WWE Raw Results (05/15) - Cody Rhodes Answers Brock Lesnar's Challenge, We Hear From Becky Lynch And More
This is Wrestling Inc.'s results for "WWE Raw" on May 15, 2023, coming to you live from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina!
The disdain between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar has become crystal clear over the past few weeks. "The American Nightmare" scored a win over "The Beast" at WWE Backlash, which led to Lesnar costing Rhodes his spot in the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals on last week's episode of "Raw". Lesnar wound up challenging Rhodes to a rematch at Night of Champions on May 27 after hitting Rhodes with an F-5 through the announce desk and tonight, Rhodes will answer the challenge.
Becky Lynch has something on her mind to share with the WWE Universe following her return to programming last week to the surprise of WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus. Stratus betrayed Lynch several weeks ago on the April 10 episode of "Raw" after the duo had unsuccessfully defended the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.
Speaking of the Women's Tag Team title, it will be on the line as Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez defend against Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green. Deville and Green previously challenged for the title on the April 21 episode of "WWE SmackDown", but ultimately came up short. As a result, the pair began a petition last week to earn themselves another shot last week, which caught the eye of Morgan and Rodriguez.
The Miz proposed a partnership to Shinsuke Nakamura a couple of weeks ago, but was turned down. Tonight, he will have his chance to get his hands on "The King of Strong Style" as the two go one-on-one.
Additionally, GUNTHER's next challenger for his Intercontinental Championship will be determined by way of a Battle Royal. GUNTHER became the longest reigning titleholder of the modern era back in February, dethroning Ricochet on the June 10, 2022 edition of "WWE SmackDown".
We are live! Corey Graves and Kevin Patrick greet audiences at home as Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens make their way to the ring.
We Hear From Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Zayn says himself and Owens were surprised to find out this past Friday that they'll be defending the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship against Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa at Night of Champions. He says while on paper it seems like a massive threat, the two of them see it as a gift. He says they have the chance to get their hands on Roman Reigns after both coming up short against him in Undisputed WWE Universal Championship matches earlier this year. Zayn says Reigns has gone unchecked for too long and criticizes Reigns for pushing too hard, observing that it's not enough for him to have the WWE or Universal Championships and be a titleholder for almost 1,000 days. He calls Reigns a manipulator and tells him he can't have the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.
Judgment Day's music hits, and Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, and Damian Priest head down. Owens calls for their music to be cut, and says he's sick of talking about The Bloodline. He says if they want to fight, then that's what they'll do. Zayn calms Owens down and says they don't have an issue with Judgment Day. He tells Owens to hear them out and tells them the floor is there. Priest says Owens was spot on. Judgment Day looks to attack Owens and Zayn, but Balor stops his teammates and says they want to talk. He says if Owens and Zayn manage to retain their title, they'll have a whole line of superstars waiting for them with Judgment Day being at the front. Ripley says Judgment Day runs "Raw", and Zayn says while they have some good points, he wants to hear what Dominik has to say. The crowd loudly boos Dominik, and he can't get two words out. Owens says since he can't hear anything, it's time to fight. Priest clocks Zayn before he and the rest of Judgment Day set their sights on Owens. Zayn grabs a chair from under the chair and forces Judgment Day to retreat.
Shinsuke Nakamura then heads to the ring. The Miz follows.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Miz
The bell rings and Miz offers Nakamura his hand. Nakamura kicks it away before delivering a knee to his midsection. He follows it up with a dropkick and a pair of knees to Miz's spine, then shoves him into the corner and charges at him. Miz gets his boot up and delivers a knee to the back of his neck. Nakamura dumps Miz out of the ring and delivers a baseball dropkick, then drapes him on the apron and delivers a jumping knee to the back of his neck. He tosses him back in before Miz hits him with a neckbreaker off the middle rope that sends him crashing to the outside.
Back from the break, Nakamura delivers a knee to Miz's midsection. He follows it up with a scissor kick and an enziguri, then drapes him across the top turnbuckle and delivers a knee to his midsection. Miz fires back with a right hand and rolls up Nakamura, but Nakamura counters into an Arm Bar. Miz escapes and delivers a DDT, then delivers the Miz Kicks and sets up for the Skull Crushing Finale. Nakamura escapes his grasp and sets up for the Kinshasa, but Miz moves out of the way and looks to pull something from under the apron. Nakamura pulls him back in the ring as Miz holds on to the ring apron. He rakes his eyes while the referee fixes the apron and goes for a pin, but Nakamura gets his foot on the bottom rope to break the fall. He then delivers the Kinshasa for the win.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
We then head backstage, where Adam Pearce is listening to Raquel Rodriguez aruge with Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville. Deville and Green begin complaining about Liv Morgan being unable to compete tonight due to an injury she sustained on Friday, and Deville says as former management, the Women's Tag Team Championship should be forfeited and given to them. Pearce says that's not happening, and a frustrated Rodriguez says she's happy to defend Morgan's honor by going one-on-one with Green. Green accepts the challenge.
