In case you missed the show, the following is the WWE Monday Night Raw results, highlights and headlines from the show on May 16th.
WWE RAW Results, highlights and headlines from last week’s show
WWE RAW Results 5/16
Bobby Lashley def. Omos w/ Cedric Alexander and MVP in a steel cage match.
Veer Mahan def. Mustafa Ali w/ Special Guest Ref Miz and Theory.
Becky Lynch Promo: She tries to become number one contender, but has to beat Asuka first/
Riddle def. Jimmy Uso w/ Jey Uso.
Judgment Day Promo: Edge Tempts AJ to the dark side, says he of all people should understand.
AJ Styles & Finn Balor recruit Liv Morgan against Judgment Day.
AJ Styles & Finn Balor w/Liv Morgan def. Los Lotharios.
The Ezekiel DNA sample was contaminated by Otis’ BBQ sauce, so Chad Gable will expose him next week much to the fury of Kevin Owens.
Alexa Bliss def. Sonya Deville, Deville slaps ref afterwards.
Cody Rhodes Promo: He challenged Seth Rollins to Hell in a Cell.
Ezekiel def. Chad Gable w/ Otis & Kevin Owens
R-Truth serves Tozawa his divorce papers.
Lacey Evans Promo: She thanks the troops, and declares no one in the back measures up to her.
Asuka def. Becky Lynch.
WWE RAW Highlights From 5/16
Veer and Ali’s Storylines Make Sense, Finally
I am so happy when WWE seems to do any level of consistent booking, and they seemed to give their viewers credit for viewing this week. It wasn’t rocket science stuff, but it made sense. Theory hasn’t been brave enough to face Mustafa Ali yet, so he weaseled his way out of it tonight again. He used Miz to rig the match last week, so he did it again because it worked. He wanted to punish Ali, so he used Veer, who finally felt like a threat because of it.
And finally, who came out to save Ali but, of course, the Mysterios. Now, we have an interesting 3-on-3 set up to draw from leading up to Hell in a Cell, and we actually have given purpose to Veer. I’m still wondering how they satisfy Ali’s story, and it was a bummer to see Ciampa’s involvement go unexplained still, but I enjoyed this logical booking and felt very satisfied with this match because of it. I can’t wait for Ali to finally get the revenge that surely has to be at the end of this feud.
Kevin Owens Shines On Commentary
They let KO join the commentary team for Ezekiel’s match with Chad Gable tonight, and it was another great addition to this hilarious story. First, earlier in the night, we found out that the DNA test for Ezekiel was contaminated by BBQ sauce, giving KO a great chance to unload on Otis and his love for ribs. But the real highlight was how great Owens was on commentary. Highlights were claiming the ring announcer, the graphics team, and even Elias’ parents were all liars in this great conspiracy to cover up Ezekiel. He also couldn’t stop pointing out all the moves that were identical between the two brothers, but it would be impossible to do any of his commentary justice here, so go listen to it if you can.
Asuka and Becky Lynch Feel Like a Huge Deal
This may seem obvious, but it’s not always WWE or AEW’s policy to push their women as main event-level talent. This has changed recently on WWE RAW, and I love it. Becky Lynch, Asuka and Bianca Belair all feel like some of the biggest stars on the whole show, and ending the show with them makes so much sense.
We don’t have a Men’s World Championship on RAW currently, so while the Cody storylines or the tag titles can be main event stories depending on the week, putting the Women’s scene in this premium spot just shows how much trust WWE has in this scene currently. The match tonight was good while leaving the door open for what will be a soon-to-be feud between Asuka and Lynch, and the promo by Lacey Evans was also given a great shine tonight as well. WWE hasn’t been very kind to its women historically, but the current landscape has me hopeful for a change.
WWE RAW Lowlights From 5/16
Steel Cage Filler
The Bobby Lashley/Omos feud has really been more about MVP vs. Lashley, and tonight showed what can feel lacking in this hoss fight feud. WWE seems reluctant to beat either man clean in fear of making Lashley feel more mortal or stealing Omos’ thunder. But what happens instead is neither man gets a real victory, at least in this case.
This steel cage match was pretty pedestrian for most of it but had a few fun spots like Cedric Alexander getting thrown into the ring and Lashley getting thrown through the cage. However, both of these moments show the bargain WWE is making. Omos needs Alexander’s help, but he doesn’t win, and Lashley wins the match but only because Omos was dumb enough to throw him to the outside. So, Omos is a big idiot who needs help, and Lashley only got lucky to win. Not a terrible match, but the booking left so much to be desired for both men.
WWE Headlines
Hell in a Cell is set to happen on 6/5 for WWE’s next Premium Live Event and looks to be highlighted by Rhodes vs. Rollins 3 in the Cell.
Rumors are intensifying that MJF has legit issues with AEW management and may follow Cody Rhodes to WWE.
The Usos and RK-Bro will highlight Smackdown this week with the much-anticipated Tag Team Title Unification match.
