AAA On FOX
Date: May 30, 2026
Location: Arena Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
Commentators: Rey Mysterio, John Bradshaw Layfield, Corey Graves

It’s the first week of Noche de Los Grandes and to say this is a big one would be an understatement, as we have the ultimate showdown in lucha libre: a mask vs. mask match. That’s the kind of thing that you do not see around here very often and the big story is El Grande Americano vs. the Original El Grande Americano with the masks on the line. That’s about all you need so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

The opening video looks at the importance of the mask and how much it means in lucha libre. Tonight, someone loses everything.

Cruiserweight Title: Laredo Kid vs. Rey Fenix

Fenix is challenging and dropkicks him into the corner at the bell. An early Mexican MuscleBuster is escaped and Kid grabs a quick powerbomb. A kick to the head puts Fenix down but he avoids a middle rope moonsault. Instead it’s a Michinoku Driver for two on Fenix, followed by a Texas Cloverleaf to stay on the back. With that not working, Kid unhooks the turnbuckle pad and avoids a charge into the post.

The Cloverleaf goes on again in the corner, setting up a curb stomp for two. Back up and Fenix hits some clotheslines to send him outside and of course that means a big dive. Fenix’s cross armbreaker sends Kid over to the rope and they chop it out. Fenix flips out of a tornado DDT and kicks him in the head, only to get caught with a running flipping DDT. That’s good for a rather delayed two, with Fenix’s rolling cutter gets a less delayed version of the same.

Another Mexican MuscleBuster is countered into a small package for two so Fenix tries a third time and gets a near fall of his own. The referee notices the exposed buckle and gets in the way, allowing Kid to get in a low blow. The frog splash hits Fenix for two but Fenix sends him into the exposed buckle, kicks him in the head, and grabs another Mexican MuscleBuster for the pin and the title at 11:53.

Rating: B. Build up a challenger against a longtime champion and have him win the title. That’s a classic story that has worked for the better part of ever in wrestling and it worked again here. Fenix finally gets some gold under the WWE umbrella and feels like a star in the profess. It came in a good match as well, which is always a nice bonus.

Post match Fenix gets to celebrate with his family in a nice moment.

Various celebrities and wrestlers are here.

We recap the Latin American Title match. El Hijo del Vikingo is getting a shot because he’s a big star and champion El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. doesn’t think Vikingo and his El Ojo knows much about family.

Latin American Title: El Hijo del Vikingo vs. El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr.

Vikingo, with Dorian Roldan, is challenging. Wagner dropkicks him into the corner at the bell (thankfully Graves points out that Fenix did the same thing in the opener) and snaps off a powerslam. They go to the apron, where a big boot puts Vikingo on the floor. Vikingo is right back up to put him on the steps for a double stomp and quite the crash.

A rather hard baseball slide knocks Wagner off the apron again and Vikingo hits a running shooting star from the apron. Back in and Wagner knees him down in the corner, setting up a running cannonball. The splash gives Wagner two but Vikingo’s crucifix driver leaves them both down.

Cue Omos to crotch Wagner on top though and Vikingo hits a running Meteora. The 450 gets two and here is Galeno, who is quickly knocked out by Omos. Galeno is back up with some chair shots to actually drop Omos and Mini Vikingo runs in with a springboard missile dropkick. Wagner plants Vikingo for two but Omos is back up to knock Wagner silly. The 630 gives Vikingo the pin and the title at 7:20.

Rating: B-. This was all about the interference and that made for a good story, as Vikingo and his family beat Wagner and his family. That’s how the story was set up and El Ojo needed a win of some kind as they haven’t meant much over the last few weeks. Wagner wasn’t doing much as champion either so this is a good move all around.

More celebrities and wrestlers are here.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders vs. Psycho Clown/Pagano

The Raiders are challenging and the challengers aren’t getting along very well. The Raiders miss a charge to the floor to start and get taken down by stereo flip dives. Back in and Erik gets double teamed down but comes back with some forearms, allowing Ivar to come in. A big dive takes out Clown on the floor and it’s back to Erik to hammer away. The chinlock goes on for a bit before it’s back to Ivar, who just hits Clown in the face.

Clown fights up and knocks Ivar away, allowing Erik and Pagano to come in. Pagano’s middle rope Codebreaker connects and everything breaks down. Something close to an Emerald Frosion gives Pagano two and it’s back to Clown to slug away on Ivar. A suicide dive hits Erik and a Canadian Destroyer gets two on Ivar. Clown adds a top rope splash for two with Erik having to make the save. Ivar fights up and Clown accidentally clotheslines Pagano. The pop up powerslam to Clown gives the Raiders the titles at 9:13.

Rating: B-. This was about putting the Raiders over as a pair of monsters as they have the WWE experience to make this feel even bigger. At the same time they had to do something to move the Pagano/Clown feud forward. We still don’t know who attacked the Psycho Circus (unless it was supposed to be the Raiders) and there is a good chance we’re going to see those two beat the fire out of each other. They had to drop the titles for that to happen and that was more than covered here.

