WWE RAW Live Coverage - May 16th, 2022

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Bobby Lashley locks himself inside of a steel cage with “The Nigerian Giant” Omos


In his pursuit of MVP, The All Mighty intends to prove that he is just that as Bobby Lashley prepares to collide with “The Nigerian Giant” Omos inside of a steel cage. After Lashley’s former manager turned his back on him to join Omos and cost the former WWE Champion his match at WrestleMania Backlash, The All Mighty is determined to get his hands on MVP and put him in The Hurt Lock. But to do that, he must first get past the 7-foot-3, 403-pound Omos. With the threat of further interference from MVP neutralized, can Lashley topple The Nigerian Giant or is he in for a world of hurt?


:raw:

– Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, and Jimmy Smith are on commentary and opening the show at cageside. The steel cage is already set up for tonight’s match between Bobby Lashley and Omos.

The commentary team runs down the rest of the show, including a “6 Pack Challenge” to determine a #1 contender for the Raw Women’s Championship. They also show a “Countdown To Cody” graphic indicating he’ll be on RAW at 10 PM Eastern.

Steel Cage Match: Omos (with MVP) vs. Bobby Lashley

Cedric Alexander attacks Lashley during his entrance. Omos and MVP were in the ring but come out to to join in on it. Referees are in the aisle separating everyone. Lashley steps into the steel cage. Omos and MVP are still in the aisle. Lashley urges Omos to get in the cage as we go to our first commercial break.

Back from the break, both men are in the ring and the bell rings. Omos quickly takes control and knocks down Lashley and chokes Lashley on the bottom rope. MVP sneaks in a cheap shot with his cane from outside the cage. Lashley gets a reversal and climbs onto Omos’ back. Omos powers out and Lashley pushes him into the corner. Lashley charges into a chokehold by Omos and another takedown. Omos poses for the crowd while MVP gets in another cheap shot from outside the cage.

Omos lifts Lashley on his shoulder and drops him onto the top turnbuckle. Omos follows with a big boot. Omos throws Lashley into the corner and hits a running splash into the corner. Omos hits a running back elbow. MVP reaches into the cage again and this time Lashley catches his arm and fights him off. Lashley hits a spear on Omos for a near fall. Lashley rains down elbows on the neck of Omos and hits a running forearm to the back of Omos. Lashley is setting up for the Hurt Lock and gets both arms secured but Omos backs him into the corner to break the hold.

Omos charges into a pair of boots from Lashley. Lashley climbs up the cage from the corner. Omos cuts him off and grabs Lashley by the throat but Lashley fights him off. Omos tumbles away but Alexander returns and climbs the cage. Alexander is on top of the corner of the cage and Lashley throws him in the ring from the top of the cage. Lashley goes for a cross body from the top rope but gets caught by Omos. Omos throws Lashley into the side of the cage. Lashley is down, flat on his back in the middle of the ring. Omos poses. Omos lifts up Lashley and Lashley fires up with some punches. Lashley comes off the ropes and runs into a big boot from Omos. Omos grabs Lashley by the head with a claw hold and then lifts Lashley up into a fireman’s carry. Omos goes to slam Lashley into the side of the cage but the cage panel gives way and Lashley lands on the floor to win the match.

The referee clarifies to the ring announcer that Lashley’s feet touched the floor first so he wins the match.

Winner: Bobby Lashley

– The commentary team sets up a recap of last week’s match between Mustafa Ali and Ciampa with The Miz as the special guest referee.

– The WWE United States Champion Theory makes his entrance and we head into a commercial break.

– Back from the break, Mustafa Ali is making his entrance.

The commentary team is making is sound like Ali will be having a match against Theory. Theory steps out of the ring and grabs a microphone. He says he just can’t do this match unless he knows there’s a referee he can trust. He introduces The Miz as the special guest referee for this match.

Miz is set to ring the bell, but Theory still has the mic and says it doesn’t seem fair for Ali to have a match against him. So, Theory says he’s set up a match to prove that Ali is championship material. So, Theory introduces Veer Mahaan as Ali’s opponent.

