CM Punk's New Pipebomb is an Instant Classic, More WWE Raw Fallout Including Lesnar-Femi Reaction

From the start of the April 6 edition of Raw on Netflix, WWE delivered its best attempt to respond to criticism for the build to WrestleMania 42 in a packed Toyota Center in Houston.

CM Punk opened the show in the ring, railing on the current direction of the product and even called for 'Mania ticket prices to drop.

Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar collided again in the main event where security failed to keep the big men from brawling.

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky defeated Michin and B-Fab, but Jade Cargill got the final word by laying out The Genius of the Sky.

This and more highlighted a show trying to set the final foundation for The Show of Shows on April 18-19.

CM Punk is the Ultimate Unscripted Mic Worker

CM Punk delivered his best promo since returning to WWE in November 2023, and it came from the same formula that made him a megastar in 2011.

Despite the strong delivery, though, this spot highlighted the flaws in WWE's presentation over that same time.

While the company has given more freedom to the talent in modern times, the promo work is still too sanitized by overly scripted expectations.

When Punk (and Cody Rhodes on SmackDown) are allowed to speak without restrictions, it shows the difference in passion that comes from wrestlers speaking their own mind.

There is no reason why Punk cannot shoot from the hip more in the future; it is where he has always thrived.

It makes no sense to only let The Best in the World off his leash when WWE is in panic mode and actively criticizing its own product.

WWE in Panic Mode With Another Worked Shoot Promo

Two things are true of the recent CM Punk and Cody Rhodes shoot promos:

Both delivered with a passion that has been lacking from much of their recent work.

Both cut promos that decidedly served no purpose to advancing their own WrestleMania stories.

For this reason, while it was nice to see The Best in the World and The American Nightmare speak honestly, these promos are a direct reflection of a product in turmoil.

While ticket sales for WrestleMania weekend have been a hot-button issue to explain the panic, the resulting moves have made the actual booking of the show worse.

WWE threw Pat McAfee into the middle of Rhodes vs. Randy Orton despite decades of history between the two wrestlers.

Punk speaks more passionately about his disdain for TKO than his own WrestleMania opponent, Roman Reigns.

Both women's world championship feuds barely receive reliable in-ring time, coming off more secondary than even a cobbled-together Intercontinental Championship ladder match.

These shoot promos are telling fans that the product is bad, and the talent know it is bad. How does that sell fans on spending exorbitant amounts of money to see WrestleMania live?

Iyo Sky Was Always the Missing Piece for Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill

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Iyo Sky is back to teaming up with Rhea Ripley ahead of her partner's WWE Women's Championship match.

Since Rhea Ripley won the women's Elimination Chamber match to earn her shot at Jade Cargill's WWE Women's Championship, nothing has worked.

The promos between two top Superstars have fallen flat week after week.

The additions of Michin and B-Fab, who barely mattered to the product over the past year, served only to further highlight the limited upside of this rivalry.

That all changed when Iyo Sky returned to the story, supporting The Eradicator and backing her up in this fight.

The Genius of the Sky is arguably as big a star right now as Ripley herself, and the Rhiyo dynamic is a major crowd-pleaser.

The Storm attacking Sky gave her more heat than any promo could have. Ripley now has a reason to truly hate Cargill that can fuel them to deliver a crowd-pleased heated clash at 'Mania.

Hopefully, Sky taking the beatdown will set the stage for Cargill vs. Ripley to deliver in the ring.

Finn Balor's Return of 'The Demon' is Being Rushed

Finn Bálor and Dominik Mysterio will collide at WrestleMania in a grudge match that has been years in the making.

Despite that heat, though, it feels like WWE is fast-tracking an extra wrinkle for this story that is not needed for their first match.

The Demon is returning, the dark alter ego of Bálor that has brought him most of the success in his career.

While it will be nice to see The Prince don the paint again, WWE has done little to sell why he cannot defeat Mysterio without it.

It would mean more to wait on this moment, first allowing Dominik to defeat The Prince before Bálor has to turn to his darker side to get his revenge.

By rushing it, WWE is simply throwing away a reliable story thread that could be vital to making Raw interesting after WrestleMania.

Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi is the Hottest WrestleMania Feud

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Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi continue to brawl whenever they are near one another.

Brock Lesnar has played almost no role for WWE since his return in 2025, serving only as a cheap attempt to spark fan interest in the product.

Finally, though, WWE has found a reason for The Beast Incarnate to appear on TV again: putting over Oba Femi.

This battle of big men comes off as a true passing of the torch. The Ruler has gotten massively over by showing no fear in the face of Lesnar.

Femi should defeat The Beast at WrestleMania, but the more time passes, the clearer it becomes that The Ruler is already a made man.

This is the rare match at WrestleMania 42 that feels like it is truly about the future. Lesnar is making Femi great while Cody Rhodes and CM Punk fights the shadows of their past.