WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for May 15

Finn Balor vs. Roman Reigns

Result: Roman Reigns defeated Finn Balor via pinfall

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

Before the match started, Booker T said for Finn to have a chance, he’d need to take this match to be 20, 30, or 40 minutes long. I would have absolutely been okay with that.

Hey, credit where it’s due: Roman Reigns is doing a terrific job selling his Payback injuries. It’s almost like watching a different guy from when he’s totally healthy. He’s pausing between moves to flex and stretch out the bad wing, he’s using it but feeling the effects – it’s wonderful. This is a Roman I can get behind – just ticked off at the world because he feels entitled to things, fights through injury but isn’t just Superman out there.

Take the shoulder block that Finn sidestepped, sending Reigns into the post. He crashed into that post, bad shoulder first, and acknowledged it. That’s an exploitable thing for his opponents. When was the last time Roman was really vulnerable, or had an exploitable weakness? If he can continue to fight through the after effects of these injuries and not just be Kryptonian about it, he’s going to (hopefully, for him) change a lot of minds about him.

This would have been a terrific match regardless, but the extra work from Roman especially helped kick it up a notch. Balor looked like he was near death by the end of the match – he was favoring his ribs, hopefully not a legit thing – but tried fighting through it to show how tough he is. And he was bumping like crazy for Roman, too. Just a tremendous match all the way around.

Bray Wyatt Says Some Stuff

And then, the lights go out and Bray Wyatt preaches. I’ll be completely honest, I have a very hard time listening to what he says these days. It never has any consequence, because he’s more Skeletor than Darth Vader on the bad guy scale.

It’s intriguing to think of him literally stabbing Brock Lesnar with a spear, though. Like Captain Ahab and Moby-Dick, but in a wrestling ring instead of the Pequod.

Seth Rollins Replies, Dude

Woah, man, you know, dude? I mean, like, I guess, right?