Monday Night Raw
Date: June 9, 2025
Location: PHX Arena, Phoenix, Arena
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We’re done with Money In The Bank and Seth Rollins and Naomi have the briefcases. That means we could be having some cash-ins teased soon, with Gunther challenging Jey Uso for the World Title tonight being a legitimate possibility. We’re also ready to start up on the King and Queen Of The Ring qualifying matches so let’s get to it.

Here is Money In The Bank if you need a recap.

Various people came to work today, including Becky Lynch in a Ms. Rachel shirt (if you have young kids, that probably either makes you smile or glare).

We get a long Worlds Collide and Money In The Bank recap.

Here is John Cena, who insists on his special entrance. Cena says that the fans teach him something every time they open their mouths. At Money In The Bank, Cena learned that the truth is a lie. The fans wanted a sideshow comedian whose greatest achievement is pretending to be him. These people are all spineless keyboard warriors and armchair activists with no real power to change anything.

R-Truth is a gimmick that the fans will spit out in a year and not care about at all. This is his farewell tour and he has limited time left. We run down the number of dates he has left, which leaves him at 19. If you want to accomplish something, send him competition instead of the class clown. Every time someone has come to him, he has shut their mouth and beaten his best….and here is CM Punk to interrupt.

Punk asks if Cena is comfortable because he has a lot to say. He’s comfortable with having this conversation with his fists but one way or another, he’ll get through this. Punk thinks it’s ironic that Cena wants to ruin wrestling and Punk is the one defending the establishment. That’s not what he’s doing, because he isn’t standing for TKO or defending the billionaires. Instead, he’s here to defend the people. Is Cena mad because he was picked by the establishment but not the people?

Cena has said that he hasn’t had real competition, but he’s stolen the title from the best WWE has. Punk is here because the people are his boss and if they want the truth, they’re going to get Ron Killings. They are all just spokes on the wheel and it’s time Cena learned that too. That starts by Punk taking the title from Cena’s shoulders. Remember when they locked up at Elimination Chamber?

Punk felt it then, just like when Seth Rollins gave him a Stomp. Cena said I’M SORRY because he knows what he’s doing is wrong. That title is corrupting him and even though Punk didn’t want to get it when he came here. Now though, Punk is going to have to become the monster to stop the monster. Punk counts 18 dates left after tonight and he’ll let Cena pick the date he takes the title from him.

If Cena is more Boston Red Sox than New York Yankees, he’ll do it tonight. Cena says Punk is on but not here, because Punk is going to have to follow him to Saudi Arabia at Night Of Champions (Punk has been VERY vocal about not wanting to do those shows). Punk seems in but here are Seth Rollins and company to hold up the briefcase.

There was a lot going on here but anything involving Cena and Punk together is a great way to go. At the same time, Punk feels like someone who could take the title from Cena given their history together. I do like the idea of tying it in with Punk’s known issues about Saudi Arabia, so the whole thing has a few different angles at the same time.

AJ Styles vs. Chad Gable

The Creeds are here with Gable. Feeling out process to start until Styles hits the drop down into the dropkick to send Gable outside. Gable is ready for a dive though and takes out the legs as we take a break. Back with Styles getting in a shot of his own but a nasty German suplex puts him back down. The top rope headbutt gives Gable two but Styles catches him on the top. That’s fine with Gable who gets the ankle lock, which is reversed into a quick Styles Clash for the pin at 7:57.

Rating: C+. It’s good to see Styles getting a win and for once, there is something reassuring about what is next for Gable. It made for a nice opener, even though they didn’t have much time to set things up. Styles could be getting ready to go after the Intercontinental Title and that means he needs some wins like this one.

Roxanne Perez comes up to Liv Morgan in the back to pitch an alliance to help win the Women’s Title for Judgment Day. Morgan isn’t interested and blows her off.

Queen Of The Ring First Round: Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Kairi Sane

Ripley picks up Morgan to start but gets knocked down, with Sand taking down Morgan and Perez at the same time. Ripley gets back up for the staredown but Morgan breaks it up. Perez saves Morgan, who gets kicked in the head by Ripley. The Riptide is broken up by Perez and Ripley is sent out to the floor.

Sane gets tossed onto her for the big crash and we take a break. Back with Morgan hitting a Codebreaker on Ripley and taking Sane up top. Ripley powerbombs the villains down but walks into a top rope forearm from Sane. Back up and Sane hits a quick sitout Stunner for two on Ripley with Morgan and Perez making the save.

Sane is kicked to the floor but Ripley pulls herself up and goes after Perez and Morgan. Ripley headbutts sane and blocks Morgan’s Oblivion. Riptide connects but Raquel Rodriguez breaks up the pin. Sane dives onto both of them and then drops the Insane Elbow on Morgan…but Perez steals the pin at 12:48.

Rating: B. As much as I never need to see that “steal the pin” ending again, this was a heck of a match with quite a bit of action throughout. Perez going forward is a smart way to advance both her status on the main roster and the issues with Judgment Day. At the same time, Ripley needs something fresh, as she is starting to feel pretty ice cold. As hard as that might be to fathom, that needs to change.

Video on Worlds Collide.

Video on Nikki Bella.

Bella introduces herself to various women backstage and exchanges terms of respect with Kairi Sane.

Here is Becky Lynch for a chat. She isn’t sure where her YOU DESERVE IT chants are and lists off her various accomplishments. Lynch has raised the status of the Intercontinental Title just by winning it. On Saturday, Lyra Valkyria injured Lynch’s shoulder and Lynch, just trying to finish their issues, asked Valkyria to put the title on her waist. Then that crazy bird lady tried to kill her!

Lynch wants Valkyria out here to raise her hand properly so here is Valkyria, who Lynch says has that crazy look in her eyes again. Cue the returning Bayley from behind to jump her, sending Lynch bailing. That’s a good way to go as Bayley is a fresh opponent for Lynch, which Valkyria was cheated out of the title.

Commentary argues about what they just saw but R-Truth climbs onto the announcers’ table. Killings says don’t let anyone ever tell you that you don’t matter. They heard and they understood so he is back because of these people. He’s back and while the people love R-Truth, he can be funny all the time. Or too forgiving all the time, but not him.

He’s not a side show or a gimmick…and he takes some scissors out to cut his hair off. The truth has set him free and he is Ron The Truth Killings, so put some respect on his name. And with that he walks out through the crowd. I have no idea what is next for him, but it better be something special after a pretty awesome promo that showed a VERY different side of Killings.

Finn Balor isn’t sure why Dominik Mysterio is getting a match in the King Of The Ring. Mysterio makes sure Balor is cool with it, with JD McDonagh saying he and Balor are going to win the Tag Team Titles. Roxanne Perez comes in to celebrate her own win but Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez come in to not be pleased with her. Balor approves. As the clubhouse continues to turn.

Video on Mr. Iguana from AAA.

Seth Rollins give Bron Breakker a pep talk before his match.

King Of The Ring First Round: Dominik Mysterio vs. Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker vs. Penta

Non-title. Penta and Mysterio go to the floor to start, leaving Zayn to hammer on Breakker in the corner. Breakker is right back up with a running clothesline to Mysterio and we take a break. Back with Breakker suplexing Penta so all three others go after Breakker at the same time. Mysterio’s rollup gets two on Penta but Zayn is back up for the corner climbing tornado DDT.

Zayn dives onto Breakker on the floor so Penta dives onto Zayn, setting up Mysterio’s suicide DDT. Breakker hits his clothesline off the apron to crush Mysterio and we take another break. Back again with Breakker running the corner for a super Frankensteiner and then catching Penta with a jumping knee.

Breakker’s gorilla press is countered into a DDT for two and Mysterio is back in. Zayn gets caught with Two Amigos but reverses the third into a Blue Thunder Bomb for his own near fall. Back up and Penta Sacrifices Zayn’s arm and hits the Penta Driver, with Mysterio stealing the two. Breakker is back up and takes the straps down, allowing him to run around the ring to spear Penta. Cue LA Knight of all people with a BFT to Breakker, leaving Zayn to exploder Mysterio into the corner. The Helluva Kick gives Zayn the pin on Mysterio at 17:06.

Rating: B-. This got a lot of time and while it felt really similar to the four way for the Intercontinental Title at Wrestlemania (which only had Finn Balor in Zayn’s place), Zayn winning was a surprise. The match felt like it was designed for Breakker to win as he is known to smash through almost anyone. Zayn winning the whole thing is certainly an option and that is quite the interesting option.

AJ Styles isn’t happy with Seth Rollins sending Paul Heyman to threaten him last week. If you threaten Styles, he’ll hit you in the mouth and he’ll go tell Rollins that himself.

New Day is not happy with being asked who is next for their Tag Team Titles. Instead you should be thanking God for them being champions.

Video on Asuka, who is back next week after about a year away. I’m hoping this wasn’t meant to be a surprise as her name was listed in the graphics earlier in the night.

Here is Nikki Bella to thank us for having her back. She gets to the point, which is Evolution II taking place next month. Bella talks about the various women who will be around for the show and all of the talent we have here (including Stephanie “Vaquay”), which brings out a furious Liv Morgan. She isn’t happy with Bella not mentioning her and goes off about all of her accomplishments.

Morgan knows that Bella is scared of her because Morgan would have beaten her if Bella was still around. Morgan brings up that at least she has a man, unlike Bella. That makes Bella laugh, and she asks who Morgan’s man belongs to. Bella goes to leave but comes back when Morgan calls her a reality Diva. The Oblivion leaves Bella laying. Bella being in the ring again at Evolution seems like a layup, and it wouldn’t stun me to see her sister show up to try and win the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

John Cena vs. CM Punk is set for Night Of Champions.

Raw World Title: Jey Uso vs. Gunther

Gunther is challenging. Uso starts fast and tries some early sleepers, with Gunther bailing to the floor as we take an early break. Back with Uso hitting a high crossbody but coming up favoring his ribs, which gives Gunther a target. Gunther rips Uso’s shirt off and goes after the bad ribs with some knees to the back. A suplex drops Uso again and it’s time to rip the tape off as well. They go to the floor with a German suplex dropping Uso again and we take another break.

Back again with Uso winning a battle over a suplex and striking away. The enziguri rocks Gunther again and they go to the apron, with Uso knocking Gunther out to the floor. Gunther pulls him down again though and tries the top rope splash, which hits raised knees. Back in and the spear sets up the Superfly Splash for two on Gunther, leaving them both down.

The powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana and Uso hits a superkick. Uso gets the sleeper but gets caught with a backbreaker. Gunther’s powerbomb gets two and he hits his own spear for two. Uso can’t get the sleeper but he can hit a spear. The Superfly Splash misses and Gunther grabs a choke, even pulling it back to the middle.

Uso fights up but gets pulled back down, with Gunther letting go for some reason. Back up and Uso grabs his own sleeper, which is countered into the elbows to the head. Gunther elbows him in the head and gets the sleeper again to finally finish Uso and win the title at 22:01.

Rating: B-. They were really starting to get me here, but then the sleepers just kept going and took a lot of the energy out of the thing. That being said, I was rather stunned by the ending, as it felt like a situation where something big was going to happen to end the match. Instead, Gunther just won clean in a major moment. I’m not sure where this is leading, but there are certainly options available. Just try to find something other than the sleeper whenever we get there.

Gunther celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: A-. Sweet goodness what a show. You had some very good action, some great talking and a major title change to wrap it up. This was one of the times where the show felt red hot again and has me wondering what is going to happen next. That isn’t a feeling that happens very often and dang did it work here. Awesome show, both for tonight and for the future.

Results
AJ Styles b. Chad Gable – Styles Clash
Roxanne Perez b. Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan and Kairi Sane – Rollup to Sane
Sami Zayn b. Dominik Mysterio, Penta and Bron Breakker – Helluva Kick to Mysterio
Gunther b. Jey Uso – Sleeper

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

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

Money In The Bank 2025
Date: June 7, 2025
Location: Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Corey Graves

It’s time for one of the biggest shows of the year as we find out who gets to be annoying with the briefcases for the next few hours to several months. The good thing is that WWE has done a nice job of making the titles feel that much more important and like the most important things in the promotion. Hopefully they can keep up that momentum so let’s get to it.

The opening video focuses on how important money is for everyone and how it makes the world go around. This shifts into a look at the various matches, as tends to be the case, though at least it is kept brief.

Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

We have Stephanie Vaquer, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Naomi. Bliss, Ripley and Naomi clear out the other three to start, leaving Naomi to baseball slide a ladder into Vaquer. With Naomi outside, we get a staredown between Ripley and Bliss but Giulia and Perez break it up. Vaquer comes back in with a ladder of her own and takes care of them, only to get X Factored onto a ladder.

Bliss puts Naomi and Perez onto a ladder for a running flipping backsplash but Giulia sends Bliss into a ladder in the corner. Ripley comes in for the staredown with Giulia and hits a hard dropkick to send her into the corner. Perez is back in with a hurricanrana to send Ripley into a ladder laying against the ropes for the big crash. Perez and Giulia go up the ladder at the same time but have to stop to crush Ripley in a ladder (which doesn’t exactly go well).

Ripley is buried under a bunch of ladders on the floor, leaving Naomi to go for the ladder. Vaquer breaks that up and cleans house, including a dragon screw legwhip out of the corner to Naomi. That lets Vaquer go up, but Giulia jumps on her back for the climb. A German suplex brings Vaquer down but Bliss makes the save and climbs as well. Perez, Giulia and Vaquer go up too so Bliss drops down and cuts Vaquer off.

