The Raw After Money in the Bank!

Becky Lynch dares Ms. Money in the Bank to step to her! But will she still want that now that it is one of her greatest rivals in ASUKA?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• No Disqualifications: Bobby Lashley VS Humberto Carrillo; Lashley wins.
• Angel Garza VS Akira Tozawa; Garza wins.
• Champion VS Champion: Drew McIntyre VS Andrade Almas; McIntyre wins.
• Bliss-Cross VS The IIconics; The IIconics win.
• Six Man Tag: R-Truth, Ricochet & Cedric Alexander VS MVP, Shane Thorne & Brendan Vink; Truth, Ricochet & Alexander win.
• Aleister Black & Rey Mysterio VS Seth Rollins & Buddy Murphy; Aleister & Mysterio win, by disqualification.
• 2v2 Basketball: The Street Profits VS The Viking Raiders; The Street Profits win.
• Shayna Baszler VS Natalya; Baszler wins.

PLAY BY PLAY

Raw opens with Becky Lynch!

The Man doesn’t have her Raw Women’s Championship belt, but has the Women’s MITB briefcase. She sets that on a table in the ring and then takes up a mic. “Tonight is no ordinary night for me. I’m torn between joy and sadness, because I’m at a place in my life where things are about to change, and I needed to do something about it.” So Becky asked the decision makers to raise the stakes at MITB, and they did. But before all of that, Becky tells us about her arrival to the WWE. She didn’t know anyone in this country, or if she was good enough to be here. Becky gets choked up as she thinks back to how she didn’t even know if anyone could ever care about “a loud mouthed Irish woman who loved puns and toast.” But somewhere along the way, she learned that people did care. They cared so much, that they put her on their shoulders and carried her into history.

Through injury and triumph, the fans had her back. And she grabbed onto the fans when she had no one else. That is why the fans at home, the WWE Universe, that deserve to hear this from her. She has to go away for awhile. Becky gets choked up again but Asuka makes her entrance. Asuka seems upset that her briefcase was just taken from her. Becky asks her to calm down, and says Asuka has been the best in the world for a long time. That is why Becky is glad this is happening to Asuka. The match last night wasn’t what anyone thought it was. The women weren’t just competing to become Ms. MITB 2020. It was for even more than that. Becky knows Asuka hasn’t even been able to look inside the briefcase yet. Becky unlocks it for her, and inside is THE Raw Women’s Championship!! The match was actually for the title. What?! Becky can’t fight, but Asuka can. Asuka is now Raw Women’s Champion.

Asuka can’t believe it, but then she’s so excited to be champion! She snatches up the belt and dances to commentary. She celebrates on the desk in front of the world, “I’m the champion!” Asuka does return to the ring and Becky gives her congratulations. Becky is even happier, oddly. But go be a warrior, because Becky is going to go be a mother. WHAT?! Becky is having a baby!! Asuka is so happy for the new mom and starts up a chant for her. They hug it out, and now The Man starts a new chapter in her life. Congratulations to both the Empress of Tomorrow and Straight Fire for this incredible news!

Backstage interview with Becky.

Obviously congratulations are in order, and Rey Mysterio (who did not hit the ground and die when Baron Corbin threw him off the roof) is there to be the first. Natalya also congratulates her long time friend, and then the Street Profits and Bianca Belair add their own congrats. Ricochet, Liv Morgan, Cedric Alexander, R-Truth and Kairi Sane, too. Becky thanks them for the heartwarming hugs.

No Disqualifications: Bobby Lashley VS Humberto Carrillo!

The Rocky Mountain Machine’s rage got him disqualified in last week’s Last Chance Gauntlet, and that was why he wasn’t in the MITB match last night. But this is about payback for beating down Ultimo Ninja past the point! Will throwing the rules out the window help or hurt Humberto’s chances?

The bell rings and Lashley circles with Humberto. They tie up, Lashley waistlocks and slams Humberto then sweeps the legs to keep him down. Lashley SLAPS Humberto then bumps him off buckles. He throws big forearms then goes corner to corner. Humberto slips out to the apron but Lashley blocks the kick to elbow and club him back. Lashley hip tosses but Humberto lands on his feet, to SLAP Lashley back! Lashley glares, and gives Carrillo the Rocky Mountain SPINE BUSTER! Humberto slowly rises, Lashley runs in, but Humberto sends him out! Humberto runs but into a big forearm! Lashley decides to use the No DQ stipulation and grabs a chair! He brings it over, but Carrillo dropkicks it into him! Lashley is down and Humberto has a chance as Raw goes to break!

Raw returns as Lashley hammers away on Humberto in a corner. Lashley goes corner to corner but into boots! Carrillo hops up and leaps to missile dropkick Lashley back! Lashley stays up, and puts Humberto on the apron. Humberto kicks back in, then steps and somersaults to springboard enziguri! Lashley rolls out but Humberto slides! Lashley dodges, but his boot misses! Humberto roundhouses back! Humberto leaps off the barriers but into Lashley’s arms! Lashley pops Humberto up to the fireman’s carry, to POST him! Humberto checks his jaw but Lashley drags him up to put up against the post. Lashley grinds his forearm into Humberto’s face and talks some trash at the same time. He grabs the chair and brings it back up. Lashley swings but only hits post! Humberto takes the chair for his own, and JAMS it into Lashley’s ribs! And SMACKS him across the back! And again!

