This week's Raw was the post-WrestleMania Backlash show. A strong pay-per-view would lead to some continued storylines with an underlying question or what would happen with the WWE Champion and were The Miz and John Morrison alive?

We didn't hear from The Miz, but Morrison was back and this time in a lumberjack match of his own (thank goodness there were no zombies). There was an open challenge for the WWE Championship, Ricochet and Sheamus went toe-to-toe, as did Charlotte and Asuka and Kofi Kingston picked up two big wins.

Here are your winners and losers for Monday Night Raw, May 17, 2021:

Loser: Opening Segment

An opening promo that did absolutely nothing but kill time, MVP and Lashley celebrated their victory from Sunday night. He was surrounded by five ladies, suggesting it would be an easy and entertaining night for him. MVP issued an open challenge that both Lashley and MVP assumed was no big deal since Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman were both out injured. They were half right as The Scottish Warrior made an apperance.

Ultimately, nothing came of this as MVP said McIntyre wasn’t eligible for the open challenge. They basically fought a little and the segment was over. It became clear fairly quickly that McIntyre was going to play a role in the main event, even if he wasn't technically in the match.

Loser: Styles vs Elias

Another match that didn’t seem to accomplish much, this singles bout was strange in that AJ Styles — one of WWE’s top Superstars — sold an awful lot for Elias. The fact that WWE has no choice but to put two heel teams against each other also points out the obvious lack of babyface tag teams on the red brand.

The match itself was fine. There’s not much more to say than that and because that’s the best we can offer. The segment itself wasn't a stinker, but it was an overall loser.

Winner/Loser: Angel Garza Beats Drew Gulak

The second this match was booked, the outcome was obvious. Garza was going over again, which is totally fine because pushing him as a singles threat is the right decision. The only thing that might have been in question was whether or not WWE would go back to having Garza kick a rose up Gulak’s a$$.

Fortunately, WWE didn't go that route and pulled out a Ted DiBiase move instead. The match itself was actually decent, although short. Nice to see both men get some time on television and nice to see WWE trying something with Garza.

Related: Jimmy Or Jey Uso Needs To Win Money In The Bank

Winner: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton

Riddle did his best backstage to try and mend fences between New Day and The Viper after last week when Orton RKO’ed his partners. Ultimately, what came out of the huddle was that Kofi Kingston would battle Orton one-one-one.

This wasn’t the longest match, but it was effective to further the idea that there is going to be continued friction between these four men. That Riddle pushed Xavier Woods was the real takeaway here because it suggests that Riddle isn't always going to be the happy, go-lucky dufus we've come to enjoy watching. There's a tease here that he's got a bit of a darker side and could sympathize with Orton, who we all know is not a good guy.

Side note: Kingston's "reptile dysfunction" line was pure gold. I actually laughed out loud when he snuck it in.

Loser: Women's Tag Team Match

Another filler, this match was more about teasing more from Alexa Bliss. It didn't give us much to go on, other than to tease the idea that maybe Bliss and Lilly have their sights set on the tag team championships.

The Reginald spot was not great. I get being safe and there's only so close you want him to stand near an open flame, but it didn't play well from any angle.

Winner: Ricochet vs Sheamus

Easily the match of the night up to this point in the show, Ricochet and Sheamus put on a great contest that got the length it deserved to tell a story and include some real physicality. It did a great job of putting over Ricochet as a legit challenger, even though he lost. It was a little surprising this wasn’t for the United States Championship, but maybe that match is coming and we'll see these two in the ring again.

Sheamus continues to put on great matches. Next to Roman Reigns, he might be one of the performers of the year so far in WWE.

Winner: Asuka

The Empress of Tomorrow and The Queen put on an incredible match. It was arguably as good as the match that came before it. Not every spot was perfect, but the misses were far less than the hits and the contest was entertaining, with counters and false finishes that made this a pay-per-view caliber bout.

Asuka picking up the win was also a huge plus considering how often she’s been overlooked on recent episodes. Charlotte taking the loss was a bit surprising, but it won't hurt her push in any way.

The best part might have been Ripley getting a front row seat to see what a really good match looks like. Her bouts with Asuka were not good. That Charlotte and Asuka tore the house down should show Ripley she needs to work on things and step up her game.

Winner: John Morrison

Morrison had the unenviable task of having to return after the zombie match from Sunday, and on his own. Somehow, he had to make us forget that he was essentially dragged away and presumably eaten and pull off a good match, take a loss and in another lumberjack bout. He did an admirable job.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

After a full evening of teases, Kingston was the man to accept the open challenge from MVP. It was a bit surprising, but it goes to show you how highly WWE thinks of Kingston as a credible star.

The match was strong and McIntyre's interference was tiring, --WWE should move on from McIntyre vs. Lashley -- and while a roll-up was a bit of an underwhelming way for Lashley to lose after months of being unbeatable, the message was received that McIntyre and Lashley have unfinished business.

Kingston picked up two big wins; one against Lashley and one against Orton. He was the big winner on the night.

Next: [Theory] Seth Rollins Is On The Verge Of A Joker-Esque Character Change