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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (May 9, 2022) from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, featuring all the fallout from the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view (PPV) that went down just last night in Providence, Rhode Island.
Advertised for tonight: Cody Rhodes challenges Austin Theory for the U.S. title. Plus, there’s a lot to figure out now that WrestleMania Backlash is in the books, including what, if anything, Roman Reigns will be doing on the red brand still firmly in control of both titles. RK-Bro lost in the six man at the event but they’re still champions with titles some folks want. Speaking of titles, Bianca Belair wasn’t booked for this show and she’ll surely be featured as we gear up for Hell in a Cell early next month. All that, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog will kick off once the show starts on USA Network. It will be below this line here.
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR MAY 9
Let’s have bizarre celebrations, let’s forget who, forget what, forget where. We’ll have bizarre celebrations, I’ll play the Satyr in Cyprus, you the bride being stripped bare. Let’s pretend we don’t exist, let’s pretend we’re in Antarctica, let me liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of last night’s main event.
RK-BRO make their entrance and get on the mic.
Randy Orton welcomes us to the show and says unfortunately despite giving it everything they had they lost the battle to the Bloodline. But the war isn’t over, and Roman Reigns called off the unification match because he knew the Usos were going to lose, so they’re going to storm into SmackDown on Friday and demand a unification match.
Enter the Street Profits.
They get on the mic and acknowledge RK-BRO’s tough loss and say they should be worried about them and not the Bloodline. So they might have unfinished business but they’re here tonight in Connecticut to remind them that the Street Profits have next and they’re gonna be the ones to unify the tag titles.
Riddle asks if they want the smoke, they do, and then says RK-BRO 4:20 says they just smoked your asses.
And so we go to break.
RK-BRO (Matt Riddle & Randy Orton) (c) vs. Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship)
Ford and Riddle to start, mat grappling, Montez snaps off a pinning predicament and gives Matt a little pat on the head. Riddle with a flying armbar, countered to a pin, no good, go-behind to a sleeper hold, Ford slings him off, schoolboy in return, only two and he pats Ford on the head this time!
Tag to Dawkins, shoving Riddle down, sidestepping the Stinger Splash, kicks into the corner, tag to Orton! Laying uppercuts in, mounted punches in the corner, tag back to Riddle, whip reversed, headscissors takes Angelo to the floor where he trips Matt on the apron!
Montez with a tope con giro to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Profits in control and working Riddle over, he gets the ripcord knee and we get tags! Orton in hot with lariats, taking Dawkins down, snap scoop powerslam, one for Ford, too, hanging DDT on Angelo! RKO denied, blind tag from Riddle, flash knee, back body drop Montez to the floor, Penalty Kick from the apron!
Corkscrew Asai moonsault but Ford ducks and he takes Randy out! Spinebuster from Dawkins, tag to Ford, off the top... ORTON BREAKS IT UP! Montez with an enzuigiri, headed up top again but Riddle is ready...
RK-BRO win by pinfall with an RKO from Matt Riddle on Montez Ford to retain the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship.
Austin Theory is interviewed on the stage.
He says he doesn’t need to prepare for Cody Rhodes because he’s already great and he’s only scratching the surface of his full potential. He was practically in diapers the last time Cody was in WWE and he doesn’t give a damn about the past or respect or history, he’s all about the future, and the future is him.
We get a recap of AJ Styles vs. Edge last night and the addition of Rhea Ripley to Judgment Day.
Judgment Day make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Edge gets on the mic.
He says he formed the Judgment Day because he’s no sheep, and what did being a sheep give him? A Hall of Fame ring that he’s bigger than? A broken body? Stupid asinine comments from internet warriors? They hold the mirror up to us and we don’t like it, but nothing and no one can touch them.
Damian Priest says the truth hurts, and he and Edge were individually capable of destroying each of our favorites, but together they’re something more, and if you think that’s bad, just imagine adding an instrument of brutality like Rhea Ripley. He demands we all rise for her.
