This week’s episode of WWE Raw emanates from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas! Damian Priest and The War Raiders face The Judgment Day. Drew McIntyre drops Jey Uso…again, The Women’s Intercontinental Championship tournament continues with a pair of semifinal matchups. CM Punk and Seth Rollins faceoff once more before their match, and more!
We break it all down in this week’s WWE Raw recap!
We Hear From The New Day… Kind Of
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods emerge to the sound of boos. Kingston says they have a limited amount of time to speak, but the crowd keeps interrupting them with boos. Woods tries to speak as well, but is also drowned out by boos.
Jey Uso’s music hits. He approaches the New Day in the ring and asks the crowd to quiet down to see what Woods has to say. Woods tries asking Uso to somehow make the crowd listen to them. Woods also points out that they go way back with each other. Uso tells them that New Day sucks, which manages a pop from the audience. Kingston and Woods leave the ring. Uso calls out Drew McIntyre to the ring.
The new Bloodline appear on the Titantron instead. Solo Sikoa says they dropped Sam Zayn last week to get Roman Reigns’ attention. Solo says he and Jimmy should have gone to the new Bloodline instead of back to Roman Reigns. Solo says he will defeat Reigns next week and everyone will acknowledge him. Out of nowhere, McIntyre attacks Uso from behind. He then calls for a Claymore, but Uso sees it coming and drops him with a superkick. McIntyre responds with a Glasgow Kiss. He looks for the Claymore again, but WWE officials intervene. McIntyre begins to retreat, but storms back in the ring to finally nail Uso with the Claymore.
Backstage, Chad Gable and American Made prepare for Gable’s match against Otis.
Otis (w/ Akira Tozawa & Maxxine Dupri) vs. Chad Gable (w/ Ivy Nile & Creed Brothers)
Gable chops Otis, but Otis is unfazed. Otis drops Gable onto the mat, causing Gable to roll to the outside. Otis slams his head against the announce desk, then shoulder first into the ring post. Back in the ring, Otis whips Gable into the corner. Gable pushes him in the throat, but Otis fires back with a shoulder tackle. Otis charges toward Gable in the corner, but he sidesteps, causing Otis to crash into the ring post.
Gable delivers a dragonscrew whip to Otis’ leg. Gable continues to focus on Otis’ leg. Gable lands a dropkick, then goes up top. He descends with a diving headbutt, but Otis rolls out of the way just in time. Otis delivers more shoulder tackles and a lariat. He drives Gable to the mat, then hits a Caterpillar elbow for a near fall.
On the outside, the Creed Brothers level Tozawa. Otis throws both brothers into the timekeepers area. Maxxine Dupri fires off right hands on Ivy Nile. Meanwhile, Gable applies an Ankle Lock. Brutus Creed tries to distract Otis, but Otis drags him into the ring,
Otis throws Gable into the Creeds, then slams Gable to the mat. He follows up with an Ankle Lock, but Gable powers out of it. Gable hits a German Suplex. He then looks for a double axe handle, but Otis catches him on the descent. Nile distracts Otis, paving the way for Gable to apply the Ankle Lock again. Otis taps.
Winner: Chad Gable
A Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan video package plays, hyping their upcoming title match next week.
Backstage, Finn Balor says he has a plan for dealing with the War Raiders and Damian Priest tonight.
Pete Dunne attacks R-Truth on the entrance ramp and proclaims that he is “nobody’s Butch.”
Backstage, Dakota Kai and IYO SKY looks ahead to the semifinals matches in the Women’s Intercontinental Championship matches.
Women’s IC Title Tourney: Dakota Kai vs. Zoey Stark
Kai quickly kicks Stark. Stark whips her into the corner, which Kai does to her right after. Kai explodes out of the corner with a lariat. She looks for a suplex on the apron, but Starks counters with a kick. Kai connects with a step up enziguri. Starks levels Kai with a
Back from break, Kai fires off a series of elbows. She sweeps Stark off her feet, then follows up with a rolling backcracker. Kai nails her with a pair of big boots for a near fall. Stark connects with a big knee for a near fall of her own. Kai rolls Stark up, but she kicks out. Stark lands a big kick for another near fall. She becomes frustrated and fires off right hands. Stark goes for a springboard, but Kai kicks her mid-air. Kai follows up with Pele Kick for the win.
