WWE RAW (05/22/2023) – Full Coverage and Results!
On Monday night, WWE and the USA Network will air another episode of Monday Night RAW from the GIANT Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The highlight of the night is Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes who will be in the same arena before they collide at Night of Champions. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will have a mysterious partner to face Imperium, and we will have a contract signed for the fight between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus.
See all this and much more today, starting at 8 pm, on Wrestling Mania’s live coverage.
Coverage:
Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick have just welcomed the viewers as we catch a glimpse of Cody Rhodes backstage. Suddenly, Brock Lesnar emerges and launches an unprovoked attack on Rhodes. He hurls Rhodes into road cases, barrels, and a garage door.
In the ring, Paul Heyman is ready to address the crowd. He denies any involvement in Lesnar’s assault on Rhodes, stating that the incident is a preview of what Lesnar will do to Rhodes at the Night of Champions. Heyman, fresh off his well-received appearance on last week’s RAW, promotes the three main events on May 27 and the Undisputed Tag Team Championship match between The Bloodline and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. He confidently predicts a victory for Reigns and Sikoa, before welcoming the fans to RAW.
The atmosphere changes as Kevin Owens’ music hits, and he and Sami Zayn make their entrance while Heyman exits the ring. Zayn taunts Heyman for his hasty departure and accuses him of fear. He expresses confidence in his and Owens’ abilities, emphasizing the personal significance of the Undisputed Tag Team Match. He states that he has nothing more to say, having already addressed Roman Reigns.
Owens reveals that Reigns dedicated the Undisputed Tag Team title match to The Wild Samoans on WWE SmackDown. Inspired, Owens dedicates the match to The Usos. Zayn then shifts the focus to their Six-Man Tag Team Match with Imperium. However, before he can continue, Imperium’s music interrupts him. GUNTHER, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci make their way to the ring.
Imperium surrounds the ring, but Matt Riddle rushes in to support Owens and Zayn. Imperium retreats as Riddle, Owens, and Zayn stand their ground. A brief conversation between Riddle, Owens, and Zayn is interrupted by an attempted ambush from Imperium. However, Riddle, Owens, and Zayn manage to fend them off and send them out of the ring.
The excitement continues as Ricochet makes his way to the ring.
Singles Match: Bronson Reed vs. Ricochet
– Reed won with the ‘Tsunami’.
Backstage, Cathy Kelley is in conversation with Apollo Crews. Crews is expressing his enthusiasm for being on RAW when Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley make their entrance. Dominik insists that it’s Ripley’s time to shine, leading to a verbal exchange between him and Crews. Dominik ends Crews’ interview with Kelley, and Ripley takes the opportunity to challenge Natalya to a match at Night of Champions for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Crews interrupts, asserting that it’s his time to shine, leading to a tense standoff between him and Ripley.
After the break, we return to the third part of Seth “Freakin” Rollins’ sit-down interview with Corey Graves from last week. Rollins shares his thoughts on Roman Reigns’ tenure as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. He expresses a mix of love and disappointment towards Reigns, stating that while he will always care for him, he disapproves of the champion Reigns has become. Rollins accuses Reigns of monopolizing opportunities and expresses his desire to become World Heavyweight Champion to shift the spotlight away from Reigns. He envisions his potential reign as a catalyst for pushing the industry forward. When asked about his upcoming match with AJ Styles, Rollins praises Styles as one of the greatest in-ring performers and anticipates a thrilling match at Night of Champions, reminiscent of their April 2006 showdown.
Back at ringside, Candice LeRae makes her way to the ring, followed closely by Zoey Stark.
Singles Match: Zoey Stark vs. Candice LeRae
– Stark hits the Z360 for the win.
Backstage, Byron Saxton is with Mustafa Ali in the Gorilla position. Saxton asks Ali about his upcoming Intercontinental Championship match with GUNTHER on May 27. Ali shares his lifelong dream of wrestling and reflects on his career journey. However, before he can continue, Brock Lesnar shoulder checks him and heads down to the ring amidst a chorus of boos from the fans.
Lesnar takes a moment to mock Cody Rhodes and announces that Rhodes will not be at ringside tonight or fighting him at Night of Champions. He reassures the fans that he won’t let them down and issues an open challenge for anyone in the back to face him on May 27.
Rhodes appears at ringside with his arm in a sling. Despite attempts by Adam Pearce and other officials to dissuade him, Rhodes enters the ring and removes his sling. He sends Lesnar crashing into the corner and secures the Kimura Lock before releasing it. He stomps on Rhodes’ arm, grabs his cowboy hat, and heads to the back as other officials rush down to check on Rhodes.
After the break, Alpha Academy and Maxxine Dupri make their way to the ring, followed by the Viking Raiders and Valhalla.
