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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (June 20, 2022) from the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for early next month in Paradise, Nevada.
Advertised for tonight: It’s finally time! Ezekiel has promised that Elias will return and WWE brings word that he’ll be performing “one more concert”. This will prove once and for all that Elias and Ezekiel are not, in fact, the same person as Kevin Owens believes. Elsewhere, Becky Lynch squares off with Asuka in a Money in the Bank qualifying match. 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 JUNE 20
Save your words, no one asked you to write some letter. How could you think explaining yourself could ever make this any better? Save your defenses, I don’t wanna hear your pleas, I just want to liveblog this here pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with a memorial graphic for Tim White.
Bianca Belair makes her entrance and gets on the mic.
She welcomes us to the show and talks about how she’s looking forward to defending her Raw Women’s Championship against her newEST contender Rhea Ripley, but unfortunately Rhea will not be medically cleared in time for Money in the Bank. But when Ripley is back she’ll be right her waiting and ready.
But until then, who will she defend her title against? Tonight, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Carmella, Asuka, and Becky Lynch will compete in a five-way #1 contender’s match.
Enter Becky Lynch.
She gets on the mic and tells Bianca she’s the only competitor worthy of a title match and she still hasn’t gotten her rematch. And not only that, at Hell in a Cell she had Asuka beat but Belair went and stole it from her.
Enter Asuka.
She mocks Becky for being a baby but Lynch tells her the last two matches they’ve had her back has been flat on the mat.
Enter Liv Morgan.
She says Becky shouldn’t just worry about Asuka, because she’s always ready for a fight and she’s in a great mood tonight because she’s already in Money in the Bank but she’ll trade that for a proper title shot if she can.
Enter Carmella.
She says something doesn’t quite add up here. She knows why she, Becky, Asuka, and Alexa are in the match, as former champions, but why is Liv out here? She wants to kick Morgan out of the match, but Liv says she’s here because she’s been here, and if Mella talks to her like that again she’ll give her a few more weeks off.
Carmella accuses her of riding Alexa’s coattails—
Enter Alexa Bliss.
She taunts Carmella over James Ellsworth winning her the Money in the Bank briefcase and says she’s literally never been successful on her own. So do us all a favor, stop being a hypocrite, and stop messing with Liv before she beats her face herself.
Bianca steps in to stop the bickering and get the match started, and we go to break before it begins.
Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella vs. Liv Morgan (WWE Raw Women’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
Lynch goes in, double leg on Asuka, they brawl to the floor and Bliss and Morgan double team Carmella out of the before squaring up with each other. Rolling Gedo Clutch from Morgan, disorienting Bliss but no pinfall. Trading small packages, rolling around the ring to the same end, shift change, Asuka and Carmella going at it and the Empress drops her with an Uraken!
Off the ropes for the hip attack, Lynch pulls her out of the ring, running ranhei from Alexa for two! Bliss and Lynch in the ring, big tijeras from five feet ofury, Carmella tries to steal her with a schoolboy but it’s only two! Handful of hair, jawing at her, smashing Bliss into the mat!
Palm strikes for a comeback, Carmella floats over into a mat slam for two! Liv back in, duck a lariat, inverted stomp surfboard puts Mella’s face into the turnbuckles! Shoving Morgan off the top into Asuka and Alexa and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Lynch with an exploder on Bliss, Morgan runs in, kick combo, missile dropkick! Carmella in, Frankensteiner puts Lynch into Morgan but Asuka breaks it up! Mella with a kick combo nearfall on the Empress of Tomorrow, jawing at her, caught in a flying armbar transition into the Asuka Lock but Alexa breaks it up with double knees!
Becky throws her out, Dis-Arm-Her reversed into the Asuka Lock but Morgan takes her out with a missile dropkick! Lynch throws her out of the ring, inside cradle for two! Manhandle Slam... TWISTED BLISS BREAKS IT UP BUT MORGAN AND MELLA BREAK THAT PIN UP TOO!
