WWE RAW Live Updates, Results, & Reactions

Now that we’ve reached the last night of the 2023 WWE Draft, let’s compile a list of everyone that was drafted:

WWE Raw: SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens, Finn Bálor, Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio (The Judgment Day), WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez, Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston (The New Day), Trish Stratus, Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler, Braun Strowman & Ricochet, Bronson Reed, Otis & Chad Gable (Alpha Academy), Katana Chance & Kayden Carter, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Intercontinental Champion Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci (Imperium), Matt Riddle, Drew McIntyre, The Miz, Shinsuke Nakamura, NXT Women’s Champion Indi Hartwell, Erik, Ivar, Valhalla (Viking Raiders), Dexter Lumis, Candice LeRae, ma.çé, mån.sôör & Maxxine Dupri (Maximum Male Models), Zoey Stark, JD McDonagh, Apollo Crews, Natalya, Sonya Deville, and Chelsea Green

WWE SmackDown: United States Champion Austin Theory, Charlotte Flair, The Usos, Rey Mysterio, Santos Escobar, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde & Zelina Vega (LWO), Asuka, Sheamus, Butch & Ridge Holland (The Brawling Brutes), Karrion Kross & Scarlett, LA Knight, Shotzi, Pretty Deadly, Rick Boogs, Cameron Grimes, Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa & Paul Heyman (The Bloodline), Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins (The Street Profits), Edge, Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, Michin, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (The OC), Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY (Damage CTRL), NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn, Top Dolla, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, B-Fab (Hit Row), and Lacey Evans

Free agents: Omos, Mustafa Ali, Dolph Ziggler, Von Wagner, Baron Corbin, Shelton Benjamin, Elias, Cedric Alexander, and Xyon Quinn

That’s all she wrote on the WWE Draft, folks! After Raw went off the air this evening, a new episode of Raw Talk aired that revealed where the final members of the WWE roster are heading.

You can see below who was designated to what brand:

• Raw: Dana Brooke, Nikki Cross, Johnny Gargano, Angel Garza & Humberto Carillo, Akira Tozawa, Piper Niven, Xia Lee, Emma, Riddick Moss, Tegan Nox, Indus Sher, & Odyssey Jones
• SmackDown: Tamina & Grayson Waller
• Free agents: Baron Corbin, Shelton Benjamin, Elias, Cedric Alexander, & Xyon Quinn

Right off of being drafted to SmackDown, Theory will put his United States Championship on the line in a triple threat match against Bronson Reed and Bobby Lashley at this Saturday’s WWE Backlash. Commenting on his future during a post-Raw interview, Theory explained why others who are a part of SmackDown should look forward to his arrival even more than he is.

I mean, [SmackDown] has got to be so excited to know that they’ve got the greatest United States Champion of all-time on SmackDown now. And, more importantly, SmackDown is now A-Town down.

And when it comes to the bout this Saturday, Theory may look like a bit of an underdog against two colossal men, but he’s as confident as ever that he’ll be victorious.

This Championship, I won it in a triple threat match. Bobby Lashley was one of the guys in that match and the other was one of the best Champions in the past decade, Seth Freakin’ Rollins. Yeah, he got dropped, Bobby got dropped and now here we are, a triple threat. The only difference now is look at all the legends that I’ve dropped in between that timeline. And Bronson Reed — sure, he’s a wrecking Ball; he’s a man of destruction but that doesn’t matter because it doesn’t matter what people’s accolades have been, Austin Theory has proven that he’s above that!

#USChampion @_Theory1 is ready for #WWEBacklash ahead of joining #SmackDown as a result of the #WWEDraft!#RAWTalk
▶️ @peacock pic.twitter.com/YAV51cocmJ

— WWE (@WWE) May 2, 2023

We’re less than a week away from WWE Backlash, and now that the go-home edition of Raw has ended, let’s take a look at what the full card has in store. The night’s main event will be a first-time-ever match between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar.

You can see the full Backlash card below:

• Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes
• The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Jimmy & Jey Uso) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn & Matt Riddle
• SmackDown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Zelina Vega
• Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Iyo Sky
• United States Championship: Austin Theory (c) vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Bronson Reed
• Street Fight: Bad Bunny vs. Damian Priest
• Seth Rollins vs. Omos

We return with Seth trying to fight back against Solo, but Sikoa catches him in a Samoan drop attempt. Seth slithers out of it and hits Solo with a kick. Solo misses a splash in the corner and eats the ring post, following that up with chops. Seth with several punches and short-arm lariats. He nails with a kick to the abdomen, followed by a hard clothesline to send Solo down.

Seth pumps up the crowd and finally hits that suicide dive! He hits another one! And a third, sending Solo tumbling on top of the announce table. Rollins misses a springboard knee and gets launched into a Samoan drop, though Solo didn’t get all of it. Paul Heyman gets on the phone at ringside for a moment, likely to Roman Reigns. Rollins with a roll-up for a close two on Solo. A superkick turns into the spinning Solo from Sikoa, spiking him hard into the mat!

Seth slaps Solo and asks if those moves were all he’s got. He goes beserk, slamming Seth with another spinning Solo and several punches. He takes Rollins outside the ring and prepares to spike him into the ring post but Seth reverses again. Seth starts gaining momentum and it appears he is going to win, but that’s when The Usos run in and cause the DQ. We go off the air with Riddle, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn coming to Seth’s aid, inciting a giant brawl.

We see a rundown of the WWE Backlash card, followed by Seth Rollins entering the arena as the crowd sings along.

The bell rings, and here we go! Solo and Rollins nearly lock up, but Seth dodges it and plays up to the crowd a little more. They lock up once more, and Solo powers him into the corner. Solo misses a punch, and Seth gets the crowd to sing yet again. Solo is trying to cover his ears, but they just grow louder. Seth slides out of the ring and does it yet again! He’s really playing up the mind games tonight.

Solo is ticked off and hits him with a headbutt and several rights. Rollins returns with chops; as Solo runs after him, Seth sends him out of the ring. He prepares for a suicide dive to the outside, but Solo cuts him off with a spinning heel kick as we go to our final commercial of the night!

We see a promo by Xavier Woods as he tells USA Network on the Raw fans that The New Day will inject some positivity back into Monday Night Raw!

Solo Sikoa vs. Seth Rollins is next! Sikoa makes his entrance as we head to another break.

Teddy Long comes out first, followed by JBL.

Raw chooses:

• Chad Gable & Otis

SmackDown chooses:

• Rick Boogs

Raw chooses:

• Katana Chance & Kayden Carter

SmackDown chooses:

• Cameron Grimes

We go backstage and see the Raw Women’s Champion, Bianca Belair. She tells Byron Saxton that she’s okay being on whatever brand they assign her because it won’t matter. She says she’ll stay prepared no matter where she goes and will always love the red brand, but now she represents blue. Bayley shows up and says that the interview should be about Damage CTRL because of their win tonight, as well as Iyo Sky’s match this weekend.

Bianca says she had a lot of faith in Iyo when she first saw her, but now she went and joined two women who only make her look worse. She promises that she’ll hold on to the title at Backlash. Iyo yells at her in Japanese, but when Dakota tries to translate, Bianca tells her that it’s unnecessary because they understand one another.

We see a replay of Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar’s confrontation earlier tonight. Cath Kelly is backstage and tries to get an interview with Cody. She asks if Brock is in Cody’s head, and Rhodes confirms that he has been since the night after WrestleMania. Rhodes comments on Brock’s contract and how he can be a free agent to travel to whatever show. But he won’t get what he wants Saturday.

Cody says that he has to win at Backlash because if he doesn’t, the whole idea of finishing the story ceases to exist, and he goes to the back of the line. He refuses ever to let that happen, so Cody is very confident looking ahead to his match.

The final draft picks are next! JBL will represent Raw and Teddy Long will represent SmackDown with the next round of draft picks!

We return from the commercial with Priest attacking Escobar with clotheslines in the corner. He comes off the ropes and gets hit with a dropkick, knocking both men down. They struggle but both tag in the Mysterios. Rey comes in hot, using a leg scissors and some mounted punches in the corner as the crowd counts along. Dom reverses, but his momentum is halted with a kick and springboard crossbody. Rhea Ripley breaks up the two count and floors Vega with a punch.

Ripley picks up Rey and prepares to press him out of the ring, but Zelina Vega comes in with a 619 on Rhea’s stomach. Damian goes for a spear in the corner but Rey moves, forcing Priest into the ring post. Rey’s attempt at a 619 is broken up by Dom, but everyone starts jumping on one another on the outside after that. Rey reverses the Razor’s Edge and tries to go for the 619, but this time, Finn Balor takes the attack so it doesn’t hit Priest. Damian with the South of Heaven for the win! Judgment day got it!

