WWE RAW Review – May 29, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Raw with a video recapping Night Of Champions.
Confetti rains from the ceiling and fans sing new World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins’ song before he welcomes them to Monday Night Rollins. He says it’s been a long road to get to the World Heavyweight Title with lots of highs and lows but things feel right. He says he doesn’t want to talk about the past but rather the future. He says he wants to be a champion that’ll be on television and one who’s ready for a fight. He says he wants a fight and no matter who steps to him, he’ll come out the other side as World Heavyweight Champion.
AJ Styles’ music hits and he heads down to the ring. He stares Rollins down then grabs a mic and says that while he’s supposed to be on Smackdown, he couldn’t resist coming to Raw to congratulate Rollins. He says he gave Rollins everything he had but somehow Rollins knew what he was going to do. He tells Rollins that fans think he deserves to be World Heavyweight Champion but he doesn’t think he does because he earned the right to be World Heavyweight Champion.
Rollins says he’s not too good at these things but taking the beating he gave him at Night Of Champions, he deserves a hand shake. Rollins then offers Styles his hand and Styles takes it.
Judgment Day’s music hits and they appear. Finn Balor says whatever just happened between Styles & Rollins makes him nauseous and Damian Priest agrees. Smackdown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley says Judgment Day runs Raw as they get inside the ring and Priest says she’s right except they now run all of WWE after The Bloodline imploded. Balor brags about defeating Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn, and Ripley tells Rollins not to get too comfortable because one of them will inevitably beat Rollins to become new World Heavyweight Champion. Rollins & Styles laugh and Dominik Mysterio gets defensive. Balor says Judgment Day saw Rollins & Styles beat one another half to death and Mysterio says they’ll finish the job tonight. Styles says that sounds like a challenge and Ripley says that was what they did. Rollins accepts the challenge and says any two of them can take on himself & Styles.
Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
The Miz vs. Ricochet
Match starts off with a lock up then Ricochet delivers an arm drag and a kick that sends Miz tumbling out of the ring then delivers another kick to Miz’s head off the apron and follows it up with a moonsault. They get back in the ring and Miz lands a hurricanrana then lands a kick of his own before the action spills back outside of the ring.
Miz sends Ricochet’s head bouncing off the announce table. He chucks Ricochet back in the ring then ascends to the top rope and hits a double ax handle as we go to a break.
After the break Miz delivers a crossbody off the top rope then fires off a series of kicks across Ricochet’s chest but Ricochet responds with a knee and sends Miz head first into the top turnbuckle.
Ricochet lands a back elbow but Miz fires back with a DDT and goes for a pin. Ricochet kicks out and hits a blockbuster then ascends to the top rope and delivers a Shooting Star Press for the win.
Winner & Gets Into The Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Ricochet
Trish Stratus says she doesn’t care if fans thank her because she doesn’t care what they think then brags about defeating Becky Lynch at Night Of Champions. She says this is what you do when you’re the GOAT and #1 then says Lynch can crawl back in her hole and sort out her problems while other real superstars get their shot. She says the superstar she’s about to introduce helped her not because she asked but because she wanted to and introduces Zoey Stark.
Stark’s music hits and she makes her way down to the ring & Stratus & Stark embrace one another before saying she came to WWE to make a statement. She says who better to learn from then Stratus and while she could’ve taken the long road she was smart. She says Stratus is giving, humble and kind then thanks Stratus.
Stark notices a mark on Stratus’ face and Stratus says Lynch caused it. Stratus tells Lynch not to show her face unless she wants a beating from Stark.
Lynch’s music hits and she appears & she tells Stark she’ll ruin her life and adds that since herself & Stratus are still both in their gear, why not finish things. Stark then charges at Stark but Lynch immediately levels her and gets inside the ring with Stratus. Lynch lands a flying shoulder tackle then rains down right hands. Stark blindsides Lynch and delivers a forearm to her back then hits a running knee. Stratus & Stark then begin firing off stomps in the corner before Stark lands Z360 and holds Lynch in place for Stratus. Stratus kisses her Hall Of Fame ring and clocks Lynch with it.
Tag Team Match
Indus Sher (Veer Mahaan & Sanga) vs. Javier Bernal & Kevin Ventura Coates
Indus Sher blindsides Javier Bernal & Kevin Ventura Cortes then Mahaan whips Bernal into the corner. Sanga tags in and sends Bernal into the top turnbuckle face first. Ventura Cortes tags in and Sanga drags him into the ring. He then plants Bernal on top of Ventura Cortes then tags Mahaan back in then Mahaan lands an elbow drop for the win.
Winners: Indus Sher
After the break we head to a video recapping the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Title match.
