Welcome to Ringside News’ live results coverage for WWE RAW.
Tonight’s RAW will feature a big title match as Andrade defends his United States Championship against Apollo Crews. Last week saw the solidarity of Vega’s trio crumble, and now she’s down to two, but she may even lose their gold tonight.
Elsewhere tonight, there will be a triple threat match between Nia Jax, Natalya, and Charlotte Flair to determine the number one contender to Asuka. Why Flair is in this match instead of Ruby Riott or Liv Morgan is beyond me. And finally MVP will bring back the V.I.P Lounge, with Drew McIntyre as his guest. Perhaps most excitingly, it seems WWE will be recruiting Performance Centre talent tonight to act as crowd members, which should add some much-needed life to the shows.
And that’s the preview for tonight’s RAW. The show begins at 8 PM EST and we’ll have full results here. Enjoy the show!
WWE RAW
RAW opens with an incredible tribute to soldiers for Memorial Day.
We go live to the arena and there are a few dozen NXT performers behind the barricades with plexi-glass on the guard rail also, for some reason though they’re all standing with no seats, but they are all six feet apart and have been tested.
Kevin Owens is in the ring and welcomes us to the Kevin Owens Show. Owens makes mention of the NXT performers and says tonight he will face Angel Garza but first he has to address the triple threat to determine the number one contender to Asuka. And who better to discuss it than the Empress, the RAW Women’s Champion herself?
Asuka comes to the ring and chants for Becky. Owens congratulates Asuka for earning the title and asks her to speak on last week when Nia Jax interrupted her and Kairi. We see the clip, then Asuka rambles in Japanese before being interrupted by NXT Champion, Charlotte Flair.
Flair says that RAW Women’s Championship should have been handed to her instead. Charlotte reminds Asuka that she has never beaten her, but then out comes Natalya. Nattie assures Kevin Owen she won’t wreck his set this week like she did last week, and apologises to him. She says she’s been frustrated, and Flair tells her sucking up won’t help her.
This time it’s Nia Jax who comes out and she says we all know she’s going to be the next RAW Women’s Champion. Owens leaves the ring before Nia gets in. Jax says she’s going to bulldoze Asuka at Backlash. Owens tells Asuka not to hit Nia in the face, so Asuka then hits her with a backfist to the face. Natalya and Flair brawl out of the ring and Asuka yells at Jax in Japanese.
Kayla Braxton interviews Apollo Crews backstage and asks if he is ready to face Andrade. He says tonight is the greatest night of his career because he’s going to beat Andrade and become the new United States Champion.
*Commercial Break*
United States Championship
(C) Andrade W/Zelina Vega Vs. Apollo Crews
The title match gets underway and Andrade takes his time before engaging. Apollo forces Andrade to the corner and beats on him. Apollo slams Andrade for a one-count, but the Champion then connects with a discus elbow for a near-fall.
Andrade grabs Crews for the hammerlock DDT but Apollo breaks free and lifts him up. Vega gets on the apron and Apollo gets distracted. Andrade almost knocks Vega off the apron, but then Crews hits an enziguiri and he does knock her off. Andrade goes out to check on vega.
*Commercial Break*
Back live and Andrade attacks Apollo as he tries to exit the ring. Andrade slams Apollo into the steps and grabs hit US Championship to taunt Apollo. Zelina refuses to leave ringside after being advised by medical staff.
Back in the ring and Apollo fires back with right hands, followed by a running splash in the corner. Crews takes Apollo up top but gets knocked into the tree of woe and hit with a double foot stomp. Mid-match, Kayla interviews Angel Garza backstage and he talks about sex as Andrade misses double knees in the corner.
Crews looks for the spin-out powerbomb but Andrade counters with a hurricanrana into the buckles. Andrade hits running knees in the corner for a near-fall. Apollo hits an enziguiri, followed by a military press, standing moonsault, standing shooting star press, and wins!
Winner and New United States Champion: Apollo Crews
Charly Caruso interviews Apollo in the ring. He says when he first stated his journey he was told he couldn’t do it, they laughed at him. But 11 years of hard work and sacrifice and he’s won his first title in WWE. He never quit or gave up. And now he can say to the whole world that he is the United States Champion. We see that Andrade is flipping out backstage and destroying stuff.
Tonight the Street Profits battle The Viking Raiders in a golf match. We see Seth Rollins holding a Rey Mysterio mask backstage.
*Commercial Break*
The Monday Night Messiash is backstage and he says tonight is a night for celebration. Seth says Rey Mysterio was a sacrifice for the greater good and he can’t imagine the pain he went through. He doesn’t know what the future holds for Rey but if that was his final act as a WWE Superstar, then at least it was a courageous one. He holds his hands out and he’s joined by his disciples, Austin Theory and Murphy. Both disciples thank Seth for saving them. Seth says tonight they will show Humberto Carrillo and Aleister Black what it means to cross the Monday Night Messiah.
Charly Caruso interviews Charlotte backstage. Charly asks what it will mean for Charlotte’s legacy if she becomes a double Champion. Flair says she is the most consistent and prolific Champion in WWE history. She is the measuring stick and frankly, nobody compares. Asuka comes dancing into the frame with her title, and says “red is not your colour”.
The IIconics comes to the ring but we’ll have to wait until after the break to ind out why.
*Commercial Break*
We’re back with The IIconics and Peyton starts to apologise for costing them the match last week. Kay cuts her off and says she’s the one who needs to apologise because she slapped her and it makes her sick. They’ve come too far to have any animosity. They remind everyone that they’ve been friends for life, signed their contracts together, won the titles together, and never got a chance to defend them.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross come out and Bliss says they’ve had opportunites but they failed. Cross starts to talk but Royce cuts her off and tells her to stay quiet. Cross says that she has taken all the same steps as Bliss, all the same moves to get to where they are. She left Glasgow with nothing in her pocket and no friends, and she made it. She was an outcast when Alexa found her and offered her a hand, and she likes to think she proved to Lexi what friendship is. And there’s noting more iconic than that.
Royce and Kay attack the Women’s Tag Team Champions, beating them each into the corners. They beat Alexa out of the ring and hit Cross with a spinning axe kick. They hit an inverted Magic Killer before holding the titles up and posing.
Lana approaches MVP backstage and stares at him. She says they need to talk and he laughs and says “no, we don’t.”
*Commercial Break*
MVP is in the ring for the latest edition of the V.I.P Lounge. MVP welcomes all of the NXT performers and says the V.I.P Lounge is the only nightclub that can boast the star power of the WWE Champion, or should he say former, WWE Champion. MVP then introduces Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre gets into the ring and throws the furniture around. He asks MVP where Bobby Lashley is and MVP plays dumb. MVP says Drew doesn’t have to worry about a sneak attack. He says the full nelson won’t be happening until Backlash, so relax. MVP asks if Drew remembers the last time he invited him to the V.I.P Lounge and offered him his guidance and tutelage. MVP says Bobby took his offer and it only took him a few weeks to get a title shot.
McIntyre says it took him 19 years to get a title shot but he got it at WrestleMania. Against Brock Lesnar. And he beat him in five minutes. McIntyre says he doesn’t need anyone thinking or talking for him. McIntyre says the only way Bobby will get the WWE Championship is if he pries it from his cold dead hands, and MVP says that can be arranged. Bobby makes his way down to the ring but McIntyre hits MVP with a Claymore. Lashley pulls MVP out of the ring and they retreat.
Charly interviews Natalya backstage but Nattie gets a call and walks off. It’s her husband, Tyson Kidd, she says she apologised and she needs to focus on her match. Nattie returns but Charly says they’re out of time.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance but Angel Garza attacks him from behind. He hits KO’s knee into the ramp, then runs to the ring.
*Commercial Break*
Kevin Owens Vs. Angel Garza W/ZELINA VEGA
We return and Owens instructs the referee to start the match. Garza rushes Owens in the corner and beats him down, targeting the knee. Owens tries to fight back but gets the leg kicked and Garza stands on it.
Owens lands a DDT and starts make a comeback. Owens attempts a cannonball but his knee gives out and Angel hits a superkick. Owens knocks Garza off the top rope and hits a swanton bomb. Owens attempts a Pop-Up Powerbomb but Garza counters and hits the Wing Clipper for the win.
Winner: Angel Garza
After the match Garza attacks the leg again as Vega laughs. Garza poses as Owens writhes on the mat.
*Commercial Break*
We see the Street Profits on the golf course, along with The Viking Raiders, who’ve brought a cooler full of giant hunks of meat. They start playing golf and the Profits are great, whereas Erik throws the club. Erik and Ivar can’t play an get angry quickly. They change to mini-golf but aren’t much better. Ivar wants bigger clubs, so he gets a driver and blasts the ball. The woman who runs the mini-golf forgives him because he’s cute. The final score sees the Vikings with a really high score, and they think that means they win. Of course, that’s not how golf works, so the Street Profits are 2-1 overall.
Lana approaches MVP and Bobby Lashley with ice and she says she’s sorry for what Drew did. MVP says she thinks this is all a joke. Lashley was sent a message tonight, and they need to send one right back. So they leave her and she throws the ice in fury.
*Commercial Break*
Murphy & Austin Theory W/Seth Rollins Vs. Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo
We start the match with Carrillo and Theory, and they lock-up. Theory elbows Humberto and beats him into the corner. Murphy tags in and he beats on Carrillo, then he tags Theory and they attempt a double back suplex but Carrillo lands on his feet, ducks a lariat, and hits a springboard arm drag that knocks Murphy outside.