Post match Pagano and Clown go at it until Pagano walks off, with the Raiders laying Clown out. Pagano teases going in for the ave but walks away.

Here is General Manager Rey Mysterio for a chat. Well not so much a chat as much as he sends us to a package on the main event. The video has a comic book theme and looks at the hero in El Grande Americano against his rival, who clearly doesn’t care about Mexico. That’s how this feud should go and there is a reason why the fans have gotten so far behind Americano. Tonight, one has to go away and that is in the form of a mask vs. mask match. This feels absolutely huge and has been one of the hottest feuds I’ve seen in a minute so well done all around.

El Grande American vs. Original El Grande Americano

Mask vs. Mask, no DQ and we’ll go with Americano and Original for their names. Original comes out to a mariachi band and the fans HATE him. American has his own band and comes out in a jacket saying FOR MEXICO (WELL POR BUT I THREW IN THE TRANSLATION) and is an absolute hero.

We get some Big Match Intros but Original grabs a guitar to knock Americano silly before the bell. Original knocks him around but gets punched into the corner, with a suplex bringing Original right back out of it. The suicide dive hits Original, who is right back with a backdrop. A Death Valley Driver plants Original on the floor though and it’s time for a table. Original tackles him for a save and Americano is sent into the steps.

Something like a reverse Angle Slam drops American on to the floor for two back inside and Original is already frustrated. Original starts ripping at the mask, earning himself an Air Raid Crash from the apron through the table at ringside. Americano spends too much time celebrating though and gets German suplexed on the floor. Back up and Original throws a chair at a barricade, with Americano being knocked down off the crash.

They go back inside with Americano busted open and Original pounding on the cut. A suplex gives Original two and a top rope belly to back superplex drops Americano hard. Another slugout goes to Americano, who runs the ropes and flips over for a Blockbuster. Americano rips at Original’s mask and drops him face first onto the steps. They get back inside so Americano can hammer away and load up a chair in the corner. That takes too long (a trend) and Original gives him a German suplex.

Americano is back up but here are Los Hermanos Americanos to put him through the announcers’ table. A Swan Dive gives Original two so here are Los Americanos to go after Los Hermanos. Bravo hits a big dive from the stands to take the other three out and the fans rather approve again. Back at ringside, Original goes after a blind comedian (who was involved in the feud before) but gets Blockbustered off the apron.

One of the musicians hits Original with a guitar and unmasks as Pimpinela Escarlata. Original is up again at two so let’s get a bullrope. A low blow cuts Americano off and Original whips him with the bullrope, followed by a stomp onto a chair. Cue the former announcer (and Americano’s girlfriend) to cheerlead in the crowd. Original yells at her but she has a ticket, which is enough of a distraction for Americano to come back. A DDT onto the chair gives Americano two so they slug it out again.

Original suplexes him into the corner and hits a moonsault for another near fall. The frustrated Original grabs a chair and unloads on Americano’s ankle, setting up the ankle lock. That’s reversed into the knee in the back choke, which is reversed back into the ankle lock. Americano somehow reverses into a suplex but the ankle gives out again, allowing Original to grab Rolling Chaos Theory for two more. Original’s charge hits the post though and the running headbutt finally gives Americano the pin at 33:20.

Rating: A-. I mean…dang man. This was presented as the ultimate battle between these two and that’s pretty much exactly what we got. It felt like neither of them would allow themselves to lose and Original finally fell in the end. They had a heck of a fight and Americano looks like an absolute hero in the biggest match AAA has had since it came under the WWE banner. Awesome stuff here and it actually lived up to the hype.

Post match everyone gets in the ring and Original says he started on this path to learn everything about lucha libre and beat all of the luchadors. He learned about Mexico and its culture along the way but tonight, he could not overcome the Mexican spirit. From now on, even though he is the original, there is only one Grande Americano.

And he unmasks as Chad Gable, with the point of course being the removal of the mask rather than the identity. He talks about his career and introduces his family before promising to be back in AAA. Gable hands the mask to Americano and leaves to a fairly positive reaction, as the fans appreciate Gable being a man in defeat. Americano celebrates for a good while and leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. What more do you want out of a show like this? Nothing was close to bad, they changed three titles, and had the huge showdown with a great moment to close it out. I had a great time with this and it absolutely flew by. This was every bit of the hype you could have wanted and I had a blast watching them pay a bunch of stuff off. If you don’t watch AAA, give it a shot with this one, as you’ll have a fun time.