Humberto gives Lashley more chair shots before throwing the chair aside. Lashley goes into the ring and Humberto climbs up. Humberto springboards, but into a full nelson! Lashley leans on the hold and thrashes Humberto all about! Humberto taps, Lashley wins!

Winner: Bobby Lashley, by submission

Lashley lets go when he’s satisfied, but surely this victory makes up for his stumbling. Will the Rocky Mountain Machine climb up towards a title soon enough?

The Street Profits are in the locker room.

Montez Ford says that the “Viking… Raiders…!” are bored if they’re getting up in the Profits’ social media. Angelo Dawkins can’t believe Erik & Ivar are claiming anything the Profits can do, they can do better. Well today is their lucky day, because it’s time to prove that in 2v2 baseketball! Jordan & Pippin up in this! Nah, fam, more like LeBron & AD! Dawks, please don’t start a Jordan VS LeBron argument. But what matters is that it’ll be lit. It’ll be on fire! Time to get the NBA Jam on, BOOM SHAKA LAKA! Because the Profits are up, and #WeWantTheSmoke.

As for the Viking Raiders, Erik doesn’t understand why the challenge is in “a stupid game like basketball.” Ivar says Erik was the one who made the “anything you can do, we can do better” challenge. But they didn’t pick anything cool, like sword fighting, ax throwing or people tossing! Would it help if they sang some carpool karaoke? No. Well then, they just have to be physical on the court, like in the ring. But basketball has something called “fouls.” What are those? Are the Profits going to dunk on the Raiders?

Backstage interview with Asuka!

The NEW Raw Women’s Champion is still buzzing, and this is all happening very quickly. Kairi comes by to celebrate with Asuka-nee, too. It’s REAL, Kairi, it’s real! The Kabuki Warriors are both in a great mood now and dance off into the night.

Zelina Vega and her stable are arguing.

La Muneca tries to get Garza and Theory to understand they’re a team, but they’re both arguing with Almas in regards about the WWE United States Championship. Garza is in action after the break, can he focus on his match and not his rankings within the group?

Angel Garza w/ Zelina, Almas & Theory VS Akira Tozawa!

Raw returns and this match has already begun! Garza ducks Tozawa’s roundhouse but TOzawa slides under to hit the spin kick! Tozawa goes up and leaps but into Garza’s arms! Garza grins and wedges Tozawa into the corner. The ref counts and Garza backs off, to KNEE Tozawa in the ribs! Off come the pants! Garza throws them down on Tozawa then drags him around by the arm. Garza puts Tozawa back in the corner to dig his knee in. The ref backs Garza off, but Garza still grins as he drags Tozawa up. Garza CHOPS then stalks Tozawa to another corner. He drags Tozawa out but Tozawa throws body shots. Garza knees low then whips. Tozawa huricanranas out of the pop-up! Both men stagger up but Tozawa runs in, only to get a pop-up kick! Cover, ONE! Garza drags Tozawa up and onto the top rope backwards. Garza climbs up to club away on Tozawa. Garza mocks Theory’s “All Day” then runs corner to corner to PENALTY KICK! Cover, TWO!

Garza grows frustrated with Tozawa and puts him in a low cobra twist. Tozawa endures as Garza talks trash at Theory. Tozawa gets the ropebreak and the ref counts. Garza lets off and slaps Tozawa around. Garza drags Tozawa up, underhooks, and says he can do this all year, with the WING CLIPPER! Cover, Garza wins!

Winner: Angel Garza, by pinfall

Theory and Garza get in each other’s face, but Almas and Vega keep the peace. Or at least they try to. And then, Drew McIntyre appears! The Scottish Stud has wiped the floor with all three men already, but they all get on the same wavelength as he heads to the ring. McIntyre mocks their dysfunction and dares them to bring it. Theory steps up and gets a CLAYMORE! Garza and Almas are laughing at Theory, but then McIntyre CLAYMORES Garza! McIntyre dares Almas to be a man, and Almas throws off the jacket. Is Vega’s stable breaking apart? Are we getting another champion VS champion match between these two?!

Champion VS Champion: Drew McIntyre VS Andrade Almas!

Raw returns and that’s exactly what we’re getting! Will Claymore Country continue to conquer the roster? Or will El Idolo punch his own golden ticket?

The bell rings, McIntyre and Almas circle and tie up, and McIntyre powers Almas to a corner. McIntyre lets up and just smirks at Almas. They go again and Almas gets a waistlock. McIntyre hooks a leg and pries the hold off to a wrench and wristlock. McIntyre powers Almas up and over to drop him down, then stomps the arm! Almas gets to a corner but McIntyre is all over the arm again. McIntyre wrenches and grinds Almas down to the mat. Vega is still here to cheer Almas on but McIntyre wrenches again. Almas throws forearms and gets free, but runs into an elbow from McIntyre! McIntyre hauls Almas up to CHOP! McIntyre whips Almas into a corner then throws hands. Almas dodges and CHOPS back! Almas whips but McIntyre reverses, and McIntyre kicks Almas out of his up-and-over! McIntyre taunts Almas catching his breath before going out after him. McIntyre bumps Almas off barriers then CHOPS him again! Those chops are like thunder!

