WWE Raw returns this evening at 8/7c on Netflix from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The “WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” signature opens the show as always, and then we see the normal Superstar arrivals.
CM Punk With A Vicious Pipe Bomb To Kick Off The Show
CM Punk is the final Superstar arrival we see. The camera follows him as he makes his way through Gorilla and out to the entrance area, as his music hits. Punk makes his way out to the ring and tosses his belt in the ring and gets in the ring and sits in the middle of the ring.
Punk says Houston is a wrestling town with lots of pro-wrestling history. He says Houston haunts him as there are a lot of pro-wrestling ghosts too. Punk wonders how these ghosts and old timers would fare in today’s wrestling climate. What would Harley Race do?
Punk says he’s awake and lets us know that Roman Reigns isn’t here tonight. Punk talks about how Reigns powerbombed him through the announce desk two weeks ago and how he got his receipt last week doing the same to Reigns. Punk talks about Reigns’ hating him and says that means he’s exactly where he needs to be.
He says he’s not a loser like Reigns. Punk says he almost crippled Reigns and Punk is here, and Reigns isn’t… but that’s probably because Punk is an old man. Punk talks about why he hates Reigns. Punk says he and Reigns both have the tools to be on top but his tools are self-made.
Reigns’ tools are store bought, hand delivered and plastic. Punk says the reason Reigns gets to be on talk shows is because Reigns is safe. Punk talks about doing work outside of the WWE and still showing up for the WWE and how Reigns is a part timer. He compares Reigns to The Rock.
Punk continues, saying at least The Rock is, I mean was, a Hollywood Superstar. The crowd gasps at that line. He talks about Reigns having yes-men around him and how Reigns’ dad got him into the WWE and calls Reigns a nepo-baby. He says Reigns hates him because Reigns can’t control Punk and neither can the Samoan Family.
Punk says he can’t be blackballed and says he’s not done and everyone is getting it tonight. Punk calls out Pat McAfee. Punk tells McAfee to tell TKO officials to lower ticket prices instead of them putting McAfee in storylines. Punk drops the mic and walks off. Ruthless.
Backstage With IShowSpeed, Danhausen, Adam Pearce & The Vision
The commentators welcome us to the show and show footage from last week of IShowSpeed getting involved in The Usos vs. The Vision and inadvertently causing The Usos the tag-team titles. We then see footage from the weekend of LA Knight crashing iShowSpeed’s stream and beating him.
We return live backstage and we see IShowSpeed is looking for Danhausen. Danhausen shows up and Speed wants the curse to be lifted. Danhausen wants to be mentioned on Speed’s stream and he’ll lift the curse. Adam Pearce comes by and asks why Speed is here and he tells Speed to go home and not get involved in the tag stuff.
Austin Theory and Logan Paul come in and tell Speed what Knight did to him is unforgivable. Paul tells Speed he’s safe with them and says Speed needs to stick with them and they take him away and head to the ring to watch Theory’s match. Logan Paul’s theme hits and they head to the ring as the show heads to a break.
Austin Theory vs. LA Knight
When the show returns, we see Austin Theory in the ring and ready to go. LA Knight comes out and the bell sounds to get things officially off-and-running. Theory and Knight circle each other and then lock up. Theory is tossed in the corner and the two lock up again.
Knight is tossed to the mat and they lock up again. Knight hip tosses Theory and then slams him down two times in a row and Theory rolls out of the ring. Theory gets back in the ring and they lock up again. Theory punches Knight in the corner and drives Knight’s head into the turnbuckle and elbows him.
Theory suplexes Knight and covers Knight for a one count. Theory is clotheslined and Theory rolls out of the ring again. Knight kicks Theory through the bottom and middle rope and then goes outside the ring and clotheslines Theory over the barricade and we cut to a commercial break.
As we settle back in from the commercials, we see Knight and Theory battle to suplex the other and Knight reverses to a neck-breaker. Knight punches Theory several times and takes Theory with a flying forearm and takes Theory down with a side Russian Leg Sweep and then a neck-breaker.
Theory is covered and kicks out at two. Theory punches Knight and then hits a blockbuster and covers Knight for a near fall. Theory gets Knight on his shoulders and Knight counters and clotheslines Theory over the ropes to the outside. The action spills outside the ring and Theory’s head is smashed into the announce desk.
Paul distracts Knight and Theory is tossed into the ring. Paul shoves Speed into Knight as he’s getting in the ring and Knight goes after Speed. The Usos’ music hits. IShowSpeed has nowhere to go. Speed jumps over Knight and gets caught in the ring. Paul gets on the apron and gets knocked off by Knight. Theory rolls up Knight and gets the win.
