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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (June 1, 2020) from the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, with all the latest build to the upcoming Backlash pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for later this month.
Advertised for tonight: Rey Mysterio’s retirement ceremony, Apollo Crews defends the U.S. championship, Charlotte vs. Asuka, 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 1
It’s been a long, sad, sobering weekend and I don’t have in me to sling a set of song lyrics in here, friends.
Black lives matter.
The show opens into the intro video.
Commentary hypes up tonight’s show for us.
Seth Rollins makes his entrance, flanked by Buddy Murphy and Austin Theory.
He gets on the mic and says he’s gonna have a match against Aleister Black shortly, and Rey Mysterio will be on later to speak to all of us. He knows it’s gonna be difficult for him, but he thinks he’s not going to be able to bring himself to formally announce his retirement, so he’s taken it upon himself to handle that formality for him.
Rey is too humble to come out to this ring and call himself a legend, so Seth must, as a leader, come out here and appreciate him directly for sacrificing himself for the greater good of Monday Night Raw. He talks about how Rey is the greatest luchador to ever live, but beyond that he’s a kind and generous man. He’s also prepared a video package to celebrate Mysterio’s career.
The video package plays, and of course it’s all exactly what he said it would be up until the end, which is focused on Rey’s “sacrifice” to Rollins.
ALEISTER BLACK RUNS DOWN AND ATTACKS! He blindsides Seth and gets a good kick in as we go to break.
Aleister Black vs. Seth Rollins
Black with Rollins off balance and he bails to the floor after a legsweep. Back in, Seth regains control with a dropkick and hammers him with grounded punches. Snap suplex, cover for two, wristlock with a foot on his shoulder for leverage sets up an arm wringer and more stomps to the hand. Chops in the ropes, whip across into another dropkick as the Monday Night Messiah cements his lead.
Choking him in the ropes, putting him into the barricade, back inside, jockeying for position, Aleister with his wits about him, German suplex avoided but Seth walks right into the roundhouse kick! Back body drop puts Black on the floor, Rollins waves his goons over— HUMBERTO CARRILLO MAKES THE SAVE, STEEL CHAIR IN HAND!
Seth gets between Carrillo and his boys and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Rollins is in control and putting boots to Black in the corner. Pressing the attack, Aleister gets a waistlock and then a kick but Seth hits Sling Blade for two! Diving knee, Black sidesteps, lays chops in, strike rush, off the ropes, sliding knee roll through and he’s fired up! Quebrada takes Rollins down... NOT ENOUGH!
Seth with a victory roll, handful of tights, no good! Roundhouse kick sets up a German suplex from Al... STILL NO! Elbow sets up an enzuigiri, Avada Kedavra, Falcon Arrow... ROLLINS RALLIES BUT CAN’T FINISH HIM! Seth heads up top... KNEES UP ON THE FROG SPLASH! Action spills to the floor, Orihara moonsault, we gotta go to break!
Back from commercial, jockeying for position in the turnbuckles, Rollins knocks him down, frog splash, slow to capitalize... NOPE! Black sidesteps Blackout, cross armbar applied from the mat and Seth stomps his way out of it! Powerbomb connects, Rollins heads to the apron to lie in wait... SPRINGBOARD COUNTERED WITH A KNEE STRIKE!
Drawing Seth up, but Theory and Murphy are up on the apron to run interference! Carrillo gets involved, Rollins rolls him up... NOT ENOUGH! Black thinks fast...
Aleister Black wins by pinfall with a folding press.
Post-match, Austin and Buddy put boots to Aleister but Humberto hits the ring! Seth gets involved, the babyfaces take a beating, Rollins has Black held up to make an example out of Carrillo... BLACKOUT! Off the ropes... BLACKOUT FOR ALEISTER AS WELL!
We get a replay of Apollo Crews’ United States Championship victory.
Angel Garza and Zelina Vega are interviewed backstage.
Vega pipes up at first but Garza takes control and says that in love and war everything is fair. In competition and seduction you must always be one step ahead. Zelina talks up his win over Kevin Owens and Angel says if someone is upset with his actions, they’ve never wanted something as badly as he does.
He gives Charly Caruso a rose and leaves, and Vega grabs it from her and breaks it in half.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, local mountain man Shawn Michaels weighs in on Edge vs. Randy Orton.
He talks about his own great wrestling matches and says he thinks they can deliver on the promise before picking Edge to win the match.
We get a recap of the Drew McIntyre / Montel Vontavious Porter / Bobby Lashley stuff.
Lana is backstage with MVP berating him but he cuts her off and says he has to get ready for actual work in the form of his match against McIntyre, so he has no inclination to get sucked into whatever attention-seeking drama she has in mind. She takes a dig at his career and slaps him and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of our opening segment, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Newly crowned United States Champion Apollo Crews makes his entrance for an interview.
He talks about his first week as champion and all the feelings he’s felt. He introduces his hand-picked challenger for tonight— Kevin Owens!