We return from the break with Rey and Dom starting this mixed tag team match off. But, no, Rhea immediately tags in and gets into Rey’s face. She shoves him, but then Zelina comes in with a head scissors. Rhea boots her down, trying to follow with a suplex. Zelina reverses with a lawbreaker and tags in Santos. Escobar and Damian Priest battle, with LWO getting the advantage at first. Escobar with several chops and kicks into Damian.

Escobar prepares for a big running attack, but he eats a right forearm instead. Priest then knocks Rey off the apron and stares down Zelina. He tries to follow up with a springboard knee on Santos, but Escobar sends Priest out of the ring. We go to the break with LWO standing tall.

Damian Priest starts with the microphone, telling the crowd to rise for Judgment Day, staying together on Raw. And special acknowledgment to the first draft pick tonight: Rhea Ripley.

Mami says that there is no doubt she would be the first pick. She’s said it before and will say it again: they run Monday Night Raw. This Saturday, Zelina Vega will regret that she ever messed with Rhea in the first place.

Finn says Zelina will be destroyed, and Damian Priest will annihilate Bad Bunny at Backlash. He tells Damian to tell everyone what’s up, and he does a complete promo in Spanish. At Backlash, he will give Bad Bunny punishment.

Dominik Mysterio gets on the mic and is booed louder than anyone as he attempts to speak. He’s got insane heat! Dom says he can’t wait until Mami and Priest dominate at Backlash. “You suck!” chants ring out. He puts the mic back to his mouth, and the crowd continues drowning out the words Dom delivers. He says that, tonight, they’re going to destroy the LWO in a six-man tag team match, and it’ll be the last time he has to deal with his father because they’ve been drafted away.

Rey Mysterio comes out with a mic! He says SmackDown selected them. Rey is happy he’s not on the same brand as Dom anymore because things would only get worse for him than they did at WrestleMania. Rey adds that he’s excited to see Zelina Vega and Bad Bunny destroy the other members of The Judgment Day. But, right now, the LWO is ready for this mixed tag team match. We’ll be right back!

Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, and Dominik Mysterio are here and making their way down to the ring!

Road Dogg comes out first, followed by Molly Holly. We get right to the picks!

Raw chooses:

• Braun Strowman & Ricochet

SmackDown chooses:

• Shotzi

Raw chooses:

• Bronson Reed

SmackDown chooses:

• Pretty Deadly

We see a replay of last week when Triple H first introduced the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

Coming out next for the round 5 draft picks is Molly Holly on behalf of Raw and “Road Dogg” Brian James on behalf of SmackDown!

Omos, who negotiated a free agent deal to appear on any brand he chooses, is on the way to the ring for another squash match. Tonight, he battles someone named “Anthony Alanis,” who doesn’t have an entrance.

Alanis instantly tries to throw punches, with one of them catching Omos on the mouth. That’s all he gets, though. Omos tosses Alanis headfirst into the top turnbuckle, followed by a big boot. He finishes him with the double choke bomb for the easy 3-count.

Miz is excited to be the first person to welcome Shinsuke to Monday Night Raw. He names the various accolades Shinsuke has achieved, and mentions how he has a shot to become the World Heavyweight Champion. He asks Shinsuke how that feels, which Nakamura only responds with, “Hi.”

The Miz moves on and says that he is the one who will win the World Heavyweight Title. They could work together, though, and untie to create “Mizuke Nakamura.” Miz says Shinsuke needs someone to watch his back, and it should be him. Shinsuke says it’s true that he’s more experienced than him, but he calls him “the guy with tiny balls” in Japanese.

Miz is infuriated and tries to go after Shinsuke, but Nakamura hits the Kinshasa to send Miz out of the ring. Coming up next is Omos and MVP!

The Miz names several of the members of the Raw roster that have been drafted. He emphasizes how he’s not a fan of Seth Rollins, especially.

That’s when he introduces his guest for tonight: “The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura.

Eric Bischoff comes out on behalf of Raw, and RVD follows for SmackDown.

