Last night’s WWE Monday Night RAW was the red brand’s final stop before WWE Clash In Italy, and instead of feeling like a show that was simply killing time before Sunday, it actually moved several key stories forward with purpose. The biggest surprise was Austin Theory becoming one of the night’s central figures after Logan Paul went down with an injury. Nobody would have expected Theory to suddenly become a focal point of RAW, but WWE leaned into the chaos around The Vision and gave him a sharper edge than he has had in a long time. Between Penta and Je’Von Evans tearing it up for the Intercontinental Championship, Seth Rollins and Montez Ford turning mutual distrust into reluctant common ground, LA Knight stepping back into the Bloodline orbit, Rey Mysterio getting dragged into the Intercontinental Title scene, and Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu closing the show with a strong Tribal Combat contract signing, RAW did what a go-home show is supposed to do. It sold the PLE, gave the bigger matches weight, and still left plenty to question.
Here are the full results
- Penta def. Je’Von Evans (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
- Bayley & Lyra Valkyria def. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez
- Seth Rollins def. Montez Ford
- Rey Mysterio def. Rusev (No. 1 Contender’s Match for the Intercontinental Championship)
Breakdowns & Reactions
RAW opened with the Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi issue, and WWE continues to present their Clash In Italy rematch like one of the biggest matches on the card. Lesnar’s message was simple and cold: he is coming to rule over Oba Femi. Oba’s response to Paul Heyman was even more direct, saying this time he is fighting to kill The Beast. That line was exactly what this feud needed because Oba cannot just be another young star getting thrown in front of Lesnar. He has to feel like someone who belongs in that ring with him, and WWE has done a good job keeping him intense, dangerous and believable.
Penta vs. Je’Von Evans was the in-ring highlight of the night, but it also came with one of the bigger booking questions. The match itself was very good. Penta and Evans worked fast, crisp and athletic, with both men leaning into the kind of pace that makes a TV title match feel important. Evans looked like he belonged, Penta looked like a strong champion, and the final sequence into the finish was exciting. Penta countering the OG Cutter into the Backstabber before putting Evans away with the Mexican Destroyer was a clean and strong ending.
At the same time, the match also raised a fair question: what did Je’Von Evans actually do to earn an Intercontinental Championship match? Last week, Penta and Evans lost a tag match, so the title shot felt more like WWE wanting a great TV match than WWE telling a fully logical story. That is where the online reaction split. A lot of fans praised the athleticism and the chemistry, and wrestling coverage was mostly positive about the match quality. But the criticism is valid too. There were moments where both guys were taking huge shots, popping back up, and moving straight into the next big sequence in a way that felt closer to AEW’s style than WWE’s usual structure. There is nothing wrong with a high-end TV match, but when every big move gets treated like a transition, it can make the finishers and the drama feel smaller.
Then came the biggest shift of the night: Austin Theory stepping into the spotlight. With Logan Paul injured, Theory suddenly became the emotional center of The Vision’s response, and the segment with Joe Hendry made him feel more dangerous than he has in months. Hendry mocking Logan with the “Fire Logan Paul” song was classic Hendry, but Theory cutting him off with a chair attack gave the segment the right kind of heat. It showed Theory was not just a smug sidekick or a background member of the group. He was angry, reckless and looking to avenge his tag partner.
The Vision really does feel like a cursed faction. Bronson Reed and Logan Paul have both been hit by injury issues within months of each other, and while Bron Breakker has been back since WrestleMania, the group still feels like it is constantly trying to survive the next setback. That is what made Theory’s role last night stand out. He was not the final man standing, but he was the member WWE pushed into the spotlight, and last night they turned that into an opportunity. Theory looked unhinged, and the backstage segment with Adam Pearce worked because Pearce treated him like a man who had gone too far while Theory acted like he had not gone far enough. Heyman hovering around the situation added another layer because he clearly knows Theory is out of control, but he also knows that kind of chaos can be useful.
