Whoo-hoo! The RadiantGame Team is now in your city — Greenville, South Carolina! 🎉
Bon Secours Wellness Arena welcomes us tonight as we roll into the second round of the Queen and King of the Ring tournaments 👑🔥. I can't wait to see Jey Uso and Ilja Dragunov in action later! Also, we’ve got some drama brewing with The Judgment Day, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre. I’m expecting something shocking and explosive, so let’s not waste any time — let’s dive right in!
Drew McIntyre... a Little Late to Answer Punk
I already expected Drew to go on another rant about how everyone's been robbing and abusing the Scottish Warrior, and... yep, he didn’t disappoint 😅. But tonight’s promo felt a little more layered.
He started by — obviously — mocking Punk's fans, then escalated things by accusing Punk of constantly running away from him. Drew promised that sooner or later, he’ll get his hands on Phil, and when he does, he’ll make him regret every word and every action. Intense stuff!
But McIntyre isn’t stopping with Punk. He also wants to kick Jey Uso’s ass and take the title from “paper champion” Damian Priest. 🏆
The champion himself didn’t take kindly to the disrespect and made his way to the ring. Drew admitted S’s story is “inspirational,” but that doesn’t mean he deserves to be world champion. And then came the burn of the night: "Find a mirror, Drew — and blame the asshole looking back at you." 🔥
Priest held nothing back, saying everything that happened to Drew is his own fault. The only thing he had to do at WrestleMania XL was grab his wife's hand and leave as champion, but we all know how that ended...
Then Priest did something bold: he told Drew he’ll get his title shot — once he’s medically cleared. That's gutsy. While I respect the move, I'm still not convinced Priest can beat McIntyre one-on-one, especially without Judgment Day's help. Still, you’ve got to admire that confidence. 💪.
Queen of the Ring - 2st Round: Shayna Baszler vs. Iyo Sky
On the SuperShow, Shayna picked up an easy win over Maxxine Dupri. But tonight? We’re revisiting a classic NXT rivalry: Shayna vs. IYO.
Before the bell even rang, Baszler blindsided IYO from behind to gain an early edge. The Submission Magician went to work targeting IYO’s left arm — even smashing her with a devastating kick off the steel ring base outside the ring.
But never count out IYO SKY, especially not in a high-stakes match like this. She turned up the pace and targeted Shayna’s knee, and oh boy, the irony if the submission expert tapped out tonight!
Shayna almost locked in the Kirifuda Clutch, but IYO just barely escaped the deadly hold. The ending came fast, but it was explosive — Dragon Screw, followed by a devastating Meteora into the corner, and topped off with a picture-perfect Moonsault.
Another huge win for the former Women’s Champion! IYO advances to Round 3, and honestly, her chances are rising straight to the sky! 🚀
Carlito Trying to Sneak Into Judgment Day?
Backstage, Carlito was spotted cozying up to The Judgment Day. Surprisingly, the group didn’t seem too opposed — especially Dominik Mysterio, who looked like he already considers him a friend. But Priest? Still skeptical. 👀 He made it clear that Carlito will have to prove he belongs before being officially welcomed into the faction. Not today… but maybe someday.
King of the Ring – 2nd Round: Gunther vs. Kofi Kingston
Somehow on the SuperShow, Kofi Kingston shocked the world by defeating the legendary Rey Mysterio, earning himself a ticket straight to the Ring General’s fortress. Honestly? I don't see Kofi — or anyone from The New Day — surviving Gunther. After his brutal victory over Sheamus, this felt like a walk in the park for the Austrian brute.
Also… a small detour — Lilian Garcia made her return! 🎤💖 It looks like Samantha Irvin has chosen to focus on her music career, which is heartbreaking because she was, hands down, the greatest ring announcer this company ever had. Thank you, Samantha, for all those goosebump-inducing intros! 🙏
Back to the fight — Gunther came out alone, no Ludwig or Giovanni in sight. That tells you everything: the man is dead confident tonight. The bell hadn’t even rung, and Kofi went for the knee, trying to chop down the big man early. He used the ropes and the ring itself to target Gunther’s leg, clearly going all-in with this hit-and-run strategy. And honestly, if the Ring General can’t stand — he can’t dominate.
