Sean Raw Sapp (5/22): Podcast Notes, Finn Balor, Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins Team

Opening Segment

• I can't pretend I get anything out of a Bray Wyatt promo. There's some good interaction, though. For what it was worth I liked it.
• Bray says he'll beat Lesnar. He lost in handicap tag matches to Lesnar last year.
• Kurt Angle makes a match between the two to a big pop. He says the 5-Way could be the most important match of the new era.

Related Article

Hiroshi Tanahashi Says He Feels Envious Of The Speed At Which WWE Produces Stars

Roman Reigns defeated Bray Wyatt via DQ

• Roman hits one of the best leaping clotheslines I've seen from Reigns, but he should ditch the corner clotheslines.
• Samoa Joe attacks Reigns, but Rollins makes the save to a big pop. 
• What the shit kind of song was playing at the end of that Rollins segment? Oh, the Extreme Rules theme.
• Backstage later, Reigns is the "I DON'T NEEEEED ANY PARTNERS" guy. They'll face Joe & Wyatt later.

Backstage Crappenings

• The Drifter gets booked against Dean Ambrose. More big pops. Crowd is lit tonight.
• Noam Dar fit really well in his promo with Sasha. I guess WWE characters aren't allowed to have relationships outside of WWE.
• Enzo is laid out in the back with his sneaker above his head. Even when he sells dead it's good. He says he doesn't know who attacked him.
• Kalisto isn't happy with Apollo Crews and accuses him of attacking Enzo. Titus is really good here too, and sets up a match.
• GOLDUST PROMO!!

Akira Tozawa defeated Ariya Daivari

• They keep interviewing Kendrick during the match.
• Nothing can ever be organic in WWE, so they make sure to let you know HEELS HATE TOZAWA screaming.
• In the middle of all this, these two have a good match that ends with a hellacious senton bomb.

Elias Samson defeated Dean Ambrose via DQ
4.5/10

• The Drifter has a great amount of heat. I don't know if they turned the mics up or if this is the best crowd of the year, but everyone seems like a star.
• I don't enjoy the Drifter's style of in-ring wrestling.
• Samson landed an awesome knee to a flying Ambrose. 
• The rebound lariat should only work on rookies.
• Miz comes into the ring and hits Samson, giving him the win. Ambrose is livid. Why should Ambrose care? Money isn't a thing in WWE. 
• Samson hits his finish on Ambrose.

Finn Balor defeated Karl Anderson (w/ Luke Gallows)
5/10

• Paul Heyman came out and cut a good promo where he put over Balor and said he hopes Lesnar faces Balor for the title.  
• I can't believe they didn't make something out of this program. It was right there and would give these three guys (Balor, Anderson, Gallows) something to do out of the title pictures.
• This is what you'd expect. Lots of kicks. Crowd was into it every step of the way.

Sasha Banks defeated Alicia Fox (w/ Noam Dar)
5/10

• This is a really hard hitting match.
• They have girls hold the top rope now instead of being cradled by it after the Emma injury.
• Sasha Banks slaps Dar. Was he going to hit her? Scissors Kick from Alicia.
• Alicia needs a new theme.

Kalisto defeated Apollo Crews

• Apollo is in control, but Titus' shouting distracts Apollo and Kalisto wins.
• I don't like where this is headed. Apollo has a chance with Titus.

Matt Hardy (w/ Jeff Hardy) defeated Sheamus (w/ Cesaro)

• Another hard hitting match, as is tradition from Sheamus.
• This match had some stakes, which is always a good thing.
• That Sheamus knee is a work of art.
• Fair match. Matt Hardy wins.

Austin Aries defeated Tony Nese

• Both of these guys are really good, but the WWE cruiserweight style isn't that unlike anything else we see on the show.
• Neville attacks Tony Nese after the match. I'm down with that.

Alexa Bliss defeated Mickie James

• Everyone seems like they're working stiff tonight.
• Alexa's selling is good, but a little redundant.
• Alexa using a DDT finish is KOO.
• Bliss takes a cane to Mickie, but Bayley makes the save.
• Bayley was going to go after Alexa, but Bliss left. Good old school stuff.

Bray Wyatt & Samoa Joe defeated Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins

• While I think the 5-way will be outstanding, I wasn't particularly excited about this pointless match.
• Everything picks up with Rollins.
• It seems as if the "injured knee" deal is out the window. Good. 
• There was a tease of dissension between Reigns and Rollins. 
• Balor wants a match next week, and he gets a triple threat against Wyatt and Joe.