It’s Monday night and we all know what that means, it is time for Monday Night Raw! Tonight’s show included more Money in the Bank qualifiers, MizTV with special guest Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins will be making his first World Heavyweight Championship defence against Damian Priest.

The World Champion, Rollins actually opened the show with some words and he welcomed us all to Monday Night Rollins! He said over the last week he was thinking to himself when was the last time there was a World Championship match on Raw, and it has been nearly two years since the last. That was way too long according to Rollins and that is why he is having this open challenge against Damian Priest tonight.

Rollins is psyched about this match, he wants to fight all the time and fight the best, and he said Judgement Day is as good as it gets. However, as good as they are, he said they are not as good as him. Priest then made his way out alongside Finn Bálor, but Rollins said the fact he brought Bálor with him makes him take Priest less seriously.

Bálor then said he understands everyone loves Rollins, but nobody is going to be happy when Priest takes the title later tonight. Priest then acknowledged that Rollins is a deserving champion and that he is very brave for having this open challenge. He then said he does not need J-Day to beat Rollins, but Rollins said without J-Day he does not stand a chance and he doesn’t have the confidence to come into the main event alone. However, Priest accepted Rollins’ offer and said he will take him on for the title without J-Day.

Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville at WWE Monday Night Raw, at XL Center, in Hartford, CT, on Monday, June 5, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com   MORE PHOTOS IN OUR RAW GALLERY

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Becky Lynch vs. Sonya Deville

Deville had Chelsea Green in her corner for this bout and that distraction was helping Deville out early to beat down Lynch. However, Lynch quickly got herself back into it and hit Deville with a Bex-ploder. Out from the back then came Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark, more distractions for Lynch.

Following a commercial break, Deville hit Lynch with a superlex and then Green got a shot in on Lynch due to a referee distraction. Lynch then finally had enough and began beating the hell out of both Green and Deville by throwing them both into the barricade repeatedly. Lynch officially qualified for Money in the Bank after hitting Deville with the Manhandle Slam.

Winner: Becky Lynch

WWE then aired The Bloodline segment from this past Friday’s Smackdown, where Roman Reigns was given his new title and Solo Sikoa attacked Jimmy Uso. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were then giving their opinion on The Bloodline’s issues, but they were then interrupted by Imperium. After some back and forth we are now having Owens against the Intercontinental Champion, Gunther.

Kevin Owens Vs. Gunther at WWE Monday Night Raw, at XL Center, in Hartford, CT, on Monday, June 5, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com  MORE PHOTOS IN OUR RAW GALLERY

Kevin Owens vs. Gunther

Owens and Gunther got this bout started with some stiff strikes and chope, but Gunther capped that off with a big boot followed by a German suplex. The fight then spilled outside the ring and Gunther launched Owens’ neck into the barricade and followed that with a side suplex on the apron. Gunther was all over Owens and he was connecting with some very brutal boots to the head.

Owens was trying to get back into the match, he hit a German suplex, three super kicks and then a cannonball. That offensive flurry was followed by a fisherman buster from Owens and he then made the mistake of going to the top rope. Gunther met him up there and suplexed him off the top rope, but then Gunther went to the top rope and Owens got his knees up on the dive. Owens then went back to the top and hit a Swanton bomb.

Outside the ring, the rest of Imperium started brawling with Sami Zayn and Owens then got involved to hit Kaiser with a stunner. Owens made the mistake of turning his back on Gunther and he got rolled up.

Winner: Gunther

Matt Riddle was then backstage talking about Gunther when Kaiser and Vinci of Imperium tried to attack him. However, Riddle snapped and he threw Kaiser before locking Vinci into a brutal ankle lock.

The new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler were given a chance to talk backstage. However, they were interrupted by the newest Raw tag team, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter who challenged them to a match.

Katana Chance & Kayden Carter at WWE Monday Night Raw, at XL Center, in Hartford, CT, on Monday, June 5, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com  MORE PHOTOS IN OUR RAW GALLERY

Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter

Carter started the match against Baszler and the newest team’s speed was outworking Baszler, so she quickly tagged in Rousey. She responded by trying to lock Chance in an arm bar over the top rope, but Carter kicked Rousey in the face. Carter then leaped from the top rope taking Baszler out with a crossbody and Chance hit Rousey with a corkscrew crossbody over the top rope.

The tag champs did start to get in their groove, but Chance then got Carter back in the match with the hot tag. Carter and Chance were then able to hit Rousey with the Afterparty, a neck breaker and 450 splash combination, but Baszler broke up the pin. Baszler then got back in the match, hit Carter with a side suplex and then choked her out to get the victory. The champs may have won, but they were not the most impressive team in this match.

Winners: Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler

Ricochet vs. Shinsuke NakamuraBoth these men have already earned their spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match and tonight they were trying to earn some momentum heading into the big match. Ricochet got the match going very quickly hitting Nakamura with a twisting tope. After a commercial break, Ricochet hit a springboard clothesline and then a standing shooting star press.