But the second Kofi went for Trouble in Paradise, Gunther dodged it like it was nothing 😤. That was Kofi’s best shot, and he missed. Then it got ugly. Gunther caught Kofi mid-air, slammed him into the ring, then tossed him onto the commentary table, finishing the assault with a Boston Crab right on the desk! 😱 Brutal doesn’t even begin to describe it.
From there, Gunther took his sweet time, methodically breaking Kofi down, making him suffer. It felt personal. I’m convinced he could’ve ended it earlier — he just refused to let Kofi escape the punishment. If Xavier Woods lost his leg last time, Kofi might lose his spine tonight.
As usual, Gunther made a mistake flying off the top rope — and missed. Man, I keep saying it: those risky top-rope moves almost always backfire on him. He doesn’t need ‘em! Gunther nearly snapped Kofi in half against the ring post, but Kofi found life in him and landed a perfect Trouble in Paradise on the outside! 💥 Gunther barely made it back into the ring at 9.5 seconds. But the end was near. Kofi went for a second Trouble in Paradise, missed, and ate a Last Symphony for his efforts. Then Gunther locked in another Boston Crab, forcing Kofi to tap.
Another submission win. Another ruthless message. Gunther advances to Round 3 — and The New Day is officially over.
Akira Tozawa vs. Bronson Reed
Backstage, Master Gable is finally using his students as pawns in his mind games. Tonight, Akira Tozawa faces Bronson Reed, and Otis tags with Sami Zayn. Not sure how this helps Gable in the long run, but one thing’s for sure: Tozawa and Otis are in for a rough night.
Surprisingly, Akira started off strong, bouncing around the ring like a firecracker. Reed looked completely thrown off by this “giant mosquito”, as if he didn’t know how to swat it.
But reality hit fast. After one big Fireman Slam, Tozawa was flattened by a Tsunami Splash. 💥 Just like that, the fun was over. Gable wasn’t happy, and poor Akira got another round of verbal abuse. Tough night at the Alpha Academy.
Queen of the Ring - 2st Round: Zoey Stark vs. Lyra Valkyria
Last week, I wasn’t thrilled with Lyra Valkyria’s performance. That’s why I was all in for Zoey Stark tonight. She deserved a solid win and honestly, she was carrying this match. Zoey started strong with laser-sharp strikes and crisp dropkicks, while Lyra couldn’t get anything going. I still don’t get how she beat Becky Lynch, to be honest. 🤷♂️
But then, out of nowhere, things shifted. After several good shots, Zoey completely lost her momentum, nearly falling to a Tornado DDT. She then missed a top-rope splash, almost costing herself the match, especially after a spinning heel kick from Lyra.
Zoey did bounce back with an exploder suplex, and I was sure we were moments away from a Z360 finisher...but no. Lyra countered beautifully into her Nightwing finisher and sealed another victory.
Raw 13.05.2024 -Somehow, a single combo was all it took for the NXT rookie to steal the win!
Another match, another win for Lyra — but I’ll say it again: Zoey did all the heavy lifting in this one. Pretty dull overall, with Stark carrying the pace from bell to bell.
Sami Zayn (C) vs Otis
Another match where I saw zero chances for the Alpha Academy’s heavy hitter. Sure, Otis had some advantage early on thanks to his power and sheer size, but there was no doubt Sami would pull through in the end.
Raw 13.05.2024 - Unfortunately, that was the best shot Otis could manage in this match.
Gable looked frustrated when Otis once again hit the Worm elbow, despite his clear disapproval — but shockingly, it actually connected! Unfortunately for Otis, that was his final good moment. After missing a massive corner splash, Sami struck back with a Helluva Kick and ended the match in the champ’s favor.