Raw chooses:

• Trish Stratus

SmackDown chooses:

• Karrion Kross

Raw chooses:

• Shayna Baszler & Ronda Rousey

SmackDown chooses:

• LA Knight

We get a reminder that Brock Lesnar will remain a free agent and can appear on Raw or SmackDown anytime.

We see Solo Sikoa backstage getting hyped up by Paul Heyman to battle Seth Rollins tonight. Jimmy comes backstage and asks why Solo Sikoa wasn’t ringside tonight to help him during the match against Riddle. Heyman answers that it’s because Solo is pent up and needs to focus on destroying a clown tonight. He allows Jimmy to have the room to himself as they walk out. “The Tribal Chief loves you!” Paul yells as they leave.

We see a hype video about Iyo Sky, who will challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Champion this Saturday at Backlash!

Eric Bischoff and Rob Van Dam are coming up next for round 4! RVD jokes about the meme online where people pointed out he had the card turned upside down last week! He acknowledges Rick Boogs and Elias as he walks out to the arena.

We return with Riddle throwing forearms at Jimmy, but Uso catches him in a Samoan drop for a two-count. Riddle and Jimmy battle out of the corner, when Riddle throws a series of strikes and kicks. He hits a flying forearm and an exploder suplex, but his attempt at the broton is reversed with Jimmy’s knees. Riddle gets pushed to the outside of the ring. While Kevin is asking if he’s okay, Jimmy runs up and superkicks him in the face.

Jimmy hits an enziguri and a superkick on Riddle back inside the ring, but “The Original Bro” is still in this thing! Jimmy with a superkick on a seated Riddle for one more two. Jimmy exposes the turnbuckle, but Owens actually jumps up and smashes his face against it while the referee is distracted by Sami. Riddle with the Floating Bro for the victory!

The bell rings, and this one is off! Riddle throws some punches, but Jey Uso immediately jumps on the apron and kicks Riddle in the head as the referee is distracted. Owens comes over to say, “You wanna go?!” but then he drops to the floor. Sami smacks a chair against the announce table and they pull an Eddie Guerrero: they make the ref believe that Jey hit Kevin with it. Referee Rod Zapata ejects Jimmy from ringside as we go to another commercial.

Riddle is backstage, hyped up because of everything he and KO/Sami have to look forward to. He’s thrilled they’re all going to be on Raw together, and he’s also excited about their six-person tag team match at Backlash this Saturday. Lastly, his singles match against Jimmy Uso is next, and he’s ready to beat him down!

Riddle makes his way down to the ring as we see the replay of last Friday’s Tag Team Title match. Jimmy Uso is making his way down to the ring next.

This Friday on SmackDown, Shinsuke Nakamura will battle Karrion Kross, and Bad Bunny will appear!

In the next round, Raw picks:

• Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez

SmackDown picks:

• Asuka

Raw picks:

• The New Day

SmackDown picks:

• Sheamus, Ridge Holland, & Butch

Brock Lesnar says that he’s the only real cowboy in Texas. Pearce calls security down to the ring, which Brock responds to by saying it’s going to take a lot more men than who he brought. A giant crowd of men is on the outside of the ring when, suddenly, Cody Rhodes’ music hits! He’s attacking him from behind! The security is coming and and they swarm Cody as Brock slides out of the ring. Cody nearly makes it out but they won’t allow him out of the ropes.

Brock looks on and backs up slowly up the ramp. Brock is bleeding a bit but he just smiles and walks out. Cody yells that he wants Brock to, “Make [him] earn it!” as we go to another commercial.

We see a video package highlighting the ongoing story between Damian Priest & Bad Bunny. At Backlash this Saturday, they clash in a street fight!

Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce come out, with one getting a much better reception than the other (I bet you can guess who!). But instead of announcing the picks, Brock Lesnar’s music hits, and he starts walking down to the ring.

Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce are on the way to the arena for our next round of picks!

We return from a commercial at the tail end of Alpha Academy’s entrance. Maxxine Dupri is on Otis’ shoulder, too.

The bell rings, and Gable and Ricochet start off. They trade wrist locks and reversals until Gable hits a chop, giving him a momentary advantage. Ricochet with a leg scissors and a drop kick to gain control of the bout. Ricochet avoids a German suplex and kicks Gable with an enziguri on the apron. They fall back into the ring, and Gable catches Ricochet on the ropes with a German! Ouch!

