WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From March 25
The last time CM Punk appeared on WWE Raw, he announced that he would miss WrestleMania 40 due to a torn triceps suffered during the men's Royal Rumble match.
The Straight Edge Superstar returned to the flagship show Monday night at Allstate Arena in his home town of Chicago.
What did Punk have to say and did WWE's resident troll Drew McIntyre make his presence felt to further intensify their rivalry?
Find out the answer to that question and what other twists and turns awaited the top Superstars on the Road to WrestleMania.
Match Card
1 of 11Announced in advance of Monday's show:
- An appearance from CM Punk
- Jey Uso vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
- Sami Zayn vs. "Big" Bronson Reed
- Ivy Nile vs. Candice LeRae
- Ricochet vs. JD McDonagh
- Andrade vs. Ivar
Cody Rhodes Kicks Off Raw
2 of 11
Cody Rhodes hit the ring to another thunderous ovation to open Monday's show.
He admitted to hating undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns and said he acts the part of a champion every week because the real champion is not around.
Rhodes vowed to go to WrestleMania 40 and win the title that he was screwed out of a year ago before The Rock made a surprise appearance.
The Great One whispered something in The American Nightmare's ear and walked away to a chorus of boos, leaving everyone to wonder what he said to his WrestleMania 40 opponent.
This was a great start to the show, enhanced by the mystery surrounding whatever it was that Rock said to Rhodes. A new layer to the story is a welcome addition given the time left between now and The Showcase of the Immortals.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "This city should know when I make a bet, I keep my promise," Rhodes said, referencing the creation and sold-out All In for All Elite Wrestling in 2018.
- "While I respect you Roman Reigns, please understand: I hate your guts."
- Rock's entrance is that of the megastar he is. One of the best in the business.
Ricochet vs. JD McDonagh
3 of 11
Ricochet made it 3-0 against The Judgment Day in recent weeks, defeating JD McDonagh in Monday's opening contest.
The match was a grueling battle and far better than anyone would have expected, even with the immensely talented individuals involved.
Dominik Mysterio's incessant interference nearly cost Ricochet the victory on more than one occasion, but he was eventually caught and booted from ringside by the official.
The babyface followed up the crowd-pleasing decision with a shooting star press to McDonagh for the victory.
A good, hard-fought match that kept the crowd invested, this was the right way to kick off the in-ring portion of this show in front of a Chicago crowd that appreciates great pro wrestling.
It also helped support the idea that Ricochet may be in line for a push post-WrestleMania.
Result
Ricochet defeated McDonagh
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "Ricochet...quick as a puma!" commentator Michael Cole said in a wink to fans who remember The One and Only as Prince Puma during his Lucha Underground days.
- The babyface delivered a poisonrana from the top rope and added the Recoil, but Mysterio put McDonagh's leg on the bottom rope to break what would have been a three-count.
- Triple H seemed to casually throw this match out there to remind everyone that McDonagh can work and isn't just the laughingstock of The Judgment Day.
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CM Punk Promo
4 of 11
CM Punk returned to Allstate Arena to an ovation and wasted little time sparring with No. 1 contender Drew McIntyre and world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins.
They threw verbal bombs, including personal digs, humorous quips and emphatic expressions of dislike before culminating with the revelation that Punk will join the commentary team at WrestleMania when McIntyre and Rollins go head-to-head.
A visibly agitated Rollins delivered a Stomp to the Scot to close things out.
This was great. There was clear ad-libbing, some great back-and-forth and the crowd was there for all of it.
This felt like a big-time segment to set up a big-time match, exactly what a segment two weeks out from the biggest show of the year should be.
Grade
A+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Punk teased being an "impartial referee" for a championship clash at WrestleMania.
- The Best in the World recalled his 2013 promo on The Rock, reminding him that his "arms are just too short to box with God."
- "You don't do drugs, you don't drink, but you spend all your time in rehab," McIntyre told Punk.
- "Who chose you? What's his name?" Punk asked McIntyre, referencing a former WWE chairman calling the Scot "The Chosen One."
Ivy Nile vs. Candice LeRae
5 of 11
Seeking revenge on behalf of Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile squared off with the sneaky Candice LeRae.
The match, if you could call it one, ended with LeRae faking an injury and then stacking Nile up and using the ropes for the cheap roll-up win.
This continued LeRae's heel turn but was allotted such little time that it felt like an afterthought more than a meaningful segment.
Result
LeRae defeated Nile
Grade
C
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Backstage, Paul Heyman could be seen talking with Drew McIntyre during a vignette involving DIY, The New Day and Awesome Truth, suggesting he might be trying to convince the Scot to do business with The Bloodline ahead of WrestleMania.
DIY vs. The New Day
6 of 11
What could have been a show-stealing tag team match between DIY's Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano and The New Day's Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods instead descended into chaos as The Judgment Day jumped both teams, drawing a no-contest.
The Miz and R-Truth got up from the commentary table and joined the fray but were no match for the united heels, who stood tall to close the segment.