That carried into the Seth Rollins and Street Profits story, which was one of the better threads of the night. Rollins and Montez Ford have every reason not to trust each other. Ford does not trust Rollins because history says Rollins will always choose himself when the moment gets hot. Rollins, on the other hand, knows what The Vision can do when people do not work together. Their backstage exchange was sharp because it was not about friendship. It was about survival.
Rollins vs. Ford was a strong match because it had a point beyond just filling time. Ford wanted to prove he did not need Rollins. Rollins wanted to prove that Ford’s pride was getting in the way. Ford missed the 450 Splash, Rollins hit the Stomp, and that could have been the end of it. Instead, Theory attacked Angelo Dawkins with a chair after the match, forcing Ford and Rollins into the same war whether they like it or not. That is good storytelling. They do not trust each other, they do not need to become friends, but The Vision has pushed them into a corner where standing apart is no longer an option.
The Judgment Day tag match was the weakest story direction of the night, even though the work itself was fine. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria beating Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez should have felt like it meant something, especially with Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio involved, but the whole thing still feels like WWE is spinning its wheels. The point seemed to be that Judgment Day’s own interference and dysfunction cost them again. Liv tried to help, Dom got involved, the AAA Mega Championship came into play, Roxanne accidentally hit Dom with it, and Bayley stole the win with a roll-up.
The problem is that WWE still does not seem to know what story it is actually trying to tell with Bayley and Lyra against Raquel and Roxanne. Are Bayley and Lyra being built toward the Women’s Tag Team Titles again? Is this about Judgment Day falling apart? Is this about Liv and Dominik? Is it about Roxanne trying to prove herself? It feels like pieces are moving, but the picture is blurry.
The bigger issue is Liv Morgan. WWE still does not seem to know what to do with her and Dominik Mysterio. Liv is the Women’s World Champion, but she has not been presented like the center of the division. That is becoming a familiar problem no matter who holds that title. The champion should drive the show, not feel like a character stuck in someone else’s side plot. Dominik has fallen even harder. There was a time when Dom was one of the most consistently entertaining acts on WWE TV. Now he feels like a side character in a group that does not know what role he is supposed to play. His downfall into the background needs to be studied because WWE had something hot with him and has let a lot of that edge fade.
The finish also added to another issue: WWE feels like it is drifting back into the roll-up era. A roll-up can work when it fits the story, and here it did play into Judgment Day’s own interference backfiring. But lately, there have been too many matches ending with quick pins, distractions and fluky finishes. There was a time when matches ended after someone hit their finisher and won decisively. WWE does not need every TV match to end clean, but it also cannot make every finish feel like a shortcut.
LA Knight’s segment with Jimmy Uso was good because Knight came back sounding like someone who still has a chip on his shoulder. He announced that next week kicks off the return of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, then threw his name into the King of the Ring field and made it clear that if he wins, he wants Roman Reigns. That immediately put him back near the top of the board.
The Jimmy Uso confrontation gave Knight the right kind of edge. He called out the Bloodline structure without sounding like he was just repeating old points. Jimmy warning him to stay out of family business made sense, but Knight’s response hit harder because he has been burned by Bloodline politics before. He basically told Jimmy that if Roman’s family business becomes his business, he will shut it down. That was a strong line, and it gave Knight something clear going into next week.
Rey Mysterio beating Rusev to become No. 1 contender to Penta’s Intercontinental Championship was another mixed bag. The story with Ethan Page manipulating Rusev was good. Page knew exactly how to push Rusev’s buttons. He made it seem like Rey was jumping the line, convinced Rusev he was being disrespected, and tricked him into taking the match. That kind of manipulation fits Page perfectly.
But the bigger question is still fair: why is the AAA General Manager wrestling, chasing titles and taking spots from others on the roster? Rey Mysterio is a legend, and nobody is questioning what he can still do. The match with Rusev worked as a classic David vs. Goliath story, and Rey winning by quick pin fit the structure. But if WWE is building a modern Intercontinental Title scene around Penta, Je’Von Evans, Ethan Page, Rusev and other full-time names, Rey being inserted as the next challenger feels like a choice that needs more explanation. Dragon Lee making the save after the match helped connect the lucha side of the story, but WWE has to be careful not to make the active roster feel like it is waiting behind legends and authority figures.
