SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW TV REPORT
MAY 13, 2024
GREENVILLE, S.C. AT BON SECOURS WELLNESS ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
[HOUR ONE]
– The show started with Drew McIntyre making his way to the ring to a chorus of CM Punk chants. Drew said that Punk only made it to the big cities before claiming that Punk’s greatest trick was to convince everyone to take him back. Drew said that after last week he wouldn’t waste his time on a man who wouldn’t be cleared in 20 years. He said that he would deal with Jey Uso at a later time, but now he would focus on Damian Priest. Priest interrupted to mock Drew for talking trash about a man while not doing it in his face.
– Drew put over Priest’s story and told him that he deserved success, but shouldn’t be a champion. Drew said that this was a case where the title made the man when the title needed a man like himself. Priest called Drew out for constantly making excuses, stopping him from cashing-in multiple times and focusing on CM Punk more than his own wife. Priest told Drew that once he was healed, he would grant him a title match. He finished by telling Drew that he might call him a paper champion, but he would make him eat his words.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A pretty good opening promo to set up Damian Priest’s next title program. Priest’s work as a champion so far has been kind of mixed, but this was one of his better promos. Since King and Queen of the Ring feels a bit too soon, I’m thinking they’ll do this match at Clash at the Castle.)
– A video package hyping up the encounter between Shayna Baszler and Iyo Sky was shown.
– Earlier today, Iyo Sky and Shayna Baszler nearly got into a brawl in the parking lot.
– Shayna Baszler attacked Iyo Sky from behind and cracked her with a knee to the head, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
(1) SHAYNA BASZLER vs. IYO SKY – Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals Match
Back from break, Sky swept Baszler off her feet and nailed her with a basement dropkick. Baszler avoided a dropkick through the ropes, only for Sky to sweep her off the apron. Baszler stopped Sky on the top rope and put her in a modified armbar from the top turnbuckle. At ringside, Baszler drove Sky numerous times into the apron and the barricade. Baszler hyper-extended Sky’s arm into the ring frame and threw her back in the ring. Sky caught Baszler with a kick to the head, but Baszler shut her down with a shot to the arm and a pump knee. Sky evaded a gutwrench superplex and tripped Baszler off the top turnbuckle, setting her up for an Asai moonsault, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Sky took Baszler down with a dragon screw into the ropes. Sky blasted Baszler with a springboard dropkick, followed by a double knee strike to the back. Sky avoided Baszler’s feet while going for a moonsault and took Baszler down with a European Clutch. Baszler surprised Sky with the Kirifuda Clutch, only for Sky to counter with a crossface. Baszler attacked Sky with a knee strike to the head before receiving a double knee strike and a moonsault for the three count.
WINNER: Iyo Sky at 10:52
(Pomares’s Analysis: A solid opener that took the crowd a bit to get into, probably because it was a heel vs. heel match. Very surprised Iyo Sky played the babyface role coming right after playing the main heel role at WrestleMania, but I don’t mind it. Sky always had potential to play both roles, so it’s cool to see a trial of what could be a babyface run on the main roster.)
– After the match, Iyo Sky gave an impassioned interview in Japanese.
– Backstage, Dominik Mysterio tried to convince Damian Priest that they should work with Carlito. Priest told Carlito that the rest of his team could work with him, but he wasn’t welcome here.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Chad Gable berated Maxxine Dupri for losing her Queen of the Ring match before informing Otis that he would take on Sami Zayn. Gable ordered Otis to not shake his hips or do the Worm. Gable told Akira Tozawa to focus on his match and threatened him if he did his stupid dance. Ivy Nile tried to talk with Dupri, but Gable got in the way and suggested that Nile should stop wasting her time on her.
– A video package hyping up the encounter between Gunther and Kofi Kingston was shown.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley asked Kofi Kingston if he would do the impossible against Gunther. Kofi said that this was about avenging his partner and he just came from a victory over Rey Mysterio. Xavier Woods said that tonight Kofi would show Gunther why New Day rocks.
– Samantha Irvin introduced Lilian Garcia to the ring, so she could introduce the next encounter. Garcia accepted the offer and complimented Irvin’s work.