Owens makes his entrance and congratulates Crews. He says he’s not one to turn down title shots, but after last week and his loss to Angel Garza he can’t help but feel this is coming out of pity. Apollo says there’s no pity, this is all about respect, and Kev says Angel’s gonna get what’s coming to him soon enough but he feels bad.
Crews says he deserves it, and Owens says he knows he deserves it, what he feels bad about is that Apollo’s first title reign is gonna be a real short one.
Apollo Crews (c) vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Champion)
Circling, collar and elbow, Owens with a waistlock, standing switch. Jockeying for position, O’Connor roll blocked, leapfrog, drop down, Crews with a dropkick but not even a one count! Side headlock, into the ropes, clean break and Kev grabs a headlock of his own. Shot off, shoulder block, kip-up, dropkick, KO clotheslines him to the floor!
Off the ropes, sidestep the dive, Owens follows to the floor anyway and they trade strikes. Whip reversed, Crews with a moonsault off the apron, nobody home, cannonball senton from KO off the apron and back inside! Up top, diving senton atomico... SO CLOSE! Pop-up powerbomb denied, Kev hits a front kick but Crews goes down lame!
Referee Shawn Bennett warns Owens for the groin kick but Apollo wants to keep fighting! Back to his feet, hobbled, fighting mad and trading punches as the two men spill to the floor to send us to break!
Back from commercial, both men on their feet and trading punches in the ring. Owens backs Crews into the ropes, off the ropes and right into a pump kick and Apollo follows it with a powerslam... NOPE! Olympic Slam countered, KO with a superkick for two! Dragging him into position, double jump moonsault... STILL NO!
Off the ropes, float over the pop-up powerbomb, enzuigiri connects and this time he gets the Olympic Slam... ONLY TWO! Standing moonsault, another nearfall! Into the corner, Kev sidesteps, another superkick, headed up top... KNEES UP ON THE SENTON ATOMICO! Angel Garza and Andrade “Cien” Almas hit the ring and put boots to both men...
The match goes to an unannounced no-contest.
They continue putting boots to our babyfaces and we go to break.
Andrade “Cien” Almas & Angel Garza vs. Apollo Crews & Kevin Owens
Crews and Almas legal, babyface in peril, heels working him over. Apollo floats over the Wing Clipper, tags made, Owens in hot but Andrade cuts him off and puts boots to him. Fired up, Manhattan Drop sets up a comeback, big senton, Almas stacked up in the corner but Garza with the distraction and Crews tags back in! Military press, Andrade floats out, Three Amigos incoming but Apollo counters with the Olympic Slam! Angel takes Owens out at the knee, Almas with a schoolboy and his feet on the ropes but Crews kicks out! Enzuigiri sets him up...
Apollo Crews & Kevin Owens win by pinfall with the release Blue Thunder Driver from Crews on Andrade “Cien” Almas.
Asuka is interviewed backstage about her match against Charlotte Flair tonight.
She says she’s gonna take down the bully Nia Jax at Backlash, and Asuka is always ready for Charlotte, and the Empress never bows down to anyone.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for NXT.
We get a recap package for the Street Profits / Viking Raiders various contests of sporting acumen.
Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (Bowling)
The Vikings are naturals while the Profits are all gutterballs. Vikings almost get kicked out for stealing turkey legs out of the fridge and get saved because some lady thinks Ivar is cute, Profits turn the smoke on and fortunes are reversed, and going into the Vikings’ final ball, it’s 130-121 in favor of Street Profits.
Erik slides Ivar’s whole-ass body down the lane, strike...
Vikings win 131-130, bringing the overall score between the two teams to 2-2.
We get a recap of last week’s women’s tag team segment.
Backstage, the Iconics are screaming at the tag champs, things break down, five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce gets in-between them, and we go to break.
Billie Kay vs. Nikki Cross
Cross charges in, shoving match breaks out, off the ropes, crossbody into slamming Kay’s head into the mat! Smashing her face into the turnbuckles, Billie nails her with a big boot... NOPE! Arguing with referee Darrick Moore, putting boots to Nikki in the corner, choking her, Cross with a comeback, forearms, off the ropes but she runs into a rolling elbow for two!
Rear chinlock applied, screaming at Nikki, but she fires up and gets to her feet. Kay with a backbreaker, posing, off the ropes with an elbow drop for another nearfall. Again yelling at Moore, wasting time and energy punching the air, headed back over to Cross, who hammers her with forearms! Off the ropes, flying chop, Nikki is fired up!
Stinger Splash sets up the bulldog, shoulder thrust, dropkick, up top, nobody home on the crossbody! Kay gets her...
Billie Kay wins by pinfall with a leg-trap spinebuster.
Drew McIntyre is interviewed backstage.
He says everybody should know by now that he doesn’t back down from challenges, and in nine weeks of being champ, he’s beaten seven superstars. If MVP wants to be lucky number eight, that’s fine with him!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Rey Mysterio calls in for a medical update.
He says his eye is still recovering and he doesn’t have a timetable on his return. If an infection were to set in, that could be the end of his career. He says it could be a few weeks before he’s cleared to compete or it could never happen, but he’s been thinking about the question of retirement for a long time now.
