This week’s episode of WWE Raw emanates from Kansas City, Missouri! Seth Rollins makes an effort to Sami Zayn. Rhea Ripley faces off with Roxanne Perez. Lyra Valkyria confronts Becky Lynch following her betrayal last week. Stephanie Vaquer takes on Ivy Nile, and more.
We break it all down in this week’s WWE Raw recap!
We Hear From Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, & Paul Heyman
Rollins reminds the crowd that he won in the main event of WrestleMania 41. Rollins also says the future of the industry is him, Heyman, and Breakker. Sami Zayn’s music hits. Zayn says this trio is a load of crap. Zayn asks Rollins how he is any different from Roman Reigns and CM Punk now that he’s got Heyman by his side. Zayn suggests that Rollins might have been jealous of Reigns and Punk. Rollins insists that he is not like either of them because this is his vision of the future. Zayn says that vision revolves around Rollins being front and center. Zayn calls Rollins hypocritical. Zayn says they are similar to The Bloodline. He also warns Breakker that he’ll kick his face in.
Rollins says this is the vision of the future and people are either with them or against them. Rollins says he doesn’t want Zayn to become a target. He then offers to move Zayn off of Raw, but he needs an answer by the end of the night.
Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez
Perez chops the back of Ripley’s knee, then smacks in her the jaw. Perez elbows Ripley in the corner. Ripley looks for Razor’s Edge but Perez escapes it. Perez targets Ripley’s leg and knocks her off her feet. Perez dropkick Ripley to the outside. She then looks for a suicide dive, but Ripley catches her and throws her into the barricade. Ripley drops Perez on top of the barricade. Ripley knocks Perez off the apron. Perez slams Ripley’s leg against the ring post. Ripley rocks Perez with a clothesline.
Perez leaps off the top with a crossbody, but Ripley catches her and drops her with a suplex. Ripley dropkicks her. Perez rolls out of the ring to recover.
Back from break, Ripley hits the Razor’s Edge and a running knee for a near fall. Ripley unloads a series of elbows on Perez. Giulia makes her way to the ringside. Ripley gets distracted by her, allowing Perez to roll her up for a two count. Perez follows up with a hurricanrana, a DDT, and kick. Ripley slaps Perez. Perez looks for Pop Rox, but Ripley counters with another kick. Ripley drags Giulia by her hair, then sets up Perez for a Riptide. Giulia strikes Ripley in the back of the leg, causing the referee to call for the bell.
Winner (by disqualification): Rhea Ripley
After the match, Giulia and Perez unload punches on Ripley. IYO SKY runs down to even the odds. Perez and Giulia beat her down until Ripley covers enough to make them retreat.
Backstage, Finn Balor tells JD McDonagh he wishes he told him about his return last week. Liv Morgan reveals that Balor and McDonagh got them a match with the War Raiders tonight. Balor asks them to keep him in the loop in the future.
We Hear From Logan Paul
Paul says a legend does not look like the current World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso. Paul says he’s done everything in wrestling except become a world champion. Paul says Jey’s days are numbered. Jey’s music hits. Jey thinks it’s funny that Paul thinks he’s just going to hand over his world title. Jey says he has a fire light under him that is never going out. Jey says the world title is not given, it’s earned. Jey welcomes Paul to try and take it.
Paul says ‘Yeet’ is stupid. Paul says he’s done more in three years than Jey has done in three. Paul says he’s going to take Jey’s title and then Jey is going to crash out. Paul tells Jey to enjoy his reign while he still can, which prompts Jey to superkick him.
War Raiders vs. Finn Balor & JD McDonagh
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are watching on from nearby the commentary desk. McDonagh fires off kicks on Ivar in the corner. Balor tags in and lays in punches before tagging McDonagh back in. Ivar sends McDonagh flying with a back body drop. Erik runs over Balor with a shoulder tackle. Erik tosses McDonagh to the outside. He and Ivar stare at Woods and Kingston, then slam Balor and McDonagh to the mat. Erik slams Ivar onto Balor. Ivar looks for a crossbody against the side of the ring, but Balor and McDonagh move out of the way.
Back from break, McDonagh lands a moonsault on Ivar. Erik breaks up the subsequent fall. Erik and Ivar slam Balor and McDonagh into one another. Ivar and Balor go flying into Woods and Kingston at ringside. McDonagh connects with a jawbreaker on Erik. Carlito distracts the referee. Penta pushes McDonagh off the turnbuckle. Erik tags in Ivar. They double team McDonagh with the War Machine for the win.
Winners: War Raiders
Backstage, Paul Heyman tells Sami Zayn that Bron Breakker is demanding a match with him. He reiterates that Seth Rollins wants to save him from harm. Heyman sweetens the deal by informing Zayn that in addition to joining SmackDown, he would challenge for the WWE Championship after Backlash.
We Hear From Becky Lynch
Lynch admits to attacking Bayley ahead of WrestleMania 41. Lynch says Bayley has attacked her numerous times over the years. Lynch says Bayley has been crying about wanting to be a bigger star. Lynch says she got to see a bigger star when she returned at WrestleMania. Lynch says she had high hopes for Valkyria, but the friend of her enemy is also her enemy, hence her attack on Valkyria. Lynch says she tried to save Valkyria and get her to ditch Bayley, but it was too late. Valkyria’s music hits.
