Monday Night Raw – May 20, 2024: The Goodly And The Badly

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 20, 2024
Location: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

It’s the last Raw before King And Queen Of The Ring, which means we need to set some things up for that show. This includes setting up the Raw finalists in both tournaments, plus maybe even setting up a World Title challenger for Damian Priest. Other than that, Sami Zayn gets Chad Gable again. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Earlier today, wrestlers arrived at a wrestling show.

Here is Sami Zayn to get things going. He has five days before he is ready to defend the Intercontinental Title in a triple threat match and people aren’t sure why he would want to do that. Chad Gable has made it personal with him, while Bronson Reed wants the title. It’s a match between the mind (Gable), body (Reed) and soul (Zayn), with Zayn betting on the soul every time.

Cue the Alpha Academy, with gable taking credit for coaching Zayn to the Intercontinental Title at Wrestlemania. Compare that to the three failures he has in the team, with Otis being the biggest disappointment on the planet. Zayn wants to know how long the team is going to put up with Gable, but Gable cuts him off. Gable promises to win the title on Saturday but Zayn says they’re both ready, so let’s have their match right now.

Chad Gable vs. Sami Zayn

Non-title and they go with the grappling to start. Gable bails out to the floor and we take an early break. Back with Gable hitting a suplex but missing a Swan Dive. The Blue Thunder Bomb doesn’t work for Zayn as Gable suplexes him down again. Dupri is given a chance to get in a cheap shot but can’t bring herself to do it.

Instead Gable hits a shoulder and uses a Dupri distraction to stomp away. Tozawa can’t bring himself to interfere either so Gable labels them as failures and ejects them. The distraction lets Zayn hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for two and we take a break (with another QR code on the way to the commercial).

Back with Gable rolling some German suplexes until Zayn reverses into a Michinoku Driver for two. The Helluva Kick is reversed into the ankle lock with Zayn making the rope and being sent outside for his efforts. Otis won’t interfere either so Gable slaps him in the face and grabs the title. That’s enough for Zayn to exploder Gable into the corner but NOW Otis will interfere. The cheap shot lets Gable grab rolling Chaos Theory for the pin at 16:05.

Rating: B. They had good action and the story at the end tied things together as one of the better feuds in WWE today gets to continue. We’ve been getting solid stuff from these two (and Reed) for weeks now and I’m wanting to see how the title match goes. Otis being all conflicted should extend things out until he and Gable finally have their big blowup. Nice work here all around.

Commentary talks about the QR codes.

Video on Iyo Sky, who is underwater for some reason. She promises to be Queen Of The Ring.

We run down the rest of the card.

The Alpha Academy’s interview is cut off as someone has attacked Cruz del Toro.

Bron Breakker vs. Kale Dixon

Breakker compares about not being in the tournament before hitting the spear and throwing Dixon outside. Another spear hits on the floor and the referee calls it at 1:57.

Post match Breakker hits another spear and then puts the steps on Dixon’s head. A chair to the steps crushes Dixon. There’s a joke in there about crushing kale for a salad that I’ll leave you to make for yourselves.

Post break Dixon is put in an ambulance. Adam Pearce yells at Breakker for what happened but Breakker blames him for not putting him in the King Of The Ring.

We look at last week’s Queen Of The Ring matches.

Becky Lynch gives Lyra Valkyria a pep talk.

Queen Of The Ring Semifinals: Iyo Sky vs. Lyra Valkyria

Valkyria takes her down by the arm to start and gets a quick two off la majistral. A quick crossbody gives Valkyria two more and we take a break. Back with Sky ducking an elbow and grabbing a double underhook backbreaker for two of her own. The cross arm choke doesn’t last long for Sky as she grabs some one counts instead.

Valkyria snaps off a release German suplex and kicks her in the head, setting up a rocking horse. That’s reversed into a crossface but Valkyria is out just as fast. Valkyria’s tornado DDT is blocked and Sky sends her outside, setting up an Asai moonsault to drop Valkyria as we take another break.

Back again with Valkyria hitting the tornado DDT, followed by a quick suplex for two. Sky puts her back down but Over The Moonsault is broken up. The break up is broken up as well though and Valkyria gets powerbombed. Over The Moonsault misses but Sky counters the Nightwing into a rollup….which is reversed into another rollup to give Valkyria the pin at 19:17.

