Wrestling Lockup With Brandon 5/23/17: RAW Grand Rapids Recap

By Brandon Albright, @B_Rock1978

Monday Night RAW kicks off the week live in Grand Rapids, Michigan! We are just two weeks away from RAW's WWE Extreme Rules pay per view. Last week, we found out that a Fatal Five Way Match will take place at the event to crown a new #1 Contender to Brock Lesnar and the WWE Universal Championship. What will go down tonight between the five competitors battling in that main event as we move closer to WWE Extreme Rules?

** This Weeks Card **

- Bray Wyatt battled Roman Reigns.
- Akira Tozawa battled Ariya Daivari.
- WWE Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose battled Elias Samson in Samson's RAW debut, in a non title match.
- Finn Balor battled Karl Anderson.
- Sasha Banks battled Alicia Fox.
- Apollo Crews battled Kalisto.
- WWE World Tag Team Champion Matt Hardy battled Sheamus.
- Austin Aries battled Tony Nese.
- WWE RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss battled Mickie James in a non title match.
- Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins battled Bray Wyatt and Samoa Joe.

- Promos By: Bray Wyatt

- A special appearance by Paul Heyman.

- Goldust explains why he turned on R-Truth on a special Shattered Dreams Video.

** RAW **

- Bray Wyatt Promo: Bray cuts a promo on Brock Lesnar stating he'll rip open the beasts chest, feast on his heart and he'll die at the hands of our one true savior, Bray Wyatt. Roman Reigns interrupts and says he's the only one winning at WWE Extreme Rules and going on to beat Lesnar. Reigns says that right now though his only concern is getting Bray out of his yard. Bray and Reigns go face to face and out comes Kurt Angle. Angle says the Fatal Five Way Match at WWE Extreme Rules will be the biggest match ever since the brand split and then announces Bray vs. Reigns right now.

- Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns: The match closes out with Samoa Joe hitting the ring and trapping Reigns in the Coquina Clutch submission. After the match, Bray attacks Reigns, but then gets grabbed by Joe and locked in the Coquina Clutch submission. Seth Rollins hits the ring and unloads on Joe. Bray goes after Rollins, but eats a Superman Punch from Reigns. Reigns and Rollins clear the ring, but exchange a small stare down.
Winner: Roman Reigns, by DQ.

- Backstage, Roman Reigns tells Seth Rollins he doesn't need his help. Rollins says he came out to get Samoa Joe not help Reigns. Kurt Angle interrupts and announces Reigns and Rollins vs. Joe and Bray Wyatt tonight. Elias Samson interrupts playing his guitar. Angle announces that Samson will fight Dean Ambrose tonight in Samson's RAW debut.

- Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari: The match closes out with Tozawa unloading major offense. Tozawa hits a german suplex and then hits a senton off the top rope on Daivari to score the pinfall.
Winner: Akira Tozawa, by pinfall.

- Backstage, Sasha Banks says she's ready to defeat Alicia Fox tonight and move on from the feud. Alicia Fox and Noam Dar interrupt and laugh at Sasha for being alone.

- Dean Ambrose vs. Elias Samson: The Miz and Maryse are on commentary for this match. The match closes out with Ambrose hitting a clothesline on Samson and both men go down. The Miz hits the ring and purposely hits Samson getting Ambrose DQ'ed. After the match, Ambrose grabs The Miz, but Samson makes the save and lays Ambrose out with the swinging neck breaker.
Winner: Elias Samson, by DQ. 

- Backstage, a referee rushes Big Cass to the back as Enzo was attacked and left laid out. Medics help Enzo and his says he wasn't sure who jumped him. Kurt Angle says he's going to get to the bottom of who did it. Cass says he better find them before he does.

- Paul Heyman Interrupts Finn Balor: Finn Balor comes to the ring for his match and talks about the Fatal Five Way Match at WWE Extreme Rules. Paul Heyman interrupts and says he's intrigued to see Finn Balor face Brock Lesnar out of all the five possibilities. Balor tells Heyman to deliver a message to Lesnar. He will win the Fatal Five Way Match, face Brock Lesnar and win the WWE Universal Championship.

- Finn Balor vs. Karl Anderson: The match closes out with Balor suicide diving onto Anderson and Luke Gallows. Back in the ring, Balor hits Slingblade and the corner drop kick on Anderson. Balor hits Coup de Grace and scores the pinfall.
Winner: Finn Balor, by pinfall.

- Alicia Fox vs. Sasha Banks: The match closes out with Alicia missing the scissors kick and allowing Sasha to hit the double knees in the corner to score the pinfall. After the match, Noam Dar talks trash to Sasha and gets knocked out. Alicia jumps Sasha from behind and hits the scissors kick. Alicia and Noam make out while Sasha is knocked out.
Winner: Sasha Banks, by pinfall.

- Backstage, Kalisto asks Apollo Crews why he's fighting Titus O'Neil's battles. Titus appears and says there's an international spot open in the Titus Brand. Kalisto turns down the offer. Titus says Kalisto made a mistake and now has to fight Crews tonight.

- Goldust's Shattered Dreams Video: Goldust says gold is the purest of all the brightest lights and has infinite luster, but Truth's light is flickering. Goldust says he controls how his next film will end as he's back in the director's chair.

- Backstage, Alexa Bliss says she doesn't feel bad about the kendo stick beating she gave Bayley last week. Alexa says Bayley can't get extreme and will get kendo stick welts tattooed on her at WWE Extreme Rules.

- Kalisto vs. Apollo Crews: The match closes out with Titus O'Neil trying to distract Kalisto. Crews tries to attack Kalisto from behind, but Kalisto counters and hits Salida Del Sol for the pinfall.
Winner: Kalisto, by pinfall.

- Matt Hardy vs. Sheamus: The match closes out with Sheamus missing the Brogue Kick. Cesaro tries to get involved, but Jeff Hardy attacks him. Matt hits the Twist of Fate on Sheamus and scores the pinfall. After the match, we find out it'll be The Hardy Boys vs. Sheamus and Cesaro at WWE Extreme Rules in a Steel Cage Match.
Winner: Matt Hardy, by pinfall.

- Tony Nese vs. Austin Aries: The match closes out with Aries countering a suplex and applies a guillotine. Nese tries to power out, but Aries counters it and traps Nese in the Last Chancery submission for the tap out win. After the match, Neville attacks Nese from behind on the stage and traps him in the Rings of Saturn submission. Aries dares Neville to try that to him.
Winner: Austin Aries, by submission.

- Mickie James vs. Alexa Bliss: The match closes out with Alexa dropping Mickie with a punch, talks trash to the referee and then hits a DDT on Mickie for the pinfall. After the match, Alexa grabs a kendo stick and smacks Mickie with it. Bayley hits the ring, grabs the kendo stick and chases Alexa out of the ring.
Winner: Alexa Bliss, by pinfall.

- Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt and Samoa Joe: The match closes out with Reigns stopping Bray from hitting Sister Abigail on Rollins. Reigns goes for a Superman Punch on Joe, but Joe moves and Reigns bumps into Rollins. Rollins and Reigns begin arguing with each other until Bray pulls Reigns outside and hits Sister Abigail. Joe traps Rollins in the Coquina Clutch submission and puts Rollins to sleep for the win. After the match, Bray and Joe have a few words.
Winners: Bray Wyatt and Samoa Joe, by submission.

- Backstage, Kurt Angle was watching the match as Finn Balor walks in. Balor wants a match next week. Angle makes Balor vs. Bray vs. Joe in a Triple Threat Match and also makes Reigns vs. Rollins.