On May 20, Monday Night Raw went live from Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina. The show featured the semifinals of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. The World Tag Team Championships were defended on the show, and much more. Let’s look at everything that happened on the show in our WWE Raw May 20 Results, Grades, and Analysis.
Sami Zayn Kicked Off
WWE Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn kicked off the show. Zayn will defend his title in a triple threat match at the upcoming WWE King and Queen of the Ring premium live event. Sami said that he would defend the title in a triple-threat match where the champion has a disadvantage. But, he wanted to deal with two issues at a time. One is a personal issue with Chad Gable, while the other is saving his title from Bronson Reed.
Zayn said that it’s a fight between mind, body and soul. Gable is mind, Reed is all body and strength, and Sami is soul. Zayn said he defeated the longest-reigning IC champion at WrestleMania due to that soul. The Alpha Academy interrupted. Gable told Sami that he wasn’t manipulative. On the other hand, he was too nice to Sami and coached him for his WrestleMania match.
Gable said that he’s been too nice with three clowns behind him. He called Maxxine and Tozawa a failure and labeled Otis as the biggest disappointment on the planet. Zayn asked Alpha Academy how long they will bear Gable’s crap. Chad stopped him from talking to them. Gable said that he would take Sami’s soul to Saudi Arabia. Sami asked to start their one-on-one match right now.
Grades: B+
Analysis: It was a solid promo segment between Sami and Gable. They continued to show the tensions between The Alpha Academy. It will be an outstanding match between these three. There is a strong possibility that Alpha Academy will be the difference maker of the match.
Chad Gable vs Sami Zayn
It was a non-title match. Sami began with a clothesline and a flying elbow. Gable fought back with forearms and a snap suplex. Zayn tried to fight back with a clothesline, but Gable landed an exploder suplex. Maxxine couldn’t attack Sami when the referee was distracted, and Gable wasn’t happy with her. Zayn landed ten punches in the corner. Gable again distracted the referee and created an opportunity for Tozawa to attack Sami, who could not do it. Gable called both Maxxine and Tozawa failures and told them to walk away.
Zayn delivered a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. Gable hit two German Suplexes. Sami did the same to Gable and hit a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Gable applied the Ankle Lock, but Samu escaped. Chad sent Sami outside and distracted the referee a third time. It was Otis’ turn. Otis nearly punched Zayn but held himself. Gable was angry, and he slapped Otis.
Back in the ring, Zayn landed an exploder suplex. As he went for Helluva Kick, Otis climbed the apron and hit Sami with a lariat. This allowed Gable to deliver Chaos Theory for the win.
Winner: Chad Gable
Grades: B+
Analysis: It’s a big win for Chad Gable. He is using more heel tactics now. The tensions between the Alpha Academy members continued to rise. Still, Gable won, which means he will not be winning at the PLE.
Backstage: There was a strange attack on Cruz Del Toro from LWO. No clue did it.
Bron Breakker vs Kale Dixon
Breakker delivered a spear right away. Then, at ringside, Bron again crushed Kale with a spear. The referee stopped the match and crowned Breakker as the winner. Bron was not happy. He hit another spear. Breakker wanted to attack with steel steps, but the referee and some officials prevented it. Instead, as Dixon’s head was on the steps, Bron hit a steel chair. Adam Pearce couldn’t believe what he just saw.
Winner: Bron Breakker
Grades: B
Analysis: It was absolute carnage from Bron Breakker. That’s a great way to portray Bron until he gets an opponent of his match.
Backstage: Breakker told Pearce that he can’t stop him. Also, he said that he deserved to be in the King of the Ring tournament. Breakker will be a dominant force on Raw.
Iyo Sky vs Lyra Valkyria
After a few headlocks and takedowns, Lyra landed a cross-body block off the middle rope for a two-count. Sky replied with a stomp and a double knee strike for a near fall. Sky quickly delivered a German Suplex and an underhook backbreaker for another near fall. Valkyria fought back with a German Suplex of her own. Valkyria landed an enzuigiri and a sliding dropkick.
Lyra hit a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count. Iyo Sky delivered a Meteora. Valkyria applied the rare pendulum submission. Sky replied with a crossface. Sky hit a springboard missile dropkick and a double knee strike in the corner. At ringside, Iyo landed an Asai Moonsault. Lyra delivered a tornado DDT and a fisherman’s buster in the ring for a near fall.
Sky landed a German Suplex and another Meteora. Valkyria stopped her in the ropes, but Sky hit a powerbomb. Lyra avoided an Over the Moonsault. Sky blocked the Nightwing, but Valkyria rolled her for the pin and the win.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
Grades: B+
Analysis: Amazing match. The submission game was strong for both women. Iyo is a star in the ring. Surprisingly, Valkyria won, beating a possible QOTR winner contender in Iyo Sky. Valkyria is in the finals of the Queen of the Ring tournament.
Backstage: R-Truth ensured The Miz that Andre the Giant will have their back for the match against Judgment Day.
– Dragunov and Ricochet were backstage. Bron Breakker appeared out of nowhere and speared Ricochet through a road crate.
– Sonya Deville was back after a long time when she tried to talk to Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.
