WWE winds down the red brand road to WrestleMania 42 tonight in “The Golden State.”
WWE Raw is live this evening at 8/7c on Netflix from Sacramento, California.
“WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” kicks things off as always.
Roman Reigns Kicks Things Off
A special video kicks off the show with new comments from a soft-spoken Roman Reigns, who talks about how he told CM Punk to enjoy his time of relevancy while he was away. He says he knew he would do what he did in that time, and that’s try and tear him down. He says everyone remembers living through it, though, and all he did was expose himself.
Footage of CM Punk in recent weeks is shown, including his most recent pipe bomb. The response from Pat McAfee on SmackDown is also shown. Reigns returns. “What’d I say? Embarrassing. I like Pat, I really do. But never before has a punter ran his mouth to me.” He tells CM Punk it’s not 2012 anymore, and no one believes him.
He says he’s giving “Phil” one opportunity tonight. Either he will tell the truth, or Reigns will. “This message has been approved by your Tribal Chief,” in nWo style, is heard as the video wraps up. We then see CM Punk lost in thought by himself in the locker room.
Triple H, Adam Pearce, Paul Heyman & Brock Lesnar Open The Show
From there, we see the usual backstage Superstar arrival shots as Michael Cole welcomes us to the show on commentary, announcing Charlotte Flair vs. Lyra Valkyria as a match scheduled for tonight. We then see footage of Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi’s recent wild brawls.
We return live, where Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and Adam Pearce are in the ring. Pearce says Lesnar and Femi will sign their WrestleMania match contracts separately tonight. Paul Heyman comes out and introduces “The Beast” Brock Lesnar. His theme hits and out he comes.
Lesnar comes to the ring to a big pop and pyro. He enters the ring, signs the contract while his music is still playing, hands it over and then flexes and roars to the crowd, who roars back. Heyman says the contract signed. As he continues to talk, he is drowned out by “Oba! Oba!” chants.
Heyman begins trying to talk, only for Lesnar to yank the microphone out of his hand. Lesnar calmly tells the crowd, “You won’t even know his name after this weekend.” Heyman says there is going to be a winner and a loser this Sunday. He calls that a spoiler. He says the loser’s name is Oba Femi. His music hits again and off they go.
IShowSpeed, Logan Paul & Austin Theory Prepare For WrestleMania
We shoot to an empty gym with a ring, where we see WWE Tag-Team Champions Logan Paul and Austin Theory convincing IShowSpeed that everyone hates him and what’s done is done. They tell him it’s time to lock in. He agrees. We then see footage of Paul and Theory training Speed in the ring.
Charlotte Flair vs. Lyra Valkyria
Now we return live inside the arena, where the familiar sounds of Charlotte Flair’s theme. “The Queen” makes her way to the ring for the first match of the evening. As she finishes up her ring entrance, the show heads into a pre-match commercial break.
When the show returns, Lyra Valkyria makes her way out. The bell sounds and off we go. Flair and Valkyria lock up, Valkyria gets Flair on the mat with a snap-mare and Flair counters out. Valkyria knocks Flair back to the mat in a headlock and Flair counters to a leg scissors submission.
Valkyria reverses the hold and handstands out of it and the two trade taunts. Flair slams down Valkyria and shoulder checks Valkyria to the mat and talks smack to Bayley. Valkyria slaps Flair and Flair chops her back. Valkyria takes down Flair with a cross body and a spinning heel kicks and covers Flair for a near fall.
Valkyria kicks Flair and Flair kicks Valkyria in the corner dropping her. Valkyria trips Flair on the apron and kicks Flair through the ropes and Flair collapses to the floor outside the ring. Valkyria jumps over the ropes and Flair moves out of the way and kicks Valkyria and we get a break.
As we settle back in, we see Flair chopping Valkyria several times and knocks her to the mat. Flair then hits her handspring clothesline and slams down Valkyria. Flair steps on and over Valkyria and climbs the ropes. Valkyria pulls Flair off the top rope and then climbs the ropes herself.
She hits a top rope leg drop on Flair and covers Flair for a near fall. Valkyria climbs up again and goes for a middle rope moonsault but Flair gets her knees up. Valkyria tries to roll up Flair but fails. Flair kicks Valkyria down and drags to the middle of the ring. Flair moonsaults onto Valkyria and Valkyria kicks out at two.
Flair goes for Natural Selection and Valkyria reverses and covers Flair for a near fall. Valkyria strikes and punches Flair and Flair chops Valkyria back. Valkyria connects with a brain-buster suplex and covers Flair for a two count.
