WWE Raw Results and Grades: Randy Orton lays down a tougher challenge

WWE Raw took place on May 11, 2020, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT live on the USA network with no audience in attendance. The following will provide some results, highlights, and grades for the longest weekly running episodic television show in history.

On this week’s episode of WWE Raw, there were no officially scheduled matches before the show. However, Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch, who racked up the most total days as Raw Women’s Champion in history, was scheduled to appear on this episode to confront the Women’s MITB Winner, Asuka. Meanwhile, Edge was on the hunt for Randy Orton once again.

Since this was the first WWE Raw after WWE MITB 2020, there were lots of speculation as to what was next for the MITB Winners as well as the champions on Raw en route to the next PPV, WWE Backlash 2020. Here are results and grades for each of the major segments and matches from Monday Night Raw, with Becky Lynch and Asuka standing as the biggest stars of the show.

Becky Lynch Announcement

At last night’s WWE MITB 2020 PPV, Asuka won the MITB Briefcase. Tonight on Raw, Becky Lynch revealed that the MITB Briefcase Asuka won did not have a contract to guarantee a championship opportunity but rather the actual WWE Raw Women’s Championship. In other words, Becky Lynch officially relinquished the championship.

Asuka is now the new WWE Raw Women’s Champion and the second women’s Grand Slam Champion (i.e. she is joining Bayley on the list) because Becky Lynch is pregnant and can no longer be the champion due to her foreseen absence. This is a big, pivotal step for both Lynch and Asuka as they enter the next stages of their lives.

Result: Asuka is the new Raw Women’s Champion; Becky Lynch is pregnant.

Rating: 5.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: A+

Bobby Lashley vs. Humberto Carillo [No Disqualification Match]

On last week’s WWE Raw, Bobby Lashley and Humberto Carillo’s match during the gauntlet to decide who would replace Apollo Crews resulted in a disqualification. Henceforth, the WWE decided to book Lashley and Carillo in a No Disqualification Match this week so that they settle their unfinished business.

Thanks to some special attention to the steel chair, Bobby Lashley dominated and defeated Humberto Carillo with the Full Nelson Submission Hold in what was a solid opening match to the flagship show. Lashley should be due for a championship opportunity because his momentum is skyrocketing right now.

Thanks to their history together in TNA, he did tease joining MVP’s faction after replacing him in his match against R-Truth at WWE MITB 2020. Maybe joining this faction will push Lashley further up the card, where he deserves to be. Only time will tell for the Almighty Bobby Lashley.

Result: Bobby Lashley (via submission)

Rating: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: C+

Angel Garza vs. Akira Tozawa [Grudge Match]

When Akira Tozawa has a match on WWE Raw, the result is inevitable. Angel Garza decimated Akira Tozawa with a Wing Clipper, as a statement to Austin Theory at ringside. On a more important note, it seems that there was dissension amongst the members of Zelina Vega’s faction because Andrade and Garza seem to have a problem with Austin Theory being a part of their faction.

As typical booking has shown in recent memory (e.g. League of Nations), maybe Andrade and Garza are upset with Theory’s recent losses lately and now perceive him as the weak link. It will be interesting to see if this dissension has any effects on the booking of this faction in the weeks to come. After this match ended, WWE Champion Drew McIntyre came out to Claymore both Garza and Theory before challenging Andrade to a Champion vs. Champion match.

Result: Angel Garza (via pinfall)

Rating: 2.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: D+

Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade [Champion vs. Champion Match]

Drew McIntyre defeated Andrade via pinfall with the Claymore. The match was a solid back-and-forth contest but was simply a momentum boost for McIntyre before he made his huge post-match announcement as to which SmackDown superstar would go to war with him next week. That SmackDown superstar is King Corbin.

Is wild card rule back in action or did that promised trade to WWE Raw from the draft in November finally happen? Either way, let’s hope that is the only trade that happens because wild card rule is not something that needs to be revisited at this moment in time.

Result: Drew McIntyre (via pinfall); King Corbin to battle Drew McIntyre next week.

Rating: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: C+

Bliss Cross Applesauce vs. IIconics [Tag Match]

Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross hosted a Moment of Bliss to feature the returning former Women’s Tag Team Champions The IIconics. As many should remember, Bliss Cross Applesauce won their first ever Women’s Tag Team Championship by defeating the IIconics in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match on an episode of Raw in 2019.

Just like Bliss Cross Applesauce redeemed themselves by defeating the Kabuki Warriors at WrestleMania 36 in a HIAC 2019 match, it would be very redeeming for the IIconics to defeat Bliss Cross Applesauce for the Women’s Tag Team Championships as well. There were rumors of IIconics being repackaged, but their gimmick seems to be the same as before.

