Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage & discussion for WWE Monday Night RAW (5/22/23)!
We will bring you the full results of tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw.
Here's what's on deck:
Preview
WWE Raw (5/22)
- Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, & Matt Riddle vs. Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, & Giovanni Vinci)
- Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Finn Balor
- Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus contract signing
- Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar under the same roof
- Brock Lesnar attacks Cody Rhodes and throws him into road cases, barrels, and a garage door. He picks up one barrel and smashes Rhodes' arm between it and the garage door, writhing in pain.
- Paul Heyman is in the ring. He had nothing to do with Lesnar attacking Rhodes. He says what just happened is an example of what Lesnar will do to Rhodes at Night of Champions. Heyman claims he was invited back to Raw. He promotes the three main events at WWE Night of Champions. KO and Sami Zayn arrive, and Heyman scurries off.
- Zayn makes fun of Heyman leaving, then mocks him for being afraid. Owens then dedicates the Undisputed Tag Team Match on Saturday to The Usos. Imperium hits the ringside area. Matt Riddle joins Owens and Zayn in the ring, but Imperium backs down. Riddle begins chatting with Owens and Zayn in the ring, leading to Imperium trying to attack them. Riddle, Owens, and Zayn gain the upper hand and dump the trio out of the ring.
- Ricochet then heads down to the ring.
- Byron Saxton is waiting outside Cody Rhodes' locker room for an update, but Adam Pearce has no update. Saxton addresses rumors that Rhodes has a broken arm.
Ricochet vs. Bronson Reed
Ricochet lands a few strikes and takes Reed down to a knee with an enzugiri. Reed lands a diving shoulder block off the apron, and Ricochet fights out of the suplex. Reed gets a near fall on Ricochet with a Samoan Drop. Continuing on, Ricochet connects with a leaping knee to the face, but Reed hits a short-arm power slam and pins Ricochet after the Tsunami.
Winner: Bronson Reed
- Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley walk in, interrupting Apollo Crews' interview with Cathy Kelley. Ripley then challenges Natalya to a match at Night of Champions for the SmackDown Women's Championship. Crews cuts her off. Dom says not to do that to "Mami." Crews asks what he's going to do about it. Ripley promises Dom will show Crews who runs Raw. Crews can't wait to see him try.
- In a Seth Rollins interview, Rollins says he will always love Roman Reigns, but he doesn't like Roman Reigns or the champion that he has become. Rollins wants to make Monday Night Raw the land of opportunity as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Rollins calls AJ Styles a once-in-a-lifetime performer.
- Byron Saxton tries to interview Finn Balor and Damian Priest. Priest gets pissed off instantly at Byron. Balor is excited about the opportunity to shut up Nakamura tonight. He says he will allow Priest to pick the bones after he's done with Nakamura.
Zoey Stark vs. Candice LeRae
Zoey jumps Candice at the start of the bell. Stark hits a Half-Nelson suplex and continues to ground Candice. Nikki Cross hits the ringside area to support Candice seemingly. Candice gets the upper hand hitting an Asai Moonsault after tossing Zoey to the outside. Candice throws Zoey back in the ring. She tries to follow her back in, but Nikki grabs her and hugs her, and started celebrating that she's doing so well. Stark drives them into the steel steps, throws Candice back in the ring, and hits the Z360 for the win.
Winner: Zoey Stark
- WWE praises John Cena for being in Fast X, the top movie in the world. They immediately transition into praising Batista, who is in the number two movie in the world, Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
- Mustafa Ali seemingly drops his positive character to talk about how much the upcoming Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther means to him. Brock Lesnar completely interrupts his interview, walks right past him, tells him to "get a life," and heads to the ring.
- Brock Lesnar claims that Cody Rhodes will not be wrestling at WWE Night of Champions and issues an open challenge to anyone in the locker room. Of course, Cody Rhodes comes out, rips his arm out of a sling, and tries to fight Brock Lesnar, who gets him in a Kimura Lock. Adam Pearce screams for medical assistance.
- A recap of what happened to Cody Rhodes before the break shows.
Alpha Academy (Otis & Chad Gable w/ Maxxine Dupri) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar w/ Valhalla)
Erik is taken off-guard by Gable's Headscissors, Erik and Ivar double-team him. Raiders alternate striking him. Gable tags in Otis, who clears the ring and hits the caterpillar. Dupri and Valhalla argue outside the ring, and Valhalla chases Dupri away. The Viking Experience is avoided by Gable, who rolls Erik into an O'Connor roll for the win.
