WWE Raw Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before Backlash 2025
Five days before the 2025 edition of its Backlash premium live event, WWE rolled into the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska for Raw on Netflix.
What did Becky Lynch have to say ahead of her Women's Intercontinental Championship match against Lyra Valkyria at Saturday's event?
Did Gunther have any final messages for Pat McAfee ahead of their grudge match in St. Louis?
What, if any, final hype was there for the latest entry in John Cena and Randy Orton's epic rivalry?
Find out with this recap, including live grades and analysis, of Monday's go-home broadcast.
Match Card
1 of 10
Announced for Monday's show:
* Iyo Sky vs. Roxanne Perez
* Otis vs. Rusev
* Penta vs. JD McDonagh
* An appearance by Becky Lynch
* The latest from Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker and Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman Interrupts Jey Uso
2 of 10
World heavyweight champion Jey Uso kicked off Raw and wasted little time calling out Logan Paul, only for Paul Heyman to interrupt.
After a passionate promo in which The Wise Man justified his recent actions by reminding the world of the impossible position CM Punk put him in at WrestleMania and how self-centered Roman Reigns was, he turned his attention to Uso.
He said Bron Breakker was phase one of their plan and phase two is the World Heavyweight Championship, which Seth Rollins needs for the power and control it brings.
Heyman officially challenged Uso on behalf of The Visionary, and the world champion accepted...for later Monday night.
This was an extraordinary bit of business from the best talker in the industry in Heyman. He was absolutely right in his assessment of Punk and Reigns, and the passion with which he spoke conveyed just how much he believed what he said.
From there, he laid out the foreseeable future of his partnership with Rollins and Breakker and what the next step is. Even if the challenger did not win on Monday night, the next goal for the group is winning the world title, which means they will make life a living nightmare for Uso until Rollins does.
Creatively, this was an incredibly effective segment.
Grade
A+
Top Moments and Takeaways
*The pop for Uso is undeniable. He is still one of the most popular guys in the industry, even now he's the world champion.
*Uso criticized Heyman for talking to him after what he did to Reigns at WrestleMania, to which The Wise Man responded by reminding him that he betrayed The Tribal Chief long before he ever did.
*"You don't know how to yield that power and control," Heyman told Uso.
Penta vs. JD McDonagh
3 of 10
Not even interference from Finn Bálor, Carlito and Chad Gable could secure the win for JD McDonagh when he squared off with Penta in one-on-one competition.
The contest was the latest in Penta's rivalry with The Judgment Day but also continued to lay the groundwork for the feud between Gable, American Made, Penta and his brother, Rey Fenix.
A quality matchup that saw Penta fend off the interference and then deliver a Mexican Destroyer for the pinfall victory, it furthered two different rivalries featuring the popular luchador while providing the show with some quality in-ring action.
Bálor leaving his teammates high and dry by getting caught by the referee and ejected from ringside will only add to the expectation that the Irishman's days in The Judgment Day are drawing to an end.
Result
Penta defeated McDonagh
Grade
B-
Top Moments and Takeaways
*Backstage, Heyman revealed that he did sucker Uso into agreeing to a title match here Monday night before explaining to Breakker the genius of what is about to go down.
*Michael Cole and Pat McAfee put over McDonagh's toughness following the lung injury he suffered late in 2024, which has apparently earned him the nickname of "The Iron Lung."
*Is Bálor intentionally flubbing his interference attempts? After all, no one looks better than him with quality wins if he isn't there to help his teammates as they do for him.
Sheamus vs. Austin Theory
4 of 10
The tension between Austin Theory and Grayson Waller reached fever pitch Monday night when the latter suckered the former into taking his place in a match against the returning Sheamus.
A seething Theory proceeded to take a brutal beating at the hands of The Celtic Warrior, who utilized his physical style and punishing arsenal to drive the air out of his opponent and ultimately win the match with the Brogue Kick.
It's clear Theory and Waller are headed for Splitsville, but the question is whether fans are ready to accept the former as a babyface.