Results
Rey Fenix b. Laredo Kid – Mexican MuscleBuster
El Hijo del Vikingo b. El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. – 630
War Raiders b. Psycho Clown/Pagano – Pop up powerslam to Clown
El Grande Americano b. Original El Grande Americano – Running headbutt

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AAA On FOX
Date: May 23, 2026
Location: Gimnasio Olimpico Juan de la Barrera, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Savio Vega, John Bradshaw Layfield, Corey Graves

We’re a week away from Noche de Los Grandes and easily the biggest match AAA has had since WWE took over. That means we’re likely to get a bunch of build on the way to the battle of Los Grande Americanos, which should make for a fun night. Other than that, the Cruiserweight Title is on the line so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open in the ring, with the Roldan Family and the candidates for the position of General Manager. After a video of highlights from the company’s history, Marisela Pena talks about the company’s history and future. With that (eventually) out of the way, she introduces the new General Manager: Rey Mysterio. Makes enough sense, and JBL freaking out on commentary is funny (“This is a bigger mistake than the freaking Gobbledygooker!”). Mysterio talks about getting a new start in this building and they’re going to take this company to a new level. And we’re starting with these two.

Cruiserweight Title: Rey Fenix vs. Laredo Kid

Fenix is challenging and we get a quick hand slap of respect. They run the ropes and Fenix misses a dropkick, giving us a standoff. Fenix rolls outside and gets taken down with a heck of a suicide dive. Back in and Kid dives into a sitout powerbomb for two but a Michinoku Driver drops Fenix for the same. Fenix knocks him off the top and misses a moonsault but keeps rolling right into a cutter to drop Kid (nice).

Kid is back with a destroyer DDT and a poisonrana but Fenix pops up for a German suplex. Fenix pulls him off the top and puts him right back up for the Mexican MuscleBuster. That’s reversed into a cradle for two so Fenix kicks him in the head. Kid can barely stand and the referee checks him before telling the timekeeper that Kid can continue. That’s enough of a distraction for Kid to hit Fenix low, setting up the frog splash to retain at 8:52.

Rating: B. Naturally these two can go nuts against each other very well, as they are both more than talented enough to make that happen. Fenix getting suckered in by a seemingly full on evil Kid is a good way to keep the story going and Fenix will probably get a rematch. Someone has to beat Kid for the title and Fenix is a rather solid choice.

Noche de Los Grandes rundown.

Rey Mysterio is not pleased with Laredo Kid and the rematch is set for Noche de Los Grandes.

We look at a rally for El Grande Americano and my goodness that man is more over than free beer in a frat house.

Los Americanos Hermanos vs. Los Americanos

Anything goes. It’s a brawl to start (as it should be) with Rayo diving onto Julio. That earns Rayo a toss out to the floor but Bravo is back in with some dancing punches. Rayo has to come back in for the save but Bravo is up to use Julio as a stepping stone to dive onto Bruto. Back up and a Bruto Ball hits everyone on the floor and everyone is down for a bit. Bravo gets posted by Bruto, who gets dropkicked by Rayo and it’s time for the weapons. Los Hermanos get chairs, which are taken away and used on them instead.

A double drop toehold sends Bruto into the open chair. Julio gets crotched against the post a few times and it’s time for an Original El Grande Americano pinata. The Meteora sends the pinata into Julio (Savio is disappointed by the lack of candy) and it’s time for a table. JBL: “I always wonder who puts all this stuff underneath the ring.” Los Americanos fight back with the chairs, with Rayo being slammed onto one to slow things back down.

A superbomb is broken up as Bravo comes back in with an American flag to clean house. Back in and we hit the airplane spin, complete with the reverse version to make it worse. Stereo flying headbutts get two on Bruto as the fans are rather pleased. The Hermanos are back up with a Super Collider (with Graves actually using that name) for two but Rayo and Bravo both go up. Julio runs the corner and superplexes both of them, setting up a 450 for two on Bravo.

The table is loaded up but Rayo is back in with the kendo stick for the save. Bravo’s top rope splash puts Bruto through a table at ringside and they’re both down. Back in and Bravo loads up his mask for a top rope headbutt/Russian legsweep combination. Cue the Original El Grande Americano to suplex Bravo through a table at ringside and Rayo is put through the announcers’ table.

El Grande Americano comes in with a chair but can’t touch Original so they yell at each other a lot. Original goes to leave so Americano yells at him for everything that he has done. The only thing that Original will ever be is Shorty G and that’s enough to bring Original back in.

Original takes off his jacket and reveals a shirt with Americano’s girlfriend (the interviewer Original insisted be fired a few weeks back). Americano goes at him but the partners hold them back…until the fight breaks out anyway. Rey Mysterio comes out to say this is a big mess but the mask vs. mask match is still on. The locker room empties out and Mysterio tries to calm things down as the show ends. The match is a no contest at we’ll say about 25:00.

Rating: B+. You have two things going at once here, with the match itself and then the big argument/brawl. The tag match was one heck of a fight, with both teams beating the daylights out of each other. That’s good enough, but the real money in this whole thing (as in AAA right now) is the battle of the Grande Americanos. This has an energy to it that I haven’t seen in a good while and I want to see these guys beat the daylights out of each other. The fans couldn’t be much hotter for the whole thing either and that made it even better. Heck of a main event here, with the angle at the end making it that much bigger.

