Date: May 30, 2022
Location: Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA
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Show Recap —
Becky Lynch entered to start the show. She was in good mood despite her claim that the fans were awaiting her downfall. Some people collected stamps, some collected friends, but she collected enemies. She knew she was on track to do just that when she regains her title at Hell in a Cell. The odds were against her but that was always true and she always overcame it.
Lynch recalled Asuka winning Money in the Bank in 2020 before handing her the title the next night on Raw. Even back then, Lynch had a plan. She knew she could beat Asuka and thought Asuka would hold the title until she returned.
Asuka interrupted. Asuka said Lynch was still a big-time baby. Lynch tried to interrupt but Asuka snapped at her in Japanese. Asuka said nobody was ready for her and she would become the new champion.
Bianca Belair entered. Belair didn’t want to complain about having to defend her title in a triple threat because she did her talking in the ring. She had payback ready for Asuka tonight after Asuka kicked her in the face last week. She also threatened to drop Lynch.
Lynch took a cheapshot at Belair which led to a short brawl that ended with Asuka and Belair knocking Lynch out of the ring.
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Lynch joined commentary for the match. She dropped a, “I’m a wizard” line at one point. Perhaps she realized what she said because she quickly followed by calling herself a magician (because she made Belair’s title disappear in seconds at SummerSlam).
Non-title match: Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair defeated Asuka (13:06)
They wrestled back and forth before knocking each other out of the ring ahead of a break. Asuka hit a German suplex and a running hip attack following the break for a two count.
Belair got Asuka up for the KOD but she slipped out. Asuka sold it like she hurt her leg on the fall sp Lynch mocked her and called her a baby. Belair went after her but Asuka caught her with a knee strike for a nearfall.
Belair countered an Asuka Lock and hit a Glam Slam. Asuka tried a cradle but Belair countered into a cradle of her own for the pinfall win.
Lynch hit the ring immediately after the match and laid out both women.
The bulk of this match was good but the finish was awkward.
(During the match, there was a clock counting down to the top of the third hour. It’s not Cody Rhodes this time but rather The Usos vs. Riddle & Shinsuke Nakamura.)
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Six-man tag match: Ezekiel, Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio defeated Kevin Owens, Chad Gable & Otis (8:33)
The babyfaces worked together to clear the ring. It took a triple dropkick to knock out Otis. However, Gable shoved Dominik off the middle rope to the outside before driving him into the barricade.
The heels worked over Dominik through a break until Ezekiel made the hot tag. He handed out Stinger splashes to Gable and Owens before giving Gable a spinning powerbomb. Otis broke up the cover so Dominik tried hitting him with a high cross. Otis caught Dominik easily so Rey took him down with a seated senton.
Owens avoided a 619 and tried a superkick but Rey ducked and Gable got superkicked instead. The Mysterios gave Gable a double 619 before Ezekiel hit his finisher (an odd-looking suplex/brainbuster) for the pinfall win.
The announcers pointed out that Owens inadvertently helped Ezekiel win the match and Owens was pissed.
(I know it’s his catchphrase but I think someone in charge told Gable to yell, “thank you!” as often as possible during his matches.)
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Cody Rhodes entered and they went to break.
[SECOND HOUR]
Cody Rh
odes promo
Rhodes received a good reaction. He said he’s always been a big fan of Seth Rollins and he always saw potential in him. There was another man who saw potential in Rollins — the man who raised him. The crowd chanted for Dusty Rhodes. Dusty told Cody that Rollins had everything it took to be a generational talent and he lived up to the hype.
Rhodes learned that he would be getting his second chance at WrestleMania and it would be against Rollins. He admitted he was nervous. He couldn’t return with a loss. But he was at the top of his game and he has now defeated Rollins twice. It’s driven Rollins mad.
Rhodes called Rollins a desperate egomaniac — but he was also dangerous. Hell in a Cell would be the biggest challenge of his career and he wanted Rollins to know that any respect or self-control he had would be locked outside of the cell. Rollins would be locked in with someone who wanted to hurt him.
Rollins interrupted. He cut his promo while in the crowd. Rollins said he didn’t like Rhodes. He tried to accept this new version of Rhodes but he couldn’t take the pandering or the “Cody” chants. He can hear it in his sleep.
Rollins said Rhodes left WWE because he wasn’t good enough, then he and his little friends (AEW) tried to tear down what he built. That didn’t work out for him and now he’s back trying to be the hero.
“You don’t get to take a sledgehammer to the throne and then try to take that throne from me.”
Rollins said he would end Rhodes at HIAC and then we could finally wake up from this American nightmare. Rollins cackled.
Rhodes dared Rollins to come to the ring so they could fight right now. Rollins acted like he would but he actually didn’t so Rhodes went after him.
They brawled in the crowd until Rhodes tackled Rollins through the barricade. Rhodes continued the attack until officials ran down to break it up. The crowd chanted “let them fight.”
Rhodes went to the back and Rollins thought it was over but Rhodes sprinted back down and attacked until officials finally broke it up.
There was a “this is awesome” chant but it was probably fake. I did think this was pretty good, though.
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Alexa Bliss defeated Doudrop (w/Nikki ASH) (3:18)
Bliss avoided a splash, kicked Nikki off the apron, and landed Twisted Bliss for the pinfall win.
(Last week and this week, Cory Graves went on about how Bliss doesn’t have the same intensity and ruthlessness that she had before she left. He preemptively told Twitter to leave him alone for saying this because he knows what he’s talking about.)