The closing segment was exactly what the Tribal Combat match needed. Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu did not need a wild brawl. They did not need the entire Bloodline running out. They did not need another chaotic go-home ending. The contract signing worked because it let the words sell the match. Fatu signed first, got heated by the “OTC” chants, and showed how badly he wants to break out of Roman’s shadow. Roman came out, cleared the security, and made the moment feel personal.
The best part of the segment was the added consequence. If Fatu wins, he becomes Head of the Table and Roman follows. If Fatu loses, he serves Roman. That makes Tribal Combat feel bigger than a title match. It is about power, control, family hierarchy and whether Fatu is really ready to take the throne. The forehead-to-forehead staredown was a strong final image, and the restraint made it better. RAW does not need to end in chaos every week. Sometimes the most effective ending is two men standing face-to-face with everything clearly on the line.
The WWE NOW RAW Recap framed the night around the major Clash In Italy stories, and that was the right takeaway. This was not a perfect episode, but it was a productive go-home show. The best parts were Theory finding a more ruthless lane, Rollins and Ford being forced into reluctant unity, Penta and Evans delivering in the ring, and Roman/Fatu closing with actual stakes. The weakest parts were still the women’s title direction, Judgment Day’s unclear purpose, and WWE relying too much on distraction finishes.
Best match and segment of the night
Best Match: Penta vs. Je’Von Evans
Penta and Je’Von Evans had the best match of the night from an athletic standpoint. It was fast, explosive and gave Evans a real chance to show out while keeping Penta strong as champion. The only thing holding it back was the structure leaning too much into huge moves being absorbed too quickly. Still, bell-to-bell, this was the match people will remember most from the episode.
Best Segment: Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu’s Tribal Combat contract signing
The best segment was the closing contract signing. It sold Clash In Italy without overdoing it. Roman felt like the final boss. Fatu felt like the hungry challenger who might actually be ready to rip the seat away from him. The added stipulation of leadership and servitude gave the match real consequences, and the no-contact tension was more refreshing than another predictable pull-apart brawl.
Current WWE Clash In Italy card
- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu (Tribal Combat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther (Undisputed WWE Championship)
- Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade Cargill (WWE Women’s Championship)
- Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol Ruca (WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship)
- Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
Final thoughts
Last night’s RAW was a strong final stop before Clash In Italy because it gave the PLE momentum while still creating new questions for next week. Austin Theory unexpectedly became one of the most important characters on the show, and that might be the best thing WWE could have done after Logan Paul’s injury. The Vision may be cursed, but Theory being pushed into the spotlight alongside a healthy Bron Breakker could force the group to become more dangerous, more desperate and more interesting.
The show was not without problems. WWE still needs to figure out Liv Morgan’s title reign, Dominik Mysterio’s role, the purpose of the Bayley/Lyra and Judgment Day issue, and why so many matches are being decided by roll-ups and distractions. But when RAW focused on clear stories, it delivered. Penta and Evans brought the action. Rollins and Ford brought layered tension. LA Knight brought needed energy. Rey and Rusev added movement to the Intercontinental Title scene, even if the booking logic is debatable. Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu closed the night with the kind of serious, focused segment that made Tribal Combat feel like one of the biggest matches WWE can run right now.
As a go-home show, RAW did its job. It made Clash In Italy feel bigger, gave several feuds stronger direction, and left enough unfinished business to make next week’s King and Queen of the Ring kickoff feel important.
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I’m the quiet one until the bell rings then I’ve got takes. I live for WWE NXT and TNA, I want every promotion to succeed, and I will absolutely roast the bad decisions on sight (because someone has to). Anime taught me to respect long-term storytelling; wrestling taught me that sometimes the plan is “we panicked” and called it “unpredictable.” The Miz got me into all of this, so yeah I appreciate confidence, commitment, and the art of talking like you’re already the main event. Now I bring that same energy to the page as the main writer for Late Night Crew Wrestling because if you’re not here to be must-see and tell the truth, why are you here?!