WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From May 27 (2024)

On the heels of a King and Queen of the Ring premium live event in which Liv Morgan defeated Becky Lynch under controversial circ*mstances to become the new women's world champion, WWE Raw emanated from the Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia with a jam-packed card.

Morgan defended her newly won title against Lynch inside a steel cage and Braun Strowman continued his newfound rivalry with The Judgment Day by battling the faction's resident Funko Pop, JD McDonagh, all while the flagship show laid the foundation for the upcoming Clash at the Castle extravaganza on June 15.

What went down, was Morgan able to successfully retain her title, and what occurred when Drew McIntyre and world heavyweight champion Damian Priest shared the same arena after Triple H announced their showdown for the Glasgow, Scotland event?

Find out with this recap of the USA Network broadcast.

Announced in advance of Monday's show were:

Ludwig Kaiser introduced the new King of the Ring, Gunther, to start the show.

The Ring General wasted little time turning his attention to one of his potential opponents at SummerSlam, world heavyweight champion Damian Priest.

He insulted The Archer of Infamy, suggesting he is a champion defined by shortcuts, which brought the champion to the ring.

Drew McIntyre soon followed, taking exception to being left out of the conversation despite challenging Priest for the title in just over two weeks at Clash at the Castle. A back-and-forth ensued as Gunther graciously ducked out of the ring before Braun Strowman made his way to the ring for his scheduled match against JD McDonagh, stopping to admire Priest's title.

This was a strong opening segment.

As a booker, Triple H likes to keep several moving pieces flowing in and out of the title picture. The more open story threads, the more unpredictable the show is. He executed that again here, with Gunther, McIntyre, and Strowman all presented as threats to Priest's title.

Which of them takes him down for the title remains to be seen. The fact that McIntyre continues to fixate on CM Punk, who he again verbally attacked on the microphone, suggests it is not a given that The Scottish Warrior leaves his homeland as champion.

If that plays out, there are two contenders established and ready to test The Archer of Infamy throughout the summer. It is smart booking that Triple H has perfected.

Grade

A

Top Moments and Takeaways

Despite Carlito's best attempts to further endear himself to The Judgment Day by interfering on behalf of the heel, Braun Strowman powerslammed his way to victory over JD McDonagh in the night's opening content.

McDonagh put up a better fight than expected but Strowman overcame his knee-focused attack, and interference from Carlito and Finn Balor, to secure the victory.

After the match, The Monster Among Men demonstrated physical dominance, fending the heels off to close the segment.

There is an argument to be made that the match went on way too long, especially throughout a commercial break. Strowman still looked unstoppable and that bodes well for his chances of developing into a legitimate championship contender.

Backstage, Cathy Kelly interviewed new women's world champion Liv Morgan, who said her steel cage match with Becky Lynch tonight is her way to prove that she can defeat The Man by herself and that the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour is only just beginning.

Result

Strowman defeated McDonagh

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Takeaways

Earlier in the night, Ilja Dragunov interrupted a conversation between Ricochet and Raw general manager Adam Pearce about Bron Breakker to thank The Highlight of the Night for stepping in on his behalf during the former NXT champion's rampage a week ago.

Ricochet, angry and looking for competition, demanded to run it back with The Mad Dragon and Pearce made the match official.

Another classic encounter between the two was unfortunately interrupted by the ruthless, unpredictable Breakker, who exploded into the ring following a Ricochet shooting star press and folded the reigning WWE Speed champion up with a spear.

He added another to Dragunov before Pearce confronted him. Breakker disrespectfully walked out, failing to acknowledge his superior until stopping and staring him down at the top of the aisle.

The reaction for Breakker is interesting in that a portion of the audience barks along with him and appears to appreciate the unstoppable badass beating people up. The rest of the fans boo, as expected.

How that reaction evolves, and how Triple H and the creative team respond, bears watching moving forward.