Veer Mahaan vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali attacks at the bell with dropkicks but runs right into a flying body tackle by Mahaan. Mahaan throws Ali in the corner but misses a charge. Ali fires away with punches but Miz forces him to back off. Mahaan comes out of the corner with a big boot to take down Ali. Mahaan stomps on Ali and drops an elbow. Mahaan lifts Ali by the throat and presses him over his head but Ali escapes and hits a pair of superkicks. Ali goes off the ropes but Theory grabs his foot from the outside.

Ali jaws at Miz. Mahaan charges but misses Ali and tumbles to the floor. Ali goes for a dive but Miz gets into the way while he’s administering his count to Mahaan on the outside. Mahaan takes down Ali and locks on the cervical clutch. Ali taps out for the submission.

Winner: Veer Mahaan

After the bell, Theory convinces Mahaan to put Ali back in the cervical clutch so he and Miz can take some selfies.

Miz and Theory suggest to Mahaan that he should do some more damage. Mahaan goes outside the ring to take apart the announcer’s desk but Rey and Dominik Mysterio make their entrance. They run off Miz and Theory and then hit a pair of dives from the ring to the floor on Mahaan.

– Backstage, Becky Lynch comes flying into the frame to the surprise of Adam Pearce and we head to a commercial break.

– Back from the break, the commentary team sets up a recap of last week’s main event between Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair and Asuka. That ended in a “no contest” when Becky Lynch interfered.

– Backstage, Becky Lynch is telling Adam Pearce she saw Sasha Banks and Naomi leave the building. They were supposed to be part of a 6-pack challenge match tonight. Lynch says she should just be named the #1 contender and take the rest of the night off. Pearce says they still need a main event tonight. It’ll be Asuka vs. Lynch to determine the new #1 contender.

– The commentary team sets up a recap of RK-Bro challenging The Usos to a tag title unification match on last Friday’s SmackDown. That match is being promoted for this Friday’s SmackDown.

– Riddle makes his entrance. Randy Orton is not alongside him. We head to a commercial break.

– Back from the break, Riddle is still in the ring.

– The Usos make their entrance.

Riddle vs. Jimmy Uso (with Jey Uso)

An outside distraction gives Uso the early advantage. Uso whips Riddle across the ring but Riddle avoids the follow-up, and hits a kick and a gut-wrench suplex. Uso retakes control but Riddle catches him in a triangle and pulls him over the top rope to the floor. Riddle tries for his running kick but Jey Uso gets in the way and takes the kick instead. Jimmy Uso hits a dive on Riddle to the floor and Riddle gets sent into the ring steps. The Usos pose as we go the commercial break.

Back from the break, Riddle is rallying on Uso, but Uso stops his momentum with a kick to the head. Uso hits his running hip attack into the corner for a 2-count. Uso grounds Riddle with a chin lock. Riddle fights up and hits his overhead kick. He hits a pair of running elbows into the corner and an overhead suplex. Riddle goes for a senton but Uso gets his knees up.

Riddle and Uso trade strikes from their knees in the middle of the ring. Riddle comes off the ropes into a pop-up Samoan drop and that gets a 2-count. Uso goes to the top rope. Riddle pops up and runs up the corner and grabs Uso for an RKO. Uso fights him off with a headbutt. Uso goes for a splash but Riddle gets his knees up.

Uso runs into a back elbow. Riddle climbs to the top rope but Jey Uso pushes him off from the floor. Jimmy Uso tries a roll-up with Jey assisting from the floor but the referee catches him and kicks out Jey. Riddle catches Jimmy Uso in a small package and gets the pin.

Winner: Riddle

Riddle quickly flees the ring before Jey Uso can return.

– We get a recap of Rhea Ripley’s victory over Liv Morgan and the match between Finn Balor and Damian Priest last Monday night.

– Earlier today, Kevin Patrick interviewed Liv Morgan. She said some things before Los Lotharios interrupted. They tried to invite her to the “Kiss Cam” but AJ Styles and Finn Balor showed up and told them to get lost. Balor said the three of them need to work together before The Judgement Day picks them off one by one. They want Morgan to be in their corner tonight. Morgan says she’ll think about it.

