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With WrestleMania Backlash less than two weeks away on May 16, WWE still has a lot of work to do to fill up the card.
This week's show was all about championships. After saying he could beat Drew McIntyre or Braun Strowman in a singles bout, WWE champion Bobby Lashley was given a chance to prove he could back up that statement.
The tag team division was also spotlighted on Monday when AJ Styles and Omos returned for the first time since winning the Raw Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania to defend the titles against The New Day in a rematch.
We also saw Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defend the Women's Tag Team Championships against Lana and Naomi.
Let's take a look at everything that happened on Monday's Raw.
Updates will begin after the first match/segment. Keep refreshing this page throughout the show for updated results.
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When the show went live in the ThunderDome, Styles and Omos came to the ring to defend the Raw tag titles against Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston. Before The New Day arrived, The Phenomenal One and his personal colossus gave a promo to brag about winning at WrestleMania.
Styles said the reason they have been gone since 'Mania is that they were on vacation to celebrate. He reminded us that he became a Grand Slam champion in five years. The New Day arrived and called them out for not being around like fighting champions.
We returned from a break just as the big man was tagging into the match. He easily overpowered Woods and threw him to the corner so Kingston could get a tag. He tried to kick Omos in the leg but it was like hitting a bull with a flyswatter. It did nothing.
Styles called for a high five but the ref took it as a tag. Woods almost pinned him with a roll-up. After another commercial, we saw The Phenomenal One trying to make a comeback. When Omos got the tag, he started destroying both opponents with ease once again.
Styles delivered a Phenomenal Forearm to Woods from Omos' shoulders for the win.
Grade: B
Analysis
The opening promo from Styles and Omos was a generic heel celebration. Styles has great delivery and instincts but he wasn't given much to work with here.
Omos stayed mostly silent until he threatened Woods and Kingston, so there isn't much to critique. He didn't look completely comfortable on the mic but still said what he needed to say.
This wasn't much different from what we saw at WrestleMania, but they made it just different enough to keep it from feeling like they just did the exact same thing again. It was fun, especially when Omos came in and wrecked The New Day by himself.
Woods, Styles and Kingston are all top-tier performers. Omos is still learning but his presence in the ring is undeniable. If he can keep improving, he will have a long career in WWE.
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They locked up and Charlotte Flair tried to big-time Brooke. She taunted her opponent and claimed she has done nothing since they were allies a few years ago. Brooke used that as motivation to unload on The Queen with forearm strikes.
After a brief onslaught, Charlotte took control and scored a near-fall. Brooke put her in the corner for a handspring elbow. She climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit a senton bomb for a two-count.
It didn't take Charlotte long to apply the Figure Eight for the submission victory. When she refused to let the hold go, Mandy Rose attacked her and threw her out of the ring.
Sonya Deville came out after the match and claimed she had as much power as Adam Pearce. She allowed Charlotte to make a proposal. Long story short, The Queen wanted a Raw women's title shot. Deville granted her request and booked a triple threat for Backlash with Rhea Ripley and Asuka.
The champ came out and said Charlotte doesn't deserve the shot. Asuka joined the party and called Charlotte a whiner. A short scuffle ended with Asuka being the last woman in the ring.
Grade: C
Analysis
The match between Charlotte and Brooke was short and mostly uneventful. It was fine, but nobody is going to call this a masterpiece.
The segment that came after gave us a good idea of what is happening with Deville. She is clearly trying to grab power and so far, it looks like it's working.
Charlotte wanting a shot at the title was predictable, but that isn't always a bad thing when it makes sense for the character. The Queen is always focused on the belt. Why would now be any different?
The match was mediocre at best, and the exchange was overly scripted, but at least it progressed the story.
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The Miz came out with John Morrison for his match against Damian Priest. He gave a promo deriding Priest for his childish prank last week that led to him getting pelted with tomatoes.
The Archer of Infamy immediately took control with a front leg sweep. Morrison wrestled him into a headlock. He countered one of Morrison's finishers and threw him out of the ring.
We came back from a break to see JoMo starting to turn things around. Priest hit a flapjack and a flurry of strikes. They traded kicks until Priest scored a near-fall with a clothesline. Ultimately, Priest picked up the win over Morrison.
Grade: B
Analysis
This feud has been dragging on for too long, but this was a fun match between two guys who each bring something different to the table.
Morrison has been sorely underused in recent months, so it was nice to see him get a chance to shine, even if he ended up losing.
This feud probably won't be over until Backlash. All we can do now is hope Priest's next storyline does more for him than this one has.
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We returned from a commercial to see this match already in progress with no announcement made beforehand. Gran Metalik and Cedric Alexander trade some nice moves before Shelton Benjamin tagged in.
The Gold Standard physically dominated The King of the Ropes before bringing Alexander back in. Lince Dorado came in and Benjamin took him down with a massive clothesline.
Metalik ended up getting the win for his team with an elbow drop from the top rope. Alexander grabbed a mic after it was over and ripped into Benjamin for being the weak link. He said they were done as a tag team before storming off.