It may take some heavy lifting creatively to get there, but Theory still has plenty of potential to be a star of the future while the Aussie heel is a great antagonist who will have a spot on the show for as long as he wants.
Result
Sheamus defeated Theory
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
*Karrion Kross joined Cathy Kelley for a promo, where his growing connection with the audience was on full display and his "devil you know versus the devils you don't" line was prominently used at the end. And he's calling his fans "bad guys," something that is going to continue to get him over with the WWE Universe.
*"Why would you do this?" a pummeled Theory asked Waller, who backed off as Sheamus continued the punishment of the former United States champion.
*The seething facial expression Theory flashed as he looked back at Waller before the bell was great.
Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch Face-to-Face
5 of 10
Ahead of their Women's Intercontinental Championship match at Backlash on Saturday, Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria came face-to-face in the center of the ring and there were fireworks.
Lynch lashed out at the fans for booing her, then took credit for all of Valkyria's success over the last year. This drew out the champion, who called The Man "the queen of recycling" and reminded her that it was Valkyria who made history as the first women's intercontinental champion.
The titleholder and her former mentor came to blows, ending with The Valkyrie delivering the Nightwing before standing tall, momentum on her side ahead of the title clash.
This was a fun segment that proved Valkyria could hang with Lynch on the mic, even if the fans are still getting acclimated to her in that role.
The brawl was fine, and the babyface standing tall all but guarantees Lynch will win the gold in St. Louis. The match may well be a show-stealer on Saturday's card.
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
*"You're the queen of recycling. You've been recycling the same moves and same tired act for years," Valkyria told Lynch, who claimed to have taken out the trash (Bayley) at WrestleMania and the recycling (Lyra) the next night.
*"I've been defending it more days than you've come to work this year," the champion said.
*"It's not my job to help anybody. It's my job to beat everybody," Lynch said.
Iyo Sky vs. Roxanne Perez
6 of 10
Roxanne Perez continued to show the wrestling world why she has earned the moniker "The Prodigy," delivering another standout performance, this time against women's world champion Iyo Sky.
Their match was a smartly wrestled one that saw Perez target the left leg of the champion, seeking to take the base away from the high-flying babyface. Sky recovered, though and caught Perez with a roll-up for the win.
After the bell, Perez engaged in a show of respect with The Genius of the Sky, only for Giulia to attack the champion. A two-on-one beatdown ensued and ended with the heels standing tall.
This was another showcase for Perez, who continued to prove her excellence is not reserved for NXT.
She has squared off with the standard-bearers in WWE, battling Bayley, Rhea Ripley and Sky, and never looked out of place. She is a star of WWE's future and, for the sake of the women's division, a star of the present.
Result
Sky pinned Perez
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
*Cole noted Ripley was in Australia promoting WWE's return to Perth, thus eliminating any chance The Genius of the Sky had of backup.
*Underrated in Perez's presentation are her facial expressions. She is a complete performer.
*Giulia and Perez as a united front that forces Sky and Ripley to put their differences aside in the name of thwarting them has been a successful and effective story to this point.
Otis vs. Rusev
7 of 10
Rusev wrestled his first match in WWE since February 2020 when he battled Alpha Academy's Otis on Monday.
The contest was an extended squash that saw The Redeemer physically dominate his opponent. Late, Otis mustered something resembling a comeback, but the Bulgarian downed him and forced a submission with the Accolade.
Afterward, Akira Tozawa stood up for his friend, only to be beaten down. Rusev further punished Otis with another Accolade that he held onto until Raw general manager Adam Pearce appeared and admonished him.
This was a perfectly fine reintroduction to the destructive force that is Rusev, but there is an argument that it was a bit longer than it should have been.
Still, he looked great here and is clearly amid a significant push. Where that takes him is anyone's guess, but it looks like he will have opportunities to establish himself as a threat.
Result
Rusev defeated Otis
Grade
B-
Top Moments and Takeaways
*Otis showed great fire here and continues to be one of the more incomprehensibly underutilized guys on the roster despite the crowd loving him.
