WWE Raw results, May 28, 2018: The Boss becomes “Money” in grueling Gauntlet Match

For the first time since he became a fighting Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins decided to focus more on the “fight” than the “championship”: His title defense against Jinder Mahal, which The Kingslayer all but demanded after The Modern Day Maharaja brutalized him and Roman Reigns with a steel chair last week, ended in painful fashion when Rollins teed off on Mahal with a chair of his own. (Mahal had initially landed a cheap shot with the chair behind the official’s back while Sunil Singh was being ejected). Mahal was awarded a disqualification victory, and Rollins retained the title, but the end of the match opened the door for an aggrieved third party to make his presence known.

Elias, whose performance had run long before being interrupted by Rollins’ entrance, resurfaced after the title match had run its course and Rollins had beaten The Maharaja up the ramp back through the curtain with the chair. As The Kingslayer posed victoriously atop the commentary table, he was caught unaware for the second week when Elias shattered a guitar across the champion’s back to knock him to the ground. Rollins was then loaded onto a stretcher and placed in a neck brace, though he managed to stand up and leave on his own feet. In short, The Kingslayer settles one score, though now, he may have to walk with Elias before it’s back to business as usual.

Elias reminds the WWE Universe and Seth Rollins what happens when he is interrupted.

Can Ronda Rousey lock in the armbar on Nia Jax at WWE Money in the Bank? The answer may well determine whether or not The Baddest Woman on the Planet can become Raw Women’s Champion — and The Irresistible Force is feeling good about her chances of escaping Rousey’s dreaded signature maneuver.

During her bout against a local named Michelle Webb, the Raw Women’s Champion allowed herself to be placed in the hold, at which point she demonstrated her planned counter by hoisting Webb into the air and ruthlessly powerbombing her into the mat. She then dropped Webb with a Samoan Drop before demonstrating her further prowess by administering a leg drop and a rolling senton. Having apparently made her point, Nia invited "Rowdy" Ronda into the ring to help Webb to her feet.

As it turned out, however, her greatest statement was yet to come: Nia remained unfazed even when Rousey got in her face, laughing off The Baddest Woman on the Planet’s mean mug before turning her back on the challenger and strutting her way back to the locker room. Most of Rousey’s power lies in her ability to dismantle opponents before the bell even rings. Against Jax, she’ll clearly have no such advantage.

Last week, Sami Zayn “exposed” Bobby Lashley by bringing in a trio of impostors posing as the former ECW Champion’s sisters, all of whom spilled some supposed dirt meant to sully Lashley’s family-man reputation. Spurred on by the swift wrath of social media and WWE management, Zayn took to the ring on Monday to publicly apologize for the stunt. He did not, however, walk back his own accusations that Lashley was a bully and a liar hiding behind a genial image, and he doubled down on his belief that he had done the right thing when all was said and done.

Much like last week, Zayn’s trash-talking brought out Lashley, though this time, the big man didn’t raise a hand to the former NXT Champion. Instead, he offered a Memorial Day salute to the WWE Universe, told Zayn that his actual sisters found him entertaining and offered to settle their differences at WWE Money in the Bank. When Zayn accepted, Lashley offered a preemptive mea culpa of his own: “I apologize for everything that I’m gonna do to you at Money in the Bank.” Given that Lashley had squeezed Zayn’s hand so hard that he was writhing on the mat, it’s looking like that’s anything but an empty apology.

Sasha Banks claimed that winning a Gauntlet Match would come down to “guts, skills and luck.” The Boss hit the nail on the head there: Thanks to all three of those intangibles, Banks won the Last Chance Gauntlet Match to earn the final opening in Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Initially, the match looked as though it was Bayley’s to lose after the confident Huggable One immediately pinned Liv Morgan (No. 2) and outlasted Sarah Logan (No. 3), but a two-on-one attack teed her up for elimination at the hands of Ruby Riott (No. 4). Ruby took control of the match from there, eliminating a game Dana Brooke (No. 5) and rolling up hometown hero Mickie James (No. 6) with a handful of tights before Banks came calling at No. 7.

By this time, Riott was worn down and fighting on wobbly legs, and The Riott Squad quickly returned to their leader’s side once The Boss locked in the Bank Statement down the stretch. But Banks quickly thwarted the interference and wrenched Riott back into the hold. This second Bank Statement proved too painful to escape, and Riott submitted to propel The Boss into the Money in the Bank Match. Chalk this win up to guts and skill on Banks' part. Let’s see if her luck holds up.

After qualifying for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Sasha Banks focuses on becoming a five-time Raw Women's Champion.