We get a rather nice comic book themed video on the mask vs. mask match to wrap it up. This is another great look at the feud, which is one of the best builds I’ve seen in a long time. They absolutely have something with Americano and if they can stick the landing next week, he’s going to be a made man in AAA.

Overall Rating: A-. I’m not sure if it’s great booking or just having a rabid fan base with a hot angle (likely a bit of both) but AAA is on fire right now. It’s amazing to see how different the Americanos feud is on Raw compared to here, as it’s a joke vs. the hottest feud going right now. Noche de Los Grandes should be big, but it’s all about the mask vs. mask match right now and that’s pretty amazing given how ridiculous the whole thing was for so long. It’s a great lesson in finding the right audience, and they have certainly done that.

Results
Laredo Kid b. Rey Fenix – Frog splash
Los Hermanos Americanos vs. Los Americanos went to a no contest

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: May 18, 2026
Location: First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the last show before Saturday Night’s Main Event and that only means so much for Raw. The big story continues to be Roman Reigns dealing with the force that is Jacob Fatu, though they don’t have another match set up just yet. There is still time to add it here, but there is also the option of sending it to Turin for Clash In Italy later this month. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week’s brawl between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, with Fatu leaving the champ laying.

Adam Pearce stops Reigns as he comes in, saying if Reigns had listened to him last week, none of that would happen. Reigns says that doesn’t matter because he’s calling Fatu out right now. Pearce wants Fatu fired but they’re cut off by Fatu coming to the arena. There were some very loud echoes in this segment for some reason.

Here is Fatu to call out Reigns but he gets the Usos instead. Jey comes out with a chair but Jimmy tries to keep the peace, as is his custom. Jimmy calls out Fatu for not thinking and costing himself last week. Fatu attacked management and now he’s about to get fired. Then what? Is Fatu going to go back to being his old self to help his family then? Jey goes after him but gets knocked down, with Fatu grabbing the Tongan Death Grip on Jimmy. Jey’s chair shot has no effect so he gets Death Gripped as well.

This brings out Reigns and the big fight is on, with Reigns even throwing in a big boot. The Superman Punch is countered into the Tongan Death Grip and the Usos have to make the save. A Superfly Splash and 1D put Fatu down and the Usos tie him in the ropes. Some Superman Punches and the spear leave Fatu out and here is Pearce. Reigns says something to him and Pearce seems ready to fire Fatu….who wants Tribal Combat. Pearce tries to calm things down but Reigns is in. No word on when that takes place but Fatu winning the title wouldn’t be the craziest thing.

Video on Judgment Day turning on Finn Balor, with JD McDonagh wanting revenge on him for turning on him after so many years. This feels a lot like a video they’ve aired between them before.

JD McDonagh vs. Finn Balor

Street fight so they go right outside with Balor whipping him into various things. The kendo sticks and chairs are brought in and McDonagh gets in a few shots of his own to take over. Balor sends him hard into the chair in the corner and it’s time for a table, only for McDonagh to suicide dive him for taking too long. They fight out into the crowd with Balor whipping him into an equipment case. McDonagh drives him right back into it as well and hits a hue moonsault off of the case as we take a break.

We come back with Balor planting McDonagh but walking into a release Rock Bottom onto the chair. A nice looking standing moonsault gives McDonagh two but Balor is back with the Sling Blade. McDonagh is knocked through the table in the corner and Balor goes up. The Coup de Grace misses though and McDonagh knees him down for two. The top rope moonsault hits Balor for two so McDonagh puts him on another table.

That takes way too long though and Balor switches places, only for Dominik Mysterio to run in and break up the Coup de Grace. A top rope superplex sends Balor through the table for two (and a roar on the kickout). Mysterio loads up the 619 but Balor switches places and McDonagh gets kicked in the face instead. Mysterio is knocked outside and it’s a Coup de Grace to a trashcan to McDonagh for the pin at 11:50.

Rating: B. This got a good bit better near the end, with McDonagh fighting hard to hang in there with the much more accomplished star. Mysterio’s interference costing McDonagh and the team in the end is pretty much par for his course these days and I’m not sure how long that can last. At the same time, I’m not sure what the endgame for Balor is supposed to be. He’s already beaten Mysterio, so what is he supposed to finish the feud for good?

We look at Seth Rollins helping the Street Profits last week but they aren’t interested.

Rollins says he has to finish things with the Vision and sometimes the best thing to do is run right at your problem. He hasn’t had a match on Raw in about nine months so we should remedy that tonight. Tonight he has been given the main event slot and he wants to face anyone on the team. He’d like it to be Bron Breakker, who says he can do it on his own, but what is Breakker? A nepo baby or everything that he is supposed to be? Tonight is Breakker’s chance to show Rollins who he really is. This was more intense than usual from Rollins and it worked.

