WWE Raw – May 11, 2020 (Review)

Raw was set to feel the fallout of one of the most unique Money in the Bank pay-per-views of all time. Although I realise that’s a shallow pool – I could’ve just said “of the last ten years”.

Here’s the thing though. For all of the potential for insanity that Money in the Bank held, it was all just very… boring. Sterile, almost. And it pains me to say that, because no-one was more excited for the double-billing of ladder matches than me.

The WWE Universe had plenty to say after the most unique #MITB Ladder Matches in history! https://t.co/TimX7LuYcT

— WWE (@WWE) May 11, 2020

The possibility of seeing bodies fly through windows or drywall, the potential for funny skits involving WWE’s wacky cast of characters, maybe some self-referential humour. Instead we got… some guy who kinda looks like Doink, if you rinsed your eyes in wood chips and squinted?

It was all just so tame. Dana Brooke slipped on the floor and knocked herself out. Which was somehow only her second most embarrassing moment of the night, after claiming the wrong briefcase and thinking she’d won. Stephanie McMahon materialised to have a chat with Carmella, when it was painfully obvious that her lines had been pre-recorded and the women weren’t even in the same room together.

And that’s not even addressing the more nonsensical aspects. Like why was there so much catering when the office was in semi-lockdown? Why was everyone so surprised to see twelve people brawling through the building when the match was clearly scheduled to take place? Why does nobody care that Baron Corbin tossed two men off the roof?

.@EdgeRatedR is BACK… and he’s on the hunt for #TheViper @RandyOrton TONIGHT on #WWERaw! https://t.co/pwKqwYiUav

— WWE (@WWE) May 11, 2020

But all of that can be erased if the Money in the Bank victors carry out successful (and memorable) cash-ins. Will anyone care that Otis somehow won a ladder match without even climbing a single ladder if he becomes Universal Champion? Likewise, Asuka has been many people’s beacon of hope during this tough phase. If she parlays her briefcase into a Raw Women’s Title reign, the 15 minutes she spent riding an elevator on Sunday will disappear from memory.

So, as you can probably tell, Raw had a lot on its plate to reset a historically dull MITB. And to that end, the show’s preview featured the returns of Edge and Randy Orton. Also, more intriguingly, a “major announcement” from Becky Lynch. Let’s get to the review!

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The Best of Raw

One More for the Family

The night opened with Becky Lynch, who made her way to the ring brandishing the Money in the Bank briefcase which Asuka had won 24 hours earlier. From the outset, it was clear that whatever this “major announcement” was, it was an emotional one.

Through tears and a clenched jaw, Lynch recounted her time in WWE. She was unsure whether a loudmouthed, tea drinking, pun loving Irishwoman could make it in the company. But through thick and thin, the fans had always been there to support her.

"You go and be a warrior, 'cause I'm gonna go be a mother."

Congratulations, @BeckyLynchWWE!!!!

What a moment on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/yWnHB3Dc4o

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

‘The Man’ announced that she was conflicted about what she had to do next and that Money in the Bank had – unbeknownst to all of us – been about more than a title opportunity. Because Becky had to go away for a little while.

At that point, Asuka came down. She wanted to know why Lynch had her briefcase. Becky opened it to reveal the Raw Women’s Championship, informing Asuka that she had in fact won the belt on Sunday. After Asuka was done celebrating the victory, Lynch dropped the bombshell.

Asuka was going to be the champion… because Becky was going off to be a mother.

This was unquestionably one of the best moments in recent memory. Not just of Raw, but of life generally. We’ll all miss Becky tremendously, of course. And it was excruciating to watch Lynch step away from a business she clearly loves so dearly. But she’s getting to start a family and there’s nothing more challenging, fulfilling and rewarding than that.

"I'm gonna miss you guys."

We'll miss you, too, @BeckyLynchWWE … but we couldn't be happier for you! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/iZteMLNXlN

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 12, 2020

We wish Lynch and fiancé, Seth Rollins, a wholehearted congratulations. We can’t wait to see a gaggle of little redheaded messiahs running around… and Becky’s eventual return, if and when she’s ready.