Carrillo tosses Theory over the ropes onto Murphy, then Black tags in and feigns a dive with the springboard cross-legged sit. Humberto then wipes them both out with a dive while they’re distracted. Back in the ring, Black beats Theory into the corner and tags Humberto. Carrillo goes up top but gets distracted by Murphy, so Theory slams him into the buckles and makes the tag.
Murphy ducks a kick but Carrillo catches him with the second. Both men make tags and Black drops Theory with forearms, then throws Murphy into Theory. Black then dodges a kick from Theory that hits Murphy, and drops Austin with a dropkick. Black takes out both men with a springboard moonsault and kicks Murphy to the outside.
Black kicks out of a roll-up and hits a knee to the face of Theory. Black tags Humberto and runs to the apron but Murphy sends him to the outside. Carrillo attacks Murphy but Theory hits him with the FTL for the win!
Winners: Austin Theory & Murphy
As soon as the match ends, Rollins directs traffic as Theory and Murphy attack Carrillo. They toss Black over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area, then beat Carrillo. They continue beating on Humberto but Seth stops them as Black gets into the ring with a chair. Rollins tells them to put Humberto’s eye into the steel steps if Black takes another step. Rollins says Black needs to back off or Humberto loses an eye, so Black acquiesces. Rollins tells Black not to force him to make any more sacrifices.
We see Edge sitting backstage looking downtrodden.
*Commercial Break*
Edge is backstage and he says Randy caught him flat-footed a few weeks ago. Maybe he was still basking in the glow of WrestleMania but it doesn’t happen often, so congratulations to Orton. And here he is, doubting himself. To be fully transparent.
He was retired for 3212 days, and in that time Orton competed in 1126 matches. And he’s looking at it and he realises he has to prove himself, to himself. So he wants to thank Orton for forcing him to contemplate things he’s has buried deep. So that night he got home and he watched the first episode of The Last Ride. And he himself was on there talking about when is the time to hang up the boots, and now here he is. And he understands what The Undertaker is going through.
Randy wants to doubt his ability but he has hung hold-for-hold with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Christian, Davy Boy Smith, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, the list goes on. He’s hung with them all and brought them to a new level. He was a five tool workhorse for WWE. And if Randy’s paying attention he’ll notice that that’s all past tense. Because he doesn’t know if he can do that anymore. But at Backlash he’s going to dig into the depths of his soul to try. That’s all a man can do.
Asuka makes her way to the commentary table, where she will watch the upcoming Triple Threat match.
*Commercial Break*
We see the Vikings backstage with the Profits, and they say they let them win. Dawkins says no way, Ivar had more chicken legs go in the hole than balls. Ivar laughs and says he certainly had a lot of birdies. Ford tells them to name the next challenge and Erik suggests gator wrestling, but Dawkins says “I’ve told you, anything but gator wrestling!” Erik then asks if they bowl, and they say they couldn’t choose something more boring.
The Vikings walk off and MVP and Lashley then walk up to the Profits and MVP says they’re going to be another case of talent washed down the drain. The Profits ask if there’s a problem and poke fun at MVP for getting Claymore Kicked. MVP challenges them to a tag match tonight and tells them to bring the smoke.
Charlotte Flair Vs. Nia Jax Vs. Natalya
Number One Contender Match
The triple threat begins and Nia shoves Natalya down, then lifts Charlotte and slams her into the corner to hit repeated shoulders. Flair kicks Nia but gets slammed. Jax then lifts Nattie and body slams her onto Charlotte. She looks to hit an elbow drop but Charlotte moves, then teams with Nattie to Irish whip Nia into the ring post.
Flair kicks Natalya and takes a headlock. Nattie counters with headscissors but Charlotte kips-out, then Nattie does the same. Flair hits a shoulder tackle, then knocks Jax off the apron. Natalya attempts a roll-up but Charlotte kicks out and hits her. Flair flips over the ropes to the apron but gets knocked off by Jax, who then clears the announce table. Natalya tries to baseball slide Jax but gets grabbed and slammed into the apron.
Charlotte tries to ram Nia with the lid of the announce table but they play back and forth with it. Both women then get on the apron and exchange shots, with Charlotte landing lots of chops. Jax counters a kick attempt and gets Charlotte on her shoulders but Natalya grabs her leg. Flair climbs down, then she and Natalya lift Nia and powerbomb her through the announce table!
*Commercial Break*
Back live and Charlotte has Natalya by the back in the ring, and Jax is still down on the floor. Nattie fights out and they hit stereo crossbody’s. Asuka helps Jax back into the ring and Natalya hits her with a tilt-a-whirl armbar. Jax lifts Natalya up and hits a powerbomb, then Flair kicks Jax in the head.
