Reviews

The John Report: WWE Raw Deal 03/02/26 Review

By John Canton • Published Mar 02, 2026 22:25 EST
WWE Raw Deal March 2 (Images from WWE.com
WWE Raw Deal March 2 (Images from WWE.com)

It’s WWE Monday Night Raw featuring CM Punk and Roman Reigns, Dominik Mysterio facing Penta, Gunther in action, and more.

The month of March is here as we continue the road to WrestleMania 42. Elimination Chamber took place on Saturday, with Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley winning the Chamber matches to earn WWE Title and Women’s Title matches at WrestleMania. AJ Lee beat Becky Lynch to win the Women’s Intercontinental Title, while Lee’s husband CM Punk retained the World Heavyweight Title over Finn Balor. Danhausen also debuted in WWE at Elimination Chamber, and it wasn’t great, but I hope Monday Night Rawhausen goes better for the very evil one.

This is the Raw Deal for episode #1710 of Monday Night Raw, taking place at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Follow me on Twitter/X @johnreport. Let’s get to it.

A video package aired showing Elimination Chamber highlights. Since Drew McIntyre attacked Cody Rhodes in the Elimination Chamber match, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis booked McIntyre to defend the WWE Title against Rhodes on SmackDown this Friday. Big match.

There was pre-show walking shown of husband-wife CM Punk and AJ Lee, Dominik Mysterio with Liv Morgan, JD McDonagh and Raquel Rodriguez, and Gunther walking off his bus. A graphic let us know Roman Reigns is live on Raw.

Let’s Hear from Paul Heyman With The Vision

Paul Heyman, Logan Paul, and Austin Theory of The Vision walked out for an in-ring promo and were booed heavily. Heyman said this is where someone is supposed to welcome us to Raw and say it’s live from Indianapolis, Indiana. He said they were there tonight to talk about Seth “Freaking” Rollins. The fans sang Seth’s song. Heyman said he hates that song and Rollins. He said Rollins stole the credit for co-founding The Vision and The Shield. Heyman claimed Rollins stole the main event of WrestleMania from Logan Paul, so the fans booed that. Heyman said Rollins steals oxygen and called Seth “Mr. Lynch.” He said the next time Rollins is in a WWE ring, they are going to stomp his ass out. Heyman claimed that it is not a prediction or a spoiler – it’s a personal guarantee from the three of them in The Vision.

Austin Theory had a theory that they go way back, but Seth’s ass isn’t going forward. There were loud “You suck” chants. Logan Paul called Rollins a scumbag and said he eliminated three people in the Chamber before Rollins took it away from him. Logan said the last person to do that was Brock Lesnar, because that’s the kind of superstar Logan is. Logan claimed this show wasn’t happening.

Raw GM Adam Pearce walked out, claiming they aren’t holding the show hostage. Pearce said he thinks they are the ones who attacked Jey Uso on SmackDown. Heyman said they had nothing to do with that and that they’ll plead guilty to what they will do to Rollins in the future. Pearce said that Rollins should be left to him because he’s not medically cleared to compete. There was a masked man at ringside, and the security guys chased him out of the arena. Another hooded dude went to the ring, so Rollins went after them. A third hooded man went into the ring. Theory chased him away, and Heyman was all alone in the ring. A hooded man was in the aisle looking at Heyman, and then Seth Rollins appeared (as a hooded man) behind Heyman with a steel chair in hand. Rollins hit Heyman with the chair to the back. Heyman was down in pain, and Rollins hit Heyman with The Stomp into the mat. The fans popped huge for that. Rollins left through the crowd. There were WWE Officials and fake medical personnel (indy wrestlers) who checked on Heyman in the ring.

Analysis: That’s an explosive start to Monday Night Raw, with the fake hooded guys as decoys, and then Seth Rollins showed up to attack Heyman. Well played. It’s rare for Paul Heyman to take bumps like that, so enjoy the break for a few weeks, Paul. I wonder if Heyman had padding under the suit for the chair shot or if he trusted Rollins to hit him safely. It was nice payback for Rollins. The fans loved it. I thought it was booked very well.

Paul Heyman was being checked on in the ring by WWE officials and the fake medical personnel. This was during a break for some fans. Heyman was bleeding from the nose. It looked like a blood packet or something like that. Heyman was being helped to the back as they slowly walked him there.