Breakker continues to look like a star, though, and that is the endgame. More of this and he will be a major player on the red brand moving forward. The presentation and creative direction will determine just how major a player he is.

Result

No contest

Grade

A

Top Moments and Takeaways

Earlier in the afternoon, as The New Day confronted Awesome Truth about a potential World Tag Team Championship opportunity, Karrion Kross interrupted. He continued his attempts to recruit Xavier Woods, telling him to realize his fullest potential by stepping out of Kofi Kingston's shadow.

Woods resisted and a match with The Authors of Pain was set up for next week's show.

Back in the arena, AOP battled The Creed Brothers.

Akam and Rezar sent a message to Kingston and Woods loudly and clearly, withstanding the best Julius and Brutus had to offer and scoring the impressive victory.

The Kross-Woods story is interesting in that there is merit to what the heel is preaching. Woods has been in New Day's background, often overshadowed either by Kingston or Big E. Even as the host of Up Up, Down Down and a former King of the Ring, he does not have the individual accolades as an in-ring competitor that his teammates have.

Kross tapping into that in an attempt to lure him to The Final Testament, or even manipulating him into turning on his friends, is an interesting and fresh story to tell. More importantly, a feud with New Day feels like one Kross can win, which he badly needs for him and his faction to be taken seriously.

Result

Authors of Pain defeated The Creed Brothers

Grade

C+

Top Moments and Moments

Returning to WWE television for the first time since his opening-round loss to Gunther in the King of the Ring tournament, Sheamus wasted little time addressing the insults of Ludwig Kaiser.

The German-born competitor interrupted from backstage and The Celtic Warrior met him there, brawling with Kaiser until officials and the overworked Pearce separated them.

This was a short, sweet promo segment that shined a light on what has the potential to be a fun midcard program between the two. Kaiser has a ton of potential to be a star in his own right and Sheamus is one of the most trusted in-ring competitors on the roster.

If anyone can work with Kaiser and prep him to be one of the next big, breakout stars in WWE, it is someone who once found himself in a similar situation.

Grade

B

Top Moments and Takeaways

Still reeling from her loss to Nia Jax at King and Queen of the Ring, and nursing a rib injury, Lyra Valkyria returned to the squared circle for a one-on-one showdown with Damage CTRL's Kairi Sane.

The Pirate Princess focused her attack on the injured core of the babyface. She left herself open, though, allowing the alert and aware Valkyria to score the win with a crucifix rollup.

The match was good for as short as it was and once again portrayed Valkyria as a winner.

Triple H and the creative team have done an incredibly effective job of presenting the former NXT champion as a star in the women's division and someone who can carry the mantle moving forward.

There is an argument to be made that her success should not have come at the expense of Damage CTRL but as we saw during a backstage segment in which the frustrated Iyo Sky destroyed furniture, the losses are likely to lead to the next evolution of the faction.

Result

Valkyria defeated Sane

Grade

B-

Top Moments and Takeaways

Following his betrayal of LWO and a sneak attack on Cruz Del Toro a week ago, Carlito squared off with the faction's leader and WWE Hall of Famer, Rey Mysterio.

Mysterio overcame an otherwise dominant performance by his second-generation opponent, and interference from The Judgment Day's Finn Balor, to secure the win with his trademark 619 and springboard splash combination.

Seeking revenge for the hell Carlito had put him and his friends through, Mysterio looked to continue his attack on both his former teammate and Balor. Instead, a frustrated Priest appeared, laid out both him and Lee, and stood tall.

As if The Archer of Infamy was not already spread thin enough, now he finds himself embroiled in a war with the LWO, the last thing he needed as he faces challengers to his world title from all directions.

Add to that his sudden distrust for Balor, and his overall frustration with his faction's recent failures, and you have a guy who appears poised to break out of The Judgment Day and become a legitimate main event babyface sooner rather than later.