Flair tosses Natalya to the floor and drops a knee on Jax. Flair hits a moonsault for a near-fall. Nattie comes back and drops Charlotte, but Jax then hits her with a lariat. Jax whips both women into the corner and splashes them. Jax tries to lift both Charlotte and Natalya on her shoulders but they fight her off. Jax misses Charlotte in the corner and Flair slams her knee.
Charlotte target the knee with stomps, then goes to the Figure Eight but Natalya hits a dropkick to her. Natalya applies a Sharpshooter and Flair crawls to the ropes but gets dragged back. Jax pulls Natalya off and runs into her. Natalya gets hoisted up but Flair hits Jax with a big boot, then tosses Natalya to the floor.
Flair kicks Jax and climbs the ropes but Jax hits her. Nia climbs up top and Natalya grabs her for a tower of doom! Natalya rolls Flair out and attempts a Sharpshooter on Jax but Charlotte pulls her off and applies the Figure Eight. Jax hits a leg drop to Flair as she’s in the move. Jax lifts Nattie and hits a Samoan drop for the win.
Winner: Nia Jax
Jax is the number one contender to Asuka’s RAW Women’s Championship. They will face each other at Backlash.
Kayla Braxton interviews Drew McIntyre backstage and he says he’s leaving. She asks if he knows that MVP and Lashley are wrestling the Street Profits. He says he didn’t and suddenly he thinks he forgot something, and he’s certain he won’t find it until after Lashley’s match.
*Commercial Break*
R-Truth has realised that Tom Brady is not the 24/7 Champion, and he puts Rob Gronkowski on notice. Gronk then is shown in the gym, with the belt, and he’s reading a teleprompter to cut a basic promo about keeping the title.
We see MVP and Lashley backstage, and Kayla asks MVP why he’d choose to wrestle after getting hit earlier. He points to Lashley and says that’s why.
Ric Flair will be live on RAW, after the break.
*Commercial Break*
Ric Flair appears on the screen from his home, and he says the WWE reached out to him to get his verdict on Edge Vs. Randy Orton. Flair says ever since he quit limosuine riding, wheeling and dealing, and kissing women, the best in-ring performer today is Randy Orton. And that’s who is going to win at Backlash.
We see a lengthy clip from the next instalment of the excellent The Last Ride documentary on the WWE Network.
Liv Morgan tells us more things we might not know about her, and this time it’s that she never felt good enough. Never had any self-worth. That was, until she got to WWE. And she might not know all the answers but she is alive and will fulfil who she is destined to be. She is living her best life.
*Commercial Break*
Next week on RAW we will have a Rey Mysterio retirement ceremony, and Aleister Black will battle Seth Rollins.
Street Profits Vs. MVP & Bobby Lashley
We start the main event with Montez Ford and Bobby Lashley, and Ford slaps his ass the way Lashley used to. Ford rolls away from Lashley and plays up to the crowd. Lashley hits him with a shoulder tackle and poses. Ford avoids Lashley and grabs his head but the big man forces the Profit to the corner and drills him with shoulders.
Lashley slams Ford and tags MVP, who tees-off on Ford in the corner. Lashley gets the tag and he runs at Ford who pulls the rope down for Lashley to fly out. Ford then tries to jump over the ropes onto Lashley but misses and Lashley slams him into the barricade.
*Commercial Break*
Back live and MVP is beating on Ford. Tag made to Lashley and he drills Ford with forearms, then hits a sidewalk slam. Lashley tosses Ford to the outside and tags MVP, who jumps down and whips him into the steps. MVP puts Ford back inside and gets a two-count.
MVP misses a splash in the corner and Ford drops him with a right hand. Tag made to Dawkins, who comes in hot with lariats and a flying back elbow. Angelo lifts and slams MVP, then hits a spinning forearm in the corner, followed by a bulldog. Dawkins knocks Lashley off the apron and Ford spears him on the floor. Dawkins tags Ford and hits a spinebuster to MVP. Ford hits a frog splash but Lashley slams Dawkins into the ring post, then gets inside and grabs Ford with the Full Nelson and gets the win.
Winners: MVP & Bobby Lashley
Lashley won’t let go of the full nelson, but out comes Drew McIntyre. Drew gets into the ring and headbutts Lashley, who bounces back and tackles him to the ground. Drew knocks Lashley out of the ring and slams him into the barricade, then the apron. They fight back into the ring and the referee calls for officials but there are none, so some low-key NXT guys run into the ring and pull Drew off.
Drew headbutts them but Lashley then spears him. Lashley unloads some ground and pound but more NXT rookies run down and pull them apart. Lashley and Drew fight them off, but this time they get pulled apart by a dozen guys and the show goes off the air with them try to get to teach other.
And that’s it for this week’s RAW. Let us know what you thought of the show and come back tomorrow for more wrestling news. Until then, stay safe.
