SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW REPORT
MAY 1, 2023
FT. WORTH, TEX.
AIRED LIVE ON USA
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Tonight after WWE Raw, join Wade Keller live with guest co-host Tom Stoup from PWTorch to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: wadekellerpodcast@pwtorch.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, SEARCH “WADE KELLER” ON YOUR PODCAST APP TO SUBSCRIBE AND THEN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW TWO HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TV SHOW ENDS.
[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with a video package recapping all the major draft picks from SmackDown.
– Triple H made his way to a podium on stage to introduce the show and this second half of the WWE Draft. Triple H confirmed that the WWE World Heavyweight champion would be crowned on Raw by an exclusive Raw superstar. He announced that Brock Lesnar had negotiated a free agent deal and could appear on either brand.
– Triple H started announcing the first round of Draft picks for this show. SmackDown Women’s champion Rhea Ripley was drafted to Raw. United States champion Austin Theory was drafted to SmackDown. Seth Rollins was drafted to Raw. Charlotte Flair was drafted to SmackDown.
(Pomares’s Analysis: All of these picks were more or less expected based on what we saw on Smackdown. Really hope they don’t do another lame title swap after drafting Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley to opposite brands.)
– Triple H introduced Paul Heyman before walking away from the stage. Heyman made his way to the ring and said that Roman Reigns sent him to address a few topics. Heyman reiterated that he, Roman and Solo Sikoa were drafted to Smackdown while the Usos would be drafted tonight. He said that he would address the Usos’ loss later tonight while the Usos would address their issues at Backlash in a six-man tag match. Heyman said that next week Roman would address more issues, including the newly created World Heavyweight championship. Heyman said that Roman can’t compete for the title due to the Draft and that children that think they are men were running around backstage.
– Seth Rollins interrupted to say that Roman Reigns doesn’t have to run away anymore now that they are on different brands. Rollins gave Heyman a spoiler and said that he would win the world title at Clash of Champions to show the world what a real world champion looks like. Heyman answered a call from Roman Reigns while Seth Rollins led the fans into singing his song. Heyman told Rollins that he was pissing off the Tribal Chief. Rollins asked Heyman how long it would take for him to flatten the Wiseman in the middle of the ring. Solo Sikoa interrupted to face Rollins while Heyman announced that Roman had pulled strings to book them in a singles match tonight.
(Pomares’s Analysis: While Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman were great on the mic and I liked their reference of their last feud, I’m really not a fan of booking Rollins vs Solo Sikoa. Neither man can afford a loss, so I’m most likely expecting a non-finish.)
– The announce team confirmed that we would see Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodirguez and Damage CTRL in action next.
[Commercial Break]
– Earlier today, Adam Pierce asked Cody Rhodes to make sure there wouldn’t be chaos tonight, but he refused to answer properly.
(1) LIV MORGAN & RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ vs. DAMAGE CTRL (Bayley & Dakota Kai)
Liv and Kai started exchanging pinning combinations, until Kai blasted Liv with a basement dropkick. Bayley hit Liv with a body slam, but missed a follow-up elbow drop. Raquel drove Bayley into the corner with shoulder strikes, setting her up for a knee strike from Liv. Kai distracted Liv, nailing her with a pump kick at ringside, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Kai clocked Liv with a running boot for a two count. Liv knocked Bayley off the apron and drove Kai into the turnbuckle, but couldn’t reach Raquel for the tag. Liv managed to knock Kai away and give Raquel the tag, allowing her to lay Kai out with a Fallaway slam. Raquel crushed Bayley with a corner splash, followed by a Fallaway slam and a twisting Vader Bomb on Kai. Bayley tripped Raquel, saving Kai from a tag team move before driving her into the apron. Kai hit Liv with the Chiropractor, but Raquel broke the pinfall. Bayley held Raquel to the ropes, allowing Kai to knock her out with a pump kick. Liv blasted Kai with the Oblivion, but Bayley beat her with a sunset flip pinfall after getting a blind tag.
WINNERS: Damage CTRL in 8:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: Decent match, but I’m really not a fan of champions being booked to lose. I’m guessing this will set up one final title match before Damage CTRL officially breaks up.)
– At backstage, Booker T and Queen Sharmell were shown making their way to the ring with WWE Draft envelopes.
[Commercial Break]
– Earlier today, Adam Pierce tried to convince Brock Lesnar to keep the peace tonight. Lesnar laughed at him and wished him luck with that.
