This week’s episode of WWE Raw emanates from the Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas! The New Day are heavily booed following their heel turn. Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez battle in an Anything Goes main event. The Women’s IC Title tournament continues with another triple threat match. Seth Rollins addresses his hatred for CM Punk, and more!
We break it all down in this week’s WWE Raw recap!
We Hear From Gunther & Finn Balor
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther heads to the ring. Gunther says Finn Balor now has his attention, but Saturday Night’s Main Event will not end up like Survivor Series. Balor appears alongside the men of The Judgment Day. Balor says Gunther could have given him the title match like he deserved, but instead he wanted to give it to someone who didn’t deserve it, like Dominik Mysterio. Balor claims that he is the only reason Gunther is still champion right now. Balor says Gunther will lose his title to him though at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Balor says after eight long years, he will once again be world champion. Gunther claims that Balor did not earn his upcoming title match. Gunther says he used to respect Balor, but over time, that respect dwindled as Balor began cutting corners and chose to align himself with Judgment Day. Gunther also says Balor chose to play second fiddle to Damian Priest. Gunther says Balor was the best in the world, for one night eight years ago, but Gunther is the best right now. Gunther further states that Balor is not on his level and never will be.
The Judgement Day hop up on the apron, ready to strike against Gunther. Priest, however, runs down and makes the save. Priest rolls Balor into the ring, where Gunther chops him to the mat. As Priest kicks Balor, Gunther clotheslines him, making their alliance short-lived. Gunther throws Priest out of the ring and looks powerbomb him. Balor runs in and hits a sling blade on Gunther instead. Balor dropkicks Gunther into the steel steps, then hits a Coup de Grace off the apron.
Back in the ring, Priest plants JD McDonagh. He looks to chokeslam Mysterio and McDonagh, but Balor sneaks up from behind. The Judgment Day overpower Priest with their numbers, with Balor finishing him off with a Coup De Grace.
Backstage, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce informs Finn Balor that Damian Priest has now been added to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, making it a triple threat.
Final Testament & The Miz vs. The Wyatt Sicks
The Wyatt Sicks go right after the Final Testament and Miz. Uncle Howdy looks for a Sister Abigail on Kross, but Miz pulls him to the outside.
Back from break, Rezar takes control of Joe Gacy. Gacy bounces back with a clothesline off the ropes before tagging in Rowan. Rowan wipes out The Miz and throws Akam over the top rope. Miz follows suit, before taking a baseball slide from Rowan. Rowan plants Miz. Akam and Rezar slam Rowan to the mat. Gacy and Lumis level Akam and Rezar with a suicide dive and a jump off the top rope.
Uncle Howdy is tagged in and goes right after Miz with a hanging DDT. Miz fights back with an elbow and tags in Kross. Howdy sends Kross over the top rope. Scarlett trips Howdy. Nikki Cross then sneaks up behind her, causing Scarlett to retreat across the ring. Cross meets her on the other side with a Thesz Press off the steel steps. Howdy looks for a Sister Abigail on Kross, but Miz saves him. Howdy applies a Mandible Claw on Miz. Out of nowhere, Paul Ellering blinds Howdy with flour. Kross takes advantage, laying out Howdy with a Final Prayer for the win.
Winners: Final Testament and Miz
Backstage, Jackie Redmond sits down with CM Punk. Punk says now isn’t the time to talk about the favor that Paul Heyman owes him. Punk pivots to his recent comments about Seth Rollins. Punk acknowledges that Seth Rollins did a good job in “filling the vacuum” for WWE in his absence, but now Punk, “the starter,” is back. As such, Punk says it’s time for Rollins, “the second string,” to sit back.
Non-Title Match: Dakota Kai vs. Liv Morgan
Kai plants Morgan and goes for a roll-up. Morgan sends Kai up and over to the floor.
Back from break, Pure Fusion Collective make their way down to ringside as Morgan suplexes Kai. Kai responds with a suplex of her own before teeing off elbow strikes. Kai whips Morgan into the corner and connects with a big boot. Kai hangs Morgan between the ropes, then stomps the back of her head. Kai stares back at PFC before rocking Morgan with a Scorpion Kick. Shayna Baszler briefly distracts Kai.
Morgan looks for an Oblivion, but Kai blocks it and rolls up Morgan for a near fall. Morgan fights back with a running knee in the corner. Morgan descends from the top, but Kai catches her in a powerbomb. Kai looks for another kick in the corner, but Morgan dodges it and surprises her with an Oblivion for the win.
Winner: Liv Morgan
After the match, Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark begin attacking Kai until Kairi Sane and IYO SKY make the save. Sane wipes out PFC with a dive of the top turnbuckle. As SKY celebrates in the ring, Morgan lands an Oblivion on her from behind.