A Return to the Cruiserweight Classic

Angel Garza took on Akira Tozawa, with the rest of the Vegaboys surrounding the ring. I would be so happy if they changed their entrance music to We Like to Party.

But anyway, back to reality. Garza and Tozawa put on a fun, fast-paced match, which Garza won with the Wing Clipper.

Message sent from @AngelGarzaWwe to @austintheory1. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/g9jYdMHWDo

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

It was the ancillary action and what happened after the bout that was pretty cool though. Garza was openly antagonising Austin Theory throughout the contest. It was never really made clear why Theory was suddenly on the outs with this group, other than that it’s presumably a shortcut to carving him out of the foursome.

After the bell, Andrade and Garza squared up to Theory. Before things escalated though, Drew McIntyre came out. He separated both Theory and Garza from their respective noggins, before challenging Andrade to a match.

The Big Mac Gobbles Up the Competition

What followed was a real back-and-forth encounter. Of course the result was never truly in doubt. But that wasn’t the point here.

The match was designed to showcase how incredible Drew can be in the ring. The intensity, the ferocity, the violence – it’s all good. So after a cracking little bout, Drew nailed a Claymore to pick up the win.

Champion vs. champion?

Let's do it. #WWERaw @DMcIntyreWWE @AndradeCienWWE pic.twitter.com/dVrMp2itB6

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

In the post-match promo, the ‘Sexy Scotsman’ referred to a “brand-to-brand invitation”, which is apparently a thing now and it sounds chillingly similar to the Wildcard Rule of last year. He hyped up a brave SmackDown soul who had called him out. McIntyre was so engaging, so electric that I was genuinely excited to find out who this mystery opponent was.

And then he said the two most devastating words in sports entertainment. Baron Corbin. Erghh.

Natalya Hears Something She Doesn’t Like

Shayna Baszler had some unkind words to say about motherhood in light of Becky’s announcement, which really brought out the ire in locker room mom, Natalya. She was upset that Baszler would dare “insult the sanctity of motherhood“, which made me laugh.

Natalya challenged Baszler to a match. She harnessed the power of “angry woman” to remain competitive against the ‘Queen of Spades’, frequently pausing to call Baszler a “bitch”. Eventually Baszler cracked Natalya in the jaw with her knee to pick up the pin.

In the immortal words of @ShinsukeN … KNEE TO FACE.

That's the winning formula for @QoSBaszler tonight. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/mrgJLACifG

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

If anything, this match was a little too competitive. I would’ve preferred Shayna to just roll over Natalya. But it was nevertheless heartening to see Baszler pick up a win after consecutive losses. It’s clear to most that she should be at the top of the Raw card.

Edge Moves On

Edge capped off the night by suggesting that he was done with Randy Orton after “getting his pound of flesh” at WrestleMania 36. This brought out ‘The Viper’, who offered a different perspective.

He begrudgingly congratulated Edge for being the better man at ‘Mania and left. But then he slithered back.

What Randy meant to say was that while the better man may have won, the better wrestler didn’t. In Orton’s mind, the Royal Rumble and Last Man Standing aren’t traditional wrestling matches, and he doubted that Edge could beat him straight one-on-one.

#WWEBacklash could just be the site of the greatest wrestling match EVER.#WWERaw @EdgeRatedR @RandyOrton pic.twitter.com/XvP1iKKnOU

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

So he challenged Edge to a singles match at Backlash. Unable to muster a response, Edge just stood there frozen. Thankfully Charly Caruso was on hand to break the tension by making the bold prediction that this could be the best wrestling match in history. What are you talking about Charly?! Did she not watch their last match?

Make no mistake, I have no desire whatsoever to watch another Edge / Orton bout. And the progression from Last Man Standing to regular match is a tad wonky. But this segment, like all involving Edge and Orton have been, was rather great.