– We head to a commercial break.

– Back from the break, The Judgement Day is backstage. Damian Priest wants to know if we’re getting it yet. He says we clearly aren’t because we aren’t showing respect to them. Anyone who steps up to them will face nothing but punishment.

Rhea Ripley says they are done being what everyone else wants them to be. She says it’s time for complete and utter eradication.

Edge refers to them as his “Saints of Fate”. Edge says people should stop being sheep and join them. He says his arms are wide open to any WWE Superstar who wants to join him. He specifically pitches AJ Styles on joining them. He says they can put the past behind them and start working together. He says Morgan and Balor can join too if they want.

– Back to the arena, Liv Morgan makes her entrance. The commentary team feels like Morgan has made her decision to stand in the corner of AJ Styles and Finn Balor tonight.

– Styles and Balor make their entrances.

– Corey Graves plugs the main event between Asuka and Becky Lynch and seems to make a big deal out of Lynch mentioning Sasha Banks and Naomi left the arena earlier and suggests it was unprofessional. We go to a commercial break.

– Back from the break, we get a plug for Clash at the Castle. Tickets go on sale Friday.

– Styles, Balor, and Morgan wait in the ring while Los Lotharios make their entrance. They do their “Kiss Cam” gimmick during their entrance.

AJ Styles & Finn Balor (with Liv Morgan) vs. Los Lotharios

Styles and Humberto start out and Styles quickly takes control and tags in Balor. Balor hits a low drop kick and secures an arm bar before tagging Styles back into the match. Styles rams Humberto into the turnbuckle but Humberto pulls him into the second turnbuckle and stomps away on him in the corner. Humberto tags in Angel and double team Styles with forearms. Angel locks on an abdominal stretch.

A quick tag brings Humberto back in. He delivers some chops on Styles and tags Angel back in. They try a double backdrop suplex but Styles escapes and tags in Balor. Styles and Balor clear the ring and hit a pair of slingshot planchas over the top rope to the floor as we head to the commercial break.

Back from the break, Humberto has Styles in a half Boston crab. Angel tags in and hits a kick. They lock on a double Boston crab on Styles. Garza continues to work on a variation of a Boston crab or Sharpshooter. Angel relinquishes the hold and tags in Humberto. Styles kicks him away and lands another kick to Humberto’s head. Styles makes the tag to Balor and he runs wild on Angel and Humberto. Balor goes for his reverse DDT but Angel reverses it into a small package for a near fall. Angel goes for the Wing Clipper but Balor escapes and hits a sling blade. Balor runs into a superkick by Angel. He tags in Humberto.

Humberto goes for a moonsault but catches two boots to the face from Balor. Balor hits his shotgun dropkick and goes to the top rope. Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Angel as Balor hits the Coup de Grace on Humberto for the pin.

Winner: AJ Styles & Finn Balor

Styles and Balor invite Mogan to join them in a “Too Sweet” and she does so.

– Backstage, Kevin Owens welcomes Alpha Academy who bring an envelope with the DNA test results on Ezekiel. Owens wastes no time and ripes it open. Owens reads that the results were contaminated by barbeque sauce on the sample. Owens and Chad Gable are clearly thinking Otis is responsible for that.

Gable thinks the chain of custody on the test samples was broken. They argue over whose fault it is. Gable says he’ll expose Ezekiel as a fraud next week but first he’ll beat the truth out of him tonight.

– The commentary team set up a recap of Sonya Deville’s contract as a WWE official being terminated and Alexa Bliss making her return to quickly defeat Deville.

– Alexa Bliss makes her entrance and we head to a commercial break.

– Back from the break, Sonya Deville makes her entrance.

Alexa Bliss vs. Sonya Deville

Deville is aggressive from the start and backs Bliss into the corner. Bliss slaps Deville in the face, ducks a clothesline, and hits a dropkick. Bliss drops a double knee on Deville but misses an attempted backflip into another double knee. Deville rolls her up for a 2-count. Deville is jawing at Bliss and she beats on her. Deville goes to a chin lock and grounds Bliss.