The commentary team was Michael Cole and Corey Graves. Alicia Taylor was the ring announcer.

Paul Heyman was shown being put into the ambulance. Austin Theory and Logan Paul checked on Heyman inside the ambulance. Paul said he’d go get the car. When Theory tried to get into a car, Jimmy Uso punched him. Jimmy tossed Theory into some equipment boxes. Jimmy walked up to the ambulance, where LA Knight was driving. Knight: “Don’t worry, boys. He’ll get the help he needs.” Jimmy loved it as Knight drove the ambulance away.

Analysis: It’s a bad night for Paul Heyman with LA Knight driving the ambulance away. Well played. Jimmy attacked Theory because he thinks The Vision attacked Jey Uso on SmackDown last Friday.

Gunther was making his entrance, and Dragon Lee attacked him in the aisle because they had a match. They fought outside the ring, and Gunther gave Lee a back body drop over the barricade, which was a big bump for Lee. They took a break for some fans while the referee checked on Lee to see if he could start the match.

Dragon Lee vs. Gunther

Gunther worked over Lee with an uppercut, a hard whip into the turnbuckle, and another uppercut. Lee tried to fight back as the show returned from a break. Gunther was in control with a chop. Lee landed some punches, but Gunther stopped that momentum with a boot to the face. Gunther kicked Lee while asking where his friends were and where AJ was. Lee ran the ropes, and Gunther crushed him with a clothesline. Lee did a good flip bump after that. Lee finally got some offense with a hurricanrana into a two-count. Gunther came back with another chop. Lee kicked Gunther and avoided a kick from Gunther. Lee hit three dropkicks in a row to knock Gunther out of the ring. Lee jumped onto Gunther on the floor, but Gunther sent Lee into the apron and chopped him again. They went on another break as Gunther dominated for a few minutes.

The WWE 2K26 ratings for Gunther are 93, and Lee is 79, for what it’s worth. They showed the graphics on the screen. Lee tried to get some offense going and finally hit a jumping kick to the head. Lee hit a basement dropkick against the turnbuckle. Gunther got a hold of Lee and hit a powerbomb for a two-count. Gunther hit Lee with a stiff powerbomb. Gunther followed up with another hard powerbomb. Gunther sent Lee out of the ring and then gave Lee a powerbomb on the ring apron. Gunther gave Lee a powerbomb on the commentary table, which did not break. The referee, Chad Patton, was counting Lee out on the floor, so Gunther went out there. Gunther tried another powerbomb on the floor, and Lee countered with a Code Red on the floor. Gunther went back into the ring, and Lee kicked Gunther onto the floor. Lee hit a suicide dive onto Gunther, who went onto the commentary table. The fans were chanting, “This is awesome” for them. Lee hit the Operation Dragon reverse DDT-like move on the floor. Gunther got back in the ring right before the 10-count. Lee hit Gunther with a clothesline to knock him down. Lee went for Operation Dragon, but Gunther got a hold of him and applied the Sleeper. Gunther ripped off Lee’s mask as he applied the Sleeper, so Lee tapped out quickly. It went 15 minutes.

Winner by submission: Gunther

Analysis: ***1/2 I didn’t expect this to go 15 minutes, but it was very entertaining, and the fans were fully invested, believing Lee could win. That’s a testament to how good both guys are, especially Gunther, and to the quality of the match. It was a very good match, with Gunther dominating most of it. Lee sold very well throughout, and Gunther finally put Lee away when he wanted to. I like that Lee came close to winning a few times toward the end. It could have been more of a squash, but instead, Lee got plenty of offense. The result with Gunther was what most of us expected, obviously, but it certainly wasn’t a dominant win.

After the match, a towel was put on Lee’s head in the ring, so we never saw his face without the mask. Gunther was booed as he left.

Asuka was backstage with Kairi Sane, bullying her friend. Asuka shoved Sane away. After Asuka left, Women’s Intercontinental Champion AJ Lee checked on Sane, who stared ahead with a blank look. Asuka yelled for Sane and left. Lee walked toward the ring for a promo.

