WWE Raw live results: Gauntlet match for MITB spot

The Big Takeaway: Sasha Banks won the Money in the Bank Last Chance Gauntlet match, becoming the final participant in the Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying match. She joins Alexa Bliss, Ember Moon, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Lana and Naomi. Following his match with Jinder Mahal, Seth Rollins was blindsided with a guitar shot to the back by Elias. Perhaps the most newsworthy item from the show was Roman Reigns wasn’t on the show and his name was barely mentioned. 

Show Recap: 

The show opened with a very good piece paying tribute to soliders on Memorial Day. A soldier named Mike Zacchea, Army Master Sergeant Luis Sanchez and General Archie Elam discussed their experiences losing friends during combat and the importance of the holiday. Elam had a powerful quote saying “When the soldier enlists, the family serves.” 

Braun Strowman started the show. He got a strong reception with “Get these hands” chants. Strowman said when he sees the Money in the Bank briefcase, he gets motivated because it guarantees him a Universal Title opportunity at any arena at any time in the entire world. He said at Money in the Bank he will destroy seven other men, then climb the ladder and get the Money in the Bank briefcase so he will become known as Mr. Monster in the Bank. Strowman said no one can stop him and Brock Lesnar is going to get these hands. 

Finn Balor walked out to some boos and said Strowman was getting ahead of himself. Balor said he was the first Universal Champion and he never lost the title, which eats away at him every day. He’s determined to get back to the top, climb one of the ladders and take back what is his. Balor said last week, he gave Strowman everything he had. But at Money in the Bank, there will be six other competitors in the ring with him and it’s every man for himself. Strowman said Balor put up a really good fight for a little guy. Balor slapped Strowman, who responded by flipping Balor across and out of the ring. Balor sold it like he had just suffered broken ribs. Kurt Angle showed up and ordered Balor vs. Strowman immediately. 

Finn Balor defeated Braun Strowman by DQ (11:27) 

Kevin Owens came out to do commentary. Bobby Roode watched on from backstage and Strowman punched and kicked Balor in the gut repeatedly. After Strowman knocked Balor down with a push kick, Owens got on the PA microphone and screamed at Strowman to pour on the punishment. Strowman gave Owens a dirty look. Strowman sent Balor to the floor with a forearm, then did his wind sprint around the ring and knocked Balor over the barricade with a forearm. There were several security guards there to break Balor fall. Balor started his comeback when Strowman tried to give him a battering ram into the post, but Balor threw him into the post. Owens started screaming advice to Balor, who hit a head kick and somersault tope on Strowman, who popped right up and threw Balor back in the ring. Balor caught Strowman with the sling blade, the Woo Dropkick, a Coup de Grace to Strowman’s back and then the Coup de Grace. Balor went for another Coup de Grace when Owens ran down and attacked Balor. 

Owens pulled out a ladder from under the ring and rammed Balor in the midsection. Owens went after Strowman, who caught the ladder and pushed down Owens. As Owens bailed, Strowman threw the ladder halfway up the ramp from the ring, and Owens barely rolled out of the way. 

Owens was ready to high tail it out of the building. He ordered an attendant to get his rental car when Angle walked up and asked Owens where he was going. Owens said it was Memorial Day and he was taking the rest of the night off. Angle reminded Owens that he was Canadian and he was going to face Roode tonight. 

Sasha Banks did a scripted interview about winning tonight and getting to the Money in the Bank match. 

Elias was in the ring. He started to sing but stopped because the Richmond crowd was particularly disgusting. He demanded that his spotlight be narrowed because a male fan at ringside was so ugly he couldn’t ignore it. Then he demanded the sound guy to bring up his microphone so he could hear less of the crowd. Sort of like how Kevin Dunn handles Reigns’ ring entrance. Elias, who was much more of a heel this week, stalled forever and told the crowd to shut up, threatening to sit there all night without performing. Then they cut to a commercial while he was sitting in the ring doing nothing. After the break, Elias was still stalling to get heat. Crowd started chanting “leave.” Jonathan Coachman thought they were chanting “Sing,” which forced Michael Cole to correct him. 

