WWE Raw 8th of May 2023

In-Ring Segment: Cody Rhodes
Rhodes asks the Jacksonville crowd what they want to talk about. He made his home here during the pandemic and they made a lot of memories. How about they make another one tonight. Rhodes notes that he battled “The Beast” Brock Lesnar. At Backlash he found out what Lesnar was made of because it was all over his hands. Lesnar was a distraction. Its clear to Rhodes what’s next for him and its the World Heavyweight Championship.
Rhodes walks up the ramp to the stand that holds the new World Heavyweight Championship. He’s looking forward to hearing Samantha says, “And NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Cody Rhodes!” Roads officially starts the tournament. Seth “Freakin” Rollins music hits. Rollins and Rhodes have a staredown before Rollins makes his way to the ring.

World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Match: Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Damian Priest
As soon as the bell rings, Priest clocks Nakamura with an elbow. Priest gives Rollins one as well. Priest beats down Nakamura in the corner. Rollins knees Priest in the back, sending him out of the ring. Nakamura and Rollins stare each other down. Rollins hits the ropes and eats a flurry of strikes from Nakamura. Nakamura blasts Rollins with a sliding German suplex. Priest tries to sneak in a boot but Nakamura avoids it. Nakamura catches Priest with a sliding knee. Before Priest can react, Nakamura follows that with a leaping knee strike off the apron to the back of Priest’s head.
After the break, Rollins flattens Nakamura and Priest with a crossbody off the top. Nakamura and Priest both fall to the outside area. Rollins lands suicicde dives on Priest and Nakamura. Rollins tries another on Priest but Priest clocks him in midair with a punch. Nakamura sets Priest on the top and lands a running knee. Diving knee strike off the second rope by Nakamura. Priest kicks out. Priest drops Nakamura with a nasty right hand.
Rollins tries a springboard but Priest counters and lands a leaping flatliner. Rollins kicks out. Everyone lands a kick, which leads to everyone being down. Everyone trade strikes. Rollins back into a sleeperhold by Nakamura. Nakamura tries a reverse exploder but Rollins lands on his feet. Discus clothesline by Rollins. Rollins goes up top. Priest crotches him on the top rope. Priest tries a Razor’s Edge but his knee gives out. Rollins lands a Stomp. Nakamura breaks up the pin. Rollins is pissed.
Nakamura tells Rollins to come on. Both men trade strikes. Nakamura ducks Rollins knock out shot and lands his reverse exploder. Nakamura calls for the Kinshsa. Priest breaks it up with a lariat. Priest sets up South of Heaven. Nakamura reverses it into a knee bar. Priest is about to tap. Rollins lands a frog splash off the top on Nakamura out of nowhere. Priest writhes in pain, clutching at his knee. Rollins drops Nakamura with a Pedigree for the win!
Winner- Seth “Freakin” Rollins

Mustafa Ali vs. Otis w/Chad Gable and Maxxine Dupri
Otis runs over Ali. Ali manges to avoid Otis until he’s turned upside down with a lariat. Otis calls for the Caterpillar Gable and Dupri both get on the apron. Dupri doesn’t want Otis to do it. Gable does. Otis charges at Ali. Ali moves out of the way and lands a 450 Splash for the win.
Winner- Mustafa Ali

World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Finn Bálor vs. The Miz
Rhodes sends Bálor out of the ring and tries a few quick pins on Miz. Rhodes suplexes Bálor ontop of Miz. Miz kicks out. Rhodes catches Bálor and Miz with a suicide dive. After the break, Rhodes lands a dropkick off the top, that takes out Bálor and Miz. Rhodes drops down and uppercuts both Bálor and Miz. Rhodes lands powerslams on both Miz and Bálor. Double Cody Cutter by Rhodes. Rhodes clutches at his injured shoulder.
Rhodes sets up Crossroads on Bálor. Bálor counters but Rhodes reverses that into a drop down kick. Disaster Kick by Rhodes. Bálor kicks out. Miz manages to DDT Rhodes and Bálor at the same time. Miz tries the Skull Crushing Finale. Rhodes counters. Bálor drops Miz with the slingblade. Final cut by Bálor. Rhodes kicks out. Bálor sends Rhodes flying with the Woo dropkick. Bálor misses the double stomp off the top. Miz knocks Rhodes off the apron. Skull Crushing Finale by Miz.
Rhodes breaks up the pin. Rhodes hits Crossroads on Bálor. Miz tosses Rhodes out of the ring and tries to steal the pin. Rhodes immediately gets back in the ring and breaks up Miz’s pin. Rhodes proceeds to give Miz three Crossroads in a row. As Rhodes pins Miz, Brock Lesnar hops the barricade and pulls Rhodes out of the ring. F5 by Lesnar. Bálor crushes Miz with the top rope double stomp for the win.
Winner- Finn Bálor
After the match, Lesnar picks up Rhodes and F5s him through the announce desk. Lesnar grabs Rhodes and asks him what he wants to talk about. Lesnar wants a fight and he wants it at Night of Champions. Rhodes is out cold. Lesnar quips, who is the coward now? Lesnar drops the mic and walks away. Referees and officials check on Rhodes.

SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley w/Dominik Mysterio vs. Dana Brooke
As soon as the bell rings, Brooke dropicks Ripley. Ripley pancakes Brooke and rains down rights and lefts. Ripley beats down Brooke. Brooke surprises Ripley with a wheelbarrow bulldog. Brooke dives of the top but is caught by Ripley. Riptide by Ripley. Ripley does the release version of the move instead of sitting out to a pin. Ripley chuckles at Brooke before locking in the Prisim Lock. Brooke taps out.
Winner- Rhea Ripley
After the match, Ripley hands Dominik the SmackDown Women’s Championship and hits another Ripetide on Brooke. Ripley slaps on the Prisim Lock again. Natalya’s music hits. She is one of the new addition to the Raw Roster. Natalya gets in Ripley’s face. Ripley walks away.

Undisputed Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. IMPERIUM
Kaiser and Zayn trade strikes. Hip toss by Zayn. Vinci gets a blind tag and clubs Zayn while he is tossing Kaiser out of the ring. Zayn goes up top, but Kaiser pushes him off the top into a lariat by Vinci while the referee is distracted. Vinci and Kaiser lands their patented double kick in the corner. IMPERIUM poses over Zayn as the show cuts to commercial. After the break, Vinci and Kaiser are working over Zayn.
Zayn manages to tag in Owens. Owens stomps a mudhole in Kaiser. Owens sends Kaiser flying with a back drop. Inverted atomic drop by Owens. Owens sets up a cannonball after nailing a lariat. Vinci tries to break it up but gets blasted with a right hand by Owens. Ownes hits a patella brainbuster. Owens lands a swanton. Vinci breaks up the pin.
Kaiser and Vinci catch Owens with a high/low. Owens surprises Kaiser with a lariat that turns him inside out. Vinci knocks Zayn off the apron. IMPERIUM sets up the Imperial Bomb. Owens back body drops Vinci and drops Kaiser with a Stunner. Vinici charges in and eats a Helluva Kick from Zayn. Zayn pins Vinci.
Winners- Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn