Last night’s WWE Monday Night RAW was one of those shows where the biggest moments were strong enough to make the episode feel important, but the logic holding everything together was shaky at best. This was the red brand’s go-home show for this Saturday’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, but WWE also had one eye locked on Clash in Italy, and that made the episode feel like two different builds fighting for space. Brock Lesnar’s surprise return was easily the biggest shock of the night, and Oba Femi selling four F5s like the first true humbling of his WWE run gave the show the kind of wow factor it badly needed. But the Bloodline opening segment exposed the same problem WWE keeps running into: Roman Reigns beat Jacob Fatu at Backlash, yet Fatu has spent the past two weeks being presented like the most unstoppable force in the company. That is not impossible to tell as a story, but WWE has to make it make sense. Right now, it feels less like careful character progression and more like the company running back to The Bloodline whenever RAW needs a panic button.
Here are the full results
- Finn Bálor def. JD McDonagh (Street Fight)
- Los Americanos def. Original El Grande Americano & Los Americanos Hermanos (Trios Tornado Tag Team Match)
- Brie Bella & Paige (c) def. The Judgment Day (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
- Seth Rollins def. Austin Theory
Breakdowns & Reactions
RAW opened with Roman Reigns, The Usos, Jacob Fatu and Adam Pearce, and this is where the episode immediately started fighting itself. Roman just beat Fatu and retained the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash. Yet last week, Jacob took out both Usos and Roman. Last night, it took Roman and The Usos jumping him together, hitting him with superkicks, a 1D, Superman Punches, a spear and basically everything short of a forklift to finally keep him down for a moment. Then Fatu still got back up and challenged Roman to Tribal Combat at Clash in Italy.
The visual was strong. The logic was not.
If WWE wanted Fatu to look like the final boss, then Backlash should have ended differently. If Roman was supposed to prove he was still the head of the table, then Fatu should not be steamrolling the family two weeks later like the loss never happened. The story can be sold as Jacob becoming more dangerous because he has nothing left to lose, but WWE has not slowed down enough to make that clear. It just feels like they want Roman protected, Jacob protected, The Usos involved, Adam Pearce helpless and Clash in Italy loaded — all at the same time.
Roman also saying this version of The Bloodline is him and The Usos running things together sounds good on paper, but last night undercut that. The Usos went out there first, got mauled, and Roman took forever to make the save. That is a character beat WWE could use if they are telling a story about Roman still being selfish, still needing the family more than he admits and still only acting when it benefits him. But if we are supposed to see him as the noble Tribal Chief holding the family together, then the timing made him look bad.
The Tongan Death Grip is also being overused. It worked when it felt sudden, violent and dangerous. Now WWE is going to it so often that it risks becoming Jacob’s version of a shortcut instead of a killer weapon. The more they spam it, the less special it feels.
And then there is Adam Pearce. At this point, what is the point of RAW having a general manager if he cannot control anything? Fatu attacks officials, Pearce threatens consequences, Roman gets involved, Fatu challenges Roman, Roman accepts, and Pearce is just standing there watching chaos become the actual authority figure. WWE can use Pearce as the stressed-out GM, but there is a thin line between “overwhelmed official” and “guy who has lost complete control of his own show.” Last night crossed that line.
The Street Fight between Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh was good physically, but the placement and story were both questionable. Kicking off the in-ring portion of the show with a Street Fight sounds exciting until you realize fans did not know Brock Lesnar was coming back later. Without that knowledge, the Street Fight logically felt like the kind of match that should have closed the show. It was violent, it used weapons, it had tables, kendo sticks, trash cans, Dominik Mysterio interference and a Coup de Grace through a trash can. That is not an ordinary TV opener.
The bigger issue is that WWE never did enough to make Finn vs. JD feel like it needed to be a Street Fight. Yes, we know the Judgment Day history. Yes, they have years of connection. But WWE never put the emotional meat of that breakup directly in the spotlight enough to justify this feeling like a blood-feud blowoff. Finn beating Dominik to somehow unlock a feud with JD felt like a weird prerequisite instead of a natural story step. The match itself was strong, but the reason for it was thin.