The other two are brought down and the ladder is knocked down, leaving Perez to send Giulia into the ladder a few times. Ripley gets out from the pile of ladders though and starts wrecking Giulia, much to the fans’ appreciation. A toss Razor’s Edge sends Giulia into Naomi and takes Vaquer down in a crash as well. Ripley bridges a ladder in the corner but gets caught with the Devil’s Kiss to a heck of a reaction.

Bliss and Perez both go up so Naomi follows, with another ladder being bridged in. Perez and Bliss hit stereo Code Reds to take out Naomi and Vaquer in an awesome looking visual. Giulia and Perez go up to slug it out but Bliss and Ripley make some saves. Bliss and Ripley plant the two of them and go up but Naomi shoves the ladder over, sending them into another ladder. Naomi gets the briefcase at 25:12.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this one of the most part, partially because it just went on so long. It didn’t help that there was almost nothing that made it stand out, with only the Devil’s Kiss to Ripley feeling different. This wasn’t so much bad (it wasn’t) as much as it was dull, with the women just kind of doing stuff until Naomi won. That’s not overly interesting and that’s not making for a good car crash match.

Some stars from AAA are here.

Earlier today at Worlds Collide, Dominik Mysterio taunted Octagon Jr. for being a big Rey Mysterio fan. The brawl was on, setting up an Intercontinental Title match tonight.

Intercontinental Title: Octagon Jr. vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio, with Liv Morgan, is defending. Octagon jumps over him to start and sends Mysterio to the floor for an Asai moonsault. Back in and Mysterio crotches him on top and ties part of the mask to the ropes. Mysterio stomps away and hits a driver, only to miss the 619. Octagon kicks him in the head and hits a corkscrew hilo for two, followed by a fisherman’s neckbreaker. Morgan offers a distraction though and now the 619 connects. The frog splash finishes for Mysterio at 4:54.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of match that the show was needing, as a four match card was feeling rather weak. This was a nice way to tie things up with Worlds Collide and even gave Mysterio a quick win. Nothing noteworthy here, but nice job of at least fleshing out the card a bit, which was needed.

Chad Gable shows American Made the OFFICIAL Fireball ladder (because yes, we have sponsored ladders to go with the sponsored tables from this week’s Smackdown).

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Becky Lynch vs. Lyra Valkyria

Valkyria is defending after beating Lynch last month. This is Lynch’s last shot at the title, but if she wins, Valkyria has to raise her hand. Valkyria jumps her to start the brawl fast and sends Lynch outside…but has to have the referee fix her top (which has been an issue for her before). Lynch takes over on the floor and sends Valkyria into the barricade. Back in and the Manhandle Slam is countered so Lynch settles for two off a reverse layout DDT.

Valkyria is sent into the buckles a few times but comes back with the forearms, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two. One heck of a DDT gives Lynch two of her own but Valkyria catches her on top with a superplex. A fisherman’s buster gives Valkyria two and she nails Lynch in the head with a spinning kick. Lynch mixes it up with a cross armbreaker but Valkyria escapes and pulls on the leg while standing on Lynch’s head (ouch).

They go outside, where an ax kick from the barricade hits Lynch on the floor. Back in and Valkyria dives into a powerbomb to put them down for a needed double breather. They go up top again and a super Manhandle Slam gives Lynch two, resulting in the shocked kickout face. Another Manhandle Slam to the floor knocks Valkyria silly but she manages a Nightwing from the apron to the floor to drop Lynch as well. They both roll in to beat the count so Valkyria grabs the same rollup she used to win last month for two. That’s reversed into a rollup from Lynch, who grabs the trunks for the pin at 15:17.

Rating: B. These two work very well together and that was the case again here. They had to give Lynch the win here though, as there was no way you could have her lose twice in a row, especially so soon after her return. This is also the kind of star power that the title needs and comes after Valkyria beat Lynch clean. Good stuff here, and I’m curious to see where Valkyria goes next.

Post match Lynch, eventually, gets her hand raised and of course is rather gloaty. That’s not good enough for Lynch though, as she insists that Valkyria put the belt on her. Valkyria suplexes her into Nightwing and it looks like a rubber match is coming.

The announcers play with action figures. Lucky.

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

We’ve got LA Knight, Andrade, El Grade Americano, Penta, Seth Rollins and Solo Sikoa. Cole goes on a rant about Americano being Chad Gable because they both have taped up elbows, with McAfee not having it with this nonsense. Rollins, who has been the focal point of the build to the match, is surrounded to start and the beating is on rather quickly. Andrade, Knight and Penta knock Rollins to the floor, leaving Sikoa to stare at all three of them instead.

Sikoa tries to put something together with them and is promptly destroyed. Rollins is back in to hammer on Penta and Andrade hits a big running flip dive onto a pile. Penta hits a dive of his own and Americano grabs a ladder. Americano and Penta head back inside, with Rollins using a ladder to the ribs to knock Penta to the floor. Sikoa is back in to slam Americano onto a ladder but Knight hammers Sikoa into the corner.

Knight elbows him onto the ladder and goes up, only to get in a slugout with Penta. A bigger ladder is set up with Rollins and Americano going up, followed by Sikoa and Andrade going up their own ladder. The six way brawl is on until everyone goes down, giving us a Sikoa vs. Rollins staredown. Rollins gets the better of the fight and hits him in the ribs with the ladder.

The Stomp plants Sikoa again and Rollins is alone in the ring with a ladder….so he goes to get another ladder. Rollins goes up gets cut off by Americano, who grabs an ankle lock to leave Rollins hanging upside down. Andrade is up with a sunset bomb to plant Americano and Penta suplexes Rollins onto a ladder in the corner. Andrade and Penta go up the big ladder before Andrade hits him in the back with another ladder.

The ladder is bridged into the standing one and Penta hits a Canadian Destroyer to plant Andrade onto the bridge. Sikoa is back in and is promptly pulled back out by Knight, who bridges a ladder onto the barricade. Back in and Penta powerbombs Knight but Americano is back up with the “Gable like” German suplexes. Americano busts out the Fireball ladder for the helicopter spot but gets taken down again.

Penta knocks Rollins off a ladder but Knight sends Americano into a ladder at ringside, allowing him to ride a ladder from the corner onto the ladder in the middle to headbutt Penta down. That was a cross between “OH COME ON” and “DANG THAT WAS AWESOME” so we’ll let it slide. Knight belly to back suplexes Americano down and Rollins goes up but Penta and Andrade make the save (Michael Cole is on his feet over this stuff).

Andrade and Penta slug it out on top but here are Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, with Breakker spearing the heck out of Americano. Another spear hits Knight and Paul Heyman gives him the last rites. Reed Tsunamis Andrade and goes after Sikoa but here are JC Mateo and Jacob Fatu to even (I think?) things up a bit.

The brawl is on and Breakker spears Mateo through the barricade, leaving Fatu to hit a pop up Samoan drop on Reed, followed by a heck of a suicide dive to send him into the announcers’ table. Fatu sets up the ladder and Sikoa….wants another one, but does stop to hug Fatu in a nice moment. Sikoa makes the slow climb with Fatu standing guard and….yeah there’s the look up at Sikoa, with Fatu grabbing his leg.

Sikoa looks down to see who has his leg and he knows this isn’t good. Fatu shouts that he hates Sikoa and pulls him down for a superkick. The triple jump moonsault connects as well and a release Rock Bottom sends him through the bridged ladder at ringside. Rollins grabs another FIREBALL ladder and goes up but Knight comes back to life to cut him off. Rollins pulls him back down though and goes up to win at 33:48.

Rating: B. Now this was more like it, as not only did it not feel long, but it also had quite a few moments that stood out. Rollins being the big threat was the story of the match and while it didn’t quite feel like anyone was going to be a big threat (Knight and Sikoa came closest), the idea of everyone trying to stop him worked. This felt like what Money In The Bank is supposed to be these days and the more than half an hour time span flew by.

Wrestlemania XLII is officially (for the second time) in Las Vegas again. Because of course it is.

Nikki Bella is back on Raw. Ok then.

Cody Rhodes/Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul/John Cena

Cena stole the title from Rhodes and is teaming with Paul, who he thinks is the future of WWE. Uso doesn’t like Paul either and Rhodes saved him at Saturday Night’s Main Event, setting up the tag match. After the Big Match Intros, Rhodes chases Cena around and gets Paul instead. It’s already back to Cena, who gets caught in a headlock.

That’s broken up so Rhodes runs him over with a shoulder, followed by a delayed gordbuster. Uso comes in and hits a pop up neckbreaker for two on Paul. A shot to the face cuts Uso down though and it’s off to Cena to whip him hard into the corner. Cena distracts the referee so Paul can get in a cheap shot on the apron in a simple yet effective trope.

Back up and Uso reverses Cena into the corner for the Bret Hart bump but Paul isn’t about to let Rhodes come back in. Cena’s running shoulder drops Uso and Cena even curtsy’s a bit to really ham it up. Uso fights to his feet but gets driven hard into the corner to leave both of them down again. Paul cuts off the tag again though and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up so Cena cuts the tag attempt off again, which draws Rhodes in, allowing the double teaming in the corner.

Cena grabs the chinlock as this beating continues. Back up and Cena teases knocking Rhodes off the apron but gets hit in the face this time, allowing Uso to score with an enziguri. Paul and Cena get into an argument of their own though and that’s enough for the tag to Rhodes (with the villains’ stunned faces being a great visual as they knew they screwed up).

House is quickly cleaned with a Cody Cutter to Cena and a big dive to Paul. Back in and a quick AA gives Cena two, with Uso making the save. The Buckshot Lariat doesn’t work as Paul slips and Uso superkicks him down. Cross Rhodes hits Cena so Paul springboards in for the save, which hits Cena by mistake. Uso spears Paul and everyone is down. Cena and Uso are up to slug it out but Paul is back up to deck Uso.

The Paulverizer plants Rhodes so Paul goes up and grabs a drone (whose perspective we’re seeing), which takes too long so Rhodes superplexes him down (with Paul still holding the drone), setting up Uso’s Superfly Splash (with the shot still from the drone so we just see Uso crashing down). That was AWESOME and the kind of thing that makes this WWE feel so much more modernized with some outside the box thinking after decades of the same style. Anyway, Cena hits an AA each, with the one to Rhodes getting two.

Cena goes outside and loads up the announcers’ table but Rhodes slips out, leaving Uso to catch Cena with a spear. Not to be out done, Paul Asai moonsaults Uso through the announcers’ table and everyone is down again. The referee is distracted and Cena gets in a belt shot. Cue someone in a black hoodie to spear Cena down and hammer away…..AND IT’S R-TRUTH to quite the reaction. Cena gets dropped with a belt shot and R-Truth leaves (looking WAY more serious than usual). Cross Rhodes gives Rhodes the pin at 24:00.

Rating: B+. Oh sweet goodness there is a lot to cover here. First and foremost, I have no idea if R-Truth actually left and he was brought back after the backlash or if it was a huge work, but WOW that was a great reveal. At the same time, it didn’t last long but I really did love that drone shot deal. It was clever and unique and I can always go for something like that.

As for the rest of the match, it was kind of a match in two parts. The first half had me losing my mind out of boredom, as that heat segment on Uso probably could have had a good five minutes cut out. That being said, the tag off to Rhodes was the turning point, as it was all full gear from then on, making for a heck of a finish. They went from a dull match to something close to outstanding, with the R-Truth deal at the end making it even better. Trim down a few minutes and this is a classic, but as it is, it’s just very good.

Cena and Paul look crushed to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that took its time to get going but once you get on to the Valkyria vs. Lynch match, the whole thing is a heck of a ride. Even the first two matches are far from bad, making this a pretty awesome show. I was more than impressed with the last three matches and the show was this close to being a great one. Rather nice show here and a lot better than I was expecting.

Results
Naomi won the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match
Dominik Mysterio b. Octagon Jr. – Frog splash
Becky Lynch b. Lyra Valkyria – Rollup with trunks
Seth Rollins won the Men’s Money In The Bank ladder match
Cody Rhodes/Jey Uso b. John Cena/Logan Paul – Cross Rhodes to Cena

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

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

It’s time for one of the many themed pay per views that give someone else a guaranteed title shot, because there just aren’t enough of those going around in WWE. This time around we do have a bit of a twist as it’s all about climbing a ladder and then getting to pick the time of the ensuing title match. WWE has done a nice job in building those matches up, and that’s a good thing as we only have four matches on the card. Let’s get to it.

Women’s Intercontinental Title: Lyra Valkyria(c) vs. Becky Lynch

This is a rematch from last month, where Valkyria beat Lynch clean in one heck of an upset. In this case, it’s Lynch’s last shot at the title but if she wins, Valkyria has to raise her hands. That makes me think this is even more obvious of a result than they had coming into Backlash, but that was quite the surprising ending. I’m a bit unsure, but that starts to go away a bit more every time I think about it.

In theory, there is no reason for Lynch to lose twice in a row so we’ll go with her winning the title. I like that WWE is trying to push Valkyria as the new thing but she just has not been clicking with the promos. Lynch can instantly boost the title up to the next level and that’s what it needs. Granted that’s what I said almost verbatim last month and it didn’t happen, so I have to be right at least once….right?