Sol Ruca is excited to have done well in her limited time around here but Becky Lynch interrupts. Lynch doesn’t think much of Ruca’s efforts thus far and she hasn’t even faced the best. Ruca should go back to NXT, which she says she’ll do. Lynch calls her a quitter and here is Ruca in the arena.

Ruca is in the ring and gets right to the point by calling Lynch out. This brings out Lynch, who wants to know what Ruca is trying. Ruca wants to face Lynch right here tonight but gets shot down. Lynch goes into her catchphrase and Ruca is already sick of it, prompting Lynch to start over. After we hear about all of the people Lynch has dealt with already, she agrees to let Ruca face her at Saturday Night’s Main Event, with Ruca making it a title match. That’s too far for Lynch, who says Ruca hasn’t earned a shot yet (fair) so we won’t be doing that yet.

The Vision ask Paul Heyman about Saturday Night’s Main Event but Bron Breakker comes in to say make the match with Seth Rollins for tonight. Heyman says Austin Theory should do it instead so Breakker asks Theory and Logan Paul to leave. Breakker insists he can beat Rollins and while Heyman agrees, he points out that Rollins will be busy tonight and Breakker will know it in advance. Breakker approves.

Original El Grande Americano/Los Hermanos Americanos vs. El Grande Americano/Los Americanos

Tornado rules and in advance: I’m going to get these people mixed up more than once. Julio strikes away at Rayo to start ast he other four brawl on the floor. A fall away slam sends Rayo flying and it’s Grande coming in to slug it out with Original. The ankle lock has Grande in trouble but Rayo comes in for the save.

Los Americanos crotch Original against the post and we pause for some dancing. Bravo walks across some backs for a hurricanrana to Bruto but Julio is back up for a dive. Grande and Original hit dives of their own and everyone is down at ringside. Back in and Original hits Bravo with a top rope superplex for two and we take a break.

We come back with Original suplexing Los Americanos at the same time and then suplexing Grande for two. A top rope headbutt gets two on Bravo but Julio’s 450 misses. That’s enough for Grande and the Americanos to load up their masks but the other three hit stereo German suplexes. Graves: “There are no Germans in the ring Cole. We have six Mexicans!” A triple moonsault gets a triple near fall on Grande and Los Americanos but Bruto gets headbutted down. Grande’s running headbutt, with two more from Los Americanos, gets the pin at 10:38.

Rating: B-. This was another wild match, though I have no idea who the good guys were supposed to be. It’s perfectly clear in Mexico, but here things aren’t as simple. The match was a lot of fun and fairly wild, which made up for trying to figure all of that out. They need to wrap it up though, as this feud is going to start losing steam in a hurry otherwise.

Whataburger delivers to the Alpha Academy. Dang it now I want Whataburger.

We look back at the Bloodline vs. Jacob Fatu brawl earlier. Tribal Combat is set for Clash In Italy.

Video on Tribal Combat.

The Usos know what Tribal Combat is all about but here is LA Knight to interrupt. Jimmy says not now but Knight asks “or what”. Knight calls them out for doing the same things the three of them beat up the Vision for doing at Wrestlemania so what’s the difference? The Usos aren’t happy.

Ethan Page sits down with Michael Cole and brags about himself, including via a pre-written statement. Cole has to praise Page’s jawline but can’t get over Page wanting to rename the Intercontinental Title as the “Ethan Page Championship”. Cole can’t do this anymore and asks why Page acts like this. Cole praises Page’s skills but thinks his ego will cost him on Saturday. Page calls it confidence rather than ego and he’ll prove it at Saturday Night’s Main Event. To say Page is nailing it so far would be a drastic understatement. He’s slid into this role perfectly and it’s working very well.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Paige/Brie Bella vs. Judgment Day

Judgment Day, with Liv Morgan, is challenging. Paige throws Perez down to start and it’s off to Bella, who is knocked down just as fast. Rodriguez takes over and hands it back to Perez, who mocks the YES chant. That just fires Bella up and she fires off the YES Kicks, with Rodriguez breaking them up. Paige’s dive is cut off and she’s swung into the barricade as we take a break.

We come back with Bella getting the tag and cleaning house but Rodriguez cuts her off. The spinning Vader Bomb is cut off and a double powerbomb brings Rodriguez back down. Perez takes Paige out though and Bella goes up, only for Morgan to shove her off. That’s enough for the big ejection so the title is brought in. Bella cuts that off and rolls Perez up to retain at 10:14.

Rating: C. And it continues. I know Paige and Bella are set for the title match against the Irresistible Forces but they continue to drain the life out of me every time they’re on screen. It’s not like they have some big, deep history together and Bella wasn’t exactly good on her best days. Now they’re the best team in a division which is actually getting pretty good? That’s quite a lot to take and it’s not exactly working for me.

Post match the Judgment Day jump the champs but Bayley and Lyra Valkyria make the save.

LA Knight comes up to Seth Rollins and says he can do this himself tonight, but it’s going to go badly. He needs help, so have fun getting stomped out.