– A recap of Brock Lesnar’s assault on Cody Rhodes from the Raw After Mania aired.
– Booker T and Queen Sharmell made their way to the podium on stage to announce the next round of Draft picks. Undisputed WWE Tag Team champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were drafted to Raw. The Usos were drafted to SmackDown. Finn Bálor, Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio as the Judgment Day were drafted to Raw. Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, Zelina Vega and Rey Mysterio as the LWO were drafted to Smackdown.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Aside from focially moving Kevin and Sami to Raw, this round wasn’t of much note. No stables were separated or even changed brands.)
– Braun Strowman and Ricochet made their way to the ring ahead of their match against the Alpha Academy.
[Commercial Break]
(2) BRAUN STROWMAN & RICOCHET vs. ALPHA ACADEMY (Chad Gable & Otis w/Maxxine Dupri)
Ricochet knocked Gable off his feet with a headscissors takedown and a dropkick. Gable launched Ricochet away with a German suplex, but he landed on his feet.Gable evaded a springboard strike and dropped Ricochet with a Chaos Theory German suplex. Otis and Strowman faced off, exchanging corner splashes. Strowman crushed Otis with a running crossbody and a body slam, setting him up for a Swanton Bomb from Ricochet for the victory.
WINNERS: Braun Strowman & Ricochet in 2:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: I really thought this match was gonna go longer. It makes sense to keep Ricochet and Strowman strong, but I’m tired of seeing Gable and Otis lose every other week.)
– At backstage, Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce were shown making their way to the ring with WWE Draft envelopes.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package aired, recapping the issues between Damian Priest and Bad Bunny.
– Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce made their way to the podium on stage to announce the next round of Draft picks. Before they could start, Brock Lesnar made his way to the ring. Lesnar asked the crowd how it felt to look at the only real Cowboy in Texas. Pearce brought out an army of security guards to take Lesnar away. Cody Rhodes’ theme played, only for him to attack Lesnar from behind. Lesnar retreated, as the army of guards did their best to keep them apart. Lesnar simply walked away, as the show went to a commercial break.
(Pomares’s Analysis: That was a fine go-home segment for Cody and Brock’s match, but wasn’t much different from their last few brawls.)
[Commercial Break]
– Shawn Michaels showed up once again on the podium on stage to announce the next round of Draft picks. WWE Women’s Tag Team champions Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez were drafted to Raw. Asuka was drafted to SmackDown. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods as the New Day were drafted to Raw. Sheamus, Butch and Ridge Holland as the Brawling Brutes were drafted to Smackdown.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Asuka and the New Day were good choices to take to a new setting. I don’t mind the Brutes staying on SmackDown, but I’m disappointed that they’ve confirmed Sheamus most likely won’t be the man to end Gunther’s title reign.)
– At backstage, Matt Riddle put over how good of a week they’ve had so far and that he would like to hang with them all the time. Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn made their way to the ring, as a recap of their title retention on SmackDown aired.
(3) MATT RIDDLE vs. JIMMY USO
Early on, Jey Uso nailed Riddle with an enzuigiri behind ther referee’s back. Kevin Owens faked an injury while Sami Zayn passed Jey a chair. Jey Usos was ejected from ringside, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Jimmy dropped Riddle with a Samoan drop for a two count. Riddle pummeled Jimmy with various palm strikes, followed by a Pele kick and a series of forearm strikes. Riddle hit Jimmy with a Xploder, only for Jimmy to block the follow-up senton with his knees. Jimmy shoved Riddle off the top turnbuckle, making him crash into the barricade. Jimmy attacked Owens with a superkick at ringside, followed by an enzuigiri and two superkicks on Riddle. As the referee checked on Riddle, Jimmy exposed the turnbuckle. Sami distracted the referee, allowing Owens to smash his head into the exposed turnbuckle and Riddle to finish him with the Floating Bro.
WINNER: Jimmy Uso in 8:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: That was an okay match to finally give Riddle a much-needed win after coming up short against Solo Sikoa twice. It was kind of cathartic to see the Usos be completely outsmarted and have the numbers game turn on them.)
– A video package aired, showcasing highlights from Iyo Sky’s career in WWE.
– At backstage, Eric Bischoff and Rob Van Dam were shown making their way to the ring with WWE Draft envelopes.
[Commercial Break]
– It was confirmed once again that Brock Lesnar had become a free agent.
– At backstage, Jey Uso questioned Paul Heyman about why Solo Sikoa wasn’t at ringside earlier tonight. Heyman told Jey that Sikoa had to focus on his match with Seth Rollins in the name of the Tribal Chief.
