WWE Raw live results: Seth Rollins vs. Damian Priest title match

Date: June 5, 2023
Location: XL Center in Hartford, CT 

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Show Recap —

Seth Rollins entered to start the show and the crowd loudly sang his song as usual. Rollins wore a black and gold outfit to match his world title belt.

Rollins said it has been a non-stop party since becoming champion but he wondered when was the last time we had a world title match on Raw. Rollins went into the way back machine to discover that it had been nearly two years and that was too damn long.

Rollins mentioned that he issued an open challenge on social media, which was accepted by Damian Priest (whose name was booed). Rollins was psyched about the match and put over Judgment Day but stated they just weren’t as good as him.

Priest and Finn Bálor interrupted. Rollins wondered if Dominik and Rhea Ripley might attack him from behind but Priest told him to take it easy.

Priest said he was the only one that Rollins had to worry about. Rollins noted that Bálor was with him and wondered if they did everything together. Rollins did some comedy (asking if Bálor assists Priest in the bathroom) until he was cut off by Bálor.

Bálor called him the funny man with the funny clothes who the people love — but they weren’t going to love when Priest took the world title. Priest called Rollins a deserving champion and Bálor gave him a confused look. Priest put over Rollins for beating everyone put in front of him — but the same could be said about Priest.

Priest said he didn’t need Bálor or Dominik or Ripley to beat Rollins. Rollins told him that he didn’t stand a chance alone and challenged him to leave his crew in the back. Rollins emphasized that Bálor should stay in the back because the Prince didn’t fare too well in fights against him.

Bálor was pissed but Priest was fine with it and accepted the stipulation. Priest said he would win and Rollins would have one of the shortest reigns ever. Rollins said that either way, his title reign was already longer than Bálor’s. Rollins laughed and pranced off. Bálor wasn’t happy.

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Money in the Bank qualifier: Becky Lynch defeated Sonya Deville (w/Chelsea Green) (10:14)

Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark entered a couple of minutes into the match. Lynch was distracted but fought off Deville and regained control ahead of a break. Deville hit a superplex following the break for two. Lynch fought back but was booted by Green outside the ring as Deville distracted the ref. Deville followed with a running knee strike for two.

Green tried to get involved again so Lynch decked her and tossed her repeatedly into the barricade. Deville tried to take advantage but Lynch tossed her into the barricade repeatedly as well.

Back in the ring, Deville countered a Man-handle Slam into a schoolboy for two. Deville tried a cover with an assist from Green but Lynch kicked out anyway. (It felt like one of those spots where the ref would catch the cheater but he didn’t.)

Lynch followed moments later with a Man-handle Slam for the pinfall win. The crowd was into Lynch.

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There was a recap of the Bloodline angle from Smackdown.

Byron Saxton asked Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens about what happened. Zayn basically said ‘I told you so’ and was glad to see Jimmy Uso do the right thing. That being said, the Bloodline wasn’t his problem anymore.

Imperium approached them. Ludwig Kaiser said Zayn was right — Imperium was their problem now. Owens freaked out on Imperium again for interrupting them without being prompted.

Gunther said Owens couldn’t control his temper. Gunther thought Owens needed discipline and offered to teach him some. Owens told him they could do that in the ring and marched toward the stage.

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There was a video package for Kayden Carter and Katana Chance.

Non-title match: Intercontinental Champion Gunther (w/Imperium) defeated Tag Team Champion Kevin Owens (w/Sami Zayn) (17:13)

This was excellent and the crowd got more and more into it as it went.

They wrestled back and forth early on until Gunther cut off Owens with a boot and an impressive German suplex. Gunther also drove Owens into the barricade and dropped him onto the edge of the ring ahead of a break.

[SECOND HOUR]

Owens tried a senton bomb during the break but Gunther got his knees up. Gunther slammed Owens and wrenched his neck. Gunther booted Owens but Owens kicked out at one. Owens smacked Gunther but Gunther booted him again. Gunther chopped Owens and Corey Graves noted how loud it still was even with Owens wearing a t-shirt.

Gunther applied a Boston Crab and transitioned into a crossface. Owens fought to his feet and hit a chop but Gunther knocked him down with a chop. Owens blocked a suplex but Gunther knocked him down with a clothesline.