Penta is sick of Ethan Page wanting the Intercontinental Title all for himself. He’ll take care of Page on Saturday.

Here is Oba Femi for his open challenge…and BROCK LESNAR RUNS IN to lay him out with four straight F5’s. Well that worked. I wasn’t completely sold on Lesnar being gone, but I didn’t expect him to come back on a pretty random Raw. Nice job.

Post break Adam Pearce is livid and Paul Heyman comes in. Pearce demands to know what happened but Heyman says Lesnar is retired. Heyman pulls out a contract, already signed by Lesnar, to face Femi at Clash In Italy. Pearce seems confused but interested.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

The Street Profits are ready for the Vision because they have the vision of winning the Tag Team Titles. Angelo Dawkins is distracted though and Montez Ford tells him to go. Dawkins goes over to Seth Rollins to thank him for last week. Rollins thanks him for that and apologizes for Dawkins getting taken out. For now though, he has a match of his own.

Seth Rollins vs. Austin Theory

Rollins jumps the Vision on the floor to start and hammers on Theory inside to start fast. Back in and Rollins stays on Theory, including a buckle bomb to knock him silly. Theory fights back and manages to send the ankle into the post, which should weaken the Stomp. Paul goes after Rollins and Theory crotches Rollins on the barricade as we take a break.

We come back with Rollins chopping away and countering the rolling dropkick into a sitout powerbomb for two. Rollins knocks him down again and loads up a super Stomp, only for Paul to shove Rollins down. Theory’s Stomp gets two so Paul slips him the knuckles, with Rollins superkicking Theory instead. Now Rollins gets the knuckles, with Paul pointing them out. Rollins grabs a Pedigree for the pin instead at 12:57.

Rating: B-. This was more about keeping the story moving forward than some big match and that’s all it needed to be. The idea was that Rollins was in over his head but at the end of the day, beating Theory in a singles match isn’t that difficult. If nothing else, I do appreciate Rollins mixing it up with the Pedigree for the pin for a change. That made sense and it worked.

Post match Paul comes in for the beatdown so here is Angelo Dawkins, followed by Montez Ford, for the save. Ford hits a big flip dive and tries to talk Dawkins out of this, only for Bron Breakker to run in and give Ford a Super Spear. Rollins makes the save but Paul grabs his leg, allowing Breakker to cut him in half as well. Security comes out but Breakker drops Rollins again before finally being pulled away. Adam Pearce threatens the Vision and they leave smiling to end the show. Kind of a weak ending.

Overall Rating: B-. This was the “oh dang, we’ve got two shows in less than two weeks so we need to hurry up” week and it went pretty well. The ending wasn’t the greatest, but the matches they set up look good enough. The big appeal here was the Lesnar return though, which was a rare genuine shock and that’s a very nice feeling to have. They’re blitzing to Saturday and Italy but I’ll take a rapid fire build over nothing at all.

Results
Finn Balor b. JD McDonagh – Coup de Grace to a trashcan
El Grande Americano/Los Americanos b. Original El Grande Americano/Los Hermanos Americans – Triple headbutt to Bruto
Brie Bella/Paige b. Judgment Day – Rollup to Perez
Seth Rollins b. Austin Theory – Pedigree

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 4, 2026
Location: CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the last Raw before Backlash and we have a main event set with Roman Reigns defending the World Title against a rather ticked off (as in more than usual) Jacob Fatu. Other than that, Oba Femi is issuing an open challenge and Sol Ruca is officially joining the roster this week. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Roman Reigns arrives and starts walking to the ring rather quickly, mostly ignoring Adam Pearce on the way. Pearce finally stops him and says that Jacob Fatu isn’t here yet, meaning the contract signing has to wait. Since Reigns isn’t going to the ring at the moment, he can pause to see Seth Rollins, who says reigns is in the way.

Rollins heads into the arena…and Bron Breakker jumps him from behind. Breakker drops Rollins onto the barricade and sends him into the steps until security and referees break it up. Well for all of five seconds that is as Breakker gets inside to spear Rollins. The fans want to see it again but Breakker leaves instead.

We recap Roxanne Perez ignoring Finn Balor’s warnings about the Judgment Day and telling him to leave the clubhouse.

We go to the Judgment Day clubhouse, with Liv Morgan wanting to know why Balor was here last week. Perez doesn’t know why he was here but Morgan asks why she wasn’t told about this. Why does she need to watch Netflix to know what is going on around here? Perez insists she is loyal to the team and Morgan seems to believe it, though she does brow beat Perez a bit. With Morgan gone, Perez doesn’t seem thrilled.

Finn Balor vs. JD McDonagh

Dominik Mysterio is here with McDonagh, who gets taken down with an early headlock. Balor backs McDonagh up against the ropes but gets distracted by Mysterio so McDonagh can chop away. A Russian legsweep gives Balor two and he glares down at Mysterio. That’s enough for McDonagh to start in on the leg and here are the rest of Judgment Day as we take a break.

