WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (June 4, 2018) from Toyota Center in Houston, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for later this month in Chicago.
Advertised for tonight: Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Roode, Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens, Nia Jax vs. Natalya, a Tag Team Battle Royal to determine the next challengers for Deleters of Worlds, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR June 4
Faster than a bullet, terrifying scream, enraged and full of anger he’s half man and half machine. Rides the metal monster breathing smoke and fire, closing in with vengeance soaring high-- He is the Painkiller, but me, I’m just here to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with Elias in the ring and ready to sing us a song.
He says he carries the power of wind in his fist and plays a few bars on his guitar before launching into his usual spiel. He claims to be WWE’s most valuable asset and he’ll become even more valuable at Money in the Bank when he wins the Intercontinental Championship, because on that night the entire world will see that WWE stands for Walk With Elias.
He then talks about how he left Seth lying in a pile of dirt and pain last week, but think about how he felt, smashing one of his beloved guitars? He took that pain and turned it into the song he’s gonna sing right now. It’s about how Seth is going to lose his title much like a sports analogy that I do not understand but that gets a decent rise out of the crowd.
Enter Seth Rollins. He prowls around the ringside area as Elias waves his guitar around before electing to head under the ring for a steel chair to equalize things. We get a standoff in the ring, they circle, feigning strikes, and finally the Drifter makes his move and Seth swats the guitar out of his hands! He’s got Elias cornered... JINDER MAHAL ATTACKS FROM BEHIND!
ROMAN REIGNS MAKES THE SAVE! Right hands for everybody, including Sunil Singh! He helps Rollins up and the Shield lads stand tall.
Enter Kurt Angle. He tells Elias and Jinder they’re not going anywhere tonight, because we’re gonna have a tag team match, playa. (He did not say playa.) The match will start right now... or after the break, at least.
Elias & Jinder Mahal vs. the Shield (Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins)
Neither team can decide who wants to start at first, but finally the Shield lads clear the ring! Plancha from Rollins on Mahal as Reigns slams Elias’ face into the apron and the barricade! Seth takes Jinder inside, they’re the legal men, side headlock, drop down, dropkick takes the Modern-Day Maharaja out! Arm wringer, tag to Roman, whip to the corner, assisted charging forearm, whip into a back elbow, tag back to the Architect.
Double whip into double elbows only gets one and Mahal takes Seth into his corner for the tag. The Drifter blindsides Rollins, putting boots to him, Hot Shotting him across the top rope and following it up with a choke. Seth blocks a punch, fires his own back, gets whipped and taken out with a lariat. Standing neck crank follows, pulling an arm across into a cutthroat choke, and then into a reverse chinlock when he nearly gets away.
Rollins out, off the ropes, kick to counter the back body drop but Elias uses his injured neck to cut him off and drop a knee! Tag to Mahal, whip to the corner, boot up, Seth crawling, he passes Jinder to the floor, the way is clear... TAG TO THE BIG DOG! Lariats for Mahal, whip reversed, HUGE leaping lariat, and a big right hand sets up the corner lariats.
Off the ropes, Reigns with a boot, Jinder makes the tag and Elias takes a boot too! Calling for it, Mahal runs interference and Elias leaves the ring. Roman follows around after him, Sunil Singh pulls Jinder out of the way and the Drive-By fails! The Drifter hits a big knee and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Elias has Roman locked down with a kneeling rear chinlock. He breaks after hooking the nose, jabs in the corner daze the Big Dog and he tags Jinder in. Beating on him, reverse chinlock applied and he breaks it for a knee drop to the face and a crossface strike before tagging the Drifter back in. Elias with a knee drop, only two, he clears Rollins from the apron but walks into a big right from Reigns.
Whip reversed, big back elbow takes Roman down for another nearfall and Mahal tags in. Kick to the chest and he goes back to the reverse chinlock. Reigns out with right hands and he catches Jinder with the Samoan drop! Crawling, reaching... TAGS MADE! Lou Thesz Press into mounted punches, off the ropes, Sling Blade, clear the apron, diving blockbuster... NOPE!
Slow to capitalize as Elias drags himself up the ropes, up and over to the apron, dodging knees, Falcon Arrow... JINDER BREAKS THE PIN UP! Mahal looking for Khallas, denied with a Superman Punch, the Big Dog slides to the floor after... DRIVE-BY ON THE DRIFTER! Avada Kedavra follows it up, Rollins is fired up, he tunes the band up... but Sunil Singh runs interference.