Nakamura kickstarted his comeback with a knee to Ricochet’s mid-section and then a sliding German suplex. He was then looking for a Kinshasa, but Ricochet cut him off with a bicycle knee and then hit a Recoil. Both men then ended up on the top rope just as Bronson Reed ran into the ring and attacked both men forcing a double disqualification. Reed destroyed both of them and then hit Ricochet with a Tsunami.

Winner: Draw

Bronson Reed interferes during Ricochet Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at WWE Monday Night Raw, at XL Center, in Hartford, CT, on Monday, June 5, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com  MORE PHOTOS IN OUR RAW GALLERY

MizTV with special guest Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes is still in a cast due to his broken arm and tonight he was joining The Miz on MizTV. Miz wasted no time asking Cody why he made the stupid decision to fight Brock Lesnar with a broken arm and then call him out once again. Cody said it may have been stupid, but it took a lot of balls and he is not worried about Lesnar right now since he is in his yearly hibernation.

Miz then said he has a surprise for Cody and it is another second-generation superstar who is constantly overcoming the odds…Dominik Mysterio. Dom-Dom made his way out with Mami by his side, and Dom was trying to talk but it was impossible to hear him over the boos. He has astronomical heat, but I was able to hear him tell Cody that he is just a bird with a broken wing. Dom also said the reason Cody continues to work with his broken arm is because he is a bad father, a deadbeat dad just like Rey Mysterio.

Cody then interjected saying Dom thinks he’s tough because he spent 15 minutes in jail, he then said people make a lot of mistakes and he knows Rey made some because he is looking at one. Dom then smacked Cody across the face before running to hide behind Ripley, who shielded Dom from Cody. Dom-Dom and Mami then retreated to the back, so Cody knocked Miz out with his cast. I know Cody will not forget this and I expect a bout between Dom and Cody in the near future.

Natalya in a Money at WWE Monday Night Raw, at XL Center, in Hartford, CT, on Monday, June 5, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com  MORE PHOTOS IN OUR RAW GALLERY

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Zoey Stark w/Trish Stratus vs. Natalya

Stark and Natalya started the match with some chain wrestling, but Stark then hit her with a superkick. Natalya was able to come back hitting a German suplex on Stark, but then Stratus got involved by hitting Natalya. This allowed Stark to hit Natalya with the Z360 to get the win.

Winner: Zoey Stark

Paul Heyman was now backstage to announce that this Friday on Smackdown Jey Uso will be forced to make his decision between joining Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman or Jimmy Uso.

Inus Sher (Veer Mahaan & Sanga) with Jinder Mahal at WWE Monday Night Raw, at XL Center, in Hartford, CT, on Monday, June 5, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com  MORE PHOTOS IN OUR RAW GALLERY

Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin vs. Indus Sher w/Jinder Mahal

Indus Sher wasted no time and attacked Alexander and Benjamin before the bell, they knocked Benjamin outside the ring and then dropped Alexander with two assisted elbow drops. This match was never able to start, but Indus Sher looked stronger than ever.

Winners: No Contest

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Seth Rollins (C) vs. Damian Priest

And Still. Credit: WWE

This is Rollins’ first defence of his World title and this match was off to an electric start, Rollins leg dropped Priest across the ropes and then hit him with a running knee of the apron. Rollins then threw Priest into the ring post and he was hoping to leap off the barricade, but Priest caught him in mid-air with an uppercut.

Priest was now laying into Rollins, hitting him with a superkick and then locking him into a few different holds. Rollins started his comeback with an enzigiri, a kick to the midsection and then three big lariats. He then went for a frog splash, but Priest moved out of the way and quickly hit a big kick.

Later in the match, Rollins attempted a suicide dive, but he was caught by Priest and then dropped with a flat liner face-first into the announce table. After a commercial break, Rollins hit Priest with a superplex into a Falcon arrow combination. Rollins then proceeded to hit Priest with three straight suicide dives and the last one sent him flying over the announce table.

Back in the ring, Rollins hit a superkick followed by a frog splash, but Priest then hit a few kicks and drove Rollins’ head into the mat. He then hit a spinning kick and followed that with an avalanche hurricanrana, but Rollins didn’t stay down and hit Priest with a Pedigree. Both men now ended up on the apron and Rollins buckle-bombed Priest into the barricade, but then out came Finn Bálor. Rollins super kicked Bálor, but when he got back in the ring he was hit with South of Heaven. Priest was then looking for a Razor’s Edge, but Rollins wiggled out and then hit Priest with The Stomp to get the win and retain the gold.

After the match, Bálor got in the ring and went face-to-face with Rollins seemingly making himself the next challenger for Rollins’ title.

Winner: Still World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins

TOP PHOTO: Finn Balor gets in the face of the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at WWE Monday Night Raw, at XL Center, in Hartford, CT, on Monday, June 5, 2023. Photo by George Tahinos, https://georgetahinos.smugmug.com

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