That also connects to a bigger problem: WWE is putting PLE-style matches on TV every week. A Street Fight and a Tornado Six-Man Tag in the first half of the show made the card feel like it was booked by WWE 2K AI. Stipulations are supposed to raise stakes. When the first two matches of the night are both stipulation matches, it starts feeling less special and more like noise. It also makes it easier to understand why so many stars are banged up. If wrestlers are not getting real reps on house shows but are being asked to do big stunt matches on TV every week, something eventually gives.
The El Grande Americano trios match had energy, but the feud itself feels watered down. In AAA and Mexico, the idea that the two El Grandes are not supposed to touch before their mask vs. mask match on May 30th gives the rivalry a specific cultural weight. In WWE, they are just throwing everybody into tornado chaos and letting them do whatever. That hurts the mystique. The match also turned into a spot fest with dives and movement everywhere, but the crowd did not seem fully invested until the finish. There is a difference between lucha chaos feeling alive and lucha chaos feeling like bodies flying around until the loaded-mask finish arrives.
The women’s tag title match was solid, but Brie Bella and Paige are starting to feel formulaic as champions. Individually, both work. Together, they are fine. But too many of their matches are ending with roll-ups, and sometimes the act gives off Diva Era energy with Paige doing most of the heavy lifting. That does not mean the team is bad, but WWE needs to give them more layers fast. The post-match save from Bayley and Lyra Valkyria helped keep the division moving, but the champs themselves need a stronger match identity beyond surviving and escaping.
Ethan Page’s presentation continues to be one of the cleaner parts of RAW since his NXT call-up. He looks comfortable. He talks like he belongs. He carries himself like someone WWE actually sees something in. His sit-down interview with Michael Cole worked because Page came off arrogant without feeling cartoonish. He should absolutely be in the Intercontinental Championship picture, and honestly, WWE should not wait too long. Penta has been great, but Page winning the title within the next few months would not feel forced if WWE keeps presenting him this way.
The Sol Ruca and Becky Lynch segment did what it needed to do for Saturday Night’s Main Event. Becky was dismissive, Sol showed fire, and WWE made it clear that Sol has not earned a title shot yet. That part made sense. Becky refusing to put the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on the line actually fits her character and Sol’s current main roster record. The segment was not the biggest thing on the show, but it was one of the cleaner pieces of booking because the characters’ motivations were easy to understand.
LA Knight’s return was good for a pop, but it also reminded me of the ceiling WWE keeps placing over him. He came back after being gone since around WrestleMania 42 just to tell The Usos and Seth Rollins that he is not helping them and to rub salt in their wounds. Knight is in his 40s, still over, still sharp, still able to make a segment feel bigger, and yet he is stuck in the same orbit he has been in for too long. He is not any closer to a world title run. He is not moving up. He is just floating around big stories without being positioned as the guy.
Then came the save of the night: Brock Lesnar.
Oba Femi’s open challenge never really got started because Brock came back and destroyed him. That was the biggest shock of the episode, and it should have closed RAW. The last time we saw Brock, he lost to Oba at WrestleMania 42 and seemingly retired, even to the shock and dismay of Paul Heyman. WWE even leaned into the idea that Brock was done. So having him return last night, wipe out Oba with multiple F5s and immediately put a Clash in Italy rematch on the table was the kind of major angle RAW needed.
What made it work even more was Oba’s selling. Since signing with WWE, Oba Femi has rarely looked truly humbled. He has looked dominant, composed and almost inevitable. Last night, he finally looked like someone hit a wall he did not know existed. Taking four F5s did not make him look weak. It made Brock look like Brock, and it gave Oba something he has not had much of on the main roster: a real mountain to climb. That is how you add vulnerability without damaging an aura.