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They showed a clip of Lacey Evans signalling the start of the NASCAR race over the weekend.
Miz TV with guests The Street Profits
Miz plugged Miz & Mrs but was interrupted by the Street Profits. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins basically took the segment over. They said Miz was talking about his show when she should be talking about HIAC. Dawkins was looking forward to Rhodes vs. Rollins and reminded Miz that he lost to Rhodes. Ford was looking forward to the beautiful Belair retaining her title.
They realized they were being rude to the host so they asked Miz what he thought of HIAC. He was about to answer but they both yelled, “it doesn’t matter what you think!” Dawkins mocked him for still falling for that line after all these years.
Miz put his hand up to make them stop talking but Dawkins gave him a high five instead. Miz tried to explain the gesture but they continued to mock him.
Dana Brooke suddenly ran down through the crowd and into the ring. T-Bar randomly showed up to drop Akira Tozawa. Ford sat up out of his seat, superkicked T-Bar out of the ring, then calmly sat down. Dawkins did the same when he decked Apollo Crews.
Anyway, a bunch of stuff happened before Tamina gave Brooke a Samoan drop to win the 24/7 title. She kissed Tozawa before he used a backslide to win the title.
(The 24/7 stuff is awful but at least the Street Profits were entertaining.)
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Theory joined commentary. Ciampa didn’t get an entrance.
They said Mustafa Ali would earn a US title shot with a win.
Mustafa Ali defeated Ciampa via disqualification (3:28)
Ciampa was in control until Ali fought back and hit an intense suicide dive. As Ali went to the top, Theory yanked him down and attacked for the DQ. Theory also chucked him into the steel steps.
Theory informed Ali that his US title shot was happening right now.
(Ciampa disappeared.)
Theory defeated Mustafa Ali to retain the United States Championship (1:45)
Theory was putting the boots to Ali after a break and the announcers said he was doing that throughout the break. The ref asked Ali if he wanted to start the match and he said yes. (There was a very light chant for CM Punk.)
Theory was in control until Ali nailed a kick and tornado DDT. However, Theory knocked him off the top rope and hit ATL for the pinfall win.
— Adam Pearce entered after the match. He informed Theory that Mr. McMahon wanted to see a fair fight so he booked a title rematch at HIAC.
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Riddle cut a backstage promo. He thanked everyone for their kind words about Randy Orton. He warned the Usos that he didn’t come to Raw alone. Shinsuke Nakamura said he had Riddle had a common purpose: to bleed the Bloodline dry.
The Usos entered.
[THIRD HOUR]
Non-title match: Riddle & Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Undisputed Tag Team Champions The Usos via disqualification (12:24)
The Usos worked over Riddle until Nakamura made a tag and got a nearfall on a flying knee strike to Jimmy Uso. Jey Uso distracted him which allowed Jimmy to hit a superkick. Jey followed with a splash but Riddle broke up the cover.
Riddle made a hot tag after a break and he hit Jey with a suplex and senton. Nakamura made a blind tag as Riddle fell out of the ring and he crushed Jey with a Kinshasa as he was setting up for a dive but Jimmy broke up the cover. That was a great spot.
Riddle hit a few Orton-esque powerslams before Jimmy hit Riddle with his scooter for the blatant DQ.
After the match, the Usos were going to splash Riddle but Nakamura kicked Jimmy off one turnbuckle before Riddle brought down Jey with an avalanche RKO.
This was a “championship contender’s” match so Riddle/Nakamura earned a title shot with this result.
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They showed a clip of Titus O’Neil at the Indy 500.
Kevin Patrick approached Ali in the back. Ali said he was hurting and he knew the odds were against him but he planned on walking out of his hometown of Chicago as US champion. Theory attacked him from behind and laid him out.
The announcers ran down the HIAC card. Among the matches is a 6-person match with Liv Morgan, AJ Styles and Finn Bálor against Rhea Ripley, Edge and Damian Priest.
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There was a Memorial Day video.
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Morgan entered at 10:15pm and her match began 20 minutes later.
Liv Morgan defeated Rhea Ripley (10:14)
Ripley has new music. Styles and Priest came to ringside during a break.
Morgan fired up at one point and hit a flying crossbody to the outside. She went for Oblivion but Priest held Ripley against the ropes by her pants (like Edge did last week) so Styles went after him. Morgan kicked out of Ripley’s pin attempt and countered a Rip-tide into a cradle for the pinfall win.
— After the match, Priest attacked Styles and turned his attention to Morgan. Finn Bálor ran down and tackled Priest. Styles gave him a Phenomenal forearm and Bálor followed with Coup de Grace. Morgan also wiped out Ripley with a missile dropkick. Styles, Bálor and Morgan stood tall.
(Graves referred to Ripley and Priest as Edge’s “Saints of Fate.”)
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Contract signing with Bobby Lashley, MVP and Omos
The main event was a contract signing that began with 6 minutes left in the show. (Lashley is facing MVP and Omos in a handicap match at HIAC.)
MVP and Lashley exchanged words before everyone signed the contract. MVP didn’t want to wait for Sunday and Lashley was fine with that. Lashley chucked the table aside before he and Omos both cleared the ring of security guards. Omos and Lashley were about to go at it before Cedric Alexander chop-blocked Lashley.
Omos set up a table in the corner of the ring but Lashley speared him through it.