WWE Raw Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights Before WrestleMania 42

WWE rolled into the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on Monday night for the go-home edition of Raw on Netflix ahead of WrestleMania 42.

The show featured three high-intensity segments involving CM Punk and Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, and Seth Rollins and Gunther.

What went down when those combustible elements were under one roof, just days before their marquee matchups at The Showcase of the Immortals?

Find out with this recap of the April 13 show, including grades and analysis for each match and segment.

Lineup

Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images

Announced for Monday's show were:

CM Punk and Roman Reigns segment

Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar segment

Seth Rollins and Gunther segment

Brock Lesnar Signs WrestleMania Contract

Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: Oba Femi defeated Rusev (Raw, March 9); Brock Lesnar lost the Royal Rumble Match (Royal Rumble, January 31)

---

WWE chief content officer Triple H and Raw general manager Adam Pearce kicked off the show, with the latter announcing Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi will sign the contract for their match separately to avoid any further brawls such as the one that ended last week's show.

Paul Heyman introduced Lesnar, and The Beast Incarnate made his way to the squared circle, inking the contract before promising no one would know his opponent's name after this weekend.

Heyman wrapped the segment up with a few words of warning for Femi.

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

Short, sweet, and to the point. This was exactly what it needed to be, especially if there was no physicality between Lesnar and Femi. Whether it stays that way through the rest of the night remained to be seen.

In a pre-taped video, The Vision's Logan Paul and Austin Theory hyped up IShowSpeed, who revealed he can do a few things between the ropes. Solid stuff from a group that is way too excited about their teammate's ability to do the bare minimum.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Charlotte Flair

Meg Oliphant/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss defeated Bayley and Lyra Valkyria (SmackDown, April 10)

---

For the first time, Charlotte Flair squared off with Lyra Valkyria in one-on-one competition, five nights before they compete in a Fatal 4-Way match for the Women's Tag Team Championship.

A competitive contest between two immensely talented Superstars culminated with Bayley interfering on behalf of Valkyria, returning the favor after Flair cost her a match against Alexa Bliss on Friday's SmackDown.

Valkyria took advantage of The Role Model's interjection and scored the pinfall victory.

Result

Valkyria defeated Flair

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

Flair and Valkyria have strong in-ring chemistry and it would be great to see them further explore it in a longer, more prominently featured match.

The interference from Bayley was a nice bit of continuity. It played on The Queen's involvement from Friday and heightened tension between the babyface teams as WWE sought to heat up a match that feels like the coldest on this year's WrestleMania card despite the abundance of talent involved.

Stephanie Vaquer Promo

Meg Oliphant/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: Stephanie Vaquer defeated Raquel Rodriguez (Raw, March 16)

---

Stephanie Vaquer joined Cathy Kelley in the squared circle for a promo ahead of WrestleMania 42, but before the first question was asked, Liv Morgan attacked.

A brawl broke out before producers and referees attempted to break it up.

The intense hatred between the two competitors led to several more shots, including a verbal one that saw Morgan tell Vaquer: "I knew your mother was trash, but I didn't know she raised a little b---h!"

The segment ended with both women being pulled apart and Morgan screaming uncontrollably, looking like an unhinged No. 1 contender.

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

The bruising around Morgan's eyes after last week's ugly collision with Roxanne Perez enhanced this segment. She looked like a woman hellbent on destroying Vaquer, let alone capturing the title. Could that hatred prove costly in Las Vegas?

Backstage, Asuka confronted Iyo Sky, calling her Rhea Ripley's sidekick, just one year removed from defending the Women's World Championship. She ended the segment, still ordering Kairi Sane around to the dismay of The Genius of the Sky.

The Usos and LA Knight vs. The MFTs

Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: LA Knight lost to Austin Theory (Raw, April 6); The Usos lost to The Vision (Raw, March 30); JC Mateo lost to Damian Priest and R-Truth (SmackDown, April 13); Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa won a 10-Man Tag Team Match (SmackDown, February 13)

---

A backstage confrontation between The Usos, LA Knight, and The MFTs led to a six-man tag team match pitting the babyfaces against Solo Sikoa, JC Mateo, and Tonga Loa.

