WWE Raw Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before SNME 43

Five days before the latest Saturday Night's Main Event, the May 18 episode of WWE Raw was headlined by the latest in the Bloodline saga featuring Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu.

What went down when The Tribal Chief returned to the flagship show to address the ongoing feud with his cousin, and what else went down that directly affected the company's latest prime-time special?

Find out now in this recap of the show, including grades and analysis from all of the night's action.

Lineup

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Announced in advance of Monday's show were:

Roman Reigns' response to Jacob Fatu

Women's Tag Team Championship: Brie Bella and Paige (c) vs. Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez

Oba Femi Open Challenge

Tornado Tag Team match: El Grande Americano, Bravo and Rayo vs. OG Americano, Julio and Bruto

Jacob Fatu and Roman Reigns Kick Off Raw

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Backstage, Roman Reigns arrived at the arena and was immediately confronted by Raw general manager Adam Pearce, who tried to convince The OTC to do things his way. Their conversation, though, was interrupted by Jacob Fatu's music and the Samoan Werewolf's entrance.

Fatu called out Reigns, but Jimmy and Jey Uso answered instead. The latter carried a chair and threatened physicality. It was the former, though, who attempted to talk sense into his cousin, rightly pointing out that WWE was about to fire him.

Jey tried a cheap shot and paid for it as Fatu wore both out, laying both down with the Tongan Death Grip. "Head of the Table" played, though, and Reigns made his way to the ring, the world title in hand.

Fatu again dominated, but The Usos took him out with a few superkicks, a spear, and a 1-D. When the unstoppable force got up, he found himself tied up in the ropes, with The Bloodline teeing off on him. The cousins left Fatu lying and walked out, only for the former No. 1 contender to challenge him to Tribal Combat.

"I accept," Reigns said, accepting the challenge to the dismay of Pearce, who had been ready to fire him.

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

Reigns still took forever to get to the ring to "make the save" for the Usos. It was like he was there to save the day, but not until Jimmy and Jey were real down and out first.

The tone of this rivalry continues to be baffling as Reigns and The Usos are clearly the heels as it is presented every Monday night but the crowd is still in favor of The Tribal Chief. Fatu's popularity is at a high, but Reigns is still the most over guy on the show, so programming them against each other has been somewhat counterproductive to getting the challenger over as a top babyface.

Tribal Combat is a rarely used gimmick bout so it carries more weight than others, even if it is a glorified street fight. It should be a nice marketing and promotional tool when it comes to drumming up excitement for the next premium live event, Clash in Italy.

Jimmy Uso is the vastly superior talker of the two Usos and should have more opportunities to do it.

Street Fight: Finn Balor vs. JD McDonagh

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Last Time in Action: JD McDonagh defeated Finn Balor (Raw, May 4)

The rivalry between mentor and protege wrote its latest chapter Monday when the teacher, Finn Balor, battled the student, JD McDonagh, in a Street Fight.

The action spilled to the stands ahead of the commercial break, with The Irish Ace delivering a thrilling moonsault to his opponent.

Back from the break, Balor fought and scratched his way back into the match, only to eat a Busaiku Knee as McDonagh cut off his momentum.

McDonagh retrieved a table and took too long to set it up, allowing Balor to recover. As he fended his opponent off on the ropes, Dominik Mysterio made his way to the ring, distracting Balor and allowing his Judgment Day teammate to deliver a big superplex through said table.

The heels beat down Balor in a two-on-one assault, only for the inaugural universal champion to dodge a 619 attempt, wipe out the heels, and deliver a Coup de Grace onto McDonagh, who was trapped inside a trash can, for the win.

Result

Balor defeated McDonagh

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

The rivalry between Balor and The Judgment Day feels like it is stuck in a rut. The end game is a match with Dominik Mysterio but we have already been there, done that. In fact, with the Demon arriving at WrestleMania, the rivalry has essentially been booked in reverse, with the big reveal kicking things off rather than serving as the culmination. As a result, this feels colder than it should be, with no obvious endgame because we have already seen it.

The series of matches with Balor has been huge for McDonagh in that they have gotten him on TV every week after a strong performance in the ladder match at WrestleMania. A workhorse for the show, the Irish Ace has earned increased exposure and paid it off here.

This is the hottest and strongest book version of Balor we have seen in years. Capitalizing on it in a meaningful way, perhaps a return to the main event and a date with familiar foe Roman Reigns, would be appropriate.

Sol Ruca and Becky Lynch Promo

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Backstage, women's intercontinental champion Becky Lynch interrupted a Sol Ruca promo, only to be called out by her moments later in an in-ring promo.

"What stunt are you pulling here, making a holy show of yourself?" Lynch asked, bewildered and dumbfounded by the intestinal fortitude of her young, prospective challenger.

