The May 7th, 2018 edition of WWE RAW took place at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, and was the first episode after Sunday’s Backlash pay-per-view.
– Michael Cole welcomes us to the Nassau Coliseum, and he’s joined by Corey Graves and Jonathan Coachman at the broadcast table.
– RAW GM Kurt Angle comes out to kick off the show. Ladders are set up around the stage to promote the upcoming Money In The Bank pay-per-view. Angle steps in the ring and gets on the mic, and he confirms that there will be a men’s ladder match and women’s ladder match at Money In The Bank this year. Angle says RAW will decide their Money In The Bank combatants in the ring, with two qualifying matches tonight. Braun Strowman comes out to interrupt.
Strowman gets on the mic and tells a story about not being allowed in a neighborhood treehouse when he was a kid, so he destroyed it. Angle says Braun has been on a roll lately and deserves a shot at Money In The Bank. Kevin Owens comes out to interrupt, and says he’s the one who deserves the spot. He says he’s already the RAW MVP, and rants about being more deserving than Braun. Angle starts going back and forth with Owens, but Braun interrupts and says the only thing Owens deserves is to get these hands. This leads to Angle booking Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens tonight in a MITB qualifying match, and that match starts right now. Angle’s music hits and the fans chant “You Suck” as the Olympic gold medalist heads to the back.
– Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens: The winner of this match will get a spot in the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match. The opening bell sounds and Owens unloads with strikes on Strowman to start off. Strowman grabs Owens and tosses him across the ring, knocking down the ref in the process. Owens tries to fight back, but Braun beats him down all over the ring. Braun throws Owens outside, and Owens hops over the barricade to try to escape. Braun brings Owens back to the ringside area, but Owens drops him on the floor with a tornado DDT. Strowman misses a shot in the corner and crashes into the ring post, and he doesn’t get back in the ring until the ref’s 8 count. Owens is waiting for Braun in the ring and unloads on him, and the fight spills back out to ringside. Braun hits Owens with a big running shoulder tackle into the fan barricade, and the back of Owens’ head hits the top of the barricade. Braun takes Owens back in the ring and hits the running powerslam for the three count.
Winner: Braun Strowman
– Strowman poses after the match and gets a pop from the New York crowd. Cole explains on commentary that Strowman now has a shot at the Money In The Bank ladder match, and if he goes on to win that, he gets a Title shot whenever he wants.
– We see a shot of the outside of the Nassau Coliseum as the sun sets and the flags blow in the wind.
– Roman Reigns is backstage for an interview. Reigns tells Mike Rome that he’s pissed off and he’s going to go take control of his yard. Reigns says he will mow down anyone in his way of getting back what’s his: The WWE Universal Title.
– Michael Cole introduces some pre-taped video promos from Bayley and Breezango talking about Money In The Bank.
– Kurt Angle is backstage looking at Goldust with a confused look on his face. Goldust breathes at him, and quotes “Million Dollar Baby” before telling Kurt he needs a shot at Money In The Bank. Jinder Mahal interrupts with Sunil Singh and complains that he’s not getting enough opportunity. Jinder says Reigns is getting opportunity after opportunity, while The Modern Day Maharaja gets none. Angle points out that Jinder hasn’t won a match since he came to RAW, and tells Jinder to get ready for his match. Kurt says if Jinder puts on a good show against Chad Gable tonight, he’ll consider giving Jinder a shot at MITB. Jinder walks off, and Goldust quotes another movie to Kurt before getting in his face again then walking off.
– Apollo Crews, Titus O’Neil & No Way Jose vs. Baron Corbin & The Revival: Titus and Wilder start off, and Titus throttles him into the corner. Crews quickly tags in and they double team Wilder. Wilder backs Crews into the corner and tags in Dawson. The Revival double teams Crews, and then Corbin tags in for anther double team on Crews. Corbin takes Crews outside now and throws him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Dawson tags in and continues the beat down on Crews. Crews starts to fight back, but Corbin tags back in now and drops him. Corbin drops Titus off the apron now, and Crews nails Corbin with a kick to the head. Jose and Dawson tag in now, and Jose clears the ring. Jose hits a splash in the corner on Dawson and then a Samoan Drop for a two count. Everyone hits the ring now, and when the dust settles it’s back down to Dawson and Jose fighting by the ropes. Corbin gets the blind tag as Jose continues to beat on Dawson. Corbin comes in and grabs Jose from behind, then hits the End of Days for the three count.
