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Raw results, May 8, 2023: Seth “Freakin” Rollins wins the right to battle for the World Heavyweight Title at WWE Night of Champions
After battling through a brutal Triple Threat Match and a hard-hitting main event showdown against Finn Bálor, Seth “Freakin” Rollins became the first competitor who will battle for the World Heavyweight Title at WWE Night of Champions. Plus, Brock Lesnar laid waste to Cody Rhodes before challenging him to a rematch at Night of Champions and so much more.
Raw Results : Quick Hits
Raw Results : Full Details
Raw results, May 8, 2023
Cody Rhodes set his sights on the World Heavyweight Title at WWE Night of Champions
Seth "Freakin" Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest to advance to the semifinals of the World Heavyweight Title Tournament
In the first World Heavyweight Title Tournament Triple Threat Match, Shinsuke Nakamura locked Damian Priest in an ankle submission. But as he attempted to make his opponent tap out, Seth "Freakin" Rollins suddenly descended on him with a splash off the top rope. The Visionary then followed with a Pedigree on The King of Strong Style to pick up the victory and advance to the semifinals later tonight.
Mustafa Ali def. Otis
During his matchup against Mustafa Ali, Otis became confused by contrasting instructions by Chad Gable and Maxxine Dupri. After wasting valuable time, Otis charged at his opponent, but Ali ducked out the way and sent his befuddled foe into the ring post. Mustafa then took to the sky and hit the 450 Splash for the three-count.
Finn Bálor def. Cody Rhodes and The Miz in a World Title Tournament Triple Threat First-Round Match
In the second explosive World Heavyweight Title Tournament Triple Threat Match, Cody Rhodes' attempt to pin The Miz was suddenly interrupted when Brock Leanar dragged him out of the ring and hit him with the F-5 to the ringside floor. This paved the way for Finn Bálor to hit the Coup de Grace to triumph over The Miz. As a result, Bálor advanced to battle Seth "Freakin" Rollins to determine who will go to WWE Night of Champions to compete for the World Heavyweight Title.
After the match, The Beast smashed Rhodes through the announce table and ruthlessly challenged him to a rematch at WWE Night of Champions.
Rhea Ripley came face-to-face with Natalya after Dana Brooke match
SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley laid waste to Dana Brooke and hit the Riptide/Prism Lock Submission combination to make her opponent tap out.
When Riley hit a post-match Riptide and again locked in the Prism Lock on her fallen opponent, however, Natalya came to the ring to save Brooke and stand face-to-face with The Eradicator of the Judgment Day.
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn def. Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci
Moments after a resilient Kevin Owens Stunned Ludwig Kaiser out of the ring, Sami Zayn hit the Helluva Kick on Giovanni Vinci to give the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions a "sacred" victory over Imperium.
Zoey Stark def. Nikki Cross in her Raw debut
Zoey Stark kicked off her Raw run with by overcoming the unpredictable Nikki Cross with the impressive Z360.
Becky Lynch returned to surprise WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus with the Bexploder
Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods
In the final moments of Xavier Woods' matchup against Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley interfered and paved the way for Dominik to roll up Woods for the quick win.
Seth “Freakin” Rollins def. Finn Bálor in a World Title Tournament Semifinals Match
Following their respective first-round tournament victories earlier in the night, Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor battled for the opportunity to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Night of Champions. In the final moments, despite suffering an arm injury, The Visionary hit an inverted Stomp before following up with the Stomp itself to reign supreme and earn his gold opportunity.