Ruca issued a challenge for a match between the two of them, but Lynch turned it down, worming her way out of a title defense. After patting herself on the back, she informed the babyface that she would face her at Saturday Night's Main Event.

But not for the title. Ruca, after all, did not earn that title shot.

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

Lynch is one of the best talkers in the business and she carried this segment. She was fantastic here, hitting her points, setting the stage for Saturday's show, putting Ruca in a position to get the last point. No one does the cowardly heel better, all while retaining her credibility.

Big Time Becks also found symmetry with her husband, Seth Rollins, telling a young star that they are not ready and should think about what they are doing. Little things like that always enhance the segment.

If Ruca plays her cards right, she could emerge from this program as a star ready to rule the women's division sooner rather than later.

El Grande Americano, Bravo and Rayo vs. OG Americano, Julio and Bruto

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Last Time in Action: El Grande Americano lost to Dominik Mysterio (Raw, May 11); OG Americano, Bruto and Julio defeated El Grande Americano, Bravo and Rayo (Raw, May 4)

Ahead of Saturday's Mask vs. Mask battle between El Grande Americano and OG Americano, the two combatants led their teams into a Tornado Tag Team match.

Incredible athleticism from Julio and Bruto Creedo was on full display entering the break, with both taking flight and wiping out the competition on the floor.

Later in the bout, they partnered with OG Americano to prevent their opponents from utilizing the metal plates inside their masks, downing them with a trio of German suplexes.

The action broke down from there, with all six Superstars getting in their trademark offense. Americano tossed the original into the timekeeper's area. From there, Bravo and Rayo leveled Bruto with the loaded masks, and their leader joined them for a trio headbutt to secure the win.

Result

Americano, Bravo and Rayo defeated OG Americano, Bruto and Julio

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

This rivalry cannot be over soon enough. The creative team has no idea what it is doing with it, seemingly ignorant to how the two teams are received in Mexico. Using this match, and everything else from Raw that has preceded it, to hype up a match that will look and sound entirely different Saturday night, makes no sense. Stubbornly choosing to present Chad Gable's version of Americano as the babyface at the expense of the cultural hero that Ludwig Kaiser's has become south of the border, is the wrong choice and has confused the audience.

Thankfully, the in-ring action rarely disappoints. This was a fun, energy-packed match that reminded the audience of how great all six competitors are. The creative may not make sense but once the bell rings, the wrestling does.

LA Knight Interrupted The Usos and Michael Cole Interviewed Ethan Page

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Backstage, LA Knight interrupted an Usos promo and called them out for doing the same thing under Roman Reigns that they had combatted The Vision for doing.

"You do dirt, you get dirt," Knight warned his former teammates.

From there, Michael Cole threw to a sit-down interview with "All Ego" Ethan Page, who handed the Voice of WWE pre-made questions to be asked. "Honor the request of the talent," Page told a resistant Cole.

Cole stopped the charade and a suddenly serious Page threatened to win the Intercontinental Championship from Penta on Saturday Night's Main Event and rename it, further playing up his ego.

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

Knight being the voice of the reason is fantastic. Someone needs to hold The Usos accountable for falling right back into the same trap they had been in previously and Knight, fresh off teaming with them to battle The Vision, is the right guy for it. That he has history with Roman Reigns adds gravity to it.

Page is a great interview. His charisma is undeniable, he has the aura of a champion, and Cole called that all out here before pointing toward his ego as the potential downfall of his career. The shift in tone by Page was fantastic as he took exception to someone calling him out for his hubris.

Women's Tag Team Championship Match: Paige and Brie Bella vs. Judgment Day

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Last Time in Action: Paige and Brie Bella defeated Giulia and Kiana James (SmackDown, May 15); Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez defeated Bayley and Lyra Valkyria (Raw, April 27)

Following last week's physical confrontation, Paige and Brie Bella defended the Women's Tag Team Championship against The Judgment Day's Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez.

A hot start by the champs saw the babyfaces control the action early, only for the heels to down them and wrest control of the bout entering the commercial timeout.

Back from the break, Paige created separation, sending Rodriguez out of the ring and to the floor. She tagged Bella into the match, and Brie unloaded with a series of YES! Kicks to the body of Perez and a middle rope dropkick for good measure.

Interference from Morgan backfired as referee Jessika Carr ejected her from the ringside area. The distraction from that nearly allowed Perez to use a tag title belt on Bella, but the Hall of Famer ducked and rolled The Prodigy up for the win and successful title defense.

The heels jumped the champions after the match, but Bayley and Lyra Valkyria made the save, keeping their own title contention alive.

Backstage, Knight continued his accountability tour, calling Seth Rollins out and refusing to have his back against The Vision later in the night. "The enemy of my enemy is not my friend."