She gets on the mic and says she saw the two of them change for the better and she wanted that for herself. She’s done signing autographs for little kids at airports only to see those autographs sold on eBay, she’s done being used, and that’s why she joined Judgment Day.
She turns her focus to Liv Morgan, promising to give her a reason to cry when she absolutely destroys her. Edge says Damian the Punishment and Rhea the Eradicator are now his saints of fate.
Liv Morgan makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for Money in the Bank.
Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley
Brawling out the gates, Ripley gets a shoulder thrust in the corner, bieling her across the ring after, boot up, Rhea with body blows and another shoulder thrust to cut her off. Jockeying for position in the turnbuckles, Liv with a springboard Frankensteiner, dropkick into the ropes, but she runs into a boot form Ripley for two!
Smashing Morgan’s face into the mat, choking her over the ropes, grinding her down with a bodyscissors. Stepping on her back, pumphandle, Liv blocks Riptide, duck a lariat, forearms, duck a lariat, windmill right hands, kick combo, float-over DDT staggers Rhea!
Springboard into the inverted Codebreaker... NOPE! Double jump, Rhea swats her down and grabs the standing cloverleaf in the middle of the ring! Liv struggles...
Rhea Ripley wins by submission with the cloverleaf.
Post-match, Edge gives Rhea a signal and she grabs the cloverleaf again, shaking Liv around as she screams!
Enter Finn Balor, joined shortly thereafter by AJ Styles, and we go to break.
Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor
Balor goes for an armbar, float over, side headlock, shot off, shoulder block, and Priest lays strikes in on Finn in the corner. Broken Arrow, cover for two, whip reversed, basement dropkick from Balor sets up grounded punches! Double leg into the double stomp, chops and shoulder thrusts in the corner!
Whip reversed, South of Heaven reversed, Sling Blade connects! Finn puts Damian to the floor, off the ropes, Rhea Ripley runs interference, Edge runs in with a spear and referee Chad Patton has no choice...
Finn Balor wins by disqualification.
Post-match, AJ joins the fray but Ripley gets involved and he won’t hit her, so Judgment Day turn the tide and take Styles out with their high/low!
We get a recap of Bobby Lashley vs. Omos.
Omos makes his entrance, flanked by Montel Vontavious Porter as usual, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Alpha Academy are talking to Kevin Owens backstage about his crusade to prove that Ezekiel and Elias are the same person.
Chad Gable sent samples to a DNA lab and says next week they’re gonna have undeniable proof! Kevin Owens talks about how his brother Ken, who won the Grand Prix three times, is gonna be here tonight to wrestle Ezekiel and prove him a fraud.
MVP and Omos are in the ring for the VIP Lounge.
Porter gives Omos a big intro and says everything he’s been saying is the gospel truth— he made Bobby Lashley All Mighty and then he tried to hog the glory to himself, leaving the man who made him champion watching at home from the sidelines.
Enter Cedric Alexander.
He crows about how “we” did it and MVP lets him in the ring. Cedric says with Montel’s leadership, Omos’ strength and power, and his technical expertise— Porter asks who “we” is and cuts him off, saying he likes him but—
Enter Bobby Lashley.
Bob takes MVP’s security out before catching Cedric on a dive and slamming him into the barricade! Sliding in the ring, he goes face to chest with Omos and clotheslines him over the ropes and to the floor before squaring up with MVP! Alexander jumps him from behind, Lashley slings him away but that gives Porter time to get away!
Cedric dives in again and gets trapped in the Hurt Lock!
Backstage, Sonya Deville is trying to convince Adam Pearce to give up his investigation. Pearce says he needs to have a conversation with her and she says that can wait until after her match, and she doesn’t care who she’s wrestling.
Sonya makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Adam Pearce comes out and says the investigation into Sonya Deville’s conduct has concluded.
She’s been found to be abusing her power and her contract as a WWE official is terminated! But she’s still a WWE superstar, and her opponent tonight is... ALEXA BLISS!
Alexa Bliss vs. Sonya Deville
Bliss with a DDT early, she goes up top...
Alexa Bliss wins by pinfall with Twisted Bliss.
We get a recap of Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes from last night.
