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KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
MAY 30. 2022
DES MOINES, IOWA AT WELLS FARGO CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves
[HOUR ONE]
-Jimmy Smith introduced the show as the camera panned the crowd.
-Becky Lynch made her ring entrance right away. They cut to clips of the Asuka-Becky-Bianca Belair storyline the last two weeks. Lynch welcomed fans to Raw. She said it’s been a while since she’s done that and it feels good. She said she didn’t feel like doing this when she didn’t have her title, “especially because so many of you prayed for my downfall.” She added, “Lucky for me, I don’t live for you; I live for me. And I live on spite and coffee, and right now I’m feeling pretty fueled up.” She said some collect stamps or friends, but she collects enemies. She said she’s going to keep collecting them as she rises to the top. She said she knows she’s on track to regain her title at Hell in a Cell. Boos rang out.
Becky said she knows odds are stacked against her, but that has never stopped her before. She said she defies convention. She narrated photos from Money in the Bank two years ago. She said Asuka won MITB and that’s why “when I went off to create life like the god I am, I generously gave Asuka the greatest gift of her career – I handed her my title.” She said even then, she had a plan because she knew Asuka was the best but she knew she could beat her. She said what she realizes now is that she created a selfish, entitled monster. She said she made her accustomed to being handed things. Asuka’s music interrupted.
Graves said he was enjoying Becky telling the absolute truth. Asuka entered the ring and called Becky “a big time baby.” Becky tried to interrupt, but Asuka cut her off aggressively. As Becky took exception to Asuka saying she’s going to be champion after Sunday, Bianca Belair’s music played and she walked out.
Belair said they’re complaining way too much. She said she doesn’t even have to get pinned to lose her title on Sunday. She said unlike them, she likes to do her talking in the ring. She then talked some more. She said her belt isn’t going anywhaere and she plans to drop Becky just like she did at WrestleMania. Becky popped Belair in the face with a fist. Asuka attacked Lynch. Belair joined beating on Lynch, but also yanked Asuka away. Asuka didn’t like that. As Belair and Asuka argued, Becky went after them. Belair, though, gave her a KOD style drop over the top rope. Asuka then gave her a hip attack, knocking her to the floor. Asuka and Belair danced in the ring to Belair’s music as Becky yelled at ringside.
(Keller’s Analysis: This was pretty straight forward. I’d like to see Belair’s speaking to sound a bit more natural and not lean in so much on her catch phrases because I think there’s more upside to her that way. It’s fun having Asuka back even if how she’s directed to portray herself is polarizing.) [c]
(1) BIANCA BELAIR vs. ASUKA
Lynch joined in on commentary. She bragged about her WrestleMania main event success and becoming Becky Two Belts. Asuka ended up grounding Belair with a standing anklelock. Belair battled back, but Asuka leaped in the air and applied a guillotine. Belair suplexed out of it and then landed a standing moonsault for a two count. After they tumbled over the top rope to the floor together, they cut to a break. [c]
Asuka landed a hip attack after the break for a two count. Belair took over and rammed Asuka face-first into the top turnbuckle. Becky said she wants to see these two fight all three hours for Raw because they’d be worn out on Sunday. Seconds later Asuka avoided a moonsault and then went for a Magistral Cradle. Belair leveraged Asuka’s shoulders down for the win.
WINNER: Belair in 13:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good athletic crisp action here. Becky was a blast on commentary.)
-Afterward, Becky immediately attacked Asuka and Belair. She gave Belair a Manhandle Slam and left the ring. Graves said this shows how crafty Becky is. Becky’s music played as she gloated at ringside and referees checked on Belair and Asuka.
-A clip aired of Kevin Owens challenging Ezekiel last week on Raw to a match at Hell in a Cell.
-Rey and Dominik Mysterio made their ring entrance. Byron Saxton plugged the six-man tag team match up next. [c]
(2) EZEKIEL & REY & DOMINIK MYSTERIO vs. KEVIN OWENS & CHAD GABLE & OTIS
Saxton said KO’s obsession with Ezekiel has been bad for his mental health. Graves said KO doesn’t like liars. The babyface trio cleared the ring of the heels early in the match. Gable then knocked Dominik out of the ring to the floor. The heels beat up Dominik at ringside as they cut to an early break. [c]
KO had Dominik in a sharpshooter mid-ring after the break. KO tagged in Otis next, who charged at Dominik in the corner and crushed him. Then he set up a swing splash out of the corner. Dominik moved out of his path, though. Both were down and slow to get up. They both crawled over and tagged out. In came Ezekiel and Gable. Chaos broke out with a rapid-fire sequence of moves with everyone. KO mistakenly superkicked Gable. Ezekiel threw Owens to the floor The Mysterios then hit a stereo 619 on Gable. Ezekiel then gave Gable a corkscrew brainbuster suplex for the win.
