Quick Links

Like on Friday's SmackDown, Raw began with Triple H coming out to continue the WWE Draft. This week, the red brand would reveal which Superstars were being selected that weren't eligible on Night One. He went over the rules again and then announced the first four selections. There were more NXT call-ups, plenty of stars stayed put, and some stars changed brands, but there were few surprises. Cody and Brock got into it, while a Solo Sikoa and Seth Rollins match ended in chaos.Here are your winners and losers for Raw, May 1, 2023:

Winner: First Four Picks on Monday

Triple H stated that Brock Lesnar re-negotiated his contract status as a free agent. He is eligible to go to any brand at any time. While explaining how one star has the right to do so is a silly formality that WWE often overlooks, it's a smart decision.

Rhea Ripley went first, moving the SmackDown Women's Champion officially to Raw. SmackDown selected Austin Theory and obtained the United States Championship. Seth Rollins went next to Raw which led to the fans singing his song and finally, SmackDown selected Charlotte Flair.

These were predictable picks based on the selections made on Friday. Titles moved over to keep things even and that Ripley was picked first was a nice treat. It was a bit odd that Judgment Day didn't go with her considering factions were drafted on Friday as one pick.

Winner: Rollins Verbally Spars With Paul Heyman

The first in-ring segment of the night saw Paul Heyman complain that Roman Reigns couldn't compete for the new World Championship and that the rule it was exclusive to Raw offered the opportunity for stars in the locker room to run their mouths. That brought out Rollins who argued the rule allowed Roman to stop running from him. Rollins offered a spoiler that he would win the new title and then threatened Heyman. Solo Sikoa came down -- seemingly sent via Reigns -- and a match for later between Rollins and Sikoa was made official.

This segment worked well to help elevate the importance of the new world title and also supplant Rollins as in the mix for it. So too, a Rollins Vs. Sikoa match sounds incredible.

Winner: Damage CTRL

Bayley petitioned for a non-title match against the Women's Tag Team Champions and she, along with Dakota Kai pulled out a big win. This was a solid match where both teams showed well and it popped a new pair of contenders in the tag title picture. There seemed to be some confusion about the fact the titles didn't change among the live audience, but this wasn't a title match.

Winner/Loser: The Next Four Picks (2nd Round)

The second round of picks were made by Booker T and Sharmell. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn went to Raw and Thr Usos to SmackDown. The rest of Judgment Day went to Raw and all five members of the LWO went to SmackDown. No major surprises here as factions stayed together and the numbers were evened up on the two brands.

Alpha Academy Vs Ricochet and Braun Strowman were up next. It was a fun but short match. If nothing else, it teased a future singles bout between Strowman and Otis.

Winner: Lesnar Interrupts Third Round of Picks

Shawn Michaels and Adam Pearce were set to make the next round of picks but was interrupted by Brock Lesnar. Lesnar started cutting the Texas audience and Pearce brought out nearly 20 security guards to remove Lesnar. Cody's music hit and Rhodes came out from behind and dropped The Beast. Security swarmed him and Lesnar worked his way down the aisle.

When the picks were made, Raw took Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. SmackDown selected Asuka, Raw took New Day (just Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston) and SmackDown took The Brawling Brutes (all three members.)

Winner: Matt Riddle Vs Jimmy Uso

In a singles match, the creative team came up with something fans hadn't seen in a while. Owens and Zayn faked a chair attack from Jey Uso to get Jey ejected from ringside. Once Jimmy was on his own, the numbers continued to pose a problem for Jimmy as the tag champions cut corners and got sneaky behind the official's back. Owens rammed Jimmy's head into an exposed turnbuckle and Riddle hit a top rope-twisted Swanton for the win. This was entertaining and Jimmy never stood a chance as The Usos were outsmarted from the get-go.

The next round of picks was announced by Eric Bischoff and Rob van Dam. Trish Stratus went to Raw as did Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey. Karrion Kross and Scarlett went to SmackDown as did LA Knight.

Winner/Loser: Nakamura Pokes Fun at The Miz

Some fans will love the playful approach WWE took with Shinsuke Nakamura on Monday. Others will hate it. The good news? The company is working hard to get him over and there's a chance this approach will work. Nakamura's English was much better in this segment than in almost any other fans have seen him in prior and that will help if he's going to talk often and not just approach matches by letting his Strong Style skills do the talking.

After this segment, WWE booked Omos in a squash match against a local talent with the last nake Alannis. Corey Graves spent much of the match telling Alannis Morrisette jokes.

Winner: Pretty Deadly Gets Drafted

Molly Holly and Road Dogg made the next picks. Braun Strowman and Ricochet, while SmackDown selected Shotzi. Raw took Bronson Reed and SmackDown took SmackDown Pretty Deadly from NXT.

Rumors were that Pretty Deadly was being drafted so that wasn't a huge surprise. Still, it was good to see them get their reward after being two of the most entertaining wrestlers in NXT.

Winner: Dominik Gets Booed So Much He Can't Talk

Judgment Day cut a promo and when Dominik got the mic, the crowd proceeded to boo him out of the building. Each time he tried to talk, the boos got louder. It was so loud, you legitimately couldn't hear what he was yelling into the mic. It's still mind-blowing at how over Dom and WWE have gotten his character. Some fans will say it's go-away heat, but it isn't. This is the WWE Universe loving every second of getting on his case as a heel.

A mixed tag match followed between members of the LWO and Judgment Day. The action in this one was excellent. The fans were into it as the crowd was happy to boo the heels and popped hard for the babyfaces. Working to build up Damian Priest ahead of his singles match with Bad Bunny on Saturday, Priest picked up the pin on Rey Mysterio.

Winner: Last Set of Draft Picks

Simply because they were drafted and not thrown into the supplemental draft, these last four picks are declared winners. This was also a special moment for some NXT stars. JBL and Teddy Long announced the picks. Raw selected Alpha Academy and Katana Chance and Kayden Carter. SmackDown took Rick Boogs and Cameron Grimes from NXT.

This was obviously set up to cause friction between Elias and Boogs. This also offers an opportunity to a few NXT stars.

Winner: Sikoa Vs Seth Rollins

The closing match of the night did a lot with just over 10 minutes. Rollins and Sikoa had a big-match feel to it and while it could have ended clean, WWE chose instead to close the show with a DQ and a chaotic finish that saw The Usos, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Matt Riddle brawl as the shoe went off the air. That worked too.