Tonight’s WWE Monday Night RAW comes to you from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and it isn’t just another Monday—it’s the go-home RAW before Saturday Night’s Main Event, where John Cena wrestles the final match of his legendary career. 

The field of 16 in The Last Time Is Now Tournament has been whittled down to one. After surviving Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa and finally LA Knight in the tournament’s closing stretch, Gunther has earned the right to stand across from Cena on December 13 in Washington, D.C., and tonight he appears live on RAW for the first time since that career-defining victory. 

Layer on a World Tag Team Championship match, a grudge-fueled showdown between Rey Mysterio and Finn Bálor, a high-stakes women’s clash between Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez, and a live appearance from Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, and tonight’s show becomes something bigger: the last chapter before Cena’s story closes, and the first hints of what WWE will look like once he’s gone. 

Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show

Per WWE’s social channels and multiple confirmed previews, tonight’s RAW lineup is: 

• Gunther speaks live following his win in The Last Time Is Now Tournament, addressing John Cena ahead of their retirement match
• WWE World Tag Team Championship Match:
  AJ Styles & Dragon Lee (c) vs. The War Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
• Rey Mysterio vs. Finn Bálor – singles match
• Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez – singles match
• Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer appears live

RAW streams tonight on Netflix at 8 p.m. ET. 

Gunther’s final warning before John Cena’s last match

The bracket said it plainly: 16 Superstars entered The Last Time Is Now Tournament, and the man left standing was Gunther. WWE’s official bracket shows his path—defeating Je’Von Evans in the first round, then Carmelo Hayes in the quarterfinals, Solo Sikoa in the semifinals, and finally LA Knight in the tournament final on SmackDown. 

On the December 5 SmackDown, Knight nearly stole it with the BFT, but Gunther powered through and tore him down with elbows and a submission reminiscent of Cena’s own STF, forcing the Megastar to tap. 

Tonight, the Ring General steps onto RAW with one mission: make it crystal clear that at Saturday Night’s Main Event, John Cena isn’t just wrestling his last match—

he’s being ended by the most dominant final boss WWE has produced in years.

Expect Gunther’s promo to hit three key notes:

• Legacy vs. Reality: Cena’s 26-year run, his farewell tour, his “Never Give Up” mantra… all measured against Gunther’s cold, efficient violence.  
• Psychological warfare: having already beaten members of The Bloodline and now winning a tournament built around Cena’s name, Gunther arrives with receipts to back up his threat.  
• The tap-out promise: he has openly vowed to make Cena submit in his final match, using the STF-style hold that ended LA Knight as a preview of Cena’s fate.  

Cena has fired off his own responses in recent interviews and social clips, but tonight, RAW belongs to Gunther’s side of the conversation. Cena doesn’t have to be in the building for the pressure to feel overwhelming.

World Tag Team Championship: AJ Styles & Dragon Lee (c) vs. The War Raiders

RAW’s tag division gets the spotlight tonight as AJ Styles & Dragon Lee defend the WWE World Tag Team Titles against The War Raiders (Erik & Ivar). WWE and multiple outlets confirmed this title match for the December 8 episode, and it’s easily one of the most loaded tag bouts of the year on RAW. 

On one side, you have a dream-team-style pairing:

• AJ Styles: a multi-time world champion, still one of the cleanest in-ring technicians alive, with a knack for big-match pacing.
• Dragon Lee: an explosive luchador whose NXT run and main roster performances have been defined by insane speed and fearless bumping.

On the other side, you have pure blunt force:

• Erik & Ivar, The War Raiders: power, weight, and a willingness to turn every match into a car crash; former tag champions who specialize in taking away the sky from high-flyers.

Tonight’s match is about more than just belts:

• A successful defense would further establish Styles & Dragon Lee as the centerpiece act of RAW’s tag scene heading into 2026.
• A War Raiders win would send a strong message five days before SNME—that brutality still runs this division, and anybody chasing gold in the new year has to go through them.

Either way, expect this to be the in-ring anchor of tonight’s show.

Rey Mysterio vs. Finn Bálor – history, grudges, and Judgment Day

Rey Mysterio vs. Finn Bálor is more than a singles match; it’s another chapter in a rivalry that’s reshaped both men over the past few years. WWE’s own preview lists this bout as a featured match for tonight’s episode, and it fits perfectly into the broader story of Judgment Day’s shadow over RAW. 

For Rey, every encounter with a Judgment Day member is about redemption and revenge. His long-running issues with Dominik and the faction as a whole have left scars—physical and emotional. Even when the Intercontinental Title isn’t on the line tonight, the path back to that championship and back to his son inevitably runs through Bálor.

For Finn, tonight is about control:

• Control over RAW’s narrative heading into Cena’s farewell week.
• Control over the faction’s image as internal and external pressures mount.

In-ring, this is a collision of two of the most respected workers of their eras:

• Rey’s creativity and timing vs. Bálor’s calculated aggression and knockout offense.
• The 619 vs. the Coup de Grâce.

With Cena’s retirement match dominating headlines, Bálor and Rey have a chance tonight to remind everyone that RAW still revolves around who can win when the bell rings.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez – a statement match for the future

General Manager Adam Pearce’s Instagram announcement—picked up and detailed by Ringside News—confirmed that Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez was added as a key women’s singles match for tonight’s RAW. 

