What to Expect on the May 6 Episode of WWE RAW

WWE heads to the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio for tonight’s RAW. Below are the focus points for the show.

Roman Reigns says he will appear on Monday Night Raw this week despite WWE’s official response that he won’t

WWE officials have learned of Roman Reigns’ desire to appear on this week’s Raw, but as of now, and due to his obligations as a SmackDown LIVE Superstar, he will not be appearing on Monday night’s show.

Reigns proclaimed Saturday morning via Twitter that he had “some business” on Raw, and that he would return to the red brand this Monday. However, WWE responded saying that will not be the case. Reigns then fired back, saying he still intended on kicking the show off despite WWE’s response.

All about the mon-aay

Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet. All four have a chance to become the new Mr. Money in the Bank, and while it may seem like alliances and rivalries are starting to form, keep in mind we have a long way to go. For instance, Strowman and Ricochet were pretty chummy this past week, but it’s hard to imagine The Monster Among Men putting a temporary partnership over his quest to once again become Mr. Monster in the Bank. And while McIntyre at Corbin are at loggerheads, it’s possible each will take an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend view of things if it gets them closer to the contract. The point is, take nothing for granted.

Clashing styles

It’d been a while since we saw the AJ Styles who showed up during Raw’s Universal Title Match contract signing — brash, cocky and ruthless — and it’s pretty clear Seth Rollins wasn’t quite expecting him, either. As evidence, witness the Phenomenal Forearm that left The Beastslayer in splinters after taking a trip through a table. With two weeks to go until Rollins defends his prize in the first-time-ever matchup, Styles is firmly in the driver’s seat and maybe in the champion’s head. If The Architect wants to keep up, a response will be required.

You shave my back

Okay, so the headline shouldn’t have been that The Revival shave each other’s backs in the shower, but the mildly embarrassing footage obtained by The Usos was still enough to unman the “Top Guys” when all was said and done. The Usos now have a psychological edge in this young rivalry, and in order to catch up to their rivals, the former Raw Tag Team Champions have to either develop thicker skin or finish out their business between the ropes in a way they couldn’t this past week against Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins in what was otherwise a very impressive performance. In other words, this could be the beginning of a whole new Revival or the first humiliation of many. The choice is up to them.

Mysterio-us ways

United States Champion Samoa Joe thought he had Rey Mysterio in the bag when they squared up for a rematch of the WrestleMania 35 quickie that saw Joe defeat his opponent in a minute flat. Surprise! Mysterio defeated The Samoan Submission Machine in a non-title match, leaving Joe shaken in the ring and Rey’s son Dominick beaming from ear-to-ear. Of course, while a win doesn’t guarantee anything for The Ultimate Underdog, his use of the hands-across-the-waist taunt atop his son’s shoulders says it all: He wants the title. And now, he’s got a case for a championship bout.

A Lady in a Man’s world

Now this is more like it! After weeks of jaw-jacking and sneak attacks, Lacey Evans dropped the mic and came at Becky Lynch in an all-out brawl that instantly moved The Lady of WWE from “upstart cheap-shot artist” to “legitimate contender.” Now, Evans has some honest-to-goodness wind in her sails heading into her Raw Women’s Championship Match, and with it the chance to take advantage of the chaos and claim one of the Irishwoman’s treasures for her own. The Man, meanwhile, finds herself with a challenger she may have underestimated, or at the very least misjudged. And given that Charlotte Flair has been getting the better of Lynch on the blue side, Becky No Belts is a very real possibility.

Check back here at 8PM ET for our live play-by-play coverage.