Rollins came out for his title defense against Mahal. Elias and Rollins had a staredown, then Rollins threw Elias’ stool out of the ring and asked Elias to leave. Elias slowly walked out of the ring. 

Jinder Mahal (w/ Sunil Singh) defeated Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins by DQ, so Rollins retained the Intercontinental Championship (12:53) 

They had a good match going where Rollins hit a tope. He built several spots around the stomp, but Mahal kept escaping. Sunil Singh grabbed Rollins’ leg, which led to the referee ejecting Singh from ringside. As the referee ordered Singh to the back, Mahal grabbed a chair and rammed it across Rollins midsection for only a two count. Mahal went for the Khallas, but Rollins escaped again. Singh ran back down, but Rollins flipped him into the ring. Somehow, this wasn’t a DQ. Rollins gave Singh a Buckle Bomb into Mahal. Rollins went off and grabbed the chair that Mahal used, took it in the ring, smashed Mahal over the back for it for the DQ. Rollins belted Mahl in the shoulder with the chair several times as they fought up the ramp. Singh raced up from behind and grabbed Rollins’ leg, but Rollins hit Singh on the back with a chair, as well. Mahal ran off. 

Rollins posed by standing on the commentator’s table. Then Elias ran up from behind and shattered his guitar across Rollins’ back. Rollins took a bump to the floor and Elias’ guitar turned to dust at the moment of contact. Rollins was placed on a stretcher with a neckbrace around his throat. Rollins tried to get up as Adam Pearce, Jamie Noble and several emergency personnel attended to him. Rollins was in the midst of selling this injury angle and several fans were singing “Happy Birthday’ to him. Rollins got up on his own and refused to accept a stretcher ride out of the building. 

Jax came out, but Rousey interrupted her ring entrance to a big pop. Rousey went to the commentator’s table for Jax’s exhibition. Jax told her over the PA she would show Ronda what she would do to her at Money in the Bank. Jax allowed her opponent, Michelle Webb, to put her in an armbar. So Jax power bombed her. Jax told Rousey that the armbar didn’t mean that much to her and that’s what she would do to Rousey, if Rousey even got the armbar on her in the first place. Jax said Webb still had some more fight in her. Corey Graves said Webb was the Surry County Judo Champion. Jax gave Webb a Samoan Drop. Jax said she could pin Webb now but she wasn’t done with her. Jax gave Webb a legdrop and just laughed. Jax said you could count to 10, 20, 30, or 40 but Webb wasn’t getting up. Jax said that Rousey has never faced anything like that in the UFC. Jax said her leg could crush a woman’s chest. Then Jax did a rolling senton on Webb. Jax said it looks like that Webb needed assistance, just like Rousey will need assistance at Money in the Bank, so Jax challenged Rousey to come in the ring and help her out. 

Rousey got in the ring. Jax was playing heel, telling the fans to shut up. Webb disappeared as Rousey gave Jax the mean stare. Jax said she wasn’t intimidated by Rousey’s stare, but she wasn’t scared by Rousey’s stare, in fact she found it humorous. Jax laughed in Rousey’s face and walked off as Rousey looked confused and bewildered. 

Brooke did an interview in front of a board with various mathematical equations to play up her statistician gimmick. She claimed to have the right formula to win tonight’s gauntlet match. 

Raw Tag Team Champions Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defeated the Ascension in a nontitle match (4:46)

Matt Hardy pinned Viktor after the Kiss of Deletion. Bray Wyatt got the hot tag and after making his comeback, he did his bridge in the corner, which Graves now calls “The climax.” Coachman and Cole cracked up. 