Logan Paul and Austin Theory were by the entrance area for a promo. This was during a break for some fans. Logan complained about a 60-year-old man getting Curb Stomped, and the fans cheered. Logan said they need to respect Heyman. Logan claimed they are the good guys. Theory did a promo saying he’s going to face Jimmy Uso and that Jimmy’s going to feel it because that is pressure.

The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is officially taking place on Friday, April 17th. Demolition (Ax & Smash) were announced as part of the WWE Hall of Fame class earlier on Monday. I’m so happy for them.

Let’s Hear from AJ Lee

The new Women’s Intercontinental Champion, AJ Lee, made her entrance as the new Women’s IC Champ. It’s Lee’s first title in WWE in over 11 years. Lee has only had three matches since coming back last September, and she’s won all of them.

AJ Lee said she doesn’t know how she got here, since she came to snatch Becky Lynch’s hair. Lee said somehow she got Lynch’s title. Lee admitted she didn’t know if she could still go, and fans chanted, “You deserve it.” Lee said the fans thought she could still go, believed her, and had her back for a decade. Lee said you remembered her and made her believe she could fight the very best. Lee said Lynch is the best of the best. Lee said that even though Lynch gave her the fight of her life, Lee proved to herself she can still be championship material. Lee claimed she is still exactly who she thinks she is. Lee said now that Becky Boo Boo is behind her, WrestleMania is ahead of her.

Lee claimed she’s not waiting until then because she’s going to be a fighting champion. Lee said it’s been 12 long years since she held a title, so she’s not going to waste any time. Lee said a few weeks ago she wanted to get her hands on some women in the locker room. Lee said that if there are any ladies out there who think they are championship material, they should come after her because she’s going to be defending the title the next time she’s in the ring. Lee told the ladies to show her what they have. That was it. No interruption.

Analysis: A strong, confident champion promo from AJ Lee, who has always been a good talker. I thought there would be an interruption, but there wasn’t. I am glad that Lee said she would be fighting the champion, similar to her husband, CM Punk. I think the story is going to lead to Lee facing Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 42 in a rematch, perhaps in a stipulation match.

Penta was shown walking backstage when Original El Grande Americano approached him. This was earlier today. Original wasn’t hiding his voice, so it was obvious it was Chad Gable. Original said he wanted a title shot if Penta wins, and Penta said you know him. El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser version) arrived with Rayo and Bravo. Grande said they’ll have a match on March 14th at Reyes de Reyes. Rayo and Bravo got in Original’s face, so Original said he’ll talk to Pearce and face one of them later.

The Original El Grande Americano made his entrance for singles action. The introduction of Rayo was next, joined by his allies. This was during a break.

Liv Morgan Video Package

Liv Morgan was featured in a backstage video. Liv said that Stephanie Vaquer tried to embarrass her. Liv said that Vaquer is right that she is privileged, since WWE signed her at 20 years old and she received the best training. Liv said she got that because she is a star. Liv said that despite everything that has happened so far, she sees a bit of herself in Vaquer, since Vaquer is talented, works hard, and is a great champion. Liv said that at WrestleMania, she’ll step into the ring with the greatest Royal Rumble winner, Crown Jewel winner, 6-time champion, Money in the Bank winner and The Liv Morgan, and you’ll learn everything you need to know.

Analysis: That was great. Character-wise, Liv knows who she is and portrays that character perfectly. Liv has grown so much from being an underdog babyface to a confident heel.

Original El Grande Americano vs. Rayo (w/El Grande Americano & Bravo)

Rayo is Pete Dunne, who would be better off as Pete Dunne instead of Rayo, but it’s not up to me. They did some comedy spots early on and exchanged some chops. Original hit an armdrag across the ring. Rayo left the ring, so Original hit a cannonball off the apron onto Rayo on the floor. After Grande distracted Original, Rayo jumped over the top onto Original. Rayo sent Grande into the ring post. They went to break there and I’ll take a break too as Rayo took control. At one point, Cole said “bitter end” to reference Rayo, which is Dunne’s finishing move.