Almas kicks back, but runs into a tilt-o-whirl slam onto the apron! McIntyre stalks Almas on the outside but the ring count is at 8! McIntyre refreshes it so he can keep stalking Almas. Almas goes under the ring but McIntyre goes looking. Almas yanks McIntyre into the frame! Vega laughs at McIntyre as Almas KNEES him into the barriers! Almas fires off on the arm and SLAMS it against the post! The ring count is at 7 again but Almas climbs in. Almas baseball slides McIntyre in his bad arm! Almas wraps the arm around the rope but lets up at 4. McIntyre gets in but Almas goes after him again, for a hanging armbar! Almas lets go at 4 again, then runs after McIntyre. McIntyre throws hands but Almas hits an arm code breaker! Cover, ONE! McIntyre shakes the bad arm but Almas is after it again. Almas mounts for an armlock but McIntyre powers his way up. McIntyre scoops Almas around around, but Almas fights free. Almas elbows McIntyre away, but runs into McIntyre’s OVERHEAD SUPLEX!

McIntyre whips Almas and throws him again! Almas dodges the clothesline but not the BOOT! Vega is panicking as McIntyre goes up top. McIntyre waits for Almas to stand, before hitting him down with flying ax handles! And then he kips up! McIntyre reels Almas in, but no Future Shock as Almas throws forearms. McIntyre hits back and runs, but Almas follows, only to run into a SPINE BUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Almas lives and Vega is relieved, but McIntyre grits his teeth. McIntyre aims from the corner but Almas bails out. McIntyre grabs the hair, but Almas hotshots the bad arm! Almas runs in but McIntyre pushes him away. Almas dodges and POSTS McIntyre! Vega rallies and Almas hits CIEN SHADOWS! Cover, ONE!?! Vega is losing her cool and Almas is seething. Almas drags McIntyre up and reels him in to hammerlock. McIntyre powers out and pushes Almas away, but Almas CHOPS! McIntyre CHOPS back, but gets the boot to ELBOW! GLASGOW KISS!

McIntyre hits his own boot and elbow, but Almas fights off the Alabama lift! Almas clubs McIntyre and CHOPS again! Then he goes up, hops onto the shoulders, but McIntyre turns that into the INVERTED ALABAMA! McIntyre aims from the corner and starts the countdown! CLAYMORE!! Cover, McIntyre wins!!

Winner: Drew McIntyre, by pinfall

Another night, another fight, and another big win for the Scottish Stud! McIntyre gets a mic to say, “I didn’t come out here to have a match initially, but there’s a reason I come to work dressed to go.” Anything can happen on Mondays. Plus, he’s always down for a #ClaymoreParty so that was fun. But McIntyre is here to talk about a couple of things. First, at MITB, McIntyre’s match with Seth Rollins, “That was a hell of a fight.” Rollins brought it, but McIntyre is still champion. Line them up, he’ll knock them down. Second, perhaps the most exciting part of this, a “brand to brand invitation.” Raw extended that invitation to a certain SmackDown superstar, and they accepted. But not just that, they chose McIntyre as their opponent!

McIntyre says there are a few things you can guarantee: death, taxes, and how everyone on Earth hates this guy. McIntyre has teamed with this guy, traveled with this guy, and agrees that this guy sucks. But next week on Raw, it will be the Master of the Claymore, the Sexy Scots, the Big Mac- Okay, he’s just messing around. it’s McIntyre VS Baron Corbin! McIntyre is actually proud of Corbin manning up, and makes a promise right now. There will be a Claymore fit for a king waiting next week! McIntyre promises you don’t want to miss this, because he’s going to rip Corbin’s head off!

MVP talks with Bobby Lashley backstage.

That anger that’s been in Lashley lately, that’s good. Stay angry but stay focused. That was an impressive full nelson. But MVP wants to know why Lashley is bothering with Humberto Carrillo “fools from SmackDown” are about to show up. When was the last time Lashley fought for the WWE Championship? He may not remember, but MVP does. It was 2007! And what else happened back then? MVP was just getting his start. But even back then, Lashley was something special. 13 years later, they’re both back but they’re in the same position. When is Lashley going to let Lashley out? That’s rhetorical. MVP has his own match to prepare for, but he wants Lashley to have something to think about.

And then MVP crosses paths with Lana, another thing keeping Lashley back. MVP isn’t trying to manage anyone, but if Lashley wants a way out, tell him to come find him. Lana is LIVID! The Ravishing Russian shouts at MVP as he leaves, but is there anything she can do to change Lashley’s lot in life?

A Moment of Bliss returns to Raw!

The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross, get to go to whatever brand they want, and they want to be part of the Raw after Money in the Bank! They heard that big announcement that Becky is having a baby. Nikki is so excited, because now The Man is The Mom. And the timing is perfect! This comes right after Mother’s Day! And a happy belated Mother’s Day to all the moms, especially expecting mothers like Becky! But then the IICONICS appear! Peyton Royce & Billie Kay return from being gone months! And hello, knock knock. Bliss-Cross has got to be joking. Did they forget something iconic during the baby fever? Now, now, ladies, don’t get your panties in a twist. Alexa welcomes them back to Raw, and into the ring. Nikki does her best IIconic pose but only Alexa is impressed.