Valkyria says many women warned her about Lynch, including Bayley, but Valkyria didn’t buy into any of it because she was caught up in the dream of winning tag gold. Valkyria says she had high hopes for Lynch, but now she sees Lynch for who she is. Valkyria says she’s going to make Lynch pay for what she did to her and Bayley. Lynch rolls out of the ring. Valkyria recalls their last singles encounter when Valkyria pinned Lynch for the NXT Women’s Championship. Lynch says she only fights when she wants. Valkyria lays out a challenge for the Women’s IC Title at Backlash. Valkyria says she made herself matter and she is no longer interested in being the next Becky Lynch. Valkyria says she knows a better wrestler than Lynch. Lynch calls Valkyria ungrateful, prompting Valkyria to get physical. Lynch escapes and retreats through the crowd. Valkyria goes up the entrance ramp, only for Lynch to clock her from behind.
Backstage, Chad Gable tells Penta he enjoyed seeing Penta and his brother Rey Fenix lose at WrestleMania. This prompts Penta to kick Gable.
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Ivy Nile (w/ Chad Gable)
Nile plants Vaquer with a double leg tackle. They jockey for positioning before Vaquer bridges into a two-count fall. Nile knocks down Vaquer with a shoulder tackle. Vaquer rolls her up for another two count, then follows up with a suplex. Vaquer looks for her triangle head slams, but Nile counters with a double arm submission. Vaquer breaks out and slams Nile’s head to the mat.
Back from break, Vaquer connects with a meteora in the corner. Vaquer covers Nile, but Gable puts her leg on the rope to break the fall. Vaquer confronts Gable at ringside. Nile German suplexes Vaquer. Nile goes up top. Vaquer meets her there and lands a superplex for a near fall. Vaquer and Nile trade strikes. Nile drives Vaquer into the mat for a near fall of her own. Vaquer rocks Nile with a kick to the face and a dragonscrew. Vaquer follows up with the package backbreaker for the win.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer
Backstage, Liv Morgan confirms she will be taking time off to film a movie. Dominik Mysterio tries to request off time too, but Nick Aldis denies it. AJ Styles then hints of his plan to go after the Intercontinental Championship, held by Dominik Mysterio.
Out at the commentary table, Pat McAfee says this past week has made him realize some thing. McAfee says he is a man that is lucky to be blessed with great friends. He is also a man who went from irrelevant to a human that is now known is every city in the USA. McAfee says when he dies he hopes people remember him for being a hard worker, an empathic man, and a loyal motherf***er. McAfee says he will always be loyal to Michael Cole, hence his decision to protect Cole from Gunther last week. McAfee tells Gunther if he has a problem with Cole, he has a problem with him. McAfee calls Nick Aldis out to the stage. McAfee asks Aldis to lift Gunther’s suspension so he can fight him. Aldis says he’ll lift Gunther suspension on the condition that McAfee face him in a match at Backlash. McAfee accepts.
Backstage, Logan Paul clocks Jey Uso on the basis of “karma.”
Sami Zayn Makes His Decision
Seth Rollins calls Sami Zayn out to the ring for his decision. Rollins says he and Zayn are friends. As such, Rollins expected Zayn to give him the same respect he gave Jey Uso last week. Rollins says he, Heyman, and Breakker are the way forward. Rollins says it hurts that Zayn doesn’t believe in him. Rollins recalls calling Zayn after his baby girl was born for advice. Rollins says he will forever be grateful for that. He implores Zayn to let him return the favor to him now with some of his advice — taking Rollins’ offer to go to SmackDown. Rollins says he doesn’t want to hurt Zayn, but he will if stays on Raw.
Zayn confirms everything Rollins is saying is true, including their close friendship. Zayn says he thinks Rollins is playing games with what he’s saying inside the ring, though. Zayn says Rollins knows what cards to play, hence the offer including a world championship. Zayn asks Rollins if he’s ever known him to run away. Zayn says he’s not going to stand there while his friend threatens him. Zayn says he’s been a target before, which he can live with. He cannot live without being blackmailed or threatened, though. Zayn asserts he will become a world champion by doing it the right way. Zayn turns down Rollins’ offer by telling him to go to hell. Bron Breakker’s music hits. He emerges alongside Paul Heyman.
Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn
Breakker tosses Zayn across the ring. Zayn kicks him in the face, then leaps off the top turnbuckle with a double axe handle. Zayn goes back up top, but Breakker catches him and tosses him again. Breakker chokes Zayn against the rope, then rocks him with a back elbow. Zayn responds with chops. Breakker delivers a spinebuster, then lays in knees to Zayn’s gut. Zayn sends Breakker to the outside. Breakker sweeps Zayn off the apron, then slams him against the announce table. Breakker leaps off the apron and crushes Zayn with a lariat on the same table.
Back from break, Zayn connects with a sunset flip, then spikes Breakker with a DDT. Zayn goes back up top. Breakker meets him there and sends Zayn flying with a Frankensteiner. Breakker lines up for the spear, but Zayn counters with a kick and an exploder. Breakker bursts out of the corner with a spear. He follows up with another spear. Rollins approaches Zayn and implores Zayn to take his deal. Zayn tells Rollins to go to hell. When he turns around, he eats yet another spear. Zayn rolls out of the ring. The referee follows Zayn and calls for the medical team to check on him. Rollins gives Breakker a signal. Breakker runs around the corner and takes out Zayn with a fourth spear. Breakker dumps Zayn back into the ring. The referee calls for the bell to end the match.
Winner (by referee stoppage): Bron Breakker
Breakker screams the match is over when he says it’s over. Rollins tells Breakker that Zayn has made his bed, so now he will sleep in it. Rollins stomps Zayn into the mat. He, Breakker, and Heyman stand tall as Raw goes off the air.