WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from May 28

Sasha Banks was the last woman standing on an uneven edition of WWE Raw.

The Gauntlet match she won to earn a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match didn't get nearly enough space to spread its wings. This was nothing like the two-hour epic WWE put on earlier this year. Raw instead opted to cram the bout in the show's final moments after a night of slapstick, one-liners and sneak attacks.

Seth Rollins defended the Intercontinental Championship again. More and more, The Kingslayer has been the red brand's de facto top titleholder.

Monday's show also featured more destruction from Braun Strowman, The B-Team's pursuit of gold, as well as Sami Zayn and Bobby Lashley's rancid rivalry. In the march toward the Money in the Bank pay-per-view June 17, things got weird—often with mixed results.

Read on for a full breakdown of Monday's Raw.

Strowman opened the show talking about his desire to win the Money in the Bank briefcase. He claimed no one in the ladder match could stop him.

Finn Balor came out to disagree. Their discussion got physical in a hurry, as Balor slapped Strowman and The Monster Among Men flung him out of the ring in response.

Raw general manager Kurt Angle soon booked a match between the two of them.

Kevin Owens sat in on commentary as Strowman dominated Balor. He whipped the Irishman around the ring and battered him with strikes.

For brief stretches, Balor was able to use his speed advantage to fluster Strowman, but it never lasted. The beast continued to overwhelm him.

Owens charged in to prevent Balor's Coup de Grace attempt. He attacked both men with a ladder but ended up scurrying away from The Monster Among Men.

Result

Balor wins via disqualification.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Fans chant "Get these hands!"
• "I'll be known as 'Mr. Monster in the Bank.'—Strowman.
• "You put up a really good fight for a little guy."—Strowman.
• "Have you hit puberty? That's what I want to know."—Owens to Byron Saxton.
• "Stay down!"—Strowman to Balor.
• Strowman shoulder blocks Balor into the crowd.
• Strowman throws a ladder up the entrance ramp.
  

Grade

B+

Analysis

Strowman delivered a simple, to-the-point promo. The crowd ate it all up.

The match served to showcase Strowman's dominance and Balor's heart with a touch of Owens' vulture-like ways. The solid outing offered a glimpse of the chaos ahead in the Money in the Bank ladder match.

Strowman wreaking havoc in that bout is going to be a joy to watch. He's going to produce a number of impressive moments.

Elias trashed the Richmond, Virginia, fans as he prepared to perform a song. He demanded lighting changes and for the fans to be silent. His performance never happened.

Rollins emerged and promptly tossed Elias' chair out of the ring.

As soon as the bell rang, an aggressive Rollins had Jinder Mahal reeling. A distraction from Sunil Singh allowed the heel to snag the advantage, though. The Modern Day Maharaja wore down the champ, focusing on his ribs.

Singh later occupied the referee, and Mahal smashed Rollins with a steel chair. The Kingslayer battered his foe with the chair to pay him back.

Elias smashed Rollins with his guitar afterward. Medical staff tried to roll The Architect out on a stretcher, but he insisted on walking.

Result

Mahal wins via disqualification. Rollins retains the Intercontinental Championship.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "I know we're in the South but try to keep up."—Elias.
• "This Virginia crowd is particularly disgusting."—Elias.
• Mahal pushes Rollins off the ring apron into the security barricade.
• Rollins hurls Singh into Mahal with a Buckle Bomb.
• Elias sends Rollins flying off the announce table with a guitar shot.

Grade

B

Analysis

The pre-match segment was some of Elias' best work, The Drifter masterfully controlling the crowd. He has become such an entertaining irritant.

Rollins vs. Mahal was better than one might expect in spite of the former's methodical style.

With Mahal facing Roman Reigns at Money in the Bank, WWE chose to avoid pinning a loss on him. This ending was a solid way to keep Rollins' tear going while making Mahal look good, too.

It's odd that Reigns didn't help out his brother, though.

Ronda Rousey sat at the announce table as Nia Jax showed off in the ring.

The Raw women's champ explained how she could take out Rousey by beating up Michelle Webb with her signature moves.

Jax dared Rousey to get into the ring with her. The former UFC star obliged.

After Jax laughed at her and dismissed her as "cute," Rousey was left confused.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "If she can't remember the name, she probably can't remember the defense."—Rousey.
• "She knows her name. You can shut up right now."—Jax to fans chanting for Rousey.

Grade

C

Analysis

WWE has to get points for creativity. The exhibition route isn't something you see often.

Jax, however, only recently turned babyface and acted like a heel throughout this whole segment. Why spend all that time and energy building her up as an anti-bully force of nature to make her the bully so soon after?

The chemistry between these rivals is going to need some work ahead of the PPV, too.

Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy took turns punishing Viktor early on. The Ascension was able to battle back and pound on Hardy.

