The main event of Monday night Raw featured a NXT rivalry renewed. Tonight (Jun. 4), three years since they first met in NXT, Kevin Owens and Finn Balor squared up with pride on the line. The match was very physical but run at a methodical pace. After both men had their moments but failed to take total control of the match, Owens got himself disqualified when he ignored the ref’s count and continued to stomp away at Balor in the corner. Post-match, Owens continued to deliver punishment to Balor. Following a frog splash off the top rope Owens even brought a ladder into to the ring to further his attack on Balor. With Owens hesitating and taking his time on top of the ladder, Balor popped and knocked his foe off his perch. With Kevin Owens laid out, Finn Balor would climb atop the ladder and launch an epic Coup De Grace attack. Stroke of grace! Who has a better shot at winning the Money the Bank contract Finn Balor or Kevin Owens? Get complete Raw results and coverage here<doc-sep>Credit: WWE.com Glimpses of the battles set for Money in the Bank are on their way on Monday's WWE Raw. Before Finn Balor and Kevin Owens trade blows at the June 17 pay-per-view in the men's Money in the Bank ladder match, they will do so in Houston, renewing an old rivalry. Nia Jax and Braun Strowman have opportunities to prep for the PPV, as well. Raw has spent several weeks constructing the Money in the Bank card and figuring out the ladder-match field. That side of things is mostly done. It's time now to start hyping the show. Credit: WWE.com Houston's Toyota Center will host as the red brand begins that process in earnest. What's on tap for Monday's show? News updates, the Raw preview on WWE.com and storyline projections allow us to look ahead before Raw airs on USA Network at 8 p.m. ET. News, Rumors Video Play Button Videos you might like The red brand may finally get a dose of Alicia Fox before long. PWInsider's Mike Johnson wrote: "She is still under contract but hasn't been used since she was injured last January. She was at WWE TV in Albany a few weeks ago and we are told is scheduled to be at some upcoming TV tapings." Credit: WWE.com Fox suffered a broken tailbone early this year. Monday should mark Roman Reigns' return after missing last week's show. Dave Meltzer noted on Figure Four Online: "For this weekend, Roman Reigns will not be on the Raw tour, but he is scheduled to return on Monday for television." The Big Dog has a match on tap at Money in the Bank against Jinder Mahal. WWE is sure to showcase that bout aplenty ahead of the PPV. The Universal Championship, on the other hand, may be pushed aside for a long while. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), current plans don't have Brock Lesnar returning to the ring until SummerSlam on Aug. 19. That would mean both Money in the Bank and Extreme Rules would be sans the universal titleholder. Raw Streaks Drew McIntyre has been unstoppable during this second go-round with the main roster. The Scottish powerhouse walloped Chad Gable last Monday, and he is now 4-0 since joining the Raw brand, per CageMatch.net. WWE clearly wants to build him up. That's the right move as he would be a great fit as a Universal Championship contender. The Superstar Shake-up hasn't been as fruitful for The Ascension. Viktor and Konnor fell in their first two matches on Raw and now have 11 consecutive losses to their name, per CageMatch.net. The duo went from being doormats on Tuesdays to playing the same role on Mondays. That doesn't seem likely to change despite the Raw tag team division's lack of depth. Preview A fresh set of challengers will emerge to face The Deleters of Worlds. Monday's Raw is set to host a tag team Battle Royal to determine the No. 1 contender for the Raw Tag Team Championship. Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas will be in the bout looking to continue their winning ways. The B-Team has suddenly moved into the spotlight, becoming one of the most featured teams in the division in the past few weeks. That hints at them going on a Cinderella run and getting a crack at Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy. Much of the rest of Raw will be dedicated to Money in the Bank warmup bouts. Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Roode, Natalya vs. Jax, and Balor vs. Owens are all lined up for Monday night. Strowman and Roode are both in the men's Money in the Bank ladder match. They will meet early in Houston in search of some pre-PPV momentum. Ahead of Jax's Raw Women's Championship defense against Ronda Rousey at Money in the Bank, she will take on the former UFC star's friend and training partner in non-title action. Jax mocked Rousey last week and tried to get in her head. Natalya now has a shot to issue some payback on her buddy's behalf. Jax showed heelish tendencies in her interaction with Rousey. Fans will be keeping an eye on whether that continues to see if WWE really is abandoning the champ's babyface turn so quickly. Owens and Balor are about to collide in Space City, too. Both Superstars are scheduled for the men's Money in the Bank ladder match. Their meeting ahead of that bout will continue a rivalry that began at NXT. KO and Balor fought over that brand's top title several times in 2015. Balor, who beat Strowman via disqualification last Monday, will be looking for a more emphatic win against one of the obstacles in his way during his quest to reclaim the Universal Championship he had to relinquish because of injury two years ago.<doc-sep>Watch Gallery Photo Credit: WWE WrestleZone encourages you to begin your RAW discussion in the comments section below, in the WZ Forums or via the WZ Facebook Discussion Group. WrestleZone’s live coverage begins at 7:30 pm EST. Use the hashtag #WZChat on Twitter during RAW and your tweet may be featured right here on the main page of WrestleZone! Tonight’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW will take place from the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. Here are WWE.com’s official Quick Hits preview points for tonight’s RAW:<doc-sep>
Money in the Bank is now less than two weeks away and things are starting to heat up as WWE builds towards one of their most exciting pay-per-views. This year, there is a slight twist to both the men's and women's ladder matches. The winner will still earn their contract - and in turn a title opportunity to cash in anywhere, anytime. But rather than just six men and women battling to be the first person to climb the ladder, this year, eight superstars have the chance to compete in each match. The men's ladder match is likely to headline the PPV, with four wrestlers from Monday Night Raw and four from SmackDown Live going head to head. RAW'S COMPETITORS From the Red Brand, Braun Strowman, Bobby Roode, Finn Balor and Kevin Owens will all be hoping to get their hands on the Money in the Bank contract - to cash it in for a Universal title shot. And on last night's show, all four were in action, with Roode taking on Strowman and Balor battling Owens. Unsurprisingly, "The Glorious One" was no match for the "Monster Among Men" - as Strowman defeated Roode midway through the show, continuing his dominance over the Raw roster. THE MAIN EVENT The other two ladder match competitors closed the show last night - as Balor looked for revenge on KO for interrupting his match with Strowman last week - when it looked like The Demon had the upper hand. Normally, WWE saves the best for last - and this week was no different, as Balor ended the night with a huge spot. After being DQ'd, Owens brought a ladder into the ring, looking to punish Balor even further. He spent a few moments deciding if he wanted to go for a high-risk splash from high up the ladder. However, his indecisiveness proved costly, as Balor recovered from the beatdown and pulled KO off, before climbing to the very top of the ladder himself. From there, he landed a huge Coup De Grace, driving into the chest of KO. Check it out below. Balor's finishing move is brutal enough from the top rope, let alone the top of a ladder. And fans absolutely loved what they were witnessing. After proving that he's willing to push himself to his very limits - and try huge spots like that, will it be Balor who's victorious at Money in the Bank? CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE OF TURNBUCKLE TALK - GIVEMESPORT'S WWE PODCAST - THIS WEEK FEATURING ROMAN REIGNS AND CHRIS JERICHO. News Now - Sport News