WWE Raw rolled into Düsseldorf with championships on the mind, tensions boiling over, and a locker room full of wrestlers staking claims on the road to Royal Rumble.
One week removed from WWE Raw’s Netflix anniversary, the red brand arrived in Germany still feeling the shockwaves of CM Punk’s fiery World Heavyweight Championship defence and the chaos that followed.
Monday night offered little in the way of calm. New champions laid out their next challenges, multiple contenders emerged across the women’s and men’s divisions, and by the time the show closed, Adam Pearce had reached breaking point. From surprise ambushes to another act of violence by Bron Breakker, Raw built toward next week’s show, with Punk’s World Heavyweight Title on the line once again.
Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley kicked things off as Michael Cole and Wade Barrett welcomed the audience inside a packed PSD Bank Dome. Ripley branded the night “Monday Night Rhiyo,” taking pride in finally silencing The Kabuki Warriors, at least temporarily. Sky followed by declaring that Asuka and Kairi Sane lacked respect, a claim she and Ripley claimed to have corrected with force.
Ripley threw down an immediate Open Challenge, but responses arrived in waves.
Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez hit the stage first. Morgan congratulated the new champions, but firmly reminded Ripley she never actually lost the titles. The threat was made simple: hand the titles back, or watch us take them.
Before Ripley could respond, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria emerged to stake their own claim. Bayley highlighted her own win over Perez, insisting she and Valkyria deserved the match instead.
That was enough to bring The Kabuki Warriors storming down the ramp. The challengers collided mid-ring, devolving into a multi-team brawl. Ripley and Sky closed the exchange by clearing the ring, Ripley with a Fallaway Slam on Sane, Sky with a dropkick flurry, and the champions stood tall, titles raised, as Raw’s women’s division officially turned into open warfare.
Je’Von Evans vs Bravo Americano
Je’Von Evans continues to make every outing count, and Düsseldorf was no different. Bravo Americano took control early, stomping Evans against the ropes before his Los Americanos teammates got involved. Rayo distracted the referee, allowing Grande Americano to nail Evans with a step-up enzuigiri.
Evans fought through the numbers disadvantage, firing off dropkicks, a running knee and a crisp hurricanrana over the top rope. After surviving an Airplane Spin, Evans hit a Spanish Fly and finished with his OG Cutter, sealing another impressive win.
Winner: Je’Von Evans
Post-match chaos saw Rayo and Grande attack Evans. Evans escaped by leaping barricades and sprinting away, a daring retreat that kept him vertical, but firmly marked him as Los Americanos’ next long-term project.
CM Punk arrived to a thunderous reaction, vowing to remain World Heavyweight Champion forever and promising a fighting reign heading into Elimination Chamber.
Finn Balor cut him off before he could leave. The Judgment Day veteran dismissed Rumble and Chamber queues entirely, reminding Punk that the champion once singled him out. Punk hit back just as sharply, questioning Balor’s drive while spending time backstage helping Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh.
Balor played a different card, home advantage. He announced he would face Punk next Monday in Northern Ireland, refusing to let Punk choose where the story unfolds.
Punk accepted, apologising to Düsseldorf for delaying the fight, and promising Belfast would witness Balor’s burial. With that, next week’s main event was set.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Match
Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez vs Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs The Kabuki Warriors
A furious opening argument gave way to a sharp, chaotic triple threat that gave every team a legitimate window.
The early minutes were frantic: roll-ups stacking upon roll-ups, each pair desperate to steal a quick victory. Valkyria’s athleticism shifted momentum as she crash-landed Sane onto Perez, only for Morgan to cut her down moments later.
Outside dives escalated until Kairi Sane launched into an In-Sane Elbow to wipe out every competitor ringside, earning the biggest pop of the match.
The Kabuki Warriors regained control through precision double-teaming, as Asuka landed German suplexes, and Sane followed with another elbow drop. A tower-superplex reset the bout, but Asuka’s momentum was finally broken when Morgan foiled Bayley’s cover and struck fast.
Liv Morgan blindsided Kairi Sane with Oblivion, securing her team the win.
Winners: Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez
Ripley and Sky now have challengers, but the division looks far from done.
Michael Cole brought Raquel Rodriguez to the ring, where she justified last week’s attack on Stephanie Vaquer. Rodriguez claimed she had spent too long waiting politely before declaring herself next in line.
Vaquer limped out on a walking boot, defiant and ready to fight, but Rodriguez struck again. A blindside attack drove Vaquer’s injured ankle into the stage before Rodriguez smashed the boot with Vaquer’s own championship belt.
Standing tall over the World Champion, Rodriguez made her intentions painfully clear, while Vaquer was left writhing on the ramp.
Dragon Lee & Penta vs The Vision
Dragon Lee and Penta opened hot, combining on Bronson Reed with a Bronco Buster and missile dropkicks before Reed’s power turned the tide. Austin Theory grounded Lee through the break, isolating him while Reed hit a standing splash and whipped him corner to corner.
Penta’s hot tag spiked the pace, and Lee flew over the ropes to wipe out Theory and Logan Paul. But before momentum could stabilise, Bron Breakker stormed down the ramp and speared Dragon Lee in half, immediately drawing the disqualification.
Winners: Dragon Lee & Penta via DQ
Breakker wasn’t done. He levelled Penta, ignored Paul Heyman’s pleas, and struck Reed and Adam Pearce in wild bursts before being dragged back by The Vision.
Backstage, Pearce exploded and suspended Breakker indefinitely, though Heyman twisted the narrative by suggesting Pearce touched Breakker first.
Gunther vs AJ Styles
The night closed with a physical showcase as AJ Styles faced Gunther in one of Raw’s hardest-fought main events in recent weeks.
Styles enjoyed the fast start, diving over the ropes and chopping Gunther’s thigh to limit his base. A top-rope chop derailed the challenger’s momentum and sent him crashing to the floor, leaving Gunther in control through the break.
A pair of Dragon Screws dragged Gunther back into trouble, opening the door for the Calf Crusher. Gunther escaped, absorbed a 450 Splash, then blasted Styles with a clothesline and powerbomb, still not enough to secure the fall.
Styles reapplied the Calf Crusher, and Gunther tapped, but the referee never saw it. With the hold broken and justice denied, Gunther delivered a low blow and another powerbomb to score the tainted pinfall.
Winner: Gunther
Gunther celebrated atop the stage, declaring himself the greatest WWE has to offer to close the show.
