07th May2019

WWE Raw – May 6th 2019: Results & Review

by Nathan Favel

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Welcome to this week’s Monday Night Raw review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have…I’m not quite sure what. Let’s see if there’s any-thing planned for this show or if it’s just gonna be improvised like Iron Man was.

Match #1: Baron Corbin & Bobby Lashley def. Universal Champion Seth Rollins & AJ Styles

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

One person who’s not nuts about the new “Wild Card Rule”? AJ Styles. The Phenomenal One is understandably miffed that — just as he’s about to put down roots on Raw — he has to deal with the possibility of Seth Rollins calling in backup in their Universal Title Match, should he so choose. (He went so far as to threaten to bring some “friends” over from Team Blue to watch his back; Mr. McMahon stressed the rule is invitation-only.) Rollins didn’t seem to need much backup against The Phenomenal One, hitting the scene and squaring up to his challenger so ferociously that Mr. McMahon decided to pair them as partners against a team of his choosing. That didn’t go so well either for the challenger — or the champion, for that matter: Despite some early chemistry against The Chairman’s hand-picked tandem of Baron Corbin & Bobby Lashley, the bubbling animosity threatened to bubble over each time there was a lull in the action. Eventually, the two got their act together, but an errant Phenomenal Forearm seemingly intended for Corbin leveled legal man Rollins, and The Phenomenal One bailed on the match without a backward glance rather than make it right. Corbin finished the match out with an End of Days to The Beastslayer, who was understandably furious over the outcome. So, could they coexist? In a word, no. It was a noble experiment by The Chairman, to be sure. But at the end of the day, some people just work better as enemies.

My Opinion: 3 out of 5 – This had the length, but it didn’t quite have the quality that you’d hope for. The talented people did just fine, but Corbin struggled as usual. The action got from point A to point B well enough, but it wasn’t enough to keep the match from dragging at times. I can’t say that this was the worst match you’ve ever seen and I’m not going to try. This was a good opener.

Match #2: Lucha House Party def. three jobbers

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The Lucha House Party dispatched a trio of locals in this quick burst of action.

My Opinion: 1.5 out of 5 – I had to actually add more words into the WWE’s description of the match. That’s how little Vince McMahon cares about his roster. The match was too short to get anywhere, but it had potential of a certain kind.

Match #3: Ricochet def. Robert Roode to defend his place in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Nobody much raised an eyebrow when Ricochet was named to the Men’s Money in the Bank Match on merit — after all, it’s pretty much a tailor-made contest to the former NXT North American Champion’s skills, and it’s a near-guarantee he’s going to do something nuts. But it’s hard to argue against Robert Roode’s frustration with being passed over, given that he’s the only man to pin Ricochet in WWE. At least, the McMahon family seemed to think so, granting Roode a win-and-you’re in match against his rival after some backstage wheeling-and-dealing, but the outcome of that contest left little doubt as to who deserved to go to WWE Money in the Bank. In short, they got it right the first time, as Ricochet withstood an aggressive full-court press from The Glorious One to retain his “Money” berth via 630. It was a firm reminder of not just his athleticism but his perseverance — the win was come-from-behind by any measure — and he’ll need both of those skills if he wants to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. As for Robert Roode? He’ll surely politick his way to another opportunity eventually. As far as WWE Money in the Bank is concerned, however, he’ll go no further.

My Opinion: 2.5 out of 5 – These guys have chemistry together, but they keep getting cut off from each other. Does that make sense? There’s a disturbing lack of wrestling happening between these two when they compete with each other, despite the matches being good. I guess Vince thinks that Ricochet can’t make his suplexes look believable. Any-way, this was good while it lasted, but it would be nice to get more time with these people.

Match #4: Lacey Evans def. Allie Catrina

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The dominance she showed in her rout of a local competitor named Allie Catrina on Raw was the stuff of legend.

My Opinion: 0.5 out of 5 – I had to complete the WWE write-up again. That’s twice in one review. This was a lousy squash that should not have been on TV.

Match #5: The Viking Raiders def. Raw Tag Team Champions Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins have managed to avoid The Viking Raiders ever since losing to them in their Raw debut, which is good news for the fan-favorites’ fledgling Raw Tag Team Title reign. But the champs got a good look at what the future might hold when they squared up with Erik & Ivar in a non-title match and found themselves steamrolled by the Raiders, despite an impressive opening sequence that saw them force Ivar against the ropes with quick tags and teamwork. Even after Erik entered the fray, Ryder & Hawkins stuck to their strategy and seemed like they might pull off the win … until an overzealous Hawkins found himself kneed into oblivion by Erik, leaving The Ultimate Broski alone to suffer The Viking Experience, and a reality check with it: As impressive as Ryder & Hawkins have been since winning the titles, they’ve definitely been the recipients of some good luck and better timing along the way. If there’s a takeaway from this match, it’s that luck didn’t save them, and time may be running out.

My Opinion: 2 out of 5 – This was way too damn short.