Nonetheless, they were more aggressive than usual in this match and nefariously defeated Bliss Cross Applesauce with underhanded tactics and cheap shots to become number one contenders for the Women’s Tag Team Championships. It’s only a matter of time before IIconics become two-time Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Result: IIconics (via pinfall)

Rating: 3.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: B-

R-Truth, Ricochet, and Cedric Alexander vs. MVP, Brendan Vink, and Shane Thorne [6-Man Tag Team Match]

Since Ricochet and Cedric Alexander have been wrestling Brendan Vink and Shane Thorne for the past two weeks and R-Truth was supposed to wrestle MVP at WWE MITB 2020, the WWE scheduled a 6-man tag team match. Is Teddy Long booking Raw now? Maybe.

Evidently, R-Truth, Ricochet, and Cedric Alexander obtained the victory here. MVP has not won a match since returning to in-ring competition, so a different result was not expected. After the match, Bobby Lashley ran out to spear R-Truth and join MVP.

Thanks to their TNA history, it is understandable that he would want to team with MVP. However, it is quite peculiar that the dominant Lashley would join a losing tag team. Hopefully, he is only being managed by MVP and not forming a faction with Vink and Thorne.

Result: R-Truth, Ricochet, and Cedric Alexander (via pinfall)

Rating: 2.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: C-

Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy [Tag Match]

Another tag team match. Teddy Long definitely booked Raw. Seth Rollins’ despondency was a key feature during this tag team match. He never tagged into the match and he simply allowed Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio to pummel Murphy.

Eventually, Mysterio elbowed Rollins to wake him up from his trance, and Rollins retaliated by dragging Mysterio’s eye on the edge of the steel steps. Rollins’ despondency was an interesting response to his WWE Championship loss to Drew McIntyre.

Instead of being angry, he decided to take a different approach to his emotional reactions. The spot with Rey Mysterio was quite brutal. Hopefully, Mysterio recovers, but what Rollins did was disgustingly reprehensible and elicited the heel heat he was looking for.

Result: Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio (via DQ)

Rating: 3.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: B-

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1260034846782414854

Street Profits vs. Viking Raiders [NBA Finals]

Last week on WWE Raw, the Viking Raiders defeated Street Profits in a non-title match to earn a tag team championship opportunity. Now, the Street Profits played a game of basketball with the Viking Raiders. The Viking Raiders had more fouls than points, and Street Profits took advantage of the Raiders’ inexperience in basketball to come out with the victory.

After playing possum, the Viking Raiders declaimed that they let Street Profits win and proved that they actually know how to play basketball. The point of this whole segment was to prove that Viking Raiders can do everything better than the Street Profits. What sport is next? Hockey?

Eventually, the Street Profits and the Viking Raiders will go to war for the Raw Tag Team Championships. The basketball game is not exactly a good storyline decision for a championship feud since it could persuade the fans to perceive the Raw Tag Team Division as a joke. However, basketball is dearly missed on the TV screen, so no complaints are necessary here.

Result: Street Profits (via Mercy Rule)

Rating: 5.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: A+

Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya [Grudge Match]

After losing the MITB Ladder Match, Shayna Baszler defeated Natalya for the first time on Raw with a knee strike. This was a spit in the face after Baszler roasted Natalya for never having kids. Natalya was livid after losing to Baszler, and a rematch may happen next week.

With Asuka as WWE Raw Women’s Champion, it is likely that Baszler will build her momentum with weekly victories until she finally gets her championship opportunity against the superstar whom she already decimated in the Elimination Chamber Match this year.

Result: Shayna Baszler (via pinfall)

Rating: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Grade: C+

Rated RKO Hunt on a Collision Course

Edge wanted to move on from his feud with Randy Orton. Orton agrees that Edge was the better brawler at WrestleMania 36 but not the better wrestler. Orton teased that it did not take him nine years to return from the beating he received at WrestleMania.

He believed that Edge is too rusty and scared to do a traditional wrestling match. Orton believed that grit and passion won’t be enough for Edge to prevail once more. Orton challenged Edge to a traditional wrestling match at WWE Backlash 2020. Edge did not respond to the challenge.

This rivalry should not be continuing. A Rated RKO Reunion would have been cooler, but it is what it is. The WWE Universe will have to wait and see if Edge accepts the challenge. The result will either be Orton winning thanks to 50:50 booking or Edge winning to end the feud.

Hopefully, it’s the latter so that this rivalry is over. Quite frankly, Orton will probably win and their rivalry will be extended to WWE SummerSlam 2020, where they will end their rivalry once and for all in a perfect trilogy.

Result: Randy Orton challenged Edge for WWE Backlash 2020

Rating: 3.5/5.0 Stars

Grade: B-