WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Draft Night 2
Erik BeastonApril 29, 2024WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Draft Night 20 of 12
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The 2024 WWE draft continued Monday night at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with Raw and SmackDown selecting the Superstars who will help define the brands for the next year.
Eligible Superstars for Monday’s picks included CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, The Judgment Day and Bobby Lashley.
Who landed where, what did United States champion Logan Paul have in store when he made his first appearance since WrestleMania 40, and was world heavyweight champion Damian Priest able to halt No. 1 contender Jey Uso’s momentum days before Backlash in Lyon, France?
Find out with this recap of a packed April 29 show.
Lineup1 of 12
Announced in advance for Monday’s show were:
The continuation of the 2024 WWE draftUnited States champion Logan Paul’s returnJey Uso, Andrade and Ricochet vs. Damian Priest, Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh
Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. “Big” Bronson ReedNew Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch Kicks Off Raw2 of 12
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Logan Paul, IShowSpeed and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes arrived to the arena and were greeted by world heavyweight champion Damian Priest and The Judgment Day.
WWE @WWE#USChampion @LoganPaul brought @PatrickMahomes AND @ishowspeedsui to the #WWEDraft on #WWERaw and it’s all going down RIGHT NOW on @USANetwork! pic.twitter.com/4cv3tmUBVq
Elsewhere, new women’s world champion Becky Lynch hit the ring to open the show, recapping her win from a week ago and expressing her desire to fight the best.
Liv Morgan interrupted, followed shortly by new SmackDown draftee Nia Jax.
A verbal back and forth gave way to Jax vowing to take one of the women out on her way to the blue brand, leaving commentator Michael Cole to suggest Raw general manager Adam Pearce would have to take a break from the draft to make the Jax-Morgan match official.
This was a fine way to kick off Raw, with three women who have established history sharing the ring one last time en route to a match that could have long-reaching effects on the Raw women’s division.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
WWE having the biggest star in the NFL appear on Raw is a huge get. It puts his name and likeness on the show, something that is always beneficial no matter how popular the product already is worldwide.Lynch said she would not have the women’s world title if it wasn’t for what Morgan did to Rhea Ripley…and what she did to Morgan a week ago. It was a killer line from The Man in reference to her eliminating Morgan to win the title in last week’s main event.Stephanie McMahon Opens Draft Night 2; Xavier Woods vs. Gunther3 of 12
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Night 2: First-Round WWE Draft Picks
Raw: Imperium (Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser)SmackDown: Jade CargillRaw: Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, Asuka, and Kairi Sane)SmackDown: Kevin OwensA week ago, Gunther officially announced his entry into the King of the Ring tournament and was quickly joined in the field by defending king Xavier Woods. Monday, they battled in singles competition to kick off the in-ring portion of the show.
Woods proved resilient and tough, absorbing the punishing blows dealt him by The Ring General. His late comeback was cut off, with Gunther catching a kick attempt and driving him down with another chop. He applied a Boston Crab but, despite Kofi Kingston teasing to throw in the towel, Woods was insistent that he could fight his way out of the submission.
He didn’t, though, and the Austrian scored the tap-out victory.
This was a good match, with some strong character work from Gunther, who mimicked taking the crown off the King of the Ring and putting it on his own head. The more of that we get out of him, the greater his star will shine in WWE.
Result
Gunther defeated Woods
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Gunther chopped Woods at one point, and the echo can still be heard reverberating in Kansas City.Woods does not get nearly enough credit for the singles worker that he is.Logan Paul and IShowSpeed Announce Draft Picks, Cut Promo4 of 12
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Night 2: Second-Round WWE Draft Picks
Raw: CM PunkSmackDown: The Pride (Bobby Lashley, The Street Profits, and B-Fab)Raw: Braun StrowmanSmackDown: Tiffany StrattonAfter announcing the next round of draft picks, United States champion Logan Paul and YouTuber IShowSpeed hit the ring.
The Maverick cut a promo on Jey Uso, claiming the No. 1 contender does not stand a chance against Damian Priest on Saturday at Backlash.
Uso interrupted, only to find himself on the receiving end of a beatdown at the hands of The Judgment Day’s JD McDonagh and Finn Bálor. Patrick Mahomes gave his three Super Bowl rings to Paul, who attempted to lay Uso out with them but instead struck McDonagh.
The returning Braun Strowman made the save, laying Bálor out and chasing Paul off before standing tall alongside Uso to close out the segment.