Rating: B+. This was rather awesome as Valkyria gets another win to further establish herself on the main roster. That’s how you get someone over, and it wouldn’t stun me to see her win the whole tournament. Then again there is always the chance that she gets crushed by Nia Jax, along with various hopes and dreams.

Post match Valkyria is happy with her win.

R-Truth is teaching the New Catch Republic how to do the Hokey Pokey, but Miz is worried about facing Judgment Day tonight. It’s cool though, because Andre The Giant told R-Truth that they’ll be fine. Miz asks Andre to be there in spirit. R-Truth: “And they say I’m the crazy one.” He means Braun Strowman right?

Ilja Dragunov is frustrated after last week’s loss. Ricochet comes in and seems to want a rematch but Bron Breakker comes in to spear Ricochet in half.

Post break Ricochet is checked out by medics.

We look at Gunther and Jey Uso advancing to the King Of The Ring semifinals.

Earlier today, Gunther was in an empty arena and talked about how Jey Uso has gone from someone Gunther mocked to the hottest thing on Raw. Tonight, the seats will be filled with fans cheering for Uso and pouring out hope and illusion. The bad news is Gunther is in the business of taking hope away and bringing them back to reality. Then he’ll win the King Of The Ring.

Damian Priest gives Finn Balor and JD McDonagh a pep talk before turning to Carlito. Word is that Cruz del Toro will be out for a while after that attack, which is why Carlito is laying low here. Priest missed the sign that says this is the APA, so Carlito can’t hang here forever. The rest of the team leaves and Carlito asks if Priest saw the New York Knicks lose. Priest: “What’s wrong with you?”

Baron Corbin presented a title to a professional bowler for winning a tournament.

Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler are getting ready when Sonya Deville returns and has something to talk to them about.

Tag Team Titles: Awesome Truth vs. Judgment Day

Awesome Truth is defending and Dominik Mysterio is here with the challengers. Balor and Miz fight over a wristlock to start and it’s off to Truth for the dancing legdrop. McDonagh comes in and takes over on Miz, meaning Judgment Day gets to pose and we take a break. Back with Miz kicking McDonagh in the head, with McAfee worrying about Miz’s foot. The tag brings in Truth to take over on Balor, including the John Cena finishing sequence.

The STF goes on but McDonagh makes the save. Everything breaks down and the champs hit stereo Five Knuckle Shuffles. Cue Carlito for a distraction but R-Truth hits Little Jimmy on McDonagh. Carlito puts the foot on the rope so here is Braun Strowman to wreck various people. R-Truth grabs an AA for the pin on McDonagh at 9:25.

Rating: C+. While I don’t think Awesome Truth last long as champions, they’re working well enough at the moment. One day they’ll run into a big team who will take the titles but I’ll take them doing this kind of thing for the time being. If nothing else, Strowman as the American Andre fits him well enough, as he’s that kind of a monster when he needs to be.

Becky Lynch congratulates Lyra Valkyria on her win. Liv Morgan comes in to do the same, but doesn’t seem as sincere. Morgan throws in a slap for a bonus.

Bronson Reed tells Sami Zayn he’s going to use his body to win the Intercontinental title. Reed leaves and Otis comes in, with Zayn yelling at him for costing him the match. Otis apologizes, with Zayn saying he knows Otis is a good guy. Zayn has been where Otis is before, and as soon as Otis starts listening to the fans, things will get a lot better. The fans chant for Otis.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. Lynch talks about her history with Liv Morgan, who has never beaten her. Morgan is a different person now though and she thinks this is what will help her become champion. Cue Morgan to interrupt and ask how she could be the bad guy in all of this. She doesn’t care about anyone or anything but completing the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour.

Lynch laughs about Morgan finally finding a purpose, but Lynch says she has known her own purpose since she was 15 years old. She has accomplished all kinds of things, though her purpose is still the same: to leave this place better than she found it. What is next for Morgan after she gets her revenge? Morgan laughs that off and says Lynch has only ever cared about herself. After mocking the WHAT chants, Morgan mocks the fans, with Lynch talking about how she’ll do anything for all of them.

The challenge is on for right now and Morgan teases going to the ring but stops to mock Lynch for looking stupid. She’ll wait for the title match and tells Lynch to cry about it. Morgan is a lot of things, and one of those is really bad on the microphone. There isn’t much of a way around it: she’s just not good at talking.