Owens battled back with his own clotheslines but Gunther hit another German suplex. Owens ducked a clothesline and hit a German suplex of his own. They traded strikes but a Gunther chop was again too much for Owens.

Gunther mocked Owens who came back with three superkicks and a cannonball for two. Gunther blocked a stunner and hit a dropkick. Owens came back with a fisherman buster for two. Gunther suplexed Owens off the middle rope for two. Gunther tried a splash but Owens got his knees up and hit a senton bomb for a nearfall.

Owens set up for a stunner but was distracted by Giovanni Vinci on the apron. Zayn pulled Vinci off the apron and took him out. Owens went after Kaiser and gave him a stunner after he slid into the ring.

Gunther used the opportunity to put Owens in a schoolboy for the pinfall win. 

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Cathy Kelley interviewed Matt Riddle. Riddle was tired of seeing Gunther cheat every week and didn’t think he would be champion if not for Kaiser and Vinci.

Kaiser approached Riddle and told him to watch his mouth. Riddle asked what he would do about it. Kaiser poked him in the chest and asked what he would do about it. Riddle grabbed him and chucked him over some equipment boxes before putting Vinci in an ankle lock. Officials ran in to break it up.

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Saxton interviewed Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. Rousey challenged any team with the figurative balls to fight them.

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance approached and offered to have a match. Carter and Chance were noticeably shorter than the champs and Rousey wondered if they were munchkin land. Rousey also wondered if Carter and Chance were stupid.

Baszler thought they were ignorant. She also called them brave but said their bravery would be gone at the sound of their tendons and ligaments being torn off their bodies.

Non-title match: Tag Team Champions Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler defeated Kayden Carter & Katana Chance (6:43)

Carter and Chance almost picked up the surprise win with their Afterparty double-team move on Rousey but Baszler just barely broke up the cover. The crowd was dead until that spot but they did want to see Rousey get pinned there.

Chance slipped out of a Rousey ankle lock and hit a Codebreaker. Baszler tagged in and Carter got a nearfall using a rollup but Baszler gave her a German suplex and put her in the Kirifuda Clutch for the submission win. This was good for the time they had.

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Bronson Reed approached Ricochet. Reed thought it was amusing that Ricochet was in MITB while he wasn’t. Ricochet said he earned his spot by beating two-time grand slam champion the Miz, while Reed had his undefeated streak ended by Shinsuke Nakamura.

Reed was about to say something about Nakamura, but Nakamura showed up to remind him who won. Reed said the result would be different next time. Reed left.

Ricochet said he would give Nakamura a loss tonight and at MITB. Nakamura wanted to see him prove it in the ring.

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There was a Johnny Gargano video package.

Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ended in a disqualification (8:10)

They’ve wrestled before but this appears to have been the first televised singles match between these two.

The match picked up once they got back from break but they didn’t get too much time after that before Bronson Reed interfered for the DQ. (They never announce anything but Nakamura was technically attacked first so he likely gets the DQ win, I guess.)

Ricochet got on the back of Reed but he hit Nakamura with a splash anyway before putting away Ricochet with a Tsunami.

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Maxxine Dupri, Chad Gable and Otis had a meeting backstage. Gable wanted to make sure they were on the same page and told her that an Alpha doesn’t run from a fight (referring to her running away from Valhalla). Dupri thought she could take on Valhalla until she ran after her like a wild animal. Dupri wondered why the Viking Raiders were targeting them anyway.

Gable said he imparted some knowledge on Otis. Dupri wanted to hear what he learned. Otis said they would take them out with… deodorant. Additionally, Otis said Gable would teach the pretty lady (Dupri) how to take on the Viking lady. Gable said they couldn’t train with Dupri wearing her current outfit. Dupri said she had the perfect outfit and left to change.

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[THIRD HOUR]

Miz TV with guest Cody Rhodes 

Rhodes entered wearing a cast on his arm. Miz told him that he looked dashing.

Miz said Brock Lesnar beat Rhodes at Night of Champions and broke his arm, yet Rhodes challenged him to fight. Miz asked Rhodes if he thought that was stupid.

Rhodes said people told him that it took balls to do what he did — and  Miz knew something about that. The crowd chanted “tiny balls.” Rhodes said Lesnar was on his annual hibernation so we wouldn’t be seeing him for a while.