Winner: Austin Theory
IShowSpeed Announced For Six-Man Match At WrestleMania 42
Once the match wraps up, IShowSpeed is in the ring with The Usos and Knight. Jey grabs Speed and The Usos go to 1-D him and Paul pulls Speed out of the ring. Knight gets on the mic and asks Adam Pearce to come out.
Pearce comes out and Knight says Speed cost Knight his match tonight. Knight wants a six person tag match with Then Usos and Knight -vs- The Vision and Speed. Pearce agrees to the match and tells Speed he told him to go home.
Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh Attack Finn Balor
Footage is shown of the whole Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Pat McAfee situation from this past Friday night’s WWE SmackDown show. When we return live, we see Finn Balo walking backstage. Grayson Waller and Kofi Kingston argue with each other as Balor keeps walking.
On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into a quick pre-match break, as Balor goes one-on-one against JD McDonagh when we return. When the show returns, we see Balor making his entrance. As Balor comes out to the ring, Dominik Mysterio attacks Balor from behind.
Balor fights back and McDonagh comes out to help and gets tossed into the ring post. Balor sends Mysterio in the ring and beats him up. McDonagh comes back in the ring and is tossed over the ropes, giving Mysterio the opportunity to strike Balor with his AAA belt. McDonagh and Mysterio beat Balor down with a chair.
Becky Lynch Crashes Michael Cole’s Interview With AJ Lee
From there, we shoot to the commentary desk at ringside. Michael Cole and Corey Graves set up a pre-taped sit-down interview that Cole conducted with AJ Lee to talk about her first WrestleMania in 11 years at WrestleMania 42, where she will be in the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship match against Becky Lynch.
Cole asks about her thoughts being on the WrestleMania card for the first time in eleven years. Becky Lynch comes in and makes fun of Cole and he leaves. Lynch sits down and says she remembers Lee’s last WrestleMania and how Lynch was a newbie backstage and Lee was being fake.
Lynch says Lee quit the next day because she was scared of Lynch. Lee tells Lynch to keep underestimating her. Lee says she’s proud of Lynch for everything she’s done for the WWE but none of that happens without Lee. Lee says she’s shattered glass ceilings so Lynch can walk through doors.
Lee says she’s not replaceable and the fans never forgot her so she knows who she is. Lee leaves and Lynch loses her cool and throws a temper-tantrum as the intense interview segment comes to a close. We head to another commercial break.
Bayley vs. Lash Legend
When the show returns, we head back to the ring for our next match of the evening, which is a women’s singles bout with Bayley going one-on-one against one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag-Team Champions from The Irresistible Forces, Lash Legend.
Already in the ring are Bayley and Legend. At ringside are their partners for the four-team women’s tag-team title tilt at WrestleMania 42, Lyra Valkyria and Nia Jax, respectively. Legend establishes the early offensive lead and very quickly into the match getting started, we head to a mid-match commercial break.
As the show returns, we see Bayley and Legend grapple and Bayley punches Legend and sends her out to the apron. Bayley guillotines Legend and Legend catches Bayley and connects with a backbreaker and covers Bayley for a near fall.
Legend goes for a powerbomb but Bayley counters and Legend takes Bayley down with an uppercut and covers Bayley for another near fall. Bayley kicks Legend and Legend slams Bayley to the mat. Bayley moves out of the way as Legend tries to jump on her and we get some separation.
Bayley kicks Legend and dropkicks Legend into the corner. Bayley hits a running knee and climbs the ropes and elbows Legend on her back and covers her for a two count. Jax trips Bayley and Legend runs at her but runs shoulder first into the ring post. Valkyria goes for Jax and Jax beats up Valkyria outside the ring.
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss run out and fight Jax. Bayley comes off the top rope and takes out Jax, Flair and Bliss outside the ring. Back in the ring, Legend superplexes Bayley but Valkyria grabs Legend’s leg making Bayley fall on Legend. Valkyria holds her leg for good measure during the three-count.
Winner: Bayley
Seth Rollins Addresses Gunther And WrestleMania 42
Footage is shown to promote Seth Rollins’ coming up next. We head to another commercial break. When the show returns, we see some celebrities in the house, including the NFL’s Houston Texas’ head coach, hip-hop star Bun B and WWE Hall of Fame legend Mark Henry.
After the celebrity cameo segment of the week wraps up, we shoot to Michael Cole and Corey Graves at the commentary desk, who set up the trailer for the new Netflix docuseries, ‘Hulk Hogan: Real American,’ which premieres on April 22.
When it wraps up, we see an aerial shot inside the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. where we hear the familiar sounds of Seth Rollins’ theme music. “Burn it down!” He makes his way out to the ring, coming down the aisle for a change, as fans sing along to his catchy tune.
Rollins talks about being gone for six months and how he’s been waiting to be back. Rollins gets the crowd to sing his song and he walks around the ring making them sing louder. Rollins says he is back and in two weeks at WrestleMania he goes one on one with Gunther.
Rollins doesn’t know how they got here as he and Gunther have no issues and he feels Gunther has entered some sort of business relationship with Paul Heyman. Rollins says he has two missions, to win back the WWE Title and to kill The Vision.
Rollins talks about Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker being injured and how Logan Paul and Austin Theory are tangling with The Usos and how he served Brock Lesnar on a platter for Oba Femi. Rollins calls out Gunther and says he has now made it personal.
Gunther gets in the ring and gets Rollins in a sleeper hold. Rollins reverses and gets Gunther in one and Gunther breaks free and Rollins tries to stomp Gunther. Gunther avoids it. From there, we see things continue, as the fight goes outside the ring.
We see a ton of officials come out and separate them. Gunther gets a cheap shot on Rollins before they’re separated. Rollins runs after Gunther but gets stopped and Gunther is sent to the back. Rollins gets back in the ring and paces back and forth.
Backstage With Gunther & Paul Heyman
We cut to the back and Gunther is walking backstage and comes across Paul Heyman. Heyman says he doesn’t know why Gunther attacked Rollins but he owes Gunther a big thank you. Gunther shakes Heyman’s hand and then tells Heyman that he owes Gunther so much more than a big thank you, and leaves.
Latest From Liv Morgan & Stephanie Vaquer
A recap of the Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquers feud is shown with Roxanne Perez returning and helping Morgan. We then cut to a promo from Vaquer who tells Morgan that if she wants to play dirty, she will play dirty. She welcomes Morgan to her inferno.
Penta, Dragon Lee & Je’Von Evans vs. Los Americanos
Now we head back inside the arena, where we return to ringside for our next match of the evening. It will be WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta teaming with two of his opponents in the ladder match title defense he has scheduled at WrestleMania 42 — Dragon Lee and Je’Von Evans.
That trio takes on the Los Americanos team of El Grande Americano, Bravo Americano and Rayo Americano. And it goes down next. When the entrances wrap up, the bell sounds to get things officially off-and-running. Bravo and Lee start things off for their respective teams at the onset.
Bravo kicks Lee and they both collide with each other for a bit and Lee takes Bravo down and Rayo is tagged in and he takes out Lee. Evans gets tagged in and Evans hits a cutter and then a springboard head-scissors. Americano is tagged in and he slams down Evans and kicks Evans in the face.
Rayo and Bravo take out Penta and Lee off the apron. Evans splashes onto Americano and Rayo and The Americano are sent out of the ring. Evans, Penta and Lee suicide dive out to everyone and we cut to a break. Coming back from a commercial break, Rayo beats up Evans in the middle of the ring.
Americano is tagged in and he slams down Evans and covers him for a two count. Americano and Evans both tag out. Penta comes in and so does Rayo. Penta sling-blades Rayo, and then takes out Americano and Bravo. Lee is tagged in and he kicks Rayo.
Bravo runs in and saves Rayo. Americano headbutts Lee and Bravo comes off the top rope with a headbutt and Rayo headbutts Lee too. Penta comes in and takes out all three and Evans hits Red Dot on Americano. Rayo is double teamed.
From there, Lee hits Styles Clash on Bravo and Americano breaks the pin. Evans is tagged in and everyone is fighting now. Americano is taken out by Lee. Rayo is taken out by Penta and Evans hits the OG Cutter on Bravo and gets the win.
Winners: Penta, Dragon Lee & Je’Von Evans
Rey Mysterio Added To WrestleMania 42 Ladder Match
Once the match wraps up, we see Penta, Evans and Lee celebrate in the ring when Rey Mysterio’s music hits. He comes out and hugs Penta, Lee and Evans. Mysterio has a mic and says he’s proud of Penta and his success. Mysterio talks about the ladder match at WrestleMania and how he’s not part of it. Penta says he is now.
Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky vs. B-Fab & Michin
We learn that Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque will be the special guest on this week’s new episode of the “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast hosted by Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. The show drops this Thursday. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria take part in a commercial break interview with Cathy Kelley.
Backstage, we see Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky warming up for their match. Behind them we see Austin Theory chatting it up with Maxxine Dupri. The show heads to another commercial break. When the show returns, we get a backstage promo from Asuka.
“The Empress of Tomorrow” talks about paving the way for Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane and about everything she sacrificed for Iyo Sky. She says she loved Sky too much and that’s why Sky has taken advantage of Asuka and her love. She vows to teach Iyo Sky a lesson and she will take everything away from Sky.
Back inside the arena, RhIyo make their ring entrance, as do their opponents, B-Fab and Michin, accompanied by WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill. The bell sounds to get things officially off-and-running in this scheduled women’s tag-team tilt.
Kicking things off for their respective teams at the onset are Ripley and B-Fab. B-Fab tries for kick but Ripley catches her and knocks her to the mat. Ripley punches B-Fab out and then throws Michin into the ring and kicks her. Michin is tossed out of the ring and B-Fab kicks Ripley down and mounts Ripley and punches her.
B-Fab hits Ripley with elbows in the corner. B-Fab hits Ripley with a DDT and covers Ripley who kicks out. B-Fab gets Ripley in a headlock and Ripley snap-mares out of the hold. Michin and Sky are tagged in and Sky takes down Michin and stomps on her.
Michin is kicked and B-Fab is guillotined and Sky comes off the top rope with a missile drop kick on both Michin and B-Fab. Sky suicide dives onto Michin and B-Fab who are outside the ring. On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues.
When the show returns, we see B-Fab has Sky on the mat and chokes her out. Sky stuns B-Fab and B-Fab clotheslines Sky to the mat. B-Fab punches Ripley on the ring apron and Ripley gets the ref distracted and Sky gets double teamed by Michin and B-Fab.
Cargill attacks Ripley and pulls her off the apron and Sky cannot tag. Sky sends Michin into the ring post and then rolls up B-Fab and gets the win. After the match, Cargill attacks Sky and Sky gets triple teamed. Michin goes out and gets a Kendo Stick.
Ripley runs into the ring and takes out B-Fab and Michin. Cargill kicks Ripley and Ripley is held in the corner by B-Fab and Michin as Cargill mouths off to Ripley. Ripley asks Cargill to hit her but instead Cargill grabs the Kendo Stick.
She starts beating Sky as Ripley is being held back. Cargill smokes Sky several times and then hits Sky with Jaded. Ripley is still trapped in the corner and Cargill calls for her girls and they all leave as Ripley tends an unconscious Sky.
Winners: Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky
Finn Balor Teases The Return Of “The Demon”
From there, we shift gears where we cut to a vignette featuring Finn Balor. Balor cuts a promo on Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh from the backstage area. Balor tells Mysterio that he only knows one side of him and Mysterio has awoken the other side and it’s coming for Mysterio.
Stephanie Vaquer Attacks Liv Morgan
Backstage, we see The Judgement Day is talking about Finn Balor’s promo. JD McDonagh is worried about Rey Mysterio being in his ladder match. Dominik Mysterio says he has a plan and they leave. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez stay behind and Roxanne Perez comes by.
Rodriguez leaves and Morgan tells Perez there is an elephant in the room and they discuss Balor being kicked out of Judgement Day and how he brought her in and before she can say more, Stephanie Vaquer attacks Morgan sending her into Perez viciously. Morgan and Perez’ heads literally collide. Vaquer then beats up Morgan.
Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi Contract Signing For WrestleMania 42
It’s main event (segment) time!
Back down to the ring we go, where WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce come out for the contract signing for Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42. But first, we head to a quick commercial break.
When the show returns, we see the ring set up for the contract signing now, with Pearce and Levesque still inside. Pearce talks about how one of the biggest matches at WrestleMania is between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi. Paul Heyman comes out and interrupts Pearce.
As Heyman is talking the crowd starts to chant for Oba. Heyman says their opinion is irrelevant and introduces Brock Lesnar as “The conqueror of The Ruler” and Lesnar comes out and joins Heyman. Pearce introduces Oba Femi and Femi comes out and struts to the ring.
Femi mocks Lesnar as he comes down to the ring. As Femi gets in the ring, Lesnar attacks him. Femi slams Lesnar into the ring-post. The latest weekly wild brawl between these two is fully on at this point. The fight goes into the ring and both men go through the contract signing table.
We see tons of officials rush down and get into the ring. They are separating the two, but they keep breaking free and attacking each other again and again. Lesnar and Femi throw office chairs at each other and the show goes off the air in abrupt fashion as the brawl was still in progress. Thanks for joining us!