Women’s Money In The Bank

So as usual, these things are all about the process of elimination. In this case, that’s a bit difficult to do as there are multiple possible winners. I’ll write off Roxanne Perez, as I just can’t imagine her winning as it doesn’t quite fit at the moment. Alexa Bliss is almost getting pushed too much at the moment to win and Stephanie Vaquer seems like she is going to get a title shot without the briefcase sooner or later. Giulia is hunting the Women’s US Title so odds are she’s not winning either. That leaves us with two, and I’m not sure where it’s going.

As much as I’d like to see Rhea Ripley win and cash in for a title match against Iyo Sky, I’ll go with Naomi, as she’s the kind of weaselly heel who could do some good things with the briefcase. At the same time, she’s been losing a lot recently, which for some reason is something that happens with some of the briefcase winners. It might not be the most exciting at the moment, but it has me curious about how it could go and I’ll take that enough.

Men’s Money In The Bank

Normally I would do the same elimination process here, but this match has been built up in a very different way. This match is ALL about Seth Rollins vs. the field, as WWE has made it clear that he’s the main focus of the whole thing. It’s almost a stretch to imagine anyone else winning at this point, but that’s if you leave out everyone who isn’t involved in the match. CM Punk and possibly Roman Reigns are almost guaranteed to be lurking and that makes things interesting.

Honestly at this point though, I’m going with Rollins for lack of anyone else. Who else is a viable option to win the thing? Maybe Solo Sioka? LA Knight is a tiny option I guess, but it’s not going to be Andrade, Penta or El Grande Americano (at least I don’t think on the last one, but maybe a bit of a chance). I’ll go with Rollins, but this is going to be the big wild match that has a bunch of interference, which should be a lot of fun.

Cody Rhodes/Jey Uso vs. John Cena/Logan Paul

I’m not sure if this is going to go on last, but this is the main event for all intent and purpose. Rhodes is back to get his hands on Cena again after what happened at Wrestlemania and there is a very realistic possibility that we’ll be seeing those two go at it again on a big stage. The same is likely true of Paul and Uso, which could make for something interesting.

In this case, I’ll go with…..I think I’ll take the villains here, with Paul beating Uso to set up the title rematch. I’m not sure where that goes as Uso already has Gunther on Monday and very well could have a briefcase to deal with as well. This could go any way and Rhodes beating Cena is an option, but I’m thinking they’ll wait a bit longer before we get to that big showdown (which almost has to happen).

Overall Thoughts

This is a great illustration of how WWE is setting up the World Titles as the most important things in the company. The focus on this show is all about the titles and we have heard about how important they are for the last few weeks in particular. That has me wanting to see what happens with them and the show itself should be quite the spectacle. Just don’t do anything stupid.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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: June 2, 2025
Location: BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

It’s the last Raw before Money In The Bank and there are still some spots left to fill in the show’s namesake matches. At least one of those spots is going to be filled in this week and that should make for some interesting changes to Saturday. There are other things to cover before we get there though so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of Seth Rollins qualifying for Money In The Bank last week, with some shenanigans setting up this week’s tag match.

We run down tonight’s card.

Michael Cole has lost a bet to Pat McAfee over the NBA Playoffs so Cole will be doing this show in a tank top. It happens to be a Pacers tank top (as in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s opponent) so Cole is not exactly popular this week.

Here is CM Punk to get things going. After making some NBA Finals references (and saying that if they’re on, you should be watching Raw or Smackdown instead), Punk moves on to Money In The Bank, which he has won twice. He’s looking forward to doing it for the third time because it’s time for him to get some gold. There are two names on top of that mountain, with one of them being Jey Uso.

Punk considers him a friend and if Punk comes after Uso, it’s just business. The other name on top is John Cena and it’s a bit personal there. Punk has always had Cena’s number and he might come pick the bones a bit. It’s time for Punk to become champion one more time, so he’ll see us at Money In The Bank after he qualifies tonight. Cue Sami Zayn, with Punk saying he usually hates being interrupted but he loves that song.

Punk has said that he wants to be World Champion but that’s what Zayn wants too. It just won’t be through Money In The Bank, though it still could be for Punk. Tonight, Punk has to win because he needs to be there to stop Seth Rollins from winning. If Rollins wins, everything is over for them around here. However, if Punk winds up winning the title, Zayn will be coming for it, which Punk likes too. Everything seems to be serious but ok. Punk getting back into the title picture is interesting, as it almost has to happen sooner or later. That being said, Zayn finally winning the big one could be an incredible moment.

We look back at Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez arguing last week, resulting in Kairi Sane pinning Liv Morgan.

Perez offers Morgan help tonight but Morgan says the best way to help is to stay out. Rodriguez yells at Perez as Morgan leaves. Morgan runs into Iyo Sky and promises to use Money In The Bank to take the title back. Sky says that’s not gonna happen. Morgan: “Watch me.”

Video on Stephanie Vaquer, who is officially on Raw.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer, Ivy Nile

Vaquer starts fast and sends Nile into the corner, setting up the Devil’s Kiss to Morgan for a nice reaction. Nile gets the same treatment but Morgan breaks it up with a dropkick. Morgan hits some running shots in the corner until Nile cuts her off. Nile German suplexes both of them at once and we take a break.

Back with Vaquer dragon screw legwhipping Nile out of the corner for two with Morgan making another save. Vaquer and Morgan slug it out until Vaquer gets her into the corner as well. Nile is back up with a Tower Of Doom and gets to trade near falls with Vaquer. Morgan gets up top for a double Codebreaker and a double near fall, followed by Oblivion to Vaquer. Nile tries and fails to steal the pin and brawls to the floor with Morgan. With Morgan sent into the steps, Vaquer grabs the SVB (double underhook backbreaker) for the win at 10:17.

Rating: B-. It’s kind of remarkable to see what Vaquer has become in so little time. She signed with the company less than a year ago, has already won two titles in NXT and feels like she belongs on the main roster. It would not surprise me to see her as champion within the next few months and that is an amazing rise. As for the match, they did well at the end, as I thought they might actually have Nile steal the win, so points for a good head fake.

Paul Heyman comes in to wish AJ Styles a happy birthday and offers him some information. Dominik Mysterio is the Intercontinental Champion and that means the title needs someone better, like Styles. That’s what Styles should focus on while leaving Money In The Bank to Seth Rollins. Styles asks if Heyman is tired because he must have thought this was going to work. He’ll get back to the Intercontinental Title later, but for now, it’s time to win Money In The Bank.

Rusev tells Sheamus to not mess with him. Sheamus has a body of granite but a neck of sand. Now stay away or he’ll snap Sheamus’ neck. Can you snap sand?

Sheamus gives the Alpha Academy and Natalya a pep talk. As for Rusev, his time outside of WWE lasted about as long as Rusev Day while Sheamus has been putting on banger after banger. If Rusev wants to prove himself, just remember that Sheamus bullies bullies.

War Raiders vs. Judgment Day

New Day is on commentary. We get some WE WANT TRUTH chants (and not for the first time tonight) as Erik gets taken into the corner for some choking to start. Erik gets beaten up in another corner but avoids a charge, allowing Ivar to come in and clean house. A handspring kick to the face even sends McDonagh to the floor and into the announcers’ table. Ivar gets slammed onto McDonagh and New Day bails from the threat of a crash.

The threat of a retaliation earns New Day an ejection and we take a break. Back with Ivar still in trouble but giving McDonagh a Tour of the Islands. Erik comes back in to clean house, including the pop up headbutt for two on Balor. Back up and Balor drops Erik but misses the Coup de Grace. Ivar’s seated senton out of the corner sets up the Bronco Buster but cue Roxanne Perez for a distraction. McDonagh breaks up the Doomsault and the Coup de Grace finishes Ivar at 11:07.

Rating: C+. You know how I keep talking about how cold this division feels? Well this was the latest example of the same issues. There is just nothing here that makes me want to see what is coming for any of the teams and these segments are feeling more and more like filler every time. It’s just not clicking and no one in the division feels even remotely important. That needs to change, but I have no idea how that is going to happen.

Becky Lynch has only been back for six weeks and Lyra Valkyria has already cost her a bunch. That’s because she has already forgotten everything Lynch has done for her, both here and in NXT.

Stephanie Vaquer speaks some Spanish but Rhea Ripley comes in (oh the fans REALLY like this one). The cheers are so loud that I can’t hear what Ripley says as she shakes Vaquer’s hand.

Here is Lyra Valkyria for a chat but she wants Becky Lynch out here to say this to her face. Cue Lynch, with Valkyria talking about how Lynch’s mind has been poisoned to believe that Valkyria couldn’t be champion. Lynch, who is backing up against the ropes, talks about how Valkyria is really the one whose mind is poisoned for thinking she can be the replacement.

The only think that Valkyria needs to learn is how to raise Lynch’s hand after Lynch beats her. Lynch goes to leaves so Valkyria challenges her for right now…but it’s not happening in Tulsa. Valkyria charges up the ramp and the brawl is on with referees breaking it up. As usual, Valkyria is trying but it’s not quite clicking.

We look at the Indiana Pacers beating the New York Knicks.

Penta is ready to win Money In The Bank.

Sami Zayn/Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker/Bronson Reed

Zayn has his own classes and you know he can get fired up for this kind of an entrance. Paul Heyman is here with the villains as Breakker drives Uso into the corner for some shoulders to the ribs to start. Breakker runs him over and we take a break. Back with Zayn fighting out of the corner but getting crushed right back into said corner. Breakker’s jumping knee puts Zayn down again but Zayn manages a DDT on Reed.

That’s enough for the tag back to Uso, who slugs away. Breakker’s fireman’s carry gutbuster gets two on Uso but the Super Spear is cut off with a superkick. Reed misses a splash on the apron and Breakker is sent outside, with Zayn’s slingshot dive being pulled out of the air. Uso dives onto all three of them though….and here is Seth Rollins to Stomp Uso for the DQ at 9:02.

Rating: B-. The action was good, but there was pretty much no way one of these four was taking a fall in this match at this point. They have too much going on at the moment and if they’re going to lose, it will be on a much bigger stage. For now though, Reed looked good in his new role as a monster for the heel stable and the whole thing continues to feel like it has a great deal of potential.

Post match the beatdown is on and Zayn is loaded onto the announcers’ table. CM Punk makes the save with a chair.

Liv Morgan isn’t happy with Finn Balor using Roxanne Perez to win but Balor says Morgan might be jealous. Balor insists there is no plan. Morgan trusts Dominik Mysterio but Balor wants her to trust him. With Morgan gone, Balor assures Mysterio that things are good.

Kairi Sane vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Liv Morgan is here with Rodriguez. Sane tries a waistlock to start and gets spun around without much trouble. A headscissors staggers Rodriguez again but she manages to swing a charging Sane into the apron. Morgan gets in a cheap shot and Rodriguez powers Sane into the corner back inside. Sane knocks her back and tries a high crossbody but gets pulled out of the air.

That’s reversed into a DDT (as we get a botched graphic saying that the Zayn/Uso tag match is still to come) and Sane is able to start the comeback. Sane strikes away in the corner and dropkicks the knee out, setting up a basement Blockbuster. Morgan gets on the apron for a distraction so here is Iyo Sky to cut her off. Rodriguez goes after Sane and gets kicked head first into the post. The Insane Elbow gives Sane the pin at 6:04.

Rating: C+. The match was pretty much just a reason for the interference and teasing Morgan vs. Sky. The good thing is that it did give Sane another pin after the unintentionally messed up return. That Insane Elbow is still great and makes Sane feel like she could beat anyone, though right now she’s just having random matches.

Sami Zayn is in the trainer’s room when Karrion Kross comes in. Kross doesn’t like what Zayn has been doing and Zayn asks what Kross wants from him. Kross says Zayn could be a ten time World Champion if he’ll just do the right thing and be evil. The reality is Zayn is just like him, but Zayn says Kross is wrong. Kross: “I may be wrong…..but I may be right too.”

Worlds Collide rundown.

Money In The Bank rundown.

Video on Gunther, who is getting his rematch against Jey Uso next week.

Gunther comes up to Uso in the back and talks about how Uso is trying to be a great champion. The problem is Uso refuses to think with his head instead of his heart, which is the wrong way to go. Next week, Gunther is getting the title back because he has known he would do this since the title loss at Wrestlemania. Next week, the party is over. Uso doesn’t take kindly to this and says he’ll see Gunther.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: AJ Styles vs. CM Punk vs. El Grande Americano

Americano gets double teamed to start and is quickly sent outside. Punk and Styles are cool with each other until Punk grabs a headlock. The drop down dropkick puts Punk down and might have taken out a tooth. Americano gets back in as Punk sends Styles into the corner a few times. Styles’ springboard is broken up and Americano flip dives onto Punk. Americano knocks Zayn over the announcers’ table and we take a break.

Back with Punk hitting the top rope elbow on Styles but Americano throws Punk down. American’s high crossbody is rolled through but Styles breaks up the GTS. Styles hits a double DDT for two each so Americano tries the ankle lock on both of them. That’s broken up and the Styles Clash hits Americano with Punk making the save.

The Styles Clash to Punk is countered into a failed GTS attempt but Americano moonsaults onto both of them for two on Styles. Another moonsault misses and the GTS hits Americano…with Bron Breakker pulling the referee out. Breakker and Bronson Reed beat him down but Jey Uso and Sami Zayn run in for the save. Styles hits a big springboard dive onto the pile but the Phenomenal Forearm hits the loaded headbutt to give American the pin at 11:48.