Valkyria goes for NightWing and Flair reverses and sends Valkyria out of the ring and she crashes into Bayley. Flair tosses Valkyria back in the ring and rolls her up and Bayley pushes Flair and Valkyria rolls up Flair for the victory. Flair & Bliss start a fight with Bayley and Valkyria and then ref breaks it up.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
Backstage With LA Knight, The Usos, Solo Sikoa & The MFTs
Backstage, we see LA Knight and The Usos making fun of IShowSpeed’s training video. Solo Sikoa with The MFTs come by, minus Tama Tonga. Sikoa tells the Usos they make the family look bad for hanging out with Knight. Knight says he and The Usos can take on any three of them tonight. The Usos seem to agree.
Stephanie Vaquer & Liv Morgan Have Wild Brawl
Now we shoot to a different area backstage, where we see reigning WWE Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer walking before a special interview. That interview with “La Primera” is up next when we return. On that note, we head to a break.
When we return, we see a new sneak peek look at the new Hulk Hogan documentary on Netflix. Back live and we see Stephanie Vaquer making her way out to the ring. Cathy Kelley is in the ring with Vaquer and Vaquer is attacked from behind by Liv Morgan.
Morgan and Vaquer go at it and officials come from the back to break them up. Vaquer is taken out of the ring and Morgan gets on the mic and tells Vaquer to come fight her. Morgan calls Vaquer a little bitch and Vaquer says she wants to settle this now and gets back in the ring and the two fight some more and are broken up.
Vaquer breaks free and attacks Morgan again and Morgan is knocked out of the ring and they’re held back as the segment ends. Cathy Kelley is helped to the back as she was knocked down when Morgan attacked Vaquer. That’s how things wrap up here.
Backstage With Iyo Sky, Asuka & Kairi Sane
Jackie Redmond is backstage with Iyo Sky. Redmond asks Sky if she has anything to say after losing to Jade Cargill. Sky says she has no regrets because she was fighting for her friend and she’s rooting for Rhea Ripley.
Asuka and Kairi Sane come by and Asuka tells Sky last year Sky was on the WrestleMania card as a champion and this year she’s Ripley’s sidekick. Sky tells Sane that Sane doesn’t have to follow Asuka’s lead. Asuka says Sane will battle Sky tonight.
LA Knight & The Usos vs. Solo Sikoa & The MFTs
Back inside the arena, we head to ringside for our next match of the evening, which was set up earlier in the show. JC Mateo and Jimmy Uso kick things off for their respective teams at the onset. Mateo punches Jimmy a bit and Jimmy kicks Mateo.
Jey tags himself in and Mateo is double teamed. Jey clotheslines Mateo out of the ring and then suicide dives out onto Mateo with the help of Jimmy. 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 Sikoa has Jey on the mat and he starts to chop Jey around the ring. Sikoa punches Jey in one of the corners of the ring and then runs at Jey with a running hip attack, flattening Jey. Sikoa goes for some pressure points on Jey’s neck and Jey fights out of the hold.
He YEET strikes Sikoa until he’s taken down by Sikoa. Sikoa knocks Jimmy off the apron and Jey kicks Sikoa down. Knight and Loa are tagged in and Knight takes out everyone from MFTs and knocks Mateo out of the ring. Knight knocks Loa down with a neck-breaker and then comes off the top rope with an elbow.
Loa is covered and Mateo breaks the pin. Jimmy superkicks Mateo, Sikoa spikes Jimmy, Jey knocks Sikoa out of the ring and jumps at Sikoa. Sikoa grabs Jey mid-air and tosses him onto the announce desk. Tama Tonga shows up through the crowd.
Sikoa asks where the hell he was. Talla Tonga gets in front of Tama Tonga and in the ring, Knight connects with The BFT on Loa and gets the win. After the match, Talla Tonga and Solo Sikoa stare down Tama Tonga who still stands in the time keeper’s area.
Winners: The Usos and LA Knight
Gunther & Seth Rollins Get Personal Ahead Of WrestleMania
We see a video package of the ongoing Pat McAfee stuff on SmackDown and then return live. Inside the arena, Gunther comes out to the ring. Before Gunther can get a word in, Seth Rollins slides into the ring and attacks Gunther. Gunther leaves the ring and Rollins gets on the mic.
Rollins says the last two weeks Gunther has attacked him so this is his receipt. He tells Gunther in six days he will finish the job and tells Gunther to be a man and get in the ring and tell Rollins why Gunther wants to fight him at WrestleMania.