Match #6: Roman Reigns def. Drew McIntyre via Disqualification

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The “Wild Card Rule” certainly lived up to its name in the very first match under its banner, as a WrestleMania rematch between Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre led to a four-way brawl encompassing two Raw Superstars, two SmackDown Superstars and a member of the McMahon family to boot. For one, McIntyre more or less had his way with The Big Dog for 98 percent of the match; Reigns hit what would have been the match-ending Spear out of nowhere and on his last legs, but the pinfall was broken up by Shane McMahon and Elias, who have been targeting Roman on SmackDown over the last few weeks. That brought out The Miz, who had been lying in wait for Shane-O-Mac outside his private dressing room and successfully chased “The Best in the World” off with steel chair in hand Reigns found himself pulverized by a Claymore from McIntyre in the aftermath, and Shane narrowly managed to escape The A-Lister by fighting him off outside Shane’s private limo. Call it a narrow victory for Reigns’ rivals, though they’d be wise to keep things in perspective: After all, this rule goes both ways, and they might not be as safe as they think.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This worked out quite well and made for an excellent match that was a bit a slow in parts, but still packed a wallop.

Match #7: Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. The Revival

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

The Usos’ prank war against The Revival continues to be a one-sided affair, as Jimmy & Jey followed up their shower-cam footage from last week by filling Dash & Dawson’s trunks with sweat-activated “Ucey Hot” cream that fired up just moments before the “Top Guys” were scheduled to face Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson. It turned out exactly like you might imagine, as The Revival frantically ran about the stage and eventually exited before their match began.

My Opinion: 0 out of 5 – The match never got started for dumb reasons. I’m pissed.

Match #8: Lars Sullivan vs. No Way Jose

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

Less jovial was the arrival of No Way Jose moments later, as The Dominican Dancing Machine was interrupted by a wild-eyed Lars Sullivan, who took advantage of the “Wild Card Rule” to wreak havoc on Raw. The Freak made short work of Jose and his conga line, leaving beads and human burgers and one particularly unfortunate human hot dog in his wake as he forged a one-man path of destruction. A brief rally by Jose was summarily snuffed out, and The Freak finished his business with a running sit-out powerbomb. You will note that Lars Sullivan is the fifth SmackDown Superstar to appear on Raw, despite Mr. McMahon setting a very clear cap at three. But as The Chairman explained backstage on a telephone call, Elias doesn’t count because he accompanied Shane McMahon, and as for Lars … after a wordless confrontation with The Freak in which Sullivan simply stared down The Chairman, Mr. McMahon decided to change it to four Superstars apiece. Clearly, even among wild cards, Lars Sullivan stands alone.

My Opinion: 0 out of 5 – I’m not even sure this was ever meant to be a match, but it sure as hell looked that way. This was just a sneak attack brawl type of deal that Lars controlled. Lars looks like a cross between Brock Lesnar and Gene Snitsky, but it remains to be seen if he leans toward Brock or Gene.

Match #9: (Main Event) WWE Champion Kofi Kingston def. Daniel Bryan – WWE World Championship Match

The following is courtesy of wwe.com:

There would have been no bigger way for Daniel Bryan to reclaim the mantle of The Planet’s Champion — and the bully pulpit that goes with it — than by dethroning Kofi Kingston on Night One of the “Wild Card Rule” in Raw’s first true WWE Title Match since 2016 … but the Power of Positivity is not quite done just yet. The Dreadlocked Dynamo’s miracle run continues, despite a fearsome effort from The Beard that nearly sapped all the pancake power out of Kingston thanks to a rough landing over the ropes and a targeted attack on Kofi’s arms. With Kofi worn down from Bryan’s strikes and submissions, the champion was deer-in-headlights helpless against a Running Knee. But a wobbly-legged Kingston managed to dodge the maneuver, worm his way out of a LeBell Lock and connect with Trouble in Paradise to the jaw, grounding Bryan for three and keeping the magic alive. History made again. Bryan thwarted again. And now it can happen anyplace, at anytime. It’s a new day, yes it is.

My Opinion: 3.5 out of 5 – This was an excellent main event that had plenty of great action sequences. This was not quite as good as that fantastic Wrestlemania match, but these two delivered a proper title match in the main event. There isn’t any-thing here that ought to surprise you, but it sure should make you feel all warm a fuzzy inside. All in all, this was a worthy WWE World Title match.

News Of The Night:

  1. A new “Wild Card Rules” stipulation is in place that allows multiple stars from each brand to appear on the other, each week. This, essentially, ends the brand split to a certain extent.
  2. Bray Wyatt had another weird, funny kids show vignette that saw the puppets kill each other and a bunch of kids look like they died.
  3. Shane McMahon had two brawls with two separate wrestlers (The Miz and Roman Reigns).
  4. Sami Zayn got thrown into a dumpster by Braun Strowman after another great promo and might be dead.
  5. AJ Styles and Seth Rollins are still being booked as tweeners in their feud.
  6. Vince McMahon was all over the place tonight.
  7. The pre-match interviews were done directly into the camera, which were great.

Final Verdict: 3.5/5

This was the most lop-sided Raw in a long time, with some of the worst and the best things possible happening in one place and at one time. The good out-weighed the bad, so I’m going with the happy review.

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