Winners: Baron Corbin & The Revival
– Sasha Banks vs. Ember Moon vs. Ruby Riott: This one is a qualifying match for the women’s MITB match. The opening bell sounds and Ruby gets dumped outside early on. Ruby regroups with Logan and Morgan at ringside, as Sasha and Ember go at it in the ring. Sasha and Ember go back and forth competitively until Ruby sees her opportunity and hits the ring again. Ruby drops Sasha and dumps her outside, then starts working over Ember. Sasha comes back in the ring and starts firing up until Ruby hits a double DDT move on both Sasha and Ember. Ruby throws Sasha back outside and then beats down Ember and tries keep her grounded. Ember stuns Ruby with a jaw breaker, and then Sasha runs in and cleans house. Ember ducks a clothesline and comes back with a springboard cross body on Sasha for a two count. Ember drops Ruby, and then suplexes Sasha. Ember dropkicks Ruby off the apron, which leads to Sasha hitting knee strikes on Ember. Sasha drops Ember, then Sasha hits a suicide dive onto Logan and Morgan at ringside. Ruby hits a missile dropkick off the apron on Sasha on the floor, and then Ember hits a suicide dive onto Ruby at ringside. Ember takes Ruby back in the ring for a two count. The Riott Squad briefly causes a distraction, and it comes down to Sasha and Ruby fighting on the corner. Ruby hits a Frankensteiner on Sasha off the top, but Sasha rolls through into a pin. Logan and Morgan hit the ring now and start beating on Sasha and they drag her out to ringside, as Michael Cole points out that this is a No DQ match. Bayley runs in to even the odds, but Logan and Morgan drop Bayley too. Bayley comes back and drops Logan and Morgan, then Sasha makes her way back in the ring. Ruby starts beating on Sasha now until Ember Moon comes out of nowhere and hits the Eclipse on Ruby. Ember pins Ruby for the three count.
Winner: Ember Moon
– Ember Moon has now earned her spot at Money In The Bank. She celebrates her win as the other women all recover at ringside.
– Backstage, Ember Moon does an interview about proving her doubters wrong. She says we welcomes all challenges and she’s going to grab the Money In The Bank contract.
– Michael Cole introduces a video package about Bobby Lashley. We see old footage of Bobby Lashley’s amateur wrestling career as a child and then as a Champion. It covers Lashley enlisting in the military and also joining their wrestling team. It mentions Lashley getting an Olympic try-out, but injuring his knee and not being able to. We see footage from Lashley signing with WWE and then winning championships and headlining WrestleMania. We see some still photos of Lashleys professional MMA fights, where he has a 15-2 record. We fast forward to Lashley’s recent return to WWE after 10 years.
– We then go to a pre-taped interviw with Renee Young and Bobby Lashley. Lashley tells some stories about his childhood and growing up with his sisters. At the end of the interview, Lashley looks into the camera and says he wants to tell his sisters he loves them.
– Sami Zayn is backstage in the locker room telling Kevin Owens that it seems like there’s a conspiracy against them. Kevin Owens seems bummed out about his loss to Strowman tonight, and he storms off. Sami looks frustrated and it appears there’s some tension between Owens and Zayn.
– Jinder Mahal vs. Chad Gable: The opening bell sounds and they go at it right away. Jinder dumps Gable out to ringside early on. Jinder follows him outside and slams Chad’s head onto the ring apron repeatedly. Back in the ring, Jinder locks in a bear hug, but Gable fights out. Gabel starts throwing punches, but Jinder tackles him down and then applies an abdominal stretch. Gable fights out and drops Jinder, then hits a moonsault off the top for a two count. Gable misses a shot and Jinder capitlizes with a knee to the face. Jinder picks up Gable, but Gable escapes and rolls up Jinder for a two count. Jinder chokes Gable over the top rope, then boots him in the face. Jinder hits the Khallas for the three count.
Winner: Jinder Mahal
– Sunil Singh gets in the ring and celebrates the win with Jinder. Sunil gets in Gable’s face, and Gable shoves him down. Jinder comes over and puts the boots to Gable, then slams him upside down in the corner. Jinder grabs Gable and hits repeated knee strikes to the body, then Jinder suplexes Gable over the top rope. Jinder kicks Gable out of the ring and yells at the crowd.
– We see a pre-taped promo from Alexa Bliss about wanting to rise to the top of the women’s division again. The crowd is heard chanting “asshole” as she talks. We also see a pre-taped promo from the Ascension about their intentions to turn the RAW tag division into “the waste land.”
– Zack Ryder approaches Kurt Angle backstage, and tells Kurt he wants to qualify for the MITB ladder match tonight here in his home town. Jinder Mahal storms in with Sunil Singh by his side. Jinder asks if Kurt saw what he just did, and tells Kurt to add him to the other MITB qualifying match tonight. Kurt tells him “woo, woo, woo, no, bro,” and Jinder walks off fuming. Ryder and Angle share an awkward fist bump, and they laugh.
– Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre vs. Rhyno & Heath Slater: Rhyno and Ziggler start this one off. Ziggler slaps Rhyno across the chest, and Rhyno drops him. Slater tags in and they double team Ziggle. Heath hits a big right hand on Ziggler, and then he attempts a suplex, but Dolph escapes. Drew tags in and trades punches with Slater. Slater starts firing up, but Drew shuts him down with a big boot. Drew chops Slater, then hangs him upside-down over the ropes and Ziggler superkicks Slater from the floor. Ziggler knocks Rhyno out to the floor, and then they hit a double-team Zig Zag/Claymore on Slater for the three count.
Winners: Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
– Ziggler and McIntyre leave the ring and head to the back. We see Elias backstage warming up his guitar and getting ready to come out.
– We see a Progressive auto insurance commercial featuring Titus falling under the ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble.
– Elias is in the ring for a song. Elias leads the crowd in a “walk with Elias” chant, and says he’s on a different world from the rest of the RAW roster. He complains about being interrupted last night, and then he trashes Bobby Roode and Long Island. Elias says he will rip apart Roode’s vocal cords if he interrupts him again, and then he’ll go win the Money In The Bank ladder match. The crowd chants “Rusev Day” at Elias, and Elias tells them to shut their mouths, silence their cell phones, and hold their applause so he can sing. Elias sings about Long Island, and then Bobby Roode comes out to interrupt.
– Bobby Roode vs. Elias: The winner of this one earns a spot in the MITB ladder match. Roode starts off strong and drops Elias with a running forearm shot to the face. Roode goes up top and hits a flying clothesline. Roode waits for Elias to get up, then he boots him in the head and sends Elias rolling outside for a breather on the floor. Back in the ring Roode continues the offense and he looks for a shot off the top rope, but Elias blocks it and drops Roode. Elias puts the boots to Roode now on the mat, and then slams him down for a two count. Roode starts coming back with strikes to Elias, but Elias shuts him down with a shot in the corner. Roode escapes a slam attempt, and he hits a spinebuster on Elias for a two count. Roode hits a running clothesline in the corner, but then Elias comes back with a backbreaker for a two count. Elias pulls the padding off a turnbuckle and goes to throw Roode into it, but Roode blocks it and fights back. They trade punches in the middle of the ring until Elias drops Roode with a forearm to the face. Elias talks trash and looks for a suplex, but Roode reverses into the Glorious DDT for the three count.
Winner: Bobby Roode
– Roode’s hand gets raised after the match, and Elias rolls out to ringside and retreats up the ramp. Roode does an interview in the ring where he says he wants a shot at the MITB ladder match. Roode things after his win over Elias, he hopes he’s next in line for an MITB opportunity, because winning that would be absolutely glorious.
– Coming up: Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor in a Money In The Bank qualifying match.
– Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins is backstage walking towards the gorilla position.
– Seth Rollins comes out to the ring and talks about his win over The Miz last night. Rollins says if there’s something he can learn from The Miz, it’s how not to be IC Champion, because Rollins wants to be a fighting champion. Rollins says he’ll defend his IC Title any time, and he issues an open challenge to anyone in the back. Mojo Rawley’s music hits, and Mojo comes out to accept the challenge. Mojo says he’s going to knock down Rollins just like he knocked down Zack Ryder. Mojo hits the ring, and Jojo does the official ring introductions.
– Seth Rollins (c) vs. Mojo Rawley: Rollins’ IC Title is on the line in this one. The opening bell sounds and Mojo starts off strong. Rollins dumps Mojo outside, but Rollins misses the suicide dive and Mojo drops him. Mojo then tackles Rollins into the fan barricade, and Rollins goes down hard. Mojo takes Rollins back in the ring and continues the beat down. Rollins finally comes back with an enziguri, then he clotheslines Mojo to the outside. Rollins follows up with a suicide dive on Mojo, and then he gets back in the ring and hits another one. Rollins takes Mojo back in the ring and hits a Blockbuster off the middle rope for a two count. Rollins misses a shot and Mojo capitlizes with a big spinebuster on the Champion. Mojo picks up Seth, but Rollins fights out with elbows to the face. Rollins drops Mojo then boots him in the face for a two count. It looks like Rollins wants to curb stomp, but Mojo stops him and slams him down for a two count. Mojo can’t believe he didn’t get the three, and he gets in the ref’s face. Mojo throws Rollins off the ropes and hits a big tackle. Mojo talks some trash, and Rollins comes back with a kick and a knee to the face. Rollins stomps Mojo’s face into the mat, then covers for the three count.