But back to the timing. How crazy that a tiny baby has stolen the IIconic’s thunder? Well, Alexa, “Ginger Jr.” is not upstaging this long awaited return. What’s so special about babies? Billie was a baby, Peyton was a baby, and Nikki still acts like a baby. Well, yes, the IIconics are still big news. Kinda. Not really. Do NOT disrespect them! Bliss-Cross need to focus on the tag team titles, and defending them tonight! No, Billie, that’s not how this works. You can’t just waltz out here and demand a title match. Alexa would say she’s surprised, but she’s not. Nikki says that just because they were upstaged by something the size of a jelly bean doesn’t mean Peyton & Billie deserve anything! These Women’s Tag Titles are just like their own babies! Well alright, fine! But the IIconics want a match. They don’t need titles to prove how motivated them. The future is here, and the future is… IICONIC! They strike their IIconic poses, and then the talk show set is moved aside. This return match happens after the break!

Bliss-Cross VS The IIconics!

Raw returns and Alexa starts with Peyton. They tie up and go around, and Peyton puts Alexa in the corner. She stomps away while Billie tag sin. Billie stomps away then Peyton tags in. They double whip and double club Alexa down! Cover, TWO! Peyton keeps on Alexa but Alexa dropkicks back! Tag to Nikki as Peyton bails out. Alexa intercepts Billie while Nikki puts Peyton in the apron skirt! Nikki hammers away then Alexa baseball slides! Nikki puts Peyton in, covers, TWO! Nikki whips Peyton to the corner then runs in to corner splash! Tag to Alexa and Alexa mocks the IIconic pose. Alexa runs in to SLAP Peyton! Tag to Nikki and she whips, but Peyton reverses. Peyton dodges Nikki and Billie tags in, and then Billie hotshots Nikki into Peyton’s heel kick! Cover, TWO! Billie rains down rights on Nikki then covers, but Nikki gets a shoulder up fast.

Tag to Peyton and the IIconics double wrench and kick to double mule kick Nikki down. Peyton drags Nikki up but Nikki cradles! TWO, and Peyton fireman’s carries. Nikki sunset flips out, TWO! Peyton clotheslines NIkki down and covers, TWO! Peyton is furious but she stomps Nikki’s hands. She drags Nikki over to club her down and tag Billie in. The IIconics table top Nikki and Billie covers, TWO! Billie drags Nikki up for more clubbing forearms, then clamps onto the arm and chinbar. Nikki endures, fights her way up, and fights back with elbows. Billie knees low then brings Nikki over to tag Peyton. Nikki hits Peyton off the apron! Nikki waistlocks Billie but Peyton trips Nikki up! Billie runs to basement dropkick, Peyton PUNTS Nikki in the ribs! Cover, TWO! The IIconics get shrill but Peyton throws Nikki by her hair. The ref reprimands but Nikki hits Peyton away. Nikki hits a jawbreaker, then both women hit hair-pulling facebusters!

Both women are down but their partners are reaching out. Hot tags to Billie and Alexa! The Five Foot Fury rallies and ROCKS Billie with right hands! Insult2Injury hits! Cover, but Peyton breaks it! Peyton talks smack but Nikki clobbers her! Nikki runs but Peyton dumps her out! Billie throat chops while the ref is busy with Peyton! Peyton tags in, the IIconics combine for an inverted Magic Killer! Cover, The IIconics win!!

Winners: The IIconics, by pinfall

Peyton and Billie pin the Women’s Tag Team Champions! Are they the future champions? Will they make the Women’s Tag Division IICONIC?

Backstage interview with Rey Mysterio.

24 hours ago, the MITB match was grueling, but Mysterio still feels great. Mysterio said the risk is worth the reward over and over, but he’ll admit his life flashed before his eyes when Corbin threw him off the roof. Two seconds later, Mysterio landed on a lower roof. And by the time Mysterio realized he was alive and made his way back up, the match was over. He and Aleister Black were in the same boat, but Mysterio congratulates Otis on the win. As for tonight’s tag team match, it will be very intense. Seth Rollins appears with that intensity, but Mysterio congratulates him for becoming a father. Mysterio offers a handshake, but Rollins leaves without a word. The Monday Night Messiah shook McIntyre’s hand last night, so what has changed in the last 24 hours?

R-Truth speaks.

“What’s up?” He teams with the fast and furious Ricochet and Cedric Alexander, but they have back-up just in case. Truth’s cousin, Pretty Ricky, returns to the WWE! “I’m ready!” Will Ricky help Truth, Ricochet and Alexander get a big win tonight?

Six Man Tag: R-Truth, Ricochet & Cedric Alexander VS MVP, Shane Thorne & Brendan Vink!

