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WWE Raw Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before Night of Champions
Five days before Night of Champions, where John Cena will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against CM Punk and the 2025 King and Queen of the Ring will be crowned, Raw hit the Netflix airwaves with a packed episode.
What went down on WWE's flagship show at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio?
Find out with this recap from the June 23 broadcast.
Match Card
1 of 10
Announced in advance of Monday's show:
* King of the Ring Semifinal: Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso
* Queen of the Ring Semifinal: Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez
* Women's Intercontinental Championship: Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
Seth Rollins Kicks Off Raw
2 of 10
Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed opened the show.
The Visionary claimed that he was responsible for Roman Reigns, that CM Punk was only back because WWE wanted to milk Rollins' hate for him, and that Cody Rhodes would not have been back if it was not for him.
He said there are champions, like John Cena and Gunther, who believe they are at the top of the business, but ultimately, Rollins is the endgame.
There wasn't much in the way of new content here, but Rollins spoke with such conviction that it was an effective promo in that it was believable. The audience bought into what he had to say because he delivered it with the passion of a man who knew what he was saying was gospel.
Quality mic performances like that elevate any segment, and that was certainly the case Monday night.
Grades
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* "What do you want?" Rollins asked fans, a question for which an answer will be impossible from a traditionally fickle bunch. The Visionary rightly called them out for cheering for CM Punk and Roman Reigns while singing his song.
* "They are all running a race for second place. This is the finish line. This is the endgame. It has and always will be Seth "Freakin" Rollins."
Penta vs. Bron Breakker
3 of 10
WWE wasted little time getting to the in-ring portion of the show, transitioning from Rollins' promo directly into a showdown between familiar foes, Breakker and Penta.
A competitive match that picked up where the rivals previously left off, their contest captivated the audience in Columbus. Each combatant nearly scored the victory, with Penta having his best chance following a Mexican Destroyer.
Breakker, though, recovered and caught Penta with a mid-flight Spear, driving him to the mat and scoring the pinfall victory.
After the match, Rollins warned the masked luchador to stay out of his business.
This was a strong match that wasn't always pretty but had the fans biting on every near-fall, high spot and close call, leading to an electric finish. It worked and kicked off the in-ring portion of the show on the right foot, setting the bar for the rest of the show's biggest matchups.
Result
Breakker defeated Penta
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Penta and Breakker have unexpectedly strong chemistry, which is somewhat surprising given their styles and backgrounds.
* Penta came up hobbling after a tope con hilo, after appearing to hurt his left leg during the dive. He shook it off and continued the match, but he was clearly affected by it.
Goldberg Talks Saturday Night's Main Event With Michael Cole
4 of 10
In a pre-taped interview with Michael Cole, Goldberg discussed the disrespect world champion Gunther showed him at Bad Blood last October and its role in bringing him back to the squared circle for one final match.
He said he stewed over it, felt embarrassed and was not willing to let The Ring General's actions stand.
Short, sweet and to the point, this was a far better use of Goldberg rather than overexposing him in front of a live crowd and risk ruining the novelty of his comeback before July 12.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
* "Did you think I was going to let that stand?" Goldberg said, referencing Gunther's verbal assault on him at Bad Blood in Atlanta.
* Goldberg officially referenced the Saturday Night's Main Event as his retirement match. Cole reiterated as much after the video package aired.
* "Interesting dilemma, isn't it," Cole quoted Goldberg as saying when questioning what happens if he wins the world title on July 12.
Queen of the Ring Semifinal: Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez
5 of 10
Backstage, Finn Bálor attempted to rally the remaining members of The Judgment Day following the news Liv Morgan will miss months of action following her shoulder injury suffered last week against Kairi Sane.
Roxanne Perez, who was also on the receiving end of Bálor's motivational efforts, squared off with Jade Cargill in the second semifinal of the Queen of the Ring tournament.
A surprisingly competitive match saw Perez target the injured left leg of her taller, stronger opponent for a large portion of the match, keeping Cargill grounded.
As The Storm fought her way back into the contest, though, her power and fury proved too much for The Prodigy. Cargill downed her with a powerbomb, then transitioned into Jaded for the win.
A post-match staredown between Cargill and Asuka served as the final hype for their Queen of the Ring final on Saturday.
The match was not always pretty, much like Breakker vs. Penta from earlier in the show, but this was still a solid contest with better-than-expected chemistry from the Superstars involved.
Perez shined in defeat while Cargill looked like a world-beater, and the QOTR final between The Storm and Asuka in Saudi Arabia should make for a fun contest.
Result
Cargill defeated Perez
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Bálor is so sneaky manipulative, planting the seeds for the removal of the biggest threat to his power, Morgan, by getting the remaining members of The Judgment Day and Perez to buy into what he is selling.
* Perez is every bit as good as the amount of creative effort, television time and high-profile matches she has been involved in would suggest...if not better.
Gunther Responds to Goldberg
6 of 10
A fired-up Gunther hit the ring to respond to Goldberg's words from earlier in the night and did not mince words.
He criticized the veteran for being a one-trick pony, a wrestler who cannot hang with the best of today and vowed to embarrass him all over again at Saturday Night's Main Event next month.