Rating: B. I wasn’t sure which way they were going here, but they are teasing the heck out of Rollins winning the briefcase again. That is far from guaranteed from happening, but the storm clouds seem to be forming around Raw. Americano is rolling in this spot, and they’re doing the smart thing by not having him out there every week to run out his welcome. On the other hand, Styles needs to get to the Intercontinental Title feud as soon as possible, as he is the most “and he’s here too” name in WWE right now.

Post match Punk goes after Breakker and Reed but Seth Rollins runs in and keeps up the beatdown. The villains wreck the heroes and Reed drops some Tsunamis to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Money In The Bank season is such a weird time for WWE as so much of the shows are built around getting to the ladder matches. Saturday will see all kinds of things reset at once, but it makes for some hyper focused shows and they can be a bit tedious. The good thing here is that the action was enough to carry the show, even if it feels like it was the end of the first part of a season.

Results
Stephanie Vaquer b. Liv Morgan and Ivy Nile – SVB to Nile
Judgment Day b. War Raiders – Coup de Grace to Ivar
Sami Zayn/Jey Uso b. Bronson Reed/Bron Breakker via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered
Kairi Sane b. Raquel Rodriguez – Insane Elbow
El Grande Americano b. CM Punk and AJ Styles – Loaded headbutt to Styles

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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 26, 2025
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Pat McAfee, Michael Cole

We’re done with Saturday Night’s Main Event, which saw the return of Cody Rhodes and a huge tag match likely being set up for Money In The Bank. The show is coming up in less than two weeks and this week is going to be qualifying matches. There are some other matches either already set or likely to be set so let’s get to it.

Here is Saturday Night’s Main Event if you need a recap.

Saturday Night’s Main Event recap.

Here are Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman and Bron Breakker, now with Bronson Reed, to get things going. Heyman brags about this being the future of wrestling, as these are going to be the men who main event Wrestlemania XLV. The fans chant for CM Punk, who isn’t here tonight, thanks to Reed. Heyman praises Reed as a monster who took Punk out on his own at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

That brings Heyman to Rollins, who is everything he names himself as being. Rollins very slowly talks about how this is the vision, and his vision. The fans do not like Rollins and tell him he sold out, but he doesn’t know who he sold out to. Himself? The fans swear at him a lot, though he points out that five minutes ago, they were singing his song.

Sami Zayn and CM Punk cost him the World Heavyweight Championship, but Rollins has a better idea. He is going to qualify for Money In The Bank and take the title whenever he wants. That’s true power, which he has because he is a visionary. I’d assume the team is going to be called The Vision and while I’ve heard worse, you know what name they should be going with in the end.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Penta vs. Dragon Lee vs. Chad Gable

Gable is sent to the floor to start, leaving Lee to send Penta into the corner for a running boot to the face. Some running dropkicks connect in the corner but Gable is back with a t-bone suplex. Penta is back up and takes Gable down, followed by a superkick to an upside down Lee in the corner.

A package piledriver/Gory Bomb combination sends Gable and Lee to the floor (with Gable landing on his head), followed by the big flip dive to the floor. We take a break and come back with Gable taking over on the floor, where El Hijo del Vikingo is not happy in the crowd. Lee hits a SCARY dive to take Penta out on the announcers’ table as Gable goes after Vikingo.

Back in and Lee hits the sitout powerbomb for two on Gable, who German suplexes both of them at once. A moonsault gives Gable two on Penta and he goes up again, but Vikingo breaks it up. Lee hits his super double stomp but Penta gives him a Canadian Destroyer. The Penta Driver finishes Gable at 10:03.

Rating: B-. Penta makes the most sense here, as he has been teasing that Intercontinental level run for a long time now. While he isn’t likely to win the briefcase, he’s someone who can do some kind of a big spot and steal a good chunk of the show. El Grande Americano will likely get involved somehow, and that’s all he needs to be doing, especially with the mask involved.

We go to the Judgment Day clubhouse, where Roxanne Perez gives Dominik Mysterio some chicken tenders and rubs his shoulders. Liv Morgan is back though and does NOT like this. She is off to qualify for Money In The Bank, with Perez looking all innocent. They’re not wasting time with this one and it should be fun.

We get the Memorial Day video, as narrated by Cody Rhodes.

Akira Tozawa vs. Rusev

Tozawa, with Maxxine Dupri, comes right at him to start for no logical reason. Rusev shrugs it off and hits the running superkick, setting up the Accolade for the win at 54 seconds. That’s all it should have been.

Post match Rusev won’t let go but Sheamus comes out for the save. That’s better than having random matches for both of them.

Comedians Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura, promote their shows on Netflix but Bert runs off. Bert calls Tom over to meet the War Raiders and do the WAR chant. Tom isn’t impressed. Neither am I, as Kreischer seems to be as entertaining as a bad infection.

Sami Zayn is upset but Jey Uso comes in and tells him to win Money In The Bank. Handshakes abound.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders vs. New Day vs. Creed Brothers

The brawl is on before the bell with the Raiders clearing the ring, allowing Erik to slam Ivar onto the pile. Back in and Woods saves Kingston from a powerbomb and Erik gets double teamed into the barricade. The villains are in control as we take a break. Back with Woods hitting a top rope double stomp between Erik’s shoulders.

Erik fights up and hits a right hand to Woods, allowing the tag to Ivar. House is quickly cleaned and Ivar wrecks everyone. Ivar stacks Kingston and Brutus up for a splash and everyone but the Raiders are sent outside. Back in and a superplex brings Erik down and Woods adds the Limit Break. Ivar’s top rope splash hits Woods, with Kingston and the Creeds making a save.

Kingston’s Trouble In Paradise misses so the Creeds take Erik down. Ivar’s double handspring elbow drops the Creeds but Brutus is back up with a Brutus Ball to the floor. Ivar sends Kingston into the ring wall and hits a crossbody to crush him again. Back in and Julius hits a step up knee to knock Ivar off the top but Woods rolls him up with tights to retain at 9:49.

Rating: B-. I’m kind of astounded by how ice cold the tag division is at this point and this didn’t help things. It was just a triple threat match with the Raiders getting to look dominant until New Day cheated to win. There’s nowhere for them to go right now as there are no other teams to come after the titles right now, but I guess this is about as featured as the titles are going to get.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez run into Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane. Morgan mocks both of them, so Sane issues the challenge for later.

Here is Jey Uso for a chat. Uso recaps recent issues…and gets cut off by Gunther. He wastes no time in congratulating the Usos for being in WWE for fifteen years and for Uso’s first successful title defense. Gunther did not expect Uso to hold the title this long. Uso’s long term plan seems to be to take care of his friends at a moment’s notice, which is a great thing for a friend but a terrible idea for a champion.

The reality is that Uso might not be smart enough to get what it takes to keep the title. That’s why Gunther is going to relieve him of the champion. Uso says that’s enough because he is tired of everyone saying his days are numbered. In two weeks, Uso is going to fight for the people’s support and keep his title. Good stuff here, but it felt like a rerun of the build to Wrestlemania.

Cody Rhodes has a new podcast with his wife Brandi as the first guest.

Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane

They grapple around to start until Morgan takes her into the corner for some stomping. Sane fights up and headscissors her into the ropes, setting up a heck of a running forearm to the chest. Morgan is back up with a big knockdown on the floor though and we take a break. Back with Sane breaking up the Three Amigos and hitting a top rope fist (basically a Phenomenal Forearm without the springboard).

A rather painful looking leglock goes on but Morgan slips out and hits a middle rope Codebreaker for two as the fans are getting back into this. Morgan grabs a Backstabber for two but Sane rolls her up out of the corner for the same. Sane goes up but here is Dominik Mysterio for a distraction, allowing Roxanne Perez to shove her off. Raquel Rodriguez yells at Perez as Sane counters Oblivion into a rollup for the pin at 10:58.

Rating: C+. It’s good that last week’s loss doesn’t seem to have impacted Sane very much and there is a chance that this was designed to boost her back up. That’s the secondary story though, as the big deal here is going to be Morgan wanting to massacre Perez for various reasons. That should set things up for the future, as it could go in a variety of different ways.

Rhea Ripley is ready to win Money In The Bank, which is somehow her first ladder match.

Liv Morgan yells at Roxanne Perez…and blames Raquel Rodriguez as well.

Here is Lyra Valkyria for a chat. She wishes she was here to talk about new competition but Becky Lynch has whined and complained and gotten another shot at the Women’s Intercontinental Title. Normally, Valkyria beats someone between the ropes and moves on, but Lynch came out here, with her ego still high, and acted like she won the match. She’s like a rat with a piece of cheese and Valkyria couldn’t let her do it.

Valkyria is ready to hurt her at Money In The Bank but here is Lynch, looking a bit stunned, to interrupt. Lynch can’t believe Valkyria claimed Lynch is the one who made this personal. The reality is that after Backlash, Lynch went home with her hot husband and Valkyria went to the hospital with her fiance. Valkyria calls Lynch’s husband the best thing about her and Lynch says she made Valkyria what she is today. That doesn’t work for Valkyria, because people are talking about her for her win at Backlash.

Lynch has to calm herself down and offers a stipulation: if Valkyria beats her, she can never challenge for the title again. Valkyria says that’s fine, because she beat Lynch at Backlash with her eyes closed. Lynch wasn’t done though, because she wants Valkyria to raise her hand after Lynch wins. That’s fine with Valkyria, who will always raise the hand of someone who beats her. That just hasn’t been Lynch yet. Valkyria is trying so hard with these promos but there is only so much you can do against an all time talker like Lynch. Odds are Lynch wins at Money In The Bank, though I said the same about Backlash and was very wrong.

Karrion Kross, with Scarlett, stop Sami Zayn, who has no time for this. Kross says Zayn won’t win the title, but Zayn says he’ll deal with Kross later. It seemed that New Day was in the back, possibly talking to Grayson Waller (though you couldn’t see his face).

We run down the Money In The Bank card.

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor

Balor chops away at Zayn to start so Zayn dives onto Rollins on the floor. Back in and Rollins drops Zayn with a clothesline but Balor hits a double DDT for two. We take a break and come back with Balor hammering on Zayn as Rollins is on the floor. Zayn fights up and hits the Arabian moonsault to take them both out.

Back in and Rollins puts Zayn on top, where Zayn snaps off a sunset bomb. Balor escapes a Pedigree attempt and goes up, where Zayn superplexes him down. Rollins hits a heck of a frog splash for two and we take another break. We come back again with Zayn in trouble and Rollins agreeing to team up with Balor to go after him.

Balor superplexes Zayn for two but Rollins is back up to Pedigree both of them for two each. Zayn knocks Balor down for two and can’t believe the kickout, leaving Rollins to slap Zayn in the corner over and over. The Exploder sends Rollins into the corner but Balor cuts off the Helluva Kick. The shotgun dropkick sends Rollins and Zayn into the corner but the Coup de Grace misses.

A Stomp hits Balor and a Helluva Kick hits Rollins…and Bron Breakker pulls the referee out. Cue Jey Uso to go after Breakker and Bronson Reed but Rollins offers a distraction. Breakker spears Zayn but here is Dominik Mysterio to slide Balor a chair. That lets Rollins Stomp Balor onto the chair for the pin at 19:38.

Rating: B. They had some options for the winner here, but the result was going to be Balor taking the pin one way or another. That’s just what he does these days (and for several days now) and there is no reason to believe it’s going to change. At the same time, Rollins gets to move closer to the title, but I would be stunned if he actually wins the briefcase with so many people wanting to keep him from regaining power.

Post match CM Punk runs in for a GTS to Rollins, with Reed and Breakker chasing him off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Money In The Bank season is so tough to get through most of the time as it is a bunch of qualifying matches to get ready for a glorified #1 contenders match. That was the focus of this week’s show, though they did enough to set up some other stories to keep it interesting. Unfortunately there is also the ice cold tag division in the middle of the show, which didn’t do it much favors. This show did enough to keep things interesting, but dang I can’t wait for those ladder matches to be over so we can move on to something else.

Results
Penta b. Dragon Lee and Chad Gable – Penta Driver to Gable
Rusev b. Akira Tozawa – Accolade
New Day b. Creed Brothers and War Raiders – Rollup with tights to Brutus
Kairi Sane b. Liv Morgan – Rollup
Seth Rollins b. Finn Balor and Sami Zayn – Stomp onto a chair to Balor

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

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

Saturday Night’s Main Event XXXIX
Date: May 24, 2025
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We’re back and with one heck of a card. This edition of the show features five matches, including two with titles on the line and a grudge match inside of a cage. If that isn’t enough for you, there is a huge tag match and John Cena facing R-Truth in a match that is way more interesting than it should be. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker vs. CM Punk/Sami Zayn

Paul Heyman is here with the villains. It’s a brawl before the bell and the villains are knocked outside. We start with Zayn hammering on Rollins but Breakker pulls him out to the floor. Breakker hits the clothesline onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. We come back with Zayn fighting out of trouble and handing it off to Punk. House is quickly cleaned with a neckbreaker dropping Rollins.

A Code Red gives Punk two (and leaves Heyman panicking) and the top rope elbow connects for the same. Breakker distracts Punk though and Punk gets caught with a Pedigree. It’s back to Zayn for the springboard moonsault to Breakker on the floor and we take a break. Back with Punk and Rollins slugging it out until a double clothesline leaves both of them down.