Backstage, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel approached Angle. They wanted a tag team title shot against Hardy and Wyatt. This was pretty funny. Axel claimed The B Team was undefeated. Angle said just because they beat the same tag team twice doesn’t mean they get a title shot. Axel blurted out “What’s with this guy, man?” Angle reminded Axel he could hear what Axel was saying. Angle asked what would the other tag team think of them if he let the B Team leap frog over top of them. Dallas thought Angle was saying the B Team have to win over all the tag teams in the division and get their blessing. Angle said that isn’t what he was saying at all. Dallas asked Axel “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Axel said “No, because that jerk Kurt Angle wouldn’t let us have a tag team championship match.” Angle reminded Axel he could hear every word Axel was saying, but Axel was completely oblivious to Angle, who was standing right beside him. Dallas saying in order to get the other tag teams’ blessing,.they have to give them something to win them over. Dallas proposed a Memorial Day B Team BBQ for tonight. Angle reiterated that wasn’t what he was saying at all, but they left to start the BBQ party. 

The Riott Squad did a promo in the locker room where they appeared to be destroying the clothes of Banks and Bayley. Riott said the final place in the Money in the Bank match belongs to the Riott Squad. 

Kevin Owens defeated Bobby Roode (9:41) 

Owens won clean when Roode attempted a sunset flip to escape a power bomb, but Owens sat down on top. Roode clotheslined Owens on the floor and hit a blockbuster before the finish. 

Afterwards, Strowman came out and chased Owens around the ring. Roode stood in Owens’ way, allowing Strowman to catch him. With Roode cheering him on, Strowman gave Owens a powerslam. Roode tried to lead cheers but the crowd just looked at him in silence as Strowman gave Owens another powerslam. Roode cheered and smiled standing on the second rope, but Strowman grabbed Roode by the throat and gave him a powerslam, too. 

Zayn came out for what was supposed to be an apology to Lashley after his display last week. Zayn said last week didn’t go as he hoped and he admitted going too far. He said WWE management has been gracious enough to allow him to issue a formal apology. Zayn pulled out reading glasses and read a note apologizing for a “highly rated” interview that some reacted as being in poor taste. Zayn said one young fan went on social media saying he was embarrassed to be a Zayn fan. Even the 30-year-old man from Syracuse, New York who got evicted from his parents’ home DM’d him and said Zayn should be ashamed of himself. Zayn said he did something he promised he would never do and that’s lie to the fans. Zayn said that was not Lashley’s real sisters, in fact they were men. They were men he hired to have fun at Lashley’s expense. Zayn said to Lashley, to the WWE Universe that he was sorry. 

Zayn paused and said however, everything he said last week was true. Zayn said that like good art, everything he said about Lashley last week was rooted in reality, even if everyone couldn’t see it. Zayn said he was doing the right thing because he was the one trying to expose Lashley for being a liar, which is what he is. Zayn said people should be apologizing to him because he deserves better and deserves to be facing Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship instead of issuing an apology in front of a repulsive crowd in Richmond. Lashley came out to no reaction. Lashley said Memorial Day is a special day for family’s like his, so if anyone has a loved one that has served in the military, he salutes them. That got polite applause. 

Lashley said his sisters are quite entertaining and he and Zayn have an issue. He challenged Zayn to a match at Money in the Bank. That got a mild response, at best. Lashley wanted Zayn to shake his hand. They shook hands and Zayn said he was going to Helluva kick that stupid smile off of Lashley’ face. Lashley wouldn’t let go of the handshake and Zayn screamed in agony as Lashley squeezed harder and harder. Lashley said he had an apology of his own saying he was sorry for everything he was going to do to Zayn at Money in the Bank.  Lashley vs Zayn was officially announced for the PPV later on. 

Drew McIntyre (w/ Dolph Ziggler) defeated Chad Gable (4:44) 

Drew McIntyre won with the Claymore kick. The usual big man/little man match featuring Chad Gable, who hit a moonsault press for a near fall. Gable tried a plancha from the second rope, but McIntyre caught him and threw him into the post. McIntyre looked dominant, but the crowd is worn out. 