The match continued with Original hitting a side Russian legsweep and then a rolling kick to the head. Original hit an Olympic Slam-style move. Original jumped off the top. Rayo got a foot up, and Original applied an Ankle Lock. Rayo got out of it. They went to the turnbuckle, and Rayo countered a move by landing on his knees. Rayo hit a running knee attack on Original on the floor. Rayo went up top, and Original hit a belly-to-belly suplex off the middle turnbuckle for two. Bravo was on the apron. Original grabbed him, and Grande headbutted Original while the referee was dealing with Bravo. Rayo headbutted Original. Rayo went up top and hit a diving headbutt onto Original for two. Good nearfall. The referee stopped Rayo from trying to take Original’s mask off. Bravo kicked Original, and Rayo got a rollup for two. Original hit Gable’s Chaos Theory rolling suplex for the pinfall win. It went about 10 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Original El Grande Americano

Analysis: *** A good TV match, with the Original getting the win while Rayo and friends tried to cheat throughout. I liked some of the nearfalls for Rayo to make it look like he could win, but I’m not surprised the Original won. My guess is this story leads to the two Americanos facing off in a mask-mask match at WrestleMania.

Penta was featured in a promo stating that no one can save Dominik Mysterio, as Penta will make history and become the new Intercontinental Champion. Penta ended it saying Ciero Miedo, meaning no fear.

Nattie was interviewed by Jackie Redmond in the skybox area of the arena during a break. When Jackie asked Nattie what she had to say to herself, Nattie said she hopes Maxxine Dupri can see this. Nattie said she’s so sorry she let Dupri train in the Dungeon and made her feel good at this. Nattie told Dupri she’s a bimbo trying to convince them she’s a killer. Nattie said she’s outlasted other women throughout her career. Nattie told Dupri to do a TikTok or Vlog with Otis and Tozawa. Nattie said Hart’s don’t lie, and the truth hurts. Nattie said Dupri doesn’t belong in her world and never will. Nattie left.

Analysis: I’m enjoying the heel Nattie character. I was hoping she’d say something about going after AJ Lee because that would be cool, but for now, the focus is on her rivalry with Dupri.

The Judgment Day’s clubhouse was shown as Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez played darts. Finn Balor approached Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh. Dom wondered if Balor was over going after the World Title and could focus on Dominik. Balor said he thought Dominik wanted to win on his own. Dominik wondered if Balor and JD would celebrate with him after he won. Balor said he’d be out there to watch Dom win. They were united.

A clip aired of Royce Keys on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast that has been out for a few weeks. Cody Rhodes has Gunther as a podcast guest this week.

They showed highlights of Oba Femi beating The Miz last Friday on SmackDown.

Rusev Calls Out Oba Femi

Rusev went to ringside and stood on the commentary table. Rusev said he’s tired of listening to people talking about Oba Femi. Rusev said he knows Oba is back there. Rusev called out Femi for a fight right now. Rusev said he’s not moving from this table until Femi shows up.

Oba Femi made his entrance with the fans responding to him and shouting during his song right on cue. Oba Femi looked ready to fight as he did his strut down to the ring.

When Oba Femi got into the ring, he said that Rusev spent all this time talking, so let’s make something happen. Rusev got into the ring and they exchanged punches. Femi got the upper hand and hit a running uppercut against the turnbuckle. Rusev avoided a slam and hit two kicks to the head. Femi came back with a spinebuster. Femi clotheslined Rusev over the top to the floor. Rusev left as Femi’s music played.

Analysis: It was a simple call out by Rusev and some physicality by two powerhouses. It was a fight that left us wanting more. Femi is likely going to win when they have a match, but I like that Rusev had the courage to call out Femi there.

Bayley spoke to Lyra Valkyria about how things haven’t gone well for them lately. Lyra said she didn’t want Bayley to miss out on a WrestleMania again. Lyra said that AJ Lee is looking for challengers for the Women’s Intercontinental Title, and Lyra said that it should be Bayley. It led to Bayley thanking Lyra for the support. Bayley suggested they both go talk to Raw GM Adam Pearce about it. As Bayley and Lyra went into the room, they saw Iyo Sky leave the room.

Analysis: Remember when Bayley was portraying that character that was conflicted about whether she should go back to her heel ways or remain a good person? The story was basically dropped. I feel bad for her.

The Club 520 Podcast was shown in the front row with former NBA player Jeff Teague and friends. They also showed Indiana Hoosiers football defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker at ringside, and he was cheered since IU football won the national championship last month.

Jimmy Uso made his entrance for singles action up next. They went on a break for some fans after that. A WrestleMania 42 commercial aired.