Back from the break, we head to the first part of a sit down interview with Corey Graves and Seth "Freakin" Rollins. Graves thanks Rollins for sitting down with him, then asks what it meant to become the first "NXT" Champion back in 2012. Rollins says there was a need for change at that time, and winning that title meant he could pave the way and push the industry forward. Graves then asks Rollins about his time as a member of The Shield, and he says the group saw the need for change. Graves asks Rollins about turning on his Shield teammates, and says he needed to do that in order to move up the WWE ladder.
Back at ringside, Imperium heads down.
We Hear From Imperium
GUNTHER stands up on the announce desk as Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci flank him. Kaiser demands the gratitude of the fans, then hands the mic over to GUNTHER. GUNTHER says he dominated "SmackDown" for almost a year and he will now continue to do so on "Raw". He says while he currently has no challenger for his Intercontinental Championship or hasn't met a Superstar that's earned his respect, one man can achieve both by winning the upcoming Battle Royal.
Ricochet then heads down to the ring as the first entrant. Bronson Reed, Mustafa Ali, Apollo Crews, Matt Riddle, and the rest of the competitors follow.
Intercontinental Championship Number One Contender's Battle Royal
The bell rings and everyone begins brawling with one another. Baron Corbin tosses Akira Tozawa out of the ring before Dexter Lumis eliminates Corbin.
Eliminated: Akira Tozawa and Baron Corbin
Ma.çé and Mån.sôör then eliminate Lumis, and Alpha Academy tosses the pair out of the ring. Ma.çé lands on the ground, but Mån.sôör holds on to the top rope. Ma.çé catches him, but Lumis stares them down, scaring Ma.çé and causing him to drop Mån.sôör to the dismay of Maxxine Dupri.
Eliminated: Dexter Lumis, Ma.çé and Mån.sôör
Dolph Ziggler sends JD McDonagh crashing to the outside with a superkick. Von Wagner tosses Ziggler out of the ring.
Eliminated: JD McDonagh and Dolph Ziggler
McDonagh then sends Ziggler crashing into the ring steps and uses them to target Ziggler's ankle.
Back from the break, Erik delivers a jumping knee to Reed. The Viking Raiders then dump Cedric Alexander out of the ring and beat down Xyon Quinn before throwing him over the top rope.
Eliminated: Cedric Alexander and Xyon Quinn
Shelton Benjamin blindsides The Raiders, but The Raiders eventually get the better of him and eliminate him.
Eliminated: Shelton Benjamin
The Raiders then begin brawling with Alpha Academy. Chad Gable gets Erik on the rope, but Erik lands on his feet. He looks for a suplex, but Gable escapes. Otis then eliminates Erik, and Ivar then eliminates Gable as retaliation. Gable and Otis then begin to brawl, but Bronson Reed sends both men packing.
Eliminated: Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders
The remaining competitors then work together to wear down Bronson Reed. Elias and Ricochet then begin to brawl, as do Mustafa Ali and Johnny Gargano. Gargano delivers a hurricanrana to Ali, but Ali fires back with a senton. He tosses Gargano over the top, but Gargano hangs on. Ricochet then attacks Ali, allowing Gargano to deliver a Spear to him. Ricochet then delivers a Shooting Star Press to Gargano and looks to deliver a crossbody off the ropes to Riddick Moss, but Moss plants Ricochet with a Fallaway Slam. Reed then levels him, but Elias delivers a splash to him and gets Crews on his shoulders. Crews gets Elias on the apron and delivers an enziguri to eliminate him. Reed then clotheslines Crews to the outside.
Eliminated: Elias and Apollo Crews
Ali jumps Reed and looks to lock in a Sleeper, but Reed gets him off his back. Reed plants Gargano on top of Ricochet, but Riddle executes a ripcord knee and the Floating Bro. Moss catches Riddle with a vicious shoulder tackle and runs the ropes in an effort to clothesline Riddle to the outside, but Riddle tosses him over the top and Moss goes crashing to the floor. Gargano then charges at Riddle, but Riddle delivers a hurricanrana to him on the outside.
Eliminated: Riddick Moss and Johnny Gargano
Riddle winds up on the apron. Kaiser and Vinci charge at him, but Riddle fights him off. Reed then sends him crashing to the floor to eliminate him.