Jinder gets the better of Roman and throws him into the steps while he’s distracted with Sunil, Elias from behind with a schoolboy, no good! Enzuigiri from Rollins and he throws a suicide dive on Mahal that torpedoes his own neck into the barricade! Singh has a steel chair but Seth recovers before he can hit him and takes the chair from him! Back in, Elias catches him... DDT ON THE CHAIR BUT REFEREE JOHN CONE DOESN’T THROW THE MATCH OUT!
Hooking the leg...
Elias & Jinder Mahal win by pinfall with Drift Away from Elias on Seth Rollins.
The heels celebrate on the ramp while Roman tends to his pal in the ring.
Commentary hypes up Nia Jax vs. Natalya, Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Roode, and the #1 contender’s battle royal for the tag titles before sending us to break.
Back from commercial we see Bruce Prichard in the front row before panning over to a table full of tacos at ringside.
Curt Hawkins is in the ring. He says earlier today he made a bold prediction. You see, he’s sitting at 199 losses (we disagree) and tonight when he wins, everybody in the arena will get a free taco! He interviews his opponent, James Harden, who is from right here in Houston, Texas, and those two facts are the extent of the interview.
Curt Hawkins vs. James Harden
Collar and elbow, Hawkins backs him up into the corner and breaks dirty with a right hand. Stomp, hammer whip, off the ropes, big slam but Harden ducks a charging forearm and throws hands! He runs into a boot and gets destroyed by a lariat and Curt’s fired up!
Enter Baron Corbin. He gets in the ring... END OF DAYS!
James Harden wins by disqualification!
Hawkins goes out ready to fight but Corbin smashes his face into the tacos and dumps the table on top of him!
Natalya is shown shadowboxing backstage when Ronda Rousey rolls up to give her some pointers and send us to break.
Back from commercial, we see Kurt Angle texting in his office when Baron Corbin rolls up.
He’ll explain what just happened later but he’s annoyed at his lack of opportunities so he went to WWE headquarters and spoke directly to Stephanie McMahon. He has a letter from her appointing him as the new constable of WWE Raw and her representative to assist Kurt in his duties.
Ronda Rousey makes her entrance and joins the commentary desk.
Natalya vs. Nia Jax
Circling, collar and elbow and Nia throws Natalya down. Back to the lockup, Nattie with a side headlock, Jax throws her off and takes a forearm to not much avail. Waistlock, back kick, and Nia just bowls Neidhart over a few times. Referee Shawn Bennett counts and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Nia has her locked down with a cobra clutch. Nattie gets out, goes for a slam but can’t get Jax up and takes a headbutt for her trouble. Boot up in the corner, wheelbarrow Stunner, dropkick, taking Nia off her feet. Whip to the corner, sidestep the charge, Neidhart takes a knee but gets up in time to hit the discus lariat... NOPE!
Natalya hobbled, Jax capitalizes...
Nia Jax wins by pinfall with a Samoan drop.
Nattie starts taking her boot off and hobbles to her feet while Nia stands over her seeming not entirely sure as to what to do. Ronda gets up from commentary and heads to the ring to check on her pal. She shoves Nia aside when she gets too close and gets in her face.
Rousey and referee Shawn Bennett help Natalya to the back.
Commentary hypes up Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens.
We go backstage where Bobby Roode is interviewed. He says he’s ecstatic headed into Money in the Bank. He thrives in the spotlight, so of course he’s excited to climb that ladder and make history by winning the contract, and when that happens, it’s going to be... glorious. He talks about how he’s been in the business for twenty years and never seen a man like Braun Strowman, and it’ll take every trick under his robe to beat him.
He admits that honestly, his goal tonight is just to survive.
We get entrances for Roode vs. Strowman, but the match will have to wait until after the break.
Bobby Roode vs. Braun Strowman
A smile creeps across Braun’s face before they lock up, and he throws Roode away and flexes at him. Bobby goes behind, side headlock, again thrown off but he passes the monster to the corner! Chops to no avail and he gets bieled across the ring! Charging in, boots up, to the second but Roode is cut off with the goozle and only barely slips out of the powerslam!
Leg kicks, front chancery, reversed and he again tosses Bobby aside! Butterfly suplex, charging in but again countered, this time with a back elbow! Another try, sidestepped and Strowman’s shoulder goes into the post! Roode heads to the floor and goes looking for some plunder, pulling a ladder out and forming a bridge between the ring and the barricade.
Luring Braun outside, Bobby runs him around, ducks under the ladder... and Strowman’s too smart to take the bait. He roars... HE SPLIT BOBBY’S LADDER IN TWAIN! Running around the ring, the pounce into the barricade, back inside...
