Monday Night Raw Results – May 1, 2017

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 1, 2017
Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Booker T., Corey Graves

We’re past Payback and that means things can finally start settling down around here. The big story continues to be Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman with Strowman beating the injured Reigns clean last night. Extreme Rules is in just over a month and an ambulance match would seem to be the next logical step. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

The women’s division is in the ring with a pedestal in the middle and here’s Alexa Bliss for her coronation as the new champion. Bliss thanks everyone for being here tonight, even if Kurt Angle forced them to be here. The Queen is gone is gone but not to worry because the Goddess is here. These women are an inspiration, including Mickie James, despite her contemporaries Mae Young and Fabulous Moolah having moved on to a better place.

As for Sasha, she’s the woman that Alexa beat to get where she is today. Sasha glares at her and Bliss backs into Nia. Bliss: “We’re good. We’re good.” Alexa gets on the pedestal and laughs at Bayley for losing in front of all her family last night. At least now Bayley’s nephews will have someone to look up to. The brawl starts in a hurry and we take a break.

Alexa Bliss/Nia Jax/Emma/Alicia Fox vs. Bayley/Sasha Banks/Dana Brooke/Mickie James

Alexa hides from Bayley to start so it’s Emma forearming Bayley in the back instead. Mickie comes in and starts on the arm before it’s off to Alicia vs. Dana with Brooke scoring off a running cartwheel splash. Bayley works on Alicia’s arm as they’re tagging in and out at a very fast pace.

Fox sends Banks outside and it’s a big staredown on the floor. Back with Nia throwing Sasha around and dropping an elbow for two. Bliss comes back in for some boot choking but Sasha avoids a charge. The hot tag brings in Bayley to take Alexa down and send her into the buckle ten straight times. Everything breaks down with everyone brawling to the floor, leaving Bliss to rake Bayley’s eyes, setting up a DDT for the pin at 14:03.

Result: Alexa Bliss/Nia Jax/Emma/Alicia Fox b. Bayley/Sasha Banks/Dana Brooke/Mickie James – DDT to Bayley (14:03)

Enzo Amore vs. Luke Gallows

Enzo says they have bags underneath their eyes (they’re Gucci) because their real life is better than their dreams. Anderson and Gallows jump them from behind though and we take a break before the bell. The match is joined in progress with Gallows working on the arm. Enzo avoids a charge in the corner though and scores with some kicks to the face, only to uppercut Amore’s head off. Another shot staggers Gallows and Amore goes up, only to have Anderson offer a distraction. The flapjack gives Luke the pin at 5:30.

Result: Luke Gallows b. Enzo Amore – Flapjack (5:30)

Neville tells TJ Perkins to stay focused.

Here’s Seth Rollins to talk about how he’s persevered through everything and is doing everything he’s wanted to do. Now though, he wants the Beast. Cue Finn Balor to say while Rollins has done a lot, he’s the one armed man who became the first ever Universal Champion. Remember that Seth?

Dean Ambrose comes out to say he wants part of the fight but here’s Miz to say he’s awesome and Balor is a coward. Miz talks about being a threat until all three tell him to shut up at the same time. Dean asks who wants to see someone beat up the Miz and pulls out his phone to call Kurt. With the call over, Dean says Kurt has made Miz vs. Balor vs. Rollins with the winner getting an Intercontinental Title match.

We look back at last night’s main event.

Tony Nese/Brian Kendrick/Noam Dar vs. Rich Swann/Akira Tozawa/Jack Gallagher

The good guys all have umbrellas for their entrances. Tozawa kicks Kendrick in the face to start but Nese runs him over without much effort. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the villains are sent outside, leaving everyone else to pose. Back with Tozawa in trouble at the hands of all three heels.

Tozawa finally gets in a kick and makes the hot tag off to Swann. Rich speeds things way up and hits a running flip ax kick (Booker: “Like a Harlem Hangover!”) followed by a running 450. Everything breaks down with Gallagher and Kendrick being left alone in the ring. The Captain’s Hook is broken up and Jack hits the running dropkick for the pin at 10:34.

Result: Jack Gallagher/Rich Swann/Akira Tozawa b. Brian Kendrick/Tony Nese/Noam Dar – Running dropkick to Kendrick (10:34)

We look back at Sheamus and Cesaro turning heel last night.

Here are Sheamus (who Graves identifies as looking like Travis Bickle) and Cesaro for their explanation. Sheamus is tired of living in a fog where he had to pretend to like the fans. They were ready to take their titles back at Wrestlemania but then the Hardys were thrown in for the nostalgia reaction.

That moment didn’t last long though because it was just a novelty. Now they’re ready to dominate again, as only they can. Cesaro and Sheamus go to leave but here are the Hardys to cut them off. Matt talks about being banged up from last night’s post match ambush but their response is DELETE. The champs chase them off.