WINNERS: Ezekiel & the Mysterios in 9:00.
-Owens threw a fit at ringside after the match. He leaped over the announce desk and got in Smith’s face and asked if he thinks it’s funny. He threw aside the paperwork on the desk. Smith stepped back and let Owens’ throw his fit.
(Keller’s Analysis: Like Sami over on Smackdown, there’s never a dull moment with KO these days. His obsession with Ezekiel is so well played.)
-A recap aired of the angle with Seth Rollins attacking Cody Rhodes last week on Raw. Cody’s ring entrance then took place. Smith said it’s amazing he’s walking after what Seth did to him last week. Graves said it’ll take more than a weight belt to stop him. [c]
-Cody absorbed a “Cody!” chant from scattered fans after the break and he smiled. He said he’s going to say something that will surprise them. “I have always been a fan of Seth Rollins,” he said. He always saw potential in him doing great things. He said one of his teachers down in NXT saw the same thing. He said that person raised him. Scattered fans chanted “Dusty! Dusty!” He said Seth has lived up to the hype. He said he was nervous about facing Seth at WrestleMania because after everything he had done and everywhere he had been, he couldn’t return to WWE and lose. He said he won both at WrestleMania and Backlash. “I was the better man, and it has driven Seth Rollins mad,” he said.
He said envy is the act of counting other people’s blessings while ignoring your own, and jealousy leads men to desperate measures. He said Seth is an egomaniac who wants everything for himself. He said that’s part of what makes Seth so dangerous. He said on Sunday at HIAC, he’ll walk into the biggest challenge of his entire career and he needs Seth to hear him and feel what he’s going to say next. He said all of the reverence he has for Seth and every ounce of his self-control will be locked outside of the Cell. He said he’ll be locked inside with a man who wants to hurt him very bad. Seth’s music interrupted.
Instead of walking onto the stage, Seth walked out of the concourse and down the steps amongst the fans. He said he’ll keep it simple. “I don’t like you,” Seth said. “And I don’t want you here.” He said he tried to accept this new version of him, but every week the pandering got worse and worse and the Cody chants got louder and louder. He said that’s all he hears in his sleep now, “and I can’t stand it any longer.”
[HOUR TWO]
Seth, in an apparent AEW reference, said: “You left WWE six years ago because you weren’t good enough. And then every single day that you were gone, you and your little friends tried to tear down what I was building here.” (It’s really something that fans never chant “AEW” in these situations.) He said then the prodigal son returned home to fulfill his family legacy. “Not on my watch, pal,” Seth said. He said he doesn’t get to be the conquering hero in his kingdom and take a sledgehammer to the throne and then try to take the throne from him. He said he’s going to prey on his insecurities. He said he will not change Cody, he will end him. “Then we can all wake up from this American Nightmare.” He cackled and danced in obnoxious self-satisfaction.
Cody asked Seth what is stopping him. “Three little ropes and this barricade?” he said. “Why are we waiting? The time for talk is over.” Cody told him to come to the ring. Cody took off his suit jacket. Seth teased climbing over the barricade at ringside, but then stopped and laughed and said he’d see him on Sunday. Cody chased Seth and they brawled in the floor seating area. (They did a nice job not making it obvious cameras were positioned ahead of time to film this “impromptu brawl.”) Cody tackled Seth through the ringside barricade and mounted him and punched away at him. A bunch of WWE officials ran out and pulled them apart. [c]
-The commentators reacted to clips of the pullapart brawl with Seth and Cody before the break.
(3) ALEXA BLISS vs. DOUDROP (w/Nikki A.S.H.)
Bliss came out first with Lilly. They aired a sponsored clip of Bliss winning the women’s Money in the Bank match back in 2018, then cashing in against Nia Jax. Doupdrop then made her entrance, accompanied by Nikki. Doudrop overpowered Bliss early and dominated. Graves said he misses the ruthless stop-at-nothing version of Bliss. He said Doudrop appears more like that now. Bliss avoided a charging Doudrop and threw a series of knees and a dropkick to take her down. She played to the crowd, then leaped at Doudrop. Doudrop caught her and slamnmed her. When she went for a senton, though, Bliss moved. Doudrop stayed on offense, though, and went for a swing splash in the corner. Bliss moved again, then climbed to the top rope. She fended off Nikki, then landed Twisted Bliss for the win.