The match into “everybody do something cool” territory, Oblivion blocked, Manhandle connects... ASUKA PULLS HER OFF THE COVER! Twisted Bliss on Liv... KNEES ARE UP! Carmella with a superkick...
Carmella wins by pinfall with a superkick on Liv Morgan to become #1 contender to the WWE Raw Women’s Championship.
In Gorilla, Becky Lynch screams at Adam Pearce about how she should be champion right now, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Becky Lynch is still kvetching her head off to Adam Pearce, who can’t a get a word in edgewise.
He tells her she has to earn her way into the ladder match and she was already scheduled to wrestle Asuka for a spot. She says that’s fine, and Pearce says the match can happen tonight, which leads to Lynch sputtering and squealing.
Vincent Kennedy McMahon makes his entrance.
He gets on the mic and talks about Raw being the longest-running episodic television show in history and thanks us for almost thirty years of Raw, twenty of which were dominated by the greatest superstar of all time who will be back next week, Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect, John Cena.
Matt Riddle makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial Matt Riddle gets on the mic.
He talks about Randy Orton possibly having his career ended by Roman Reigns and the Bloodline and how he swore he’d get vengeance for both of them, and last Friday he was this close to it. He went toe-to-toe with the Tribal Chief, tit-for-tat, but Roman’s Roman and at the end of the day he nearly broke him in half with a spear and beat him.
He says he let Randy down, and he’s down but he’s definitely not out, and Reigns will have to kill him to stop him, and maybe he can’t challenge him for the title straight up, but he can win Money in the Bank and he knows it’s a long shot but if he wins the contract and cashes in he can end Roman’s reign of terror and get that sweet vengeance for himself and Randy.
He knows there’s a lot of competition in the match, from Drew McIntyre to that punk-ass Seth Rollins.
Montel Vontavious Porter makes his entrance with Omos and tells Riddle he’s not gonna make it to Money in the Bank, much less win, because there’s a Nigerian Giant standing in his way, but it’s not all bad. He WILL get high tonight, when Omos snatches him off his feet and slams him back to reality.
Riddle has a message of his own— he’s gonna get high when he gets his hand raised after beating Omos with the RKO.
And so we go to break.
Matt Riddle vs. Omos (Money in the Bank Qualifying Match)
Riddle lighting him up with punches, Omos throws him into the corner, Matt sidesteps, chest kicks follow, off the ropes, the Nigerian Giant with a side slam! Seth Rollins is shown watching backstage in a very pink very leopard print suit while Omos dominates, Riddle with a comeback but the giant catches him in a bear hug!
I can hardly bear it, more bear hug, Riddle flagging but not failing, fighting back with back elbows, flash knee stuns the big man! Boots up in the corner, corkscrew moonsault sends Omos stumbling into the corner and Matt goes to that special place, RKO blocked, chokebomb...
Omos wins by pinfall with the chokebomb, qualifying for the Money in the Bank ladder match.
Post-match, Omos hits the chokebomb a second time!
Seth Rollins makes his entrance and drops Riddle with a forearm!
He gets on the mic and laughs and mock apologizes and calls Seth a loser and mocks him at length for losing both his title match and his MitB qualifier before telling us that he’s the only man that can win the ladder match. And if you thought his first cash-in was something, you ain’t seen nothing yet, baby.
Riddle blindsides him with a forearm, but Seth fires back with Blackout!
Commentary talks about the University of Nebraska a bunch.
Austin Theory makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Austin Theory is atop the posedown platform again.
He cuts a promo about how everybody wants to know what it’s like to be a prodigy or even better, the new face of the WWE. He doesn’t expect anybody here to understand, and says last week he proved that Bobby Lashley can’t touch him, and in fact nobody can.
He talks about John Cena and starts rubbing himself down with oil for the Theory Invitational Posedown.