Winner & still Intercontinental Champion: Seth Rollins
– Rollins celebrates in the ring with his IC Title belt as we go to replays.
– We see a pre-taped promo from Finn Balor about his match tonight to qualify for the MITB ladder match.
– Michael Cole introduces a pre-taped interview from Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, who say wrestling is in their DNA, and they’re going to beat the RAW Tag Champs tonight to prove they’re more than The Miz’s supporting actors.
– Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel vs. Bray Wyatt & Matt Hardy: Wyatt and his brother Bo start off, but they don’t lock up. Axel tags in and Wyatt goes right for him and drops him. Matt tags in and they double team Curtis. Matt and Axel start brawling back and forth now until Dallas tags in and they double team Hardy. Dallas continues the offense on Hardy and keeps the Wroken one grounded. Bo misses a shot and Hardy capitalizes with the Side Effect. Wyatt and Axel tag in and Wyatt drops him. Wyatt taunts Axel and looks for the Sister Abigail, but Bo runs in. Wyatt boots Bo out of the ring, and Cole calls it brotherly love. Axel takes advantage of the distraction with a shot on Bray. Axel goes to the middle rope, but Wyatt catches him an drops him. Matt tags in and they hit a double-team Sister Abigail on Axel for the three count.
Winners: Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
– Matt and Bray pose with their Tag Title belts after the match.
– We see pre-taped promos from Natalya and Baron Corbin with their comments about the upcoming Money In The Bank contract opportunity.
– Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn: This one is a qualifying match for the Money In The Bank ladder match, and is a No DQ match. Sami talks trash to both Roman and Finn after the bel rings, and Roman decks him with a right hand. Sami rolls out of the ring, and Reigns and Balor start going at it on the mat now. Reigns starts off strong with right hands and headbutts, but Balor stuns him with a dropkick. Reigns punches Balor onto the apron and Finn falls outside. Sami runs in the ring again, but Reigns drops him with a right hands too. Sami rolls back outside and the Big Dog stands tall in the ring. Balor gets back in the ring and starts working over Reigns, and he decks him with a dropkick. Sami gets back in and starts beating on Balor now. Reigns gets up and clotheslines Sami down, then throws Balor into the corner and hits some strikes on him. Reigns hits running big boot on Sami, and then a Samoan drop on Balor. Balor and Zayn surrounded Reigns now, and they double team the Big Dog. Balor and Zayn both stomp on Reigns as the crowd chants “Yes” and cheers. They clothesline Reigns outside, then they follow him down to the floor. Sami and Finn take turns beating on Reigns on the floor, and the fight spills out into the crowd. Reigns starts fighting back with right hands on both his opponents, but Zayn comes back with a big boot on Reigns, and Reigns falls into some production quipment on the floor. Balor hops up on a platform and hits the Coup De Grace on Reigsn on the concrete floor. Zayn then turns on Finn and drops him on the floor, and then throws him back over the barricade to the ringside area. Sami takes Balor back into the ring to continue the offense. Sami beats on Balor until Balor comes back with a Pele kick. Cole says Reigns still hasn’t moved from where Finn left him on the floor in the crowd. Balor lays into Sami with strikes, then hits an elbow drop for a two count. Sami begs for mercy and says they need to focus on Reigns, but Balor continues pummeling on Sami. Sami pulls Finn’s trunks and throws him outside, and Finn starts selling a knee injury. Sami rolls outside and charges, but Finn jumps up and stops him with a Sling Blade on the floor. Balor charges now, but ami stops him with a boot to the face. Sami pummels on Finn now, until Reigns comes flying over the barriacade onto Zayn. Reigns pummels on Zayn on the floor then throws him into the ring post. Reigns hits the drive by kick, then throws Sami back in the ring. Balor tackles Reigns from behind and Reigns falls into the ring steps. Balor gets on the apron and boots Sami in the head, then he climbs up top. Balor misses, and Sami suplexes Balor into the turbuckle. Sami looks for the big boot, but Reigns bocks it with a Superman punch. Reigns looks for a spear on Sami, but Balor runs in and hits the Sling Blade on Reigns. Balor goes for the Coup De Grace and misses, and Reigns drops him with a Superman punch. Reigns wants a spear on Balor now, but Jinder Mahal comes out of nowhere and trips Reigns. Sami boots Reigns in the face, then Balor boots Sami and hits the Coup De Grace on him. Finn covers and scores the three count on Sami.
Winner: Finn Balor
– After the match, Jinder walks through the crowd stares at the three competitors laying in the ring. Finn Balor has now qualified for the Money In The Bank ladder match. Reigns gets to his feet at ringside as Balor celebrates in the ring. Michael Cole signs off and RAW goes off the air.