Raw returns as Truth is the last to enter the ring. Truth starts for his team against The Worst, Shane Thorne, at the bell. Thorne and Truth circle, but Truth asks the WWE Universe, “What’s up?!” Only Alexander and Ricochet respond with “What’s up?!” Thorne rushes Truth but Truth dodges and has Thorne wait. Truth breaks it down and does the splits. Thorne doesn’t get it, but then Truth kicks out a leg and makes him do the splits! OW! Alexander tags in and mocks the pain. Then he basement dropkick Thorne out of it! Tag to Ricochet and “Pretty Ricky” is loving the snap suplex to slingshot senton! Cover, TWO! Ricochet clamps onto Thorne with a facelock and brings him over. Alexander tags in and they mug Thorne. Alexander drags Thorne up in a wiastlock but Thorne bucks him off and Vink makes the tag. Vink gets in and elbows Alexander down!

Vink stomps Alexander in the corner and brings him up to snapmare. He clamps on a big chinlock and leans on Alexander. Alexander endures and fights his way up. Pretty Ricky rallies for Alexander but Vink CLUBS Alexander down. Vink tags Thorne and Thorne drags Alexander from the corner to stomp him down. Thorne KICKS Alexander in the back then covers, TWO! Thorne cranks Alexander’s neck but Alexander endures. Alexander fights up but Thorne knees low! Thorne drags Alexander over and Vink tags in. Vink stomps Alexander then pushes him around. Alexander pushes back and CHOPS, but Vink just DECKS Alexander! Vink sucker punches Ricochet! Vink keeps Alexander from Pretty Ricky, but Alexander enziguris! MVP tags in, but does Truth! Truth throws hands on MVP, pop, lock and uppercut! He uses the splits to dodge then calf kicks MVP down! Cover but Thorne breaks it!

Ricochet gives Thorne a jumping neckbreaker! Vink goes around the way and catches Alexander’s leap! Ricochet goes up to MOONSAULT! They all go down, and now Truth brings “Pretty Ricky” into the match. But MVP punches him right in the head! Truth spits out the fake teeth and gives them to the ref, before he hits MVP with the LIE DETECTOR! Cover, Truth and team win!

Winners: R-Truth, Ricochet & Cedric Alexander, by pinfall

Pretty Ricky helped out after all! But here comes Lashley! The Rocky Mountain Machine SPEARS Truth!! And then drags him up into the full nelson! MVP stomps Truth, and then runs to BOOT him down! MVP grabs his chains and heads out with his MVP: Most Violent Powerhouse. Is this the combination that is going to take Raw by storm?

Backstage interview with Jinder Mahal.

The Modern Day Maharaja is back, and is truly honored to be back on Raw. It was a long 10 months but he’s glad to be back. And how great is it that his old pal, Drew McIntyre, is finally WWE World Champion? Mahal is elated to see McIntyre prosper. As a former champion himself, Mahal deserves to be respected and celebrated just like McIntyre. This time, Mahal will redeem himself. He has learned from his mistakes, and now his journey back to the top will be a hero’s journey. Will Mahal climb back to the top to join McIntyre at the summit?

Backstage interview with Shayna Baszler.

What is her reaction to the news of Becky’s pregnancy? “How stupid do you have to be to get knocked up when you’re the champion?” But here’s a fact: 10 out of 10 mothers will try to convince you that pregnancy didn’t ruin their careers. Becky becomes the longest reigning Raw Women’s Champion ever, and throws it all the way just to “house some miserable parasite?” The Queen of Spades mockingly imagines The Man at home, barefoot and fat, eating bonbons on the couch. Becky’s kid is gonna suck, because just look at the father. We all knew Baszler was ruthless, but wow…!

AJ Styles sits back to watch Raw’s preview of The Undertaker: The Last Ride.

He has his popcorn and a reclining armchair backstage, but given everything the Dead Man put him through, will he like what he sees?

Raw returns and the preview of The Last Ride Part 1 begins. “I want them thinking, ‘This guy’s got a lot left in the tank.'” But does Mark Calaway believe that? The talking, the rumors, only Taker knows how he feels physically. He does admit his body is aching, and his legacy is on the line every time he walks out. But when you start second guessing yourself, that’s when it gets scary. The Saudi Arabia match comes to mind. Even AJ Styles has a part to play in this documentary. Either Taker goes out with a match befitting his legacy, or he’s going out on his back. Part one is now available on the WWE Network.

Styles throws his popcorn at the screen! Guess he wasn’t happy with how that video framed it all.

Even Vince McMahon congratulates Becky Lynch!

The audio isn’t the best, but even Mr. McMahon is so happy for the expecting mother.

Aleister Black & Rey Mysterio VS Seth Rollins & Buddy Murphy!

By a miracle or perhaps all the luck in the world, the Embodiment of the End and the King of Lucha didn’t meet their end when Baron Corbin tossed them off the top of Titan Towers! But they weren’t the only ones that lost big at MITB. The Monday Night Messiah was in a mood earlier tonight, but will a victory turn that around for him and his disciple?

