Tonight is the final Monday Night RAW before the most unique Money in the Bank ladder match in WWE history. If you haven’t been watching, Sunday’s Money in the Bank ladder match will feature both the men and women competing at the same time. But wait, there’s more. They will also be fighting inside WWE headquarters trying to literally climb the corporate ladder to the roof, where rings will be waiting with the briefcases suspended above them.
We kick thing off with the VIP Lounge, even though last week things went sideways in the lounge. This week MVP is going host the Money in the Bank woman entrants, Asuka, Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax. The three women spell out why they will win, although I’m pretty sure Asuka is more concerned with getting justice for Kairi Sane. Baszler and Asuka take out Jax, kicking her out of the ring, and turn on each other, before MVP breaks things up.
May has been a rough month all ready, first murder hornets (MURDER HORNETS!?!!) and now Apollo Crews is out of the Money in the Bank with a knee injury. The good news is that Apollo’s replacement will be decided via a gauntlet match.
Match #1 – Titus O’Neal vs. Bobby Lashley – Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match
Lashley hits an early spear and down goes Titus. Bobby covers and gets the pin.
Eliminated via pinfall: Titus O’Neal
Akira Tozawa vs. Bobby Lashley – Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match
Lashley spears Tozawa almost right away and covers to eliminated him.
Eliminated via pinfall: Akira Tozawa
Shelton Benjamin vs. Bobby Lashley – Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match
Lashley doesn’t even let Benjamin get in the ring, but Shelton is able to hit a blockbuster from the apron. A low bridge sends Bobby to the floor. Lashley slams Shelton into the barricade. In the ring, Benjamin leap frogs a spear, but Lashley dials up another one and connects. Benjamin gets pinned and eliminated.
Eliminated via pinfall: Shelton Benjamin
Humberto Carrillo vs. Bobby Lashley – Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match
Carrillo with a kick in the corner and follows with a missile drop kick. A near fall follows a moonsault. Lashley catches Carrillo on the top turnbuckle and tosses him across the ring. HE smashes Humberto in the corner. Lashley beats on Humberto in the corner, shoving the referee aside, ignoring the five count. The ref calls for the bell, disqualifying Lashley.
Eliminated via disqualification: Bobby Lashley
Angel Garza w/Zelina Vega vs. Humberto Carrillo – Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match
Before leaving the ring, Lashley spears Carrillo in the middle of the ring. Garza with a back suplex and follows with a superkick. Backstage, Lashley isn’t happy with Lana telling him she should have been at ringside. Garza runs into a boot and Carrillo with a hurricanrana. Garza blocks a standing moonsault and locks in a camel clutch. Garza with a moonsault from the middle rope, but still can’t get the pin. Angel sets up the wing clipper, but Carrillo goes up and over and rolls up Garza for the pin.
Eliminated via pinfall: Angel Garza
Austin Theory vs. Humberto Carrillo – Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match
Theory stomps Humberto in the middle of the ring. Carrillo thinks he has an opening, but Theory slams the door shut with a low drop kick. Carrillo with a spin kick to the mid-section, but gets punched out of mid-air attempted a cross body. Carrillo is set up on the top turnbuckle and Theory takes him to the mat with a superplex. Carrillo reverses the pin and gets the three count.
Eliminated via pinfall: Austin Theory
AJ Styles vs. Humberto Carrillo – Money in the Bank Qualifying Gauntlet Match
AJ Styles is back and he’s on RAW! Styles strikes Carrillo in the mid-section. Styles locks in an abdominal stretch. Carrillo is whipped into the corner. Styles hits a dragon screw leg whip. Carrillo blocks another leg whip and counters with a DDT. He follows with an enzuigiri and ducks a back fist. Carrillo answers with a kick to the head. Styles goes up top, but gets caught on the moonsault. Carrillo with an inside cradle, but Styles kicks out. Styles with a pump handled gut buster and locks in the calf crusher. Humberto taps out.
Winner via submission: AJ Styles
After the match, Styles continues to punish Carrillo, slamming his legs into the ring post. Styles grabs a microphone to assure us that he isn’t a zombie or a ghost after getting buried alive at WrestleMania. Styles doesn’t care. He hasn’t lost anything and he will do anything to get that Money in the Bank.
Seth Rollins joins Charly Caruso in the ring for a sit-down interview. She asks him about his disciple, Murphy, facing Drew McIntyre, tonight. Seth says whatever is meant to be is meant to be, but he has confidence in Murphy. Rollins calls Drew a dominate champion, but he is not a leader. This isn’t his destiny. It his Seth’s. He is ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Rollins pontificates about his destiny and the championship.
MVP approaches Shane Thorne and Brendan Vink to give out some words of encouragement. Thorne points out that he is ripping off the speech from Miracle.
Backstage, Charly Caruso grabs a word with Murphy, wanting to know why he is so loyal to Seth Rollins. Murphy credits Seth for taking him under his wing when they both needed each other.