– Eric Bischoff and Rob Van Dam made their way to the podium on stage to announce the next round of Draft picks. Trish Stratus was drafted to Raw. Karrion Kross & Scarlett were drafted to SmackDown. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler were drafted to Raw. LA Knight was drafted to Smackdown.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Aside from Ronda Rousey moving to Raw, there weren’t any major moves on this round. Really thought it would’ve been the right choice to move L.A. Knight to Raw.)
– The Miz was in the ring for Miz TV to list a few of the highlight picks from the Draft. Miz introduced his guest for tonight, Shinsuke Nakamura. Miz welcomed Nakamura back and asked him about the newly created World Heavyweight title. Nakamura simply said “Hi” while Miz insisted that he was the perfect workhorse star to become champion. Miz said that they could work together, only for Nakamura to call him “Chinsai Kintama”. Miz led a “Chinsai Kintama” chant, until Nakamura revealed that it means someone with tiny balls. Nakamura evaded an attack from Miz and blasted him with Kinshasa.
(Pomares’s Analysis: I’ve never been a huge fan of the Miz TV segments and this was no different. It was far from terrible, but it didn’t really have any substance, aside from the overplayed “tiny balls” bit. At least, it set up an easy victory for Nakamura to start his run on Raw.)
– Omos was shown making his way to the ring backstage.
[Commercial Break]
(4) OMOS vs. ANTHONY ALANIS
Alanis nailed Omos with a forearm strike and a kick, only for Omos to knock him down with a big boot. Omos finished Alanis with the Tree Slam to pick up the win.
WINNER: Omos in 1:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: What else is there to say about the same Omos squash match every other week?)
– A recap of Triple H introducing the World Heavyweight championship aired.
– At backstage, Molly Holly and Road Dogg were shown making their way to the ring with WWE Draft envelopes.
[Commercial Break]
– Eric Bischoff and Rob Van Dam made their way to the podium on stage to announce the next round of Draft picks. Braun Strowman & Ricochet were drafted to RAW. Shotzi was drafted to SmackDown. Bronson Reed was drafted to RAW. Elton Prince & Kit Wilson as Pretty Deadly were drafted to SmackDown.
(Pomares’s Analysis: It really annoys me when they have a title match booked, only to partially spoil it. Bronson Reed was my favorite to win the US title at Backlash and now I don’t think he has a chance. At least it was cool to see Pretty Deadly officially get called up from NXT.)
– The Judgment Day made their way to the ring for their mixed six-person tag match against the LWO. Damian Priest grabbed a mic and put over Rhea Ripley as the first pick of the night. Ripley said that they won’t get rid of her so easily and that she would remain champion at Backlash. Finn Bálor said that Priest would leave Bad Bunny torn to pieces at Backlash. Priest yelled at Bunny in Spanish before telling that Bunny can’t beat him with any kind of weapons. Priest finished by saying that he would hurt Bunny in front of his friends and family and would give him his punishment.
– Dominik grabbed the mic, only for the fans to immediately shower him in boos. Dominik tried to say that Priest and Ripley would win at Backlash, but he was barely audible. The LWO interrupted to tell Dominik that they aren’t running away from the Judgment Day, they were just drafted to another brand. Rey said that next time they cross paths, he would bust out la chancla. Rey finished by saying that Zelina Vega and Bad Bunny would beat them at Backlash.
(Pomares’s Analysis: I really liked Damian Priest’s promo in Spanish, but by far the most memorable moment was the nuclear heat Dominik received.)
[Commercial Break]
– A video package aired, hyping up the arrival of Imperium to RAW.
(5) LWO (Rey Mysterio & Santos Escobar & Zelina Vega) vs. JUDGMENT DAY (Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley w/Finn Bálor)
Ripley immediately tagged herself in and slapped Rey, only for Vega to knock her down with a headscissors takedown. Ripley blocked the Riptide and Vega blocked a DDT. Vega cracked RIpley with a jawbreaker, leading to Priest and Escobar tagging in. Escobar knocked Priest off his feet with a running clothesline, followed by a double knee strike in the corner. Escobar nailed Priest with a couple of rising kicks before receiving an elbow strike. Priest knocked Rey off the apron with an elbow drop before being sent out of the ring. Escobar took Dominik down with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, allowing Rey to hit Priest with a seated senton off the apron, as WWE RAW went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Escobar caught Priest with a dropkick, reaching Rey for the hot tag. Rey maintained control over Dominik, knocking him off his feet with a headscissors takedown. Rey crushed Dominik with a springboard crossbody, only for Ripley to break the pinfall. Vega nailed Ripley with a 619 to the midsection before sending her to ringside. Dominik nailed Rey with a dropkick, reaching Priest for the tag.