Dallas and Axel were in the ring for their Memorial Day BBQ. The Revival, The Ascension, Titus Worldwide, Breeango and Rhyno & Heath Slater attended the celebration. Dallas and Axel had plain baloney sandwiches, hot dogs, potato chips. Rhyno had three times as much food as anyone else. After Dallas invited everyone to dig in, Axel said everyone could agree since the B Team is undefeated, they should be the next ones to challenge Hardy and Wyatt. Titus O’Neil objected got mad, saying they had no ribs, no microroni and cheese and none of the food was seasoned. Slater spoke up and said this was a feast. In West Virginia, this would be like Thanksgiving. Slater said look at Rhyno, he’s still eating. Slater got in O’Neil’s face and said “I can’t see him, but is Rhyno still eating?” O’Neil confirmed he was. Coachman and Cole were snickering at all this. Slater said the B Team would not cut in ring for the Raw Tag Team Championship shot. Axel said fine, then we’re taking our food back. Axel took a plate full of hot dogs from Fandango. O’Neil dumped baked beans over Dallas head, which started a huge food fight in the ring. Everybody was getting pelted. Scott Dawson somehow took a bump out of the ring. Rhyno was the only one left unscathed. Axel and Dallas kicked Rhyno in the midsection and gave him a double chokeslam through a table. 

Next week on Raw in Texas, it’s Balor vs. Owens, Roode vs. Strowman and Jax vs. Natalya. 

Angle was backstage when the B team walked up completely drenched in food. Axel demanded a Raw Tag Team title shot. Angle said next week there will be a tag team battle royal with the winners facing Hardy and Wyatt for the Tag Team Championships. Axel hugged Angle, leaving him a mess. 

Bayley was the first person in the Last Chance Money in the Bank Gauntlet match. She did a brief interview with Charly Caruso saying she drew the unlucky number one tonight. She looked like her fate wasn’t good, but told Banks that Banks was wrong when she said earlier than the Money in the Bank contract had her name on it. Bayley said the contract actually has her name on it and Banks was going to have to go through her to remove it. 

Bayley defeated Liv Morgan (:11)

Bayley pulled off a classic Magnum T.A. win from 1985 by giving Liv Morgan a Bayley-to-belly suplex for the kick pin. 

Bayley defeated Sarah Logan (1:16) 

Bayley pinned Sarah Logan with a victory roll. Postmatch, Logan and Morgan jumped Bayley and double-teamed her, just as Riott walked out for the next match. 

Ruby Riott pinned Bayley (4:28) 

Riott pinned Bayley after a Riott kick.

Ruby Riott defeated Dana Brooke (:56) 

Riott pinned Brooke after another Riott Kick. 

Ruby Riott defeated Mickie James (6:23) 

James got a good hometown pop and the fans chanted for her, which was really the biggest reaction since Rollins’ match. James did flying head scissors and a dropkick for a two count. James did a flap jack and climbed the top rope for a flying Thesz Press for a near fall. James missed a Mick Kick, but Riott missed a Riott Kick. James went for a DDT, but Riott reversed it into a cradle and pinned her while holding the trunks. Crowd booed the result and a few people could be seen heading to the exits after Banks came in. 

Sasha Banks defeated Ruby Riott by tapout to win the Money in the Bank Last Chance Gauntlet Match (5:52) 

Riott escaped a Bank Statement and hit a downward spiral for a near fall. Banks hit a Meteora for a two count. Riott reversed a monkey flip into a Tornado DDT for a two count, which was followed by a superkick for another two count. Riott got on the top rope, but Banks gave her a power bomb while Riott was on the top rope for a two count. Banks put the Bank Statement on Riott, but Morgan ran down. Banks kicked Morgan to the floor. Logan ran down but Banks disposed of her. Banks put the Bank Statement on Riott for the tapout.