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The Worst of Raw

Halfhearted Continuity

I’m tired of lacklustre explanations and veiled attempts at maintaining narrative structure. The opening recap to Raw informed viewers of two things. One, Randy Orton and Edge may be on a collision course. Excuse me? May? They already battered the stuffing out of one another in a last man standing match at WrestleMania, lest we forget. Randy Orton RKO’d his wife!

And secondly, Rey Mysterio and Aleister Black are completely fine after being yeeted off the roof of Titan Tower on Sunday. The explanation? They “landed on a secondary roof“. This speaks to a longstanding issue with Raw. Nothing has any consequences. What happens one week can easily be undone the next.

When the storytelling is this fickle, why should we bother investing in anything?

The ‘All Mighty’ on the Path to Nowhere

After a forgettable five-minute No DQ match, Bobby Lashley wrung a submission out of Humberto Carrillo with a Full Nelson.

It’s hard to see where either Lashley or Carrillo go from here. Bobby has made a habit of beating fairly irrelevant talent, without seeing much upward progression. And Carrillo, by contrast, has become little more than the sad sack – albeit talented – jobber.

"Why are you fighting @humberto_wwe when fools from #SmackDown are fighting the #WWEChampion?"@The305MVP's got questions for @fightbobby. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/sUUkmpQNA8

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 12, 2020

Later in the night, MVP brought up this very concern. He asked Lashley to consider why he hadn’t received a World Title shot since 2007 (!), implying that he may be able to help the ‘All Mighty’.

The Viking Raiders Feud Devolution

After the Viking Raider defeated the Street Profits last week in a non-title contest, we were promised some progression to this rivalry.

After that, we challenge the #StreetProfits to an Ice hockey game & #VikingRaiders to a Bollywood dance. #WWERAW

— Bollywood Boyz (@BollywoodBoyz) May 12, 2020

That progression? A game of basketball. Yip, just four lads shouting some hoops on Monday nights. If this counts as progression on Raw, then it’s a stunning admission… basketball is a rank above wrestling. At this pace, they’ll be playing tic tac toe by Friday.

Later on Raw, the Viking Raiders tried to basketball but were hilariously awful – if you classify throwing the ball against the ceiling as “hilarious”. The Street Profits certainly did, because they LMFAO’d.

I’m not going to run through all the gags here (it was painful enough just watching it), but the Street Profits won 74-2. This was unforgivably awful. And then it got worse.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1260036848426106880

Immediately after getting crushed, the Viking Raiders claimed that they had let the Street Profits win. To prove the point, Ivar made some clearly edited shots. Why the ruse? Why not just win outright? This segment literally gave me a headache.

You’ve Gotta be Joking Me!

If there’s one thing I hate about SmackDown, it’s the meandering, pointless Moment of Bliss segments. Well, good news everybody! They’ve brought them to Raw!

Alexa and Nikki started prattling on about Becky’s pregnancy, apparently with no clear direction in mind. It was fortunate then that they were interrupted, to give the segment some purpose. It’s even more fortuitous (or should I say… iconic) that they were interrupted by The IIconics!

We are NOT joking you…#TheIIconics @BillieKayWWE & @PeytonRoyceWWE are BACK on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/FTHaRdJbA1

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

Billie Kay and Peyton Royce ran through their usual array of catchphrases. God, I love them so much. Bliss and Cross retorted with some lacklustre, middle school-ish insults.

The IIconics wanted a title match, Bliss and Cross refused. Kay and Royce asked for a non-title match, and Bliss and Cross acceded. Super weird. I mean, I’m guessing Alexa and Nikki are the babyfaces, but they seemed really intent on avoiding the IIconics.

Of course, the reason this was a non-title match are obvious on a meta level. Booking wanted Royce and Kay to win but not become Tag Team champions. It’s the old WWE conundrum. So after a chaotic, if inelegant, few minutes, The IIconics did just that. Apparently Billie cheated by punching Alexa in the throat, but I had no idea that was against the rules.