We come back with Balor making a comeback but having to deck Mysterio. A Spanish Fly gives McDonagh two but Balor knocks him down again. Balor loads up the Coup de Grace, allowing Mysterio to crotch him on top. That’s enough for Mysterio to be ejected, leaving McDonagh’s moonsault to hit raised knees for two. The Sling Blade connects so Morgan gets on the apron and throws a timekeeper’s hammer to Perez. The cheap shot knocks Balor silly and the headbutt gives McDonagh the pin at 10:55.

Rating: C+. There was a lot going on in this match and it dragged things down a bit. The idea is that Balor was fighting against a numbers advantage, but it only has so much of an impact when it keeps going this long. Balor is going to need some help dealing with them, though I’m not sure why the feud needs to keep going.

Seth Rollins is going to be ready for Backlash, where he will finish the job.

Video on Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu from last week, with Fatu bringing back the Tongan Death Grip.

Commentary actually explains the Tongan Death Grip and talk about Haku passing it down to Fatu, though it can only be used in certain circumstances.

We look back at the Street Profits saving Joe Hendry from the Vision last week.

The Vision make fun of Hendry when Paul Heyman comes in. Heyman asks if Rollins is still breathing but Logan Paul cuts them off to threaten Hendry. Heyman says no because if Logan faces Hendry, he’ll be put in jail. Therefore, Austin Theory can do it instead. Logan is still rather on edge about this whole thing.

Penta/Je’Von Evans vs. Ethan Page/Rusev

Rusev pounds Evans into the corner to start and it’s off to Page, who doesn’t have the same success. Evans ducks a kick to the head and brings Penta in to strike away at Page. Everything breaks down and Evans hits a dive to the floor, leaving Page to get hit with the Penta Driver as we take an early break.

We come back with Penta knocking Rusev off the apron but he pulls Evans off the apron to break up the tag attempt. Penta blocks the Twisted Grin attempt and hands it back to Evans to pick up the pace. A dive hits Rusev and a springboard clothesline gets two on Page. Evans misses a heck of a moonsault but scores with a kick to the back of the head.

Penta comes back in as everything breaks down, with Penta hitting a suicide dive on Rusev. The big dive through the table is cut off and Penta gets tripped down on the apron. A Rock Bottom onto the table plants Penta and Page hits a release fisherman’s suplex for the pin at 10:41.

Rating: B-. That should set Page up for a title shot down the line and that is a good thing to see. Page has done rather well on the main roster thus far and it’s nice to see Rusev and Evans getting a chance to do something as well. This was a rather nice midcard match and it should set something up for later on, with the gold on the line.

Here is Adam Pearce in the ring for a chat. He talks about how much fun it was to work with a can’t miss prospect in NXT. That’s what he is getting to do again and we see a video on Sol Ruca. This brings out Ruca and she’s looking a bit nervous. Pearce presents her with a contract and she knows it is going to feel good to sign. Cue Becky Lynch to interrupt (ok that’s quite the starting point) saying a very reliable source told her this was her spot. Lynch goes into her usual Sports Illustrated rant but Lynch cuts her off, saying not everything is about her.

Ruca says Lynch is everything everyone says she is: a crude, bigheaded b****. Ruca: “It’s not just me saying it!” Lynch is incensed and Ruca signs her contract. Ruca says if Lynch ever interrupts her again, she’ll snatch her soul. Lynch swings and hits Pearce by mistake, which means a Sol Snatcher (after Ruca missteps a bit to start). If they’re putting her with Lynch to start, they pretty clearly think something of her and that’s a great sign for her future. Now just live up to it.

We look at Jacob Fatu smashing the MFT’s on Smackdown.

The Usos are on their way to see Roman Reigns but stop to talk about how this is a family thing. Fatu is swimming in deep water and swinging for the fences, but the Bloodline has been drawn. He’ll figure out what he’s doing at Backlash.

Joe Hendry vs. Austin Theory

Before the match, Hendry sings about Logan Paul, who is talented but a piece of trash. This brings out Paul, who says he can’t be fired because it would be bad business. Hendry is glad Paul is here, because he’s up to the part of the song with the apology. It’s not much of an apology, but Theory charges in to start fast.

Hendry knocks him outside but gets distracted by Paul so Theory can hammer away. A whip into the corner sets up a suplex to drop Hendry, who is back with a bigger suplex. The fall away slam sends Theory outside and Hendry strikes his pose…and Paul runs in for the DQ at 3:17.

Rating: C. This didn’t have time to go anywhere but Hendry was making a nice comeback when it ended. The numbers game is getting to Theory and he has the Street Profits, though I’m curious where that leaves Hendry. Paul could be fighting Hendry on his own and the Profits as a team, but that’s kind of a weird way to go. It’s working well enough for now though and this wasn’t bad despite being short.