Braun Strowman wins by pinfall with the running powerslam.
Backstage, Kevin Owens is watching on a monitor when an interview rolls up.
He thinks Braun Strowman is big, Bobby Roode has a robe, and the sky is blue. Who cares? He doesn’t care about anyone that stands between him and Money in the Bank, and Finn Balor is a perfect example as to why the fans are clueless. What does Too Sweet even mean? Was it too sweet when he failed last week against Braun Strowman? He declares his intent to win and show the world what he knows about Finn Balor tonight, and that’s that he’s nothing more than a made-up Irish myth.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we see Natalya backstage with her knee iced up and Ronda Rousey is hanging out with her.
Nia Jax rolls up to apologize, saying she didn’t mean to hurt her knee. She asks if she’s gonna be good to compete in Money in the Bank, and Ronda tells her to leave. They argue over Nattie’s muttered objections until Neidhart speaks up, saying accidents happen and she needs a minute to herself. She hobbles off and leaves the two opponents looking on.
The Deleters of Worlds make their entrance for an in-ring interview.
Bray Wyatt says many man lust for power, it’s in their nature, it drives them, it consumes them, and ultimately it destroys them, but any team that has the audacity to face off against them should understand that they’re not facing men. No, they’re facing Woken Warriors, fireflies, and gods, and then they’ll truly understand what it means to be woken.
Matt Hardy takes over and says they’re magic, their essences have transcended space and time and are now the Raw Tag Team Champions, unmatched, unparalleled, and unstoppable. They’ve woken the entire WWE Universe, he says, and he asks Renee Young if she considers herself woken, and she does. He declares that to be wonderful and asks the crowd for a standing woken ovation.
He declares it time for the battle royal to commence and calls on Senor Benjamin when Bray interrupts. He says no matter who wins, they’ll suffer and be deleted.
Commentary runs down the card for Money in the Bank and thereby shills for the WWE Network before sending us to break.
Back from commercial in time for some of our entrances.
Breezango (Fandango & Tyler Breeze) vs. Beauty & the Man-Beast (Heath Slater & Rhyno) vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. the Ascension (Konnor & Viktor) vs. the B-Team (Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel) vs. the Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) vs. Titus Worldwide (Apollo Crews & Titus O’Neil) (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Battle Royal)
Chaos at the bell, but McIntyre and Ziggler are hanging out on the apron. The Revival try to dump Titus, Axel saves Dallas and Dolph and Drew now get involved, picking their spots. McIntyre puts boots to Viktor in the corner, O’Neil nearly eliminates Ziggler but eats a Stunner, Viktor with a headbutt, Konnor tries to dump Slater but Rhyno saves his man.
Dolph going after Breeze, the Revival have Drew isolated and again Ziggler barely saves himself... until Tyler dropkicks him out. McIntyre runs wild, beating Fandango down, and Ziggler comes back in to run roughshod himself! Claymore / Zig Zag on Dallas and the referees swarm and finally force them to leave as we go to break.
Back from commercial we see that Titus Worldwide were eliminated during the break. Viktor clubs away at the Revival and gets back body dropped by Fandango to eliminate the Ascension! Revival eliminate Breezango! Double-teaming Dallas, Axel makes the save, he gets wiped out, moving on to Slater but he fights off Shatter Machine and Rhyno dumps Dash to eliminate them! A superkick wipes Dawson out before he can interfere and we’re down to our final two!
Knee trembler from Curtis, Bo and Rhyno beating on each other, Dallas with the boots up, snap DDT from Axel! Trying to eliminate the Man-Beast, Heath makes the save! But then he accidentally eliminates Rhyno with Bo’s legs in a fireman’s carry!
The B-Team win, last eliminating Beauty and the Man-Beast when Heath Slater accidentally knocked Rhyno off the apron, becoming #1 contenders to the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Bo and Curtis celebrate as if they’ve already won the titles.
Commentary informs us that Bobby Lashley will respond to Sami Zayn after the break.
Back from commercial, Bobby Lashley makes his entrance.
He says where he comes from they do things the old-fashioned way, so if Sami Zayn has anything to say about or to him, he should do it to his face. Sami’s music plays but he’s nowhere to be found until his voice rings out and we cut to him walking in the crowd asking of Lashley wants him to get in the ring right now. Bobby says that’s what he wants and Zayn says no chance, because the last time they were in the ring together he was assaulted.