Sami Zayn says himself & Kevin Owens are feeling good coming off their victory at Night Of Champions then says they did what they set out to. He says they watched The Bloodline crumble and Roman Reigns deserves all of what’s happening to him. He says it doesn’t matter what else Reigns accomplishes in his career because he’ll have to look at their faces and remember he lost to them.
Imperium’s music hits and they appear. Ludwig Kaiser says while Owens & Zayn’s victory was impressive, it wasn’t as impressive as Gunther’s win over Mustafa Ali. Owens asks Imperium why they’re here and says it’s not the wild west. He gets heated before Zayn calms him down and says they had no business coming out here since their names weren’t mentioned. He says they should be preparing for their match against Alpha Academy and reminds them that they came up short to themselves & Matt Riddle not too long ago.
Kaiser says Owens & Zayn being Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions and says they aren’t worthy of holding the titles or representing Raw. Owens asks why Giovanni Vinci never talks while Gunther & Kaiser do but Kaiser cuts him off and says no one disrespects them.
Alpha Academy & Maxxine Dupri then appear on the ramp and Gable says they’ll hand Imperium their lessons. Zayn & Owens ask Gable to say his thing and Gable says thank you as he throws Alpha Academy’s signature gesture up.
Tag Team Match
Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis)
Ludwig Kaiser & Chad Gable lock up to get this match started then Kaiser lands a shoulder tackle then follows it up with a right hand. Gable lands an arm drag before Giovanni Vinci tries to interfere but Gable levels him then plants Kaiser as Valhalla appears at ringside. Dupri nails her with a kick to the head but Valhalla becomes enraged and chases Dupri through the curtain.
Back in the ring, Vinci tags in and sends Gable into the top turnbuckle face first then lands a chop and a bodyslam then tags Kaiser back in & Kaiser lands an open plan strike and continues to wear him down before Otis tags in and lands a splash. He follows it up with The Caterpillar and goes for a pin but Vinci breaks the fall.
Otis dumps him to the outside then tags Gable in. Gable rolls up Kaiser but Kaiser reverses the fall. Gable kicks out and Kaiser tags in & Imperium then hits Imperium Bomb for the win.
Winners: Imperium
Women’s Tag Team Titles Fatal 4 Way Match
Damage CTRL (Bayley & Iyo Sky) vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Shotzi Blackheart vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green
Raquel Rodriguez lands a shoulder tackle to Bayley the Iyo Sky tags in and lands a dropkick then fires off several forearms and tags in Bayley. Rodriguez plants Bayley face first before Chelsea Green tags in. Rodriguez drags Green into the ring then looks to tag in either Ronda Rousey or Shayna Baszler but both women duck out of the ring before Rodriguez sends Green crashing into Baszler then Shotzi Blackheart tags in and hits a tope suicida as we go to a break.
We are back from the break Baszler tags in and lands a suplex on Blackheart then she stomps on Blackheart’s hand and whips her into the corner but Blackheart lands a boot. Rousey interferes from the apron, but Shotzi clocks her and hits a neckbreaker on Baszler then she tags in Rodriguez and she delivers a shoulder tackle to Baszler then follows it up with a clothesline and a pair of fallaway slams.
Rousey tags in and stares down Rodriguez then she fires off right hands on Rodriguez’s midsection but Rodriguez responds with a shoulder tackle and gets Rousey up for the Texana Bomb. Baszler saves Rousey but Rodriguez plants her with a Texana Bomb of her own. She then looks in an arm submission on Rodriguez but Bayley breaks the hold with an elbow drop off the top rope.
Green tags herself in and sends Rousey into the ring post shoulder first but Rodriguez plants her. Deville lands a knee on Rodriguez then tags Green back in. Sky tags in and delivers a double dropkick to Green & Deville then plants Rodriguez with a right hand.
She hits a Meteora and goes for a pin but Blackheart breaks the fall then tags in and gets Sky on her shoulders and follows it up with a facebuster and a suplex. Sky responds with a flapjack and sets up for Over The Moonsault but Rousey tags herself in. Sky sets Rousey up for a superplex but Blackheart pulls both women down and looks to ascend to the top rope.
Baszler tries to interfere but Blackheart pushes her off and Blackheart continues her ascent to the top & looks for a senton but Rousey counters into an armbar for the win.
Winners By Submission & New Women’s Tag Team Champions: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler (NEW CHAMPIONS!!!!!)
Dolph Ziggler vs. JD McDonagh
Dolph Ziggler wastes no time as he rains down right hands but JD McDonagh fires back with a suplex and dumps Ziggler out of the ring then he sends Ziggler into the announce table face first then rams him into the ring steps as the referee begins a count out. McDonagh keeps beating down Ziggler on the outside and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner: No One (Double Count Out)
After the match McDonagh gets Ziggler on the ring steps and jams his knee into Ziggler’s neck before stomping on it.