Raw returns as Rollins and Murphy make their entrance. Even Murphy seems unsure what is going on with Rollins. Murphy starts against Aleister at the bell, bringing their rivalry back. They circle, and even Aleister seems unsettled by Rollins being disheveled. He and Murphy circle, Murphy wrenches to a wristlock and reaches out to Rollins. Rollins doesn’t tag so Aleister reverses the wrench into the Iron Octopus! Murphy powers out but Aleister sunset flips! TWO, but Aleister arm-drags Murphy down! Aleister wrenches Murphy over to tag in Mysterio. Murphy forearms free but Mysterio kicks him back! Aleister sweeps the legs, Mysterio adds a basement dropkick! Cover, TWO! Mysterio keeps on Murphy but Murphy knees low. Murphy calls out to Rollins but Mysterio wrenches. Murphy whips Mysterio away bout Mysterio tilt-o-whirls! But Murphy blocks the DDT and suplexes. Mysterio slips out, tags in Aleister and enziguris Murphy to ropes! Aleister ROUNDHOUSES and covers, TWO!

Aleister drags Murphy up but Murphy pushes him away. Murphy yanks Aleister into buckles and KNEE TRIGGERS him down! Murphy stomps away but the ref backs him off. Rollins stares into space so Murphy wrenches and whips Aleister to ropes. Aleister rebounds right away, and throws Murphy out! Aleister runs but fakes Murphy out. He sits down cross-legged as Murphy slides in! Murphy calls to Rollins again but Mysterio says it’s all on him now. Murphy kicks at Aleister but Aleister ducks under and kips up. Aleister blocks a kick but gets an elbow! Murphy still tires to get through to Rollins, but Aleister fires off the strike fest! He boots Murphy and kitchen sink knees him down! Cover, TWO, but into a Kimura! Murphy endures, shouts for Rollins, but powers up to fight free. Murphy throws his own strike fest, but Aleister avoids the knee. He fakes Murphy out and KNEES back!

Murphy is on the apron and Aleister stalks over. They go to the floor and Aleister drags Murphy back into the ring. Aleister brings Murphy up but Murphy shoves him away. Rollins finally reacts and just stares at Aleister. Murphy brings Aleister up but Aleister slips off to ROCK him! But Murphy avoids the shoulder to dropkick Aleister into the post! The disciple has turned the tables all on his own while Raw goes to break!

Raw returns again and Murphy has Aleister in a sleeper hold. Aleister rams him into buckles until he’s free, but Murphy BOOTS back! Murphy hops up and leaps, into a BOOT! Aleister and Murphy are down and crawling for their corners. Hot tag to Mysterio, and he springboard seated sentons Murphy! Then things speed up, Mysterio dodges and dodges to springboard crossbody! Mysterio kicks and whips but Murphy blocks and runs to sunset flip.,  Mysterio rolls through to BUZZSAW! Murphy bails out, Mysterio goes to the apron, and he hits a flying huricanrana! Murphy crashes into barriers but Mysterio is back on him. Mysterio puts Murphy in the ring, and Rollins blankly stares at him. Mysterio goes to the far corner and climbs up top, and leaps for a crossbody! Murphy rolls through to cover, TWO! Murphy pump handles but Mysterio wheelbarrows to a bulldog! Cover, TWO!!

Mysterio drags Murphy up while Rollins just stares. Murphy pushes Mysterio back but Mysterio boots him away! Mysterio hits Rollins just because, and then dodges Murphy to huricanrana him onto ropes! Mysterio dials it up, but Rollins intercepts and SLAMS Mysterio down! That’s a disqualification!

Winners: Rey Mysterio & Aleister Black, by disqualification

Rollins’ rage has suddenly ignited and he SLAMS Mysterio into the barriers! Mysterio hits back but Rollins pokes eyes! Rollins seethes as he reels Mysterio into a haymaker! Murphy throws Aleister into barriers and then Rollins throws Aleister over! Rollins tells Murphy to stay back, because he wants to go after Mysterio himself. He drags Mysterio up at the steel steps, pries at the mask and the face, and wants to use the corner of the steps! HE DIGS THE EDGE INTO MYSTERIO’S EYE!!! HE DRAWS BLOOD!! The referee shouts at Rollins to get back and then shouts for medics to hurry. Rollins walks past Mysterio as the mask is moved to properly assess the damage. And yet, Rollins seems at peace. What darkness lurks behind the eyes of The Architect?

Raw returns as Mysterio is being checked in the medical room.

Aleister is with Mysterio as they inspect the eye. Seth Rollins returns and is suddenly apologetic? Murphy tries to defend Rollins but Aleister goes right at him! Now security has to break up the brawl, and Rollins just wanders off. Will this break down into utter chaos? And what has broken in Rollins’ mind that he is acting like this?

The Profits show off during warm-ups.

Ford uses his jumping ability to slam dunk. Ivar and Erik finally realize what basketball is: put the ball in the hoop. But anything the Profits can do, the Raiders can do better. Ivar throws the ball up really high, and Erik doesn’t even have a chance. Well if they need a new basketball, they know where to find one: Ivar’s gut. Ivar is mad now, and the Profits are laughing. The real deal goes down after the break.

2v2 Basketball: The Street Profits VS The Viking Raiders!

It’s game time as Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins take on Erik & Ivar in half-court basketball. Four five-minute quarters, let’s do this! Dawkins wants Ivar to check, and Ivar says the ball is fine. No, check… Ball’s fine. Well then, Dawkins lays it up and scores the first points! Ivar realizes the check meant it was their ball. Ford literally runs circles around Ivar now, and the Profits keep scoring. 13-0 in the blink of an eye! #WeWantTheSmoke! Smoke isn’t good for you. Nevermind… And at the end of the first quarter, it’s 21 to nothing! Ivar and Erik get the ball, Ivar rolls it to Erik, but Dawkins BLOCKS the shot! Erik throws it to the backboard and Ivar catches it, but Ivar whiffs on the layup. We always knew white men can’t jump, but that goes double for vikings. Ivar tries a buzzer beater, but nope. The half ends at 37-0!