Eliminated: Matt Riddle
We are now down to three. Ricochet delivers a knee and a dropkick to Reed and looks to dump him out of the ring. Ali helps him out, but Reed lands on the apron. Ricochet and Ali then rain down right hands before Ricochet delivers a pair of dropkick. Reed manages to hang on and Ricochet looks to go flying. Reed gets him on his shoulders, but Ali delivers a dropkick to Reed. This causes Ricochet and Reed to go crashing down to the floor.
Eliminated: Bronson Reed and Ricochet
Winner (and new number one contender): Mustafa Ali
Back from the break, Becky Lynch heads down to the ring.
We Hear From Becky Lynch
Lynch says "The Man" has come around to Greensboro. She says part of being "The Man" is admitting when you go through some stuff and while everyone has their struggles behind closed doors, we all put on a face to become the people we need to be. She says sometimes, one has to ask for help and that's what she did with Trish Stratus and Lita. She says Lita was great and Stratus hadn't skipped a beat since her last appearance in WWE. She says she let Stratus get close to her and her family, which caused her to be blinded. She thanks Stratus for hitting her in the back of her head and turning on a light that had been turned off for months. She says when Stratus called her daughter stupid, she reminded her that you have to stand up for the people you love most. Lynch says Stratus was number one, but now she is it. She says she will show Stratus how grateful she is when she kicks her head in at Night of Champions.
We then head backstage and see Rhea Ripley watching. Cathy Kelley approaches her and asks for her thoughts on Natalya's return to "Raw" last week, and Ripley tells Natalya to stay in her lane. Natalya then walks in and says she didn't appear last week because she was diverging from her lane, but because Ripley was attacking Dana Brooke. Ripley tells her to stop pretending that she cares about Brooke and puts her on notice. She tells her to never interrupt her again unless she wants her career to end. Dominik Mysterio walks in and tells Ripley it's time to go. The pair intertwine hands and walk off.
Back at ringside, Xavier Woods heads down. Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley follow. Dominik mocks Woods on the way to the ring, and Woods says while he doesn't have anyone to watch his back right now, he's a grown man who can stand on his own two feet. He questions if Dominik can say the same and asks if he has to get permission from Ripley to do anything.
Dominik Mysterio (w/ Rhea Ripley) vs. Xavier Woods
The bell rings and the two lock up. Woods delivers a shoulder tackle and a dropkick to Dominik's spine, then goes for a pin but Dominik kicks out. Dominik delivers a knee to Woods' midsection, then fires off several stomps in the corner and gloats. He then fires off several more knees, but Woods plants him with a modified suplex. Dominik rolls to the outside and Woods follows, but Dominik hides behind Ripley which prevents Woods from getting to him.
Back from the break, Dominik delivers an uppercut to Woods. He sits him on the top rope and fires off a right hand, but Woods fights him off and delivers a shotgun dropkick. He then fires off a series of right hands and a back elbow, but Dominik tosses him out of the ring. Woods hops up on the apron and delivers a shoulder to Dominik's midsection, but Dominik drags him in the ring and executes The Three Amigos. He ascends to the top and looks for a Frog Splash, but Woods gets his knees up and goes for a pin. Dominik kicks out and Woods catches him with a gutbuster before climbing to the top. He looks for the double stomp, but Ripley pulls Dominik out of the ring. Woods goes flying over the top to level Dominik and tosses him back in the ring, but Ripley gets in his face. This allows Dominik to deliver a dropkick to Woods' spine from under the bottom rope. Ripley then tosses Woods back inside and Dominik pins him for the win.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
We then head to a video hyping up JD McDonagh.
We head backstage to Cathy Kelley catching up with McDonagh as he's about to leave the arena. Kelley asks McDonagh why he attacked Ziggler, and McDonagh says he did it in order to make a statement.
Back from the break, Indus Sher heads to the ring. are already waiting inside.
Indus Sher (w/ Jinder Mahal) vs. Lavar Barbie and Drake Thompson
The bell rings and Mahaan takes out Barbie before tagging in Sanga. Thompson tags in, and Sanga tosses him inside. Sanga then delivers a splash and tags Mahaan back in. Sanga then delivers a bodyslam, and Mahaan executes an elbow drop. Sanga delivers a big boot to Barbie, then follows it up with a splash to his head. Sanga tags in and Indus Sher delivers their finisher for the win.
Winners: Indus Sher
After the match, Jinder Mahal puts the roster on notice and says Indus Sher is coming for gold.
We then head backstage and see a confrontation between Imperium and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
Back from the break, Cody Rhodes heads to the ring.