After tagging in, Wyatt went on a rampage.

Backstage, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel laughed at the champ's victory celebration before trying to convince Angle to book them in a tag team title match. The B-Team decided to win over the rest of the tag division by hosting a barbecue.

The tag division later ate BBQ in the ring. The B-Team's bribe didn't work. Axel and Dallas took their food back, which led to a food fight.

The B-Team ended it by slamming Rhyno through a table.

Result

Hardy and Wyatt win pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "You call that a celebration?"—Dallas.
• "What's with this guy, man?"—Axel.
• "They didn't have a spread like this in the Wasteland, did they?"—Axel.
• Rhyno has a tray of sandwiches to himself.
• "The barbecue is breaking down!"—Michael Cole.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Michael Cole pretending not to understand elements of Hardy's "woken" shtick is counterproductive and annoying.

The B-Team's quest for tag team gold has been a welcome surprise. It's allowed Axel and Dallas to shine. They are giving the tag division some levity and a potential contender.

The food-fight stuff was Vince McMahon's juvenile humor on display.

Owens tried to escape the arena, but Angle stopped him. The GM informed him he had a match against Bobby Roode.

In the ring, Owens looked to overpower The Glorious One. Roode had a brief flurry, but KO hurt him outside the ring and piled on afterward.

The match slowed as each foe traded the advantage.

Owens was able to surprise Roode with a pin for a three-count. He had little time to savor the victory, as Strowman ran in and attacked both him and Roode.

Result

Owens wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "There's a parade and fireworks going on and I don't want to miss it."—Owens on why he was trying to leave.
• Roode clotheslines Owens on the ring apron.
• "It's my show!"—Owens.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Strowman ended up being the most memorable part of a match he wasn't even a part of. The actual in-ring action was bland; The Monster Among Men on the hunt was more electric.

Owens is always good for a laugh or two. His attempted early exit from Raw was the latest example of that. He needs a better story to show that off once Money in the Bank is over.

Zayn recalled his mockery of Lashley last week. He struggled to apologize.

Lashley interrupted Zayn to pay tribute to the military.

He then challenged Zayn to a match at Money in the Bank. Zayn accepted. Lashley's handshake left Zayn writhing in pain.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "The reaction on social media was swift and unkind."—Zayn.
• "I'm such a brilliant artist. I don't expect you to get it."—Zayn.
• "I apologize for everything I'm going to do to you at Money in the Bank."—Lashley.

Grade

D

Analysis

WWE keeps putting Zayn in a bad spot. How is anyone supposed to flourish with this kind of material?

There is no spark between these two. They are trying to jog through quicksand in an asinine, unfunny story. Lashley vs. Zayn is the WWE's worst feud going.

Drew McIntyre manhandled Chad Gable. He smashed him with kicks and power moves.

After slapping Gable around, McIntyre fended off his foe's comeback attempt and landed a Claymore that put the match to bed.

Result

McIntyre wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• "You're not on my bloody level."—McIntyre.
• Gable knocks McIntyre off his feet with a moonsault.
• McIntyre spins Gable into the ring post.

Grade

B-

Analysis

It's not often that Gable puts up so little resistance. This was a showcase of McIntyre, a match that furthered the idea he is a force of nature since his return. The Scot is a universal champ in the making.

Dominant booking like this needs to continue for him.

Bayley vs. Liv Morgan vs. Sarah Logan vs. Ruby Riott vs. Dana Brooke vs. Mickie James vs. Sasha Banks

Bayley beat Morgan in mere seconds and pinned Logan moments later. The two Riott Squad members paid her back with a beatdown.

That weakened Bayley, leaving her vulnerable against Riott, who pinned her. Riott finished off Brooke in a hurry before trading blows with James.

James controlled the action against Riott for a good stretch. A handful of tights and a roll-up, though, allowed Riott to eliminate her.

Banks pounced on her tired foe. A hard-hitting bout ensued as Riott held on. Distractions from Logan and Morgan weren't enough to give the heel the win.

The Boss used Bank Statement to force Riott to tap out.

Result

Banks wins via submission to qualify for the women's Money in the Bank ladder match.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Bayley hits Logan with a hurricanrana outside the ring.
• Banks yanks Riott's head through her legs by her hair.

Grade

D+

Analysis

WWE stumbled with decision after decision regarding this match.

Giving the women such little ring time hurt the storytelling. This was rushed and devoid of real emotion. There was no advancement of the Bayley vs. Banks feud, and both Morgan and Logan looked like pushovers by the end of things.

The company clearly didn't understand why so many fans loved the Gauntlet match from February, as it presented the antithesis of it here.

Banks will be a great addition to the Money in the Bank match. Her willingness to put her body on the line will come in quite handy. But WWE could have gone any number of more appetizing routes to put her in this position.