Miz had a surprise for Rhodes. It wasn’t Lesnar. Miz invited another man with the same pressures as Rhodes as a multi-generational talent. Miz introduced us to the hottest superstar in WWE, Dominik Mysterio.

Dom entered with Ripley. Miz was about to ask Dom a question but Ripley told him to be quiet. Ripley handed Dom the mic and the crowd booed. Miz asked the crowd to stop booing. They didn’t. Rhodes sarcastically asked them to stop booing and Ripley told them to shut up. The crowd loudly booed as Dom tried to cut his promo.

Dom said he did hard time, while Rhodes was like a little bird with a broken wing. Dom heard Rhodes challenge Lesnar and called him a bad father because he should be at home taking care of his daughter. Instead, he was here because he was just like Rey — a deadbeat dad.

Rhodes knew the 15 minutes in prison must’ve been hard on Dom and he had an even worse prison tattoo than him. Rhodes called Dom’s match at WrestleMania against Rey a public spanking.

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Rhodes said Rey wasn’t a perfect father. Rey has made some terrible mistakes and he knew that because he was looking at one (Dom). The crowd liked that line.

Dom dropped the mic and acted like he was leaving but he slapped an unsuspecting Rhodes instead. Dom immediately hid behind Ripley and dared Rhodes to hit him. Rhodes did not, so Dom and Ripley left.

Miz was amused so Rhodes knocked him out with his cast.

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Money in the Bank qualifier: Zoey Stark (w/Trish Stratus) defeated Natalya (3:51)

Natalya hit a German suplex and applied a Sharpshooter but Stark got a rope break. Stark rolled to the outside so Natalya shoved her back in the ring while telling Stratus to stay out of it.

As Natalya was on the apron, Stratus kicked her leg out of her leg (while the ref was watching Stark). Stark gave Natalya a Z-360 for the pinfall win.

(There should probably be a Lynch promo to explain why she didn’t bother getting involved here.)

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Backstage at Raw, Smackdown’s Paul Heyman invited us to join him on Friday to watch Jey Uso make his historic choice. Heyman told us that Jey would choose his brother: Solo Sikoa. Jey shared a womb with Jimmy but he will never be closer to him than he will be to his Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. On Friday, Jey would acknowledge that fact.

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

The match didn’t happen. Veer and Sanga attacked Alexander and Benjamin before the bell and it was determined Alexander, who took the brunt of it, couldn’t compete so the ref called it off. (Benjamin took one boot and was tossed from the ring.) 

(They went to break after the Heyman segment letting us know this match was next and this is what they came back with. It was followed with another break.)  

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Seth Rollins defeated Damian Priest to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (21:58)

Rollins had control through an early break but Priest punched him out of mid-air as he tried a strike off the barricade. Priest had control until Rollins came back with an enziguri, strikes, clotheslines, a thrust kick, clothesline and backbreaker. Priest avoided a frog splash attempt and hit a boot but Rollins came back with a slingblade.

Rollins tried a suicide dive but Priest caught him and hit a flatliner onto the announce table which led to break. When they returned, Rollins tried a sunset flip powerbomb but Priest blocked it.

Rollins ran up the ropes and hit a superplex followed by a falcon arrow for two. (The falcon arrow looked impressive because Priest almost reversed it and Rollins had to counter.) Rollins followed with three straight suicide dives with the last one sending Priest over the announce desk. Rollins hit a superkick and a frog splash for two.

They exchanged strikes until Priest hit a headlock driver for two. Priest followed with a top rope Frankensteiner for two. Rollins followed later with a Pedigree for two.

Rollins powerbombed Priest into the barricade, which did not look fun at all for Priest. The announcers reminded us that it was the same move that took out Bálor years ago. Bálor showed up at ringside but Rollins took him out with a superkick.

Rollins went for a curb stomp but Priest hit a clothesline and a South of Heaven chokeslam for a nearfall. Priest saw Bálor at ringside and earnestly asked him, “Why are you here?” Priest went for a Razor’s Edge but he dropped Rollins because his shoulder was hurt from the barricade bomb.

Rollins hit him with a superkick, forearms and a curb stomp for the pinfall win. Rollins retained.

The match started slow but got pretty good by the end.

Bálor faced off with Rollins but Rollins waved him goodbye and left. Rollins posed with his belt as the show ended.