Miz is ready to get his Intercontinental Title back but Ambrose comes in to ask if Miz’s hair gel gets in his eyes when he wrestles. Miz leaves so “Mean” Dean Ambrose throws it back to Bobby and Gene at ringside.

Heath Slater vs. Apollo Crews

This is over Titus being annoyed that Slater gave Crews advice on being a new father. Crews takes him to the mat to start and Slater is already in over his head. A headscissors doesn’t get Heath anywhere as Crews nips up for a staredown. Crews misses a charge in the corner though and we get a Titus vs. Rhyno staredown. Back in and Crews hits an enziguri, followed by the Toss Powerbomb for the pin at 3:46.

Result: Apollo Crews b. Heath Slater – Toss Powerbomb (3:46)

Here’s Angle to talk about Reigns vs. Strowman. Last night’s matches had consequences with Reigns re-injuring his ribs and Strowman tearing his rotator cuff. Kurt has been thinking about this all day but here’s Bray Wyatt to interrupt. Bray is here as a savior after rising from his own ashes with burnt wings. Angle says this is his ring but Bray says it’s his world.

Dean interviews Rollins because there are cameras in the locker room and therefore there must be an interview. After listing off some potential names, Dean asks if Rollins would like an Intercontinental Title shot. Tensions are teased but Dean throws it back to Gorilla before it goes too far.

Austin Aries vs. TJ Perkins

They trade shots in the corner to start until Aries hits a shot to the jaw. Perkins comes right back by tying him in the Tree of Woe for a running dropkick to the knee to put Aries in trouble. Back from a break with Perkins putting on a butterfly lock, followed by a springboard spinning forearm for two. Aries’ knee is too banged up to be thrown across the ring and his shoulder hits the post to make it even worse.

TJ doesn’t even let him fall down before he grabs a half crab in the ropes. Aries comes right back though by kicking TJ to the floor for the suicide dive. The middle rope elbow to the back gets two but the knee gives out again. TJ tries the Detonation Kick, only to have Aries reverse into the Last Chancery for the tap at 11:20.

Result: Austin Aries b. TJ Perkins – Last Chancery (11:20)

Post match Perkins puts Aries in the kneebar to leave him laying.

Ambrose interviews Balor and suggests eating a carb. Balor takes a bite of a doughnut before heading to the ring but is replaced by the Drifter, who seems to confuse Ambrose.

Golden Truth’s request for a Tag Team Title shot is turned down as they don’t have the best win/loss record. Angle will however put them in a Tag Team Turmoil match next week, which seems to work fine.

Last night, Angle said goodbye to Chris Jericho after he won the US Title, sending him to Smackdown.

Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor vs. The Miz

The winner is #1 contender to the Intercontinental Title. Miz heads to the floor like the to start so it’s Balor vs. Rollins to start. Neither of them seem that interested in fighting though as they keep looking at Miz before finally heading out after him. He finally gets caught and tries to fight, only to be kicked out to the floor.

We get Rollins vs. Balor again but Miz pulls Finn to the floor and hides Maryse so Seth can’t hit a dive. All three get back inside, only to have Miz shoves Seth off the top for a big crash as we take a break. Back with Balor elbowing out of Miz’s chinlock until Rollins tries a high crossbody but lands on his head. Thankfully he’s right back up but Miz sends him into Balor to put Finn down on the floor.

Both good guys take kicks to the chest until Finn throws Miz at Rollins for a DDT but dropkicks Seth down at the same time. They head outside with Balor hitting some HARD kicks to the face (Graves: “Who knew that in twenty four hours the Irish would revolutionize dentistry?), followed by 1916 for a near fall on Rollins. Balor gets crotched against the post and Miz’s low DDT gets two on Seth. Miz starts kicking at the bad knee to set up the Figure Four on Rollins but Balor makes the save.

They trade kicks to the face with Seth getting a near fall of his own. A double Blockbuster sets up a frog splash on Balor and Seth can’t believe the kickout. Rollins runs the corner for the superplex into the Falcon Arrow on Miz but here’s Samoa Joe to Rock Bottom him on the floor. Not that it matters as Balor is up with the Sling Blade and Coup de Grace…..but here’s Wyatt to shove him off the top. Sister Abigail lays Finn out and Miz steals the pin at 22:25.

Result: The Miz b. Finn Balor and Seth Rollins – Pin after Sister Abigail from Bray Wyatt (22:25)

Results
Alexa Bliss/Nia Jax/Alicia Fox/Emma b. Dana Brooke/Bayley/Sasha Banks/Mickie James – DDT to Bayley
Luke Gallows b. Enzo Amore – Flapjack
Rich Swann/Akira Tozawa/Jack Gallagher b. Tony Nese/Brian Kendrick/Noam Dar – Running dropkick to Kendrick
Apollo Crews b. Heath Slater – Toss Powerbomb
Austin Aries b. TJ Perkins – Last Chancery
Miz b. Seth Rollins and Finn Balor – Pin after Sister Abigail from Bray Wyatt

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