Austin Theory vs. Jimmy Uso

It was an aggressive Theory early on with punches to the head. Jimmy got some offense going as he sent Theory out of the ring. Jimmy hit a suicide dive onto Theory, who went crashing into the ring. Jimmy superkicked Theory on the floor. Jimmy cleared off the commentary table and superkicked Theory onto the table. Jimmy went up top, Logan Paul was in the ring and Jimmy jumped onto Paul. Theory was back in to fight Jimmy, and Logan attacked Jimmy with punches too, so that led to a DQ finish. It went about 3 minutes.

Winner by disqualification: Jimmy Uso

Analysis: * A short match to further the story involving these guys.

Jey Uso’s entrance music hit. Logan and Theory were looking in the aisle, but Jimmy showed up on the other side of the ring. Jimmy had crutches, so Jimmy and Jey hit Paul and Theory with crutches. Jey knocked Paul out of the ring. The Usos hit 1D on Theory. The fans loved that.

Analysis: It was a bad night for The Vision. It will probably lead to a tag team match.

There was a brief video that was a throwback to CM Punk’s infamous 2011 promo in Las Vegas, and it was current CM Punk saying something similar, but then it ended.

Adam Pearce was backstage talking to Nick Aldis on the phone. Pearce ended the call. Danhausen talked to Pearce, whom he called “Cold” Steve Austin. Danhausen demanded a blimp, a Hall of Fame induction, an assistant, a point photo with Triple H, and other things. The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, and Finn Balor were walking, so Pearce made them talk to Danhausen. Pearce left. Danhausen said hello to Dom and Finn, but didn’t know JD’s name. JD said he hates this guy already. Danhausen liked the titles that Dom had, so Dom said you can’t have it. They were rude to Danhausen, so Danhausen cursed Dom. The J-Day guys laughed it off. Dom’s match was next.

Analysis: Welcome to Monday night Rawhausen, Danhausen. I enjoy his silliness. This was better than his debut, at least.

Je’Von Evans was interviewed by Byron Saxton in the skybox area of the building during a break. Evans talked about being in pain after Elimination Chamber. Evans talked about being in the ring with big dogs and then trashed Logan Paul, saying he was in there, too. Evans said that they are goals he wants to achieve. Evans said he’s going to watch Dominik and Penta, saying he is coming for the Intercontinental Title. Evans said that the Young OG is coming for the title, and you know that boy is bouncy.

Rhea Ripley Interview

Rhea Ripley was interviewed by Jackie Redmond at the entrance. Ripley was joined by her buddy, Iyo Sky. Redmond noted that Ripley won the Women’s Elimination Chamber and will now challenge Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Title at WrestleMania. Ripley said it sucks that she and Sky lost the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Ripley was sad because Sky has been her opponent, tag team partner, and best friend. Ripley thanked Sky for supporting her and standing by her, and for pulling her out of a dark situation. Sky said that Ripley did the same for her. Sky said that Ripley won the Chamber and showed everyone why Mami is always on top. Sky said she’ll be okay on Raw. Sky told Ripley to handle her business and win the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. Ripley thanked Sky. Ripley said she’s going to do it and told Sky she’ll do it for her. Ripley said that this Friday, she’ll see Jade Cargill face-to-face on SmackDown. Sky said that at WrestleMania, Ripley will be leaving as the new WWE Women’s Champion.

Analysis: A focused Rhea Ripley with a message for Jade Cargill. I think Ripley winning the Women’s Title at WrestleMania 42 makes a lot of sense. I know Ripley and Cargill have exchanged words on social media already, and it looks like some personal shots were taken. It certainly helps a feud when people are guessing what’s real and what’s part of the story.

Next week on Raw in Seattle:

* Women’s Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match: Lyra Valkyria vs. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Asuka vs. Ivy Nile

* Oba Femi vs. Rusev

The entrances took place for the Intercontinental Championship match.

Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio (w/Finn Balor & JD McDonagh) vs. Penta

Finn and JD were watching from chairs at ringside. Penta kicked Dominik out of the ring. Penta followed up with a somersault dive over the top onto Dominik on the floor. They went on a break for some fans as the action continued. Penta sent Dominik into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Penta hit a superkick. Penta jumped off the top, Dominik kicked him in the gut, and Dom slammed Penta down, followed by some punches to the head. Dominik worked over Penta with stomps against the turnbuckle. Dominik hit two senton splashes on Penta for two.