Bliss fights back to her feet and elbows out of it. Bliss hits a lawbreaker but Deville cuts her off again and his a running knee to her face for a 2-count. Deville removes the top turnbuckle pad. She slams Bliss down with a spinebuster but the referee was repairing the turnbuckle pad and Bliss kicks out at 2. Commentary thinks Deville had Bliss beaten. Bliss quickly turns the tide and finishes off Deville with her DDT for the pin.

Winner: Alexa Bliss

Deville argues with the referee after the match. She finally slaps the ref in the face and leaves the ring. The commentary team says there will be consequences for that.

– We get a recap of the recent interactions between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.

– Cody Rhodes makes his entrance and we head to a commercial break.

Back from the break, Cody Rhodes is in the ring with a microphone. Rhodes says he’s been told Seth Rollins is not here. Rhodes doesn’t get what Rollins is upset about since he’s beaten him fair and square.

Rhodes recounts Rollins arrival on the WWE main roster as part of The Shield and says he “won his way to the top”. Rhodes says his story is different. He says he didn’t win much until recently. He says he painted his face and felt dead inside but he endured. Rhodes says you learn more from loss. He says the most important thing he learned is that he’s never going to be “The American Dream” so why not embrace the nightmare?

Rhodes talks about his second chance in WWE and says if Rollins tries to deny him that he’ll have to kill him. Rhodes says he’ll even give Rollins the chance. Rhodes challenges Rollins to a match inside Hell In A Cell.

Rollins appears on the big screen. He says Rhodes stole his spotlight at WrestleMania and cheated to beat him at WrestleMania Backlash. He says anyone who’s ever stepped inside Hell In A Cell with him has been changed forever. Rollins says he’ll expose Rhodes as a fraud and accepts his challenge.

Rhodes says, “I’ll see you in hell”.

– Backstage, Asuka says Becky Lynch cries like a big baby, but tonight she’ll give her a reason to cry.

– Corey Graves plugs tonight’s Asuka vs. Lynch match and repeats that Sasha Banks and Naomi “summarily and unprofessionally left the arena” before the originally announced “6 Pack Challenge” match could take place.

– Alpha Academy and Kevin Owens make their entrances. Owens is wearing a “Sami Zayn Forever” t-shirt. He head to a commercial break.

– Back from the break, it is officially announced that Cody Rhodes will face Seth Rollins at Hell In A Cell inside Hell In A Cell.

– Back in the arena, Kevin Owens has joined the commentary team.

Ezekiel vs. Chad Gable (with Otis)

We are shown a picture of Ezekiel and Elias together. Owens insists that the picture was doctored. Owens also says he once met Elias’ parents and they never mentioned they had another kid.

Gable misses a clothesline and Ezekiel takes him down with a shoulder tackle. Gable grabs an arm bar but Ezekiel reverses it into a headlock and grounds Gable. Gable pushes off Ezekiel to escape momentarily but Ezekiel grabs a chin lock to ground Gable again. Gable powers out with a suplex and gets a 2-count.

Ezekiel reverses Gable into a Gory Special. Gable slips out and goes for a sunset flip but Ezekiel reverses it and rolls to the outside where he slams Gable down on the ring apron. Otis runs over Ezekiel while the referee’s back is turned and we head to a commercial break.

Back from the break, Gable is in control and working on Ezekiel’s arm. Gable hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a 2-count. Gable maintains control with a key lock on Ezekiel’s left arm. Gable hits a German suplex for a 2-count. Gable climbs to the top rope but misses a moonsault. Gable landed on his feet but runs into a series of clotheslines and a spinebuster for a 2-count.

Ezekiel lifts Gable to the top rope. Gable headbutts Ezekiel to knock him off but jumps right into a jumping knee by Ezekiel for a near fall. Gable takes down Ezekiel and quickly goes to the top rope and this time hits the moonsault for a 2-count. Gable pounds Ezekiel with forearms but Ezekiel fires back. Ezekiel hits a running splash into the corner. He knocks Otis off the corner. Gable tries for a rollup but Ezekiel reverses it and gets the pin.

