Last night’s WWE Monday Night RAW felt like a show trying to do two things at once: push WWE Backlash into focus and clean up the creative mess left behind after WrestleMania. Some of it worked. Some of it dragged. The best parts of the night were clear: Bron Breakker verbally cooking Seth Rollins, Jacob Fatu feeling like a legitimate threat to Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch and IYO SKY delivering a pay-per-view level match, and the recent NXT call-ups continuing to look like they belong. The problem is WWE also leaned into some of its laziest habits: too many recaps, another Bloodline-adjacent main event program, and way too many open challenge ideas when certain people, especially Oba Femi, should already be positioned above that.
Here are the full results
- Penta def. Rusev
- Becky Lynch def. IYO SKY (c) (WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship)
- Rey Mysterio def. El Grande Americano
- Oba Femi def. Grayson Waller
- Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez def. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
Breakdowns & Reactions
RAW opened with Roman Reigns and The Usos in a vignette-style promo, and honestly, it immediately gave off the feeling that they were scared of Jacob Fatu. That is the right energy. Fatu should feel dangerous. The Usos understood the family part of his argument: Jacob wants a better life for his family, and there is something real and human in that. But WWE also made it clear that compassion has limits when it comes at the expense of The Tribal Chief. Roman is still Roman. The Usos are back under his protective wing, and whether WWE wants to call it family loyalty or manipulation, it once again puts them in position to do Roman’s bidding.
That is where the criticism comes in. WWE is absolutely going back to The Bloodline well again, and it feels like a hot fix for bigger creative problems. Roman vs. Jacob is compelling because Jacob is believable, intense, and different enough to make it work. But WWE has to be careful. If the answer to every creative hole is “put Roman and family drama back on top,” then the product starts feeling like it is afraid to move forward.
The opening segment with Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker started strong and then became a little too long for its own good. Bron was the best part of it. He was funny, sharp, and honestly spitting truth. The line about Seth being “the best in the world at being number two” was brutal, and the idea that Bron would rather lose to the real best in the world than someone who only self-proclaims it was exactly the kind of edge he needs. Seth challenging Bron to Backlash was the right direction, but the promo began to drag and turned into a chore because WWE tried to over-explain a story that should be simple: Bron believes Seth held him back, Seth believes Bron betrayed him, and now they fight.
Penta vs. Rusev was solid. Not great, not bad, just solid TV wrestling that gave both guys something useful. Penta winning with the roll-up kept him strong as Intercontinental Champion, while Rusev still felt dangerous. The more interesting part came after the match with Ethan Page at ringside and Je’Von Evans making the save. A potential Rusev and Ethan Page partnership is intriguing because both men have attitude, presence, and enough personality to make the IC title scene feel more layered. Je’Von also continues to jump off the screen. The recent NXT call-ups have been one of the best things about WWE right now because they bring pace, hunger, and freshness to shows that can sometimes feel stuck in the same cycle.
Becky Lynch vs. IYO SKY was one of the strongest parts of last night’s show. The match was crisp, physical, and easily could have belonged on a premium live event. Becky is already a strong Women’s Intercontinental Champion, but I am tired of champions doing open challenges. It has become one of the laziest shortcuts in wrestling. Becky does not need random challengers every week. She needs a great story and a great rival who can make this title feel important. IYO being that first challenger worked because she is IYO, but the structure is tired.
The bigger story was Asuka costing IYO the match and continuing their feud. That part makes sense, especially after everything with Damage CTRL, but it also felt heavy because of Kairi Sane’s release. The crowd loudly chanting “We Want Kairi” during the angle said everything. Fans were not quiet about it. They knew what was missing, and that reaction gave the segment a real-life edge WWE probably did not want but cannot ignore.
The backstage attack on Stephanie Vaquer by Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, and Roxanne Perez was a great change of pace. It made RAW feel more alive instead of just promo, match, recap, repeat. Liv, Raquel, and Roxanne as a trio could actually work. Roxanne has the arrogance, Liv has the star power, and Raquel has the muscle. There is something there if WWE lets it breathe instead of rushing straight to betrayal.
LA Knight being pissed about The Usos falling back in line with Roman Reigns makes complete sense. The Usos spent years escaping Roman’s shadow, and now they are right back under the Head of the Table’s protection. That is exactly the kind of thing LA Knight should call out. He is the perfect character to say what the audience is thinking without dressing it up.
Oba Femi beating Grayson Waller was dominant, but WWE needs to be careful here. Oba is white hot right now. He just came off retiring Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, and now he is doing squash matches and announcing open challenges? Come on. There is a way to keep him visible, but this cannot be the ceiling. He should be in the world title picture or at least the main event scene. Having him say the champions are busy with their “contenders” makes it feel like creative had nothing better for him, and that is not good enough for someone with his momentum.
Roxanne Perez getting a hometown spotlight was one of the smarter parts of RAW. She and Raquel defeating Bayley and Lyra Valkyria gave her a meaningful win, and the crowd treated her like a star. That matters. Roxanne has main roster potential written all over her, and WWE pairing her around Liv and Raquel gives her immediate relevance.
Joe Hendry’s RAW concert was fun, but it also felt forced. Hendry joining RAW is a good move because his charisma is undeniable, and the crowd still reacts to him like a star. But jumping straight into “Fire Logan Paul” without a deeper reason felt like WWE trying to force a viral moment instead of letting one happen naturally. The WWE NOW RAW Recap podcast also centered the night around Hendry’s RAW arrival, Jacob Fatu getting what he wanted from Roman, Oba Femi starting the Oba Challenge, Asuka targeting IYO, and Seth/Bron moving toward Backlash, which pretty much sums up what WWE wanted fans talking about after the show.
The final Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu segment was the strongest storytelling of the night. Roman bragged that the title does not make the man, the man makes the title. Jacob came out with a completely different energy. He was not there to play Roman’s game. He reminded Roman that when he needed help, Solo Sikoa was the one who reached out. Roman dismissing Solo and claiming he was the real reason Jacob got to WWE was cold, arrogant, and very Roman. Then Jacob snapping, laying Roman out, and forcing him to accept the match made Fatu look like a real threat.
That is the key. Jacob Fatu is not just another challenger. He feels like a man fighting for survival, family, and respect. Roman feels like a king who has gotten too comfortable on the throne. That contrast works. The only issue is WWE has to be brave enough to actually follow through. If Jacob loses and just becomes another monster fed to Roman, then the story loses a lot of its bite.
Current WWE Backlash Card
- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu — World Heavyweight Championship
- Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker
- IYO SKY vs. Asuka
Final Thoughts
Last night’s RAW was a good show with some obvious flaws. The highs were strong: Bron Breakker sounded like a future main eventer, Jacob Fatu felt dangerous, Becky and IYO delivered, Roxanne Perez got a real hometown showcase, and Oba Femi still looked like a monster. But WWE needs to stop leaning on lazy open challenges, endless recaps, and The Bloodline whenever creative gets shaky.
The show worked because the talent carried it. Bron, Jacob, IYO, Becky, Roxanne, Je’Von, and Oba all gave RAW energy. The booking just needs to match them. Backlash has a strong foundation now, but WWE has to make sure these stories feel like progress, not a reset button.
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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?!