He talks about how he takes issue with Seth’s description of him as a sacrifice, and this brings Dominick out to say Rollins is no messiah, he’s barely a human being, and somebody from this family needs to take care of him. Rey tries to get his son to chill but Dominick’s not having it.
Mysterio thanks everyone for reaching out with their concerns, and as far as an official statement goes— Seth Rollins, damn you for everything you’ve put his family through. He tells Seth he’s a man of forgiveness, but he’ll never forgive him. Rey leaves, but Dominick address the camera.
He says Rollins is a man of scripture, so it’s an eye for an eye.
Nia Jax makes her entrance and gets on the mic.
She says she didn’t start this— she’s been repeatedly attacked by Asuka and Kairi Sane, two-on-one. She says they’re all smoke and mirrors (whoa oh), and Asuka was gifted the title because of hormones, and somehow she’s the villain here? She’s the victim, and she’s going to expose Asuka as a charlatan.
She’ll be in action after the break.
Back from commercial, we get an update on the 24/7 Championship.
R-Truth attacked Rob Gronkowski at home while he was working on a video...
R-Truth wins by pinfall with a schoolboy pin to win the WWE 24/7 Championship.
Kairi Sane vs. Nia Jax
Sane out the gates with a dropkick and palm strikes, Jax shoves her off, disdainful pat on the head, Kairi starts hammering her again but gets shoved down to the mat. Nia biels her, Sane gets a sleeper hold with bodyscissors, Jax fading, down on her hands and knees, but Kairi shifts gears. Axe kicks on axe kicks, Jax goes for a slam but Sane reverses to a tornado DDT... ONLY TWO!
Fired up, marching around the ring, sliding forearm! Kairi up top, perching, Jax to the floor, Sane tries to follow but Nia cuts her off on the apron and puts her into the steel steps! Back inside...
Nia Jax wins by pinfall with a leg drop.
Asuka rolls up in the post-match to stare her contender down, but Jax simply backs off.
Commentary hypes up the Backlash card and sends us to break.
Back from commercial, Randy Orton cuts a promo.
He talks about how he’s been watching a lot of WWE Network documentaries lately, and the one thing that every superstar seems to have in common is that they think that Ric Flair is the greatest to ever do it, and he agrees. Well, Ric called him the best ever last week, so there you have it. He admits that he got complacent and Edge can’t stand that he’s accomplished more than anybody all while phoning it in.
Charlotte Flair makes her entrance to go to break.
Back from commercial, Charlotte Flair cuts a prematch promo.
I missed the beginning of it but my girlfriend describes it as “mostly about how cool she is”, so there’s that. When I come in, she’s talking about Asuka’s accomplishments and how they map onto hers, like as if Asuka is a copycat.
Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair
Jockeying for position, early attempts at finishers, stalemate. Shoving match breaks out, Flair takes her into the corner, jawing about all the places she’s beaten Asuka at. Working the Empress’ leg over in the corner, we go to break.
Back from commercial, Flair still targeting the knee, Asuka gets a schoolboy pin for two! Charlotte takes her leg out from under her again and goes back to town on it! Trading forearms, Asuka fired up, lighting her up but a kick to the knee takes her right out again! Hip attack in the corner, Flair shoves the bulldog aside but eats a German suplex!
Low superkick, off the ropes, sliding knee... SO CLOSE! Natural Selection countered into a cross armbar! Charlotte with forearms, posting to her feet, reversing to the Boston Crab! Asuka reverses to a kneebar, Flair rolls her around and manages to post to her feet... CRADLE GERMAN SUPLEX! Rolling solebutt, off the ropes, flying armbar and Asuka’s right back in control!
Flair with the counter powerbomb this time, cover... NOT ENOUGH! Big boot blasts Asuka off the apron, and Nia Jax comes out to Asuka’s music, wearing her mask and facepaint. I suppose Asuka must have lost track of time because the bell rings...
Charlotte Flair wins by countout? Who knows?
Post-match, Nia lays Asuka out.
Lana is interviewed backstage.
She notes that Bobby asked her not to come out during his matches, but he didn’t say anything about MVP’s matches, and leaves giggling to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Bobby Lashley makes his entrance, in his gear, so safe to say we’re gettin’ an angle here.
Lana makes her entrance as promised and we’ve got four minutes left on the clock so...
Drew McIntyre vs. Montel Vontavious Porter
McIntyre right in, putting boots to him, chops, right hands, Porter fires back but Drew gets him trapped and hammers him with overhand punches! Big chop, whip reversed, hip toss blocked and McIntyre clobbers him with a lariat! Headbutt sents Montel to the floor, he puts Drew into the post with a distraction!
Back inside, stacking him up, big boot in the corner... NOPE! Off the ropes, front kick gets a lariat, Drew ducks one, big boot of his own! Perched up top, diving lariat into a kip-up, 3... 2... 1... Lashley pulls his man to the floor... DREW MCINTYRE TOPE CON GIRO! Back inside, 3... 2... 1...
Drew McIntyre wins by pinfall with the Claymore.
Post-match, Bashley locks the full nelson on! Swinging McIntyre around...
That’s the show, folks.