Zayn comes in but can’t hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Breakker. Instead Zayn hits a tornado DDT but Rollins breaks up a Helluva Kick attempt. Back up and Heyman cuts off another attempt…and Bronson Reed is back to knock Punk through the barricade. Breakker hits the Super Spear for the pin on Zayn at 13:08.

Rating: B-. This was all about the big surprise return at the end and that works well. Reed is someone who had been gone long enough that he had been forgotten but not long enough that his return didn’t have an impact. Other than that, the match was about what you would expect, but the ending did work for a good surprise (as I initially thought it was JC Mateo so it was a nice double surprise).

Post match Breakker and Reed have a staredown…and Reed is a Paul Heyman Guy. Punk tries to get in and is crushed again, setting up the Tsunami and the big group villain pose. I like that, as Reed is a different kind of force to add to the team.

Chelsea Green is losing her voice but knows that the votes are in and it’s time for her to get her Women’s US Title back.

Women’s US Title: Chelsea Green vs. Zelina Vega

Green, with the Secret Hervice, is challenging. They start fast with Green taking her down and knocking her into the corner. Vega slips out of a slam and knocks her into the ropes but misses a 619. A knee to the face sends Green outside but she pulls Vega off the apron with a powerbomb. Back in and Green slides into a faceplant to put Vega down again and we hit the chinlock.

Green kicks her down but misses a Vader Bomb, allowing Vega to hit a rolling kick to the head. Vega suplexes her into the corner and hits the running knees, followed by a not so clean 619. The Hervice’s distraction doesn’t work and it’s a super Code Red to retain the title at 5:11.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure how much this needed to be on the show, as it felt more like a way to get a women’s match on the show. I can go for that idea, but at the same time it wasn’t something that felt important at all. Their feud had been mostly wrapped up, though I can take Vega getting a win after her unnecessary loss last night on Smackdown.

Jimmy Hart and Bushwhacker Luke are here.

El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Chad Gable is set for When Worlds Collide.

We recap John Cena vs. R-Truth, with Cena claiming that the fans abuse and take advantage of him. He promised to ruin wrestling, with R-Truth (who isn’t actually shown here until the graphic) believing in Cena but now needing to beat some reality back into him.

John Cena vs. R-Truth

Non-title. After Cena’s full entrance, R-Truth comes out to Cena’s music and in Cena gear. Cena jumps him at the bell and hammers away, looking down at R-Truth with disgust. A Whip into the corner sets up some running shoulders and the ProtoBomb plants R-Truth again. The AA is countered and R-Truth initiates Cena’s finishing sequence. An AA gets two and the STF sends Cena over to the ropes. They go outside and Cena gets in a posting before grabbing the belt. Back in and R-Truth stares at him, with Cena pausing to think about it. Cena hands the title to the referee, kicks R-Truth low, and finishes with the AA at 4:26.

Rating: C. This was disappointing after R-Truth gave a heck of a promo this week on Smackdown. While I never believing that R-Truth was going to be a threat to Cena, I was expecting something a bit better than this. Cena squashed him outside of R-Truth’s one flurry, though I did like Cena teasing a turn of heart and then just sticking with the evil.

Post match Cena hits him with the belt and leaves.

Video on Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre. They’ve been feuding for months and McIntyre blames Priest for all of his problems. This has led to a bunch of brawls, and now it’s time for them to fight in a cage.

Jey Uso runs into John Cena, who he eliminated to win the Royal Rumble. Cena loves the idea of leaving with the title while Logan Paul is the World Heavyweight Championship.

Lelani Kai and Tatanka are here.

Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre

Inside a cage with escape/pinfall/submission to win and Jesse Ventura is on commentary. McIntyre jumps out of the cage to take over before the bell and they go inside (with some chairs included) to officially start. Priest hammers away and gets in a Downward Spiral but misses a charge in the corner. McIntyre launches him face first into the cage and we take a break.

Back with the two of them fighting on the top and getting knocked back down down. Priest kicks him in the face and hits South Of Heaven for two. Priest goes up and gets superplexed back down, setting up the Claymore for two of his own. Back up and they slug it out with McIntyre missing another Claymore. Instead McIntyre hits his own South Of Heaven for two and chairs Priest down. The Claymore to the chair in the corner misses though and Priest slams the chair into McIntyre’s throat. The Conchairto crushes McIntyre’s head and Priest walks out (with a look over his shoulder) to win at 11:49.

Rating: B-. There was a good match in there somewhere, but they were rushed through the whole thing with the break cutting off the momentum. Priest absolutely had to win here and looked vicious with the Conchairto, but there is only so much when you have about eight minutes of televised action. We’ll probably get one more match between them, and hopefully it is treated as a bigger deal.

Ventura complains about Priest walking out the door instead of going over the top, which he somehow makes work. McIntyre staggers up, which is a bit much to see so soon after a Conchairto.

The US Express is here.

We recap Jey Uso defending the Raw World Title against Logan Paul. Uso won the title at Wrestlemania and Paul said he wanted the title because it’s the only thing he hasn’t done. Paul has knocked him out a few times and hopes to do it again here.

Raw World Title: Jey Uso vs. Logan Paul

Uso is defending and shoulders/slaps Paul to start. Paul gets a boot up in the corner and hits a middle rope Blockbuster to send Uso outside. A dive takes Uso down again and we take a break. Back with Uso hitting a running Umaga attack but the Superfly Splash hits raised knees. Paul’s Lionsault hits raised knees too though and Uso grabs a heck of a pop up Samoan drop.

Uso knocks him to the floor but the dive is cut off with a right hand. Back in and the big right hand gets two on Uso but he’s right back up with a superkick. The Superfly Splash connects…and John Cena pulls the referee out. The beatdown is on but Cody Rhodes is back to clear Cena out in a hurry. Uso hits a spear and the Superfly Splash to retain at 9:44.

Rating: C+. Much like the previous match, there is only so much you can do when the match was just shy of ten minutes and about a third of that was left during the break. Paul didn’t feel like a major threat to the title, at least not in this spot, with Gunther already set for a Wrestlemania rematch next month, but it could have been a lot better than this. That’s not even including the screwy interference, which took away even more time. What we got was ok, but this could have used a lot more time to really build something up.

Rhodes issues the challenge for a tag match at Money In The Bank to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was definitely underwhelming, as I was impressed with the card coming in but then they had to rush through almost everything. While I get why it was on the show, the women’s match being pulled would have allowed things a bit of a better chance to breathe, which it really needed. It doesn’t help that the matches themselves were mainly just ways to set up stuff for the future, making this not exactly a smash hit. It’s not bad for a free show on national television, but I was expecting something huge and instead it felt like they were racing to get everything in and that’s not a good feeling.

Results
Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker b. CM Punk/Sami Zayn – Super Spear to Zayn
Zelina Vega b. Chelsea Green – Super Code Red
John Cena b. R-Truth – AA
Damian Priest b. Drew McIntyre when Priest escaped the cage
Jey Uso b. Logan Paul – Superfly Splash

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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 12, 2025
Location: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We’re done with Backlash and only so much changed. The big story on Raw would be Gunther smashing though Pat McAfee, but we’re coming up on Saturday Night’s Main Event where Jey Uso will defend the World Title against Logan Paul. Other than that, CM Punk is back and the good guys are coming after Paul Heyman and company. Let’s get to it.

Here is Backlash if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week’s main event, with CM Punk saving Jey Uso and Sami Zayn from Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins.

Here is Punk for a chat. It’s great to be alive in Louisville and he sees this place as home. He’s ticked off at a lot of people, to the point where it’s easier to remember the ones he’s not mat at right now. The worst of them all though is himself, because he trusted Paul Heyman. People, including Jey Uso tried to warn him about Heyman and Punk thought it was ok.

We all know how this ends, because we’ve been here before. He’s going to get his hands around Heyman’s neck and then get the Temu CM Punk Seth Rollins. Cue Heyman (Punk: “Come on Penguin, where you at?”) to storm part of the way to the ring, with Punk wanting an explanation as Heyman’s last words. Cue Rollins and Bron Breakker (Punk: “You’re just a song kid, that’s all you are. At some point, the bell’s gotta ring.”), with Rollins saying Punk is the one who betrayed Heyman.

The reality is that Heyman believed in Punk but now Punk is the reason Rollins isn’t World Champion. Punk swears Rollins will never be champion as long as he’s on two feet, so Rollins says Punk always wants to be a martyr. That can be arranged, so Breakker comes into the ring. Rollins gets in as well but here are Sami Zayn and Jey Uso to make the save. Odds are this sets up a tag match, but there are a lot of different options to pick from and that is a good place to be.

We recap El Grande Americano interfering to cost Penta the Intercontinental Title at Backlash.

Pat McAfee joins commentary.

Penta vs. Chad Gable

Penta jumps him to start but gets knocked down as we hear about El Grande Americano touring Mexico at the moment. Gable goes for the mask, which fires Penta up enough for the comeback. Penta knocks him to the floor but a dive is knocked out of the air. Gable declares that LUCHA LIBRE SUCKS and we take a break.

Back with Penta hitting a superkick for a breather but Gable grabs a German suplex. The Swan Dive is countered into a Codebreaker (nice) for two and they’re both down. The Backstabber out of the corner is countered and Gable hits the moonsault. Back up and Penta cuts him off with a superkick but the Sacrifice is reversed into an ankle lock. That’s reversed into an exchange of rollups for two each until Penta gets taken up top. Gable spends too much time arguing though and gets knocked down for a middle rope Canadian Destroyer and the pin at 8:03.

Rating: B-. This is how you get someone back on track as Penta gets a nice win and that’s all he needs to do. He beat Gable without any major issues and while El Grande Americano is the real story, this helps set Penta up for the big showdown in a little while. Penta still feels like a player around here and that is a great sign for his future.

Dominik Mysterio kind of accuses Finn Balor of almost costing him the Intercontinental Title but everything is ok.

We look at Gunther vs. Pat McAfee from Backlash, with Gunther eventually overwhelming him. Gunther did show respect to McAfee after the match.

McAfee gets an ovation from the Raw crowd and Michael Cole thanks him. He’s banged up but knows he was in a huge fight.

Sami Zayn/CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker is set for Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Zayn and Punk are ready for the match, though Punk is worried about trusting anyone. Zayn understands that but says it was the same when Punk teamed with them at WarGames and that went well. Punk agrees and they’ll do this.

War Raiders vs. Creed Brothers

New Day is on commentary. Ivar starts fast on Brutus and the slam sends Ivar onto him. Julius comes in to help knock Erik into the corner for the double teaming. Erik fights out of the corner but Ivar is knocked off the apron so there’s no tag. Julius suplexes Erik on the floor for a crash (New Day approves) as we take a break.

Back with Ivar giving Julius the seated senton out of the corner, setting up a Bronco Buster. Ivar goes up but gets superplexed down into Brutus’ moonsault for two. It’s back to Erik to clean house, including driving Ivar into Julius in the corner. New Day gives the match some mocking applause before Brutus hits an Angle Slam on Ivar. A double belly to back gets two on Ivar with Erik making the save. The Doomsault is loaded up but Kingston breaks it up, allowing the Brutus Ball to finish Ivar at 10:19.

Rating: B-. Normally I would ask what in the world happened to the tag division but it’s an obvious answer: the same thing that has happened to it time after time. The titles do not feel important in the slightest and instead come off as just something that happens to be there. New Day is cold again and a rematch with the War Raiders isn’t going to reignite anything.

Seth Rollins talks to Bron Breakker and says Sami Zayn and CM Punk probably think they got one up on them out there. They have no idea what Rollins is capable of. He wants Breakker to do one more thing, which he whispers to Breakker. Rollins: “Have some fun.”

We look at Logan Paul attacking Jey Uso after last week’s show went off the air.

Paul says he wants the World Title.

Paul vs. Uso is set for Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Here is Uso, who does his full entrance, plus an encore. Uso knows that he has a big target on his big back so he’s going to get something off his big chest. He’s been hearing Logan Paul talking about how Uso has a glass jaw. Well at Saturday Night’s Main Event…and here’s Gunther to interrupt.

Gunther says they met at Wrestlemania and Uso reminds him of the tap out. With that out of the way, Gunther says he knows Uso is out of his element because he’s not a natural champion. That’s what Gunther is, and he’ll prove it on June 9, when he challenges the winner of Uso and Paul (which Uso already knew, thanks to Adam Pearce).

Gunther hopes that it’s Uso so he can remind Uso of his place. That makes Uso take his glasses off and go into a rant about how THIS is his place. He’s going to walk into June 9 as champion and walk out the same way. Uso can do the fired up response rather well, even if that’s quite the spoiler for Saturday Night’s Main Event (which granted, might not have had much doubt in the first place).

Iyo Sky is ready to teach Roxanne Perez and Giulia respect.

Commentary pays tribute to Sabu. That had to be done.

Ludwig Kaiser is in the back…but Bron Breakker has attacked Jey Uso.

Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles

Judgment Day (minus Dominik Mysterio) is here with Balor. Styles quickly takes him down to start and they pop up for some glaring. Balor can’t spin out of a wristlock but does pull him into a headlock as the early wrestling continues. Back up and the drop down dropkick sends Balor outside for a breather.

We take a break and come back with Balor hammering away in the corner but a snap suplex takes him down. Balor chops away and knocks Styles down again, allowing some jumping stomps. Styles fights out of an abdominal stretch and comes back with the sliding forearm. A superplex drops Balor and we take another break.