Ezekiel makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Ken Owens makes his entrance, clearly Kevin Owens in a gray wig with his beard sprayed gray.
Ken gets on the mic and says he’s trying to make a point— most people in the crowd don’t think he’s really Ezekiel, most people are just playing along. He asks for a show of hands as to who believes that Ezekiel is really Elias’ younger brother and gets upset when everyone’s hands go up.
He yells at Ezekiel to cut the crap and Zeke warns him to keep his voice down and his brother wouldn’t approve. Kev loses his shit and takes the wig off and admits that he is in fact Kevin Owens, but Ezekiel stands firm, saying now would be the perfect time for Elias to come out and sing him a lullaby to calm him down.
Owens attacks, Zeke fires up and backs him into the corner with kicks, Alpha Academy run down and overwhelm him after a brief rally! Kevin Owens hits the Stunner!
We get a recap of Asuka’s return and such.
Adam Pearce is chatting with her backstage when Becky Lynch rolls up to complain.
She says she’s the greatest Raw Women’s Champion to ever live but Asuka just gets handed a title shot? Pearce explains that she has to beat the champ to challenge and Becky points out what malarkey that is, and they bicker back and forth until Asuka shouts at her in Japanese.
Asuka says Lynch acts like she’s the mommy but she doesn’t act like the mommy, she acts like a baby.
Veer Mahaan makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Veer’s opponent Frank Loman (perhaps better known on the indies as Rex Lawless) is interviewed.
Frank says of course he has concerns and he doesn’t want to get stretchered out but he has a wife and kids that expect him to provide, so he has to do this for his family.
Frank Loman vs. Veer Mahaan
Veer squashes the poor guy, of course...
Veer Mahaan wins by submission with the cervical clutch.
Cody Rhodes is interviewed at Gorilla.
He says he hopes nothing is next between him and Seth Rollins, because he got taken to his limit last night and as far as he’s concerned, the chapter is closed. Theory is brimming with potential, but potential is like gold and you gotta dig to find it, so he’ll have to dig deep if he wants to stop Rhodes from becoming United States Champion.
Cody makes his entrance to send us to break.
Austin Theory (c) vs. “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes (WWE United States Championship)
Rhodes with a leg pick, Theory into the corner and Austin breaks dirty with a shove! Knucklelock, collar and elbow, Cody with a hammerlock, reversed, leg pick, looking for the figure four but Theory scrambles to the apron! Shoved off, shoulder block, Austin taunting and Rhodes wheels around to face him.
Drop down slap, schoolboy for two, backslide for two, O’Connor roll blocked with back elbows but Cody drops him with a forearm. Back body drop to the apron, snapping Rhodes’ neck over the top rope, rolling thunder dropkick for one! Theory in control, one-foot pin, Cody backs him into the corner but gets whipped across hard into the turnbuckles!
Snap suplex, cover for one, front kick, front chancery, Rhodes blocks a suplex and his the vertical gourdbuster! Following it with a dropkick that puts the champ on the apron, Beautiful Disaster, action to the floor, Theory trips him into the apron!
Clear the announce desk, Cody gets the better of him and Austin runs away back into the ring to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Theory grinding him down with a rear chinlock, Rhodes breaks the hold and floats over a back suplex, off the ropes, double crossbody leaves both men down and out! Whip reversed, flying forearm from Rhodes, snap scoop powerslam... NOPE! Cody goes up top, moonsault connects... STILL NO!
Austin cracks him one, crossleg brainbuster over the knee... NOT ENOUGH! Fireman’s carry, ATL blocked with elbows, off the ropes, Beautiful Disaster, Cody Cutter, the American Nightmare is fired up! Seth Rollins comes from out of nowhere...
Cody Rhodes wins by disqualification, presumably.
