WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for May 8

The Miz (w/ Maryse) vs. Finn Balor

Result: Finn Balor defeated The Miz via pinfall

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

There was quite a bit on chain wrestling at the beginning of this contest. I wonder if that has to do with being in London. The British wrestling scene is, like America’s, widely varied, but there’s a large segment that is based on technical wrestling. With this being the opening bout, it’s a good way to get the crowd interested in the show – give ’em what they want.

Having Balor in the match helps, too. He’s hugely popular in the UK, and giving the first portion of the match as a showcase for him is smart. But the best way to get the crowd involved is to give Balor the edge, have The Miz underhandedly take control, and give Balor the comeback spot.

And that’s what happened right before the commercial break. Finn was on a roll and had Miz in position for the Coup De Grace, only for Maryse to pull her husband out to the floor. Back from break, it was all Miz – slowing the pace down, bending the rules to the point of breaking, and so on.

After Finn made his comeback spot, the booking went downhill and ruined the match. The ref bump spot was poorly executed, and the abuse of power from everyone involved (Miz, the referee, and Ambrose) was just a waste. Having Maryse banned from ringside was pointless if the match was going to last, what, another 30 seconds?

Having Balor just be a pawn in the Miz/Ambrose war is a waste of his talent. And is the Bray Wyatt involvement in last week’s main event being forgotten? Just a mess of the first few segments tonight.

Did We Just Become Best Friends?

If we break down the Women’s Division on Raw, there’s no doubt that Alexa Bliss is in a league of her own. She absolutely is a total package, and a complete superstar – it’s almost unfair.

The way she handled Nia here is beautiful. But credit where it’s due, Nia (the character) reacted perfectly. You have the largest competitor in the division, who wants the championship, which is held by the smallest competitor in the division. If I was Nia, I’d be friends with Alexa too – keep the title on her to (theoretically) make it easier to take later on.