An energetic sprint of a contest saw the heels rolling late before Tama Tonga made his presence felt at ringside by providing a distraction. With Sikoa and Mateo focusing on their rapidly disenfranchised teammate, Knight delivered BFT to Loa and scored the win for his team.

Sikoa and Tonga stared each other down in the wake of the win, further teasing the mounting tension between them ahead of their match against The Wyatt Sicks on Friday's SmackDown.

Result

The Usos and Knight defeated The MFTs

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

Has any Superstar fallen down the card so spectacularly as Sikoa has over the past year-plus?

Interesting how The Usos and MFTs end up on screen together not long after we had hints of a Bloodline reunion sprinkled into the Reigns-Punk feud, huh?

This was a fun match that captured the fans' attention, highlighted The Usos and Knight ahead of their WrestleMania match Saturday night, and propelled the story involving Sikoa and Tonga forward. This was an unlikely hit among every other major program featured on Monday's show.

Seth Rollins Attacked Gunther

Meg Oliphant/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: Seth Rollins defeated Cody Rhodes (Crown Jewel, October 11); Gunther defeated Dragon Lee (Raw, March 2)

---

Gunther made his way to the ring to address his WrestleMania match with Seth Rollins, but before he could speak, The Visionary attacked and sent his rival scurrying to the floor.

The Ring General returned to the ring and explained why it's personal for him to defeat Rollins. He said that instead of proving he was the best wrestler in the world, his WrestleMania 42 opponent aligned himself with Paul Heyman, so it's personal for him to expose The Visionary for the fraud he is.

The confrontation turned physical, with the babyface standing tall and Gunther lying on the floor.

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

This provided much-needed reasoning behind Gunther's attack on Rollins and why they will compete at 'Mania, and more importantly, did it in a way that made sense. The heel protects the sanctity of the ring. Rollins claimed to be the best but took the easy way out last year. Now, The Ring General wants to expose him as a fake. Easy, logical, and it sets the stage for what should be the best wrestling match at this year's show.

Iyo Sky vs. Kairi Sane

Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: Iyo Sky lost to Jade Cargill (SmackDown, April 10); Kairi Sane and Asuka lost to Bayley and Lyra Valkyria (Raw, March 23)

---

After weeks of showing compassion and empathy to Kairi Sane, despite her remaining subservient to Asuka, Iyo Sky squared off with The Pirate Princess in singles competition.

A back-and-forth start gave way to Sane taking control of the match away from the former women's world champion. When Sky fought her way back into the bout after the break, Asuka halted her momentum by interfering.

Rhea Ripley made the save, only to be jumped by Jade Cargill. Chaos ensued, allowing Asuka to interfere once more, cutting off an Over the Moonsault. Sane capitalized and scored a momentous victory.

Result

Sane defeated Sky

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

This is a match that should have meant more than it did, and the fact that Sky vs. Asuka was not announced for WrestleMania only added to the overall disappointment of its place in the WWE Universe right now.

This felt like an incredibly forced way to get Ripley and Cargill onto this show without doing anything interesting with them.

Oba Femi Signs the WrestleMania Contract

Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: Oba Femi defeated Rusev (Raw, March 9)

---

Following up on the show's opening segment, Oba Femi strutted to the ring and joined Adam Pearce and Triple H for the signing of the WrestleMania 42 contract.

The Ruler put pen to paper before Paul Heyman appeared for the second time of the night.

He put over Brock Lesnar's opponent and claimed that everything he has built to this point will come crashing down in Las Vegas. In typical Heyman fashion, he told The Ruler that his door is always open if and when he's looking to rebuild his career.

Femi responded with an impassioned promo that reinforced his status as The Ruler and the man who will conquer The Beast this Sunday in Las Vegas.