Ivar gets a bit rough with Ford, that’s a foul. Then Ford goes HALF COURT!! The Profits are up 55-0 as we go into the last quarter! Erik & Ivar try to work together, but not even an elevated shot works. The final seconds tick away, and Erik makes a shot! Erik makes a shot! It’s not a shout out anymore! But, they think they won? No, they lost… 74-2. They have more FOULS than points. Well, clearly the Raiders can’t ball better than the Profits. But when will this rivalry return to the ring for those Raw Tag Team Championships?

Natalya confronts Shayna backstage.

The Queen of Harts says the Queen of Spades is awful for disrespecting the miracle of motherhood. Natty wants to teach Shayna some respect. Pff, what does Natty know about motherhood? It’s not like she’s ever going to have a kid. Natty knows just as well as Shayna that the Hart Dynasty dies with her. Baszler continues to have biting comments, but will Natty make her eat her words?

Raw checks in with the Profits and Raiders one more time.

A 74-2 victory for Dawkins and Ford on the board, but there’s no hard feelings. They high five in good sportsmanship, but Erik and Ivar claim they let the Profits win. What? Ivar gets the ball back and hits a three pointer? And then another, and another, and another…? He even gets silly with it! It was a hustle?! Ivar runs up and DUNKS on ’em! Vikings can jump after all!

Shayna Baszler VS Natalya!

The Man is a mommy but Shayna just sees that as a burden. Will the cold-blooded Baszler give the Queen of Harts frostbite in the Spring? Or will Natty refuse to #TapNapOrSnap?

The bell rings and Natty ties up with Shayna. Natty headlocks and hits the takeover, but Shayna headscissors out. Natty pops out of the headscissors and talks smack to the “fake wrestler.” Shayna trips Natty and gets a headlock but Natty slips out to facelock. Shayna shifts to a awistlock and headlock but Natty powers out. Shayna runs Natty over and dares her to rely on her family name now. Things speed up, Shayna gets the headlock takeover, but Natty headscissors out. Natty squeezes tight and chops Shayna, but Shayna moves up and around to get out. Shayna gets the headlock then the wristlock. Natty gets up and SLAPS Shayna! And again! Shayna wrenches harder but Natty keeps throwing SLAPS! Natty rolls, handsprings but Shayna sweeps the legs. Shayna drags Natty up but Natty throws haymakers! Natty facelocks but Shayna rams her into the buckles. The ref calls for the break, Shayna lets off, but then she trips Natty again!

Shayna dares Natty to do something, but Natty says she gets that one for free. Natty applauds Shayna and then they go again. Natty waistlocks but Shayna hooks a leg. Shayna backs Natty into a corner, the ref calls for the break, and Natty lets go of the waistlock at 4. Shayna goes to trip but Natty jumps over and ROCKS her with a right! Natty gets the legs but Shayna pushes her away. Shayna fires off furious strikes in the corner but the ref backs her off. Shayna comes back for more, then snap suplexes Natty down! And again! Cover, ONE! Shayna clamps onto Natty but Natty drops down to victory roll, TWO! Natty ducks down and rolls Shayna to a takedown! She wants the sharpshooter but Shayna slips out and hammerlocks the arm! The ref tells her not to, but she doesn’t care. She stomps, but Natty gets clear! Natty rolls Shayna, ONE, and Shayna KNEES Natty down! Cover, Shayna wins!

Winner: Shayna Baszler, by pinfall

Shayna didn’t even need the Kirafuda, she just knocked Natty out! Natty is furious that Shayna got the better of her, even after all that trash talk. Will anyone ever knock Shayna down a peg?

Backstage interview with Baron Corbin.

The Wolf King of SmackDown arrives a week early, and is ready to face McIntyre next week. But would he like to address last night at MITB? Last night, Corbin proved he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. He was seeing red, and throwing people off a roof just seemed necessary. Now to clear things up, Mysterio and Aleister landed on a secondary roof a few feet below, because they’re very lucky. Then to next week and his match with McIntyre. Does Corbin think he has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the champion? Of course. McIntyre knows Brock Lesnar didn’t make him the champ he is today, Corbin did. Corbin let McIntyre ride his coattails on Raw for a YEAR. McIntyre saw Corbin earn the crown, and now McIntyre will learn firsthand why Corbin is the king.

Edge returns to Raw!

The Rated R Superstar is back after being victorious over Randy Orton at WrestleMania! That match was a brutal Last Man Standing Match, and now Edge has a mic to speak. This is the first time he’s been here in six weeks, after a Mania return after nine years. Many say that is miraculous, but Edge lives in a world where you don’t let “What If” stop you. He came back to retire on his terms, but then what’s next? Mania isn’t the end, it is only the beginning. If you watched Raw last week, how the commercials hyped up Edge hunting The Viper, no one told Edge about that. Edge got his pound of flesh and his closure on Orton. Orton gave Edge the fight of his life as he knew Orton would. But he’s ready to move on. But is Randy Orton? Orton makes his entrance now and goes right to the ring. Edge keeps his eyes on Orton as Orton grabs a mic for himself.