It’s an NXT main-event-caliber match transplanted onto a RAW stage:

• Lyra Valkyria: former NXT Women’s Champion whose main roster journey is about proving that her title reign was the start of something, not the peak.
• Roxanne Perez: the prodigy who has been collecting “firsts” since she walked through WWE’s door, constantly hovering near the top of the women’s food chain.

Pearce explicitly framed this match as important for future women’s title implications. 

That means this isn’t a courtesy showcase; it’s an unofficial eliminator to see who moves up the ladder toward Stephanie Vaquer and Maxxine Dupri in early 2026. The result tonight could quietly shape which name starts appearing in title conversations once the dust settles from Cena’s farewell.

Stephanie Vaquer appears live – the Women’s World Champion chooses her next move

Ringside News also confirmed that Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer will appear live tonight. 

Vaquer’s run in WWE has been defined by big-match performances and a calm, dangerous presence. What makes tonight especially intriguing is the timing:

• Maxxine Dupri is fresh off winning the Women’s Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch on RAW, establishing a new secondary title power base on Monday nights.  
• The women’s roster is crowded with hungry contenders across both singles belts—Lynch, Ivy Nile, Perez, Valkyria, and more.  

Vaquer’s segment tonight could:

• Tease her next challenger,
• Cross paths with whoever wins Valkyria vs. Perez,
• Or refocus the division entirely with a new mission statement heading into Royal Rumble season.

When champions talk on the go-home show before a major special, it’s rarely filler.

Other threads to watch on tonight’s RAW

Even beyond the announced card, there are big story currents flowing under the surface:

• The emotional temperature around Cena’s farewell – Every promo, every backstage interview, every crowd reaction tonight gets filtered through the reality that the face of WWE’s last two decades is five days away from his final bell.  
• Cody Rhodes & Oba Femi’s looming clash – At NXT Deadline, Oba Femi reclaimed the NXT Championship from Ricky Saints to punch his ticket to an exhibition showdown with Rhodes at SNME. His promos since have painted him as “The Ruler” bringing apocalyptic change to the main roster, and any mention of that tonight keeps Saturday in fans’ minds.  
• The overall “new era” feel – With Cena leaving, Maxxine Dupri crowned as Women’s IC Champion, Oba Femi riding into a champion vs. champion match, and Gunther standing on the cusp of retiring a GOAT, tonight’s RAW feels like a crossroads show as much as a go-home show.  

The Last Time Is Now Tournament – full, final breakdown

WWE’s official bracket lays out the entire road to Saturday Night’s Main Event. 

First Round

• Jey Uso def. The Miz
• Rusev def. Damian Priest
• Sheamus def. Shinsuke Nakamura (later ruled out due to injury)
• LA Knight def. Zack Ryder
• Penta def. Finn Bálor
• Solo Sikoa def. Dolph Ziggler
• Gunther def. Je’Von Evans
• Carmelo Hayes def. Bronson Reed

Two surprise names—Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler—rounded out the field as uncontracted entrants, giving the tournament an extra layer of unpredictability from the opening bell. 

Quarterfinals

• Solo Sikoa def. Penta
• Gunther def. Carmelo Hayes
• Jey Uso def. Rusev
• LA Knight def. The Miz  

These matches tightened the bracket around a core theme: established main-eventers vs. surging threats, all fighting for the right to share a ring with Cena one last time.

Semifinals

• LA Knight def. Jey Uso
• Gunther def. Solo Sikoa  

Knight’s win over Jey continued his 2025 trend of winning big TV main events, while Gunther’s victory over Solo Sikoa underscored his growing reputation as a “Bloodline hunter,” knocking off key members of one of WWE’s most dominant dynasties. 

Final – SmackDown, Dec. 5

• Gunther def. LA Knight (via submission) to win The Last Time Is Now Tournament and earn the match with John Cena.  

The finish—LA Knight trapped in a submission that mirrored Cena’s STF—was as symbolic as it was decisive. Gunther didn’t just win the tournament; he claimed ownership of the hold Cena made famous and turned it into the instrument of his own coronation.

Tonight’s promo on RAW is the victory lap…and the opening salvo before the actual war.

Here is the current Saturday Night’s Main Event card

As of today, the officially advertised card for Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII – John Cena’s Final Match on December 13, 2025, from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., is: 

• John Cena’s Final Match
  John Cena vs. Gunther
• Champion vs. Champion Exhibition (Non-Title)
  Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Champion) vs. Oba Femi (NXT Champion)
• WWE vs. NXT Women’s Exhibition Match
  Bayley vs. Sol Ruca

The show streams live on Peacock at 8 p.m. ET in the U.S. 

Tonight’s RAW isn’t just about hyping a card—it’s about feeling the weight of an era ending.

Gunther’s message, the tag title clash, Rey vs. Bálor, Valkyria vs. Perez, and Stephanie Vaquer’s appearance all orbit the same gravity:

In five days, John Cena is gone.

RAW has to prove tonight that WWE is ready for what comes after.

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