raw general manager asked Akira Tozawa if he really wants a match against Rusev next week, to which the American Alpha member reiterated that he does.
* Waller getting the upper hand on Sheamus only after Theory intervened was a nice bit of narrative work.
* Theory distracted Waller and did not look nearly upset enough after Sheamus rocked his partner with a running knee strike.
* Waller mocked the 10 Beats of the Bodhrán, to the dismay of Sheamus, who returned the favor ahead of the finish.
Rhea Ripley vs. Kairi Sane vs. Zoey Stark
6 of 8
Rhea Ripley punched her ticket to the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match on June 7, but not quite as she envisioned.
Early in a Triple Threat Qualifying Match Monday on Raw, Zoey Stark suffered a knee injury that led to her removal from the contest and setting Mami up for a one-on-one battle with Kairi Sane.
The two had never squared off in a one-on-one match before so, taking that into consideration and the suddenness of it all, what they put together on the fly was fairly solid.
The crowd was behind Ripley, greeting her with one of the loudest ovations of the entire broadcast, and she was every bit the star they thought she was. Sane held her own, firing off some hard strikes against The Eradicator, but whiffing on a spinning back fist that set up a headbutt from the former women's world champion and the Riptide.
Ripley winning makes sense given pursuit of her title and Sane will have plenty of time to build momentum, so this was the right outcome.
Result
Ripley defeated Sane and Stark
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* It is always good to see Sane back in the ring. Somehow still underrated among the WWE Universe, a singles run might be exactly what she needs to find the level of success reflective of her extraordinary skills.
* Stark's injury was devastating for the performer. Long one of the most talented young stars, just waiting for the right opportunity to come along where she could finally shine, this was a great platform for her. Hopefully, it is not a severe injury that keeps her out of action for too long, if at all.
* Ripley is as over as anyone on the show, as popular as even the top stars. That is problematic, though, when she and Sane opted to work a match in which she was the aggressor.
Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker
7 of 8
In the latest match-up between the world heavyweight champion and The Badass, Breakker dominated early and often. The second-generation star uncorked his raw power and fury, punishing his longtime rival and using his superb athleticism to control the pace.
Every time Uso mustered a comeback attempt, he cut him off. In one instance, he sent both himself and the babyface crashing over the announce table entering the commercial break.
A sit-out powerbomb coming out of the corner allowed Uso to score a near-fall and, at the same time, create some much-needed separation. Chants of "this is awesome" spilled from the stands in appreciation of the back-and-forth battle. Breakker attempted to use a chair but Uso thwarted him. Heyman responded by tripping Uso up.
Rollins hit the ring to draw the disqualification and a two-on-one beatdown ensued. Zayn made the save, hitting the ring but hesitating upon the clear numbers disadvantage. CM Punk's music played and the Straight Edge Superstar joined him to a deafening ovation.
A brawl ensued, spilling to the arena floor as the show faded to black, the last bit of hype for Saturday Night's Main Event. That is, until Paul came from out of nowhere and delivered a hard right hand to knock Uso out.
A strong match, coupled with a fun brawl and a great exclamation point in the form of Paul's sneak attack made this main event segment a winner. That Uso is finding out how difficult it is to be the hunted champion instead of the preying challenger is another story at the top of the card that is hitting on all cylinders right now.
Result
Uso defeated Breakker via disqualification
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Backstage, Bálor introduced The Judgment Day to Roxanne Perez, though not as a new member but, rather, additional backup. The Prodigy presented Mysterio with chicken nuggets and Carlito with apples, but was banished by Raquel Rodriguez, who was less than warm to the development.
* The crowd reaction for Punk was otherworldly and the audience singing to the "Cult of Personality" only made it better.
* Uso and Breakker have undeniable in-ring chemistry and it would be nice to see it play out in a longer form PLE main event.
Overall Grade
8 of 8
This was the best episode of Raw since the night after WrestleMania and may have even surpassed that one.
Some great in-ring action from the men's and women's divisions, quality storyline advancement, and a red-hot conclusion to the show that hyped up Saturday's broadcast television special helped earn this one that distinction.
And its overall "A" grade.
Grade: A
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