WWE.com
A new episode of Monday Night RAW just finished up on the USA Network. Here’s what happened:
10:57 – Banks stands victorious as her music plays. Sasha looks up and points at the briefcases above the ring as the crowd cheers in excitement.
10:55 – Banks wins the Gauntlet Match. She joins Alexa Bliss, Natalya, Charlotte Flair, Naomi, Ember Moon, Becky Lynch and Lana as the seventh woman to qualify for the Ladder Match at Money in the Bank 2018.
10:53 – Sasha Banks is the final challenger to enter the ring. Riott gets the upper hand, taking Banks down by the arm and attempting to pin her. Banks manages to fight back, and she drowns down under Riott to take her out with a powerbomb. Banks eliminates Riott with an additional Banks Statement.
10:50 – Mickie James comes out next, and she pulls Riott out of the ring to work her over. James brings it to a two count and drops Riott before attempting to get to the briefcase. Riott recovers and manages to pin James down for an unexpected elimination. The crowd boos over what they feel is a cheap pin.
10:44 – We come back to see Riott has Bayley on the mat. Bayley is subsequently pinned and eliminated. Dana Brooke comes out next, and gets the jump on Riott with a clothesline and a two count. Riott manages to recover, though, and hits Brooke with a Riott Kick, eliminating her.
10:40 – Sarah Logan is the next challenger to enter. After a tense display that sees both wrestlers narrowly avoid a two count, Bayley counters a pin attempt and reverses it on Logan. Morgan re-enters the ring, however, and she and Logan double team Bayley. Ruby Riott enters the ring before we cut to commercial.
10:35 – Bayley is the first to come out for tonight’s main event. She tells interviewer Charly Caruso that she’s not backing down from any fight and issues a warning to the rest of the competitors. Liv Morgan is the next to enter the ring, and Bayley quickly springs into action, nailing a Bayley-to-Belly suplex that eliminates Morgan.
Gauntlet Match: Bayley v Sarah Logan v Liv Morgan v Ruby Riott v Dana Brooke v Mickie James v Sasha Banks
10:32 – The B-Team enter Kurt Angle’s office and want a title shot after what happened at the BBQ. Angle concedes and makes a tag team Battle Royal for next week’s episode of RAW. The winners will face Wyatt and Hardy for the Tag Team Title at Money in the Bank.
10:30 – We come back from commercial break to see a cookout going on in the ring. The B-Team are serving food to several wrestlers, including The Revival, Titus Worldwide, The Ascension, Heath Slater, Rhyno and Breezango. Tensions rise amongst the teams, however, and Titus dumps baked beans over Bo’s head. The cookout then breaks out into a food fight. The B-Team double team Rhyno, who’s eating their bologna sandwiches, and put him through a table before exiting the ring.
10:23 – McIntyre wins. Gable attempts to thwart him with a spin kick, but McIntyre catches him mid-air and slings him into the ring post as Ziggler watches. McIntyre then puts Gable down for good with a Claymore kick and a pin. McIntyre and Ziggler pose together and exit the ring as the former’s music plays.
10:17 – Drew McIntyre waits in the ring with Dolph Ziggler. Chad Gable enters after him and they begin the match.
Drew McIntyre v Chad Gable
10:15 – Another handcam promo, this time by Mickie James, for the upcoming Gauntlet Match.
10:00 – Sami Zayn comes out to deliver an apology for last week’s derided segment with the “sisters” of Bobby Lashley. He apologies to the real Lashley family and recounts some of the criticisms he’s received on social media. Zayn does state, however, that everything he said in the segment was “true”, and goes on to say that he’s the one who should be receiving apologies from the fans because he deserves better.
Lashley comes out in the middle of Zayn’s apology and snatches the microphone from his hands. Lashley salutes the crowd and gives thanks to the families with veterans before turning his attention back to Zayn. He then challenges Zayn to a match at Money in the Bank. The two shake hands, and Lashley tightens his grip so that Zayn is brought to his knees in pain. Lashley then says that he’ll have an apology to give after everything he’s going to do to Zayn at Money in the Bank.
9:53 – Owens wins. He defeats Roode with a prawn hold. His music starts to play, but it gets cut off by Strowman, who starts chasing Owen around the ring. He floors Owens with a big shoulder. Roode gets back into the ring to cheer Strowman on, but The Monster grabs Roode by the throat and subjects him to a running powerslam. Strowman’s music starts to play as he stands triumphant.
9:38 – Bobby Roode enters the ring. Kevin Owens follows up but is clearly looking over his shoulder for Braun Strowman. Owens dominates much of the fight, taking out Roode’s knee before launching him into the barrier as the referee counts.
Bobby Roode v Kevin Owens
9:35 – A selfie video from The Riott Squad airs to build up excitement for the main event.