Result

Paige and Bella defeated Perez and Rodriguez to retain

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

Getting Paige and Bella reps, and letting them get reacquainted to the women's division, is exactly what they need. Here, plus Saturday's title defense against Nia Jax and Lash Legend, will only help them between the ropes.

The match here was fine, and Perez held the thing together, but the finish was overbooked.

Bayley and Valkyria still being involved in the title hunt is welcome, if only because they are great, but it does beg the question: is it holding them back from doing other, high-profile and more meaningful work? Perhaps with Morgan's women's world title?

Oba Femi Open Challenge

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Last Time in Action: Oba Femi defeated Los Garzas (Raw, May 11)

As Oba Femi made his way to the squared circle for his weekly open challenge, Brock Lesnar shockingly appeared and attacked him from behind.

The Beast Incarnate obliterated Femi with four F-5s, laying out his WrestleMania 42 opponent and rendering his retirement obsolete.

Lesnar walked out to a mixed reaction, looking back at his fallen prey to close out the segment.

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

That was a hell of a surprise.

The retirement at WrestleMania was handled so well that a surprise of this magnitude actually worked. The fans reacted favorably, Lesnar fed off their energy, and the result was a memorable segment that came from out of nowhere.

Backstage, Paul Heyman handed Adam Pearce a contract with Lesnar's signature on it, daring the Raw general manager to get Femi's signature for a rematch at Clash in Italy. That is a monster rematch for that show, even if it is a contest that does not, and should not, happen.

Seth Rollins vs. Austin Theory

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Last Time in Action: Rollins lost to Bron Breakker (Backlash, May 9); Austin Theory, Logan Paul, and Bron Breakker lost to Joe Hendry and The Street Profits (Raw, May 11)

Without backup and sensing urgency to even the odds with The Vision, Seth Rollins launched himself through the ropes and onto Austin Theory to kick off Monday's main event.

The Architect dominated the action early on, much to the delight of the fans. An attempted running boot to the face, though, was countered by Theory, who sent Rollins' foot and ankle into the ring post. The heel seized control of the bout.

Logan Paul took a cheap shot at Rollins' lower leg, and Theory sent him into the timekeeper's position as the latter rolled, entering the final commercial break of the night.

Rollins countered his way back into the match and set up for the Pedigree, only for the world tag team champion to counter out of it and drop his longtime rival. Later, Paul once again interfered, allowing Theory to deliver a stomp and nearly defeat the babyface with his own finishing maneuver.

Paul handed Theory brass knuckles to utilize, but Rollins delivered a superkick and retrieved the weapon. The referee prevented him from utilizing them, just as Rollins delivered a superkick to Paul. A pedigree to Theory earned Rollins the hard-fought, come-from-behind victory.

After the match, Angelo Dawkins made the save for Rollins as the tag team champions beat him down. Paul and Theory beat him down, leading to Montez Ford making the save for his tag team partner.

Ford earned a big pop as he fired up and leapt over the ring post and onto the heels. He took exception to Dawkins saving Rollins and ate a spear from Bron Breakker, who hit the ring to make the save.

The Badass and The Architect brawled, with the latter raking Breakker's eyes to earn the upper hand. Paul once again interjected himself, allowing his teammate to spear Rollins and put him down.

Result

Rollins defeated Theory

Grade

B-

Top Takeaways

Rollins and Theory have strong enough chemistry and worked each other incessantly back in 2022, including house show loops, so they know what it takes to have a good match. This one would qualify as such, but it was so lacking in stakes and unpredictability that it was difficult to get into it.

That the post-match was another beatdown by The Vision did not help matters and left the show feeling like it ended with a thud, rather than a bang.

MVP and Overall Grade

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MVP: LA Knight

For a guy who had rumors surrounding his name and lack of television presence this week, Knight exploded back onto Raw in two relatively short appearances that added credibility and gravity to ongoing stories.

Knight was the accountability guy, calling out The Usos for realigning with Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins for his past actions, which left him as a man without a country in his war with The Vision.

It was short, sweet, logical, and creative, which saw him call out the people around him for their past (and present) actions, all while not losing sight of his own goals.

For a show with nearly three hours to TV time to play with, it is almost astonishing that a guy on screen for less than four total minutes is the guy making the most sense and serving as the moral fiber of the broadcast.

Overall Grade: B

The main event match and segment were perfectly acceptable TV, but they could have been so much better had they been positioned midway through.

With that said, the surprise return of Lesnar was outstanding and gives fans a reason to tune into Clash in Italy.

The announcement of a big match between Reigns and Fatu, some fun if unspectacular wrestling, and the continuation of ongoing rivalries helped make what would have been a filler show a more entertaining way to spend nearly three hours.

Add to that the Sol Ruca-Becky Lynch showdown and you have another in a string of strong showings for the flagship.