Another week, another night of hoping Monday Night RAW can get back on track. The go home show for WrestleMania was the start of this run of very poor shows. AJ Styles and Omos, your RAW tag team champs, have no where to be seen. They are scheduled to be on tonight, though, so maybe they can turn the tide. It’s time to enter the ThunderDome.
MVP met with Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville earlier in the day to flip a coin to see who Bobby Lashley will face tonight. His opponents, Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman were present for the coin flip. The two argued, but Pearce was able to keep the peace. Strowman called the toss and won, so he will face Bobby Lashley, tonight.
The RAW Tag Team champs are finally on RAW. AJ Styles and Omos head to the ring. Styles brags about their win over the New Day at WrestleMania and how Omos wrecked them. Styles addresses the fact that they have been missing on RAW, turns out they were partying after winning the titles. The New Day interrupts him.
Kofi congratulates them on their time off, but then rips into them for not showing up on RAW the next night.
Omos has heard enough and is ready to knock some more sense into them.
AJ Styles and Omos (champions) vs. The New Day (challengers) – RAW Tag Team Championship Match
AJ immediately tags in Omos. Woods tries to kick Omos with no effect. Omos whips Xavier into the corner and Kofi tags in. Omos catches a kick and shoves Kofi to the mat. Woods tags in to double team with Kofi on a drop kick. Omos shrugs it off and takes out both men with a clothesline.
AJ tags in and has words with the ref. Woods nearly steals a pin with a roll up. Styles is knocked to the floor and Kofi lands the trust fall. Woods and Kofi take turns stomping AJ in the corner. Styles creates an opening with a Pele kick. Omos gets the tag. He hits Kofi with a back breaker and delivers one to Woods, also. With both members of the New Day down, Styles calls for the tag. He hits Woods with the Phenomenal Forearm. Styles covers and gets the pin.
Winners via pinfall and still RAW Tag Team Champions: AJ Styles and Omos
Adam Pearce tells Sonya Deville that she is overstepping her bounds.
Eva Marie is returning to RAW. Chelsea Green gets released, but the EVA-lution is allowed to happen.
MVP lets Kayla Braxton that Braun Strowman’s luck has run out tonight. He is just lucky to be in the ring with the champion. MVP predcits the Strowman Express will be derailed, tonight.
Elias and Jaxson Ryker are ready to pay back New Day with some rotten tomatoes. Unfortunately for them Randy Orton walks into the line of fire. The Viper is not pleased.
Charlotte Flair vs. Dana Brooke w/Mandy Rose
Charlotte mocks her former protégé during the match. Dana with a step up enziguri, but Charlotte knocks her to the mat. Brooke dodges a kicks in the corner, hanging up Charlotte. She connects with the back hand spring elbow. Brooke goes up top and hits the swanton. Flair powers out of the pin. Brooke goes for another back hand spring, but Flair cuts her down with a chop block. Charlotte locks in the Figure Four and bridges into the Figure Eight. Dana taps.
Winner via submission: Charlotte Flair
Flair doesn’t release the hold after the bell. Mandy storms the ring, kneeing Charlotte to break the hold. Sonya Deville walks out. She joins Flair in the ring, allowing her to make a proposal. Flair isn’t happy that she has been left out of another title opportunity. She wants to be added to the RAW Women’s title match at WrestleMania Backlash. Sonya agrees to make it a triple threat match.
The RAW Women’s champ may have something to say about this whole “Be fair to Flair” movement. Rhea Ripley makes her way out on stage and she is not happy with this turn of events. She claims nobody wants to see her and nobody likes her. Ripley talks about how she can lose the title without being pinned.
Her challenger, Asuka, joins in on the fun. She mocks Flair and then tells is she is ready to be the champion.
Flair calls out both of them for not being able to handle this turn of events. Ripley gets in Sonya’s face and guess what? Flair nails her from behind. Asuka dumps both of them from the ring.
Kayla Braxton is with Humberto Carrillo to discuss his issues with Sheamus. Carrillo doesn’t like a bully and he isn’t afraid. Sheamus attacks him from behind, slamming him into the road cases. Sheamus lets him know that he can also answers his open challenge next week.