“Edge, I came out here to just say one thing. Congratulations. At WrestleMania, the better man won.” With that, Orton leaves the ring, and Edge is as shocked as anyone. But something still seems to bother Orton, and after a chuckle, he goes back to the ring. Orton tried to be the bigger man but he can’t do it! He hoped he and Edge would ride up and down the road like back in the day, but Orton can’t lie to himself. The better man won at Mania, but the better wrestler didn’t. At the Royal Rumble, Edge made his miraculous return, but it was rather convenient. The Rumble allows you to hide behind the other competitors. And then their Mania match was a Last Man Standing match, Edge’s choice. The only rule in that match is to incapacitate the other man. And Orton didn’t get up at 10 after the ConChairTo, but it didn’t take him nine years, either. Almost a decade, that’s a long time.

Royal Rumble, Last Man Standing, those aren’t traditional matches. So it is still since 2011 since Edge has actually wrestled, and Orton doesn’t think he has it in him anymore. Orton’s known Edge a long time and knows the look on Edge’s face is the look of doubt. But he has grit and passion, doesn’t he? Those brought him back to the ring, but none of that compares to Orton’s natural ability! The passion and grit knocked off the ring rust, but there’s no chance in hell those will help Edge now. Edge said Orton is one of the best to lace up the boots, and is a future Hall of Famer. Edge even said he’d make Orton a better performer. The story writes itself now, huh? If Edge has the guts. At Backlash, it will be Orton VS Edge, in a “straight-up wrestling match.” What is Edge’s answer? Edge contemplates the challenge, but has no words. Are we just weeks away from the greatest wrestling match ever?

My Thoughts:

For following up a wild MITB PPV, Raw balanced a lot of great stuff with a lot of mediocre stuff. The best stuff came from the expecting parents, Becky and Seth. For one, we should all congratulate those two on this happy occasion. It was so heartwarming to see genuine emotion from the other superstars, and even Vince. At the same time, this news sure changes everything I saw coming for the Raw Women’s Division. Asuka won the Ms. MITB briefcase but doesn’t even need to cash in, as Becky basically gift wraps the title for her. I knew before that the Empress of Tomorrow would benefit most from the briefcase, and now we skip right to where she’s finally champion. Asuka joins Bayley as a Grand Slam Champion without much fanfare, but that’s just how this Empty Arena Era goes. Shayna’s character is even harsher with how she called babies “parasites” and insulting Natty like that. She gets a solid win over Natty, and maybe now the title becomes Asuka VS Shayna.

On Seth Rollins’ end, him being in a weird funk certainly has more to do with his MITB loss than the new baby. As his character goes, I’m very curious as to this apparent split in his mind where he doesn’t understand why he gouged Mysterio’s eye out! Rollins as a Heel does the most messed up stuff. He threatened to break Edge’s neck just to get The Authority reinstated, and then does THAT to Mysterio just because he isn’t world champion. But Aleister is now deeply involved with the story of the Monday Night Messiah, as I was hoping all along when Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens were still active. This story is taking some interesting twists, and that’s all we can hope for right now. Bliss-Cross had a good Moment of Bliss with the IIconics, and an alright match. The tag title match is coming next week and I hope that match is better. I do like the new team finisher for the IIconics, though.

The Street Profits and Viking Raiders facing off in basketball. And we thought the Usos pulling pranks on The Revival was bad stuff for a tag rivalry. Especially when the Raiders supposedly hustled Ford & Dawkins. That kind of twist would’ve only worked if Erik & Ivar revealed the hustle after halftime and then they ended up in a much closer game. Just get these guys wrestling again so that the ratings don’t die any harder. At least the stories of MVP and Lashely are converging. MVP making Lana throw a fit was great, and he really should shift into manager mode. He and R-Truth barely did anything in the Six Man Tag tonight. The stable of Lashley, MVP and I suppose at this point, still Vink & Thorne, could be quite the competition for Vega’s Theory, Garza and Almas. Assuming Vega’s stable sticks together, that is. Theory and Garza are at each other, maybe Theory gets kicked out and replaced.

And clearly, as ratings are falling for all brands, the WWE and the cable networks are willing to mix things up again. Bliss-Cross VS IIconics counts as a cross-brand match, and then we’re also getting McIntyre VS Corbin. I don’t think Corbin was the right choice to get fans hyped about this stuff, but WWE just loves using him. McIntyre laying out Vega’s stable again was great stuff, but maybe they’ll come back for revenge during the “brand to brand invitation.” Maybe Backlash becomes something special this year, since it doesn’t seem like the world is going to relax in time for June. Backlash was replaced last year by Stomping Grounds, a totally unnecessary move, so maybe WWE comes up with cross-brand matches to make it up to one of their long-time staples. For one, Orton VS Edge is going to make it special. I do like the move Orton is going for by saying Edge winning Last Man Standing isn’t actually final. Them in a normal singles match might actually be something great to see.

My Score: 8/10