WWE Raw Winners, Live Grades, Reaction, Highlights of Roman Reigns vs. Penta and Full Show

WWE's stint in Mexico City continued Monday on Raw with a Netflix broadcast headlined by a blockbuster main event with high stakes.

Did Roman Reigns successfully retain his World Heavyweight Championship when he defended against Penta, or did the hometown hero relieve the OTC of his gold, making it three successive shows south of the border with a new champion crowned?

Find out in this recap, including grades and analysis for the entire show.

Lineup

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Announced in advance of the show were:

• World Heavyweight Championship Match: Penta vs. Roman Reigns (c)
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Chad Gable (c) vs. Dragon Lee
• Women's Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice
• Men's Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Je'Von Evans vs. Big Cass vs. Austin Theory

Rey Mysterio Kicked Off Raw

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Last Time in Action: Rey Mysterio lost to Omos (AAA Triplemania, September 11)

Sporting a neck brace following a vicious attack from Omos at AAA Triplemania, the 2023 Hall of Famer kicked off the show, addressing the fans and throwing to a recap of Stephanie Vaquer's Women's World Championship victory over Liv Morgan on Saturday night in Chile.

La Primera joined Mysterio in the ring, drawing a huge ovation from the Mexico City audience, and expressed the joy of winning the title in her home country and the pride she has in representing Mexico.

Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio interrupted, drawing a chorus of boos from the audience, the fans nearly drowning out the latter as he reprimanded his father.

El Grande Americano, the new AAA Mega Champion after defeating Dirty Dom 24 hours earlier, arrived to a deafening pop and a Mixed Tag team Match was announced to kick off the in-ring portion of the show.

Grade

A+

Top Takeaways

• WWE could not have possibly started a show hotter than this, for this audience. The crowd ate all of it up, Vaquer showed great emotion, Mysterio was the perfect option to welcome Mexico City to Netflix, and the Mixed Tag Team Match featuring the beloved Americano was a stellar creative decision.

El Grande Americano and Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio

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Last Time in Action: El Grande Americano defeated Dominik Mysterio (AAA Triplemania, September 13); Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer (Raw, September 7)

The Judgment Day, as it tends to do, arrived just in the nick of time to ruin the opening contest of Monday's show.

A high-energy, red-hot Mixed Tag Team Match pitting Americano and Vaquer against Mysterio and Morgan was progressing perfectly, with La Primera delivering a 619 to both opponents and the babyfaces setting up for the win.

The arrival of Roxanne Perez, Raquel Rodriguez, and JD McDonagh turned the numbers game in the heels' favor and ensured the segment ended with the villainous faction standing tall to close it out.

Before that, fans were treated to two mini matches within the context of a bigger one, each appropriately good with enough connective tissue to pass for one overarching bout.

All four Superstars were excellent, the crowd ate it up, and the only negative was the decision to book the non-finish just to rebuild heat for a faction that typically does not have problems with that.

Result

Americano and Vaquer defeated Morgan and Mysterio via disqualification

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

• Vaquer and Americano have so much in-ring personality. They were excellent here, feeding off the audience and playing to it when the time called for it.
• Would it have hurt for the babyfaces to have one more triumphant night in Mexico City?

Money in the Bank Qualifier: Je'Von Evans vs. Austin Theory vs. Big Cass

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Last Time in Action: Je'Von Evans defeated Dominik Mysterio via disqualification (Raw, August 28); Big Cass defeated Brooks Jensen (Main Event, September 10); Austin Theory lost to Otis (Raw, September 7)

Maxxine Dupri attempted to run interference for her boyfriend Theory, distracting Cass at ringside. It did not work. Instead, Evans drove him into the giant, then proceeded to outmaneuver Cass, deliver the OG Cutter, and score the victory.

A good, energetic match that built nicely and only got a little messy late, it featured a pleasant surprise outcome, with Evans cashing his ticket to Money in the Bank, where he joins Bron Breakker in the namesake ladder match.

Result

Evans defeated Cass and Theory

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• Theory held this one together nicely. For all of the issues that some have with his character, he is a spectacularly solid wrestler who probably does not get the credit he has earned for his in-ring work.
• Interesting to see Big Cass eat the fall here when the aforementioned Theory was right there. Considering the lengths to which WWE has gone to rejuvenate The Vision after last week's Sunday Night's Main Event and Raw, it makes sense that the creative team would not want to beat Theory. Why book itself into a corner by beating Cass, though?