Triple H and WWE Creative used Paul and Mahomes’ star power to highlight The Judgment Day, Uso and Strowman as top acts on Monday nights. Whether you like the participants or not, this was all about maximizing minutes and using them to enhance the stars already in place.
Good stuff.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
Positioning Mahomes as a heel alongside Paul was a clever choice, especially considering the three-time Super Bowl MVP has expressed a willingness to be the villain if that’s what NFL fans need.There is a story to be told with Uso and Strowman given how many times The Monster Among Men proved to be the one Superstar Roman Reigns could not vanquish.Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn vs. Bronson Reed5 of 12
Credit: WWE.com
The match between Sami Zayn and Bronson Reed for the Intercontinental Championship never really felt like it got out of neutral, nor did it have to.
What was a competitive match between champion and challenger ended with Chad Gable breaking up a pinfall after a Helluva Kick from out of nowhere before assaulting Zayn.
The Olympian beat the titleholder down before an angry Reed, who had just watched his championship aspirations evaporate, laid him out.
A championship picture with three legitimate stars only heightens the importance of the IC title. A Triple Threat is on the horizon, and while Reed will likely eat the pin to preserve the momentum of the other two, it keeps things interesting and prevents WWE burning through Zayn vs. Gable right away.
Result
Zayn defeated Reed via disqualification
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
“Nothing generic about that,” Cole said of Zayn, with a nod toward his former El Generico character.Reed being angered by Gable costing him the title makes more sense than the two heels aligning just because they are villains.The APA Announce Draft Picks; CM Punk Calls Out Drew McIntyre6 of 12
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Night 2 Third-Round Draft Picks
Raw: The LWO (Rey Mysterio, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, Zelina Vega, Dragon Lee, and Carlito)SmackDown: Legado del Fantasma (Santos Escobar, Angel, Berto, and Elektra Lopez)Raw: Drew McIntyreSmackDown: Shinsuke NakamuraDrew McIntyre was frustrated by his status as a third-round draft pick, which was announced by the Acolytes Protection Agency (Jon “Bradshaw” Layfield and Ron Simmons).
The Scot spat venom at anyone but mainly CM Punk, who he credited for breaking his elbow during his WrestleMania attack on The Scottish Warrior.
Punk interrupted and goaded McIntyre from the skyboxes and dared him to come for him.
This was short, sweet and set up the possibility that we will see a brawl or physical encounter between the two at some point on Monday night’s show.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
“Am I the only logical person left around here?” McIntyre said.”I’m not sitting at home, Drew. I’m right here, ya little b—h,” Punk said.Maxxine Dupri vs. Candice LeRae7 of 12
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Backstage, Sheamus confronted new Raw addition Bron Breakker, telling him that he reminded him a lot of a young version of himself.
Before they could continue the conversation, Drew McIntyre blew past them to bring the segment to an abrupt conclusion.
In the arena, Maxxine Dupri and Candice LeRae continued their rivalry with a one-on-one countdown, with Ivy Nile and Indi Hartwell at ringside for their respective tag team partners.
The seconds did not matter, though, as The Poison Pixie put Dupri down with Wicked Stepsister for the swift victory.
The match was way too short to matter or judge. Dupri looked good in spurts and appeared to be the central part of the segment, but ultimately LeRae picked up a win that does nothing for this feud moving forward.
Result
LeRae defeated Dupri
Grade
C-
Top Moments and Takeaways
Rey Mysterio cut a promo on Carlito’s betrayal from Friday until his son, Dominik, interrupted. They had a verbal exchange, with dad getting the better of his boy on this occasion.CM Punk One Step Ahead of Drew McIntyre8 of 12
Credit: WWE.com
Drew McIntyre furiously checked out the skyboxes and finally found the one CM Punk had been in, only to then watch The Straight Edge Superstar make his way to the ring.
The Best in the World cut a scathing promo on the Scot, setting the stage for an eventual showdown between them upon their returns to the squared circle after injury.
The simplicity of this one, complete with Punk disrespectfully turning his back on McIntyre as if to say he’s not worth his attention, really elevated this.
It wasn’t overly long, and it continued a story that is fixing to become the top one on Monday nights moving forward.