His handshake nearly broke every bone in his hand and he hasn’t even been able to cook the organic tofu steaks in his refrigerator. But he doesn’t mind, because his brain never stops scouting, and he found out some things about Lashley through Instagram. Like how Bobby loves posting inspirational quotes, like “They told me to think outside the box. I showed them there is no box.”
Sami says that’s deep, poetry, almost on his level, and he tosses another one up. This one says “Apply for that job. Date that person. Buy that plane ticket. Move to that city. Do all the thing that scare you because they, they are worth it.” Sami says that one’s really personal to him, because for a very long time there’s things he thought he couldn’t do and now he feels like he can do anything thanks to Bobby and his Instagram posts.
In fact, they’re a little too good. Most of these simple Texas folks would read these posts and think Lashley just wants to spread a positive message, but when you’re an intellectual like Zayn, you dig deeper. He logged into one of his many anonymous accounts and sent Bobby a DM, and instead of getting a personal response, he got a copy/pasted link that took him to the webpage for a VIP-exclusive Bobby Lashley fan club.
For only $19.99 he could get a headband, and for $39.99 a t-shirt. Don’t you see, it’s a ruse, a cash grab, and Bobby’s just trying to get one over on everyone! But Sami’s too smart to fall for those tricks! Lashley asks him where he’s going with all this and asks how many burner accounts he has. He thought Zayn would have the decency to face him face-to-face, and that gets Sami to say he doesn’t talk face-to-face with liars, Bobby, if that even is his real name.
Lashley says he’d appreciate it if Sami wasn’t doing whatever he’s doing at the cost of his reputation, and that gets Zayn to say everything he does is a lie, including the stupid fake smile on his face. He even questions whether Lashley was in the army, saying that was another one of his lies. This gets Bobby to take off his jacket and get real serious, but nothing further happens.
Commentary then recaps the opening match, because Raw is three hours long.
Jinder Mahal and Sunil Singh are interviewed backstage.
Jinder says Roman Reigns is a jealous, bitter man, and that’s why he cost him his opportunity for Money in the Bank. But there’s something in the air, the winds are shifting, and soon Roman will find the storm is coming.
Roman Reigns is interviewed elsewhere about Jinder’s comments. He says Mahal must have forgotten who he is and what he’s done around here. Maybe they should compare resumes, what has Jinder done lately? All he does is expect to be handed everything.
Mahal interrupts and says Roman would never say that to his face. Reigns tells him to shut his mouth and says he’ll come say it to his face, just stay put and he’ll shut his mouth for him. The Big Dog asks some crew members for direction and starts walking. It’s not long before he rolls up on the Modern-Day Maharaja, who throws Singh into him to no avail!
Trading shots, Roman puts Jinder into some loading doors when some referees and five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce show up to break it up!
Alexa Bliss makes her entrance, she’ll be in trios action after the break.
Back from commercial in time for the rest of our entrances.
Alexa Bliss, Ember Moon, & Sasha Banks vs. Riott Squad (Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, & Sarah Logan)
Moon and Riott to start, collar and elbow, struggling into the ropes and out, Ruby with an arm drag and we have a standoff. Ember with a hammerlock, reversed to a side headlock, shot off, arm wringer, off the ropes, hip toss reversed into an arm drag and they stalemate. Duck a lariat, waistlock, back elbow escape into a shoulder block from Riott.
Off the ropes, pass, dropdown takes Ruby out, slingshot splash back inside is only good for one! Alexa tags in, arm wringer into a wrench, another, whip reversed, up and over but Bliss’ leg goes out from under her and she backs off and tags Banks in before rolling to the floor. Sasha comes in as Alexa hobbles up the ramp and goes to leave and we’re sent to break.
Back from commercial, Morgan has Moon under control with a Japanese stranglehold as we’re informed that the “injured” Alexa Bliss has left the arena. Quick tags, Riott Squad with rolling shoulder blocks into a pop-up headbutt from Logan... NOPE! Riott tags back in, putting boots to Ember, kind of a standing WAR Special, but Moon manages to force a break with the ropes.
Ruby picks her leg, blocks the tag, mat slam, taunting Banks but Ember makes her escape and tags are made! The Boss runs roughshod with lariats, stern kick to the midsection, clear the apron, corner knees, up and over to the apron, booting Riott off the apron but Liv counters a headscissors out of the corner into a double stomp... NOT ENOUGH!
Quick tags, putting boots to Sasha and Morgan locks a grounded full nelson on. Banks out, catches herself in the ropes, front kick but Liv blocks the tag. Neckbreaker drop evens the odds but the Riott Squad head around and take Moon off the apron! Ember fights both fo them off but gets cut off by Morgan and driven into the barricade with Sarah’s running knee!
Banks with a roll-up nearfall, Morgan with a big dropkick for two and she rains punches down on the Boss. Quick tags again, back body drop puts Liv on the floor... METEORA ON THE OTHER TWO! Sasha wants the tag, nobody’s there... BAYLEY COMES DOWN AND TAGS IN! Back suplex, running knee...
Bayley, Ember Moon, & Sasha Banks win by pinfall with the Bayley-to-Belly.
Baron Corbin and Kurt Angle are watching backstage and Baron asks if Kurt’s gonna stand for this. Angle says it’s none of his business but Corbin reminds him that he’s Stephanie’s eyes and ears and Bayley was an illegal replacement. He tells Kurt to go tell them their win doesn’t count and Angle acquiesces as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ember Moon, Bayley, and Sasha Banks are walking backstage and celebrating their victory.
Ember gives Bayley the credit she’s due and Sasha is forced to agree. Moon tells them to hug it out so they can celebrate, when Angle rolls up to inform them that their victory is null and void and the Riott Squad won by disqualification. Banks rolls her eyes and walks off, leaving Bayley alone and sad.
Baron Corbin is shown speaking with referee John Cone.
BIG SHOW IS BACK! AND IN GREAT SHAPE!
He’s on the stage with Team Texas of the Special Olympics and says he’s excited and proud to be on-stage. He puts the Special Olympics athletes over and asks the audience to stand up and show their support.
Finn Balor make his entrance and all the athletes do his pose with him and several get Too Sweets to boot before we go to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for a women’s four-way next week that may or may not feature Alexa Bliss and Natalya, injuries depending. Also the men in the Money in the Bank ladder match will have a four-way, plus Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey face-to-face.
Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens
Lockup, into chops in the corner but referee Rod Zapata backs Balor off. Waistlock takedown into a slap to the back of the head and KO jaws at Balor. This earns him repeated leg kicks and Owens heads to the floor to regroup. Back in, kick to the abs, side headlock applied, the shoot off blocked, headlock takeover but Finn gets to his feet and shoots Kev off.
Shoulder block, reverse chinlock this time, shot off, drop down, arm drag into an armbar and Balor wrenches it in. Owens posts to his feet, puts Finn in the corner, breaks dirty with a gut punch and follows it with stomps. Drawing him up, big chop, whip reversed, sunset flip and Balor pops out into the dropkick for two before going back to the armbar.
Shifting position, hammerlock, KO backs him into a corner and breaks with a back elbow. Boot follows, chops, and he puts the boots to Finn before getting backed off. Hammer whip, cover comes up empty, another chop in the corner, short whip, Balor puts himself on the apron and lands the enzuigiri. Headed up top but Owens leaves the ring and we go to break.
Back from commercial and Finn is struggling out of a reverse chinlock when Kev takes him back down to the mat. Out, boot in the corner, duck a lariat, off the ropes with a flying forearm and Balor fires himself up! Boot up in the corner, an enzuigiri takes Owens out of the corner but he rolls to the floor before Finn can capitalize. Off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO!
Back in, KO catches Finn’s arm over the ropes and targets it with vigor, slamming it to the mat, wrenching, tearing, locking an armbar in. Balor fights to his feet but gets taken back down and Owens kneels over his back in the armbar, trapping him. Finn slips out, back to his feet, and KO breaks for a mat slam and the senton but Balor rolled away!
Headed over, Kev catches him with a kick to the abs and a clubbing blow, front chancery, whip reversed, powerbomb blocked, double leg into a double stomp! Finn with a flurry of punches in the corner, whip across, running chop, whip reversal reversed into the inverted headlock elbow drop... NOPE! Schoolboy gets KO two as does a superkick but he’s not putting Finn down that easy!
Stalking Balor, drawing him up, jawing, throwing him into the ropes... Sling Blade! Shotgun dropkick, headed up top but Owens recovers and crotches him on the top rope! Tree of Woe, stomps to the face, referee Rod Zapata counting...
Finn Balor wins by disqualification due to castigo excesivo.
Post-match, Owens hits a frog splash for good measure! He goes and gets a ladder out from under the ring and sets it up under the briefcase so that we might be reminded of how you go about winning a Money in the Bank ladder match. He perches and goes to dive on Balor but hesitates and climbs partway down, at which point Finn recovers, puts him into the ladder... shotgun dropkick!
Balor climbs the ladder... COUP DE GRACE OFF THE LADDER! He then retrieves the briefcase and celebrates with it.
That’s the show, folks.