Winner: Ezekiel

Ezekiel gets out of the ring quickly before Owens and Otis can run in.

– Backstage, Tamina and R-Truth are walking down a hallway looking for Akira Tozawa. Truth drops divorce papers into a trash can and moments later Tozawa emerges shocked to be reading them. He and Tamina run off.

Dana Brooke enters with the 24/7 Championship and Truth clearly has eyes on the title. Brooke catches on and pushes down Truth and runs away. Brooke nearly runs into Carmella. Carmella says Brooke is a sorry excuse for a wife. Brooke says the last time Carmella was relevant was when “the chinless guy worked here”.

Truth runs into Carmella. She says she’ll help Truth get back the 24/7 Championship and then she’ll get her hands on Brooke.

– Back in the arena, we get a wordy introduction for Lacey Evans who makes her entrance as we head to a commercial break.

Back from the break, Lacey Evans is in the ring with a microphone. She says she respects everyone in the armed forces. She wants everyone in the building to stand up and give them a round of applause. The crowd does so.

Evans says she’s grateful for the warm welcome she received. She wants to show everyone that they have the strength to “break the cycle”. She says she may not be better than anyone else in the locker room but they’re not better than her.

– Commentary delivers a recap of the match earlier between Riddle and Jimmy Uso.

– Backstage, Riddle strolls through a “foggy” room and vows RK-Bro will get the win on Friday’s SmackDown. We switch to another backstage promo with The Usos who also hype up Friday’s “Winners Take All” Tag Team Championship Unification match being promoted for SmackDown.

– Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair makes her entrance as we head to a commercial break.

– Back from the break with a look at pictures from Bobby Lashley, Liv Morgan, and the Street Profits visiting the U.S.S. Iwo Jima.

– We get a recap of the steel cage match between Bobby Lashley and Omos that kicked off the show, and we’re promised Lashley will have an “All Mighty Challenge” for Omos and MVP on next Monday’s RAW.

Becky Lynch vs. Asuka

The winner here will challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell In A Cell. Belair is at ringside to watch this match.

Asuka barely misses a wild spinning back fist in the opening moments. Asuka falls to the outside. Lynch tries for a baseball slide dropkick but Asuka blocks it and beats up on Lynch some more. Lynch finally retakes control on the floor with a suplex to Asuka into the barricade as we go to a commercial break.

Back from the break, Asuka grabs a backslide for a 2-count. Asuka delivers a kick to Lynch’s head and both women are down. Lynch and Asuka trade strikes as they both get back to their feet. Asuka hits a running hip attack in the corner, a knee to the chin, and a German suplex. She covers Lynch for a 2-count.

Asuka looks for the Asuka Lock but Lynch reverses it into a rollup. Lynch tries for the Manhandle Slam but Asuka reverses that. Lynch gets Asuka tied up in the ropes but misses a leg drop from the second rope. Asuka covers for a 2-count. Lynch tries for the Disarmer but Asuka reverses it into a rollup for a 2-count. Lynch tries a rollup of her own but Asuka kicks out and grabs Lynch in the Asuka Lock. Lynch rolls backward for a pinning attempt to break the hold.

Lynch goes to the top rope but misses Asuka. Asuka grabs a jumping arm bar in the middle of the ring. Lynch manages to roll to the ropes to break the hold. Lynch pulls Asuka’s neck down over the top rope. Lynch wanders over to Belair and jaws at her. Asuka attacks Lynch from behind. Lynch grabs Asuka and throws her into Belair. Lynch rolls Asuka back into the ring and playfully boots Belair. Belair jumps up on the ring apron. Lynch grabs Asuka’s umbrella but when she goes to hit Asuka, Asuka sprays mist in Lynch’s face. All this while the referee is getting Belair down off the ring apron. Asuka covers Lynch and gets the pin.

Winner: Asuka

Bianca Belair will defend the Raw Women’s Championship against Asuka at Hell In A Cell.