* Rusev beating up rivals in the face of authority will ultimately get him over, even if the crowd in Omaha was noticeably quieter than most WWE audiences of late.
Pat McAfee and Gunther Face-to-Face
8 of 10
Before they clash at Backlash Saturday in St. Louis, Pat McAfee and Gunther came face-to-face for one last verbal confrontation.
McAfee said he, like Gunther, grew up a fan who dreamed of being a pro wrestler while The Ring General became jaded and allowed his dream to become a job.
He questioned the former world heavyweight champion's focus and claimed he has gone soft.
Gunther responded by vowing to choke out McAfee and said the former NFL punter has his undivided attention.
This was a great promo segment that saw McAfee make the mistake of awakening the fire in Gunther, angering him to the point of ominous promises of an entirely focused attack at Backlash.
That should be a terrifying prospect for McAfee, whose bravado and testicular fortitude (hey, Mick Foley) is unlikely to be enough to compete with the raw fury of The Ring General.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
*"You don't want it anymore. You've gotten too damn comfortable," McAfee said.
* McAfee with the "WALTER" reference.
* "Saturday, only by the grace of God will I lift my arms off your throat," Gunther said to close out the segment.
World Heavyweight Championship: Jey Uso vs. Seth Rollins
9 of 10
Seth Rollins, Bron Breaker and Paul Heyman thought they had laid the plan that would net The Visionary the World Heavyweight Championship by night's end.
For a moment or two, it looked like that may be the case as the challenger had Jey Uso where he wanted him late in their main event.
Championship grit, combined with the well-timed appearance of Sami Zayn, prevented a Rollins win. When Breakker speared Zayn, it was the arrival of a chair-wielding CM Punk that saved the WWE Universe from Raw's lead villain from winning the title.
The Best in the World drew a disqualification victory for Rollins and avenged (ever so slightly) Heyman's betrayal at WrestleMania 41.
The closing minutes of Raw set Punk, Uso and Zayn up as the main heroes in Rollins' villain arc, setting them opposite the new alliance in a feud that should carry the red brand through the summer and until Roman Reigns seeks his revenge.
That bodes well for the flagship show, which can spin off any number of matches from that collection of talent, with or without world title gold at stake.
Add in the dark cloud that is Logan Paul and his pursuit of Uso's title, and you have enough to keep fans invested at the top of the card for the foreseeable future and, hopefully, provide them red-hot finishes like this one.
Oh, and Uso and Rollins had a certified banger, to boot.
Result
Rollins defeated Uso via disqualification
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
*Rollins busted out the leather jacket synonymous with his time as The Monday Night Messiah for this match, potentially hinting at the evolution of his character.
*"They're YEET-ing all over his face out here," McAfee said as fans taunted Heyman at ringside.
*Rollins suffered a laceration of some sort to the back of his head.
*"Seth's work rate is something that is tough to keep up with," McAfee said as if he was a member of the Internet Wrestling Community, typing furiously into his X app.
*Rollins broke out the Pedigree counter to the Spear that he utilized on Reigns at WrestleMania, but he could only keep Uso down for two.
Overall Grade
10 of 10
The Backlash card may look more like a mid-1990s In Your House offering with a main event pitting two of the best of all time against each other, but it did a great job hyping what Raw had to offer for Saturday's PLE.
Valkyria and Lynch had a fantastic back-and-forth promo, while McAfee and Gunther upped the stakes of their grudge match with one of their own.
From an in-ring perspective, Sky and Perez tore the house down, Sheamus and Theory was better than it had any right to be, and Uso and Rollins put a nice cherry on top of it all with a quality main event.
Not all of the creative is hitting, but there is enough of what Triple H has traditionally done well, and a long-term vision at the top of the card, that there is reason to be optimistic that WWE is trending upward following justifiable complaints about the build to WrestleMania.
It will be interesting to see how Backlash affects any of that. For now, though, two thumbs up for a strong Raw effort on Monday night.
Grade: B+
.jpg?w=600 "WWE NXT Results & Grades 🔠")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE Raw Results & Grades 🔠")