WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for May 22

Tony Nese vs. Austin Aries

Result: Austin Aries defeated Tony Nese via submission

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Finally, Tony Nese gets his chance for revenge on Austin Aries, Commentator Extraordinaire!

Unfortunately for all eight of Nese’s abs, Aries was in control for the vast majority of the early part of the match. It took a slight distraction from Neville at ringside for Nese to get out in front, attacking a blindsided Aries in the bad leg.

Aries, of course, is scheduled for a Cruiserweight Championship match yet again at Extreme Rules, this time in a submission match. Was there any doubt that he’d defeat Nese via submission? The actual sequence to get there was nice, even if kind of obvious and not all that inventive. The reversal into a reversal into a reversal is always welcome, though, because it makes wrestling seem more realistic. These guys should theoretically always be fighting to get out of a hold and turn things around.

Neville attacking Nese after the match was a waste of time for me. I get the idea behind it, with Neville trying to send a message back to Aries. But I feel like Neville is more the kind of guy who would just ignore an “underling” because he’d be so far beneath the King of the Cruiserweights. Aries just basically brushed it off, too – why would he go in and rescue someone who tried to take out his knee?