Damian Priest isn’t pleased with the Judgment Day’s loss and walks off. Finn Balor agrees with him.

Xavier Woods is cleared to return to action. Kofi Kingston leaves to talk to Adam Pearce when Karrion Kross and Scarlett come in. Kross suggests Woods can still turn things around.

Katana Chance/Kayden Carter vs. Shayna Baszler/Zoey Stark vs. Maxxine Dupri/Ivy Nile vs. Damage CTRL

For a future Women’s Title shot. Nile and Sane start things off and everything breaks down seconds later. Carter and Chance clear the ring and hit a Keg Stand to the pile on the floor. We take a break and come back with Dupri getting to clean house until Carter gives her a Downward Spiral.

The After Party connects Carter isn’t legal so the delayed cover is broken up. A Tower Of Doom puts Baszler down and Chance gives Stark a super hurricanrana onto her. Dupri does her reverse Worm but gets taken down by Sane. The Insane Elbow connects on Dupri but Baszler and Stark cut Sane off. Stark tosses Dupri into Stark’s knee for the pin at 9:13.

Rating: C. There was so much going on here and while Sonya Deville possibly being the brains behind the new team, it’s hard to get behind the idea of Baszler as part of another tag team. She felt like she was going to be the next big villain and then just got stuck in this never ending string of teams. As for the rest of them, Damage CTRL was their usual acceptable selves and the other two teams are athletic but little more.

Ludwig Kaiser isn’t worried about Gunther looking ahead to the finals and mocks Sheamus again. Sheamus can come back so Kaiser can put him down. Kaiser leaves and Drew McIntyre comes in to say he’s here because the people want him. He’s coming for Damian Priest and the title.

Chad Gable is talking to the Creed Brothers when Otis comes in. Gable tells them to remember what they talked* about before Otis tells him he apologized to Sami Zayn. That works for Gable, who thinks Otis is softening him up for Saturday. Gable has all of Otis’ documents ready for the trip and he’ll see him on the plane. Otis doesn’t seem convinced.

King And Queen Of The Ring rundown.

Jey Uso is ready to go because there is no tomorrow (unless he wins that is). We get the tracking shot of him walking from the back to the arena as he starts the YEETing early.

King Of The Ring Semifinals: Gunther vs. Jey Uso

They fight over a lockup to start until Uso starts slugging away. Gunther gets knocked outside and taken down again but manages to send a charging Uso into the post back inside. They head back outside with Uso being sent into the timekeeper’s area as we take an early break.

Back with Gunther working on the (right) arm and shrugging off Uso’s comeback attempt. The arm is bent backwards but Uso catches him on top. Another armbar is countered into a super Samoan drop for the double knockdown. Uso hits a step up enziguri and a superkick gets two. Gunther goes back to the arm by grabbing a Fujiwara armbar but Uso slips out again.

Some suplexes have Uso down again and the top rope splash into the clothesline gets two. Gunther chops him down so Jey gets in a slap, which just annoys Gunther into more chopping. The referee gets knocked down by mistake so the spear into the Superfly Splash gets a delayed two. Gunther has had it and pulls Uso into a choke with the arm trapped and Uso is out at 17:37.

Rating: B+. This was just a step away from being a 17 minute squash as Uso was getting wrecked throughout. That’s exactly how this match should have been, as Gunther is a monster who can pick you apart, especially with an injury like Uso had here. Other than that, Uso got in a few hope spots but this was about Gunther, which worked as well as usual.

The show is off the air about five seconds after the match is over so they barely got it done.

Overall Rating: B. They were all over the place this week, with some rather good matches to go with some that were as mediocre as you could get. The talking in between the matches was about the same, with Gunther and Zayn’s promos being rather strong and the Lynch/Morgan stuff being dreadful. There was more good than bad, but the bad was definitely there and it showed…uh, badly.

Results
Chad Gable b. Sami Zayn – Rolling Chaos Theory
Bron Breakker b. Kale Dixon via referee stoppage
Lyra Valkyria b. Iyo Sky – Rollup
Awesome Truth b. Judgment Day – Attitude Adjustment to McDonagh
Shayna Baszler/Zoey Stark b. Katana Chance/Kayden Carter, Damage CTRL and Maxxine Dupri/Ivy Nile – Knee to Dupri’s face
Gunther b. Jey Uso – Arm trap choke

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.