The lead story heading into this week’s edition of WWE Raw was a gauntlet match for the final spot in Sunday’s Money in the Bank ladder match. The spot had previously been filled by Apollo Crews before he was taken out by Andrade last week. The final entrant into the gauntlet match was a shock as AJ Styles returned for the first time since being buried by The Undertaker in a Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36.
Styles was able to take out Humberto Carrillo — who had already wrestled three men — to win the match and cement his place as the odds-on favorite to win the ladder match. But that wasn’t the only big moment leading into Sunday’s pay-per-view event. WWE champion Drew McIntyre took on Murphy — the “disciple” of Seth Rollins, who challenges for the title on Sunday — in the night’s main event. With Rollins looking on, McIntyre destroyed his protege in brutal fashion.
That was not the end, however, as Rollins would blindside McIntyre with an attack. Before he could finish delivering a message with one of his patented stomps, he was blasted with a headbutt from the champ and chased from the ring as McIntyre got the last work ahead of their showdown.
Let’s take a look at everything that went down on the Money in the Bank go-home edition of Raw.
WWE Raw results, grades
Raw opened with a special edition of MVP’s VIP Lounge. After MVP’s attempt to host the Raw men set for the Money in the Bank ladder match ended in a brawl last week, he attempted to welcome Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax and Asuka, Raw’s female participants in the match. After Baszler and Asuka began to exchange works and came toe-to-toe, they both shifted their gaze to Jax. As Jax realized what was going on, she began to stand, only to be kicked out of the ring by both women who then had to be held apart by MVP as the segment came to an end on a strong note without much unnecessary fluff. Grade: B-
AJ Styles def. Humberto Carrillo via submission to win a gauntlet match and qualify for Money in the Bank. Lashley dominated the early stages of the match with wins over Titus O’Neil and Akira Tozawa before losing his cool against Humberto Carrillo and getting himself disqualified. Carrillo managed to struggle to victories over Angel Garza and Austin Theory, both of whom had Zelina Vega with them at ringside, but the shocking return of AJ Styles was the story coming out of the match as he returned for the first time since being buried by The Undertaker in the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania. Styles ended Carrillo’s run with a Calf Crusher submission to bring a lengthy gauntlet match to an end on one of the biggest possible notes even as Vega’s crew continue to struggle remains a waste of a potentially great heel stable. Grade: B+
AJ Styles cut a promo following his win. After brutalizing Carillo and attacking his knee, Styles admitted he had been buried by The Undertaker at WrestleMania but brushed off any meaning to that moment. “I got buried,” Styles said. “So what? I admit it. I understand it. But that doesn’t mean I lost. There’s no rules in a Boneyard Match. No rules at all. That was then, and this is now. I have seized an opportunity. You see, I am now in the most unique Money in the Bank ladder match and it’s worth it. In fact, I’m going to do anything, and I mean anything, to get that Money in the Bank contract. If that means throwing Rey Mysterio or Aleister Black off the top of WWE Headquarters? So be it.”
Seth Rollins took part in an in-ring sit-down interview. Rollins admitted that McIntyre is a dominant champion, a fighter, a warrior and an honorable man before again insisting that McIntyre is not a leader and not destined to lead WWE into the future. Rollins laid out his theory that being champion means being responsible for a generation and the whole company and that only he is capable of carrying that burden. Rollins’ promo work during this program has been consistently strong — even if he is delivering the same message every week — and this interview was no different as his intensity and delusions of his own importance came across well. Grade: B+
Brendan Vink and Shane Thorne were shown backstage preparing for their match with Cedric Alexander and Ricochet when given final words of encouragement by MVP. MVP set the match up last week, bringing Vink and Thorne up from enhancement talent from NXT to an actual program.
Murphy was interviewed backstage. He was asked why he has been so loyal to Seth Rollins. Murphy said he needed Rollins and Rollins needed him. Now, he has learned and developed and one day may be as good — or better — than Rollins.