9:32 – Kurt Angle is seen talking to The B-Team backstage. The B-Team mock Wyatt and Hardy’s win and tell Angle that they want a shot at the title. Angel says two wins in a row isn’t enough to qualify them for a shot. The B-Team then come up with an idea for a Memorial Day BBQ and hurry off.
9:30 – Wyatt and Hardy win. They hit their signature pose as their music plays them out.
9:25 – The Ascension enter the ring, where Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy await them. The duo keep control of the match with quick tags, putting Ascension members Viktor and Konnor on the defense; particularly Konnor, who succumbs to a two-count before breaking Wyatt’s pin.
Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy v The Ascension
9:21 – Dana Brooke airs a selfie video backstage to promote the Gauntlet match.
9:20 – Rousey enters the ring. Her and Jax carefully circle each other. Jax asks if the look Rousey is giving her is supposed to be intimidating, and laughs at her. Jax then drops the mic and leaves the ring. Rousey stares her down, before also exiting the ring.
9:15 – Jax takes the microphone in the ring and says she’s glad Rousey is in attendance, so that she can see exactly what’s going to happen to her at Money in the Bank. Jax brings out an enhancement talent named Michelle Webb and proceeds to punish her in front of Rousey. Jax claims that her leg drop can crush a woman’s chest, before calling upon Rousey to come help Webb out.
9:00 – RAW Women’s Champion Nia Jax walks towards the ring but her entrance music gets interrupted by Ronda Rousey. Rousey greets the announcers and joins them in commentary.
8:57 – Another video in honor of Memorial Day.
8:55 – Mahal wins by disqualification. The match takes yet another unexpected turn, however, when Elias comes back out and smacks Rollins across the face with his guitar. He stands over a dazed Rollins as we cut to commercial.
8:50 – Signs interferes with the match and winds up getting disqualified. This leads to Mahal bringing out a steel chair, though it is ultimately Rollins who uses it to pummel his opponent across the back, and he gets disqualified because of it. An angered Rollins chases Mahal up the ramp to get in more chair hits before returning to the ring.
8:45 – Jinder Mahal comes out as Sunil Singh does his introduction. The bell rings and Rollins viciously attacks Mahal. We cut to another commercial break as they take it to the floor.
WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Jinder Mahal v Seth Rollins
8:40 – Elias is still trying to play his song in the ring, when he gets interrupted by Seth Rollins making his entrance. Rollins squares up with Elias, tossing his stool out of the ring, and the latter quietly exits the stage.
8:38 – Elias starts playing a song in the ring. He strums a few notes on his guitar before asking that the lights be turned down because the crowd in Virginia is “particularly disgusting.” He starts and stops again to request that the vocals be brought up, citing the crowd as being too loud. He continues his routine until the commercial break.
8:35 – Sasha Banks airs a handcam promo to talk about how she’s going to win the Gauntlet match tonight. She says she’s got guts and skill, but she doesn’t need any luck because she’s the Boss.
8:30 – Backstage, Owens is shown trying to leave the arena. Kurt Angle approaches him and asks where he’s going, and Owens says he’s headed to a Memorial Day parade. Angle points out that Owens shouldn’t care since he’s Canadian, and that he should start preparing to face Bobby Roode later tonight.
8:25 – Strowman wins by disqualification. Kevin Owens watches the match at ringside, cheering on Balor and telling him to give it his best shot. Strowman dominated most of the match, but Owens interferes and attacks Strowman, causing Balor to lose via disqualification. Owens brings out a ladder and leveled Balor, but Strowman manages to grab it and throw it back towards Owens. Owens runs up the ramp and out of sight.
Braun Strowman v Finn Balor
8:10 – Strowman pushes Balor out of the right, and they look as though they’re about throw down before Kurt Angle enters. He says that Strowman and Balor are showing one of his favorite things, intensity, and says he enjoyed their previous match so much he’s decided to book it again tonight! Angle calls in a referee and off we go into a commercial break.
8:07 – Finn Balor enters the ring. He thinks Strowman is getting a bit too cocky, and reminds the crowd that not only is he the very first Universal Champion, but he’s never lost that title. He announces that he’s going to climb the ladder at Money in the Bank and take back what’s rightfully his. Strowman pokes fun at Balor, saying he put up a really good fight “for a little guy.” Balor is all smiles until he reaches back and slaps Strowman across the face.
8:03 – Braun Strowman makes his entrance in typically bombastic fashion. He greets the crowd by saying whenever he sees the Money in the Bank briefcase, he gets motivated because he knows there’s a contract in it that guarantees him a shot at the Universal Championship. He promises the crowd that he’s going to destroy the seven other men (Bobby Roode, Finn Balor, Rusev, Kevin Owens, The Miz, a member of The New Day) who are competing in the upcoming ladder match, and that he’ll be known as “Mr. Monster in the Bank” from then on. He riles the crowd up by saying he’s going to cash in and give Brock Lesnar “these hands!”
8:00 – The show opens with a Memorial Day video that features veterans talking about comrades they’ve lost and the circumstances in which they lost them.