The match continued with Penta getting some offense with a Slingblade and a kick to the back of the head/neck. Dominik avoided a move and hit a Mullet-o-match sitout neckbreaker, similar to the Edgeomatic that Edge used for decades. Dominik hit two suplexes, but Penta blocked a third with a suplex of his own. Penta charged. Dominik got a boot up, and Penta hit a jumping kick to the face. Penta chopped Dominik in the chest. Dominik stopped Penta with a boot to the face and a DDT on the apron for two. When Penta tried an attack from the apron, Dominik hit a forearm and knocked Penta down. Dominik jumped off the turnbuckle with a cross body block on the floor. Dominik hit a cross body block to knock Penta over the barricade at ringside. They went on another break as the action continued. Dominik was in control for a few minutes, and Dominik tried to take Penta’s mask off. Dominik hit a dropkick while Penta was against the turnbuckle.

Penta got some offense going with a cross-body block off the top and a hurricanrana. Penta hit his handstand corner dropkick for a two-count. Penta superkicked Dominik while he was against the turnbuckle. Penta hit a Backstabber with two knees to the back for a two-count. Penta charged, but Dominik caught him with a Michinoku Driver for a two-count. Dominik dropkicked Penta into the ropes and hit a 619 kick. Dominik went up top. He went for a splash, but Penta caught him and pulled on Dom’s left arm with The Sacrifice. Penta hit the Penta Driver for a two-count. That is one of Penta’s finishers that he has used to win many matches, so it’s a big deal for Dominik to kick out of that. Penta stomped on Dominik repeatedly. Penta went Dominik into the turnbuckle and hit a shoulder tackle. Penta went for the shoulder tackle again. Dominik moved, and Penta hit his left shoulder into the turnbuckle. Dominik told JD to give him the bell hammer, so JD grabbed the hammer from ringside. Balor told JD not to do it because Dominik said he wanted to do it by himself. While that was going on, Penta hit a somersault dive onto Balor and JD on the floor. Penta kicked Dominik in the head. Penta charged. Dominik avoided it and sent Penta into the ropes. Dominik went for the 619. Penta avoided it and hit the Mexican Destroyer for the 1…2…3! Penta is the NEW Intercontinental Champion! The match went about 17 minutes.

Winner by pinfall AND NEW Intercontinental Champion: Penta

Analysis: ***3/4 That was an excellent TV match, with Penta finally winning the Intercontinental Championship after chasing that title for the past year. It was full of twists and turns, with Penta coming close to winning early on and again later in the match, but it seemed like Dominik would get help from his friends… until Finn stopped JD. That was the key moment of the match. It led to Penta capitalizing on the situation. He hit the Mexican Destroyer, and there’s the title change. I thought that Finn Balor would turn babyface to face Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Title, but that’s not happening now. Maybe they’ll do it without the title involved. Also, Danhausen’s curse on Dominik Mysterio worked. Don’t get cursed, people!

Penta celebrated with the Intercontinental Title. They replayed the key spots in the match. Penta held up the title, and there was a pyro display for him. The fans popped for it and celebrated with him.

Analysis: I am genuinely happy for Penta, who has done a great job as a midcarder on Raw for the last year. It was the right call to give Penta the title win. Great moment.

A replay was shown from Elimination Chamber when Drew McIntyre and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis argued. It was announced that Drew has to defend the WWE Title against Cody Rhodes on SmackDown.

The “Original Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns made his entrance for the main event promo segment. They went to a break for some fans as Reigns made his slow walk to the ring.

Let’s Hear from Roman Reigns…and CM Punk

Roman Reigns was in the ring wearing one of his OTC1 sweaters. It was nice to see him after a month off. Reigns told Indianapolis to acknowledge him, and the fans cheered. The World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk, interrupted before Reigns could say anything else.

CM Punk got in the ring with the World Heavyweight Title around his waist. Punk wondered why Roman Reigns was mean-mugging him with his face. Punk mentioned that Reigns had tweeted at him, and Reigns wondered if his tweet hurt his feelings. Punk said he doesn’t care what people say about him or what they say about him on podcasts. Punk said he’s got bags under his eyes because for seven weeks, he has to carry Roman’s bullshit all the way to WrestleMania. Punk did his line about how it’s great to be alive on a Monday night in Indianapolis.

