‘WWE Raw’ Review (May 13th 2024)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: Queen of the Ring Quarterfinal Match – IYO SKY def. Shayna Baszler
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
A renewal of an epic rivalry highlighted this Queen of the Ring Quarterfinal clash between Shayna Baszler and former WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY. SKY took out Baszler’s knee before hitting a superb moonsault from the the top rope onto Baszler outside the ring. Baszler looked to have SKY fading in the Kirifuda Clutch, but SKY booked her ticket to the semifinals after hitting the Over the Moonsault, somehow surviving the punishment of Baszler.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: King of the Ring Quarterfinal Match – Gunther def. Kofi Kingston
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Kofi Kingston exploded out of the gates against Gunther, looking for payback against the man who took Xavier Woods out of the running to retain his King of the Ring crown. The Ring General hit an Orton-esque back suplex onto the announce table, then locked in a Boston crab and a half-crab. The Ring General used the ring post to twist Kingston like a pretzel, but Kingston somehow connected with Trouble in Paradise outside the ring. Just after the two narrowly beat the 10-count, Gunther hit Kingston with a Powerbomb before following up with the Boston crab. Screaming in agony, Kingston had no choice but to tap out.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: “Big” Bronson Reed def. Akira Tozawa
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With Chad Gable barking instructions at ringside, Akira Tozawa took on the humongous Bronson Reed. Tozawa looked good until Reed hit the Tsunami, spelling doom for Tozawa as Gable berated him after the match.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Queen of the Ring Quarterfinal Match – Lyra Valkyria def. Zoey Stark
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Lyra Valkyria and Zoey Stark turned it up for their first-ever encounter. Valkyria had to dig deep, going for the tornado DDT one too many times, as Stark countered Valkyria’s second attempt into a suplex into the bottom turnbuckle. As Stark went for the Z-360, Valkyria turned it around in the Nightwing to advance to the semifinals.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Sami Zayn def. Otis
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Otis tried to swivel his hips before Chad Gable told him not to. Otis gyrated anyway and hit the Caterpillar on Sami Zayn. Otis tried going for a big splash but missed, allowing Zayn to hit the Helluva Kick to win the match. After the match, Gable slapped Otis across the cheek.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: Becky Lynch vs. Dakota Kai (No Contest)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch had her work cut out for her in a non-title match against Dakota Kai. Lynch looked to seal the win after a superplex followed by the Dis-arm-her, but Damage CTRL hit the ring, leaving the match in disarray. Lyra Valkyria then hit the scene to dispatch Damage CTRL. Liv Morgan, however, then performed a hit-and-run on The Man.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: No. 1 Contender’s to the World Tag Team Title Match – The Judgment Day def. New Catch Republic, AOP and The Creed Brothers
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a frenetic Fatal 4-Way Match to determine the new No. 1 Contenders’ to Awesome Truth’s WWE World Tag Team titles, JD McDonagh and Finn Bálor emerged victorious, but they had a little help. Just as Pete Dunne was about to obliterate McDonagh, Carlito shockingly slithered his way to ringside, hitting a Backstabber on Dunne on top of the announce table. Bálor capitalized with the Coup de Grace on Dunne to win the match.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #8: King of the Ring Tournament Quarterfinal Match – Jey Uso def. Ilja Dragunov
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a barnburner main event, “Main Event” Jey Uso battled the ruthless Ilja Dragunov for a chance to face Gunther in the semifinals of the King of the Ring Tournament. Dragunov blitzed Uso with German suplexes before hitting the Constantine Special, but “Main Event” Jey kicked out. Uso kept fighting, even after an H-Bomb from Dragunov, who could not garner the win. In the final moments, Uso caught Dragunov with a Spear before hitting the Uso Splash to set up a semifinal date with Gunther next week.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
As I said in my review of last week’s Smackdown, what planet are we living on right now? Like Smackdown, this episode of Raw concentrated solely on wrestling. Though we got a couple of storyline-driving squash matches, this show STILL focused on wrestling. This King and Queen of the RIng tournament has done wonders for the WWE’s new “professional wrestling” focus. An unmissable week for Raw!
