Match Ratings For WWE Raw 5/28/18, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor
6.5/10

• We see a memorial day package to kick off Raw, and the script calls for "USA Chants"
• Braun Strowman comes out and extends his excitement for the upcoming Money in the Bank. 
• He's interrupted by Finn Balor, who talks about their match last week. Braun Strowman says that Balor isn't bad... for a little guy.
• Balor slaps Braun and gets thrown across the ring. Raw GM Kurt Angle makes this a match.
• Jamie Noble produced this match. Bobby Roode can be seen watching backstage, as Kevin Owens is on commentary.
• Owens is fantastic on commentary. This is a lot of Strowman muscling around Balor. There's a great spot where Braun catches a Balor kick and boots him.
• Owens really encourages Braun to beat up Balor, and Strowman obliges. After the commercial, Braun sends Balor over the barricade with a tackle.
• A series of dropkicks connect for Balor, and he's encouraged by Owens too. Balor gets a great Slingblade and standing Coup de Grace.
• Kevin Owens gets involved and the match is thrown out. Also thrown out is a ladder, which almost hits Owens as he retreats.
• KO is backstage screaming trying to get his car. He tells Angle he's going to a cookout, but Angle says he's facing Bobby Roode tonight. 

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WWE Intercontinental Championship
Jinder Mahal (w/Sunil Singh) defeated Seth Rollins (c) via DQ; No title change
6.75/10

• Elias comes out and carries a crowd through a segment, a commercial, and then after.
• Seth Rollins throws Elias' stool outside. That's the second best stool throwing I've seen this month, after that lady at Tim Horton's. Rollins' entrance gets a huge pop.
• Jinder Mahal has never been better than he is during his current run on Raw. He lands a great kitchen sink and a fireman's carry gutbuster.
• Rollins and Mahal miss their finishes, but Rollins gets 2.9 off a Falcon Arrow. The crowd is invested in everything he does. 
• Singh gets ejected, but Mahal hits Rollins with a chair. The place goes crazy when Rollins kicks out.
• Singh is back and gets Buckle Bombed into Mahal! Rollins hits Mahal with a chair and gets DQ'd.
• Babyface Rollins vs. Heel Reigns is something I want to see really badly in 2018.
• Elias shows up and cracks Rollins with a guitar! Rollins is stretchered off.
• Elias vs. Rollins is going to be MONEY.

Rousey - Nia Jax

• Ronda Rousey interrupts Nia Jax's entrance, and Nia is happy that Rousey is here to watch the exhibition.
• When I hear Rousey's music I just want someone to beat the shit out of all of Lord Farquaad's knights
• Michelle Webb is the opponent. Nia has her apply an armbar and slams her out. Samoan Drop, leg drop, rolling senton
• FYI- slamming someone while an armbar is applied often makes it worse.
• I like Nia Jax as a heel much more than as a babyface. This might be Nia's best promo she's ever done. She makes Rousey come down to the ring and faces off with her, saying that Rousey is cute, and she's not intimidated.
• So a couple of things -- Asuka tapped out Nia to an armbar. Also, Alexa Bliss was the babyface all along.

Deleter Of Worlds defeated The Ascension
5.5/10

• This is not the way to heat up Hardy and Wyatt. The company need to put juice in the Raw tag team division. No Revival or Authors of Pain ever. 
• This is a fine match, and you can tell the Ascension are trying to make the most of their minutes. The pace was fantastic, quite honestly.
• Matt gets Konnor with a Twist of Fate and clotheslines him out. The Kiss of Deletion wins it. 

Kevin Owens defeated Bobby Roode
5/10

• Kevin Owens is on fire, and hits a Cannonball into the barricade. 
• This is very much a "play the hits" type of match until an aggressive clothesline outside the ring from Bobby Roode.
• Kevin Owens rolls up Roode for the win. This was okay.
• Braun Strowman comes out and beats up Owens as Bobby Roode cheers him on. Then Strowman beats up Roode too. Roode looks like a doofus.

Sami Zayn and Bobby Lashley

• Sami Zayn issues a formal public apology and reveals those weren't Bobby Lashley's real sisters, they were men that Sami Zayn hired.
• Lashley thanks service members and gets a good pop. He tells Zayn that his sisters think he's pretty entertaining, but demands a handshake to confirm their match at Money in the Bank.
• Zayn trash talks Lashley, and Lashley crushes his hand. Lashley apologizes for everything he'll do to Sami at MITB. Man, that was really shitty. 
• That was a bad promo used to fix a bad segment that was motivated by a bad interview that was filmed to cover up a bad build of a new star.

Drew McIntyre (w/ Dolph Ziggler) defeated Chad Gable
5/10

• Drew McIntyre has one hell of a vertical suplex on him. 
• Gable hits a big moonsault off the top and a rolling kick outside.
• McIntyre SLINGS Gable into the ring post, and wins with a Claymore.

B Team BBQ

• The B-Team want a tag team title shot, but Angle says they can't jump the line. B-Team decide to hold a cookout and invite the other teams to butter them up.
• I hope AOP come out and destroy every single team in the ring. 
• Scott Dawson is waving his wiener around.
• Titus isn't pleased with the spread, but Heath Slater is. 
• Remember an hour ago when the Coach called this the deepest WWE Raw tag team division ever?
• A food fight breaks out. Okay. B team put Rhyno through a table.

Money in the Bank qualifying gauntlet match
Sasha Banks wins
5/10

• We get selfie promos of every contestant in the match. Including Riott Squad tearing up the locker room, and Dana Brooke doing math problems. 
• Ember Moon was watching backstage.
• Bayley steals a Shane McMahon WCW promo.
• She immediately beats Liv Morgan with the Bayley to Belly. Sarah Logan is next, who eats a suiciderana.
• Bayley rolls up Logan for the win, but Riott Squad jump her. Riott is next, and hits her finish after a few minutes for the pin. 
• Dana Brooke comes out, gets some offense and gets kicked and pinned.
• Mickie James is next to a hometown reaction and does a bad Thesz Press from the apron.  
• Mickie lands a flapjack and is really playing to the crowd. Missed Mick Kick and Riott Kick, but Riott pins Mickie with the tights.
• Sasha is last, and gets DDT'd pretty early. They have a strike trade, but WWE took all the heat out of this. I don't think the commentary team does the competitors any favors by screaming "OH!" instead of telling the story.
• Riott landed a nice version of a springboard DDT for two. Sasha packages Ruby on the middle rope and knees her. Powerbomb for two, then the Banks Statement. 
• Riott Squad interfere, but Banks Statement is on again and Riott taps!