Grade: C
Analysis
This match started during the break, only had a couple of minutes on TV and had no stakes. The action was good, but there wasn't enough of it. While WWE gave us very little reason to care about this, the post-match speech from Alexander was great.
The passion he showed when he spoke was off the charts. When Alexander is given an opportunity, he always seizes it.
Unfortunately, this means Raw's already thin tag team division just lost one of its best duos. WWE is making a lot of questionable decisions lately.
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Drew Gulak challenged Angel Garza to a match backstage and the Lothario accepted. When the bell rang, Garza threw his pants at Gulak so he could get an early advantage.
The submissions specialist put him in a headlock, but Garza used the ropes to escape the hold. He yelled at Gulak as he beat him down in the corner.
Garza nailed The Wing Clipper for a quick win.
Grade: C
Analysis
This is what we should be seeing more often. WWE has so many talented guys who can just go out and have a good match without any need for a big feud behind it.
Unfortunately, WWE did not give them enough time to make this anything more than a quick exhibition. The victory made Garza look good, but he would have looked even better if this had been a more competitive exchange.
If management makes this a feud, they should have another chance to show off next week.
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Elias and Jaxson Ryker were trying to get revenge on The New Day backstage with some tomatoes, but they ended up hitting Randy Orton by mistake. This led to Orton telling Riddle he wanted to go win another tag match with him.
Elias and Ryker took control of The Viper almost immediately. A quick thumb to the eye allowed Orton to tag Riddle. Ryker broke a submission with a body slam, but Riddle jumped right back on him with a Bromission.
Elias made the tag and hit a huge knee to the face for a two-count. Elias suplexed Riddle onto Ryker's knee for another near-fall. The Bro hit a knee out of desperation and made the tag.
The Legend Killer came in with a head of steam and took out both opponents. He allowed Riddle to tag in and hit The Floating Bro for the win.
Grade: B+
Analysis
This pairing of Riddle and Orton is what will make a lot of Riddle's haters like him. They have too much chemistry not to enjoy what they are doing.
This was another quick one-segment match, but it felt more substantial than some of the other bouts from Monday's show. Both teams looked solid, but R-K-Bro has the momentum.
Considering we lost Alexander and Benjamin as a team, it would be good if WWE kept Riddle and Orton together for a little while to help the division.
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After signing his Raw contract earlier in the night, Mansoor made his red brand debut in a match against Sheamus. The U.S. title was not on the line.
Sheamus used his power to take control early, but Mansoor used his speed to counter him and get a quick two-count. The Celtic Warrior made him pay for almost pinning him.
Mansoor went to the top rope and Sheamus brought him down hard with a trip. He lined up for the Brogue Kick but was hit by a dropkick from Humberto Carrillo. He tried to beat up the U.S. champion but ended up eating a Brogue Kick instead. So did Mansoor when it was all over.
Grade: B
Analysis
This was a huge opportunity for Mansoor. He has been on a long winning streak on NXT and 205 Live, so seeing him brought to the main roster and put right into a match with Sheamus indicates WWE management sees something in him.
Mansoor and Sheamus had a competitive fight that left the Irishman with a bloody forehead. Had there been a live crowd, it would have been into this match from the start.
Carrillo technically caused a disqualification. Does this mean Mansoor's winning streak is over?
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Naomi and Jax started the match but Baszler tagged in almost immediately. Lana tagged in and hit a big crossbody from the top rope for a two-count.
Naomi came back in and tried to keep the momentum rolling with a double-team. Jax pulled her out of the ring and threw her into the announce table.
Reginald distracted the ref so Lana could not get the pin. Baszler grabbed her in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission win.
Grade: D+
Analysis
The way this match started was promising. They were moving quick and hitting big moves. Two minutes later, the match was over.
WWE's women's division has had a lot of ups and downs recently. Matches like this do not help anyone. Even the champions gained nothing from this win because Naomi and Lana never seemed like a legit threat to their reign as champions. Do better, WWE.
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After claiming he could beat both McIntyre and Strowman, Lashley was given a chance to put his money where his mouth is when he faced The Monster Among Men in the main event.
The two powerhouses didn't waste any time. They were throwing big punches and trying hard to take each other down as soon as the bell rang. The All Mighty hit a neckbreaker for the first two-count of the match.
The Monster Among Men tried to hit a powerslam but Lashley escaped his grasp. McIntyre came out to watch from ringside and Strowman made sure to voice his displeasure. The distraction allowed Lashley to take him down. He offered McIntyre a fist bump but the show cut to a break before anything happened.
We returned to see Lashley still controlling the pace. Strowman dropped him with an electric chair to give himself a little time to recover. He charged at Lashley at ringside, but the champ sidestepped him and sent him into McIntyre.
While The Monster Among Men was arguing with McIntyre, Lashley hit a Spear for the win. McIntyre finished both men off with Claymores.
Grade: B+
Analysis
Lashley and Strowman have always been good together. This match was a tough fight that made both men look like monsters in the ring.
McIntyre's involvement was predictable but it protected Strowman from losing clean. As much as we hate how often WWE does stuff like this, it made sense in this instance.
This week's show was an improvement over the past three weeks of post-Mania content. The Eva Marie announcement is going to ruffle some feathers though.
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