After the bell, Gable stormed into the ring and started verbally tearing into Otis again... but Sami ran back and suplexed Gable with an Exploder! Gable narrowly dodged a second Helluva Kick and slid out of the ring. Otis tried to help his mentor—but all he got was a hard slap across the face. When will Otis finally stand up for himself!? 🤦♂️
Dakota Kai vs Becky Lynch (C)
Last week, Damage CTRL decided to attack Becky Lynch for reasons that still aren’t clear—and Liv Morgan was nowhere to be seen. Tonight, Dakota Kai stepped up with backup from her crew to test the champ one-on-one.
Backstage, Lynch confronted Liv and slapped her across the face, calling her a “bitch.” 😤 That tension guaranteed Liv might show up again tonight and cost Becky dearly.
In the ring, Dakota couldn’t get anything going against The Man. Becky absolutely dominated her from bell to barricade, until a timely distraction by Kairi and IYO opened the door for Kai to get some licks in. As usual, Dakota relied on her long, dangerous legs to dish out punishment, but it wasn’t enough to keep the champ down.
Dakota tried a top-rope move but got superplexed for her troubles, and soon after found herself trapped in the Dis-arm-her. Right then, chaos erupted—all of Damage CTRL attacked Becky, and once again Lyra ran out to even the odds.
The two Irish women nearly cleared the ring... until Liv Morgan suddenly appeared and sent Becky crashing into the steel post! 🧠💥 A big score for the contender, and Becky won’t forget that anytime soon.
#1 Contender Fatal Four-Way Tag Match: Creeds vs Judgment Day vs AOP vs New Catch Republic
Time to decide who gets the next shot at the Tag Champs—Awesome Truth. I had my two favorites: New Catch Republic and the Creeds, but honestly, Finn and JD could easily sneak back into the title picture.
This was total chaos, with only two teams legal at once, but the other two constantly lurking. Early on, AOP made a statement, clearing the ring and asserting total dominance. I was especially hyped to see Akam & Rezar face off with the Creeds—that’s a hoss fight we need more of!
The Creeds came close after delivering a massive superplex on Finn, but he kicked out just in time. Then New Catch Republic cleaned house and hit a beautiful tag team Burning Hammer on JD, only for JD to sacrifice himself again to save Finn.
And then... the turning point: Carlito returned with a Backstabber to Pete Dunne, followed by a Coup de Grâce from Finn Bálor to seal the deal. Judgment Day are back in the title race! Could Carlito officially join the faction now? Because this finish was 🔥.
King of the Ring – 2nd Round: Jey Uso vs Ilja Dragunov
Two elite warriors, but only one can move on to face Gunther next week. And boy, it doesn’t matter who wins—Ring General's going to be in for a war.
Ilja already owns a victory over Gunther, and Jey nearly pinned him for the Intercontinental Title, so either way this is bad news for the champ. Personally, I was rooting for Ilja, but I knew WWE might give Jey the nod, especially with the whole Drew McIntyre drama hanging in the background.
Ilja came out swinging with strikes, counters, and wild high-risk moves. He nearly ended the match fast after slamming Jey onto the commentary table and going for an H-Bomb from the top, but he crashed into the table instead. 😵 Still, Ilja recovered and locked in a brutal submission that looked like it could end things.
Ilja showed off his incredible arsenal while Jey kept doing what the YEET Boy does best: big right hands, enziguris, and superkicks galore. Then came the Constantine Special—a spinning lariat so powerful it nearly knocked Jey out of his shoes! 👟
Things got ugly when Jey’s eye was busted open, and Ilja connected with a Powerbomb and an H-Bomb—but Jey kicked out at two! 😱 Ilja tried for one more, but Jey caught him with a Spear out of nowhere and finished it with the Uso Splash.
Jey advances! But credit to Ilja, who pushed Main Event Jey right to the edge. After the bell, Gunther marched straight to the ring to stare his next opponent in the eyes.