Alpha Academy (Otis & Chad Gable w/ Maxxine Dupri)
- Byron Saxton is again waiting outside Cody Rhodes' locker room. Adam Pearce storms in. Adam tells Cody he's done talking with him and is trying to reason with Cody about his injury. Cody kicks everyone out and says there's nothing to talk about.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Finn Balor
Right away, Balor and Nakamura swap holds. Balor strikes Nakamura a coup of times after pushing him into a corner. Nakamura charges with a knee strike from the corner. Good Vibrations from Nakamura. When Balor attempts to prevent it, Nakamura kicks him in the head. Laying Balor on the top rope, Nakamura strikes him with a running knee strike. Balor exits the ring by rolling. While Priest drops Nakamura outside the ring with a clothesline, Balor diverts the referee's attention. Back from break, Nakamura regains control and hits his sliding German Suplex to Finn. Nakamura urges Priest to "come on" on the outside. Priest is chasing Nakamura around the ring. Nakamura throws himself back into the mix with a Gourdbuster. Slingblade to Nakamaura by surprise from Bálor. After evading Finn, Nakamura executes a suplex. Nakamura calls for the Kinshasa. With a double stomp, Balor responds. Balor misses the Coup de Grace.
Nakamura hits a knee but is unable to capitalize. He calls for the Kinshasa. Priest saves Balor from the ring. An apron diving Nakamura knees Preist in the face. Nakamura hangs Priest over a barricade. Nakamura is dropkicked into the barrier by Bálor. When Nakamura enters the ring, Balor delivers the Coup de Grace to secure the victory.
Winner: Finn Balor
Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville (w/ Chelsea Green)
Green tosses Deville's sunglasses, which Rodriguez stomps on, and Deville takes advantage of the situation. She lands a kick and ascends to the middle rope, but Rodriguez responds with a boot and the Texana Bomb. Green blindsides Raquel and holds her in place after the contest, but Deville delivers a knee just as Shotzi's music begins to play, making the save for Raquel.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez
- Trish Stratus enters Adam Pearce's office and requests that a no-touch policy be implemented at her contract signing with Becky Lynch. Pearce doesn't see the need for such a policy and walks away.
Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus Contract Signing
Trish Stratus reiterates a few times that this is her first contract signing. She says that Becky should thank her for being a part of so many contract signings because she paved the way. Lynch says that Stratus has done things in her career that would give her nightmares. She references Trish barking like a dog in front of Vince McMahon early in her career and says that if she thinks that's embarrassing, wait until she whips her ass at Night of Champions.
- Another recap of what happened to Cody Rhodes tonight at the hands of Brock Lesnar is shown. Adam Pearce is on the phone explaining the situation to an unknown party.
Dominik Mysterio (w/ Rhea Ripley) vs. Apollo Crews
Crews begins with a shoulder tackle before landing a back elbow and a delayed vertical suplex. Dominik responds with a boot, but Crews knocks him down and plants him. Dominik drags him down and stomps on him multiple times. He strikes Crews in the midriff with a knee.
Crews goes to the top and scores a Blockbuster. Dominik lands a dropkick. Crews delivers a shoulder block as the action moves to the outside. Ripley steps in between the two guys, allowing Dominik to drop him before Ripley sends him crashing into the ring post. The referee then starts a ten count, but Crews beats it and comes back inside, where Dominik scores with a Frog Splash.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
- An AJ Styles vignette airs and even showcases some of his wrestling from TNA.
- The final part of the Seth Rollins interview errors. Seth Rollins says it's time for a change. He says he's worked hard to become the top guy and that wrestling is his first love. Rollin says that because wrestling has given him so much he wants to give back by being the best WWE World Champion he can be.
Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, & Matt Riddle vs. Imperium (Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, & Giovanni Vinci)
Sami Zayn starts to match with Ludwig Kaiser. Kaiser gets a couple of shots in early, but Sami is able to get away and tag Riddle. Giovanni Vinci briefly comes in and maintains the advantage before Matt Riddle gets control with a kick to the chest and a Gutwrench Suplex—Vinci tags in Gunther. Matt Riddle tries to double-leg take him, but Gunther stuffs him. Riddle brings him to the corner, but Gunther is able to fight out of it and drop Matt with a chop leading to a commercial break.
Back from break, Kaiser lands a suplex on Riddle. Gunther tags in and throws a right hand to the spine of Riddle, but Riddle plants him and looks to tag in Zayn. Before Riddle can make the tag, Kaiser drags Zayn off the apron. Riddle then hits a German suplex on Owens while Gunther tags in Vinci. Owens lands a series of stomps and a senton before executing a German suplex and finishing with a cannonball. Kaiser & Vinci take out Kevin Owens leading to another commercial break.
In the end, Gunther had a sleeper hold on Sami Zayn. Riddle breaks up the hold with a Floating Bro. Gunther tags out to Vinci but gets taken out on the outside of the ring by a flying knee from Matt Riddle. Vinci gets taken out with a Helluva Kick and a Swanton Bomb from Kevin Owens for the victory.
Winners: Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, & Matt Riddle
- Cody Rhodes' locker room is shown, and Triple H walks in. Triple H says he needs to get Cody medical attention. He says that Cody knows his arm is broken and that he can see the arm is broken. Cody tells Triple H that he won't give up the fight on Saturday. Triple H says he knows how tough Cody is, but he thinks Cody is afraid that he won't be cleared for medical competition. Cody asks Triple H what he would do and then tells Triple H no matter what he's going to Night of Champions to fight Brock Lesnar. Triple H pats him on the shoulder and seems to be resigned to allow him to fight.
You can find results from around the world of wrestling in Fightful's results section.