Brendan Vink & Shane Thorne def. Ricochet & Cedric Alexander via pinfall after a Vink big boot on Ricochet. This was a fairly short match where the size and strength of the upstarts managed by MVP managed to pull off a big upset. It’s a bit disappointing that Ricochet and Alexander keep having momentum cut off by losses as they’ve proven a very promising tag team. But there’s clearly something WWE sees in Vink and Thorne, pairing them with MVP and putting them over in this match. The match itself was solid, even if the result was confusing. Grade: B-
The Viking Raiders def. The Street Profits via pinfall in a non-title match after hitting the Viking Experience on Angelo Dawkins. Before the match, Dawkins and Montez Ford cut a promo talking about how the Performance Center is where they met and where The Street Profits were formed. But, they said, it was not all good because they have not been able to get over on The Viking Raiders since they were signed. The Raiders dominated Ford early but Dawkins’ size helped even things up in the match’s middle section. Down the stretch, the Profits managed to cut off an attempt at the Viking Experience. That allowed the Profits to hit the Cash Out but Erik managed to make a save to keep the match alive. Moments later, the Raiders hit the Viking Experience on Dawkins for the three count in a very solid tag match, keeping their dominance over the Raw tag champs alive. Grade: B
Drew McIntyre was interviewed backstage and asked about Murphy saying he “knows” he can beat McIntyre earlier in the night. McIntyre said Murphy is a “very confused young man” and the type who Rollins preys upon. McIntyre said he won’t deny the people a “good old fashioned slaughtering.”
After their win, The Viking Raiders were interviewed. They said they proved “The Raid is on” before saying they extinguished “the smoke.”
An Aleister Black promo aired where he told AJ Styles if he made good on his threat to throw him from the top of the WWE offices, he better hope Black doesn’t get back up or Styles will wish he’d been buried more than six feet deep.
Rey Mysterio cut a backstage promo. Mysterio discussed the upcoming Money in the Bank ladder match. Mysterio said it would be the riskiest match of his career, but winning the contract was too appealing a possibility to pass up as he nears the end of his career.
Charlotte Flair cut an in-ring promo hyping her upcoming match with Io Shirai this Wednesday on NXT. Flair called herself “the hardest working woman in any industry.” Flair was eventually cut off by Liv Morgan, who asked Flair if she remembered who she was before saying she didn’t need Flair’s approval while she figures out who she is and who she wants to be while saying Flair was born with a silver spoon in her mouth — which Flair admitted to being proud of. Morgan then challenged Flair to a match and asked for a referee to come to the ring.
Charlotte Flair def. Liv Morgan via submission with the Figure-Eight. Morgan was able to hang early, continuing to show improvement as an in-ring performer. Flair took over with a dominant middle stretch of the match, but Morgan roared back with a strong comeback stretch. In the end, Flair was too much for Morgan — who continues to run with the gimmick that she doesn’t yet know who she is as a person. Flair countered Morgan’s attempt to hit Oblivion into a Figure-Eight for the submission win. This was given way more time that expected and really served to get Morgan over as a legitimate player. Grade: B+
Drew McIntyre def. Murphy via pinfall after a Claymore Kick. Murphy quickly found himself in over his head with McIntyre, catching an early beating from the WWE champion. Murphy attempted to walk up the entrance ramp to Seth Rollins, who was watching from the stage, but that only resulted in more violence at ringside. Murphy briefly had the upper hand, but his kicks only served to anger McIntyre and led to a Glasgow Kiss headbutt. Murphy managed one late flurry, culminating in a powerbomb on McIntyre that only resulted in a one-count. Murphy tried to steal McIntyre’s 3-2-1 count to a Claymore Kick, but ate one in return for the pinfall in a short but effective match. Rollins then began to enter the ring, but as McIntyre begged him to enter the ring and fight, Rollins jumped off the ring apron walked to the back but sprinted back to the ring and blindsided McIntyre with a superkick. Rollins screamed that the situation was bigger than either of them but missed a stomp and took a headbutt and ran from the ring before McIntyre could land a Claymore. Grade: B+
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