The Awesome Truth vs Judgment Day
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh challenged The Awesome Truth for the World Tag Team Championships. Miz landed a kitchen sink knee to the midsection of McDonagh, and Truth followed it up with a leg drop. Truth did the split and hit a clothesline. Miz tagged back and hit the IT kicks and his patented corner clotheslines. Dominik’s distraction allowed Judgment Day to take control.
McDonagh prevented Miz from tagging it R-Truth. They took out each other with a double clothesline. Balor and Truth were tagged in. Truth paid homage to his childhood hero, John Cena, by delivering his signature back suplex powerbomb and a 5-Knuckle Shuffle. He applied the STF submission maneuver, but McDonagh intervened. Balor delivered a Slingblade.
Both Miz and Truth hit double-back suplex powerbombs and a double 5-Knuckle Shuffle. Carlito arrived at ringside. Miz took out Balor with a plancha. Truth delivered a Lie Detector to JD and covered him. Carlito put JD’s foot on the rope to prevent a pinfall.
Braun Strowman arrived to even the odds. He laid out Carlito. McDonagh ran back into the ring, where Truth hit an Attitude Adjustment for the win. R-Truth embraced Strowman like he was Andre the Giant as they celebrated.
Winners: The Awesome Truth
Grades: It was a fun match. It’s good that they have made R-Truth more than just a comedian. They have nothing planned for Strowman before Uncle Howdy’s story. So, he will be messing around on Judgment Day.
Backstage: Otis apologized to Sami Zayn for what he did earlier on the show. Zayn said Otis is a good guy, but Gable isn’t. Sami advised Otis to stop listening to Gable and start listening to the fans.
Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan face-to-face
The Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch arrived to a loud crowd pop. Becky said she will defend her title against Liv Morgan in Saudi Arabia. Lynch said Morgan hadn’t beaten her in a singles competition. But this is a different Liv, and she is looking for revenge. Liv Morgan’s music played.
Liv talked about how Lynch punched her last week on WWE Raw on May 13, and she’s still bad. Morgan said that she didn’t care about anyone. She only cares about her revenge tour. Becky laughed at Liv and took a jab at her for finding a purpose after ten years. Lynch said she had a purpose when she was 15 and achieved everything from titles to main eventing WrestleMania.
Morgan called Becky delusional and selfish. Liv claimed she would be at the top of the women’s division by beating Becky for the Women’s World Championship at King and Queen of the Ring PLE. Lynch called Morgan for a fight right now. Liv said that she’ll wait for Saturday.
Grades: B-
Analysis: Good segment with Liv and Becky. Morgan put out great points there. But it should be a brawl to build some more heat on the match. The promo work from Lynch has been too much in the last few weeks.
Backstage: Xavier Woods has been cleared to compete. Karin Kross and Scarlett came to him with a cryptic message.
Fatal 4-Way Women’s Tag Team Match for the #1 Contendership
It was Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane vs. Maxxine Dupri and Ivy Nile vs. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark vs. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. The match broke down with everyone in the ring doing their move. Chance and Carter delivered a Keg Stand. Later, they landed an After Party on Maxxine. We witnessed a Tower of Doom spot.
Chance hit a top rope hurricane on Stark onto Baszler. Maxxine delivered a reverse elbow Caterpillar on Dakota for a near fall. Kairi landed an In-Sane Elbow. In the end, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark got the win.
Winners: Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark
Grades: C
Analysis: Chaotic match. Everyone was performing their move, which looked a bit lackluster and awkward at times. WWE has seen something in Baszler and Stark as a duo. So, they will get an opportunity on the Tag titles. It will be interesting to see if Sonya Deville will join them in making it a faction.
Jey Uso vs Gunther WWE Raw May 20 Results
The night’s main event was a semifinal match from the King of the Ring tournament. Gunther hit three chops to begin. Jey fought back with punches and a suicide dive. Gunther targeted Jey’s shoulder as he drove him into a ring post and a barricade. Gunther hit an uppercut and continued the assault on the injured arm.
Uso fought back with a Samoan Drop off the middle rope. Jey hit a cross-body block for a two-count. Gunther landed a few chops, but Uso took him down with an enzuigiri. Jey delivered a superkick for a near fall. Jey hit another superkick. Gunther replied with a Tyrannosaurus Dropkick and a powerbomb for a near fall.
Gunther delivered a German Suplex and a diving splash for another near fall. Gunther quickly hit Jey with a lariat. Uso was again kicked out, and the Ring General was in shock. Gunther landed multiple chops. Uso replied with a slap to the face. Jey hit a spear, but Gunther crashed into the referee. Uso delivered a Uso Splash. The referee slowly came to count, which led to a near fall.
An irate Gunther applied the wrist lock, and sleeper hold combo. Uso was lifeless, and the referee awarded Gunther a win.
Winner: Gunther
Grades: B+
Analysis: Jey Uso and Gunther was an awesome match, but not better than their previous one. Gunther advanced and is in the finals of the KOTR tournament. Both superstars knew how to play the crowd, and they did it with perfection. Gunther’s changed finisher in every match can hint at something bigger and more exciting.
Overall, it was a fun Monday Night Raw episode. Gunther and Lyra Valkyria have qualified for the final of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, respectively. Good progression in Sami Zayn and Chad Gable’s story. Do you like WWE Raw May 20 Results, Grades, and Analysis? Let us know in the comment section.