Tag Team Match: Aplha Academy (w/ Maxxine Durpi) vs. The Viking Raiders (w/ Valhalla)
– Gable to roll up Ivar for the win.
Backstage, Byron Saxton awaits an update on Cody Rhodes outside the medical room. However, Adam Pearce quickly enters, only to be met with Rhodes’ stern demand to leave. Pearce complies and exits the scene.
Returning to ringside, the electrifying Shinsuke Nakamura makes his way down to the ring. Following closely behind are the dynamic duo of Finn Balor and Damian Priest, ready for action.
Singles Match: Finn Balor (w/ Damian Priest) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
– Balor execute the ‘Coup De Grace’ for the win.
Singles Match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville (w/ Chelsea Green)
– Raquel hits the ‘Texana Bomb’ for the win.
After a hard-fought match, Green blindsides Deville, but Deville manages to fight back with a knee strike. However, before Green can cause more damage, Shotzi’s music hits, and she rushes down to the ring to make the save, marking her return to RAW.
Heading backstage, an official provides an update on Adam Pearce, who refuses to allow anyone to see him. Shortly after, Trish Stratus appears and requests a no-touch policy during her contract signing with Becky Lynch. Pearce dismisses the request, seeing no need for it, and walks away.
Returning from the break, Becky Lynch makes her way to the ring, accompanied by Corey Graves. Lynch addresses the crowd, emphasizing her presence in Hershey. She then invites Stratus to the ring to proceed with the contract signing.
Stratus’s music hits, and she makes her entrance. She mocks Lynch for her eagerness and reminds her of the beatings she endured upon her return to “Raw.” Stratus expresses the importance of this moment, being her first contract signing, and contrasts it with Lynch’s numerous signings. She takes pride in being number one since her arrival, while Lynch had to endure a broken nose to rise to the top. Stratus plans to sign the contract, highlighting the irony of it being her first and Lynch’s last.
Lynch responds by asserting that Stratus is scared. She assures her that she won’t hurt her now, as she wants her opponent to be in top condition for Night of Champions. Lynch claims to have surpassed Stratus, who has remained stagnant while others improved. She thanks Stratus for embodying everything she hopes to avoid in her career. Lynch promises to deliver punches to Stratus’s face every time they meet and predicts that Stratus’s career will be overshadowed by nightmares. Stratus loses her cool, flipping over the desk and retreating.
The focus then shifts backstage, where Adam Pearce is seen on the phone, discussing the situation with Cody Rhodes.
Returning to ringside, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley make their way to the ring, ready for their upcoming match.
Singles Match: Dominik Mysterio (w/ Rhea Ripley) vs. Apollo Crews
– Dominik hits a Frog Splash in Apollo for the win.
Continuing with the action, a video package hypes up AJ Styles as he prepares for his finals match in the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament against Seth “Freakin” Rollins.
After the commercial break, we are taken to part four of the sit-down interview between Rollins and Corey Graves. Graves questions Rollins about the significance of winning the World Heavyweight Championship, to which Rollins responds by expressing his desire for change. He explains that wrestling is his true passion and that he has worked relentlessly to establish himself as “the guy.” Rollins acknowledges the opportunities and incredible life wrestling has provided him, and now he aims to be the best version of himself. The World Heavyweight Championship represents his chance to create something extraordinary, and he is fully committed to delivering a legendary performance. He wants to serve as an inspiration for future generations, an example of what it means to be “the guy.”
Graves and Kevin Patrick then take a moment to go through the card for the upcoming Night of Champions event, providing fans with a rundown of the scheduled matches and anticipated showdowns.
Returning to ringside, Imperium makes their entrance, followed by Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn, who are ready to compete in their respective matches.
Six Man Tag Team Match: Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Matt Riddle vs. Imperium
– Owens then delivers a Swanton Bomb for the win.
Turning our attention backstage, we find Cody Rhodes in his dressing room, clearly frustrated. Despite his request to be left alone, someone persists and knocks on his door. To his surprise, Triple H enters and takes a seat beside him. Triple H acknowledges Rhodes’ anger but emphasizes the need for medical attention due to his injured arm. Rhodes stubbornly refuses any help, dismissing the severity of his injury. Triple H, however, asserts that both of them know his arm is broken and points out Rhodes’ fear. Rhodes questions what he has to fear, and Triple H clarifies that it’s the fear of not being medically cleared. He reassures Rhodes that he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. Triple H recalls Rhodes’ past resilience, wrestling with a torn pec, but reminds him that this situation is different. Reflecting on his own time spent on the sidelines, Triple H is interrupted by Rhodes, who questions what Triple H would do in his position. Rhodes declares his determination to fight Brock Lesnar at Night of Champions, emphasizing his willingness to face the daunting challenge ahead.
End of show!
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