Post match the beatdown is on with the Street Profits running in for the save. Bron Breakker is in to take the Profits out but Seth Rollins is here to break up the Super Spear. Montez Ford hits the big dive but the distraction lets Breakker Super Spear Rollins instead.

The Judgment Day is ready to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria come in to say they want a shot instead but Liv Morgan makes fun of them.

Here is Oba Femi for his open challenge.

Oba Femi vs. Otis

Akira Tozawa teases taking the challenge but it’s Otis instead. Otis and Femi trade running shoulders until Femi elbows the heck out of him. A toss sends Otis flying and the Fall From Grace finishes for Femi at 1:49. The toss and powerbomb both looked good and this was effective.

Seth Rollins isn’t happy with getting speared again but the Street Profits aren’t sure why they should trust him. Rollins says they’re fighting the same fight but they’ll stay out of each others’ way. Joe Hendry doesn’t look pleased either.

We get a sitdown interview between Asuka and Iyo Sky before their match at Backlash. Sky says she has avoiding this fight for years because Asuka is her mentor. Despite everything Asuka has done, Sky still respects her and never wanted it to come to this. Asuka has changed though and the old Asuka is gone. Asuka calls this disrespect and that she doesn’t know this disrespectful Sky. That is Asuka’s biggest disappointment and she is done with Sky, who will be cut out of her life at Backlash. Sky says she is ready for Asuka, who mists Sky to blind her.

We look at the Creed Brothers attacking El Grande Americano last weekend on AAA.

The Original El Grande Americano and Los Hermanos Americanos (Bruno/Julio Creedo) don’t like how Original was treated in Mexico. They’re friends with Chad Gable, who is still certainly sidelined with an injury.

El Grande Americano/Los Americanos vs. Original El Grande Americano/Los Hermanos Americanos

Julio suplexes Rayo to start and it’s off to the Original for two off a hiptoss. Americano comes in for a lockup and sends Original outside for a baseball slide. We take a break and come back with everything breaking down and Original cleaning house. A double German suplex drops Los Americanos but Grande is back in with the headbutts. Bravo’s top rope splash only gets two and the Original hits Rolling Chaos Theory. A top rope headbutt connects for the pin on Bravo at 8:24.

Rating: C+. The action was fine, but there is a reason that this feud has shifted over to AAA for the most part. Down there, this feels a lot more important and it’s a main event feud. Up here, this felt like a comedy match you would see at an early 90s Survivor Series. It’s a nice six man tag, but the two teams being in masks didn’t make this more interesting, as it just made it feel sillier.

John Cena will be at Backlash for some big announcement.

Backlash rundown.

Here are Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu to join Adam Pearce for a contract signing. Instead they just sit there and stare at each other for a bit until Reigns hits his catchphrase. That gets him a rather strong OTC chant, which Reigns says is the sound of love and respect. That respect was earned over the last twelve years and Reigns was the one holding the door open for Solo Sikoa. Fatu got in because of Reigns and he isn’t standing for this lack of respect.

Now Fatu is bringing out the Tonga Death Grip? That’s the kind of thing you bring out when you’re surrounded by eight people at a bar at 3am. You don’t do that to your TRIBAL CHIEF! Fatu says that is where Reigns has it all wrong, because yes he is desperate and he has no choice but to take Reigns’ title. He’s going to put a chokehold on the business and squeeze out every cent, just like this company has been doing to their family for decades.

Fatu brings up his household, which has Reigns cutting him off and signing. While Fatu talks about having seven kids, Reigns has spent twelve years looking after the 170 kids in their family and taking care of several generations. They’re the same blood but in this ring, Fatu is beneath him. Fatu jumps at him and tries the Tongan Death Grip but gets knocked away (with Graves being there for the save by saying Fatu didn’t have it all the way on).

The belt shot misses and Reigns hammers away in the corner but the Superman Punch is countered into the Tongan Death Grip. Reigns’ eyes but out and he grabs Pearce until Fatu chokeslams Reigns onto the table. Reigns is gasping for breath as Fatu signs and the fans chant for Fatu to end the show. They’re making Fatu feel like a threat and while I don’t think he’ll win the title, this is making the possibility seem stronger.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a show about getting us more ready for Backlash and that went well enough. Backlash has two big Raw matches and those both enough of a build this week. Other than that, Asuka vs. Sky is already set and should be fine, which pretty much covers the red side of Backlash. The wrestling here was ok enough, but it was more about the final push and I liked the main event segment fairly well. It’s not a great show, but it did what it was asked.

Results
JD McDonagh b. Finn Balor – Headbutt
Ethan Page/Rusev b. Penta/Je’Von Evans – Release fisherman’s suplex to Penta
Joe Hendry b. Austin Theory via DQ when Logan Paul interfered
Oba Femi b. Otis – Fall From Grace
Original El Grande Americano/Los Hermanos Americanos b. El Grande Americano/Los Americanos – Swan Dive to Rayo

 

 

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