This week’s episode of WWE Raw emanates from the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri! Jey Uso defends the Intercontinental Championship against Xavier Woods. Sami Zayn challenges Gunther for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Sheamus and Pete Dunne battle in a Donnybrook Match, and more!
We break it all down in this week’s WWE Raw recap!
We Hear From CM Punk & Seth Rollins
Rapper Sexyy Red is in the ring and welcomes the live crowd to WWE Raw.
CM Punk stands on the stage with a bandage on his forehead, and his right arm wrapped up. Punk says he is no condition to be here tonight, let alone walk down to the ring. Nevertheless, he is here. Punk says he is a winner coming out of Hell in a Cell, but he doesn’t feel like one. Punk says the match left him with lots of questions, one of them being what is next for him. Punk gives thanks to his fans, his peers, and his haters. Punk says there is a thin line between love and hate, and encourages the haters to keep doubting him. Punk says he is now going to return home to his wife, and he doesn’t know when we’ll see him back, as he’s banged up.
Seth Rollins’ music hits. He and Punk have a brief stare down before he walks to the ring. Rollins welcomes the crowd to Raw. He then sends well wishes to Punk, just so he can return once again and he can retire Punk for good. Rollins says he is back to destroy Bronson Reed, but Bronson isn’t here tonight. Rollins recalls Reed trying to end his career. Six Tsunamis later, Rollins now knows Reed’s name. Rollins then challenges Reed to a singles match anytime, anywhere.
Jey Uso’s music hits. He makes his way down the ring and briefly stares at Rollins. Rollins leaves the ring as Uso hypes up the crowd for his Intercontinental Championship title defense next.
Intercontinental Championship: Jey Uso (c) vs. Xavier Woods (w/ Kofi Kingston)
Uso and Woods lock up, with the latter backing the former into the corner. Woods charges at Uso, but Uso sidesteps and levels Woods. Woods and Uso move to the apron. Uso looks to land a superkick, but Woods blocks it. Woods pushes Uso off the apron then slams him onto the outside mat.
Back from break, Woods and Uso exchange strikes. Woods bounces off the ropes and takes an elbow to the face. Woods responds by nailing Uso with a jumping forearm. Uso hits Woods with a forearm of his own, to which Woods hits another one of his own as well. Woods covers Uso, but Uso kicks out. Woods looks for a springboard dropkick, but he instead eats a mid-air superkick. Uso then goes up top and lands an Uso Splash for the win.
Winner (And Still): Jey Uso
After the match, Uso extends his hand for Woods to shake. Woods instead walks away angrily, while Kingston questions his decision. Uso then celebrates his victory, but is blindsided by a spear from Bron Breakker. Kingston rushes in to save Uso, but also eats a spear. Woods rolls Kingston out of the ring, but Breakker then comes charging at him with another spear. Breakker follows up with a second spear to Uso.
In pre-taped promo, Rhea Ripley says it was smart for Liv Morgan to use a returning Raquel Rodriguez to attack her at WWE Bad Blood, but she got caught. According to Ripley, all Morgan has done now is guarantee another beating from her and delay the inevitable. Ripley says she’ll now go through both Morgan and Rodriguez.
Backstage, Bron Breakker is asked about his change in attitude between this and last week. Breakker simply shakes his head and walks away.
Backstage, Miz and Karrion Kross converse as Wyatt Sicks glitches flicker across the screen. R-Truth enters the frame and says Miz was confused last week. Miz points out that he wasn’t confused last week when he turned on Truth. Miz declares that Awesome Truth is over. Truth tries to fix their issues by getting Miz a match for next week. Miz stops him and says they’ll have a match of their own next week.
Donnybrook Match: Sheamus vs Pete Dunne
Sheamus arrives with a shillelagh, while Dunne has a cricket bat. Sheamus backs Dunne into a corner and beats him down. Dunne fights back with an elbow and a pair of kicks. Sheamus takes him down with a clothesline. Sheamus then holds and pulls the shillelagh across Dunne’s face. Sheamus delivers an Alabama Slam then sends Dunne flying through the ropes. Sheamus goes for a Brogue Kick, but Dunne moves out of the way. Sheamus kicks the stack of barrels instead. Dunne connects with a DDT on the outside, then follows up with a double stomp. Dunne kicks Sheamus in the face and bounces his head off the bar. Dunne then jumps off the bar, but is caught and thrown onto the announce table.
