WWE Raw from Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena featured major developments across the roster, including a chaotic opening involving Seth Rollins, a lengthy women’s gauntlet match that determined a new number one contender, a successful title defence for Intercontinental Champion Penta, and rising tension surrounding Roman Reigns and CM Punk.
WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce opened last night’s show inside the ring to address the ongoing situation between Seth Rollins and The Vision. Pearce acknowledged that both Rollins and The Vision were in the arena, warning the former world champion about the danger he faces while still recovering from surgery.
Before Rollins could respond, masked figures began appearing throughout the arena and surrounding the ring. One of them eventually revealed himself as Rollins, who stood among the masked group as Pearce confronted him about the situation.
Pearce reminded Rollins that he is not medically cleared and warned him that if The Vision gets their hands on him, it could end his career.
The tense moment was interrupted when Logan Paul and Austin Theory arrived. Theory mocked Rollins, saying his group of masked followers would not be able to protect him forever. Paul and Theory attempted to attack Rollins, but the masked group created confusion about which man was actually Rollins.
LA Knight then entered the arena, evening the odds. Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso soon followed, forcing Paul and Theory to retreat as the opening segment ended in chaos.
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Title #1 Contendership Gauntlet Match: Lyra Valkyria vs. Iyo Sky vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ivy Nile vs. Bayley vs. Asuka
The first match of the night was a high-stakes gauntlet bout to determine the number one contender for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Lyra Valkyria and Iyo Sky started the match with a fast-paced exchange that saw Sky gain momentum with her signature high-flying offence. Valkyria attempted to control the pace by targeting Sky’s leg, but Sky eventually secured the elimination after connecting with Over The Moonsault.
Eliminated: Lyra Valkyria
Raquel Rodriguez entered next and used her power advantage to dominate Sky. However, outside interference shifted the momentum. Liv Morgan distracted Sky, prompting Stephanie Vaquer to run down and attack Morgan. The distraction allowed Sky to roll Rodriguez up for the elimination.
Eliminated: Raquel Rodriguez
Rodriguez retaliated after the elimination, slamming Sky into the ring post and hitting a Texana Bomb on the apron. Ivy Nile immediately capitalised once she entered the match, pinning the injured Sky.
Eliminated: Iyo Sky
Bayley entered the match next and battled Nile in a physical contest that saw both women trade suplexes and strikes. Bayley eventually secured the victory with a Bayley-to-Belly.
Eliminated: Ivy Nile
Asuka entered as the final competitor, accompanied by Kairi Sane. The closing stretch saw interference from Sane and assistance for Bayley from Valkyria, who neutralised Sane at ringside. Bayley ultimately connected with the Rose Plant to win the match and secure the title opportunity.
Winner: Bayley
Following an ad break, we saw a video of Maxxine Dupri attacking Nattie on the entrance ramp while Nattie was speaking with Byron Saxton. We then cut to the backstage area, where OG El Grande Americano had a run-in with Danhausen, who placed a curse on the masked star.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Penta (c) vs. El Grande Americano
Later in the show, Intercontinental Champion Penta addressed the crowd and celebrated capturing the title the previous week. He thanked his family, fans, and supporters around the world, promising to honour the championship.
Non-OG El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) answered the challenge, despite OG Americano originally being scheduled for the title match, and the two quickly began trading momentum. Americano used underhanded tactics during the match, even tying Penta to the ropes with his mask during one sequence.
Despite the interference and creative offence from Americano, Penta regained control with his trademark high-impact moves. The champion sealed the victory after delivering a springboard Canadian Destroyer.
Winner: Penta
Following the match, Dominik Mysterio entered the ring alongside Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Mysterio vented his frustration over losing the Intercontinental Championship and blamed Finn Balor for the defeat.
Balor arrived with JD McDonagh and attempted to apologise, saying he was only trying to help. He insisted that Judgment Day should stand together as a family.
The situation escalated quickly.
Balor suggested Rey Mysterio may have been right about Dominik’s behaviour, prompting Dominik to strike him. McDonagh tried to intervene but soon joined Dominik, Morgan, and Rodriguez in attacking Balor.
Dominik retrieved a chair and the ring bell hammer, using the hammer to strike Balor before setting up a brutal assault. McDonagh held Balor in place while Dominik delivered a 619, followed by two Frog Splashes, the second delivered with a chair placed over Balor’s chest.
The savage attack left Balor laid out in the ring and officially shattered the unity of Judgment Day.
Backstage, Kofi Kingston spoke with Je’Von Evans and asked the former NXT star to join him, Xavier Woods, and Grayson Waller. In the background, we saw Asuka berating Kairi Sane for failing to help her win the previous Gauntlet match.
Oba Femi vs. Rusev
In another hard-hitting contest, Oba Femi faced Rusev in a battle of powerhouses.
The two exchanged heavy strikes early before spilling to the outside, where Rusev drove Femi into the ring post and across the announce table. Back inside the ring, Femi regained control and finished the match with Fall From Grace.
Winner: Oba Femi
CM Punk closed the show by addressing the fallout from his controversial comments about Roman Reigns the previous week.
Punk acknowledged that some people were upset with what he said, but insisted he was simply speaking the truth. He criticised Reigns for refusing to defend his championship and accused him of becoming corrupted by power.
Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso interrupted, demanding Punk apologise for referencing their family.
Jimmy explained that his issue was about respect, noting Punk’s long history with the Anoa’i family. Punk responded by saying he respected the family but believed Reigns had dishonoured it through his actions.
The confrontation grew more heated as Jey demanded an apology for bringing Reigns’ father, Sika, into the argument. Punk refused to back down, instead accusing Reigns of mistreating both his family and the legacy of those who came before him.
The Usos shoved Punk before stepping out of the ring, leaving the three men staring each other down as Raw went off the air.