Match #2 – Brendon Vink and Shane Thorne vs. Ricochet and Cedric Alexander
Vink tosses Alexander into the corner. Thorne tags in only to get doubled teamed. Ricochet and Alexander work him over. Vink distract Cedric and gets kicked in the face, but it allows Throne to blast him off the apron. Alexander is bounced off the ropes, but lands a kick to the temple. Ricochet gets the tag and fends off both Throne and Vink. He yanks Thorne off the top turnbuckle with a hurricanrana. Alexander tags in, connecting with a tornado DDT. Vink breaks up the pin. Ricochet tags in, but Vink fights away from Alexander. Ricochet with a super kick to Vink. Thorn with a cannonball to Alexander. Ricochet kicks Thorne out of the ring, only to eat a big boot from Vink. He covers Ricochet and gets the win.
Winners via pinfall: Brendon Vink and Shane Thorne
Match #3 – The Viking Raider vs. The Street Profits (
Erik misses an early strike as Ford dodges and leaps to avoid him. Erik takes out Dawkins on the apron. Ford beats him into the corner. Ford chases Ivar off the apron, who runs around the ring to kick Dawkins. Erik is able to slam Ford and then knee him in the face. Ivar tags in, as Erik hits a power bomb. Ivar follows with a splash from the top turnbuckle. Ford kicks out.
Ford takes the double knees to the chest and Erik is slammed onto him. Ford kicks out, again. Erik shoulders him into the corner. Ford goes up and over and gets the hot tag to Dawkins. Angelo hits Erik with an exploder and follows with a bulldog. Erik is yanked out of the ring, but catches Erik attempting a suicide dive. We go to commercial.
After the break, Ford tag in, connection on a drop kick. Ivar with a clothesline to Ford and then flattens Dawkins in the corner with a cannonball. Erik with an alligator roll and picks up Dawkins. Angelo counters with a gut wrench suplex. Ford gets the hot tag. He meets Ivar in the middle of the ring with strikes and kick to the neck. Ford can’t pick him up though. Dawkins makes a blind tag and Ivar gets a double suplex. Ford is dropped onto him, but can’t get the pin. Ivar busts through a double clothesline and hits them with a back elbow. Ford takes a back breaker. Dawkins breaks up the Viking Experience, allowing Ford to hit Ivar with a DDT. Dawkins tags in, hitting Ivar with a spinebuster. Ford with a frog splash and covers. Erik breaks up the pin with a knee to the head. Ford is dropped out of the ring. Dawkins is hit with the Viking Experience. Erik covers and gets the pin to win the RAW Tag Team titles.
Winners via pinfall: The Viking Raiders
Charly Caruso catches up with Drew McIntyre who responds to Murphy’s comments. He calls Murphy very confused and that’s who Seth likes to prey upon. If Murphy is willing to be sacrificed, who is Drew to deny that.
After the commercials, the Viking Raiders call out their dominance over the Street Profits. They extinguished the smoke.
Aleister Black wants to know what it felt like to be buried six feet under, calling out AJ Styles. Black wants AJ to know if he gets thrown off the building, Styles better pray that he doesn’t get back up.
Rey Mysterio gets his turn to cut a promo for his Money in the Bank ladder match. He is going all out, because he doesn’t how many championship opportunities he has left. Rey says the risk is worth the reward.
NXT Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair makes her way to the ring. She calls herself the hardest working woman in any industry, pulling double duty working on Mondays and Wednesdays. She addresses Io Shairi, who called Flair her dream opponent. Flair will make her bow down to the queen. Liv Morgan interrupts, calling out Flair and getting herself a match.
Match #4 – Liv Morgan vs. Charlotte Flair
Morgan blocks a turnbuckle smash, but Flair just kicks her. Morgan with a drop kick and a hurricanrana. Flair comes out of the corner with a clothesline. Morgan with a drop kick out of the corner. Flair whips her into the corner and puts the boots to her. Flair repeatedly slams Morgan’s head into the mat. Liv ducks a back elbow and sends Flair into the mat. She stomps Flair in the corner, but can’t get the pin. Morgan looks for a sunset flip, but Flair just stomps on her. Morgan with a jaw breaker and connects with double knees to the face. Flair catches Morgan and power bombs her. Flair catches Liv coming off the top rope and locks in a Boston Crab. Morgan is able to drag herself to the bottom rope too break the hold. Charlotte with a back breaker, but gets caught up top. Morgan drops her with double knees, but still can’t get the pin. Flair counters Oblivion and locks in the figure four. She bridges into the Figure Eight and Morgan taps out.
Winner via submission: Charlotte Flair
Match #5 – Drew McIntyre vs. Murphy W/Seth Rollins
The fight spills to floor and Murphy is beaten all around the ring as Seth watches from the stage. Drew launches Murphy over the barrier onto the concrete floor. Murphy tries to fight back, and does shove the champ into the ring post. Murphy with a meteora in the ring, but can’t get the pin. McIntyre puts Murphy down with the Glasgow kiss head butt. McIntyre goes up to the top turnbuckle and deliver a clubbing forearm. Drew climbs the turnbuckle with Murphy on his shoulders. Murphy breaks free and is able to power bomb McIntyre out of the corner. Murphy starts to count, but instead runs right into a Claymore kick. McIntyre covers and gets the three count.
Winner via pinfall: Drew McIntyre
Rollins makes his way to the ring and Drew wants to fight. Rollins walks away. McIntyre poses in the ring and doesn’t see Seth double back. Rollins nails a superkick and berates McIntyre. Seth goes for the stomp, but Drew catches him. He looks for the Claymore, but Seth is able to escape the ring.