Cody Rhodes Accepts Brock Lesnar's Challenge For A Match At Night of Champions
Rhodes asks Greensboro what they want to talk about, then says he knows these grounds and this arena. He says the first Starrcade was held there and tells the tale of the scorpion and the frog. He says the scorpion is on one side of the river and needs help getting across. The frog says no because he says he'll get stung, and the scorpion says if he does, then they both drown. The frog agrees to help, but the scorpion stings him halfway across the river. The frog asks why, and the scorpion says it's in his nature. He says Brock Lesnar is the same as the scorpion, then mockingly asks how his eye is. Rhodes says when he looks in the mirror, he sees the man who did that and accepts Lesnar's challenge at Night of Champions. He says Lesnar is on top because he's better than 99.9% of superstars who enter the ring. He says Lesnar wasn't better than him at Backlash and says things between them aren't about a championship, but rather which one of them is the big thing on "Raw". He says everyone called Lesnar "The Next Big Thing" and while they were right, he questions what happens when they just say "next". Rhodes tells Lesnar he's not "The Next Big Thing" anymore and says he's in his way.
Raquel Rodriguez then heads down to the ring. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville follow.
Raquel Rodriguez vs. Chelsea Green (w/ Sonya Deville)
The bell rings and Rodriguez delivers a boot to Green. She sends her crashing into the top turnbuckle face first before Deville gets in her face and Green executes a backstabber. She delivers a clothesline and a forearm, then follows it up with a chop block and a flatliner. Rodriguez sends Green into the top turnbuckle, then sends her crashing into the middle rope. She follows it up with a dropkick and a pair of clotheslines, then hits three Fallaway Slams and the corkscrew elbow before landing the Texana Bomb for the win.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez
Rodriguez looks to leave after the match, but Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler appear out of nowhere and blindside her. Rousey mocks Rodriguez and asks what she does with her title. She tells Rodriguez she'll defend the Women's Tag Team Championship with or without Morgan unless she wants to be beaten down every week. Baszler then delivers a running knee, and the pair retreat.
Back from the break, we see GUNTHER shake hands with Paul Heyman backstage.
We then head to part two of Corey Graves' sit down interview with Seth "Freakin" Rollins. Graves says there have been many versions of Rollins since he exited The Shield, then asks why the current version of him is the best. Rollins says his hands are on the wheel and he gets to experience the most authentic version of himself. He says there's an organic relationship with himself and fans for the first time in his career. Graves asks why he should be crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion, and Rollins says it's because it's time for change once again.
Back at ringside, Judgment Day heads down. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens follow.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. Judgment Day (w/ Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio)
Balor and Zayn begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. The pair go back and forth with submission holds before Zayn delivers a pair of arm drags. Priest tags in and delivers a right hand, but Zayn sends him into the top turnbuckle face first. He ascends to the top and delivers an elbow drop. Owens tags in and delivers a chop, then fires off right hands. Priest delivers a kick to his face, but Owens responds with a step-up enziguri. He dumps Priest out of the ring, and Balor charges at him. Owens sends Balor out to join him as Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio appear at ringside.
Back from the break, Priest delivers a right hand to Zayn's spine and tags in Balor. Zayn delivers a clothesline and tags in Owens as Balor tags in Priest. Owens rains down right hands on Priest, then fires off several stomps. Priest slides out of the ring, and Owens follows him out there. He delivers a senton and tosses Priest in the ring before leveling Balor and Priest on the outside. He then gets back in the ring and hits a cannonball, then delivers a right hand and a stomp. He runs the ropes, but Dominik grabs his ankle. The referee catches Dominik and ejects himself and Ripley from ringside much to their dismay. Xavier Woods jumps Dominik on the ramp, and the pair brawl to the back. Priest rolls up Owens back in the ring, but Owens kicks out as Paul Heyman appears with his phone in hand.
Back from another break, Priest delivers a knee to Owens' midsection. Owens delivers a boot to Priest's face, and Priest responds with an elbow. Balor tags in and beats down Owens before Priest tags in and the pair deliver a backbreaker-senton combination. Priest sits Owens on the top before delivering a headbutt and joining him on the middle rope. Owens delivers a series of headbutts and an elbow that sends Priest crashing down, then hits the Swanton Bomb.
Zayn and Balor tag in. Zayn delivers a pair of clotheslines and a Michinoku Driver, then goes for a pin but Balor kicks out. Zayn then ascends to the top, and Balor delivers a Sling Blade. Zayn fires back with a Blue Thunder Bomb before Imperium appears at ringside. Balor rolls up Zayn, but Zayn kicks out. Balor then plants Zayn, but Zayn delivers an Exploder in the corner and follows it up with a Helluva Kick. He goes for a pin, but Imperium distracts the referee and he doesn't see the fall. Priest then levels Owens before Zayn takes down Priest. He sets up for another Helluva Kick, but Kaiser and Vinci distract the referee which allows GUNTHER to prevent Zayn from hitting it. This allows Balor to deliver a shotgun dropkick and the Coup De Grace for the win.
Winners: Judgment Day