– Kofi Kingston made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Gunther.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, R-Truth and Adam Pearce discussed how they would determine contenders for the tag titles. Kiana James showed up to thank Pearce for the opportunity to be on Raw. Pearce told James to not hesitate to call him while James claimed that she didn’t hesitate, but adjudicated instead.
(2) KOFI KINGSTON vs. GUNTHER – King of the Ring Quarterfinals Match
Kofi immediately knocked Gunther off the apron with dropkicks before smashing his leg into the LED board on the apron. Kofi crashed into Gunther with a diving splash and hyper-extended his leg across the ring post. Once they entered the match, Kofi nailed Gunther with a dropkick to the knee, as the match finally started. Gunther evaded the Trouble in Paradise, but Kofi landed on his feet off a release German suplex.
Kofi crushed Gunther with a diving Boom Drop, only for Gunther to block a suicide dive and ram him into the apron. Gunther hit Kofi with a chop to the chest and dropped him with a back suplex onto the barricade. Gunther planted Kofi with a back suplex on the announce table, setting him up for a Boston Crab, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Kofi attacked Gunther with chops to the chest, until Gunther clobbered him with a single chop. Gunther stomped Kofi’s back and withstood his strikes before laying him out with a bodyslam. Gunther put Kofi in a bow-and-arrow lock and knocked him off his feet with a boot to the face. Kofi nailed Gunther with a jawbreaker, only for Gunther to shut him down with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Gunther missed a diving elbow drop, allowing Kofi to attack him with a series of kicks to the legs. Gunther blocked the SOS before receiving a pendulum kick and a high crossbody.
Kofi managed to kick Gunther away during a Boston Crab and plant him with SOS for a nearfall. Gunther evaded a diving double stomp and blasted Kofi away with a shotgun dropkick to the back, followed by a ripcord lariat for a two count. Gunther hyper-extended Kofi’s back into the ring post, only for Kofi to take him out with a shot into the ring post and Trouble in Paradise. Both men were barely able to return to the ring where Gunther avoided Trouble in Paradise. Gunther floored Kofi with a Powerbomb and forced him to tap out with a Boston Crab.
WINNER: Gunther at 13:48
(Pomares’s Analysis: Another top-notch Gunther match that allowed Kofi to shine and show a more aggressive side while still giving Gunther a dominant victory. Gunther picking up another submission win seems to be a fun story bit during the tournament.)
– A recap of Lyra Valkyria making her debut last week was shown.
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Lyra Valkyria about her debut last week and her match tonight. Lyra told Damage CTRL to get used to seeing her while Becky Lynch quickly passed by to thank her. Liv Morgan showed up to ask Lyra if Lynch has always been a b*tch, only for Lynch to show up behind her and punch her.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Backstage, Karrion Kross told Kofi Kingston that there was always time to turn things around.
(3) BRONSON REED vs. AKIRA TOZAWA (w/Chad Gable)
Tozawa avoided Reed’s strikes and nailed him with a thrust kick and a cyclone kick. Tozawa knocked Reed away with a missile dropkick, only for Reed to counter a hurracarrana with a Death Valley Driver. Reed immediately crushed Tozawa with the Tsunami for the win.
WINNER: Bronson Reed at 1:12
(Pomares’s Analysis: Just a quick squash to keep on giving Alpha Academy losses, ahead of what I assume will be the group’s official split.)
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley tried to interview Gunther, but Ludwig Kaiser got in the way, allowing Gunther to leave. Kelley pointed out how Ilja Dragunov beat Gunther in their last match and how Kaiser interfered last week. Kaiser said that Sheamus must be delusional if he thinks that his interference was the reason he lost. Kaiser said that Sheamus should ask him to put him out of his misery.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, New Catch Republic thanked Adam Pearce for the opportunity he gave them tonight. Pearce officially announced that tonight there would be a four-way tag team match to determine title contenders. Pearce talked about not wanting to throw Bron Breakker into the deep end during the King of the Ring tournament. Breaker interrupted to tell Pearce that his opponents would have been the ones in the deep end against him.
– A video package hyping up the encounter between Zoey Stark and Lyra Valkyria was shown.