This was hype for the six-pack ladder match at WrestleMania and little else. The heels stood tall to put over their dominance, which is essential given the fact that it feels very much like Finn Bálor and Damian Priest's reign is nearing its end.
Result
No-contest
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Backstage, Rhodes told Jackie Redmond that he would not reveal what The Rock told him, except it's a promise he cannot keep.
Andrade vs. Giovanni Vinci
7 of 11
Andrade was originally slated to battle Ivar Monday night, but the big man was not medically cleared to compete, so Giovanni Vinci of Imperium stepped up instead.
Another good, competitive match saw El Idolo score the victory and continue to build momentum.
The second-generation competitor is back at a time when there is no obvious place for him on the WrestleMania card but building him through strong in-ring performances will create goodwill among fans while Triple H and the creative team decide what they want to do with him beyond The Show of Shows.
Result
Andrade defeated Vinci
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- The opening chop from Andrade stunned Vinci and sounded like a firecracker exploding.
Becky Lynch Interrupts Rhea Ripley
8 of 11
This was more like it.
Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley have had several face-to-face confrontations, but their rivalry intensified significantly Monday night.
The Eradicator bringing up the name of The Man's daughter turned the volume to 11 before a brawl between the women's world champion and her challenger resulted in a pull-apart.
The strikes were hard and fast, the emotion in Lynch's voice as she talked about her late father not being able to meet her daughter, and the reaction of the fans all elevated this segment.
On a night when we saw great work from Punk, McIntyre and Rollins, this segment proved the women can be just as fierce.
Ripley and Lynch delivered the goods here and sold fans on their encounter.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- "You don't wrestle on Raw, do you?" Lynch asked, knocking Ripley's lack of in-ring appearances on television.
- "I can just post a picture or a video online and watch these freaks eat it up," Ripley said, acknowledging that she doesn't have to wrestle to get fans' attention. History suggests she isn't wrong.
- "I want you to listen to her call me 'Mami,'" Ripley said, telling Lynch that she wants her to watch the champion with her daughter.
Sami Zayn vs. 'Big' Bronson Reed
9 of 11
Bronson Reed actually won a match.
The big man capitalized on the presence of intercontinental champion Gunther and the distraction it caused to put away Sami Zayn, halting the popular babyface's momentum and winning him some of his own.
Gunther had planted the seeds before the match, telling interviewer Cathy Kelley that he did not believe Zayn could beat Reed. He had to prove his words accurate, and he ensured his opponent would not roll into WrestleMania on a wave of momentum.
He did and enhanced the story behind the champion and challenger in Philadelphia.
Result
Reed defeated Zayn
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Gunther made his presence felt to momentarily distract Zayn.
- Reed turned Zayn inside out with a great clothesline to counter the Helluva Kick. He added a running senton to set up the finish.
Jey Uso vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
10 of 11
Backstage, Chad Gable told a frustrated Sami Zayn that he needs a new approach ahead of his match with Gunther in Philadelphia come April 6-7.
Elsewhere, Seth Rollins approached Jey Uso about the interaction the latter had with Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso moments earlier. He warned Jey that, with The Bloodline in the house, he and Rhodes would have their friend's back.
In the main event, Jey Uso squared off with Shinsuke Nakamura, who is quickly evolving into the TV program opponent for every top babyface.
A good match culminated with Jimmy and Sikoa making their presences felt, only for Rhodes and Rollins to fight them off. Drew McIntyre hit the ringside area and laid out the world heavyweight champion with a Future Shock DDT.
Back in the squared circle, Jey delivered a Spear for the win.
The brawl between Rhodes, Jimmy and Sikoa continued backstage before The Rock attacked Rhodes. He beat him down, berated him, talked trash to his mother, and repeatedly threw him into his travel bus.
He left Rhodes bloodied and then smeared some onto a special weight belt that read "Mama Rhodes" and closed the show by talking trash.
Result
Jey Uso defeated Nakamura
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Has anyone competed in as many TV main events leading into the biggest show of the year as Nakamura without being scheduled for a match of any kind at WrestleMania?
- The show-closing beatdown by Rock was probably longer than it needed to be, but it was so different from everything else on the show that it left an impact on viewers and set Rhodes up for the big, fiery babyface spot on next week's go-home show.
- Blood and profanity to close out Raw. Fans everywhere will question if WWE is changing its approach to its content. If there was one night when there may have been legitimacy to those questions, this was it.
Overall Grade
11 of 11Monday's show was one of the best episodes of Raw in the last decade.
There was a sense of urgency from the opening promo all the way through The Rock brutally assaulting Rhodes. Everything meant something within the context of ongoing stories or hyping up the WrestleMania 40 card.
The work from Punk, McIntyre and Rollins was the best segment of television WWE has produced this year, while Lynch and Ripley brought also it in their in-ring promo.
There was quality in-ring action, hot angles, and Monday's episode felt like a genuine set-up show for the biggest event of the year.
This was what every week can, and should, look like in WWE.
Grade: A
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