Winner: Dakota Kai
Damian Priest & War Raiders vs. Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, & JD McDonagh)
Priest and Balor lock up. Erik slams McDonagh, Mysterio, and Balor to the mat. McDonagh receives a second slam, then finds Ivar slammed onto him. Ivar and Erik double team McDonagh, with Erik firing off strikes. Erik whips McDonagh into the corner, then tags Ivar back in. He and Erik send Balor and McDonagh crashing onto the announce desk.
Back from break, Ivar plants Balor to the mat, then rocks McDonagh with a spinning kick. Ivar charges in looking for a cannonball on Balor, but his opponent rolls out of the way. Ivar tags in Priest. He tosses Mysterio into the ring, then drops both him and McDonagh. Priest clocks Balor off the apron. He connects with a lariat on Mysterio, then looks for a South of Heaven. Carlito distracts him, opening the door for Mysterio to sweet him off his feet. The War Raiders take care of Carlito and McDonagh at ringside.
Priest looks for Razor’s Edge, but Mysterio counters with a hurricanrana. Mysterio charges back at him, only to find himself on the receiving end of a spinning chokeslam.
Winners: Damian Priest & War Raiders
Post-match, Balor stomps away at Priest. He goes up top for a Coup De Grace, but the War Raiders chase him and Judgment Day off.
Backstage, Adam Pearce confirms that Jey Uso will wrestle Jey Uso next week.
Sheamus Returns To Confront Ludwig Kaiser
Kaiser insists that the fans show their appreciation for him. He then asserts that everyone knows he sits at the top of the WWE food chain. He calls out Bron Breakker, but Sheamus emerges instead. He charges in and rains down strikes on Kaiser. Kaiser rakes Sheamus’ eyes. Sheamus fires back with a knee to the midsection and a Brogue Kick that sends Kaisers rolling out of the ring.
Backstage, Rey Mysterio and The New Day agree to a tag team match in the near future.
Women’s IC Title Tourney: IYO SKY vs. Lyra Valkyria
SKY and Valkyria trade pinfall attempts. Valkyria takes SKY off her feet with a dropkick. She transitions into a leg submission as Dakota Kai looks on from the stands. Valkyria then drops SKY with a kick through the ropes. SKY returns to the ring and kicks off Valkyria. Valkyria plants her with a dragonscrew.
Back from break, SKY ducks a kick from Valkyria, then nails her with a big elbow in the corner. SKY ascends to the top and descends with a missile dropkick. SKY goes up top again, but Valkyria stops her momentum. She looks for an avalanche backdrop. SKY escapes, but Valkyria hits her with a massive dropkick. SKY rolls Valkyria up, then transitions into a bridging German suplex.
Valkyria rocks SKY with a spinning heel kick. She then drives SKY to the mat for a near fall. Valkyria goes up top, where SKY meets her. SKY transitions into a roll up from off the top. Valkyria kicks out and rolls to the outside. SKY drops her with a moonsault to the floor. SKY is fired up and runs in with a meteora to the corner. SKY looks for another moonsault, but Valkyria moves out of the way. Valkyria reverses a pinfall attempt in a pinfall of her own for the win.
Winner: Lyra Valkyria
We Hear From CM Punk & Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins says his match with Punk is ten years in the making. Furthermore, he asserts that he will be fighting in the ring week after week, but we can’t say the same about Punk if he loses. Rollins says Punk will pick up his ball and go home.
CM Punk’s music hits. He asks if Becky Lynch took her ball and went home. He then calls out Rollins’ statement, noting that he abandoned Rollins, not the WWE Universe. Punk says he has no regrets and doesn’t want to talk about the last 10 years. Punk asks Rollins about his neck and his knee. He points out that he broke Bronson Reed’s ankle at WarGames, whereas Rollins barely got revenge on him.
Rollins says Becky is taking off time to raise a kid, but Punk tried to tear down WWE in his absence. Rollins also points out that Punk later joined the competition. Rollins says he fought and stayed in WWE because that’s how Revolutions are made. Rollins says Punk can’t Big Brother him anymore, because he is Big Brother.
Punk says one can recognize the pioneers by the arrows in the backs. Punk says Rollins wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. Punk claims that Rollins shot arrows this his back and is now playing the victim when it comes to Roman Reigns. Punk says after a few years, he finally pulled out all the arrows. Punk says he should be dead, but he’s not, so the arrow-throwers are mad. Punk vows to bring a fistful of arrows next week and shove them down Rollins’ “corporate throat.”
Rollins says Punk was once a pioneer, but now, he’s a cancer. Rollins says the only way to defeat a cancer is to cut it out. He plans to bring his eyes of fire next week and burn Punk to the ground.