Back with Styles winning a slugout and grabbing the Calf Crusher. Balor makes the rope but the leg gives out again, meaning the Calf Crusher goes on again. That’s broken up so a not quite normal Styles Clash gets two. Carlito gets on the apron for a distraction so McDonagh can interfere. This doesn’t go well either but Balor is back up with 1916 for two. Cue Penta to take out Judgment Day, leaving Styles to hit the Phenomenal Forearm for the pin at 16:54.

Rating: B. Oh like this wasn’t going to be really good. These are two people who can work well with anyone and they know each other from their time in the ring over the years. They got time and had a reason to fight each other so they wound up having a heck of a match. Good stuff here, which should not be a surprise at all.

We look at Lyra Valkyria retaining the Women’s Intercontinental Title over Becky Lynch in an upset at Backlash.

Here is Lynch, sitting on the top rope, for a chat. She talks about Lyra Valkyria attacking her character in recent weeks and then gave her the match of her life. Now Valkyria matters more than she ever has before and it isn’t even close. After the bell rang after the match though, it was an alarm going off to tell her how much she has been manipulated. She walked away from the crowd for about a year because of the backlash from the people.

The people carried her into the main event of Wrestlemania because they were in this together. Then something happened though, because she became a success, while all of these people are failures. One of her friends asked if she missed doing this and she missed being in the ring, but she didn’t miss listening to the people lie to her. She didn’t have to live up to expectations so from now on, she is whatever the people say she is. Greedy? Angry? Sure! What everyone accuses her of being backstage is what she is going to be. This was the big heel turn explanation and Lynch sold the heck out of it.

Rusev is still ready to hurt people and fulfill his purpose.

Akira Tozawa wants Rusev but he’s too injured. Sheamus comes in to request, and receive, a match with Grayson Waller next week.

Roxanne Perez/Giulia vs. Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky

Sky and Perez go straight to the slugout to start but Giulia comes in for some running shots in the corner. Perez gets in a cheap shot from the apron so Ripley comes in for quite the dropkick. That’s not enough for a tag though and Sky flips around, only to have Ripley pulled off the apron. Ripley chases Perez around the ring but has to catch a diving Giulia, allowing Perez to dropkick Ripley into the post. Sky hits a dive of her own and we take a break.

Back with Sky flying maring Perez away and making the diving tag off to Ripley to clean house. A toss Razor’s Edge into a basement dropkick gets two on Perez. They go up top where a super Razor’s Edge is countered into a super hurricanrana and Ripley is in trouble for a change. Giulia comes in for some shots of her own before it’s back to Perez for a rear naked choke. That’s broken up and it’s back to Sky for the missile dropkick.

A double stomp to Giulia sets up Over The Moonsault for two with Perez making the save. Everything breaks down and Ripley tosses Sky into Perez for a knockdown. Giulia trips Ripley on the apron and butterfly superplexes Sky. The northern lights bomb gives Giulia two with Ripley (not Perez Cole, even if they’re dressed alike) making the save. Perez high crossbodies Giulia by mistake and Riptide finishes at 14:02.

Rating: B-. This was the stacked tag main event and while it was good, I was a bit disappointed with the thing. They didn’t have any kind of big moment and the result more or less kills Giulia and Perez’s status. Sky vs. Ripley is the big singles match down the line, but this doesn’t leave much for the villains to do at the moment.

Post match the winners pose but Ripley looks at the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This didn’t feel like a fallout show from Backlash, but that’s mainly because there wasn’t much fallout to cover. The big Raw match was Gunther beating up a commentator, along with the Women’s Intercontinental Title and the champion wasn’t even here. That doesn’t leave much to talk about so they focused on Saturday Night’s Main Event instead. I liked what we got here, and the upcoming special is feeling, well, special.

Results
Penta b. Chad Gable – Middle rope Canadian Destroyer
Creed Brothers b. War Raiders – Brutus Ball to Ivar
AJ Styles b. Finn Balor – Phenomenal Forearm
Rhea Ripley/Iyo Sky b. Roxanne Perez/Giulia – Riptide to Giulia

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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 5, 2025
Location: CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

It’s the last Raw before Backlash and that is quite the speedy turnaround from Wrestlemania. There are only a few matches set for the pay per view so there is a good chance to see something else added here. If nothing else, we’ll get to see what Seth Rollins and company have going on so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of last week, with Bron Breakker wrecking Sami Zayn on Seth Rollins’ orders.

Here is Jey Uso, who comes through the crowd with some kids, which will always work. He gets right to the point by calling out Logan Paul but gets Paul Heyman instead. Heyman says he isn’t here to disrespect Uso but Uso talks about how Heyman has a lot of nerves to come out here after what Heyman did to his family. Heyman finds it interesting to hear that coming from Uso after what he did to Roman Reigns. Where was everyone to warn Heyman about what was going to happen to him?

Heyman blames CM Punk for the betrayal at Wrestlemania and, after complaining about the CM PUNK chants, talks about Punk putting him in a no win situation. That brings him to Reigns, who was still playing high school football when Heyman and Punk got together. What did Reigns think he was going to do? Sell his secrets to Punk? Heyman turned Reigns into the Tribal Chief and the two of them were the Undisputed WWE Champion for over 1000 days, but it was Reigns who lost the title.

Then Reigns left him with Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu and those Tongans! Reigns finally came back, but it wasn’t to avenge Heyman, but rather to get his ula fala back. Everyone wants to blame Heyman (who is SCREAMING this stuff) but this time, he is in the right and SCREW EVERYONE ELSE. Uso: “Are you ok?” He wants to know what this has to do with him, which sends Heyman into a speech about how Uso doesn’t understand what it means to be champion.

Uso does not know what power that title brings and Seth Rollins needs it. Stage one is what has happened so far, but stage two is taking that title (Uso looks…sad?). Uso gets to pick the date he loses the title, because Rollins is officially challenging him for the title. Heyman goes to leave but Uso calls him back. If it’s anyplace, anytime, we’ll do it tonight (Heyman’s eyes bug out at this). Good stuff here, with Heyman bringing the emotion and setting up the title shot while also making Uso feel like a big time fighting champion.

We look back at JD McDonagh’s return last week (with Michael Cole making a mistake and saying the War Raiders retained the Tag Team Titles).

Paul Heyman goes to see Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker, and says he can’t believe Jey Uso fell for it. Rollins says he told Heyman it would happen before leaving. Heyman explains Rollins’ recent efforts and how Uso isn’t ready for him tonight. When Rollins wins tonight, they get the keys to the kingdom.

Penta vs. JD McDonagh

Judgment Day is here too as McDonagh grabs an armdrag to start. Back up and Penta strikes away in the corner, including a kick to the leg. McDonagh chops his way out of trouble and they go to the apron, where Penta scores with a jumping enziguri. A Balor distraction lets McDonagh come back with a Death Valley Driver though and we take a break.

Back with McDonagh getting crotched against the post, setting up a dropkick to the head. Penta chops away and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two before diving onto an interfering Carlito. Finn Balor gets in a shot but gets caught, meaning it’s a double ejection. Cue Chad Gable to crotch Penta on top, earning himself a big flip dive. McDonagh hits a jawbreaker but misses the moonsault, allowing Penta to grab the Canadian Destroyer for the pin at 10:54.

Rating: C+. They did a nice job here with making Penta look like a star. He got a win here and survived a few bits of interference to make it happen. That’s a fine way to go and hopefully they keep it going for the next few weeks, as Penta can become a bigger deal in a hurry. If nothing else, there is a good chance he’ll be challenging Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Title sooner rather than later and that’s a good way for him to go.

Grayson Waller is pleading his case to Adam Pearce and offers the match to Austin Theory instead. Theory agrees and gets the match, but Waller won’t say who isn’t against.

Austin Theory vs. Sheamus

I had been wondering what happened to Sheamus. Theory, who does not seem happy with Grayson Waller, gets shoved into the corner to start, allowing Sheamus to fire off some uppercuts. A nice dropkick gives Theory a breather but Sheamus hits him in the face. Sheamus grabs a pair of Irish Curses and puts on the Cloverleaf, with Theory making the rope, right in front of a less than interested Waller.

Sheamus comes off the top with a shot to the head and we take a break. Back with Sheamus missing a charge into the post and getting caught with a Blockbuster for two. They go up top where Sheamus hits a super White Noise, followed by the ten forearms to the chest. The Brogue Kick finishes for Sheamus at 9:39.

Rating: C+. This was Sheamus doing what he does best, as he was out there beating Theory up until he finished him off. That’s something that has worked for him for a long time now and it’s nice to have him back. If nothing else, there is something fun about seeing Waller and Theory have issues but winding up staying together because they’re they only people who would have the other.

Penta is getting an Intercontinental Title shot at Backlash.

JD McDonagh isn’t happy with his loss but Dominik Mysterio isn’t interested. Cue AJ Styles to say this place isn’t hard to find, but he’s coming for the winner of the title match at Backlash. Styles leaves and Mysterio talks about everyone coming for the title. He suggests Finn Balor deal with Styles, but Balor isn’t pleased with the idea. Or he’s just kidding so it’s fine.

New Day comes up to Chad Gable and suggests a mutually beneficial agreement about dealing with the War Raiders. Becky Lynch comes up and New Day doesn’t like what happened to her last week.

Here is Lynch for a chat. She doesn’t like being told she sucks because she should be thanked for taking out the garbage. Then she took out the recycling, which is what Lyra Valkyria is. Valkyria is slightly better than garbage but still worthless. The reality is that Valkyria owes everything to her, so here is Valkyria to interrupt. Valkyria says Lynch is the queen of recycling as she has done the same things over and over. The reality is that Lynch went on holidays and everyone else got better, including Valkyria, who is now a champion.

Valkyria has had more title defenses than says Lynch has shown up to work this year. Lynch goes into a rant about being the best ever, even citing Sports Illustrated. Valkyria lists off Lynch’s accomplishments, but it doesn’t include being the first Women’s Intercontinental Champion. As long as Valkyria is here, Lynch better like second place. The brawl is on and security can’t break it up. Lynch gets away and rants about disrespect, only to get caught in Nightwing to leave her laying. Valkyria is trying here but it’s hard to imagine that she retains the title over a star like Lynch.

Roxanne Perez vs. Iyo Sky

Non-title. Sky flips away a few times to start and Perez doesn’t seem to know what to do. A dropkick sends Perez outside but she comes back in with a nice dropkick to the leg. Perez works on the leg but Sky is back up with a heck of a suicide dive and we take a break. Back with Sky winning an exchange of forearms and hitting a flapjack.

A kick to the head gives Sky two but the leg starts giving out. Sky is fine enough to hit a quick double stomp for two but Over The Moonsault misses. The leg is hurt again and a faceplant into a cartwheel knee to the neck gives Perez two. They go into a rather fast pinfall reversal sequence until Sky gets a rollup for the pin at 10:11.

Rating: B. The women’s division continues to feel stacked with talent and that was on display again here. Perez is starting to fit in around here and I could go for seeing what is next for her. At the same time, Sky is rapidly reaching the top level of the division (if she isn’t already there). Good match here, with that ending sequence being quite the back and forth.

We actually get a show of respect after the match but Giulia runs in to jump Sky. That has Perez beating Sky down as well, with commentary pointing out that Rhea Ripley is in Australia so there is no one to make a save.

Otis vs. Rusev

They collide to start and no one goes anywhere, but some running shots stagger Rusev. A jumping spinwheel kick drops Otis though and we take a break. Back with Otis dropping Rusev over the announcers’ table but Rusev is back up. A big kick hits the post though and Rusev is in more trouble. They get back in, where Rusev drops him again with a superkick, setting up the Accolade for the win at 6:27.

Rating: C+. Remember Rusev? Well he’s back, once again as a monster heel. That is something that could go somewhere but WWE is going to need to come up for something for him. Facing the Alpha Academy needs to be something short term, though I’m not sure who is next for him after that. For now though, nice return, with Rusev looking like a killer.

Post match Akira Tozawa comes after Rusev, earning both Tozawa and Otis another beating. Tozawa gets powerbombed onto Otis and another Accolade ensues.

Adam Pearce brings Pat McAfee into the ring to address the Gunther situation. Gunther comes out as well, wearing street clothes because McAfee isn’t that important to him. Gunther promises to keep this professional, unlike Michael Cole, but he does not appreciate the YOU TAPPED OUT chants. McAfee puts over Cole as a legend and since Gunther had to attack a 60 year old man, so he’ll give Gunther his opinion about him.

Hold on though as McAfee has to put over the city of Omaha for a good while before talking about how the two of them grew up watching all the wrestling they could. McAfee grew up as a huge wrestling fan, dreaming that he could one day get in the ring. For Gunther, it’s become a job after twenty years but for McAfee, it’s still the biggest thrill. On Saturday, McAfee is going to prove that this version of Gunther is soft.

After some staring, Gunther asks if McAfee enjoyed his daughter’s birthday last week. That must have been a special day, and now Backlash is going to be a special day for Gunther. It’s his first match since Wrestlemania and he is going to be more focused than ever before. Gunther promises to destroy him once and for all, but for tonight, he’s safe.

If they do this the right way, everything should be fine on Saturday, as McAfee can get in some shots, preferably with the big kick, before Gunther gets to crush him for good. McAfee is fired up about this, but his promos are going on rather long each time and that’s not helping as much as it could.

We look back at John Cena vs. Randy Orton in their I Quit match at Breaking Point.