WINNER: Bliss in 4:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: I like that they went with ringside interference, but it didn’t lead to the babyface being distracted and then losing as a result.)
-Clips aired of the MVP & Omos vs. Bobby Lashley saga. Then they showed MVP and Omos talking backstage.
-Miz’s ring entrance took place. He plugged the new season of “Miz & Mrs.” The Street Profits interrupted. They joined Miz in the ring and took over the segment. They plugged Money in the Bank matches for a while, and noted that Miz lost to Cody. They then apologized for their manners. Montez Ford said they keep asking questions of Miz, but haven’t let him talk. Ford asked what he thinks about HIAC in this Sunday. Miz said, “Thank you, here’s what I think.” They yanked the mic away and said, “It doesn’t matter what you think!” They laughed. Miz held up his arm. “Do you know what this means?” Miz said. The Profits said it along with him to mock him.
Suddenly Dana Brooke and Akira Tozawa ran to ringside and into the ring. Tozawa took the 24/7 Title from Brooke. Tozawa then rolled her up for near fall. T-Bar ran out and sitout chokeslammed Tozawa. Ford superkicked T-Bar out of the ring, then sat down and watched as Apollo Crews and R-Truth fought mid-ring as Brooke battled Tamina in the corner. Tamina then gave Brooke a Samoan Drop and pinned her to become 24/7 Champion. She then kissed Tozawa, who was thrilled. Tozawa then used a blackslide to take the 24/7 Title right back from Tamina. He ran to the back as Tamina stared him down from inside the ring.
(Keller’s Analysis: If there was any hope T-Barr would get a break by being added to The Judgement Day, this points away from that in the immediate future. That was a lot of things happening, but nothing too important. They got to plug Miz’s reality show and Money in the Bank, plus get the weekly 24/7 shenanigans out of the way with Tozawa getting some retribution.)
-Theory made his ring entrance. [c]
(4) MUSTAFA ALI vs. TOMMASO CIAMPA – If Ali wins, he gets a U.S. Title match against Theory
Theory joined the announcers on commentary. At 3:00, Ali leaped through the ropes and tackled Ciampa onto the ringside mat. The bump was intense. The announcers gasped. Ali threw Ciampa back into the ring. Theory grabbed Ali’s leg and yanked him down. The ref DQ’d Ciampa.
WINNER: Ali via DQ in 4:00.
-Theory stomped away on Ali at ringside. Graves blamed Saxton because he’s among those not giving Theory the respect he deserves. Theory threw Ali into the ringpost. Then he kneeled next to Ali and said a DQ in “is a coward’s way out.” He said he’s on another level, and he said they should just do the U.S. Title match now. Graves called Theory brilliant. [c]
-Theory was stomping away at Ali in the ring. Graves said it was happening throughout the break. The ref asked Ali if he wanted to fight. Ali could barely stand, but he said yes. It sounded like a “C.M. Punk” chant broke out.
(5) THEORY vs. MUSTAFA ALI – U.S. Title match
Saxton said it wasn’t fair. Graves said this was an example of why Mr. McMahon chose Theory. A minute in, Ali made a comeback with a DDT. Then he climbed to the top rope. Theory knocked him off balance, then delivered his finisher.
WINNER: Theory in under 2:00 to retain the U.S. Title.
-As Theory celebrated, Adam Pearce walked out and said he should check his text messages. He said Mr. McMahon was impressed with Theory’s psychological tactics, but he wants to see him prove himself in a fair fight on Sunday at Hell in a Cell. Graves said, “The kid isn’t sweating it.”
-They showed Riddle backstage. He thanked fans for their words of support for Randy Orton. He said he’s going to get his vengeance, even without Randy. Shinsuke Nakamura said they have a common purpose to bleed the Bloodline dry.
-The ring announcer introduced the Usos, who walked out holding up both sets of tag team title belts. [c]
-Nakamura came out to his music. Riddle then came out to his music.