In a new vignette, Drew McIntyre says Hell in a Cell was the most violent match of his career. McIntyre says he could have been at Raw, but his family needed him in Scotland. McIntyre says 2024 should have been a career year for him, but he kept getting screwed over. McIntyre took some time for self-reflection when he was away. Then he turned on Survivor Series to see Punk team with the OG Bloodline. McIntyre says Sami Zayn and The Usos sold out for absolutely nothing, which is when he knew was going to come back and take them out.
We Hear From Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Seth Rollins says there’s a lot to talk about tonight. Rollins says when Punk is done wrestling, he has a promising career as a politician as he often spins the truth. Rollins calls Punk a fraud as well. Rollins says Punk did train him in his early days and also helped him get his foot in the door of WWE. Rollins confirms they were once friends as well.
Rollins says he even called Punk when he left WWE 10 years ago, but got ghosted. Rollins claims that all Punk did was tear WWE down when he left. Rollins says Punk only came back to WWE after burning every other bridge and because the money was right. Rollins says he used to respect Punk, but somewhere along the way, he realized Punk was a fraud and Rollins wanted to be better. Rollins points out that he did the one thing that Punk never did, main-eventing WrestleMania.
Sami Zayn’s music hits. Zayn meets Rollins in the ring and says it was wrong of him to assume that Rollins attacked Jey Uso backstage last week. Zayn furthermore apologies. Rollins says they’ve been friends for 20 years and wants to know why Zayn thought of Rollins as the first potential suspect. Zayn says it’s because Rollins had been pointing fingers and sounding more like Drew McIntyre in recent weeks. Zayn says he’s not McIntyre, but the thing with Punk brings out the worst in him. Zayn says he’ll stay out of Rollins’ business with Punk going forward.
Zayn asks if he and Rollins are good again. Rollins nods in approval, then points out that Zayn has some business with McIntyre he needs to handle now. Zayn says he’s going to end things quickly with McIntyre. He then confirms a match between him and McIntyre at Saturday Night’s Main Event. As Zayn heads up the ramp, Drew McIntyre attacks him…again.
Women’s IC Title Tournament Match: Lyra Valkyria vs. Zelina Vega vs. Ivy Nile
Valkyria goes for a quick roll-up on Vega. Vega responds with a 619. Nile pulls Vega off the apron, then slams Valkyria to the mat. Nile stomps away at Valkyria as we go to commercial.
Back from break, Valkyria lands a Tornado DDT on Nile, then follows up with a Fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Nile cinches in an armbar, but Valkyria reverses it with a roll-up. With Nile and Valkyria tangles up, Vega descends from the top rope. Vega tries pinfall attempts, but both kick out. Vega dives onto Nile to the outside. She returns to the ring, delivering a meteora onto Valkyria from the top.
Vega looks for a crossbody, but Nile catches her. Valkyria breaks up Nile’s subsequent pinfall attempt. Nile delivers a double German suplex. Nile hits another suplex on Valkyria. Vega surprises her with a Code Red for a near fall. Valkyria hits the Night Wing on Nile for the win.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
The New Day Promo Gets Hijacked By Boos
Backstage, The New Day are unhappy with Cathy Kelley’s interview. They take the camera for themselves and head to the ring. The crowd chants “New Day sucks.” Kingston asks why the crowd is so mad over one day. Woods tries to talk, but is drowned out by boos. Kingston says they could have taken a chair or sledgehammer to Big E’s back, but they didn’t. The crowd begins chanting for Big E before resuming their boos for Kingston and Woods. Woods dramatically drops the mic as he and Kingston then leave the ring.
Anything Goes Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Ripley charges at Raquel during her entrance. Ripley and Raquel begin brawling, eventually trickling into the crowd, with the former throwing a trash can at the latter. The bell rings as they return to the ring. Ripley nails Raquel with a kendo stick. Raquel throws it away, but eats a missile dropkick. Ripley then connects with a baseball slide. Ripley retrieves a table from under the ring. Raquel slams her into the side of the ring, then across the announce desk.
Back from break, Ripley lands a dropkick. Raquel drives her face-first into the turnbuckle, then sets up a chair. Raquel looks to slam her through the chair, but Ripley drives her into it instead. Ripley slams another chair into Raquel’s midsection. Ripley stacks up a trio of chairs as Liv Morgan runs down to the ring. Ripley tosses her into the ring, but before she can do any damage, Raquel rocks her with a kick. Raquel slams Ripley onto the chair pile for a near fall.
Ripley stacks up Raquel for a Riptide, but Morgan jumps on her from behind. Ripley fends off Raquel with a kick, only to then eat an Oblivion from Morgan. IYO SKY runs down and lays out Morgan with a missile dropkick. She follows up with a dive to the outside. Meanwhile, Raquel sets up a table looking for a Tejana Bomb. Ripley escapes it and pushes Raquel into the chair positioned in the corner. Ripley hits a Riptide through the table for the win.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Post-match, Ripley and IYO SKY stare at each other while holding the WWE Women’s World Championship.