Back from break, Dunne chops Sheamus in the chest. Sheamus lands a forearm on Dunne, then smashes the shillelagh into Dunne’s torso. Sheamus goes for the Ten Beats, but Dunne bounces his head off the ropes instead. Sheamus sets up for a Brogue Kick, but Dunne moves again.
Sheamus climbs to the top rope, where Dunne meets him. Dunne connects with a superplex for a two count. Dunne kicks Sheamus out of the ring. Dunne climbs a stack of barrels, but Sheamus strikes him with the shillelagh again. Sheamus puts the shillelagh between Dunne’s arms and back for the Ten Beats/ Sheamus hits White Noise of the barrels and through a table. Back in the ring, Sheamus nails Dunne with a running knee then hits a Celtic Cross. Shockingly, Dunne kicks out.
Dunne hits Sheamus with the cricket bat. Dunne retrieves a drawer from the bar and smashes it into Sheamus. Dunne then retrieves two zip ties to bind Sheamus’ hands behind his back. Dunne connects with a big boot. Dunne then looks to hit Sheamus with the cricket bat, but Sheamus fends them off with a pair of Brogue Kicks for the win.
Winner: Sheamus
Backstage, Cody Rhodes says he is here to find out what it takes to be the first ever WWE Cron Jewel Champion. Rhodes comes face-to-face with Sami Zayn. Zayn says he will be the one to face Rhodes at Crown Jewel once he beats WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther later tonight. Rhodes wishes Zayn good luck.
Elsewhere, Jackie Redmond looks to get comments from Liv Morgan, Dominik Mysterio, and Raquel Rodriguez. Morgan points out that while Rhea Ripley beat her by disqualification at Bad Blood, she still has her title, the Judgement Day, and now, Rodriguez. Redmond tries to ask Rodriguez if she’s officially in Judgement Day, but Morgan changes the subject.
Backstage, Ethan Page tries to confront WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce about CM Punk’s actions on NXT last week. Pearce, however, points him to the NXT General Manager Ava, who says she’s not dealing with it right now, as she is off duty tonight. Page later meets Sexyy Red.
Natalya, Lyra Valkyria, Zelina Vega, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter vs. Unholy Union and Purse Fusion Collective
Zoey Stark and Kayden Carter kick things off, with Stark charging at Carter. An all-out brawl then ensues in the ring. Carter leaps off the top to take out Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre. Natalya looks to dive onto them as well, but Deville pulls her out of the ring. Deville sends her crashing into the steel steps.
Back from break, Vega kicks Stark in the midsection before following up with a Scissor Kick. Vega looks for a hurricanrana off, but Stark sees and nails her with a superkick. Vega responds with a moonsault off the ropes and goes for the pin, but it’s interrupted. Next, Valkyria and Deville tag in, with the former securing the victory with a leg drop to the back of Deville’s head.
Winners: Natalya, Lyra Valkyria, Zelina Vega, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn
Gunther and Zayn lock up, with the latter taking down the former with a headlock. Gunther charges at Zayn, but Zayn pulls down the rope to send him crashing to the outside.
Back from break, Gunther drives a boot over the throat of Zayn as he’s hung up on the ropes. Gunther then lays in with a chop and a strike. Zayn ascends the ropes and jumps down, only to eat a chop. Gunther connects with an uppercut and a chop, the second of which sends Zayn to the ground. Zayn fires back with a pair of right hands, but Gunther chops him back. Gunther kicks Zayn, but Zayn kicks right back. Zayn looks for a Blue Thunder Bomb but Gunther evades and locks in a sleeper hold. Zayn breaks free and finally connects with a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Back from another commercial, Gunther chops Zayn to the ground, but Zayn keeps getting back up. Zayn rains down with right hands, causing Gunther to retreat to the outside. Zayn slams Gunther back-first onto the mat. Zayn connects with an Exploder and Helluva Kick into the barricade. The referee begins his count, with Zayn struggling to get Gunther back in the ring. Zayn rolls back into the ring to break the count before going back to Gunther. Zayn rolls Gunther back in the ring.
Zayn lands another Helluva Kick, then goes for a third one, but Gunther sees it coming and hits a massive lariat. Gunther looks to slam Zayn, but Zayn counters into a roll up. Gunther kicks out and powerbombs Zayn for a two count. Gunther connects with another powerbomb. This time, Zayn kicks out at one. Gunther locks in a sleeper hold. Zayn begins to fade, but finds the strength to briefly rise up. Unfortunately for Zayn, he fades again.
Winner (And Still): Gunther
Post-match, Cody Rhodes stares down with Gunther on the stage.