Braun and Otis tag in and start going to war. Otis hits several punches and a big splash on Braun in the corner. Stroman with his own splash in the corner, followed by a crossbody. He scoop slams Otis! Wow! He puts Ricochet on his shoulders where he hits a swanton bomb for the 3 count! Ricochet and Strowman win!

Ricochet & Braun Strowman make their entrance together. Next up, they face Chad Gable & Otis of The Alpha Academy.

Raw chooses:

• WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

SmackDown chooses:

• Jimmy & Jey Uso

Raw chooses:

• Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and Dominik Mysterio of The Judgment Day

SmackDown selects:

• Rey Mysterio, Zelina Vega, Santos Escobar, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro of The LWO

We return to the show and see that Adam Pearce requested to Brock Lesnar that he keeps things relaxed tonight, which Brock giggles at and says, “Good luck.” We then see a replay of how Brock destroyed Cody Rhodes on the Raw after WrestleMania.

After the break, King Booker and Queen Sharmell are here to reveal the next pics of the 2023 WWE Draft!

We return from a commercial with Bayley tagging in Dakota as they beat down Liv. Dakota with a running kick on a seated Liv in the corner, but it only gives her a two count. She continues kicking at her abdomen as Bayley tries to hold her in the corner. Liv knocks Bayley down and reverses Dakota, but it’s still not enough to get to Raquel yet. Dakota with a hard shot, but shortly after, Liv finally gets the tag! Raquel hits a clothesline and a fallaway slam to Dakota.

Bayley runs in and tries to save Dakota, eating a splash in the corner. Raquel with a slam and a twisting senton off the second rope for another two count. Morgan climbs atop Raquel’s shoulders, but Bayley messes up their finisher. This allows Dakota to hit her signature code red/backstabber maneuver, but Raquel breaks up the close two count. Morgan hits the oblivion, but she doesn’t know Bayley is legal! Bayley steals the win with a roll-up!

The bell rings with Liv and Dakota starting things out. They lock up, eventually turning it into a series of reversals. Liv hits a shotgun dropkick that leads Kai to tag in Bayley. She slams Liv but misses a grounded elbow drop.

Raquel is tagged in to the delight of the crowd. Bayley forearms Raquel, but it doesn’t faze her much. Liv gets tagged in, and they use some tandem offense on Bayley, followed by a step-up knee in the corner for a two-count on Bayley. Dakota distracts the ref, allowing Bayley to claw at Liv’s eyes. She goes outside the ring, where Dakota hits a running kick as we head to a break!

We see earlier today when Cody Rhodes got to the building. He’s confronted by Adam Pearce, who tells him that Brock is here but it’s too big of a night for there to be chaos. Rhodes ignores him and walks away.

We see the SmacDown, Raw, and NXT rooms where the draft is being sorted out.

Damage CTRL vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan is happening now!

Paul holds Solo back and says there’s a spoiler for him tonight. By the time we get back from commercial break, Solo Sikoa vs. Seth Rollins will be made official for tonight. Rollins says he’s down for it!

Bayley & Dakota Kai will battle the Women’s Tag Team Champions next!

Seth comes out as the crowd sings along to his theme song. He goes over to Paul and laughs in his face. He tells Paul that it’s good to see him. He asks why he’s got such a long face when it’s like Christmas for him because Roman went to SmackDown, and he’s staying on Raw. That means The Tribal Chief doesn’t have to avoid him anymore, and backstage, Paul won’t have to keep pulling strings to make sure he can’t get another title match.

Instead, he thinks Paul should focus on not letting The Bloodline go “poof” right in his face. Seth says at Night of Champions, the spoiler will be that he becomes the World Heavyweight Champion. Then the WWE Universe will see what a real Champion looks like. Paul has a phone call. Seth says it’s hard to have a phone conversation while the crowd sings his theme song, and they immediately do!

Paul tells Seth that Roman is pissed off. Seth acts shocked and says Roman won’t like the next question. How long would it take to stomp Heyman’s head into the mat? He counts down from 5, but when he reaches 1, Solo Sikoa comes down to the ring.

Round 1 of the draft is over, so Triple H introduces Paul Heyman as the crowd boos. Heyman says there was a reason that The Bloodline was #1 and went to Friday Night SmackDown, which means that tonight, they will see the fate of The Usos. They didn’t win back the tag team titles last Friday but have one last chance to redeem themselves in the six-man tag team match at Backlash on Saturday.