He poses a bunch, Bobby Lashley sneaks up behind him and stares at him while the crowd gets louder. He takes a selfie and sees Bob behind him and slowly turns around... AND LASHLEY SPRAYS THE BABY OIL IN HIS EYES AND SPEARS HIM!
We get a recap of Edge getting ejected from Judgment Day.
The Usos make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, an angry Theory runs into an interview.
He says Lashley doesn’t deserve anything, and if he wants a title match he’s gotta run a gauntlet tonight.
The Usos get on the mic and talk up their title reigns and dominant position in the division.
The Street Profits get on the mic during their entrance and functionally talk about how they’re coming for the tag titles.
Angelo Dawkins vs. Jey Uso
Punches into the corner, whip reversed, Dawkins with an enzuigiri in the corner, to the floor, suicide dive from Uso and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Dawkins in control throwing Jey around, Drill Bit connects but no dice. Striking back and forth, superkick from Uso, Angelo gets him up...
Angelo Dawkins wins by pinfall with a Sky High.
We see Elias’ hands strumming a guitar and Ezekiel admires his brother. Cut to Elias sitting on a couch and Zeke sits down next to him. Ezekiel talks about his trials and tribulations and asks Elias where he’s been. Elias says he’s been off writing songs and admits he’s worried that people won’t remember him but Ezekiel says they certainly do.
Ezekiel talks about wishing their father could see them and Elias gives him a pep talk, saying he should focus on what’s in front of him and he likes what he sees.
We go to break on the promise of Elias in concert.
Back from commercial, Elias is in the ring to play us some songs.
He says it’s great to be here and he wants to remind us of the universal truth that WWE stands for “walk with Elias.” He dedicates this song to his brother Ezekiel and starts playing—
Enter Kevin Owens.
He yells that we don’t have time for this crap and nobody wants this concert. Elias is a liar, a disgusting liar with no integrity. He might have Nebraska fooled, but not Kevin Owens! He says the footage of him and Ezekiel together was movie magic and he saw a T-Rex fly a helicopter in a movie this week!
Zeke appears on the tron and tells Kev he has to accept it and move on. Elias starts in on his song, which is about him being back for one night and Owens being a liar. KO rushes him and Elias gives him the ol’ El Kabong and sends him running!
We see Kevin Owens falling out of the door from Gorilla and stumbling into an interview.
Owens says he’s not convinced that Elias and Ezekiel are the same person and claims he prerecorded the tron video and glued a beard on, and complains about all his injuries before saying next week he’s challenging him to a match and he doesn’t care who he gets— Elias, Ezekiel, his other brother Elrond, whoever!
Ezekiel appears to accept the challenge and Kev is so mad he has to sit down.
Bobby Lashley makes his entrance to send us to break.
Austin Theory vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Chad Gable vs. Otis Dozovic (Gauntlet Match)
Chad Gable is Lashley’s first opponent, Bob wrenches in an armbar, side headlock, big waistlock takedown into a front chancery. Chad shushes him, swinging neckbreaker, shoulder block, leg pick and a big slap leads to Lashley shushing Gable! Forearm blasts Chad off the apron and Bob follows to the floor.
Throwing him into the barricade, Lashley polishes the post briefly before throwing him into it! Back inside, delayed vertical suplex, but Gable gets an ankle lock right in the aftermath, Lashley out of it, a little back and forth and Chad hits the moonsault to no fruition!
Jockeying for position on the mat, Bob gets him...
Bobby Lashley eliminates Chad Gable by submission with the Hurt Lock.
Otis Dozovic attacks Lashley right after, stomping him, standing on his chest, and generally working him over. Action to the floor, Otis with a big splash and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Otis has a standing neck crank in on Lashley, trying to grind him down. Go-behind, Dozer with back elbows, roll under a lariat, lariat of his own and Bob crumbles for a two count! Otis up for the Vader Bomb, Lashley rolls out of the way, duck a lariat, reverse STO takes Dozovic down!