Priest missed a shoulder strike and crashed into the ring post, allowing Rey to send him into the ropes. Finn distracted the referee, allowing Dominik to trip Rey before the 619. Escobar blasted Dominik with a suicide dive before receiving a dropkick from Ripley who was knocked out by a Metora from Vega. Rey evaded the Razor’s Edge and sent Priest to the ropes. Finn protected Priest with his body from the 619, allowing Priest to finish Rey with South of Heaven.
WINNERS: Judgment Day 9:00
(Pomares’s Analysis: Decent match, but I can’t wait for these factions to be separated, so the LWO can stop taking Ls.)
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Cody Rhodes about his situation with Brock Lesnar. Cody said that Lesnar doesn’t need to win at Backlash, but he has to. Cody said that his story ceases to exist if he loses and he would have to go to the back of the line.
– At backstage, JBL and Teddy Long were shown making their way to the ring with WWE Draft envelopes.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Byron Saxton interviewed Bianca Belair who said that despite moving to SmackDown, she would retain her RAW Women’s title. Damage CTRL interviewed and said that Iyo Sky would take the belt from her. Belair said that Bayley and Dakota Kai are holding Sky back and she hopes Sky gets to show her potential at Backlash. Sky berated Belair in Japanese, with Belair refusing to hear a translation from Kai.
– At backstage, Xavier Woods talked about the New Day’s move to RAW.
– JBL and Teddy Long made their way to the podium on stage to announce the next round of draft picks. Chad Gable & Otis as the Alpha Academy were drafted to Raw. Rick Boogs was drafted to Smackdown. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter were drafted to Raw. Cameron Grimes was drafted to Smackdown.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Really thought they would do a storyline to separate Alpha Academy, but I don’t mind them getting back together. I wonder if there are any plans to unify the women’s tag titles with the NXT ones now that both champions and challengers were called up. Also I’m really happy to finally see Cameron Grimes back.)
– Solo Sikoa made his way to the ring for his match against Seth Rollins.
[Commercial Break]
– The announce team showed a graphic with the current Raw roster after the draft.
(6) SETH ROLLINS vs. SOLO SIKOA (w/Paul Heyman)
Rollins avoided a clothesline from Sikoa while continuing to lead the crowd’s singing. Rollins continued avoiding Sikoa’s strikes, retreating to ringside to loud singing from the fans. Sikoa barely got out of the way from a Curb Stomp, as he entered the ring. Sikoa nailed Rollins with a headbutt, followed by a series of right hands. Rollins attacked Sikoa with a couple of strikes and a dropkick through the ropes before receiving a leg lariat, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Rollins clocked Sikoa with an enzuigiri. Sikoa missed a strike into the corner, allowing Rollins to pummel Sikoa down with a barrage of clotheslines and forearm strikes. Rollins cracked Sikoa with a rising kick, setting him up for a discus clothesline. Rollins knocked Sikoa down with three back-to-back suicide dives. Sikoa avoided a springboard clothesline and planted Rollins with a Samoan drop for a two count.
Rollins rolled Sikoa up and hit him with a thrust kick. Sikoa countered a discus elbow strike with the Spinning Solo for a nearfall. Rollins slapped Sikoa, only for him to respond with another Spinning Solo and numerous right hands. Sikoa smashed Rollins’ head into the announce table, only to have his head driven into the ring post. Rolins attacked Sikoa with a thrust kick and an elbow strike, only for the Usos to interfere and cause a disqualification.
WINNER: Seth Rollins in 11:00 (via Disqualification)
– Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn ran down to make the save, as the show came to an end.
(Pomares’s Analysis: As expected, this was another non-finish in a Solo Sikoa match. It was fine for what it was, but I’m over the Bloodline’s current story. Doesn’t help that they noticeably ran out of time at the end.)
Tonight after WWE Raw, join Wade Keller live with guest co-host Tom Stoup from PWTorch to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: wadekellerpodcast@pwtorch.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, SEARCH “WADE KELLER” ON YOUR PODCAST APP TO SUBSCRIBE AND THEN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW TWO HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TV SHOW ENDS.
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