Adam Pearce is furious that Sonya added Flair to the Women’s title match. Deville makes excuses to why she didn’t consult with him.
John Morrison w/The Miz vs. Damien Priest
Do yourself a favor and watch the WWE 24 episode about the Miz. Speaking of Miz, they aren’t happy about getting pelted with rotten tomatoes last week. All they want is respect and Morrison will beat some respect into Priest.
Priest opens with an atomic drop. Morrison fights out of a headlock, only to get dumped over the top rope. Back in the ring, Morrison connects with a running knee strike, but it isn’t enough to get the pin. Priest drops Morrison onto his face and follows with kicks. Priest goes up top, but Miz jumps to the apron. The distractions allows Morrison to hit a Spanish Fly, but he can’t get the pin. Miz with another distraction, but it back fires as Morrison had Priest rolled up. Priest kicks out at one. Priest with the box strike and follows with Hit the Lights. Priest covers and gets the win.
Winner via pinfall: Damien Priest
Sheamus interrupts Mansoor, who was singing his WWE contract. Sheamus gives him the chance to answer the open challenge for the United States title; it will give the WWE Universe a chance to get to know him. Sheamus tells him to get ready.
MVP is with Kayla Braxton to discuss the main event. MVP doesn’t think this match should even be happening. Strowman wormed his way into the title match. MVP wouldn’t be surprised if Lashley teamed up with McIntyre to take out Strowman. He does want us to watch what Lashley is going to do to Strowman tonight.
Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin vs. Lucha House Party
Is it still a house party with only to luchadores? We join the match in progress, which is never a good thing. Lince Dorado hits Benjamin with a tornado DDT. He sends Alexander to the floor and Gran Metalik makes the tag. He goes up top and drops the elbow. He covers Benjamin to get the win.
Winners via pinfall: Lucha House Party
Cedric is big mad after the match. He is not please with their current situation. He blames Benjamin for getting fired from the Hurt Business, calling him the weak link. Cedric doesn’t want to waste the prime years of his career trying to keep Shelton’s afloat. Cedric quits the tag team.
Drew Gulak makes fun of Angel Garza and wants a match with him.
Kayla Braxton asks Shelton if he has a response to Cedric. He tells her he can take the hit, as he has seen many young superstars come and go. Alexander was in the Hurt Business on his recommendation. Benjamin will survive, while Cedric flames out.
Angel Garza vs. Drew Gulak
Garza throws his tear away pants at Gulak and takes him down with a drop kick. He pummels Drew and drops him with a butterfly back breaker. Garza with a drop kick, sending Gulak into the corner. He follows with a kick and hits the Wing Clipper. Garza covers and gets the pin.
Winner via pinfall: Angel Garza
After the match, Garza shoves a rose down Gulak’s trunks and stomps on it.
Riddle rolls up on the Viking Raiders wanting to know if they are Vikings or Raiders in the NFL. Riddle then rolls across Orton, who wants nothing to do with him right now. He knows he has to get serious, but he was honored to tag with him and they are undefeated. Orton points out it was only one match, but how about they go out and win another one. Orton has to calm Riddle down.
R-K-Bro vs. Elias and Jaxson Ryker
Orton kicks Elias at the bell and pummels him into the corner. Ryker tags in, taking the fight to Orton. Riddle tags in, locking in a Kimura armbar. Ryker slams him to the mat. Elias comes in, kneeing Riddle in the face. How follow with a suplex onto Ryker’s knee. Ryker follows with a slingshot suplex. Riddle kicks out at two. Orton looks for a tag, as Riddle is set up for a suplex. Riddle floats over and knees Ryker in the face. Orton get the hot tag, taking out Ryker, but Elias counters the draping DDT. Orton blocks Elias from slamming him into the announce table and instead suplex Elias onto it. Back in the ring, Orton hits Elias with a neck breaker. He sets up the draping DDT and tags Riddle. He drops Elias, as Riddle goes up top. Orton drops Ryker with an RKO as Riddle hits Elias with the Floating Bro. Riddle covers and gets the three count.