Getting behind Otis, putting the Hurt Lock on, he blocks with elbows and rams Lashley into the corner! Sidestep the charge, Bob with a spear... GABLE BREAKS IT UP! Referee Rod Zapata has to call it...
Bobby Lashley eliminates Otis Dozovic by disqualification.
Alpha Academy beat Bobby down and throw him into the post to soften him up for the last guy in the gauntlet, Theory himself.
Austin raining punches down on Lashley, beating him down in the corner at length, rolling thunder dropkick, fireman’s carry, Bob reverses...
Bobby Lashley wins, last eliminating Austin Theory by pinfall with an inside cradle to become #1 contender to the WWE United States Championship.
Bianca Belair is interviewed backstage.
She says Carmella showed up and showed out tonight and has always been an amazing competitor and she’s not going to underestimate her. She’s gonna treat her exactly as she would Rhea Ripley, because she’s the EST of WWE— CARMELLA DECKS HER WITH A SUPERKICK OUT OF NOWHERE!
Carmella tells her to watch her back.
The Miz makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Miz welcomes us to MizTV with his usual patter.
He says he’s anxious to get to the bottom of what’s going on with his guest tonight, AJ Styles, and introduces him.
Miz talks through AJ’s issues of late and says he’s embarrassed for him and calls him a failure. Styles asks if that’s supposed to sting and calls Miz naive and gets a cheap pop. Talk turns to Miz’s balls for reasons that confound me and he once again insists that he has normal-sized balls.
AJ says things haven’t gone his way and that’s on him. He’s been through adversity before and when he gets disrespected he doesn’t come out to his little show and whine, he drops Miz with a forearm! Styles is attacked from behind by Tommaso Ciampa and we go to break.
AJ Styles vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Miz is on commentary for this one.
Styles blasting Ciampa with forearms in the corner, following it up with a backbreaker! Tom with chops in the ropes, whip reversed, leapfrog, drop down, dropkick, a couple pinfall attempts give way to overhead elbows and a stomp to the dome! Reverse chinlock applied, AJ fights out of it and hits an Ushigoroshi for two!
Calling for the Styles Clash, Tom reverses to a rolling elbow, underhooks, AJ reverses to a back body drop! To the apron, springboard...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Phenomenal Forearm.
Post-match Miz runs in, AJ cracks him with the Pele kick... STYLES CLASH!
Veer Mahaan is interviewed on the stage.
He says his victory over Rey Mysterio was just the beginning and WWE has never seen hunger like his before. He loves carnage, and this is only the beginning. He speaks some of what I assume is Hindi since Wikipedia tells me he’s from Uttar Pradesh and closes the interview.
Becky Lynch makes her entrance and we go to break.
Asuka vs. Becky Lynch (Money in the Bank Qualifying Match)
Lynch in control early, attacking Asuka during her entrance and then sending her to the floor and blasting her with a baseball slide! Back in the ring, the Empress lands a hip attack that sends Becky to the floor, taking a brief breather before following out after her, back inside and Lynch goes up top.
Asuka goes under the dropkick, Codebreaker connects, cover for two! Kicks for forearms, Lynch with an uppercut, into the corner and she blasts the Empress to the floor with a forearm to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Asuka with a small package, hip attack, only two! Running hip attack... NOPE! Jockeying for position over an Asuka Lock and Becky gets one of her own! Asuka wrenches the leg, ankle lock, hanging onto it but Lynch gets the ropes! Asuka Lock in the ropes, missile dropkick... NOPE!
Action to the floor, both women down and out, making it back in at the last second of referee Shawn Bennett’s count! Manhandle Slam reversed, reversed again, Dis-Arm-Her but Asuka gets the ropes and then turns it into a schoolboy for two! Roundhouse kick...
Asuka wins by pinfall with a roundhouse kick to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match.
Becky Lynch collapses under the emotional strain of not qualifying.
That’s the show, folks.
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