Heyman says he will address these issues tonight, but this Friday, “The Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns will make a special appearance to take care of all the business going on. One of them being the new World Heavyweight Title. Paul believes that belt would look great on Roman, and no matter where the belt is, Roman will eventually get it and carry it to WrestleMania. Since Roman will no longer be on Raw, he can’t compete for that belt.

Paul thinks the “children in the locker room” who think they are men are just flapping their gums about Roman Reigns. People “who should know better” like freakin’ jokers, freakin’ jokes, freakin’ clowns. Cue Seth Rollins!

The crowd is hot tonight! We see the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship sitting nearby as Hunter welcomes the fans to Night Two of the draft. He says there are some rules: all remaining drafted stars will be placed where they’re going this evening. Since Roman was drafted to SmackDown, a new World Heavyweight Champion will be exclusive to Monday Night Raw. There are a lot of available choices this evening!

Hunter says the only star not eligible tonight will be Brock Lesnar, as he signed a contract allowing him to appear on any brand at any time. NXT stars are still eligible, and the new rosters will begin on Monday, March 8. Here comes the first round!

Raw first chooses:

• Rhea Ripley (separate from Judgment Day)

SmackDown first chooses:

• Austin Theory

Raw chooses:

• Seth Rollins

SmackDown chooses:

• Charlotte Flair

WWE Raw starts right now! We start off with a replay of what happened Friday night during the WWE draft. Kevin Patrick welcomes us to The Dickies Arena in Fort Worth as Triple H makes his way out!

Konosuke Takeshita is becoming more of a household name in AEW, especially with his latest storyline of helping out The Elite as they battle Blackpool Combat Club. On the newest episode of The Young Bucks’ Youtube show, Being the Elite, Takeshita made a special appearance and kicked off the video by referencing the top WWE stable, The Bloodline.

[This story], it’s okay. The Bloodline is much better.

This isn’t the first time WWE has been referenced in AEW; it’s happened plenty of times in the past. However, this is a rare instance where an AEW star is praising the work coming out of their competitor.

Leva Bates, who has been a part of All Elite Wrestling for nearly the entire time they’ve existed, announced today via Twitter that her contract has expired and she’s leaving the company. It’s unspecified in the message where she plans to go next and if it has anything to do with pro wrestling, but the overall tone does make it sound like she will try to remain in the spotlight in some capacity.

As of today, my contract with AEW has expired. The last four years have been quite a ride; I’ve learned so much and grown exponentially. I’ve seen wrestling history take place as someone who was on the team since before the first show. I appreciate and love all the crew, staff, and talent; I will cherish our memories together.

I’ve given my time, my focus, and my effort to this company, but now I’ve got to focus on myself, my future, and my career. I hope you all, my friends, fans, and loved ones, stay with me through the next chapter of this journey. I hope to make you all proud no matter where I go.

🫶 pic.twitter.com/SNefHc4RWt

— Leva Bates (@wrestlingleva) May 1, 2023

It’s been a full day of news for WWE, but for those AEW fans following along, the card for this week’s AEW Dynamite is shaping up nicely. After last week when MJF and Sammy Guevara thought they stole the main event for AEW Double or Nothing, it was revealed that Darby Allin and Jungle Boy will have one more opportunity to earn their way into the match — by defeating Guevara and MJF in a tag team match this week.

Other matches like Ricky Starks vs. Juice Robinson and a giant “Tres de Mayo” Battle Royale are also set for this Wednesday.

You can see the current card for AEW Dynamite below:

• Darby Allin & “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry vs. Sammy Guevara & AEW World Champion MJF (If Darby Allin and Jungle Boy win, they will be added to the World Title match at Double or Nothing)
• Orange Cassidy, Adam Cole, Bandido, & Roderick Strong vs. Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, Jake Hagar, & Daniel Garcia
• Tres de Mayo trios battle royale
• Saraya vs. Willow Nightingale
• We’ll hear from The Elite
• Ricky Starks vs. Juice Robinson

You won't want to miss #AEWDynamite THIS WEDNESDAY LIVE from Baltimore, with two hours of explosive action on the @tbsnetwork, starting at 8pm ET/7pm CT! pic.twitter.com/iX74o390Dg

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 1, 2023

So far, in the WWE draft, teams and factions have been offered as a group package of sorts. However, one notable exception baffled many when The Usos were drafted separately from The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa, & Paul Heyman). Teams have been worried about this in recent weeks, like Chad Gable and Otis of the Alpha Academy, because they have no intentions of splitting up their duo.