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[HOUR THREE]
(6) THE USOS vs. RIDDLE & SHINSUKE NAKAMURA – Championship Contenders’ match
Smith said WWE’s medical staff won’t tell them anything other than Orton is undergoing tests. He said he hopes Orton can return to the ring some day. Nakamura and Riddle dominated the opening two minutes. The Usos then took over against Riddle. At 5:00 Riddle hot-tagged Nakamura (who did not get a Randy Orton pop). Nakamura rallied against Jimmy with a barrage of offense including a sliding German suplex. He leaped off the top rope with a flying knee to the jaw for a near fall. Jey distracted Nakamura as he was setting up for his Kinshasa. Jimmy kicked Nakamura. Jey then landed a top rope splash for the a near fall, broken up by Riddle. They cut to a break. [c]
Riddle battled the Usos after the break. He landed a snap powerslam on both Usos. He delivered a draping DDT on Jey. When he went for an RKO, Jey blocked it and superkicked Riddle. Jey jabbed Riddle with his scooter, so the ref DQ’d Jey.
WINNERS: Riddle & Nakamura via DQ in 12:00.
-After the match, the two teams brawled. Riddle eventually landed a super RKO off the top rope. Riddle’s music played to end the segment on a happy note.
-Clips aired of The Judgment Day attacking A.J. Styles last week.
-Liv Morgan made her ring entrance. [c]
-The commentators reacted to the Theory-Ali match earlier.
-Kevin Patrick asked Ali backstage what it means to finally be given a fair match for the U.S. Title on Sunday. Ali said he’s going to make sure it’s worth it. He said he’s been to hell and back to earn his opportunity. He said he won’t stay down. He said he’s walking out of Chicago as U.S. Champion. Theory attacked him from behind and said, “Highly doubtful.” He took a selfie and walked away saying “New champ, my ass.”
-They went to the announcers at ringside who hyped the Hell in a Cell line-up. They said tickets are still available.
-Rhea Ripley made her ring entrance. [c]
-They went to Smith, Graves, and Saxton on camera. Graves talked about the meaning of Memorial Day and then threw to a video package paying tribute to the soldiers who have died to protect the freedom of Americans.
(7) LIV MORGAN vs. RHEA RIPLEY
The bell rang 19 minutes after Liv Morgan made her ring entrance. Graves said being under the learning tree of Edge “could be what Rhea has been missing all this time.” Morgan went for a flying head scissors off the ring apron to the floor, but Ripley caught her and swung her into the ringside barricade. She yelled, “Pathetic!” They cut to a break. [c]
A.J. Styles came out to counter Damien Priest, who came to ringside. Priest interfered, Styles went after him. Morgan then countered Ripley’s Rip Tide with a back stabber and a roll-up for the win. The ref counted to two and stopped, but the bell rang anyway.
WINNER: Morgan in 9:00.
-Afterward, Priest beat up Styles at ringside, then entered the ring and approached Morgan, who backed away. Finn Balor appeared in the ring and made the save. Balor and Styles stood together. As Ripley was preoccupied with them, Morgan leaped off the top rope and hit Ripley. Styles then gave Priest a Phenomenal Forearm. Balor added a top rope Coup de Grace stomp. Balor’s music played as Styles, Morgan, and Balor stood mid-ring together.
-They went to the announcers at ringside who recapped the Cody-Seth angle earlier.
-Bobby Lashley made his ring entrance. [c]
-Omos and MVP made their entrance. Adam Pearce presided over the contract signing mid-ring. MVP said he’s given Lashley so much. He said Sunday there won’t be any weak cages where he can win by accident. He said he and Omos are going to put a beating on him. He said the All Mighty Era only exists because of him, and he’ll put it to an end once and for all. He signed the contract.
Lashley said that’s a “wonderful little story.” He said he got it wrong, though, because he never needed him. He said he just let him latch on him to stay relevant. MVP cut him off and yelled that he should just sign the contract. Lashley said it’s sad because he considered a friend. MVP said he considered him a brother. Lashley said Sunday is his opportunity to send both of their asses straight to hell. As Pearce began to end the segment, MVP said the segment is not done until he says it’s done. He told Omos to get started tonight. Lashley stood. Pearce asked them to take it easy.
Lashley threw the desk over top rope. Security ran in and Omos tossed them out of the ring and then slammed the desk chairs over the top rope to the floor. Cedric Alexander attacked Lashley from behind. Lashley fought back and chokeslammed him, but that opened up Omos to give him a big boot. MVP then mounted Omos and pounded away at him. Omos slid a table into the ring and then leaned it in the corner. Omos then lifted Lashley. Lashley slipped free and speared Omos through the table. Lashley’s music played as the show ended a bit past the top of the hour
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