Result

Mysterio defeated Carlito

Grade

B

Top Moments and Takeaways

Following another berating at the hands of Chad Gable, Otis sought to make up for an errant clothesline that cost his coach the intercontinental title at King and Queen of the Ring as he squared off with "Big" Bronson Reed.

Late in the match, Otis had Reed down and set up for the caterpillar but Gable cut him off, demanding he not do the crowd-pleasing move. The distraction allowed the Australian to rock Otis with a kick and score the win with the Tsunami.

After the match, Gable called all of Alpha Academy to the ring for a meeting.

Before Gable could deal discipline to Otis in the form of a belt lashing, Dupri stopped him to a big ovation. Gable banished her from the squared circle, then made demands of Tozawa before Sami Zayn interrupted to a big pop.

Zayn and Gable engaged in a back-and-forth verbal encounter before the IC champion asked Otis what he would do: listen to Gable and stay under his oppressive rule or listen to the fans and be set free.

The big man chose his side, at least for one night, watching as Gable attacked Zayn and left him lying to close out another great segment in what has become one of the best stories in WWE.

In the words of the late Pat Patterson, the crowd will go "banana" when Otis finally stands up to, and lays out, Gable.

While Zayn, Gable, and Otis are the focal points here, do not sleep on Dupri, who is one of the best characters in this entire arc.

Often labeled the "dumb blonde" by her coach, she was the only member of Alpha Academy to stand up to her abusive boss, drawing a big pop from the fans.

She has star potential as the lovable underdog who stands up for what is right.

Result

Reed pinned Otis

Grade

A+

Top Moments and Takeaways

After Dominik Mysterio inadvertently (?) screwed her out of the Women's World Championship at King and Queen of the Ring Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Becky Lynch challenged new titleholder Liv Morgan in a steel cage main event of Raw.

The match was another competitive, back-and-forth affair that saw each woman come within inches of leaving with the title. Late, though, Mysterio arrived on the scene, seemingly to encourage Lynch to step through the cage door and win the match.

Finn Balor and JD McDonagh followed, attempting to talk Dom Dom out of his decision, which prompted Braun Strowman to rush the ring and chase McDonagh around the squared circle.

As he did, he blasted Mysterio into the cage, the door slamming on Lynch's head. Morgan escaped from there and retained her title.

The finish was absolutely ridiculous, but it fit the show-long narrative of Strowman seeking revenge on McDonagh for the chair shot earlier in the night, so it at least made sense within the context of what had been set up previously.

With that said, if this was the last time we see Lynch in a WWE ring, she certainly deserved a better sendoff than being in the background of the Judgment Day drama.

Morgan has been great as a heel and the uncertainty surrounding her association with the faction is intriguing, though. Where it goes from here, and just how much Mysterio is invested beyond what he is letting on, bears watching.

Result

Morgan defeated Lynch to retain

Grade

B+

Top Moments and Takeaways

This week's show was all about stories.

Some were wrapped up, others were introduced, and some were advanced or intensified.

Becky Lynch's story in WWE may very well have ended, as she eluded to in her backstage vignette with Lyra Valkyria, when she insinuated that she could be walking away.

Her fellow Irishwoman, the competitor who defeated her for the NXT women's title, has a story just beginning as Valkyria continued to roll en route to stardom on the main roster.

The Judgment Day and the turmoil surrounding it, including Damian Priest's many issues with potential challengers and his teammates, is the clear overarching storyline, while the Alpha Academy drama might be the best and most engaging in the company.

Sprinkle in Karrion Kross' pursuit of Xavier Woods, Bron Breakkers' path of rage, Gunther's rise to the top of the card, and the long-running issues between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk, and you have a show that is brimming with storylines.

How Triple H continues to tell them, as well as the payoffs, will ultimately determine how effective this run for the red brand is.

Everyone has something to do, there are stories playing out in the background of backstage vignettes for those paying close attention, and we still have Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt 6 incoming.

There is plenty to be excited about on Monday nights, even if the in-ring was weaker this week than usual.

Grade: B