The specific WWE NOW: RAW Recap episode centered the night around exactly what it should have: Brock Lesnar dismantling Oba Femi in a shocking return. That framing matters because it confirms what felt obvious watching RAW live — Brock’s return was not just another segment, it was the headline coming out of last night. The recap treated Oba getting dropped by four F5s as the major image of the show, and that is exactly why the segment should have closed RAW instead of the Seth Rollins, Street Profits and Vision angle.
The main event itself was fine. Seth Rollins vs. Austin Theory had good movement, the interference made sense for The Vision, and Rollins winning with the Pedigree kept him strong. But the story around Seth and The Vision feels like it is circling the drain. Bron Breakker beat Rollins clean and decisive at Backlash. The injuries damaged the original direction. So what is left here? What is The Vision still trying to prove against Seth?
Bron should have split from Theory and Paul after Backlash and just become a Paul Heyman Guy. That would have sharpened him. Instead, he is still attached to a faction that feels messier than it needs to be. Bron spearing Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins looked great, but it also made the closing angle feel like more of the same: Seth is alone, The Vision has numbers, chaos breaks out, nobody likes Seth, repeat.
The best part of that closing stretch was Montez Ford. Ford being openly annoyed with Seth Rollins works because it is believable. Seth has burned bridges everywhere. Ford telling Dawkins backstage that he could talk to Seth but they were not getting involved in his beef was a great character moment. Then Dawkins still went out there, Ford had to save him, and Ford paid for it with a spear. That tension has real juice. I would love to see Seth vs. Montez in a singles feud down the line because Ford has the charisma, athleticism and emotional edge to make that story work.
Best Match And Segment Of The Night
Best match: Finn Bálor vs. JD McDonagh in the Street Fight.
Even though the story did not fully justify the stipulation, the match itself delivered. Finn and JD worked hard, the weapon spots were strong, Dominik’s interference added chaos, and the finish with the Coup de Grace through the trash can gave the match a real ending. It was the most complete in-ring piece of the night, even if it should not have opened the show.
Best segment: Brock Lesnar returns and destroys Oba Femi.
Nothing else came close. The Bloodline segment was bigger in terms of storyline direction, but Brock’s return had the shock, the physicality, the crowd reaction and the clearest hook coming out of RAW. Even WWE’s own RAW Recap focus was built around Brock dismantling Oba Femi in his shocking return, which says everything about what the real closing image of the show should have been. Oba being humbled for the first time made it even stronger. That should have been the closing segment.
Saturday Night’s Main Event Current Card
- Penta (c) vs. Ethan Page (Intercontinental Championship)
- The Vision (c) vs. The Street Profits (World Tag Team Championship)
- Paige & Brie Bella (c) vs. The Irresistible Forces (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
- WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruca
- WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Jade Cargill, Michin & B-Fab
Clash In Italy Current And Updated Card
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther (Undisputed WWE Championship)
- Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob Fatu (World Heavyweight Championship Tribal Combat Match)
- Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
Final Thoughts
Last night’s RAW was important, but it was not clean. Brock Lesnar returning saved the show from being remembered mostly for messy Bloodline logic and another overstuffed Vision angle. Oba Femi finally looking vulnerable was excellent. Ethan Page continues to feel like a future champion. Montez Ford’s frustration with Seth Rollins might be one of the more interesting small character threads on the show. Becky and Sol made sense. Finn and JD had the best match.
But WWE has to tighten the storytelling. Roman beating Jacob at Backlash and then needing the whole family to survive him two weeks later makes the world title picture feel inconsistent. Adam Pearce looks useless. The Tongan Death Grip is being run into the ground. The El Grande Americano feud feels less special in WWE than it should. And the show using two stipulation matches early made RAW feel more thrown together than carefully paced.
The episode had big moments. It had strong hooks for Saturday Night’s Main Event and Clash in Italy. But the best thing on the show was also the clearest thing on the show: Brock Lesnar came back, Oba Femi finally got humbled, and WWE suddenly had a monster rematch people actually want to see. Everything else needs the same level of focus.
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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?!