Gunther walks back to the ring area and gets a mic and gets back in the ring and stands toe to toe with Rollins. Gunther says he is solving Paul Heyman’s problem and that Rollins has been pissing Gunther off. Gunther says he’s the best, not Rollins.
Gunther and Rollins go back to fighting and Gunther kicks Rollins down and tries to powerbomb Rollins. Rollins counters and knocks Gunther out of the ring and tries to stomp him but Gunther gets out of the way. Gunther retreats and Rollins gets back in the ring and poses.
Backstage With Adam Pearce, Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Mysterio complains to Adam Pearce backstage. Mysterio is pissed he has to face “The Demon” and not Finn Balor and he’s pissed his dad, Rey Mysterio, gets to compete for the IC belt. Pearce says Rey Mysterio deserves what he gets at WrestleMania and Dominik Mysterio will get what he deserves at WrestleMania.
Iyo Sky vs. Kairi Sane
Back to the ring we go, as it’s time for another match set up earlier in the show. After the entrances, things get started quick, as Sane runs at Sky at the bell and takes her down and starts hammering down with punches. Sky reverses and the two take turns rolling around and punching each other.
Sky is speared into the corner and then Sane connects with a running elbow in the corner. Sane climbs the ropes and hits a flying forearm from the top rope and covers Sky for a near fall. Sane kicks Sky and takes her down with a snap-mare.
Sky is locked in a headlock and Sky powers out of the hold and counters a head-scissors by Sane. Sky trips Sane and hits a dropkick Sane knocking her out of the ring. Sane knocks Sky onto the apron but runs into a kick by Sky. Sky climbs the barricades outside the ring and hits a moonsault and flattens Sane and we get a break.
When the show returns, Sky knocks Sane down with some elbows and kicks Sane in the head. Sky connects with a top rope missile dropkick and then follows that up with a Bullet Train Attack. Sky climbs the ropes and Sane knocks her down.
Sky hits Sane with a forearm and then climbs the turnbuckle and brings Sane up with her. Sky gets headbutted and gets tangled in the corner. Asuka slams Sky’s head into the ring post as the ref checks on Sky. This calls out Rhea Ripley and Ripley runs down and attacks Asuka.
Ripley goes to hit Riptide on Asuka and is attacked by Jade Cargill. Sky takes out Cargill with a suicide dive and then kicks Sane from the apron. Sky climbs the ropes and Asuka trips Sky again knocking her down. Sane rolls up Sky and gets the win.
Winner: Kairi Sane
Oba Femi Confronted By Paul Heyman
We return to the ring for another contract signing, part two. After Brock Lesnar inked his paperwork earlier in the show, it’s now time for his opponent, Oba Femi, to do the same. Triple H and Adam Pearce are in the ring again. Femi comes out, but is confronted by Paul Heyman.
Heyman is standing up by the entrance and Heyman says he has been in the industry for a long time and he has never seen someone come across to the audience as a star as fast as Oba Femi. He tells Femi that Femi is a violent man and that’s why he’s not coming to the ring.
Heyman says Femi is the fastest rising star, impressive athlete, and fighter since Brock Lesnar. The crowd cheers for Femi and Heyman tells the fans that they’re pissing him off. Heyman says everything Femi has built comes to an end this weekend when Lesnar conquers Femi.
Heyman says Femi should hold losing in pride because when Femi needs to rebuild is career after the loss, Heyman’s door will always be open to Femi. Femi says it is taking everything in him to not go out there and beat up Heyman. Femi says if he beats up Heyman, the physical scars will heal.
He says but taking down Heyman’s beast – those emotional scars will never heal. Femi says the door he needs to stay open is the door to WrestleMania. He tells Heyman that they issued an open challenge and Femi stepped up. It’s not personal.
It’s business, but this time it’s different because it’s time to put an end to the beast. Femi says Lesnar is scared of him because he is the mountain Lesnar cannot climb and he will slay the beast. Femi says he is the one, he knows it, the fans know it and at WrestleMania, Heyman will know it too. Things end there.
Je’Von Evans & Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh & Rusev
The new Liv Morgan music video “Trouble” airs and then we head back inside the arena, where we get ready for our next and likely final match of the evening, starting right at the 10 o’clock hour. Lee and McDonagh start the bout. McDonagh runs at Evans and Lee and hammers away on him in the corner.
Lee is chopped and kicked to the ground in the corner. McDonagh clotheslines Lee and knocks Evan off the apron. McDonagh slams down Lee and covers him for a two count. Rusev is now tagged in and he slams down Lee and hits a leaping suplex. Rusev elbows Lee and kicks Lee.