(4) LYRA VALKYRIA vs. ZOEY STARK – Queen of the Ring Quarterfinals Match
Lyra took Stark down with an arm drag and a diving back elbow before sending her out of the ring with a hurracarrana. Stark evaded a strike from the apron and laid Lyra out with a clothesline, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Stark put Lyra in a crabate, only for Lyra to surprise her with a crucifix pinfall. Lyra knocked Stark off her feet and cracked her with an enzuigiri. Lyra blasted Stark away with a dropkick through the ropes and a high crossbody, setting her up for a Tornado DDT and a two count. Stark nailed Lyra with a kick to the head and a half-and-half suplex for a nearfall. Lyra evaded a flying move and put Stark down with a leg lariat. Stark dropped Lyra with a suplex into the corner, but she managed to kick out at two. Lyra blocked the Z-360 and knocked her out with the Nightwing.
WINNER: Lyra Valkyria at 8:58
– After the match, Jackie Redmond interviewed Lyra Valkyria about making it to the Semifinals. Lyra put over how she was a former NXT champion and that she was flying straight to the top.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A decent encounter that once again allowed Lyra Valkyria to shine after her main roster. The reception to Lyra compared to last week seemed to be much more positive.)
– Backstage, Jey Uso talked about beating Ilja Dragunov tonight and Gunther next week.
[Commercial Break]
(5) SAMI ZAYN vs. OTIS (w/Chad Gable)
Otis clobbered Sami with a bunch of forearm strikes, followed by a backfist. Gable tried to stop Otis from doing the Caterpillar, but he still chose to do it. Sami evaded the Vader Bomb and knocked Otis out with the Helluva Kick.
WINNER: Sami Zayn at 2:03
– After the match, Chad Gable tried to berate Otis, but Sami Zayn planted him with a Xploder into the corner. Gable rolled out of the ring and blamed Otis before slapping him on the face.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Slightly surprised Otis got so little, but at least this match and the post-match angle did a great job giving Gable more heat ahead of his title match.)
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
– Backstage, Braun Strowman wished the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile look, ahead of their title opportunity tonight. JD McDonagh interrupted to warn Strowman to not get involved in Judgment Day business.
(6) BECKY LYNCH vs. DAKOTA KAI (w/Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane)
Lynch attacked Kai with a series of stomps before smashing her head into the turnbuckle. Lynch blasted Kai with a sliding dropkick, followed by a diving clothesline off the apron. Back in the ring, Lynch clocked Kai with a rising kick and a roundhouse kick. Lynch knocked Sane off the apron, only for Kai to stop her atop the turnbuckle with a boot to the face. Lynch smashed Kai’s head into the turnbuckle numerous times, but Kai knocked her down with a running boot to the face. Kai put Lynch in a headlock, until they knocked each other with kicks to the head, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Kai spiked Lynch with a stomp to the back for a two count. Kai caught Lynch with a forearm strike and a shoulder thrust, but Lynch shut her down with a diving leg drop. Kai blocked a Manhandle Slam and whacked Lynch with a pump kick for a nearfall. Lynch stopped Kai atop the turnbuckle, setting her up for a superplex. Kai tried to counter an armbar with a roll-up, only for Lynch to trap her in the Dis-Arm-Her. Sane and Sky entered the ring to attack Lynch, ending the match suddenly.
WINNER: Becky Lynch at 9:59
(Pomares’s Analysis: A pretty good match with a less than desirable ending. I like that they are seemingly protecting Dakota Kai, but I’m never going to be a fan of non-finishes, especially in a match that long.)
– After the match, Lyra Valkyria ran down to make the save and chased Damage CTRL away. Liv Morgan showed up to throw Lynch shoulder-first into the ring post.
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Ilja Dragunov about his match tonight. Dragunov said that he was here to make an impact while putting over how Ricochet pushed him last week. Dragunov talked about facing Jey Uso and possibly taking on Gunther who he has already beaten.
– Judgment Day made their way to the ring, ahead of the tag team four-way match.