Raw World Title: Seth Rollins vs. Jey Uso

Rollins, with Bron Breakker and Paul Heyman, is challenging. We get the Big Match Intros before Rollins takes him down with a crucifix for two. Rollins knocks him down again and it’s time to shove each other around a bit. Uso knocks him to the floor and Rollins needs a bit of a breather. Back in and Rollins gets in another knockdown, only to be sent outside as well. The big suicide dive connects for Uso and we take a break.

Back with Uso knocking him off the top but they both hit crossbodies. Uso wins a slugout and hits a Samoan drop, followed by a running Umaga Attack in the corner. Back up and Rollins knocks him to the floor for a dive, only to get superkicked out of the air for two back inside. They’re both down for the THIS IS AWESOME chants but Rollins is back up with the buckle bomb. The frog splash misses though and Rollins counters the spear into a Pedigree for two.

The Stomp misses and Uso gets a sleeper (how he won the title), which is broken rather quickly. Uso is back up with the spear for two so he goes up, only for a distraction to let Breakker get in a crotching. The superplex into the Falcon Arrow drops Uso and the Stomp (or most of one) gets two.

Cue Sami Zayn to go after Breakker, allowing Uso to hit a spear into the Superfly Splash for….two. Breakker spears Zayn down and Uso goes to check on him, allowing Breakker to hit a spear on Uso as well. Back in and a Stomp connects….but CM Punk is back. After taking Breakker out with a chair, Punk chairs Rollins down for the DQ at 19:30.

Rating: B. I wasn’t sure where this was going but they had a good match before they went to the right ending with Punk returning. I was worried they would have one of them take a fall here and that was a terrible idea. They did a nice job here, though I’m not sure how the numbers game is going to workout. Right now it’s Punk/Zayn/Uso vs. Rollins and Breakker, with Roman Reigns still to come back to uneven things even more. That opens up some interesting options and with Heyman talking, everything should go well.

Post match the beating stays on until the villains run to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show did a good job of making me want to see where things are going. You had a nice return with Sheamus, some solid action, and a big moment in the end with Punk coming back to get revenge. There are good things taking place on this show week to week, even if it feels far too early for another pay per view with Backlash. For now though, another strong show here, with pieces that make me want to come back next week, which is incredibly important.

Results
Penta b. JD McDonagh – Canadian Destroyer
Sheamus b. Austin Theory – Brogue Kick
Iyo Sky b. Roxanne Perez – Rollup
Rusev b. Otis – Accolade
Seth Rollins b. Jey Uso via DQ when CM Punk interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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: April 28, 2025
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

Now we’re in the weird part of the show, as Wrestlemania and the main fall out show are both over. That means it is time to start getting ready for everything else that matters, with the road to Backlash being less than two weeks away. That should make for an interesting show as we already have a main event set with John Cena set to defend against Randy Orton. Let’s get to it.

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

Nick Aldis is in charge tonight with Adam Pearce gone for a week. That could be interesting.

Commentary talks about Gunther attacking Pat McAfee last week, earning himself a fine and a suspension. Later tonight, McAfee gets to comment on the situation.

We look back at Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman gloating last week, with Bron Breakker joining up with them in a move that has all of the potential.

Here are Rollins, Heyman and Breakker for a chat. Rollins hits his catchphrase and talks about how it must be difficult for those of you who still want to chant for CM Punk or Roman Reigns. The future of this company isn’t John Cena, Jey Uso or anyone else, because it is Rollins himself.

Cue Sami Zayn to interrupt and Rollins doesn’t seem overly thrilled. Rollins welcomes him back to the show (where he was last week) and Zayn says they have known each other for a long time. This is a bunch of nonsense though, because Rollins and Zayn spent a lot of time talking about Punk and Reigns. What was the one thing those two had in common? It’s the guy who is now standing behind Rollins, which doesn’t work for Rollins. Zayn thinks Rollins might have been jealous of Punk for all that time because he just wanted to be in Punk’s position.

Rollins says this is the future and this is NOT the Bloodline, but Zayn says he’s looking at the Wise Man and the dog. By the way, if Breakker keeps looking at him like that, he’ll get his face kicked in. Rollins says Zayn is going to need to get out of the way or get beaten down, but maybe they can pull some strings and get him off Raw without any problem. They’ll need an answer by the end of the night.

We look back at Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer last week, with NXT’s Roxanne Perez and Giulia running in for the double beatdown. Rhea Ripley made the save.

Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez

They start slowly until Perez knocks her into the corner. Ripley gets a boot up but can’t get a Razor’s Edge. Instead Perez takes her down and starts in on the leg, even managing to kick her down. A dropkick sends Ripley to the floor but she’s fine enough to pull a suicide dive out of the air. Perez is right back up and wraps the leg around the post, only to have Ripley power out of a Russian legsweep back inside. A clothesline takes Perez down and we go to a break.

Back with Perez still working on the leg but Ripley fights up again. Now the toss Razor’s Edge connects and a running basement dropkick gives Ripley two (with the knee messing up the cover). Cue Giulia for a distraction, which allows Perez to try a failed Pop Rox. Instead Ripley knocks her down, setting up Riptide but Giulia runs in for the DQ at 11:48.

Rating: B-. This was a good showcase for Perez as WWE seems rather interested in showing what the NXT women can do on the main roster. That’s a good idea as the women are NXT’s strong suit and more than capable of hanging up here. It makes me wonder who is on their way up, though Perez is pretty much here already.

Post match the double beatdown is on but Iyo Sky runs in for the save.

The Judgment Day is happy to have JD McDonagh back. Finn Balor goes to talk to him but Liv Morgan says they need to get ready for their match. It’s time to get into the Tag Team Title picture so she’s gotten them a match with the War Raiders. Balor is happy, but would like to be more in the loop.

Here is Logan Paul for a chat. He beat AJ Styles at Wrestlemania but some people still aren’t satisfied. There are people who do not recognize greatness and greatness does not look like Jey Uso. Paul has done everything in WWE except win a World Title, so Uso’s days are numbered. Cue Uso to interrupt, saying he’ snot about to just hand the title over. The fire that was lit inside him when he saw Gunther beat up his brother is never going out. If Paul wants the title, come take it. Paul calls him stupid and gets dropped with a superkick as Uso leaves. There are far worse options for Uso’s first opponent.

War Raiders vs. Judgment Day

New Day is on commentary and do not like all of the attention being paid to McDonagh when Woods’ recovery from injury didn’t get much praise. Erik gets knocked into the corner to start but fights out with a dropkick. Ivar comes in for some heavy knees and Judgment Day is sent outside. Ivar crashed into the side of the ring and we take a break with Erik looking concerned.

We take a break and come back with Erik hitting a heck of a right hand to drop McDonagh. That’s enough for the tag off to Ivar, who sits on Balor in the corner. A spinning kick to the head drops McDonagh but Ivar misses the Doomsault. Instead McDonagh hits his own moonsault for two on Ivar, who is back up to drop both villains. They go to the floor where the Raiders are launched into each other and Ivar takes out New Day. Carlito’s distraction lets McDonagh hit a jawbreaker on Erik but here is Penta to shove McDonagh off the top. The War Machine finishes McDonagh at 10:35.

Rating: C+. I like the War Raiders and odds are they’re getting a title shot out of this, but egads this division feels ice cold right now. It’s coming off more like the tag divisions of old and that’s a terrible thing to see. Maybe things can pick up, but for now, it feels like the titles have a grand total of no value and that’s never how things should be going.

Paul Heyman interrupts Sami Zayn and Otis, with the latter leaving. Heyman talks to Zayn about bringing up the Bloodline but moves on to Seth Rollins. Whether it’s true or not, Rollins sees himself as the future of wrestling. Bron Breakker is not happy either and is demanding a match with Zayn tonight.

That has to be respected because Breakker is the key to their plans. If Zayn is willing to move to Smackdown this week, the GM’s have guaranteed Zayn a WWE Title shot against the winner of John Cena and Randy Orton (that gets Zayn’s attention real fast). Heyman: “You can live in the future or you can die with the past.” Heyman goes to leave and Breakker is waiting at the door, where he looks pleased. Now that’s a good way to go, as it gives this some stakes that we know matter to Zayn

Here is Becky Lynch for an explanation of her attack on Lyra Valkyria last week. She stepped in to help Valkyria after Bayley was attacked just before Wrestlemania….and yeah of course she did it. Lynch does not want to hear the fans yelling at her because Bayley has attacked her over and over since 2019. Bayley has forgotten what this business is supposed to be because she’s out here dancing to wrestlers’ music and wearing their shirts while crying about not being a bigger star. Well Bayley got to see what a bigger star looks like when Lynch walked down the ramp at Wrestlemania.

As for Valkyria, she wouldn’t be in this business if not for Lynch. While Lynch was gone though, Valkyria buddied up with Bayley while Lynch wanted her to “ditch that b****.” It’s too late though because Valkyria is already a loser, but cue Valkyria , looking near tears, to interrupt. Valkyria says a lot of women in the back warned her about Lynch (Lynch: “I’ll bet they did!”) with Bayley being the first. She didn’t believe it though because she had this dream of winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles with her fellow Irishwoman.

Maybe it took all of the Manhandle Slams to get it through her head but Lynch bails from the threat of a fight. Valkyria brings up beating Lynch for the NXT Women’s Title and issues the challenge for tonight. Lynch isn’t wanting to fight in Kansas City so Valkyria issues the challenge for Backlash, and she’ll even put the Women’s Intercontinental Title on the line. Lynch is in but Valkyria says she’s already on the way to being a better woman than Lynch. She’s already a better wrestler, which sends Lynch into a rant.

Valkyria dropkicks her through the ropes and the beating is on with Lynch bailing. Valkyria goes to pose on the stage but Lynch jumps her from behind. They hit all of the notes here but I’m just not quite buying it from Valkyria. I can’t imagine Lynch doesn’t win the title, or at least beat the daylights out of Valkyria at Backlash, but that’s going to be a heck of a step back for Valkyria.

Nick Aldis comes up to Penta and understands that he wants Judgment Day but we can’t have that kind of violence. However, Aldis has made a match between Penta and JD McDonagh for next week. That’s good for Penta, but Chad Gable interrupts to mock Penta for losing at Wrestlemania. That wasn’t even his favorite part of Wrestlemania though, because that was seeing Rey Fenix lose to El Grande Americano. Penta kicks him in the face and hits the catchphrase.

Video on Rusev, who is ready to hurt people after finding himself.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Ivy Nile

Vaquer’s NXT Women’s Title isn’t on the line and Chad Gable is here with Nile. They to to the mat to start with Nile working on a front facelock but something like a European clutch gives Vaquer two. Back up and a spinning rollup gives Vaquer two more but the Devil’s Kiss is blocked. Vaquer shrugs that off and hits the Devil’s Kiss as we take a break.

Back with Vaquer hitting it again, followed by a running Meteora in the corner, with Gable putting the foot on the rope. Vaquer gets distracted, allowing Nile to suplex her down for two. Nile goes up but gets caught with some headbutts, setting up the superplex. The SVB (a butterfly backbreaker) is blocked and Nile plants her down for two more. A dragon screw out of the corner slows Nile down though and the SVB finishes for Vaquer at 9:32.

Rating: B-. They’re in a weird place with Vaquer, as she is already feeling like one of the best stars in all of the women’s division but she hasn’t been NXT Women’s Champion for very long. The problem is she’s a bigger star than pretty much anyone else in the NXT women’s division so I’m not sure how long she’ll be around there. She’s more than ready for the main roster, but dang I hope they don’t waste that momentum in NXT for much longer.

Nick Aldis meets with AJ Styles, who wants to get back in the ring. Cud Judgment Day to interrupt, with Liv Morgan saying she’ll need tome off to be in a Hollywood movie. Aldis agrees and says that’s been settled up, but doesn’t think the same of Dominik Mysterio’s request. When you’re a champion, you have to be here more often (as in a champion like….Morgan). Mysterio and Styles don’t think much of each other but the villains leave. Styles tells Aldis he has an idea, and Aldis seems to know it in advance.

Karrion Kross hopes Sami Zayn makes the right decision.

Michael Cole talks about last week when Gunther went after the commentary team. This led to a brawl between McAfee and Gunther, with Gunther choking him out. McAfee gets on the announcers’ table and sucks up to the fans a bit. He’s been on the commentary team for so long that he has forgotten who he was. McAfee is still the guy who born the son of a hard working truck driver but he wasn’t given much in this life. He went from an irrelevant bum to being known around the country.

There are a few things that he wants to be known for when he is gone, like being a hard worker. He wants to be seen as someone who gave back to various charities, but above all else, he wants to be remembered as a loyal mother******. You have to ride with those who ride for you and there is one man who has been with him since the day he got here. That man is Michael Cole so last week, McAfee had no choice but to help his friend.

Yeah he’s nuts to go after Gunther but if he dies, he dies. He wants “Smackdown’s version of Adam Pearce” to get out here so cue Nick Aldis, who wants to keep this professional. McAfee wants Gunther’s suspension lifted for the sake of a fight. Aldis says he can’t do that for a fight, but he can do it for the sake of a match. The match is made for Backlash. McAfee is annoying but he can still cut a good promo, which he did here.

We look back at the first John Cena vs. Randy Orton WWE Title match, which was all the way back at Summerslam 2007.

Jey Uso checks on Sami Zayn, and says he has his back no matter what decision he makes. Zayn leaves and Uso gets decked by Logan Paul.

Here is Seth Rollins for a chat. He wants Sami Zayn out here for his decision, so here is Zayn in person. Rollins gets that Zayn doesn’t like Breakker or Heyman, but Rollins and Zayn have known each other for twenty years. Last week, Rollins saw Zayn return and thought Zayn would show him the same respect.

Rollins believes that this is the way forward in WWE, but there is no one better to lead us into the future than Rollins himself. It hurts that Zayn doesn’t believe him but that is how the business works. Zayn is one of the few true friends Rollins has in wrestling. When Rollins became a father, Zayn was one of the first people he called because he had no idea what to do. Zayn gave him advice, and now Rollins is hoping Zayn will take the same advice.

Take whatever Heyman is offering him and go to Smackdown. Zayn says that everything Rollins has said about their friendship outside of the ring is true. Everything about what is going on in the ring though is Rollins playing games. He knows it’s a game because he has previously confided in Rollins that the one thing he wants more than anything is to be World Champion. When has Rollins ever known Zayn to run away? Zayn will not be threatened because he will become World Champion and he will do it the right way. That brings out Bron Breakker with Paul Heyman and we’re ready to go.

Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn

Heyman and Rollins are here with Breakker and Zayn is in street clothes. Breakker sends him flying with a suplex to start and rakes Zayn’s eyes over the top rope. An elbow to the face drops Zayn again and something like a powerslam gets two. Breakker takes him out tot he floor and hits the diving clothesline onto the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Zayn hitting a sunset bomb. Zayn goes up but Breakker runs the corner for a super Frankensteiner. Breakker’s spear gets cut off with a shot to the face but the Super Spear knocks Zayn silly. Another Super Spear connects and Rollins tells Zayn to take the deal. Zayn tells Rollins where to go so it’s a third Super Spear. Medics come to check on Zayn so Rollins orders one more Super Spear, which is finally enough to stop the match at 12:32.

Rating: B-. Well if you want someone to take a heck of a beating and get all the sympathy in the world while making the new villain look like a monster, Zayn is the guy you call. That’s exactly what we had here, as Breakker wrecked Zayn and looked like a killer in the process. That’s what this needed to be and Breakker did his part about as perfectly as imaginable.

Post match the fans want one more spear but have to settle for a Stomp from Rollins instead. This was the next big beatdown as the team continues to knock off enemies.

Overall Rating: B. A lot of this show focused on the women and that was not a bad way to go. The two women’s matches and the Valkyria/Lynch segment worked, but the other big thing was that much better. The Zayn story was very good and they have a lot of options to pick from with the stories they are setting up. I liked what we got here well enough, but I’m more excited for where things are going and that is a good situation to have.

Results
Rhea Ripley b. Roxanne Perez via DQ when Giulia interfered
War Raiders b. Judgment Day – War Machine to McDonagh
Stephanie Vaquer b. Ivy Nile – SVB
Bron Breakker b. Sami Zayn via referee stoppage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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: April 21, 2025
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

So we’re finally done with Wrestlemania and there are a lot of changes to cover. First of all, we have two new World Champions as Jey Uso and John Cena are the top stars in the company, having defeated Gunther and Cody Rhodes. Those are on top of a rather long list that I’m sure we’ll get to this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Wrestlemania if you need a recap.

We open with a long recap of Wrestlemania Week in Las Vegas.

Here is John Cena to get things going, again with the black screen other than just his name. Hold on though as Cena does not like his ring introduction and hands the ring announcer a paper with the proper way to do it. Cena is the Unseen 17 and the greatest of all time, but he says that he doesn’t owe us an apology. On Friday, everyone bullied him but now that he has some gold, the people want to cheer him?

That is an unhealthy relationship and not the way you treat your wife or child. The people should give him an apology but we get a WE’RE NOT SORRY chant. Cena says the people are pathetic and mean nothing to him before soaking in some negative chants. Cena has taken all kinds of shots over the years and this isn’t going to be the crowd that breaks him. What matters is the 36 dates (which appears on the screen).

No matter what happens, Cena is on his way out and runs down the dates he’s already appeared this year. That brings us down to 27 dates (Cena: “Not matches! Appearances.”). The fans say he doesn’t wrestle but he doesn’t have to. All he has to do is show up and do this. When that countdown hits zero, the professional wrestling countdown stops cold. Now of course there will be another Raw and another champion, but the title of Bruno Sammartino, Steve Austin, Roman Reigns and everyone else is coming home with him.

All he has to do is keep playing us like the puppets we are because they lost their best chance to stop him last night with Cody Rhodes. The reality is there is no one in WWE with the strength, speed or RUTHLESS AGGRESSION of John Cena. However, Cena has a heart so he tells us to take out our cameras. Take your pictures because the last real champion is here. Then Randy Orton pops up and Cena turns around (Cena: “S***!”) for an RKO. With Backlash in St. Louis, that makes all the sense in the world. It was also an outstanding promo from Cena, who continues to flow so naturally as a heel that it’s almost unbelievable.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez vs. Becky Lynch/Lyra Valkyria

Lynch, who returned last night, and Valkyria, are defending. Lynch’s kicks to various parts of Morgan put her down and it’s already off to Valkyria to kick the villains down. Stereo dropkicks through the ropes have Morgan and Rodriguez down again and we take a break. Back with Lynch fighting back and blocking Oblivion. The Manhandle Slam gets two with Rodriguez coming in for the save.

Everyone goes up top and Morgan grabs a sunset bomb on Lynch. Rodriguez hits a super bomb for two on Valkyria, who gets up for the Nightwing to Rodriguez but Morgan makes the save. Lynch gets posted and Valkyria big boots Valkyria in the face for two more. Rodriguez tries to powerbomb Morgan onto Valkyria but only hits raised knees. Valkyria sends Rodriguez outside but knocks her into Lynch, with the distraction letting Morgan hit Oblivion for the pin and the titles at 11:54.

Rating: B. This turned into a heck of a back and forth match and I kind of like the rapid fire title changes. Lynch and Valkyria got their big moment last night with the surprise return, but they aren’t a regular team and this brings back some stability to the titles, with the long term champions holding them again. If also frees Valkyria from being a double champion, which didn’t need to happen.

Post match Rodriguez and Morgan leave and Lynch erupts on Valkyria, beating her down and screaming at her. Lynch teases leaving a few times but comes back for a few Manhandle Slams. That’s either going to make Lynch the second Intercontinental Champion or give Valkyria by far her biggest wins to date.

We look at Paul Heyman turning on Roman Reigns and CM Punk to join Seth Rollins on Saturday.

New Day is coming to the ring and get a nod of approval from Karrion Kross.

Here is New Day for a chat. They tell us to get down on our knees and thank God for them. They are the greatest team of all time and no one, dead or alive, can touch them. Cue the Alpha Academy, with Maxxine Dupri bringing up the Academy beating them in sixty seconds. The challenge is issued and decline, so Dupri dubs them the Minute Men. That’s enough to get the title match and here’s a referee.

Tag Team Titles: New Day vs. Alpha Academy

New Day is defending but the lights go dim and…..Rusev is back. New Day bails and Rusev wrecks the Academy with no trouble. No match. He had been rumored to come back and while I’m not sure how far he’ll go, it’s better than having him sit on the sidelines for the better part of ever.

Judgment Day celebrates their new titles when Finn Balor comes in to glare at Dominik Mysterio. Balor breaks into a smile and congratulates him but Carlito thinks he and Balor should get some titles of their own.

Here is Iyo Sky for a chat. Last night was the best night of her career because she beat the best in the world to prove that SHE is the best. Now no one will ever forget her because she is the Genius of the Sky and the Women’s World Champion. Cue Stephanie Vaquer (NXT Women’s Champion) to say that she wants to fight the best. The challenge is on for right now so Adam Pearce makes the match.

Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Non-title. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far. Sky blocks an O’Connor roll attempt and they stare at each other a bit, followed by Sky sending her outside. The big suicide dive connects but Vaquer gets in a dive off the barricade as we take a break. Back with Sky armdragging her off the top and nailing a missile dropkick. The Bullet Train gets two but Vaquer is right back up with a Meteora.

The SVB (a butterfly backbreaker) is blocked and Sky stomps her down for two. Instead Vaquer is back up with the Devil’s Kiss (figure four necklock with Vaquer sending her face first into the mat) to quite the reception. Back up and Sky snaps off a German suplex, only for Vaquer to hit one of her own. They’re both down and get a FIGHT FOREVER chant so they go up top, where Sky hits a super Spanish Fly. Sky gets up and here is Roxanne Perez to jump Sky for the DQ at 13:58.

Rating: B-. They were having a good match and thankfully went with the most logical ending. What mattered here was getting Vaquer a quick look on the main roster with a top talent and she more than lived up to the task. The ending keeps everything going and boosts up Perez vs. Vaquer for the title this week on NXT.

Post match Giulia (from NXT) runs in to go after Sky, with Perez beating on Vaquer. Cue Rhea Ripley for the save. Ripley stares down Giulia and the villains leave, with Ripley saying she’s coming for Sky’s title.

We look at Jey Uso’s rise up to the main event.

Here is Uso for his World heavyweight Championship celebration. After doing the YEET thing again, he says he is so grateful to finally have the title on his shoulder. He is ready to put in the work every week to keep it and asks for the catchphrase. Cue Sami Zayn to interrupt and give Jey a big hug. It was hard for him to miss Wrestlemania because just like Jey, he is a game day player and it’s hard to not be in the ring.

The thing is, he had to be the first one to stand in this ring and congratulate him on being the new champion. Every single person in this building knows that Jey deserves that and we are here to celebrate, so hit his music. The celebration is on and here is Jimmy Uso to join in with no issues. This was a nice moment and it was refreshing to not have another turn from these guys.

Last night, Logan Paul denied any knowledge of interference in his match. He’ll face anyone, anywhere, anytime.

AJ Styles says he’s ok with the loss last night and he’s ready to bounce back. Karrion Kross and Scarlett come in to yell about Styles being the best around here but now he’s legitimized Logan Paul. Styles does not want to be the old, evil version of himself before and tells Kross to go solve the problem himself. Kross: “Maybe I will.”

We come back from a break with Gunther yelling at commentary, getting on Cole for saying negative things about him. Gunther shoves McAfee and chokes Cole, earning a shot from McAfee. Agents and referees come in and Gunther chokes McAfee out while trying to hold back some other people (possibly people from McAfee’s show). Gunther is FINALLY dragged off and McAfee is revived but has to be helped out.

After a break, Cole and McAfee are going to the trainer’s room and Joe Tessitore has taken over commentary. Cole starts to go back to the ring but Adam Pearce tells him to take the rest of the night off. Cole says Gunther might have broken his nose but he isn’t going to let some bully not let him do his job. That gets a big reaction and Cole comes back to commentary to join Tessitore, with the fans cheering for Cole, which you do not hear very often.

Intercontinental Title: Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio, with Judgment Day, is defending and stomps Penta down in the corner to start. Penta fights up and hits a crossbody before knocking Mysterio down again. We take an early break and come back with Penta in control, including a running Canadian Destroyer. Mysterio rolls outside for a breather though and Finn Balor gives him a pep talk. Penta hurricanranas Balor into Mysterio but cue JD McDonagh to shove Penta off the top. The frog 619 and frog splash retain the title at 8:02.

Rating: C+. McDonagh being back is another boost for the team, but it feels like Balor’s days as part of the lineup are numbered. There is something interesting about the idea of Balor constantly acting like the leader but never being able to win anything or come up with a plan. That very well could be leading to a shift in power and that could be rather interesting.

We get an old school style newsreel on El Grande Americano’s win at Wrestlemania, including shots of the massive celebrations in the streets. He’s earned them.

Here are Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman for a chat. The fans want CM Punk or Roman Reigns but Rollins starts talking about how he is a visionary. He is also the winner of the main event of Wrestlemania…and here is Punk. The brawl is on but Punk turns his attention to Heyman, allowing Rollins to beat him down. Heyman says they are going to say this all the way until Wrestlemania XLII, but there is a new reigning, defending, undisputed top star in WWE and he is Seth Rollins.

Cue Reigns (Rollins throws Punk outside) to charge into the ring and hit the spear on Rollins. That leaves Heyman all alone though and Reigns drops him with a Superman Punch. The spear is loaded up…and BRON BREAKKER cuts Reigns off with a Super Spear. Breakker and Rollins have a staredown and Breakker drops Punk with a Super Spear.

Rollins hugs Breakker and tells him to take out Reigns again. Reigns fights back with a shot to the face but Breakker runs around the ring and hits a Super Spear through the barricade. Rollins Stomps Punk and poses with Heyman and Breakker as we now have two Paul Heyman Guys.

Oh that’s a very intriguing way to go as Breakker fits in perfectly as a Paul Heyman Guy and could easily be moved into a main event slot. I like this a lot and it has all kinds of potential. If nothing else, you can see the huge tag match at Backlash from here. Heck of a way to end the show with a big surprise and a smart one at that.

Overall Rating: B. This was a very wrestling lite show and as usual, that’s not the point of the post Wrestlemania Raw. This week was all about the fallout and the big moves going forward. We had returns, a big reveal in the end and several matches/feuds being teased for the near future. I liked this show a lot and it felt more like a traditional post Wrestlemania Raw, which is nice to see after something of an absence.

Results
Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez b. Becky Lynch/Lyra Valkyria – Oblivion to Valkyria
Iyo Sky b. Stephanie Vaquer via DQ when Roxanne Perez interfered
Dominik Mysterio b. Penta – Frog splash

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