Winners via pinfall: R-K-Bro
Kayla Braxton wants Drew McIntyre’s perspective on the main event tonight. Drew doesn’t care as long as they beat the heck out of each other. Drew wants to know why Mace and T-Bar keep attacking him, but he asks what everyone is thinking. Why did the ditch the masks, but keep the stupid names.
Braun Strowman crashes the interview, telling Drew that he will walk out of Backlash with the title.
Sheamus (champion) vs. Mansoor (challenger) – United States Championship Match
Sheamus with a head lock takeover and then knocks Mansoor to the mat. Mansoor with a drop kick, but can only get a one count. Sheamus sets him on the top rope and punches him to the floor. The champ hit the ten beats on the apron and Mansoor hits the floor again. Sheamus picks him up and drops him across the security barrier. Mansoor just beats the ten count to get back in the ring.
Mansoor with a series of elbow strikes and drop kicks the champ in the knee. He hits a tornado DDT, but only gets a two count. Mansoor goes up top, but Sheamus chops him down. He drags Mansoor to the corner, looking for the Brogue kick. Out of nowhere Humberto Carrillo attacks with a drop kick. The the ref calls for the bell.
Winner via disqualification and still United States Champion: Sheamus
Sheamus recovers from the attack hitting Carrillo with a Brogue Kick and taking out Mansoor with a Brogue Kick too.
Alexa’s Playground
Alexa and Lilly love to play hide an seek, but Lilly tends to get her hands dirty. Wherever she goes, trouble seems to follow. Someone has caught Lilly’s eye, but Alexa can’t tell us who yet.
Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler (champions) w/Reginald vs. Naomi and Lana (challengers) – Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
Naomi dodges a leg drop form Jax and hits Baszler with an enziguri. Lana tags in and hits a cross body splash. Lana with a snap suplex and covers, but Shayna kicks out. Naomi drops kicks Jax on the apron. Shayna is hit with the double face buster. Jax yanks Naomi out of the ring. Reginald distracts the ref as Lana makes the covers. Baszler kicks out and locks Lana in the Kirifuda Clutch. Lana taps out.
Winners via submission and still Women’s Tag Team Champions: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax
MVP hypes up the main event back stage.
Bobby Lashley w/MVP vs. Braun Strowman
The two men lock up. Strowman shrugs of a shoulder block. He counters a spear, smashing Lashley into the mat. Strowman looks for a suplex, but Lashley floats over. Strowman clothesline him out of the ring. Lashley rolls back into the ring, only to get splashed in the corner. Strowman fights off the Hurt lock and clubs Lashley to the mat, when Drew McIntyre walks down to the ring. Strowman confronts Drew, only to have Lashley attack from behind. Bobby wants a fist bump from Drew as we go to commercial.
After the break, Drew is on commentary. Lashley leaps frogs Braun and knocks him to the mat. Lashley drives Strowman shoulder first into the ring post. He then spears Braun in the corner. Lashley decks Strowman in the corner and Braun goes limp. Lashley pounds on Braun, who counters with an electric chair out of the corner. Strowman crushes Lashley in the corner and then tosses him across the ring. Lashley wants the Hurt Lock, but Strowman is too big. Braun with a suplex that sends Bobby to the floor. The Strowman Express leaves the station, but Lashley diverts him into Drew McIntyre. Drew is none to happy and yells at Strowman. Lashley hits a distracted Strowman with a spear and covers to get the win.
Winner via pinfall: Bobby Lashley
After the bell, McIntyre hits Lashley with a Claymore kick. He waits for Braun to get to his feet and Claymore kicks him.
Monday Night RAW 5/3/2021
The ThunderDome at Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
After not featuring much wrestling last week, RAW pumped out 9 matches tonight. They weren’t all five star classics, but it’s better then people standing around talking. Unfortunately, the women’s title picture is straight up copying the men’s storyline with Charlotte forcing her way into the title match to make it a triple threat. At least the RAW tag team champs were on the show tonight defending the belts.