#TheIIconics @BillieKayWWE & @PeytonRoyceWWE cap off their #WWERaw return with a VICTORY over the WWE Women's #TagTeamChampions! pic.twitter.com/rNUmIw4wKc

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

Anyway, I’m ecstatic to see the Aussie duo back in action. But this “beat the champs to get a title shot” philosophy needs to go.

A Miraculous Survival Story

Rey Mysterio delivered what was perhaps the most unintentionally funny promo about what it’s like to be thrown off the roof… and land on another roof. Christ, it’s still so colossally stupid when you say it out loud.

He promised that he and Aleister Black would win their tag match later in the night.

Fast forward to that match and it was hard to decide what was more baffling – that Mysterio and Black were in perfect condition a day after being tossed off a building, or that Seth Rollins was suffering a psychological break.

The #MondayNightMessiah @WWERollins is in 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 spirits tonight. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/UUCjxaIeBv

— WWE (@WWE) May 12, 2020

The ‘Messiah’ staggered to the ring in a daze, looking completely dishevelled and with a blank stare in his eyes. Supposedly this was his reaction to the news that Becky was expecting, but what are we supposed to take from this? That Lynch hadn’t told him in advance and he only found out with the rest of us? That he’s such a fundamentally broken human being that the thought of fatherhood leaves him catatonic? Either way, it was a strange time to suddenly resurrect the fact that Seth and Becky were a couple, after ignoring it for several months.

So Murphy was left to battle Mysterio and Black on his own, where he was predictably battered. As Mysterio set up for a 619 however, Rollins suddenly pulled him out of the ring in an act so heinous that the referee immediately called for the bell. Yeah, I didn’t get it either.

That was a lot.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/nZt2RLSceg

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 12, 2020

A berserk Rollins then set about targeting Rey’s eye, eventually driving it into the edge of the steps while yelling “It’s not your fault, Rey“. Later, he tracked down Aleister Black backstage, seemingly to apologise, only for a brawl to break out.

Although strangely intriguing, it’s hard to label the psychosis that’s gripped Rollins as “good” yet. We’ll just have to see how it develops.

The Return of Pretty Ricky

R-Truth joined Ricochet and Cedric Alexander in taking on Brendan Vink, Shane Thorne and MVP. To celebrate the moment, R-Truth brought back his “famed” character “Pretty Ricky”, who made a brief appearance in 2009. Why does WWE punish us like this?

Hey, Pretty Ricky!#WWERaw @RonKillings pic.twitter.com/JP7jsLuTt9

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 12, 2020

So, while Ricochet and Cedric Alexander were trying to establish themselves as a serious force on Raw, all attention was instead diverted to R-Truth and his cockeyed, gap-toothed grin. His theatrics completely overshadowed what should have been a good match.

After a few minutes, Truth pinned MVP to pick up the victory. Within seconds, everyone had mysteriously vanished and Bobby Lashley came out. He speared R-Truth and seemingly aligned himself with MVP.

I know we’ve often cried out for more characters but please, never bring Pretty Ricky back.

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Overall Rating for the Show (From best to worst: RAWsome, Cor, AvRAWge, Poor and RAWful)

Good or bad, this edition of Raw was bound to be remembered for only one thing. And that is, of course, the massive – and exciting – announcement that Becky Lynch is pregnant. From that point onwards, everything else seemed like irrelevant window dressing – a feeling amplified by the half dozen or so replays of Becky’s announcement.

As far as the rest of the show is concerned though, if I had to consider it on its merits, Raw was pretty weird. It’s like we had tumbled through the looking glass and landed in a world where R-Truth wears prosthetic teeth and Seth Rollins is catatonic.

Some of the matches were good and I loved seeing The IIconics back on TV. But make no mistake, Raw was straight goofy for long stretches. For that reason, Becky Lynch’s announcement gets a RAWsome. Everything else though scores a low AvRAWge.

Share your thoughts on Raw with us on Twitter and visit Wrestletalk to always stay up-to-date on all the latest wrestling news.

• May 11 2020
• review
• RAW
• wwe

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