It was an impassioned promo from Gunther that reflected the seriousness with which he is approaching the match but also suggested the former WCW icon may be under his skin.
It is not the first time Gunther has allowed that to happen. The last time was when Jey Uso beat him for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
* "Intense as always, but there's nothing he can say that will change my perception of him. My perception of him is that I see a 58-year-old one-trick pony who cannot lace my boots," Gunther said.
* "It's my personal responsibility to make sure that the legacy and the myth of Bill Goldberg forever dies."
* Um, WWE probably wasn't expecting The Ring General to get cheered for wanting to kill Goldberg's legacy.
Women's Intercontinental Championship: Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
7 of 10
Backstage, Karrion Kross antagonized Sami Zayn following his loss in Friday's King of the Ring semifinal, only to eat a hard right hand from him.
Zayn informed Kross of their impending match, made official by Raw general manager Adam Pearce, and the self-proclaimed Devil You Know laughed in approval.
"Got 'em," he told Scarlett.
Back in the arena, the longtime rivalry between Bayley and Becky Lynch wrote its latest chapter as The Role Model challenged The Man for the Women's Intercontinental Championship.
A physical, hard-hitting match saw Lynch take away Bayley's striking ability by targeting her right arm. The challenger surprised the champion, though, proving able to use her left arm to stun her opponent.
Late in the match, the action spilled outside, where Lynch buried Bayley under a pile of chairs. Lyra Valkyria appeared, helping the challenger out of her predicament but ultimately allowing her emotions to get the best of her.
As Bayley scaled the ropes for her top rope elbow drop, Valkyria attacked Lynch, drawing a disqualification and enhancing the issues that exist between her and The Role Model.
Lynch celebrated a successful title match while watching her two greatest threats bicker in the middle of the ring.
An excellent match ended unsatisfactorily, but it did further the ongoing storyline between Valkyria and Bayley as they continue their pursuit of Lynch's IC title.
Result
Lynch defeated Bayley via disqualification
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Cole with a great tidbit: Bayley competed in this match wearing the gear she was supposed to wear at WrestleMania 41, when Lynch took her out and cost her an appearance on the card.
* Bayley fighting back while using her left arm because her predominant one was injured was a great twist and something we rarely see in WWE. Turns out, the challenge threw some nasty left forearm shots.
Rhea Ripley Brawls With Raquel Rodriguez
8 of 10
Raquel Rodriguez cost Rhea Ripley a spot in the Queen of the Ring tournament two weeks ago, so Mami returned the favor last week.
Monday, Rodriguez called her longtime rival out, leading to a chaotic brawl around ringside.
Before Ripley could drive Rodriguez through a table, though, Roxanne Perez attacked and cut her momentum off. The women's tag team champion recovered and delivered her Tejada Bomb through the table, leaving The Eradicator lying.
Ripley and Rodriguez appear poised for a match in the near future and with Saturday Night's Main Event on the horizon, what better place to host a contest of that magnitude, especially with a potential tables match stipulation at play? (Update: Pearce made a Street Fight between the two official.)
As for this segment? It was very much "been there, done that," with the added element of Perez and her continued attempts to win over The Judgment Day.
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Rodriguez tried, but she came across so unnaturally on the mic here; like she was trying too hard.
* Perez potentially taking Morgan's spot as Rodriguez's tag team partner, while also targeting her man in Dominik Mysterio, is all the injured Superstar needs to embark on another one of her trademark revenge tours.
King of the Ring Tournament Semifinal: Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso
9 of 10
The two most popular stars in WWE today squared off with a spot in Saturday's King of the Ring finals on the line.
Living up to the moment and delivering a PLE-worthy match full of dramatic near-falls and false finishes, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso tore the house down in Columbus Monday night en route to The American Nightmare cashing his ticket to Riyadh and a showdown with former mentor Randy Orton.
Rhodes overcame a barrage of superkicks and Spears to catch Uso with a super Cody Cutter from the top rope before finishing the former world heavyweight champion off with a Cross Rhodes.
This was everything one could have wanted from this match, with both men saving face and ultimately showing respect for one another to close the show.
Rhodes vs. Orton felt like the final from the start, with plenty of teases for that match across WWE TV for the last year.
Whether it is a one-off or the start of the epic rivalry fans have waited three years for, it is the surest thing when it comes to a great match on Saturday's so-so Night of Champions card.
Result
Rhodes defeated Uso
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Imagine what this could have been if this battle of the two most popular guys on the roster had been built to over time instead of in one week.
* With that said, the fans in Columbus treated this like a main event. A red-hot crowd for two of the top stars in the business.
Overall Grade
10 of 10
Not everything about this week's show was a hit, but there were several quality matches along the way and the main event was a banger between two of the faces of WWE in 2025.
Uso and Rhodes absolutely delivered the goods, while Breakker and Penta was a fun little matchup, and Perez vs. Cargill was better than expected.
There was plenty of attention paid to Night of Champions while also focusing on storylines that will play out beyond this weekend, including a phenomenal promo from Gunther ahead of his match with Goldberg at Saturday Night's Main Event on July 12.
A good show that was missing that stellar match or angle outside of the main event, it earns a favorable, if flawed, grade.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=600 "Raw Results and Grades 🔠")