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

This was a must-have moment for Femi. The spotlight was on him and he came through big time, cutting a money promo that set the stage for his match with Lesnar, which should be one of the most memorable and buzzworthy ones on the WrestleMania card.

Keep an eye on Heyman regarding Femi moving forward. Something tells me the offer to be the Ruler's advocate/wise man was not a one-off line.

Je'Von Evans and Dragon Lee vs. Rusev and JD McDonagh

Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: Je'Von Evans, Dragon Lee, and Penta defeated Los Americanos (Raw, April 6); JD McDonagh defeated Akira Tozawa (Main Event, April 2); Rusev defeated Otis (Main Event, April 2)

---

In a preview of Sunday's six-pack ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship, four of the six men involved did battle in a tag team match that featured nonstop action, including some high-flying action from Lee, Evans and McDonagh, and some brutish strength from Rusev.

The heels seized control after The Bulgarian Brute sent Evans over the announce table, but the babyfaces rolled after the break.

In short order, Evans wiped Rusev out at ringside, and Lee delivered a Styles Clash to McDonagh for the pinfall victory.

After the match, Rusev laid waste to the victors, then Rey Mysterio and IC champion Penta before standing tall to close out the segment.

Result

Evans and Lee defeated Rusev and McDonagh

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

Rusev badly needed this. He looked like a world-beater in the closing moments of this segment. For a guy last seen by most fans getting squashed by Femi, this was a major momentum builder.

With that said, McDonagh losing here probably means he is winning Sunday in Vegas. Them's the rules of 50/50 pro wrestling booking.

Final Hype For Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk

Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images

Last Time in Action: CM Punk defeated Finn Balor (Elimination Chamber, February 28); Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble Match (Royal Rumble, January 31)

---

CM Punk made his way through the fans in Sacramento before joining Roman Reigns in the squared circle for their final encounter before the World Heavyweight Championship clash at WrestleMania.

"Here's the truth," Punk told Reigns. "I hate you because I envy you."

Punk said he hates that Reigns had wrestling handed to him. That the OTC has competed in the main event of WrestleMania as many times as he has. He hates that he feels that way.

He apologized to Reigns for taking Sika's name in vain and said he found his family and his people in the indies. Punk said he hates that he has to share his first singles WrestleMania main event with Reigns and vowed to retain his title in Vegas.

"That's probably the truest stuff I've ever heard you say," Reigns said before admitting he hates Punk, too. "I hope that one day, when I leave, they miss me as much as they missed you."

Reigns said he is taking his title back and that "we return this place to where it was."

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

This was always going to struggle to replicate the buzz that last week's pipebomb promo generated. With that said, this was a solid back-and-forth that saw both men get honest with each other for the first time in this build, before delivering their final remarks.

Who was the "we" Reigns referred to? Is it The Bloodline, especially after The Usos were so instrumental early on in this program? Or could Reigns be aligning himself with Pat McAfee and Randy Orton in an effort to return pro wrestling to what they perceive as greatness? That was not a slip. That will play into the main event.

MVP and Overall Grade

Michael Owens/WWE via Getty Images

Oba Femi has been the MVP of the build to WrestleMania 42 nearly every time he has stepped through the curtain. That was again the case Monday night as The Ruler seized the moment and delivered a fine performance on the microphone.

The former NXT champion stood in the ring, addressed Paul Heyman, and never once appeared overwhelmed or out of place. He looked like he belonged.

Considering his match with Lesnar will also be featured on ESPN's simulcast of WrestleMania's first hour Sunday night, that showcase was essential.

Femi passed the test with flying colors.

The go-home edition of Raw was perfectly fine TV, but it lacked the sense of urgency that last week's show had. The Punk pipebomb notwithstanding, that show felt like one in which things happened. This one? Not so much.

Still, every feud was featured, every Raw brand match was hyped, and the show-closing confrontation was another strong entry in the Punk-Reigns story.

Not the most gripping, but still a perfectly acceptable broadcast.

Grade: C+