Post-match, Rollins continues the beatdown, smashing Rhodes’ head into the announce desk repeatedly before lining him up... BLACKOUT ON THE TABLE!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Boss and Glow (Naomi & Sasha Banks) vs. Doudrop & Nikki ASH
Naomi and Doudrop to start, Naomi backing her into the corner, Stinger Splash gets a headbutt and knocks her back! Slide under, she pops her booty at the heel, sunset flip blocked with a seated senton... NOPE! Drawing the champ up, right hands, choking her in the ropes, Cobra Clutch to work her over but Naomi gets a jawbreaker for breathing room!
Right hand, keeping her off-balance, charging in for the corner body avalanche and Naomi is in a bad way! Trapping Doudrop in the corner, stereo Sole Foods, tag made, Banks with a crossbody but she gets caught and slammed! Tag to ASH, cover for two, raining punches down, front chancery but Nikki gets distracted by Doudrop!
Banks behind her, tag to Naomi, flash roundhouse kick...
Boss and Glow win by pinfall with Rent’s Due on Nikki ASH.
Post-match, Doudrop jaws at Nikki and asks her when she’s going to start taking it seriously.
The Miz makes his entrance dressed as a referee for some reason and we go to break.
Back from commercial, the Miz gets on the mic and says Mustafa Ali has a point about not being treated fairly, so he’s here to be special guest referee and make up for that.
Mustafa Ali vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Collar and elbow, into the corner, Ciampa tries to break dirty but Ali ducks the chop. Miz gets in the way, Tom with a whip off the ropes, jackknife pin, the A-Lister slow to count and Ciampa kicks out and decks Mustafa with a forearm! Putting boots to Ali, blasting him off the apron with a knee, following after for a huge lariat on the floor!
Tom takes a breather on the announce desk, clapping and smiling, throwing him back inside, overhead elbows, bridging reverse chinlock, wrenching the choke in as Miz checks attentively. Snapmare, stomp to the face, whip across into a trip and back to the choke!
Ali fights to his feet, cut off with a knee, whip reversed, hard into the corner but Ciampa gets a boot up! Mustafa drops him with a lariat, right hands, whip reversed, chops in the corner, running corner dropkick! Rolling thunder neckbreaker connects, Mustafa Ali is fired up, dragging him into the corner, headed up top, nobody home on the 450 and Tom hits a rolling elbow!
Block the O’Connor roll, superkick, up to the second, tornado DDT connects again Miz is slow to count and Ciampa kicks out at about the count of eight. Ali jaws at the A-Lister, Tom from behind, inverted DDT...
Tommaso Ciampa wins by pinfall with an inverted DDT and a fast count from special guest referee the Miz.
We get a Lacey Evans video package summing up all of her SmackDown packages and go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of the VIP Lounge from earlier.
Backstage, Bobby Lashley cuts a promo on MVP for parading Omos around and demands a rematch next week inside of a steel cage!
We get a recap of Dana Brooke demanding a divorce.
R-Truth is backstage with Brooke and Tamina, asking if they’re sure they want to divorce, and they agree that they are.
Reggie and Akira Tozawa roll up and get served their divorce papers. Tozawa runs away rather than accept the papers and Snuka tells Truth to go chase him down and serve him. Reginald tries to reconcile but Tamina slaps his hand out of the way and takes Dana to safety.
Becky Lynch makes her entrance to join commentary for our main event, and we go to break.
Asuka vs. Bianca Belair
Collar and elbow, struggling, Belair with a wristlock, reversed, back and forth, Asuka with a waistlock, standing switch, headlock takeover from the champ. Off the ropes, shoulder block, drop down, handspring, Bianca taunts, off the ropes, leapfrog, roll-through, lateral press for two!
Belair with a slam, whip reversed, up and over, handspring, Asuka with an elbow and a kick, sliding knee, cover... NOPE! Suplex attempt, reverse, roll through, Asuka blocks another, Bianca with chickenwings, roll into a victory roll pin for two and then a cross armbar!
Shift to a triangle choke, Belair posts up on her feet and hits the counter powerbomb! Handspring, Lynch runs in and trips her up...
Bianca Belair wins by disqualification, presumably.
Post-match, Becky attacks Asuka, too, leg drop and an elbow drop, following it up with the Manhandle Slam!
Becky Lynch stands tall.
That’s the show, folks.
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