WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 6
May 6, 2024WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 6
Damian Priest retained the World Heavyweight Championship Saturday at Backlash, but not without controversy following interference from Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh.
The Archer of Infamy expressed frustration over his teammates' involvement, hinting a dissension within the dominant Judgment Day.
What went down when Priest, Bálor and McDonagh were all under the same roof Monday night on WWE Raw?
Find out with this recap of a show that also featured the kickoff of the 2024 King and Queen of the Ring tournaments.
The Judgment Day Kicks Off Raw; Jey Uso vs. Finn Bálor
- Priest's apology to his Judgment Day teammates felt forced, like a formality rather than the assertion of a champion genuinely sorry for holding them accountable.
- Bálor acting like he got a bye in the King of the Ring due to McIntyre's injury when it was announced before the show that he would be battling Uso was certainly a choice.
- The pop for Uso was monstrous, as has been the case for the last eight months.
- "He just got yeeted in the mouth," Pat McAfee said on commentary, a line few could have imagined hearing on the flagship show a year ago.
- Uso benefiting because of McIntyre's misfortune, when "Main Event" was one of the men who cost him the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Clash at the Castle 2022, is poetic irony.
World heavyweight champion Damian Priest and The Judgment Day opened Raw, just 48 hours after The Archer of Infamy defeated Jey Uso to retain his title, despite telling his teammates that he did not want their involvement in the match.
Rather than the implosion of the group, it was a night of amends as Priest apologized for expressing his frustration with JD McDonagh and Finn Bálor in Lyon, France.
An overzealous Bálor, believing he would continue Judgment Day's momentous two days by advancing in the King of the Ring tournament via bye due to an injury suffered by Drew McIntyre, found out that would not be the case as Adam Pearce revealed he would still compete.
His opponent? The same Uso he cost the world title.
WWE @WWEHey <a href="https://twitter.com/FinnBalor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FinnBalor</a>, say hello to your new first round opponent...<br><br>JEY USO!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERaw?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERaw</a> <a href="https://t.co/WdbKzBqASx">pic.twitter.com/WdbKzBqASx</a>
The Irishman worked over Uso throughout the middle portion of the match, keeping him grounded and preventing the explosive comeback.
When Jey did fight back, it appeared as though a late-match appearance by McIntyre, enraged over the turn of events that led to his disqualification from competition, would cost him the match.
Instead, the babyface stayed focused, downed Bálor with a Spear and advanced in the competition to the dismay of the Scot.
We got the latest in the Judgment Day story, an appearance from the most over guy on the brand, a quality match and the renewal of the rivalry between Uso and McIntyre to boot.
This was an eventful opening half-hour, with nearly every minute meaning something to an ongoing story.
Result
Uso defeated Bálor to advance
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
CM Punk Promo
- Punk with the Gordie Howe reference drew a big pop from fans of the Hartford Whalers. The man's love for hockey is undeniable.
- Punk threatened to run overtime and even hold the show hostage until McIntyre returned to the building and fought him.
- "Drew McIntyre, do you hate me or do you hate yourself?" he said.
- "He's a choke artist. Not like I'm a choke artist, right, Pat?" Punk said, appearing to reference a certain guillotine choke to another star in another wrestling promotion.
Moments after Drew McIntyre drove off, CM Punk arrived at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut and made his way to the ring.
He cut another scathing promo on The Scottish Warrior to the delight of the crowd.
There was not much in the way of storyline development here, but it was Punk, a live mic and an audience that ate it up. That is almost always a recipe for success.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
Queen of the Ring Tournament: Natalya vs. Iyo Sky
- Sky used the ropes to hang up Nattie, breaking a waistlock in a cool spot.
- Kai repeatedly teased interference but held off for the right moment.
- Natalya is still an extraordinary worker who belongs on television, as evidenced by this match and her performance against Lola Vice on NXT last week.
- Kai revealed afterward that Asuka is injured and she will standing in for The Empress of Tomorrow against Lyra Valkyria later Monday night. So, why still advertise the Asuka match?
Damage CTRL made their Raw return Monday, with Iyo Sky kicking off the Queen of the Ring tournament against Natalya.
As one would expect given the talent involved, it was a strong match that highlighted both women.
Sky benefited from some interference from Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane, but it was a mostly fair contest that saw The Queen of Harts fight back, only for Kai's distraction to cost her the win.
After the match, Kai mentioned Becky Lynch, potentially planting the seeds for a feud between the faction and The Man throughout the summer.
Result
Sky defeated Natalya
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
King of the Ring Tournament: Ricochet vs. Ilja Dragunov
- There is a valid argument that Dragunov is the best wrestler in the world based on his work in NXT UK and NXT over the last three or so years.
- Ricochet delivered an awe-inspiring hurricanrana, off the top rope that sent The Mad Dragon rolling to the sanctuary of the floor.
- Dragunov caught a moonsaulting Ricochet with a chop to the chest, shutting down his momentum.
Former NXT champion Ilja Dragunov introduced himself to those unfamiliar with his work via an extraordinary match with Ricochet in the opening round of the King of the Ring.
The Mad Dragon used intense strikes to cut off the high-flying WWE Speed champion's high-flying arsenal and utilized the running forearm to flatten The One and Only and score the hard-fought victory.