McDonagh is tagged back in and Lee is double teamed. McDonagh drops Lee on the back of his neck and tags in Rusev. Lee is double teamed some more and Lee punches Rusev but is kicked back down. Lee counters a powerbomb and tags out to Evans.
Evans takes McDonagh out off the apron and jumps around the ring and knocks down Rusev. Evans hits a suicide dive on McDonagh and clotheslines Rusev off the ropes. McDonagh is knocked back out of the ring and so is Rusev. Evans goes for a suicide dive but Rusev catches him and punches him.
McDonagh takes Lee off the apron and hits a springboard Moonsault on Lee outside the ring. Evans punches McDonagh outside the ring and runs at Rusev who is by the announce desk. Evans jumps at Rusev and Rusev catches Evans and hits Fallaway Slam on Evans onto the announce desk.
On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues. When we return, we see Evans has Rusev on the mat. Lee and McDonagh are tagged in. Lee takes McDonagh out off the apron and sends him back in the ring.
Lee hits a snap dragon suplex and hits a Spanish Fly. All hell breaks loose in the ring, Evans takes out Rusev and back in the ring, McDonagh is rolled up and he kicks out. Lee hits Styles Clash on McDonagh and they get the victory.
Once the match wraps up, Rusev beats up Evans and Lee. Rusev goes to put Lee in The Accolade but Rey Mysterio comes out and attacks Rusev. Mysterio goes for a 6-1-9 but Rusev clotheslines Mysterio down. Penta comes out and attacks Rusev. Rusev kicks Penta down with a Mashka Kick.
Evans comes back in and attacks Rusev and Rusev takes down Evans. Rusev then hits McDonagh, Lee, Mysterio and Penta with Mashka Kicks. Rusev then puts Lee in The Accolade and then stands tall with all the ladder match contestants laid out.
Winners: Dragon Lee & Je’Von Evans
Backstage With Adam Pearce & Danhausen
We shoot backstage, where we see WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce is on the phone talking about John Cena hosting WrestleMania. Danhausen pops up and says he wants to speak to Cena. Pearce says Danhausen can wait till WrestleMania. Danhausen disappears and Pearce is left confused.
Roman Reigns & CM Punk Close Out The WrestleMania Go-Home Raw
It’s main event (segment) time!
As promised at the start of the show, Roman Reigns is heading out to give CM Punk one last chance to “tell the truth,” or he’s going to “tell the truth” for him. “The OTC” makes his way out to the ring and fans break out in “OTC!” chants and then “CM Punk! CM Punk!” chants.
They sing Roman Reigns’ name. He soaks it in and then begins on the microphone. “Sacramento … acknowledge me!” Before he can say another word, the theme for CM Punk hits. Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality” plays and the crowd sings along as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion emerges in the crowd.
Punk walks down the crowd and hops the barricade. He stands on the commentary desk and says he saw Reigns’ political ad in the cold open tonight. He says he’ll tell the truth. He tells Reigns to tell him when he’s telling lies. Reigns says if he comes in this ring, they aren’t going to need their mics.
CM Punk says he’ll tell the truth again. He says the truth is he hates Reigns. He hates him because he’s envious of him. He dreamed of the title as a kid. It’s all he ever wanted. He says he hates that it was handed to Reigns. He hates that held it for over 1,000 days.
Punk says he hates he knows how hard Reigns worked his ass off to be that great. He knows when they’re looking in the history books, they’re not gonna ask how, they’re gonna ask how many. He hates how many times Reigns has headlined WrestleMania. He asks if he’s telling lies yet. He hates that he feels this way.
He brings up Sika, and calls him a great man and a great wrestler. A champion and a Hall of Famer. He loves and respects the old-timers. He says he hates he used his father’s name in vein. He says he apologizes to him for that. Reigns nods. He gets in Reigns face and talks about how he hates there is more than one royal family.
He brings up his journey, conquering the independent scene and going around the globe looking for a family of his own. He asks Reigns again if he’s telling lies. He says he’s got gold on his waist and late Sunday night, when he’s got blood around his face, he’s gonna hold gold up over his head.
Reigns says that’s the truest stuff Punk has ever said. He then admits that he hates Punk too. He admits he hates Punk because of his connection to the WWE fans. He hopes they chant his name for ten years after he leaves. He says on Sunday, he takes over. He gave Punk two months and he did nothing with it. He vows to make Punk “acknowledge him.” That’s how the show ends. Thanks for joining us!