Cody Rhodes asks Albany New York what they want to talk about then says he knows what’s hanging in the air. He says he came up short against Brock Lesnar at Night Of Champions due to referee stoppage then says he didn’t tap out to Lesnar because that’s not the man he wants to be. He says he might’ve tapped years ago but sometimes 2nd chances don’t come again. He says he has a question for Lesnar and says he has to look in the camera since Lesnar is nowhere to be found because he’s taken his annual vacation. He asks Lesnar if he’s satisfied and throws out an open challenge since they each have a victory. He says he hopes Lesnar is watching because if he’s in a ring, he’s there to fight him. He says he wants tonight to be the final time he rattles off Lesnar’s accomplishments and does so. Rhodes says Lesnar is beast enough to break his arm but not man enough to make him tap out. He says Lesnar is afraid of him and tosses the mic aside.
We then head backstage to Cathy Kelley is with Matt Riddle. Kelley asks Riddle about his Money In The Bank Qualifying match, and Riddle voices his excitement, noting that it’s going to be a hot bro summer then Intercontienetal Champion Gunther walks in and wishes Riddle luck on winning the match then says he hopes Riddle cashes the briefcase in on him.
Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
Bronson Reed vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Match starts off with Bronson Reed shoves Shinsuke Nakamura into the corner. He follows it up with a bodyslam but Nakamura responds with a few right hands. Reed then lands a chop and whips Nakamura into the corner once again before the action spills to the outside. Reed looks to go flying off the apron but Nakamura sweeps his leg then delivers a running knee to his face and a 2nd knee to the back of his head as we go to a break.
After the break Reed & Nakamura exchange forearms with one another but Reed gains the upper hand and lands a clothesline before he ascends to the top rope but Nakamura trips him then delivers a knee to his midsection and climbs up to the middle rope & he goes flying but Reed catches him with a boot.
He follows it up with a powerslam then climbs to the top rope and looks for Tsunami but Nakamura rolls out of the way and lands a knee strike on the back of his neck. He then lands Kinshasa and looks to pin Reed but Reed rolls out of the ring before he can.
Nakamura delivers a 2nd Kinshaha to Reed on the outside as the referee begins a 10 count. Reed makes it back in before 10 where Nakamura meets him with a 3rd Kinshasa for the win.
Winner & Gets Into The Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Shinsuke Nakamura
After the break we head to a video from WWE honoring Memorial Day.
Tag Team Match
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins & AJ Styles vs. Judgement Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor)
Finn Balor blindsides Seth Rollins then Rollins then lands on the outside and puts his arm around Rhea Ripley then both he & Ripley scream and Ripley asks what he’s doing. Rollins gets back in the ring and Damian Priest whips him into the corner. He fires off a right hand and several stomps before AJ Styles & Balor tag in.
Styles delivers a right hand to Balor then gets him up on his shoulders but Balor escapes and Styles hits him with a backbreaker. Priest tags in as things spill to the outside. Dominik Mysterio & Styles get into a spat allowing Priest to blindside him and deliver a shoulder tackle to him that sends him crashing over the announce table as we cut to a break.
After the break Priest dumps Styles out of the ring then Ripley holds him in place for Mysterio but Rollins intervenes and the referee ejects Ripley & Mysterio from ringside after catching them in the act. Styles gets back in the ring and lands a Pele Kick then tags in Rollins. Balor tags in and Rollins plants him then sends him into the middle turnbuckle face first then delivers a knee off the top rope before shoving him into the corner.
Priest tags in and sets up for South Of Heaven but Rollins escapes. Balor makes the blind tag as Rollins & Priest teeter on the top rope. Rollins lands a superplex and rolls through but Priest hits a Falcon Arrow. Balor then sets up for Coup De Grace but Rollins moves out of the way and hits a superkick then Styles & Priest tag in and Styles hits an enziguri.
Priest responds with Razor’s Edge and goes for a pin but Rollins breaks the fall with a Curb Stomp. Styles tags him in and Rollins delivers a 2nd Curb Stomp to Priest for the win.
Winners: World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins & AJ Styles
Matches Of The Night
Seth Rollins & AJ Styles vs. Judgement Day- 7/10
Bronson Reed vs. Shinsuke Nakamura- 7/10
Imperium vs. Alpha Academy- 7/10
Next Week’s Raw
Women’s Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
Becky Lynch vs. Sonya Deville
Women’s Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
Natalya vs. Zoey Stark
Money In The Bank Card So Far (July 1st)
6 Man Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Montez Ford or LA Knight vs. 3 More TBD
6 Woman Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Zelina Vega or Lacey Evans vs. Becky Lynch or Sonya Deville vs. Natalya or Zoey Stark vs. 3 More TBD