Night 2 Fourth-Round Draft Picks
Raw: The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh)SmackDown: NaomiRaw: Ilja DragunovSmackDown: Chelsea Green and Piper NivenGrade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
“You prayed for me to get injured. I did that to you,” Punk told McIntyre.”I’m not out for revenge. You’ve given me purpose,” The Best in the World added.Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax9 of 12
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The result of the night’s opening promo segment, Liv Morgan battled Nia Jax with Tiffany Stratton at ringside.
Late in the contest, Naomi attacked Stratton, their fight spilling over the guardrail and into the ringside area. Morgan took advantage of the momentary distraction, delivering ObLIVion and scoring a big victory over The Irresistible Force.
This was a great way to give Morgan a quality win over a heel competitor who fans buy into while the brawl between Naomi and Stratton shined a light on Saturday’s WWE Women’s Championship match, which also features titleholder Bayley.
Result
Morgan pinned Jax
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
The fans weren’t entirely sure of who they were supposed to be cheering in this one, based on the reaction for the match.Adding Jax to a SmackDown title picture that already includes Bayley, Naomi and Stratton strengthens the women’s division on Friday nights.The Dudley Boyz Announce Draft Picks; World Tag Team Championship10 of 12
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Fifth-Round WWE Draft Picks
Raw: The New DaySmackDown: Pretty DeadlyRaw: Lyra ValkyriaSmackDown: Candice LeRae and Indi HartwellThe Miz and R-Truth defended the World Tag Team Championship against Alpha Academy’s Otis and Akira Tozawa in the penultimate match of the night.
A sprint of a bout saw the champions barely break a sweat as they weathered the offense of Otis late on, including his trademark centipede, before delivering the Truth Crushing Finale for the successful title defense.
More important than the match itself was what the loss will mean for Otis and Tozawa as Gable will look to push them harder, faster and further than they ever have been.
This new version of the Olympian will demand the absolute best of his Alpha Academy trainees. Whether that attitude ultimately works with Otis bears watching, though.
Result
Awesome Truth retained over Alpha Academy
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Miz turned Tozawa inside out on the ring apron, continuing the latter’s month of scary bumps that started on the SmackDown before WrestleMania.Backstage, JD McDonagh flashed the most hilariously bad made-up black eye in the history of WWE. Quite a statement considering the long history of the company. Final Draft Picks on Raw; 6-Man Tag Team Main Event11 of 12
Credit: WWE.com
Night 2 Sixth-Round Draft Picks
Raw: The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Authors of Pain, Paul Ellering and Scarlett)SmackDown: DIY (Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano)Raw: “Big” Bronson ReedSmackDown: Blair DavenportJey Uso sent one last message to Damian Priest ahead of their World Heavyweight Championship clash Saturday, teaming with Andrade and Ricochet to defeat The Judgment Day in an action-packed main event.
The match was no better or worse than the high-energy six-man tag team main events that WWE typically does so well, but it did establish Uso as the Superstar with all of the momentum entering Backlash France.
It’s an interesting choice because the argument could be made that Uso already has credibility in a way Priest doesn’t, so WWE Creative may have done its new world champion a disservice by focusing too much on the challenger.
Triple H and Co. are hoping Priest beating Uso will go a long way in establishing him as a valid champion, but a great deal of that will depend on how the victory happens and if he can manage it on his own.
Result
Uso, Andrade and Ricochet defeated The Judgment Day
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
“They say you don’t have endurance. You’ve actually Yeeted twice tonight,” Cole told McAfee on commentary. “First time in years,” McAfee replied in a funny exchange.It’s clear WWE is rebuilding the Raw main event scene. The Judgment Day and Uso are over with the fans, but convincing the audience they are main event-caliber on a consistent basis on TV is another thing entirely. If anyone can do it, though, it’s Triple H and WWE.Overall Grade12 of 12
Perhaps WWE undermined itself with the placement of the draft in this year’s calendar.
While there were changes and Superstar swaps here and there, too many key figures stayed put, leading to what was essentially a draft of midcard talent and NXT stars who will have the opportunity to rise through the ranks or break out over the next 12 months.
Not only did the lack of blockbuster moves hurt proceedings but so did the fact that there is a pay-per-view this weekend, which was woefully underhyped on Monday’s show.
In between, there was some fun stuff, including an appearance by Mahomes but ultimately, this felt like a broadcast where both everything and nothing happened.
It was merely there, a broadcast where nothing really significant happened; neither in the draft nor the build to Backlash.
Overall Grade: B-