Punk said they have a history in Indianapolis because this is where The Shield debuted. Reigns said Punk brought the other two, not him. Punk said maybe he didn’t pick Reigns, but Reigns has picked him. Punk claimed he has already won the main event of WrestleMania Vegas. Punk said that the last time they were in the ring, Reigns told Punk he hated him. Punk said he is in Roman’s head, as empty as it is. Punk said he can see right through Reigns.

Reigns replied that he hates Punk. Reigns called Punk “Phil” for the second time. Reigns said that if Punk didn’t have the title, he wouldn’t care about him. Reigns said Punk is there to entertain the 30-40-year-old virgins who live at home and draw a house in Chicago, but they didn’t bring Punk back to be a champion. Reigns said Punk is a liar. Reigns said Punk has people thinking he’s a locker room leader and that he can post on social media about hanging out with Roman’s cousins. Reigns said you’re not fit to be champion and that you’re just a Punk Ass Bitch to Reigns. Reigns said he’s going to be the World Champion, then he’s going to put Punk on a retirement tour. Reigns said he’ll send Punk to NXT to teach the future talent and send the talent to Reigns so he can smash them. Reigns wanted to leave.

Punk didn’t let Reigns leave. Punk said Reigns is all alone on his bus and here in the arena with his cousins. Punk said Reigns doesn’t even have a Wise Man, especially since he’s all alone. Punk said he’s the main event, and he runs things here. Punk said he’s hanging out with Roman’s cousins and others in the locker room. Punk said he won’t let Reigns disrespect him. Punk said Reigns went from being beaten at WrestleMania to now, and Punk is going to bury him. Punk said Reigns won’t be alone anymore because Punk is going to bury him next to his father. That’s a reference to Roman’s Hall of Fame father, Sika, who passed away a few years ago. Punk left for the back as his theme song played while Reigns was frustrated in the ring. The show ended there.

Analysis: This was a good promo exchange, just like the last time they did it a month ago, but I’d say that last time was definitely better. This one did have some clever lines from both guys, as Punk got the final shot by mentioning Roman’s father, who has passed away, which makes the feud feel personal. It would have been good to have Reigns drop Punk with a punch and leave, but they have a month and a half to build this up more, so they have time for things to get physical here. I like how Reigns is so confident all the time, and Punk isn’t afraid to speak his mind, so it’s a lot of fun watching this. I’m going to enjoy this build on the road to WrestleMania.

This week’s Raw had a runtime of 2 hours and 22 minutes on Netflix.

===

Three Stars of the Show

  1. Penta
  2. Gunther
  3. CM Punk/Roman Reigns

===

The Scoreboard

8 out of 10

Last week: 7.25

2026 Average: 7.56

===

Final Thoughts on WWE Raw

This was a great show full of exciting moments from the moment it came on the air, with some entertaining matches, too. The Penta-Dominik Mysterio match ran nearly 20 minutes and featured a title change, with Penta finally winning the Intercontinental Title. It was cool to see, and it certainly felt like a big moment to end a terrific match. I’m genuinely happy for Penta winning the gold after chasing it for the past year. By the way, Danhausen cursed Dom, and it worked. Don’t mess with Danhausen.

There was also the Gunther-Dragon Lee match, which was a lot of fun and more competitive than most people likely assumed going into it. There were other solid matches on the show.

The non-wrestling segments were also entertaining. I loved the opening, with Seth Rollins getting revenge on Paul Heyman with a chair and The Stomp. That was booked very well. Also, the main event promo from CM Punk and Roman Reigns was great again. The last time may have been better, but this was still strong. I also like how Rusev/Oba Femi was set up in a quick segment where they got into a fight, and we get to see the match next week. Smart booking. I enjoyed the whole show.

The next WWE PLE is WrestleMania 42 on April 18 & April 19 in Las Vegas. Here’s the lineup so far:

* WWE World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns

* WWE Undisputed Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Randy Orton

* WWE Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan

* WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

There will be more matches added in the weeks ahead.

===

Thanks for reading. Please check out my reviews of every WWE PPV ever listed in order. Go Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs. My contact info is below.

John Canton

Email [email protected]

Twitter/X @johnreport