The win sets Dragunov up for a match with Jey Uso, and if that doesn't indicate what Triple H and management see in the former NXT champion, nothing will.
That match should be equally as strong and with greater crowd heat, thanks to the presence of Uso and his momentum.
Result
Dragunov defeated Ricochet
Grade
A+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Queen of the Ring Tournament: Ivy Nile vs. Zoey Stark
- Stark tried a top-rope waistlock, teasing a high-risk spot, but the setup took too long and we never got the spot.
- The effort was there, but the chemistry was not.
Zoey Stark advanced to the next round of the Queen of the Ring tournament on Monday, defeating fellow NXT export Ivy Nile.
Both competitors are incredibly gifted athletes, but the in-ring chemistry was not there and the inexperience showed at times. The results was spots that took too long to set up and an execution that wasn't always smooth.
Stark won with her Z-360 finisher in what was probably the right call, but one cannot help but think this would have been a stronger match if both women were more consistently featured on television.
Result
Stark defeated Nile to advance
Grade
C
Top Moments and Takeaways
'Big' Bronson Reed vs. Chad Gable
- Backstage, Carlito pitched to Damian Priest and The Judgment Day on a mutually beneficial partnership.
- Gable delivered an exploder off the top to Reed that was equal parts terrifying and impressive.
- A great video package highlighted Lyra Valkyria ahead of her Queen of the Ring match.
Fueled by vengeance after his shot at the Intercontinental Championship was ruined by Chad Gable, "Big" Bronson Reed battled the leader of Alpha Academy in singles competition.
As the action intensified, Sami Zayn hit the ring and attacked Gable, unleashing weeks of rage on the man who beat him down in front of his family in Montreal.
The brawl between Zayn and Gable ended with Reed attacking both men and leaving them lying.
All signs appear to be pointing toward a three-way dance between Zayn, Gable and Reed for the IC title, a match that should be a ton of fun and the next logical advancement in the rivalry between the former two.
Result
No-contest
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
Becky Lynch Promo
- Lynch put over Alba Fyre as the longest-reigning women's champion in modern WWE history and then put over Valkyria as the most gifted women's wrestler she has been in the ring with.
- Morgan mocked Lynch's promo to this point and admitted she was tired of being "overlooked and underestimated." She ran down her list of accomplishments, including taking out Ripley.
- Morgan said she realized what she was missing: purpose. She has found it now, though, and she is focused on winning the Women's World Championship.
Women's world champion Becky Lynch joined Michael Cole in the squared circle for a special sit-down interview.
Lynch put over the young stars who will forge the future of women's wrestling before being interrupted by Liv Morgan.
A tense back and forth between the two saw Morgan reveal her purpose: Taking everything away from Rhea Ripley and winning the Women's World Championship. To do that, she has to beat The Man at King and Queen of the Ring on May 25.
Damage CTRL attacked Lynch while Morgan bailed. Lyra Valkyria made the save, setting up the night's next match.
This was a mostly one-dimensional segment, but it at least laid the groundwork for the women who will oppose Lynch in the near future.
It also established the respect between The Man and Valkyria, potentially setting them up to be associates and friends on the show.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
Queen of the Ring Tournament: Lyra Valkyria vs. Dakota Kai
- Sami Zayn cut a promo backstage, challenging Bronson Reed and Chad Gable to a Triple Threat match for the Intercontinental Championship at King and Queen of the Ring.
- This was as competitive as Kai has been presented in a while. Part of that is due to injury, and another is the manner in which she has been booked.
- Chants of "Let's go Lyra" were a promising sign for Valkyria. Hopefully, the creative team can build on what we saw here because she is a future star for WWE.
Lyra Valkyria wasted no time establishing herself on the main roster, first by coming to the aid of Becky Lynch and then by defeating Dakota Kai.
Valkyria and Kai continued the trend of quality in-ring action Monday night, delivering a competitive match that saw the latter turn in one of her best main roster performances to date. The former NXT women's champion answered with the same resiliency that defined her reign with the gold brand.
Valkyria delivered the Night Wing to secure the victory and set up a second-round match with Zoey Stark. Perhaps it is a bit presumptive, but it would not be surprising to see her make the finals of the Raw bracket.
Result
Valkyria defeated Kai to advance
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
King of the Ring Tournament: Sheamus vs. Gunther
- The chests of both combatants were beet-red entering the commercial break, just minutes into the match.
- The camera caught a clear handprint on Sheamus' shoulder, highlighting the physicality of this match.
One of the greatest, hardest-hitting rivalries in pro wrestling reignited Monday in the main event of Raw, a King of the Ring tournament match pitting Gunther against Sheamus.
Both men pummeled each other from the opening bell, painting each others' chests red with welts.
However, interference from Ludwig Kaiser that targeted the knee of The Celtic Warrior put Sheamus on the defensive for the majority of the match and gave The Ring General a giant target to focus his attention on.
He did just that. Every time Sheamus fought his way back into the match, Gunther refocused on the knee before forcing a submission to the half Boston Crab.
This was another classic physical encounter between two men who seemingly love beating the life out of each other. This one had the added story of Kaiser's involvement in setting up the finish, which also protected Sheamus.
Gunther winning made sense as he has been the favorite to win the whole tournament from the moment he announced his eligibility. Nothing about this changed that perception.
Result
Gunther defeated Sheamus to advance
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways