Sean Raw Sapp (5/22): Podcast Notes, Finn Balor, Paul Heyman, Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins Team

Opening Segment

• I can't pretend I get anything out of a Bray Wyatt promo. There's some good interaction, though. For what it was worth I liked it.
• Bray says he'll beat Lesnar. He lost in handicap tag matches to Lesnar last year.
• Kurt Angle makes a match between the two to a big pop. He says the 5-Way could be the most important match of the new era.

Roman Reigns defeated Bray Wyatt via DQ

• Roman hits one of the best leaping clotheslines I've seen from Reigns, but he should ditch the corner clotheslines.
• Samoa Joe attacks Reigns, but Rollins makes the save to a big pop. 
• What the shit kind of song was playing at the end of that Rollins segment? Oh, the Extreme Rules theme.
• Backstage later, Reigns is the "I DON'T NEEEEED ANY PARTNERS" guy. They'll face Joe & Wyatt later.

Backstage Crappenings

• The Drifter gets booked against Dean Ambrose. More big pops. Crowd is lit tonight.
• Noam Dar fit really well in his promo with Sasha. I guess WWE characters aren't allowed to have relationships outside of WWE.
• Enzo is laid out in the back with his sneaker above his head. Even when he sells dead it's good. He says he doesn't know who attacked him.
• Kalisto isn't happy with Apollo Crews and accuses him of attacking Enzo. Titus is really good here too, and sets up a match.
• GOLDUST PROMO!!

Akira Tozawa defeated Ariya Daivari

• They keep interviewing Kendrick during the match.
• Nothing can ever be organic in WWE, so they make sure to let you know HEELS HATE TOZAWA screaming.
• In the middle of all this, these two have a good match that ends with a hellacious senton bomb.

Elias Samson defeated Dean Ambrose via DQ
4.5/10

• The Drifter has a great amount of heat. I don't know if they turned the mics up or if this is the best crowd of the year, but everyone seems like a star.
• I don't enjoy the Drifter's style of in-ring wrestling.
• Samson landed an awesome knee to a flying Ambrose. 
• The rebound lariat should only work on rookies.
• Miz comes into the ring and hits Samson, giving him the win. Ambrose is livid. Why should Ambrose care? Money isn't a thing in WWE. 
• Samson hits his finish on Ambrose.

Finn Balor defeated Karl Anderson (w/ Luke Gallows)
5/10

• Paul Heyman came out and cut a good promo where he put over Balor and said he hopes Lesnar faces Balor for the title.  
• I can't believe they didn't make something out of this program. It was right there and would give these three guys (Balor, Anderson, Gallows) something to do out of the title pictures.
• This is what you'd expect. Lots of kicks. Crowd was into it every step of the way.

Sasha Banks defeated Alicia Fox (w/ Noam Dar)
5/10

• This is a really hard hitting match.
• They have girls hold the top rope now instead of being cradled by it after the Emma injury.
• Sasha Banks slaps Dar. Was he going to hit her? Scissors Kick from Alicia.
• Alicia needs a new theme.

Kalisto defeated Apollo Crews

• Apollo is in control, but Titus' shouting distracts Apollo and Kalisto wins.
• I don't like where this is headed. Apollo has a chance with Titus.

Matt Hardy (w/ Jeff Hardy) defeated Sheamus (w/ Cesaro)

• Another hard hitting match, as is tradition from Sheamus.
• This match had some stakes, which is always a good thing.
• That Sheamus knee is a work of art.
• Fair match. Matt Hardy wins.

Austin Aries defeated Tony Nese

• Both of these guys are really good, but the WWE cruiserweight style isn't that unlike anything else we see on the show.
• Neville attacks Tony Nese after the match. I'm down with that.

Alexa Bliss defeated Mickie James

• Everyone seems like they're working stiff tonight.
• Alexa's selling is good, but a little redundant.
• Alexa using a DDT finish is KOO.
• Bliss takes a cane to Mickie, but Bayley makes the save.
• Bayley was going to go after Alexa, but Bliss left. Good old school stuff.

Bray Wyatt & Samoa Joe defeated Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins

• While I think the 5-way will be outstanding, I wasn't particularly excited about this pointless match.
• Everything picks up with Rollins.
• It seems as if the "injured knee" deal is out the window. Good. 
• There was a tease of dissension between Reigns and Rollins. 
• Balor wants a match next week, and he gets a triple threat against Wyatt and Joe.