[Commercial Break]
(7) NEW CATCH REPUBLIC (Tyler Bate & Pete Dunne) vs. CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed) vs. JUDGMENT DAY (Finn Bálor & J.D. McDonagh) vs. AUTHORS OF PAIN (Akam & Rezar w//Paul Ellering) – World Tag Team Championship Contender’s Match
JD stomped Bate’s abdomen, only for Bate to pull him into his corner and tag Dunne in. NCR dropped JD with a back body drop, setting him for joint manipulation and a stomp to the elbow. The Creeds pummeled JD with knees to the ribs and a gutbuster before receiving a lariat from Akam. AOP took Judgment Day and the Creeds down before planting NCR with spinebusters. AOP launched JD into a bunch of people at ringside, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, JD and Finn knocked NCR off the apron, only for Brutus to lay them out with a double clothesline. Julius got the hot tag to drop Finn and JD with belly-to-belly suplexes and knock AOP off the apron. Julius planted Judgment Day with a double Northern Lights suplex, followed by a running Shooting Star on Finn. JD accidentally hit Finn, allowing Julius to throw him out of the ring. Finn put Julius down with a sling blade and a shotgun dropkick, but NCR stopped him atop the turnbuckle.
NCR crashed into AOP with moonsaults while Julius laid Finn out with a superplex for a two count. JD tripped the Creeds off the top turnbuckle, only for AOP to drop him and Finn with the Super Collider. NCR sent Rezar out of the ring before Akam threw them out of the ring. Brutus planted Akam with a backdrop driver and climbed the top turnbuckle. Bate got the blind tag while Brutus crushed most of his opponents with a Brutus Bomb at ringside.
Bate clocked Akam with a rebound lariat, setting him up for the Airplane Spin. Bate clobbered Finn with a punch to the face, followed by the double Tyler Driver. JD broke the pinfall before receiving a suicide dive into a cannonball from Bate. Dunne pummeled JD down, but Carlito showed up to take him out with a Backstabber. JD cracked Bate with a headbutt while Finn stole the win with a Coup de Grace.
WINNERS: Judgment Day at 10:43
(Pomares’s Analysis: Really fun match with loads of moving parts and an interesting finish to further the Carlito storyline. While I’m not very keen on putting the belts back on Judgment Day, I’ll take them every day of the week over Awesome Truth.)
– It was announced that Sami Zaynd and Chad Gable would have a single match; and that we would see the tournament semifinals matches next week.
– Backstage, Ricochet met Ilja Dragunov to show him respect and wish him luck.
– Jey Uso made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Ilja Dragunov.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Judgment Day celebrated their win with Carlito while Damian Priest told him that what he did was cool. Priest told Carlito t
(8) JEY USO vs. ILJA DRAGUNOV – King of the Ring Quarterfinals Match
Dragunov blasted Jey with chops to the chest and evaded an enzuigiri. Dragunov laid Jey out with a spinning chop, followed by a jumping knee strike and a diving knee drop. Jey knocked Dragunov off the top turnbuckle and nailed him with a suicide dive. Dragunov caught Jey off-guard with a jumping kick to the head before clearing the announce table. Dragunov laid Jey on the announce table, but missed a diving H-Bomb off the barricade. Jey sent Dragunov over the announce table with a Spear, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Dragunov put Jey in a Cobra Clutch, until Jey floored him with a hip toss. They got into a strike and chop exchange, until Jey knocked Dragunov off his feet. Jey knocked Dragunov off his feet with an enzuigiri, only for Dragunov to shut him down with a boot to the face. Dragunov hit Jey with a pair of German suplexes, withstood a kick to the stomach and turned Jey inside out with the Constantline Special.
Dragunov clobbered Jey with a running kick to the face, but Jey caught him off-guard with a series of superkicks for a nearfall. Jey tried to go for a Spear before receiving a knee strike and a powerbomb. Dragunov immediately crushed Jey with the H-Bomb, only for Jey to block Torpedo Moscow with a Spear. Jey immediately crashed into Dragunov with an Uso Splash for the victory.
WINNER: Jey Uso at 12:50
– After the match, Gunther and Jey Uso had a face-off.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The match was good, but I just left very annoyed coming out of it. I understand that Jey has been pushed as a top star for months and Dragunov just got here. However, I really did not like that Dragunov just lost his first singles match clean in the quarterfinals of a tournament. They are probably saving Gunther vs. Dragunov for a bigger stage, but right now seeing Jey defeat an incredibly protected star just felt wrong to me.)
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