Final Thoughts
Another week out of action for Drew 😩
If last week Drew missed the King of the Ring tournament due to his arm, this week he showed up just to repeat the same speech he gives almost every week. Sure, his goals sound noble — take down CM Punk, get revenge on Jey Uso, and reclaim Damian Priest’s title to restore honor. But guess what? The champion has answers now — and more importantly, he has backup willing to sacrifice everything for him. Once again: no physical contact from McIntyre and just a whole lot of talking. I'm counting the days until he finally shares a ring with Punk. 💥
Iyo is marching toward her crown 👑
That match was seriously good. Shayna’s got maybe 3 to 5 years left in this business, so it’s refreshing to see her still putting on high-quality matches — just like Natalya. Meanwhile, Iyo is evolving weekly, pulling out new moves and combos to conquer her opponents. I’m standing firmly behind her, and next week when she faces Lyra… well, you already know who I’m rooting for.
Raw 13.05.2024 - Iyo Sky has my heart — she’s my top choice to win the Queen of the Ring Tournament!
Farewell, New Day? 👋
I still don’t understand why Woods keeps bringing up his King of the Ring reign. All I remember is Roman Reigns wearing his crown and Xavier getting wrecked by the Bloodline. Also, how on Earth did Rey Mysterio lose again? Is the LWO really this weak now? Anyway, Gunther did what he does best — destroy with class and deliver a message to the WWE locker room: don't mess with the Ring General. With New Day likely gone for a long while, maybe it’s time to hang it up for good.
A brilliant opportunity wasted for Akira 🤕
Thanks to Master Gable, poor Tozawa got absolutely squashed by Bronson Reed. Whatever plan Chad had in mind to harm that monster using Akira… it didn’t work. That was just sad to watch — a loyal student thrown to the wolves by his so-called mentor.
Second week of disappointment 😤
As I expected, Lyra brought absolutely nothing again and only looked decent thanks to her skilled opponent. Zoey sniped her way through the match and nearly scored the win several times, but one quick counter flipped it. The “Nightwing” move gave Lyra another undeserved win. Zoey Stark definitely deserved this one. Let’s hope next week Iyo shuts down this overhyped NXT rookie and heads to the finals!
The "Number One Guy" is a huge letdown 💔
When was the last time Otis even won a match? Chad Gable really thought Otis had a shot against Sami Zayn — the guy who beat Gunther?! Come on. The fans may love Otis, but love doesn’t win titles. Worse, after the match, he just stood there and let Gable slap him again. At this point, Otis needs to slam his mentor through several tables and walk out of that Academy for good.
Raw 13.05.2024 - Chad was rough on Akira after his loss—but Otis? He got it twice as worse.
Why is Damage CTRL even involved? 🤷♂️
They lost all their gold and now suddenly they’re targeting Becky Lynch? What’s the goal here — chaos for fun? And honestly, Liv Morgan has been less involved in this conflict than Dakota and her gang. Tonight, Liv scored a sneaky cheap shot on Becky, but will it help her actually win the title? I’m not so sure. Anyway, the PLE is coming — and we’ll see who’s really the better woman in this war.
Carlito, welcome to the crew 🍎
Since Damian Priest had doubts about Carlito's loyalty, the best way to prove himself was to jump into the Fatal Four-Way and help his boys win the No. 1 contendership. Mission accomplished. Even the champ gave him the nod of approval. With the squad now fully stacked, not even Braun Strowman could handle all five members at once. Judgment Day might be about to take over the Red Brand for real.
Once again, best match of the night 🏆
Just like last week, Ilja Dragunov delivered a jaw-dropping performance — heart, brutality, and elite ring work. He pushed Jey Uso to his absolute limit, and honestly, Ilja could’ve won this one if Jey didn’t find that extra YEET fuel. Now, it's Gunther vs. Jey Uso next week with a spot in the King of the Ring finals on the line. I think Gunther is more than ready, and right now, he feels stronger than the YEET Boy.
What a great show with two solid matches from Gunther, Jey Uso, and Ilja Dragunov. Honestly, when I look at Dragunov vs. Lyra Valkyri, I’m totally confused why fans keep cheering for her 🍀. Is it just the Irish charm? Maybe they see the next Becky Lynch in her. Regardless, the show was cool and left me feeling good 👍. SmackDown’s up next! 🔥