Rhea Ripley of The Judgment Day feels similar, and she’s making that clear on Twitter this afternoon. WWE asked the fans where they think certain big-name stars will end up after tonight’s show, which Rhea commented on with a warning.

If I’m not drafted to the same brand as my family The Judgment Day then everyone will F’n pay. https://t.co/0J93GYDUa4

— RheaRipley_WWE (@RheaRipley_WWE) May 1, 2023

Bray Wyatt has become a pretty polarizing figure throughout his WWE career. Some people enjoy the supernatural, theatrical elements he brings into WWE programming, while others might consider it a bit over-the-top. Regardless of the opinions, however, Wyatt remains one of the most successful performers the company currently has, with accomplishments and merchandise sales to prove it.

On a new episode of the Oh You Didn’t Know podcast, “Road Dogg,” Brian James, who currently works as the Senior Vice President of Live Events for WWE, gave some insight into the status of Wyatt. Though he has been off of WWE television since reports of an undisclosed illness took him off the WrestleMania card, James offered some hope by saying the company hired a new writer specifically for Wyatt’s character.

“We have a new writer, actually, for Bray now. So we’ll see how all of that unfolds down the road.” (h/t PWTorch)

You can read more about this story here.

The WWE draft comes with its fair share of surprises for fans each year, but according to a new report from PWInsider, some of the actual wrestlers were just as surprised with the changes to the rosters. This included some big names in the company, though specific stars were not named.

One NXT name was informed ahead of time that they would be drafted to the main roster, but the other NXT talent that got called up found out the day of the draft. Some of the names still eligible for the draft but haven’t been called include:

• Omos (with MVP)
• Mustafa Ali
• Dolph Ziggler
• Von Wagner (indicating that he will be called up from NXT)

You can read more about this story here.

Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, is intriguing for several reasons, the most obvious being that the finale of the WWE Draft is taking place.

It is simultaneously the final episode of Raw before we reach WWE Backlash this Saturday, May 6, so tensions will be higher than ever between those competing at the premium live event. That includes Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes, who are advertised to be in the same building tonight.

You can see the current card for the 5/1 WWE Raw below:

* Shinsuke Nakamura appears on MizTV

* Matt Riddle vs. Jimmy Uso

* Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes in the same building

* Night 2 of the WWE Draft

The #WWEDraft continues TONIGHT on the last #WWERaw before #WWEBacklash in Puerto Rico!

Here is your preview for what will be a CRAZY night on the red brand! pic.twitter.com/2kRqlCXPJc

— WWE (@WWE) May 1, 2023

Dave Schilling had a unique experience with WWE, primarily because it was so brief. He signed on as a writer for the company in February 2019 but was out of the role only two months later.

In the wake of the recent lawsuit that’s been filed claiming Vince McMahon and WWE writers pitched several racist and politically incorrect storylines, Schilling is speaking out. He wants the fans to know that things are difficult for the people of color and other minorities working there.

“My thoughts were probably similar to a lot of people who are people of color who work for WWE, which is, not terribly surprising that someone would be upset about things they experienced at the company. It’s not the best place to work if you’re a person of color, you’re a woman, you’re LGBTQ. It’s difficult because there are a lot of people there who are older, who are maybe not as sensitive to certain things, and at the end of the day, the person who makes the decisions is Vince McMahon. Even today, Vince has a lot of power and a lot of say so in what goes on the air and Vince isn’t the world’s most sensitive person.”

You can read more about this story here.

Tonight’s episode of WWE Raw is bound to be an exciting one! After a solid first night of the WWE Draft took place on SmackDown last Friday, the second and final night of the draft will occur tonight. Who will end up on which brands, and will trades be enacted once everything is determined? We’ll have to wait to find out.

There are a few exciting stories in the news this afternoon about WWE couples. Gunther and Jinny have taken their relationship to the next level and were married this weekend, which the Intercontinental Champion posted a picture of on his Twitter account. Meanwhile, Carmella and Corey Graves have announced that they are expecting their first child.